poggle

Hi All!


Its been ages since ive posted here, with so many new names since i was last on, but for those who remember me, and for new members that might be interested, Here's the story so far!

We Left London 31st Jan 2003 freezing cold and covered in snow!! to arrive in Melbourne 21 and a half hours later, hot and sunny and 35 degrees!!

so much has happened since weve been here!! it would take far too long for me to go into to too much detail, but basically, getting settled was very easy, no problems at all. we had arranged the leasing of our house over the net, before we left England, so we had somewhere to live immediately on arrival.

We spent the first few days doing stuff like sorting medicare, tax file numbers etc. then it was time to relax and unwind from all the stresses and strains of the previous year!! We were lucky that with the exchange rate being so good at the time of our transfer of uk funds, that we could afford to treat our 1st 6 weeks here as a 'holiday' while we waited for our container to arive from uk.

This arrived, with everything in tact, [except for one cheap wine glass! value approx £1.50] We were really pleased with shipping co we used, which was called, 'you pack, we ship'. I can give details to anyone interested in getting a quote, if you want to email me. also the company that handled everything here in Mel were very efficient and are highly recommended by us too. We took a chance and didnt bother with getting insurance for the container, so we are now £1.50 out of pocket instead of what could have been hundreds or thousands in insurance, im not suggest you should all do that, but that was just our choice!

I was lucky enough to have a job offer before coming out here too. I started my new job a few weeks ago, and have settled into it really well.

Over all, since we have been here, everything has been exactly as we had hoped it would be , and better!! we have made loads of new friends, and have established ourselves as 'regulars' in our local pub! we are just so happy here, and to be really honest , we dont miss one thing from our lives in the uk. We are in touch by email and IM, with our friends and family, and probably have more contact with them here, that we did when we lived just up the road!

Ive put off posting about how 'Fantastic and wonderful' life is here, as im sure the 'neg heads' and whingers like PB & Co. are still haunting this group, and love to slag off the 'dreamers, with rose coloured glasses' like me, and ruin posts that are 'too positive'!!but i thought, now that i have really settled into Aussie life, and have a routine now, i have a bit more spare time, so i thought i'd catch up with you all. and just ignore the likes of PB

If anyone wants to know anything specific about life in Melbourne, id be happy to help if i can! We dont have kids, so cant be much help regarding good schools etc. but anything else i might be able to help with, ie.we love sports, live music! food, and drink, so we have pretty much got these topics sorted! so PM or email me if you want.

Thats all for now! Good luck to all of you still waiting!! i know its so stressful at times, but dont despair! it really is worth the wait!!

[Mash, if you read this, how are you, what stage are you at now? hope youve had good news or are even here! since i last heard about you]

Cheers! Kaff

mashiraz

Hi Poggle, amazing coincidence, I was only thinking of you and how you were getting on!........ last I heard you were still surrounded by bubble wrap!!

The great news is we got our visa on Feb 18th, not too much of a long wait after all (in the end) so we were thrilled!.

House has been on the market since and got an offer on it today, with a small chain, so we are hoping to start firming up plans to travel end June, for new school term in July.

It all seems to be coming real since we got the offer on the house, and it's a scary moment now, which I hope will turn into excitement quite quickly, rather than disappointment if the sale falls through at any stage.

Great to hear your news. Are there any other hints and tips? Hows the job and working life out there, whats the rental like, are you thinking of buying?

So many questions!
Great to hear from you and can't wait to hear more!
Mash

Stoney

Hi Kaff,
Good to hear a success story, I am fairly new to the boards and have been regularily attacked as a dreamer.
PB and Co are always holding up peoples bad experiences and they will probably ignore yours however they might still see you as still in the holiday mode,
but I am sure you know that already.
Anyway congratulations on settling in successfully and we look forward to more good news in the future.

Jamesy

Kaff

Marvelous to hear some positive news about your move and great to hear you settled in so quickly, sounds like it really is worth the wait

Nicki

kkyliecuteass

Good on you!
Great to hear some positive feedback!
sounds fab!
xx

Marlo

Hurray!! At last you`re back on here!!

I might just add and I hope Kaff doesn`t mind me speaking for her, if anyone does attack her for being in holiday mode she does have family in Melbourne who are blissfully happy and have lived there for 16 years or so.

Life is what you make it!

x

poggle

Hi All!

Thanks for the nice replies i had so far!! [im sure its only a matter of time!!] but lets enjoy it while we can!

Marlo's right, part of the reason for coming out here was that my defacto partmer of nearly 4 yrs, has a grown up daughter over here, who came out about 15 years ago after he split with her mum! we came over for a holiday last year and for me to meet her. We really hit it off, and i also fell in love with everything about Australia, so less than a year later, here we are !!

