Meet & Greet Service

[Guest Yapp]

Has anyone taken the 'Meet & Greet' service offered. If so how does it actually work, especially with regards to accommodation. From what I have read, it seems you only get to know where you are staying when you arrive, which isn't very helpful when I am trying to look at areas for good schools etc.

[Guest Deb17]

Has anyone taken the 'Meet & Greet' service offered. If so how does it actually work, especially with regards to accommodation. From what I have read, it seems you only get to know where you are staying when you arrive, which isn't very helpful when I am trying to look at areas for good schools etc.

 

The meet and greet service offered is pretty basic. You get met at the airport by volunteers, taken to your accommodation, given a lot of leaflets and general settlement information, taken on ONE local shopping trip to buy essentials, and perhaps given one follow up visit to check you are coping OK. Then you're on your own.

If you are booking on arrival accommodation you won't be in it long enough to settle your kids in schools in that particular area, (unless you want to, but doubtful.) Maximum tenancy period is 12 weeks and most people have found somewhere else to live well before that time is up, as it's usually very basic. You should be sent an e-mail confirming the address and location of your accommodation (if you're lucky enough to be allocated it) a couple of weeks before you arrive, so you should be able to do some quick research on the area before you get here and won't be 'flying blind', so to speak.

Most people, after arriving, give themselves a good few weeks just to drive around, get the feel of different areas and make a decision on where to make their more permanent base. Hope this helps.

[Guest Yapp]

Thank you very much.

[ken&wendy]

I too would be interested to hear about the On Arrival Accommodation. I realise it will be basic, but is it generally clean & tidy? What are the areas that you are likely to be put in like? It sounds a good idea, but do you reckon we'd be better off looking for our own privately rented accommodation from the start?

 

Any help gratefully received. (Not that there's any rush - awaiting visa and probably still will be forever...........)

 

Wendy

[Rachiegarlo]

Look I haven't used it ever...but what I've heard about it on here is if you can get it take it only if you're in it for a couple of weeks. The amount you pay is far less than for private rental and includes all utilities except phone. The houses they are using are ex housing trust(council) but a lot seem to be in okay areas, which give you a cheap base from which to work out the city and where you might want to live. Whe you rent you will be locking into a contract for a yr or if you are lucky 6 months and if you want to move you have to break the contract and find someone else to take over the lease, paying for all advertising etc.

[Guest tiggs]

I think you may be a little confused with meet and greet and the On Arrival Accommodation. The two are separate things tho if you are going into OAA you automatically get the m+g as well.

If you apply for OAA you only find out IF you have been allocated a property a couple of weeks before you fly and WHERE even later than that. There are only about 30 OAA properties in adelaide at the mo so not everyone who applies will get one anyway. If you dont then you have to find your own accommodation.

OAA is only meant as a temp thing and you have a MAX of 12 weeks in the property. They will not extend this for ANY reason.

 

Some people are not that complimentary about the ooa but we found it clean, tidy and had everything we needed.

yup it wasnt in the 'best' area (ours was novar gardens but they can be all over) and it wasnt a house that we would have wanted to rent long term but as a stop gap it was excellent ... and not to mention cheap! only $234 a week fully furnished!

the lease has a two week notice period but we were told if we gave one week before we left that would be fine and this is what we did.

i have read people get to the ooa and turn around and go somewhere else ... but tbh i cant understand this ... what are they expecting? the ritz?!!

 

Tbh you are porbably not going to want to put the kids into school near the OAA anyway - what we did was decide where we wanted to live longer term and started the kids in school there (and drove the hour+ each way each day to get them there ) until we moved into our house.

 

Meet and greet is just that - They meet you (usually at the airport - we meet ours at the OAA as we drove to adelaide) and give you a hand to your accommodation.

You get given a whole load of leaflets and forms etc (which is very handy as a lot of then you would have had to trail around to get yourself) and ours went through these with us and spent about an hour chatting and talking through things like medicare, doctors, centrelink etc

If you need it they will take you to your local supermarket (we didnt bother)

Our m+g also gave us their phone number and said if we needed anything to give them a call which they didnt have to do but was really nice.

 

I found both excellent and would definitely say if you have the chance then take advantage of anything like this which is might make your start a bit easier.

 

Adele x

[Guest stufi1997]

Would agree generally with all the comments...we only gave a days notice, we were told that would be fine, rent is from saturday to saturday so if you arrive monday the rental starts from the following saturday...our's was $162 per week, but was probably smaller (3 bedrooms). Even if you don't go for OAA I would still ask for the meet and greet...very nice to be met by someone who at least has some idea of where to go and how to get there....Best of luck Fiona

[Guest Yapp]

Wow, what can I say....I wasn't expecting such a great response thank you guys, this has really helped and I have to say put my mind at ease a little.

 

I don't want to be a pain, but I do have another question about this. It seems the OAA is difficult to get, does that mean you should book it earlier, or does that make no difference at all and it's basically the luck of the draw.

