Ex-pat Mums in Oz??

[yummimummy]

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

So glad all these public holidays are over - maybe we can get back to some kind of routine (only grumpy because absolutely everything shuts here and it's like a ghost town on PHs and dh has worked every single one of the 4 in the last 4 weeks).

Getting down to the nitty gritty of planning to leave...so much work...some might say why bother and stay . 10 weeks to go - how time flies. Oh and the small matter of the research project my work are expecting on 1 August...must do more! Getting v sad esp re ds1's school; shame we can't transport it (and most of the kids).

Suzy - Perth sounds lovely. Had forgotten that the Margaret River was over that way.

Weather is just delightful here; makes tholing the summer so worthwhile. Fingers crossed that we've won the Coldplay tickets for the Brisbane concert in our local paper .

Has bouj had her baby yet?

Eids - all these events when you have kids, it's great isn't it. My social life has never been better.
I arrived here knowing no-one except DH's (very nice) friends. I felt (and still do feel) that it was really important to get to know people on my own and since having DD this is SO easy.
Admittedly, just having 1 and her being at that very transportable age (not to mention the happy-to-sit-in-stroller-at-a-coffee-shop age) makes things a bit easier. I'm keen to try a couple of the kid-friendly cafes here in Brissie soon.
Hannahs - can't believe you're going back so soon
I bet this year has flown by for you.
Suzy - you are def a fan of the old.... Ahem... Atkins Diet, aren't you? I remember you waxing lyrical about Red Rooster previously (still haven't tried it)

I am on Bouj's email list for her sister to email with news. She was due the end of this week I think... so no news yet. Apparently there is a child friendly cafe in Windsor yummi according to the daily mail.

To all your Sydney'ites :) Moving there in about 2 years... any recommendations locality wise? Schools etc.?

Hijack over, apologies yummimummy :)

Eids - yep - Mammas Home. Great cafe, with a play area in the corner. The sort of place you would have had nightmares about and not even dreamt of entering before kids
No worries MrsBigD, I hope you get some good info

is it worth the drive Yummi - might go one friday with friend and dd2.....

It's got great salady stuff and quiches.
The play are is quite small but not usually too busy.
The great thing about it is that it is in the same complex as Zone Fresh which does great deli food and meat to die for, and Mammas children's shop with (expensive) lovely designer kids stuff. Well, good for pressies anyway
Not to mention Mammabubba day spa with creche facility

yummymummy... where are you based again? What you describe sounds great

I'm desperate for locality information too if I can join the hijack My time in Sydney was confined very much to the Eastern Suburbs - I'm trawling the real estate sites (info courtesy of a mumsnetter thanks) and see some lovely houses but haven't a clue if they're in a decent location. Apart from everyone saying "avoid the Western suburbs" I haven't a clue!

That would be the ultimate clueless sunnydelight

MrsBigD - 'fraid you'd have to jump on a plane for an hour of so to get up here - Brisbane
LOL Sunntdeleight
Arfissmeau (sp?) is from Sydney perhaps she can help you both with info re where to live.

must try it out one day yummi - can't be worse than the lunc h I went to the other day - ended up with bad dose of food poisoning!! Needless to say won't be eating there again... thin k as they ahd forgotten my meal ( last to order of a large group) they probably cooked chicken (YUP) in fish cooking oil andnot heated it - thank goodness I did not eat it all ......

not nice but recovering.

YUK, double YUK.
Chicken cooked in cold fish oil.
It's too early for me to think about this too hard
I do hope you're feeling better now Eids, gastro is horrid. And awful when you're looking after littlies.
Hurrah for the trapped miners.
All quite emotional.
I'm amazed they made it out in one piece though seeing as they each had their favorite music to listen to - Country and Western and The Foo Fighters, you'd have thought they would have come to blows there
I wonder if they had a music roster or if they just played both at full volume hoping to drown each other out.

plans for mother's day???>

Me have none - no idea what dh is up to??

