To use or not use the Meet & Greet service

[Guest Nile]

Hi,

 

This topic may have been covered before so I do apologise if this is the case. My wife and I are looking at the 'meet & greet' service as it would in theory be a cheaper optin for use when we come out in September. I was just wanting any for or against votes and advice to help us.

 

Wow - I'm actually coming over!!!

[Guest Nile]

Ooops - sorry - don't know why this thread ended up here. I do apologise sorry!

[Guest Nick11]

We used it and really thought it was great . We had the lovely Eric who drove us to our accomadation -in the middle of nowhere!! - took me shopping - came back the next day and helped us sort out banking,tax file, registering to get qualifications recognised, mobile phones etc.

Looking back now he was a great help - just wish we knew where he was to say thankyou.

Use it - it's free and really helpful.

Nick

x

[Roberts Family]

Hi,

 

Good news on the visa, no idea about the meet and greet service as we're still waiting on a visa decision, just a quick thought for you guys re the flights - check out www.travelmood.com.

 

The specialise in flights down to Australia and everytime I look on there they seem to be some way cheaper. (e.g. Cathay Pacific business class flights for £5k for a family of 3. On the Cathay Pacific website the same seats cost £14k!!)

 

Good luck!

[Guest woolmerdj]

Hi

we had the lovely Eric and Yvonne for the meet and greet as well. It was a great service for very confused Brits who knew nobody and had never been to Australia.They show you around Adelaide and get the all important first official things sorted out. We have kept in touch with them.

Jane

[Guest juliet adams]

Hi Everyone

we are flying out mid september and would like to do the meet and greet. glad it comes recommended. is the accomodation nice and did it take you long to figure out where to settle and find permanent/rented accomodation. we have 2 boys aged 11yrs and 9yrs who love sports, they want to be near the beach any good recommendations. sorry loads of questions, very eager and excited.

Juliet, Col, Rory and Ross

[Rich & Chit]

Hopefully we will be using the meet and greet service and the accomodation provided by the SA gov. But i have heard some negative reports about the accomodation offered. We have a young family (9 and5) so would want accom. in a safe area. Can you state this when applying or is it really just pot luck?

[Guest Libby1971]

You have no say in the matter. I completed the form and asked to be in Onkaparinga area but ended up in Everard Park. THAT was hideous, and I was miserable. That being said it was an incentive to get sorted out. It was hard for the kids as they struggled to see any reason why they had moved for that. In our flat, we were on the ground floor which wasn't bad and we were on a line between Glenelg and the city but we were surrounded by old people, no families and more than a few drug users. The washing machines were in a laundry and were chained to the walls. There was a space in the kitchen where the washing machine had been but had been nicked. The furniture and crockery were from the 1950s/ 1960s. There were breeze block walls and lino floors.

 

In hindsight, I should have paid more for the accommodation in a holiday rental place. However we had Pam and Tony from Victor Harbor as M&G who were worth their weight in gold. So apply for Meet and Greet which is free...they are utterly fantastic

[Guest Glindy]

Definitely, Definitely go for Meet and Greet, we had an absolutely lovely man meet us at the airport, he is called Brian and is from Golden Grove area, he took photos of us at the airport, I felt like a star arriving in Adelaide airport, he drove us to our On arrival accommodation, and was soooooo helpful. He gave us an information pack which was really useful, and he even called back the next day and a few days later. Also he drove us to get shopping as obviously we had nothing in, as we didn't have a car at that point. I would highly recommend the M & G service.

[Flutterby]

I think with the meet & greet it really depends on what sort of traveller you are. My OH & I are pretty independent, we did organise the meet and greet but actually found it a bit wierd that someone was waiting for us to pick us up as we like to just get on. Having said that she was very nice, we got our taxi paid for to the hotel and an info pack and a CBD which was very useful.

