dolliedimples

Hiya there to all my fellow expats, I have recently discovered this fab website..boy, I wish I had known about it before!! I have felt inspired to write after reading from Happy 4 who I have total empathy with struggling in Melbourne..We arrived in Oz 3 years ago, I am a nurse and saw some recruitment ads for Oz..being of an impulsive nature I thought 'oh why not give it a go probably wont get it anyway..thats what dreams are made of' so I did and wow I actually got it!! Oz was Oz I didnt care where we went..thoughts of sunny days, beaches, kids learning to surf, pool in the garden..wow we felt like we had won the lotto..so my hubby, 2 kids aged 18 months and 3 years, myself, our double pushchair and a mountain of luggage arrived at Melbourne airport on a 457 visa and our adventure was about to begin!! We rented a house down in Elwood and spent our days off discovering Bayside and St Kilda of course which we loved and still do. Luckily for us our kids were small so we had a bit of flexibility where we lived, but Melbournes not what we had emigrated to the other side of the world for..wheres the lo vely beaches and surf? Everything at work was fine for me, but socially we felt isolated. We missed family and friends, a pint(or a good few) at the local boozer on a Friday night, my girlie nights out..the holiday was over and home sickness was kickin in big time..then we experienced winter. We sat in a room huddled up in blankets coz we didnt think we were gonna need jumpers and coats moving here(please take note if reading this in England)no reverse cycle air con just a gas fire to heat the whole house..this has to have been the most testing of times ever! The thought of moving back to good old rainy Manchester was gettin more appealing by the minute..what were we doin? Thankfully we decided to inquire about our perm. res before making any decisions..I had been informed by my employer that sponsorship from them would tie me into a further 2 year contract and that at this point it was a bit of a daunting prospect..but, good news, I was informed by the dept of immi. that employers sponsorship is done so at their own risk as once a PR visa has been granted theres nothing that they can do to keep the employee if they didnt want to stay(I think they can request repayment of any fee assistance). So that was that..we will apply for our PR and see what happens. Well, Im quite sure many of you are aware that thisnt the easiest most straight forward procedure ever, but totally worth it. Several months later when I got the phone call to ask us to go and collect our new visas the overwhelming feelings of bein lotto winners again surpassed all the negative doubting thoughts we had looming over us for the last few months..we had a new injection of excitement pulsating thru us. First step..'seek.com.au' for a new job in Qld -here we come. Never been there, but hey, we'd never been to Oz before either!! 5 weeks later we arrived, a coach took us to where we were staying. . within an hour of arriving we had passed some of the most beautiful beaches and as we got off the coach a flock(?) of lorikeets flew past and we knew at that point we had made the right decision..the Gold Coast was gonna be our home, that was 18 months ago and we have both settled into our jobs..Im a nurse at the GCH and had heard some mighty worrying things about QLD HA before arriving here but can only praise all the staff, my daughter was an inpt for several weeks and the tx she received was superb..We have recently bought a house in a fab suberb called 'Pacific Pines', short drive to the beach, theme parks with cheap annual passes so the kids never get bored..great camping and walks..kids love the school.. mind you never seen such a huge primary but very well organised..dont have my pool yet.. but theres room-hee hee!! I did go back to England and loved seeing everyone..didnt seem 2 years since I last saw my mates and after a couple of benders at the weekends I began to miss my sunny days, relaxed lifestyle here and realised that we had made the best decision and couldnt wait to get back to my new home. Still do get homesick but look around and see the natural beauty, sunny days, kids playing outside and the parrots.. I will never tire of seeing the lorikeets and cockatoos, morning coffee outside over looking my palm tree(im easily pleased) and feel so lucky to call this home..I have to say my lack of friends and social life is my next mission so role on out these meet ups please so I can start to build up a fab social life..and make some new friends. Hope to meet you all soon, Ive been reading your meet ups and you sound like a fun barmy lot..bye for now xx
Happy 4.. if you have read this I hope it gives you some hope and food for thought, good luck

samnsam

Excellent post dolliedimples (and have you got dimples)

And also welcome to BE.

You sound as if your doing great, the kids must love it on the gold coast, mine wanted us to go there because of the Theme Parks. Were only just under 2 hrs away, so we promised to go for days out during the holidays.

Glad everything has worked out well for you and your family.

love
Sam xxx

The OH

Thanks DD and welcome.

I'm glad you went for PR makes you feel so much better doesn't it.

