Moving to Brisbane need advice on everything please help

[tdoc]

Hi everyone first time on forum so i hope i have done this correctly i apologies if i have not. I have loads of questions and any help on anything would be much appreciated.My wife and i have been granted our P.R visa and have decided to move to Brisbane or Ipswich we like the look of Springfield but it all depends on where we can get work, my wife is a nurse and i am an electrician so was wondering if you could recommend any nice suburbs near hospitals with very low risk of flooding with a good catholic primary school which my son will be attending once old enough as he is only 4 months just now.We like the look of Springfield Lakes we know there is a primary school called Good Shepherd Catholic Primary School so any info on that school and area would be superb.also we are coming on holiday for 3 weeks in September to validate our visa's and do a bit of recon on suburbs,work,schools way of life everything basically to get a rough idea of where we want to be before we move permanently next year very apprehensive about getting up and going now we have our son to consider should have probably done this before applying for our visas to see if we liked it first but where is the fun in that lol, also if any one could recommend any nice clean cheap holiday apartments/homes prob in the centre of Brisbane good for access to all areas we are looking at Kangaroo point holiday apartments just now so any reviews on that would be good. Anyway sorry for being a pain there is only so much i can learn from internet searches and with no family or friends in OZ it makes it hard as prob most of you will know as i said any info on anything would be excellent hope to talk to you all soon

cheers Tony.

[Xenon4017]

Good idea to do a recce.

 

Also a good idea is to investigate how you can get your qualifications recognised. Maybe you can even use your trip to lodge paperwork for that.

 

There are lots of schools, most of them good.

 

I'd concentrate on the job aspect for now. Look on Seek to see how many potential jobs are available right now, and what qualis and experience they want.

[Guest]

Kangaroo point sounds like a good base for a reccie as pretty central to everything! There are many nice suburbs to live in Brisbane in my opinion so it would depend where you find work. I wouldn't recommend crossing the river for work if you can avoid it. If you are looking Northside I fully recommend my are (wooloowin/clayfield)

[samshep]

I would look for work for you, I'm bayside which is lovely as it is easy access for gold and Sunshine Coast, I'm a midwife, work is pretty easy to get for us, but your skills may not be recognised here which is a pain. My husband was a brickie in the UK, doing renovations, skills not rec here so has changed direction.

[tdoc]

Thanks for the quick reply guys my wife will try and get a job first as hopefully it will be easier for her that's why we are looking for areas close to hospitals in all areas so at least my wife doesn't have a long commute this way we can keep our options open and be free to move to any area where my wife could possibly get work, it is going to take me a while to get a license plus i need to be permanently staying in OZ before i can apply for it its a bit of a pain to be honest but that's just the way it is what can i do think ill just become a house husband lol.Ill have a look at wooloowin and clayfield areas thanks LASTONEALIVE. Ill have a look at bayside as well thanks SAMSHEP what is your husband doing now is he still in construction or a totally different area of work,i will prob consider another line of work if it is more hastle to get my electrical licence than its worth, what hospital do yo work in do you prefer working in OZ to the UK how is the job front looking for nurses i have noticed alot of people saying there is no jobs is this true. How long have you all been in oz are you glad you moved

Edited July 25, 2013 by tdoc

[FrogLegsFred]

Hi Tony,

 

First, I know exactly how you feel! There are so many questions and never the right answers it seems!

 

Kangaroo Point (yes, the most australian sounding suburb ever) is great. Close to the city, public transport, schools and a hospital (Mater).

 

Kelvin Grove, where we just moved to, is perfect for us. There is are two hospitals close by (one in Herston and one in Spring Hill).

 

Not sure if it helps, but when we moved we found some good resources and tips here http://removalistsbrisbane.info

 

Here's a link to Brisbane Flood Maps - select your suburb and you'll see the flooding for that area.

[tdoc]

Hi fred thanks for the info this is a great help.I never thought it would be so stressful now we are close to going its getting worse as well but hey ho all part of the experience i guess.how long u been in oz are you glad you made the move.

[Nats]

Hi Tony, first of all congrats on getting your PR, that's the biggest hurdle done with! There are lots of hospitals in and around Brisbane, what area does your wife specialise in? I'd recommend looking into the private hospitals as government healthcare jobs are really hard to come by at the moment, lots of redundancies etc to make way for lots of new grads. You've prob read a little about this. As your little one is only 4 months & will be just over 1 year when you arrive I wouldn't worry too much about school catchment zones ATM. Lots of lovely suburbs (I can't speak for Ipswich as its further south and never lived there - also got to be careful with flood paths around Ipswich). The key is to find work & somewhere within reasonable commute of there. As someone mentioned previously, crossing the river can be a nightmare if working on the opposite side. A reccie in Kangaroo point will be very beneficial, kangaroo point is a good base to do your homework. Hopefully by next year the situation may have changed in the public healthcare system (looking unlikely) but in the meantime your wife may want to look for opportunities at Greenslopes (Ramsay healthcare I believe) the Mater (public & private) St Andrews Hospital, Holy Spirit hospital + loads more further north of the city & as far south as the Gold Coast.

