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-   -   Its been a while nearly 6 years in oz (https://britishexpats.com/forum/update-forum-107/its-been-while-nearly-6-years-oz-872120/)

geordie mandy Feb 9th 2016 9:37 am

Its been a while nearly 6 years in oz
 
Having never managed to gain permanent work in Wodonga , despite loving the place took a big gamble and accepted a permanent full time position as a Care Advisor in Ballarat towards the end of June last year.

For 6 months I lived the single life while hubby and the boys remained in Wodonga till the end of the year.

The boys all finally moved down just before Christmas to a lovely rental I found in a small village close to where I work.
The kids walk to their school. My eldest has now left school and is just biding time till he is 18 and can start an ADF career.
I started a job as the first person in a new team of care advisors and I travel a fair bit of Victoria in my role. Been as far as Dimboola (near the great desert). Down to Portland , Warrnambool, Torquay, Horsham and Ararat and Hamilton.
I'm loving Ballarat , easy to pop on a train to get to Melbourne and so many places to visit .
As much as I enjoyed living in Wodonga the fact that despite 18 months of job searching in my field I could not gain anything permanent and finances became a big issue to our family maintaining any lifestyle prompted looking else where to live.
Hardest thing we had to deal with was a few weeks ago my father in law passed away on the Isle of Arran. Thankfully we had enough to enable my husband to return to help his mother who now has dementia with the funeral.
Despite the heartache this has caused and all the family events we have missed, new babies born, marriages and deaths in the extended family we have no regrets in coming to Australia.
Hard to believe in June we will have been living in oz 6 years and Ballarat for 1 year.
Time has flown over.
The next thing I am concentrating on is getting my citizenship.
Geordie Mandy xx

old.sparkles Feb 9th 2016 9:42 am

Re: Its been a while nearly 6 years in oz
 

Originally Posted by geordie mandy (Post 11862018)
Having never managed to gain permanent work in Wodonga , despite loving the place took a big gamble and accepted a permanent full time position as a Care Advisor in Ballarat towards the end of June last year.

For 6 months I lived the single life while hubby and the boys remained in Wodonga till the end of the year.

The boys all finally moved down just before Christmas to a lovely rental I found in a small village close to where I work.
The kids walk to their school. My eldest has now left school and is just biding time till he is 18 and can start an ADF career.
I started a job as the first person in a new team of care advisors and I travel a fair bit of Victoria in my role. Been as far as Dimboola (near the great desert). Down to Portland , Warrnambool, Torquay, Horsham and Ararat and Hamilton.
I'm loving Ballarat , easy to pop on a train to get to Melbourne and so many places to visit .
As much as I enjoyed living in Wodonga the fact that despite 18 months of job searching in my field I could not gain anything permanent and finances became a big issue to our family maintaining any lifestyle prompted looking else where to live.
Hardest thing we had to deal with was a few weeks ago my father in law passed away on the Isle of Arran. Thankfully we had enough to enable my husband to return to help his mother who now has dementia with the funeral.
Despite the heartache this has caused and all the family events we have missed, new babies born, marriages and deaths in the extended family we have no regrets in coming to Australia.
Hard to believe in June we will have been living in oz 6 years and Ballarat for 1 year.
Time has flown over.
The next thing I am concentrating on is getting my citizenship.
Geordie Mandy xx

Sorry to hear about your father-in-law Mandy - condolences to all of you xx

Glad that things are working out for you now though - I could've ended up in Ballarat if things hadn't worked out here.

scrubbedexpat098 Feb 11th 2016 12:21 am

Re: Its been a while nearly 6 years in oz
 

Originally Posted by geordie mandy (Post 11862018)
Having never managed to gain permanent work in Wodonga , despite loving the place took a big gamble and accepted a permanent full time position as a Care Advisor in Ballarat towards the end of June last year.

For 6 months I lived the single life while hubby and the boys remained in Wodonga till the end of the year.

The boys all finally moved down just before Christmas to a lovely rental I found in a small village close to where I work.
The kids walk to their school. My eldest has now left school and is just biding time till he is 18 and can start an ADF career.
I started a job as the first person in a new team of care advisors and I travel a fair bit of Victoria in my role. Been as far as Dimboola (near the great desert). Down to Portland , Warrnambool, Torquay, Horsham and Ararat and Hamilton.
I'm loving Ballarat , easy to pop on a train to get to Melbourne and so many places to visit .
As much as I enjoyed living in Wodonga the fact that despite 18 months of job searching in my field I could not gain anything permanent and finances became a big issue to our family maintaining any lifestyle prompted looking else where to live.
Hardest thing we had to deal with was a few weeks ago my father in law passed away on the Isle of Arran. Thankfully we had enough to enable my husband to return to help his mother who now has dementia with the funeral.
Despite the heartache this has caused and all the family events we have missed, new babies born, marriages and deaths in the extended family we have no regrets in coming to Australia.
Hard to believe in June we will have been living in oz 6 years and Ballarat for 1 year.
Time has flown over.
The next thing I am concentrating on is getting my citizenship.
Geordie Mandy xx

Always good to hear northern folk doing well, nice one :lol:

ozzieeagle Feb 11th 2016 6:40 am

Re: Its been a while nearly 6 years in oz
 
Good to hear GM..... It's a very much underrated place Ballarat, hardly hear anything about it on these boards. How are you getting along with the locals ?

geordie mandy Feb 22nd 2016 8:39 am

Re: Its been a while nearly 6 years in oz
 

Originally Posted by ozzieeagle (Post 11864164)
Good to hear GM..... It's a very much underrated place Ballarat, hardly hear anything about it on these boards. How are you getting along with the locals ?

I love it here . Have lovely neighbours , the local shops are friendly, found a decent hairdresser who is prepared to stay open later than normal so I can get my hair done after work.
Have got my favourite coffee shops , one close to work , one close to where I live and one in the town.
I have got a good friend who I first met through BE who lives close by and we meet up when we can.
My colleagues are very supportive one even helped me move from my small unit when I found the family home.
I feel very settled . Close enough to Melbourne should I fancy going there . Quiet enough to chill out. I can finally say I'm home. Looking to build when we find the right block.
The teens are happy living here though my eldest did say there is not much in the way of casual work for him.
Mandy

Buzzy--Bee Feb 23rd 2016 11:42 pm

Re: Its been a while nearly 6 years in oz
 

Originally Posted by geordie mandy (Post 11875018)
I can finally say I'm home.

This is probably the ultimate goal.

Well done.

BB


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