Have a great time here and I'm sure you'll manage a good social life, you sound very positive and determined to make your new life work....

dolliedimples

Thanks Sam and yeah Ive got loadsa dimples just not on my face!!!! xx

dolliedimples

Thanks..I hope you are right, its funny coz now that we have found what we wanted it feels quite scarey..cant decide if thats gonna make sense..does to me coz its Friday and just on my next Bundi..xx

floweroscotland

Fantastic Post, I'm glad you decided to stay and try somewhere else as this is a huge mistake many make if they don't settle in one place they go home without trying somewhere else.

We too are in the Pac Pines area and love it, hope to see you at meet sometime soon

Lisa

happy4

Hi dolliedimples

Thx so much for your wonderful feedback, it has certainly given us something to think abt. I am thrilled things have worked out for you in Queensland as if you felt anything like we do now, it must have taken an awful lot to move again with little ones and give it another go elswhere, your hard work has paid off, well done, and by the way, it sounds fantastic!

Melbourne is a nice city, but it's just not for me at all, mainly for the reasons you stated. We are in the middle of deciding whether to relocate to Botany Bay, Sydney, OH has been offered a job there, or head back to the UK in April 08. I am feeling I would like to head back to the UK, but must admit, your post has given me food for thought, so thx again! I will send you a private message with my details, again, well done and enjoy yourselves!

s-jmelbournewannabe

Excellent Post, thanks for sharing it with us xxx

S-j x

juss44

Hi There, what a great read. I am sat in Manchester as I write...Altrincham!!!

We had our perm Visa granted 16 October!!!! Just waiting to sell the house, hope to be there early next year...House market crap.

Glad to hear you have settled, QLD is stunning, I only have good things to say about it. We will be staying with mates in Bulimba when we arrive. Brisbane is where we want to reside but never say never.

Good luck...See ya soon. Where in Manchester were you from?

Justine

dolliedimples

Oh my god, im from Altrincham as well!!!!! Well, Timperley was my last home but lived in Bowdon and B.Vale and Hale, Didsbury and Chorlton to be totally exact!! Where do you work? ..I have heard that about housing market have you thought of renting it out? Are you emigrating with family? lol Sarah x

juss44

Timperley is where we are from, Prestbury Ave, off Welli road.....omg

pm me, tell me where you are from......my god!!!! What a small world.


Juss and Dave

juss44

I work in Sale, used to work Nelson House Park Road but we needed bigger premises so we are now at Jackson House on Manchester Road. Jumping on the tram later heading for work!!!

Yeah, there are four of us, Me Dave Jack and Lola. We must have crossed paths, Timperley is only small. Dave has been here all his life!!!! Believe it or not, I was Chorlton born and bread!!!! Went to school there!!!

Small world indeed.

Get in touch,

I remember driving through Pacific Pines, there were lots of new builds.....Well, I wasn't driving, got my test next week Sale!!!!! 3 rd time lucky??????
Juss

dolliedimples

We lived on Arderne Rd off Riddings..I grew up in Altrincham went to Alti Girls school..how old are you and Dave? Wouldnt it be funny if we had met before? Another girl from Timperley is moving over here shes got the same prob as you..cant sell her house, she lives over on Sylvan Ave. Luckily you have your PR..did you have any hassles? I used to work in the 'Beech' pub in Chorlton Green ..did you ever drink there? Stay in touch and if I can help you with anything..please ask. How old are your kids? Theres still building works going on here in Pac Pines..great community here..fab school and the pub ok as well..but do miss English pubs on sayin that Alti shit to go out anyway..do you drink in any of the locals? Have you got family over here?..lol Sarah x

dolliedimples

Oh yeah..good luck with your driving test,fingers crossed for you.. I took mine in Whalley Range no one way systems like in Sale..much easier, apparently Sale the hardest test centre.

juss44

The Beech Pub, wow that takes me back. drank in there years ago.

Dave early thirties I am in my late Thirties, 2 kids, 4 years and soon to be 2. I know Arderne Road and Sylvan Ave.

Alti is crap now...too many dick heads and fighting. Go in the Moss Trooper bit and just generally Alti a close to home

No hassle re the PM Visa, we didn't even know our co, went straight to Visa grant, 7 months from lodgement to grant. Had to pass Trades assessment and stuff first....Just the waiting was frustrating.

Just need to sell this house and we are off. Staying with mates in Bulimba, they are form Timps also!!!!!Been there 3 years. No familiy there just friends.
Just ready to go now.....Did you get your stuff shipped or start again?

Defo keep in touch

Juss