DJ78 Posted July 7, 2013 Share Posted July 7, 2013 Hi there, I really hope that somebody out there may be able to help me??? My husband has been invited to apply for a Visa under a state sponsorship to Adelaide. We have two young aged 5 and 3 so it's really important that we explore and research everything properly before making our final decision to move to Australia. My parents have kindly agreed to have our kids for a short time at the beginning of August so that the two of us can visit and really see what life is like. We wish, if possible, to meet with a few families that have already been in our position so that we can see what life is like in comparison to England, warts and all. We wondered if anybody would be willing to meet with us to go through the good points and not so good points so that we can make a more balanced decision before we take the final plunge. We will be arriving in Adelaide on the Friday evening of 2nd August so this would leave us with time from Saturday 3rd August until we leave on Saturday night the 10th August. Because we can't leave our children for very long, we have such a small amount of time in order to really get to grips with Australian life, so we need to make the most of the time we have there. We don't want to see Adelaide through tourists eyes so feel that this will be a really important part of our decision making process. If anybody is at all willing to make contact with us either on the forum or in person when we arrive, we would greatly appreciate it. We look forward to hearing from somebody soon. Many thanks Danielle :smile: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 7, 2013 Share Posted July 7, 2013 Perhaps post and ask over on our sister site, Poms In Adelaide. http://www.pomsinadelaide.com/forum/forum.php FWIW, I don't think you need to meet them in person, you can read plenty on the forum and online about how people find it. I'd use the trip to see it for yourselves, check out areas, explore a bit and so on. If you get the chance to meet up with a few people great, but I'd not worry overly about doing so. Everyone will have a different experience of life in Adelaide, good or bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 7, 2013 Share Posted July 7, 2013 We are heading over in October btw. Hubby is an from Adelaide and I've spent a bit of time there. Feel free to drop me a PM if you want to chat about migrating. Can't give you the low down from the POV of actually having migrated but I can tell you what I like about the area and so on and how I find it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ78 Posted July 7, 2013 Author Share Posted July 7, 2013 Thanks for your advice. I've now logged onto the Adelaide site as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gumster Posted July 7, 2013 Share Posted July 7, 2013 Hi we went to Adelaide in May & did our own wanted down under fact finding mission. My partner was lucky when he contact the first company in the yellow pages they invited him for an interview & they offers him the job. He's just waiting for the results of his skills test so fingers crossed we should make progress soon! I suggest you go into the shops & get a general comparison of costs & we registered with a number of estate agents, we hired a car & it's really easy to navigate & get round. If you need anymore info let me know Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belinda boo Posted July 7, 2013 Share Posted July 7, 2013 Hi Danielle, I lived in Adelaide almost all my life, until in 2007 I moved to London for my husbands work. Almost six years later and an extra child, we are finally coming home to Adelaide. I am in for a shock at how slow paced and laid back it will be compared to London living. Adelaide is what people say a tourist spot, you do the whole Barossa Valley winery tours, visit the Adelaide mall and Zoo and get excited to be able take a dip in the sea at Glenelg beach. Adelaide is noted for its many festivalsand sporting events, its food, wine and culture, and its long beachfronts, On the good note though once part of a community you soon fit in well and find it to be very family oriented. With it's beautiful wildlife in Cleland and belair National Park and local parks such as the botanic gardens at your door step, it is and a good starting point for new families with young children. Bear in mind though summer months are VERY HOT in Adelaide. The local primary schools are very good and mainly mixed genders. Most classes have 30 children, less if you go private, and the costings for private school vary depending on religion, most range from $2,500 per year for junior school and up to $5,000 for senior schools. Most private schools will have waiting lists and it is better to get them enrolled asap. Your local primary school in your chosen area should take you on once you contact them requesting a position. Many primary schools don't operate on a catchment area i.e children living in Craigmore should only attend this school. Do you have a certain area you are considering moving too. How close do you want to be to beaches and the CBD? I grew up in Elizabeth which is in the northern suburbs and found it to be OK, some area's are a little rough and the people are a bit ferral (pardon the term) but housing here is very cheap. You still have the local shops and parks, but just not a clean and well looked after as other classier area's such as south west of Adelaide being an example. I bought property in Wynn Vale which is located North- East of Adelaide in a very quiet leafy street. I have local shops, schools and health providers just down the road and it takes me 40-50 mins to reach the CBD by car or 1 hour by public transport. Transport being within walking distance. Beware thought the closer living to the CBD the more expensive house prices are. I also found that the properties are a lot