6 months already?
Jun 28th 2006, 10:15 pm
#1
BE Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2004
Location: Wello Point, Bayside, Brisbane & Loving It !!!
Posts: 932
6 months already?
I always liked reading the posts detailing how BE have got on in Oz after being here for a length of time. We have been here for 6 months this week, so here goes my attempt of putting down on paper what this has meant to us. This is LONG 
We left England on 29th December on a very cold night with snow around, flew with Singapore Airlines to Brissie via a 3hour stop off in Singapore. We had already been over to validate our visas, so only had standard baggage allowance.
We stayed with my sister for 8 weeks and were out of work for a total of 10 weeks. Here are some of the things from our to do list with hopefully some helpful tips.
Tax File Number
In my opinion the Tax File Numbers should be done as soon as you can. This can be done online and take about 6weeks to process. Don’t forget to let your bank know the numbers when they arrive, else you will have to pay extra tax on any interest you earn.
Choosing a Bank
We chose the ANZ and had it setup before we left the UK. All we had to do was go to our nominated local branch in Oz and show our passports. Too easy! They are good because they only charge $5 a month and you get unlimited transactions. When you first arrive in Oz you can expect to have to make a lot of transactions, so this is something you should take into account. Make sure you get a cheque book as well, and that you organise the ability to internet transfer large sums of money. When buying all new white goods and TVs etc etc, you need to be able to pay large sums out!!
Driving License
Another thing you should get sorted soonest is your new Oz driving license. This is used everywhere for ID. It saves having to take your Passport out and about with you.
Medicare
Go to your local office and register. You will be given a tiny slip of paper with your details on it. This can be used until your card comes through. Chose bulk billing wherever you can so you have no outlay. Use the chemist as a medical source instead of the doctor where you can as they are free, but be prepared to pay more for your medication than in the UK. Chose chemist own brand wherever possible to keep the costs down.
Child Care Benefit
We have been having problems with our benefits coz we were given invalid info from Centre Link. Everyone is entitled to some benefits. To get them Centrelink must have immunisation details for your child. They do not accept a copy of your child’s book. You need to go to a doctor and get them to write a letter confirming that the jabs are up to date. We are still waiting on ours, but the good news is that you do not lose the benefits; they pay them out at the end of the tax year.
Mortgage
We used the RAMS lo-doc mortgage, and used an advisor from Aussie (Very good). We had 30% to put down as a deposit and although we did not have jobs ours was agreed within 3 weeks of entering Oz. We have posted details B4, PM if you want to know more about this. Be aware that we were lead to believe that our $100K bond money with the government could be used when buying a house. This is not the case. They will only take cold hard cash. Our mortgage was sorted out very quickly, but the solicitor we dealt with was not very proactive. You have to keep on at them. Also – check the figures. There are three levels of stamp duty and if this is your first Oz house then you get the reduced rate. This is a few grand lower so check they charge you the right one. Our $7k was sorted out with the paperwork, and the whole process, from finding house to it being ours took 4 weeks.
Shopping
Barter for everything over $50!! When buying a lot of stuff i.e. electrical, play the shops against each other- get written quotes. It’s amazing how it brings the cost down.
Supermarkets are not the same as the UK. They do not stock meat or alcohol, and in our opinion the fruit and veg is more expensive and not as fresh. We use the butchers, the supermarket, the fruit/veg farm shop and the bottle shop. We also bulk buy detergents and the like. It’s just a matter of getting used to a different way of doing things. In the UK to shop around was to choose which supermarket to go to. Here it means what item to buy where!! K-mart and Target have some kind of sale every weekend, so don’t rush to buy anything not on sale!
Jobs
Be prepared for some frustration here. We used Seek and other online resources to find our jobs. Almost everything seems to go through agencies and the agencies are not the same as the UK. They will ignore emails. They will not respond to applications. They will promise you that you will get a job quickly coz you are so brilliant and then you will not hear from them again. Until, of course, you have managed to sort out a job directly with a company. Resumes here tend to be wordy and not concise as in the UK. We re-wrote ours completely. There are examples on the on-line agencies so this can be done before you leave the UK. If at all possible get managers to write references for you to take with you.
Summary
All in all it’s been good. Throughout all the chaos and the frustrations here and there, the sun has continued to shine and that just seems to make it easier. Strangely, you start to forget things in the UK quicker than you might think. I don’t mean friends and family, but the local pub or high street. We are often asked “What do we miss?” The answer to that is simple – friends and family. No we don’t miss certain types of food or drink or the like. Ok, the TV here is bad, but the summer is on its way and we are having a pool installed at the moment – so TV will be redundant soon!!
Are we better off? This is a difficult one.
