DavidIII Posted January 8, 2021 Share Posted January 8, 2021 Hello, With the introduction of the new Covid PCR tests as a pre-requirement on international arrivals, I just wonder if there's anyone here in the UK who like me is trying to find out whether this is immediate or at a date to be confirmed. My flight leaves in 72 hours with Qatar, so now slightly concerned I need to obtain a Covid test, which I'm perfectly happy to do, but just don't know who you can use as I know certain airlines only allow certain providers. All help would be most appreciated. D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanderer Returns Posted January 8, 2021 Share Posted January 8, 2021 "Travellers from the UK will be required to undergo rapid testing pre-flight and post-flight that would deliver a result within hours or even minutes." https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-07/national-cabinet-uk-strain-coronavirus-travel/13040314 Sounds like they'll be doing them at the airport. I'd get in touch with Qatar, as they'll decide whether you can get on the plane or not. Failing that, and given the current situation - getting your own tests might be a good insurance policy. What might be of more concern is that arrivals have been capped by 50%, so you might get bumped. Make sure you've got a Plan B. https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/international-arrival-cap-lowered-commonwealth-declares-brisbane-a-hotspot-to-stop-new-covid-strain-20210108-p56sp0.html 72 hours - that's squeaky bum time! Well, good luck mate 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon the Hat Posted January 8, 2021 Share Posted January 8, 2021 Good luck David, I hope you make the flight ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted January 8, 2021 Share Posted January 8, 2021 How long is taking to get results at the moment over there? It may be worth going now to get a test incase you need to show negative results somewhere along the way. Cal x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidIII Posted January 8, 2021 Author Share Posted January 8, 2021 53 minutes ago, Wanderer Returns said: "Travellers from the UK will be required to undergo rapid testing pre-flight and post-flight that would deliver a result within hours or even minutes." https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-07/national-cabinet-uk-strain-coronavirus-travel/13040314 Sounds like they'll be doing them at the airport. I'd get in touch with Qatar, as they'll decide whether you can get on the plane or not. Failing that, and given the current situation - getting your own tests might be a good insurance policy. What might be of more concern is that arrivals have been capped by 50%, so you might get bumped. Make sure you've got a Plan B. https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/international-arrival-cap-lowered-commonwealth-declares-brisbane-a-hotspot-to-stop-new-covid-strain-20210108-p56sp0.html 72 hours - that's squeaky bum time! Well, good luck mate It's a bit more than squeaky bum time : We are flying flying into Adelaide and they I believe are not reducing the cap levels. I've spoken with Qatar who are unaware of this, but am booking a Covid test just to be on the safe side. The only thing I find frustrating is that they haven't announced it's effective from this date, on the Australian Health website it states that people must now get a PCR test, but again it's not really clear from what date. Anyway, tomorrow I'll book a test so that I know we're safe to travel. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidIII Posted January 8, 2021 Author Share Posted January 8, 2021 Test Booked for tomorrow morning and results within 24 hours. Personally, I know its another worry to have to get the tests done, but at least you know the flight you're on is more likely to be safe. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanderer Returns Posted January 8, 2021 Share Posted January 8, 2021 (edited) 45 minutes ago, DavidIII said: The only thing I find frustrating is that they haven't announced it's effective from this date, on the Australian Health website it states that people must now get a PCR test, but again it's not really clear from what date. Anyway, tomorrow I'll book a test so that I know we're safe to travel. That's Australia for you - some politician announcing something without actually thinking it through. You'll get used to it once you live here Sounds like you've covered all the bases, so you should be fine. Good that you're flying into Adelaide if they're not reducing the cap levels there. A word of warning. Speeding fines in South Australia are HARSH. I went through a red light camera in Adelaide back in October by accident. I was in a left filter lane which was on green, and as I went through the junction was blocked, so I decided to go straight ahead - not realizing that the lights were on red. $556, or £320 in real money. The fine arrived on Christmas Eve, just to add insult to injury! Edited January 8, 2021 by Wanderer Returns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon the Hat Posted January 8, 2021 Share Posted January 8, 2021 The approach to Speeding tickets in Australia seems to be unashamedly bent on revenue raising. In the UK you cannot hid a camera at all, they are bright orange - and you need signs to say they are active. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidIII Posted January 8, 2021 Author Share Posted January 8, 2021 I'd be happy to pay any speeding fine right now as I'd know I'm in Australia and not stuck in limbo in the UK. Today I waved off my possessions in a container and I just want to be in Australia to meet them or I could be completely buggered. These past few weeks have not been the easiest, I had flights cancelled with Singapore Airways due to transit restrictions, I then booked with Qatar in mid-Feb and they managed to lose my arm and a leg to get on an earlier flight. At least when I booked them I told the agent that now you've taken half my body to pay for this, I should get a discount for only needing half a seat :) I'd just like to know that this time next week I'll be in quarantine..... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanderer Returns Posted January 8, 2021 Share Posted January 8, 2021 5 hours ago, DavidIII said: I'd be happy to pay any speeding fine right now as I'd know I'm in Australia and not stuck in limbo in the UK. Today I waved off my possessions in a container and I just want to be in Australia to meet them or I could be completely buggered. These past few weeks have not been the easiest, I had flights cancelled with Singapore Airways due to transit restrictions, I then booked with Qatar in mid-Feb and they managed to lose my arm and a leg to get on an earlier flight. At least when I booked them I told the agent that now you've taken half my body to pay for this, I should get a discount for only needing half a seat Good that you haven't lost your sense of humour, despite losing an arm and a leg! Your view on speeding fines is likely to change after you arrive, of course Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanderer Returns Posted January 8, 2021 Share Posted January 8, 2021 8 hours ago, Jon the Hat said: The approach to Speeding tickets in Australia seems to be unashamedly bent on revenue raising. In the UK you cannot hid a camera at all, they are bright orange - and you need signs to say they are active. That is indeed the case, but in all fairness there are usually plenty of signs warning you there is a camera on the horizon - at least in NSW and QLD. South Australia is renowned for it's onerous traffic fines, on account of the fact that the state government is practically broke, by all accounts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palaceboy1 Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 Good luck for your flight . We arrived from the UK to Perth on 24th October and straight into two weeks quarantine , to be honest we enjoyed the rest after months of stress regarding flights , packing , etc . Our shipping left our home on 29th September and arrived at our new home in Perth on 29th December with minimal breakages (2 glasses ) . Since out of quarantine we found enrolling in Medicare , WA driving licence , WA seniors card all took some time to arrange as a lot of government departments are working from home and delays are common . 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon the Hat Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 On 10/01/2021 at 02:18, palaceboy1 said: Good luck for your flight . We arrived from the UK to Perth on 24th October and straight into two weeks quarantine , to be honest we enjoyed the rest after months of stress regarding flights , packing , etc . Our shipping left our home on 29th September and arrived at our new home in Perth on 29th December with minimal breakages (2 glasses ) . Since out of quarantine we found enrolling in Medicare , WA driving licence , WA seniors card all took some time to arrange as a lot of government departments are working from home and delays are common . That's good to know! We will be about a year behind you. Whereabouts are you living? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palaceboy1 Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 13 hours ago, Jon the Hat said: That's good to know! We will be about a year behind you. Whereabouts are you living? We are in Craigie at the moment waiting/hoping for the exchange rate to improve before buying a property . Its has felt unusual since arrival after the UK with very few restrictions . 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 On 09/01/2021 at 05:41, Wanderer Returns said: Good that you haven't lost your sense of humour, despite losing an arm and a leg! Your view on speeding fines is likely to change after you arrive, of course In my case it makes me drive a lot more carefully than I did in the UK, which is the point I suppose. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 On 10/01/2021 at 10:18, palaceboy1 said: Good luck for your flight . We arrived from the UK to Perth on 24th October and straight into two weeks quarantine , to be honest we enjoyed the rest after months of stress regarding flights , packing , etc . Our shipping left our home on 29th September and arrived at our new home in Perth on 29th December with minimal breakages (2 glasses ) . Since out of quarantine we found enrolling in Medicare , WA driving licence , WA seniors card all took some time to arrange as a lot of government departments are working from home and delays are common . What visa did you get? I see you already have your seniors card so obviously a bit older. I would have thought it was nigh on impossible to get a permanent residence visa over 40 years old. Seniors cards are great aren't they. Free public transport outside rush hour, cheaper swimming or anything at Craigie leisure centre, golf is $16 for 9 holes or $22 for 18. Make sure you check the website for all the deals you can get, cheap meals at plenty of places, often with beer and wine thrown in. You are just up the road from me, great weather at the moment eh. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARYROSE02 Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 17 minutes ago, Paul1Perth said: What visa did you get? I see you already have your seniors card so obviously a bit older. I would have thought it was nigh on impossible to get a permanent residence visa over 40 years old. Seniors cards are great aren't they. Free public transport outside rush hour, cheaper swimming or anything at Craigie leisure centre, golf is $16 for 9 holes or $22 for 18. Make sure you check the website for all the deals you can get, cheap meals at plenty of places, often with beer and wine thrown in. You are just up the road from me, great weather at the moment eh. If you don't mind me asking, Paul, as I know you are the same age as me? I have a Seniors card of course - $2.50 maximum on public transport which is my main benefit. I have rarely asked for a Seniors' discount on services though. Have you applied for a Centrelink pension and/or got a, whatever they call it, Health Benefits Card? I did put in an application for a Centrelink Pension after a mate told me even a dollar a week would see me get a HBC. But then they came back with irritating supplementary questions and I let things slide. I should reapply though just to be certain. I realize that there are people out there making fraudulent claims for pensions but I have been honest about all my assets in both UK and OZ and declare my UK income to ATO. But that is not enough. They want to know what the dimensions of my house and garden are and what are my rates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 (edited) 34 minutes ago, MARYROSE02 said: I have a Seniors card of course - $2.50 maximum on public transport which is my main benefit. I have rarely asked for a Seniors' discount on services though. Have you applied for a Centrelink pension and/or got a, whatever they call it, Health Benefits Card? I did put in an application for a Centrelink Pension after a mate told me even a dollar a week would see me get a HBC. But then they came back with irritating supplementary questions