Updates from the "Pre-July 139ers"
 

Hi All,

We're about to close a long-standing thread on the Australia immigration forum (Pre-July 2006 139ers) since the last of our clan has just received their visa! Congrats to Cheryl!!

However, since many of the contributers to this thread don't want to loose touch with friends they've made along the way, we thought it would be nice to set up a thread which will allow us to keep in contact and post updates. So, here it is... fire away dudes!!

Re: Updates from the "Pre-July 139ers"
 

What a great thread that was too Orange! It was very helpful along the way to many people.

Our update is that we arrived in Perth on 16th December 2006 and we arrived back in the UK on 12th June 2007. We only managed 6 months in Oz.

We did like Perth and what it had to offer but I just think that the pull of family, friends and our old social lives crept up on us, we underestimated how much it meant to us. Plus the house prices and not being able to find suitable jobs helped our decision.

I am happy to be back in the UK although I do often have days where I still question our decision to return home when we did and I do still have fond memories of the weather and lifestyle in Oz. I wont rule out a return before our visa runs out (as I still have some feelings of an unfinished journey in Oz & I would Ideally like to obtain citizenship) but I think its unlikely as my partner wouldn't go back again. I'm more than happy to be back in the UK again anyway with friends and family etc, and today there hasn't been a cloud in the sky! We do get the odd nice day in Summer! lol

We're now just trying to build our lives again in the UK and hopefully get on the housing ladder in the near future.

I hope all of the other Pre July 139'ers are doing well on their journeys in Oz and it would be nice to keep in touch on this thread.

All the best

Stu :)

Re: Updates from the "Pre-July 139ers"
 

what a great idea orange. I def want to keep in touch with everyone who helped me through my visa application.xx

Re: Updates from the "Pre-July 139ers"
 

Good idea Orange.

Our update is very simple:
We got our 139 visas in Feb this year after a longwinded AOS process (not as long as Cheryl's though!). We validated in April by going over to QLD and had a fantastic time.

We hope to make the permanent move by July 2008 (husband wants to finish his college course in UK before we go). We have already sold our house and are living in rented so we are ready to go next Summer!

Good luck to everyone who has yet to make the move and to those who already have, hope you are still enjoying yourselves and loving it!

Cheers

Jo

Re: Updates from the "Pre-July 139ers"
 

Hi Orange and all my fellow 139ers.

I've been a bit quiet on here lately as life has got very busy here. But here's our update :)

As most of you know we got, what must have been, the first visa grant of 2007 after a nailbiting Christmas and New Year. So, we got the visa on the 2nd January and flew on the 10th. We had a fantastic trip around the South West USA and finally arrived in Adelaide on Australia Day, 26th January.

Everything fell into place very quickly for us I have to say. We had arranged a fully furnished rental through internet mates in the lovely Adelaide Hills andthe house was a perfect start. Our girls started school 4 days after we arrived and loved the school from day 1. We bought my car the day after arriving and Chaz's car about 4 weeks later.

Chaz got offered his job 2 1/2 weeks after arrival and started work exactly a month after arrival. I don't intend doing any work as yet.

After 7 weeks we decided that we loved a little log cabin that we'd been to see and had our offer accepted. We moved into our first Ozzy home in the middle of May. It needs some work doing to make it right for us but we love it here. We're on 1/2 an acre and at the end of a no through road. Our kids play out with the other kids and, especially now the weather is warming up, we don't really see much of them at the weekend - we just hear their happy voices with their mates.

We've settled so well into Ozzy life. The Adelaide Hills is a greta community and my days are busy with coffee meets and going to the gym. We also adopted a dog from the RSPCA so I trudge around the hills with Roxy and explore the local area, sometimes just me and her and sometimes with a friend.

We did have a few early 'tests of spirit'. We had one or two car problems early on and I, at one time, seemed to be spending my days sorting them out. Also my youngest had a couple of early trips to the Doctor as did I. We had a couple of problems getting broadband in our own home and getting power connected (!!!!!!!) as AGL disconnected the supply on the day we moved in!!!!

