Positive Emigrating To Australia True Life Stories

[MARYROSE02]

Your family will be Collingwood forever more now!.

[Melby]

On 2017-5-19 at 14:13, kevsan said:

Agree with this.

It was on the cards for us for a long time, having first visited in 2007 and having friends here that came over for 4 years. When we started getting serious we went to a migration roadshow ran by one of the agents and had speakers from Immigration, removals, NAB etc to give people an idea of what to expect. It was a joint NZ/AUS roadshow and probably close to 150 people there. A rep from tourism NZ asked the room how many people had been to NZ or OZ before? Me and the wife and another couple were the only 4 hands that went up. that was the scary part, that all these people were seemingly desperate to leave the UK for a better life without really knowing anything about it. I asked one guy why he was looking into it, the response - "it must be better than here"....

I Have the same feeling of leaving Australia.....  the UK or anywhere else must be better then here.

Not bagging Australia out, it's not all its cracked up to be. Yes we have some nice weather. Crime is high and wages are not the best for the average house price is like 900K and that is way out of the city. 

 

[Kirstyj]

41 minutes ago, Melby said:

I Have the same feeling of leaving Australia.....  the UK or anywhere else must be better then here.

Not bagging Australia out, it's not all its cracked up to be. Yes we have some nice weather. Crime is high and wages are not the best for the average house price is like 900K and that is way out of the city. 

 

That's why we live in Perth, lovely all year weather, wages are good, average 4 bed with pool $500.000, just a 20 min drive from the city, low crime rate, we love it xx

[PFC1975]

Hi all 

Here is our story coming up to 6 months in Australia 

We live in Darwin & absolutely love it . It's a hidden gem 

Me my partner & 4 year old daughter. 

Firstly we done lots & lots of research over the two years getting the visa we're on 489 visas 

I'd previously done a working holiday visa all be it 20 years ago but had been back to Australia 4 times since & my partner she had also had 4 previous holidays here.

 

i really think this helps as you have an idea what to expect & the pros & cons of Australia & don't come out with ridiculous expectations of some sort of promised land . 

We'd both visited previously Cairns, Brisbane, Sydney , Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide , Perth & Uluru in the NT . 

 

We'd never been to Darwin when we landed but had a good knowledge of Aussie living. 

Darwin is fantastic a great place for families so much on every weekend & often for kids it's free. We absolutely love it here the best thing we've done our daughter loves school,childcare & the weather, sunsets & water parks here 

Once you get to know Darwin we've discovered some great restaurants & coffee shops . 

We had no luck with jobs before we arrived & had accommodation through Airbnb initially. 

We rented a lovely house in a new suburb in the northern suburbs after one week  I got work within 3 weeks & my partner took 3 months but it's been worth the wait as we both have managerial positions. 

I start a new job next month as Store operations manager for Kmart 

The lifestyle we have here is fantastic & we've met some great people particularly Aussies. Our daughter has made some lovely little friends aswell. 

I'm doing a lifetimes dream in December going to Adelaide to watch the cricket & Ashes 2nd Test & from a guys perspective for me anyway I think it really helps if you love sport as many Aussies do . Great for meeting people etc , I can talk AFL as I follow Sydney Swans ( amazing one point win last night ) & played Aussies rules in the UK when I was younger. Of course love Football & Rugby aswell 

No where is perfect but you have to adjust slightly get used to certain things & they may not be quite as good as the UK but certainly nothing worth contemplating going back that's for sure 

Funny before we came out we both know quite a few Aussies down the years but none had ever been to Darwin so was hard to get first hand advice & most actually felt sorry for us that our visa meant we have to do two years regional firstly in the NT  & really Darwin chose us . 

 

We we were always asked we're will you chose to live after Darwin 

But once you settle get to know places our thinking has changed we don't plan to leave Darwin & the thought of living somewhere cold no thanks lol 

Shorts , t shirt & flip flops every day love it 

As I say for young families it's a fantastic place to live so child friendly as it is such a transient place they put do much on to entice people to stay 

 

Great to read all the success stories you really have to embrace it & get out of the comparing mindset 

 

[Guest]

First (almost!) 24 hours in Australia. Had a great time in Singapore for four nights. Was really lovely to swim and just enjoy ourselves before the craziness of starting a new job next week.

