3 short years
Mar 13th 2007, 1:55 pm
#31
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 2006
Location: Ningi, QLD
Posts: 1,777
Re: 3 short years
3 years update
(to the Mods, could you please leave this in the Barbie because most of the people I want to read this don’t use the update forum)?
This is a little early, but I thought I would do it anyway
Beware, this is a long long read
We landed in Sydney 21st April 2004.
We had three teens on tow. 19 year old son and 2 daughters 16 and 14.
Our 16 year old had left school just before we left the uk, so we had to lie to her that she needed to attend school for a year or we wouldn’t get a visa. She fell for it. We knew she would have a better chance of settling if she went to school.
We had pre booked into the Randwick lodge in the eastern suburb of Randwick. It was called a 2 bedroom, but it was really a one and a half bedroom with one single bed in the other room and no room left for anything else. It had no air con so we were struggling right away so, we decided that we had to change money as soon as possible to cool down. We walked into the local commonwealth bank and the lady who served us turned out to be Scottish. She dragged us off to her office and decided that she would take it upon herself to make sure we didn’t make too many mistakes. She told us most of the things we would need to do in our first week and told us if we needed any help to nip into the bank and ask for her.
Second day we hired a car, then found the hospital Pauline was due to start work in (it was about a hundred yards across the road lol
Every day for the first week we would nip into the bank to make sure we were doing the right thing. By the Friday we were invited to a BBQ to meet some of their friends. This was the best thing that ever happened to us, by the following week one of the people at the Barbie had sorted a job for our son. They had helped us pick the right area for a house, told us to haggle everyone to death, and told us the right school for the girls. Within 3 days we had a rental, but we couldn’t move in for another week so we were stuck in the sweatbox for 10 days in total. That week was mental. We found all the furniture for the new rental and had it all delivered on the first day we got the keys. That was a bit mad, vans kept turning up at the door with more and more stuff. Took as about 3 days to get it all sorted. But at last we had a house before Pauline started work.
The girls didn’t start school for about 3 weeks because we were waiting for the next term to start (something every parent must think about before they book flights)
I will never forget that day! Having to leave two grown lassies that were shaking was one of the hardest things I have ever done. The youngest had pals by the second day, our oldest had met a friend, but she was a little strange to say the least. After about a month our oldest met Scottish and English girls who had both lost their accents (been here a few years) that was her sorted. They introduced her to a huge crowd.
Pauline was now working and struggling with the changes. She felt like she was being deskilled, but was willing to give it her best go. To be honest I think it was too many changes for a mother all at the same time.
By Now that the kids were sorted and we had a very nice group of friends, our social life had taken off. We were really starting to settle.
We had decided that I would look after the kids till they were settled, we guessed about 6 months. After 3 I was bored, the kids didn’t need me and I spent most of the day doing shite all. So I decided it was time to find work.
I was sitting on the computer one night and decided to send a local mitre 10 an email, just explaining that I was looking for work. 2 days later I got asked to an interview. The guy was asian and couldn’t understand a word I said, but I had been talking a lot so I think this guy thought i must have known a lot lol. The job was to run the hand tool dept. he must have been impressed with my verbal pish because he asked me back for a second interview (with his boss). He was from Italian decent and for some reason could understand me. I couldn’t help but ask him why. He told me that when he was young his tradesman was from Glasgow. How lucky can I get eh? Then he told me that the guy kicked his arse every day…..oh shit this isn’t going good!
He asked me what I knew and I told him. We went round in circles for about half and hour and I was getting a bit pissed off with it, so I decided to say to him that there was a trial period of three months and that at any point they could dump me if they weren’t happy, then added that I would dump them just as quick within that 3 months if I felt the same. That’s all the guy needed to hear. I had the job; well he threw in the power tool dept too. lol
I had been using the expats forums for a while so by july 2004 I thought it was about time I caught up with some of the people I had been chatting to, and to thank some of them. I can remember the day like it was tomorrow. It was at the botanical park in Sydney. It was decided that we would meet at the café (turns out there are two ) we were lucky enough to find the right one. We walked past a few times, leaning over to see if we could hear an accent. We must have looked really strange (same feeling Brido had at the pac pines meet) we decide to sit at a table across from who we thought might be the expats, just so we didn’t look too silly. After about 30 mins we spotted a little kid in an England top. So we moved in for the kill. It was the second best thing we have done since moving to Oz. About 25 people turned up and we all chatted for a few hours. After that people started to drift off and we were left with the rumbletums, the Jason k844s, and rosie and family. I think we all sat for about another hour. Pauline decided to ask them back for a BBQ the next Sunday. They all became really good friends. We caught up around once a month. Memories I will keep forever and people who will be friends forever. I don’t keep in contact with them as much as I should but I know if im down in Sydney it will be like I had never left. Sadly rosie and family left oz and headed back to the uk. as a group of friends I think we were all a bit stunned when they decided to go, but it was the right thing for them to do as a family. if you guys ever read this. You were great fun, great friends and we miss ya!
We had friends who lived in the gold coast, I had grown up with them as a child and hadn’t seen them since about 1985. when they found out we were in Oz they would visit about once a month. Paulines sister lives in port Douglas too, so we had a few holidays in the first year to both the port and the gold coast.
The kids had really settled in and Pauline was getting a bit bored at work. She was getting itchy feet. So we thought we would go for our PR then she could work anywhere she likes.
This turned out to be a nightmare. Here is the story below. I typed it while pished one night
We came out here on a 457. We were advised by the agents we used (free one for nurses) that it would be best not to add our son (19 at the time) to the application as it might fail. So we brought him out on a years working holiday visa. So that we could add him to the main application when we went for PR. Now it turns out that because we brought him out on a WHV it means he’s not a dependant. Now it has takes so long for our PR to get sorted that we were told to remove him from the application. So we don’t even have our PR yet. That left him less than 2 weeks to sort something out, so our friends from the gold coast nipped down to help us sort it out and came up with a few ideas here they are, and the pitfalls beside them.
1) Send him over to my brother in NZ for a week and get him a tourist visa for 3 months¦NO we were told this week we cant do that and now his ausie visa is running out he wont get into NZ
2) Get an extension on his WHV for 3 months¦.NO turned down without even reading the application that we handed in.
3) Get him a students visa, this would mean sending him to NZ till he gets the ok from TAFE. It would mean he would have to live with pals on the gold coast because Sydney doesn’t have a course starting till September¦.NO cant do that now, because were not sure if he can get to NZ need to phone emigration tomorrow.
4) As it looks at the mo we are lost no matter which way we turn, starting to panic now, as Pauline will not let him go back to Scotland alone, even if he’s 21 years old (now). She would up sticks and leave and drag us all with her. Not that I would argue cos I feel the same myself.
5) This is the situation we were left with a few months ago.
6) Then our friend in the gold coast pestered immigration until she got someone to talk to, That worked. After hours of phone calls it turns out all we needed was a stat dec declaring our son was dependant on us.
We still shit our pants, cos if the application failed, we all failed. To be honest, if it had, I think we would all be heading back to the uk.
But it’s Oz for us. Forever !!!!!!!!
So we did have it all easy here, life did get a bit hectic at times.
Over the first 2 years we had our fair share of visitors from the uk. Family, friends, and even friends of friend’s lol. While the visitors are here it’s fantastic, but I would start to wonder what it’s going to be like when they leave. It would spoil my time while they were here. So what ever u do, just enjoy your visitors and worry about that when they leave lol
After 2 years in Sydney we had had enough of not being able to buy our own place, Pauline’s itchy feet had infected me. my first 18 months at work was fantastic. I had hit every target the set me, but the top guy had changed and he was an arsehole! He thought he could help me run it better. Over the next 6 months he ran it into the ground and I wasn’t going to be the fall guy.
We had been planning to move north as soon as we got our PR. The only things stopping us were the kids had really settled and leaving the friends we had made. Starting again didn’t bother us too much; we knew we could do that bit. But the two girls had boyfriends. The youngest had been going out with her lad for over a year and my other daughter had found her perfect man (as she call him) lol. Our son had now found the job he had been chasing for 2 years. This was going to be a tough one.
We dropped the bombshell on them about October 2005 (they knew we would do it at some point), we had a pile of visitors arriving in January 2006 from the uk, so they got a bit lost in all the excitement. They were not happy at all, in fact they hated us, well the girls did lol but we knew that if we couldn’t afford a home in Sydney, they had no chance.
Pauline accepted a job on the gold coast in February. She had 21 days to get there. it was panic time again. She had to learn to drive and did in 2 weeks. Then our son decided he wanted to stay in Sydney. This shook Pauline up but I think she was more shocked at my summersaults lol. To be honest I felt really proud of him. The girls hated him because he was allowed to make that decision. We had our leaving nights (and plenty of them) mid march 2006 and moved everything to the gold coast. We decided to drive up. Both girls bawling their eyes out most of the way. On arrival our friends let us kip at theirs for the night. We were up for the delivery van first thing. Our friends helped us unpack and while we did that another pal turned up with food. It was a fantastic welcome.
By the weekend we were invited to a BBQ, and introduced to others. After that our social life became hectic again.
Again I had to attend an expats meet to thank the people for all the info they gave me on the gold coast so I sorted one out for the pac pines tavern. Met some fantastic people there who now, will be friends for life. A few days later we went to one at a local beach and met even more. We seemed to have everything sorted, but both the girls were still struggling.
