pomerz

Matt (44) Rachael (39) n Ollie (13)

I have read these posts over the last 3 years and many times have thought should I write one, or will I ever get the chance. Well here goes for my stab at things

We had applied in 2007 for our visa and were trapped in the investment bond fiasco which put our lives on hold for 18 months in which time we had sold our house bought another and eventually sold that one...Like I said it was never going to be easy...

Our Visa was granted in late 2009 and validated the same year with plans to move out in Dec 2010. Dorree Bonner shipped our stuff and the container duly arrived on the exact date we were quoted on which was fab as it was as many have already said like Christmas all over again discovering stuff we had bought and never used ect...Well done the Shippers highly recommended even when a few breakages needed to be claimed for there was no issue in paying out.

Perth from Day 1 has been amazing to us with far too many ups for the few downs to affect family life...

Schools in the Northern suburbs always create lively debate on this forum so we had studied our options and were on waiting lists 12 months before arriving. This was due to our lad previously attending a Grammar school in the UK so we didn’t want to send him just anywhere. We opted for Duncraig as the 3 privates we had been waiting for couldn’t offer places so we decked the lad out in uniform and he went to school on the 3rd Feb....First amazing day....I took a call from one of the privates 2 hours after Ollie went to school who wanted to meet us that evening with a view to a place being made available at short notice! I picked Ollie up and went straight to the new place..His and our heads spun lol he had changed schools in little more than 8 hours....He thrives at the new one and is very happy

On the work front I picked up a job in my former profession in a few days and was offered a Bakery Managers job right away. I must stress I hadn’t baked for over 10 years and ideally wanted work in my chosen profession of OHS but this didn’t materialise...

The job was at one of the main supermarkets and at first seemed ok the training was a month then my own store....Looking back this was the most TERRIBLE job I’ve ever had the misfortune to have taken and I hated every minute of my short 3 months with these guys. They expected the lack of staff shortfall due to cutbacks to be covered by the manager so 80 hour weeks across all hours were driving me to exhaustion....I Quit!

I picked up a bakers job on the same day on the same salary it was really a gap fill until we were up and running, I wanted a safety position and I wanted it badly....The next 3 months I baked and to be fair it was an ok job but an 80k round trip wasn’t what the doctor ordered...

In the meantime my wife a Rachael a qualified hairdresser was finding salons being a bit clicky and as she hadn’t full time worked in a salon for 1o years found herself left out in the cold....She tried all manners of work as in the UK she worked for a mortgage company (Britannia) and decided to roll the dice with the big banks as well as many others. She actually had a spredsheet with 116 applications before finally finding success in May.....

She is now very settled working as a teller in Australia’s first bank and loves it. To prove good things do come to those who wait I was nearing the end of 3 months baking when I got serious and started applying for safety positions that I felt I had a good chance with.....Bingo, 4 interviews in 3 weeks which resulted in 3 job offers in 3 days at the end...Fantastico I’ve never been in a position of having to choose before so I did just that and am still here 6 months later in a job I love and am making the most of...

Home life.....The climate has been wonderful with daily walks the beach being our second home and the lad playing Rugby Union. We have been to the races watched Top Gear Live and Wicked and have season tickets for Western Force...Oh and saw the Queen recently.....People slate Perth for being boring and nothing to do here, I strongly disagree get off your bums people and enjoy life

We initially had a 4 week furnished let and had to jump through hoops in a strong rental market to secure a long term lease in Kingsley we offered 6 months up front for a 4x1 and this did the trick. We have never rented so it was an eye opener and as days passed by and we started to have reasonable salaries wanted to get back into the market. In Nov we bought a 4x2 in the next suburb of Woodvale and have been renovating ever since. We are 2 bathrooms and a Kitchen into that and the house is really shaping up and we love the fact we don’t have to ask to put up a picture ect

We have made a few friends but not ever having a large social circle we are happy with the few we have. The in-laws have visited but my Mum isn’t keen on the travel so I do miss her but Skype and a good mobile contract keeps us in touch. The previous aside we are not ashamed to say we only miss a handful of friends.

We have the BBC I player so watch UK TV we have foxtel and the sport is fully available....It can sometimes be surreal and you forget you are living abroad...

Things here in some cases do drive you nuts...Drivers up your bum on the roads....Traffic light times.....Cost of some items......the Flies sometimes.....The wife coming face to face with a Roo at 6.15 when walking the dog ect ect

To summarise we have one regret about Australia
And that is we wish we did it 10 years ago

If it’s your dream be prepared plan and plan again...Good things will happen if you are prepared to work your butt off and you don’t expect to transfer your social life from the UK to here....

We left to give our son a brighter future and he sure has this in gorgeous Perth

Be Lucky Ex Pater's
Matt Rach n Ollie and Puppy Oscar

jothefw

Lovely update - sounds like you've got an excellent attitude and this means you're happy, but by your own hard work. Well done!

irishbloo

Nice read,glad its all working out for you.

movingbacktoaus

Glad it's working out.

