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Re: From UK to Canberra!
Originally Posted by nev_n_angie
(Post 4466350)
Hi Inge
Excuse my ignorance - what's ANU??? Not great on Abbreviations! We've moved on a bit since I wrotethe post above! After the job offer came the Labour Agreement - we had the meds done 13th Feb and they were sent by the Hospital with the Xrays on the 19th Feb - the Visa Application and all the knob and goeorge that goes with it went today! We are now officially playing the waiting game!!!! Dog is booked in for her odds and sods - it's costing us loads but she's worth it! She's has all of her inport docs approved in OZ and now all we have to do is wait for the Visa and then get a date! I have now received LOADS of infp regarding Schools etc - we will be living in Service Housing, so we do not need to find somewhere to rent. We will buy eventually - our house here is sold and the proceeds are already in Australian Bank Account. We were looking to buy a couple of small places and rent them out, but it looks as if we wil not be able to do this in Canberra because of rules regarding living in Service Accom and ownng a home in the same state. We may have to re-think that one! We're in Plymouth at the moment - RAINY WINDY PLYMOUTH! Can't waitto go - our kids are very happy with this and extremely excited! The eldest has her reservations, but I'm sure that's normal! Keep me informed of your progress and let me know where you are with it all Take care Angie Don''t worry I am not that great with names and stuff either. ANU is the Australian National University. He is an academic. (It feels like being married to the army this is our 3rd big move in 6 years, but this one will be permanent. At least that's the plan). The university has put in the application half of January and we are waiting to hear from them to see what our next step is. We had a valuer for our house over today and it was a pleasant surprise we now need to get the house sold ( a bit of a worry, because you never know). the university has apartments we could rent but I am more in favour of a house and I would like to find something near a good school straight away. I want to prevent the kids having to change schools twice. Where did you find the info on schools, the webpages are a bit overwelming because there are so many. Have you thought about the year your children will be going into because they will arrive in the middle of the school year ? My son (6) was sold when he heard the word surfing and my daughter is into wild life so is very excited. I think weekend trips to the beach a inevitable once we get there. I know that shipping animals is rather expensive but we will bring him over, he is part of the family. I have al the forms ready for in a few months. A good thing is that he already is chipped. It is just as wet and windy here in the Midlands, I tell you I can't wait for the blue sky and sun even if it would be chilly. It is light that I crave!!! Good luck and hopefully you'll hear soon. I'll keep you posted about our progress. Inge |
Re: From UK to Canberra!
Originally Posted by inge35
(Post 4466531)
Hi Angie,
Don''t worry I am not that great with names and stuff either. ANU is the Australian National University. He is an academic. (It feels like being married to the army this is our 3rd big move in 6 years, but this one will be permanent. At least that's the plan). The university has put in the application half of January and we are waiting to hear from them to see what our next step is. We had a valuer for our house over today and it was a pleasant surprise we now need to get the house sold ( a bit of a worry, because you never know). the university has apartments we could rent but I am more in favour of a house and I would like to find something near a good school straight away. I want to prevent the kids having to change schools twice. Where did you find the info on schools, the webpages are a bit overwelming because there are so many. Have you thought about the year your children will be going into because they will arrive in the middle of the school year ? My son (6) was sold when he heard the word surfing and my daughter is into wild life so is very excited. I think weekend trips to the beach a inevitable once we get there. I know that shipping animals is rather expensive but we will bring him over, he is part of the family. I have al the forms ready for in a few months. A good thing is that he already is chipped. It is just as wet and windy here in the Midlands, I tell you I can't wait for the blue sky and sun even if it would be chilly. It is light that I crave!!! Good luck and hopefully you'll hear soon. I'll keep you posted about our progress. Inge If they've offered your hubby a position and he's accepted, chances are you'll hear back from them with a Labour Agreement number and subclass etc. Have you had medicals etc? Sent for Police Checks?? The Police Checks can take up to 40 days to come back! They are with the Data Proctection side of things - NOT CRB stuff. I got that wrong to start with and ended up going around in Circles! We completed on our house just before Christmas - loads of friends who have moved overseas have not had the same luck and still have their properties here - we wanted to be safe than sorry on that front. Have you visited Austalia before?? Angie |
Re: From UK to Canberra!
