Cathy

Hi everyone,

Got the Visa, done the visit (Perth, Sydney and Melbourne)now
selling(not renting)the house!

We plan to go before Christmas if the house gets sold and travel
around from The Great Ocean Road through Melbourne, up to Sydney and
hopefully as far as Brisbane for a long holiday before settling down.

After our trip at Easter we really liked Melbourne the best, for a
number of reasons, but reading all the mail about where people are
going it feels we are really in a minority.

Anyone else out there like us?
Dad, Mum, Girl - 6 and Boy - 3

Fancy comparing notes on places to live, suburbs (we really liked
Templestowe, Park Orchards and Patterson Lakes) but are considering
Berwick. We still need to have a look around other places as our
visit was pretty quick. Schooling, clubs to join, what to take, what
not to take, which car to buy etc. etc.

Are there any expat type organisations in Melbourne to help British
migrants settle? We don't have any family, or friends - yet! in
Australia so will have to be pretty self suficient to start with.

Or if you looked at Melbourne and choose somewhere else to settle, it
still would be great to hear your views/reasons.

Cathy

Rob

In cathy wrote:
    > Hi everyone,

    > After our trip at Easter we really liked Melbourne the best, for a
    > number of reasons, but reading all the mail about where people are
    > going it feels we are really in a minority.

Isn't Sydney the most popular destination for ~40% of migrants ?
If so, every location is going to be a minority.

For real minority destinations, try Darwin or Hobart :-)

Anyhoo, don't feel bad about your preferred location just
based on numbers. Most non-UK people would probably list
London as their preferred destination in the UK, but we all
know that it's a huge, expensive, poluted and overcrowded
place to live.

I plan to go near (not in) Adelaide. I don't give a monkeys
where 'most' people go, my priorities are unique to me.

laurash

Hi we've chosen Melbourne too so you're not alone. I have lived in a few places around Oz and Melbourne always appealed to me the most- it just has loads to offer. If you want to read good things about it ,there was an article in The Age the other week about it coming top of all the cities for potential migrants. Can't help much with suburbs as we were very keen on the central ones like South Melbourne and Albert park. I also liked Carlton North and Brighton but haven't been to many further out. Not many people seem to have set up websites for emigrants yet but there is one coming up and I'll try to find it and give you the address. Good luck.

laurash

see 'Melbourne the best city' on this fiorum- go into search and search for thread title. The whole article is there.

ywoods

*puts hand up* WE ARE HERE... myself (31) son (15) and my Aussie hubby (35) so you aint alone by a long shot

Not enough time to write a long mail as I have to go to work!

Yvonne

shaun/lor

yea were off to melbourne as well. well just outside were actually going to look at areas around geelong as my dad lives in lorne on the great ocean road, but too expensive for us. hopfully mid november but having some probs with my paperwork.
house is sold and we move out on 25 oct.
were abouts in melbourne do you fancy then, its funny that we say were moving too melbourne when people ask but we actually look at places that are nearly as far apart as england is long. we have a little boy age 5.
and were all gettin soooo excited.

29 days till we go 31 days till we get there well if it all goes to plan.
yes that was for you yvonne ha ha
arnt you on messenger or anything we would love to chat now your there and find out how its all going.
shaun and lor

Real Estate Gold Coast Australia

I am a Melbourne girl (41) who moved to gold coast almost four years ago.
every part of Australia has its good points. Melbourne for restaurants,
shopping, great education system, less crime than the Gold coast.

Family have a holiday house at Apollo Bay on the great Ocean Road - great
viewing but quite cool because of the Otway Rangers.

We left our heart in Sunbury - 10 minutes past the airport but before the
Macedon Ranges - magic! If you like to live in a community where neighbours
talk to you then this place is for you. We left all our friends there so
life on the coast is quite lonely - even after 4 years!

Where ever you settle join a committee and get involved from day one! Do not
leave it or you will regret it. service clubs are also a good idea - Lions,
Rotary, Kiwanis. Nursing Mothers (called something else now) will welcome
anyone and just like your family when you do not have a family.

Enrol in adult education classes to meet people.