Heres our 2 year update http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...=2+year+update
Then the youngest split with her boyfriend in Sydney. It was hell for about a month, but she started to build up her own network of friends here and got over him very quickly. But the older one just couldn’t settle. Some of you will remember my post the day she decided that her life was in Sydney. If not heres the link
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...r+old+daughter
shes had her ups and downs and we are still not sure if she will stay there, but she should be old enough to decide that.
One child left in the house and our life was magic. We pissed off up to the port for a wee drive one day (another post most of u will have read)
Life just couldn’t get better.
Just before Christmas I had the dreaded call from the uk, so I headed back (another post you can search for if u want to be bored out of your skull)
By the time I arrived home our son had decided he couldn’t afford Sydney either and moved here.
Our daughter visited for the New Year and the family was back together for about a week. We had a great Christmas and new year (photos are on A forum somewhere)
Not long after the New Year the old yin passed away, I found this a bit hard to take but was contented that I had seen him before he left. My brother had nipped back from NZ to attend the funeral, so I spent the next week counselling him on the phone (about the state of Glasgow)
The next 2 months vanished, and then it was Pauline’s 40th birthday last week.
I bought her a kayak, she was meant to go out on Saturday morning, but said she wouldn’t enjoy it if I was just sitting on the beach. So we went out and bought another one for me.
Who says life doesn’t begin at 40?
I will let you know soon.
We have most of this year planned out already; we will be very busy for the next few months with one of the highlights being,
catching up with a couple of old numpties from this forum in august. 2 guys who have helped us through our time in Oz, who both talk as much pish at me. anyone know where we can buy facial pampers for this meet?
Sorry for the ramble, but there will be something in there for everyone!
And one last point, well 2
Point 1
Both Pauline and I have been married for 23 years, people always say that we make it look easy.
We work hard at it!
Just like moving your family to the other side of the world.
The harder you work, the easier it looks to everyone else.
Point2
Never ever turn down the chance of a meet; you never know who you might meet. And if you don’t like it, well at least you tried!
Oh and I do hope you all get as lucky as we have
Soapy
(to the Mods, could you please leave this in the Barbie because most of the people I want to read this don’t use the update forum)?
This is a little early, but I thought I would do it anyway
Beware, this is a long long read
We landed in Sydney 21st April 2004.
We had three teens on tow. 19 year old son and 2 daughters 16 and 14.
Our 16 year old had left school just before we left the uk, so we had to lie to her that she needed to attend school for a year or we wouldn’t get a visa. She fell for it. We knew she would have a better chance of settling if she went to school.
We had pre booked into the Randwick lodge in the eastern suburb of Randwick. It was called a 2 bedroom, but it was really a one and a half bedroom with one single bed in the other room and no room left for anything else. It had no air con so we were struggling right away so, we decided that we had to change money as soon as possible to cool down. We walked into the local commonwealth bank and the lady who served us turned out to be Scottish. She dragged us off to her office and decided that she would take it upon herself to make sure we didn’t make too many mistakes. She told us most of the things we would need to do in our first week and told us if we needed any help to nip into the bank and ask for her.
Second day we hired a car, then found the hospital Pauline was due to start work in (it was about a hundred yards across the road lol
Every day for the first week we would nip into the bank to make sure we were doing the right thing. By the Friday we were invited to a BBQ to meet some of their friends. This was the best thing that ever happened to us, by the following week one of the people at the Barbie had sorted a job for our son. They had helped us pick the right area for a house, told us to haggle everyone to death, and told us the right school for the girls. Within 3 days we had a rental, but we couldn’t move in for another week so we were stuck in the sweatbox for 10 days in total. That week was mental. We found all the furniture for the new rental and had it all delivered on the first day we got the keys. That was a bit mad, vans kept turning up at the door with more and more stuff. Took as about 3 days to get it all sorted. But at last we had a house before Pauline started work.
The girls didn’t start school for about 3 weeks because we were waiting for the next term to start (something every parent must think about before they book flights)
I will never forget that day! Having to leave two grown lassies that were shaking was one of the hardest things I have ever done. The youngest had pals by the second day, our oldest had met a friend, but she was a little strange to say the least. After about a month our oldest met Scottish and English girls who had both lost their accents (been here a few years) that was her sorted. They introduced her to a huge crowd.
Pauline was now working and struggling with the changes. She felt like she was being deskilled, but was willing to give it her best go. To be honest I think it was too many changes for a mother all at the same time.
By Now that the kids were sorted and we had a very nice group of friends, our social life had taken off. We were really starting to settle.
We had decided that I would look after the kids till they were settled, we guessed about 6 months. After 3 I was bored, the kids didn’t need me and I spent most of the day doing shite all. So I decided it was time to find work.
I was sitting on the computer one night and decided to send a local mitre 10 an email, just explaining that I was looking for work. 2 days later I got asked to an interview. The guy was asian and couldn’t understand a word I said, but I had been talking a lot so I think this guy thought i must have known a lot lol. The job was to run the hand tool dept. he must have been impressed with my verbal pish because he asked me back for a second interview (with his boss). He was from Italian decent and for some reason could understand me. I couldn’t help but ask him why. He told me that when he was young his tradesman was from Glasgow. How lucky can I get eh? Then he told me that the guy kicked his arse every day…..oh shit this isn’t going good!
He asked me what I knew and I told him. We went round in circles for about half and hour and I was getting a bit pissed off with it, so I decided to say to him that there was a trial period of three months and that at any point they could dump me if they weren’t happy, then added that I would dump them just as quick within that 3 months if I felt the same. That’s all the guy needed to hear. I had the job; well he threw in the power tool dept too. lol
I had been using the expats forums for a while so by july 2004 I thought it was about time I caught up with some of the people I had been chatting to, and to thank some of them. I can remember the day like it was tomorrow. It was at the botanical park in Sydney. It was decided that we would meet at the café (turns out there are two ) we were lucky enough to find the right one. We walked past a few times, leaning over to see if we could hear an accent. We must have looked really strange (same feeling Brido had at the pac pines meet) we decide to sit at a table across from who we thought might be the expats, just so we didn’t look too silly. After about 30 mins we spotted a little kid in an England top. So we moved in for the kill. It was the second best thing we have done since moving to Oz. About 25 people turned up and we all chatted for a few hours. After that people started to drift off and we were left with the rumbletums, the Jason k844s, and rosie and family. I think we all sat for about another hour. Pauline decided to ask them back for a BBQ the next Sunday. They all became really good friends. We caught up around once a month. Memories I will keep forever and people who will be friends forever. I don’t keep in contact with them as much as I should but I know if im down in Sydney it will be like I had never left. Sadly rosie and family left oz and headed back to the uk. as a group of friends I think we were all a bit stunned when they decided to go, but it was the right thing for them to do as a family. if you guys ever read this. You were great fun, great friends and we miss ya!
We had friends who lived in the gold coast, I had grown up with them as a child and hadn’t seen them since about 1985. when they found out we were in Oz they would visit about once a month. Paulines sister lives in port Douglas too, so we had a few holidays in the first year to both the port and the gold coast.
The kids had really settled in and Pauline was getting a bit bored at work. She was getting itchy feet. So we thought we would go for our PR then she could work anywhere she likes.
This turned out to be a nightmare. Here is the story below. I typed it while pished one night
We came out here on a 457. We were advised by the agents we used (free one for nurses) that it would be best not to add our son (19 at the time) to the application as it might fail. So we brought him out on a years working holiday visa. So that we could add him to the main application when we went for PR. Now it turns out that because we brought him out on a WHV it means he’s not a dependant. Now it has takes so long for our PR to get sorted that we were told to remove him from the application. So we don’t even have our PR yet. That left him less than 2 weeks to sort something out, so our friends from the gold coast nipped down to help us sort it out and came up with a few ideas here they are, and the pitfalls beside them.
1) Send him over to my brother in NZ for a week and get him a tourist visa for 3 months¦NO we were told this week we cant do that and now his ausie visa is running out he wont get into NZ
2) Get an extension on his WHV for 3 months¦.NO turned down without even reading the application that we handed in.
3) Get him a students visa, this would mean sending him to NZ till he gets the ok from TAFE. It would mean he would have to live with pals on the gold coast because Sydney doesn’t have a course starting till September¦.NO cant do that now, because were not sure if he can get to NZ need to phone emigration tomorrow.
4) As it looks at the mo we are lost no matter which way we turn, starting to panic now, as Pauline will not let him go back to Scotland alone, even if he’s 21 years old (now). She would up sticks and leave and drag us all with her. Not that I would argue cos I feel the same myself.
5) This is the situation we were left with a few months ago.
6) Then our friend in the gold coast pestered immigration until she got someone to talk to, That worked. After hours of phone calls it turns out all we needed was a stat dec declaring our son was dependant on us.
We still shit our pants, cos if the application failed, we all failed. To be honest, if it had, I think we would all be heading back to the uk.
But it’s Oz for us. Forever !!!!!!!!
So we did have it all easy here, life did get a bit hectic at times.
Over the first 2 years we had our fair share of visitors from the uk. Family, friends, and even friends of friend’s lol. While the visitors are here it’s fantastic, but I would start to wonder what it’s going to be like when they leave. It would spoil my time while they were here. So what ever u do, just enjoy your visitors and worry about that when they leave lol
After 2 years in Sydney we had had enough of not being able to buy our own place, Pauline’s itchy feet had infected me. my first 18 months at work was fantastic. I had hit every target the set me, but the top guy had changed and he was an arsehole! He thought he could help me run it better. Over the next 6 months he ran it into the ground and I wasn’t going to be the fall guy.
