Lady Tottington Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 Hi Pom’s, thought I would share our storey so far!! We applied on the 2nd of Oct 2008 after 4 years of debating whether to take the plunge for a new life down under. Our application went in and we had to sit and wait. The waiting game is a killer, I used to get so frustrated checking our online status took over our lives. Think lots of people do the same. Then in the New Year 2010 the CSL appeared and for many people this was a terrible outcome as many of the pom’s waiting had their applications put back 12 or 18 months. We were fortunate that our skills was still on the CSL but for all those people that were not my heart goes out to you, I can only imagine how disappointing it can be. From a selfish point of view we were so grateful that we was in the running as anyone would be under the circumstances and in March 09 we had our medicals done. Still checking our on line application daily sometimes twice daily we would wait. At this point we had a few removal quotes and dog shipper quotes. In April we had conformation that a case officer had been appointed to us we were over the moon, they asked for more information which we send immediately and again nothing happened for weeks. We started checking daily our online status and it was like you take one step forward and two back the waiting game is awful and very frustrating. After hearing nothing for 7 weeks we got what we had been waiting for, the golden ticket arrived in July and the feeling was fantastic, totally over the moon. A couple of day’s later reality hit home and all kinds of things start popping into your mind. Like oh my god this isn’t just moving down the road, this is massive. We had the house valued, put it on the market at the end of July and bugger me it sold in 4 weeks, which was great but again you start thinking “what are we doing hope we are doing the right thing”?? Then I had to sell my horses and that broke my heart all I kept thinking is what am I doing?? And at this point I could have easily abandoned the whole application. We moved out of our house 12 months to the day the application went in and stayed with family for a couple of weeks. We handed in our notices at work, had a massive fair well party and on 25th Oct Manchester airport. I can’t tell you how I felt when I arrived at Manchester other than numb and sick, I suppose we was scared of the unknown. Two days leading up to going all we did was go round family and friends saying farewell, and every house we left we was crying, and what made it worse was that we visited about 6-8 houses a day so an awful lot of tears. I really felt for our dogs who were taken to the shippers and they flew out two days later, in fact we pick them up from quarantine on Monday!! We arrived in Brisbane early in the morning and we had friends to stay with, our first task was to sort important things like Medicare, driving license, find a rental, get our daughter into school, buy a car, look for work we did this in the two weeks. So where are we know?? We are living in a nice area, a beautiful house, our daughter has lots of friends and has a fantastic social life, OH has got a job in the city on second week, and I am going to find work when the dogs are settled probably the next couple of weeks. Life is what we imagined and so much more. Our container arrives in Brisbane today and I can’t wait to get it. So for all those still waiting, was it worth it?? Hells yes don’t give up and I think lots of people do get a bit wobbly, I know I did. For all who have a long time to wait don’t give up because it will be worth it in the end. Live the Dream!! Good luck to everyone xx :hug: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest brooksey Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 Nice one, glad to hear it's all working out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest juliemtaylor Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 Great post - glad you are doing really well.. Julie x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuddysMum Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 Yay!!! ANother encouraging update. We are right in the middle of "this is HUGE" stage. Trying to get rid of everything we don't want to ship. Slowly our house is emptying. We will be eating off boxes soon. It's all so near now after 18 months of it dominating our lives. I am starting to feel afraid of the "anticlimax" syndrome. Hope things just keep on getting better for you. Well done. Do post more news! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wanderer Posted November 27, 2009 Share Posted November 27, 2009 Good to hear Lady Toddington that tears, warts and all you've made it and settling in appears to be happening. Down the Gold Coast where I had moved to myself about 12 years ago, the humidity was a real walloper but there was better rainfall then which we may be returning to [not that I'm there these days] and you'll initially get the odd few days, a week or so of it for about the next two months and then fairly consistently from mid-late January through into March. A lot of people resort to staying couped up indoors with airconditioning on but best to just get acclimatised to it and we relied on ceiling fans to circulate the air and having a pool was handy too but an a nuisance in that it had a beautiful tree shaing the water to always have it pretty cool and then adding plenty of leaves. For the hounds, there are some great off leash exercise areas you can take them to: . Rosser Park which is accessed via Botanical Gardens off Ashmore Road at Benowa, coast