Possums

blimey better buy a lead if thats the case

no not seen one in the wild but yes they are here they hang out in the rock pools

I have somehow been talked into going on a golf fun day tomorrow over in Port Sorrell will let you know how I got on!

weather has been flipping fantasic Cathy, been to town and the xmas decs are up its so weird to see them in the heat!

kezzabird

Yep can confirm the weather situation, me and Alex went to the local open air pool this afternoon, we had a whale of a time.

I've been told that the thing you said about the Blue tongue lizard is a fallacy, apparently it's the opposite. I pulled this off wiki:

These lizards occupy a range of habitats from desert, semi-arid savannah, woodland and temperate suburban areas through to tropical jungle. They are omnivorous and may feed on berries, flowers and other plant material, fungi, insects, spiders, or other small animals, carrion, and they are very partial to snails and slugs. They may grow up to 60 cm (depending on the species). Solitary for most of the year, mating occurs in September-November. Pair bonding may occur over successive years (Bull 1988, 1990). The young are born (live) 3-5 months after mating (December-April). Litters may have 5-18 individuals.

Predators include kookaburras, raptors, and snakes such as the Eastern brown snake or the Mulga snake (Valentic 1996). Dogs and cats have also been known to attack blue-tongues in a suburban environment.[1] When a blue-tongue is threatened, it will face the threat by opening its mouth wide, sticking out its blue tongue and hissing to scare away the threat.

So watch out mate!!

travelbug

Hi i read they hang about in rock pools....i'd better look up quite a few things i think before we explore too much! The BE poster's daughter was apparently very lucky not to have been killed by the sting - they think the octopus was dying or something which is why the poison wasn't quite as strong as it would be normally... Very scary stuff!

Hope you enjoy your golf fun day tomorrow!

Nice to hear you guys are having lovely weather - that's really good. It sounds like the weather's warmer this year now than it was when we were over towards the end of Nov last year ?

Christmas decs are out in the shops over here now - and there's big discounts / reductions & offers already on stuff. I think all the big stores are desperately trying to get people to spend due to the credit crunch so are trying to tempt people as much as possible...

Did you ever watch Location Location Location on TV over here? They did a special programme last night about the credit crunch - giving advice for sellers/buyers etc. They were basically telling people to offer below people's asking prices - and then calculated that the sale prices may fall further in the next 12 months etc and telling people that they should be knocking that possible percentage off as well!!!! Cheers Kirsty & Spencer - just what we dont want people to be told!!!

Have fun tomorrow!
Cathy

travelbug

Sounds lovely! I tell you Aussie creatures make all the things i was scared of encountering in the countryside in England as a kid seem tame! I know they're all very interesting animals - but boy are some scary!

Possums

BUGGER so many people have told us snakes arent around if they are! saw quite a few snakes last year not seen any this year of course they will be there just havent seen them.

I"ve been swimming today too indoor though still not warm enough outside for me, our nearest outdoor pool isnt heated.. the sea

Possums

yes I've just read it she was lucky

used to love Location Location, bloody hell thats bad Cathy guess it depends when you bought and if you paid more for what its worth now. There is still talk of a resession here so prices may come down here too, market has certainly slowed.

thanks I'll try, forecast bloody rain tom though!

travelbug

Yes she was - glad she is going to be ok.

I love the programme, but i think they didn't go about Monday's programme the right way for sellers! We're lucky in that prices need to drop a long way before we'd be in negative equity - but the problem we have is that if we did have to take £40,000-£50,000 less than our March 08 asking price that our options regarding buying in Oz are reduced....and extra money that i hoped to put aside for emergency flights back to the UK etc just wont be there once we do buy/get a mortgage etc! Andy is now worried that his Australian dream is going to slip through our fingers - but at the end of the day i guess it all comes down to money and how scared we are to make the move without the money we originally budgeted earlier this year....knowing that if we had to move back to the UK we wouldnt then have what we originally left behind! I'm sure there's many people in the same situation or even worse, but what should be an exciting time becomes more of a worry!