Also have to get my mum from the airport about 5.30pm

Think I might book up my mum to babysit next weekend and we can head off to the cinema - splurge and go gold class - see Da Vinci Code perhaps.

Actually the accoutsic half of In Your Honour is quite country so the miners could have struck up a reasonable accord.

DId someone say Mother's Day? I have to turn up at ds1's preprimary dressed as .... The Man From Snowy River! ( some mums have to be Tarzan or a Mermaid) with my favourite tea cup. It's going to be such fun!

Where's your mum coming in from eids?

my mum has been in Melbourne for the week visiting my grandma ( basically dying - any time - so my mum goes when she can to see her). She is staying until mid afternoon on Mother's day in case it is her last iykwim.

How cool - Man from snowy river - finally you can get your whip out . Sounds fun.

dd1 and I are off to her kindy tonight for a mother's day night.... looking forward to it.

suzy - had a great night - did some craft and playing with dd1 and then we had a sing song time... and went home. Dd1 had a fab time - we had to repeat the songs when we got home for dd2 and dh.

We did handprint paintings which had to stay behind for secret children's christmas business..... and we made a heart collage on some clear contact.

Hope you had a fab day with your ds.

I'm happy to field Sydney questions but need to know a bit more... where will you/your dh be working? How old are your children? How much money will you have? Renting or buying?

Hi bloss - I posted some education questions for you in response to your post to me on "help - moving to Australia"; if you have time to have a look I'd be grateful. I don't really want to hijack this thread as Ozzie mums who just want a chat probably get fed up with the newbies questions, but I'd love to pick your brains on the other thread if I may.

I don't mind if you hijack it a bit
It's quite interesting learning about different areas of Australia from this point of view.
So far I learned that Canberra is not the boring sterile place with nothing to do that I thought it was.
Mother's Day?
Going to DH's mum's house for lunch. I offered big time to help out but my only role is to bring some nuts!
I've got a feeling that DH has bought me a balloon flight to match the one I got for his birthday that he hasn't done yet - so we can go together. Maybe we'll be able to wave at you Eids!
It's DD's 1st birthday next week and we're off the Straddie Island for 3 nights at the same time.
Sorry to hear about your Gran, Eids.
It sounds like you've all been doing some lovely things with your littlies.
LOL Suzy about the Man from Snowy River.
(But, yes a mermaid would have been worse)
Happy Mother's Day everyone

just hijacking the thread - Suzy just got back from two weeks at the Tanjung Aru in Sabah and wanted to thank you as I remember you saying your parents had been and it was fab. They were right!!

It was also fab as DH has finally realised that its time to seriously consider a move to Aus and I see there is even a new board re living overseas on here! Had a worry though as saw a thread where someone put on that an Aus citizen lost their citizenship rights - my DH has lived and worked in England for 11 years now - could he lose his rights, dont make me give up my dream, aaaaagggghhhh!!

harrogate - I never did but I was there for four years... I am surprised - it may have been that they acquired their citizenship through descent... but I would look into it. I am sure you can apply to resume or take it up again.

OH HURRAH, Harrogate, I 'm so glad you liked it. Nice isn't it?

Come on over, and hurry up, it's great here

And looking ever greater as I have booked my tickets for my London holiday in September - WITHOUT DH OR THE KIDS!!!!!!!!!!!
Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
God I 've been homesick but will be happy to come back to live in Aus.

Suzy - you decided to do the solo London trip after all!? Remember you debating it. How long are you going for? It will be a good feeling going 'home' to Oz afterwards - really cement the feelings of belonging 'here' rather than 'there'. Hope you have a fabulous time going it alone.

yeah I know!!!
Going to be away for 17 days, with a very civilized 20 hours in Singapore Hotel on the way home, spa, swimming, room service, massage ...to get me ready for Home Duties.

I need to spend $140 on a re-enty visa even though I am a PR, I have been told, so eids' dh take note