British Expats - xmas arrival, 4 weeks in victoria

:thumbup: Hi All
Well in the library so thought i would update you with our new start. For those of you following, the house in scotland, still is on market. We remortgaged and had 2 failed sales. Hectic to say the least, our last 6 months were just chaotic in the U.K. The last 4 weeks are just a blurr.
We had a leaving party before we left and a whole load of dinners and xmas nights out with family and friends which was just devastating, especially for the time of year and all. Everyone mentions it but it really is very hard saying goodbye. Okay so now i need to pull myself together as ready for a wee bubble, never thought i would be like this, the emotions are running strong.
We had doree Bonner in 2 weeks before we left, in december and they done a great job from that end, i'll keep you posted on how we go this end. We kept all our suitcases in the ensuite and shut the door and lived out of that wee room. On the 4th day, when the containner went down the street , I felt like a train had just whacked me, and it just started to seem so real, no turning back etc. Then we slept on camp beds in an empty house for 2 weeks.
On sat 23rd we flew from Glasgow, and all the family came to the house before we left, my brother got us a huge hummer limo, to take us to the airport , with champers and chocies, last munch of proper cadburys. We were over weight despite the 40k allowance to had to rejig the cases, nightmare, and the queue was really long, people were buying us gifts and the containner was already away so we had excess things in cases. The hand luggage was really overweight, so we took the stuff out and pretended we were getting someone to send them over, and when we went into depature lounge i put the stuff back in, and it never got checked again.
It was awful at the airport, and our friends were there, and my mum said, do dare look back, so when we walked up the ramp, i turned round and saw my wee niece peeking through the gate and i was just uncontrollable. We cried all the way to dubai, Antonia , our 9 yr old, kept a hat on her face and hid under the blanket as she was so upset and cried all the way too.
We were just shell shocked, chalk white infact. Our 2 girls had the virus and had not kept water down for 2 days and were continually sick through both flights. Never got a sleep. They were so ill.
My mums 2 friends picked us up at airport and took us home, now 3.30 am xmas morning. I had ordered toys online and they were all wrapped up sitting out, she went to loads of trouble, and it was a wash out, the girls were so sick and tired xmas day, and had no energy to open anything. We went to friends on xmas day and it was chaos, with loads of their family members, our girls slept for 7.5 hours straight on xmas day on her bed. Boxing day, with my relies , and again hectic, and we were sick by 27th, what with jet lag and lack of sleep.
Thomas has applied for heaps of jobs, but the damn tradie place were all closed , some still are, for the holiday season. He got offered a job the first week, with a heating and cooling company but was based in thomastown, so was too far for travelling for him. 2.5 hours each way.
He's applied to some other company's so still awaiting on work, he may have an interview for a tech job at rheem, but still waiting on hr getting back.
We are still staying with my mums friends, we dont have a rental as yet, but put in another application , yesterday, for a rental in mount martha, so fingers crossed. Originally we were looking at narre warren and berwick, but we reckon, we dont want to keep moving the schools after moving here as such a big move and after 12 months we would want to go nearer the penninsula, so start as you mean to go on and, thought, since we had such a diverse comparison to a beach town back home, then, why not experience it for a while and be happy. I thought it would keep us distracted being near the beach and will help keep the home sick at bay for now. We really liked mornington, but the rent was far more and not alot available other than wee units, and we would then have to keep some of our gear in storage and its too expensive. So mount martha it is, thats if we get the rental, and its just a georgous town.
I could moan and groan, but i wont, as its still all very new, and there is things we love and adore, and things we're getting used to, but it will take time.
The first 2 weeks were just weird, like limbo, it was not like a holiday and not like a normal life. We done medicare, tfn, driving licence which was great as we did not need to resist anything, awesome. We had a big problem with the commonwealth though, as transferred money, but the dept in melbourne for migrant banking were all off, until after new year and we could not get an appointment for love or money to activate accounts. So we went without an appoointment and they could not have been more helpful. Opened up a savings acc for us, and changed the type of acc we opened from a high interest to a streamline, so there is unlimited transactions a month, where as the other acc, charged for over 15 transactions. They offered help with car insurance, etc.
Anyway I got a cheque from home sent for my insurance i paid in advance , i put it in to the bank, charge 10.00 for converting and takes 22 days to clear.
We bought a second hand car, a 1995 mitsibishi magna, and got it insured with racv. Runs good although we went to visit a friend in dromana, and the bonnet went of fire on neapean highway, and it was 34 outside. Not good, but something came loose, overheating and all that, Its fine now.
Had a bad experience in centrelink, she spoke to us as if we had 6 heads, i think she thought we were stupid, all we wanted was tfn, i told her her system was cxxp and done it online, easy meat.
Took a bad case of pmt, last week, and everything was bugging me, and definately a big communication barrier, its drainning me trying to get the aussie to understand me, so i've had to adapt my accent a bit.They dont grasp i have a double barrell name and they think jayne is my surname.
As for my thoughts just now, 4 weeks in, I LOVE IT. Its not home yet, but iam sure will make it home in due course, It makes it all worth while, 5 yrs of planning, loads of dosh later but we are here and its so surreal, and we seem to be taking it for granted, but it really is a better way of life and our girls are striving, not about our feet all the time, and seem much healthier already.

We have friends from home over, staying with their family in Dromana. So it was great to have a sense of us really staright way, she brougt some walker sensations crisps, so aim saving them. We have had loads of barbecues, took the girls to parks, had some beach days, a winery day, went to red hill market, a day in the city and went up yarra ranges to emerald, just beautiful. So all in all, we've tried to combine, hard work with everything we have had to organise and let the girls enjoy the time off school.

Arlene, if you and james get this mail me , i dont know if you have left yet but, we'll meet up with you definately. A big thanks to all for the support you gave in such a hectic time and all your adice also, Gill and Mags hurry up and get over.
Better go. Might not be online for a while, so happy reading.

Sarah-Jayne Thomas, Antonia and Ariessa, down under. x

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomas and sarahjayne (Post 4303362)

Hi Guys,

Glad you're getting there. Shame about the kids on Xmas day. We had snow yesterday but would much rather have the sunshine. All the best.

Ann :)