Exchange Rate Argh!!!!

[Kiki]

Hi guys

Just checked this morning the exchange rate is 2.15. has it ever been this low and will it ever go up????

:arghh:

Kimberley x

[Nick11]

Historically I think it went as low as 2.08. Can't see it improving myself. We were moaning at 2.39 last August , having missed out on 2.54 . At the end of the day it's a lottery. Sorry.

[Nicky]

Hiya.
We're watching the exchange rate with interest too as we were planning to rent out our house here and come over to Adelaide Jan 09, renting over there for about 12months and assuming we liked it then sell our house. You know, taking it all very slowly, no panic. Now we're starting to feel the pressure. Perhaps we should sell our house before prices fall too much, come over as soon as we get our visa (probably late summer) and buy sooner rather than later before house prices go up too much in Adelaide. Typical isn't it!! As you said, it's bit of a lottery.

I just want to get things moving now, getting fed up of just sitting around! Just waiting for police checks and medicals so shouldn't be too long now (she says!?!!)

[Guzzler&Sas]

Hi,

Not a nice position for you guys waiting to exchange monies, the problem being that the Reserve Bank of Australia today announced that the Australian economy is still very strong, and they may have to have more interest rate rises to try and keep inflation in check.

Try to keep positive and good luck

Guzzler

[caoimhe]

Yes it's very frustrating, we have been considering this move for 5 years and it was always me who held off, Stephen wanted to take the plunge years ago, am I sorry now we didn't make the move when house prices we at there peak here and exchange rate better but that just our luck. "SODS LAW" I think it's called:policeman:

[ozzy wannabe]

Hi everyone

I have just this minute had a very depressing conversation with a guy at HIFX the last time the rates dropped as low as this was 10 years ago when it got as low as 1.89 and it took 4 years to increase :arghh:!!!

He also explained that the interests rates in oz are expected to go up at least another 3 times this year!!! good news for those already over, there but not for those of us who have the money on the bank and are just waiting to go.

What do we do bite the bullet and take the low rate put it into an oz savings a/c at a high rate than were getting now, or risk waiting for it to hopefully go up in the next 6 months?:wacko:

Any Ideas gratefully received.

who said that life was easy. I think that the easy part was getting the visa in the first place!!


From a very stressed Vicky

[muppetbro]

hifx advice we received yesterday was its currently only going in one direction for a while yet - 2.10 was being mooted 6 weeks ago

anyone with $ now is the time to make a killing :notworthy:

house prices here will slow down to 8% i reckon - last weekend was the first signs that buyers are being more cautious but the median price now stands at $400k

i reckon the cost of living all things considered now is higher than the uk unless you earn a good salary over 70K p.a.

[swampo]

It seems to be one thing after another. House prices in the UK fall then the flaming Australian $ exchange rate is so poor I think we will be living in a tin shack the way thisngs are going. All very depressing.

[caoimhe]

Yeah but swampo let's keep telling ourselves in OZ the shack will be warm, if we stay our shack will either flood or be snowed in,
we need to keep positive somehow!!!:wacko:

[Kiki]

ARGH!!!!

i just want it to go uppppppp

Kimberley x

[Nicky]

Oh, it's so reassuring to know that we're not the only ones up against it. I know we're not alone but it's nice to read others who have the same questions/doubts (doesn't really help though, just nice to know!!)


Nicky

[muppetbro]

http://hifx.com/marketwatch/market_news/headlines/us_bank_of_england_cuts_rates.aspx

the news just got worse - if the economy isnt stimulated soon and with further rises anticipated on the oz economy = further widens the gap which USUALLY means weakening pound against other currencies such as $ - housing markets usually reflect the health of the economy........

im watching like a vulture the markets at the moment - i cannot see any financial sence in exchanging to $ from £ at the moment - and as you have a 6 month window before tax penalties apply i would hope things can only be much better by then......surely???

knowledge extracted from my reading of local papers. financial advisor and bloomberg website whcih monitors currencies and updates every minute - very exciting

on a brighter note i made local tv sports news at the weekend and flew the union jack proudly in the state titles - fame wont change me :notworthy:but $ will :D

[smit]

He also explained that the interests rates in oz are expected to go up at least another 3 times this year!!! good news for those already over, Cant quite see hows its good news for us mortgagepayers!

