Sophie Goodall Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 Hi there! My husband and I finally received that delightful email confirming that our permanent residency visa has been granted just over a week ago! [emoji3060] Our date of arrival has been set as November 20, 2019, but naturally we hope to be over much sooner and are aiming for early September. In the meantime, we have a house to sell, our lives to pack up and our goodbyes to be said. Piece of cake right?! We’re planning to settle in Brisbane and are doing as much research as the hours in a day will allow, but I hadn’t anticipated how difficult it is to find up to date information...I seem to be finding conflicting posts and articles everywhere! A little about us: We got married in 2018 and visited Australia two days after our wedding, spending the most blissful 5 weeks travelling from Sydney to Cairns in a clapped out camper-van, packing in as much sun, activities , food (and when not driving...wine!!) as we possibly could. Coming home and facing the dreaded 2 hour commute into London again really hit us hard, so we thought we’d give it a go and set our sights on making the flight back on a one way ticket. My husband is a Quantity Surveyor, and I am a Patent Secretary. As we headed through Brisbane it seemed like a great place to set up home. I’m new to forums (is it obvious?), so would love to hear people’s thoughts on the city, pros and cons, and any recommendations for areas we should consider to set down some roots in/near Brisbane. I’m also totally terrified of the 8 legged beasts, and although I wouldn’t say I’m scared of snakes, I don’t fancy upsetting any, so if anyone can throw some light onto how to ‘deal’ with my anxiety, my husband would be forever in your debt. If you made it to the end of this post you’re amazing, and if you reply, you’re a hero! I’m so looking forward to leaping across the pond and I hope to get to know some of you! Sophie 2 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 Congratulations on the visa grant, i remember the glorious feeling when that email arrived even if it was a fair few years ago now... You will get conflicting reports and articles as everyone is different and views things differently. The best you can do is take on board whats said and see for yourself once you get here, what i love you may hate, so dont stress too much about not having everything in order when you arrive, it will fall into place eventually. Its so hard to pick areas until you know where your workplace will be, especially if you will need to use public transport to commute. If you will be driving to work have a think about how long you are prepared to drive,, as an example hubby's commute is around 50 minutes each way, but its across the hinterland so little traffic and no stop starting or traffic jams. Doing this allowed to us to get a larger property more suited to our needs within our budget, rentals were also reasonably priced at the time we needed one and we just liked the area. Finding a suburb you like is probably one of the hardest jobs when arriving, we spent days and days driving around suburbs to find somewhere that ticked our boxes, you can read stuff on line all day long but a quick drive through an area is the best way to know if its for you. Realestate.com is a good site to look at rentals and houses for sale, it will give you an idea of what you will pay in different areas. As for the spiders, i was terrified.. Thankfully after a few months i realised they werent hiding around every corner waiting to eat me,lol, and now 12 yrs in ,i can actually get close enough to squat one - if its not moving too fast!! When we bought a house we bought some commercial pest spray and every few months went around the internal and external walls with it, we get next to nothing in the house doing it this way. Good luck with everything, time will fly between now and leaving so don't leave anything until the last minute.. Cal x 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
can1983 Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 Don't live in QLD but visit Brisbane a bit. Really depends on where jobs will be but I really like west of the airport (north Brisbane) where my sister lives So Wavell Heights, Nundah, Banyo etc. Easy (if very busy) trains to city. Guess you are just the two of you? flats / small houses might be in the $400 - $550 a week range. Most important thing about emigrating in my opinion is managing expectations. You loved your trip in the campervan but real life is far less interesting..... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 Isn't it a brilliant feeling getting the email. It was a letter when we came and happy doesn't do the feeling justice. We had a 2 year old but apart from that much the same process you have to go through. Couldn't believe how hard it was to tell parents and siblings but we were pleasantly surprised with the support we got. We'd never been before, even on holiday and chose Perth, mainly because houses were a lot cheaper but we liked the look of the place and thought we would like the climate, beaches and lifestyle. We are still here and loving it 27 years later. I've been to Brisbane loads of times and it's my second favourite City. Only drawback is it's a trip to any beach. Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast a fair drive away but fantastic spots around either. Love the sunshine coast. Brisbane is a really nice City though with a good climate, good nightlife, outdoor living, plenty of nice walks and it has the fake beach that's good to go to on a day off. Lots of good 50m outdoor pools though for decent swims. I think if we had gone there we would have settled just as well. Properties near the river are nice but may be hard to insure after the floods. There's some fantastic timelapse photography on the internet of the floods. Unbelievable that it could happen but when it rains it teally rains. Good luck with the move, congratulations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 Forgot to say about spiders, snakes and other animals. We've seen plenty in Perth, specially redbacks which seem to love our closeline. Never been bitten or had any problems though. They like dark places. There's loads of snakes in the sand dunes near the beaches but you very rarely see them. Seen a few in Rottnest when they come out onto the roads to get warm but again don't bother them and they won't bother you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 4 hours ago, Sophie Goodall said: although I wouldn’t say I’m scared of snakes, I don’t fancy upsetting any, so if anyone can throw some light onto how to ‘deal’ with my anxiety, my husband would be forever in your debt. A few basics on living with snakes: don't walk in long grass or put your legs or arms anywhere you don't have clear sight - including stepping over logs, reaching into wood piles or under rocks. Keep your garden clear of anything under which they may hide and keep bushes trimmed above the ground so you can see if anything is there. Have flywire/seurity screens on all doors and windows so that they can't enter the house when doors and windows are open. Block up any holes in walls or floors (they can get through surprisingly small gaps). Don't ever try to catch or kill - not only is it illegal in most cases but that's when people get bitten. If you see one, give it an escape route and let it move away. They don't "hear" noise the way we do but they do respond to vibrations on the ground....so stomping is a good technique if you're walking anywhere you're unsure of. There are reptile rescue organisations: have your local one on speed dial and ring them if you see a snake near the house you want relocated. Just remember to keep a line of sight on it so they know exactly where to look when they arrive. If the weather's been dry don't leave dog water bowls etc. outside: snakes will come looking for water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophie Goodall Posted March 13, 2019 Author Share Posted March 13, 2019 Congratulations on the visa grant, i remember the glorious feeling when that email arrived even if it was a fair few years ago now... You will get conflicting reports and articles as everyone is different and views things differently. The best you can do is take on board whats said and see for yourself once you get here, what i love you may hate, so dont stress too much about not having everything in order when you arrive, it will fall into place eventually. Its so hard to pick areas until you know where your workplace will be, especially if you will need to use public transport to commute. If you will be driving to work have a think about how long you are prepared to drive,, as an example hubby's commute is around 50 minutes each way, but its across the hinterland so little traffic and no stop starting or traffic jams. Doing this allowed to us to get a larger property more suited to our needs within our budget, rentals were also reasonably priced at the time we needed one and we just liked the area. Finding a suburb you like is probably one of the hardest jobs when arriving, we spent days and days driving around suburbs to find somewhere that ticked our boxes, you can read stuff on line all day long but a quick drive through an area is the best way to know if its for you. Realestate.com is a good site to look at rentals and houses for sale, it will give you an idea of what you will pay in different areas. As for the spiders, i was terrified.. Thankfully after a few months i realised they werent hiding around every corner waiting to eat me,lol, and now 12 yrs in ,i can actually get close enough to squat one - if its not moving too fast!! When we bought a house we bought some commercial pest spray and every few months went around the internal and external walls with it, we get next to nothing in the house doing it this way. Good luck with everything, time will fly between now and leaving so don't leave anything until the last minute.. Cal xHi Cal,Thank you so much for your post, I’ll take it all on board! We’ve been watching every episode of Wanted Down Under to get some suggestions on areas and have had the Real Estate app on my phone since we lodged our application, so I’ll keep looking and we can draw up a shortlist of suburbs of interest. I’ve also been trying to check commuting times on google maps around rush hour. I do remember on our trip that we hit rush hour in Brisbane (it being the only time we ever sat in traffic!) and although it was a pain, I can hand on heart say that it wasn’t a patch on trying to cross the Blackwall Tunnel in and out of London everyday!!I’m glad you mentioned the spiders...when we traveled we didn’t have any close encounters thank god! So to know it really ISNT as bad as I had expected before we came.Thank you for your well wishes and advice!Sophie x 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophie Goodall Posted March 13, 2019 Author Share Posted March 13, 2019 Don't live in QLD but visit Brisbane a bit. Really depends on where jobs will be but I really like west of the airport (north Brisbane) where my sister lives So Wavell Heights, Nundah, Banyo etc. Easy (if very busy) trains to city. Guess you are just the two of you? flats / small houses might be in the $400 - $550 a week range. Most important thing about emigrating in my opinion is managing expectations. You loved your trip in the campervan but real life is far less interesting.....Hi can1983,Thank you I’ll take a look at those suggestions! For the moment it is just the two of us, although we do hope to start a family in the not so distant future so some forward planning on our part is going to be required! I completely appreciate your point about managing expectations, it’s a worry for me that we have an idea in our minds of how our lives will be on the other side. That being said, while our parents and families are still fit and healthy, it is just us two and we have the means to at least ‘give it a go’, it’s be crazy not to try! We fell in love with the country for more reasons than one, and we both agree that we want more from the life we are currently living. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophie Goodall Posted March 13, 2019 Author Share Posted March 13, 2019 On 13/03/2019 at 13:19, Paul1Perth said: Isn't it a brilliant feeling getting the email. It was a letter when we came and happy doesn't do the feeling justice. We had a 2 year old but apart from that much the same process you have to go through. Couldn't believe how hard it was to tell parents and siblings but we were pleasantly surprised with the support we got. We'd never been before, even on holiday and chose Perth, mainly because houses were a lot cheaper but we liked the look of the place and thought we would like the climate, beaches and lifestyle. We are still here and loving it 27 years later. I've been to Brisbane loads of times and it's my second favourite City. Only drawback is it's a trip to any beach. Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast a fair drive away but fantastic spots around either. Love the sunshine coast. Brisbane is a really nice City though with a good climate, good nightlife, outdoor living, plenty of nice walks and it has the fake beach that's good to go to on a day off. Lots of good 50m outdoor pools though for decent swims. I think if we had gone there we would have settled just as well. Properties near the river are nice but may be hard to insure after the floods. There's some fantastic timelapse photography on the internet of the floods. Unbelievable that it could happen but when it rains it teally rains. Good luck with the move, congratulations. Hi Paul, Thank you! It really was a surreal moment when we found out! We had been refreshing the page like lunatics since our visa was lodged, desperately trying to find a pattern to the processing (there really isn’t one...) I’m so glad to to hear you’re still loving your decision to make the most, that’s definitely settling the sudden waves of panic that breeze through me momentarily! We definitely saw Brisbane as a great location for its access to Sunshine and Gold Coast, where we had spent some of our best days when we visited, naturally Fraser Island takes the top spot! I agree with your point about flooding - we actually came out just after 3 big cyclones hit last year, but I’ve managed to find A great website which shows the floodplains so we’ll have to keep that in mind. We actually managed to catch a game of Aussie football while we were over and the weather had been so bad in the lead up, we had eased through the mud to get to our seats in the stadium! Thank you for your advice and well wishes! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophie Goodall Posted March 13, 2019 Author Share Posted March 13, 2019 A few basics on living with snakes: don't walk in long grass or put your legs or arms anywhere you don't have clear sight - including stepping over logs, reaching into wood piles or under rocks. Keep your garden clear of anything under which they may hide and keep bushes trimmed above the ground so you can see if anything is there. Have flywire/seurity screens on all doors and windows so that they can't enter the house when doors and windows are open. Block up any holes in walls or floors (they can get through surprisingly small gaps). Don't ever try to catch or kill - not only is it illegal in most cases but that's when people get bitten. If you see one, give it an escape route and let it move away. They don't "hear" noise the way we do but they do respond to vibrations on the ground....so stomping is a good technique if you're walking anywhere you're unsure of. There are reptile rescue organisations: have your local one on speed dial and ring them if you see a snake near the house you want relocated. Just remember to keep a line of sight on it so they know exactly where to look when they arrive. If the weather's been dry don't leave dog water bowls etc. outside: snakes will come looking for water. This is some really great advice too! Thank you so much! I’ll be sure to keep all my limbs well clear [emoji4] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbye grey sky Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 2 hours ago, Sophie Goodall said: This is some really great advice too! Thank you so much! I’ll be sure to keep all my limbs well clear All good advice and certainly take precautions but unless you are living out in the bush or on acreage properties snake encounters are very rare. I live in a semi-rural location and have only glimpsed one snake here in close to 4 years and that was beating a hasty retreat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophie Goodall Posted March 13, 2019 Author Share Posted March 13, 2019 All good advice and certainly take precautions but unless you are living out in the bush or on acreage properties snake encounters are very rare. I live in a semi-rural location and have only glimpsed one snake here in close to 4 years and that was beating a hasty retreat. Thank you, this really puts my mind at ease! We had one encounter on our travels with a baby snake that we had to encourage off of the pathway because we couldn’t go back the other way (and I wasn’t prepared to find out how far or high it could spring!) but we were in one of the royal national parks so it was to be expected I guess! