Bix

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Barrakuda

Steph,
Good to hear from you again. Glad you are amongst it.
Is it true you settled there because it was close to Rochedale which makes you feel at home ?


Barrakuda,
Not the best but Multimap finds most places.
Just enter the road or post code.

http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.c...multimap.y=136

stefian

Hi Bix

good to hear from you. We were originally going to look for a house in Rochedale, because we liked the school. People back home thought it was bizzare to move to the other side of the world and still live in Rochedale.

Steph x

Anyone have any ideas where I can find friends? i'm thinking of going sitting outside the supermarket pleading with someone to talk to me.

diddy

maybe we could all meet up - although we need to get there yet - however there is nothing better (I think than getting together in a coffee shop for a good yarn every so often- must admit we do it weekly here - it would be a good way to meet people and to support one another

Barrakuda

Thanks for the map Bix.

Would love to meet with you Steph once I arrive, and with you Diddy when you arrive. It'll be so great if we all could meet together for a chat. I've heard people are getting together on July 27 somewhere on Sunshine coast, they are discussing it now. I won't arrive by that time, too bad for me. Will try to make for the next do.

Peter

Give me a couple of months and me, the missus and my two offspring will catch up with you. I'll probably be living out that way sooner or later.

Barrakuda

Have you got your visa already Ulujain?
In any case, good luck with it.

You see Steph, so many new people are coming soon, you won't have time to sit outside the supermarkets looking for new friends :-))

Peter

My wife is the one needing the visa; I'm already an Australian

hevs

School is a great place to start.

Then a job.

Then pinch your families friends.

Also your council might send you a brochure out (they did here in Vic) with a huge list of all groups and things to do etc in the area, just give em a call

Lastly, but most importantly, hold a tupperware party and invite evryone whose ever had eye contact with you

hevs

PS Chocolate fingers Australia is a CONTINENT, not a town, everywhere is different

bob and ginnie

Always a tricky one this, but I learnt a trick from the St John's course I did about 5 years ago.
Basically, insect-bites such as spiders, scorpions, etc. are PROTEIN based. Just get an ice pack, or pack of frozen peas / beans out of the freezer and slap it on the bite for a long time . . . an hour or so. This will prevent swelling and inhibit the toxins. Red backs (related to Black widows in the U.S.) and funnel webs are your main problem. Don't stick your hand down a hole you haven't checked out first and look out for webs with a funnel shape . . . dead give away! You'll fins a black thing at the other end of the funnel looking at ya!
Huntsman spiders . . . those big furry things as big as your hand . . . . are pretty harmless. They'll give you a nip and it feels like a hammer whack . . . you go a bit numb on the spot, but otherwise can get about alright for the day. They actually will keep your flies and mosquitoes right down, some Aussies have them on purpose running around their house.
Snake bites are venomous some of the time. Teach your kids NOT to play with them. Most folks are bitten by mucking around with them. You're too big for them to eat, so just give them time to disappear and they'll slither off. Take a step or two back to let them know you're not going for them! If you're unfortunate to startle a snake and it zapps you, put a restrictive bandage on your limb to stop the lymphatic system transporting the poison around your body. It won't travel in your blood stream . . . it's the lymphatic system that takes most of the venom to your heart, and that relies on movement to shift the lymph fluid around your body, so just immobilise the bitten limb as much as you can, and get to hospital quick. You've got a few hours usually.
Hope this bit of info gives you more confidence in living with the creepy crawlies. I've lived here 35 years and had not dramas .. . yet!

stefian

Thanks Bob & Ginnie for your explaination. could have done with it the other day though, I thought I'd been bitten by a red back. It turned out to be a big ant. They seem to like the taste of me, I get bit every day. They may be small but don't half nip.

Ulujain and Barrakuda, I would love to meet up when you arrive. We are going to the meet up in Brisbane. We went to one the week we arrived, they are really good and people are friendly. it's nice to put names to faces. Even if the names are Expats names at first. I looked puzzled when people introduced themselves with their real names, but as soon as they use their user name, it's like they are old friends.

Hevs.. well said mate anyway where have all the chocolate fingers gone

stefian

Bix

when do you arrive. Just seen how many post you have made. you must be nearly ready for coming over


Steph

jayr

This ones OK towork out where suburbs are in relation toeach other:

http://www.ourbrisbane.com/living/suburbs/

also recommend Mulitmap for detail. Don't waste your time with whereis.com

Barrakuda

Thanks Steph, we'll be arriving in August (around 19-20th), booking the tickets now. Very convenient to check and choose the best flight as I work for STA Travel here.
As I mentioned somewhere before, we'll stay near the city for a short time, then move to a 6months rental place (probably somewhere near Redcliffe or Scarborough, need to study suburbs better before I leave) and only after that will be looking for something to buy. I'm now reading all postings about the suburbs on this forum, so many contradictory opinions. Really hard to make any decision now, need to see the places myself, then decide where we'd like to stay.

Barrakuda

Thanks a lot for the link Jayr, a good one.
I agree about "Whereis", you need to know the exact street address to be able to "surf" through their map.