Misty1

Hi everyone,
thanks for the welcome. Our friends live in Ulverstone. They have been kind to let us stay over xmas. Still cant believe we are going. Got loads to do. Dont know where to start. Not got much time to sort it all out.
Does anyone know if we could take computer in the cases? Daft question!
After xmas we are all going camping around Tas. Will seem strange camping. Only camped once in Newquay. Great way to see places i bet. Kids will love it.
Horse riding in Tasmania must be out of this world? We had horses but sold them when idea to emigrate took hold. Fingers crossed we can ride still in Tasmania. Cant imagine how great that would be.
Been staying up late to list unwanted stuff from the house. Would do a carboot if it ever stopped raining!
Been in chat room on here but im always alone. Does anyone go in it?
jane

TassieBear

Are you looking at putting the Laptop in the Suitcases or in hand luggage ? I wouldnt put it in the suitcases persoanlly....

We found that the best thing to do was buy the canvas bags from Argos as you can fit a load more in and they can be crammed in the boot of the car/4x4 better

Misty1

Hi, that canvas bag idea is great! Why didnt i think of that?
Will put laptop in hand luggage.
Thanks jane

Possums

they need to scan them, you have to take them out of the bag to go through the xray so def wouldnt put them in the case, they will only make you take them out

travelbug

Hi Sam, hope your aches are easing now! time to remember the old "no pain - no gain" saying !
probably wise to pay in advance - sometimes doing things like that does keep you motivated to attend! Eden is starting Yoga classes after school next week - i've never tried it myself - might see what she learns and possibly have a go at that myself - as i'm getting older i'm definitely getting less supple so a bit of stretching probably wouldnt go amiss!!!

travelbug

Oh no - good job you dont have to get too close to them too often then! i guess you keep a stock of anti-histamine at home just incase!!! i dont think i have any animal allergies myself - but i think Eden may be allergic to cats. When we stayed at Andy's sisters in Perth last year she had a rash across her belly - and we put it down to either the cats or the water there..... She doesnt really come into contact with any cats here - her Nan's cat does a scarper as soon as it spots the kids anywhere near her house!

travelbug

Never had bonfire toffee! used to always have jacket potatoes, sausages and beans for our bonfire night tea when i was a kid!

travelbug

Hi Jane, i'd be really interested to hear what you think of Ulverstone after your stay there at Xmas. It's one of the places we have as a possible place to move to. Have been looking into the area quite a bit as Andy has possibilities for work there...and it looks like a lovely area, with lots of parks, river & beach access and good schools etc. Property prices are also very reasonable there as well..

Hope you manage to get everything sorted out that you need to. Not sure if you know - but somewhere on expats there's a link to a "must do" list that i think a lot of people use when they're in the final stages of moving. Just reminders of who you should notify and when about leaving the UK, and things to cancel / book etc etc etc... Might come in handy, i cant remember where it is - but perhaps one of the others might be able to help there...

I've never been in the BE chat room - so not sure if anyone goes on there or not?!

Cathy

Misty1

Hi Cathy, yeah it does look lovely in Ulverstone. Not sure if we will stay there. We will have to go where the work is. Cant find that "must do" list. Could do with looking at it. As packing up house and life here is harder than i thought! We keep having second thoughts about going, think its because it will soon be Xmas. Little boy whos 8 keeps bursting into tears. He was alright until the last few weeks. Its because of my mum i think. She has lots of negative things to say about Australia. Wish she wouldnt say things in front of him.
Its all a bit stressful really. Sure it will work out in the end.
How old are your children? Ours are 8, 5 and 4. What does your husband do?
jane

travelbug

Hi Jane, i just had another search for those lists - i thought they'd be on the WIKI part of BE but they're actually on Articles. These links might help you :-

To Do List
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showp...42&postcount=2

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=416975

We've no idea where we'll settle ourselves - so i've researched a few places now just incase! Ulverstone is high up on our list though - alongwith the Hobart area's as that's where we visited last year. My OH is a Sheetmetal Worker/Thermal Insulation Engineer. He does mainly construction industry insulation work - ie, sheet metal cladding to pipes / boilers etc. He's always been site based rather than workshop based and the problem he's found is that a lot of the sheetmetal jobs advertised in Tas are for workshop based work...although we did manage to get a few contacts for his kind of work too which was a relief and they were quite positive that they'd have plenty of work for him when we eventually get there...
My daughter will be 6 next March and our son will be 2 in December. Thankfully our son is too young to really be bothered should we move - and our daughter is quite excited by the prospect - although when the time eventually comes i think she'll be upset to leave her friends and grandparents behind. But thats normal - and i think kids are more resilient than adults so they'll soon slot into a new routine / life quicker than us i reckon.

Sorry your Mum is still being negative about your move. Doesnt make things easy does it. My parents are now at the "we never talk about Australia" stage...so until we get a buyer for our house we dont discuss it with them anymore. They know we're definitely going..just a matter of when now...
Hopefully your Mum will come around...i think it's their way of coping with losing grandchildren/children....

Cathy

travelbug

Jane, just realised the 1st link doesnt work - not sure why - but here's the content in full (was part of someone's post) :-

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Before you move

12 months to go

Make sure you have at least 2 years left on your passports.

Dig out all your personal paperwork, including birth, adoption and marriage certificates, employment refeences, driving licences and qualifications.

Apply for your visas

Update your CV to make it suitable for the Oz/Kiwi market place.

Start job hunting.

Put your house on the market.

Get your finances in order, consolidate bank accounts and reduce debts.

Consider talking to your employer about your migration plans.

Talk to your childrens schools about your plans and ask them to prepare hand-over files.