Hi Nev,Angie,Inge
Canberra-bound also - passports came back today with the PR ticket in them.....hoping to head out ASAP but gonna have a validation trip over Easter in any case......... We have 2 little rascals that answer to the names Daniel and Rhianna. 9 and 6 going on 96.....:-) We are looking at houses around Calwell, Banks etc etc......the Towards2020 program for the schools is going to have a major effect on the schools over the next few years...... I am, for my sins, an IT Network Designer.......btu quite fancy a change - postman sounds good to me !!!!! Sorry to "butt-in" but while the mention of Canberra on here is increasing, they are still few and far between :-) Regards JAJ & Lisa Swadlincote S. derbys |
Re: From UK to Canberra!
Hi Nev & Angie,
Sounds like you are nearly there !!? ...bet the weather is better in Canberra than Guzz. Anyway, we are in the "still thinking about it" stage with regard to transferring to the Aussie Navy. I think that we will submit the paperwork and then see how it goes from there. I was recently in Sydney but only for 10 days - whistle-stop tour and didn't get to go anywhere apart from the touristy type places. If you can give us some more information on medicals I would be grateful...what does the medical consist of ? Your views on the Canberra schools would be useful also please. We have 2 kids, 10 and 8. Good luck Russ & Karen |
Re: From UK to Canberra!
Originally Posted by jajnlis
(Post 4470867)
I am, for my sins, an IT Network Designer.......btu quite fancy a change - postman sounds good to me !!!!!
After a few months out of work I was more than happy to go back to IT, even though I'd gone there with the attitude of "I'll take whatever I can because it's a whole change of lifestyle thing". When I was offered a job in Sydney I jumped at it. When you become an IT wage slave it's difficult to give it up, I find. Best of luck in Canberra. I may go back some day, nice place. Big. |
Re: From UK to Canberra!
Big,
Thanks for that :unsure: :) As you rightly point out, not having citizenship is a bit of a pain in the deniere :) I was cleared when in the RAF, but they don't seem to take that into account. The STNI visa we have got over to Canberra with specifies that we have to commit to live and work in ACT for 2 years......will be byuing a house, kids will be in school, but I may have to commute in the short term which is not ideal but better than UK :D Still hopeful to get something in Canberra though - targeting the Cisco partners as we speak ;) Can't wait to get out there to be honest.......before the rest of the UK turns up as well :lol: Did you do contracting in UK ??? I am contracting at the moment (have been for about 7 years) and have been wondering how contracting in Oz differs from contracting in UK (taxation etc etc) |
Re: From UK to Canberra!
Originally Posted by jajnlis
(Post 4470867)
Hi Nev,Angie,Inge
Canberra-bound also - passports came back today with the PR ticket in them.....hoping to head out ASAP but gonna have a validation trip over Easter in any case......... We have 2 little rascals that answer to the names Daniel and Rhianna. 9 and 6 going on 96.....:-) We are looking at houses around Calwell, Banks etc etc......the Towards2020 program for the schools is going to have a major effect on the schools over the next few years...... I am, for my sins, an IT Network Designer.......btu quite fancy a change - postman sounds good to me !!!!! Sorry to "butt-in" but while the mention of Canberra on here is increasing, they are still few and far between :-) Regards JAJ & Lisa Swadlincote S. derbys Congratulations on the progress not too long for you guys. Your kids seem to be similar age to mine (boy is 6 girl is 9). How have you prepared them for the move ? Mine are very excited at the moment but I worry a bit for the moment that we actually go. I imagine a lot ot tears. Luckily the oldest one is quite IT litereate so she will be on MSN and email to keep in contact. The yongest one is my main worry because he is very attached to his friends, hopefully he'll make new ones quickly. I am sure he will it's just me being worrying mum. |
Re: From UK to Canberra!
