Arrived in Adelaide 3/11/2011 - update 6 weeks in

[Guest BackToAdelaide]

Situation overview: I’m an Aussie, returned home after over 7 years in the UK. Fiancé is English and on a temporary de facto partner visa.

 

It’s over 6 weeks since we arrived in Adelaide and I’d say it’s mostly “life as usual” now. We spent the first 3 weeks staying with my parents in Port Elliot, a handy base to start from but a little tiresome driving into Adelaide every couple of days to shop for furniture. It started to feel like commuting!

 

Then we made the move into our house (I already had the house from before I went to the UK). The first night we camped on the floor and decided it was too uncomfortable so we bought an air mattress. But since our proper bed mattress was finally delivered almost a week later, along with the lounge suite, we’ve been settling in nicely. We spent a few days hanging around at home awaiting furniture deliveries or tradesmen turning up to sort things out. So now the bedroom, lounge room and kitchen are mostly filled it feels much more like home. Bought a dining table the other day too so we don’t have to eat off our laps anymore! Still got plenty of empty spaces and we could use a bit of storage in the second bedroom but we’re getting there.

 

Despite taking a little time to get set up we’re glad we decided not to ship furniture from the UK. Everyone’s situation is different of course, but for us it just didn’t seem worth sending what we had as most of it was cheap flat-pack stuff and as we were renting we didn’t have any white goods. We’ve appreciated the chance to start afresh with the furniture as we start our new life together over here. The other factor is that our shipping (we sent a few boxes of personal effects) isn’t due into port until Boxing Day so we won’t see it until sometime in January. We wouldn’t have wanted to just “get by” with nothing until then.

 

Just before we moved from my parents’ place to our house, we did a day trip to Kangaroo Island. I had been there on a family holiday when I was young but only had vague memories so it was great to go again and appreciate it as an adult. And of course I wanted to show my OH some of the wildlife and beautiful scenery South Australia has to offer.

 

A couple of weeks ago we went to Adelaide Oval to see the Foo Fighters in concert. I must admit it was great to have a break from doing stuff for the house. Dave Grohl & co always put on a good show and there was a fantastic atmosphere with around 30,000 people in the crowd!

 

Everyone always wants to know what things cost. We don’t feel we’re spending any more on food than we did in the UK. Haven’t analysed it in detail but it seems about the same. Had an electricity bill but it mostly covered the time before we moved in (my tenant moved out a couple of months earlier so I had the account transferred back to me from that date) so it’s hard to get any useful info from that. Just had a water bill arrive for $162 for the quarter, although only $13 was actual variable usage with the rest being basic water & sewerage supply charges and the River Murray Levy. Petrol is definitely cheaper here, and now that we’re not “commuting” from Port Elliot we don’t seem to get through it very quickly. It’s really things like books and DVDs where we tend to notice the big cost differences, although we’ve just done an order through Amazon UK for a few bits and pieces so that should help fill the void! We’ve also found electrical items to be reasonably priced. The key with it all is to do a bit of research, know your prices and look out for bargains. Even when something is marked as on special I still ask for a better price. And don’t be afraid to walk away if you’re not happy with it either.

 

In terms of communication with the outside world we bought a prepaid mobile broadband dongle and used that for a while until our wifi broadband was installed a couple of weeks ago. OH bought a prepaid mobile phone as well and I’m on my old number (using my old Aussie SIM in the UK phone I cracked) on post paid.

 

OH has been half-heartedly looking for work (project manager), without success so far but Christmas really is the worst time for it so we’re not too worried. I admit I haven’t even started as I’ve been enjoying just easing my way back into things back home. It’s also been nice to catch up with some friends and family I haven’t seen much of in recent years.

 

Been really pleased with the weather so far. Mostly pleasant (although my version of pleasant and my OH’s tend to differ by a few degrees!) with a few hot days. What’s been such a wonderful change is the sun being out pretty much every day and for hours at a time. I really did used to get so depressed with the weather in England! OH is less excited about the hot weather than me (bit of a shock to his system, poor thing) but admits he prefers it to the English winter.

 

So we're feeling more at home now and even have the Christmas decorations up. And very much looking forward to the new year in our new home.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Note: Here's an early report I posted on PomsInOz just a week after we arrived. Mostly superseded by today's post.

 

I thought it was time to give our first update from Australia! Quick recap of our situation: I’m an Aussie and OH is the Brit. I already had a house in Adelaide so we haven’t got much to tell that would be useful in regards to finding accommodation when you first arrive I’m afraid.

 

We flew in last Thursday morning. Soooo glad I used my frequent flyer miles to upgrade the Singapore to Adelaide flight to business class. Being able to use the business class lounge during our 9 hours in Singapore was fantastic (we managed to have a snooze and helped ourselves to the food and drinks) and it certainly was nice to have a seat on the plane that went flat (well, almost flat).

