What did you do?

Did you have rented accomodation sorted before you went? Did you walk into an empty shell of a building and huddle up on the corner? Did you buy a job lot of bean bags as multi purpose seating/sleeping arrangements? Did you go to a pub?




I can imagine that the first 24 hours could be arather stressed time afte a long flight across.

seems that most rent for the first few months and geta container to deliver their stuff to the rented place. Must be odd living without much until the container arrives.

Can't wait to see some of the replies to this one, we arrive on the 8 nov but our furniture does not arrive until the 16 Dec.
We have rented for the first two weeks fully furnished holiday home.What happens after that we are not quite sure,as regards the furniture front(bean bags could be a possibility)Maybe some body could point us in the right direction of furniture rentals in Perth.

We started in rented accomodation, for a month, furnished.

We didn't bring loads of furniture, chucked a load away as it was ancient and crap. What we did was, whilst looking for unfurnished rented ccommodation in the first weeks we also bought a couple of beds, suite etc... bu made sure that they didn't deliver it until we were in our new house.

As or first 24 hours. Well we got to the house. I went to the Mullaloo tavern to get some booze. Next day went to Bayswater Car hire to rent a car and went shopping.

Good luck

Well, we are in NZ, not Oz, but I guess its similar

I had a job lined up, my wife didn't. We booked into a motel for the first two weeks until we found an apartmanet. After getting to the motel, we picked up tourist brochures to get a feel for the city, headed into the CBD to have a look round. Had lunch and went to see where I was going to be working.

First purchases were a pay as u go cell phone and an Auckland Street Guide.

Next morning headed into town again to get ATM cards and banking sorted out (opened the account b4 we arrived). Started looking for places to rent later the day, numbers from the newspaper. Had a week off before a started work to sort things out. Arranged for Tax Ref numbers etc with help of my work.

Spent first two weeks living on stuff like pot-noodles and beer. Spent another two weeks after that sleeping on the floor on a matress. Bought a new couch that weas delivered the same day we moved into our apartment, so that was OK.

You find yourself getting stumped by all kinds of strange things, like where to buy groceries, where to buy cutlery, where to catch the bus. Map and cellphone were essential tools in our survival kit.

When we arrived we bought the following

Bed Sofa

Fridge (needed a bigger more insulated one anyway)

Portable TV. We used the box that the tv came in as the tv stand until our stuff arrived! (looks ok if you cover it in a sheet).

Aus video recorder (for uk tv when it arrives)

Cheap kitchen set (had knives, forks, glasses, plate, cups - one box $35)

We brought some sheets and towels with us to pad items out.

We bought a cheap camping table and some foldup chairs (20 and 8 respectively)

We found that we didn't need anything else till out stuff arrived. We now use the bed sofa as a spare sofa. The spare tv is good as our big uk one will only work through an AUS video. All houses have built in wardrobes - so although things will be sparse, it will look neat.

We got a bit sick of sleeping on the sofa bed for so long....but we managed. When our bed arrived it was fantastic!!!

I booked a furnished holiday rental property from the UK. After dropping off my suitcases there I headed straight for the local supermarket to buy the stuff I didn't want to carry - toothpaste, toothbrush, razors, shaving cream, soap, toilet paper, shampoo.......

I also picked up some bed sheets and towels because the rentals (holiday ones at least) don't, as a rule, provide them.

The shopping let me test my EFTPOS card that I had sent to me in the UK.

Bought some groceries to last a couple of days. Drove around for a while to see the area, but the weather was crap.

I was in holiday mode for about a week.

Go to a pub!!!!! WHAT PUB!!!!!?????

we stayed in a motel for around two weeks. we then rented .. first day in the rental we went out and bought beds. We had bed linen in our suitcases. We borrowed a fridge from someone in work ( a little bar fridge) went to the local supermarket and bought a couple of cheap cups, plastic plates and a loose cutlery.. we ate out, and bought takeaways.. second day we went and bought a few cheap pans. Then we bought a cheap second hand sofa from the paper ($100), and a cheap dining table ($75) ..we chucked them later. Actually we gave the sofa away to a friend for his kids rumpus room, and chucked the table .