However, generally things have gone very smoothly and we feel very lucky now that we've been here 7 months. The winter has been a bit cold and wet in the hills but we feel the community more than makes up for this. Besides we'll be thankful that it's a bit cooler up here on the 40+ days of summer :lol:.

Anyway, enough from me for now. So glad we've all finally got our visas and glad to hear that things are going well for all of you. Cath, I hope you got that job after so many interviews and Cheryl, congratulations once again. Stu, glad you are settling back into life in the UK but I hope your sense of unfinished business fades away.

What would really make my day would be to hear from Melty and SA Redback - if you ever read this please let us know how you are going.

Love you all.

Lou
xx

Re: Updates from the "Pre-July 139ers"
 

Great posts everyone. Good to hear from you all.

We arrived in Sydney in May 2006 and have been here around 15 months. As some of you may have worked out, I had a touch of the wobbles early on and couldn't really work out what I was here for. It was partly due to travelling overseas all the time and not being able to settle into a routine. As Lou said at the time, it was a 6 month wobble, and everybody gets it (which made me feel a bit better!). We've done huge amounts of walking in the national parks, and exploration of Queensland, South Australia, Victoria etc, and still feel that there's nothing to beat Sydney and surrounds... it really is spectacular! Going out on the Sydney ferries takes my breath away every time. We're hoping that our recent house purchase and shift to what someone referred to "the right side of the spit bridge.... i.e. the friendly side" will help us build a sense of community. Fingers crossed. Whether we stay for the long-term or not depends.. can't say either way at this stage. Just taking every day as it comes.

Re: Updates from the "Pre-July 139ers"
 

Hello my fellow 139er family. Thank you Orange for setting up this thread what a great idea.We have all invested so much in each others stories that its great to log on and see how everyone is doing.

Thanks again everyone for always being there through our struggle I still cannot get over the emotional support from people who dont even know me or my family.

Anyway, the stevens family have come down slightly from our amazing Visa high and have just spent a week in Cornwall doing up our (very small) home (spent a fortune!!!). We plan to sell our home next year when we have recouped some of our huge outlay by renting it out. As many of you know we live in Germany at the moment, hubby is in the Army and I am a civil servant (just! got the job last September, helps with saving pennies for the future).

Now we have the Visa hubby is putting in his notice (6 months) and I will continue in work until he completes a college course at the end of 2008. Garry is an accountant tech and administrator in the Army and the course will give him Australian recognised civi qualifications. I will work until end 2008 and finish the job I was taken on to do which will look good on CV. I am currently leading a team to sell/manage a few hundred acres of military estate in Germany. I had 5 years out of my career raising my two children so I feel this job will strengthen my CV and give me confidence to go out to Oz and secure a decent job. We are planning that I will be the main bread winner and Garry will be there for the kids hopefully securing a part time job around their school times.

I am so excited but admit to being a little scared.

Please all keep in touch as I treasure your updates and hope someday to meet some of you.

Cheryl

We have to validate our Visa by December 07 so we are frantically booking flights and plan to go to Melbourne around 18th October 07, for three weeks. We will use the validation trip to look further at the areas we have planned to move to and visit schools for Kate (11) and Matthew (8). I will also try to hook up with fellow Chartered Surveyors and hope my networking will lead to something!!!!!:confused::unsure:.

Re: Updates from the "Pre-July 139ers"
 

Hi all,

It's the next chapter!

Hubby and I (Steve & Kerry) are off to Oz next week to validate our visas. Plan to live in Adelaide as I have family there, plus I love it. Our best friends will also be validating with us as they have just received their PR and want to move to Adelaide (how lucky am I!). Meeting up with Lou hopefully up in the hills for a coffee. We won't be making the big move until 2010 for a number of reasons. Main one is Steve who has a few years left till he retires from the RAF and will receive a nice pension. Other is that I should have completed my PhD which I am doing at Loughboroughs Animation Academy. Already getting some positive feedback from Adelaide University and they wish to meet when I'm over there next week. Also, there is a stop-motion animation studio right in middle of Adelaide :thumbup:.

