barbaitch

Dear Gill: Please accept my sincere and heartfelt condolences.

What a great feeling! I know it well!! Congratulations Shandalina! It's all going to seem a bit surreal for you from now on, with all the planning and worrying and organising and everything that needs doing, until you settle in your seats on the plane on the day of departure and fasten your seatbelts!! What a fab moment that will be!! I wish you great good fortune and luck on your new life in Oz!! x

Good luck, ali. I hope Adelaide is all you hoped for. It was for us, and will be again come January, when we return. Let us know how the interview went.

I'd have a look at the Excess Baggage Company website if I were you. They're based at Heathrow Airport, so you could take your unaccompanied box of belongings with you on the day and leave it with them to transport to Oz, or arrange for them to come and pick it up at your home before you leave. I'm also taking an extra box of bits when we go in January and think we'll be using them. I used to have a keyboard without the £ sign, but could bring it up if I pressed a couple of keys (which I can't remember exactly now: it was something like Ctrl+Alt+3). Why don't you google your question 'how to select a pound sign on my keyboard?', or something like that? I'm sure something will pop up to help you. It's there somewhere, I'm sure! All the best!!

Welcome to Adelaide, natpat! I hope you settle down well and come to love your new life in South Australia. If you have a look at the 'Socialising' Section under 'General Chat' on the Home Page of PomsInAdelaide, you'll find plenty of information about regular Meet-Ups not a million miles from where you're living now. You'll meet new friends in next-to-no-time, I'm sure. Good luck to you and your family!!

Hi angelab: This is a great tip, and one I picked up on PIA before our last trip to Adelaide. We took a 4-gang powerboard with us and used it every single day of our 3 months there last October-Jan. We're going back in four months time -- and it's already packed!!

Sally: I just read your post and just want to say how sorry I am for your sad loss. I do empathise, as I also lost both my mum (1998) and dad (2001) after my husband and I returned to England in '93. So many 'what ifs?', but there are no answers - other than to say be glad for all the precious memories and make the very best of your life in Oz. Your mum would have wanted that for you, I'm sure.x

It's so good to know you're settling in okay. Sounds like fun to me. Spring's in Oz now, so weather should be gorgeous! Good luck to all of you, and wish you all a very happy life in Adelaide. x

Couldn't agree more. Btw, I'd give Enfield a wide berth, too. For me, North Adelaide, Prospect, Norwood, Burnside (maybe a bit too pricey, but top-drawer if you're looking for 'posh'), Unley (also pricey, but really nice), Hyde Park-- are all good areas. There are plenty more good areas, but it's really a case of 'One man's meat is another man's poison', so you'll only really be able to get it right when you get here and have a good look around for yourself. For now, though, I suggest you contact some good real estate agents: (eg: Bernard Booth is a long-established agency, but if you google 'Adelaide real estate agents', I'm sure you'll get heaps) and get recommendations from them. At the moment, the UK is 8.5 hours behind Adelaide, so you could maybe give one or two a quick call (UK time 8.00am = Adelaide 4.30pm) to get person-to-person suggestions to think about. All estate agents are aproachable in Adelaide (in our opinion, they go the extra mile to keep you on their books), so if you tell them your top price for future home purchase, plus your requirements: eg: prefer within X-ks of CBD, good primary schools, easy access beaches/country etc., I'm sure you'll get some good feedback. Then you can go online and do some further research yourself. Good luck!

It's so nice to read all these lovely, helpful posts from people all in the same boat - who don't even know each other - but all just trying to help their fellow Poms-new-to-Oz. Truly, PomsInAdelaide - as well as PomsInOz - are such great forums, and I just want to say a big THANK YOU to each and every one of you for being the people you are. We're all in it together, and even though most of our paths will never meet, we're all the same for all that, for all that... I'll always be grateful for the day I found you ...

Oh my bluddy God! I won't get to sleep tonight now after seeing that!

Happy Birthday, Tyke! A lot of people love you on here, so I'd like to add my good wishes for your birthday. They can't all be wrong, chook! Have a wonderful day. x

Blimmin' 'eck, I just got up and had a look to see if anyone on PIA had checked 'First Row' out for me, and found out a mini-war has been waging while I've been asleep!! Ooer, I certainly didn't mean to get anyone going off on one... and I'm sorry about that. (It's a bit like being up the pub here watching Man U v Chelsea on Sky!) But thanks anyway, to The Flynns for letting me know it works (my husband is dead chuffed). Foxtel's fine (altho you can't get all major UK/Euro/US etc matches in real-time), but it costs, and there's no charge for 'First Row', which works fine, despite a few niggles. We'll be watching our coppers for a while after we first get to Adelaide, so a bit of free-football will be a terrific boost for Bill when he knows his team's playing and can't watch it. Thanks also to other posters, for letting me know about the other sites. Much appreciated. We'll check them out, too. Wot a lark!!