As others have said, with the interest rates going in opposite directions, dont expect to see an improvement in exchange rates.

[Dallas]

The way we are moving forward is by taking a longer term approach. In 10 years the exchange rate will be a distant memory and you will look back on the last 10 years spent in a sunny, happy, positive and energetic place and wonder what all the stress was about.

We went to dinner and out of the 16 people there 12 of them wanted to leave the UK for a better way of life. Once you get to Australia you will struggle to meet an Australian that wants to leave Australia for a better way of life.

Don't get caught up looking at the move purerly on a £££ to $$$$ its a part of it but only a small part.

[Tyke]

on a brighter note i made local tv sports news at the weekend and flew the union jack proudly in the state titles - fame wont change me :notworthy:but $ will :D

Funny I thought of you as I caught a glancing look at a piece on the TV about your sport - It could have been you I saw :)

[Tyke]

It is not that good at the moment ( apart from Mr Muppet:p)

I was talking to our currency exchange company yesterday and there is no forecast.
One comment was "We need a good war to shift the rate"

Sorry I'm not that desperate yet.:biglaugh:

Historically the Oz $ has been all over the place.I know people who moved here when the rate was $2 to 1 pound.One older gentleman remembers the rate being 1 to 1 when he moved over

[Shy Ted]

I've done a lot of research recently into the whole financial side of moving ready for our move in the summer and here is the top and bottom of it;

If you look at the forward contract rates that major FX Dealers are offering presently you see a slight (and I mean slight) recovery over a 2 year period, they are offering around 2.22 for a 12 month fwd and 2.29 for a 24 month fwd, so that should give you as cast an idea of where the FX market is going. That said, those rates will be ultra cautious so you may see one or two cents more if you wait , but then again, you might not.

In real terms, you can forget in the short term (2 years plus) the historical rates of 2.40+, you can't help that now and you would be wise to forget about it as that chance has gone. But I don't see that as our real enemy here. If you wait, say, 12 months to exchange, you might make a few thousand quid, but property growth in Adelaide is forecast to buck the slowing national market trend and return a rise of around 8% this year, and I see that as conservative to be honest. So whatever you make by delaying your fx trade will probably be written off (and then some) against the increase in your property purchase price.

One bit of good news though! Although the doomsayers in the UK reckon the housing market will collapse, all the market trends suggest the market will remain steady, so you're not likely to lose at this end. So, if you consider the UK housing market has outperformed any other in the world over the last 5 years by a long chalk, we are still miles ahead financially when we liquidate property to emigrate. Presuming you've had a property of course!

In summary, if you (we!) could have moved a year ago you would have done better financially than you might today. BUT, absolutely no point in hanging about now as that will only cost more and more wealth, in real terms. Ignore the schardenfreude sentiments and take your chances now. Things are still very much in our favour, just not as much as they were.

Bit harsh I know! But I know how you feel. I'm in the same boat!

[Rachel1477]

The way we are moving forward is by taking a longer term approach. In 10 years the exchange rate will be a distant memory and you will look back on the last 10 years spent in a sunny, happy, positive and energetic place and wonder what all the stress was about.

We went to dinner and out of the 16 people there 12 of them wanted to leave the UK for a better way of life. Once you get to Australia you will struggle to meet an Australian that wants to leave Australia for a better way of life.

Don't get caught up looking at the move purerly on a £££ to $$$$ its a part of it but only a small part.

Well said!!!! :notworthy:I don't think I could have put it better myself. I can understand (and I really can) why some get bogged down in the material wealth thing... but for me... even if it went down to 1 for 1... I'd still be wanting to go! Being 100% mortgage free isn't the driver for us... but lifestyle, opportunity, climate, family ... need i go on...?

