Originally Posted by cheri-pie

So are we - Belfast

Originally Posted by CK2B

I'm not trying to be negative

Originally Posted by dun laoghaire

Hi All been meaning to do this for some time now, anyway here is a brief rundown on the Smiths in Perth.
Why Perth? We came on holidays to visit my in laws in 2000, had been here for honeymoon but that was in 1993, and really enjoyed the place although when we left we said nice place but I couldn’t live there. Then the idea of moving slowly started growing and one day I mentioned it to the boss and she had been thinking the same. I had called in to a Perth clinic while here to have a look at their way of doing things ( I repair radiation oncology equipment) and a week after agreeing we should embark on the biggest change, jobs lifestyle etc, the clinic I had called into advertised a job on the net ( hows that for good luck, it was however the end of the luck). I phoned them and they said they would be very interested and offered a short-term contract there and then. At this stage we had not told anyone as we were still thinking when my brother in law phoned to say his mate told him we were coming over, the clinic uses a plumbing firm owned by an Irish bloke and the guy in the clinic mentioned they had just agreed to employ an Irish bloke and it just happens we had met that plumber and he remembered the line of work I am in and put two and two together, so be careful there are no secrets. We then stuffed up our first application and had to wait for 18 months to find out it was no good , then went to an agent ( Liz O’Hagen from Shamrock Solutions Very Very good!) who put us on the right track and then finally got a visa in Oct 2003, sold house ( nightmare) and arrived in Perth on the 28 Jan 2004.


Kids etc…Got here on a Thursday and using sister in law’s address got kids into school on the Monday for the first day of the new school year, kids did not know what hit them ( ages then 7 and 9). They did settle in quickly as there were so many new kids with the start of the school year and all but their accent was what made them stand out along with the glow in the dark white Irish skin. They had a little bit of getting used to things and my son (7) settled quicker as he loved sport and plays soccer. We made a boo boo with my daughter and she went into a grade higher than she should have and she struggled with the work but not the other kids who mainly thought her accent was nice. Both well settled now.
House etc… we bought a house in a nice estate called Woodvale ( look at the reiwa.com website the suburb is in Joondalup) as this was where my sisters in law live, however my brother in law lives up the road in Carramar ( nice area with new school) he was the smarter of the two of us one can be too close to family. Then we went and bought two cars and that was pretty much the end of the easy money from the house sale back in Dun laoghaire.
I started work two weeks after getting here and am still there, my wife does a bit with a nursing agency and the money is pretty good. The whole Perth area is desperately short of tradesmen, in particular the construction area, you cannot get a builder as the have so much work and can’t get the trades people ( a friend we met here who is from Edinburgh has paid for a painter to come over from Scotland for a few weeks to paint his new house and it was quicker and cheaper than getting one of the locals).
Sorry rambling a bit
The area we live in is very nice but the kids don’t play on the street and when my two went out with a ball they were the only ones, we know there are other kids here as they meet in school but they are not allowed out, while a work colleague who lives in the same estate but a bit further up says her kids are never in, luck of the draw I guess, however two little girls across the road have become regulars on the street and our house so we are now friends with the parents.
Schools.. we sent ours to a state school .and it’s great, we have called into the principle to discuss things, usually without an appointment and he has always been very available to us and acted on anything we asked. Kids go to religion class in local catholic school for communion and confirmation classes
Day to day things…There are no decent spuds to be had but you get used to the watery things they have here. Grocery shopping is I think a bit expensive and fresh veggies are a thing of the past (article on the telly said our veggies come from the eastern states and are months old when the hit the shops here). When it’s hot it really is hot buy a house with air con. We also installed a pool, lots of work but very nice and the kids are like fish now. Clothes and household things are also expensive but you can shop around and there are plenty of shops and shopping centres to choose from all within a 15 min drive if you can afford the petrol ,$ 1:24 a litre this morning.

Pubs. NONE just barns where you can buy drink, but at weekends when they are full they are not to bad (or maybe I am just getting used to Aussie pubs)
Overall we are happy with the move, and when back in Ireland for a family wedding recently the kids asked when are we going back home !!! The lifestyle is what you make of it and we enjoy it and the kids are growing happy, tall and tanned.

I suppose we had it very easy as we had family to come to who introduced us to others and it takes the sting of leaving the rest back home, although I have none of my side here, and when feeling a bit homesick my wife can talk to her sisters.

Ok I have been in work for 12 hours today and am now going to the leaba.
I will try to post a more coherent post later in the week when work has calmed down.

Originally Posted by CK2B

We too are from West of Ireland, got 136 visas last year and validated at Christmas - we haven't yet decided whether we'll make the "big" move but are keeping our options open. We went to the Gold Coast in December and made a few observations - had a fantastic time, weather was beautiful and every-one was very friendly and laid back (a bit like ourselves).

