no minimum requirement, most people apply to the BHC in Canberra for renewals:

http://bhc.britaus.net/default.asp

click on "passports/nationality" halfway down the lefthand menu.

Hi - thanks for that
I was surprised that it was Canberra you need to send the stuff off to...
Also, surprised at how much more money it is to renew in Oz...
$268 whereas over here it's £72.... Depending on when we do come over - i think i might renew over here just to save the money as Andy's would need doing as well - and as the kids passports are only valid for 5 years it might be worth getting them renewed at the same time....

Do you know what happens about your visa in your passport? When you get your old passport returned to you - do you just carry that with you as proof of your visa - or do you have to get another sticker put in your new passport?

thanks!
Cathy

Hi Sam, hope your dog gets on ok with that couple when they have her this weekend... and hope you're ok without her...

Thanks Cathy, I have mixed feelings about the whole dog thing, with my head I can see that it might complicate things having the dog, plus the flight and quarantine will stress her big time, as she's quite neurotic! but my heart all I can think about is me being lonely in Tas and not even having the dog to take for walks

Anyway, we'll see how she gets on over the weekend, I'm at work so I don't suppose I'll think about her too much!

Sam

Oh bless you Sam I would give you karma but its not letting me.

come and walk our dog if you feel lonely, or walk my son or both Or come and see our sheep. I'll make sure you don't get lonely

Thanks

Sam

I guess it must complicate things by taking a pet , i imagine you've probably scoured the threads for other people's experiences of taking pets with them??? I know the worst thing about sending a dog etc is the fact that you're not there during the flight - and i guess you have no idea what's going on from the time you hand them over to the time they arrive at quarantine....That must be pretty hard and worrying for the owners... But perhaps there's someone else that could put your mind at rest about what is actually involved and how their pets coped with it all?
Maybe i'm going to say the wrong thing here - but if it doesnt work out with the "adoptive" family this weekend, and if in your heart you really think you'd be making a big mistake about not bringing her (and if you can afford to pay the costs) - maybe you should re-consider??? Not meaning to be horrible/or confuse you or anything like that - but from my own personal experience i often find that the decisions i regret more are the ones made by my "head" and not necessarily the ones made by my "heart"? If you get what i mean??? I know you were worrying about rentals etc - but i have seen some recently that do say on the description that pets are negotiable or allowed...
I know it must be such a tough decision and i really dont envy you....i guess a lot of factors have to be taken into consideration....for the whole family and for the dog, but like Kerry has also said - i'm sure you wont be lonely in Tas....and i guess you could take Kerry up on the offer of sheep walking - although if you do - i'd like a photo please as that would be funny!

Cathy

Doh! just noticed Kerry said come see our sheep - not walk our sheep!

Not sure that sheep would be very obliging on a lead

With the dog, I think I'm going through what most people go through with leaving family and friends behind, mmmm I car more about the dog than most of my family, not sure what that says about me!

Sam

lol

Hope everyone had a good weekend? and that everyone in Oz had a good extra day off on Friday (i'm assuming everyone got the day off! )
I had what i thought may be one of my last nights out in London itself on Friday night at a restaurant in Covent Garden....not sure how i felt about that really, cant decide whether i'd miss London at night or not? ....but the longer our house takes to sell i guess i may end up out there again....
We were mean't to have a viewer for our house on Saturday and Sunday - but the Saturday viewer was cancelled Friday - and the Sunday viewer was cancelled Saturday afternoon... Apparently the guy changed his mind about viewing certain properties because we dont have a 2nd bathroom or toilet! Oh well, will just have to wait and see what happens this week (if anything)..... In the meantime, i'll have to put up with the "should have put your house up for sale when you got your visa's a year ago" comments!

A question for the guys/girls that have already emigrated... did anyone have any "sentimental" trips to anywhere before they left the UK? Me and Andy were talking about this at the weekend... There's a couple of places i'd like to go - just because they remind me of my childhood / or are places i love....
Not sure if i'm just mega-soppy or not?

Cathy

Hi Cathy

Sorry to hear about your cancelled viewers, so annoying:curse:
Here's hoping you have some more very soon

Had a busy weekend, between working lates and trying to do as much as possible in the mornings sorting out the garage, a seemingly endless task,as much as we sort stuff there's still more to do, I keep blaming it all on my hubby (quite right, its his rubbish) and we ended up having a big row before I went to work yesterday

I am feeling a bit overwhlemed by it all, not even sure I want to even move now but I think that happens every so often and I'm also really tired too as got home really late from work (must have been something in the air 9 months ago as we are very very busy!)

Sam

Thanks Sam I hope we get some more interest as well.
Sounds like you had a busy weekend!
I keep pointing out to Andy that he might want to start sorting out all his bits and pieces - we have two garden sheds and two garden storage shed/box things full of his stuff..... I know we'll end up in a mad panic to sort/clean the garden/tools stuff out when our time comes....
I think it's easy to become irritated with each other at a time like this....me and Andy have had our moments thats for sure. He knows i blow hot and cold about emigrating at times....and the longer it will take to sell our house the more i'll probably feel that way...
I think for you guys it must be harder though - because you are going to be moving so quickly after having received your visa's....so after all that waiting/planning it's like it's been thrust upon you within a few weeks!

I have seen quite a few pregnant women about - around my daughters school etc - so you might be right - must be a little bit of a babyboom going on in certain places.....Dont envy you midwifes for that - you must be busy - and i guess you can never quite tell how long you're going to be at work either can you?

Anyway, i hope your dog got on ok at the weekend

Cathy

Hi Cathy

Dog had a great time! On Saturday I missed her but on Sunday when we were doing loads of work in the garage it was actually quite nice not to have her getting in the way

Yeah, I usually finish work about 1/2 hr late but sometimes you can be hours late off if its really busy, which is not good if you've just done a 11 hour night shift already or need to be home for the children but there you go, one of those things. All jobs have good and not so good and on the whole I love my job, its great

Sam

Hi Sam, that's great news about your Dog I'm really pleased she had a good time... I guess the fact that she had a great time means that you have one less thing to worry about with your move... Dogs are such good judges of characters (better than us humans i reckon) - so she must have liked her new owners...

Not sure i like the sound of working an 11 hour night shift and still having to stay at work But like you say - all jobs have a downside....but it's nice to hear someone say that they love their job! Dont hear that often anymore....

Cathy