The exchange rate is what it is.. yeah - box clever and you may get more $ for yoru £s... but if it was just about being cash rich... there are a million places we could go instead of Oz! And yes.. I do appreciate getting caught up in such worries so am not belittling anyones worries... I'm just trying to help put it into perspective :). Hell.. if we'd been born a few decades before - we could have been £10 poms instead of the £1000's that we are all forking out to follow our dream! :goofy:t

[ali@51]

Hi everyone

I have just this minute had a very depressing conversation with a guy at HIFX the last time the rates dropped as low as this was 10 years ago when it got as low as 1.89 and it took 4 years to increase :arghh:!!!

He also explained that the interests rates in oz are expected to go up at least another 3 times this year!!! good news for those already over, there but not for those of us who have the money on the bank and are just waiting to go.

What do we do bite the bullet and take the low rate put it into an oz savings a/c at a high rate than were getting now, or risk waiting for it to hopefully go up in the next 6 months?:wacko:

Any Ideas gratefully received.

who said that life was easy. I think that the easy part was getting the visa in the first place!!


From a very stressed Vicky


I had the same comments from HiFx just after Christmas re the low point of $1.98 and a 4 year recovery period. His memory must be a little bit iffy (or maybe the salesman in him wants you to exchange with them asap!) because if you look at the historical rates it simply isn't true.

I have been using the ozforex website (www.ozforex.com.au (http://www.ozforex.com.au)) to look at the historical rates over the last few years. If you go onto the section that shows the long term charts you can look at the rates as far back as June 1994. I have been through these to try and identify the trends. What I did was look at the major peaks and troughs to get an idea of the cycles in the exchange rate and the length of time that periods of appreciation and depreciation went on for. I did this ignoring the many regular ups and downs but looked at the overall underlying trends.

It undoubtedly shows me for what I am - a sad accountant but I will share the data for anyone who is interested. The low point was a rate of $1.89 back in circa April 1996. The exchange rate then increased in general terms for circa 29 months until about September 1998 to a high of $2.90. Within this period it took 14 months to hit $2.40. For me the $2.40 rate is key as the average exchange rate over the period that Ozforex provide data is $2.43.

The major periods of the rate going up or down, along with the starting and ending rates within each period, have been as follows (again the time periods and rates are approximatins and anyone can and should check these to Ozforex's own site themselves)

June 1995 - April 1996 2.2376 to 1.8903
April 1996 - September 1998 1.8903 to 2.9064
September 1998 - July 1999 2.9064 to 2.3341
July 1999 - September 2001 2.3341 to 3.0207
September 2001 - June 2002 3.0207 to 2.6475
June 2002 - August 2002 2.6475 to 2.9506
August 2002 - October 2003 2.9506 to 2.3910
October 2003 - April 2004 2.3910 to 2.4662
April 2004 - August 2005 2.4662 to 2.3094
August 2005 - February 2007 2.3094 to 2.5416
February 2007 - Today 2.5416 to 2.1870

Not sure if the above (apologies for the slightly jumbled layout couldn't get the spaces to stick) will be of any help to anyone but I thought I'd share it. If nothing else now everyone knows what Ali has to put up with :biglaugh:

Morgan

[ali@51]

[quote=Shy Ted;24064]I've done a lot of research recently into the whole financial side of moving ready for our move in the summer and here is the top and bottom of it;

If you look at the forward contract rates that major FX Dealers are offering presently you see a slight (and I mean slight) recovery over a 2 year period, they are offering around 2.22 for a 12 month fwd and 2.29 for a 24 month fwd, so that should give you as cast an idea of where the FX market is going. That said, those rates will be ultra cautious so you may see one or two cents more if you wait , but then again, you might not.

Don't wish to sound picky, start an argument or be a smart so and so but the forward rates aren't an indication of the likely direction that the rate will go in. I thought this too until I started looking into the currency transfer side of things.

The forward rates are calculated as a function of the current (spot rate) and the relative interest rates in the 2 respective countries. As the spot rate moves so does the forward rate.

