Trying to get the forum going again, not sure if this thread will do it?!

We've been in Perth for 15 months, we had both our parents visit us, each for a month earlier this year.

Am I the only one to find these visits VERY stressful?

Back in UK, we usually visit the relatives for the day, but when you move to other side of the world they turn up for weeks at a time. Be warned!!

Yep, I'll agree! My Mother visited us the other year, stayed for SIX torturous weeks!
God, did she get up my nose lol

Thanks for the warning, however since you're in Perth and I'm in Adelaide I don't need to worry about your parents showing up here.

The strain was for us trying to cope with people in holiday mood when we still have to work and get on with things. We want people to come when the kids are on holiday at least. Also as we only get four weeks holiday a year here not the five plus we had got used to in the UK, we have to ration them out amongst the guests. One I worry about is although we have only been here 18 months so far, we would like a holiday ourselves (just the four of us) and I am not sure that is going to happen with the rellies and possible friends visits planned for the next six. I feel mean trying to save up some holidays and pretend I haven't more to take when people are over. Husband and I are planning to take opposite days off to cover for holiday crowds and entertaining. Hopefully leaving a week for just us and kids at some point.

Over Christmas last year I had to work very long hours and was called in on days off etc. This was awful for all of us. Lucky it happened when friends were staying over the new year and not my mum - she would never ever of forgiven me.

Also on a lighter note - we have a big enough house for them to stay - but I need to get husband to jump on our bed tonight while I stay downstairs (check our the noise level )!

We have had 8 lots of visitors!! over the years.

Worst ones are those who assure you they want a hot Xmas. You say not wait till winter, they assure you they love heat. Then they promptly realise they had not a clue on earth what sort of heat we are talking in December. 2 hours at at the beach to tan, 4 hours in emergency for severe sunstroke. and so it goes on.

My mum was really funny, she was so obviously trying not to be a nuisance, she lost half a stone as she was worried about eating our food without asking. Then she kept turning the shower off mid way to save water. Poor woman. Then she developed a severe reaction to mosquitoes, lumps the size of grapes. Im still not sure if she really enjoyed it.

Rudest one was from Scotland, some distant cousin, he made no bones about stating Australia was somewhere in the dark ages!, walked around the shops snorting at the lack of variety, hooted in disgust when we took him out to highly desirable toursit attractions. The funniest bit was the Big Pineapple, even he could not fail to see the hilarity of climbing up a huge pineapple and riding in the big nut. When he left we discovered a pile of abandoned bandaids in his bed from his infected toenail.

One thing I do know tho, most only afford to come once, and as they age, the journey becomes too much for many. Enjoy them, while they can do it

So true, my folks were a real pain when they visited for 6 weeks. Girlfriends folks were better they used to take breath between moans.

Fortunateley the first person over was civilised but the beer work dilemma was always present. The Sunday before the wedding we went for a few quiet beers in town with my cousin. I think one of us decided tequila was a good idea. 4 hours later and most of the spirits in the bar tested I decorated Martin Place.

I am not sure what happened next but the beer gods delivered me asleep to Bondi Beach.

Next day I could hardly walk (can't say why). Monday I struggled to work. Tuesday I went to the docs and had a minor op and was told to stay in bed until the wedding.

Poor fiancee was going nuts with the stress of the wedding and I could not do anything. Wednesday more friends and relatives arrived and were wondering why I was not picking them up. My parents thought the whole thing was called off and were also going nuts.

Managed to explain it all away. The best man and a good friend turned up from Thailand with gastro and with only a pair of trainers for footwear. (Fiancee nearly gone bananas).

At this stage I had 4 guests in the flat with 2 in the spare room and 2 in the lounge. The 2 with gastro gave the place a special smell.

All the measurements I was given by the best man and ushers were wrong but fortunatley by some miracle the suit hire place sorted them out. The poor girl fitting the best man didn't appreciate his lack of boxer shorts.

One shoeless person hired shoes and the other got a spare pair of mine.

Thursday (day before wedding) I have to take the best man to the docs to help the gastro as he could not get 5 paces away from the toilet without being scared.

The big day all came off even though the best man couldn't drink and the stag night was abandoned.

The worst part was not being able to get enough time off work to spend with everyone. Work suffered because I was constantly hungover.

Hopefully next time I will be to plan a bit more.

God this website is an absolute godsend.Have been stressing out about my mum coming over for 6 weeks in our one bed flat...
Now I know I'm not alone

keep it coming!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the feedback, I can relate to a bit of all your postings!

We, as a family, are used to the long distant travel, we didn't realise how hard our parents would find the journey, even my parents who are only in their 50's moaned for the first week about jet lag, boring flight etc and started getting worked up about going back soon after arriving! Then there was the SARS virus at the time to add to the worries, the British media hyped it up and they were panicking.

My Mum in law collapsed in our local shopping centre through dehydration and low blood pressure, dad in law was completely lost and didn't know what to do, so I just screamed for help, fortunately the shopping centre had great medical staff and a doctor on hand. She was OK, she needed to drink more with the heat, frightened the life out of me, I thought that was it.

I feel such a responsibility having them travel all this way, I never gave it a thought when we were in England, some people just don't cope well with the flight and change of climate etc.

Both parents have not mentioned about coming back - I think we'll be doing the travelling back to UK.

Bondipom - sounds like a wedding to remember (or not?!)

One thing I have learnt from the visitors is they really appreciate the days you go off and do your job or whatever and leave them in peace.

We always stressed (and spent a fortune) amusing them, then my brother told us all he really wanted to do was sit in the garden with a good book. Seems better for all concerned if they have a bit of time to themselves.

See thats what happens when you Surf in Shite............... MM

This thread had been really interesting. It's funny that we can all get so stressed about relatives coming - I'm quite divided on this issue - I'd love some to come (my family), but hate for others to come (most of his family)!!!! However, I think we'd have to put spending time with our own family first, above entertaining relatives. It also seems quite selfish of some people, who seem to have turned up before you've got yourselves sorted, especially when things could well be hard financially... I think I may start dropping hints now and warn them off! (Hubby has 8 siblings... they aren't the easiest people in the world and I get stressed when they're down for a day... let alone 6 weeks!!!! eekkk! :scared: )

A bit of a PB but here we go.

Adelaide Coastal Waters Study
Heavy losses of seagrasses, murky water, erosion and pollution from stormwater, municipal wastewater and industrial discharges are among the warning signs for Adelaide's coastal waters, according to findings of the Adelaide Coastal Waters Study. The CSIRO-managed study focuses on the area of Gulf St. Vincent, extending from Pt Gawler in the north to Sellicks Beach in the south and about 20 km offshore. It also includes the Port River estuary.

Pollution studies show moderate to high turbidity and contamination by PCBs, lead, zinc and copper, as well as high ammonia and chlorophyll concentrations. Elevated nutrient conditions are conducive to the formation of toxic algal blooms. A total of 4000 hectares of seagrass has been lost from the area between Aldinga and Largs Bay in the past 50 years. This peaked in the late 1970s when up to half the seagrass beds off Glenelg and West Beach were destroyed. Partly as a result of this, there is now far more sediment in coastal waters, with up to 100,000 tonnes more sand being dumped on the beaches each year. This process has also changed the sea floor profile in parts of the coastal zone, which in some cases magnifies coastal erosion.

Effluent discharges and increasing sediment threaten both the abundance and diversity of creatures living on coastal reefs. Cabbage weed is starting to smother mangrove seedlings in some areas, and in others, the exposure of a clayey bottom has increased the risk of alien marine pests moving in. The Mediterranean fan worm, Sabella spallanzani, may have already colonised up to 3500 hectares in Gulf St Vincent.

The second phase of the Adelaide Coastal Waters Study is investigating how the coastal environment functions and copes with human impacts. This includes quantifying the amount and sources of pollution from the land entering Adelaide's coastal waters, mapping historical changes in seagrass patterns, working out sediment movements, and devising a long-term monitoring program.

yes ,but no Surf............. MM

Seems like I will have to leave the board behind if I go and see the sister in law.