We will be using the trip look at land/home options and other possibilites. Itching to get over there, but quite relaxed about the 3 year wait - allows to save the pennies.

This is a great idea allowing everyone to keep in-touch!

Kerry xx

PS. Still chuffed to bits for Cheryl and Garry - also Cath and I are on facebook if anyone wants to add on!

Re: Updates from the "Pre-July 139ers"
 

Just about to shut up shop for a few weeks - leave from Manchester to validate, 5 yrs in the waiting! Feels very surreal, but boy am I excited! See you all soon,

Kez x

Re: Updates from the "Pre-July 139ers"
 

Hi Kez,

Enjoy your trip and good luck with land/house search.

We got our passports back yesterday with "golden ticket" inside. Must admit I have hit a funny patch of the whole thing being surreal as well. In a state of rabbit in the headlights. Garry signs off tomorrow and he is over the moon, safe at last I expect you too will look forward to Steve signing off. Not sure when we will go as Garry is going to study as well so we aim to be going over Jan 2009 so that he can finish his accountancy Civi qualifications.

Anyway have great holiday

Cheryl

Re: Updates from the "Pre-July 139ers"
 

I really will 'see you soon' Kez. Look forward to meeting you. Safe journey.

Lou
xxx

Re: Updates from the "Pre-July 139ers"
 

Hi all and Cheryl, congrats again.

I'm planning to put my 18 months notice in on 7 October and can't wait:thumbsup: We're still planning on making our move to Perth in December next year.

We feel in a bit of a surreal situation really and have since we validated and bought our house at the end of 05 - 1 foot in Aus but still not real yet, apart from at Tax Time :curse:

We have started thinking about qualifications to help us settle etc. and we've even had a removal quote for moving from here (Belgium) to Perth. We plan on getting 3 or 4 more before the end of the year.

We just seem to have been saying "when we get to Perth....." for so long now that the next 15 months will just draaaaaaag. To keep us going we're checking out pricing for making the flight the long way around - via Disneyland in California then over the pacific to Sydney or Melbourne and then on. Planning on New Year (09) in either Disney or Sydney but haven't made our minds up yet - 2 kids (9 and 5) to think about too.

Anyway, all the best to everyone - I had wondered where the original 139 thread had gone. Hope any advice that I was able to share helped anyone and keep it coming - I need to keep in touch with our future!!

Craig

Re: Updates from the "Pre-July 139ers"
 

Craig,

We must keep in touch. We will be going to Perth in November staying with friends in Tapping (ex AGC who has got a job doing admin and some finance in University and gets pretty sum of $120,000 +sup for the pleasure). He loves Perth and is so happy with job, says that the University feels "familiar", behind walls on campus and goes to gym at lunch time, like the mod without the jerks!. Anyway we will say hi to Perth for you. We have never been to Perth so we hope it does not unsettle us from our plans?

Would be interested in sharing info on shipping companies because like you we will be going from Europe not UK. We could be jetting off at the same time?.
To be honest Garry only had to give 6 months notice so we technically could go any time from Feb 08 but I am on a bit of a sweet package here and unless I get a good job offered before end of contract we will not go early and Garry wants to study.

Keep in touch,

Cheryl

Re: Updates from the "Pre-July 139ers"
 

Craig,

Sorry forgot to say a lot of us are also on Facebook (britishexpats) so if you fancy logging on there you can keep in touch that way as well. Must say it took me a little time to get used to the website but enjoying it now.

Cheryl

Re: Updates from the "Pre-July 139ers"
 

Cheryl,

Just got on the old thread to find your got it!! bit late to say Congrats, but well meaning nevertheless.

Hope everything goes well for you.

Angie:)