Made it to Brisbane late last night. Passport control was a breeze. The officers were so friendly and smiled a lot / chatted about things to do. Was a bit taken aback!

Ok so it's VERY VERY early days so I'm just going to give a first impression and only basing this on the tiny bit we've seen - Brisbane is gorgeous. Despite being 'winter' we were in shorts and t-shirt today. No humidity, very sunny. Had lunch on Melbourne Road (plethora of multi-national restaurants) and wandered around the South Bank - loads going on, a festival-like atmosphere. Happy smiley faces. Noodle markets, school choir groups singing, fast free cats (boats), giant ferris wheel, Japanese and Nepalese memorials. Everyone just seemed to be in a great mood! People holding doors, saying excuse me - just being polite, very smiley and friendly.  Pretty much every nationality under the sun.

I love a good first impression. Something obviously you only get once. Doesn't mean of course we will always have this impression however, am very impressed so far and are looking forward to much much more exploring.

[MrsRich]

That's fantastic @Ozzie! I'm so glad you have such a great first impression. I'm sure it will stay, even after the initial excitement has worn off and the daily 'grind' of work etc sets in. I love Brissy. It's a great (and often unfairly maligned) city and even though I grew up in NSW, I still consider Brisbane home. I can't wait to get back there! I just wish my husband would hurry up and set a moving date!

All the best for you new life!

[DukeNinja]

On 29/07/2017 at 09:24, Ozzie said:

First (almost!) 24 hours in Australia. Had a great time in Singapore for four nights. Was really lovely to swim and just enjoy ourselves before the craziness of starting a new job next week.

Made it to Brisbane late last night. Passport control was a breeze. The officers were so friendly and smiled a lot / chatted about things to do. Was a bit taken aback!

Ok so it's VERY VERY early days so I'm just going to give a first impression and only basing this on the tiny bit we've seen - Brisbane is gorgeous. Despite being 'winter' we were in shorts and t-shirt today. No humidity, very sunny. Had lunch on Melbourne Road (plethora of multi-national restaurants) and wandered around the South Bank - loads going on, a festival-like atmosphere. Happy smiley faces. Noodle markets, school choir groups singing, fast free cats (boats), giant ferris wheel, Japanese and Nepalese memorials. Everyone just seemed to be in a great mood! People holding doors, saying excuse me - just being polite, very smiley and friendly.  Pretty much every nationality under the sun.

I love a good first impression. Something obviously you only get once. Doesn't mean of course we will always have this impression however, am very impressed so far and are looking forward to much much more exploring.

Glad to hear you guys have landed safely, and have had a sound first day of your new adventure! This time next month it's gonna be us flying over... We're staying in Singapore too, but only for 1 day, before flying to Brisbane. We can't wait to mingle with the Brissie locals!

[Kirstyj]

Aww that's great, good luck for the future xx

[ScottishMatilda]

On 21/08/2013 at 05:31, starlight7 said:

 I would still say for any potential migrants- go for it, the spirit of adventure still lives and good for you for living your life and seeking the best for yourself and family!

Love this message of positivity and all the emigration stories. Hoping one day to post our story here! 

[Guest]

Ok so that's our first full week in Brisbane. The sun has shone every single day and we've made the most of the 'great outdoors'. It's gorgeous weather, funny to see the locals wearing jumpers/jackets! It's been about 20 every day with a light breeze. People still continue to be friendly as far as we've seen and we're now addicted to 'Boost' juice (think all manner of fruit smoothies, yum!)

We've swam in the free pools (think lagoon like by the river) in the South Bank area (which, I'll mention again is fabulous), walked across the bridge to the 'CBD' centre of Brisbane which is a bustling 'mall' with many shops, large internal shopping centres, cafes and restaurants. We've managed to take two buses (to view rental apartments), get very lost (and a bit cranky) and also registered with Centrelink.

Next week I'll be visiting the bank to sort out accounts, register with medicare and find a doctor. We're also going to apply for one rental whilst continuing to view other rentals just in case our application is not approved. Also, thought it would be good to mention to people looking to apply for rental properties in Brisbane (probably Queenslandwide and maybe nationwide) you need 100 points to apply. You are awarded points for each piece of ID such as drivers licence, passport, proof of income, birth certificate, previous landlord reference etc.. you can register on realestate.com.au and fill out 'one form' which you can then use to apply for most rentals (after viewing) - some agencies don't use this 'one form' however, just to note. Hope that is helpful for someone. Good to have these pieces of ID etc. digitally so you can upload to the 'one form'.