We had been planning to move north as soon as we got our PR. The only things stopping us were the kids had really settled and leaving the friends we had made. Starting again didn’t bother us too much; we knew we could do that bit. But the two girls had boyfriends. The youngest had been going out with her lad for over a year and my other daughter had found her perfect man (as she call him) lol. Our son had now found the job he had been chasing for 2 years. This was going to be a tough one.
We dropped the bombshell on them about October 2005 (they knew we would do it at some point), we had a pile of visitors arriving in January 2006 from the uk, so they got a bit lost in all the excitement. They were not happy at all, in fact they hated us, well the girls did lol but we knew that if we couldn’t afford a home in Sydney, they had no chance.
Pauline accepted a job on the gold coast in February. She had 21 days to get there. it was panic time again. She had to learn to drive and did in 2 weeks. Then our son decided he wanted to stay in Sydney. This shook Pauline up but I think she was more shocked at my summersaults lol. To be honest I felt really proud of him. The girls hated him because he was allowed to make that decision. We had our leaving nights (and plenty of them) mid march 2006 and moved everything to the gold coast. We decided to drive up. Both girls bawling their eyes out most of the way. On arrival our friends let us kip at theirs for the night. We were up for the delivery van first thing. Our friends helped us unpack and while we did that another pal turned up with food. It was a fantastic welcome.
By the weekend we were invited to a BBQ, and introduced to others. After that our social life became hectic again.
Again I had to attend an expats meet to thank the people for all the info they gave me on the gold coast so I sorted one out for the pac pines tavern. Met some fantastic people there who now, will be friends for life. A few days later we went to one at a local beach and met even more. We seemed to have everything sorted, but both the girls were still struggling.
Heres our 2 year update http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...=2+year+update
Then the youngest split with her boyfriend in Sydney. It was hell for about a month, but she started to build up her own network of friends here and got over him very quickly. But the older one just couldn’t settle. Some of you will remember my post the day she decided that her life was in Sydney. If not heres the link
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...r+old+daughter
shes had her ups and downs and we are still not sure if she will stay there, but she should be old enough to decide that.
One child left in the house and our life was magic. We pissed off up to the port for a wee drive one day (another post most of u will have read)
Life just couldn’t get better.
Just before Christmas I had the dreaded call from the uk, so I headed back (another post you can search for if u want to be bored out of your skull)
By the time I arrived home our son had decided he couldn’t afford Sydney either and moved here.
Our daughter visited for the New Year and the family was back together for about a week. We had a great Christmas and new year (photos are on A forum somewhere)
Not long after the New Year the old yin passed away, I found this a bit hard to take but was contented that I had seen him before he left. My brother had nipped back from NZ to attend the funeral, so I spent the next week counselling him on the phone (about the state of Glasgow)
The next 2 months vanished, and then it was Pauline’s 40th birthday last week.
I bought her a kayak, she was meant to go out on Saturday morning, but said she wouldn’t enjoy it if I was just sitting on the beach. So we went out and bought another one for me.
Who says life doesn’t begin at 40?
I will let you know soon.
We have most of this year planned out already; we will be very busy for the next few months with one of the highlights being,
catching up with a couple of old numpties from this forum in august. 2 guys who have helped us through our time in Oz, who both talk as much pish at me. anyone know where we can buy facial pampers for this meet?
Sorry for the ramble, but there will be something in there for everyone!
And one last point, well 2
Point 1
Both Pauline and I have been married for 23 years, people always say that we make it look easy.
We work hard at it!
Just like moving your family to the other side of the world.
The harder you work, the easier it looks to everyone else.
Point2
Never ever turn down the chance of a meet; you never know who you might meet. And if you don’t like it, well at least you tried!
Oh and I do hope you all get as lucky as we have
Soapy
Cheers Sam
Mar 13th 2007, 2:15 pm
#32
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2004
Location: The Gold Coast
Posts: 3,069
Re: 3 short years
Brilliant post 
Tracey
Tracey
Mar 13th 2007, 8:43 pm
#33
small steps long journey
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: A river somewhere
Posts: 3,451
Re: 3 short years
Good on ya Soapy. A true gentleman of the forum.
Mar 13th 2007, 9:01 pm
#34
UK is Home
Joined: Dec 2005
Location: Home- "Glasgow"
Posts: 1,137
Re: 3 short years
Point 1
Both Pauline and I have been married for 23 years, people always say that we make it look easy.
FFS mate, i can see why 23 years, you almost talked the pants aff me
BTW that was an excellent post!!!!!!!!!!! just got me a bit concerned about moving to Sydney, where was that 1 1/2 Bedroom sauna you were renting. We are looking at making the move June/July and prob spend most weekends in Coogee swallying in the Coogee Bay or The palace with the Bro and his mates till i get my own
The next time you head down, nip in and you can be my best mate.
Just one more wee thing, i have no idea why but i let the missus read this and she had watery eyes, I have never managed to get her to do that
All the best mate in whats ahead.
Both Pauline and I have been married for 23 years, people always say that we make it look easy.
FFS mate, i can see why 23 years, you almost talked the pants aff me
BTW that was an excellent post!!!!!!!!!!! just got me a bit concerned about moving to Sydney, where was that 1 1/2 Bedroom sauna you were renting. We are looking at making the move June/July and prob spend most weekends in Coogee swallying in the Coogee Bay or The palace with the Bro and his mates till i get my own
The next time you head down, nip in and you can be my best mate.Just one more wee thing, i have no idea why but i let the missus read this and she had watery eyes, I have never managed to get her to do that
All the best mate in whats ahead.
Last edited by Sunny_Glesga; Mar 13th 2007 at 9:05 pm.
Mar 13th 2007, 10:49 pm
#35
Australia's Doorman
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: The Shoalhaven, New South Wales, Australia
Posts: 11,056
Mar 13th 2007, 11:15 pm
#36
Account Closed
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 4,374
Re: 3 short years
soaps, i've finally stopped crying and i think this post is inspirational
Mar 13th 2007, 11:42 pm
#37
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 7,834
Re: 3 short years
3 years update
(to the Mods, could you please leave this in the Barbie because most of the people I want to read this don’t use the update forum)?
This is a little early, but I thought I would do it anyway
Beware, this is a long long read
We landed in Sydney 21st April 2004.
We had three teens on tow. 19 year old son and 2 daughters 16 and 14.
Our 16 year old had left school just before we left the uk, so we had to lie to her that she needed to attend school for a year or we wouldn’t get a visa. She fell for it. We knew she would have a better chance of settling if she went to school.
We had pre booked into the Randwick lodge in the eastern suburb of Randwick. It was called a 2 bedroom, but it was really a one and a half bedroom with one single bed in the other room and no room left for anything else. It had no air con so we were struggling right away so, we decided that we had to change money as soon as possible to cool down. We walked into the local commonwealth bank and the lady who served us turned out to be Scottish. She dragged us off to her office and decided that she would take it upon herself to make sure we didn’t make too many mistakes. She told us most of the things we would need to do in our first week and told us if we needed any help to nip into the bank and ask for her.
Second day we hired a car, then found the hospital Pauline was due to start work in (it was about a hundred yards across the road lol
Every day for the first week we would nip into the bank to make sure we were doing the right thing. By the Friday we were invited to a BBQ to meet some of their friends. This was the best thing that ever happened to us, by the following week one of the people at the Barbie had sorted a job for our son. They had helped us pick the right area for a house, told us to haggle everyone to death, and told us the right school for the girls. Within 3 days we had a rental, but we couldn’t move in for another week so we were stuck in the sweatbox for 10 days in total. That week was mental. We found all the furniture for the new rental and had it all delivered on the first day we got the keys. That was a bit mad, vans kept turning up at the door with more and more stuff. Took as about 3 days to get it all sorted. But at last we had a house before Pauline started work.
The girls didn’t start school for about 3 weeks because we were waiting for the next term to start (something every parent must think about before they book flights)
I will never forget that day! Having to leave two grown lassies that were shaking was one of the hardest things I have ever done. The youngest had pals by the second day, our oldest had met a friend, but she was a little strange to say the least. After about a month our oldest met Scottish and English girls who had both lost their accents (been here a few years) that was her sorted. They introduced her to a huge crowd.
Pauline was now working and struggling with the changes. She felt like she was being deskilled, but was willing to give it her best go. To be honest I think it was too many changes for a mother all at the same time.
By Now that the kids were sorted and we had a very nice group of friends, our social life had taken off. We were really starting to settle.
We had decided that I would look after the kids till they were settled, we guessed about 6 months. After 3 I was bored, the kids didn’t need me and I spent most of the day doing shite all. So I decided it was time to find work.
I was sitting on the computer one night and decided to send a local mitre 10 an email, just explaining that I was looking for work. 2 days later I got asked to an interview. The guy was asian and couldn’t understand a word I said, but I had been talking a lot so I think this guy thought i must have known a lot lol. The job was to run the hand tool dept. he must have been impressed with my verbal pish because he asked me back for a second interview (with his boss). He was from Italian decent and for some reason could understand me. I couldn’t help but ask him why. He told me that when he was young his tradesman was from Glasgow. How lucky can I get eh? Then he told me that the guy kicked his arse every day…..oh shit this isn’t going good!