In essence we are, but being so far from family and friends is not easy, particularly having such a young daughter (left UK when she was 2.5). I don’t think it is something you ever get over, you just get used to it slowly. Are we happy? Yes – this has been a fantastic experience and I feel proud for what we achieved in such a small amount of time. We do have a better time, that’s for sure. Every day, without fail, we sit together for dinner. This hardly ever happened in the UK. There is always something to do at the weekend, and you don’t have to worry about the weather 
Money wise, we do not earn anywhere near as much as in the UK (we do not work weekends/evenings as we used to), but we earn enough. In 7 years we can call our 4-bedroom home with pool our own, as the mortgage would have been cleared. We have enough to be able to save on top of everything else.
I remember the days leading up to us going and the feeling of almost terror at the prospect of starting again. Of leaving everything we have achieved and become, and everyone that was close to us. It just seemed so daunting. But you know when you get here you have a list of things you need to do, and you find you just get on with it. Day by day is the way to view it. You don’t have to get everything done on day one, and it’s not the end of the world if you kick back a little bit. Rome wasn’t built in a day as they say.
At the end of my day, I sit in Roma Street station waiting for my train home and almost have to pinch myself – I’m actually living in Australia, now how did that happen?
We left England on 29th December on a very cold night with snow around, flew with Singapore Airlines to Brissie via a 3hour stop off in Singapore. We had already been over to validate our visas, so only had standard baggage allowance.
We stayed with my sister for 8 weeks and were out of work for a total of 10 weeks. Here are some of the things from our to do list with hopefully some helpful tips.
Tax File Number
In my opinion the Tax File Numbers should be done as soon as you can. This can be done online and take about 6weeks to process. Don’t forget to let your bank know the numbers when they arrive, else you will have to pay extra tax on any interest you earn.
Choosing a Bank
We chose the ANZ and had it setup before we left the UK. All we had to do was go to our nominated local branch in Oz and show our passports. Too easy! They are good because they only charge $5 a month and you get unlimited transactions. When you first arrive in Oz you can expect to have to make a lot of transactions, so this is something you should take into account. Make sure you get a cheque book as well, and that you organise the ability to internet transfer large sums of money. When buying all new white goods and TVs etc etc, you need to be able to pay large sums out!!
Driving License
Another thing you should get sorted soonest is your new Oz driving license. This is used everywhere for ID. It saves having to take your Passport out and about with you.
Medicare
Go to your local office and register. You will be given a tiny slip of paper with your details on it. This can be used until your card comes through. Chose bulk billing wherever you can so you have no outlay. Use the chemist as a medical source instead of the doctor where you can as they are free, but be prepared to pay more for your medication than in the UK. Chose chemist own brand wherever possible to keep the costs down.
Child Care Benefit
We have been having problems with our benefits coz we were given invalid info from Centre Link. Everyone is entitled to some benefits. To get them Centrelink must have immunisation details for your child. They do not accept a copy of your child’s book. You need to go to a doctor and get them to write a letter confirming that the jabs are up to date. We are still waiting on ours, but the good news is that you do not lose the benefits; they pay them out at the end of the tax year.
Mortgage
We used the RAMS lo-doc mortgage, and used an advisor from Aussie (Very good). We had 30% to put down as a deposit and although we did not have jobs ours was agreed within 3 weeks of entering Oz. We have posted details B4, PM if you want to know more about this. Be aware that we were lead to believe that our $100K bond money with the government could be used when buying a house. This is not the case. They will only take cold hard cash. Our mortgage was sorted out very quickly, but the solicitor we dealt with was not very proactive. You have to keep on at them. Also – check the figures. There are three levels of stamp duty and if this is your first Oz house then you get the reduced rate. This is a few grand lower so check they charge you the right one. Our $7k was sorted out with the paperwork, and the whole process, from finding house to it being ours took 4 weeks.
Shopping
Barter for everything over $50!! When buying a lot of stuff i.e. electrical, play the shops against each other- get written quotes. It’s amazing how it brings the cost down.
Supermarkets are not the same as the UK. They do not stock meat or alcohol, and in our opinion the fruit and veg is more expensive and not as fresh. We use the butchers, the supermarket, the fruit/veg farm shop and the bottle shop. We also bulk buy detergents and the like. It’s just a matter of getting used to a different way of doing things. In the UK to shop around was to choose which supermarket to go to. Here it means what item to buy where!! K-mart and Target have some kind of sale every weekend, so don’t rush to buy anything not on sale!Jobs
Be prepared for some frustration here. We used Seek and other online resources to find our jobs. Almost everything seems to go through agencies and the agencies are not the same as the UK. They will ignore emails. They will not respond to applications. They will promise you that you will get a job quickly coz you are so brilliant and then you will not hear from them again. Until, of course, you have managed to sort out a job directly with a company. Resumes here tend to be wordy and not concise as in the UK. We re-wrote ours completely. There are examples on the on-line agencies so this can be done before you leave the UK. If at all possible get managers to write references for you to take with you.
