Originally Posted by Scotschick

When's your next meet at the beach Soapy. Would love to come along to it as we missed the meet in Feb when we were over. We won't be flying out until 21 June though.

Cheers

Originally Posted by soapy

i wont decide a date until after the pac pines meet.
but as ive said, there has been plenty of meets on the gold coast, so if u miss the next one, im sure it wont be too long till the next

Originally Posted by ozziegirl

hi anyone out there!

i arrived in the gold coast area in dec, and go to college three days a week tuesday,wednesday,thursday and need some friends not just for myself but for my kids aswell, am starting to feel very lonely and finding it hard to make friends with kids to do days out to the beach and park, plus missing the big one shopping and lunches with a good friend ...

does anyone else feel the same or am i just a very sad person who needs to get a life!!!!!

have tried to find places to go with no luck as limted to only mondays and fridays off.

please contact me ozziegirl

Originally Posted by ozziegirl

hi anyone out there!

i arrived in the gold coast area in dec , and go to college three days a week tuesday,wednesday,thursday and need some friends not just for myself but for my kids aswell, am starting to feel very lonely and finding it hard to make friends with kids to do days out to the beach and park, plus missing the big one shopping and lunches with a good friend ...

does anyone else feel the same or am i just a very sad person who needs to get a life!!!!!

have tried to find places to go with no luck as limted to only mondays and fridays off.

please contact me ozziegirl

Originally Posted by ozziegirl

hi sam

are u coming out on a student visa with your family or as perm residences? i can fill u with some hope on the student visa, thats the visa i am on, i started my course in jan of this year and love it after two years i can apply for pr (perm residence). the only thing i would say is organize it all before u leave the uk, i found it made it easier and u can save more monies to come here with. i bet one of your worry's is u and your husband only being able to work 20 hrs a week well thats what we worried about because it's not that cheap living here when u are living dollar for dollar which u will be. what does your other half do ? i ask this because there is a loop hole if your husbands has a professional jobs like (city banking,insurance,manager of people) here can apply for a 457 visa long term working visa here would have to us one of the agencies that deal with this to help him, as long as a employer is willing to sponsor him and give him work he can change his visa plus after two year u can apply for pr as well so will give u two routes student and 457 work visa, plus this visa allow him to work full time because belive me child care is not cheap. i have three kids as u know 8,4and 22 mth old and go to child care facilities three times a week it costs me :
8 yrs 32.00 dollars a week for just after school care from 3:00 to 6:00 pm four afternoons a week with a local child minder at 3.99 a hour and for three full days 120.00 dollars a week in school holidays.
4 and 22 mth old go to the local abc centre it's 45.00 dollars a day for 4 year old and 44.00 dollars a day for my 22 mth old thats from 6.30 am to 6.30 pm three weeks of care for them cost near 800.00 dollars, this is what i pay every three weeks.
because on student visa u get no goverment help.sounds cheap when u think sterling but remember u will be living in dollar it add up and it hurts!!!

i am glad u like the sounds of southbank look forward to making the arrangements to meet your family..

good luck if u just want a chat u know where i am.
i hope what i have written is not to forward or off putting.
chat soon ozziegirl

Originally Posted by SarahJane2007

just booked 3 weeks on Broadbeach and had look on the map, it dosent look too far away from you?? or burleigh beach we arrive there 23rd june. sarah

Originally Posted by samlee31

Hi,

Its good to see the many replies in this thread, it really is great to know there are othe people out there in same boat and they all sound lovely. As for meets when i get there I will definatley be going, there is nothing like putting yourself out there to meet friends.
Unfortunately my parents are not permenant (retirement visa) so i wont be coming over under sponsorship from them, hence the need to study! I dont have husband, doing this solo (with my little soldier to help of course!) This will be my secound student visa as tried it once but but circumstances changed and had to come back to UK.
By the sounds of the prices of childcare im kinda glad i have my parents there they have said they will look after my son while im in college. I may put him in once a week for the interaction with other kids.
Im hoping to get over before the end of May, so I will keep an eye o this thread and see when you all intend to meet up or which meet your going to and go from there.

See you all soon,
Sam

Originally Posted by Cuddles

H ozziegirl,

I know just how you feel. We moved up here from Sydney in January and was finding it quite hard to find friends again. I actually put a thread on this website too and had some great responses. I also had never done this sort of thing before and was quite worried meeting up but Im glad to say it was well worth it in the end.

There is a small group of us that now meet up, and 1 of them you are meetinng this Friday, shes lovely. We are all normal lovely people honest ha.

I have 4 children aged 12, 10, 6 and 3.and if you ever want a chat then just pm me.

Hope to see you soon.

Cuddles

Originally Posted by soapy

the expats meets are a great thing. we have made loads of friends from them, both here and in sydney.
its not something seedy, its just a bunch of expats getting together and having a natter. if you happen to make friends from it, well then its a bonus.

if u have been to a meet and dint like some of the people there, then try another.

this might sound harsh, but if anyone has been out here a year and have not made friends then there must be something wrong with them. there has been about 16 meets on the gold coast since we moved here last year. we missed the first two, pac pines has had about 5, we have been to one on the beach, one at the benowa tavern, the ladies have had at least 4 days out, and im sure theres another group having meets (last one was at labrador) i think.

if you want an easier start to your life in australia, then get your arse to a meet!

not everyone likes the meets, but then they just go off and try a bit harder to find friends some place else

Originally Posted by ozziegirl

hi soapy

harsh harsh words some people are just not way out there, and have there worries.
you sound just like my husband his a scots man.

anyway can i bring all my family to the next meet my husband and kids would like to make more friends as well, where is it going to be??????

ozziegirl

Originally Posted by ozziegirl

hi anyone out there!

i arrived in the gold coast area in dec , and go to college three days a week tuesday,wednesday,thursday and need some friends not just for myself but for my kids aswell, am starting to feel very lonely and finding it hard to make friends with kids to do days out to the beach and park, plus missing the big one shopping and lunches with a good friend ...

does anyone else feel the same or am i just a very sad person who needs to get a life!!!!!

have tried to find places to go with no luck as limted to only mondays and fridays off.

please contact me ozziegirl

Originally Posted by ozziegirl

hi anyone out there!

i arrived in the gold coast area in dec , and go to college three days a week tuesday,wednesday,thursday and need some friends not just for myself but for my kids aswell, am starting to feel very lonely and finding it hard to make friends with kids to do days out to the beach and park, plus missing the big one shopping and lunches with a good friend ...

does anyone else feel the same or am i just a very sad person who needs to get a life!!!!!

have tried to find places to go with no luck as limted to only mondays and fridays off.

please contact me ozziegirl