Carlton Cold's

I agree, it's a diffcult costly route, but hey just think of the experience and the quality of life our families will ave and I'm sure in the long run we'll recoup the money we spent. I think one of the hardest parts is paying for the kids at school and the restrictions for working, but we'll all manage somehow and then look back in a few hours and feel proud of our achievement..

We lodge our student visa in Oct, so can't wait now and sit anxiously for a buyer so we can sell our home for the pennies..

Cheers
Russ & Sarah

Brockies

Yeah guys good to stay in touch it is a hard process making sure that school/college fees are paid for the 2 years, health cover, accommodation, cars, moving costs with the dog etc but it will all be worth it for a better life down under!!! We have two kids Alicia 9 and Ben 6 as the same as you dont want to leave it to late so they can settle in. Our friends emigrated to Perth 2 years ago and there kids are about the same age as ours and the have settled in fine.

mandyp

Kiddiewinks are v resiliant to whatever is thrown at them, prob better than some adults!!!

As long as they know they're loved they cope fine!!!

We at least don't have the added cost of schooling for a few years, another drain for you guys, as you say there's a lot to pay out at the start!!!

We're just heading over with our suitcases n some cash thats bout it!!

Has anyone looked into flights, luggage allowance etc, etc.

I was hoping for double luggage, but don't think we'l get that on a student visa, I was just planning on e-mailing whoever we decide to go with.

BA.s flights look good, but go up on 8th Dec, and don't go down till bout 23rd ish, even then still a bit pricey.

Singapore not too bad either, and don't go up quite as high mid couple of weeks. Thats why we're trying to get out end a Nov/ beg Dec though.

Mandy

Carlton Cold's

Had researched much yet about flights, but so-far early Jan for us 4 is around £2100, but hoping to get those lower. I also had hoped for double allowance, and didn't realise this maybe wouldn't apply to student visa's. I think I'll do as you suggested, email them nearer the time and moan a bit!!!!.

We've yet to organise shipment, that's our plan for next week, and we are thinking about getting 3-4 quotes, not sure who yet though, more dosh!!!!

Roll on the sunshine and a few cold beers/wine and then I think it will hit us all, which is probably when we'll have a few more beers/wine...

Russ & Sarah

mandyp

Hee hee, totally!!!!

Counting down, think its only bout 10 weeks and we should be there or there abouts!!!!

Temp visa's sometimes they do sometimes they don't apparently. That sounds quite good prices for flights, think we'l be bout the same if we go Nov, £2300 ish Dec then it doubles form the 8th!!!!

Mandy
Mandy

Brockies

I priced ours through Emirates thats who we went through when we went over in the summer just there and they were the cheapest at the time plus its a good flight we went Glasgow/Dubai/Perth we will be going Glasgow/Dubai/Brisbane next time flights are coming in around £1400 for the 4 of us in June 2008?

God 10 weeks thats scary!!! Hope everything goes well for you guys..

mandyp

Only thing a really didn't fancy bout emirates was the stop in Dubai, its bout 8 hours I believe and its going to be bad enough for the kiddiewinks without a wasted 8 hours in an airport!!

BA was best a think, it was glasgow/ heathrow/ sydney/ Brisbaine and only an hour or so between flights.

Can't remember Singapore route but similar times between stops.

Mandy

Carlton Cold's

We flow 18 months ago with singapore, excellent flight, with one stop for hour and half in singapore(sin) and then straight to Melbourne.. I'm happy to go with anyone, as long as we get there soon as the waiting, nailing biteing and to-do-list is getting bigger every day...

Catch you all later, just popping out to get a pressie for my brother's boy, I'll check this interesting thread tonight.

Cheers
Russ & Sarah

Brockies

I did notice the Emirates flight connection times were 8 hours I had to wait 50 minutes which was great in the summer!!! A lady I know how is going over in the summer 2008 said when she booked through Emirates and as the flight connection time was so long Emirates put you up in a hotel she said??? Not that Im trying to sell you to go on Emirates or anything??? just letting you know what I know..

mandyp

Unless it was well cheap, a just don't see the point in waiting about in an airport for such a long time its such a long flight as it is!!

At the end of the day though, its going to come down to availablility cause am sure there will be less choice as time goes on. We'l be booking as soon as the flat is sold and there's a signature!!!

That's great that you guys have been though, Colin's been to New Zealand and Sydney airport!!!! New Zealand was his first choice when we started looking into this, but we opted for Oz.

Mandy

pumpkin blossom

I am going over on a horticulture course (other than chef, seemed the safest option for the area I want to study). Our house sale seems to be going through, but has now been held up because the mortgage company wants electrics/ timber and cavity wall tie testing. Buyer seems to be taking his time. I am slightly panicking.
The course I am doing starts in Feb (which our place is booked on) but is also advertised as starting in July. We had been told that if the house sale fell through we could push back to the July course, but apparently that course start has no been scrapped. So wait another year or find another course, of the house sale falls through.
EVEN MORE PRESSURE for the house sale to go through. I am just so paranoid that is won't happen.
I had a job lined up back in November, and a buyer for our house and that all fell through within a week of each other too!! Makes me wander if maybe it just isn't ment to be sometimes.
Anyone else finding the process rather stressful??

pumpkin blossom

By the way, we stoped in Dubai with emerates about 3 years ago, no free hotel, but free meal, which was quite nice.

mandyp

Oh s***,

Sounds well stressfull pumpkin blossom!!! We've just put our flat on the market need to leave here in bout 10 weeks. I really don't see us having any worries, but you never know until you start!!!

The way I see it, the harder you have to fight for something the more worthwhile it must be!!!

We also just noticed on the credit card statement that the high commission London took our visa monies as soon as the visa was lodged, cheek of them when it had to be forwarded to Sydney!!!

Cheers all
Mandy

Brockies

Oh god we have still got all of this to come!!! We are putting the house on the market as soon as the new year is in End of January moving over June to start in July hopefully that should be enough time............Is everyone taking there own furniture etc, pets over? If so how is all that going?

mandyp

Hi Brockies,

We'r taking nowt, just what we can fit into the cases.

We do have a dog, but know he won't cope with the journey and stuff so we'r looking into rehoming him just now.

Mandy