Tass

[QUOTE

People do spend a fair bit of time outside especially in winter, summer, you tend to find shade and do everything early am, evenings can be a bit of a let down its dark at 7pm but we had a house last summer with a big pool with lights in it, heaps of fun, swimming around under a dark sky you just got used to it. Eating out is big too, sitting in thai restaurants or noodle bars on the sea front, that sort of thing.

I think the thing for us was we came out here for something different, living in any city is pretty much the same. So it ended up queensland, its not all theme parks etc tho, once you live here you rarely go to those sort of places , its more about being casual I guess, casual clothing, casual entertainment, barbies etc, casual schools most are very relaxed here, of course all the other day to day stuff and work is the same old hassle after a while.[/QUOTE]
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See , this is the kinda thing I'm talking about ! This all sounds , well , great ! We do our best and certainly make the most of what we've got but you have to get in your car to do it all and have your hand in your pocket constantly! I just wonder sometimes if the lifestyle change wasn't BIG enough ! I'm still as busy , doing the same job, same things.For me , it's very much NO WORK ! NO PLAY !

jad n rich

LOL. The aussie media recently named the Gold Coast the party drug capital of the world, BBQ at Southport is probably code for an expat rave


Edit: Better point out obviously that is more the summer party/nightclub/schoolie scene more of a 15 to 25's thing.

Tass

Really ?!? That would explain it all !
"big box ,little box , stack it on the shelf" PMSL !!!

jad n rich

Its good with young kids, especially the pool in summer, every weekend we are on a sleepover circuit, either about 5 kids sleep here or our lot go somewhere else, (this is the younger ones of course, the 19 year old I dont ask where he sleeps ) You still do a lot of petrol but its cheaper in QLD still only paying $1.06 its subsidised. There is cheaper housing too, what I quoted was 4 beds pool, in Caloundra and Mountain Creek they are doing these town house or small land, 3 bedders, brand new and around the $300,000 all up. You should fly up for a look its about $59 from sydney at the mo.

Stu.E

You'll hear no complaints from me in Sydney. Still, each to his own......

Tass

Hi ! Not complaining just wondering why Queenslanders would appear to have it better than the rest of us . well me really.

Tass

You should fly up for a look its about $59 from sydney at the mo.[/QUOTE]


Have driven up already ! (Overnight with the kids asleep in the back in the middle of Jan ! )
The 2 weeks we were there , gold coast, it rained every day.There had been storms so there was blue stingers on all the beaches and Australia Day celebrations had been cancelled because it was too windy !
Oh , and did I mention , I got a horrible massive , thigh sized cellulitic bite ?
So am still curious !

jad n rich

Have driven up already ! (Overnight with the kids asleep in the back in the middle of Jan ! )
The 2 weeks we were there , gold coast, it rained every day.There had been storms so there was blue stingers on all the beaches and Australia Day celebrations had been cancelled because it was too windy !
Oh , and did I mention , I got a horrible massive , thigh sized cellulitic bite ?
So am still curious ! [/QUOTE]



Sounds like a fun trip. Keep telling people its the summer weather you have to watch, they probably think I'm mad but its true.

Hope your thighs recovered now

Flutterscutter

Great thread Tass!

I was very interested in your comments about 100% mortgages. We are coming to Sydney shortly, unlike you we dont have dependant kids (grown up) and for complicated reasons wont have much for a deposit in Sydney!
Is it correct that EVERYONE wanting one of these mortgages has to provide 3yrs savings in Aus? Husband will have very good professional job and once i am trained up i shall too. Servicing a high mortgage would certainly not be a problem for us, but after reading your comments i'm worried they wont give us one!!

Tass

Hi !
We have another meeting with the mortgage folk on Monday, hopefully , if they don't cancel again!We are hoping that they will realise that we are just good honest, hard working folk , who are true to their word and will make the payments.
There are other ways around it but most of them involve family , which puts us out automatically. From what I know, a member of your family can offer "security" on your mortgage.It's kinda like a guarrantor,(still can't spell it !) they would be responsible for paying your home loan back to the bank if you failed to do it yourself.It usually involves the family member offering up their own house as "security".We had friends willing to do this for us , even though we have only known them a few months, but banks will not authorise it because we're NOT family ! If you have "security" you do not have to pay as much loan insurance which means you would be able to free up some of the $7000 First time owners allowance. It all has a lot of ins and outs ! The lender we are speaking to on Monday reckon the best they might be able to do for us is maybe pre-approve a loan but not offer it to us until we have been here for a year ! Each application will be considered on individual merits
Will let you know how we get on.
All the best,
Tass.

Tass

Sounds like a fun trip. Keep telling people its the summer weather you have to watch, they probably think I'm mad but its true.

Hope your thighs recovered now [/QUOTE]
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It's all good mate !
I hope to be back to visit friends soon, avoiding the summer and all it's wonderful experiences !

Tass

Have you visited much up there Soapy ? Are you going to have to move schools with the bairns ? What about work , will it all be easy for you to have a BIGGER social life ? Are the houses REALLY that much cheaper ? and taxes and council rates etc.
Sorry , I know you've said you answered all this afore but gonnae gies the link tae it ? (and no, nae a sausage link !)
orra best,
Tass.

Flutterscutter

Good luck for Monday. Will keep fingers crossed for you!

Pollyana

Hmmmmmmm - theres a difference between the "Gold Coast", and "Queensland"........people in Birdsville might be surprised to hear they are 15-20 mins from the beach

soapy©

been up a few time tass. the kids will have left school by the end of this year. thats why we are moving after the new year.
i have work waiting on me mrs soapy will get work befor e we move, just gotta sort that out, but its not a prob.
3 of my close friends i grew up with as kids all live in the area we are moving to.
we will be renting for the first 6 months and i can rent the same kind of house for half the price.
all in all its a good move for us as a family, if it doesnt work out. we will move back to sydney