If you were coming to the Gold Coast (our best friends are English and would
not live anywhere else - sub-tropical climate) then our website
http://holidaysgoldcoast.com gives an
insight to living on the coast.

Good luck to you and your family - expect the worst then you will have a
ball! Leaving your family and friends is just so hard to do. All our family
live in Melbourne, so we know what it feels like.

Gayle


"cathy" wrote in message
news:7f49db95.0210100841-
[email protected]...
    > Hi everyone,
    > Got the Visa, done the visit (Perth, Sydney and Melbourne)now
    > selling(not renting)the house!
    > We plan to go before Christmas if the house gets sold and travel
    > around from The Great Ocean Road through Melbourne, up to Sydney and
    > hopefully as far as Brisbane for a long holiday before settling down.
    > After our trip at Easter we really liked Melbourne the best, for a
    > number of reasons, but reading all the mail about where people are
    > going it feels we are really in a minority.
    > Anyone else out there like us?
    > Dad, Mum, Girl - 6 and Boy - 3
    > Fancy comparing notes on places to live, suburbs (we really liked
    > Templestowe, Park Orchards and Patterson Lakes) but are considering
    > Berwick. We still need to have a look around other places as our
    > visit was pretty quick. Schooling, clubs to join, what to take, what
    > not to take, which car to buy etc. etc.
    > Are there any expat type organisations in Melbourne to help British
    > migrants settle? We don't have any family, or friends - yet! in
    > Australia so will have to be pretty self suficient to start with.
    > Or if you looked at Melbourne and choose somewhere else to settle, it
    > still would be great to hear your views/reasons.
    > Cathy

Plum

    > > > > Anyone else out there like us?
    > > Dad, Mum, Girl - 6 and Boy - 3
    > >
    > > Fancy comparing notes on places to live, suburbs (we really liked
    > > Templestowe, Park Orchards and Patterson Lakes) but are considering
    > > Berwick. We still need to have a look around other places as our
    > > visit was pretty quick. Schooling, clubs to join, what to take, what
    > > not to take, which car to buy etc. etc.
    > >
We are planning on going to Melbourne too as we are being sponsored by
a relative there. We also have a girl 6 and boy 3. We had the
possibility of a company sponsorship in Sydney but decided that
Melbourne would be a better and more affordable place for a family
and prefered the permanent option of PR. At the moment we plan to
live as centrally as possible as we want to avoid long commutes but
also wish to live in a good environment. However I haven't done much
research yet as it seems so far off (only applied in July this year)
but would be interested to know your thoughts.
Vik

Belinda Park

Hi to anyone in and moving to Melbourne.

Husband (37) me (29) and toddler (14 months) have been here for over a
year now and love it (lived in Wellington, NZ before this (18 months),
and then near Guildford, Surrey, UK before this).

Know of another English family who have just arrived with a toddler of
a similar age - itching to meet people. There are LOADS of Brits out
here - very few from the South East though - so far, most that I've
met are from Manchester.

eastickaj

Dear Cathy...me30, hubby32 and daughter8 hopefully going out at beginning of 2004...depending on speed of visa...hahaha!! We have a friend who has relatives out there, living in Cranbourne who was back in the UK a few weeks ago and gave us the lowdown on some suburbs. Im a nurse and he commented on the good hospitals in that area, and that the schools had a good reputation. He recommended Cranbourne, Frankston, Berwick as all being 'up and coming' areas. Laverton is very commercial (many containers being shipped round Oz go through there) and Dandenong, he said, theres nothing there!! Anyway, I think we have decided on the Narre Warren region. I'd love to keep in touch and find out how you get on when you go, especially if you end up in Berwick...we could be neighbours!!! angie, xxxxx

Sdw

Melbourne does it for me too. I have been to both Melb and Sydney, and
it is my favorite out of the two more. It is more culturally diverse,
and has more to do than Sydney. I am currently seeking State
Nomination from Victoria as my technical skills are in demand
regionally and in Melbourne. It would definitely be extra special to
me if their Government could help me migrate there even faster than it
normally takes.

Enjoy yourself! Those who are smart know that Melbourne is really a
better deal.

