Hi

Is there anything you really wished you had taken with you? We are just about to book container and I keep thinking is there anything I should buy here to taken with me. Thought about a trampoline as so cheap here!

Trampoline, my sideboard, my white goods, my mum!

That's about it.

Cheers

Ginny

A crateful of walkers crisps

I would have bought more bed linen and towels with me, as I didnt bring much, i got rid of most of them in the uk, i find the towels here pretty rubbish as they get fluff on anything that you wash with them, so I cant even wash one towel with a load of other clothes as it gets fluff EVERYWERE

Duvet covers if you've a larger than double bed. Sizes aren't the same here.

Trampoline's can be pretty cheap here - www.target.com.au and www.bigw.com.au and www.kmart.com.au often have them on special so you can check out the prices. We brought our 13ft one with us but can't buy a net other sizes than 12 or 14 here so it may be more sensible to wait, nb. we didn't need one before when they were little and not too adventurous but I feel broken bits are looming if I don't source a net soon.

I know lots of people recommend electrical goods but the warranties are worth bugger all once you're out here and you have to change plugs - in Victoria and some other states this is fine but in states like Queensland you have to get an electrician in.

Bring hangers as they don't give them away with new clothes here.

Some special gift for any kids to open when they arrive to help them settle in - my daughter had new bedding and curtains for her bedroom and my son had a couple of new XBox games.

Those sites I mentioned earlier may give you rough ideas of prices out here and you can always try www.harveynorman.com.au for furniture ideas.

If you're getting relocation assistance from an employer consider bringing
your car. We sold ours at a big loss then bought again here. Got a crap car and in the end we lost the remaining relocation allowance because he left the job. If we'd have brought the car it would have just been swallowed up in the relocation payment. Hindsight's great isn't it.

you MUST bring quality clothes with you, all of your clothes. The clothes here are not as fashionable as in the UK and the quality of clothes are really bad. Also Crisps!!!! they like cheesy crisps here, i have not seen any prawn cocktail crisps yet!

My friend's just got back from the UK and is handing over, tonight, plain chocolate digestives, 4 packs prawn cocktail crisps, fruit pastilles, fruit gums and club biscuits. Can't wait to hide my stash from the children!!

I didn't bring anything at all and I haven't regretted it at all. I have lovely brand new stuff

You can get some good stuff here, you can also get some bad stuff. Some things are expensive, some are cheap. It all depends where you shop and how good at haggling you are

I wouldn't buy anything just to take with me, but if you have decent stuff already then bring it with you.

Most of the trampolines shipped to the UK are actually made in Australia, so I'd be surprised if they were more expensive. Other than that - no regrets - we've managed to fill a new four bedroom house with new 'white' goods for the cost of shipping our knackered old shite we had back in the UK. Fridge/Freezers are both more powerful and (generally speaking) a lot larger than the equivalent in the UK so aren't worth bringing. Washing machines are reasonably priced and the top-loader has well and truly given way to the front-loader (I counted four of the former and 20 of the latter in Hardly Normals). Bits and pieces like toasters, George grills, kettles are probably worth bringing because they take up bugger all space and are, let's face it, pretty much the same everywhere on the planet. Bring all your kitchen utensils and cuttlery, even if it's old and knackered, because it'd cost a mint to replace in the UK *or* here. Bring multi-plug extension sockets, your tools and computer equipment. Bring your TV if it's not to ancient, your DVD player and VCR (if you still use one ). Forget your Sky box. Bring all portable TVs. Leave bedding, unless bringing your own beds (different sizes). Bring towels, autumnal clothing and bikes.

My golfing buddies - they will love Melbourne Problem is they come with weird wives