Gold Coasters sign up here
May 5th 2004, 9:12 pm
#1
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Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Gold Coast Hinterland
Posts: 2,359
Gold Coasters sign up here
There seem to be lots of people heading in this direction and some already there.
Tell us a bit about yourselves. What do you do? Who's in your family?
We're 2 early retired geophysicists - no children - no parents - no house. Decided to something else with the rest of our lives and we like Australia. We've been visiting since 1987. Also lived in NZ for a few months and in Turkey much longer ago.
And you...........??
Tell us a bit about yourselves. What do you do? Who's in your family?
We're 2 early retired geophysicists - no children - no parents - no house. Decided to something else with the rest of our lives and we like Australia. We've been visiting since 1987. Also lived in NZ for a few months and in Turkey much longer ago.
And you...........??
May 5th 2004, 11:31 pm
#2
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Joined: Nov 2001
Location: Back in Aus
Posts: 721
My job in the UK with a contact lens manufacturer was going nowhere, and the company had been bought by the biggest bunch of d**kheads known to man (I should know, I worked for and was made redundant by them 10 years earlier
)
My wife is Australian, so we put in for a visa and got it! We flew out of the UK New years Eve 2001. We started off in Canberra (my wifes home town), and I picked up a temporary job in a government department.
Real problem with Canberra as far as migrants goes is most work there is in the public service, and with very few exceptions, there is a citizenship requirement to be taken on in anything other than a temporary position.
6 months after arriving in Australia, I picked up a permanent position just outside Newcastle, doing the R&D for a detergent/disinfectant manufacturer, which was pretty interesting.
Funny thing here is just after I accepted this position, one of the few government departments that dont have the citizenship requirement offered me a permanent position. Too bad they took over 4 months to make their minds up.
After a year of working up in Newcastle, I was approached by the MD of the last company I worked for in the UK. He had moved on and was now the MD of a contact lens manufacturer in Singapore.
I took the position, and moved up to the Gold Coast as this was convenient for Brosbane airport, Queensland Institute of technology, and another lens company closely connected with my employers. My wife also has 2 sisters here which is good for when I am away on business.
Great job, mainly working from home, but with regular trips to both Singapore and the UK (been back to the UK 3 times in 6 months).
I now see more of my parents than I did when I lived in the same country as them!
My sons (all grown) are still in the UK, one of them is now seriously considering coming out here himself. He hasnt any qualifications, but we have worked out I can qualify for citizenship next year, and as he will be under 25, he may also qualify for an aussie passport.
)My wife is Australian, so we put in for a visa and got it! We flew out of the UK New years Eve 2001. We started off in Canberra (my wifes home town), and I picked up a temporary job in a government department.
Real problem with Canberra as far as migrants goes is most work there is in the public service, and with very few exceptions, there is a citizenship requirement to be taken on in anything other than a temporary position.
6 months after arriving in Australia, I picked up a permanent position just outside Newcastle, doing the R&D for a detergent/disinfectant manufacturer, which was pretty interesting.
Funny thing here is just after I accepted this position, one of the few government departments that dont have the citizenship requirement offered me a permanent position. Too bad they took over 4 months to make their minds up.
After a year of working up in Newcastle, I was approached by the MD of the last company I worked for in the UK. He had moved on and was now the MD of a contact lens manufacturer in Singapore.
I took the position, and moved up to the Gold Coast as this was convenient for Brosbane airport, Queensland Institute of technology, and another lens company closely connected with my employers. My wife also has 2 sisters here which is good for when I am away on business.
Great job, mainly working from home, but with regular trips to both Singapore and the UK (been back to the UK 3 times in 6 months).
I now see more of my parents than I did when I lived in the same country as them!
My sons (all grown) are still in the UK, one of them is now seriously considering coming out here himself. He hasnt any qualifications, but we have worked out I can qualify for citizenship next year, and as he will be under 25, he may also qualify for an aussie passport.
May 6th 2004, 6:12 am
#3
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Joined: May 2003
Location: GC
Posts: 3,353
Hi Lesleys
Where abouts are you off to on the Gold Coast. I am originally from Essex but I have not lived there for the past 16 years as I have been living in Turkey, Greece, Cyprus and Italy.
