Lexi Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 We plan to fly on the 4th April. I am so excited and even more so now that I have 3 friends already. Laura - are you going back to Blacks Beach to live? Did you ever use a bus while you were there? Part of me really doesnt want to buy a car because I am sick of sitting in traffic everyday of my life here. If we lived in Blacks Beach and there was not much there and wanted to travel into Mackay is it realistic to think I could get around with my little boy on public transport? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jellybeagle Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Morning girls - we are looking at the Blacks Beach area so hopefully we will all be in walking distance of each other - Carrie, I was looking at the bus routes myself the other day - check out Q Connect qconnect urban bus services (Department of Transport and Main Roads) there is a link on here where you can download the route map and timetable of the buses - looks like it takes about 25 mins from Blacks Beach to the Caneland Centre, the bus fares are subsidised and you pay by how many routes you cross on your journey - looks very reasonable - by the way in case you dont know they are extending the Caneland to increase the size of Woolworths and put in a Myers (like Debenhams) perfect shopping days girls - here we come - sounds like all of us are going to be at home girls - so ladies that lunch Laura - are you on Facebook - Carrie, Kate and I have all hooked up so we can put the faces to the names - and girls will I need to take a crash course on geordie :biglaugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lala28 Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Yes I am on facebook. Look for Laura Adams (Laura Lisle). There is aphotograph of me in an orange top at airlie beach (oz) with my 2 sons. It will be easier to keep in touch through fb. I will be a lady that lunches for a few month until my 2 boys (16, 10) are settled in then I will be looking for part time work ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eera Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 It's sooo refreshing to see positive posts without those "tiny, redneck town, you'll hate it; I drive throught ten years ago so I know" type ones thrown in. Mackay is a great place that's rapidly expanding, you'll have a great time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lala28 Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Hi Eera I have been to mackay beofre and it is a beautiful place. I can't wait to return :biggrin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilko7691 Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 We lived there for 10 weeks and that was too long, Mackay just cant cope with the sudden influx of money coming into the town( I say town because its not a city) they have no infrastructure and there really isnt anything to do for kids, there is only so many times you can go to the lagoon. All the schools are religious denomination and the state schools aren't worth a carrot. Have you done a reccy, if you havent then I suggest you do so, if youre going on a 457 visa then your stuck. This is just my opinion but just giving you a different view, it will be a massive shock for you coming from the UK where u have everything so handy and the infrastructure is good. The bible belt of America springs to mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Still-a-dream! Posted March 4, 2011 Author Share Posted March 4, 2011 We lived there for 10 weeks and that was too long, Mackay just cant cope with the sudden influx of money coming into the town( I say town because its not a city) they have no infrastructure and there really isnt anything to do for kids, there is only so many times you can go to the lagoon.All the schools are religious denomination and the state schools aren't worth a carrot. Have you done a reccy, if you havent then I suggest you do so, if youre going on a 457 visa then your stuck. This is just my opinion but just giving you a different view, it will be a massive shock for you coming from the UK where u have everything so handy and the infrastructure is good. The bible belt of America springs to mind Hiya, Thanks for your opinon. We havent done a reccy so any views are appreciated! I didnt know that about the schools. Were you there with work or looking to move? Kate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lala28 Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Hi all I lived in mackay 4 years ago for a short spell of 4 months. My boys went to eimeo school and I can honestly say the staff & teaching were fab. I agree that it is a big culture shock coming from the UK to Oz & I didnt really know what that meant until I got there. However on the plus side we had more time together as a family, the boys went swimming and fishing and of course the sunshine. Ive heard of people getting off the plane and getting straight back on. Like anything I suppose it's not for everyone. If you are after a quiet laid back life though..mackay is the place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jellybeagle Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Great post Laura - Steve and I have never been to Oz but all we ever hear are great things - I suppose its not for all but I am a village girl and always have been lucky to live in a small but big hearted community who help each other out and celebrate the changes of the year together - mostly in our local :laugh: - I suppose it comes of being born in '67 and the missing of the days when things were just a little bit simpler - Mackay definately seems the perfect place in Oz for us! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Still-a-dream! Posted March 4, 2011 Author Share Posted March 4, 2011 Great post Laura - Steve and I have never been to Oz but all we ever hear are great things - I suppose its not for all but I am a village girl and always have been lucky to live in a small but big hearted community who help each other out and celebrate the changes of the year together - mostly in our local :laugh: - I suppose it comes of being born in '67 and the missing of the days when things were just a little bit simpler - Mackay definately seems the perfect place in Oz for us! Hi Angela, I was born in 84 and totally think I should have lived in another era - lol :biggrin:. I imagined myself as a stay at home mum, in a nice little village, cofee mornings, neighbours popping round for a chat, garden parties etc ha ha. I also found having my girls (first one at 23) totally distanced me from other friends without children who still go out into town bars and that on the wknd. We do like to idea of living in a smaller community too. and have the idea that in Oz the socialising side of things would be more at home, i.e. in the garden - all day bbqs (on wknds) where the kids can play and the adults can chat, have a few drinks.:jiggy: Kate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Still-a-dream! Posted March 4, 2011 Author Share Posted March 4, 2011 Hi Angela, I was born in 84 and totally think I should have lived in another era - lol :biggrin:. I imagined myself as a stay at home mum, in a nice little village, cofee mornings, neighbours popping round for a chat, garden parties etc ha ha. I also found having my girls (first one at 23) totally distanced me from other friends without children who still go out into town bars and that on the wknd. We do like to idea of living in a smaller community too. and have the idea that in Oz the socialising side of things would be more at home, i.e. in the garden - all day bbqs (on wknds) where the kids can play and the adults can chat, have a few drinks.:jiggy: Kate 'where the kids can play' Sorry...and beagles! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jellybeagle Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 OMG 1984 - the year I left High School :laugh: - thats the great thing about village life - yes everyone does know everybody else - sometimes a good thing sometimes bad - but the good definately outways - we have an entertainment commitee that organises stuff like summer fetes- the old dears christmas lunch - when I had more time I used to get involved - we always ended up the local after or should I call that my second home :rolleyes: - it was the one of things I was worried about leaving behind - village life not the local but I think Mackay will be great for meeting new friends more than a big city - Geoff and Cathy our landlord and landlady are organising a big send offf party for us - paracetamol at the ready ! Blimey reading back through this post makes me sound like a right boozer - well only a little one :wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Still-a-dream! Posted March 4, 2011 Author Share Posted March 4, 2011 OMG 1984 - the year I left High School :laugh: - thats the great thing about village life - yes everyone does know everybody else - sometimes a good thing sometimes bad - but the good definately outways - we have an entertainment commitee that organises stuff like summer fetes- the old dears christmas lunch - when I had more time I used to get involved - we always ended up the local after or should I call that my second home :rolleyes: - it was the one of things I was worried about leaving behind - village life not the local but I think Mackay will be great for meeting new friends more than a big city - Geoff and Cathy our landlord and landlady are organising a big send offf party for us - paracetamol at the ready ! Blimey reading back through this post makes me sound like a right boozer - well only a little one :wink: Ha ha sounds great. Im sure Mackay will be ideal for you. We will have to wait and see what Carrie makes of it when she gets there (and you if you make it in April), im looking forward to hearing all about it. Got rid of that bit - didnt want anyone thinking I was being rude in any way :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lala28 Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 I'm sure we will all have our down days but that's where friends come in and we can support each other. It will be fine and im sure we will love it Whats not to love about sunshine, bbq's, swimming and realaxing. Laura:daydreaming: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilko7691 Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Hiya, Thanks for your opinon. We havent done a reccy so any views are appreciated! I didnt know that about the schools. Were you there with work or looking to move? Kate Yes through work, i was going to go through the sponsor visa but got my permenant visa through first phew!!! good job. I know the big draw is the sunshine but once you start living it it gets just like the rain here lol.a bit boring and sick of it. The schools are a step back and for a year my children didnt learn anything and we paid for a private school.The coast is lovely to live by but alot of the year you cant swim due to the stingers etc so the appeal for us was lost. Mackay is quite isolated, rockhampton to the south 8 hours away, airlie beach 2 hrs away, townsville 4 hours away. If i were you I would be looking towards Brisbane its a great city and plenty to do with the gold coast 45 minutes away. Loads to do and plenty for the kids and adults too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eera Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Wilko, how long ago were you there? There's been massive investment in infrastructure and facilities over the last few years. Ultimately, it is a town of 120,000 and has to be accepted for that, if you come from Birmingham it will be a huge shock, but also if you've lived in smaller towns it won't. I seriously doubt you can live next to the beach and drive into the CBD to work in 10 minutes in any major city, so if you want that then there's a compromise to be made, and that's living in a regional area. With the schools thing, while the majority do have a religious denomination, you don't have to be part of that church to go there; I have athiest and muslim friends who's kids go to the Anglican one. It's also easy to find daycare places in Mackay, talking to a friend who lives in Sydney who basically has to bride providers to even be added to the list for consideration someday maybe it's another good thing about the area. There are downsides too. The club area can get a bit fighty on a saturday night, but no worse than any city. You're not going to find any Versace in a hurry and house prices are on a par with city, but there's nothing that can't be worked around. If you want a laid back lifestyle that doesn't involve 2 hour commutes then go for it. If you want trendy clubs and bars it won't be your thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Still-a-dream! Posted March 5, 2011 Author Share Posted March 5, 2011 I suppose what is very quiet for one, may be bliss for another. We are from Newcastle Upon Tyne so I suppose we look like we come from a big city (not as big as Birmingham ofcourse) but we actually live in a village about 15 mins drive from the city centre (out of rush hour) and probably only go into town/shops etc about once a month. So I suppose you could say we were used to the quiet life too. I think as long as we can make friends so spend time with we wont feel isolated. But on the other side we are also interested in Brisbane as an option because my partner was offered a job there 2 years ago on the Brisbane Airport tunnel link, and then they pulled back on the sponsored visa. So we did alot of research into Brisbane and areas at the time. With my partners job we are under the impression that the mines are the way to go, so this really dictates the area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lala28 Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 which mine will your husband be working at? My hub will be at moranbah north. We live 18 mile outside of newcastle in a small village. :biggrin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Still-a-dream! Posted March 5, 2011 Author Share Posted March 5, 2011 which mine will your husband be working at? My hub will be at moranbah north. We live 18 mile outside of newcastle in a small village. :biggrin: Ha ha, its a small world really. We dont know what mine it will be as we havent got the job yet. We are meeting with the relocation/recruitment person in a couple of weeks to discuss it all. We have just sent off all our stuff to see if the company would be able to get the visa first - its sort of being done in reverse! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lala28 Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 Ha ha, its a small world really. We dont know what mine it will be as we havent got the job yet. We are meeting with the relocation/recruitment person in a couple of weeks to discuss it all. We have just sent off all our stuff to see if the company would be able to get the visa first - its sort of being done in reverse! Well best of luck with it all. You'll be out there before you know it :biggrin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilko7691 Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 Wilko, how long ago were you there? There's been massive investment in infrastructure and facilities over the last few years. Ultimately, it is a town of 120,000 and has to be accepted for that, if you come from Birmingham it will be a huge shock, but also if you've lived in smaller towns it won't. I seriously doubt you can live next to the beach and drive into the CBD to work in 10 minutes in any major city, so if you want that then there's a compromise to be made, and that's living in a regional area. With the schools thing, while the majority do have a religious denomination, you don't have to be part of that church to go there; I have athiest and muslim friends who's kids go to the Anglican one. It's also easy to find daycare places in Mackay, talking to a friend who lives in Sydney who basically has to bride providers to even be added to the list for consideration someday maybe it's another good thing about the area. There are downsides too. The club area can get a bit fighty on a saturday night, but no worse than any city. You're not going to find any Versace in a hurry and house prices are on a par with city, but there's nothing that can't be worked around. If you want a laid back lifestyle that doesn't involve 2 hour commutes then go for it. If you want trendy clubs and bars it won't be your thing. yes I agree that they have invested alot in the town but what about the support like buses and taxi's, not everyone drives. you might not be religious but its the religious thing that gets rammed down your kids throats and teachers saying things like your "mum and dad will burn in hell if they have credit cards" like I said in my first post "Bible belt of America springs to mind" We didnt want clubs, but maybe some nice wines bars or nice restuarant would have been nice was that too much to ask for, even the marina was a let down. As for the beach living you can do that and be 10-15 mins from the CBD. Still a Dream tell hubby there is plenty of work outside of the mines, you have a lot of supporting work from companies doing work for the mines in the suburbs Moving to Mackay will be a real eye opener, but the best of luck and I really hope it does work out.:biggrin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexi Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 Oh my goodness I go away for a few days and its all go on here! Well girls if it is all doom and gloom we will just have to liven the place up. The way I see it my life is so hectic at the moment right now I want a very quiet friendly place where I know faces in the street and can get involved in the community. Mackay sounds perfect but I might not feel like that after a year of being there but I am not trapped I can move wherever I want to. Anyway shipping people are coming on Friday to collect everything and our flights are booked for the 4th April. We leave from Newcastle to Heathrow to Singapore to Brisbane. Staying over night in Brisbane for a rest then flying to Mackay on the 6th. Dreading the plane journey with Alex, he is wild! Still cant wait to get there and also cant wait to meet you all. We are all going to be fine, we have got each other. xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lala28 Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 :biggrin:Wow flights are booked!! Keep in touch once you get there and get internet connection and let us know how you feel. Alex will hopefully be preoccupied with the inflight movies & games. Brisbane is fab. If you get a chance go to the lone pine koala sanctuary. Wild kangaroo enclosures & kids can have their photograph taken with the koalas. Theres lots of other animals there as well. Fab day out and a real taste of australia :jiggy:xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Still-a-dream! Posted March 6, 2011 Author Share Posted March 6, 2011 Oh my goodness I go away for a few days and its all go on here! Well girls if it is all doom and gloom we will just have to liven the place up. The way I see it my life is so hectic at the moment right now I want a very quiet friendly place where I know faces in the street and can get involved in the community. Mackay sounds perfect but I might not feel like that after a year of being there but I am not trapped I can move wherever I want to. Anyway shipping people are coming on Friday to collect everything and our flights are booked for the 4th April. We leave from Newcastle to Heathrow to Singapore to Brisbane. Staying over night in Brisbane for a rest then flying to Mackay on the 6th. Dreading the plane journey with Alex, he is wild! Still cant wait to get there and also cant wait to meet you all. We are all going to be fine, we have got each other. xxx Thats fab! How exciting the 4th April. Once you send you belongings on friday it will be the start of it all :-) So you are going via Singapore. I was wondering about the best route, between that and Dubai one. And hopefully we will all catch you up soon! We are meeting with the person who is recruiting at the end of the month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jellybeagle Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 Well the start of another week and another week closer to Mackay :jiggy::jiggy: girls check this out - our new home - sounds like we are all village girls then, Mackay is going to be perfect! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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