He asked me what I knew and I told him. We went round in circles for about half and hour and I was getting a bit pissed off with it, so I decided to say to him that there was a trial period of three months and that at any point they could dump me if they weren’t happy, then added that I would dump them just as quick within that 3 months if I felt the same. That’s all the guy needed to hear. I had the job; well he threw in the power tool dept too. lol
I had been using the expats forums for a while so by july 2004 I thought it was about time I caught up with some of the people I had been chatting to, and to thank some of them. I can remember the day like it was tomorrow. It was at the botanical park in Sydney. It was decided that we would meet at the café (turns out there are two ) we were lucky enough to find the right one. We walked past a few times, leaning over to see if we could hear an accent. We must have looked really strange (same feeling Brido had at the pac pines meet) we decide to sit at a table across from who we thought might be the expats, just so we didn’t look too silly. After about 30 mins we spotted a little kid in an England top. So we moved in for the kill. It was the second best thing we have done since moving to Oz. About 25 people turned up and we all chatted for a few hours. After that people started to drift off and we were left with the rumbletums, the Jason k844s, and rosie and family. I think we all sat for about another hour. Pauline decided to ask them back for a BBQ the next Sunday. They all became really good friends. We caught up around once a month. Memories I will keep forever and people who will be friends forever. I don’t keep in contact with them as much as I should but I know if im down in Sydney it will be like I had never left. Sadly rosie and family left oz and headed back to the uk. as a group of friends I think we were all a bit stunned when they decided to go, but it was the right thing for them to do as a family. if you guys ever read this. You were great fun, great friends and we miss ya!
We had friends who lived in the gold coast, I had grown up with them as a child and hadn’t seen them since about 1985. when they found out we were in Oz they would visit about once a month. Paulines sister lives in port Douglas too, so we had a few holidays in the first year to both the port and the gold coast.
The kids had really settled in and Pauline was getting a bit bored at work. She was getting itchy feet. So we thought we would go for our PR then she could work anywhere she likes.
This turned out to be a nightmare. Here is the story below. I typed it while pished one night
We came out here on a 457. We were advised by the agents we used (free one for nurses) that it would be best not to add our son (19 at the time) to the application as it might fail. So we brought him out on a years working holiday visa. So that we could add him to the main application when we went for PR. Now it turns out that because we brought him out on a WHV it means he’s not a dependant. Now it has takes so long for our PR to get sorted that we were told to remove him from the application. So we don’t even have our PR yet. That left him less than 2 weeks to sort something out, so our friends from the gold coast nipped down to help us sort it out and came up with a few ideas here they are, and the pitfalls beside them.
1) Send him over to my brother in NZ for a week and get him a tourist visa for 3 months¦NO we were told this week we cant do that and now his ausie visa is running out he wont get into NZ
2) Get an extension on his WHV for 3 months¦.NO turned down without even reading the application that we handed in.
3) Get him a students visa, this would mean sending him to NZ till he gets the ok from TAFE. It would mean he would have to live with pals on the gold coast because Sydney doesn’t have a course starting till September¦.NO cant do that now, because were not sure if he can get to NZ need to phone emigration tomorrow.
4) As it looks at the mo we are lost no matter which way we turn, starting to panic now, as Pauline will not let him go back to Scotland alone, even if he’s 21 years old (now). She would up sticks and leave and drag us all with her. Not that I would argue cos I feel the same myself.
5) This is the situation we were left with a few months ago.
6) Then our friend in the gold coast pestered immigration until she got someone to talk to, That worked. After hours of phone calls it turns out all we needed was a stat dec declaring our son was dependant on us.
We still shit our pants, cos if the application failed, we all failed. To be honest, if it had, I think we would all be heading back to the uk.
But it’s Oz for us. Forever !!!!!!!!
So we did have it all easy here, life did get a bit hectic at times.
Over the first 2 years we had our fair share of visitors from the uk. Family, friends, and even friends of friend’s lol. While the visitors are here it’s fantastic, but I would start to wonder what it’s going to be like when they leave. It would spoil my time while they were here. So what ever u do, just enjoy your visitors and worry about that when they leave lol
After 2 years in Sydney we had had enough of not being able to buy our own place, Pauline’s itchy feet had infected me. my first 18 months at work was fantastic. I had hit every target the set me, but the top guy had changed and he was an arsehole! He thought he could help me run it better. Over the next 6 months he ran it into the ground and I wasn’t going to be the fall guy.
We had been planning to move north as soon as we got our PR. The only things stopping us were the kids had really settled and leaving the friends we had made. Starting again didn’t bother us too much; we knew we could do that bit. But the two girls had boyfriends. The youngest had been going out with her lad for over a year and my other daughter had found her perfect man (as she call him) lol. Our son had now found the job he had been chasing for 2 years. This was going to be a tough one.
We dropped the bombshell on them about October 2005 (they knew we would do it at some point), we had a pile of visitors arriving in January 2006 from the uk, so they got a bit lost in all the excitement. They were not happy at all, in fact they hated us, well the girls did lol but we knew that if we couldn’t afford a home in Sydney, they had no chance.
Pauline accepted a job on the gold coast in February. She had 21 days to get there. it was panic time again. She had to learn to drive and did in 2 weeks. Then our son decided he wanted to stay in Sydney. This shook Pauline up but I think she was more shocked at my summersaults lol. To be honest I felt really proud of him. The girls hated him because he was allowed to make that decision. We had our leaving nights (and plenty of them) mid march 2006 and moved everything to the gold coast. We decided to drive up. Both girls bawling their eyes out most of the way. On arrival our friends let us kip at theirs for the night. We were up for the delivery van first thing. Our friends helped us unpack and while we did that another pal turned up with food. It was a fantastic welcome.
By the weekend we were invited to a BBQ, and introduced to others. After that our social life became hectic again.
Again I had to attend an expats meet to thank the people for all the info they gave me on the gold coast so I sorted one out for the pac pines tavern. Met some fantastic people there who now, will be friends for life. A few days later we went to one at a local beach and met even more. We seemed to have everything sorted, but both the girls were still struggling.
Heres our 2 year update http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...=2+year+update
Then the youngest split with her boyfriend in Sydney. It was hell for about a month, but she started to build up her own network of friends here and got over him very quickly. But the older one just couldn’t settle. Some of you will remember my post the day she decided that her life was in Sydney. If not heres the link
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...r+old+daughter
shes had her ups and downs and we are still not sure if she will stay there, but she should be old enough to decide that.
One child left in the house and our life was magic. We pissed off up to the port for a wee drive one day (another post most of u will have read)
Life just couldn’t get better.
Just before Christmas I had the dreaded call from the uk, so I headed back (another post you can search for if u want to be bored out of your skull)
By the time I arrived home our son had decided he couldn’t afford Sydney either and moved here.
Our daughter visited for the New Year and the family was back together for about a week. We had a great Christmas and new year (photos are on A forum somewhere)
Not long after the New Year the old yin passed away, I found this a bit hard to take but was contented that I had seen him before he left. My brother had nipped back from NZ to attend the funeral, so I spent the next week counselling him on the phone (about the state of Glasgow)
The next 2 months vanished, and then it was Pauline’s 40th birthday last week.
I bought her a kayak, she was meant to go out on Saturday morning, but said she wouldn’t enjoy it if I was just sitting on the beach. So we went out and bought another one for me.
Who says life doesn’t begin at 40?
I will let you know soon.
We have most of this year planned out already; we will be very busy for the next few months with one of the highlights being,
catching up with a couple of old numpties from this forum in august. 2 guys who have helped us through our time in Oz, who both talk as much pish at me. anyone know where we can buy facial pampers for this meet?
Sorry for the ramble, but there will be something in there for everyone!
And one last point, well 2
Point 1
Both Pauline and I have been married for 23 years, people always say that we make it look easy.
We work hard at it!
Just like moving your family to the other side of the world.
The harder you work, the easier it looks to everyone else.
Point2
Never ever turn down the chance of a meet; you never know who you might meet. And if you don’t like it, well at least you tried!
Oh and I do hope you all get as lucky as we have
Soapy
(to the Mods, could you please leave this in the Barbie because most of the people I want to read this don’t use the update forum)?
This is a little early, but I thought I would do it anyway
Beware, this is a long long read
We landed in Sydney 21st April 2004.
We had three teens on tow. 19 year old son and 2 daughters 16 and 14.
Our 16 year old had left school just before we left the uk, so we had to lie to her that she needed to attend school for a year or we wouldn’t get a visa. She fell for it. We knew she would have a better chance of settling if she went to school.
We had pre booked into the Randwick lodge in the eastern suburb of Randwick. It was called a 2 bedroom, but it was really a one and a half bedroom with one single bed in the other room and no room left for anything else. It had no air con so we were struggling right away so, we decided that we had to change money as soon as possible to cool down. We walked into the local commonwealth bank and the lady who served us turned out to be Scottish. She dragged us off to her office and decided that she would take it upon herself to make sure we didn’t make too many mistakes. She told us most of the things we would need to do in our first week and told us if we needed any help to nip into the bank and ask for her.