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramot Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, Gbye grey sky said: All good advice and certainly take precautions but unless you are living out in the bush or on acreage properties snake encounters are very rare. I live in a semi-rural location and have only glimpsed one snake here in close to 4 years and that was beating a hasty retreat. Sorry to contradict, but in the leafy suburbs of Brisbane there are a fair few snakes around. My son has had to call the snake catcher a couple of times with an unidentifiable snake, and had more than a few pythons and tree snakes over the 5 years he has lived there. One piece of advice don’t have a cat flap if you have a cat. Guaranteed to find a snake in the house bought in by the cat!! His cat is now house bound having been bitten recently by a snake. The unusual blue tree snake was quite something. Wish I could find the photo. In 16 years on the Sunshine Coast I have seen only 4 in the garden. Edited March 13, 2019 by ramot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophie Goodall Posted March 13, 2019 Author Share Posted March 13, 2019 Sorry to contradict, but in the leafy suburbs of Brisbane there are a fair few snakes around. My son has had to call the snake catcher a couple of times with an unidentifiable snake, and had more than a few pythons and tree snakes over the 5 years he has lived there. One piece of advice don’t have a cat flap if you have a cat. Guaranteed to find a snake in the house bought in by the cat!! His cat is now house bound having been bitten recently by a snake. In 16 years on the Sunshine Coast I have seen only 4 in the garden. Hi Ramot,Thanks for this post! On the subject of cats...we have two fur babies that we would love to bring (but my sister in law would love to keep here), but I found an awful thread on this site about the general attitude towards cats...I most definitely want what’s best for them, and if it means they will be safe and happy in the UK, as much as it would break my heart I’d rather not put them in danger. Both cats are really independent and roam quite freely and happily here (one has made herself quite at home with at least 2/3 other families in our neighbourhood) so I’m wondering how your sons cat has been until this incident, and what precautions we need to take regarding their safety should they be fit to fly? I read that they were generally considered pests, and that the garden needs to be fenced in a way that they can’t get out but I just don’t know how happy they’d be being penned in (not to mention our very own Houdini who will find a way!)Thanks,Sophie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramot Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 1 minute ago, Sophie Goodall said: Hi Ramot, Thanks for this post! On the subject of cats...we have two fur babies that we would love to bring (but my sister in law would love to keep here), but I found an awful thread on this site about the general attitude towards cats...I most definitely want what’s best for them, and if it means they will be safe and happy in the UK, as much as it would break my heart I’d rather not put them in danger. Both cats are really independent and roam quite freely and happily here (one has made herself quite at home with at least 2/3 other families in our neighbourhood) so I’m wondering how your sons cat has been until this incident, and what precautions we need to take regarding their safety should they be fit to fly? I read that they were generally considered pests, and that the garden needs to be fenced in a way that they can’t get out but I just don’t know how happy they’d be being penned in (not to mention our very own Houdini who will find a way!) Thanks, Sophie Can’t comment about bringing cats to Australia sorry. His cat was a roaming cat and hasn’t taken kindly to being kept in. Strangely though we have it here quite regularly it is kept indoors and doesn’t mind at all !? Feral cats are a big problem here and kill a lot of wild life here, so cats get a bad name. Domestic Cats are still very popular, some roam free, but many owners invest in large cat enclosures in the garden. Not a cheap option though. My son is considering this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulya Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 22 minutes ago, Sophie Goodall said: Hi Ramot, Thanks for this post! On the subject of cats...we have two fur babies that we would love to bring (but my sister in law would love to keep here), but I found an awful thread on this site about the general attitude towards cats...I most definitely want what’s best for them, and if it means they will be safe and happy in the UK, as much as it would break my heart I’d rather not put them in danger. Both cats are really independent and roam quite freely and happily here (one has made herself quite at home with at least 2/3 other families in our neighbourhood) so I’m wondering how your sons cat has been until this incident, and what precautions we need to take regarding their safety should they be fit to fly? I read that they were generally considered pests, and that the garden needs to be fenced in a way that they can’t get out but I just don’t know how happy they’d be being penned in (not to mention our very own Houdini who will find a way!) Thanks, Sophie Roaming cats are not appreciated and are in fact illegal in some areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 27, 2019 Share Posted April 27, 2019 Hi, Congratulations on your visa grant! Please could I ask if the occupation used for visa was quantity surveyor? Was it a long wait for invite? 