Originally Posted by Fly Away

Hi all, this thread does just what it says on the tin!

It's here so that we can all keep in touch - for people to post about what they are doing now, how the move is going etc etc......

I bet Mary1967 is the first one to post!

Originally Posted by tiger222

Well, I would post on here but seeing as I applied 2 April, I'm not welcome!

Good thing I'm an honorary February Applicant!!

Originally Posted by knockoff nige

Hey everybody. Good idea for a thread.

Finish work in 9 days. Fly out in 11. Arriving in Sydney on Friday 3rd October. Then, life starts up again.

Best of luck to everyone.

Originally Posted by Baby75

This is a great idea

was telling my friend about our validation trip to Christchurch and it as very eventful so thought I might post here it was so eventful

We had to leave Australia on the 11 of September as our ETA visa was up and we had spent the last two weeks adding our newborn daughter to our application very stressful but we did it

on the morning of our flight my DH rang our case officer to double check they had Eireann medical and passport details he didnt get through to our co but talked to a really nice girl who checked every thing and Eireann medical was not there so after a bit of checking she found it had been filed under another case file number so we were very lucky DH rang as we would have left and it wouldn't have been sorted

so off we went to the airport bit of trouble with Eireann passport and the fact she had no visa for a few minutes they weren't going to let us leave but they rang our case officer to make sure we were telling the truth , so finally we were able to go to the departures lounge and wait on our delayed flight

flight went well with all the kids and we got a taxi to our accommodation ripped off by the taxi he took us on a spin a round but we were just glad to be there and it was lovely spent a lovely day in Christchurch and got our grant email printed that off and relaxed for the rest of the day.
Next morning we were woke up with our eldest saying he didn't feel well pains in his tummy not good when we had an half an hour walk to the bus poor fellow, we stopped a BUS to double check we were going the right way and he said hop on and didn't charge us dropped us to the bus stop the bus came and the driver only charged for me and DH.

we get to the airport Adam still unwell i was hoping he would have asleep and wake up feeling better go to check in and girl is not nice at all.she was thinking of charging us for one of our bags made us check the size it was fine coming over then she tell us we have to pay airport tax 25dollars for any one over 12 we were not to happy with that would have been nice to have know but there you are. so then we had to wait on till the departure gate to open so we had some lunch Adam fell asleep on the trolley on the bags we had brought our own sandwiches as christchurch airport is so expensive

so cutting the story shorter we had another good flight Adam sleeping most of it and waking up hungry and thirsty we land in Brisbane and head to immigration no problems coming through checked our passports and waved us on, then on to getting bags scanned one of our bags is taken a side and the guy says to us these are your cards we say yes these are your signatures we say yes did we understand the questions we says yes again I'm getting worried now. so then he asks have you any food in your bag we say no shouldn't be we eat our sandwiches, he says are you sure I look at Dh and we both say yes then he goes to open the bag stops and say are you very sure there is no food fruit like oranges in the bag as soon as he says oranges I nearly died and say oh bloody hell there is a bag of apples in the bag we forgot about the apples so very luckily he doesn't fine us as we told him before he opened the bag but he tells us for that many 1kilo we would have ended up in court he was very nice and knew it was a mistake and let us off with a caution and he also congratulated us on getting our visa which was nice

so you think that's the end eh we make our way to the van thinking thank god thats all over let just get the hell home and thank our lucky stars over the apples, Dh goes to start the van and what happens it is dead no life in the battery at all kids left a light on. so there we are baby crying the others lads moaning about being hungry and thirsty and will we have to sleep in the van and poor DH is running around the car park asking any one have they jump leads and luckily we found some one who helped us out a very nice guy.

so now we are getting every thing sorted tomorrow and hopefully our luck will change not looking so good so far went to take money out tonight and card not working but we will get that sorted tomorrow never a dull moment is all i can say LOL

sorry its so long

Originally Posted by mary1967

Spooky, I posted a message on the January thread just before i found this one saying we must send special invites to you and Nige, but you both beat me to it!!!


