Guest scot2oz Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 Hello, I am not going to write for ages but i will try to give you a rough idea of our trip. We booked our flight through first choice in June and got flights for 2 adults and 2 kids aged 6 and 2. We flew from Glasgow to heathrow then Heathrow to Abi Dhabi and on to Sydney. The flight cost altogether £2338.We flew with ETIHAD AIRWAYS. We were delighted with that price and as we had never been to Australia before thought it was the best way to do it. So packed our bags and off we set.................................................................... Our first flight was at 5.40pm or there abouts and so we headed to Heathrow, 1 hr 15 mins later no prob. Waited 2 hrs 30mins in london for our next flight to Abi Dhabi which just to let you know you do not need a visa to enter this country if you have a british passport. 8 hrs of tossing around a plane with 2 young kids and a husband who is 6 ft 3 was alot. The entertainment system is fab but the earphones were to heave for my youngest so they were falling off all the time, food was edible and air hosts were really lovelly so we arrived in abi dhabi . Kids were knackered and we had checked our buggy in from glasgow direct to sydney so you can imagine. We only had sterling and au dollars as currency but the guy on the sandwhich stall in departure would not except Scottish money or the dollars so after a few huffs and puffs my husband had to change over dollars into there currency( CANT REMEMBER THE NAME). 3 HRS passed and we were boarding for Sydney, i could have cried thinking we had another 14 hrs sitting on our bums with over tired kids but to be fair i felt this journey was alot better as we managed a few naps and the kids had a sleep to. prob the excitment of nearly arriving in lovely sunny oz had our minds occupied. we arrived in sydney at 7.20am on thurs (REALLY WED NIGHT IN UK) and it was Freezing. It was freak weather for that time of year and had been 25 degrees the previous week. it was now 10 degrees i was tired and cold and hungry, great start lol. We stayed with husbands uncle and aunt and 2 kids and the sleeping arrangments were not brill, we had a single bed each in kids room and our 2 kids slept on a mattress on the floor and there 2 kids slept on a mattress on there room floor if that all makes sense.If we had known then we would have just booked a b&b but it was nice of them to have us anyhow. Sydney never brightened up untill the monday and by then we had our hire car and were driving north to Brissie. YEEEE HAAAAA! We hired a toyota corrola for $50 a day with sat nav, brill. Petrol is so cheap compaired to uk, it was like $1.20litre for unleaded so $40 filled the engine.We drove for 6 hours from Sydney north and stopped at Port Maquarie. The sun was shinning and i felt like my holiday had started, we found a b&b with a pool for $119 dollars and took the kids to the beach it was gorgeous a definate stop over if you are thinking of driving. one nights lovely sleep in a DOUBLE bed and off we went fresh as a daisy. 5 hours and one stop at mcdonalds later we arrive at our holiday let in Helensvale 45 south of Centre of Brisbane. We had booked our villa through gold coast Holiday letting.co.au from the uk. It was the most beautiful house i had ever seen. it had 4 massive bedrooms, a gorgeous lounge a huge kitchen and ensuite, double garage with electic door,a beautiful in ground pool and a walk in wardrobe.................it was a dream home! Helensvale was lovely and i loved the distance to brisbane, the house prices are affordable and the schools seem nice. We spent a couple of days on Surfers paradise and went through there on a few evenings, i have never felt safer out with my kids at night anywhere in the world the ambience was lovely and the resteraunts are so busy, there is no signs of reccesion anywhere. We visited white water park and it was fab. We visited SEA WORLD and it was also fab. There are kids playgrounds everwhere and the man made beach in Brissie was beautiful. I loved Brisbane and the surrounding areas and it has made our mind up to give the move to oz a definate chance. My Husband is a plumber and so should be able to find work in oz and ell i am a hairdresser so i also should find somewhere to work. My kids absaloutly loved Brisbane and when i asked them what they missed about uk they said biscuits. hahaha aussie kids dont eat alot of biscuits. we know family will miss us and we will get lonely but there are other people in the same situation who 'need a friend' so to speak, so our plan is to go out next October once we have saved up our pennies and rent our house out in uk. We are determined to give it a proper go so 2-3 years should decide if we want to stay in oz or go home and right now i am desperate to get back and try this life as since we have come back to sunny Glasgow it has not stopped raining and the temp is hitting -1 some days already. My youngest is choked with the cold and we are all mopping about like something has been stolen off us like eh SUNSHINE. well get on with it and save thats thought. When we go back on our one way journey we will be looking to stop for a few of days in dubai or somewhere to split up our journey as it is longggggggggggg,(35 hours from leaving our house to arriving in sydney to be precise). Was it worth it? yes i think so, If it means a new life a better upbringing for my kids with an outdoor living and a bit of sun then i would do it a million times again. If you want to know anything else please feel free to ask. Laura kevin and kids:jiggy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudi Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 Hi Laura It sounds like you had a lovely time in Brisbane. It is a lovely place to live. I really hope things work out so you can come and live over here really soon. Love Rudi x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest30038 Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 Great stuff Laura. Brizzy is ideally situated for being only an hour from the Gold Coast or sunny coast so you get the best of both worlds. Take a look at Korean airlines if you are looking for a stop-over. They put you up in a gorgeous hotel in Soeul for 12 hrs so that you get a break from the flight. kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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