Well folks, after approx 6-7 years of posting on this forum, I am finally about to become a British / Irish expat

I leave the UK one week today to make the journey most of you have already made.

Any advice for me?

Please don't say, "don't do it"

Congratulations!

Bring lots of $$$$$.

If only

Don't rush into buying a house. Rent and have a good look around. Don't be sucked in by big new houses in the outer suburbs - big mistake a lot of expats make and they end up thinking all Australians are cashed up bogans.

Exciting!

My advice would be to never turn down an invitation, even if you think it's going to be crap/not your scene/worried you'll be standing in the corner like a billy no mates etc etc. Don't rent anything that doesn't have heating and aircon (especially aircon in the bedrooms). Join the Ambo's. Get a handle on/get your head around the footy - you won't be able to escape it so you may as well know whats going on. Pour sunscreen into your daily moisturizer so that you wear it every day.

x

Be friendly to everyone - you can be more discerning later on; and try and enjoy it - not always easy, but you have to keep reminding yourself why you are going through the red tape etc!!

By all means rush around doing important things like banks, medicare cards etc..whilst horribly jet-lagged, but also use the first week as a tourist, just stop and admire the view, pause and take in the winter sunshine and remember that although we all complain of the cold, it is still 15/16 degrees in the day!! (It is just inside that it feels colder.)

If you need a coffee/tea (and I have Yorkshire teabags as well as Earl Grey,) pm me and we'll try to meet up.

Welcome to Australia!!!

Thanks guys! This is exactly the kind of stuff I'm after

Mr Kapri says hello. He's never shown any interest in BE in all these years and now, suddenly, he's thinking of joining up

What's the alternative then?

Definitely agree with this.We rushed in to buying and wished we waited but I didn't have the patiences and wanted every thing sorted out quickly like there was some race on.Take time to smell the roses and enjoy your new country.It can be very daunting so dont be hard on yourself.

Good luck.

Some of us are cashless bogans.

Enjoy the move and try not to stress, especially with the Aussie laid back "she'll be right mate" attitude.

When setting up phones, insurances etc, compete companies against each other, get a better deal that way.

Also if buying household stuff in large numbers, using one company can give you big discounts ( saved us $2000 at Harvey Norman when we arrived, albeit bought everything!)

And biggest thing I've found BEs don't seem to be aware of, if one of you is asthmatic, you DON'T need a script for Ventolin, it's over the counter med here!

Good luck with your move!

Open your mind (and I'm not saying you don't/won't)

Many on here find that impossible to do

Really? Then why have I been getting a script for DD's inhaler for the past 4.5 years???