[Bernieboy]

Originally Posted by kathymarie Hi there, I emigrated to Australia on 16th April 2007. I spent hours back in the UK reading Expats and craved info on what to expect and what I needed to do. I never really found it that easy to get all the information that I needed in one go so I thought that when I got here, I would learn and share my experiences with you all in the hope that I made real sense for you all. We came here on a 136 permanent residence visa and had to begin our lives. Here's what we found: 1. We started our journey with a temporary house (pm poster to get details of rental) We have a 5 bed room house in a fantastic area but prices are quite high so only really good for short term. The house is fully equipped with everything you need. This gave us time to look around the area and find somewhere appropriate to stay longer term. We are about 25kms outside Brisbane centre in Bridgeman Downs. Caseldine, McDowall, Aspley and Albany Creek are brilliant. Don't look at Zillmere as we are told by the police and locals that the area is troubled and not a nice place to stay. A local supermarket person told me that her dad is a postman and that the children there throw things at him (make your own mind up. Schools in this area are fantastic. The people are just amazing and really grateful of British people coming here. people are so friendly it is such a pleasure being here. My husband is a civil engineer and had a job within the week (poor him). There are so many places on your door step like Bribie Island which is like something from a postcard, pure white sand and turquoise sea. Medicare took half an hour to organise, you need your passports with your visa's and that is all. Enrolling at a school is childs play. They have catchment areas so take care where you stay if you want a particular school. We bought cars from an auction which I highly recommend. We spent hours trawling through car sales in the area and bought from an auction that sold x police and company cars at half the price. I can give you details if you need them, just let me know. There are short cuts to getting a rental also. We walked into a agent that let us a house that had not yet been advertised. There are so many jobs for those that wish to work. My older children were offered jobs in a local pub. The weather is fantastic and not too hot this time of year. I can tell you all of the cheap shops in the area and how to barter. There are loads or childcare facilities ranging from private to statutory and for some reason, Thursdays seem to be fully booked in most places. Driving licences are easy to change over. It takes 10 minutes at a centre with I.D and it is done. Food is equivalent to UK prices but it is double the quality. Fresh fruit and Veg is a little dearer due to the lack of rain/water. I have children ranging from 2 to 19 and they have all eventually fallen in love with the place (two and a half weeks later). You will never ever want to go back to the UK. That I can promise you. Let me know if I can me of more help.

Happy days,have a great life and hopefully i will be brissie bound next year.

[maisey]

Does anyone have an opinion on Bray Park, Warner, Joyner. Cindyloo you mentioned Bray Park. We have friends in Joyner and I have just got places for my kids at one of the schools in Bray Park so am looking at this area. Obviously this is subject to us liking the school but the principal has been fantastic.
Hoping to be there early next year, must say it is nice to see a positive post isn't this what we all hoped for? I am sure people genuinely miss the UK as it must be totally different from everything you know. I am looking forward to giving it our best shot and just going for it but I realise that there will be down times too for all that is left behind. I am kinda hoping that I will see more of my relatives if they come for a month at a time as we only see them once a month here in UK. Computers have made the world smaller so can e mail and phone just as we do now. Spoke to my mate in Oz and she sounded like she was next door!

[gillysm]

Originally Posted by maisey Does anyone have an opinion on Bray Park, Warner, Joyner. Cindyloo you mentioned Bray Park. We have friends in Joyner and I have just got places for my kids at one of the schools in Bray Park so am looking at this area. Obviously this is subject to us liking the school but the principal has been fantastic. Hoping to be there early next year, must say it is nice to see a positive post isn't this what we all hoped for? I am sure people genuinely miss the UK as it must be totally different from everything you know. I am looking forward to giving it our best shot and just going for it but I realise that there will be down times too for all that is left behind. I am kinda hoping that I will see more of my relatives if they come for a month at a time as we only see them once a month here in UK. Computers have made the world smaller so can e mail and phone just as we do now. Spoke to my mate in Oz and she sounded like she was next door!

Hi Maisey
Are your kids enrolled at Bray Park High School? It's all personal opinion of course, but personally I prefer the Joyner/Warner/Cashmere side. I live in Cashmere which is also very close to the High School. There is a new housing development called Warner Lakes which is walking distance to the High School, there are shops (supermarket, haridressers, butchers, McDonalds, doctors etc) at Warner with more to come in the near future.

