Two months in Oz - our thoughts so far

[Guest pauljoinoz]

Well two months hve flown with all the sorting out of things to do rentals, cars medicare etc etc.... reality is now kicking in & really missing friends & family which i guess is perfectly normal & only to be expected.

 

Hubby started work soon after we arrived which was great having soome money coming in rather than it all going out all of the time. Work is very different here he has been moved from job to job & owed bits & pieces from each job so we never really know what is coming in so finding it hard to budget. He is now applying for his builders licience which is quite costly too.

 

We did a 6 week reccie around different parts of Oz to get a feel & trying to get used to shopping etc... although once u live here & are earning dollars rather than pounds it seems very different.

 

I haven't managed to find a part time job yet as the part time hours here seem to be 30 hours + so different to the UK. I am happy to do anything work wise & am open minded but many agencies are not even taking resumes at the moment. I t would be nice to be in a job as it helps to meet people too.

 

Little boy has settled really well which has surprised us how quick they can switch off but I guess with beach most weekends why shouldn't he!!!

 

Adelaide is just amazing & we are loving being here & feel really lucky to be able to give this a go in our lifetime. Financial pressure is just stressful when you first arrive but i'm sure that will ease in time. My recommendation to anyone coming over on a very tight budget is be very careful as I am very organised with money but to re set yourself up here is not cheap & we brought a 20ft container + 22 boxes so everything but the kitchen sink!!!!! Cars & driving liciences rego etc.... soon add up! I budgeted alot from the UK but it has cost far more than I expected.

 

Beaches are free & so are the lovely parks & I hope I am not coming across as a 'whinging pom' but I have read several posts of people coming over with very little money & thought this may help.

 

We won't be returning to the uk even though we still have our home there we are here now & have said we will give it at least two years & there are bound to be up & down days. I feel very lucky to be here & have met some lovely people.

 

[Guest Trakki]

Thanks for the update and I am pleased you are enjoying it and settling well.

[Guest SA Great]

Nice one guys. It takes quite a while to settle but sounds like you are doing everything right. You will miss family and friends for a while but I found that gradually fades and it's important to have a good friend network around you here. Good luck!!

[Guest cazzie]

Hi Paul and Jo,

What a lovely detailed post. People coming over here soon will take a lot of comfort from your post - despite some financial juggling, you are still really liking Adelaide. Thank goodness that the beach is free - and gorgeous too. Good luck with everything, I'm sure that the job situation will even out eventually.

[Guest rich]

It's great to read about others experiences after a few months. I'm pooping my pants with worry and reading these makes me get a grip and get excited, especially after having insane people trying to run me over in slough today.

[Guest Dave & Carole]

Well done on getting there and getting through the first couplke of months - still sounding positive. Having ha d a bad week of will this visa ever come it is nice to read all about your journey stting up - It will be all worth it in the end then! Really pleased to hear how well your little one has settled - as the months go by & our daughter gets more settled at school we feel worse about moving her. Like you though we plan on doing the beaches & parks as much as possible - that's all they want at this age (5 & 3)

 

Thanks for cheering me up. Hope it carries on in this positive way.

 

Carole