We were quite shocked at the cost of things, food, drink, clothes, furniture. etc. especially when you consider that the average wage is quite a bit lower then in Ireland.
We talked to a few Irish people that had made the move, the construction trade seems to be very healthy but things are done very differently and it seems quite hard to set up as self employed. A Cork chippie we met was very unimpressed by the standard of workmanship done on buildiing sites (and he'd been there 8 years). Getting licences for the different trades seems to cause some probs too even though TRA have recognised your skills. There did seem to be plenty of work on offer in the local papers. Property not as cheap as it was a few years ago either so its just as well the Irish property market is so strong!
If you like the bar scene you might be a bit disappointed, it's certainly not like home but maybe thats a good thing!! Also, be prepared to drive everywhere, Oz is much more spread out then our little land!
Don't believe for a minute that the drug and crime scene is any better in Oz then it is in Ireland though.
We had to take one of our daughters to the doctors while we were there (ear infection). The medical clinic was fantastic, great service. Prescription costs seemed to be about the same as here, we did have to pay about $90 for the doctor but I guess thats different when you have Medicare?
I'm not trying to be negative, we loved Australia and certainly haven't ruled out making the move but just wanted to give you our findings from an Irish prospective. Hope it helps.

Originally Posted by Paul Fitz

As far as I remember a child has to be over 11 or 12 to have xrays and bloods done. The doc said he would call to let know everything was ok, and sure thing he called a few days later to say everything was back and all was fine. What a relief.


MK

Originally Posted by CK2B

We too are from West of Ireland, got 136 visas last year and validated at Christmas - we haven't yet decided whether we'll make the "big" move but are keeping our options open. We went to the Gold Coast in December and made a few observations - had a fantastic time, weather was beautiful and every-one was very friendly and laid back (a bit like ourselves).

We were quite shocked at the cost of things, food, drink, clothes, furniture. etc. especially when you consider that the average wage is quite a bit lower then in Ireland.
We talked to a few Irish people that had made the move, the construction trade seems to be very healthy but things are done very differently and it seems quite hard to set up as self employed. A Cork chippie we met was very unimpressed by the standard of workmanship done on buildiing sites (and he'd been there 8 years). Getting licences for the different trades seems to cause some probs too even though TRA have recognised your skills. There did seem to be plenty of work on offer in the local papers. Property not as cheap as it was a few years ago either so its just as well the Irish property market is so strong!
If you like the bar scene you might be a bit disappointed, it's certainly not like home but maybe thats a good thing!! Also, be prepared to drive everywhere, Oz is much more spread out then our little land!
Don't believe for a minute that the drug and crime scene is any better in Oz then it is in Ireland though.
We had to take one of our daughters to the doctors while we were there (ear infection). The medical clinic was fantastic, great service. Prescription costs seemed to be about the same as here, we did have to pay about $90 for the doctor but I guess thats different when you have Medicare?
I'm not trying to be negative, we loved Australia and certainly haven't ruled out making the move but just wanted to give you our findings from an Irish prospective. Hope it helps.

Originally Posted by dun laoghaire

Having a quiet moment at work so I will try write a sensible post.
Where we live...as mentioned we moved into this area as the family were here and their kids had attended Woodvale primary school ( there are two state run primary schools and one catholic primary in the estate) and none of them turned into a heathen Axe murderer. They will most likely go to the local Woodvale High School also in the estate ( a large school with 1600 students but gets good reviews) How could I have moved into an area with FOUR schools and one crappy bar!!! It is a nice estate with a high proportion of English / British people ( I have not seen any indigenous families in the area at all) a few Irish and I would consider it to be kind of middle class /professional type area, all the gardens nicely cared for and houses well maintained. Plenty of parks with play equipment and space to kick a ball around or ride a bike safely. There is the odd squeal of tyres at night as the locals youth play with their very powerful cars ( I disagree with a 19 year old with very limited driving experience allowed to drive a V8 5.8l holden sports vehicle ..{my nephew} I am just waiting for the phone call to say he or some poor innocent has been killed). The price of houses had rocketed in the area and at the moment there are very few up for sale ( when we arrived there were 28 last week it was 6, most sell in the first week or so and for top dollar) the prices seem to range from low $300K up to near the million mark for a posh enclosed mini estate with the main estate if that makes any sense it's called Woodvale Waters and is surrounded by a six foot wall to keep us plebes out. Perth house prices seem to defy the national trend 'cos all new arrivals are well stocked with cash and compared to European prices you get lots more house for your buck. There is a local junior soccer club which we enrolled my son in and it's great way to meet other people as we have made a few “good”friends among the other parents. There is a small shopping area with Woolworth's ( a bit on the expensive side) pet store, video store, junk food, off licence, Thai , chinese and Italian restaurants. There is another one at the northern end and the food store opens 7days which is handy, this is the area with the pub so I know the way there. There is a train station at the southern entrance to the estate which is handy for getting to the city as the trains run late at weekends, however a reliable car is a must. We needed two as I drive to work as I need to travel between two clinics one at Royal Perth Hospital and the other in Subiaco so my wife also need one (mine is bigger than hers though!!!). Ten Minutes north is Joondalup with cinemas and large shopping centre and heaps of restaurants and a couple of bars. There is also a university there and I keep meaning to do an evening course there as they have a wide range. Five minutes past Joondalup is the area of Carramar where the brother in law lives (I think breezeboylan asked about here). it has a state primary and my niece attends and LOVES it, it opened last year so the place is spotless and all the staff and parents are very enthusiastic. My older niece attends St. Stephens high school which is private, don't know how much the fees are but will check if anybody wants to know. They are still selling blocks here so the house prices have not soared as yet but they will in time.
Work calls more later.