older too. There are new developments going up all around the suburbs and loads of people find it cheaper to build their own home rather than buy. I would offer more on house prices but I am sure you can find this out on the estate web sites. www.realestate.com.au is a good one to check out. Also I am not sure if you want city living / coastal / or a country lifestyle. I will say though the medical system is brilliant. You can apply for a medicare card for the whole family once you arrive. This acts as you way into doctors surgeries, dental surgeries and local hospitals. Most operate on a bulk bill service or you pay the gap of your remaining bill after medicare pay some for you. Basically part and part. They do have private hospitals that offer round the clock in patient care and no waiting times for operations and stuff but of course you must take out private health cover. This can be very expensive for a whole family, most people just take out extras which covers optical, dental and some physiotherapy and other basic procedures www.bupa.com.au is a good place to start looking if you are keen. It will be easy to register with all the local amenities in your new area, most places require a copy of a passport and a new billing address. This is a great web site to check out Adelaide suburbs and living life in Adelaide http://adelaidebound.com/suburbs.html I hope I have been able to help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ78 Posted July 8, 2013 Author Share Posted July 8, 2013 That's fantastic. My husband and I when we get nervous keep doing the flipping of the cards like they do on Wanted Down Under ha ha. Sounds like things are coming together for you. Must be such a relief that he has got a job too. We are waiting for my husband to get the full visa issued and then we are going to do a more serious job search. He's been looking but hasn't applied for anything yet. Fingers crossed that your husband gets the results he wants on the IELTS. So much to do isn't there! All good suggestions about the estate agents etc. We are hoping to view a couple of properties but it seems different over there. More open house days rather than arranging a viewing by appointment??? Have you any suggestions of who you registered with or should I just go on Realestate.au.com Were definitely going to hire a car too. Thanks for your response Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belinda boo Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 Oh I love watching wanted down under, they do so well until they see their families on the dvd lol. It has been taking a bit of planning and organising this end like with packing and trying to sell stuff. It is hard to get good prices for good quality furniture. we will manage, I will be happy once the removalists come in and start packing for us. We registered with Elders real Estate and found them to be wonderful, I would register with as many as possible and give a clear description of what you want in a rental house. It is correct that most people go out weekends and look for the advertisement signs for open houses. Local papers are very good for this too. I can reassure you that your husband won't feel Isolated. The Aussies are so more welcoming and relaxed, you'll soon fit it. There is so many families that are in your position and end up finding comfort in many friends. School based families are a good start. You'll also find plenty of outdoor activities that will keep you involved in the community and web sites like pomsinadelaide is a good place to meet new families. I have a girl who is 8 and a 5 month old baby boy. My daughter is very keen outdoor child, she loves the whole exploring of parks and the wildlife so I am sure she will fit back in just fine. Most children adapt really well. Well I hope it all goes smoothly for you and your family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ78 Posted July 8, 2013 Author Share Posted July 8, 2013 It is a fantastic programme. Like you say all goes well until the DVD comes on ha ha. Some of the families make them feel so bad for going which is a bit unfair. We told our parents this weekend and they have been so supportive. My dad is delighted at the prospect of spending winter in the sun! We will try Elders. Thank you and will research some more too. Good luck with selling your furniture. It's so expensive taking everything over isn't it. Hope your move goes really well and that you enjoy being back home and that the flight doesn't feel too long with two kids in tow. I will let Dave know what you said about everyone being really welcoming. I thought that would be the case and like you say, what also helps is that you can make friends through parents you meet at school. My circle of friends has grown considerably by getting to know all the school mums since my daughter started in September. Really hope your daughter enjoys the adventure and getting to explore all the wildlife. Good luck with everything and thanks again for your number and your advice. Take care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica Berry Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Hi we went to Adelaide in May & did our own wanted down under fact finding mission. My partner was lucky when he contact the first company in the yellow pages they invited him for an interview & they offers him the job. Out of interest, what line of work is your partner in that was offered the job? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica Berry Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Just a pointer, when you are looking on realestate.com.au, remember on top of the price you have to pay stamp duty, we paid $25,000 in stamp duty (it varies) so you would need to consider this on top of the for sale price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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