Jenny Hughes

Hi all

We were on Wanted Down Under in 2009 and believe the repeat was shown on BBC2 August 2010 so we may have jogged your memory. We were the family with two young children, who were taken to Darwin. Dave was a Diesel Engineer and I was working two jobs with a VERY busy life in the UK.

Sorry I've not to have been on for a long time, (other posts will be on other Wanted Down Under Forums) we've been EXTREMELY busy but just to let everyone know we made the move to NSW at the end of May 2010 after what was a VERY stressful 4 years and has continued to be VERY stressful since being arriving in Oz. However, we are enjoying it, except for missing family and friends, that's the hardest and sadest part of it all but you have to make a sacrifice.

For us it ended up being an easier decision to make after Dave was forced to work away from home and it was hard on us all. It reduced what little family time we got in the UK, be it 'quality' or not but really confirmed to us, as we have always realised that 'PEOPLE', 'TIME' and 'QUALITY' are the most important things in life, not 'quantity'.

Try asking most of the people that are affected by the horrendous floods, as hard as it is what they have gone through and you will probably find that the most important to them is their lives, especially after the poor people who have lost theirs. God rest their souls! Our heart, thoughts and prayers go out to them all. Hope they all recover soon and rebuild their lives but the memories will last a lifetime!

Luckily we have not been affected by the floods, although it will have a 'knock on' effect on businesses here, food etc. but the poor people affected have obviously suffered and lost the most and now the work REALLY starts with the clean up.

We just hope it does not affect any more areas of Australia but unfortunately that is the down side of living in Oz, the natural disasters they suffer but they are a very strong, tight knit, friendly, tough but with 'hearts of gold' and a good community spirit and they do not deserve what life throws at them, does anyone?

Life can be so cruel and it is usually the things you have the least control over that hurt the most!! Believe me, we now only too well after the hurt and loss we have suffered over the last few years, particularly before we left, that was so unexpected, which we wouldn't wish on anyone!

For now that's it, just to let you know we arrived and are trying our best to make it all work. Positive thinking, motivation and determination are the key!

Some things are more expensive here and some are cheaper, it's swings and roundabouts and it's what you want out of life that makes it very different for everyone. For us, we enjoy the 'simpler' things in life.

I'll update you all again soon but for now we are busy trying to settle in, keeping the children happy and rebuilding our lives, with a lot of effort from us all. Having work, making friends has most certainly helped but you have to get out there and go looking for it, it / they won't come to you!

Hope everyone makes their own dream come true!

Good luck to you all.

Keep going, it's getting harder!

Jenny Hughes

Just to let you know we couldn't actually sell ourhouse in the UK amd were forced to rent it out. Also if you are on a 457 Temporary Visa you are not allowed to buy a house in Australia and are restricted obtaining credit as you are not a Permanent Resident. This can obviously be very restrictive financially.

We have also been informed by some Real Estate that you also have to obtain accreditation from FIRB (Foreign Investment Bureau) that you are eligible and it appears you have to have Permanant Residency so Temporary Residents are not eligible.

We are therefore ourselves in a rental property, you also have to have property inspections, usually every 3 months, which is very different when you have owned your own home.

The plus side of not selling in the UK is that if your Visa is not renewed or you do not like or settle in Australia, at least you can 'pick the pieces up' and try to settle back into your 'old life' as best you can but obviously with new employment, without having to buy again on your return. Also you are not tied up to have to sell in Oz, you only have to see out your lease, Real Estate find someone else to take over your tenancy period or you pay it all up.

Also if you do, there is no shame on returning, at least you will have tried, more than most can only dream of or have the guts to do and boy will you have some stories to tell!

Also from 14 Sept 2009 it is a requirement of the employee that you HAVE TO have valid Priivate Medical Cover for the whole duration of your 457 Temporary Visa. Prior to this date it was the employees responsibility.

The other downfall of NSW on 457 Temporary Visa is that you have to pay for Public School Fees for every child of $4500 per year with $110 Administration Fee at the start. You have to pay this for the period of your Temp Visa unless you apply for and are granted a Permanent Visa. Please be aware of this as it can prove very expensive, especially if you have more than one child. It is also sometimes cheaper to put your child/ren in Private School but you have to pay the fees if you are granted Permanent Residency. Also majority of schools in Australia are mixed and you have limited choice due to boundaries.

DIAC obviously change things regularly so you have to regularly check out their website.

Hope this information is helpful, it is only what we have found out since being in Oz.

Wishwewerethere

You can buy a house on the 475 temporary visa without the FIRB accreditation and school fees and transport is paid for, however, credit is hard to come by unless you are PR or citizen and you wont qualify for any of the goverment first time buyer incentives.

GeordieGeek

Thanks for all that really useful information Jenny.

