Originally Posted by travelbug (Post 6348195)

Hi Possums, that is terrible if the staff were indifferent to the fact that the animals were being ill-treated by someone...I'm not surprised that it angered you and your OH.
I have often seen animals being mis-treated in other parts of the world, i guess it's a sad fact of life that some people see animals as just a commodity - in the Dominican Republic once i caused a scene outside our hotel when a horse and carriage was brought over to take some of us to the beach - and i blatantly refused to get in - as the temperature was over 100degrees, this horse was panting like nothing i'd seen before - and was obviously undernourished and just plain old knackered from the heat and from ferrying holidaymakers around all day.... But all the other holiday makers did was give me that "what's she having a whinge for - its only a horse look" I remember it did make me mad...:mad: and my boyfriend at the time had a moan about me being embarrassing and causing a scene - like i gave a ####!!!!! about that!

Thanks for the info about the 1st home buyers grant, i did know about that - but was unaware that there were additional amounts you could also possibly claim....i guess that's one thing to look forward to eventually...

At the moment, we feel a bit negative about the house selling situation over here....and are now worrying incase we cant sell the house... especially if prices continue to drop and drop. :( We have until March 2012 to become residents - but there's no way we want to still be here in a year or so's time for many reasons..... Starting to regret not selling as soon as we got our visa's last April now - but hindsight is a wonderful thing is it not! :lol:

Originally Posted by oldgit (Post 6354405)

Hi Cathy
Right here we go.....
Typing time..toooooooooooo long:)
i hope it covers all buses not just the ones I have been on
Weather....... you got it in one
Photos.... will keep on sending them but not tonight too tied up answering your email;)
Pets ,.... all sounds good to me she will enjoy such as a rabbit,guinea pig,budgie,
dogs etc Glad to hear you had loads of enjoyment from your pets as a kid
House size... wish list sounds very practical hope you get your shed or studio.
Living near the sea ...i was born in Blackpool....so go for it...I love the seaside.
Andy and veggie garden ..go for it Mate...have a dabble I do:)
Right that is the end of the first instalment will tackle the rest tomorrow.
Here is a link for you
http://www.privatehealth.gov.au/info...s/medicare.htm
Cheers Peter

Originally Posted by oldgit (Post 6354542)

Hi Cathy,
Andy sounds a reet good un.... steal his welding kit and bray him to to the kitchen sink so he can't escape:)
Hope "bray" is the right expression my Yorkshire mate used to weld my old car chassis and he brayed it. Not sure what Andy would say.
Hope the client takes the bait:D
Cheers Peter 11.30 pm and off to bed

Originally Posted by Possums (Post 6356915)

oh it upsets me so much :( there really are some nasty cold hearted gits in this world :curse:

I know how hard the house selling is mate, took us 18 months to sell ours we had to come over and validate our visas. Hopefully you will get more viewers now the weather has picked up :)

Originally Posted by travelbug (Post 6357529)

thanks possums....i know what you mean.
You waited a while to sell before you moved then i'm just glad we validated our visa's last year too otherwise we would be in a panic...

we've decided this week that we're now definitely having a 2 week holiday during the school holidays at the end of July/beg of August... need to escape Romford for a bit! Just need to find something that wont be too extortionate in cost - really annoys me how much prices jump in school holidays.... Thankfully Eden's school breaks up a few days before most of the others....so i might get some dates just before the huge rises.... But i was looking last night - just at the Balearics & similar and for the 4 of us just to go self-catering for 2 weeks at end of July works out to more than £2,000 and that's with a free-child place for Eden and not having to pay for Jared cos he's under 2 and the accomodation wasn't anything too flash! I know we should be saving our money for Tas - but we only live once and i need a holiday to get some sanity back before possibly seeing out the next 6months in England still! :D

Originally Posted by kezzabird (Post 6357602)

Hey Cathy have you considered Menorca? We had a fab family hol there once and was really cheap, £2000 sounds really steep to me!

Kerry
x

Originally Posted by travelbug (Post 6357646)

Hi Kerry, I've been there before - it is a lovely Island...:thumbup: I stayed in Santo Thomas which is a resort my Mum&Dad have been to several times and suits them as it's quite family orientated and quiet. It's probably going to be one of the Balearic Islands because we do love them..... The prices are steep - but it's because it's school holiday time... Way cheaper outside of the school holidays... and i'm looking at the cheaper tour operators as well. Even though we're half way through May there's not a great deal of choice left - especially ones with free child places as otherwise they're even dearer! It horrifies me at the prices... we've always gone outside out of school holidays apart from when we went to Ibiza when i was pregnant with Jared but we were lucky and got a good deal there..
I have been looking at the Canaries but we've been to them all several times now - and also Cyprus - but we've been there a couple of times as well - and in July it will be VERY hot there...
I'll keep looking!!
Cathy
x:)

Originally Posted by travelbug (Post 6357689)

as Jared's a right fidget - if he's going to be on our laps we want as short a flight as possible really ;) It must be because we're getting older - we didnt think twice about having Eden on our laps when she was little - and she'd flown abroad 13 times by the time she was 3....10 of those trips probably with her on our laps..
With Jared we've only had him on our lap once before - and when we came to Oz he had his own seat - so i think we've spoilt ourselves now...:sneaky:
Might have to stretch the flight to 4 hours or so though if i cant find anything and perhaps we'll go to one of the Greek Islands......then i can stuff myself silly with feta cheese, hummus, taramasalata and tzatziki for 2 weeks!
:lol:

Originally Posted by kezzabird (Post 6357831)

Hmmm stuffing oneself with feta cheese and tzatziki yum yum my favourite kind of food! :thumbup:

Originally Posted by travelbug (Post 6357846)

:D well you did have dips on the table the very 1st time i met you - so i guess that must be true! :lol: I like meditteranean food - especially greek -me and Andy had a Moussaka from the supermarket the other week....and it just isn't the same as when you have it on holiday!!!:thumbdown:

Originally Posted by kezzabird (Post 6357866)

I make mine, its dead easy and much nicer than the shop bought ones. Trouble is Duncan doesn't like it, so its hardly worth making it for one, I tend to only make it when we have friends over. I normally make a lasagne and a moussaka and let everyone dive in! :thumbsup:

Originally Posted by travelbug (Post 6358028)

Kerry - seeing you have a little un! thought i'd ask....are there any children's clothes etc that you find to be very expensive in Oz? ie, underwear, socks, jumpers etc etc? I'm wondering if it would be worth stocking up on some bits for Jared etc for when he's a bit older and for Eden for the next year up before we come over? i know as long as we take the tags off we can put them in the container...

cheers me dear!
Cathy
:)

Originally Posted by kezzabird (Post 6358217)

Yes defo, I wish I did. I'm one of those peeps who only buy in the sales and items discounted. So I am always one step ahead of the bigger clothes for him to grow into. This time around I haven't done that and he is quickly growing out of a lot of his winter stuff, so I am forced to pay normal prices for winter clothes at the moment.:curse: So yes I would think ahead of the seasons and buy the next size up for the kids, thats if you're like me and only buy in the sales that is.:o