melissasmummy & family made it to Oz....

[melissasmummy]

We are here. I am feeling quite at home already! Helped along by the fact that DH has brought us (for us, read me) a laptop...sorry notebook pc. It's great being able to reach all my friends in the UK so soon & of course to be able to be a part of the great mumsnet once again! Only a couple of weeks, but missed you lot!

I'm Australian but sitting in Surrey reading the comments on Australian ads and have tears in my eyes from laughing
Our house went under offer on Thursday so we should be in Brisvegas in November sometime. I haven't lived there in 13.5yrs and dh is Sth African and has never lived there so a bit apprenhensive but excited at the same time. A little concerned how dd1 will be affected though, she will be 4.5yrs when we move. Any advice?

get her involved. She will have all the excitement of new school etc - coming towards the end of the school year. Explore your area with her over the christmas period.

Whereabouts in BrisVegas ( she types looking over another sunny winter day here in Brisvegas)

I think your dd will be going into prep - may be good - all children starting school at the same time rather than her coming into the school year with friendships already established.

Our dd was not quite 2 when we moved and she is very adaptable though - no help to you there.

hello scully
hello eids

My ds1 was 3.5 when we moved and it was hard for him.
My advice would be take her to an Op Shop (or Myers if you're flush) and let her choose toys for herself as the weeks before all your things arrive on the ship are bewildering for a child.
You will be faced with the long summer holdays before she can join school so I would agree with eids and treat them like a proper hoiday and go and do all the Touristy things and really get to know the place again. Do you know which school she is going to? Make regular visits to its playground so she gets to know the layout. Keeping a journal and a scrap book gets kids involved too. And of course you and dh being on hand for her at every opportunity is good.

Be prepared for some slight behavourial shifts as it's a mighty big leap for a little one to make.

Don't cry anymore because in 6 months you will be spontaneously roaring with giddy glee that your child is going to grow up in Australia. It is Girt by Sea afterall

hiya suzy

it really is okay to be apprehensive as well as excited. I could not wait to get home and see family and friends and live in my house and so on.... BUT I was also concerned that whilst we were not getting much ( well really anything) in terms of therapy for dd1 - we had a great support network and I was wondering if it woul dbe a backward stop..

NOPE!!

My dd1 has flourished with amazing access to therapy and things that we had no access to in the UK - she has come on in leaps and bounds. Now I am able to be a SAHM with the dds - and we are doing fine - financially.... we get out and about a lot more - of course the weather helps and we have so many fabulous parks etc within spitting distance - that helps.

You will still find yourself thinking of life in the UK - I do it now 2 yrs later BUT i know dh and I have said so many times to each other - even if we hated it - dd1 is doing great guns and it was worth it and we would do it again in a heartbeat.

So right about the toys - although we were lucky enough to be able to send some on before us and they were waiting at my mum's when we arrived.

Do you have family here??? I think that helped us - already having family and friends here.

Hadn't thought about the toys etc for when we arrive if we're there before our container....maybe I'll post somethings surface mail to my dad so she has something to look forward to, apart from seeing her poppy, aunt, uncle and cousins
We're thinking of stopping over somewhere for a week or two to break up the flight on the way home and have a little holiday, as when we get to Brisbane we will have a bit to do, to organise a car, and somewhere to stay, before Xmas. Unsure about school yet, but we have an idea of the area we like (Bayside) and my sister and niece are Cath ed teachers so I've got them on the job, speaking to contacts as to which schools we should consider.
dd1 can start in prep Jan next year if we're organised enough to have decided on a suburb (want to rent in the area we later buy in) so like you said Eidsvold, all the kids will be new so that should be a big help. It will also be a half year intake (so smaller classes) as they are only taking children with b'days from 1/1 to 30/6 rather than 1/7 to 30/6.
I know I will miss things about the UK, having been here for 11yrs by the time we leave, but we both think the dd's will have a nicer chidhood growing up in a better climate and less populated country, and we should be better off financially as well. My head is spinning though as to what we (probably I for most of it ) have to do in the next 8wks before the house sale goes through though......
Have to say though the weather is pretty good here this week, over 30 deg most days I think. Good spritzer weather

Just wanted to update you all. We have borrowed a car from DH's uncle to use as our own for as long as we need. BUT, the biggy, a cousin of DH is going to rent us his house (he has just brought a new one) so this is fantastic! 3 beds, kitchen, diner, laundry, plus a self contained annex! WOW. We are getting it with no bond/deposit & at a reduced rate for family! This is far far sooner than if we had to do it off our own backs! We have been so lucky!

Ok, I have just found an internet provider and plan to be spending much more time on MN. When we first got here & brought the laptop we just brought casual usage for $20 or 20 hours, which is why I couldn't be around much.

I welcome myself back and will see you all around!

BTW, I am melissasmummy!

I had a phoncall today from our shipping company and our furniture & stuff is getting delievered to our house next Wednesday!!! That will be exactly 11 weeks after we arrived here!!! Can't wait to get back in my own bed! Bliss.

btw, I'm melissasmummy, for those who haven't read about my namechange!!

Hi Sandcastles- glad you're settling in so well. My dh has now got a possibility of a job in Oz, probably Melbourne so can I tap you for information ? How do you find the cost of living compared with over here? He would probably earn around A$120k but with 3 kids we would be hoping to get a 4 bed house and run 2 cars as we do here (although mine is an old banger!). Is this realistic?
btw it was Leighton-Linslade carnival today-bet you didn't miss it!

wow...the leighton carnival...no, can't say I did miss it.

I find the general cost of living cheaper, I spend no more than $150 on shopping a week, but that is just for 3 of us. It's around 70pounds.

Petrol is cheeper (Currently less than 60 pl), as is insurance (or it was in dh case, full no claims, brand new car etc paid less than equiv of 200pounds) We pay $175 (approx 80pounds) pw in rent for a large 3 bed (built in robes to all)house, huge gardens, sep kitchen & dining, laundry and self contained annex.

Eating out is cheaper. Clothes are cheaper in some places, but it depends on what you are looking for. I don't spend a greet deal on clothes for dd, and spent $7.60 on a pair of jeans in Target (3pounds).

Our car is a 2006 model and cost less than 8K (uk pounds).

White goods & tv's etc seem to be more costly. We didn't bring our fridge (would have been too small anyway) and it cost 400pounds (which, for it's size isn't actualy that much tbh)

We manage very well on much less than your dh gets, being that we are now permanent residents we are allowed to claim family assistance (which we are entitled to straight away, anything else we have to wait 2 years for, but there isn't anything else we would be intitled to).

fridge was $1000, but we went to a place called good guy and if you pay cash (debit card included) they knock some off for you. I should add that we are in Adelaide, so costs probably differ.

Also should add that we can't buy a house until dh has been in a job for 6 months (but that's just bank rules as far as I am aware) and we have to have a permanent visa. You didn't say if you would be here full time or just for a few years, but certain visas don't allow you to buy property here.

I can put you onto our immigration agent when & if you are coming if you need any help, other wise try DIMIA for some more info & lots of links

ohhh I always wanted to be in a clique....How exciting..

Thanks for the info. dh is impressed by Mumsnet . We would initially come on a sponsored visa and probably hang on to our house here and rent it out until we made a decision about staying permanently, which I suspect we would want to do. We feel that the dds (6,5 and 2) would have a better quality of life over there and apart from dh's parents and a couple of close friends we don't have a lot to leave here.