Reccy in May 2008 - Some advice please?

[Guest alan smallman]

Hi

 

My wife and I are flying to Adelaide for a 2-week reccy. We plan to hire a car and move on each day visiting different areas in different towns. We are looking to get a feel for the place, to see if people are friendly, visit a couple of hospitals (from a professional point of view - hopefully not as customers!!), and have a scout around different residential areas.

Can anyone recommend any good (and reasonably-priced) B&B's please? Also driving around, are there areas to avoid going to? Where are the nice areas to live? Which hospitals have the greatest reputation?

 

How about the weather? What should we expect coming over in May?

 

Our main worry is the cost of higher education for our 18 year old son. He finishes college this year and would be eligible to study at Uni in UK. Thing is, he will be coming over with us when we finally decide to emigrate, and we're finding it difficult to gain any sort of info relating to courses in Performing Arts. From what we have uncovered, it looks like he would be classed as an overseas student. If that's the case we wouldn't be able to afford the fees that Australian Unis charge. Does anyone know of any courses (specifically at Degree level) offered at a Uni in adelaide which caters for 'budding' actors/singers?

And what opportunities there are for kids his age coming over wanting to study at degree level?

 

We're hoping to emigrate in Jan 2008 after our daughter's graduaton ceremony. Will be coming over via a recruitment agency. Obviously haven't done anything formal yet. We'll have a better idea when we return to UK after our 2-week stay. If anybody out there can answer our questions it would be greatly appreciated.

 

Many thanks

 

Alan & Pauline Smallman

[Guest Nick & Jo]

Just a quick reply to your question about weather in May. We were there last May/June and it was nice and sunny during the day most days, about 16 degrees, but sometimes windy though, and was cold at night. It's like early spring is here. You will definately need jackets or coats and if I had known would have taken my gloves for going out at night!! Although I do feel the cold! (My main reason for moving there, winters are too long here.)

 

Jo

[Rachiegarlo]

TAFE runs a three year degree in drama/ stage management or dance. Flinders Uni also has a performing arts course.These courses are applied to through the satac office, usually by september and also an audition. I don't know what the visa you are coming on allows in regard to your son's education. One family I know came out on a student visa and until sponsership was obtained by a school, they had to pay the international rate at public schools. Another family came out through sponsership and they did not have to pay anything for their daughter to attend school.

 

You can try and find accommodation cheaply on www.wotif.com.au it does last minute type deals. You may be better off getting a short term apartment, it gives you more space to relax in at night and you can stock the fridge so you are not constantly eating out. Some places will give you a free upgrade if you are staying a week or more.

 

The RAH (Royal Adelaide) is the biggest, it is ateaching hospital. Plans are afoot to build a brand new hospital. Flinders Uni in the south is good. There is only one paediatric hospital,The womens and childrens . Are you looking from a medical, nursing or other perspective?The Queen Elizabeth has the renal specialty.

[Guest alan smallman]

Just a quick reply to your question about weather in May. We were there last May/June and it was nice and sunny during the day most days, about 16 degrees, but sometimes windy though, and was cold at night. It's like early spring is here. You will definately need jackets or coats and if I had known would have taken my gloves for going out at night!! Although I do feel the cold! (My main reason for moving there, winters are too long here.)

 

Jo

Hi Nick & Jo

 

Many thanks for the info. I especially feel the cold and not having much on top also adds to my predicament. We too, are both tired of the greyness and cold of winter which seems to be getting harder to bare as we get older. We have both said that we don't want to end up sitting by our fires and not going out for the best part of the year in the Uk when we are of pensionable age. Arthritis kicks in and then your are on the slippery slope!!! so, yep, these are major factors which, together with better career prospects, have mande us make the conscious decision to 'do it'. Thanks for the advice once again esp the gloves!!

 

Cheers

 

Alan & Pauline

[Guest alan smallman]

TAFE runs a three year degree in drama/ stage management or dance. Flinders Uni also has a performing arts course.These courses are applied to through the satac office, usually by september and also an audition. I don't know what the visa you are coming on allows in regard to your son's education. One family I know came out on a student visa and until sponsership was obtained by a school, they had to pay the international rate at public schools. Another family came out through sponsership and they did not have to pay anything for their daughter to attend school.

 

You can try and find accommodation cheaply on www.wotif.com.au it does last minute type deals. You may be better off getting a short term apartment, it gives you more space to relax in at night and you can stock the fridge so you are not constantly eating out. Some places will give you a free upgrade if you are staying a week or more.

