I emigrated to Australia from the UK, AMA!

[AjasLipstick]

As it says....ask me anything about emigrating to Australia from the UK, if you like.

Ajas yes I 2 dc. You just made we laugh about the OP Shop! I think I've lost a few Australianisms but I have insisted it's a doona not duvet. And that 'oh bugger' isn't naughty to say in our house

But the mahoosive spiders! How do you cope?! I just couldn't set foot there for that reason alone.😣

That's good to hear Ajas. My sil sounds Australian to me but people call her a Pom because of her English accent.

Are there fewer spiders somewhere like Canberra, because it's colder? (I was watching an Australian series last night set in Canberra. Very good.)

Most brits I knew living in australis really did t get the whole not relying on the state for everything thing.

Yeah, the Australian Governent is very tough when it comes to handing out welfare. The UK is very soft in comparrison! I wouldn’t reccomend Australia to anyone who is workshy or doesn’t want to buy their own home or private rent.

Lego Oh yes! People swear a lot here! There's much less standing on ceremony. Quite normal to hear an elderly op shop volunteer gossiping and saying something like "She was a right bloody cow so I told her what I thought!" and worse!

Gladys I just leave the room if I see one! When we first got here, a spider the size of a small dinner plate came out from under the deck and I hit the roof. I can't kill them so I've learned to leave quietly.

I sometimes say "Please leave" and occasionally, they do! More terrifying are the noises the possums make when they get trapped in the walls. Oh...and the snakes! My neighbour called over last summer "Help! There's a brown snake!" and he was holding it on a bloody rake! You're meant to leave them alone. And he was this hard-bitten, wrinkled old cobber type who should have known better.

I said "Oh dear!" and ran away!

Tea no. The spiders are everywhere. And snakes.

But the mahoosive spiders! How do you cope?! I just couldn't set foot there for that reason alone.😣

Depends where you live. I am from Sydney and the only large spider I have ever encountered was a harmless daddy long legs! I have never seen in person, dangerous spiders such as a red back or funnel webs nor have I ever seen a snake. I would never live in the North Shore Of Sydney ( tons of spiders ) or rural areas. Nor would I let the grass overgrow in my garden, giving spiders or snakes a hiding spot. I think the snake and spider hysteria over in the UK is because that’s all the Australian based tv shows are about LOL

Did you see my questions, AJ?

How is the healthcare system in Australia? And how does it compare to the NHS? Is it true you need to pay a hefty sum until you're given permanent resident status?

Smitten No I missed it sorry!

Regarding proof of relationship, roughly how many photos, greeting cards etc, did you submit. What will I need to show them? We showed them about 6 photos from different years...so going back to the start of our relationship.

• How long did it take to get your visa ? It took about two years. We didn't have the full thing when we arrived. They're very helpful though.

Vang we don't have private insurance yet...we're getting it soon. We do have to pay for doctor's visits etc but fingers crossed we haven't had to go much.

DD needs braces though...that'll be thousands I think.

Thank you for your interesting reply. Work wouldn't be a factor for me as I retired some years ago so I guess I shall stay put

Silvery there you go then! Nice to know you are where you're staying.

Okay that’s good. I was worried I would need tons of stuff.

I had to get a UK police check too.

Thanks, I will make sure that gets done. I already had the pets to the vets for their rabbies shots, so that won’t be a hold up.

Did any of your shipping get broken? I’m worried about breakable stuff like my crockery / glasses , bakewear and some ornaments.

Toast .. I’m an Aussie, living in Australia. Pom, is said as an affectionate word, like mate. Never derogatory.

Smitten yes...a number of framed pictures were smashed, causing damage to the canvasses inside and my sewing machine case was broken...machine was ok as the case was hard plastic.

DH"s bike came out in bloody pieces! Get the insurance and if your ornaments are precious, google how to properly wrap them. Bubble wrap individual and delicate ornaments and then wrap them again in something cloth-like. That's what I did and the ornaments were fine.

I didn't bring crockery. Bought more when I got here.

Oh geez! I’m sorry that happened to you. I will get insurance for sure.

Who did you use? So I can avoid them!

How was your husbands bike packed? I saw on one shipping site, they stick bikes into a long narrow cardboard box.

The crockery I’m taking is only the special stuff ie wedding gifts etc. Normal plates etc, I’m throwing out. I agree it’s better to buy again in Australia.

My DH is from Adelaide and we are moving back next year. I'm worried about settling the children (9 and 6) plus we would be starving September so totally wrong from a school perspective - would have preferred start of year but can't do it that way now. Do you have children are there lots of migrant children who come in mid year?

pacey we plan to land September this year and dd1 will just do y2 again for the last term. She will be far ahead of the Aussie kids so we are tempted to do a bit of travel and start y3 in Jan.

Smitten yes...we had one of those boxes. The packing company gave it to us. I can't blinking remember their name though! Must have wiped them out due to trauma!

Pacey don't worry....they will be fine. My children were eleven and 7 when we came so yours are even younger which is best.

We arrived in August and actually chose to keep them out until January when the new year began. So they could get used to the new country etc.

They were already ahead anyway academically and they loved those months. We did read together and play some maths games but otherwise we just travelled about. I understand not everyone would feel comfortable or be able to do this.

When mine did begin school, they'd had plenty of encounters with Aussie kids and visited loads of different places so felt more confident than they might have.

There are lots of migrant kids coming all the time though and schools are well used to it. Some things were odd...for eg. school would refer to snacktime as "Morning tea" and "Afternoon tea" here in Adelaide and that's quite normal. It just means snack time though!

Are you as obsessed with Offspring as every other person I know who lives out there?

Would I be completely crazy to go the other way, AU-UK (possibly NI where my DP is from). What would be the positives do you think? The proximity to Europe appeals to me. Being from NZ, popping on a plane to Spain for example for next to nothing ($) isn't really possible!

G’day

Nice to see someone else who migrated from the UK to Adelaide, and lots of others planning to.

We landed May 2011 and got our citizenship Dec 2015. It’s been an amazing adventure. Sounds like you’re having fun too.

And yes, it’s ace to see Adelaide not being bagged, love it here. I have family in Melbourne and Sydney and I like to visit, but still think SA rocks.

CathKidston I had to google Offspring so fair to say no I reckon!

DelBoy The positives would be experiencing another culture....NI is very different to England though. Do you have children?

Girl It's very odd how people knock Adelaide. I mean...fine if you're 21 and want to really experience clubbing and work...but for a family with young children, it's perfect.

It IS quiet, there's no denying that but I like that!