Weirdstone

Three fantastic years in Melbourne ! (Carl arrived 1st March)

Got to go to work now..but will fill in later, if anyone is interested.
Done lots, seen lots ....and my life is so much the better for it!

moneypenny20

I'm interested, just so long as you make it a worthwhile read I was thinking (sadly) a few days ago you must be coming up to your anniversary.

asher

of course we are interested

write on

Jasonmb

Definitely interested, I love reading this updates bit, it is interesting to read what others thoughts are and in some cases, those of us yet to make the move can pick up some very useful hints and tips

Tracy

rosscov1970

get on with it woman.......

Weirdstone

What a load of nagbags

I came here on my own...Carl stayed to sell the house, and didn't arrive until 1st March.
I'm a Psychiatric Nurse and originally came on a Temp Sponsored Visa - I had been 'promised' a job in Acute ...but I was 3 weeks here before I knew where I had been placed ..in an awful Nursing Home - staffed with Casual nurses, and expats - no Aussie nurse would work there - an accident waiting to happen - I was coming home in tears, and dreading the following shift.. we decided that we'd just apply for PR early..which we were going to anyway. I applied end of Feb, and we flew to NZ to validate on the 24th of July - on the way back home from the airport on Melbourne - I droped into the NH, and handed my notice in ...that was bloody liberating
I'm now working for an Specialist Agency ..getting regular shifts in big city hospitals, working part-time when I want...and earning as much in 3 days as I was in 5. Bliss
Carl arrived, and we settled into life here.. Our first year we lived in Williamstown ... a pretty suburb to the west of the CBD ...however, we soon found it was very quiet (too quiet for us) in the week, and crazy with tourists in the weekend - also, Carl got a fulltime job coaching chess in schools ...it's his hobby, and he was like a pig in muck ...but travelling across the city to schools to the east of the city, and so we moved to where we are living now...Elsternwick ...it's buzzy, with great community and resources, and 'desirable' without being too posh - and with great transport links, and still near the sea...and only 8kms from the CBD.

Part of Carls job entails him travelling to different areas ...and because my work is so flexible...I travel with him - we've been to Canberra, Brisbane, Alice Springs, all over Victoria, and into NSW - and he at this moment is having 2 weeks in Sydney ..I'm popping up for the last few days on the 22nd.

We love to explore, and often just head the car in a direction, and see where we end up ...both like this, and with work...we have seen some beautiful things, and met some amazing people.

Victoria itself is a beautiful State of glorious coastline, mountains, rivers and lakes (though they have suffered due to the 11 year drought) - and you only have to remember back to last year to see the toll that the bushfires take each summer (been 'lucky' this year - we haven't had many, because so much of the burnable stuff was burnt off last year)

Victoria/Melbournes weather is often the butt of ridicule to those who really don't have a full understanding. Melbourne doesn't have wall-to wall sunshine and humidity ...it has seasons ... Warm, showery Springs, hot summers (lots of days 30C to 44/5C - with cooler 'breathers' of 24/5 inbetween), balmy autumns - and yes...cold winters with daytime temps ranging from 9C to 25C - (season is a bit unpredictable)

Melbourne is a city I still get a kick out of living in ...Australias 2nd city (you really can't count sterile Canberra as the 1st ..despite some beautiful surrounding areas) is vibrant, has lots to do, cultured, and is surrounded by suburbs that each have their own mini-culture..whether it be Greek, Italian, Vietnamese or Jewish - Elsternwick for example is a Jewish/Eastern European suburb, where you are as likely to hear Russian spoken as you are English.

Do we like it here?...you bet we do ! We've made some close, loving friends...English and Australian ...particularly two couples..one of each nationality, though our best friends are Brits ...who consider themselves, as we do.... worldly, rather than tied to our birth country. We have no regrets, have suffered no homesickness, have no desire whatsoever to go back to the UK, consider this our home in a way that we hadn't done for many a year - and we are just waiting for our Citizenship Ceremony date to come through the post .... the icing on the cake of 3 fantastic years.

Jasonmb

Fantastic update - really informative

Nagbag Tracy
xx

Weirdstone

Glad you enjoyed it Nagbag

See for yourself soon Have you been before..?
We hadn't .. should have put that in shouldn't I? Another debated 'issue'

Jasonmb

Hi Cas

No neven been, which just adds to the adventure. Jason has a job offer in the city, so we are coming on a 457. His contract is for 2 years, but they are organising a 4 year visa. All being well, at 18 months he will be asked if he wants another 2 years, and after 2 years they will assist with PR.

Love the look of the East side, with 16 and 10 year old sons, an 8 year old daughter and a mad springer spaniel it looks just perfect and with something for all of us. I quite like the look of Mount Eliza, but not sure if it is going to be too far for Jason to travel into the CBD, but we will see when we arrive - very soon.

We are coming with open minds, it may be that Jason will arrive first while I sell the house, if I need to go back to work then I will, we want to live within 3 miles of the beach (walking distance), good schools, not posh (we are a very down to earth family), friendly people and good transport links. Weekends we will spend quality time, exploring, going to the beach, swimming, and taking in the wonderful scenery that Melbourne has to offer.

We know that the weather in Melbourne can be unpredictable with the different seasons, and sometimes in one day, but having lived in the UK for 30 something years should be used to that

We all love good food, and I like a nice chilled wine or 3, so we are looking forward to the different cultures and foods and also the festivals.

If we decide to come home after 2 or even 4 years - what an adventure we will have had and what an opportunity the children will have had, especially the 16 year old - so we have nothing to loose

Hope you get your Citizenship Ceremony date soon

Nagbag

Weirdstone

I like your attitude Tracy
Keep in touch

Buzzy--Bee

It's me

Buzzy

Bix

To say "nice" sounds a bit naff.
But it's said with expression so "nice" Cas.
Glad it's worked out so well for you both

moneypenny20

Good chilled story. You've certainly got your lives sorted.

Kapri

Great post Cas
It shows that if you get off to a bad start you can identify the problem and take steps to change it.

cranni

[QUOTE=Weirdstone;5777681]What a load of nagbags

I came here on my own...Carl stayed to sell the house, and didn't arrive until 1st March.
Well done, Congratulations.
We had Citizenship ceremony yesterday, and are very proud to be Aussies.
All the very best for the future in Oz.
Denise x