wayne/kerrie

hi ya just a update ,well guys what a emotional month we have had from the very sad goodbyes to the excitment that we are really doing this ...

We when with singapore airlines and they didnt let us down they was fab..landed in brissy on the 20th july , had a few days at brissy but it was cold and in brissy sorted out bank ,commonwealth was really helpful ..we then drove up to Townsville a very long drive and i would not do it again but we saw some lovely scenery ..stopped with a aunt for a week and in that week did the tfn ,brought a new car, sorted out a rented property ,in the second week moved in to the house ,wayne got a job at bp which he is over the moon with ,i got a job waiting to start on the 04th sep and got martyn who is 14 in to school with no problems at all ...

so i know what you are all thinking wow they have really had it easy but ....myself and martyn are homesick dont get me wrong Townsville is everything we wanted and more and yes i know its only been a month and i will give it a go for at least 6 months and i pray we are ok ...

so perhaps the uk does have its bad weather ,expensive petrol ect ect but its home for me at the moment ..

so really my best advise to anyone in this situation is to think that home is only a flight away and give it your best shot it will work for some but not for all ....

i wanted to say a huge thankyou to trish/jim and the Ateam they have been fab and we have to meet up asap ... woo i feel better already ha xxxxxx

sasbear

Good luck in your new venutre - it just takes time - and effort - and if it is meant to be it will be
Sarah

no longer in scotland

hi i am glad to see some positive results, we wont be moving till june next year, not sure on area yet but having been reading loads of negative feedback about jobs and houses and just general aus being not so good.
really happy for you all.!!

Vernons

Hi

I was wondering if I could PM you and ask your advice on Townsville and the job market up there. I noticed your husband has got a job with BP and I wondered if that is fly in fly out or local.

We fly out to Brisbane (oh no its cold!) in just over two weeks time! We had origninally planned to stay in Brisbane for a few days checking out jobs and land on the Sunshine coast and then we were going to drive up to Townsville stopping at various places along the way. We have since decided that we would be better focusing our search in one area and travelling elsewhere if jobs come up during our first month or so in OZ. We are having a really hard time deciding whether to focus on Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast or Townsville. The worry is jobs and then the cost of land.

My husband is a maintenance fitter/supervisor in a large quarry at the moment. He is responsible to maintaining all the large equipment, planning shutdowns, ordering stock, booking contractors and supervising the other fitters. He is on the skills shortage list and that is why we got our visa pretty quickly but finding a job might be a different matter. I am a primary school teacher so I will look for a position once he is sorted, hopefully in a school.

Anway I would love to hear a bit more a bout Townsville and what made you choose that area and how the job market is up there, especially with BP. We have also been looking at BHP.

Good luck with everything, it is a massive move and I am sure you will settle soon. Good luck!

no longer in scotland

hi vernons

when you say your visa came through quick how quick are we talking, my husband is a bricklayer and is also on the skills required list. our visa will go in as soon as we get our tra back, like you were not sure where to live.

Vernons

Our visa was acknowledged on the 8th March and our visa was granted on the 28th July, therefore taking 4 and a half months. We were pleased with that as when you get your letter through saying they have received your application it states they wont even look at it for 4-5 months but aim to process it within 6 months. We were therefore working on the 6 months rule, so not to be disappointed and were so pleased when it came through sooner.
Good luck with your application, once it is sent off you just sit and wait, it is a killer! Are you going to sell your house? I wish we could have put ours on the market sooner as we are now waiting for our house to complete bfeore we can go and we have had a visa almost a month now (I am quite an impatient person!). Anyway shippers come in less than two weeks and we fly in less than three so it is looking good now.

Deciding where to live is a killer. I know the building work in Perth is pretty mad at the moment so he would be kept busy there but it depends on where you fancy really. Good luck

propblast

I'll probably end up in or around Townsville- whats the place like and are there any areas worth looking into? We're arriving in oz from Ireland on the 25th October this year.

wayne/kerrie

hi ya vernons i have pm you ...x

Townsville is really fab there is a few forum on here from people who have been here longer than i have but what i have seen so far i have not been let down ..have you got kids?? if yes this is a excellent place to bring up those young ones ,and there always seems to be something going on ...

beach is so nice and clean ...

plenty to do and see

luv kez x

rob&lucy

Hi
Rob and i have been here for over 2 years now and have our citezenship ceremony today at 2pm in the strand aaahh. Well Townsville is a great place lots to do and easy to escape from to go interstate and overseas (see have learnt the lingo!) If you need more info email us as we know quite a few expats here as well as locals. Best place we've come to.
Lucy

The A Team

Hi Lucy

Congratulations on your citizenship ceremony, I hadn't realised it was today

Hopefully see you both again soon. No doubt Josh will have some more questions for Rob

no longer in scotland

hi rob and lucy

it sounds like a great place to live, any idea on the chances of a job for a bricky round that area. how far is it from city centre Brissy.

wanderingwombat

Just a short 1356km trip. An easy 17 hour one way commute if you wanted to

WW

no longer in scotland

looks so much closer on the map lol....think it will be brissy for us it seems to be where most of the construction work is going on, regardless to the negative feed back on some of the threads.

The A Team

There's plenty of construction work going on in Townsville. It's a lovely place to live so don't rule it out

wanderingwombat

Let's put both into perspective - THE WHOLE OF FAR NORTH QLD.

WW