To aid understanding for anyone interested who may be as clueless on these things as I am the text below is copied from the Ozforex website and explains how the forward rate is calculated:


However most market participants want to exchange the currencies at a time other than two days in advance but would like to know the rate of exchange now. For example if ABC Ltd had contracted to purchase a machine for the price of USD 1 million payable in 6 months time but wanted to be sure that the USD would not become too strong in the interim. ABC Ltd could agree now to buy the USD for delivery in 6 months time. In other words ABC Ltd could negotiate a rate at which it could buy USD at some time in the future, setting the amount of USD needed, the date needed etc. and hence be sure of the Australian Dollar purchasing price now.

In determining the rate of exchange in six months time there are two components:

1) the current spot rate
2) the forward rate adjustment

The spot rate is simply the current market rate as determined by supply and demand. The forward rate adjustment is a slightly more complicated calculation that involves the interest rates of the currencies involved.

Let us make a few assumptions about the markets:

AUD/USD spot rate: .6600
AUD 3 month interest rates is 6 %
USD 3 month interest rates 6.5 %

Now what is the forward adjustment that is made and why?

The forward rate can be calculated as follows: Forward rate = (.6600+(.6600*.065*90/360)) / (1+(1*.06*90/365)) = .66095

This equation may look a little complex at first and in practice your financial institution will calculate it for you.

If you defer the value date of a spot transaction each party will have the funds that they would have paid to invest. The person who sold Australian Dollars has those Dollars to invest for 90 days which assuming it was A$100 would equal A$ 101.4795. The person who sold US Dollars has those Dollars to invest for 90 days which assuming it was USD 66 would equal USD 67.0725 at the interest rates above. The forward rate is calculated simply by dividing 67.0725 by 101.4795 equalling .660947. If the forward rate was not calculated as such one party would be receiving an unfair advantage by deferring the exchange of currencies.


Just thought I'd share this to help cure anyones insomnia!

Morgan

[louiesmum]

Well said!!!! :notworthy:I don't think I could have put it better myself. I can understand (and I really can) why some get bogged down in the material wealth thing... but for me... even if it went down to 1 for 1... I'd still be wanting to go! Being 100% mortgage free isn't the driver for us... but lifestyle, opportunity, climate, family ... need i go on...?

The exchange rate is what it is.. yeah - box clever and you may get more $ for yoru £s... but if it was just about being cash rich... there are a million places we could go instead of Oz! And yes.. I do appreciate getting caught up in such worries so am not belittling anyones worries... I'm just trying to help put it into perspective :). Hell.. if we'd been born a few decades before - we could have been £10 poms instead of the £1000's that we are all forking out to follow our dream! :goofy:t
Hi
Yes I have to say we also have been fretting about the exchange rate, esp Neil, but like you said its not all about the money, we would make the move what ever, I'm trying not to look at what it was yesterday or last month you can only deal with today & try & make the best decision. Then you cant think if it goes up should have held on a bit longer etc. lets just hope it improves in the near future:wacko:

[Shy Ted]

That's me put on my arse then. I'll stick to radiology!

[graandjac]

:notworthy::biglaugh:That's me put on my arse then. I'll stick to radiology! Well i liked it Ted....!!!!! i think that we all agree in the same direction, one plus side is when our money gets there the intreat it will earn will be higher than any uk bank....just looking for a bright glimmer through the dull exchange rate. Cheers raham

[Nicky]

I agree with you that it's not all about the money and ideally we would like to be mortgage free or certainly have very little mortgage ourselves. But my OH and myself are at loggerheads about it too. He wants to sell our house here while the market is still bouyant and get a good price for it and but I want to rent for 6months first to make sure coming to Oz is the right decision for us, as a family. I'm prepared to take the risk on the exchange rate etc as you've got to take risks somewhere along the way and hope that it all pans out alright. Unfortunately when you haven't got alot of money to throw around and every penny counts you do find yourself getting a git wrapped up in the £/$ thing and it does become bit of a issue.

It's all very well reading different forecasts and listening to different 'experts', but do they really know whats going to happen? Does anyone? I'm afraid my faith goes about as far as keeping my fingers crossed! (but my OH would say thats me just burying my head - he's probably right)

[swampo]

I agree with those comments.Just wish I had had the forethought to hold the $ last August, but everyone has a degree in hindsight as they say!