and I let things slide. I should reapply though just to be certain. There's no point in you applying for a Centrelink pension. To get even a part pension, your assets must total less than $583,000. That's not including the home you live in, but it does include your superannuation, your savings and any other property you own. You've got your UK property and a reasonable superannuation pot, so I think your assets would be more than that. You might be eligible for a Health Benefits Card, because that's based on income, not assets. If you earn less than around $50,000 a year, then you can get one. You do need to fill out a long financial questionnaire and it's a pain, but it makes such a difference to your prescription costs, it's worth it. Edited January 12, 2021 by Marisawright 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramot Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 5 minutes ago, Marisawright said: There's no point in you applying for a Centrelink pension. To get even a part pension, your assets must total less than $583,000. That's not including the home you live in, but it does include your superannuation, your savings and any other property you own. You've got your UK property and a reasonable superannuation pot, so your assets would be more than that. You might be eligible for a Health Benefits Card, because that's based on income, not assets. If you earn less than around $50,000 a year, then you can get one. You do need to fill out a long financial questionnaire and it's a pain, but it makes such a difference to your prescription costs, it's worth it. Do you have to have lived in Australia for 10 years as PR to be eligible for a health benefits card? and is it for just based on your personal income or combined with your partner? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palaceboy1 Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 1 hour ago, Paul1Perth said: What visa did you get? I see you already have your seniors card so obviously a bit older. I would have thought it was nigh on impossible to get a permanent residence visa over 40 years old. Seniors cards are great aren't they. Free public transport outside rush hour, cheaper swimming or anything at Craigie leisure centre, golf is $16 for 9 holes or $22 for 18. Make sure you check the website for all the deals you can get, cheap meals at plenty of places, often with beer and wine thrown in. You are just up the road from me, great weather at the moment eh. 143 visa swopped from 103 last year . Yes the heat can be a bit extreme 41c last Friday and lawn bowls can be hot as we joined Sorrento BC and play in pennant competition twice a week . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARYROSE02 Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 2 hours ago, Marisawright said: There's no point in you applying for a Centrelink pension. To get even a part pension, your assets must total less than $583,000. That's not including the home you live in, but it does include your superannuation, your savings and any other property you own. You've got your UK property and a reasonable superannuation pot, so I think your assets would be more than that. You might be eligible for a Health Benefits Card, because that's based on income, not assets. If you earn less than around $50,000 a year, then you can get one. You do need to fill out a long financial questionnaire and it's a pain, but it makes such a difference to your prescription costs, it's worth it. Thanks Marissa. I did not know about the HBC based upon income. I thought it was tied to applying for the Centrelink pension: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/commonwealth-seniors-health-card/who-can-get-it Let's see if I still have access to My Gov Centrelink. I am pretty sure that I do. The ATO keeps blocking my access but that is a separate issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacGyver Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 2 hours ago, palaceboy1 said: 143 visa swopped from 103 last year . Yes the heat can be a bit extreme 41c last Friday and lawn bowls can be hot as we joined Sorrento BC and play in pennant competition twice a week . 41c days in Perth should be treated like -5c days in the UK. Stay indoors at home or go to the cinema or shopping centre for free aircon! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 (edited) 3 hours ago, palaceboy1 said: 143 visa swopped from 103 last year . Yes the heat can be a bit extreme 41c last Friday and lawn bowls can be hot as we joined Sorrento BC and play in pennant competition twice a week . I was playing golf last Friday at Wanneroo. Back 9 was tough, I got in the car and the temp was 43.5 degrees. Back at home 39. Good luck with the pennants, it's good to meet people through clubs, usually everyone is welcoming and likes new members. Welcome to Perth. I don't mind the heat. Early mornings are beautiful. Sea breeze is back now so don't even need the aircon. Edited January 12, 2021 by Paul1Perth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 55 minutes ago, MacGyver said: 41c days in Perth should be treated like -5c days in the UK. Stay indoors at home or go to the cinema or shopping centre for free aircon! It's fine down the beach and lovely for long swims. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 4 hours ago, MARYROSE02 said: If you don't mind me asking, Paul, as I know you are the same age as me? I have a Seniors card of course - $2.50 maximum on public transport which is my main benefit. I have rarely asked for a Seniors' discount on services though. Have you applied for a Centrelink pension and/or got a, whatever they call it, Health Benefits Card? I did put in an application for a Centrelink Pension after a mate told me even a dollar a week would see me get a HBC. But then they came back with irritating supplementary questions and I let things slide. I should reapply though just to be certain. I realize that there are people out there making fraudulent claims for pensions but I have been honest about all my assets in both UK and OZ and declare my UK income to ATO. But that is not enough. They want to know what the dimensions of my house and garden are and what are my rates. My wife still works and I get my super income, my UK pension, NCB pension and some from Ferranti pension scheme. Would probably get a centerlink pension when my wife retires. Just missed out on the HBC as my wife was earning too much. She's dropping a shift per week so we should get it next time I apply. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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