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Original poster

PROBABLY MOVING TO AUSTRALIA IN 2 YEARS....

39 replies

MrsBigD · 06/03/2006 13:27

please tell me there is a mumsnet network over there! Grin

DH is a Kiwi and loves Oz and I've been before and quite like it too. Ah the weather! Ah the beaches, the bbq's etc. Grin

Also probably a nice place for our kids to grow up :)

So tell me... anybody from Australia on here! Most likely place we'll end up is Sydney

OP posts:
eidsvold · 06/03/2006 23:01

i am in Aus and there are more of us - found mumsnet when I was living in the Uk and still use it over other mums networks that I have discovered...

lots of expat brits in Perth, i am an aussie and there are others of us around.

GandT · 07/03/2006 02:00

I'm in Sydney. We moved out here a couple of years ago. I'm not sure about there being an Aussie mumsnet but the mother's groups and early learning centres here seem to be fairly well set up and attended.

hannahsaunt · 07/03/2006 03:50

I use mumsnet in Oz because I used it at home. We're in TNQ and found lots and lots of things to do with the children - good places to start are gymbaroo and doh-re-mi music classes. Fabulous place to raise children (even if the Playgroup thing is a bit scary from the outside).

Original poster
MrsBigD · 07/03/2006 07:09

horray! that takes one fear off my list ;)

OP posts:
suzywong · 07/03/2006 08:13

Hello
I 'm in Perth
am English, been here 18 months

don't be scared
It's all right really if you can live with out Waitrose and Boots you'll be right

Original poster
MrsBigD · 07/03/2006 08:14

SW defo can do without waitrose! LOL

OP posts:
hannahsaunt · 07/03/2006 09:08

But can you live without John Lewis? That is clearly the question. But then if you're going to live in Sydney I'm sure you'll be fine. Less than a month to go before I see a department store again...and a big bookshop...and lots of big clothes shops...and choice (not that I nec need it but I do like to have it!).

suzywong · 07/03/2006 09:15

Actually I find the main David Jones rather like John Lewis, but without the yarn and fabric department admittedly.

I'll be back in the Oxford Street Store in 6 months for a quick visit sans enfants and all

Original poster
MrsBigD · 07/03/2006 09:18

never go to John Lewis so I'll be fine :)

OP posts:
mrstootough · 07/03/2006 09:24

Hi everyone. We are thinking about coming out to Perth. I am a nurse. Any good hospitals. My DH is a design engineer in the ship building world. We were told theis was the best place to go. Weh ave 2 DS. We have lived in San Diego for a year a few years ago, I hope Perth is as good.

suzywong · 07/03/2006 09:24

ah but what about Morrisons and Wilkinsons? Or M&S or Greggs?
What about those, eh

I am determined you shall share the retail deprivation experienced by the rest of us expats

Actually you'll probably love Kmart and Target and Big W, they do kind of grow on you.

suzywong · 07/03/2006 09:25

oh mrstootough
please feel free to CAT me about Perth

it's fantastic

You will have no problem finding work and it is very like California in terms of pace and climate

arfissimo · 07/03/2006 09:39

UK stores I miss (am in Sydney)

Gap
M&S (sob)
Elc (it's here but much more expensive)
Ebay (here but nowhere near as fantastic as the UK)
In fact, all online shopping - online supermarkets, online everything!

Still worth it though! Australia is fab.

Original poster
MrsBigD · 07/03/2006 09:39

yes Perth is lovely. Spent a couple of weeks there when travelling

OP posts:
suzywong · 07/03/2006 10:54

ain't that the truth, afrissimo

Original poster
MrsBigD · 07/03/2006 10:59

I'd defo miss ebay ;) most my stuff I buy from there! Will have to work on making the .au site just as good then Grin

OP posts:
hannahsaunt · 07/03/2006 11:53

Suzy - no dept stores at all here. Good friend assured me that Target was just like M&S - imagine the disappointment on my first visit! Actually, it's not department stores per se that I miss but decent quality shops - we have more Crazy Clarks and Best & Less stores than you can shake a stick at (which on reflection do raise the status of Target et al) but no equivalent to Monsoon or Laura Ashley or Mothercare or Gap or M&S or One Up or good shoe shops or ELC. Roll on Sydney!

