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Original poster

Ex-pat Mums in Oz??

261 replies

yummimummy · 13/03/2006 23:36

Is there anybody out there......?
(Apart from me)

OP posts:
eidsvold · 18/03/2006 22:12

we left two good jobs in the UK - dh was in management and I had a teaching job with lots of scope for promotion - financially had gotten ourselves debt free and were able to start saving for a house etc BUT our dd1 has down syndrome and despite living in a fab little village near a county capital - we were unable to access simple essential services like speech therapy.

We resigned from our jobs, and no job to go to here - we were lucky however as I had kept my house and rented it out when I went overseas - However that means we were coming back to a mortgage and having to refurnish a large part of the house, buy a car etc.

We figured that no matter what we gave up what we could have in terms of lifestyle was worth mroe than that iyswim. Okay it was a little easier for us as I had friends and my family here in Aus but it meant leaving fabulous friends and all of dh's family behind.

Luckily dh managed to get a job and start it within a month of being here.... he then managed to get a better job that he liked more in a matter of months.

Dd1 - was been able to have regular speech, physio and ot since we have been here as well as access to other resources and she has just blossomed.

We had dd2 5 months after arriving and she is blossoming as well. Only sadness there is that dh's family has not seen her yet.... also tough when dh's grandma died and his father had a mjor health scare and surgery - hard to be so far away BUT no matter what - to see how our dd1 has just come on since being here - even if dh and I hated it or found it hard - we would do it all again just for dd1. We have a better quality of life - I am able to be a SAHM - something I would probably not been able to do had we wanted to buy a house in the area where we were living just before we came to Aus.... so rose tinted glasses or not - Best thing we ever did - even though it did mean starting again and making new friends.

eidsvold · 18/03/2006 22:12

oops - did not realise I had rambled on.

katierocket · 18/03/2006 22:45

not ramble eidsvold, it's great to read.

hannahsaunt · 19/03/2006 02:03

Back to cyclone Larry - it's now a category 4 and we're expecting to be hit in the early hours of tomorrow morning. The bom warnings are quite apprehension inducing. No idea what to expect. Off to buy a camping stove. Reassurance welcome...

eidsvold · 19/03/2006 03:55

been through a cyclone - when I lived in Mackay and lived to tell the tale. Just follow the information and check out any hints you can find online.

hints \link{http://www.cairns.qld.gov.au/council/services/how_to_prepare_for_the_cyclone_season.html\here}

some info here:

CYCLONES

Cyclones are frequent summer visitors to Northern Australia, they can
kill & destroy everything in their path.
Early warning can help you prepare by taking steps to safeguard
yourself, your family and your property.
• Listen continuously to storm advisories.
• Give yourself plenty of time to evacuate.
• Board-up windows - permanent storm shutters provide the
best protection.
• Bring loose garden objects inside or tie them down.
• Have plenty of bottled water stored.
• Have good quality torch and radio handy with spare batteries.
• Don't use naked flames for lighting.
• List your household possessions.

Prepare an emergency kit to take with you.
• Torch and radio with batteries
• Non-perishable food
• Bottled water
• Can and bottle opener
• First aid kit and medications
• Wet weather clothes
• Contact State Emergency Services for your nearest evacuation centre.
• Ensure you car is in good working condition and is full of fuel.
• Fill the bath and sinks with clean drinking water.
• Turn your freezer and refrigerator to their coldest setting. Food spoils
in only a few hours in a tropical climate.
• Stay indoors unless you are forced to evacuate.
• If you need to leave you property beware of downed power lines and
ruptured gas pipes.
• Snakes and other wildlife may be present on streets and paths.
• Drive carefully as roads may be filled with debris

expect - lots of rain, very windy then a calm and then wind and rain again... calm of course as the eye passes. Don't attempt to leave until they tell you it is safe.

sorry don't want to worry you.

Original poster
yummimummy · 19/03/2006 03:57

Oh dear Hannahs, will keep watching to see how you are doing.
Eids - that's fabulous that DD1 has come on in leaps and bounds since being here. You're quite right, kids and their needs come first regardless of our own wants and desires. Your being able to be a SAHM must make a huge difference to your family too.

OP posts:
Original poster
yummimummy · 19/03/2006 04:06

KatieR - why not have a year here to test out the water, so to speak.
A holiday is not really a realistic way to check it out properly.
And you need a reasonable amount of time to get over the 'Honeymoon Period' when you first arrive and realise you've been here 3 weeks and haven't needed your umbrella ( not even sure where mine is!). I don't know if anyone else found this but there was a definite dip in my enthusiasm after about 6 months when I realised that living here was just Real Life but on the other side of the world. Followed, about 2 months later, by a return towards the initial euphoria Wink of knowing that it is actually quite good really.
Did anyone else find this?
Does this make any sense??

