so you want move to Oz? UPDATE!!!

[Huntersmummy]

Good afternoon my english/aussie beauts!

 

Bloody hell I haven't been on here for a while. Been enjoying the lazy life too much i think!

 

I was contemplating whether to do this post or not. Been seeing the same old posts pop up....whats Australia like? Where do we start? Are there crocs, snakes and spiders everywhere?

 

Yes actually, theres a croc called shane that lives in our toilet. :twitcy:

 

For all those who are actually interested in finding out a bit more, i did write another post called "So you wanna move to Oz?"

As always, below is my own personal HONEST experience/feelings. Don't take it to heart and don't be offended.

 

Its been nearly a year (8 days to go actually) since we moved to Darwin. For the first week, the jet lag is a bitch!! We stayed in the travelodge in darwin city. Had a browse at Ray White and seen a house that looked "meh ok" Went for a viewing on the monday, done checks and paid the bond within 2 days. Couldn't move in for a month due to the fact we paid a month at the lodge. If your not fussy about having a pool, massive garden, huge kitchen....average weekly rent is $450-550. I must admit we were VERY lucky our landlord is such a nice guy. He let us decorate, put new doors up, build veg patches in the garden.....he is a man who gives zero f**ks! LOL

 

Which I am compelled to say, a friend of mine who moved over a month later. When she moved out, she had to pay $300 for 2 SMALL PICTURE HOLES! So ask before renting what you can and can't do. Some places you can't do anything! Which sucks because you move away from home and can't make the pace you live in, a home and it sucks even more because the homesickness hits big time! (That was a mouthful)

 

The other big thing about darwin/palmerston area. This place is NOT a application form/CV place. Its a case of "who you know" I put posts complaining about not being able to find a job, even a job off gumtree because a lot of ppl, will hear your accent and think "NOPE BACKPACKER!!!" and not give you that chance to explain, hand on, i moved here!!

 

I got lucky after 6 MONTHS only because i bought my area managers treadmill off gumtree and got chatting to him! LOL No lies, he got me an interview and eventually I started. It makes all the difference! I had 40+ rejections.....it gets to you after a while. Taking in mind, this is a retail job....you'd be fine in healthcare or trade. Darwin is like trade central. With beards.

 

Our weekly shop back home was £60. Meat, tins, beer, veg....

Here....we only have woolies, coles and IGA (Which you pay in gold bars and unicorn tears) We spend $200+. Thats just on meat, tins and veg. I don't drink and thank christ i don't. Smoking here is .....sorry I'm laughing.....the cheapest menthols I used to smoke are nearly $30. Ive seen guys go in and spend $100 on 1 PACKET OF FAGS! The big packs but still....Basically, shopping isn't cheap.

 

Theres casuarina shopping centre, which is half hour away from palmerston. Its just opened a new outside dining area. Which is nice. Big shopping centre. Clothes shopping is....i find it difficult because i WAS really fat. I LOVE city beach but if your a size 6, you'd be ok. Target, Big W, Kmart do ok clothes. Quite expensive. You need to get out of the "primark mind frame" Theres no cheap ass shops here. Id sell my husband to go shopping in primark again. I have found new look and next ship to Australia thou!

 

The whole tax and medicare system here is confusing as a new years diet!!! So back home, only self employed people who do their tax. Employed, wed have national insurance and tax payments taken out of our wages. Didn't need to worry. Here, self employed or not, you NEED to do your tax. We use H M Block accountants. Best to shop around, some charge different etc. We've had no problems with H & M. Basically, keep receipts of things you do for work related. Shirts, steel toe boots, courses you know you can claim a portion of all that back. Think of it as a savings account. If your a trade coming over, get your self into a tax accountants quick and get a log book for milage. They don't do petrol receipts here. Over 5,000 miles, you can claim all that back. Anything over you can get so much to the mile. Or Km even.

If you earn $18,200 or less, even though they take tax out, you get it all back at the end of the tax year, which is June.

I'm hopefully ,gonna earn $28,400 this year. So they would NOT tax me for the first $18,200 but something like 20 cent for every $1. You also get a, whats it called???? If you live in a certain zone in the NT, you get a automatic tax reduction. I got $338 off my tax.

Plus you pay something called a medicare levy, depends on how much you earn but its basically a lump sum for using the medicare system. I didn't pay anything because i was under the $18,200. My accountant did tell me, someone earning $100,000 would pay maybe $1,500. Also, if you plan to earn LESS than $180,000, its not worth getting private insurance. It'll make the tax situation worst. Don't ask how, i just asked about getting it and they said don't bother...