189 ,190 or a different visa? Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BacktoDemocracy Posted April 27, 2019 Share Posted April 27, 2019 On 12/3/2019 at 22:55, Sophie Goodall said: Hi there! My husband and I finally received that delightful email confirming that our permanent residency visa has been granted just over a week ago! Our date of arrival has been set as November 20, 2019, but naturally we hope to be over much sooner and are aiming for early September. In the meantime, we have a house to sell, our lives to pack up and our goodbyes to be said. Piece of cake right?! We’re planning to settle in Brisbane and are doing as much research as the hours in a day will allow, but I hadn’t anticipated how difficult it is to find up to date information...I seem to be finding conflicting posts and articles everywhere! A little about us: We got married in 2018 and visited Australia two days after our wedding, spending the most blissful 5 weeks travelling from Sydney to Cairns in a clapped out camper-van, packing in as much sun, activities , food (and when not driving...wine!!) as we possibly could. Coming home and facing the dreaded 2 hour commute into London again really hit us hard, so we thought we’d give it a go and set our sights on making the flight back on a one way ticket. My husband is a Quantity Surveyor, and I am a Patent Secretary. As we headed through Brisbane it seemed like a great place to set up home. I’m new to forums (is it obvious?), so would love to hear people’s thoughts on the city, pros and cons, and any recommendations for areas we should consider to set down some roots in/near Brisbane. I’m also totally terrified of the 8 legged beasts, and although I wouldn’t say I’m scared of snakes, I don’t fancy upsetting any, so if anyone can throw some light onto how to ‘deal’ with my anxiety, my husband would be forever in your debt. If you made it to the end of this post you’re amazing, and if you reply, you’re a hero! I’m so looking forward to leaping across the pond and I hope to get to know some of you! Sophie Snakes generally just slither away from you unless you step on them because you weren't making any noise, just make sure you wear shoes if you are in rough grass where they not be visible, generally leave them alone and they'll leave you alone, the State govt, I think the museum, used to do a good book on wildlife that told you what was dangerous in spiders , snakes, etc The spiders and the insects can just be ejected by catching them under a container and sliding a bit of card under. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BacktoDemocracy Posted April 27, 2019 Share Posted April 27, 2019 On 12/3/2019 at 22:55, Sophie Goodall said: Hi there! My husband and I finally received that delightful email confirming that our permanent residency visa has been granted just over a week ago! Our date of arrival has been set as November 20, 2019, but naturally we hope to be over much sooner and are aiming for early September. In the meantime, we have a house to sell, our lives to pack up and our goodbyes to be said. Piece of cake right?! We’re planning to settle in Brisbane and are doing as much research as the hours in a day will allow, but I hadn’t anticipated how difficult it is to find up to date information...I seem to be finding conflicting posts and articles everywhere! A little about us: We got married in 2018 and visited Australia two days after our wedding, spending the most blissful 5 weeks travelling from Sydney to Cairns in a clapped out camper-van, packing in as much sun, activities , food (and when not driving...wine!!) as we possibly could. Coming home and facing the dreaded 2 hour commute into London again really hit us hard, so we thought we’d give it a go and set our sights on making the flight back on a one way ticket. My husband is a Quantity Surveyor, and I am a Patent Secretary. As we headed through Brisbane it seemed like a great place to set up home. I’m new to forums (is it obvious?), so would love to hear people’s thoughts on the city, pros and cons, and any recommendations for areas we should consider to set down some roots in/near Brisbane. I’m also totally terrified of the 8 legged beasts, and although I wouldn’t say I’m scared of snakes, I don’t fancy upsetting any, so if anyone can throw some light onto how to ‘deal’ with my anxiety, my husband would be forever in your debt. If you made it to the end of this post you’re amazing, and if you reply, you’re a hero! I’m so looking forward to leaping across the pond and I hope to get to know some of you! Sophie Samford is beautiful but a bit of a way out, Arana Hills has got some nice bits, Ferny Grove is convenient, around Chermside has some nice parts, whatever you do check your journey into work and home at peak traffic times because some routes used to be nightmares just because of one bottlekneck. Bridgeman Downs can be nice. The further out you go, in general, the cheaper it is but you have to remember the outer estates can be very isolating, and there was a big one out along the Bruce highway that only had 2 ways out, both onto the Bruce. It is a beautiful city, go down town at dusk and see the bats and flying foxes, go to Chemside shopping centre at early dusk and see the birds roosting. North of the river always felt better than the southside, more expensive but less industrial and less state housing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophie Goodall Posted April 27, 2019 Author Share Posted April 27, 2019 Hi, Congratulations on your visa grant! Please could I ask if the occupation used for visa was quantity surveyor? Was it a long wait for invite? 