side of Royal Pines Golf Course, there being a huge tidal lake there and plenty of open area in a floodway that is only an emergency one and I'd doubt whether it ever will have other than rain water there. . Little fenced off section on Robina Parkway where they have pipes, jumps etc. and there's a similar area at Pizzey Park, near Mermaid, access into it via Sporting Complex near southern end of Sunshine Boulevarde. Then for beaches, you can take them up to the top end of the Spit, supposedly between Broadwater Channel Breakwater and Sand Pumping Jetty but tyhe ebach south og the SPJ is often quite deserted for a couple of km. and so heading down that way for a stroll will not likely get you into trouble. . Also the beach south from Tallebudgra Creek Breakwater is just about always clear for a km. . An the lagoon area of Currumbin Creek and nearby beach has plenty of room too. You should take a drive on the motorway down towards the airport and then come back along the GC Hwy. and fist sight of Currumbin Lagoon on a nice sunny day has a real WOW factor to it, likewise if wanting a drive north of Brisbane, take a drive across to Bribie Island, Pub there on Sundays having afternoon music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest siamsusie Posted November 27, 2009 Share Posted November 27, 2009 Good to hear Lady Toddington t A lot of people resort to staying couped up indoors with airconditioning on but best to just get acclimatised to it and we relied on ceiling fans to circulate the air and having a pool was handy too but an a nuisance in that it had a beautiful tree shaing the water to always have it pretty cool and then adding plenty of leaves. If I turned off my air conditioning my skin would drop off Wanderer, these tin roofs:mad: hold in de heat ya know:jiggy: susie xx . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Tottington Posted November 27, 2009 Author Share Posted November 27, 2009 Thanks Wanderer, really appreciate that, the dogs will love it, swimming and stuff, we are so excited to pick them up on Monday. Does the their flee and tick frontline get affected if they get wet?? or is it waterproof?? Thanks Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TaniaColin Posted November 27, 2009 Share Posted November 27, 2009 So pleased things are working out for you Tania x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wanderer Posted November 27, 2009 Share Posted November 27, 2009 Susie, If I turned off my air conditioning my skin would drop off Wanderer, these tin roofs:mad: hold in de heat ya know:jiggy: susie xx Those tin roofs are ideal for the Aussie climate Susie, for whilst they heat up quick, they also cool down quick too and so with the right colouring to help some reflection, some good insulation and Whirligigs to vent hot air in celing cavities, they work a dream and also allow you hear the rain! You ought to take a trip to Broken Hill and you'll see some great corrugated houses, walls and all as apart from the unavailability of materials, transport was always a problem in the older days and so some houses would even have saplings for framework, corrugated iron outer and hessian lining! These days, the corrugated iron is making a big comeback as Colourbond as you may know and also in many beach side houses it is again getting used for cladding in a kind of decorative fasion mixed with other materials. Now Sam has got some ideas for the Dog Kennels! Thanks Wanderer, really appreciate that, the dogs will love it, swimming and stuff, we are so excited to pick them up on Monday. Does the their flee and tick frontline get affected if they get wet?? or is it waterproof?? Thanks Sam We use a product called Advantix and cheapest way of buying is in 6 packs and even if hounds are different in weight, they have under 10 kg., 10-25 and over 25 kg. for small/medium and large - whereas though Frontline is OK, Frontline Plus I think for ticks as well as fleas, it only comes in 10-20 and 20-30 and our two are always borderline 20+ dogs, 12+ years old and never a problem with fleas or ticks and we live on a rural block. They get to the beach pretty often, just about every day sometimes and when due for the Advantix, though it is marketed as waterproof and ought to be for it gets absorbed into the skin more or less instantly when applied, we still put it on and plan not on letting them have a swim the next day but I've forgotten some times and no problems. Have a look at www.vetproductsdirect.com.au for they are cheaper than you can get whatever anywhere and extra good on delivery, like within a day or two and free if you order over $150 worth [3 x 6 packs], often have specials and you get reward points and you'll get a catalogue with deliveries to show what specials are available. You register with them and so anytime you go online with them, your account pops up. If you are living anywhere close to Ashmore area, about halfway between Surfers Paradise and Nerang, a Vet I can recommend is www.vetcall.com.au Cnr. of Ashmore Rd. and Heeb Streets and they have a vetinarian hospital there with a number of vets and one chap, probably about 40 now, by name of Mark has great animal sense, but most vets are like that. There's actually a show on tele called Animal Rescue and the hospital and Mark were featured once. Our doggies were on tele a couple of times too and actually Stage stars when the Musical Annie was put on at the Gold Coast about 10 years ago. Don't know if they're doing it in the UK but here you can get an annual injection for heartworm that they combine with or do at same time as annual check up and the multi antivirus gear they