 

We're currently staying with my parents in Port Elliot (coastal town about 1.5 hours drive south of Adelaide) until we're ready to move into my place. So after a couple of days of falling asleep in the middle of the day and waking at strange times we got stuck into the furniture shopping on Sunday. It's a bit of a tough slog as we have to drive into Adelaide each time (not many shops down here and they wouldn't deliver that far away anyhow) to look at places, so we've tried to do a fair bit of research on the internet to narrow things down a bit. Had a very successful day today, having ordered a lounge suite and a bed. Once the bed is available (we've been told 7-10 days) they will both be delivered and we can actually move into the house. Also put a deposit down on a fridge on the weekend and that will hopefully be delivered soon too. I was quite pleased with my bargaining abilities and managed to get the price down on all the items. It's not like the UK where you pay whatever the price tag says. Here it's more of a guideline so if you're prepared to stand your ground (or smile sweetly!) you can often get a better deal. Also stumbled on a home wares sale at the local department store so we grabbed as much as we could carry!

 

OH's also been busy making himself "official", registering for Medicare, tax file number, getting a phone etc. He applied online for a bank account with the NAB before we got here and has a meeting with them on Thursday to pick up his cards.

 

Can’t help much with cost of living information yet as we haven’t had to pay for much of that type of thing while we’re staying with my parents. Will try to provide an update once we’ve moved into our house. Happy to answer any questions though!

[Guest Adelaide_bound]

Thanks for taking the time to post Its nice to hear a post that isn't negative, and tbh isn't gushing, just very level and comes across as very sensible and honest (not that others aren't honest, but the balanced nature of the post is reassuring )

 

It all sounds quite calmly nice for you, hope its as easy going for us

[Guest juandbren]

Hi,I would be interested to hear how the job hunting goes for Project Manager position's,as i am looking for the same work.Got visa,just cant sell the house.Visa expires July 2012.

 

Regards

 

Bren 45,Julie 42 Erin 12,Jazz 8

Situation overview: I’m an Aussie, returned home after over 7 years in the UK. Fiancé is English and on a temporary de facto partner visa.

 

It’s over 6 weeks since we arrived in Adelaide and I’d say it’s mostly “life as usual” now. We spent the first 3 weeks staying with my parents in Port Elliot, a handy base to start from but a little tiresome driving into Adelaide every couple of days to shop for furniture. It started to feel like commuting!

 

Then we made the move into our house (I already had the house from before I went to the UK). The first night we camped on the floor and decided it was too uncomfortable so we bought an air mattress. But since our proper bed mattress was finally delivered almost a week later, along with the lounge suite, we’ve been settling in nicely. We spent a few days hanging around at home awaiting furniture deliveries or tradesmen turning up to sort things out. So now the bedroom, lounge room and kitchen are mostly filled it feels much more like home. Bought a dining table the other day too so we don’t have to eat off our laps anymore! Still got plenty of empty spaces and we could use a bit of storage in the second bedroom but we’re getting there.

 

Despite taking a little time to get set up we’re glad we decided not to ship furniture from the UK. Everyone’s situation is different of course, but for us it just didn’t seem worth sending what we had as most of it was cheap flat-pack stuff and as we were renting we didn’t have any white goods. We’ve appreciated the chance to start afresh with the furniture as we start our new life together over here. The other factor is that our shipping (we sent a few boxes of personal effects) isn’t due into port until Boxing Day so we won’t see it until sometime in January. We wouldn’t have wanted to just “get by” with nothing until then.

 

Just before we moved from my parents’ place to our house, we did a day trip to Kangaroo Island. I had been there on a family holiday when I was young but only had vague memories so it was great to go again and appreciate it as an adult. And of course I wanted to show my OH some of the wildlife and beautiful scenery South Australia has to offer.

 

A couple of weeks ago we went to Adelaide Oval to see the Foo Fighters in concert. I must admit it was great to have a break from doing stuff for the house. Dave Grohl & co always put on a good show and there was a fantastic atmosphere with around 30,000 people in the crowd!

 

Everyone always wants to know what things cost. We don’t feel we’re spending any more on food than we did in the UK. Haven’t analysed it in detail but it seems about the same. Had an electricity bill but it mostly covered the time before we moved in (my tenant moved out a couple of months earlier so I had the account transferred back to me from that date) so it’s hard to get any useful info from that. Just had a water bill arrive for $162 for the quarter, although only $13 was actual variable usage with the rest being basic water & sewerage supply charges and the River Murray Levy. Petrol is definitely cheaper here, and now that we’re not “commuting” from Port Elliot we don’t seem to get through it very quickly. It’s really things like books and DVDs where we tend to notice the big cost differences, although we’ve just done an order through Amazon UK for a few bits and pieces so that should help fill the void! We’ve also found electrical items to be reasonably priced. The key with it all is to do a bit of research, know your prices and look out for bargains. Even when something is marked as on special I still ask for a better price. And don’t be afraid to walk away if you’re not happy with it either.

 

In terms of communication with the outside world we bought a prepaid mobile broadband dongle and used that for a while until our wifi broadband was installed a couple of weeks ago. OH bought a prepaid mobile phone as well and I’m on my old number (using my old Aussie SIM in the UK phone I cracked) on post paid.