We basically "camped", surviving with the bare minimum until our stuff arrived. Too much to do within the first couple of months so we hardly spent any time in the house at all.

cheers

P.s first 24 hours.. yes we went to the pub..lol . Actually our motel was next to a club/pub. (our company/work booked the motel.. they must have thought ahh Brits.. lets put them next to the club..lol)

no it didn't seem odd living with the bare minimum... in fact I rather enjoyed it.

the ozzie pubs that are basically ladbrookes with a bar??!!!

and 100 pokies, what fun

we arrived with no jobs, no work visas, 2 kids and not a great deal of cash (had been retrenched in SE Asia) We had 1 week booked in a serviced appartment, which cost a small fortune. we arrived with tons of baggage and huddled into this pint sized appartment. Couldn't really go out as it was lashing with rain. Sat and watched the telly with a six pack of Carlton Cold.

Actually felt bloody miserable and wondered what in the world possessed us to take a chance on Aus as opposed to going back to the UK.

I'd like to say from that day on it was fine, but in fact it took about 7 months to get ourselves on our feet and moving forward, and possibly another 3 months after that before we could say we were happy.

Well, starting positively (and lets hope it continues that way) - I'm lucky as my Bloke has a unit, so I had a fully furnished home to come to yesterday, some of my stuff already here from my last visit, and my precious computer sitting waiting for me. Oh, and a pack of jet-lagged teddy bears that arrived last week with the computer!

At present (24 hours in) it just feels very odd. I'm very aware of the need to get a job and am printing off application forms left right and centre. Apart from that it feels at present like I'm on holiday - I keep having to pull myself up thinking about the 'return flight' and stuff like that - I wonder how long it'll take for it to sink in that there IS no return flight. The things that are making me feel at home are simple, but odd - I used the doona (duvet) as packing round the computer, so thats here - I must be the only person in Brissie who slept under a doona last night, but it made it feel like home! Felt a bit homesick after ringing all the rellies to say I've got here, so I would certainly recommend bringing some bits and pieces that make wherever you are feel like home-I assembled the comp this morning and shoved in one of the few cds I brought by hand, and turned it up loud while I lay in the bath (with Boots bubbles!) - that helped!
Have done a bit of running around this morning, sorting internet access, mobile phone, bank and stuff, and everyone has been very welcoming when I say "I've just arrived from England, and...."

Slightly off-topic, but having spoken to me sister, who saw me off (with hubby & 3 kids), she said that although it was a bit tearful, shes really glad that they did it. I was dubious as to whether it would be upsetting, especially for the kids, but they had an exciting time running round Heathrow, and my sis says that it really meant a lot to her to be able to be there for me.

Just hope the positive start continues......

Try this link for rental furniture: http://www.rentalsrus.com.au/furniture-bedding.htm

Wow Pollyana the only thing I can tell you is that we wish you the best in OZ...

Don´t forget to let us know how things go...

Cheers...

Enrique

I cried.....

And as Pollyanna says, I was really aware that I was unemployed for the first time in my life. Very weird.

But we were at relatives for the first few weeks so apart from the "living with rellies" thing, that took the heat off a bit.

Diane

We stood in the pouring rain and howling wind outside Adelaide airport at 6am waiting 40 mins for a taxi that could fit our luggage and two mountain bikes - wearing t-shirts and cardis - we were freezing (it was winter).

We crashed out in a hotel for a few days, and sorted out things like driving licences, TFNs, banking, bought a car, and then drove up the middle of Oz, to Darwin and across to north Qld for 3 months. By the time we got back to Melbourne and found somehwere to rent, our ship had docked and our furniture was ready to be delivered.

So I guess, we lived in a tent and sleeping bags for much of our initial time in Oz, and we ate off plastic plates, with plastic cutlery.