It's definite - we are moving to Australia (Brisbane) in December... Calling Eidsvold

[dejags]

Our permanent residence application is now at the point of no return. The medicals are ok and they finally have all the paperwork.

So we are selling up and moving in December!!! I am so excited!!!

Three things I need help with:

1. Please tell me exactly how disgustingly hot and humid it will be when we land in Brisbane
   
2. We need a nice area to live in - not to expensive, new houses and near to a good state school (not north of the river).
   
3. Any advice in general about life in Brisbane!
   
   
   WOOOOHOOOOO. Nearly two years later, our PR Visa should finalised in the next 8 weeks!
   
   
   dejags
   x

[expatinscotland]

WOW! Dejags, that's cool!

[Budababe]

Yay - good for you!

[superloopy]

My advice for Brisbane is sure you have air con in your house and car!

I was there on holiday a couple of years (in January) ago staying with family who have no air con in their home and it was awful.

Come live down south in Melbourne, it is much nicer!!

Congrats on your visas too. It is such a relief when the suckers finally come through!

[eidsvold]

it will be disgusting and hot and humid - BUT hey the beach and sea breezes are not far away.

No help with nice areas to live in as I am north of the river sorry bout that. I think Bouj is south of the river as is another mumsnetter whose name has just gone.

My aunt and uncle live in Manly and it looks pretty good around where they live

ANYWAY what is wrong with us north siders? closer to the sunny coast!

SOuthbank in the city is fab, breakfast in city botanical gardens cafe on the weekend and then a walk across the brisbane river to southbank markets or for a swim at the lagoon.

My dds love New Farm Park and riding the city cats.

Best of all - congratulations - was it 2 years ago you did your round the world stint?? if it was - bloody hell time flies.

Will try and find some websites for you to check out and we will deffo have a meet up - will have to be January depending on when and where.

Will link you to some real estate websites too. Just not tonight - dd1's birthday today and I have had a long week - preparing for her party which was yesterday then out and about all day today - will definitely get to it within the next couple of days as I have some typing work to do for someone else too.

[eidsvold]

we have an aircon car but not house - although we have a large deck and it is built in under so much cooler downstairs and outside.

Aircon takes a lot of electricity - shoot up your bills. Dh is used to the heat now - 2 years later. We have no trouble sleeping.

IF you go for an older house - high set - queenslander style.

[eidsvold]

real estate website - buy/sell/rent

brisbane info

[eidsvold]

queensland education info

How old will your three be when you get here?

[Harrogatemum]

dejags - I think I said hello to you on another thread over on british expats..... DH and I and the kids (twins who will be 3 then and baby girl who will be 1) are also moving ot Brisbane in January time so am really interested in all the responses you get here.

See you all then - I just cant wait!

[eidsvold]

Harrogate mum - look to put 3yo into C and K kindy if you can - they should be old enough.

have I given you the link for it before??

[eidsvold]

if not - here it is

here

[Harrogatemum]

ooh thanks for that eidsvold - not seen this before - are they well known? I think my SIL may have put the boys names down for her local childcare centre in Windsor for a couple of days a week but not sure when the places will become available.

This is really useful - thank you!

[barina]

Djags - i am from gold Coast - bout 45 mins sth of brisbane.
I don't think it will be too hot - but I am a local.
Prob high twenties - mid humidity.

In my parents place on the GC - they have ceiling fans. I think air con is good if you can afford it but expensive and most aussie houses are very open plan so it is a bit hard to set it up without getting an amazing system.
Air con in the car a must thou.
Most state schools are pretty good in Qld - primary schools particularly.
That's a great time to go as new school year starts in late Jan so the kiddies will start with everyone else.
I moved to OZ when I was 7 from UK and made heaps of friends straight off - our English accents were a real novelty.
Why is it your going to Brisvegas particularly?

