MLC65

Hi all,
New to this site so will introduce myself.
Got visa confirmation Jun 4
Fly from London 28 Jul 09
Arrive Darwin 1 Aug 09
So excited but trying to stay cool

OH is transferring to ADF, being accompanied by 8 year daughter and me! Have been to various parts of Oz before and my Dad has been in Perth for the last 40 years so been there on numerous occassions. OH has been to Darwin before but that was on a rugby tour from Brunei so memories vague!!

Any advice - any meet ups happening - anyone want to meet?

Any advice/help gratefully appreciated. Have tried to trawl through the site but hope you don't mind my setting this up?
Melissa

seaangel

OH also transferred. We arrived in Feb 07 and have been posted to Victoria since then. Are due for a posting to Darwin at the end of the year so may be able to catch up then! We did a visit to Darwin last year, and must admit liked the place.

Do you have schools sorted because this can be a bit of a headache as to which one etc! We did a trawl round the schools when we visited and managed to get an idea, and also spoke to others who are up there.

Have a great trip over and enjoy the business class!

And feel free to ask any questions, no matter how silly!

geraldine2

Hi Melissa

Please let me know what kind of help you are looking for.

iam staying with my wife and two daugters in surbub called bakewell,25 mins drive from darwin.
m
regards

Rajel

MLC65

Rajel, thank you for your reply and offer of help.

Seaangel - schools I was going to leave till we got down. My daughter was promised 3 months off school as we were not originally due to land until 12 September and the schools finish 17 Sept. Now with the move brought forward she will only get 3 weeks holiday and she has just done a full 3rd year.

What are the availability of places in a faith school like - do you know? Until we were posted to Germany she has always been educated in a Church school and she always thrived so would like to continue in that vein. I assume that she will stay in year 3 in Australia till new year starts in Jan so not too worried yet! Should I be?

Right now still trying to get to grips with the British end - at least this just further affirms our decision to move!! Would love to meet up when you post over - we will be with 1 CSSB, Robertson Bks

BBabes

Just posting to say Hi!

We're following you by arriving in Darwin Jan 2010 but we're hoping to bring the date forward. We have a just turned 9yr old and a 14yr old.

There was an ADF transfer thread on here with some Darwin info so I'll try to post a link. Might take a little while as I'm just getting my head back together after toady waving my husband off again after RnR.

MLC65

Hi BBabes,

Good luck with the move - if there is anything can help with let me know.

Keep your chin up - not too much longer now.

seaangel

There are a few Church schools. In Palmerston there is Good Shepherd Lutheran School and also catholic schools. There is also Marrara Christian School but that is just on the outskirts of Darwin. These schools charge fees but are not as expensive as the UK. My children stayed in the same years when they came over so presume yours will do the same. My children have loved the school over here. Pretty academic and very sporty (the school that is!). My best recommendation is definitely to go and visit the schools.

If we come up, OH will be with 2CAV. He's just corps transferred from Inf to Armoured. Am hoping to hear if we are posted over the next few weeks as the posting orders are due out by 3rd July. There are lots of laterals in Darwin. There are few lateral friends of ours up there, and also quite a few aussie friends. It's a small army and when we visited Darwin last year, saw lots of people we knew walking around town!

Bring lots of summer clothes and also some wet weather stuff! My friend up there at the moment says its getting a little bit chilly, only gets to about 20 degrees in the morning! Here in Victoria we're lucky if it gets to 1 degree first thing in the morning!

Hope the info helps a bit and carry on asking!

MLC65

Many thanks Seaangel, thatis really helpful.

We were posted to Brunei years ago so aware of the climatic differences - especially as Germany has dropped back down to 1 degree overnight so sympathise with you!

Did your children struggle fitting in or was their education from UK sufficient to keep them on a par with the other children?

I am happy to find out about things once we land as have tried in the past to arrange things prior to arrival and it has always come back to bite me. OH and I are more than capable of sorting ourselves out once landed but obviously our main concern is settling our daughter as quickly and easily as possible. Kind of glad that it is a smaller army and people get to know each other quickly. I am so looking forward to some stability - 12 quarter sin 14 years takes its toll!

Final thing for now - christmas time - is there a general standdown or do you have to book leave? I would like to spend Christmas with my Dad in Perth and would like to tahe OH with me but unsure waht leave apps are like - any advice?

Cheers

upyerfud

Darwin Cup horseracing 3/8/09. Public holiday, like the Melbourne Cup but much better. Not to be missed and a great intro to what life's like up here. Good way to forget your jetlag.

seaangel

Our kids settled in really well. Do far more sport than they did in the UK but ours do not do much in the way of learning languages, doing history etc. My eldest will be going to high school next year where she will hopefully be able to do all these other subjects.

As regards leave, where we are, there is usually a shut down for about 3 weeks. Am not sure about up there but would have thought they would have a similar thing. Having said that, unless you put in for leave, you can still get duties etc.

When you arrive, in the dry, this is a really lovely time of the year up there! Be a good time to do some parks like Litchfield, before the wet comes in and the roads to the parks, Katherine etc get closed.

MLC65

Thank you all so much - all we are getting is warm and fuzzies from everyone - can't wait to finally land - been after this for 12 years.

Any other tidbits more than gratefully accepted.