Just have to look for a smaller house in Oz and make do with a bucket instead of a swimming pool! At least the sun will shine on a regular basis, the pace of life will be more relaxed (unless there gets to be too many Brits over there to change it to the rat race we are all trying to get away from over here). You can't change yesterday you have to take what comes today. Change your £ and get on with the $ life. (Although we will wait just a little longer to see if the rate improves....)

Kev & Mall

[taylor family]

:sad:Sorry but I feel it is time for a reality check the cost of living is high here and house prices high to.
I fell that you need to look at moving very carefully if you are a family of 5 with children of primary age on a sponsored visa then you may find it hard if you dont have 100k+
education here is poor and the house prices 325+ for a good area and everyday shopping not cheap.
If you have a trade then you may have to bye a liecence or go back to college at your own cost so be aware.
And for a few that say they are livin it lovin it most have rentals to fill and dont want the brits to stop coming so dont realy say many bad things about south australia.
once again sorry to those back in england looking at the web sites with rose tinted glasses but I stand by what I have writen.

[ozzy wannabe]

IS the education in SA Poor?

[Tyke]

:sad:Sorry but I feel it is time for a reality check the cost of living is high here and house prices high to.
I fell that you need to look at moving very carefully if you are a family of 5 with children of primary age on a sponsored visa then you may find it hard if you dont have 100k+
education here is poor and the house prices 325+ for a good area and everyday shopping not cheap.
If you have a trade then you may have to bye a liecence or go back to college at your own cost so be aware.
And for a few that say they are livin it lovin it most have rentals to fill and dont want the brits to stop coming so dont realy say many bad things about south australia.
once again sorry to those back in england looking at the web sites with rose tinted glasses but I stand by what I have writen.

I think most are seeing the reality here now.
Cost of living is the same if not higher in some areas of lifestyle than the UK.

The "Buy a house cheap dream and live mortgage free" is slipping away with both the rise in property here,the falling exchange rate and poor sales in the UK.

My personal advice is to bring as much capital as you can,it will make life easier for the first few years during that hectic and unsettled period.

Definitely people are now realising it is tougher by the conversations I've had.
Most are now just wanting to totally change their lives and have a better lifestyle.By this they mean better quality and cleaner surroundings,safer environment for their kids,access to beaches (which is good and free entertainment).

Some have come over blinkered with the rosy glasses but they are few and far between.
Some felt as if they could "cash in" or walk into a plum ,highly paid job.Quite a few did not realise they had to have a licence to operate their trade and earn a decent living.
Any one in a trade such as plumbing/electrical MUST look at this site http://www.ocba.sa.gov.au/licensing/ .............It will let you know what you are up for.I fear that some applicants are not made aware of this by the migration authorities or their agents.

Eventually those migrating here will not be caught up by the unrealistic dreams portrayed by TV and will be coming solely for a change in lifestyle,a new challenge (this was us) or to find a safer and happier place for their kids(us also).

Think of the 10 pound Poms,flipping heck - they did not have the luxury of internet research or much cash in their pockets.

I'm sorry but I have to comment on your last paragraph.
There are those of us who are living and loving it here we do share our experiences but do tell the reality regarding this fine country.There is good and bad in every country.:)

[caoimhe]

This forum started as a moan about rates and it is now getting very dark!!!
It is really worrying the h*** out of me. There is Stephen, myself and 4 kids and we are fed up with "making ends met". We honestly do not think the lottery is awaiting us in Australia and both are prepared to work hard so we both think it will be a better lifestyle
Here Stephen works a full time job in IT and as a taxi driver 3 nights a week, I have done some work during school hrs but trying to get permanent work during term time is not easy and trying to get 4 kids minded after school and during school holidays would cost £14 an hr and I don't know about the rest of you but I am not qualified in anything that would give me at least £20 an hr to give me a profit.
I am not looking for Stephen to earn a fortune but I want us to get by and be able to pay the mortgage and have something left to spend on the kids at weekends. It's family time we want, living without the 2nd job.
Could someone in Australia tell me if that is possible, we should be able to buy an extremely modest house outright and save for the bigger house at some point as with 4 kids we need it