Jenny Hughes

I'm afraid I beg to differ over the school fees, you do have to pay on 457 Visa, don't know about 475 as we looked into exemption requirementts and applied, could only be told "No", which we were but it was worth a try but unless you are eligible for exemption, which is extremelyhard fees have to be paid. We have letters confirming this.

Also with regards to exption of travel you have to be over a distance, your child may have to be with an age range and again not eligible on 47 Temp Visa. Again we have letters to prove it.

Sorry to disagree with you but we have tried all avenues for both, there is very little you are entitled to on 457 Visa.

ab735

To the Wells family, although your episode didn't go to air today it is still available to download from iplayer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode...eries_5_Wells/

Guess they made a mistake as two episodes were uploaded today

Ant

mattbenecci

Hi Ant

I got all excited then!

Went to view the programme as you suggested, but not able to as notice comes up 'this programme is unavailable' Did you actually get to see it? I think it was prepared for I player but not able to be viewed. If anybody saw it can they let me know!!!!! I did see the trailer - some serious out of context editing going on!!

Simon - Wells family

Kapri

You are paying school fees because you are in NSW. States such as Queensland and Victoria don't charge this fee....so you were both right

Kapri

They have blocked the content now.

ab735

Hi Simon,

I watched it, shame you can’t get it!

I love your ice cream bicycles and it was an interesting episode. It was nice to see some rental properties, although the first two houses were real s**t holes. I thought your family DVD was really tough, lots of crying!

With regards to the finances; the poor exchange rate in Oz has made the country look expensive in this years W.D.U, but as a percentage of your earnings would you say it was about the same as South England? Do the aussies spend more of their wages on food, rental accommodation etc. i.e. if you were earning $(au) do you feel you could live the lifestyle you want/have in UK?

Ant

Wishwewerethere

Everything I said about the 475 temporary visa is correct, I know this because we are on this visa and our children age 6 and 10 are going to school on the school bus for free and we pay no school fees, well apart from having to buy books, clothing and for all the outings and everything else
All I wanted to explain was that not all temporary visas are the same.You are correct there are a few eligibilities for the school bus such as distance from the school but never the less it is free for the 475 visa.Please find attached a link to the table of visas and fees.
http://www.detinternational.nsw.edu....schedvisas.pdf
I would like to wish you and your family well Jenny and I hope everything turns out for the best. I know how hard it all is, especially on a temporary visa as there isn't much assistance but we have struggled through 2 years here now and hopefully will be applying for PR very soon (can't wait).
All the best
WWWT

Jenny Hughes

Thanks for your comments. It is quite hard being on a Temporary Visa and as we both say there are restrictions but anyone who is coming to Oz has to realise what you have to do. You have to speculate to accumulate, especially when you are looking to relocate to another country but nothing comes without hard work and effort.

Thank you for your well wishes and good luck to you too. We too will be applying for Permanent Residency too soon, which will make things a lot easier.

Hope things work out well for you, anyone who goes through what we all have to to get here deserves to reap the rewards!

MUST LEAVE UK

Jenny

Nice to see you actually made the move. I thought you were the most genuine of that series. and that's coming from a Southerner !!

This new series does seem more realistic woth houses etc.

I hope they still show the qld folks. As terrible as these floods are, surely the Oz spirit is to overcome and succeed.

Jenny Hughes

Many thanks for your kind words, they are very much appreciated. What you see is what you get from Dave and I, that's the way we've brought the kids up too. Too many people make the mistake of trying to be something they're not and are soon found out one way or another. Best to have no sides to you, be yourself and be honest, people know where they stand then, don't we all want that from people we know or meet.

With regards to Australia, it's not worth painting everything as a 'rosy' picture because as you can see from what has happened with the floods, it's not! However, where doesn't have situations or problems, no one or nowhere in this world is perfect but I think Australia does have far more going for it. They have a great attitude to life and if you've got that you can overcome a lot, believe me that's coming from someone who knows too well.

Anyone who thinks everyone spends every minute on the beach and having BBQ's in Australia is kidding themselves, it is one side of life here but at the end of the day there is still work / travel / kids at school etc. that takes up a huge part of your day / week.

Our episode was recorded in April - July 2008 and shown Jan 2009 and believe me we has seen / researched a lot of change, especially economically since then but that also applies in the UK and other countries too.

I understand the decision with regards to Queensland episodes as a mark of respect but I'm also sure Australians would want people to remember how beautiful the area was before it's devastation and will surely be again! They will need their tourism more than anything now to rebuild their economy and try to return it to it's former glory. There are still more parts of Australia people could visit to spend their time and money, until Queensland gets on its feet again.

Hope it doesn't take them all long to return to as 'normal' as life they can all have once again after their sad loss, especially lives. What a waste for what has been lost, material things can be replaced, people cannot!

The same thing now unfortunately applies to Mexico!

northernbird

I am sorry but you are incorrect on house buying issue. We purchased a house on a 457 visa. It is straight forward and you don't even need FIRB approval now.