Initial reactions and feedback following day 1

[srg73]

As some will know we have now moved from UK to Brisbane after never visiting however having been to Australia twice previously. So everything below is based on personal day 1 reactions.

 

1, Flights were easy, Singapore Airlines are comfortable and efficient. Yes I do sleep on the plane which softens the blow but still it is not too far for relative to travel.

2, Brisbane people, friendly, interested and yes inquisitive.

3, Brisbane transport, 1st class, cheap with go card and very simple to use. Cat service is also great and we will take an end to end trip on this at some point to see the city. The ease of access to the city does make property further out from the city more attractive so long as it has good transport links. We also like walking from place to place rather than driving everywhere, from previous experiences of Australia this is rare and Brisbane is no different, we pretty much have the pavements to ourselves in many places.

4, Brisbane atmosphere, great, relaxed, friendly and just what we were wanting. Obviously there is a lot more space but noticeably there are fewer people too which initially is very strange when compared to London where we spent a lot of our time.

5, Brisbane prices, expensive, well in the city centre they are anyway however we expected that and we are to venture out a little to find areas we would like to live and hopefully see prices decrease slightly.

6, Brisbane communications, we are using internet provided with our accommodation which is fast enough for what we need (don't download movies etc). Mobile services seem to be expensive but that why Skype etc is there and mobiles will be for local contact only. Personally I hate mobiles so this arrangement suits me perfectly.

7, Brisbane work opportunities, I am very lucky in that I came out with a very good job offer which is now being firmed up. My wife has been advised that she will have absolutely no problems in finding work with QLD Healthcare if she chooses to.

8, Brisbane local government and medicare, new arrivals get yourself to St Georges Square (far side) and sign up, very simple but ensure you have your paperwork to hand. My advise would be to establish you bank account 1st, have them issue you a letter to confirm you have opened a bank account and use this as evidence of arrival for medicare. You need 2 pieces of evidence, job offer, removals receipt etc can count as the other. Always have a copy of your visa grant letter to hand as everybody wants to see and copy this.

 

In conclusion, excited and looking forward. Thus far nearly everything has been positive (got lost and ran through tolls, hire car too big for 2 of us and slight issue with money transfer only negatives) and feel good about the months and years to come.

 

Anybody thinking of making the move, prepare well, remain positive and carry on saving as Australia is more expensive than UK however wages should reflect this. I will continue to provide thoughts as and when they occur as tiredness from flights now starting to wear off after staying up until 8pm last night and sleeping through until 6am this morning. A nice coffee this morning and now ready for day 2.

 

S

[Vanduex]

Let us know when you want a coffee on the Eastside!

[freebo]

Obviously there is a lot more space but noticeably there are fewer people too which initially is very strange when compared to London where we spent a lot of our time.

 

 

You get very used to this, I now find the centre of Bris pretty crowded, going back to the UK becomes a bit of a culture shock! Having said that look at rush hour traffic anywhere near the Bris CBD, it seems as busy as anywhere in the world.

 

Only other thing I'd mention is the dark nights take some getting used to and you end up going to bed early (everything closes early) and getting up with the Sun (for us, we're up every day before 6AM).

 

You've arrived at a nice time of year (although there really aren't any bad ones) enjoy!

[srg73]

Day 2 & 3, combined the 2 as a lot of the usual stuff most people go through!

 

1, Medicare, sorted, DO NOT try and do this at home online as the questions are not reflective of the answers that are actually required. The MyGov building allows for the interviews and free computers to complete your application.

2, Searching the burbs for our new home. We seem to have reached the conclusion that we like the more expensive burbs (typical) and especially anything around Racecourse Road. Visited a few real estate agents who were very helpful and set us in the right direction.

3, Searching and looking at a car or two, mmmm, a little disappointing and opened my eyes to some little tricks dealers will play. We looked at a little SUV about 5 years old simply to run us around for the first few months, had receive plenty of poor bodywork repairs and needed a very deep clean throughout, blurb from main dealer described as perfect example of this car!

4, Yesterday afternoon, spent down the pub with some great old friends. Yes a little sore headed this morning but great to meet up with them, loads to talk about and they are a great example to us as to how to make a success of Brisbane.