189 ,190 or a different visa? Thank you. [emoji846] Hi Rachel Thank you so much!It was Quantity Surveyor, and our application was lodged November 6, 2018, and I believe we were granted on March 11,2018. We put our application in with the CRB and health check so it went straight to grant.Good luck with your application [emoji8] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophie Goodall Posted April 27, 2019 Author Share Posted April 27, 2019 Hi, Congratulations on your visa grant! Please could I ask if the occupation used for visa was quantity surveyor? Was it a long wait for invite? 189 ,190 or a different visa? Thank you. [emoji846] Sorry I forgot to say, ours is a 189 application! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophie Goodall Posted April 27, 2019 Author Share Posted April 27, 2019 Snakes generally just slither away from you unless you step on them because you weren't making any noise, just make sure you wear shoes if you are in rough grass where they not be visible, generally leave them alone and they'll leave you alone, the State govt, I think the museum, used to do a good book on wildlife that told you what was dangerous in spiders , snakes, etc The spiders and the insects can just be ejected by catching them under a container and sliding a bit of card under.Thanks for this!Someone actually suggested I find a book on the local wildlife so I can at least identify what I come across, so I’ll check out the museum!Spiders I’m not brave enough to deal with though. I do have a really handy gizmo here that is effectively a clear box on a pole with a sliding door, so I’ll hang onto that! I can catch them, it’s the setting them free that makes me nervous! I had a bad experience with letting one free and it ran at me, so my husband is now designated spider releaser. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophie Goodall Posted April 27, 2019 Author Share Posted April 27, 2019 Samford is beautiful but a bit of a way out, Arana Hills has got some nice bits, Ferny Grove is convenient, around Chermside has some nice parts, whatever you do check your journey into work and home at peak traffic times because some routes used to be nightmares just because of one bottlekneck. Bridgeman Downs can be nice. The further out you go, in general, the cheaper it is but you have to remember the outer estates can be very isolating, and there was a big one out along the Bruce highway that only had 2 ways out, both onto the Bruce. It is a beautiful city, go down town at dusk and see the bats and flying foxes, go to Chemside shopping centre at early dusk and see the birds roosting. North of the river always felt better than the southside, more expensive but less industrial and less state housing.Thank you for your comments, we’ll have a good look at all of the above. It’s so difficult looking at areas on a screen, you just don’t get a real feel for the area. I can’t wait to just get there and explore!Flooding is also a big concern, so I’ve found a website which details the flood plains in the area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbye grey sky Posted April 27, 2019 Share Posted April 27, 2019 8 minutes ago, Sophie Goodall said: Thanks for this! Someone actually suggested I find a book on the local wildlife so I can at least identify what I come across, so I’ll check out the museum! Spiders I’m not brave enough to deal with though. I do have a really handy gizmo here that is effectively a clear box on a pole with a sliding door, so I’ll hang onto that! I can catch them, it’s the setting them free that makes me nervous! I had a bad experience with letting one free and it ran at me, so my husband is now designated spider releaser. Sorry to tell you that box will be useless for huntsman spiders. Relatively harmless but as large as your hand and they move like lightening. Relatively harmless but I am always keen to remove them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BacktoDemocracy Posted April 27, 2019 Share Posted April 27, 2019 6 minutes ago, Sophie Goodall said: Thank you for your comments, we’ll have a good look at all of the above. It’s so difficult looking at areas on a screen, you just don’t get a real feel for the area. I can’t wait to just get there and explore! Flooding is also a big concern, so I’ve found a website which details the flood plains in the area. Do take some notice of the flood maps but you do need to realise that localised flooding occurs everywhere where there are low lying areas, the intensity of the rain is on par with monsoonal rain, the last big flood was partly because the water in the dams at Wyvenhoe was not released early enough and built up so rapidly over 3-5days that when the sluices had to be opened the amount of water that had to be released inundated all along the river, but you will see traditional Queenslanders built up on pilings partly to protect from localised flooding but also to provide cooling air to circulate to keep them cool in summer and bloody freezing in winter. In the first 18 months you will wonder why everyone is rugged up in the winter and it's 17 degrees and then you will get acclimatised and be wondering why you left all the coats and scarves at aunt Sally's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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