Having her here was a great help in getting settled. I get on really well with my 'step daughter' who's now 25, and it was great to have a females advice on the best places to go shopping, and what brand of soap powder is best etc. etc. but apart from trivial things like that, i know we would have done ok just being here by ourselves!

We are definately not in 'holiday mode'!! having to get up for work, puts pay to that!! but even with working and doing all the same type of socialising we did in england, life is a holiday! in comparison.

eg. I drive to work, its a pleasant drive and takes me 15 mins. To travel the same distance in london, where we are from would probably be a stressful 45 mins or more. Its things like this that make life good, like you feel when on holiday!

cheers! all xx

springflower

Hi Kaff

Great to hear your good news and that you have settled quickly and everything is as you expected. It sounds wonderful.

Jan :-)

monks

Hi Kaff...Am new on here and we went to Melbourne at xmas and loved it...can I ask you were you are living?? we have cousins in Cranbourne North and we liked it there...have started the process off so will be reading these messages for a while I am sure!! keep us posted with Melbourne life...
cheers..

poggle

Hi Monks!

We are here in Brighton, in the Bayside area, we are loving every minute of it. Im glad you had a great time here at xmas, weve yet to have that pleasure! im not sure how i'll cope with no family around and scorching sunshine instead of freezing cold weather and snow! Turkey on the barby is not quite the same!

If youve just started the process off, you may have a long wait ahead of you, but although you'll have your ups and downs and moments of despair! this group will see you through the 'rough times' im sure, they are a great bunch [with a few acceptions! im sure you know who i mean!] Theres people like Alan Collett and other migration agents who are really helpfull too!

Good luck with your application! it really is worth the wait!, once you are here

best wishes!

Vanou

Hi Kaff!

Great to hear it all went so well for you. It's very reassuring to read that some actually have a smooth arrival. Good for you.
We're also new to this group and hope to head for Melbourne sometime around Chrismas. So, of course, we'll be happy to learn about any of the good tricks that could make our life easier when our time finally comes (seems the waiting will never end thoughjavascript:smilie('')
frown).
I didn't know you could rent your house before getting there. That must be such a relief! We immigrated to Canada 3 years ago (hubby had to wait 4 years before being eligible for ACS assessment and we just had to get out of there) and finding an appartment on arrival was the most stressful part of it all. Any details about how to do it via Internet will be greatly appreciated.
Well, enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! You've earned it.javascript:smilie('')
smile

Vanessa

poggle

Hi Vanessa!

If you go to www.realestate.com.au you can do a search for property matching your requirements. If you see a property you like, then contact the agent who is dealing with it. If your'e not familiar with the area its in, then you can also do an 'area profile'. This is really helpful. The realestate agent may be understanding and also email you info on the local area to the property you are interested in.

We opened an account with the Commonwealth Bank about 6 mths before we left UK, and were able to pay a holding deposit, in AU$ to the agent, and then paid the bond and eveything else on arrival in Aus. You may be able to do it from a UK bank or credit card, but im not sure about that.
All this was done about 2 weeks before we were due to arrive in OZ.

We were emailed the lease agreement, which we printed, filled out and faxed back to the agents office.

Good luck! i hope this helps! feel free to PM or email me if you need more help.

Cheers!

pommie bastard

You been here 4 months and alreadly its all wonderful , whats the temp today ? you have not even seen the winter in Melbourne yet have you .
The new blow ins like yourself should be treated as holiday makers until you have at lest a year under your belt.


http://www.visitvictoria.com/display...D25A893A6C6B1A

poggle

PB How sad you are!

Oh how disappointed we are right now, with a bit of wind and rain!! Of course we only sold up everything! said goodbye to friends and family, some of whom we'll never see again!, and moved to the other side of the world, just to be in the sun and on holiday for a year!!!!.......NOT!!!!!!

We had a 'holiday for the first 6 weeks, waiting for our stuff to arrive, now we go to work, go out with friends, and do all the things associated with leading a 'normal life' [something you obviously know nothing about!!] in a beautiful country, with a far better lifestyle than we could ever have hoped for it the uk!!
this has also been the opinion of many ex pats weve met here that have been here for 2yrs up to 30 years!!

THIS IS A FACT!! like it or not!.......deal with it!!

pommie bastard

Deal with what come back with your views after a suitable time , I've heard bollocks before .
Lets see 9 years to your 4 months yes I know sod all and you know it all get real , never mind time is a great leveler.
Good Luck on the swings and roundabouts