Hi

my husband and I are at the beginning of the long waiting period for a decision on our PR application. Neither of us have been to Oz before but have decided to move becuase of all the things that are regularly discussed here (weather, lifesyle, etc).

We are planning on buying a camper van and travelling around for a few months before we decide where to settle when we get there. Has anyone else done this and if so, do you have any advice?

Our situation is we are a couple (22 and 29), with no kids, but planning a family as soon as we settle. My husband is a carpet fitter, so obviously we will not be able to move to somewhere carpets are massivly unpopular as there will be no work.

We are planning on visting Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane to look for our future home. If anyone has any advice on which places might suit a us then I would love to hear your comments - good or bad!

Thanks

Mel

Would suggest you take a holiday there first,

You have to be off your trolley to emigrate anyway.

To do it without having been there first is mad.

Yes we are migrating to Oz, but then again we are totally barking.

I know it seems mad to go there for the first time on a PR visa, but me have decided it would cost too much to go for a holiday when the chances are we will love it. This is particularly relevant as my husband is self employed so tends not to take holidays.

Thanks for the advice though. I think I fall into the "barking" catagory too!

Mel

Good luck with it.

A friend of mine migrated to Canada, had never set foot outside of the UK in her life, last I heard she was loving it.

Come to think of it she was barking as well.

We must be barking mad too, never been before but hope to go later this year with the visa in passport. And hey if it's half as good as pb. makes it out to be we will love it.

Terry

From what I remember in Adelaide showhomes, lots of houses have tiled floors downstairs and in wet areas, and laminates are as popular there as here now. There is still always some carpets in houses though, but he might want to think about multi-skilling!

We like Adelaide for smaller town feel, cheaper housing, smart lifestyle and our best friends!

Mash...

Well I guess we must part of the barking mad crowd too. We have never been before and intend to go for the first time once we make the big move. Undecided where to go at the moment but we will see.......

Dawn

thanks for your comments

I am a bit reassured now to know that I am not the only one stepping into the unknown...

I will try and persuade hubby to go on a laminate fitting course though.

cheers

Mel

Hi Mel,
Myself , wife and two kids 13,15 came over here 6 months ago without ever being here although my wife does have an aunt here .
We have settled in a place called Geelong which is about an hour from melbourne we all absolutely love it the kids have settled in school and have met great friends we have both found work , not sure about carpet fitting ?? anyway if you are willing to do anything until the right job comes along then there is work out there .
I am not saying this is paradise it has it problems just like anywhere else, but it's definately 100% better than edinburgh where we came from. The weather , socially , the activities for kids the beaches the scenery . The wildlife is all on your doorstep or not to far.
So i say go for it . what can you lose if you do not like it then you go back , but i think most people that do realise what they were missing is what the just left.
If i can be of any help send me a mail and i'll try to answer your questions.

Regards
Jamie.

Glad to hear a fellow Edinburgh man is settling down well in Oz.

We should be out there soon too. We're heading to just outside Sydney.

What will do without your beloved team????

Graham

We too must be off our heads. If we get the all important visa then we will sell up and fly off into the unknown.

You only live once. All our friends think we are mad can`t see why we want to leave lovely house, good business and settled kids. Well i tell them if it does work out then we will be the lucky ones if we fails i say at least we tried. I`d rather sit here in 20years and say i have done something different in my life and i give the kids a different opportunity one they may not have here. Plus hopefully i have future husband who will be less stressed than he as he is at present.

from mad footie chick

Beleive it or not it's about the only thing i do miss
The footy over here is not quite the same and the standard of Football ( soccer which i refuse to say is pretty average ) even the cabbage could win this league.
Regards
Jamie

He He!! Even some silverware!!

I reckon I will miss the Jambos, I work for them you see, anyway that's another story

Graham

GO TO NEW ZEALAND!!!!!!!

Good luck, just jesting!

In case you are interested and despite their desperate looking website http://www.masterkelwin.com.au/ is the name synonoumous with carpets on most of the big jobs i've been involved with in Brisbane