What experience is OHS did you have back in the UK? I'm Aussie and have been living in the UK the last 10 years. Now in a HSQE role and currently working towards my NEBOSH General Cert.

Looking to move back to aus in the next couple of years. What advice would you give about skills and experience that would help me in landing a job back in Aus in OHS?

LiddlerSA

Awesome! So glad things turned out great for you guys! We starting the process now and so just a little patience and some saving will get us there!

I can't wait.....

chrisnlou

Great testimony Matt, you really felt the blood sweat and tears that you had to endure to get your dream life. Congratulations to you and your family. My family and I are also on the move to Perth, like everyone else migrating we're looking at all the possible options
I hope you don't mind me asking you for some advice but because of your occupation and experience i am hoping you might be able to shed some light on the industry over in WA and what i am trying to achieve. I am too a TECHIOSH safety advisor in the UK. I have no degree so therefore cant get residency. I really need company sponsorship and I'm therefore looking at coming over as a student and studying CertIV OHS in Malaga with the intention of applying to numerous companies, and because i'm physically there i can make interviews and hopefully meet the right employer etc.

I am keen to know if the mining or other industries are keen to sponsor candidates?

From your other posts you mention that you were stated sponsored was that through your wife or yourself if yourself then there may be hope or me also

Any advice at this stage would be most advantageous and i would be really grateful for your thoughts.

pomerz

Thanks all for the kind words....We are living the dream for sure the lightening over the swan on Australia day was simply amazing with the fireworks kicking off across the water....Wow

Ive messaged the safety guys but there are companys here who will map Nebosh to line up with the cert 4. I was in the boat building trade with one of the biggest in Europe in the South West and my experience was similar to construction in many ways.

The guys here like experience and varied experience but its finding the ones who want you thats the trick! Like i said it took time to get across the line but i now travel around the states and enjoy living in Perth so i have the best of bothe worlds

MSG me your email and i will send you whatever you want to know if i can

Be Lucky and may all your dreams come true newbies

toan

Hiya Pomerz,
So glad it all finally happened for you all,
Take Care,
Tony

abi31

Great update.

I want to go to Adelaide but we think cos of hubby's job Perth is going to be a better option - and you've just made me feel much better about the prospect, thanks!

Jaycee1

Brilliant update!
Just shows with perserverance you get the jobs you want. Some people would have just given up. Hope those people will get inspiriation from what you have been through. Its not easy, but if you want to be here you have to make it work.
J x

pomerz

Thanks Tony you probably know more than most about our trials and tribulations and i wouldnt have knocked you if you ever doubted we would make it lol......But we did and as far as i know we were the last ones off the 'anyone applying in July 2007ers!

And thanks all for the nice comments, i get the opportunity through work next week to take a look at Adelaide for a week which will be strange but we are blessed to live in a wonderful state with ample employment and long may that be

Be Lucky All

Matt Rach n Ollie....oh n Oscar an Ozzie Jack Russel looalike

rob79

Hi Pomerz,

Great update on life here. I'm looking for a bit of advice on breaking into OHS here. I've 1.5 yrs experience in Safety on a chemical plant @ home (Engineering background), done the cert IV OHS course but I'm having no luck whatsoever with job hunting. I phoned a few agencies after applying for roles and I'm told that as i don't have Aus experience I'm not in the running for the job. Its fairly deflating!! Any advice on sorting out this chicken and egg situation??

Thanks,
Rob.

smidsy

Welcome to the club mate ! Im in the same boat as you for the last 2 months job hunting in Perth, but with accounting backround.

@ Pomerz

It was interesting reading about your bakery experience, I tried running a franchise serviced apartments near Brisbane(after moving from Melbourne for the position) and quit after 7 months, for much similar reasons. Managers are just over paid employees in the owners opinion. All smiles & hugs, till you get settled in, then they turn the screw, and you realise your "power & control" was mearly an illusion, and your just an employee following orders, with a Title to keep you happy. Then, one day you wake up saying "Hold on, what the hell am I doing to myself & my career". Im so grateful I quit before I had too much time there, where I would be stuck in the position(ie. my a/c experience would have been too long ago to be valuable). I could go on and on, but I wrote a thread about it here somewhere when I quit.

Ahwell, live & learn.

Im delighted it worked out for you, im a bit down in the dumps trying to find work in Perth at the moment, so nice to hear a good story !

Im now thinking.... That will be me soon !

Oh, and yes I agree about the house purchase. We hate our rental agent, and for the first time in my life in thnking of jumping on the property market. Bit of a silly reason, but hey, im 32, trying for kids, maybe its a good time anyway.

Im a bit nervous about the "mining boom" ending in the next 5 years though.

Anyway, sorry for the waffle, I have plenty of time on my hands !!

pomerz

Hi Rob ive only just seen this but please send me a private message i may just have somthing that will make your day!

Matt