Been Here Since 14/6/07

[Guest STINKY FEET]

Hi ,

Just thought I would let you know about our family's experiences so far.

 

We were so stressed prior to leaving the UK.

We finally sold our house the day before we flew out! We were in the Nat West 2 hours beofre going to the airport paying off our bills.

 

We arrived via Singapore to be met by Ken from the on arrival service at the airport.

He drove us and our 6 suitcases ( with the help of a taxi) to the apartment we had rented on East Terrace in central Adelaide. I booked it over the internet. We enjoyed the city there is plenty to see and do, but were soon renting a car and looking at schools and places to live.

(Ken came back the second day and took us to get tax references, register for medicare and booked us in for a induction talk about Australian life. I would recommend this free help. )

 

By chance we came to Port Noarlunga and just walked into the primary school for a look around. They were so lovely, my daughter wanted to start school right away. We then spent 2 weeks commuting to Port Noarlunga and back to Adelaide while Jess was in school. During the days we hunted for rental properties , which was more difficult than I expected. We finally found one in Chrisites Beach just a couple of streets back from the esplanade. We did see some dreadful places. If you see a rental that's unusually cheap it's because it won't be good just like at home.

We really like this area, we came to Australia to live by the sea. We are now starting to look for a place to buy/ land to buy to build. We can't decide at the moment.

 

We bought a car, quite staightforward. Drving is easy here complared to Manchester.

We had opened a Wetpac Bank account prior to moving out. Easy to do on the internet. We went in to do our ID and pick up bank cards.No problems.

 

It is lovely to sit on the beach in the afternoons on the way back from school.

Gary has found a job quite easily. He is a panel beater and there are always half a dozen jobs in the paper. The wages are not bad either about the same as the UK for this trade.

 

Reading back it looks like I am rambling. We had never been to Australia before, now we are here it feels likethe right thing for us. I can't imagine that we will move back to the UK even after such a short time. Jess adores it, she has had her first sleepover with a couple of new Aussie friends.

The Australian people have been so helpful I've not met anyone who hasn't had time to talk. If you don't undertand anything just ask for help.

 

I can't think of anything negative yet! Oh yeah our furniture is still not here. It was collected from our house 11/5 and may arrive here next week. We have spent all this time sitting on deckchairs. When our sofas arrive I won't get of it for a week.Apart from that we love it here.

 

Thanks for reading

Clare xx:D

[Guest donna T]

Clare

That was lovely - so glad you are settling in so well and Jess is happy at school - that makes a huge difference doesn't it.

Hope your furniture arrives soon.

Donna

[Guest dglamoore]

Hi Clare

 

Great post and lovely to read you have all settled so well. It will feel even more like home once your stuff arrives

 

Lisa:cool:

[Guest taylor family]

hi seems ages since we have used this site forgot wot great info u can pick up!

[Guest Guest75]

hi seems ages since we have used this site forgot wot great info u can pick up!

 

Hiya

 

I'll let you mention the rental coming up in here - nothing wrong with it

 

I did mention it in "another place";)

[Guest Guest75]

Lovely to hear you have settled well:D:D

[Angela]

Lovely post Clare, thank you. Its always a pleasure & a help to read about how the first few weeks go.

 

Good luck

Angela

[Guest mOZzy]

great reading - thanks clare for taking the time!!

i am glad your little girl settled in so (!) quickly and that did find a house after not too long.

 

all the things we can only hope for

enjoy your settling in time and good luck with things to come

[Guest STINKY FEET]

Thanks for your replies.

I keep thinking of things I like here:

 

Drive through off licences !

 

Cellar doors in McLaren Vale and their free tastings. I can't believe that just 2 months ago I was in Sainsbury's in Oldham looking at the labels on wine bottles and now I am here!!!

 

My husband gets offered a beer from the fridge every day as he finishes work!

 

The coffee is excellent wherever you go- even in Mc Donalds!

 

Top loading washing machines!

 

Seeing the sea every day!!!!

 

Clare xx

[Guest ralph n bev]

Thanks for taking the time Claire,

Good to hear youve settled into your new lives.

Isabel and Isaac are the same age as your daughter so its good to hear shes settled into her new school quickly , it must make it so much easier for you.

The school thing is so important isnt it? Jacob 12 started high school last september, here, if we could get over there by Feb he'd be starting high school there for the first year.

Wish we'd done this a year ago then hed have a year in junior school before going up but , we didn't.

Good luck with your new lives out there.

Bev

[Guest Roo1]

Hey Clare

 

Good to hear you have settled in. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us.

 

J x

[Guest Gordon & Dena Morrison]

Great to hear your settling in so well Clare.

Hope we can do the same in 2 weeks. Glad to hear the driving is better than in manchester , i wont even drive into town at the minute.

Sounds like your really enjoying it so far (apart from you not having your home comforts yet).