kezzabird

Trust me it's a worrying time, whether you have the savings or not. Just slightly less if you have the savings, but you still have that heavy weight on your shoulders wondering whether it's the right decision or not. In our case it was sink or swim, we had nothing to go back to, we aren't the richest peeps in the world. I personally think that you might have a tough time, missing all your friends and what not. I didn't have as good a social life back in Mk as you seem to have and I still missed my friends so bad that I cried for them. I can only imagine how you will feel if and when you do make it, so you have to prepare yourself for that. I know I sound a bit harsh, but it is the reality and how it really is when you get here. I wish I could say different and tell you that it's all fantastic and plane sailing all the way, but I'm not going to disillusion you, I really think you will find it hard. You must be prepared to feel like shit when you get here, because you will, but if you are really determined to make it work you will find a way to get passed the home sickness stage and make a new life for yourself. I'm so glad that we did, we are now living such a wonderful life with lots of new friends and are really happy. But what makes me happy may not necessarily make you happy.

Sorry for pouring my heart out and putting a damper on things but I think that you really need to be aware of what it's like when you get here, I'd hate for you to leave everything you know and love for something that deep down you don't really want. And please give Andy my humble apologies as I know he will hate me for writing this and putting doubts in your mind again.

Kerry

kezzabird

Guess what my dog found in our paddock today? ................... Only a bloody Blue Tongue Lizard! Double Bugger!! lol

Teabag

I still get homesick for W.A. and I hated it there! But I had some really close friends and I dearly miss them. I also miss my house and regret leaving it after all the work and money we put into it. But there is no going back, we have got nowhere financially with all the buying and re-selling of houses. So at our age it's time to knuckle down and try to pay this house off now.

travelbug

Hi Kerry No need to give Andy any apologies - as you haven't said anything that we haven't heard or even said ourselves before!
I know it will be hard when we arrive - we're under no illusions there...and i will miss my friends/family - of course like anyone does...But all the things you've said were the reason we are still here in the UK, because i took my time last year/earlier this year to make the decision to do the actual move.
If i hadn't done that we would have been in Oz a long time ago Bad timing on my part there - but we weren't to anticipate what would happen in the world of finance!
But this move doesn't revolve around just me and what makes me happy - there is Andy and the kids happiness to consider as well, and if they're happy then i am too, and if i wasn't i wouldnt necessarily be in a rush to get back to the UK (because i think things would then not be the same (if you get what i mean?) - and partly because i would feel that i'd failed by doing so - and i dont like that feeling!
The option of staying here in the UK at the moment would then mean that my social life & money are deemed to be more important than Andy's own personal dreams and a different enviroment for the kids - which of course they aren't. I do have dreams about life in Oz myself - and having the time to pursue personal hobbies etc that have slipped to the wayside in our busy lives here. I know it takes time to make new friends etc and to establish a new way of life, but i am prepared to give that a go. Some friends are already planning when they'd come visit us & one friend will shortly be buying a holiday property near Sydney...so i would get to see familiar people whilst in those initial stages of settling into a new life i know. I also have a couple of friends in Tas that are not on British Expats that i know would be there if i needed them.
I have overcome personal problems over the years here in the UK - and i know i'm a very strong person when the going does get tough. It doesnt take me long to pick myself up, dust myself off and get on with things.
I guess we've let this credit crunch situation get into the way of our dreams really...which isn't hard when it's plastered all over the papers, on the TV and is all people talk about. But i do apologise most sincerely for sounding probably pathetic by going on about just the money side of things

I think i'm having one of those week's when i need to go to a hill somewhere - have a good scream - and then get back on with things!

Cathy

jerzo

Just pop up to me Cathy ...we have loads of hills you can scream on top of in Wales

I'm with you totally on the reasons to go to Oz...and it helps I have NO social life AT ALL!!!

Life is just one long creche at the minute!

travelbug

Hi Donna, i never realised you were actually in WA as long as what you said yesterday. You're right - i think once a decision has been made there is no going back on it....

travelbug

Hey Zoe i'd probably find it more satisfying if i did outside one of the estate agents shops!
One day you're going to wonder where all the baby time went to - we're starting to do it already ourselves with Jared - so enjoy that creche of a house of yours whilst you can!!!! Going to be nice having a little girl to buy xmas pressies for this year won't it? her 1st christmas bless.

kezzabird

Bless ya, it does get a little depressing some times when all you seem to do is housework, change nappies, cook dinner and generally be the slave in the household!! But I bet you wouldn't change it for the world eh? Have you read my profile of my profession on facebook? I think I just covered it here. It goes something like boss to my son, cooking, cleaning, holidays rare and no sick leave, yet I love my job!