OOps! Have just realised you're not arriving 'til December, so ignore my previous post, conor222! I was getting all excited for you and trying to get you started on the right foot ... Silly me! I'm sorry. Good luck in Adelaide!

YAA-A-A-AY!!! I've got butterflies for you all! Keep an open-mind and you'll be absolutely fine in your new life Down Under! There's a great Hallowe'en Party being organised at Brighton Rugby Club and if you're interested in going, you'll find details under 'Socialising' (look for pete66's thread @Hallowe'en Partaaaay'). It sound like fun and tickets are going well. No kids allowed, but if you've got people in Adelaide who could babysit, why not get your social-ball rolling and go? Good luck, conor222!!

My husband and I are going back to Adelaide in January '13, and know that one of the things he'll miss big-time is English football on tv. However, a friend of his here in England has recently told him about a great website called 'First Row', where you can watch every major UK match in REAL TIME -- free! -- wherever they're being played in the UK and Europe! As it's an American website, I imagine it would include live US matches, too - which must include games David Beckham's playing in, I guess (if DB floats your boat)! It works a treat here and my husband loves it! So, would all you football-mad PIAdders have a try on our behalf and let us know if it works in Oz? Thanks a lot. If it does work there, I'm sure there'll be many more ex-pat football fans who'll think all their Christmases have come at once! Just think, you'll all be able to watch The Beautiful Game to yourr hearts' content, wherever and whenever your faves are playing -- and no nagging from the girls!!! I know; it's win-win all round! PS: The only downside is that you get the occasional naughty adult website popping up without warning, but that's easily fixed by hitting ther X-button in top RH corner.

Hi J & C: Thanks for the auction suggestion, but I've already started sorting out bits and bobs for charity, and have already got a sizeable pile of things for our local charity shop. We've pretty much decided the Vegemite's coming with us; our family in Adelaide are Vegemite Kids, anyway, and the large jar I've got should last a good while before I have to start buying it again. Last time we were there (seven months ago), I was surprised at how expensive it was - even the small jars! I love it myself, but don't much fancy the idea of Cheesy Vegemite! Think I'll stick to a nice strong cheddar on hot buttered/Vegemite toast. All the best!

Believe it or not, we're taking a large jar of Vegemite back to Oz in January '13! My niece brought two jars over for us last April (by request) when she visited us in England (from Adelaide), and now we've decided to return in January to live, it looks like we'll be taking one of the jars back with us! Talk about taking coals to Newcastle! I know it sounds a bit mad, but we're only half-way through one of the jars and I'm pretty sure the other one won't even have had its seal broken by the time we go, so ... But it'll be travelling in our hold baggage next time, as we learned the hard way last time we visited Oz (when I packed two jars in my cabin bag) that it's not allowed! It sounds a bit odd, I know, because they don't mind if you pack Vegemite in the hold bags. It's still going on the plane, whichever bag you put it in. What's the difference? Good luck to all of you about to take the plunge to set up a new life in Adelaide!!

Yes, moonraker, you can donate from the UK. I just did. It's easy; just follow the steps on the donation page. Libby's beautiful girl will make a Big Difference, bless her beautiful heart. Happy Birthday, Soph!! Big hugs and kisses, sweetheart!

Dear Libby, Bob and Emily: Oh, I am so very sad and sorry for the unbelievable loss of your darling Sophie, and my heart goes out to you for the awful pain and grief you've all suffered since losing her so tragically. I truly understand how much you're hurting and know the road ahead seems dark and fearful without her right now. But, believe me, the day will definitely come when the sun will start shining again for all of you, with the help and support of your many friends and loving family, both near and far. I know, because I lost my precious son, too. If you ever want to get things off your chest, Libby, please don't hesitate to pm me and I'll get straight back to you. I'm a good listener, and know exactly what you're going through right now. It's good to talk. Good luck with the fund-raising for Flinders. It's a wonderful hospital. With love, barbxxx

I'm jealous! We won't be back in Adelaide 'til early Feb., so will miss it. I love Last Night of the Proms on tv here in the UK. Blubbing guaranteed! What with our fabulous Olympics and all the patriotic stuff going on this year, I'm all blubbed out now, if truth be told. Still, I wouldn't say no to another sob-fest at the Festival Theatre next year, if they're doing the Last Night all over again then! Have a nice time without me!!!! .

Smashing!! I wish you great good fortune and happiness in your new life in Oz!

Hi OKMorris: Thanks for confirming Singapore Airlines' extra baggage allowance for people travelling to Oz with unstamped Permanent Resident visas in their passprts. However, as my OH and I have recently been granted new Resident Return Visas (after 18 years absence from living in Oz), do you know if this condition applies to us when we return to live in Adelaide next year? All good wishes to everyone on PIA going through the whole visa application process. It can be a nightmare, but very often it has a dreamy ending!

Great News, Natasha! I know how you're feeling and can only say enjoy this lovely moment in your life. If feelings like this could be bottled and sold, just think how many happy people there would be in the world!! Well done and good luck selling your house quickly!