has anyone been on a rekki?

[Guest nikkiandlee]

Hi,

 

There are some really interesting threads in this forum, but I was wondering if anyone had done a rekki of Adelaide, what their thoughts are and if you have any pictures?

 

A lot to ask but it may help others (but most of all me!)

 

Thanks

 

Nikki

[Guest Bex & Nick]

we've been out here for three weeks tomorrow, you're welcome to have a look at our photos/thoughts (but its not a reccie as such)....

 

http://www.pomsinadelaide.com/forum/showthread.php?t=936

 

http://www.pomsinadelaide.com/forum/showthread.php?t=998

[Guest nikkiandlee]

HI Bex & Nic,

 

Yes thanks just found your thread, I have saved the pictures on our fav so Lee can have a look later.( Hope you don't mind?)

 

How are you gettin on? it does look lovely. Are you finding people as freindly as you thought?

 

Anyway could ask so many questions but sure you have loads to do!

 

Thanks again

 

Nikki

[Guest lastboyscout]

Not doing a reccie going with suitcases and an open mind TBH;)

[Guest dglamoore]

Hiya

We did not do a reccie and just opted to come straight out.

 

There are some pics here that you can see from round Adelaide -

 

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=adelaide&w=all&s=int

http://www.webshots.com/search?query=adelaide&new=1&source=chromeheader

http://www.photoadelaide.com/

 

Bit of an Adelaide fix for you

 

Lisa:cool:

[Guest nikkiandlee]

HI,

 

Thanks for the links very nice, problem is really I just want to get out there however havent even sent off TRA yet still getting all the references together.

We are umming and Rrrring about doing a rekki ourselves issue as always is funds we won't have loads after paying everything off and want to keep it for Aus.

why have you not been on a rekki?

 

regards

Nikki

[Guest ralph n bev]

Hi Nikki,

We are doing a reccie, my mum n dad are having the kids for 2 weeks while we tour the suburbs in a camper van. Cant wait.

Weve all on getting 1 nights babysitting , and i never returned to workafter having the kids as we had new born twins and a 23 month old toddler!! so couldnt afford child care at the time.

Are we looking forward to it??

Just a bit.

Cant wait!!!!

2 weeks without the kids!!

 

Personally even if mum n dad couldnt have the kids i'd have to do a holiday there at least.

I know this usually starts off a debate , well it does on the yellow screen!!, but PERSONALLY i couldnt uproot us from what we have here without at least a visit .

 

What if you hate the place??

 

Once weve done the reccie( September) ,if we find that Adelaide doesnt tick all the boxes then at least we havnt uprooted everyone.Or commited financial suicide!!

 

2 weeks isnt along time to decide if its for you , i know , but without the kids we should be able to get a lot more done. Ralph will be going on site with some freinds we have made who are in the building trade , to see how things work, im going to go to a few schools , and we are both going to drive around the suburbs which we like on paper and internet!!

By the time we get back we will probably have the visa.

If we love Adelaide fine, the house will go up for sale and all systems go.

If not we will have to validate, which we would do in Brisbane, as thats our 2nd choice !! We would have to take the kids then , so it would be our holiday for the year,

then we would have 5 years to decide if emigrating is what we really want to do.

We have done loads of reasurch , we have chosen Adelaide , Ralph is able to go any where with the visa he is applying for (136), we hope it ticks all the boxes for us , but neither of us wears rose tinted spectacles so , when we come back , we will have to do a post of our impressions.

It may help a few folk, and i promise i will be honest but not brutal!!

Bev;)

[Guest nikkiandlee]

Thanks for that,

 

In an ideal world we will aim to do a rekki but I think the thought is we are going anyway.

 

Our boys are a lot older 7,10 and 13 so we feel that if we were going to do a rekki to look at schools houses area's etc then we would have to include the boys as its a big thing for them also! Therefore we would be looking at at least in the region of £7000 which we think would cover rent for a fdew weeks once we get out there! But you never know we may find that we have a bit more money that we thought and i personally would feel better if we did have a rekki first. Lee was in the army so these things don't seem to worry him, used to living where he is told i suppose.

 

Thanks

 

Nikki

[Guest Django]

I know this usually starts off a debate , well it does on the yellow screen!!,

 

This isn't the yellow screen so no worries there. Everyone is different and have their own agendas. Why they have to throw custard at each other over there is beyond me.

 

In an ideal world we will aim to do a rekki

 

Same here, but the world isn't ideal and like you Nikki, we couldn't afford to make the trip twice. Much better to have the extra dollars in the pocket so to speak on arrival. If we gat there and hate the place we will move on to somewhere else. Don't worrry about not being able to 'look before you try'. You aren't the first and you certainly won't be the last to do so.

 

Pete

[Guest soggy]

Thanks for that,

 

In an ideal world we will aim to do a rekki but I think the thought is we are going anyway.

 

Our boys are a lot older 7,10 and 13 so we feel that if we were going to do a rekki to look at schools houses area's etc then we would have to include the boys as its a big thing for them also! Therefore we would be looking at at least in the region of £7000 which we think would cover rent for a fdew weeks once we get out there! But you never know we may find that we have a bit more money that we thought and i personally would feel better if we did have a rekki first. Lee was in the army so these things don't seem to worry him, used to living where he is told i suppose.