 

OH has been half-heartedly looking for work (project manager), without success so far but Christmas really is the worst time for it so we’re not too worried. I admit I haven’t even started as I’ve been enjoying just easing my way back into things back home. It’s also been nice to catch up with some friends and family I haven’t seen much of in recent years.

 

Been really pleased with the weather so far. Mostly pleasant (although my version of pleasant and my OH’s tend to differ by a few degrees!) with a few hot days. What’s been such a wonderful change is the sun being out pretty much every day and for hours at a time. I really did used to get so depressed with the weather in England! OH is less excited about the hot weather than me (bit of a shock to his system, poor thing) but admits he prefers it to the English winter.

 

So we're feeling more at home now and even have the Christmas decorations up. And very much looking forward to the new year in our new home.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Note: Here's an early report I posted on PomsInOz just a week after we arrived. Mostly superseded by today's post.

 

I thought it was time to give our first update from Australia! Quick recap of our situation: I’m an Aussie and OH is the Brit. I already had a house in Adelaide so we haven’t got much to tell that would be useful in regards to finding accommodation when you first arrive I’m afraid.

 

We flew in last Thursday morning. Soooo glad I used my frequent flyer miles to upgrade the Singapore to Adelaide flight to business class. Being able to use the business class lounge during our 9 hours in Singapore was fantastic (we managed to have a snooze and helped ourselves to the food and drinks) and it certainly was nice to have a seat on the plane that went flat (well, almost flat).

 

We're currently staying with my parents in Port Elliot (coastal town about 1.5 hours drive south of Adelaide) until we're ready to move into my place. So after a couple of days of falling asleep in the middle of the day and waking at strange times we got stuck into the furniture shopping on Sunday. It's a bit of a tough slog as we have to drive into Adelaide each time (not many shops down here and they wouldn't deliver that far away anyhow) to look at places, so we've tried to do a fair bit of research on the internet to narrow things down a bit. Had a very successful day today, having ordered a lounge suite and a bed. Once the bed is available (we've been told 7-10 days) they will both be delivered and we can actually move into the house. Also put a deposit down on a fridge on the weekend and that will hopefully be delivered soon too. I was quite pleased with my bargaining abilities and managed to get the price down on all the items. It's not like the UK where you pay whatever the price tag says. Here it's more of a guideline so if you're prepared to stand your ground (or smile sweetly!) you can often get a better deal. Also stumbled on a home wares sale at the local department store so we grabbed as much as we could carry!

 

OH's also been busy making himself "official", registering for Medicare, tax file number, getting a phone etc. He applied online for a bank account with the NAB before we got here and has a meeting with them on Thursday to pick up his cards.

 

Can’t help much with cost of living information yet as we haven’t had to pay for much of that type of thing while we’re staying with my parents. Will try to provide an update once we’ve moved into our house. Happy to answer any questions though!

[minty]

Many thanks for posting your update and thanks for the usefull details on costs. Hope you find work after the new year and all the best for the future.

[Diane]

Brilliant post - you sound like you've really got things sorted. For books and stuff I tend to use http://www.thebookdepository.co.uk as opposed to Amazon these days, as their postage is free - although Amazon do occasionally have special offers with free postage to Australia too.

 

Thanks for putting it up - even though I've been here myself now since probably before you left the last time, I still love reading about people's experiences.

[Guest BackToAdelaide]

Amazon UK have free postage to Aus at the moment for orders over £25. I wouldn't have thought of doing it if I hadn't seen the ad! Heard good things about Book Depository too so I might give them a go some time.

 

Forgot to say in my post that we live in the north western suburbs.

[Guest BackToAdelaide]

Hi,I would be interested to hear how the job hunting goes for Project Manager position's,as i am looking for the same work.Got visa,just cant sell the house.Visa expires July 2012.

 

Regards

 

Bren 45,Julie 42 Erin 12,Jazz 8

 

If you're still struggling to sell the house in a few months, don't forget you can pop over for a visit to activate your visas and then you'll have another 5 years to make the big move.

[Ktee]

What a great update, thank you so much for sharing.

[snifter]

Good to read an update And nice you posted the one from PIO also.

 

I heard from a few people the Foo Fighters was a great gig. I love the Adelaide Oval and its great things like concerts happen there. I saw some Aussie Rules played there one time I seem to recall. Have yet to see a cricket game involving Australia but am looking forward to it and its on my wish list once we arrive.

 

Glad you are finding your feet. Its good you've been able to ease into it more and not have to hit the ground running and flat out.

 

I had to smile about the weather. The heat is the one thing my Aussie hubby doesn't enjoy about it there. Me, I am quite happy but must admit that I don't relish high 30s and above. Or low 30's but there, I don't relish -10 either

 

I really hope the job hunting works out for you both. Christmas isn't a great time but at least you knew before arriving it wouldn't be the best time and so its not a shock to the system. Be sure to keep us posted on how things go. And as has been said, thanks for the info on costs.