Summary
All in all it’s been good. Throughout all the chaos and the frustrations here and there, the sun has continued to shine and that just seems to make it easier. Strangely, you start to forget things in the UK quicker than you might think. I don’t mean friends and family, but the local pub or high street. We are often asked “What do we miss?” The answer to that is simple – friends and family. No we don’t miss certain types of food or drink or the like. Ok, the TV here is bad, but the summer is on its way and we are having a pool installed at the moment – so TV will be redundant soon!!
Are we better off? This is a difficult one.
In essence we are, but being so far from family and friends is not easy, particularly having such a young daughter (left UK when she was 2.5). I don’t think it is something you ever get over, you just get used to it slowly. Are we happy? Yes – this has been a fantastic experience and I feel proud for what we achieved in such a small amount of time. We do have a better time, that’s for sure. Every day, without fail, we sit together for dinner. This hardly ever happened in the UK. There is always something to do at the weekend, and you don’t have to worry about the weather Money wise, we do not earn anywhere near as much as in the UK (we do not work weekends/evenings as we used to), but we earn enough. In 7 years we can call our 4-bedroom home with pool our own, as the mortgage would have been cleared. We have enough to be able to save on top of everything else. I remember the days leading up to us going and the feeling of almost terror at the prospect of starting again. Of leaving everything we have achieved and become, and everyone that was close to us. It just seemed so daunting. But you know when you get here you have a list of things you need to do, and you find you just get on with it. Day by day is the way to view it. You don’t have to get everything done on day one, and it’s not the end of the world if you kick back a little bit. Rome wasn’t built in a day as they say.
At the end of my day, I sit in Roma Street station waiting for my train home and almost have to pinch myself – I’m actually living in Australia, now how did that happen?
Jun 28th 2006, 10:23 pm
#2
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2005
Location: In de bush
Posts: 756
Re: 6 months already?
EXCELLENT post
Glad it's all working out for y'all
Just put house on market here tho still waiting for visa, and it's all just starting to sink in...AGAIN
Hope I can post as positive as you in 6-9 months time
Well done and good luck
Andy
Glad it's all working out for y'all
Just put house on market here tho still waiting for visa, and it's all just starting to sink in...AGAIN
Hope I can post as positive as you in 6-9 months time
Well done and good luck
Andy
Jun 28th 2006, 10:24 pm
#3
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 31
Re: 6 months already?
Originally Posted by tabby
I always liked reading the posts detailing how BE have got on in Oz after being here for a length of time. We have been here for 6 months this week, so here goes my attempt of putting down on paper what this has meant to us. This is LONG
We left England on 29th December on a very cold night with snow around, flew with Singapore Airlines to Brissie via a 3hour stop off in Singapore. We had already been over to validate our visas, so only had standard baggage allowance.
We stayed with my sister for 8 weeks and were out of work for a total of 10 weeks. Here are some of the things from our to do list with hopefully some helpful tips.
Tax File Number
In my opinion the Tax File Numbers should be done as soon as you can. This can be done online and take about 6weeks to process. Don’t forget to let your bank know the numbers when they arrive, else you will have to pay extra tax on any interest you earn.
Choosing a Bank
We chose the ANZ and had it setup before we left the UK. All we had to do was go to our nominated local branch in Oz and show our passports. Too easy! They are good because they only charge $5 a month and you get unlimited transactions. When you first arrive in Oz you can expect to have to make a lot of transactions, so this is something you should take into account. Make sure you get a cheque book as well, and that you organise the ability to internet transfer large sums of money. When buying all new white goods and TVs etc etc, you need to be able to pay large sums out!!
Driving License
Another thing you should get sorted soonest is your new Oz driving license. This is used everywhere for ID. It saves having to take your Passport out and about with you.
Medicare
Go to your local office and register. You will be given a tiny slip of paper with your details on it. This can be used until your card comes through. Chose bulk billing wherever you can so you have no outlay. Use the chemist as a medical source instead of the doctor where you can as they are free, but be prepared to pay more for your medication than in the UK. Chose chemist own brand wherever possible to keep the costs down.
Child Care Benefit
We have been having problems with our benefits coz we were given invalid info from Centre Link. Everyone is entitled to some benefits. To get them Centrelink must have immunisation details for your child. They do not accept a copy of your child’s book. You need to go to a doctor and get them to write a letter confirming that the jabs are up to date. We are still waiting on ours, but the good news is that you do not lose the benefits; they pay them out at the end of the tax year.