Second day we hired a car, then found the hospital Pauline was due to start work in (it was about a hundred yards across the road lol
Every day for the first week we would nip into the bank to make sure we were doing the right thing. By the Friday we were invited to a BBQ to meet some of their friends. This was the best thing that ever happened to us, by the following week one of the people at the Barbie had sorted a job for our son. They had helped us pick the right area for a house, told us to haggle everyone to death, and told us the right school for the girls. Within 3 days we had a rental, but we couldn’t move in for another week so we were stuck in the sweatbox for 10 days in total. That week was mental. We found all the furniture for the new rental and had it all delivered on the first day we got the keys. That was a bit mad, vans kept turning up at the door with more and more stuff. Took as about 3 days to get it all sorted. But at last we had a house before Pauline started work.
The girls didn’t start school for about 3 weeks because we were waiting for the next term to start (something every parent must think about before they book flights)
I will never forget that day! Having to leave two grown lassies that were shaking was one of the hardest things I have ever done. The youngest had pals by the second day, our oldest had met a friend, but she was a little strange to say the least. After about a month our oldest met Scottish and English girls who had both lost their accents (been here a few years) that was her sorted. They introduced her to a huge crowd.
Pauline was now working and struggling with the changes. She felt like she was being deskilled, but was willing to give it her best go. To be honest I think it was too many changes for a mother all at the same time.
By Now that the kids were sorted and we had a very nice group of friends, our social life had taken off. We were really starting to settle.
We had decided that I would look after the kids till they were settled, we guessed about 6 months. After 3 I was bored, the kids didn’t need me and I spent most of the day doing shite all. So I decided it was time to find work.
I was sitting on the computer one night and decided to send a local mitre 10 an email, just explaining that I was looking for work. 2 days later I got asked to an interview. The guy was asian and couldn’t understand a word I said, but I had been talking a lot so I think this guy thought i must have known a lot lol. The job was to run the hand tool dept. he must have been impressed with my verbal pish because he asked me back for a second interview (with his boss). He was from Italian decent and for some reason could understand me. I couldn’t help but ask him why. He told me that when he was young his tradesman was from Glasgow. How lucky can I get eh? Then he told me that the guy kicked his arse every day…..oh shit this isn’t going good!
He asked me what I knew and I told him. We went round in circles for about half and hour and I was getting a bit pissed off with it, so I decided to say to him that there was a trial period of three months and that at any point they could dump me if they weren’t happy, then added that I would dump them just as quick within that 3 months if I felt the same. That’s all the guy needed to hear. I had the job; well he threw in the power tool dept too. lol
I had been using the expats forums for a while so by july 2004 I thought it was about time I caught up with some of the people I had been chatting to, and to thank some of them. I can remember the day like it was tomorrow. It was at the botanical park in Sydney. It was decided that we would meet at the café (turns out there are two ) we were lucky enough to find the right one. We walked past a few times, leaning over to see if we could hear an accent. We must have looked really strange (same feeling Brido had at the pac pines meet) we decide to sit at a table across from who we thought might be the expats, just so we didn’t look too silly. After about 30 mins we spotted a little kid in an England top. So we moved in for the kill. It was the second best thing we have done since moving to Oz. About 25 people turned up and we all chatted for a few hours. After that people started to drift off and we were left with the rumbletums, the Jason k844s, and rosie and family. I think we all sat for about another hour. Pauline decided to ask them back for a BBQ the next Sunday. They all became really good friends. We caught up around once a month. Memories I will keep forever and people who will be friends forever. I don’t keep in contact with them as much as I should but I know if im down in Sydney it will be like I had never left. Sadly rosie and family left oz and headed back to the uk. as a group of friends I think we were all a bit stunned when they decided to go, but it was the right thing for them to do as a family. if you guys ever read this. You were great fun, great friends and we miss ya!
We had friends who lived in the gold coast, I had grown up with them as a child and hadn’t seen them since about 1985. when they found out we were in Oz they would visit about once a month. Paulines sister lives in port Douglas too, so we had a few holidays in the first year to both the port and the gold coast.
The kids had really settled in and Pauline was getting a bit bored at work. She was getting itchy feet. So we thought we would go for our PR then she could work anywhere she likes.
This turned out to be a nightmare. Here is the story below. I typed it while pished one night
We came out here on a 457. We were advised by the agents we used (free one for nurses) that it would be best not to add our son (19 at the time) to the application as it might fail. So we brought him out on a years working holiday visa. So that we could add him to the main application when we went for PR. Now it turns out that because we brought him out on a WHV it means he’s not a dependant. Now it has takes so long for our PR to get sorted that we were told to remove him from the application. So we don’t even have our PR yet. That left him less than 2 weeks to sort something out, so our friends from the gold coast nipped down to help us sort it out and came up with a few ideas here they are, and the pitfalls beside them.
1) Send him over to my brother in NZ for a week and get him a tourist visa for 3 months¦NO we were told this week we cant do that and now his ausie visa is running out he wont get into NZ
2) Get an extension on his WHV for 3 months¦.NO turned down without even reading the application that we handed in.
3) Get him a students visa, this would mean sending him to NZ till he gets the ok from TAFE. It would mean he would have to live with pals on the gold coast because Sydney doesn’t have a course starting till September¦.NO cant do that now, because were not sure if he can get to NZ need to phone emigration tomorrow.
4) As it looks at the mo we are lost no matter which way we turn, starting to panic now, as Pauline will not let him go back to Scotland alone, even if he’s 21 years old (now). She would up sticks and leave and drag us all with her. Not that I would argue cos I feel the same myself.
5) This is the situation we were left with a few months ago.
6) Then our friend in the gold coast pestered immigration until she got someone to talk to, That worked. After hours of phone calls it turns out all we needed was a stat dec declaring our son was dependant on us.
We still shit our pants, cos if the application failed, we all failed. To be honest, if it had, I think we would all be heading back to the uk.
But it’s Oz for us. Forever !!!!!!!!
So we did have it all easy here, life did get a bit hectic at times.
Over the first 2 years we had our fair share of visitors from the uk. Family, friends, and even friends of friend’s lol. While the visitors are here it’s fantastic, but I would start to wonder what it’s going to be like when they leave. It would spoil my time while they were here. So what ever u do, just enjoy your visitors and worry about that when they leave lol
After 2 years in Sydney we had had enough of not being able to buy our own place, Pauline’s itchy feet had infected me. my first 18 months at work was fantastic. I had hit every target the set me, but the top guy had changed and he was an arsehole! He thought he could help me run it better. Over the next 6 months he ran it into the ground and I wasn’t going to be the fall guy.
We had been planning to move north as soon as we got our PR. The only things stopping us were the kids had really settled and leaving the friends we had made. Starting again didn’t bother us too much; we knew we could do that bit. But the two girls had boyfriends. The youngest had been going out with her lad for over a year and my other daughter had found her perfect man (as she call him) lol. Our son had now found the job he had been chasing for 2 years. This was going to be a tough one.
We dropped the bombshell on them about October 2005 (they knew we would do it at some point), we had a pile of visitors arriving in January 2006 from the uk, so they got a bit lost in all the excitement. They were not happy at all, in fact they hated us, well the girls did lol but we knew that if we couldn’t afford a home in Sydney, they had no chance.
Pauline accepted a job on the gold coast in February. She had 21 days to get there. it was panic time again. She had to learn to drive and did in 2 weeks. Then our son decided he wanted to stay in Sydney. This shook Pauline up but I think she was more shocked at my summersaults lol. To be honest I felt really proud of him. The girls hated him because he was allowed to make that decision. We had our leaving nights (and plenty of them) mid march 2006 and moved everything to the gold coast. We decided to drive up. Both girls bawling their eyes out most of the way. On arrival our friends let us kip at theirs for the night. We were up for the delivery van first thing. Our friends helped us unpack and while we did that another pal turned up with food. It was a fantastic welcome.
By the weekend we were invited to a BBQ, and introduced to others. After that our social life became hectic again.
Again I had to attend an expats meet to thank the people for all the info they gave me on the gold coast so I sorted one out for the pac pines tavern. Met some fantastic people there who now, will be friends for life. A few days later we went to one at a local beach and met even more. We seemed to have everything sorted, but both the girls were still struggling.
Heres our 2 year update http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...=2+year+update
Then the youngest split with her boyfriend in Sydney. It was hell for about a month, but she started to build up her own network of friends here and got over him very quickly. But the older one just couldn’t settle. Some of you will remember my post the day she decided that her life was in Sydney. If not heres the link
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...r+old+daughter
shes had her ups and downs and we are still not sure if she will stay there, but she should be old enough to decide that.
One child left in the house and our life was magic. We pissed off up to the port for a wee drive one day (another post most of u will have read)
Life just couldn’t get better.
Just before Christmas I had the dreaded call from the uk, so I headed back (another post you can search for if u want to be bored out of your skull)
By the time I arrived home our son had decided he couldn’t afford Sydney either and moved here.
Our daughter visited for the New Year and the family was back together for about a week. We had a great Christmas and new year (photos are on A forum somewhere)
Not long after the New Year the old yin passed away, I found this a bit hard to take but was contented that I had seen him before he left. My brother had nipped back from NZ to attend the funeral, so I spent the next week counselling him on the phone (about the state of Glasgow)
The next 2 months vanished, and then it was Pauline’s 40th birthday last week.
I bought her a kayak, she was meant to go out on Saturday morning, but said she wouldn’t enjoy it if I was just sitting on the beach. So we went out and bought another one for me.