 

Thanks

 

Nikki

 

 

if we get a visa we will be going without one, selling everything and just arriving with our suitcases. We are able to go on one, but we would much rather have all the money possible to start our new life. We are only going to start a new life on the other side of the planet, whats the worst that could happen?

 

Simon

[Guest Django]

whats the worst that could happen?

 

You could buy a house between mine and Graham's. :p:D

 

Pete

[Guest ralph n bev]

Our boys are a lot older 7,10 and 13 so we feel that if we were going to do a rekki to look at schools houses area's etc then we would have to include the boys as its a big thing for them also!

 

Thanks

 

Nikki

 

Nikki

our kids are now 12 , 13 in sept and the twins are 10 , 11 in sept !!

But i look at it this way ,

1. we will save a lot of money by not taking them, to go towards the big move.

2.We will be able to get lots more done without trailing them around with us .

3.if we like it they will have to come regardless of if they dont !!! I know if they dont like it , we wont you see.

4. we get 2 weeks of freedom, woopee!!

 

Once weve made a decision to migrate , or not ,then obviously they can have a look round the areas n schools weve chosen from the recci when we get out there , but ultimatley the choice of where we live and which schools the kids go to , will be down to us, the best school available and Ralphs ability to access good main roads to get to work.

By the way , at the moment they'd all move yesterday if they could!!

If anything its me thats the doubting Thomas!!

Bev:D

[Guest nikkiandlee]

Sorry I miss understood what you were saying:confused:.

 

I do like the idea of just us two going out, I may have to get my mum back from Spain for a couple of weeks early nest year;).

 

 

Please let us know how you get on!

 

Thanks

Nikki

x

[Guest ralph n bev]

Hiya Nikki,

Before you know it , September will be here, this year is flying by.

 

The T.R.A. bit was the worst bit for us, weve both got enhanced police checks already and we know we are fit enough for the medicals, but the T.R.A. , what a faff.

The visa application is in Oz now and we are waiting for go matilda to tell us to go for the meds and get the police checks.

 

Weve decided not to front load, as weve not even put the house up for sale yet.

We will do it after the recci.

 

I am a naturally pessimistic person i'm affraid , the cups half empy type!!

I try not to be, but for me until ive seen the place i couldnt think about going.

Our life is nice here, you see , its just the way the countries going , we both think Oz will be better for the kids. But i have to see it first. Thats why its good sometimes to look at the not so fluffy sites . I think its good to read the bad as well as the good about a place, then its up to you to make a decision about a place. Now im waffling cos im on my 2nd glass of red!!

Bev

[Guest nikkiandlee]

Hi Bev,

 

I'm quite optimistic however I have a feeling our TRA is going to go the same way, I'm a hairdresser and have had quite a few jobs so trailing back 7 years to get the relevant experiance evidence is not going to be easy, and also is all hairdressers who don't always follow rules for example I have never had a contract!!!

 

still I can pester and our agents have said they will put together the letter the places jusy have to put it on headed paper and sign it!

 

Sometimes I feel really excited and some times i feel sick with panic, a rekki would be the best possible plan, i just hope the finances will allow!

 

[Guest ralph n bev]

Nikki , did you not do day release at college nvq 1,2,3,?

If you have probs getting written proof from an employer, cos they dont exist any more , you can get a statutory declaration done from a solicitor saying e.g .

I was a junior at "curl up n dye!" for 3 years in that time i learnt x y z .The more detail the better.

The solicitor makes you swear its true , witness it and you both sign it.

Ralph had to do this as the bloke he did his apprentiship with moved to Spain 10 years ago.

The colleges keep copies too, Ralph had to get a copy of his City and Guilds from the building college in Leeds which he did over 20 years ago!! Hed lost it in one of his house moves.

So you never know there may be light at the end of the tunnel.

Hope you sort it out. Work on your mum;)

Bev x

[Guest dglamoore]

The TRA was certainly the worst bit for us so once this is out f the way it does not seem so bad

 

We chose not to do a reccie as living in a country is far different from what you can experience in a few weeks. We had no expectations to live up to so could not really be disappointed We came over with the attitude that we no longer liked living (although we did have a good life there) in the uk so there for would make it work living in OZ. So far so good and it is far better than we thought it would be . Plus as others have said the reccie money was used towards living expenses when we arrived. Everyone is different and on this there is no right or wrong answers.

 

Lisa:cool:

[Guest mOZzy]

1. we will save a lot of money by not taking them, to go towards the big move.

2.We will be able to get lots more done without trailing them around with us .

Bev

 

 

Bev can we leave our 2 monsters with your lot?!?! then i can imagine us going on a reccie 'woheyy' - but unfortunately we haven't got anyone to look after them! and i can't see myself dragging them around in the hot car researching anything and everything

 

 

You could buy a house between mine and Graham's.