[Guzzler&Sas]

:sad:Sorry but I feel it is time for a reality check the cost of living is high here and house prices high to.
I fell that you need to look at moving very carefully if you are a family of 5 with children of primary age on a sponsored visa then you may find it hard if you dont have 100k+
education here is poor and the house prices 325+ for a good area and everyday shopping not cheap.
If you have a trade then you may have to bye a liecence or go back to college at your own cost so be aware.
And for a few that say they are livin it lovin it most have rentals to fill and dont want the brits to stop coming so dont realy say many bad things about south australia.
once again sorry to those back in england looking at the web sites with rose tinted glasses but I stand by what I have writen.


Hi,

Agree with Tyke the cost of living is on the rise here, but I don't expect for one moment it is dropping in the UK.

Most trades require a licence, definately if you wish to work as a contractor/sole trader, some trades you can work under other peoples licence.
In my instance carpenter/joiner when I first arrived I worked in a cabinet makers, NO licence required, during this time I obtained, independently my licence which involved doing a 28 hour legal and financial course, a police clearance certificate, a interview with the licensing board and paying the set fees. No dramas and what made it a bit easier was the fact I was expecting to do this because I had done my RESEARCH back in the UK.

Reference your last paragraph, YES I am one of those fortunate to have a rental, which I have had for the last 4 months, against your theory though I have been here 20 months and have lived and loved it since I stepped of the plane,

For those of you thinking/about to make the biggest decision, yes take off the rose tinted glasses, do research and when you have done that, do a bit more research, then when you get here have loads of positive attitude and you will be surprised how far you will get.

Living life to the full and loving every minute of this fantastic place,

Guzzler

[smit]

IS the education in SA Poor?Depends who you talk too! Ive got older kids and have not got a problem with the system.I think sometimes people think that their kids were more advanced in UK. That is true,because they start earlier and get info crammed into their heads. The oz system is different , the early years are spent giving social skills and the pressure work comes later on.

And as Tyke says, Good and bad in SA as anywhere else.And IMO, cost of living is not cheap ,unless you come with a bid wad, or get a well paid job.

[andy and lindsey]

Hi there thought I would give you my five penneth worth!

We have been here since October last year and are definately not wearing the rose tinted glasses. My hubby is a nurse and is earning a decent wage (by Aussie standards and easily comparible, if not slightly better than what he earned in the UK). At the moment we are living off Andys wage as I am waiting for my qualifications to be assessed, in order to practise as a midwife. I sent the request for assessment before christmas and am still waiting (no worries for me, but Andy is doing his nut:biglaugh:). We had a decent amount of equity to bring with us but as has been said previously - money really does run through your fingers like water when you first arrive! We have been lucky and have managed to buy some land (which is becoming increasingly more difficult to come by) in Aldinga - the downside being that we are now 50 minutes away from the city. Its not a problem for us as I could count on one hand the number of times I have needed to go there, but the housing market being as bouyant as it is here means that often you will have to travel further and set your sights lower than were your initial intentions. I spent many a night looking at www.realestate.com.au (http://www.realestate.com.au) when we were still in the UK and realised quite quickly that what you want and sometimes what you can afford are two different things! We are more than happy with where and what we are building but now have a larger mortgage than we had in the UK, all that said had we moved in the Uk we would have had a similar sized mortgage. Grocery shopping is easily comparible to the UK - but I feel that fruit and veggies are much nicer and last longer and you can get some fantastic cuts of meat at very reasonable prices. We certainly eat more meat than we did in the Uk - lamb was a luxury there and is a staple here:D. We no longer rely on credit cards and have no loans (well apart from a huge mortgage - I jokingly say to people that my mortgage resembles the national debt of a small african country:biglaugh:!) but we can afford to live and find that there is so much to do here that is free or costs very little. I only have to look at my children to see the benefits!