[email protected] (cathy) wrote in message news:...
    > Hi everyone,
    > Got the Visa, done the visit (Perth, Sydney and Melbourne)now
    > selling(not renting)the house!
    > We plan to go before Christmas if the house gets sold and travel
    > around from The Great Ocean Road through Melbourne, up to Sydney and
    > hopefully as far as Brisbane for a long holiday before settling down.
    > After our trip at Easter we really liked Melbourne the best, for a
    > number of reasons, but reading all the mail about where people are
    > going it feels we are really in a minority.
    > Anyone else out there like us?
    > Dad, Mum, Girl - 6 and Boy - 3
    > Fancy comparing notes on places to live, suburbs (we really liked
    > Templestowe, Park Orchards and Patterson Lakes) but are considering
    > Berwick. We still need to have a look around other places as our
    > visit was pretty quick. Schooling, clubs to join, what to take, what
    > not to take, which car to buy etc. etc.
    > Are there any expat type organisations in Melbourne to help British
    > migrants settle? We don't have any family, or friends - yet! in
    > Australia so will have to be pretty self suficient to start with.
    > Or if you looked at Melbourne and choose somewhere else to settle, it
    > still would be great to hear your views/reasons.
    > Cathy

Eauman

Just another for the list! We (Dad 35, Mum 29 & two sons 3 & 3
months) got our visas last month & will be in Melbourne from 7th
December to 14th Jan to validate our visas & we plan to move
permanently around the same time in 2003. We are heading for the West
of Melbourne as we have family in Werribee, & are looking at Altona
Meadows & surrounding areas, unless we go mad & opt for some out of
the way acreage!

[email protected] (cathy) wrote in message news:...
    > Hi everyone,
    > Got the Visa, done the visit (Perth, Sydney and Melbourne)now
    > selling(not renting)the house!
    > We plan to go before Christmas if the house gets sold and travel
    > around from The Great Ocean Road through Melbourne, up to Sydney and
    > hopefully as far as Brisbane for a long holiday before settling down.
    > After our trip at Easter we really liked Melbourne the best, for a
    > number of reasons, but reading all the mail about where people are
    > going it feels we are really in a minority.
    > Anyone else out there like us?
    > Dad, Mum, Girl - 6 and Boy - 3
    > Fancy comparing notes on places to live, suburbs (we really liked
    > Templestowe, Park Orchards and Patterson Lakes) but are considering
    > Berwick. We still need to have a look around other places as our
    > visit was pretty quick. Schooling, clubs to join, what to take, what
    > not to take, which car to buy etc. etc.
    > Are there any expat type organisations in Melbourne to help British
    > migrants settle? We don't have any family, or friends - yet! in
    > Australia so will have to be pretty self suficient to start with.
    > Or if you looked at Melbourne and choose somewhere else to settle, it
    > still would be great to hear your views/reasons.
    > Cathy

poggle

Hi Cathy,

No, your certainly not alone! We are heading for Mel. asap! [Me 40 & partner 49] Hopefully early next year! We applied in May this year after spending 6 weeks there in Feb/Mar. We travelled a bit and found Sydney and other places lovely to visit, but felt like 'tourists.' When it came to Mel. though, we really felt 'at home!'

We do have family and friends there which will help in us settling down, we just cant wait to get there! We have recently applied for STNI as my occupation is on the modl and the modl of Vic. Gov. so maybe it will speed things up!

Templestowe and Doncaster are quite nice from what i remember, we are looking to settle in Beaumaris or maybe Brighton, somewhere along that coastline. We did 'The Great Ocean Road' trip on our visit. It's a beautiful part of the country, and well worth seeing! Hope you enjoy your time exploring before you settle down, and wish you all the best for your 'new life' in oz!.

Cheers xx

T Gunn

You are not Alone! My wife and I landed at 4.45am this morning - although tired can not sleep! So glad to be in Melbourne, it is 28c clear blue sky - Awesome!!!

The waiting for the visa was worth it!

Cheers and all the best and good luck for the future.

Tommy

Belinda Park

Oh - I am the only one actually out here then?!

Would love to hear from anyone else in the South East suburbs ;-)