 

Dena

[Guest Leanne & Mark]

Hi Clare,

 

That was a great post, you ramble on, don't stop tell us more... would love to hear about you daughters exp in school etc. What is she learning?, what year is she? is it alot different?,

My sons are 8 and 4, so like Bev said School is so important.

Were there other areas you like, what are the local facilities like.

 

Leanne

[Damms]

Hi Claire

 

Great post thanks, We'll be there in a little over 2 weeks so I'm very excited to read your loving it.

Hope your container arrives soon then it really will be home!!

 

Take care

Kimx

[Guest STINKY FEET]

Jess does PE every day and sometimes more than once! I love this because in England she was lucky if they did any once a week. Because her school is near the sea they will have their sports day on the beach. They will also get to try snorkelling, surfing and canoing later in the year.We are also walking to and from school which is good for me too as we have always gone by car in the past.

She is in year 5 here which gives her the rest of this school year till December and then 2 more years in primary. In England she would go to secondary in September 2008.

They learn Japanese at this school, but all primaries teach a language other than English as part of the curriculum. They get less homework than in the UK.

They call playtime Recess and can order food from the canteen for lunch -it comes in a brown paper bag. It seems quite American in some respects.They all have to wear a hat for protection from the sun even in winter and can't play outside if they forget it. Jess felt an idiot at first but because everyone wears one it soon wears off.

School starts at 8.55 to 3.15. The playground is supervised by a memeber of staff from 8.30 until 3.30. Most schools seem to have before and after clubs and some have holiday clubs.

Because she is quite happy there, I am leaving her to chill out a bit and not stress her about what she is learning and how good the school is. It is such a big upheaval for a child to leave all they know behind. As she has a couple of years before secondary school I feel she has plenty of time to settle in to life in Australia.

We live just up the road from a massive shopping mall called Noarlunga Centre. There is also a cinema, bowling alley, leisure centre with great pool. A hospital and library are nearby too. The council is called Onkaparinga and they have a good website. Sorry not sure of the address but it will come up in a search.

We have driven around the south a lot. There are some more expensive places to live, but beyond our budget. There are lots of houses being built in Aldinga and they are affordable, but I felt it was nicer here. It's hard to explain, you just get a feel for a place that will suit you and your family and your pocket!!

I was looking at Happy Valley all the time when we were still in the UK. We went to look when we arrived but preferred it near the sea in reality.

 

Hope I have not made you fall asleep......

Cheers Clare

 

Chees Clare

[Guest daksha]

Greats posts Clare, keep them coming

[Guest Leanne & Mark]

Fab posts, god i just did a lil gig round the room i'm all excited.

 

Blake (8) would love to here from Jess's point of view, if she's got time in her busy social life do you think she'd let him know all about school, and what she likes.

Could i ask have you seen many jobs advertised for Datacabling or Electricians.??

Weekly updates by Clare??

 

Leanne

[Guest STINKY FEET]

The local paper is the Advertiser. The insert called Career One comes with the paper on a Saturday. There is a website careerone.com.au

This week there are at least 15 jobs for electricians and one for a data installer that I could see.

I will ask Jess to come on and give her impressions.

 

Cheers Clare:D

[The Monaghans]

Hello Claire . We are living just round the corner from you , have only been here a few days . Great to hear you have been having such a great time . Would love to say hello if you dont mind and pick up on you do's and dont's !! Have left our number for you in pm, give us a call if you dont mind . Cheers Liz and Rich

[Guest jen&ian]

Hi Clare ,

 

Glad to hear you've settled in so well. We will be over in a couple of months and are looking at Port Noarlunga as a place to live so it, so nice to hear a bit about it , (not many people seem to mention it). Is it Port Noarlunga Primary your daughter is at or does Christies Beach have it's own school?

 

Jen:)

[Guest STINKY FEET]

Hi Clare ,

 

Glad to hear you've settled in so well. We will be over in a couple of months and are looking at Port Noarlunga as a place to live so it, so nice to hear a bit about it , (not many people seem to mention it). Is it Port Noarlunga Primary your daughter is at or does Christies Beach have it's own school?

 

Jen:)

Hi,

Jess goes to Port Noarlunga school. There is a school in Christies Beach and also a Catholic Primary too I think.

Jess started at school before we moved to the area and we couldn't get a rental in Port Noarlunga before we had to move out of our apartment in the city, which is how we ended up in Christies Beach. It is a 10/15 minute (slow) walk to school which suits us . It's nice for us not to have to rush.

(There is a sweet shop selling British sweets , Marmite and Paxo etc. if anyone is desperate on Beach Road.)

Cheers Clare

[Guest Leanne & Mark]

The local paper is the Advertiser. The insert called Career One comes with the paper on a Saturday. There is a website careerone.com.au

This week there are at least 15 jobs for electricians and one for a data installer that I could see.

I will ask Jess to come on and give her impressions.

 

Cheers Clare:D

 

Thanks Clare your a star.