Discuss your plans with extended family and friends.

6 months to go

Get quotes from removals companies and flights and get them booked.

If you are shipping pets, make sure they are fully innoculated and fir to travel. Your vet can advise you.

Get quotes and book pet shipment.

Sell any unwanted items of furniture and clear out cupboards.

Clean and paint any garden tools and furniture you plan to take. Items with soil on will be denied entry at customs.

Give formal notice to your employer and ensure you get your P45.

Ask your doctor, dentist,optician for your hand-over files.

Open an Oz/Kiwi bank account.

Set up a trading account with a currency broker.

Request credit references from your bank,building society or any other lending agent.

Identify temporary accommodation in case your house sells sooner than expected and you have to move out


2 months to go

Track down temporary accommodation in Oz/NZ.

Book accommodation for each destination on route.

Register children in new schools.

Book accommodation in OZ/NZ for pets.

Start having Goodbye parties now as time runs away at the end.

Organise all birthday cards and presents for the next 3 months.

Request up to date statements on any endowments, pensions and investments.

Depending on your tenancy agreement, give notice to your landlord if renting your property.


1 month to go

Give your change of address to your bank, passport office, DVLA, pension company, inland revenue, insurance brokers and accountants.

Bring council tax and utilities up to date and cancel accounts for TV, internet, phone and insurance.

Go to a car book sale to sell any items you don't want to take with you, or donate them to a charity shop.

Arrange all your post to be redirected to a friend or relative.

Transfer funds to Oz/NZ.

Start packing non essential items.

Collect all hand-over files from doctor, dentist, optician, schools etc.

Arrange some private health cover for Oz/NZ if required.

Pay off any outstanding debts.

Close any surplus bank accounts and destroy unwanted cards.

Shred any personal records you are not taking and dispose of.

Confirm the removalists are booked.

Ensure all your relevant paperwork is in a handy travel file.

Cancel any redundant direct debits or standing orders.

Ask for a copy of your No Claims Bonus from your insurance company.


1 week to go

Cancel any newspapers, milk or satellite TV subscriptions.

Sell your car, bike, van or any other transport you wont be needing.

Cancel car insurance.

Buy some currency for each destination on route to Oz/NZ.

Throw more Goodbye parties!

Ensure that yur gods are either about to leave the UK or are on their way Down Under.

Organise any presents and cards your children may want to send to their friends prior to leaving.


1 day to go

Make sure transport to the airport is organised and will arrive in plenty of time for the flight.

Establish who will be coming to the airport to say goodbye.

Pack activity sets and small gifts to amuse young children on the flight.

Get a good night's sleep



When you get there

On arrival

Pick up a copy of "On Arrival" magazine at the airport; it contains lots of ideas, information and helpful websites.

Collect your hire car and check into your accommodation.

Contact people back home to let them know you have arrival safely.

Try not to sleep through the day.

Set up a Pay-as-you-Go mobile phone to start your off - you can buy a cheap SIM card and use it in your UK phone.

Find your nearest internet cafe for property and area research.

Take a few days to get over the journey and explore the area.


1 week later

Get a tax file number (TFN) for Oz or an IRD number for New Zealand.

Contact your new employer to confirm you have arrived.

Explore the area or suburb you think you would like to live in and ask the locals as many questions as possible.

Meet with rental agents and start reviewing some accommodation property options.

Find a solicitor to help with rental or purchase contracts.

Consider buying a car sooner rather than later. Used cars are cheap if you don't yet qualify for credit.

Get car insurance.

Register at a local school and arrange to meet your children's new teachers.

Get a landline installed and set up internet access.

Invite your neighbours around for drinks and focus on making new friends for you and your children.


1 month later

Review your financial position and transfer more funds if required.

Set up standing orders for utilities.

Register for your local doctor and dentist, and for Medicare (Oz).

Meet with mortgage brokers to understand your borrowing capacity.

Visit your children's schools to ensure that they have settled in ok.

Identify a reliable plumber, electrician and mechanic in your area.

Consider re-writing your will.

Discuss your first month with your employer and resolve any problems that may have cropped up.

Start to attend social functions or join a sports club.

Establish a routine and settle into your new life!

Possums

Ha missed this on the other page, it was red hot up here on saturday! beautiful night too just shows ya how the weather is so different even on a small island

sounds like you had a good un

Ahh yep I remember now bonfire toffee is a northern thing, basically very hard brittle black treacle toffee, get on lollies or loose in a bag. When my neice moved to Coventry I used to have to post her some

Lenmil

What! no pee's pudding to go with hot savaloys and baked potatoes. Definately a Northern thing (UK). Does any one know if you can get English mustard in Tassie. Not been able to locate any in Coles or Woolies.

I used to love bonfire night when i was a kid. Or "Bonnie neet" as we called it. Used to build huge bonfires on any open field and no one cared. Well that was in the 70s. Don't know about now. Ah the memories of a miss used youth.

travelbug

I have never seen that before - so definitely a Northern thing!
Have you got any of your own teeth left after eating that?

travelbug

We used to have pease pudding and Savaloys to eat when i was a kid. Is that normally just a Northern thing? not sure how we had it then as both my parents originate from Essex too! I love English mustard too - i'll be interested to see if anyone says you can get it or not - otherwise i might have to take some with me when we go!
Nice to reminisce about childhood in the 70's isn't it? so different for kids nowadays. We were talking about going over the local park where we live and down the river the other day - and my daughter asked me what a "booty" was....because she's never waded through a river in her wellies - i had to explain!!!
Do you think that kids have more freedom to explore outdoors in Tas - like we used to as kids?