OP posts:
hannahsaunt · 19/03/2006 05:50

Looking more likely that dh will be kept at the hospital until it's all over and I'll be at home with the boys - can't say the thought thrills me. It was sunny and hot earlier. Quite still at the moment but the sky is getting very black. It's quite surreal - all this waiting and wondering. People keep calling to check that we realise how serious it is. Doesn't do much for my anxiety levels. Boys are definitely acting up and I'm not in the best frame of mind to deal with it. All prayers appreciated.

ghosty · 19/03/2006 05:55

hannahsaunt ... am thinking of you .... hope it's over pretty soon .... {{{}}}
I have no experience of cyclones so can't give any tips but eidsvold's tips look sensible ...

eidsvold · 19/03/2006 07:08

lots of prayers and thoughts with you. It can be scary.

yummi - I went through that when I first moved to the UK and then it snowed and I had New Years in Edinburgh and it was fab. Having said that - could not spend the rest of my life in the UK ( would have done - if there was no other option) BUT aus is soo much better for us.

if you have to take shelter - they usually suggest the bathroom as it is the smallest room in the house with the smallest windows.... towels and things like that to put over the boy's and your head to protect you from glass should the windows blow in.

Sorry it seems to pessimistic but it is better to be prepared.

hannahsaunt · 19/03/2006 10:03

Boys are now in bed, thankfully. I have Colin Firth in Fever Pitch to watch - bit of light relief. If the maps are to be believed the worst of it has veered more north and we may miss the severely damaging winds and just have the damaging ones. The bureau of meterology pulls no punches - lots of dire warnings about loss of life and property which is quite scary and lots of warning sirens preceding each announcment on the radio which they are now doing every hour. The rain has just started; hope dh makes it home...

suzywong · 19/03/2006 10:05

OH Lord, hope you're all safe

harrogatemum · 19/03/2006 10:11

hope all goes well for you hannahsaunt - will be keeping tabs on this thread. xxx

hannahsaunt · 19/03/2006 12:35

Ok. Off to bed. Dh now home - was the last person allowed to leave the hospital and got a lift home with the director of the hospital who was much happier with the latest forecasts. However, it looks like Innisfail will be wiped out and serious damage to the area immediately surrounding there. Main point of impact spread between Ingham and Port Douglas. It's still a 4 and set to increase before hitting land at 7am EST tomorrow morning so is the worst here in most living memories. Not much more we can do now except sleep (hah!) and pray. Boys are fast asleep; we still have power. More tomorrow.

katierocket · 19/03/2006 12:52

thinking of you hannahsaunt

hannahsaunt · 19/03/2006 20:55

Quite weird. Much better news for us overnight meaning more devastation for others further north. Looks like it will be the first category 5 to cross the coast in Queensland history. It moved about 1/2mm north on the map which has taken Townsville out of the extreme danger zone and we're just on the fringes with wind and rain. Lots of news coming in about mandatory evacuations, trees coming down, power and water are out further north. Schools here are shut and ds1 is having a hard time understanding that not allowed out to school means that we're not allowed out to go to mini golf...

Original poster
yummimummy · 19/03/2006 23:13

Good luck Hannahs.
I think it's about to hit north of you.
Hopefully you'll be spared the worst of it.
I'll keep an eye on the news.
Keep safe.

OP posts:
eidsvold · 19/03/2006 23:21

thinking of you hannahsaunt.... hopefully you are spared the worst....

hannahsaunt · 20/03/2006 04:25

Hello, the worst is past and it's now a 3 as it passes over the Atherton Tablelands. We have been really very lucky and spared the worst - the rain hasn't even been as bad as when we had the monsoon earlier in the year. Lots of small debris on the road but not even as big as branches. Completely different story for Innisfail and Tully - 1/3 of houses in Innisfail have structural damage, extensive damage to cane fields and banana plantations so pretty devasting for everyone further north. Keeping an eye now on Cyclone Wati which is brewing offshore. Fingers crossed that all will be well for mum flying in from the UK on Thursday.

eidsvold · 20/03/2006 04:43

glad to hear all is okay. Have been checking the news - have friends in Cairns and all seems to be well there too.

Bouj · 20/03/2006 05:52

God yes, glad to hear you were spared the worst of it, hannahsaunt. Looks ferocious on the news.

suzywong · 20/03/2006 08:18

pretty serious, eh.

\link{http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4823580.stm\bbc coverage}

Original poster
yummimummy · 20/03/2006 08:57

Glad to hear you are all ok.
It does look pretty grim for Innisfail though.
Did you eat any of your tinned supplies during the storm?
Thanks for the BBC link SuzyW

OP posts:
arfissimo · 20/03/2006 09:47

Glad you're ok HA. Have been thinking about you today hoping for the best.

hannahsaunt · 20/03/2006 10:16

Hello. We still have enough supplies to feed a small army for a week without ever leaving the house...took Peter Beattie's urging to be over-prepared to heart. Haven't eaten of the emergency food (though dh had emergency beer last night Smile). All well here; just waiting to hear if he's flying up when the army choppers leave to help out at Innisfail hospital. Guess the real traumas start now - bad enough sheltering from the storm but to have nowhere to return to once it's over must be awful.

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