We all have our ups and downs (even after 10 years!) but I think its important to give it time. Now, I couldn't contemplate going back but I could have done at any time in the first 2 years as, even though I loved it, I was homesick. Good luck!

[maisey]

Hi Gillysm
The School is the Holy Spirit School in Bray Park which is the Catholic school. I am told by my friend that is very nice, also tried the catholic school in Petrie and ?Brackenridge (I think). My friend lives in Joyner and I have friends on the other side of Lake Samsonville. Weird they don't know each other but end up on the other side of the world so close. Glad you are still enjoying it. I fully expect to be homesick but we are a friendly bunch and will talk to anyone so we will make a big effort. It is a bit easier when you have friends to guide you and neither set would ever go back. Our ethos is you only live once and we don't want to look back and think .......what if?
Cheers for that.

[gillysm]

Originally Posted by maisey Hi Gillysm The School is the Holy Spirit School in Bray Park which is the Catholic school. I am told by my friend that is very nice, also tried the catholic school in Petrie and ?Brackenridge (I think). My friend lives in Joyner and I have friends on the other side of Lake Samsonville. Weird they don't know each other but end up on the other side of the world so close. Glad you are still enjoying it. I fully expect to be homesick but we are a friendly bunch and will talk to anyone so we will make a big effort. It is a bit easier when you have friends to guide you and neither set would ever go back. Our ethos is you only live once and we don't want to look back and think .......what if? Cheers for that.

Lake Samsonvale area is nice, I'm sure you'll find somewhere you like around here. Whereabouts in Surrey are you from? I come from Guildford.
My children also go to Catholic schools although we are not Catholic. I have found that you get really good value at the Catholic schools and they are usually very good. When are you hoping to come over? Do you have your visa yet?

[maisey]

Hi again Gillysm
Asked the right person about schools then!
We are from Sutton but I grew up in Alton, Hampshire so know Guildford well (in fact went to St Josephs RC infants school many many moons ago). Small world.
Great to hear that nice area the more opinions the better.
We have just put our main visa in on a 136 hubby is a roofer and I am a nurse but don't work enough for me to do the 136 as three kids, 3, 5, and 8.
Thanks for replying.
Maisey

[tracey.d]

Is there much to do in teh Northern suburbs for older kids?

I'm still swinging from Cleveland to Northern suburbs i.e Bracken Ridge etc. I've even considered the Gold Coast but I think we've ruled that out now.

My main worry is the kids will get bored. My daughters nearly 17 and son nearly 12. Is there many clubs, pools, parks etc. to keep them entertained?

I dont really mind where we live as I drive. So long as its a nice suburb and theres stuff to do. Oh, and it needs to have a good school too.

[gillysm]

Originally Posted by tracey.d Is there much to do in teh Northern suburbs for older kids? I'm still swinging from Cleveland to Northern suburbs i.e Bracken Ridge etc. I've even considered the Gold Coast but I think we've ruled that out now. My main worry is the kids will get bored. My daughters nearly 17 and son nearly 12. Is there many clubs, pools, parks etc. to keep them entertained? I dont really mind where we live as I drive. So long as its a nice suburb and theres stuff to do. Oh, and it needs to have a good school too.

There's every kind of sports club somewhere around here, lots of soccer, netball, football, Chermside and Albany Creek have pools with water slides etc., parks are everywhere, great bushland parks at The Gap and Bunya and huge kids play park at Chermside (Kidspace). All suburbs seem to have small parks with playgrounds and some have leash free area for dogs (Eatons Hill, Everton Park, Gordon Park, Petrie have good ones). Good library at Chermside, Albany Creek and North Lakes. Indoor roller skate rinks at Albany Creek and Stafford and ice rink at Viriginia?)I think. Excellent cinema at Chermside and others at Strathpine and Stafford. My kids are 13 & 14 so any night life is at school - not sure what your 17yr old would be into. Let me know and I'll find out if it's happening around here.

Good state high school at Wavell Heights and Craigslee (both nr Chermside) but must live in catchment area to go there, if you are considering private schools (usually Catholic or Anglican but you don't have to be to attend) there are loads of good ones - too many to mention. Probably the best ones are considered to be Marist (boys) (Ashgrove), Nudgee (boys) , St Ritas (girls)Clayfield, Clayfied (girls), Padua, Kedron (boys) and Mt Alvernia, Kedron(girls). Others may disagree, but that seems to be the general opinion and I've been here 7 years.

