our story - before and after the big move
Apr 27th 2005, 11:26 pm
#1
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: Brisbane, Forest Lake
Posts: 25
our story - before and after the big move
We have been in sunny Brissy now for just over 4 months and are settled in well despite a rocky start. we really love our surroundings but at times still feel homesick (I do anyway)
Our journey started really on 11 November when we exchanged contracts on our house and set the completion for the 8 Dec. We arranged a garage sale to get rid of the stuff we weren't taking and the removers were booked for the 3rd dec.
We advertised both cars in the autotrader on sunday 14th and on Monday 15th we wrote the good one off. We had a really serious (could have been fatal) accident. Our 206 rolled over on the A34 at Wash Common (Newbury) with all of us in it and was hit from behind while we were skidding along on the roof. I have never seen a wreck like it. we all thought our numbers were up.
No-one came to help us initially - they must have thought no one could have survived. Paul managed to get out but must have been dazed from the gash on his head as he was wondering around the dual carriageway like a zombie. I managed to unstrap our 9 year old and 3 year old and get them out. Our eldest needed 11 stitches in her head and the little one had hardly a scratch. Paul also took the skin off his hand so the day after giving his notice he was signed off work. I was lucky to have a minor cut on the head and broken rib.
It could have been worse but helped us get over our last minute nerves as we were definitely thinking life is too short not to follow your dreams.
Well after a nightmare few weeks feeling very fragile and still having to go through with all the packing we arrived on 15 Dec and booked a week in the Holiday Inn giving us a short time to find a place to live before christmas. We did it and moved in on 22 dec.
To cut a long story short, Paul started working on 17 January and Kayleigh started school shortly after.
Things have still been very up and down as in February my Mum got sick and died very suddenly. I went back to the UK for a week for her funeral, had a huge falling out with my step mother and the day I got home to Brisbane, my mums sister died.
We are also still on a 457 and are desperately awaiting our PR which has now been over 10 weeks.
I just wanted to let all the people trying to come over that it has been good for us - we have a wonderful quality of life, are lucky enough to be debt free, and doing without all our belongings until March has definitley made us far less materialistic than we were. We had never been to Australia before we came, but did alot of research and kept our minds open - that is all anyone can do.
Our journey started really on 11 November when we exchanged contracts on our house and set the completion for the 8 Dec. We arranged a garage sale to get rid of the stuff we weren't taking and the removers were booked for the 3rd dec.
We advertised both cars in the autotrader on sunday 14th and on Monday 15th we wrote the good one off. We had a really serious (could have been fatal) accident. Our 206 rolled over on the A34 at Wash Common (Newbury) with all of us in it and was hit from behind while we were skidding along on the roof. I have never seen a wreck like it. we all thought our numbers were up.
No-one came to help us initially - they must have thought no one could have survived. Paul managed to get out but must have been dazed from the gash on his head as he was wondering around the dual carriageway like a zombie. I managed to unstrap our 9 year old and 3 year old and get them out. Our eldest needed 11 stitches in her head and the little one had hardly a scratch. Paul also took the skin off his hand so the day after giving his notice he was signed off work. I was lucky to have a minor cut on the head and broken rib.
It could have been worse but helped us get over our last minute nerves as we were definitely thinking life is too short not to follow your dreams.
Well after a nightmare few weeks feeling very fragile and still having to go through with all the packing we arrived on 15 Dec and booked a week in the Holiday Inn giving us a short time to find a place to live before christmas. We did it and moved in on 22 dec.
To cut a long story short, Paul started working on 17 January and Kayleigh started school shortly after.
Things have still been very up and down as in February my Mum got sick and died very suddenly. I went back to the UK for a week for her funeral, had a huge falling out with my step mother and the day I got home to Brisbane, my mums sister died.
We are also still on a 457 and are desperately awaiting our PR which has now been over 10 weeks.
I just wanted to let all the people trying to come over that it has been good for us - we have a wonderful quality of life, are lucky enough to be debt free, and doing without all our belongings until March has definitley made us far less materialistic than we were. We had never been to Australia before we came, but did alot of research and kept our minds open - that is all anyone can do.
Apr 28th 2005, 2:33 am
#2
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Sep 2003
Location: North Lakes/Mango Hill, Brisbane
Posts: 1,134
Re: our story - before and after the big move
You've all been through the mill on the journey here!!
I am glad to hear you are now settling in and enjoying the wonderful place that Brisbane is.
I am glad to hear you are now settling in and enjoying the wonderful place that Brisbane is.
Apr 28th 2005, 4:50 am
#3
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Perth WA
Posts: 712
Re: our story - before and after the big move
You poor things, you've certainly had a bad time of things! Hope things improve & you continue to enjoy Brissie
Loopy
Loopy
Apr 28th 2005, 4:58 am
#4
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 3,010
Re: our story - before and after the big move
Originally Posted by donna paul
We have been in sunny Brissy now for just over 4 months and are settled in well despite a rocky start. we really love our surroundings but at times still feel homesick (I do anyway)
Our journey started really on 11 November when we exchanged contracts on our house and set the completion for the 8 Dec. We arranged a garage sale to get rid of the stuff we weren't taking and the removers were booked for the 3rd dec.
We advertised both cars in the autotrader on sunday 14th and on Monday 15th we wrote the good one off. We had a really serious (could have been fatal) accident. Our 206 rolled over on the A34 at Wash Common (Newbury) with all of us in it and was hit from behind while we were skidding along on the roof. I have never seen a wreck like it. we all thought our numbers were up.
No-one came to help us initially - they must have thought no one could have survived. Paul managed to get out but must have been dazed from the gash on his head as he was wondering around the dual carriageway like a zombie. I managed to unstrap our 9 year old and 3 year old and get them out. Our eldest needed 11 stitches in her head and the little one had hardly a scratch. Paul also took the skin off his hand so the day after giving his notice he was signed off work. I was lucky to have a minor cut on the head and broken rib.
It could have been worse but helped us get over our last minute nerves as we were definitely thinking life is too short not to follow your dreams.
Well after a nightmare few weeks feeling very fragile and still having to go through with all the packing we arrived on 15 Dec and booked a week in the Holiday Inn giving us a short time to find a place to live before christmas. We did it and moved in on 22 dec.
To cut a long story short, Paul started working on 17 January and Kayleigh started school shortly after.
Things have still been very up and down as in February my Mum got sick and died very suddenly. I went back to the UK for a week for her funeral, had a huge falling out with my step mother and the day I got home to Brisbane, my mums sister died.
We are also still on a 457 and are desperately awaiting our PR which has now been over 10 weeks.
I just wanted to let all the people trying to come over that it has been good for us - we have a wonderful quality of life, are lucky enough to be debt free, and doing without all our belongings until March has definitley made us far less materialistic than we were. We had never been to Australia before we came, but did alot of research and kept our minds open - that is all anyone can do.
Our journey started really on 11 November when we exchanged contracts on our house and set the completion for the 8 Dec. We arranged a garage sale to get rid of the stuff we weren't taking and the removers were booked for the 3rd dec.
We advertised both cars in the autotrader on sunday 14th and on Monday 15th we wrote the good one off. We had a really serious (could have been fatal) accident. Our 206 rolled over on the A34 at Wash Common (Newbury) with all of us in it and was hit from behind while we were skidding along on the roof. I have never seen a wreck like it. we all thought our numbers were up.
No-one came to help us initially - they must have thought no one could have survived. Paul managed to get out but must have been dazed from the gash on his head as he was wondering around the dual carriageway like a zombie. I managed to unstrap our 9 year old and 3 year old and get them out. Our eldest needed 11 stitches in her head and the little one had hardly a scratch. Paul also took the skin off his hand so the day after giving his notice he was signed off work. I was lucky to have a minor cut on the head and broken rib.
It could have been worse but helped us get over our last minute nerves as we were definitely thinking life is too short not to follow your dreams.
Well after a nightmare few weeks feeling very fragile and still having to go through with all the packing we arrived on 15 Dec and booked a week in the Holiday Inn giving us a short time to find a place to live before christmas. We did it and moved in on 22 dec.
To cut a long story short, Paul started working on 17 January and Kayleigh started school shortly after.
Things have still been very up and down as in February my Mum got sick and died very suddenly. I went back to the UK for a week for her funeral, had a huge falling out with my step mother and the day I got home to Brisbane, my mums sister died.
We are also still on a 457 and are desperately awaiting our PR which has now been over 10 weeks.
I just wanted to let all the people trying to come over that it has been good for us - we have a wonderful quality of life, are lucky enough to be debt free, and doing without all our belongings until March has definitley made us far less materialistic than we were. We had never been to Australia before we came, but did alot of research and kept our minds open - that is all anyone can do.
Gosh what a rollercoaster for you....when i was reading your post i thought about how you must have been feeling when you pulled your kids out of the car and truthfully it made me cry to think of myself and my kids in that sitiuation ( god forbid)...and then your poor Mum
But you have got through it.....and proved that it can be done whatever hurdles you may come against....i totally agree life is far too short to not live out your hopes and dreams.
i am now 37 and these past twenty years have gone so fast...it feels like a couple really......so i think the next twenty will be just as fast and then i will be 56 yr :scared: ...so i am going to live my dream.....hopefully with hubby in tow ( otherwise i will kick his arse)
take care and be happy
Donna
Apr 28th 2005, 5:39 am
#5
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: Brisbane, Forest Lake
Posts: 25
Re: our story - before and after the big move
Originally Posted by DIMO8
From one Donna to another ( and Paul )
Gosh what a rollercoaster for you....when i was reading your post i thought about how you must have been feeling when you pulled your kids out of the car and truthfully it made me cry to think of myself and my kids in that sitiuation ( god forbid)...and then your poor Mum
But you have got through it.....and proved that it can be done whatever hurdles you may come against....i totally agree life is far too short to not live out your hopes and dreams.
i am now 37 and these past twenty years have gone so fast...it feels like a couple really......so i think the next twenty will be just as fast and then i will be 56 yr :scared: ...so i am going to live my dream.....hopefully with hubby in tow ( otherwise i will kick his arse)
take care and be happy
Donna
Gosh what a rollercoaster for you....when i was reading your post i thought about how you must have been feeling when you pulled your kids out of the car and truthfully it made me cry to think of myself and my kids in that sitiuation ( god forbid)...and then your poor Mum
But you have got through it.....and proved that it can be done whatever hurdles you may come against....i totally agree life is far too short to not live out your hopes and dreams.
i am now 37 and these past twenty years have gone so fast...it feels like a couple really......so i think the next twenty will be just as fast and then i will be 56 yr :scared: ...so i am going to live my dream.....hopefully with hubby in tow ( otherwise i will kick his arse)
take care and be happy
Donna
Thank you for your reply
, it still makes me cry thinking about it (the accident and Mum) - what really makes me mad is the number of people who drive here with their kids in the car with no seatbelts/child restraints - without a doubt they saved our lives.I am 34 and feel the same about time going so fast but the accident gave us all a wake up call and now we are determined to get the most out of our lives - sometimes that means not giving up when things get rough. Thankfully we feel we have found some of what we are looking for here so will stay for the forseeable but may go somewhere alse one day as we are nothing if not adventurous!
Donna