Who says life doesn’t begin at 40?
I will let you know soon.
We have most of this year planned out already; we will be very busy for the next few months with one of the highlights being,
catching up with a couple of old numpties from this forum in august. 2 guys who have helped us through our time in Oz, who both talk as much pish at me. anyone know where we can buy facial pampers for this meet?
Sorry for the ramble, but there will be something in there for everyone!
And one last point, well 2
Point 1
Both Pauline and I have been married for 23 years, people always say that we make it look easy.
We work hard at it!
Just like moving your family to the other side of the world.
The harder you work, the easier it looks to everyone else.
Point2
Never ever turn down the chance of a meet; you never know who you might meet. And if you don’t like it, well at least you tried!
Oh and I do hope you all get as lucky as we have
Soapy
WELL DONE WEE MAN....GET PADDLING
BEST OF LUCK FIR THE NEXT 3 YEARS +
Mar 14th 2007, 12:00 am
#38
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 1,492
Re: 3 short years
Great post Soapy, heading out to Brisbane in June for a few weeks, if there is a meet in the gold coast we will be there.
Debbie
Debbie
Mar 14th 2007, 12:02 am
#39
Gutter Gob!!
Joined: Feb 2005
Location: Perth
Posts: 13,098
Re: 3 short years
3 years update
(to the Mods, could you please leave this in the Barbie because most of the people I want to read this don’t use the update forum)?
This is a little early, but I thought I would do it anyway
Beware, this is a long long read
We landed in Sydney 21st April 2004.
We had three teens on tow. 19 year old son and 2 daughters 16 and 14.
Our 16 year old had left school just before we left the uk, so we had to lie to her that she needed to attend school for a year or we wouldn’t get a visa. She fell for it. We knew she would have a better chance of settling if she went to school.
We had pre booked into the Randwick lodge in the eastern suburb of Randwick. It was called a 2 bedroom, but it was really a one and a half bedroom with one single bed in the other room and no room left for anything else. It had no air con so we were struggling right away so, we decided that we had to change money as soon as possible to cool down. We walked into the local commonwealth bank and the lady who served us turned out to be Scottish. She dragged us off to her office and decided that she would take it upon herself to make sure we didn’t make too many mistakes. She told us most of the things we would need to do in our first week and told us if we needed any help to nip into the bank and ask for her.
Second day we hired a car, then found the hospital Pauline was due to start work in (it was about a hundred yards across the road lol
Every day for the first week we would nip into the bank to make sure we were doing the right thing. By the Friday we were invited to a BBQ to meet some of their friends. This was the best thing that ever happened to us, by the following week one of the people at the Barbie had sorted a job for our son. They had helped us pick the right area for a house, told us to haggle everyone to death, and told us the right school for the girls. Within 3 days we had a rental, but we couldn’t move in for another week so we were stuck in the sweatbox for 10 days in total. That week was mental. We found all the furniture for the new rental and had it all delivered on the first day we got the keys. That was a bit mad, vans kept turning up at the door with more and more stuff. Took as about 3 days to get it all sorted. But at last we had a house before Pauline started work.
The girls didn’t start school for about 3 weeks because we were waiting for the next term to start (something every parent must think about before they book flights)
I will never forget that day! Having to leave two grown lassies that were shaking was one of the hardest things I have ever done. The youngest had pals by the second day, our oldest had met a friend, but she was a little strange to say the least. After about a month our oldest met Scottish and English girls who had both lost their accents (been here a few years) that was her sorted. They introduced her to a huge crowd.
Pauline was now working and struggling with the changes. She felt like she was being deskilled, but was willing to give it her best go. To be honest I think it was too many changes for a mother all at the same time.
By Now that the kids were sorted and we had a very nice group of friends, our social life had taken off. We were really starting to settle.
We had decided that I would look after the kids till they were settled, we guessed about 6 months. After 3 I was bored, the kids didn’t need me and I spent most of the day doing shite all. So I decided it was time to find work.
I was sitting on the computer one night and decided to send a local mitre 10 an email, just explaining that I was looking for work. 2 days later I got asked to an interview. The guy was asian and couldn’t understand a word I said, but I had been talking a lot so I think this guy thought i must have known a lot lol. The job was to run the hand tool dept. he must have been impressed with my verbal pish because he asked me back for a second interview (with his boss). He was from Italian decent and for some reason could understand me. I couldn’t help but ask him why. He told me that when he was young his tradesman was from Glasgow. How lucky can I get eh? Then he told me that the guy kicked his arse every day…..oh shit this isn’t going good!
He asked me what I knew and I told him. We went round in circles for about half and hour and I was getting a bit pissed off with it, so I decided to say to him that there was a trial period of three months and that at any point they could dump me if they weren’t happy, then added that I would dump them just as quick within that 3 months if I felt the same. That’s all the guy needed to hear. I had the job; well he threw in the power tool dept too. lol
I had been using the expats forums for a while so by july 2004 I thought it was about time I caught up with some of the people I had been chatting to, and to thank some of them. I can remember the day like it was tomorrow. It was at the botanical park in Sydney. It was decided that we would meet at the café (turns out there are two ) we were lucky enough to find the right one. We walked past a few times, leaning over to see if we could hear an accent. We must have looked really strange (same feeling Brido had at the pac pines meet) we decide to sit at a table across from who we thought might be the expats, just so we didn’t look too silly. After about 30 mins we spotted a little kid in an England top. So we moved in for the kill. It was the second best thing we have done since moving to Oz. About 25 people turned up and we all chatted for a few hours. After that people started to drift off and we were left with the rumbletums, the Jason k844s, and rosie and family. I think we all sat for about another hour. Pauline decided to ask them back for a BBQ the next Sunday. They all became really good friends. We caught up around once a month. Memories I will keep forever and people who will be friends forever. I don’t keep in contact with them as much as I should but I know if im down in Sydney it will be like I had never left. Sadly rosie and family left oz and headed back to the uk. as a group of friends I think we were all a bit stunned when they decided to go, but it was the right thing for them to do as a family. if you guys ever read this. You were great fun, great friends and we miss ya!
We had friends who lived in the gold coast, I had grown up with them as a child and hadn’t seen them since about 1985. when they found out we were in Oz they would visit about once a month. Paulines sister lives in port Douglas too, so we had a few holidays in the first year to both the port and the gold coast.
The kids had really settled in and Pauline was getting a bit bored at work. She was getting itchy feet. So we thought we would go for our PR then she could work anywhere she likes.
This turned out to be a nightmare. Here is the story below. I typed it while pished one night
We came out here on a 457. We were advised by the agents we used (free one for nurses) that it would be best not to add our son (19 at the time) to the application as it might fail. So we brought him out on a years working holiday visa. So that we could add him to the main application when we went for PR. Now it turns out that because we brought him out on a WHV it means he’s not a dependant. Now it has takes so long for our PR to get sorted that we were told to remove him from the application. So we don’t even have our PR yet. That left him less than 2 weeks to sort something out, so our friends from the gold coast nipped down to help us sort it out and came up with a few ideas here they are, and the pitfalls beside them.
1) Send him over to my brother in NZ for a week and get him a tourist visa for 3 months¦NO we were told this week we cant do that and now his ausie visa is running out he wont get into NZ
2) Get an extension on his WHV for 3 months¦.NO turned down without even reading the application that we handed in.
3) Get him a students visa, this would mean sending him to NZ till he gets the ok from TAFE. It would mean he would have to live with pals on the gold coast because Sydney doesn’t have a course starting till September¦.NO cant do that now, because were not sure if he can get to NZ need to phone emigration tomorrow.
4) As it looks at the mo we are lost no matter which way we turn, starting to panic now, as Pauline will not let him go back to Scotland alone, even if he’s 21 years old (now). She would up sticks and leave and drag us all with her. Not that I would argue cos I feel the same myself.
5) This is the situation we were left with a few months ago.
6) Then our friend in the gold coast pestered immigration until she got someone to talk to, That worked. After hours of phone calls it turns out all we needed was a stat dec declaring our son was dependant on us.
We still shit our pants, cos if the application failed, we all failed. To be honest, if it had, I think we would all be heading back to the uk.
But it’s Oz for us. Forever !!!!!!!!
So we did have it all easy here, life did get a bit hectic at times.
Over the first 2 years we had our fair share of visitors from the uk. Family, friends, and even friends of friend’s lol. While the visitors are here it’s fantastic, but I would start to wonder what it’s going to be like when they leave. It would spoil my time while they were here. So what ever u do, just enjoy your visitors and worry about that when they leave lol
After 2 years in Sydney we had had enough of not being able to buy our own place, Pauline’s itchy feet had infected me. my first 18 months at work was fantastic. I had hit every target the set me, but the top guy had changed and he was an arsehole! He thought he could help me run it better. Over the next 6 months he ran it into the ground and I wasn’t going to be the fall guy.
We had been planning to move north as soon as we got our PR. The only things stopping us were the kids had really settled and leaving the friends we had made. Starting again didn’t bother us too much; we knew we could do that bit. But the two girls had boyfriends. The youngest had been going out with her lad for over a year and my other daughter had found her perfect man (as she call him) lol. Our son had now found the job he had been chasing for 2 years. This was going to be a tough one.
We dropped the bombshell on them about October 2005 (they knew we would do it at some point), we had a pile of visitors arriving in January 2006 from the uk, so they got a bit lost in all the excitement. They were not happy at all, in fact they hated us, well the girls did lol but we knew that if we couldn’t afford a home in Sydney, they had no chance.