Mortgage
We used the RAMS lo-doc mortgage, and used an advisor from Aussie (Very good). We had 30% to put down as a deposit and although we did not have jobs ours was agreed within 3 weeks of entering Oz. We have posted details B4, PM if you want to know more about this. Be aware that we were lead to believe that our $100K bond money with the government could be used when buying a house. This is not the case. They will only take cold hard cash. Our mortgage was sorted out very quickly, but the solicitor we dealt with was not very proactive. You have to keep on at them. Also – check the figures. There are three levels of stamp duty and if this is your first Oz house then you get the reduced rate. This is a few grand lower so check they charge you the right one. Our $7k was sorted out with the paperwork, and the whole process, from finding house to it being ours took 4 weeks.
Shopping
Barter for everything over $50!! When buying a lot of stuff i.e. electrical, play the shops against each other- get written quotes. It’s amazing how it brings the cost down. Supermarkets are not the same as the UK. They do not stock meat or alcohol, and in our opinion the fruit and veg is more expensive and not as fresh. We use the butchers, the supermarket, the fruit/veg farm shop and the bottle shop. We also bulk buy detergents and the like. It’s just a matter of getting used to a different way of doing things. In the UK to shop around was to choose which supermarket to go to. Here it means what item to buy where!! K-mart and Target have some kind of sale every weekend, so don’t rush to buy anything not on sale!
Jobs
Be prepared for some frustration here. We used Seek and other online resources to find our jobs. Almost everything seems to go through agencies and the agencies are not the same as the UK. They will ignore emails. They will not respond to applications. They will promise you that you will get a job quickly coz you are so brilliant and then you will not hear from them again. Until, of course, you have managed to sort out a job directly with a company. Resumes here tend to be wordy and not concise as in the UK. We re-wrote ours completely. There are examples on the on-line agencies so this can be done before you leave the UK. If at all possible get managers to write references for you to take with you.
Summary
All in all it’s been good. Throughout all the chaos and the frustrations here and there, the sun has continued to shine and that just seems to make it easier. Strangely, you start to forget things in the UK quicker than you might think. I don’t mean friends and family, but the local pub or high street. We are often asked “What do we miss?” The answer to that is simple – friends and family. No we don’t miss certain types of food or drink or the like. Ok, the TV here is bad, but the summer is on its way and we are having a pool installed at the moment – so TV will be redundant soon!!
Are we better off? This is a difficult one. In essence we are, but being so far from family and friends is not easy, particularly having such a young daughter (left UK when she was 2.5). I don’t think it is something you ever get over, you just get used to it slowly. Are we happy? Yes – this has been a fantastic experience and I feel proud for what we achieved in such a small amount of time. We do have a better time, that’s for sure. Every day, without fail, we sit together for dinner. This hardly ever happened in the UK. There is always something to do at the weekend, and you don’t have to worry about the weather Money wise, we do not earn anywhere near as much as in the UK (we do not work weekends/evenings as we used to), but we earn enough. In 7 years we can call our 4-bedroom home with pool our own, as the mortgage would have been cleared. We have enough to be able to save on top of everything else.
I remember the days leading up to us going and the feeling of almost terror at the prospect of starting again. Of leaving everything we have achieved and become, and everyone that was close to us. It just seemed so daunting. But you know when you get here you have a list of things you need to do, and you find you just get on with it. Day by day is the way to view it. You don’t have to get everything done on day one, and it’s not the end of the world if you kick back a little bit. Rome wasn’t built in a day as they say.
At the end of my day, I sit in Roma Street station waiting for my train home and almost have to pinch myself – I’m actually living in Australia, now how did that happen?
We left England on 29th December on a very cold night with snow around, flew with Singapore Airlines to Brissie via a 3hour stop off in Singapore. We had already been over to validate our visas, so only had standard baggage allowance.
We stayed with my sister for 8 weeks and were out of work for a total of 10 weeks. Here are some of the things from our to do list with hopefully some helpful tips.
Tax File Number
In my opinion the Tax File Numbers should be done as soon as you can. This can be done online and take about 6weeks to process. Don’t forget to let your bank know the numbers when they arrive, else you will have to pay extra tax on any interest you earn.
Choosing a Bank
We chose the ANZ and had it setup before we left the UK. All we had to do was go to our nominated local branch in Oz and show our passports. Too easy! They are good because they only charge $5 a month and you get unlimited transactions. When you first arrive in Oz you can expect to have to make a lot of transactions, so this is something you should take into account. Make sure you get a cheque book as well, and that you organise the ability to internet transfer large sums of money. When buying all new white goods and TVs etc etc, you need to be able to pay large sums out!!
Driving License
Another thing you should get sorted soonest is your new Oz driving license. This is used everywhere for ID. It saves having to take your Passport out and about with you.