[barina]

oh also areas - i like coorparoo, bout 5kms out of the city. All around there Camp Hill, Greenslopes, Holland park are nice.
Plus most houses in Australia are fairly new. Usually detached bugalows (although completely different style)
I think around this area a 3/4 bed house wld be around 400k.

In my opinion Australian doesn't really have the social class divide UK does. By that I mean the areas are all pretty standard and in each street you'll have a mix of people. Obviously there are rich areas and occasionally there will be a suburb that is not overly desirable but that will be reflected in the house prices.
Its more about views and how close you are to the beach in terms of property value, as well as land area etc.
Not so much the name of the suburb.

[sunshinefairy]

Dec will be unbareably hot especially if it has been really cold here, you will feel it. Make sure you get a car with air con and a house with minimum ceiling fans but if you can air con in at least one room.

Big expat community bayside wynnum, manly, cleveland, wellington point, redland bay all on the water with bay breezes good straight train links into city. Closer to the city on this side is carindale, holland park, coorparoo, camp hill, morningside, hawthorne. But the closer you are to the city and water the more expensive it becomes. All state primaries are good and you go to the local school in your area they have to take you, even if it means going over numbers.

There are huge expat communities to help you feel at home.It you need a taste of home.


Life is much more relaxed, enjoy. But if you hanker for a particular british food or product stock up now. See the expat threads for medicines, and food products because you will pay more in oz.
I hope this helps

[eidsvold]

dejags - near us area called North Lakes - fast earning rep as little britain for the no of UK expats moving there - very new area - planned community.


HArrogate - C and K is 100 years old this year.

Dd1 attends just two days a week but at her centre the options are 2 days a week, 3 days a week or a 5 day fortnight. Usually from around 9 until 2. All teachers are early childhood trained as in teaching degrees. Dd1's teachers at her centre are fabulous.

[FluffyMummy123]

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[eidsvold]

what is wrong with that word COD. It has took dd1 a year to be able to say it I am not changing just cause some old Fish says so

[FluffyMummy123]

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[eidsvold]

but why????

what do you call kindergarten??

[FluffyMummy123]

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[dejags]

Wow, loads of info. Thanks all.

Eids - I thought it was you who suggested not North of the river - in a thread which I started ages, and ages ago. That's the only reason I excluded it.

Kids will be 7, 3 and 7 months when we move. The eldest will go into year two - there will be no issues re. which class he goes into as the system in QLD is the same as here in Cape Town. DS2 will go to KINDY (nah-nah-nah-nah Cod ). I am hoping to work part time when DD turns 1, can anybody shed any light on what childcare options are available for the littlies?

Harrogatemum - are you going on a PR? If so, have you had your visa grant yet?

We are hoping that the weather wont be too horrifically shocking - we are moving from Cape Town which is also hot, but more like Perth in weather than Brisbane.

Can't wait to meetup - being at the arse end of Africa for the past 4 years has meant not one meetup for me ever.

Right. Off to check out all those links and suggestions.

[FluffyMummy123]

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[dejags]

oh but Oz could use a bit of your fishiness.

and you may just learn to love the sheilas, bruces and kindy's ...

seriously though - did you turn down the offere because you don't want to move, or is it that Oz aint for you?

[eidsvold]

not me dejags -



i love north of th river - lived there most of my life.

no meet ups for me either - we were sort of organising one but it did not eventuate - births and babies got in the way!

nursery is for babies.

kindy is for 3-5yos.

Why not Cod??

dejags - could move near us - pine rivers area. My 3 are similar to your 3 in age - dd1 - 5 1/2, dd2 - 3 and dd3 - 9 months next Jan.

[Harrogatemum]

Hi all - dejags, DH is an Aussie so I will be applying for a spouse visa in the next few weeks (just booked my medical for end of this month) and just trying to collate all the info. Kids have dual citizenship so its just me that has to jump through hoops (albeit quite small ones)

We plan to go north of the river as well but could be persuaded elsewhere - DH wants water views, ha ha, I've told him he needs a reality check - just to look at the price of houses and think again!