get for Parvo/Kennel cough etc. And one thing you may see too, particularly if you have a dog with sensitive skin is them scratching even if you are using Frontline or Advantix and it could just be Midgee bites that get even humans scratching, some worse than others and one of ours had a miserable season one year and one way I got on top of it was to make up a mix of Citonella essence, baby oil I think was in it too and just 50% water and have it in a little spray bottle and I'd give her a squirt in later afternnon for it'd usually be late afternoon evenings that midges came about. I got that mix suggestion from a woman who actually had/has horses - she may still work in pharmacy at Benowa Gardens Shopping Centre - probably about 40, shortish, short blonde hair - have a look and do not be backward in asking if there is a horsey type that works there still - Aussies are kind of like that - make yourself known. If you want to do something re flying bugs where you live, midges included, you cannot go past http://www.nobugs.com.au/ - no electric zapping noises with that and we had one that was mounted about 15 M back from the house and whereas the midges had been a real problem, it made a difference in no time at all and we would probably still be using it except for the fact that missus got all buddhistic guilty like about all the poor bugs we were killing off - the tray would be like bugsy stew of a morning, but maybe like most bugs they only have an ultra short life anyway. And PS For a feed out on Asian tucker, you'll find My Place on Benowa Road hard to beat, family there from Shanghai and they do Chines/Maly/Thai, about a km. past Benowa Tavern heading into Surfers [just before big Harvey Norman store complex]. Never ever dined in but takeaways was always to die for, free bag of prawn cutlets if ordering over $30 worth, Indian, there's a couple of places on Chevron Island, in shopping strip on main street, a few other restaurants there too and you'll find more about the Surfers Paradise area, more away from the busier area of Cavill Mall and Orchid Avenue, and then for Italian, hard to beat Valentinos on the Gold Coast Highway at Broadbeach and also a lot of restaurants in BB Mall, heaps everywhere actually and to make dining out even cheaper, checkout www.hotdockets.com.au or back of supermarket dockets - you even get addicted to collecting peoples throwaways! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest siamsusie Posted November 27, 2009 Share Posted November 27, 2009 Those tin roofs are ideal for the Aussie climate Susie, for whilst they heat up quick, they also cool down quick too and so with the right colouring to help some reflection, some good insulation and Whirligigs to vent hot air in celing cavities, they work a dream and also allow you hear the rain! I am smiling here Wanderer, I have never seen tin roofs before I came here, when I looked down over Karratha when I first came to Australia I though my husband was bringing me to an army barracks!. Now I stop and look at roof tiles in amazement, how quickly your thought process changes. Yes the rain is wonderful on a tin roof. We are not allowed to put "whirligigs" onto our roofs due to cyclonic conditions; all the roofs are battened down into the fonds. The house is insulated but it does warm up very quickly without air con. I do take on board what you say , you are prob better to acclimatise yourself with fans in a slightly cooler environment. In Tasmania the parrots love sliding up and down our roof, its a huge play area for them. Cheers Wanderer. Susie x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cazz Posted November 27, 2009 Share Posted November 27, 2009 Great to hear your story & that you have settled in well. It's always nice to read positive posts, thanks. X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elliott-Family Posted November 27, 2009 Share Posted November 27, 2009 HI Fab to hear you are there and settled now, i can remember you getting your visa, think it was a couple of days before or after we got ours, that wait really was hard. We are still stuck here trying to sell house but hopefull we will get out next year, Its so nice to read people stories when they make it Best wishes Claire x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wanderer Posted November 27, 2009 Share Posted November 27, 2009 Susie, I am smiling here Wanderer, I have never seen tin roofs before I came here, when I looked down over Karratha when I first came to Australia I though my husband was bringing me to an army barracks!. Now I stop and look at roof tiles in amazement, how quickly your thought process changes. Yes the rain is wonderful on a tin roof. We are not allowed to put "whirligigs" onto our roofs due to cyclonic conditions; I was thinking more BP than Karratha where I'd be wanting Aircon too but gets warm enough in northern Tassie [a few days anyway!:biggrin:] And Sam, If you're getting horse withdrawal shakes, Lots of stables up around the Racecourse in Bundall there, take Racecourse Drive off Ashmore Rd. @ lights just before Harvey Norman and at the roundabout just past Harvey Norman you'll be at Upton Street and the local Transport office for licences and car rego is just up a 100m on left and about opposite is a tin shed looking building [one of the many] but they sell all sorts of pets stuff including baked pigs ears if you give those to your dogs for treats - great for teeth. You can also buy them in about 10 or 20 packs at Big W stores who have boxes of basted leather chewies and heaps of other stuff at good prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.