ballyhoo

Hi all

We are hoping to complete our house sale in the next few weeks and are planning on having all our stuff packed and stored for a month before shipping out to Australia.

We were then going to go in July for a two weeks to have a quick reccie! Yes, yes, we do everything backwards.

Finally our plan is to "officially" move over in September.

Now I think what a waste of money in July, when I could be spending those two weeks with my family. We were mainly doing it to keep our parents happy.

Yes, it'll be scary going over never having been before, but . . . .

. . . . what are your thought? Do we just go for it? We have 2 kids, aged 7 and 4.

Should we be more responsible?????

amanda76

hi
just go for it............. move over there for good september... if you really wanted to do a reccie i think it should have been done before you got your visa and before you sold your house!!!!
ask yourself this , are you going to emigrate there anyway?? if the answers yes, then dont bother doing a reccie - waste of money, you will only spend the few weeks over there stressing and worrying, trying to sort everything out but not, if you know what im mean.............
anyway thats my opinion, however i do know that you will be anxious etc etc, i have 3 children and we are not doing a reccie!!

amanda

amanda76

remember life is for living and its too short to be doing things to keep your parents happy. now i will get off my soap box.xxx

pako

Do you intend working in Geelong?

ballyhoo

Yes. We're on a regional visa, so Geelong is THE place. Just hope we can get work.

OzTennis

If I was in this situation I wouldn't do the 'reccie' and would save the airfares and fortnight's expenses for the move in September. Do your reccie at your PC - British Expats, BritVics and Google will provide you with a lot of the information at the fraction of the cost. I appreciate that you want to see the place before hand but get all the information you can before go and the move will hold less trepidation.

OzTennis

kirsty&al

Hi,

Nothing wrong with going over without a reccie. We did it and have no regrets (and a few extra $). Only thing is to make sure that you try and keep a couple of weeks (or more) free when you arrive to do the things that you should have done in the reccie (i.e. look at suburbs, schools, etc...).

Regards
Alistair

pako

My husband is from Geelong, and some of his family still live around that way. My husband won't live in Geelong again because of the shortage of work and the long commute to the city. That is the reason I asked. However I'm sure it depends on your job/skill. My husband is a fitter & turner so its not the easiest of work to come by, so i don't mean to worry you. I'm a town planner and i know I would be able to get a job over that way quite easily. I really like Geelong, its got some really nice suburbs and is close the the Great Ocean Road. I know my neices and nephews love living over that way, so it'll be great for your kids. Good luck with your plans.

ballyhoo

Thanks so much for all your replies. Deep down I know that we ARE moving to Australia and the reccie trip was very much to keep the parents happy. An expensive way though!!!!

As I read all your answers, they all made sense.

With regards the work situation - we are stuck in that Geelong is the place we have to go re the SIR visa. Hubby is in IT, so hopefully he manages to get a job.

Judes2308

I wouldn't bother with reccie so close to when to plan to move, money could be better spent elsewhere I would think. We're also heading to Geelong on SIR (think I replied to you on a different post !) and we haven't been before (although have been to Oz). We're just saving as much as we can over the next few months so we've got a 'comfort zone' money-wise when we get there if jobs are hard to come by.

Judy

PS. If worst comes to worst we can set up a soup-kitchen for us unemployed, skint ex-pats in Geelong !!

ballyhoo

Hey Judes

Yes, we have spoken before. Great to "know" someone going to the same place.

We have the same provisions if jobs are hard to come by. Think I'm worrying simply because others are expecting me to! Sounds Greek, I know.

Great idea about the soup kitchen - or perhaps we could all camp out on the beach. Be real surfer dudes (and dudesses)!!

Judes2308

Don't get me wrong.........I'm worrying too, but trying to hide it behind a calm exterior !!

Been in the same safe secure job for 16 years so giving that up together with our safe secure life is daunting. But what the heck, you only live once !!

As you say, it's comforting to think that there will be some friendly faces when we get there

Joanne

We did a reccie last year and stayed in Torquay, nr Geelong and to be honest, two weeks wasnt nearly long enough for us. Did cross off a lot of places that we wouldnt want to live, so maybe that did help! But now having doubts where would be best, Torquay, Mount Martha or Mount Eliza, oh decisions, decisions Dont think you will every truly know, until you do make the move.

I would personally save the money and go in September, its only a few months away. We were only at the beginning of the visa process when we went, so had nothing to lose and if we didnt like it, wouldnt have continued applying.

Good luck with your decision.

Jo

Amanda5

We're also hoping to be going to Geelong-we have talked about doing a 'reccie',but to be honest would rather save our money for the real thing! Like you guys-never been,were taking three children with us.I just spend hours and hours on the web! feel like Ive already been there. I fully understand you may want to see your 'new home' before moving there,but you sound like us -in that you're going anyway,what difference will a two week trip make? Im planning to spend the first couple of weeks after arrival visiting the suburbs to decide on our home town-rather than go now.
Id do like lots of other people on here and just go for it!
Everyone has their own feelings,but thats mine!
With all these British heading to Geelong,may well need to open that soup kitchen!
Defiantly have to arrange a meet when we are all there!

ballyhoo

I think that we would have had a look at areas, houses and a few schools in the two week reccie trip (whilst suffering jetlag). Well, I'd say I've done a fair amount of that, like all of you, via these forums!

Have seen pics of Geelong on the web (obviously they won't show the grottier side and every place does have one) and like what we see.

Short of Geelong being under a constant plague of flies, or it being a really crappy looking place, there's not much we could see to put us off on a two week trip.

I have made the move once from South Africa (sixteen years ago - single, no kids) with no probs whatsoever, yet to do it again with the responsibility of husband and kids suddenly turns it into a mega thing.

All I tell myself now is "get a life", which I'm hoping to do very soon!! Can't believe how pathetic I have become since having kids!!!