 

We don't pay for blood tests. I haven't paid for hospital appointments with the surgeon. I do pay private to see the rheumatologist which i get $60 back anyways as if you go to the docs and get a referral, they CAN keep changing your appointment. Dentists.....hahahahaha. $80 per patient. $40 per X-ray. My husband had 2 molars removed and 1 X-ray and 1 script for painkillers. Cost him $900. So yeah, I haven't been, neither have the kids because we simply can't afford it. "But your husband spent $900 on getting his teeth out" i hear you say. Yes, he did. And it nearly killed him. Literally. He ended up catching meningitis AND chicken pox. Missed weeks off work and nearly died. Im not at all blaming the dentist because we don't know where he caught it from. He just got it after having his teeth out but we have mozzies....who knows. So the moral of the story is because he spend so long in hospital, we're slowly building our savings up and with day to day living...its taking us longer.

No sympathy needed thank you. This is was just a shi**y thing that happened. BUT, we had no one. So think, if you come here and you don't have family, you need to have a plan. My pom friend helped but when we found out what it was, i didn't wanna run the risk of her kids getting ill so i took the world on my shoulders and dealt with it myself.

 

I think I've written enough. Or bored everyone to death. I HATED Australia when i arrived. It was too hot, then it was too wet. I couldn't find a job. I found it hard to make any friends. I was alone day in day out with the kids, hardly any money. No car. I wanted to go home. It caused a very big problem with our marriage because husband wanted to stay. I almost took the kids away from him when he was at work to get a plane home.

 

Fast forward 1 year. Finding a job helped a LOT! I made a few friends although they don't get the british sense of humour.....the dry season was lovely. We spend at least twice a week, going out and doing stuff with the kids. Even the free water park, you can do stuff and not spend anything! We're financially better even though we only bring in $1800 a week between us. We have a twin cab and a car. The gym costs $37 a fortnight and i get free creche so the kids mingle with other kids. We have a nice home, pictures up, phone calls back home every week. No ones come to see us yet but its a long way and a lot of money. Were saving to go back next year to see if i really wanna go back before we look into taking a mortgage out on a hahahaha....a BEACH HOUSE! Land and house with an indoor beach! $500,000 (£250,000)ish....I never thought id be lucky enough as no one in my family owns a house or a mortgage. I don't hate being here now.....id still go home BUT there would be things id think about first unlike a year ago, I would of swam back to the UK!! I would of kicked jaws a$$ if he got in my way!

 

Its tested our marriage to breaking point and beyond and we pulled through. He's getting better btw, he's lost his hearing in one ear but thats a good thing he says. Doesn't have to listen to my sh**e. Bahaha. My kids adore here. Best decision on their parts.

 

Love to you all. Don't give up! Give it a proper go.

 

Just to say....the march flies and the dodgy tan lines? I hate them. Those are sh*t.

[flag of convenience]

Congratulations for having the ability to stick it out. Quite a trial to have endured. At least it looks that the worst is behind and life is moving on. Many I knew from my time of living in Darwin during the late nineties have long departed. In fact can't think of a single one still left from that time. Darwin being quite a transient place and all.

The cost of living is challenging I found and I think I'm right in saying the most expensive in Australia.

 

Still I miss those evenings during season the Mendel Beach Markets, the travellers from everywhere, the sunsets, the nature, Roma Café for breakfast in the city (possibly long gone) the sense of 'elsewhere' , rather unique to the Top End, a casual approach to things possibly due to climate, not found further south.

 

Hope you keep us informed of life in that part of the world. We get too little from NT. Go well into the future.

[AJ]

Hahahaha! I remember how much you hated the place to start with, glad your liking it a bit better now.

[Guest Michaela60]

Good afternoon my english/aussie beauts!

 

Bloody hell I haven't been on here for a while. Been enjoying the lazy life too much i think!

 

I was contemplating whether to do this post or not. Been seeing the same old posts pop up....whats Australia like? Where do we start? Are there crocs, snakes and spiders everywhere?

 

Yes actually, theres a croc called shane that lives in our toilet. :twitcy:

 

For all those who are actually interested in finding out a bit more, i did write another post called "So you wanna move to Oz?"

As always, below is my own personal HONEST experience/feelings. Don't take it to heart and don't be offended.

 

Its been nearly a year (8 days to go actually) since we moved to Darwin. For the first week, the jet lag is a bitch!! We stayed in the travelodge in darwin city. Had a browse at Ray White and seen a house that looked "meh ok" Went for a viewing on the monday, done checks and paid the bond within 2 days. Couldn't move in for a month due to the fact we paid a month at the lodge. If your not fussy about having a pool, massive garden, huge kitchen....average weekly rent is $450-550. I must admit we were VERY lucky our landlord is such a nice guy. He let us decorate, put new doors up, build veg patches in the garden.....he is a man who gives zero f**ks! LOL

 

Which I am compelled to say, a friend of mine who moved over a month later. When she moved out, she had to pay $300 for 2 SMALL PICTURE HOLES! So ask before renting what you can and can't do. Some places you can't do anything! Which sucks because you move away from home and can't make the pace you live in, a home and it sucks even more because the homesickness hits big time! (That was a mouthful)

 

The other big thing about darwin/palmerston area. This place is NOT a application form/CV place. Its a case of "who you know" I put posts complaining about not being able to find a job, even a job off gumtree because a lot of ppl, will hear your accent and think "NOPE BACKPACKER!!!" and not give you that chance to explain, hand on, i moved here!!