Medicare
Go to your local office and register. You will be given a tiny slip of paper with your details on it. This can be used until your card comes through. Chose bulk billing wherever you can so you have no outlay. Use the chemist as a medical source instead of the doctor where you can as they are free, but be prepared to pay more for your medication than in the UK. Chose chemist own brand wherever possible to keep the costs down.
Child Care Benefit
We have been having problems with our benefits coz we were given invalid info from Centre Link. Everyone is entitled to some benefits. To get them Centrelink must have immunisation details for your child. They do not accept a copy of your child’s book. You need to go to a doctor and get them to write a letter confirming that the jabs are up to date. We are still waiting on ours, but the good news is that you do not lose the benefits; they pay them out at the end of the tax year.
Mortgage
We used the RAMS lo-doc mortgage, and used an advisor from Aussie (Very good). We had 30% to put down as a deposit and although we did not have jobs ours was agreed within 3 weeks of entering Oz. We have posted details B4, PM if you want to know more about this. Be aware that we were lead to believe that our $100K bond money with the government could be used when buying a house. This is not the case. They will only take cold hard cash. Our mortgage was sorted out very quickly, but the solicitor we dealt with was not very proactive. You have to keep on at them. Also – check the figures. There are three levels of stamp duty and if this is your first Oz house then you get the reduced rate. This is a few grand lower so check they charge you the right one. Our $7k was sorted out with the paperwork, and the whole process, from finding house to it being ours took 4 weeks.
Shopping
Barter for everything over $50!! When buying a lot of stuff i.e. electrical, play the shops against each other- get written quotes. It’s amazing how it brings the cost down.
Supermarkets are not the same as the UK. They do not stock meat or alcohol, and in our opinion the fruit and veg is more expensive and not as fresh. We use the butchers, the supermarket, the fruit/veg farm shop and the bottle shop. We also bulk buy detergents and the like. It’s just a matter of getting used to a different way of doing things. In the UK to shop around was to choose which supermarket to go to. Here it means what item to buy where!! K-mart and Target have some kind of sale every weekend, so don’t rush to buy anything not on sale!Jobs
Be prepared for some frustration here. We used Seek and other online resources to find our jobs. Almost everything seems to go through agencies and the agencies are not the same as the UK. They will ignore emails. They will not respond to applications. They will promise you that you will get a job quickly coz you are so brilliant and then you will not hear from them again. Until, of course, you have managed to sort out a job directly with a company. Resumes here tend to be wordy and not concise as in the UK. We re-wrote ours completely. There are examples on the on-line agencies so this can be done before you leave the UK. If at all possible get managers to write references for you to take with you.
Summary
All in all it’s been good. Throughout all the chaos and the frustrations here and there, the sun has continued to shine and that just seems to make it easier. Strangely, you start to forget things in the UK quicker than you might think. I don’t mean friends and family, but the local pub or high street. We are often asked “What do we miss?” The answer to that is simple – friends and family. No we don’t miss certain types of food or drink or the like. Ok, the TV here is bad, but the summer is on its way and we are having a pool installed at the moment – so TV will be redundant soon!!
Are we better off? This is a difficult one.
In essence we are, but being so far from family and friends is not easy, particularly having such a young daughter (left UK when she was 2.5). I don’t think it is something you ever get over, you just get used to it slowly. Are we happy? Yes – this has been a fantastic experience and I feel proud for what we achieved in such a small amount of time. We do have a better time, that’s for sure. Every day, without fail, we sit together for dinner. This hardly ever happened in the UK. There is always something to do at the weekend, and you don’t have to worry about the weather Money wise, we do not earn anywhere near as much as in the UK (we do not work weekends/evenings as we used to), but we earn enough. In 7 years we can call our 4-bedroom home with pool our own, as the mortgage would have been cleared. We have enough to be able to save on top of everything else. I remember the days leading up to us going and the feeling of almost terror at the prospect of starting again. Of leaving everything we have achieved and become, and everyone that was close to us. It just seemed so daunting. But you know when you get here you have a list of things you need to do, and you find you just get on with it. Day by day is the way to view it. You don’t have to get everything done on day one, and it’s not the end of the world if you kick back a little bit. Rome wasn’t built in a day as they say.
At the end of my day, I sit in Roma Street station waiting for my train home and almost have to pinch myself – I’m actually living in Australia, now how did that happen?
Jun 28th 2006, 10:30 pm
#4
The Mango King
Joined: Nov 2005
Location: Pullenvale, Brisbane
Posts: 246
Re: 6 months already?
A very informative post, glad you and the family have settled in well. I agree with the family and friends part, but would I return to the UK?? That would have to be a big fat NO.
Antney & the Gang
Antney & the Gang
Jun 28th 2006, 10:31 pm
#5
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2005
Location: Brisbane w.e.f 26 Feb 2006
Posts: 401
Re: 6 months already?