My husband is in hotel management and he wants to try Australia so we chose the Gold Coast as it is a tourist area. We have two children aged 7 & 9 and they are really looking forward to going.
I had a similar thread to this before: http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...5&pagenumber=1
By the way, whereabouts did you live in Turkey?
Where abouts are you off to on the Gold Coast. I am originally from Essex but I have not lived there for the past 16 years as I have been living in Turkey, Greece, Cyprus and Italy.
My husband is in hotel management and he wants to try Australia so we chose the Gold Coast as it is a tourist area. We have two children aged 7 & 9 and they are really looking forward to going.
I had a similar thread to this before: http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...5&pagenumber=1
By the way, whereabouts did you live in Turkey?
May 6th 2004, 6:57 am
#4
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Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 142
Hi
We are family four from Wiltshire(not a big country estate) children 14/11 husband commuted to london in I.T but our lives were going nowhere,Previously from South Africa but not wanting to return there Liked Gold coast so here we go.House sold,contacts exchange 04 June ,shippers in 01 June,lodging Bond hopefully Mon and we hope to go mid June
Sally
We are family four from Wiltshire(not a big country estate) children 14/11 husband commuted to london in I.T but our lives were going nowhere,Previously from South Africa but not wanting to return there Liked Gold coast so here we go.House sold,contacts exchange 04 June ,shippers in 01 June,lodging Bond hopefully Mon and we hope to go mid June
Sally
May 6th 2004, 9:23 am
#5
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Joined: Oct 2003
Location: Gold Coast Hinterland
Posts: 715
We are currently living in Worcestershire. Hubby (Keith) and I run a computer company and son is doing a degree at Leeds University.
Keith already had Australian Citizenship as his mum was born over there so I applied for my visa, which was granted at the beginning of April. Our son (Anthony) has also been granted the same visa.
We will be moving out to the Coolangatta area on the 6th July and hope to buy a property in the Currumbin Valley. Anthony will continue his degree at Leeds and then move over to Oz in 3 years time. In the meantime he will be coming over to spend holidays with us.
It will be hard leaving my family but one or both of us will be going back to the UK a couple of times a year for a visit.
We look forward to meeting up with you all over there.
Sharon
Keith already had Australian Citizenship as his mum was born over there so I applied for my visa, which was granted at the beginning of April. Our son (Anthony) has also been granted the same visa.
We will be moving out to the Coolangatta area on the 6th July and hope to buy a property in the Currumbin Valley. Anthony will continue his degree at Leeds and then move over to Oz in 3 years time. In the meantime he will be coming over to spend holidays with us.
It will be hard leaving my family but one or both of us will be going back to the UK a couple of times a year for a visit.
We look forward to meeting up with you all over there.
Sharon
May 6th 2004, 8:51 pm
#6
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Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Gold Coast Hinterland
Posts: 2,359
Hi everyone,
We're hoping to settle on Tamborine Mountain - close enough to Brisbane and the coast but a bit quieter. We're keen on watching wildlife and birds so somewhere next to the rainforest will suit us to start.
We both come from the Manchester area originally, met at Liverpool Uni doing physics and geophysics and we've worked together ever since. Moved first to Croydon to work in seismic exploration then out to Sussex and Kent.
Our time in Turkey was in Ankara in the late 70s. Not a pretty place but we survivied.
We retired 5 years ago at 50 (an ageist industry) and waited 5 years until we were old enough for retirement visas. We're booked to arrive in Brisbane on 3rd July.
Won't be long now....
Lesley
We're hoping to settle on Tamborine Mountain - close enough to Brisbane and the coast but a bit quieter. We're keen on watching wildlife and birds so somewhere next to the rainforest will suit us to start.
We both come from the Manchester area originally, met at Liverpool Uni doing physics and geophysics and we've worked together ever since. Moved first to Croydon to work in seismic exploration then out to Sussex and Kent.
Our time in Turkey was in Ankara in the late 70s. Not a pretty place but we survivied.