I have heard it is really difficult to get children into childcare here, we haven't explored this yet (as waiting to see where we end up renting) so can't comment on this yet, but will.

So, end of first week. Very early days, seems very ok so far!

Edited August 6, 2017 by Guest

[Beffers]

So arrived Melbourne mid June via a 4 day layover in Singapore which was lush. Our Aussie dream started in 2006 when we got married in Barossa. Fast forward 11 years and we've arrived! 

Within three weeks, we had a car, house, Medicare, Centrelink set up, school place. Week four saw my daughter start school, week five was our week for starting work, husband full time permanent and me on a temp to perm whilst I suss them out! Also added bonus of working school hours only!

In a nutshell, it's great. It's been an eye opener, going to view rental properties was very up and down and the way they do things out here in that respect is very different but we have a home and that's that! We will buy a house next year!! 

We opened accounts with Westpac over a year ago and they opened a GBP account for us before we left the UK so transferring money is a breeze and without any kind of transaction fees! We also get a preferential exchange rate. They are partners with our UK bank Barclays and so it's all made just that bit easier. 

People were whinging at me about high cost of living but I haven't seen that. Wages are high (I'm in a bog standard project Admin job and if I was full time, my equivalent salary in GBP would be £45000!) , and many activities are free at weekends so we are spending less anyway. Yes if you want British branded this and that, you will pay higher but there are equally good alternatives within Australia so if you wanna pay extra, that's your choice! Quality of food here is amazing and the choice never ceases to amaze me.

I've met a few whinging poms since I've been here, who moan about lack of decent gravy and tea. I truly believe such individuals should've stayed in the UK ??

Yes you are far away from family. In our case tho, we were already living in a different country within UK from our folks anyway so it really isn't any big deal, and Skype is just as easy here.

Australia so far (8 weeks today I think) is awesome and hopefully it will continue to be so. It's definitely been the right decision for us!!! ??????????

[Kirstyj]

4 hours ago, Beffers said:

So arrived Melbourne mid June via a 4 day layover in Singapore which was lush. Our Aussie dream started in 2006 when we got married in Barossa. Fast forward 11 years and we've arrived! 

Within three weeks, we had a car, house, Medicare, Centrelink set up, school place. Week four saw my daughter start school, week five was our week for starting work, husband full time permanent and me on a temp to perm whilst I suss them out! Also added bonus of working school hours only!

In a nutshell, it's great. It's been an eye opener, going to view rental properties was very up and down and the way they do things out here in that respect is very different but we have a home and that's that! We will buy a house next year!! 

We opened accounts with Westpac over a year ago and they opened a GBP account for us before we left the UK so transferring money is a breeze and without any kind of transaction fees! We also get a preferential exchange rate. They are partners with our UK bank Barclays and so it's all made just that bit easier. 

People were whinging at me about high cost of living but I haven't seen that. Wages are high (I'm in a bog standard project Admin job and if I was full time, my equivalent salary in GBP would be £45000!) , and many activities are free at weekends so we are spending less anyway. Yes if you want British branded this and that, you will pay higher but there are equally good alternatives within Australia so if you wanna pay extra, that's your choice! Quality of food here is amazing and the choice never ceases to amaze me.

I've met a few whinging poms since I've been here, who moan about lack of decent gravy and tea. I truly believe such individuals should've stayed in the UK ??

Yes you are far away from family. In our case tho, we were already living in a different country within UK from our folks anyway so it really isn't any big deal, and Skype is just as easy here.

Australia so far (8 weeks today I think) is awesome and hopefully it will continue to be so. It's definitely been the right decision for us!!! ??????????

