jaguaruk

Paul,

Glad to hear is all going so well, you will probably be glad to hear that it’s freezing here and getting colder by the day

We still haven’t had any luck selling the house; it’s depressing knowing it’s the only thing stopping us going to Oz.

The car sounds pretty cool, I was originally going to take my S-Type as its only 4 years old but having spoken to the Jag dealers out there I am now intending to sell it and buy when I get there, but I can’t sell the car until we sell the house, so frustrating…..

Anyway, it is pretty much pointless wishing you luck as it sounds like you have it well sorted lucky sod…..

Donna is now in the last throws of sorting out her QNC registration, it made life a bit easier getting duty statements etc now that she can talk to her boss about it, as we told our employers on our return from Oz a few weeks ago.

Ken.

paulb

Hi folks

Back online, got my BB pack today from telstra and Im up and running.

Our furniture was delivered last week, and our house is like a home again. It was great unpacking and seeing our own stuff again. Crown have been great, no damage, good service. The guys took less than 5 hours to unload and unpack.

Started work last monday, working in the Access team at Bayside mental health. Not really keen on the job, but its a start. Its more phone calls and assessments, nothing you can really get involved with. However, there may be a post in the Continuing care team (what I did in England), or a new Acute care team. Prefer the former, but either will be fine as I will be out and about curing the mentally ill The services are similar to the UK, terminology is diferent, and some procedural differences of course. Hopefully I will find out on Monday.
So its back to reality, working Monday to Friday, so despite being on the other side of the world, that part will never change. Whats different is today for example. Up at 6am, Saturday morn, biked to the garage for some petrol for the new lawn mower, loads of people out and about, enjoying the early morning sun. Then packed the esky (coolbox) and off to the beach at Cleveland. Had a great afternoon, cooked a barby on the many pulic electric barbys and spent the afternoon on the deserted beaches, and in the sea with the kids. Called in for coffee at Nikkers house, then went to Cleveland shops. Bought a few things then a couple of beers (ice cream for the kids)in the local open air bar. Home now and planning a visit to Stradbroke Island tomorrow. Oh the stress!!!!
These are the things that I wouldnt be able to do in England, and things we as a family really enjoy.

Then back to the real world Monday

Kids are enjoying the local pre school, Anna goes 3 days a week, Joe only 1 but it will all increase after Xmas. Thats another thing, Xmas and 30 deg sunshine dont go!

Had some terrific thunderstorms this week, the locals even say they were big! But today was hot hot hot.

Whats it like in England????

Paul and family

mandi248

Great to hear from you, you really sound as if your having a ball

It's bl@@dy cold here, damp, drizzly and grey, does that make you homesick we had about a week of having to scrape the cars in the morning before work then again when you left work, give me a tropical storm any day!.

Keep the updates coming, they keep me going and good luck with the jobs next year hope you get the one you want.

Mandi

annqldau

Paul you jammy s*d...a job at the correct grade and broadband as well.

We are enjoying being able to see lots of different things as well rather than just sit around house, didn't get diving though as weather was supposed to be crap but was sunny instead worse luck.

Went land viewing instead, got to keep in reality world as well.

Keep it up matey... .

PS/ still finding stuff in boxes as couldn't face them unpacking everything at once. Did you get TV to work?

paulb

No, still not working.

Wondering when you and Greame would like to come round for a meal Maybe the TV will work after that

lynnlovessun

My TV worked fine - tuning was a bit complicated but Marc got it working in the end! Its so funny reading your post as we are virtually doing the same things as you!!! We also got our broadband pack for telstra yesterday and marcs spent all day today trying to get it up and running - we can't get my laptop to work wirelessley so the expensive modem/wireless is getting returned - my laptop won't pick up the signal from the modem/router as its s*it basically! Anyway we can use it tonight plugged in but its annoying as have to be sat in kitchen by plug/ phone socket until we buy a seperate modem and router - we though we could have it all in one but its not working

The weather was so fab today - we missed the worst of the storms as we were down in Sydney sightseeing then collecting our dog poppy, though we drove through a really bad storm in the Gold coast yesterday on the way home (was the most horrendous journey/ drive ever!!!).
By the way Paul completely get why you changed your mind over Grafton - theres nothing there!!!!! We drove through it twice and couldn't belive how remote it was - we were laughing thinking of you driving all that way, and we also said how you were so brave to make that correct decision to move to Brisbane again with your family. We loved Sydney and will def go again (though will never drive again but will fly) Driving through NSW made us realise how much we love Brisbane and Brisbanes surrounding areas - NSW didn't feel right to me.