We've been in Australia almost 4 years now, started in Perth, WA...been in Brisbane >2yrs now. It's a big move, the farthest your likely to ever move so it's good to be flexible, we've moved rentals a few times, tried living in different suburbs to get a feel for different areas. I'd like to buy in the next year or 2 but a bit apprehensive, huge commitment - lots of areas to consider its worth while renting here & there until you find the right suburb for you and your family. Good luck with the rest of your relocation.

[Nats]

Tony I just realised that you are from Cumbernauld!! I'm from Airdrie! Small world. When your out September, if you want to meet up, ask some more questions or whatever, feel free to drop me a private email. Would love to help in any way we can.

Did my community training in Cumbernauld. Excellent team of district nurses out there. Fond memories.

[ceyclaire]

Hi Nats

 

sorry to jump in but I notice that u did community training. Is that district nursing? I'm coming over 30th September and like Tonys situation, I'm a nurse and my hubby's an electrician.. We have no jobs and unsure where to start looking. I'm a community/palliative care nurse and m gna start looking for private sectors.

 

oh it's a mine field. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

 

Tony ill keep u posted on how we get,on when we arrive.

 

cheers

 

claire

[Nats]

Hi Nats

 

sorry to jump in but I notice that u did community training. Is that district nursing? I'm coming over 30th September and like Tonys situation, I'm a nurse and my hubby's an electrician.. We have no jobs and unsure where to start looking. I'm a community/palliative care nurse and m gna start looking for private sectors.

 

oh it's a mine field. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

 

Tony ill keep u posted on how we get,on when we arrive.

 

 

cheers

 

claire

 

Hey claire, yes, I was referring to district nursing. But that was during my training in UK (Scotland to be precise). District nursing is worlds apart here. There seems to be 'agencies' that cover 'community nursing' in what capacity I'm still none the wiser. There's lots of talk of 'blue care nurses' and I've seen Oz care around...but it doesn't translate in the same way as district nursing that I was used to. Because, here in Australia, we have a divided healthcare system - part subsidised (public) and part privatised...there are lots of insurance & status eligibility requirements. From what I have seen (we offer hospital in the home 'HITH' services at my place of work) the role of community/ district nurse is completely different to the skills/role required in the UK (or rather NHS trust Lanarkshire where I was employed).in other words - If I could land a district nurse position similar to what's available in Scotland - I'd jump at it, but the role is simply not the same. Similar with nurse practitioner roles...they are slowly evolving, but still, not quite the same.

take for example nursing homes...I covered shifts in nursing homes back home...ratio similar to that of in hospital, with all skills necessary of an RN, out here 1 RN may be responsible for 80+ patients...resident has UTI - they get sent to hospital!! It would seem within the nursing home they do not have training?skills to commence IV fluids/insert IDCs/commence palliative care, these patients by and large end up in emergency departments! I lived in WA before moving to QLD and considered a job with 'silver chain' another community agency, but the job is very restrictive, doesn't offer the same scope of practice as NHS district Nurse.

Its not all bad, hospitals, particularly public institutions offer similar to what you/we may be used to, but I have a craving for district nursing, in particular a palliative care community nursing role as I know it to be.

 

hope this answers your query & hope I don't put you off cos there's a role there for everyone.x

[Bobbsy]

Just an FYI since you mention Ipswich...a lot of that area IS very badly prone to flooding. We know some people there and they've been flooded out twice in the past few years...even when Brisbane itself is fine.

 

(It's also a pretty grotty bogan-esque area in my opinion...but that's just me.)

[tdoc]

Hi Nats thanks for all the great info it helps alot my wife works in general medical at the western on mat leave at the moment yea we are unfortunately from Cumberland lol the world is defo a small place.How are yous enjoying oz are yous glad you made the move that would be great to meet up once we are out ill email you to arrange a meet.

[tdoc]

hi ceyclaire good luck with the move keep me posted on how yous are doing are you going over for good or a reccie

[tdoc]

thanks bobbsy only thinking of springfield lakes because i seen it on wanted down under and it looked really nice so done most of my research on that area but i am open to all suggestions on suburbs probably look around Brisbane now i really dont fancy getting stuck in the worst flood zone are

[oshividhu]

thanks bobbsy only thinking of springfield lakes because i seen it on wanted down under and it looked really nice so done most of my research on that area but i am open to all suggestions on suburbs probably look around Brisbane now i really dont fancy getting stuck in the worst flood zone are

 

Personally I wouldn't recommend you to move to Springfield. We bought our house recently and went down to Springfield to look at houses and found it too remote. There aren't many good places to eat/hang out there. Although the good thing is that the train line is starting in November which would be good for you.

 

Also, There aren't any hospitals in the are where your partner could work. We have moved to forest lake, which is a bit closer, not as remote and has good public transport links. The schools here are good as well, you have 2 state schools and 1 Anglican college to choose from.