Hey  those winging poms can still buy tetley or pg tips and bistro gravy, they will moan wherever they are, glad you are settling in well xx

[themaccas]

So arrived Melbourne mid June via a 4 day layover in Singapore which was lush. Our Aussie dream started in 2006 when we got married in Barossa. Fast forward 11 years and we've arrived! 
Within three weeks, we had a car, house, Medicare, Centrelink set up, school place. Week four saw my daughter start school, week five was our week for starting work, husband full time permanent and me on a temp to perm whilst I suss them out! Also added bonus of working school hours only!
In a nutshell, it's great. It's been an eye opener, going to view rental properties was very up and down and the way they do things out here in that respect is very different but we have a home and that's that! We will buy a house next year!! 
We opened accounts with Westpac over a year ago and they opened a GBP account for us before we left the UK so transferring money is a breeze and without any kind of transaction fees! We also get a preferential exchange rate. They are partners with our UK bank Barclays and so it's all made just that bit easier. 
People were whinging at me about high cost of living but I haven't seen that. Wages are high (I'm in a bog standard project Admin job and if I was full time, my equivalent salary in GBP would be £45000!) , and many activities are free at weekends so we are spending less anyway. Yes if you want British branded this and that, you will pay higher but there are equally good alternatives within Australia so if you wanna pay extra, that's your choice! Quality of food here is amazing and the choice never ceases to amaze me.
I've met a few whinging poms since I've been here, who moan about lack of decent gravy and tea. I truly believe such individuals should've stayed in the UK [emoji23][emoji23]
Yes you are far away from family. In our case tho, we were already living in a different country within UK from our folks anyway so it really isn't any big deal, and Skype is just as easy here.
Australia so far (8 weeks today I think) is awesome and hopefully it will continue to be so. It's definitely been the right decision for us!!! ?[emoji1255][emoji1255][emoji1255][emoji1255]?

Great post, we have just turned the 5 year mark since arriving and we still love it as much as when we first arrived, we became Aus citizens last month and this country is very much home now. Prices have fallen for many things since we arrived, I think food prices have fallen as have clothing. I had to go and visit the UK last year and I thought prices were no cheaper there for many things, remember walking round Tesco and converting prices and being very surprised at how most things were priced the same as Aus.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Luisa Cannon]

On 8/12/2017 at 07:13, themaccas said:

Great post, we have just turned the 5 year mark since arriving and we still love it as much as when we first arrived, we became Aus citizens last month and this country is very much home now. Prices have fallen for many things since we arrived, I think food prices have fallen as have clothing. I had to go and visit the UK last year and I thought prices were no cheaper there for many things, remember walking round Tesco and converting prices and being very surprised at how most things were priced the same as Aus.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Congratulations on your citizenship.

That's why people called Australia the Lucky Country.

I'm blessed to live and enjoy the life here!

[ssiri]

Not been in Oz long, but so far, loving in. What's not to like?


Sent from my iPhone using PomsinOz

[ssiri]

So arrived Melbourne mid June via a 4 day layover in Singapore which was lush. Our Aussie dream started in 2006 when we got married in Barossa. Fast forward 11 years and we've arrived! 
Within three weeks, we had a car, house, Medicare, Centrelink set up, school place. Week four saw my daughter start school, week five was our week for starting work, husband full time permanent and me on a temp to perm whilst I suss them out! Also added bonus of working school hours only!
In a nutshell, it's great. It's been an eye opener, going to view rental properties was very up and down and the way they do things out here in that respect is very different but we have a home and that's that! We will buy a house next year!! 
We opened accounts with Westpac over a year ago and they opened a GBP account for us before we left the UK so transferring money is a breeze and without any kind of transaction fees! We also get a preferential exchange rate. They are partners with our UK bank Barclays and so it's all made just that bit easier. 
People were whinging at me about high cost of living but I haven't seen that. Wages are high (I'm in a bog standard project Admin job and if I was full time, my equivalent salary in GBP would be £45000!) , and many activities are free at weekends so we are spending less anyway. Yes if you want British branded this and that, you will pay higher but there are equally good alternatives within Australia so if you wanna pay extra, that's your choice! Quality of food here is amazing and the choice never ceases to amaze me.
I've met a few whinging poms since I've been here, who moan about lack of decent gravy and tea. I truly believe such individuals should've stayed in the UK [emoji23][emoji23]
Yes you are far away from family. In our case tho, we were already living in a different country within UK from our folks anyway so it really isn't any big deal, and Skype is just as easy here.
Australia so far (8 weeks today I think) is awesome and hopefully it will continue to be so. It's definitely been the right decision for us!!! ?[emoji1255][emoji1255][emoji1255][emoji1255]?