 

Thank you again

Carmen

 

I only joined yesterday, and my husband already thinks I am addicted to this forum, but it is such a great source of information, I'm overwhelmed

[Guest stufi1997]

I'm pretty sure you can only book OAA once you have final flight confirmation so no you can't book it 6 months in advance or anything unless you're really organised...it's just the luck of the draw. Not with meet and greet though, you will get that if you apply...take a look for yourself Fiona http://www.immigration.sa.gov.au/site/services_onarrival.php

[Guest Yapp]

Thanks Fiona.

I see you will be celebrating your first anniversary in Australia, how nice.

[Guest Libby1971]

We got OAA in Everard Park. While I didn't turn round and walk out, our Meet and Greet people were as unimpressed as we were!!!!!!

 

You apply and if lucky you get it. For a short sharp place to stay, it is fine. At least you have an address to go to.

 

Meet and Greet you can apply for anyway, and that was by far the best part. Pam and Tony - brilliant couple!:notworthy:

 

I thought we'd be there a few weeks longer than we were and didn't want the pressure of being hurried in a holiday let, althgouh in hindsight we should have. I think it would have helped the girls. We were in and out in under 4 weeks including a 2 week delay after our money got 'lost'.

 

Libby

[MacLeods]

Just to add

 

when we first applied for OAA we were told it was fully booked up, however they do have cancellations ( some people only spend a few days some make use of the full 12 weeks)

so its quite likely they do become available but at short notice, we were told a week before we left the UK that we had it.( we had a back up plan to stay at a caravan site)

 

Ours was basic, but clean, and 160.00$ a week in Christie Downs. I wouldnt of chosen it as a long term rental but in the big scheme of things, it was a base until we found a perm rental, we were there 6 weeks.

 

I would defo use it, it saves money and gives you the opportunity to have a good look around and not rush into a rental agreement under pressure.

 

Hope this helps & good Luck

[Guest Roo1]

Just to add with the Meet & Greet Service...........I've met quite a few of the volunteers now and they have all been lovely people with a wealth of knowledge about Adelaide.

 

If you want to get stuck in and not even hire a car, they will pay for taxi's to your accommodation (even if its not Gov OAA). I 've known them also to go that extra mile and pop back the next day and help you sort out a car etc.

 

Its worth booking the Meet & Greet service even if you have not been given OAA.

 

Judi x

[Guest Yapp]

If you want to get stuck in and not even hire a car, they will pay for taxi's to your accommodation (even if its not Gov OAA). I 've known them also to go that extra mile and pop back the next day and help you sort out a car etc.

 

Its worth booking the Meet & Greet service even if you have not been given OAA.

 

Judi x

 

 

Hi Judi,

Im glad you mentioned car. I was thinking we could go and buy, a cheap, make do car in our first few days of arrival to get around in. Then when we are on our feet a bit more, buy something better.

When you say sort out a car, do you mean hiring or buying?

 

Thanks

[Guest Deb17]

We got OAA in Everard Park. While I didn't turn round and walk out, our Meet and Greet people were as unimpressed as we were!

 

Meet and Greet you can apply for anyway, and that was by far the best part. Pam and Tony - brilliant couple!:notworthy:

 

 

 

Libby

 

Libby, I have to ask, is this the same Pam and Tony from Victor Harbor who met us off the plane two years ago? Are they still doing the rounds?

Deb x

[Guest stufi1997]

Hi Judi,

Im glad you mentioned car. I was thinking we could go and buy, a cheap, make do car in our first few days of arrival to get around in. Then when we are on our feet a bit more, buy something better.

When you say sort out a car, do you mean hiring or buying?

 

Thanks

Just be prepared to pay lots for the old banger.......they don't do cheap cars out here:huh:I would hire one for a start if I were you and take your time buying a car...Fiona

[Guest Libby1971]

Libby, I have to ask, is this the same Pam and Tony from Victor Harbor who met us off the plane two years ago? Are they still doing the rounds?

Deb x

 

I think so!!!! They are lovely...we've been to see them a couple of times and they are so great.

 

Libby

[ken&wendy]

Thanks all for the clarifications between Meet & Greet and On Arrival Accommodation - it's a lot clearer now - it certainly seems like it's something we would take advantage of when we eventually get there.

Wendy

[Guest Roo1]

Hi Judi,

Im glad you mentioned car. I was thinking we could go and buy, a cheap, make do car in our first few days of arrival to get around in. Then when we are on our feet a bit more, buy something better.

When you say sort out a car, do you mean hiring or buying?

 

Thanks

 

 

I meant buying but Stufi1997 is right. Second hand cars really hold their value here and sometimes it can work out better to buy new, as then you'll have all the special deals that go with them.

My advice would be to research car websites before you come over and have a price in mind that you want to pay, then haggle, haggle, haggle with the sales people and NEVER say you've just arrived!!! (for obvious reasons)

Good Luck

Judi x