Education - I would say that you have to find whats right for your child, there are good and there are bad. My eldest is struggling at school, but would have probably struggled wherever he was. He has dropped back a year here and a lot of the aussie kids are way ahead of him, which is surprising when considering he has had an extra year of schooling in the Uk at a very academic beacon school!! Private schooling is option for us here though, it would have been way out of our reach in the UK. We dont and wont have a pool but the ocean is free and five minutes away (could do with heating:shocked: but beggars cant be choosers). Would I swap what I have here for the Uk - No way, never say never, but I certainly have no intention of going back at the moment! Be realistic - there are still the lucky few who can come over here and be mortgage free but that number is getting less, and quality rather than quantity is the way forward for us.

Lindsey

[mcfarscott]

For all those reading this thread back in the UK I would like to offer some hope!!

Yes the cost of living is roughly the same as back in the UK but house prices are still much lower than back home, for example I could buy a 4 bedroom property set on 800sq meters of land with a pool nex to the beach here or I could buy a pokey two bed semi in a dodgy area in the UK which would you rather have..........:unsure::unsure::unsure:

[smit]

If you had same mortgage, same wages, youd be laughing. For every person thats worse off there be one thats better off. Do your research , then if you fancy it, come and live it, because you sure hell dont know the place until you have!. Oh , and the longer youre here , you assimilate into the place.......it becomes the norm.

[louiesmum]

Hi
Me again!! I dont think I am looking at the move with rose tinted glasses! I/we are well aware & prepared to work hard when we get there. We know we will have a morgage & cost of living is going up but so is it here! Yes we are looking forward to going & excited, I dont think that wrong. Re schools there is good/bad where ever you go you just have to find the best school to suit you & your child thats no different to uk is it? We can all look at the past (back in UK) & look at that with rose tinted glasses & forget all that is going on in the UK, stabbings gang culture etc etc. just remembering the good bits. With us its not about the money as said before its to do with lifestyle. We're looking forward not back.

Moan over.

Have a great day all!!:wubclub:

[graandjac]

Have to agree with the above, but also the cost of living here is going up aswell so if thats the case it must still be higher over here:goofy: , and as the cost of living goes up so must wages.....? spoke to a guy in perth a month ago and he said most trades are now earning the same as in the uk as part of the boom there , which as i believe is now heading South Australia's way.......? hence the house prices going up.
On the suburbs subject when on our reccie we stayed in Huntfield Heights, in Guzzler & Sas's rental on Paringa View, the spot is what i would describe as straight down the middle price wise and a typical ozzy street , but it was still nicer than the uk equivalant , maybe not everyones cup of t but still very nice. But when i had my hair cut out there i was chatting to the hairdresser and in conversation she said NOT to live in huntfield heights because of the social housing:arghh:, so what it was miles from where we were and we had to drive around and look for it, so i hope we aren't starting a battle of the suburbs thing after all everyone's dream house is very different and we all have very different amounts to spend.......................the key i believe is dont over spend and stay within your budget. Cheers Graham

[Richard & Amanda]

Hiya,

I wouldn't class myself as having "rose tinted glasses" on whilst we plan our move out to Oz.
It's interesting to see the comments made by those already there. I found Andy & Lindsey's posting really interesting and I feel that both hubby and I can relate to this.

I realised a long time ago that mortgage free is a pipe dream and yes you do have to work hard once there.

It's a challenge we are both up to and look forward to the rewards of quality family life together at the weekends in the sunshine.:)

[scooterdan]

Hey!!

I dont think we look through rose tinted glasses either.... i would love to live mortgage free...but it isnt goin to happen anywhere i dont think!!! I know i will have to work, pay bills and a mortgage....i am prepared to do this to better my life!!

Our dream house isnt by a beach or in the hills...its where we can go in our budget and make the best of it...!! (although the beach would be nice!!)

The exchange rate is not too good at the mo....but im not i the postion to leave a chunk of my money here....what £££ i have is what $$$$ goes with me!!! Its tough...but thats it!! It could be a lot worse....!

After all im not moving all that way to be rich...its the lifestyle!!!!