Our experience as of January this year has not been dissimilar to yours. Loving it. I tend to keep away from the whinging Poms in real life [emoji6]


Sent from my iPhone using PomsinOz

[Beffers]

On 18/08/2017 at 17:59, ssiri said:

 

 

Our experience as of January this year has not been dissimilar to yours. Loving it. I tend to keep away from the whinging Poms in real life


Sent from my iPhone using PomsinOz

 

 

Can't stand whinging poms!!!!  No point in emigrating if you're gonna moan about everything!!! Glad you've had a good journey too!! 

[Guest263228]

37 minutes ago, Beffers said:

Can't stand whinging poms!!!!  No point in emigrating if you're gonna moan about everything!!! Glad you've had a good journey too!! 

Well no fear you won't read any Whinging Pom references on this thread. (They would be removed) Still my take on things would be for those wannabe Aussies yet to step foot in 'The Lucky Country', to take a bite of both sides of the apple before buying. Great to read positive stories but to keep it real. I doubt if many come with the intention to moan.

[ssiri]

Well no fear you won't read any Whinging Pom references on this thread. (They would be removed) Still my take on things would be for those wannabe Aussies yet to step foot in 'The Lucky Country', to take a bite of both sides of the apple before buying. Great to read positive stories but to keep it real. I doubt if many come with the intention to moan.

Things are different in certain aspects for sure, but to my mind that's the point. If I wanted the same, Id stay where I was. I take your point though, it's best to have goals and expectations that are realistic and trying before buying may help with making that assessment (are the goals realistic or not).


Sent from my iPhone using PomsinOz

[Kirstyj]

Hi I am just at work over looking the Indian Ocean at Cottesloe Beach, Perth, the sun is shining and life is great xx

[Metoo]

It is two years today that we stepped off the plane in Sydney, so where are we now? Well, after spending the first six months in Sydney's West, where we rented a house , we very soon decided that renting was not for us. Mr Metoo was working in the CBD and his 2 hr commute in rush hr traffic was not ideal. So, we quickly learned that the type of house we wanted was not going to be affordable in Sydney so we looked further afield and decided to move to North Queensland. 

We were able to buy a house near the beach and very soon settled down in our new home. It took a while for us to find jobs but we got there in the end. Ironically, Mr Metoo is now travelling almost two hours to work each day, but, the difference is he is now driving along empty roads bordered by cane fields and farms. He often stops off at the farm shop on the way home and brings fresh fruit and veg. and macadamia nuts.

On my day off I sometimes go with him and I take the car along the coast road and spend the day on the beach or hanging around the cafes until he finishes, I also check out realestate as we are considering moving again closer to work. Then we have a nice drive home.

We have acquired an extra pet, a little elderly cat from  the rehoming centre. She was supposed to be company for our other elderly cat who we brought with us from the UK. Unfortunately, they don't  like each other lol. 

So, anyway tonight we will be breaking open the champagne and drinking to the past two incredible years. We will toast the friends we left behind and the new ones we have made here in Australia. 

Where will we be in two more years?? 

Hopefully still here in Queensland. 

 

Metoo xx 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ike]

Hey Guys, long time member here. Granted I haven't posted in a while, but it's always nice to drop by and say hi!

I did a post similar to this a while back, since then so much has changed!  So rolling back a few years to the beginning of our mega journey.....

Back in 2009 after being together for some years, my Fiance and I decided it was time to buy our first house. We earned a modest amount of money, myself being a Welder and her being a Manager. So one would expect it wouldn't be to much trouble to pull together the money for a deposit. WRONG.  You see this was smack bang in the middle of the Global Financial Crisis, and if you didn't have a 40% deposit you just got laughed out of the bank. 
Instead of getting Angry we decided to take a different path and leave the weather and the prospect of not getting our mid 2 bedroom terrace house behind. 

After 18 months of saving and planning, in 2011 we quit our jobs, took a one way flight and flew to Sydney on a WHV. 

It was all fun and excitement leading up to us leaving, then as we walked to the Taxi Rank outside Sydney Airport, with nothing more than 2 suitcases and a pocket full of money - we sh*t our selves. We had a hotel booked and that was it. People said we was mad, just stepping into the unknown, and told us  'at least you can say you had a go' when it doesn't work out. We was beginning to think the same.