Hope that helps, ask me anything else you want to know.

[comet555]

Hi everyone,

Since there seems to be a lot of questions and advice about Brisbane suburbs I figured I might as well ask a few myself.

We arrived in Brisbane about 3 weeks ago and we are in a rental in Wellington Point until the end of September. So we will need to buy a house or find rental by then. We have two kids, ages 3.5 and 10 months.

Ideally a 30-45 minutes train ride would be good (less is better). We are looking at houses between $300,000-400,000....possibly up to $450,000. We'll need 3 bedrooms but 4 would be preferable. Nothing fancy just something nice in a good area.

Any suggestions? I've asked around a bit but still need more information.

[birdynumnum]

Originally Posted by maisey Hi again Gillysm Asked the right person about schools then! We are from Sutton but I grew up in Alton, Hampshire so know Guildford well (in fact went to St Josephs RC infants school many many moons ago). Small world. Great to hear that nice area the more opinions the better. We have just put our main visa in on a 136 hubby is a roofer and I am a nurse but don't work enough for me to do the 136 as three kids, 3, 5, and 8. Thanks for replying. Maisey

Hi I lived in Lower froyle for years then Swains Hill in Sth Warnborogh for a few more, small world.
Miss round there
good luck with it all

[maisey]

Hi Birdynumnum
Definately is a small world - lovely part of the country. Had friends from all round there. Where are you now in Oz I presume.
I have two friends who don't know each other but have ended up (fortunately for me) 5 miles apart in North Brisbane!!
Visa form went yesterday has just left the country!! So here goes on the roller coaster.
Can stop talking about it for a while as son told teacher yesterday he is going to Australia - he is only 5 and is very unsettled by the whole thing. He thinks he will be missing his school trip next week. Bless him will handle with care.
Take care

[birdynumnum]

Originally Posted by maisey Hi Birdynumnum Definately is a small world - lovely part of the country. Had friends from all round there. Where are you now in Oz I presume. I have two friends who don't know each other but have ended up (fortunately for me) 5 miles apart in North Brisbane!! Visa form went yesterday has just left the country!! So here goes on the roller coaster. Can stop talking about it for a while as son told teacher yesterday he is going to Australia - he is only 5 and is very unsettled by the whole thing. He thinks he will be missing his school trip next week. Bless him will handle with care. Take care

Ahh you poor lad, thats cute.
So you're headed to Brissie then.
I really miss round there - Froyle, bluebell woods, walking in the countryside, the no longer Prince of Wales Pub in Froyle and the Hen n Chick .... even doing the market in July in G'ford high st selling my work...better stop myself!
Yep, I'm in Oz now , Nthn NSW. Heading back though soonish but not to Hampshire....twas another life
You're very lucky having friends from home out here, that's going to be lovely for you!!!!!
Best of luck with it all & try not to stress on whole application thing
T
xxx

[maisey]

Hi birdynumnum
Do you mean the Hen & Chicken on the main road A31 from Alton to Bentley. Nice pub. Yes I miss the area too as Sutton is not quite the same, Hubby used to call it stiff city in Alton before we had kids but has since realised what a lovely area it is. Get down there quite often as parents and sister still there. Although it has it's problems, apparently drugs are all too common amongst the kids.
Hope you settle back ok. Hopefully we will be out there next year.

[birdynumnum]

Originally Posted by maisey Hi birdynumnum Do you mean the Hen & Chicken on the main road A31 from Alton to Bentley. Nice pub. Yes I miss the area too as Sutton is not quite the same, Hubby used to call it stiff city in Alton before we had kids but has since realised what a lovely area it is. Get down there quite often as parents and sister still there. Although it has it's problems, apparently drugs are all too common amongst the kids. Hope you settle back ok. Hopefully we will be out there next year.

Hi Maisey
That was the pub indeed. really, drugs in Alton????
I went to college in Farnham (stiff plum city) so after that Alton was a breath of freah air.
I know Sutton well (grew up near Croydon, ssshhh, b4 my escape).....
I really hope you love being out here and never look back
T
x

[maisey]

Hi Birdynumnum
Oh yes indeed but you would never know, it was always around even in my day but now worse.
Funny hubby grew up near Croydon too in Coulsdon and I did my nurse training in Redhill so used to frequent Croydon too. It really is a small world. Have you liked the Aussie lifestyle, may I be nosey and ask why you are coming back?
Take care
Maisey