 

The RAH (Royal Adelaide) is the biggest, it is ateaching hospital. Plans are afoot to build a brand new hospital. Flinders Uni in the south is good. There is only one paediatric hospital,The womens and childrens . Are you looking from a medical, nursing or other perspective?The Queen Elizabeth has the renal specialty.

 

hi

 

Many thanks for your reply. james (our son of 18 tho he'll be 19 when we eventually come over) is looking to start a degress in Performing Arts. He's torn between studying over here (and then joining us) or applying over there. We are coming over on a 457 Visa. we obviously prefer him to come with us, but this will be our only chance to emigrate before we get too old.

 

My speciality is urology but I'm open to training in other areas (I was in ICU when I first qualified but that was only for 6 months) but I guess employers will want us to 'hit the ground running as it were. To be honest I've had enough of nursing over here (hence the idea to emigrate to a place where (generally speaking) better conditions prevail. I've heard from someone on this site that his employers send sarnies around to staff working on wards on nights (can't imagine that happening here!). So I'm personally hoping that my interest will be sparked off again when I get over there and find myself in a new environment, :unsure:and that new opportunities (may stuff that I've not even entertained yet) may emerge. I much prefer surgical nursing tho.

 

Many Thanks again

 

Cheers

 

Alan:)

[Guest kate]

Flinders Medical Centre is a pretty good hospital to work in (from a nursing point of view i speak) and the Flinders University is 5 mins away..

Google both these for more info on employment and courses at Uni.

Bedford Park is the suburb they are both in about 25 mins to city (longer in peak hour traffic)

 

Repatriation General Hospital in Daw Park has urology as a specialty ward (as does Flinders Medical Centre but too a smaller degree) Royal Adelaide Im sure does but as i havent worked there i wont say for sure.

 

Kate

[Guest alan smallman]

Many Thanks Kate for your reply - A nurses point of view is exactly what I'm looking for. I'll look them up. Cheers once again

 

Alan

[Guest Zippy]

Sorry late reply...

 

For accommodation you may want to check out www.wotif.com.au, it will have specials for accommodation to be booked within the next one month, and you can search by suburb (eg Adelaide - city, Glenelg - beach, North Adelaide - near town, so on...).

 

OK, areas to avoid - Walkin around far north (eg Elizabeth) and south (eg Christies Beach) at night time would not be recommended by me. Of course everyone is going to have different opinions on this, and I'm sure there are dangers in many areas, so just be wise.

 

Nice areas - Eastern suburbs have the "prestigious" reputation (being the leafy, green, private school areas), western suburbs have the "chic and funky" reputation (being beach suburbs). City (Adelaide) and North Adelaide (city suburb) are very village like and popular for a convenient lifestyle.

 

Hospitals - Biggest ones would be Royal Adelaide Hospital (soon to be moved/renovated, currently in centre of town), Queen Elizabeth Hospital (Woodville - about 10 kms west of town), Lyle McEwan (sorry not sure about spelling or exact location, but it is out north), Flinders Medical Centre (about 10 kms south east of town), and Womens & Childrens Hospital (North Adelaide - town). These all have fine reputations. Plus there are many smaller hospitals scattered around the city and you will get to know which ones have specialties (eg Noarlunga - about 30 kms south of town - has an anti venom focus, for snake bite victims.)

 

Weather - May is end of April, about to start Winter, so expect coolish nights around the 8 or 10 degree mark, and sunnyish but still cool days (maybe around 20 degrees). Celsius.

 

Performing arts courses - TAFE has a specialised performing arts school, plus Flinders Uni a great acting degree (3 yrs), plus many arts, dance degrees at the University of Adelaide. Uni SA would not have as much reputation/courses. Best to book a time with each of these institutions, they will be happy to talk to you about details.

 

Cheers, have a good & safe trip.

[Guest alan smallman]

Dear Zippy

 

Many Many Thanks for you reply.We are due out in 3 weeks time for our look-see so it couldn't have come at a better time. It gives us a head start when we know which areas are considered popular and not-so and this will be useful when we are driving around. Theinformation regarding the acting course is VERY useful - it's a question of whether our 19 yr old will want to come now that he's deeply in love!!!! What can you do?

 

Listen, many thanks once again,

 

Alan x