Nyxkat Posted August 26, 2021 Share Posted August 26, 2021 (edited) Wasn't sure where to put this so figured here was an okay fit. We made it to Perth after 24 hours of travel, 3 flights and a lot of crazy spoiling in first class which was cheaper than economy by the time we got to booking our flights (I know, what a strange world currently!) It was crazy expensive but the extra space on the flights was worth it. Quarantine is going okay so far but dont quote me on that in a week haha (it's our first full day in quarantine). We got a good night's sleep and the room is decent if a bit small. My partner has an rrv and I am going to be applying onshore for a defacto partner visa in the next few days. We are lucky to have been able to get to this point and we are very happy to be here. Border staff were great, don't be shy about talking to them about your trip and your reasons for going etc. They're used to seeing tired travelers! I am happy to talk about the process and what its like in quarantine etc. I have seen a few posts questioning the process. It is going to be different from state to state and hotel to hotel so some of my experiences won't be as helpful or shouldn't be taken as going to or not going to happen. A few faq things: Yes you get fed in quarantine. You get 3 meals a day at a cost to yourself as part of the quarantine package you pay for. Though if you're in a self catering unit I don't know how that works as I am not in one. Yes you can order food and groceries in but they will not usually be delivered to you until they do a run up to your floor so be sure to time it with the meal or drop off runs. This also varies per state and area and hotel I believe so check your check in paperwork. No you cannot have visitors or meet up with other guests in the hallways. It's called quarantine for a reason hehe. No you don't get a choice of room or hotel etc. You will be assigned a place and taken to it upon arrival after some security checks etc. I hope this helps and puts some minds at rest. I will try and answer any questions but please remember that my experience will be different to yours and the rules will change or be a bit different state to state hotel to hotel. Edited August 26, 2021 by Nyxkat added to the faq and corrected spelling 2 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted August 26, 2021 Share Posted August 26, 2021 Welcome to Australia. Lots of luck with your visa application and your stay in quarantine. If you get bored please feel free to keep this thread going about life in quarantine in WA as im sure it will be helpful to many still waiting to travel.. Cal x 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyxkat Posted August 26, 2021 Author Share Posted August 26, 2021 Hi Cal, thank you! We are both so excited and are really looking forward to getting out there and finding a home etc. Its such an adventure for us even with all the stress it brings of packing and so so much de cluttering. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted August 26, 2021 Share Posted August 26, 2021 At least you have plenty of time for getting over jet lag and researching houses and areas, lol... Did you take your own laptops etc? If you want to look for cars etc Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace are quite popular at the moment, there is also car sales.com but they always seem a tad more expensive on there. Its good you can get groceries delivered, gives you a chance to buy goodies you really like, rather than just eating what's provided. What's the TV like, do you have sky or anything or are you stuck with good old aussie standard TV? Cal x 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyxkat Posted August 26, 2021 Author Share Posted August 26, 2021 Yeah we brought laptops and switches and kindles! We knew we would need them. We seem to be stuck with standard aussie TV but there are options to use our Netflix etc so not too bad! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyxkat Posted September 8, 2021 Author Share Posted September 8, 2021 (edited) Quarantine exit day woohoo! Its been an experience. If I had to I could do this again but I am thankful for a few things. Having my partner here with me made this all the more bearable, having brought enough to occupy my mind throughout helped so much too. I brought my switch, laptop and we even managed to wrangle a micro gaming pc in our hand luggage! I also had my crochet and we brought a card game too. If you want to eat off of decent plates you will likely have to risk trying to bring your own bowl/ plate but most places provide you one set of cutlery per person for the duration on your stay. Suggestions: Bring moisturiser, your skin can and will dry out in the constant air con. Bring slippers/house shoes if your feet are prone to the cold from air con. Don't break your tv the first day you are here (partner managed to somehow delink the TV as soon as we got here lol. Luckily we were able to stream via our computers to the tv) Bring plenty of varied things to do! I cannot stress this enough, it is boring in quarantine. You will need entertainment and hobbies. Be prepared to be forced into the hotels schedule/ Routine. We had breakfast at 07:30, lunch at 11:30 and dinner at 17:30. It was like being 5 again O.0 Overall we had a decent stay it wasn't too bad food wise though they did forget us for food occasionally which was corrected but was annoying. if you find yourself in the unfortunate circumstances of having one of the hotels that shows up bad on rate my plate quarantine Australia I am sorry. There is a light though, you can tell them not to bother with the food and order in from woolies or coles. I would suggest checking with your hotel how that works with the payment etc though before you cancel altogether. To the staff working