Well done and glad to see you are settling. The time does fly in but that's obviously because so much needs to be done in the beginning. I'm sitting amongst a whole lot of boxes waiting to move into our house tomorrow and feel as if we've lived this way for over the past two years since the process began. Just feel lucky that we are finally here and still know what the frustration of the waiting game for others is like.
Thanks for your thread because I do think it helps others that aren't here yet.
Thanks for your thread because I do think it helps others that aren't here yet.
Jun 28th 2006, 10:33 pm
#6
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 31
Re: 6 months already?
i can imagine you looking at the uk through rose coloured specs if you get home sick....oh remember when we did this...or that.....etc etc. but dont forget how shit it really is. it july on saturday, im sat here with a jumper on and its lashing down and my daughter is getting used to an indoor culture and thats just GARBAGE 
Jun 28th 2006, 10:33 pm
#7
BE Forum Addict
Joined: May 2004
Location: Tapping, Perth
Posts: 1,586
Re: 6 months already?
Brilliant post, hope I feel the same six months down the line
Tracie
Tracie
Jun 28th 2006, 10:37 pm
#8
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2005
Location: In de bush
Posts: 756
Re: 6 months already?
Originally Posted by Richard4
i can imagine you looking at the uk through rose coloured specs if you get home sick....oh remember when we did this...or that.....etc etc. but dont forget how shit it really is. it july on saturday, im sat here with a jumper on and its lashing down and my daughter is getting used to an indoor culture and thats just GARBAGE
Even if it's crap at least the weather is (generally) better.
Yet to find out for ourselves but willing to give it a go
Jun 28th 2006, 11:10 pm
#10
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 80
Re: 6 months already?
Great post Tabby, found info really useful as will be in Perth in sept.is it worth getting copies of your medical records before we come out ,and also what is the RAMS lo-doc mortgage.
Robo
Robo
Jun 28th 2006, 11:47 pm
#11
Account Closed
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 10,158
Re: 6 months already?
Excellent post!
Thanks.
Thanks.
Jun 29th 2006, 12:10 am
#12
Australia's Doorman
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: The Shoalhaven, New South Wales, Australia
Posts: 11,056
Re: 6 months already?
Enjoyed that. Thanks for taking the time.
Jun 29th 2006, 4:01 am
#13
Account Closed
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 881
Re: 6 months already?
Originally Posted by tabby
I always liked reading the posts detailing how BE have got on in Oz after being here for a length of time. We have been here for 6 months this week, so here goes my attempt of putting down on paper what this has meant to us. This is LONG
We left England on 29th December on a very cold night with snow around, flew with Singapore Airlines to Brissie via a 3hour stop off in Singapore. We had already been over to validate our visas, so only had standard baggage allowance.
We stayed with my sister for 8 weeks and were out of work for a total of 10 weeks. Here are some of the things from our to do list with hopefully some helpful tips.
Tax File Number
In my opinion the Tax File Numbers should be done as soon as you can. This can be done online and take about 6weeks to process. Don’t forget to let your bank know the numbers when they arrive, else you will have to pay extra tax on any interest you earn.
Choosing a Bank
We chose the ANZ and had it setup before we left the UK. All we had to do was go to our nominated local branch in Oz and show our passports. Too easy! They are good because they only charge $5 a month and you get unlimited transactions. When you first arrive in Oz you can expect to have to make a lot of transactions, so this is something you should take into account. Make sure you get a cheque book as well, and that you organise the ability to internet transfer large sums of money. When buying all new white goods and TVs etc etc, you need to be able to pay large sums out!!
Driving License
Another thing you should get sorted soonest is your new Oz driving license. This is used everywhere for ID. It saves having to take your Passport out and about with you.
Medicare
Go to your local office and register. You will be given a tiny slip of paper with your details on it. This can be used until your card comes through. Chose bulk billing wherever you can so you have no outlay. Use the chemist as a medical source instead of the doctor where you can as they are free, but be prepared to pay more for your medication than in the UK. Chose chemist own brand wherever possible to keep the costs down.
Child Care Benefit
We have been having problems with our benefits coz we were given invalid info from Centre Link. Everyone is entitled to some benefits. To get them Centrelink must have immunisation details for your child. They do not accept a copy of your child’s book. You need to go to a doctor and get them to write a letter confirming that the jabs are up to date. We are still waiting on ours, but the good news is that you do not lose the benefits; they pay them out at the end of the tax year.