Dan and Steph

[muppetbro]

i landed my first aerial handle pass moves yesterday - flat 3s at henley :notworthy:

one thing i do more and more of is avoid asking poms anything about adelaide - my work colleagues and mates down the beach offer me more honest opinion on all things adelaide.....one common thing that is said - the south is catching up the north for feral scummys and "that what you bloody poms breed when you congregate together" - well i cant disagree with my 6 months teaching experience in some of these areas -

as for education here - my school after 4 weeks of using relief teachers to fill in finally filled their quota of positions with teachers who get moved around every year

my daughters school lost 8 teachers and a headteacher a week before new year started - good school she attends.......well the kids are well bahaved for sure and you wont find many school populations like that in the north and south suburbs...........oh yeh house prices are much higher in these suburbs............in fact its just the same as the uk .......
apart from schools have accountability in the uk which has bred a far tighter run school system and professionalism amongst teachers.......

if at the end of the day you dont mind teachers and kids talking to one another and accepting f words every other word is acceptable, no homework no exams no pressure curriculums that get dropped at a whim, trips that take place with little connections to work being done in curriculum then sure kids are going to l ike school here more........well apart from the decent kids who get a good education denied them from a totally disjointed unorganised beaurocracy.........

i love adelaide - but i think the southern suburbs are slums full of all the social indicators i honestly thought id leave behind in the uk towns / cities - nice beaches change when they become crowded with the local population - schools give a very good insight into the social characteristics of a community - cheap land cheap house prices at what price for your children id be asking.............

im off to middleton to hit some kickers

mwah

[graandjac]

:unsure:Ferel scummers.....???believe me Australia dosent know what they are, every day now on the news some innocent dad is stabed or kicked to death standing up for his family in some way by ferel scum here in the uk , gangs of youths who the police do nothing about, we live in sleepy old sussex and if i go out for a beer at the weekend, we have to be in a group of 3 or 4 to wander about after 12 (and Iam not the one to walk away from a group of young thugs) but you have to watch your back, and the street crime is years behind the uk . Cheers Graham

[Django]

i landed my first aerial handle pass moves yesterday - flat 3s at henley :notworthy:

one thing i do more and more of is avoid asking poms anything about adelaide - my work colleagues and mates down the beach offer me more honest opinion on all things adelaide.....one common thing that is said - the south is catching up the north for feral scummys and "that what you bloody poms breed when you congregate together" - well i cant disagree with my 6 months teaching experience in some of these areas -

as for education here - my school after 4 weeks of using relief teachers to fill in finally filled their quota of positions with teachers who get moved around every year

my daughters school lost 8 teachers and a headteacher a week before new year started - good school she attends.......well the kids are well bahaved for sure and you wont find many school populations like that in the north and south suburbs...........oh yeh house prices are much higher in these suburbs............in fact its just the same as the uk .......
apart from schools have accountability in the uk which has bred a far tighter run school system and professionalism amongst teachers.......

if at the end of the day you dont mind teachers and kids talking to one another and accepting f words every other word is acceptable, no homework no exams no pressure curriculums that get dropped at a whim, trips that take place with little connections to work being done in curriculum then sure kids are going to l ike school here more........well apart from the decent kids who get a good education denied them from a totally disjointed unorganised beaurocracy.........

i love adelaide - but i think the southern suburbs are slums full of all the social indicators i honestly thought id leave behind in the uk towns / cities - nice beaches change when they become crowded with the local population - schools give a very good insight into the social characteristics of a community - cheap land cheap house prices at what price for your children id be asking.............

im off to middleton to hit some kickers

mwah

I've read this post 4 times and still can't see what it has got to do with the exchange rate. :confused:
If you want to talk about social characteristics then perhaps you should start a new thread rather than hi jack this one.

Pete

[Shy Ted]

:unsure:Ferel scummers.....???believe me Australia dosent know what they are, every day now on the news some innocent dad is stabed or kicked to death standing up for his family in some way by ferel scum here in the uk , gangs of youths who the police do nothing about, we live in sleepy old sussex and if i go out for a beer at the weekend, we have to be in a group of 3 or 4 to wander about after 12 (and Iam not the one to walk away from a group of young thugs) but you have to watch your back, and the street crime is years behind the uk . Cheers Graham

Fantastically put my friend.