Making friends?
 

Well Guys,
Me n the missus have been waiting 15 months and we finally got the yellow envelope in December, we had meds on the 7th of Jan and all our police checks etc are with DIMIA so I guess we're on the home straight before the adventure begins!!! Our house is sold apparently (I'll believe it when the signatures are on the contract) so we should be heading out in March / April if all goes well. Luckily I have two brothers who made the leap several years back so we have a good base camp to start from and although i think we'll eventually settle in Brizzy we're gonna have a couple of months holiday in Sydney with the bro's first before we start to scout about. We have spent many vacations hopping up and down the Eastern coast and so we know what to expect and its a challenge we're both looking forward to enormously!!!
Will need info on how to meet like minded people / other expats once we get there ......... Are there regular get togethers where we can go, have a few beers, make a few mates, and meet people in the same boat as us?

Happy days

Patmoss :)

Re: Making friends?
 

me hubby & junior heading for brisbane end of april house sold or not.
likewise we will also be interested in meeting ex pats, we are really excited about the move and have decided that cleveland seems a great place to start, plus have old school freind there.

tractor girl.

Re: Making friends?
 

We're not too isolated while we're in Sydney tractor girl but once we get up to Brizzy even my brothers will be a plane ride away in the same country ...... seems a little strange when you come from the uk and can get anywhere by car in a few hours!!!

Re: Making friends?
 

Hi Patmoss,
We're in a similar situation to yourselves (so it would seem). We're off to Brizzy to validate visas in April, then will probably go back permanently in July. We have just sold our house (and have one more property to sell, but not essential before we leave). We have some family (aunt/uncle/cousins) in Sydney (around Coogee), but we are hoping to settle in Brisbane. We've already been to Oz 5 times, and absolutely love it! We're looking forward to any expat meets. There is a regular Brisbane girlie night (see Pollyana's posts) but we're open to any other general meets that get organised from July onwards (or any in April while we're on a 2 week holiday in Brisbane).
So keep in touch, we'll be there soon!!!

Netta (&John) Clarke

Re: Making friends?
 

Hi,

I'm already in Brisbane. As has been said, we've a girlie drinking night. Think we've met twice this year already, next meet is due end of Feb... all girlies are invited - men, perhaps you could start one too :D
Also there are Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Brisbane meets, which are organised every few months.
As you meet more people here, and know exactly where you're living, it'll probably make it easier for you to know which meets you can attend, and if there's not one in your area of course, start one up :D :D :beer:

Re: Making friends?
 

hi patmoss,we re heading for the gold coast in the summer around june or july, we re in the same boat,we have no family or friends there, other than the expat friends we have met at meets this end and hope to meet once we get to the other end,we l have to be each others family i think :D
So keep in touch and maybe we could meet up once we get there,there is some meets coming up here in the next few months,i dont know if you can make any of them,but you d be more than welcome :beer:

tracey.

Re: Making friends?
 

The lovely MrsDagBoy has organised 4 expats meets in and around Brisbane since Dec 2003, so about 1 every 4 months. There has been at least 1 meet on the Gold Coast (not sure who organised that one) and at least 1 up on the sunshine coast (organised by Carrieanne I think).

The ones MrsD planned were at Wynnum foreshore (there are a lot of us in the bayside area), Coochiemudlo island (there are a lot of us in the bayside area), New Farm Park in the city and Wynnum foreshore (you know why).

Generally a meet during the day on a Sat or Sun - somewhere with BBQ facilities and takeaway food options and something to keep the kids busy - i.e. a playground or the beach, so definitely family focussed.

There is also the (rather sexist) girlies drinking club that meet in the CBD and get ratarsed snorting wine through straws in their nostrils (I may have made that up - I haven't read their posts :D just seen references to them).

I believe some of the lads are planning similar boys only nights to watch soccer and talk about their favourite teams - all I can suggest is watch this space (but for goodness sake please do not ask me for more info on this as I would rather stick hot needles into my eyes that have to talk about soccer).

Cheers,

DagBoy

Of course - you could always try making friends with some of the locals - some of them speak English passably.

Re: Making friends?
 

Just to clarify - my previous post was mildly flippant. I do appreciate that it helps to talk to other expats and share experiences/info/whinges and was in no way suggesting that none of you want to make Aussie friends too.

Cheers,

DagBoy

Re: Making friends?
 

hi dagboy, i really want to make lots of ozzy friend to, but we cant do anything about that until we get there unfortunately.

tracey.