[Guest woolmerdj]

Hi

we found meet and greet invaluable, as we didnt know anyone in Adelaide and it got us started in terms of important documentation, tax file numbers and bank, medicare etc.Our on arrival was basic, but near the city, which helped us explore. We moved out after 5 weeks and rented near good schools, as then geographic and my daughter had to be accepted. We moved out of rental after 12 weeks and have bought a lovely house in Adelaide Hills. I am not a beach person, but have 3 friends living near beach, glenelg, semaphore and New Haven. However, remember when you arrive it is winter and beach life may be very different in the summer, a bit touristy.

Good luck, let me know if I can be of any other help, we have had some help and what goes around comes around. We are happy to pass our good firtune on

Reagrds

Jane

[Guest kangomik]

take it, costs nothing, you get a lot out of it, i think you get a UBD too!!!!

[Guest woolmerdj]

The meet and greet is free of charge and the on arrival accomodation is $180 a week, which for a rental is very cheap. That includes all utilities etc, but is very basic.Sorry what is a UBD???

Jane

[Guest countdown1975]

Hi,

 

Hubby and I have applied for OAA - there was a box to tick if we wanted the meet and greet aswell. Only thing is on that form you have to give an address which we won't know until 3-4 weeks before we go but if you want the meet and greet you have to apply at least 6 weeks vefore you go. So what do we do??

 

Thanks Vicki :-)

[Guest countdown1975]

UBD is like an A-Z of everywhere in Adelaide - a few people recommended some from Amazon - so I bought one a few weeks ago - very useful

[Guest woolmerdj]

i kept in close contact with the meet and greet service in adelaide , who were really helpfull, before we left the uk to confirm that we had been accepted for the service.

 

david woolmer

[Guest THE HUTSONS]

Please forgive my ignorance...a bit new to all this, but how do you go about 'applying' for the meet and greet? I'm not sure I know exactly what it is...it sounds great though!

Can you organise your own holiday rental and still have a meet and greet?

Perhaps if someone could point me in the direction of where to find more info that would be fab.

Thanks, Sue

[Guest Greg & Dani]

We can only repeat what other people say about the meet and greet service. We were also met by Brian from golden grove. He not only took us from the airport to our accomadation but also drove us around the city centre pointing out all the useful buildings, tax office, SRS etc. He then came back the next day to give us more info and offered to take us shopping. He is an absolute star.

Even if you just use the meet and greet as a free taxi direct to your accomadation it is well worth it and well appreciated after the long journey.

[Guest Nile]

Great advice all round from people in the know - thank you. We will be taking up the M&G service, besides where they put Zoe and myself cannot be as bad as where we are now, a ground floor house flat and an illegal mosque that appeared next door over night on Christmas Day, which we have had to fight tooth and nail to be closed down - which it is but not until we actually leave for Oz!

[Guest Nile]

HUTSONS -

 

Click on this address - it will take you through it all.

 

http://www.migration.sa.gov.au/centric/migrate_from_overseas/on_arrival_services/meet_and_greet_service.jsp

[Cannons]

Hi everyone,

 

Does anyone know if the OAA accepts dogs.

 

Regards

 

Derek

[Guest GIPSY]

Hi

Yes they do, but you have to tell them when booking. We have two dogs and there were no problems and it appears that we will have a nice big enclosed garden for them to play in.

Cheers Hayley

[Guest Kelly&Mike]

Hi thanks 4 this post we were wondering about the meet and greet service and it sounds really helpful. we have just got our visas through and are starting to come to terms with the thought of moving somewhere where we don't know anyone. Nice to think that we might get some local support.

[Guest Kelly&Mike]

Kelly&Mike;112914]Hi thanks 4 this post we were wondering about the meet and greet service and it sounds really helpful. we have just got our visas through and are starting to come to terms with the thought of moving somewhere where we don't know anyone. Nice to think that we might get some local support.

[Guest Guest75]

I've met quite a few of the Meet & Greeters and they are lovely.

They tend to be retirees and all are volunteers.

 

Lovely folk:):notworthy: