when you first landed in Melbourne

[yconnell]

Hello, we are looking to emigrating to Melbourne from the Midlands next year. It would very helpful to know what you did when you just arrived in Melbourne. We are trying to prepare ourselves for the big move but it's hard to imagine what to prepare, so I wonder if you could share your tips/story/experience.

If anyone is looking to move there next year, it would be great if we could share our experience or meet up there.

Did you register with Medicare, change driving license, applying for a national insurance number straight away? Where did you buy your first car? I'm thinking we have to get one fairly quickly so that we can buy some essential furniture/household goods straight away. Also did you stay in a serviced apartment while looking for a place to rent? They seem to be very expensive!

A bit about us: We don't have any friends/relatives in Melbourne. It will be three of us, dh, dd (one year old) and me. We are thinking to pay for a 20ft container to ship most of our stuff over. Probably we will rent a house/unit first but we'd like to buy a house (for about $750k) as soon as we find something suitable (and within our budget!). I feel paying for rents is like money down the drain! I read Diamond Creek or Dandenong Ranges National Park areas are quite nice but we are open to suggestions. I thought Point Cook was good but my dh is not very keen on beaches. He likes the hills lol

Your UK driving license will be good for a while, a few months, but apply for an Au one when you get here.

{{https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/licences/renew-replace-or-update/new-to-victoria/overseas-drivers]]

You will need a tax file number (TFN) from the Australian Tax Office (ATO):
www.ato.gov.au/Forms/TFN---application-for-individual-living-outside-Australia

Here's the info for Medicare:

www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/forms/3101

I can't advise on rental as when DH and I came over, his employers sorted it all out for us. Is there a deal with your/OH's employers?

The Dandenongs are lovely beyond words. As for Point Cook, it is getting bigger by the day and now has developments called things like East Point Cook, i.e. not Point Cook at all and right next to the Princes Highway.

Can't advise on Melbourne,
But I moved to Brisbane with my DD.
First thing sorted was tfn (ni number) so I could work.
Second was Medicare, that was sorted out quick and easy at Centrelink.
3rd was my bank account. Westpac allow you to Open an account before you get there, you can deposit money etc, and just need to complete a questionnaire and ID check to get your cards.
your uk license is good to use for 3 months from arrival so don't stress.
Feel free to ask anything you like - I moved here just a few months ago so it's still fresh in my mind

By the way,
Shipping is very very expensive.
Unless you have relatively new, expensive good quality furniture I wouldn't bother as it'd be cheaper to buy new, so do carefully weigh up the cost of new furniture vs shipping.
Sites I'd recommend looking at to get a feel for prices

Big w (bit of everything)
Super Amart (furniture)
Target (bit of everything)
Woolworths (groceries)
Coles (groceries)

Thanks echt. Would you know how good the secondary schools in Dandenong Ranges area? We were looking at Wonga Park at first but properties are outside our budget:( We have moved three times in the UK since we got married, so this time we actually just want to settle somewhere more family friendly, good schools and a good size garden for our little one to run around.

I know we are probably doing the wrong way round. dh is a mechanical design engineer and he can't seem to find a job on seek, so we are just going to move there and hopefully he can get something quickly figures crossed!!!

Thanks Cocklodger. They are in my step plan now :) We probably open an account before we leave the UK so that we could transfer some money over. I did a bit research on current accounts as well. It seems some banks actually charge people for any transactions (abut apparently more banks offer fee free current account now?) It feel like a minefield just pretty much about everything!

We just got a quote of c£4k for a 20 ft container. I'm thinking to take everything we got, including the dishwasher and fridge. They both quite new. We actually moved to Leamington Spa (near Warwick) two years ago and got rid of most of Ikea furniture, so it would cost quite a bit to leave them behind. I read people were saying even buying pegs/washing basket are expensive there, specially we don't really have a job line up! We still got plenty time so I'm going to look at the prices there as well.

I find the whole thing is a bit scary at the moment. I know that this is what good for us. At the moment, we hardly spent time with our little one I don't want to spoil her because we want to make up the time not being with her. I'd like to bring her up right, so we hope we would get a bit quality life down under.

Also it would be great if anyone could share your experience about buying a car in Melbourne. I'm not sure where to look for a car after we get there. Can you buy a virtually new car (extremely low mileage ex display car) from a garage without paying new car premium there? It seems the new car tax is very high!

Just being nosey really, but curious what visa you're getting if your husband doesn't have a job lined up. Are you getting one based on your career (wasn't sure from your OP)?

Other than that nosey question I have no advice as my relies on Oz were some of the original ten pound poms and only originally stayed cos they couldn't afford the fare home again!

I'm not well up on schools in the Dandenongs.

Try www.pomsinoz.com They have a lot of traffic and might be able to help.

The dandenongs are lovely but quite a long way out from the city and can be a hazard in the summer with fire season.
Cars you can buy from dealers , usually paying too much, or privately with some attendant risk. You would do well to join RACV which is roadside assistance and insurance. Here is some advice about buying etc here
Have a look at myschools website for some comparison re schools

Eltham is lovely if you like green and hilly

Try MEBank.

I am an Aussie and wrote a very comprehensive list of to-do's for my SIL when she moved out last year (including shopping etc). I could PM it to you if you were interested?

I lived in Melbourne and would say that whilst Dandenong is lovely, it's a long commute into the city and I'd maybe look closer if you could afford it and that is where your husband is likely to be working.

You'll love the coffee, the food, the culture - it's an amazing city!

Hi expatlife
I would love if you could pm me the list also.
We are moving to Oz in a couple of months and am swamped under an avalanche of information!
Thanks in advance

Hi expatlife I'd love the list too if you wouldn't mind! Going through the visa process now and planning to move Melbourne way next year, any information would be really appreciated!

We are moving to Melbourne in less than 2 weeks!

About cars, they seem to be a lot more expensive and higher mileage for a second hand car in Australia.

If you got a bigger container, say 40ft, your can get the car in the container, and as long as you have owned it more than 12 months the fees shouldn't be too bad, there are some fees, but no GST I think. There is a good thread on pomsinoz about shipping cars. Our car is 10 years old so not worth it, but because of prices of cars in Oz we did consider it.

If anyone knows a good place to buy a second hand car in Oz let me know, we need one in a few weeks!

namechange about cars. what would you want, and what would be expensive in your terms?

Carsales.com.au - search second hand vehicles and select a radius from your postcode that you're willing to travel.

Also, if you do intend to bring appliances over - if they need to be earthed ensure you use a three-pin-adapter not a two-pin (electrical items with only 2 pins aren't earthed).

Nothing practical to add, but a big warm welcome to my home town!

And check the temperatures - it's been cold for the last couple of weeks.

Hello,

Welcome to oz ! We did the container and serviced apartment while we found a place to rent. Medicare, private health, bank and drives licence can be done in a day ! Most shipping companies will tell you what you can and can bring in ! (Hoover for one) and if you have lots of electrical appliances you'll run your home off adaptors which don't look great and get on your nerves after time. Keep all Christmas decoration together in one box (bio security will open them with out fail) and seriously consider having the shipping company pack your goods, they are so quick and at least you know your stuff will get to oz in one piece. What made you choose Melb ? Their winters are cold (damp and dark like the uk) and their summers can be a mixed bag. It's hard being so far away when you don't get the weather as an upside. So if the Aussie dream is what you want Maybe look at some other options. Good luck !!

Aussie here too and a big welcome to you!
It's freezing here at the moment, middle of Winter but not too wet yet.
Dandenongs are absolutely beautiful, lovely close community, good GPs too but are about an hour out of the city, more in peak hour so if you are wanting to find work in or nearer the city I'd recommend trying to find a place closer in. Public transport isn't great.

There are some fantastic primary schools in the Dandes but not so much with high schools, although further out (Berwick for example) have some good ones. Depends too if you want to go public or private?

Fire season is a risk but there are good warning systems in place now and people tend to leave the night before if it's predicted to be a real danger day.

Echt has posted some good links and RACV for car insurance and roadside assistance is a definite yes. Are you looking at private health inssurance too? Some are definitely better than others, epecially if you or your child have extra needs (speech, OT etc)

Shops...there's Aldi, Kmart, Coles, Woolworths (expensive), Target for clothes, furniture etc. Also places like Harvey Norman for washing machines/electricals and most of the above also do online shopping.

Good luck with the move. It must feel very daunting but Melbourne is a wonderful place to live.

Have PM'd you

Not Melbourne but in Australia for a while now.

Don't bring a car with you, massively expensive to ship and you have to pay a huge tax on them when they arrive, parts etc are hard to find and a lot of garages charge a premium to look at them as they are imported, friends of ours learned this lesson the hard way. You will pay stamp duty on what ever car you buy, brand new or second hand when it comes to registering it for the first time.

Your UK license will be okay to drive on for a while so long massive stress on changing that over. Medicare is quite a quick process and they will mail your cards out to you, you will need to make an appointment to get a TFN.

Groceries are expensive, main choices are Coles (my preference), Woolies and Aldi. You can but almost everything in Kmart (not really but you'll grow to love the place), there's also Big W and Target for clothing, home wares and toys. Appliances online and The Good Guys for electronics but ask for a cash discount!

Don't make my mistake and throw out your winter coats, I made that mistake and it's freezing right now.

We stayed in a holiday park for a couple of weeks when we first arrived, which was fine as it was summer - not sure if you'd want to do that in Melbourne in winter but it was definitely a cheaper option to services apartments.

You'll need to investigate bush fire coverage in your home and contents insurance for dandenongs

We emigrated out here last September. My DH is Australian. We had two children 4 and 2. We stayed with family for 9 weeks and then when hubby got a job moved out to our own place. We live about 4 hours south east of Melbourne. It's gorgeous where we are, country Victoria is so much nicer than the city. In the city it is very busy, congested, expensive. It is a loveable city though, lots to do and very multi cultural (my dad said melbourne made him feel like he was in Hong Kong). I prefer the country though.

But having said that I really miss my family, and the reality of living so far from home is a lot different to the imagined life. It is good here, but I think family support is so important. We have discussed moving home if I can't settle, going to give it a bit longer though.