Pauline accepted a job on the gold coast in February. She had 21 days to get there. it was panic time again. She had to learn to drive and did in 2 weeks. Then our son decided he wanted to stay in Sydney. This shook Pauline up but I think she was more shocked at my summersaults lol. To be honest I felt really proud of him. The girls hated him because he was allowed to make that decision. We had our leaving nights (and plenty of them) mid march 2006 and moved everything to the gold coast. We decided to drive up. Both girls bawling their eyes out most of the way. On arrival our friends let us kip at theirs for the night. We were up for the delivery van first thing. Our friends helped us unpack and while we did that another pal turned up with food. It was a fantastic welcome.
By the weekend we were invited to a BBQ, and introduced to others. After that our social life became hectic again.
Again I had to attend an expats meet to thank the people for all the info they gave me on the gold coast so I sorted one out for the pac pines tavern. Met some fantastic people there who now, will be friends for life. A few days later we went to one at a local beach and met even more. We seemed to have everything sorted, but both the girls were still struggling.
Heres our 2 year update http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...=2+year+update
Then the youngest split with her boyfriend in Sydney. It was hell for about a month, but she started to build up her own network of friends here and got over him very quickly. But the older one just couldn’t settle. Some of you will remember my post the day she decided that her life was in Sydney. If not heres the link
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...r+old+daughter
shes had her ups and downs and we are still not sure if she will stay there, but she should be old enough to decide that.
One child left in the house and our life was magic. We pissed off up to the port for a wee drive one day (another post most of u will have read)
Life just couldn’t get better.
Just before Christmas I had the dreaded call from the uk, so I headed back (another post you can search for if u want to be bored out of your skull)
By the time I arrived home our son had decided he couldn’t afford Sydney either and moved here.
Our daughter visited for the New Year and the family was back together for about a week. We had a great Christmas and new year (photos are on A forum somewhere)
Not long after the New Year the old yin passed away, I found this a bit hard to take but was contented that I had seen him before he left. My brother had nipped back from NZ to attend the funeral, so I spent the next week counselling him on the phone (about the state of Glasgow)
The next 2 months vanished, and then it was Pauline’s 40th birthday last week.
I bought her a kayak, she was meant to go out on Saturday morning, but said she wouldn’t enjoy it if I was just sitting on the beach. So we went out and bought another one for me.
Who says life doesn’t begin at 40?
I will let you know soon.
We have most of this year planned out already; we will be very busy for the next few months with one of the highlights being,
catching up with a couple of old numpties from this forum in august. 2 guys who have helped us through our time in Oz, who both talk as much pish at me. anyone know where we can buy facial pampers for this meet?
Sorry for the ramble, but there will be something in there for everyone!
And one last point, well 2
Point 1
Both Pauline and I have been married for 23 years, people always say that we make it look easy.
We work hard at it!
Just like moving your family to the other side of the world.
The harder you work, the easier it looks to everyone else.
Point2
Never ever turn down the chance of a meet; you never know who you might meet. And if you don’t like it, well at least you tried!
Oh and I do hope you all get as lucky as we have
Soapy
(to the Mods, could you please leave this in the Barbie because most of the people I want to read this don’t use the update forum)?
This is a little early, but I thought I would do it anyway
Beware, this is a long long read
We landed in Sydney 21st April 2004.
We had three teens on tow. 19 year old son and 2 daughters 16 and 14.
Our 16 year old had left school just before we left the uk, so we had to lie to her that she needed to attend school for a year or we wouldn’t get a visa. She fell for it. We knew she would have a better chance of settling if she went to school.
We had pre booked into the Randwick lodge in the eastern suburb of Randwick. It was called a 2 bedroom, but it was really a one and a half bedroom with one single bed in the other room and no room left for anything else. It had no air con so we were struggling right away so, we decided that we had to change money as soon as possible to cool down. We walked into the local commonwealth bank and the lady who served us turned out to be Scottish. She dragged us off to her office and decided that she would take it upon herself to make sure we didn’t make too many mistakes. She told us most of the things we would need to do in our first week and told us if we needed any help to nip into the bank and ask for her.
Second day we hired a car, then found the hospital Pauline was due to start work in (it was about a hundred yards across the road lol
Every day for the first week we would nip into the bank to make sure we were doing the right thing. By the Friday we were invited to a BBQ to meet some of their friends. This was the best thing that ever happened to us, by the following week one of the people at the Barbie had sorted a job for our son. They had helped us pick the right area for a house, told us to haggle everyone to death, and told us the right school for the girls. Within 3 days we had a rental, but we couldn’t move in for another week so we were stuck in the sweatbox for 10 days in total. That week was mental. We found all the furniture for the new rental and had it all delivered on the first day we got the keys. That was a bit mad, vans kept turning up at the door with more and more stuff. Took as about 3 days to get it all sorted. But at last we had a house before Pauline started work.
The girls didn’t start school for about 3 weeks because we were waiting for the next term to start (something every parent must think about before they book flights)
I will never forget that day! Having to leave two grown lassies that were shaking was one of the hardest things I have ever done. The youngest had pals by the second day, our oldest had met a friend, but she was a little strange to say the least. After about a month our oldest met Scottish and English girls who had both lost their accents (been here a few years) that was her sorted. They introduced her to a huge crowd.
Pauline was now working and struggling with the changes. She felt like she was being deskilled, but was willing to give it her best go. To be honest I think it was too many changes for a mother all at the same time.
By Now that the kids were sorted and we had a very nice group of friends, our social life had taken off. We were really starting to settle.
We had decided that I would look after the kids till they were settled, we guessed about 6 months. After 3 I was bored, the kids didn’t need me and I spent most of the day doing shite all. So I decided it was time to find work.
I was sitting on the computer one night and decided to send a local mitre 10 an email, just explaining that I was looking for work. 2 days later I got asked to an interview. The guy was asian and couldn’t understand a word I said, but I had been talking a lot so I think this guy thought i must have known a lot lol. The job was to run the hand tool dept. he must have been impressed with my verbal pish because he asked me back for a second interview (with his boss). He was from Italian decent and for some reason could understand me. I couldn’t help but ask him why. He told me that when he was young his tradesman was from Glasgow. How lucky can I get eh? Then he told me that the guy kicked his arse every day…..oh shit this isn’t going good!
He asked me what I knew and I told him. We went round in circles for about half and hour and I was getting a bit pissed off with it, so I decided to say to him that there was a trial period of three months and that at any point they could dump me if they weren’t happy, then added that I would dump them just as quick within that 3 months if I felt the same. That’s all the guy needed to hear. I had the job; well he threw in the power tool dept too. lol
I had been using the expats forums for a while so by july 2004 I thought it was about time I caught up with some of the people I had been chatting to, and to thank some of them. I can remember the day like it was tomorrow. It was at the botanical park in Sydney. It was decided that we would meet at the café (turns out there are two ) we were lucky enough to find the right one. We walked past a few times, leaning over to see if we could hear an accent. We must have looked really strange (same feeling Brido had at the pac pines meet) we decide to sit at a table across from who we thought might be the expats, just so we didn’t look too silly. After about 30 mins we spotted a little kid in an England top. So we moved in for the kill. It was the second best thing we have done since moving to Oz. About 25 people turned up and we all chatted for a few hours. After that people started to drift off and we were left with the rumbletums, the Jason k844s, and rosie and family. I think we all sat for about another hour. Pauline decided to ask them back for a BBQ the next Sunday. They all became really good friends. We caught up around once a month. Memories I will keep forever and people who will be friends forever. I don’t keep in contact with them as much as I should but I know if im down in Sydney it will be like I had never left. Sadly rosie and family left oz and headed back to the uk. as a group of friends I think we were all a bit stunned when they decided to go, but it was the right thing for them to do as a family. if you guys ever read this. You were great fun, great friends and we miss ya!
We had friends who lived in the gold coast, I had grown up with them as a child and hadn’t seen them since about 1985. when they found out we were in Oz they would visit about once a month. Paulines sister lives in port Douglas too, so we had a few holidays in the first year to both the port and the gold coast.
The kids had really settled in and Pauline was getting a bit bored at work. She was getting itchy feet. So we thought we would go for our PR then she could work anywhere she likes.
This turned out to be a nightmare. Here is the story below. I typed it while pished one night
We came out here on a 457. We were advised by the agents we used (free one for nurses) that it would be best not to add our son (19 at the time) to the application as it might fail. So we brought him out on a years working holiday visa. So that we could add him to the main application when we went for PR. Now it turns out that because we brought him out on a WHV it means he’s not a dependant. Now it has takes so long for our PR to get sorted that we were told to remove him from the application. So we don’t even have our PR yet. That left him less than 2 weeks to sort something out, so our friends from the gold coast nipped down to help us sort it out and came up with a few ideas here they are, and the pitfalls beside them.
1) Send him over to my brother in NZ for a week and get him a tourist visa for 3 months¦NO we were told this week we cant do that and now his ausie visa is running out he wont get into NZ
2) Get an extension on his WHV for 3 months¦.NO turned down without even reading the application that we handed in.
3) Get him a students visa, this would mean sending him to NZ till he gets the ok from TAFE. It would mean he would have to live with pals on the gold coast because Sydney doesn’t have a course starting till September¦.NO cant do that now, because were not sure if he can get to NZ need to phone emigration tomorrow.