Originally Posted by nev_n_angie
(Post 4466609)
Hi Inge - let me know where you're thinking of living and I'll send you the details of all the relevant Schools. The ADF (australian Defence Force) are very accomodating when it comes to relocating their staff - the REDLO (region Education Development Liason Officer) has sent LOADS of ACT listings for schools - private and state. All the websites and contact details. They have been fantastic.
If they've offered your hubby a position and he's accepted, chances are you'll hear back from them with a Labour Agreement number and subclass etc. Have you had medicals etc? Sent for Police Checks?? The Police Checks can take up to 40 days to come back! They are with the Data Proctection side of things - NOT CRB stuff. I got that wrong to start with and ended up going around in Circles! We completed on our house just before Christmas - loads of friends who have moved overseas have not had the same luck and still have their properties here - we wanted to be safe than sorry on that front. Have you visited Austalia before?? Angie we haven't decided on the suburb yet it just needs to be fairly close to Acton where the University is located. But what I gather from the information I have gathered is that you can live quite a while out of the city and still have a reasonable short commute (within 20 minutes) Also I don't know if you have think like in the UK and find a house that is close to a good school or if you can do it the other way around (I hope this makes sense). Inge |
Re: From UK to Canberra!
Originally Posted by inge35
(Post 4473756)
Hi JAJ & Lisa,
Congratulations on the progress not too long for you guys. Your kids seem to be similar age to mine (boy is 6 girl is 9). How have you prepared them for the move ? Mine are very excited at the moment but I worry a bit for the moment that we actually go. I imagine a lot ot tears. Luckily the oldest one is quite IT litereate so she will be on MSN and email to keep in contact. The yongest one is my main worry because he is very attached to his friends, hopefully he'll make new ones quickly. I am sure he will it's just me being worrying mum. :D Nothing wrong with worrying mums !! But I love the way that the Oz schools have geared themselves up for children moving and starting new schools by using the budy system. Should be used more extensively in the UK.. We have been open about the whole thing from the beginning. It is starting to sink in now for them, but apart from the youngest (Rhianna) realising that she will be in Oz (fingers crossed :) ) for her birthday in August, she is quite concerned about her birthday party !!!! Bless ...... Daniel, the eldest, is far more reserved about the whole thing and we keep having to prod him about how he is feeling.....on the whole he is looking forward but understandably is worried about new friends etc etc. Kids are resilient though and I think the trick will be to get them involved in as much as possible once down there... Have you seen www.jajah.com ?????? Worth taking a look at it and getting people registered - I was on a call for 20 minutes last night with an IT agency and it cost me 21 pence :) Also, we keep using Google Earth to get a feel of the lay of the land..... Passports came back yesterday with a nice little sticker !!!!! All we need to do now is get in through customs at the airport to be legal !!!!!! JAJ |
Re: From UK to Canberra!
Hi Ange
Good luck with your move. Your post interested me as your children are pretty much the same age as myself and my brother were when our family came to Australia. I was 10 and my brother was 12. We came to Canberra in the 1980's. It really is a terrific place to grow up. We settled in Weston Creek, which is about 20-25 mins from the City. It's generally pretty safe for young people, and very central for travel to Sydney (only about 2 or so hours up the Hume Highway) I have very happy memories of my youth. Lot's of activities, places to go etc.. Canberra really is what you make of it. Winters are VERY cold though *brrr* we were shocked at how chilly it got. And summers can be stinking hot (and dry). I remember mum in particular found the move hard though (we ended up going back to England every year for a holiday for about 5 years to give her a "fix" lol). I know that coming here was the BEST thing our parents could have ever done for us as young children, there is NO way I would be doing what I do for a living if we had been in England. Oh, and duel citizenship is pretty nifty too ;) Anyway, again, good luck, and enjoy Canberra cheers |
Re: From UK to Canberra!