That said we have a preponderence of great cafes with wonderful food at ridiculously low prices compared to home.

And sunshine Smile

MrsBigD - our state school here has 400 pupils and 6 acres of playground. The school roll is capped because there isn't enough playground for any more children!!! Guess that makes up for some of lack of shops.

LadySherlockofLGJ · 07/03/2006 11:55

Even though I hate the stuff, I can not believe that no one has mentioned Marmite.

Signed

A bovril girl.

Original poster
MrsBigD · 07/03/2006 12:07

hannahsaunt

'400 pupils and 6 acres of playground' and no more kids accepted!? Grin can't quite remember how many square metres in an acre but I'm sure it's big right? at dd's nursery they've got maybe 20sqm for 25 kids to run riot in! and that's concreted over.

As for the shops... sounds like shops i'd like. I personally have an aversion to Monsoon and the like because of the pricing and their stuff never fits me Grin

OP posts:
suzywong · 07/03/2006 12:21

oh HH commiserations, you're right in the Top End aren't you

we have a Lush, a Crabtree and Evelyn and a Laura Ashley just up the road

I wouldn't tell you that if you weren't moving to Sydney Wink

Ds1's primary school now has 454 pupils and they have received a govt grant to build another classroom and have 1 more permanent staff member.

LillyPink · 07/03/2006 12:35

What about the creepy crawlies?? Are they around in abundance?

Original poster
MrsBigD · 07/03/2006 13:03

As far as i know there are lots of creepy crawlies :) and also I believe Oz is home to several of the most venemous snakes spiders etc. Note to self... buy lots of mossiguard and check boots!

I'll never forget when I went to Sydney first and was having ashower at a friends place... not wearing my glasses I'm blind as a bat and felt something tickle my leg... thinking it's one of my hairs I didn't think anything off it until it moved upwards! All I could see was this big red blob... so out I ran off the shower as I was to the high amusement of my friends kids! They thought it was hilarious that I freaked about that little cokroach... trust me... it wasn't small!!! at least not as far as I am concerned Grin

OP posts:
suzywong · 07/03/2006 15:26

I think it's 6 or 7 of the world's deadliest snakes like here

Duguit anyone?

OldieMum · 07/03/2006 15:31

DH has a lovely story about David Jones in Sydney, from the 1930s. His grandmother, who was very grand indeed, took DH's teenage father into the menswear department to buy a pullover. The assistant brought out some for her to examine. 'Don't you have any that are more expensive?' she said in her best Lady Bracknell voice. DH's father wanted the ground to swallow him up.

hannahsaunt · 07/03/2006 20:51

SW - we are indeed up in the tropics. Alas, not moving to Sydney - just going for the week but I am ridiculously excited by it. We do have a Body Shop here which I frequent far more regularly than I ever do at home.

We have acclimatised to all the beasties though still hate the legions of ants that can sniff out the tiniest crumb you may have dropped. Mozzies in abundance (we're a dengue zone again having been free for a few months) and hairy caterpillars which if on you leave trails that make you look like you've been whipped. Love the geckos. Friend had a brown snake in her garden which was a bit scary (v poisonous) and there is the potential for crocs in our local river. The stinger nets are still out for the jellyfish. Great place to be Grin! We love it because for every bit of unpleasant wildlife there is masses of interesting stuff - wallabies in the woods and kookaburras and so on. Fab for the boys.

6 acres is enormous. It's just glorious - they have two large shaded playparks with climbing frames etc, 2 ovals for aussie rules, a japanese garden, a covered play area which doubles as PE space/assembly hall, 2 tennis courts, 2 basketball areas and what they call the gulley which is the most amazing area of dips and slopes with beautiful estrablished trees and benches and sunshades for the grades 6&7 to hang out in and be superior. We go home in July to a school that looks like a prison with 2 postage stamp concrete playgrounds and no facilities. School is going to be the biggest wrench - can't believe we're going to take ds1 away from it Sad