Originally Posted by andrew63

We were in Wicklow/Wexord.
Now in Tanah Merah which is half-way between Brisbane City and the Gold Coast.
Kids have settled in very well. At the local Catholic Schools of course.
Ironically, we keep bumping into Irish people and/or descendants (first generation mainly) - when we thought they were Aussies.
I see Oz as similar to Ireland except better weather! (where wouldn't be!).

Andrew

Originally Posted by dun laoghaire

Having a quiet moment at work so I will try write a sensible post.
Where we live...as mentioned we moved into this area as the family were here and their kids had attended Woodvale primary school ( there are two state run primary schools and one catholic primary in the estate) and none of them turned into a heathen Axe murderer. They will most likely go to the local Woodvale High School also in the estate ( a large school with 1600 students but gets good reviews) How could I have moved into an area with FOUR schools and one crappy bar!!! It is a nice estate with a high proportion of English / British people ( I have not seen any indigenous families in the area at all) a few Irish and I would consider it to be kind of middle class /professional type area, all the gardens nicely cared for and houses well maintained. Plenty of parks with play equipment and space to kick a ball around or ride a bike safely. There is the odd squeal of tyres at night as the locals youth play with their very powerful cars ( I disagree with a 19 year old with very limited driving experience allowed to drive a V8 5.8l holden sports vehicle ..{my nephew} I am just waiting for the phone call to say he or some poor innocent has been killed). The price of houses had rocketed in the area and at the moment there are very few up for sale ( when we arrived there were 28 last week it was 6, most sell in the first week or so and for top dollar) the prices seem to range from low $300K up to near the million mark for a posh enclosed mini estate with the main estate if that makes any sense it's called Woodvale Waters and is surrounded by a six foot wall to keep us plebes out. Perth house prices seem to defy the national trend 'cos all new arrivals are well stocked with cash and compared to European prices you get lots more house for your buck. There is a local junior soccer club which we enrolled my son in and it's great way to meet other people as we have made a few “good”friends among the other parents. There is a small shopping area with Woolworth's ( a bit on the expensive side) pet store, video store, junk food, off licence, Thai , chinese and Italian restaurants. There is another one at the northern end and the food store opens 7days which is handy, this is the area with the pub so I know the way there. There is a train station at the southern entrance to the estate which is handy for getting to the city as the trains run late at weekends, however a reliable car is a must. We needed two as I drive to work as I need to travel between two clinics one at Royal Perth Hospital and the other in Subiaco so my wife also need one (mine is bigger than hers though!!!). Ten Minutes north is Joondalup with cinemas and large shopping centre and heaps of restaurants and a couple of bars. There is also a university there and I keep meaning to do an evening course there as they have a wide range. Five minutes past Joondalup is the area of Carramar where the brother in law lives (I think breezeboylan asked about here). it has a state primary and my niece attends and LOVES it, it opened last year so the place is spotless and all the staff and parents are very enthusiastic. My older niece attends St. Stephens high school which is private, don't know how much the fees are but will check if anybody wants to know. They are still selling blocks here so the house prices have not soared as yet but they will in time.
Work calls more later.

Originally Posted by Paul Fitz

Hi Andrew63. We are hoping to head to either Carindale, Manly West or Wynnum West in Brisbane. How do you find the heat in Queensland. Was it easy enough to adapt to. I believe it can be very humid during the summer. This is one of the reasons we are trying to choose a bayside or near bayside suburb.

Thanks for any info

MK

Originally Posted by gidxg03

Just wondering if there were any Irish ex pats or soon to be ex pats who post on this forum? Would love to hear some advice/stories from those that have left Ireland for Oz.

Originally Posted by Irish Aussie Teen

Hiya
we lived in galway and just moved to oz a couple of weeks ago and we're loving it so far!