 

Pete

 

 

oi Simon! you better make sure you'll get one of them 'white jackets' out of the deal should you get THAT house

 

 

 

 

if we get a visa we will be going without one, selling everything and just arriving with our suitcases. We are able to go on one, but we would much rather have all the money possible to start our new life. We are only going to start a new life on the other side of the planet, whats the worst that could happen?

 

Simon

 

 

yep, that's how we see it too! and should we really not like it we'll have some dosh to move on ....

[Guest mOZzy]

woheyyyy - it worked!!

 

my first 'multiquote' thingy

[Guest nikkiandlee]

Hi,

 

When i left school (quite a few years ago now) i did a two year apprenticeship but didn't complete, (the shop is still owned by the same lady and she said she will help with a reference), then i did a bit of hairdressing albeit with no formal quals for friends and family until about 7 years later when i worked to complete my training at Toni and Guy, moving onto another salon to completely finish nvq Levels 1,2 &3 not really classed as day release though, also the lady who was dealing with my training lost my log book so I had to start again!!! so to be honest its all a bit of a mish mash, however I have a certificate for level 2 dated 2001, level 3 2003, Thew main worry is for about 2 years I worked in a shop where I rented a chair, during this time i had some personal issues ( got divorced) and the owner didn't really get on with me so much so that I left and went to work for a college in Rochester she gave me a really poor reference . So all in all I a bit worried I won't be able to get enough evedence! but I have other stuff like invoices form the wholesalers for the time i worked there.

 

With regards to the Rekki Lee and I have discussed this and decided that we are going to Aus anyway so we would rather keep the money for when we move, however if we find we have to activate the Visa, (i.e. house doesn't sell in time) then we will cross that bridge at that time!It is rather daunting however, I am not looking at it with rose coloured glasses, and sometimes the best laid plans and all that! However if the oppertunity arrises i wouldn't turn it down but its not very likely!!!

 

Hey i like the elemant of suprise!!

[Guest Roo1]

My husband and I came out in 2000.

7 years on and here we are!

We were back packing back then, so we were slightly in a different frame of mind. But we knew if we ever had kids, Adelaide would be a good place to raise them.

The only thing I've seen change is the house prices. Back then a 5 bedroom house with pool in Happy Valley was 70,000 GBP! (Our friends were selling it back then)

If only I'd had a crystal ball...I would have bought it there and then.

 

Judi x

[Guest ralph n bev]

I know , Roo 1,

Ralph has wanted to do this for so long, its been me thats held off on the idea. Our ages are making us do it now, as its now or never!!

He knows lots of trades that are migrating , but they are going to Perth, we dont fancy it there.

There isnt a right or wrong answer about reccies, if we didnt have the spare cash, or our parents offer to have the kids , then i'd be even more stressed out about the idea of uprooting everyone and making the right decision for us.

Some days im so positive , others when , if its nice and sunny here in Britain , i think well its not that bad here. Were in a bit of a bubble where we live , its when we go out of it we think wed be better in Oz.

Both sets of parents think we are doing the right thing, though they know they will miss us , its just me ," half empty cup woman" , maybe i should change the avatar name !!

If wed have done it 5 years ago the kids would all have been at school together, but wed have had less equity and savings , but the houses out there would have been a lot cheaper!!

BUT you cant keep saying but but but.

 

Nikki i think you should contact Tony and Guy they may have computer back ups of your training, if youve got invoices from the warehouses etc and proof that youve paid to rent a chair , then the stat dec may be the way to go.

I know Ralph had to lay it on about the bricklaying side , and proove hes been doing it for the last so many years for at least 20 hours a week.

The fact that weve got a small building v.a.t.reg l.t.d. comp here made no difference.

 

Also when we do get out there for good, he has to get a licence , which means going back to college , while working aswell, before he can do what hes been doing here for over 15 years , running his own building co!!

If thats what has to be done , then thats what we will do!

Hope you can sort out everything for your T.R.A. Nikki , as lisa said its the hardest bit!!

Bev:)

[Guest nikkiandlee]

Thanks for your advice Bev,

 

I will do that and also keep pestering them. Fingers crossed as once we have all that info the Visa bit seems pretty easy, i hate having to rely on others for the TRA still will be more than worth it in the end!!

[Guest Keel]

For those that are doing the Rekki, have you all got children?Is that the main reason?Me and my other half leave the UK in december and neither of us have been before.To be honest a Rekkie hasn't relly entered our heads!But then again we haven't got any children. Thinking about it now if we had a few thousand lying around maybe we would but like everyone else has said i'd rather spend the money out there.I can totally see why people would do a rekkie though.I think we are so committed to moving though that we would make it work out there no matter what.

[Guest ralph n bev]

Hiya Keel,

Well weve got 3 kids , but we also dont have to go to Adelaide as part of the visa Specification, thats another reason.

Weve decided Adelaide ticks the boxes on paper for us. So fingers crossed.

If we didnt have kids, and Adelaide was the only part of Oz we could go to , and if we didnt like our house/town over here , then it might be different. Also if we were not in our 40's that would go a long way to making us feel a bit more reckless

 

But its up to the individual in the long run, you either feel the need or you dont.

 

Bev:)