After a few days in Sydney, we decided to head north, so we hired a car and went to Newcastle. We decided that we would set up base here, try to find work and a place to rent. Prior to us moving, we both lived with my Fiances Parents, so we had no rental history. Coupled with the fact that we didn't have jobs either this made it impossible to find a rental, and stress was starting to kick in.

Newcastle was proving real difficult, so we looked further afield and found a Unit in a Place called Port Stephens. We knew nothing about the area, but we was desperate. The Landlord offered it us on the basis that it was a 3 month Lease, paid up front, plus Bond. If we didn't trash it and we had jobs after that they will give us another lease.

With funds running very very low, I managed to find a few weeks work back in Newcastle. The few weeks turned into a few months, and when the 6 month limit was coming up they offered me a 457 Visa to stay and work with them.

When the 457 was granted we decided that this was finally a good time to get married. The family came for the Wedding, and as hard as it was for them when we left, when they seen what we had achieved and they could be nothing but proud. They was blown away with where we loved. 

Fast forward 4 years, my employed offered to sponsor me on a 186 ENS. The Application was lodged in December 2015, and we became permanent residents a in June 2016.

After much saving we bought our first house in August that year.  Then the realisation of what we have achieved really kicked in. The disappointment of not being able to afford that mid terraced house back in the UK is long gone. I am now sat typing this in my very own 4 Bedroom house, with 2 living areas and a double Garage, all of which is literally 5 minutes walk away from the beach. 

Summertime is coming, the days a getting longer, as a weekend hobby I teach Scuba Diving in one of Australias greatest places, Port Stephens. This is literally living the dream. 

When we take in to consideration that we don't have any family living over here, and didn't know a single person when we arrived we feel so proud. 

The Icing on the cake was in June this year when we got the news that we are expecting our first child. Watch out Australia, in February 2018 your latest citizen arrives! 

My point in all this is not just to tell a nice story, but to show that anything is possible if you try hard enough. It's been the scariest, most terrifying few years of my life, but also to best in my life!

 

I have people from the UK telling me how lucky we are.....

....We aren't lucky, we just worked hard. We don't have rich families, and never had well paid jobs.

 

We just took a chance and worked hard, and are still pinching ourselves that it's real.

[Kirstyj]

Same here, you work hard so you can play hard, enjoy x

[Guest241083]

........wow...!

.......well done lke and wife...

.......it's a wonderful tale to read 

........and all the best with your little Aussie 

[Chasing a dream]

On 11/08/2017 at 05:37, Beffers said:

So arrived Melbourne mid June via a 4 day layover in Singapore which was lush. Our Aussie dream started in 2006 when we got married in Barossa. Fast forward 11 years and we've arrived! 

Within three weeks, we had a car, house, Medicare, Centrelink set up, school place. Week four saw my daughter start school, week five was our week for starting work, husband full time permanent and me on a temp to perm whilst I suss them out! Also added bonus of working school hours only!

In a nutshell, it's great. It's been an eye opener, going to view rental properties was very up and down and the way they do things out here in that respect is very different but we have a home and that's that! We will buy a house next year!! 

We opened accounts with Westpac over a year ago and they opened a GBP account for us before we left the UK so transferring money is a breeze and without any kind of transaction fees! We also get a preferential exchange rate. They are partners with our UK bank Barclays and so it's all made just that bit easier. 

People were whinging at me about high cost of living but I haven't seen that. Wages are high (I'm in a bog standard project Admin job and if I was full time, my equivalent salary in GBP would be £45000!) , and many activities are free at weekends so we are spending less anyway. Yes if you want British branded this and that, you will pay higher but there are equally good alternatives within Australia so if you wanna pay extra, that's your choice! Quality of food here is amazing and the choice never ceases to amaze me.

I've met a few whinging poms since I've been here, who moan about lack of decent gravy and tea. I truly believe such individuals should've stayed in the UK ??

Yes you are far away from family. In our case tho, we were already living in a different country within UK from our folks anyway so it really isn't any big deal, and Skype is just as easy here.

Australia so far (8 weeks today I think) is awesome and hopefully it will continue to be so. It's definitely been the right decision for us!!! ??????????

So glad you are loving it so far! You mention week 5 was when you start work....did you guys already have jobs set up when you arrived? How are you finding the Melbourne weather so far? I hear such conflicting opinions about that! Good luck with everything else....sounds like you will be very happy over there!!