 

It will be a big change moving from Cumberland to Brisbane. I moved here from Glasgow a couple of months ago (that said, I moved to Glasgow only a couple of years ago) and I still haven't been able to find a job yet. The job market in Queensland is in a rut at the moment. It doesn't help now that I am pregnant and have become a bit unemployable at the moment.

[Bobbsy]

When we first moved here in 2007, one of our first holiday lets while we looked for a permanent place was near Springfield Lakes (which was still being built). At that stage it was a bit soulless (but that's probably down to it being very new). However, I have to agree with oshividhu that it's a long way out if you're going to work in Brisbane proper.

 

We ended up moving out to Toowoomba so I'll leave it others to suggest good places--I only seem able to shoot things down!

[Nats]

Hi Nats thanks for all the great info it helps alot my wife works in general medical at the western on mat leave at the moment yea we are unfortunately from Cumberland lol the world is defo a small place.How are yous enjoying oz are yous glad you made the move that would be great to meet up once we are out ill email you to arrange a meet.

 

Never been to Springlakes myself. Need to check it out, I'm sure there is National park with waterfalls somewhere around there that looks beautiful. There are lots of homes currently being built in Springlakes, lots of new infrastructure planned...only last week it was on the news that at least 1/2 of govt offices in Brisbane are to move there and the area will see lots of exciting new additions, they're hoping to create another city. So the area itself is up and coming & has lots of future potential. Not sure I'd want to live there mind you, but that's only because I've spent all my time in Brisbane, I'd struggle with a move down to Gold Coast (as much as I'd love to be near the beaches ) as its unfamiliar territory. You have to be considerate of flooding in all areas around QLD, most of Brisbane City & northern suburbs are pretty safe but you do have to make those enquiries before you rent/buy. Our friends are out near westend, south of the river, fairly inner city & have flooded twice in the last year. They're car was ruined! I lived in apartments just outside fortitude valley (near CBD, north of the river) and had to move out for 1 week due to flooding! It is a sub tropical climate & when it rains it rains hard, there's no getting away from it. Maybe I should return to Perth afterall...

[tdoc]

Hey guys thanks for the advice im just glad im doing this reccie in 3 weeks time but to be quit honest i dont know where to start think the biggest thing now is trying to make contacts for jobs so will be working harder on that side of things but wont be moving over till one of us has something but where there is a will there is a way got 5 years till things pick up i suppose not ideal but we shall see who wouldnt want to employ us lol

[Battleneter]

Personally I wouldn't recommend you to move to Springfield. We bought our house recently and went down to Springfield to look at houses and found it too remote. There aren't many good places to eat/hang out there. Although the good thing is that the train line is starting in November which would be good for you.

 

Also, There aren't any hospitals in the are where your partner could work. We have moved to forest lake, which is a bit closer, not as remote and has good public transport links. The schools here are good as well, you have 2 state schools and 1 Anglican college to choose from.

 

It will be a big change moving from Cumberland to Brisbane. I moved here from Glasgow a couple of months ago (that said, I moved to Glasgow only a couple of years ago) and I still haven't been able to find a job yet. The job market in Queensland is in a rut at the moment. It doesn't help now that I am pregnant and have become a bit unemployable at the moment.

 

 

New Private Hospital is being built as we speak in Springfield. It seems Greater Springfield has hit a Critical mass with public transport about to arrive, the "preplanned/allocated" business district is getting interest from some heavy hitters which means working more local is a real possibility for many people, also retail in the central area is accelerating.

 

http://www.qt.com.au/news/springfield-hospital-unveiled-hospital-to-service-/1881991/

 

http://www.qt.com.au/news/theyanks-arecoming-ges-springfield-site-will-be-ma/1992123/

 

http://www.qt.com.au/news/the-lions-are-coming/1985921/

 

 

Public Transport is interesting, I am not sure I will use the New Springfield station. At the moment I am car 11 minutes to Gailes Station and using the "express" train 27 min to the CBD, which would work out identical to a stop all stations out of Richland's that Forest Lakers use. Distance should be ignored with commuting, its all about "time" well at least for me. I can get to the CBD faster than some suburbs 10K closer!

 

I like Forest Lakes too and we considered it carefully, I even use the Mens Barbour in the mall down there as its not far away. For us Greater Springfield has the edge and the original Springfield is mega quiet which is what we wanted, each to there own however.

 

/end advert

Edited September 8, 2013 by Battleneter

[Anika]

I live in Ipswich and I agree that there are some bogan areas but I wouldn't judge the whole town on those. I think Ipswich is pretty decent, it's not too big, it's close enough to Brisbane and public transport is reasonable, renting is still affordable and you can get some decent properties for a lot less than what you'd be paying in Brisbane. As for the hospitals, my mother in law is a nurse at Ipswich hospital and I've been in to visit her and my first impression was good, plus 2 of my sister in laws have had their kids there and have never had an issue with it.

 

This is just my opinion but I think Ipswich gets lots of bad rep and I admit that I used to think it wasn't the greatest either but I really enjoy living here. Looks like I won't be here for much longer though as my husband is in the process of joining the army so if (when) he gets in we'll be upping sticks.