5, House viewings, very positive and unlikely to break the bank even in nice areas. The agent we met at one explained that rentals are generally moving slowly at the moment with too many properties and not enough potential tenants, good news for us and hopefully we can turn this to our advantage. We will continue to look as the first properties although nice, spacious and definitely well positioned were just a little old on the bathroom front meaning there is likely to be slightly better out there.

 

In conclusion, roots starting to be established, yes some hard work required but also very rewarding thus far and every Brisbanite we have met has been great, chatty and genuinely nice people.

 

S

[pinknurse83]

Glad I have read this. We are set to move from UK to Brisbane in 12 weeks and im thinking what have we done???? How are you getting on now?

[tina0101]

Where you going to in Brisbane? We've been here 4 months and we love it :-)

[pinknurse83]

Where you going to in Brisbane? We've been here 4 months and we love it :-)

Hey tina0101. We arrive in Brisbane on the 30th March. Firstly staying in Sunshine Coast for 8 weeks (Caloundra) for 4 weeks not working then depending on where we get our jobs will depend on where near Brisbane we will be and having seen some of the areas. So where are you and what job are you doing. Glad you have enjoyed it so far. Have you met many people?

[tina0101]

We're in Wellington Point. Hubby is a teacher and I work in non-teaching in one of the private schools.

 

Ppi would recommend joining local groups. I have found PIO and Facebook groups invaluable for meeting people and have made some lovely friends through just turning up at BBQs and gatherings :-).

[pinknurse83]

What Facebook groups are they called. Sound like your having a great time which is a bit of a relief! ! Thank you x

[Jacaranda]

Nice update,and thankyou for taking the time to write an informative post.I am sure its reassuring for anyone about to move over,or those contemplating the move.Good luck with everything and best wishes for a happy successful future. xx

[tina0101]

What Facebook groups are they called. Sound like your having a great time which is a bit of a relief! ! Thank you x

 

On our side of Brisbane there is Poms on The Bay, which is where we found a few meetups. There's also the Brisbanittes, Poms in Brisbane - Ladies only, PomsinOz and numerous other ones!! You've just got to put yourself out there and people are very welcoming. :-)

[srg73]

Ok, just seen the original post has been bumped.

 

Now nearly 4 months in and settled. We have had a few hiccups especially relating to accomidation.

 

1, We bought a car, 2010 VW Golf TDi with a few extras, reliable, nice to drive and does the job well. We have not ventured too far inland so yet to tackle any unmade roads.

 

2, Accomidation, we secured a property where a broken lease was involved. Unfortunately what seemed to be a simple adoption of the original lease turned into delayed possession meaning we had to rent a short term flat via airbnb. Nice as in Portside but now settled in Ascot although seriously looking at a possible purchase of a house just outside CBD.

 

3, My wife is now working as well. We have both found significant differences in the way the Australians undertake their work, working days are long with early starts being expected. Dreading going back tomorrow as expect it will be a 50+ hour week.

 

4, Social life, good, Brisbane has a lot going on. What amazes me is that the city pretty much closes over the weekend whereas in UK Saturday and even Sunday are the busiest shopping days. Prices are about the same as UK although clothes are expensive and not very good quality. We are waiting for everything to settle a little and will place a M&S order for work clothes etc.

 

5, Weather, not too bad, got caught out a little with the hail, storms are fun to watch and humidity has now picked up a little but still very manageable and nothing like Singapore etc. Remember sun cream (we bought out 50 odd bottles of Ambre Solaire cream which Asda were selling £2.50/ bottle), drink lots of water and simply admit that you will sweat a little.

 

We have come to accept things are not that much different here, you still have to get up, go to work etc and we are realy enjoying our time thus far exploring, few nights away etc. It was also a huge relief to get our furniture which really helps in settling you in. Not a single item damaged, thank you Bournes.

 

In conclusion, great country, great people (mostly) but not paradise as with any developed country there are some issues including petty theft, drug issues and fighting. Violence is nothing like as severe as UK and in my opinion, yes the sun does make a difference in the way you feel day to day.

 

S