You should pop round and say hi - or phone if you want to see about a game of 5's with Marc next Friday (replied on Bayside forum!)

Lynn

kerryinuk

Great to hear from you after so long and do please keep posting. Can you tell me how you found Redlands hospital in general? I understand it is only small but nobody seems to know any further details and i can't find a web site! So any info will be greatly appreciated Paul.
Enjoy the sunshine and quality weekends
Kerry

paulb

Redlands hosp is only small but very modern. Everyone seems friendly too. Reminds me of the English cottage hospitals or community hospitals.

Seems like any modern hosp really just on a smaller scale.

You planning on working there??

Paul

jimtrish

hi paul, good to hear from you.
we got our broadband the week after we came, but i did organise a telephone number before we came out and asked for broadband too, so that was definitely worth it for us.
glad youre enjoying your days off, its a beautiful place this ozzieland isnt it.
we love townsville, weve had one thunderstorm (tues) and it rained for the first time since we got here on wednesday, but only lasted til lunchtime, not enough to notice.
Temperature seems always high up here, we love it, some might not as it is very hot. Jim went to brissie trucking this week and said he was cold!!
bless, hes got used to our heat up here.
I start work on 12th, nervous but looking forward to it too, been up to the unit and its lovely and the people seemed very welcoming.
Kids love their new school and have settled well, they have loads of friends, think we are a novelty as hardly anyone from uk in our area and our kids are the only ones from uk.
my youngest who is 5 and had just started his 2nd yr at full time school in uk, is doing 4 full days of preschool and a friday is a half day, after summer hols he will go up to grade 1. The school have been brill and really rallied round to work out a plan of education for him.
Our ps2 that we packed in a case ( the others are in the shipping) to occupy kids if weather was bad (not happened yet) works fine here, and the oz games play fine on it too, just abit of useless info for anyone who reads this and owns a uk ps2 (ours wasnt chipped)
anyway, take care of yourself, keep in touch

Trish

debbiemc

hi paul,

great to hear things going well for you, sounds like you've really settled in well.

could you find out for me if redlands has a paeds ward please? i'd rather work in a smaller hosp than in a large hosp like mater or the royal, had enough of that now and want to settle for the quieter life!

cheers debs

jimtrish

come up to townsville debs
xx

debbiemc

hiya mrs,

glad to hear you've settled too. you're not missing anything here apart from the bloody cold!!

dont forget trish, if you bump into my mate jacqie, manager of paeds, give her a big hello from me please and tell her all being well wont be too ling now before we see her, and you

glad you like townsville, its a great place isnt it, we loved it too.

well trish, i;ve got to fly its the kids party today at work so i'm taking some goodies in,

chat soon mate

debs x

kerryinuk

Yes Paul i would be looking at Redlands Hospital first or The Mater. I am a palliative care nurse ( and loving it) but understand hospices are non-existent in oz! or very few and far between.I do have 3 years general medicine experience so i may have to fall on this as a career, who knows? The Redlands would be my first point of call once we land in Jan.

Kerry

lynnlovessun

Kerry what about working for Mount Ollivet community palliative care team? They seem to be the main palliative care provider in Brisbane - St Lukes liase with them a lot as do Bluecare - don't know much more than that at the minute as only started my job today but i'm sure they would come up if you do a search on the net.

Lynn

paulb

Try this link Kerry. Hope it works.

http://qheps.health.qld.gov.au/bay/html/paediatric.htm