 

I got lucky after 6 MONTHS only because i bought my area managers treadmill off gumtree and got chatting to him! LOL No lies, he got me an interview and eventually I started. It makes all the difference! I had 40+ rejections.....it gets to you after a while. Taking in mind, this is a retail job....you'd be fine in healthcare or trade. Darwin is like trade central. With beards.

 

Our weekly shop back home was £60. Meat, tins, beer, veg....

Here....we only have woolies, coles and IGA (Which you pay in gold bars and unicorn tears) We spend $200+. Thats just on meat, tins and veg. I don't drink and thank christ i don't. Smoking here is .....sorry I'm laughing.....the cheapest menthols I used to smoke are nearly $30. Ive seen guys go in and spend $100 on 1 PACKET OF FAGS! The big packs but still....Basically, shopping isn't cheap.

 

Theres casuarina shopping centre, which is half hour away from palmerston. Its just opened a new outside dining area. Which is nice. Big shopping centre. Clothes shopping is....i find it difficult because i WAS really fat. I LOVE city beach but if your a size 6, you'd be ok. Target, Big W, Kmart do ok clothes. Quite expensive. You need to get out of the "primark mind frame" Theres no cheap ass shops here. Id sell my husband to go shopping in primark again. I have found new look and next ship to Australia thou!

 

The whole tax and medicare system here is confusing as a new years diet!!! So back home, only self employed people who do their tax. Employed, wed have national insurance and tax payments taken out of our wages. Didn't need to worry. Here, self employed or not, you NEED to do your tax. We use H M Block accountants. Best to shop around, some charge different etc. We've had no problems with H & M. Basically, keep receipts of things you do for work related. Shirts, steel toe boots, courses you know you can claim a portion of all that back. Think of it as a savings account. If your a trade coming over, get your self into a tax accountants quick and get a log book for milage. They don't do petrol receipts here. Over 5,000 miles, you can claim all that back. Anything over you can get so much to the mile. Or Km even.

If you earn $18,200 or less, even though they take tax out, you get it all back at the end of the tax year, which is June.

I'm hopefully ,gonna earn $28,400 this year. So they would NOT tax me for the first $18,200 but something like 20 cent for every $1. You also get a, whats it called???? If you live in a certain zone in the NT, you get a automatic tax reduction. I got $338 off my tax.

Plus you pay something called a medicare levy, depends on how much you earn but its basically a lump sum for using the medicare system. I didn't pay anything because i was under the $18,200. My accountant did tell me, someone earning $100,000 would pay maybe $1,500. Also, if you plan to earn LESS than $180,000, its not worth getting private insurance. It'll make the tax situation worst. Don't ask how, i just asked about getting it and they said don't bother...

 

We don't pay for blood tests. I haven't paid for hospital appointments with the surgeon. I do pay private to see the rheumatologist which i get $60 back anyways as if you go to the docs and get a referral, they CAN keep changing your appointment. Dentists.....hahahahaha. $80 per patient. $40 per X-ray. My husband had 2 molars removed and 1 X-ray and 1 script for painkillers. Cost him $900. So yeah, I haven't been, neither have the kids because we simply can't afford it. "But your husband spent $900 on getting his teeth out" i hear you say. Yes, he did. And it nearly killed him. Literally. He ended up catching meningitis AND chicken pox. Missed weeks off work and nearly died. Im not at all blaming the dentist because we don't know where he caught it from. He just got it after having his teeth out but we have mozzies....who knows. So the moral of the story is because he spend so long in hospital, we're slowly building our savings up and with day to day living...its taking us longer.

No sympathy needed thank you. This is was just a shi**y thing that happened. BUT, we had no one. So think, if you come here and you don't have family, you need to have a plan. My pom friend helped but when we found out what it was, i didn't wanna run the risk of her kids getting ill so i took the world on my shoulders and dealt with it myself.

 

I think I've written enough. Or bored everyone to death. I HATED Australia when i arrived. It was too hot, then it was too wet. I couldn't find a job. I found it hard to make any friends. I was alone day in day out with the kids, hardly any money. No car. I wanted to go home. It caused a very big problem with our marriage because husband wanted to stay. I almost took the kids away from him when he was at work to get a plane home.

