TIE ME KANGAROO DOWN, SPORT - THE COMBINED AUSTRALIAN THREAD

[MrsBigD]

Sorry couldn't resist, especially as I'm bored at work and you know... idle hands...

thanks sunny delight, that's great.

Hope it gets sorted out for you soon

hi mogwai just spoke to my friend he's just moved from there. He said that Kensington is ok- fairly multicultural (quite a few people from the uk)
There are buses but the train line doesn't go through there. I can't see how that could matter too much as it can't be more than 5km from the city. Sydney buses are not renowned for there reliability but should be fine from that distance. He said most people tend to drive.
The uni is there (so maybe quite busy) but it is a residential area and fairly affluent The racecourse is nearby as is a school.

Not sure about rosebery the closest i really go to these places is driving to and from the city. I live just over an hour south. Hope this information is helpful and accurate let me know if i can help with anything

thanks Julek, that's so helpful.

One of the other things we were considering was whether to live on the lower north shore. My husband also applied to work at the Royal North Shore hospital, and though he did get the job, the rota was pretty crap so he accepted POW instead.

We had kind of set our hearts on living in the lower north shore, and I'm not sure how easy it would be to get back there at rush hour? Any idea?

I'm so happy!! The "Sydney list" of jobs in high demand was updated a couple of weeks ago and DH's exact job is now on the list. This means that we can go ahead with our residency application and it's pretty much a dead cert. From what I can see it's much more advantageous to go as a resident than on a business visa (no school fees, lower tax etc.). Things are also starting to move work-wise and the HR department of DH's workplace in Sydney are starting to hassle the London office for a definite date. I just hope when we go over in a few weeks I love the place as much as I did 17 years ago!!!!

that's fab news, sunnydelight. I can feel the positive vibes!

I'm sure you'll love the place just as much. Go to Circular Quay and read the inscriptions written by various famous Australians. Specifically read the one by Clive James and wipe away a tear!

hi guys - how's it going? hope all is well with those of you preparing to come out shortly.

good news about the jobs list sunnydelight - being a permanent resident will make things so much easier. we're going to apply as soon as we can (got to wait until we've been here 2 years, so will be sorting that out this time next year).

i've got a bit of news myself - just found out i'm pregnant . i have absolutely no idea how ante-natal services work out here, so wondered if anyone could give me the lowdown? its early days (just 5 weeks gone), so wasn't sure when i should go to the doctor etc. and i'm really, really hoping i don't have to pay - have got reciprical Medicare cover, but knowing i've got to pay school fees doesn't make me confident on this one. any info would be greatly appreciated...

so, if all goes well i may be sporting a bump if there's a meet in January (fingers crossed)!

Congrats PPM,
havent' been able to catch up with the other messages yet as just returned from holiday in Greece. Will have time tomorow at work though to do some reading

Congrats PPM. Don't know how the system works, but my sister spent a few years in Sydney and had two of her boys there and raved about the health care. She had her third son when she returned to Ireland, paid through the nose, and said the public system in Oz was better!

Sunny - great news about thwe job. Hows the holiday planning going? You all sorted? Am so !

PPM - Congratulations How many will you have when this one arrives?

I had my DD in Sydney. Where are you again? I was at Royal North Shore. We didn't pay for anything except an 11 week scan, but I am an Aussie. I think you should be fine though, with reciprocal medicare. I'd go to your GP (not a bulk billing medical centre, but a 'private' GP IFYSWIM) and chat to them regarding you options. As far as I know these are the options: (well they were for me)

1. Shared Care. If you know and like your GP and he/she is registered with the local hospital to do shared antenatal care, you can have all your antenatal checks with your GP (except a booking in appointment and one or two others will be at the hospital), then give birth at the hospital. I had the first 2 trimesters of my pregnancy with DS in Aust (then gave birth in the UK). As there was no point booking in with the hospital, I did shared care with my GP doing all my checks. I love my GP, so it was great!

1. Team Midwives at the hospital. Book in and have all your appointments with the team of midwives at the hospital (a pain, as you often have to wait around for ages in clinics to see them)

1. Doctor hospital care (not sure about this, but i think if you are higher risk)

1. If the hospital has a birth centre you can have all your appointmets at the birth centre with a small team of midwives (6-8 usually) who you will get to know, and some of them will be at the birth. You give birth in the birth centre in the hospital RNSH has one of these, and this is where I had DD. It was wonderful, and they make appointments, rather then telling you to come in 'on wednesday morning' and making you wait around like the team midwives do. You can have gas and air or pethadine in the birth centre, but they transfer you if you need anything else. The spaces are usually limited, and you have to be low risk.

In any case, your GP will have to refer you to the hospital, and you will then attend a booking in clinic at the hospital and discuss what type of care you want, which you may/may not get depending on availability and risk.

HTH, this is just based on my experience, so nit sure if it is always the same.

I had dd2 not long after we arrived in Aus and am now pregnant with no3. Am an aussie so it was covered by medicare.

Astrophe has is right. You do have the options. But depending on the hospital - depends on your access to the birthing unit. Here in Brisbane - there is one at the main hospital that is in such demand that you are only eligible to put your name into the 'lottery' if you are very very very low risk. Your info is then considered and almost like a draw takes place for those lucky enough to get in.

I did and am doing shared care. It means I can attend most of my appts with the GP - just down the road rather than trundling with dd2 and sometimes dd1 into the hospital - up to an horus drive away depending on traffic.

The standard of care in the public system here is fabulous. Had dd1 in the UK and whilst I had fabulous care there on the NHS( also Uk citizen) - this was just as good. In fact it seems the only difference in opting for private ( from comparing my friend's experience and mine) you can choose a private hosp and she saw an obstetrician more than she did her GP. Same standard of care in the hospital - in my ward - woman at the end of the corridor in their private rooms - but they shared the same midwives etc.

As astrophe says - best bet - get a good GP and see what they say re:reciprocal care. They should be able to guide you towards the best choice for you.

oh and congratulations

I was 19 weeks pregnant with dd2 when we arrived in Aus. We have a brilliant GP and it certainly made things easier doing shared care with dd1 who has sn.

thanks guys - good to know how things work over here. we've got a GP at the end of my road, but haven't had to visit her yet, so no idea if she's any good. i guess i'll book an appointment and see what happens.

love the idea of a birth centre - dd was a very easy birth, but i did have a slight bleed afterwards. no idea if this means i'm likely to do the same this time or not (another question for the doctor!), and if that means i'm not in the 'low-risk' category. saying that, i'm in Manly, so don't think i'm going to be close enought to the North Shore (my other worry is not making it to the hospital in time - dd was 4 hours from first pain to finish, and i think subsequent babies are meant to be quicker .)

shared care is sounding the easiest option at the moment - similar to what i had in the UK as well. will be making an appointment at the doctors next week, so will let you know how it goes.

thanks again for the info - its helpful to have an idea of what should happen in advance.

Just to hopefully reassure you PPM, I had quite a heavy post partum bleed with DS1 (they wanted to give me a blood transfusion but I refused) so when I wanted a homebirth second time round the midwife pulled my birth notes to see if there was any particular reason that would make them want me in hosptial. There was nothing obvious so I went ahead and got my homebirth.

thanks Sunnydelight, that's good to hear. i had thought about a home birth myself, but dp won't hear of it. i think he was slightly traumatised by how messy dd's birth was (particularly the bleed afterwards). maybe better all round to head into hospital (very quickly!).

anyway, how is everyone else? anyone decided where they're living yet? hope all is well...

Hi,just wanted to gatecrash this thread to say that we are finally arriving back in Brisbane after 11yrs in the UK, on 16 October House is sold, container is on the ship, just have to sell the car and have the leaving party
So might see some of you Brisvegas residents at your next meet up

we are hoping for next Friday - 13th as meet up date at the city botanical gardens.

see thread somewhere in this topic.

welcome to brizvegas....

Astrophe, just clocked your post below. Holiday plans are pretty much done - flying Singaore Airlines straight through, 9 nights in an apartment on George Street, we're going up to the Blue Mountains just overnight while we're there but keeping the apartment as a base so we don't have to lug stuff (nice looking guest house in Katoomba), then I have found a lovely 3 bed private rental at Palm beach for a week. Stopping in Singapore for three nights on the way back. Phew! DH is manic at work at the moment so I have made all the decisions. I'm hoping it all goes as smoothly as it sounds and I haven't seriously stuffed up somewhere along the line!

sounds great sunny, you will have a blast

Hmmm, I just looked up the lyrics to Tie Me Kangarood Down and I can't work out what is racist. Am I being daft? Can someone enlighten me?

there is a verse in the song which says : 'let the abos go loose goose!"

abo is a derogatory and offensive term for an aborigine.

oh boy still haven't had time to play catchup as after my holiday we had a bit of a domestic crisis. Suffice to say I was beginning to doubt whether I'll want to move that far away with dh...

quick update here.

We are landing on Friady night January 19th and staying in Randwick for the first three weeks.

So who's up for coffee and cake the first week in February?

God I'm excited!!

hi everyone - how's it going? sunnydelight - you're going to have a fab time. you'll be nice and central in George Street and Palm Beach is beautiful (might be worth thinking about hiring a car if you're planning on going anywhere whilst there - i've heard the buses aren't great).

mogwai - wow, you've got an arrival date. very exciting! i'm deffo up for coffee and cake in Feb. good luck with the lead-up to your trip - i remember how hectic it was for us.

anyway, gotta go. hope everyone is well .

Whereabouts are you in Sydney PeppaPigsMum? - The stats thread just says "Northern Beaches". We are planning on hiring a car, but don't want to commit until we get there. The original plan was to do some research about schools etc. the week we are North, but we ended up further North than I had planned and it might be nice to have the necessary stuff done by then and just chill on the beach for a week!

Mogwai - I'll be following your progress in Randwick with interest, my sister lived there for the first year or so they were in Sydney.

Wondering what's happened to tribeof five, she hasn't been around recently.

where's everyone gone? its very quiet on this thread at the moment.

sunnydelight - i'm close to Manly, so right at the bottom of the peninsula. think you might enjoy lazing around on the beach your last week! there are so many gorgeous beaches up here, which is why a car would be good - you can sample a few if you feel like it . agree it probably makes sense to wait until you are here to hire though - you might just want to stay put for a while!

if you have the time and fancy meeting up during your trip then very happy to get together for a coffee and a chat about moving to Sydney (although afraid i'm rubbish on school info atm - grappling with pre-school & maternity services right now).