Mortgage
We used the RAMS lo-doc mortgage, and used an advisor from Aussie (Very good). We had 30% to put down as a deposit and although we did not have jobs ours was agreed within 3 weeks of entering Oz. We have posted details B4, PM if you want to know more about this. Be aware that we were lead to believe that our $100K bond money with the government could be used when buying a house. This is not the case. They will only take cold hard cash. Our mortgage was sorted out very quickly, but the solicitor we dealt with was not very proactive. You have to keep on at them. Also – check the figures. There are three levels of stamp duty and if this is your first Oz house then you get the reduced rate. This is a few grand lower so check they charge you the right one. Our $7k was sorted out with the paperwork, and the whole process, from finding house to it being ours took 4 weeks.
Shopping
Barter for everything over $50!! When buying a lot of stuff i.e. electrical, play the shops against each other- get written quotes. It’s amazing how it brings the cost down. Supermarkets are not the same as the UK. They do not stock meat or alcohol, and in our opinion the fruit and veg is more expensive and not as fresh. We use the butchers, the supermarket, the fruit/veg farm shop and the bottle shop. We also bulk buy detergents and the like. It’s just a matter of getting used to a different way of doing things. In the UK to shop around was to choose which supermarket to go to. Here it means what item to buy where!! K-mart and Target have some kind of sale every weekend, so don’t rush to buy anything not on sale!
Jobs
Be prepared for some frustration here. We used Seek and other online resources to find our jobs. Almost everything seems to go through agencies and the agencies are not the same as the UK. They will ignore emails. They will not respond to applications. They will promise you that you will get a job quickly coz you are so brilliant and then you will not hear from them again. Until, of course, you have managed to sort out a job directly with a company. Resumes here tend to be wordy and not concise as in the UK. We re-wrote ours completely. There are examples on the on-line agencies so this can be done before you leave the UK. If at all possible get managers to write references for you to take with you.
Summary
All in all it’s been good. Throughout all the chaos and the frustrations here and there, the sun has continued to shine and that just seems to make it easier. Strangely, you start to forget things in the UK quicker than you might think. I don’t mean friends and family, but the local pub or high street. We are often asked “What do we miss?” The answer to that is simple – friends and family. No we don’t miss certain types of food or drink or the like. Ok, the TV here is bad, but the summer is on its way and we are having a pool installed at the moment – so TV will be redundant soon!!
Are we better off? This is a difficult one. In essence we are, but being so far from family and friends is not easy, particularly having such a young daughter (left UK when she was 2.5). I don’t think it is something you ever get over, you just get used to it slowly. Are we happy? Yes – this has been a fantastic experience and I feel proud for what we achieved in such a small amount of time. We do have a better time, that’s for sure. Every day, without fail, we sit together for dinner. This hardly ever happened in the UK. There is always something to do at the weekend, and you don’t have to worry about the weather Money wise, we do not earn anywhere near as much as in the UK (we do not work weekends/evenings as we used to), but we earn enough. In 7 years we can call our 4-bedroom home with pool our own, as the mortgage would have been cleared. We have enough to be able to save on top of everything else.
I remember the days leading up to us going and the feeling of almost terror at the prospect of starting again. Of leaving everything we have achieved and become, and everyone that was close to us. It just seemed so daunting. But you know when you get here you have a list of things you need to do, and you find you just get on with it. Day by day is the way to view it. You don’t have to get everything done on day one, and it’s not the end of the world if you kick back a little bit. Rome wasn’t built in a day as they say.
At the end of my day, I sit in Roma Street station waiting for my train home and almost have to pinch myself – I’m actually living in Australia, now how did that happen?
We left England on 29th December on a very cold night with snow around, flew with Singapore Airlines to Brissie via a 3hour stop off in Singapore. We had already been over to validate our visas, so only had standard baggage allowance.
We stayed with my sister for 8 weeks and were out of work for a total of 10 weeks. Here are some of the things from our to do list with hopefully some helpful tips.
Tax File Number
In my opinion the Tax File Numbers should be done as soon as you can. This can be done online and take about 6weeks to process. Don’t forget to let your bank know the numbers when they arrive, else you will have to pay extra tax on any interest you earn.
Choosing a Bank
We chose the ANZ and had it setup before we left the UK. All we had to do was go to our nominated local branch in Oz and show our passports. Too easy! They are good because they only charge $5 a month and you get unlimited transactions. When you first arrive in Oz you can expect to have to make a lot of transactions, so this is something you should take into account. Make sure you get a cheque book as well, and that you organise the ability to internet transfer large sums of money. When buying all new white goods and TVs etc etc, you need to be able to pay large sums out!!
Driving License
Another thing you should get sorted soonest is your new Oz driving license. This is used everywhere for ID. It saves having to take your Passport out and about with you.
Medicare
Go to your local office and register. You will be given a tiny slip of paper with your details on it. This can be used until your card comes through. Chose bulk billing wherever you can so you have no outlay. Use the chemist as a medical source instead of the doctor where you can as they are free, but be prepared to pay more for your medication than in the UK. Chose chemist own brand wherever possible to keep the costs down.
