Phil & Vikki Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 We were worried about being able to keep in touch with everyone back in the UK. However, when we got here we brought a Optus mobile (pay as you go). With the deal we are on we have $300 plus an extra $100 for calls and texts. We have found that this is more than enough to send regular text to people back in the UK and to call on the weekends to hear peoples voices. We call parents and close friends on the weekends and that is great. We have Skype on our phones too which we have found is really good and crystal clear. The delay on it is like on the normal phones and you know that it is free, which is a good feeling. For all the people who are coming over and are worried about being able to keep in contact with everyone in the UK, don't be. It is easire and at the moment cheaper that we thought it would be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amanda12 Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 Thank you both. This is our main worry and its the only thing holding us back. We figured the world is getting smaller (communication size obv). It's good to hear tho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 Its been good for a fair while now. When my hubby was over in Aus still (he moved over here to the UK 5 years ago) we used to talk on the phone daily, him in Aus, me in the UK, email or chat over IRC (or IM). For phone calls it was cheap from the UK end (2p per minute on BT) and hubby bought an overseas phone card for $20 and would call off peak and so could talk for hours. Even during peak times he could still get a fair amount of time out of it. Then things like Facebook, Skype and other social media came along and changed things again. So even easier today than 5 years ago. I'm really not worried about the contact aspect as Skype, IM, email and so on make it all so easy now. Also things like Twitter mean you can keep in touch really easily also. I know a couple people who use Twitter to keep in touch so they don't use up their mobile text limit. We'll use Skype and things like Facebook for keeping in touch with family and friends here when we move. I doubt we'll use the phone much at all. My mother in law over in Aus, since she got Skype a few months ago, she never bothers phoning us anymore on the phone. Its always done over the internet and video or voice chat. Same with most of the family over there, we Skype only these days and never phone/text. I think once your initial settling in stage has passed you may rely less on texts and phone calls and settle into Skype, email and social media more. That's been my experience with most of the family and friends overseas anyways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amanda12 Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 Thanks snifter. I think it's probably worth getting into skype beforehand and getting the kids used to talking to grandma and grandad that way. To be honest I bet they could have more day to day contact. They see them every other week roughly but rarely talk in between. We've not got many excuses left!!!!!! Lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 Thanks snifter. I think it's probably worth getting into skype beforehand and getting the kids used to talking to grandma and grandad that way. To be honest I bet they could have more day to day contact. They see them every other week roughly but rarely talk in between. We've not got many excuses left!!!!!! Lol. Skype is great. It can be a bit iffy during weekend evenings Aus time when people there call the UK but for the most part it works fine. Our son really interacts with his Nanna, aunt, great nanna and others over Skype. He is coming up 3 and he chats, shows them his artwork, reads books with them, sings... Goes and plays and we just turn the monitor round so the webcam picks up what he is doing and his Nanna can see what he is up to. He even plays hide and seek with her. He goes and hides, she counts and then says over Skype where she is looking till she finds him or he jumps up and surprises her. We've found the trick is to not have expectations of just talking for 15 and then signing off. We sometimes are around for an hour or more nattering, I'll chat to mother in law, then hubby will wander along and talk to her. Then his aunt will arrive to visit over there and she joins in. We just go with the flow, let our son do his thing and never expect him to just sit and talk. He loves when he can show his Nanna stuff and she is able to respond. Sometimes we even turn the monitor round to face the garden so they can see our son out there playing. Its a case of not restricting yourself to just sitting there but being proactive and involved. We tend to remain logged in 24/7 to Skype (altho idle when sleeping) and people just take their chances calling and seeing if someone is around to answer. We don't really ever set times to call and video chat or anything. We prefer it to be more organic. Works really well for us anyways Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amanda12 Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 :idea: Sounds like a great way to manage it. I'm sure the granparents would love to watch the children playing even if they can't be there. Thanks for that. It's made me smile. :smile::smile: I take it your're still here in the UK using skype then? When are you moving and where to? Hope all is going well for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 It works really well for us We just carry on as if they are here with us pretty much. I go make a cuppa and leave my son chattering away to his Nanna. I've even been known to be ironing or doing laundry :laugh: I just keep it as normal and day to day as possible and don't make an event out of it. Gets too emotional and then ends up being more of a downer than helping. Yeah, we are still in the UK. Hubby is from Adelaide so that is where we are heading out to next year. He is ready to go home (he'll miss certain things about the UK like village cricket and his job) but he was really happy growing up in Adelaide and is ready to go back. I am more than happy to go. I knew what the deal was when we married and I've no massive attachment to the UK having spent most of my 20's living overseas, I know I can do so again. Plus I love it over there and have no qualms about upping sticks again. Best thing for our family in the long term. How about you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amanda12 Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 We have talked about going on and off for years. We lived in Melbourne briefly 15 years ago but after we came home we got married had the kids.... We have started talking about it again lately and seem more keen than we have been before. I just remember how home sick i was last time and that does put me off. Largely it was about missing family. As soon as we were back in the UK i could have gone back to Oz again. Im sure if we managed to keep communication regularly we would be ok. We have talked to the