17 days Still can't believe you're getting there first:curse:

I know!!!


OMG - a bag of apples At least you're never boring to be around!!!!


MY NEWS - well, found out the other day that my friend who we're staying with in Perth has found me a rental It's just down the road from her and the landlady has agreed that we can let our pets live in as well - i've finally started to feel excited now - and get this, it's a 5 minute drive to KFC and McDonalds, 5 minute walk to the high school and a 10 minute walk to the beach

Originally Posted by Fly Away

Oh Mary, I see you have your priorities right - first take aways and then schools and beaches.

Good news though hun - it must be lovely to have somewhere to live straight away. Can you get your friend to get beds delivered etc before you arrive?

Originally Posted by mary1967

You've not tried my cooking

PMSL - remind me not to come to dinner at your house.

Funny you should say that!!! My friend's letting me have her patio set, a tv, her son's double bed (she's just bought him a waterbed) and she's busy sorting through her house for anything else she doesn't need. Our furniture will only get there by the end of January, so i'm really grateful to her.

What a great friend. I'm sure it will make everything so much easier.

It's certainly taken some of the worry away - i was stressing out about the animals - now i've just got to worry about the house going through before we leave, the dog passing her blood tests, the kids liking their new school and finding friends and my OH finding a decent job

Not much to stress about then???? Try to stress about the things which are happening now and you can control, everything else can be dealt with later.

Good luck with the exchange tomorrow Nic.

Originally Posted by Fly Away

Thanks Mary. Found out on Friday that our solicitor has been made redundant and someone else in the firm has taken over our case. This is the 2nd solicitor we have had been made redundant during this process. Just hope the new one is OK.

Originally Posted by mary1967

I remember your first solicitor being made redundant I'm sure everything will be fine, maybe your new solicitor can get completion through quicker

Originally Posted by The Clarkeys

Hi everyone. not been on for a while so only just found the thread!

Niamh - OMG, you have earned your visas about ten times over! I was also waiting for a throwing up incident!
Nige - cant believe your going so soon
Mary - Ditto! good news about the rental.
Fly Away - fingers crossed for the house.

Thanks

Got our visa beginning of august and after some really up and down weeks, deciding one thing then changing minds a hundred times over, we've decided to leave house on market til christmas and then book either a one way or a return flight then. cant keep putting life on hold until we get there. life is for living, which is why we did this in the first place. not going to waste 6 months or more here wishing we were in oz.

hopefully when we get there, there will be plenty of you guys to meet up with

Originally Posted by Fly Away

I just want them to get exchange through.

Originally Posted by The Clarkeys

Hi everyone. not been on for a while so only just found the thread!

Niamh - OMG, you have earned your visas about ten times over! I was also waiting for a throwing up incident!
Nige - cant believe your going so soon
Mary - Ditto! good news about the rental.
Fly Away - fingers crossed for the house.

Got our visa beginning of august and after some really up and down weeks, deciding one thing then changing minds a hundred times over, we've decided to leave house on market til christmas and then book either a one way or a return flight then. cant keep putting life on hold until we get there. life is for living, which is why we did this in the first place. not going to waste 6 months or more here wishing we were in oz.

hopefully when we get there, there will be plenty of you guys to meet up with

Originally Posted by Fly Away

I just want them to get exchange through.

Originally Posted by tiger222

OR, if you do go, bring a dish! She can supply the wine!

Originally Posted by The Clarkeys

Hi everyone. not been on for a while so only just found the thread!

Niamh - OMG, you have earned your visas about ten times over! I was also waiting for a throwing up incident!
Nige - cant believe your going so soon
Mary - Ditto! good news about the rental.
Fly Away - fingers crossed for the house.

Got our visa beginning of august and after some really up and down weeks, deciding one thing then changing minds a hundred times over, we've decided to leave house on market til christmas and then book either a one way or a return flight then. cant keep putting life on hold until we get there. life is for living, which is why we did this in the first place. not going to waste 6 months or more here wishing we were in oz.

hopefully when we get there, there will be plenty of you guys to meet up with