 

Fast forward 1 year. Finding a job helped a LOT! I made a few friends although they don't get the british sense of humour.....the dry season was lovely. We spend at least twice a week, going out and doing stuff with the kids. Even the free water park, you can do stuff and not spend anything! We're financially better even though we only bring in $1800 a week between us. We have a twin cab and a car. The gym costs $37 a fortnight and i get free creche so the kids mingle with other kids. We have a nice home, pictures up, phone calls back home every week. No ones come to see us yet but its a long way and a lot of money. Were saving to go back next year to see if i really wanna go back before we look into taking a mortgage out on a hahahaha....a BEACH HOUSE! Land and house with an indoor beach! $500,000 (£250,000)ish....I never thought id be lucky enough as no one in my family owns a house or a mortgage. I don't hate being here now.....id still go home BUT there would be things id think about first unlike a year ago, I would of swam back to the UK!! I would of kicked jaws a$$ if he got in my way!

 

Its tested our marriage to breaking point and beyond and we pulled through. He's getting better btw, he's lost his hearing in one ear but thats a good thing he says. Doesn't have to listen to my sh**e. Bahaha. My kids adore here. Best decision on their parts.

 

Love to you all. Don't give up! Give it a proper go.

 

Just to say....the march flies and the dodgy tan lines? I hate them. Those are sh*t.

 

Be alot easier outside Darwin, its a tough ask living there imho

[Skani]

 

I have found new look and next ship to Australia thou!

 

 

And M & S!

 

Also, if you plan to earn LESS than $180,000, its not worth getting private insurance. It'll make the tax situation worst.

 

It doesn't make it worse. It's just that if your family income is above $180K you get charged an extra Medicare levy surcharge if you don't have private insurance.

 

I haven't been, neither have the kids because we simply can't afford it.

 

There are school dental clinics in Darwin. Are you sure your kids can't get free dental care there?

[Guest The Pom Queen]

I love your updates, you really should write a book. I'm glad that you found a job that didn't involve getting your boobs out at the massage parlour (I still chuckle about that).

I am glad you have finally settled it can take time and most people give up as it's easier to return back to what's normality for most.

[Sammy1]

Do you qualify for the $1000 worth of dental care for kids? This benefit is used over two years for each child.

https://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/medicare/child-dental-benefits-schedule

 

Otherwise, most schools are attached to a dental clinic, you can make an appointment and your children are seen for free.

[Huntersmummy]

Ahh thank you kindly for your kind words!

And yeas Skani thanks for pointing that out, i proof read it AFTER and it i knew i ballsed up. It WAS extra, not less. I'm a spac, i can't type!

 

I can't remember who but someone once posted Darwin was a hick town........mmm yup! Hahah, everyone knows everyone! Everyones know about shiela's aunts boyfriend who got drunk and ran over a kangaroo and got chased by shane from woolies nephews dad!! Thats exactly what its like! Hahahaha

 

About the dental, I have asked but on our visa (489) we are entitled to sweet FA for the first two years! Which is crap regarding dentist help but benefit wise.....people get so much help over here. It would be nice but at the same time, we paid for everything ourselves. Back home, they give you money! Especially if you wear burberry and talk like this innit!

 

Its all good....glad to see everyone is doing well with their Australian life.

 

And Pom Queen.....hahaha....(_o_)(_o_)

[Gbye grey sky]

I love your updates, you really should write a book. I'm glad that you found a job that didn't involve getting your boobs out at the massage parlour (I still chuckle about that).

I am glad you have finally settled it can take time and most people give up as it's easier to return back to what's normality for most.

 

I don't know about a book but a stand-up routine for sure. Her way with words is great and it transports you into her world.

[SummerHQ]

Loved reading this - it's fantastic to hear you've now settled in, and in Darwin too... gosh any Pom moving to Darwin needs a medal for the humidity alone! If you can do Darwin I think you could do anywhere in Aus easily

 

You sound so relaxed and happy despite the set backs

 

Keep going! Don't come back to the UK, honestly it's all Brexit rubbish here at the moment, you're not missing anything! And the pound has gone welly up against the dollar over last few months. So you truly are better off in Australia at the moment.

[JockinTas]

Your lovely post had me laughing Huntersmummy! You've had a tough time of it but retained your fabulous sense of humour.

 

Looking forward to your next posts. :smile:

[Diane]

Brilliant, you sound an amazing person - Darwin is lucky to have you. You really do need to start a blog or something (incidentally, I heard about someone here in Adelaide that writes a blog about shops and restaurants and stuff, and gets loads of free stuff in return for a review - with your writing style and great sense of humour I reckon you would make a killing doing something similar)

[Paul1Perth]

When the wet season is at its worst take a family trip to Perth for a couple of weeks. The weather here is brilliant when it's the wet season in Darwin. The ocean is at its best, very little tidal movement and it's great for kids.

[starlight7]

What an entertaining post and well done for surviving the first year in Darwin of all places. I think Australia is very different from the UK but Darwin- that is a degree more so!