children about going (the older two) and they are deperate to go. They seem much more adjusted than we are. They accept that they wont get grandma hugs but say they are ok with that as the benefits offset the downsides. We are just working out if we are absolutely sure about this and deciding where to go. Melbourne was great. We don't fancy a big city with the children though. We visited Adelaide briefly last time but not long enough to pass comment on living there. Same with Brisbane. Dont think Sydney is for us as we both felt it was a bit claustrophobic for us. I think that is why we like Melbourne as the streets felt so airy. We fancy coastal so are considering Adelaide, Sunshine Coast/Brissie/Gold Coast, NSW coast North of Sydney and the coast around Victoria ie Lakes area or the other side along the Great Ocean rd. Lol:embarrassed:. In essence we seem to have ruled out the desert!!! Going to look at Perth but wonder whether it is too remote for us. What are the winters in Adelaide like? I worry that QLD may be too warm for us in summer but recall arriving in the Melbourne winter and finding it quite cold. Would like a more year round temperate climite. Adelaide sounds to offer that. Sorry :chatterbox:. You'll never ask another question!! Our reasons for considering the move is the arrival of number three and realising how much i missed of number 1 and 2 by rushing back to work for the money. Work is hectic and i dont relish going back when maternity leave ends. i'd rather savour what i missed last time round. We have worked out I could stay at home rather than a 40-45 hour week plus taking work home and still be better off, that's taking into account inreased costs of living on some things and probably a bigger house to accommodate guests. It's a no brainer really. :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest destinationoz Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 My parents spend 2 months in Spain in winter and Sykpe us nearly every day but when they are back in the UK (where we still are .... until later this year) they call once every 2 weeks or so and only see them occasionally as live in different cities! Proving it's better to be living in different countries to keep in touch!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Alexxxxx Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 I dont know if anyone has mentioned this as well.. but if you call landlines from skype, try using google call instead. it's cheaper!! I called my sister in Perth from the UK, I was on the phone to her for an hour and a half and it only cost me US$2(!!) You can also call mobiles as well. If you got a google account, go to your emails and there's a 'call' tab at the bottom. It is American so that's why the currency is in US dollars. It is free to call America if you have any friends/relatives in America. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amanda12 Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 Lol destinationoz. That's my theory too. Plus there is the advantage that noone can call in unexpectedly!!! Thanks Alex. I think we will investigate methods of skype now and start trying it out. It's terrible that my parents in law use it to talk to OH brother but we haven't managed to link up yet!!! we are being left behind:frown: Maybe I'll look at twitter too.:biggrin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shusselmann Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 I agree Skype has really supported our move over here. I was also interested to hear how other people organise their calls with the kids, made me think we're a little regimented about how we do it so I'm going to try going with the flow a little more! My sister lives somewhere that has blocked the use of Skype so we rely on Call Serve and buying phone cards from our local newsagents, to make cheaper calls to her landline and mobile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amanda12 Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 Hi shusselmann Please could I ask why skype has been switched off? I had just assumed everyone could use it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shusselmann Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 Hi shusselmannPlease could I ask why skype has been switched off? I had just assumed everyone could use it. Skype is blocked in some countries (government\censorship policy) - the situation can change but some countries that have been known to block it are Syria, Oman, Egypt, UAE, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amanda12 Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 That's a shame for you!! Thanks. Just curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil & Vikki Posted March 7, 2011 Author Share Posted March 7, 2011 We have used skype a few times now and have the nokia skype phones too which are really good. At the moment it is all new to us and we want to keep in contact with everyone so we are calling all weekends and texting/emailing a bit. However, as time goes on we are sure that it will ease of a little. The world is getting smaller and it is really easier to keep in contact with people back in the UK. The other weekend we skyped my mom and it was the first time that Tia had seen her nan since we left the UK. It was great to see her little face looking looking at the laptop screen trying to figure out what her nan was doing on the laptop. She kept on touching the screen. Honest amanda12it is easy to keep in touch with people and you can if they want to and will contact you back. Get everyone you know and love to set up skype before you leave so you know they are OK to chat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amanda12 Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 Thanks for the reassurance. Amanda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conniebygaslight Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 There is an 'AussieCard' that you can buy in Oz (online) which gives you a pin number to call uk numbers and uk mobiles....really cheap something like 2000 mins for $50, lasts ages. (we had them when we were over there) Also if you get your family to have Talk Talk in the Uk calls to Oz are free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Huddersfield Jimmy Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 I have rang telstra and asked them what deal they would do, so I pay $10 per month and can talk to rels in UK for 15 hours per month Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boganbear Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 The problem i find is that friends and family in the UK dont keep in touch and you have to make all of the effort. Only my dad phones and he has TalkTalk so calls are free to Oz. No one else can be bothered. I used to chat for hours with family and friends all over the UK and since moving not a single phone call. Phone cards are cheap in the UK and here so there is no excuse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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