these quarantine hotels - you folks are great! Thank you for all your hard work, I understand it is not easy. Thank you for being patient, polite and helpful. Edited September 8, 2021 by Nyxkat sorted out typo's 2 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted September 8, 2021 Share Posted September 8, 2021 Brlliant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted September 8, 2021 Share Posted September 8, 2021 Freedom!! - Good luck with settling into the 'outside world' Which hotel did they put you in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyxkat Posted September 9, 2021 Author Share Posted September 9, 2021 17 hours ago, ali said: Freedom!! - Good luck with settling into the 'outside world' Which hotel did they put you in? Hehe thanks. We ended up in the Novotel on Murray Street. It was decent though they needed to work on their organisation a tad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted September 9, 2021 Share Posted September 9, 2021 Pity about todays weather. Give it a month and it'll be clear blue skies every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyxkat Posted September 9, 2021 Author Share Posted September 9, 2021 2 hours ago, Paul1Perth said: Pity about todays weather. Give it a month and it'll be clear blue skies every day. Haha true but on the other hand we just came from similar weather in the UK and its supposed to be summer there. Haha 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted September 9, 2021 Share Posted September 9, 2021 2 hours ago, Nyxkat said: Haha true but on the other hand we just came from similar weather in the UK and its supposed to be summer there. Haha Not summer yet, we've just gone into spring, you're seeing the equivalent of April showers lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacGyver Posted September 19, 2021 Share Posted September 19, 2021 @Nyxkat how are things going? Settling into Perth ok? Been an unusually wet start to spring this year but should warm up a bit through this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyxkat Posted September 19, 2021 Author Share Posted September 19, 2021 Heya, We are getting there. Really enjoying the weather most of the time haha. We had a huge hiccup with our airbnb (bedbugs ew) and had to ditch out of there so have been super busy finding alternative accommodation for both ourselves and our 2 cats that arrived in Perth yesterday. We found a really nice cattery so they are being well looked after at least! We are now looking at renting a home for 6 to 12 months before we buy as our house in the UK is being a bit slow to sell, we would have had much more time to do this of course as we had initially banked on being in the airbnb for 3 months! The up side of all of this is we have gotten to see some fantastic areas and have a fairly solid idea of the suburbs we want to live in when we eventually buy. (We are looking SoR). Its just beautiful out here and we have been taking advantage of being able to do stuff and things. Been for coffee and lunch a lot. Found good corn jacks and had a lot of mall time lol. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon the Hat Posted September 19, 2021 Share Posted September 19, 2021 1 hour ago, Nyxkat said: Heya, We are getting there. Really enjoying the weather most of the time haha. We had a huge hiccup with our airbnb (bedbugs ew) and had to ditch out of there so have been super busy finding alternative accommodation for both ourselves and our 2 cats that arrived in Perth yesterday. We found a really nice cattery so they are being well looked after at least! We are now looking at renting a home for 6 to 12 months before we buy as our house in the UK is being a bit slow to sell, we would have had much more time to do this of course as we had initially banked on being in the airbnb for 3 months! The up side of all of this is we have gotten to see some fantastic areas and have a fairly solid idea of the suburbs we want to live in when we eventually buy. (We are looking SoR). Its just beautiful out here and we have been taking advantage of being able to do stuff and things. Been for coffee and lunch a lot. Found good corn jacks and had a lot of mall time lol. Good to hear! We also made it and have been very lucky to land a suite at the Hyatt with a view over the River. Currently watching Targa rally cars coming and going, and all kinds of classic cars parking up for the car show. Sorry to hear about your AirBnb - at least if you booked that for 3 months I know it is not the one we are heading to on the 30th,but we might need one after that month as out stuff is not going to arrive until December now due to container shortages. If you wouldn't mind pinging me a message of the details of the dodgy AirBnB I would appreciate it a lot! We are also going to be looking SOR - aiming to get the kids into Applecross SHS catchment. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyxkat Posted September 19, 2021 Author Share Posted September 19, 2021 Yay! I was just saying to my partner that you folks were due to arrive around now. I'm glad you got here safely. Great that you got a good view. We could see an alley with air con and the corner of the comedy club from the novotel. Hopefully your food is decent! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyxkat Posted September 20, 2021 Author Share Posted September 20, 2021 And the good news we got today was being accepted for the house we wanted to rent so yay! We shall be moving in on Wednesday so now the mad rush starts to get the basics sorted out. We are exceptionally happy right now hehe. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted September 21, 2021 Share Posted September 21, 2021 20 hours ago, Nyxkat said: And the good news we got today was being accepted for the house we wanted to rent so yay! We shall be moving in on Wednesday so now the mad rush starts to get the basics sorted out. We are exceptionally happy right now hehe. Kmart is always good for cheap everyday essentials to tide you over and won't cost you a fortune to set up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyxkat Posted September 21, 2021 Author Share Posted September 21, 2021 17 minutes ago, ali said: Kmart is always good for cheap everyday essentials to tide you over and won't cost you a fortune to set up. Thanks! We took advantage of the massive sales everywhere today too. FYI myers have a $1200 8 pan set for $449 currently. Was a pretty great deal for us as we aren't shipping any pots and pans. Everything we absolutely need as soon as we get in is arranged and sorted except for white goods as we need to measure up first. Picking up the keys in the morning and swinging around to drop the first lot of stuff at the house and going to pick up the kitties. Very excited haha. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacGyver Posted September 21, 2021 Share Posted September 21, 2021 4 hours ago, Nyxkat said: Thanks! We took advantage of the massive sales everywhere today too. FYI myers have a $1200 8 pan set for $449 currently. Was a pretty great deal for us as we aren't shipping any pots and pans. Everything we absolutely need as soon as we get in is arranged and sorted except for white goods as we need to measure up first. Picking up the keys in the morning and swinging around to drop the first lot of stuff at the house and going to pick up the kitties. Very excited haha. Remember when shopping for appliances ask “what’s your best price for this tv/fridge etc”. Stores negotiate on price here so it’s worth haggling a little bit. Even simply asking that question normally gets a small discount. ‘Appliancesonline’ can be ok too, free next day delivery etc. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RioMarina Posted September 21, 2021 Share Posted September 21, 2021 Hi Great to hear of your successful move. Could I ask how you managed to obtain flights. I have registered with Defat but have not heard anything. My visa expires in November and i am at my wits end trying to secure flights. .Good luck and I would very much appreciate any shared experience of getting flights. Rio 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyxkat Posted September 23, 2021 Author Share Posted September 23, 2021 On 22/09/2021 at 01:55, RioMarina said: Hi Great to hear of your successful move. Could I ask how you managed to obtain flights. I have registered with Defat but have not heard anything. My visa expires in November and i am at my wits end trying to secure flights. .Good luck and I would very much appreciate any shared experience of getting flights. Rio Unfortunately we did it the expensive way plus we're a little bit lucky. We flew business class to Athens(ba, was barely worth it tbh) then first class Athens to dubai and dubai to Perth with Emirates. We spent a lot of time investigating ways to get through and doing a weird route seemed the way. By going business and first class we had less of a chance of being bumped off the flights too. But that was about £5k each (oof) We were lucky that our flight didn't get cancelled and that we booked right before the prices went crazy due to Australia halving the number coming in. Look at booking the last leg business or first if you're able but also don't panic about the expiry timing! If you look on the visa forums there's a link somewhere but I believe due to the current circumstances there's a bit of wiggle room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted September 24, 2021 Share Posted September 24, 2021 On 19/09/2021 at 11:03, Nyxkat said: Heya, We are getting there. Really enjoying the weather most of the time haha. We had a huge hiccup with our airbnb (bedbugs ew) and had to ditch out of there so have been super busy finding alternative accommodation for both ourselves and our 2 cats that arrived in Perth yesterday. We found a really nice cattery so they are being well looked after at least! We are now looking at renting a home for 6 to 12 months before we buy as our house in the UK is being a bit slow to sell, we would have had much more time to do this of course as we had initially banked on being in the airbnb for 3 months! The up side of all of this is we have gotten to see some fantastic areas and have a fairly solid idea of the suburbs we want to live in when we eventually buy. (We are looking SoR). Its just beautiful out here and we have been taking advantage of being able to do stuff and things. Been for coffee and lunch a lot. Found good corn jacks and had a lot of mall time lol. How far South are you looking? Have you been to Secret Harbour yet? Nice spot, my sis and family loved it when they were thinking about emigrating. Unfortunately they couldn't get in. We are up near Hillary's, about 10 mins further North. We love it, been here nearly 30 years now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyxkat Posted September 24, 2021 Author Share Posted September 24, 2021 We have a friend in success so we have been looking in the surrounding suburbs. We have just got a place to rent (yay!) In leeming for a year so we will be looking into this area some more. It was on our shortlist of 'burbs to check out anyway hehe. Haven't been to secret Harbour yet but I am sure we will visit when we have set up home a bit more and had time to rest haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Fletcher Posted September 24, 2021 Share Posted September 24, 2021 Just in time for the good weather and your not too far from Perth's massive theme park, ADVENTURE WORLD! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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