Originally Posted by jenniferday
(Post 4476988)
Hi Ange
Good luck with your move. Your post interested me as your children are pretty much the same age as myself and my brother were when our family came to Australia. I was 10 and my brother was 12. We came to Canberra in the 1980's. It really is a terrific place to grow up. We settled in Weston Creek, which is about 20-25 mins from the City. It's generally pretty safe for young people, and very central for travel to Sydney (only about 2 or so hours up the Hume Highway) I have very happy memories of my youth. Lot's of activities, places to go etc.. Canberra really is what you make of it. Winters are VERY cold though *brrr* we were shocked at how chilly it got. And summers can be stinking hot (and dry). I remember mum in particular found the move hard though (we ended up going back to England every year for a holiday for about 5 years to give her a "fix" lol). I know that coming here was the BEST thing our parents could have ever done for us as young children, there is NO way I would be doing what I do for a living if we had been in England. Oh, and duel citizenship is pretty nifty too ;) Anyway, again, good luck, and enjoy Canberra cheers Your parents obviously came out here with the right attitude and you and your brother seemed to be the right ages to settle. My daughter was 14 and she settled but took some time wheras my son was 17 and has never really settled. I think you was very lucky and your parents gave you a smashing start - wish I could have come when my kids were younger too. Canberra is brilliant isn't it? People who have never been here listen to stories about it being boring - and make their mind up without giving it a go. Sas |
Re: From UK to Canberra!
Hi - I am another who is Canberra bound. Goodness knows when though. Fingers crossed at the end of this year or by the end of January next year. Everything rests on getting a court order (removing a child from the UK) Fingers crossed. The problem is there is so much information that I am starting to feel more and more confused about decisions such as areas to live in.
Does anyone have a definitive list of the schools who will be closing and when this will occur? |
Re: From UK to Canberra!
Hi All,
We are also Canberra bound! The idea 'popped' into our heads in January '07, OH was burning the midnight oil on the internet (looking for companies that sponsor in his field) and after several weeks of having telephone interviews at midnight and 4am etc he was offered a sponsorship. We have had an offer on the house last week and all of a sudden its dawning on me! Thought the house might have taken some time to go as we have had it up twice before in the past and there was no interest in it, poor house eh! We are going as we really just fancied a change (don't do things by halves!), we have no expectations really and have no future plans, just go with it! I had a case of the wobbles the other day and I said to OH... "something will happen that will help us decide for sure!" - yeh that something was an offer on the house! - best get our butts moving otherwise we'll be homeless!!! How did everyone else decide? And have you experienced ..."the wobbles"? Nev_n_ange I would be grateful for a list of schools in Canberra if you can pm me that would be great, where are you off to? Carmel |
Re: From UK to Canberra!
Originally Posted by carmele
(Post 4548667)
Hi All,
We are also Canberra bound! The idea 'popped' into our heads in January '07, OH was burning the midnight oil on the internet (looking for companies that sponsor in his field) and after several weeks of having telephone interviews at midnight and 4am etc he was offered a sponsorship. We have had an offer on the house last week and all of a sudden its dawning on me! Thought the house might have taken some time to go as we have had it up twice before in the past and there was no interest in it, poor house eh! We are going as we really just fancied a change (don't do things by halves!), we have no expectations really and have no future plans, just go with it! I had a case of the wobbles the other day and I said to OH... "something will happen that will help us decide for sure!" - yeh that something was an offer on the house! - best get our butts moving otherwise we'll be homeless!!! How did everyone else decide? And have you experienced ..."the wobbles"? Nev_n_ange I would be grateful for a list of schools in Canberra if you can pm me that would be great, where are you off to? Carmel We're looing at Belconnen - or however you spell it!! We will be allocated service quarters, so we have certain areas to 'choose' from. Hubby will be Working in Campbell Park. please see http://www.decs.act.gov.au/schools/schools.htm Depending on the ages of kids, will depend on what you need to look at I hope this helps Angie |
Re: From UK to Canberra!
[QUOTE=nev_n_angie;4548906]Hiya
We're looing at Belconnen - or however you spell it!! Correct spelling - we will have to invite you all over for a bbQ - SO MANY PEEPS coming to Canberra now we will be able to post on the 'meet up's' section :thumbsup: |
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