We retired 5 years ago at 50 (an ageist industry) and waited 5 years until we were old enough for retirement visas. We're booked to arrive in Brisbane on 3rd July.
Won't be long now....
Lesley
May 6th 2004, 10:43 pm
#7
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Joined: Nov 2001
Location: Back in Aus
Posts: 721
Originally posted by lesleys
Hi everyone,
We're hoping to settle on Tamborine Mountain - close enough to Brisbane and the coast but a bit quieter. We're keen on watching wildlife and birds so somewhere next to the rainforest will suit us to start.
We both come from the Manchester area originally, met at Liverpool Uni doing physics and geophysics and we've worked together ever since. Moved first to Croydon to work in seismic exploration then out to Sussex and Kent.
Lesley
Hi everyone,
We're hoping to settle on Tamborine Mountain - close enough to Brisbane and the coast but a bit quieter. We're keen on watching wildlife and birds so somewhere next to the rainforest will suit us to start.
We both come from the Manchester area originally, met at Liverpool Uni doing physics and geophysics and we've worked together ever since. Moved first to Croydon to work in seismic exploration then out to Sussex and Kent.
Lesley
When were you at Liverpool Uni? I was there '75 to '78 (chemistry with physics as a subsid), and stayed on there to do a PhD in chemistry, so know the campus reasonably well, and the local pubs intimately!
Us chemists used to hang out in the Oxford, I guess the physicists used the Cambridge. (these are pubs local to the uni precinct, in case anyone is wondering: I can quite legitimately say I spent my university career in (the) Oxford
)
Dec 10th 2004, 8:54 am
#8
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Joined: May 2003
Location: GC
Posts: 3,353
Re: Gold Coasters sign up here
Originally Posted by lesleys
There seem to be lots of people heading in this direction and some already there.
Tell us a bit about yourselves. What do you do? Who's in your family?
We're 2 early retired geophysicists - no children - no parents - no house. Decided to something else with the rest of our lives and we like Australia. We've been visiting since 1987. Also lived in NZ for a few months and in Turkey much longer ago.
And you...........??
Tell us a bit about yourselves. What do you do? Who's in your family?
We're 2 early retired geophysicists - no children - no parents - no house. Decided to something else with the rest of our lives and we like Australia. We've been visiting since 1987. Also lived in NZ for a few months and in Turkey much longer ago.
And you...........??
Hows it going - where abouts are you on the Gold Coast. We arrived about 7 weeks ago and we are in Varsity.
Dec 10th 2004, 9:44 am
#9
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Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Gold Coast Hinterland
Posts: 2,359
Re: Gold Coasters sign up here
Trev
We left the country just after your post so I didn't see it. We were a little before you at Lpool Uni - 1967-71. That's why we're here on retirement visas, we're old.
Debsy,
Hi, and welcome. We've been up here on the mountain for 5 months now and enjoying almost every minute. Only bad bits are cloud obscuring the view this week and tick bites when the weather is better and we do the garden.
We've just started land-hunting and can be seen scouring all the road on the mountain looking for vacant blocks and checking out the neighbours. We've also had hours of fun visiting display homes down at Pacific Pines and Regatta Waters - excellent free entertainment and usually with air-con. Mr S is hit with the neighbours fixing PCs and it's keeping us in free flowers, lettuce and herbs.
Have you got any firm plans yet?
Lesley
We left the country just after your post so I didn't see it. We were a little before you at Lpool Uni - 1967-71. That's why we're here on retirement visas, we're old.
Debsy,
Hi, and welcome. We've been up here on the mountain for 5 months now and enjoying almost every minute. Only bad bits are cloud obscuring the view this week and tick bites when the weather is better and we do the garden.
We've just started land-hunting and can be seen scouring all the road on the mountain looking for vacant blocks and checking out the neighbours. We've also had hours of fun visiting display homes down at Pacific Pines and Regatta Waters - excellent free entertainment and usually with air-con. Mr S is hit with the neighbours fixing PCs and it's keeping us in free flowers, lettuce and herbs.
Have you got any firm plans yet?
Lesley