Child Care Benefit
We have been having problems with our benefits coz we were given invalid info from Centre Link. Everyone is entitled to some benefits. To get them Centrelink must have immunisation details for your child. They do not accept a copy of your child’s book. You need to go to a doctor and get them to write a letter confirming that the jabs are up to date. We are still waiting on ours, but the good news is that you do not lose the benefits; they pay them out at the end of the tax year.
Mortgage
We used the RAMS lo-doc mortgage, and used an advisor from Aussie (Very good). We had 30% to put down as a deposit and although we did not have jobs ours was agreed within 3 weeks of entering Oz. We have posted details B4, PM if you want to know more about this. Be aware that we were lead to believe that our $100K bond money with the government could be used when buying a house. This is not the case. They will only take cold hard cash. Our mortgage was sorted out very quickly, but the solicitor we dealt with was not very proactive. You have to keep on at them. Also – check the figures. There are three levels of stamp duty and if this is your first Oz house then you get the reduced rate. This is a few grand lower so check they charge you the right one. Our $7k was sorted out with the paperwork, and the whole process, from finding house to it being ours took 4 weeks.
Shopping
Barter for everything over $50!! When buying a lot of stuff i.e. electrical, play the shops against each other- get written quotes. It’s amazing how it brings the cost down.
Supermarkets are not the same as the UK. They do not stock meat or alcohol, and in our opinion the fruit and veg is more expensive and not as fresh. We use the butchers, the supermarket, the fruit/veg farm shop and the bottle shop. We also bulk buy detergents and the like. It’s just a matter of getting used to a different way of doing things. In the UK to shop around was to choose which supermarket to go to. Here it means what item to buy where!! K-mart and Target have some kind of sale every weekend, so don’t rush to buy anything not on sale!Jobs
Be prepared for some frustration here. We used Seek and other online resources to find our jobs. Almost everything seems to go through agencies and the agencies are not the same as the UK. They will ignore emails. They will not respond to applications. They will promise you that you will get a job quickly coz you are so brilliant and then you will not hear from them again. Until, of course, you have managed to sort out a job directly with a company. Resumes here tend to be wordy and not concise as in the UK. We re-wrote ours completely. There are examples on the on-line agencies so this can be done before you leave the UK. If at all possible get managers to write references for you to take with you.
Summary
All in all it’s been good. Throughout all the chaos and the frustrations here and there, the sun has continued to shine and that just seems to make it easier. Strangely, you start to forget things in the UK quicker than you might think. I don’t mean friends and family, but the local pub or high street. We are often asked “What do we miss?” The answer to that is simple – friends and family. No we don’t miss certain types of food or drink or the like. Ok, the TV here is bad, but the summer is on its way and we are having a pool installed at the moment – so TV will be redundant soon!!
Are we better off? This is a difficult one.
In essence we are, but being so far from family and friends is not easy, particularly having such a young daughter (left UK when she was 2.5). I don’t think it is something you ever get over, you just get used to it slowly. Are we happy? Yes – this has been a fantastic experience and I feel proud for what we achieved in such a small amount of time. We do have a better time, that’s for sure. Every day, without fail, we sit together for dinner. This hardly ever happened in the UK. There is always something to do at the weekend, and you don’t have to worry about the weather Money wise, we do not earn anywhere near as much as in the UK (we do not work weekends/evenings as we used to), but we earn enough. In 7 years we can call our 4-bedroom home with pool our own, as the mortgage would have been cleared. We have enough to be able to save on top of everything else. I remember the days leading up to us going and the feeling of almost terror at the prospect of starting again. Of leaving everything we have achieved and become, and everyone that was close to us. It just seemed so daunting. But you know when you get here you have a list of things you need to do, and you find you just get on with it. Day by day is the way to view it. You don’t have to get everything done on day one, and it’s not the end of the world if you kick back a little bit. Rome wasn’t built in a day as they say.
At the end of my day, I sit in Roma Street station waiting for my train home and almost have to pinch myself – I’m actually living in Australia, now how did that happen?
Agree totally about missing family and friends and nothing else.
L-j
Jun 29th 2006, 4:56 am
#14
Drunken Aussie
Joined: Jun 2003
Location: Brisvegas
Posts: 1,080
Re: 6 months already?
Erm, which supermarkets don't stock meat?? I get all my steak/lamb/pork/chicken, etc, from the supermarket. Rarely get it from the butchers.
Jun 29th 2006, 5:54 am
#15
Fighting my corner
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Adelaide, South Australia
Posts: 11,948
Re: 6 months already?
Originally Posted by tabby
Supermarkets are not the same as the UK. They do not stock meat or alcohol
Walk into Coles and Woolworths; you'll find more meat than you can throw a dog at!
Great to hear that you've settled in with such a positive experience!