4) As it looks at the mo we are lost no matter which way we turn, starting to panic now, as Pauline will not let him go back to Scotland alone, even if he’s 21 years old (now). She would up sticks and leave and drag us all with her. Not that I would argue cos I feel the same myself.
5) This is the situation we were left with a few months ago.
6) Then our friend in the gold coast pestered immigration until she got someone to talk to, That worked. After hours of phone calls it turns out all we needed was a stat dec declaring our son was dependant on us.
We still shit our pants, cos if the application failed, we all failed. To be honest, if it had, I think we would all be heading back to the uk.
But it’s Oz for us. Forever !!!!!!!!
So we did have it all easy here, life did get a bit hectic at times.
Over the first 2 years we had our fair share of visitors from the uk. Family, friends, and even friends of friend’s lol. While the visitors are here it’s fantastic, but I would start to wonder what it’s going to be like when they leave. It would spoil my time while they were here. So what ever u do, just enjoy your visitors and worry about that when they leave lol
After 2 years in Sydney we had had enough of not being able to buy our own place, Pauline’s itchy feet had infected me. my first 18 months at work was fantastic. I had hit every target the set me, but the top guy had changed and he was an arsehole! He thought he could help me run it better. Over the next 6 months he ran it into the ground and I wasn’t going to be the fall guy.
We had been planning to move north as soon as we got our PR. The only things stopping us were the kids had really settled and leaving the friends we had made. Starting again didn’t bother us too much; we knew we could do that bit. But the two girls had boyfriends. The youngest had been going out with her lad for over a year and my other daughter had found her perfect man (as she call him) lol. Our son had now found the job he had been chasing for 2 years. This was going to be a tough one.
We dropped the bombshell on them about October 2005 (they knew we would do it at some point), we had a pile of visitors arriving in January 2006 from the uk, so they got a bit lost in all the excitement. They were not happy at all, in fact they hated us, well the girls did lol but we knew that if we couldn’t afford a home in Sydney, they had no chance.
Pauline accepted a job on the gold coast in February. She had 21 days to get there. it was panic time again. She had to learn to drive and did in 2 weeks. Then our son decided he wanted to stay in Sydney. This shook Pauline up but I think she was more shocked at my summersaults lol. To be honest I felt really proud of him. The girls hated him because he was allowed to make that decision. We had our leaving nights (and plenty of them) mid march 2006 and moved everything to the gold coast. We decided to drive up. Both girls bawling their eyes out most of the way. On arrival our friends let us kip at theirs for the night. We were up for the delivery van first thing. Our friends helped us unpack and while we did that another pal turned up with food. It was a fantastic welcome.
By the weekend we were invited to a BBQ, and introduced to others. After that our social life became hectic again.
Again I had to attend an expats meet to thank the people for all the info they gave me on the gold coast so I sorted one out for the pac pines tavern. Met some fantastic people there who now, will be friends for life. A few days later we went to one at a local beach and met even more. We seemed to have everything sorted, but both the girls were still struggling.
Heres our 2 year update http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...=2+year+update
Then the youngest split with her boyfriend in Sydney. It was hell for about a month, but she started to build up her own network of friends here and got over him very quickly. But the older one just couldn’t settle. Some of you will remember my post the day she decided that her life was in Sydney. If not heres the link
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...r+old+daughter
shes had her ups and downs and we are still not sure if she will stay there, but she should be old enough to decide that.
One child left in the house and our life was magic. We pissed off up to the port for a wee drive one day (another post most of u will have read)
Life just couldn’t get better.
Just before Christmas I had the dreaded call from the uk, so I headed back (another post you can search for if u want to be bored out of your skull)
By the time I arrived home our son had decided he couldn’t afford Sydney either and moved here.
Our daughter visited for the New Year and the family was back together for about a week. We had a great Christmas and new year (photos are on A forum somewhere)
Not long after the New Year the old yin passed away, I found this a bit hard to take but was contented that I had seen him before he left. My brother had nipped back from NZ to attend the funeral, so I spent the next week counselling him on the phone (about the state of Glasgow)
The next 2 months vanished, and then it was Pauline’s 40th birthday last week.
I bought her a kayak, she was meant to go out on Saturday morning, but said she wouldn’t enjoy it if I was just sitting on the beach. So we went out and bought another one for me.
Who says life doesn’t begin at 40?
I will let you know soon.
We have most of this year planned out already; we will be very busy for the next few months with one of the highlights being,
catching up with a couple of old numpties from this forum in august. 2 guys who have helped us through our time in Oz, who both talk as much pish at me. anyone know where we can buy facial pampers for this meet?
Sorry for the ramble, but there will be something in there for everyone!
And one last point, well 2
Point 1
Both Pauline and I have been married for 23 years, people always say that we make it look easy.
We work hard at it!
Just like moving your family to the other side of the world.
The harder you work, the easier it looks to everyone else.
Point2
Never ever turn down the chance of a meet; you never know who you might meet. And if you don’t like it, well at least you tried!
Oh and I do hope you all get as lucky as we have
Soapy
Mar 14th 2007, 12:05 am
#40
Cheeky member
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: West Side
Posts: 16,204
Re: 3 short years
Bloody hell,you weren't exaggerating when you said it was a long,long post.
Fantastic read,I hope the happiness and madness continues,here's to you and your's.
Fantastic read,I hope the happiness and madness continues,here's to you and your's.
Mar 14th 2007, 12:15 am
#41
Cup of tea, Father?
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: Underground, overground, wombling free
Posts: 6,895
Re: 3 short years
Not read the post yet, Soapy (it's on my to read list, right next to War & Peace ), but just wanted to say early congratulations on your three year anniversary.
), but just wanted to say early congratulations on your three year anniversary.
Mar 14th 2007, 12:17 am
#42
Mozzie magnet
Joined: Jan 2004
Location: Brisbane 'burbs
Posts: 1,690
Re: 3 short years
Inspirational pish Soapy!!
(btw the househunting in Sydney isn't going well, a move to QLD may be on the cards for us too)
(btw the househunting in Sydney isn't going well, a move to QLD may be on the cards for us too)
Mar 14th 2007, 12:17 am
#43
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 2005
Location: Woop Woop
Posts: 4,808
Re: 3 short years
Point 1
Both Pauline and I have been married for 23 years, people always say that we make it look easy.
We work hard at it!
Just like moving your family to the other side of the world.
The harder you work, the easier it looks to everyone else.
Point2
Never ever turn down the chance of a meet; you never know who you might meet. And if you don’t like it, well at least you tried!
Oh and I do hope you all get as lucky as we have
Soapy[/QUOTE]
What a smashing post Soapy - you have all been through it - this 'life' thing! Ups - downs and roundabouts - life wasn't meant to be easy they say - at least it's never dull
I hope I get the chance to meet you and your wife and family one day - who knows I may visit the GC one day soon!
Birthday wishes to mrs S
Both Pauline and I have been married for 23 years, people always say that we make it look easy.
We work hard at it!
Just like moving your family to the other side of the world.
The harder you work, the easier it looks to everyone else.
Point2
Never ever turn down the chance of a meet; you never know who you might meet. And if you don’t like it, well at least you tried!
Oh and I do hope you all get as lucky as we have
Soapy[/QUOTE]
What a smashing post Soapy - you have all been through it - this 'life' thing! Ups - downs and roundabouts - life wasn't meant to be easy they say - at least it's never dull
I hope I get the chance to meet you and your wife and family one day - who knows I may visit the GC one day soon!
Birthday wishes to mrs S
Mar 14th 2007, 2:35 am
#44
Work to Live!
Joined: Aug 2006
Location: Gold Coast Australia
Posts: 1,006
Re: 3 short years
Bloody 'eck Soapy,i only came on for 5 mins before heading to the pool!
Its great to hear you have settled twice in a strange country,the uprooting from Sydney must have been tough with the family,but seeing you all now shows it was worth it, and before we came out to the Gold Coast,we had decided that if it didnt work out we would try Melbourne next.Its different for us as theres only the two of us,which would make uprooting easier but so far so good here!
Its a great post mate,its always good to get peoples experiences as they can help other who are coming out.And i agree about the meets,anyone coming out should attend one if possible and the worst thing that can happen is that you have a few drinks and go home,or you might meet one or two people you get on well with and that can help you settle in easier.
Its great to hear you have settled twice in a strange country,the uprooting from Sydney must have been tough with the family,but seeing you all now shows it was worth it, and before we came out to the Gold Coast,we had decided that if it didnt work out we would try Melbourne next.Its different for us as theres only the two of us,which would make uprooting easier but so far so good here!
Its a great post mate,its always good to get peoples experiences as they can help other who are coming out.And i agree about the meets,anyone coming out should attend one if possible and the worst thing that can happen is that you have a few drinks and go home,or you might meet one or two people you get on well with and that can help you settle in easier.
Mar 14th 2007, 3:32 am
#45
Made the move -
Joined: Apr 2004
Location: Adelaide
Posts: 2,910
Re: 3 short years
great post Soapy,
i didnt know your dad had passed on though, sorry to hear that, but at least you managed a trip over to see him before
great post and well written, i really enjoyed reading it
i didnt know your dad had passed on though, sorry to hear that, but at least you managed a trip over to see him before
great post and well written, i really enjoyed reading it