arleneloveskapunda

Hey NWM, Yes I'm still in SA, sunny Kapunda. Have no intentions of leaving. Although my 14 year old and I have been through a trauma (Mike killed in a car crash) the support we've had from Aussies has been awesome! Also living in a country town is amazing.....food parcels, visits, financial support while waiting on life insurance etc. Mike and I moved to SA from Scotland in 2007, so we'd spent 5 years building a great life for ourselves. As you can imagine that life has changed but Gemma and I will continue to make progress and continue to embrace what a wonderful country we live in. Addy.

Hey guys, Just to let you know that yogi64 (Mike) passed away last October. He'd be the first to offer to take you out but hey-ho, life can change in an instant. Have fun Addy - Mikes wife.

Gosh, it was lovely to read this thread!!! Just to let you all know that Yogi (Mike) is no longer with us. Mike passed away after a traffic accident near Gawler last month. I just haven't had the heart to delete this thread. Addy - Mikes wife

Gill, So sorry for your loss. I feel your pain my darling. I know the roller-coaster you are now on. My husband passed away two weeks ago. I wish I had words of wisdom for you, we all do. I started writing a journal. This may help you too, to write down all your thoughts and emotions. Regards, Addy.

Thank you for all your kinds words. Yes we had met some of you at Victor. My nickname is Addy, so those I met on the 4WD would have know me as that. Mike's my hubby. Again, thank you. regards, arlene

Many of you had postings from Yogi64. I just thought I'd let you know that Mike passed away on Wed 24th Oct. Regards, Arlene.

And we're into snake season too! Nice, cute, baby brown snakes...the type our cat loves!!!

Hey Ali, I too have been (quietly) following your posts! Wow, one month to go and you'll be here, that's great mate. I live (with Yogi 64) 70 kms north of Adelaide, so I could bore you to tears with how good country life is...but I won't! I reckon Glenelg will be a fantastic base for you to start with. We spend quite a bit of time there, just not practical to live there. Like Diane said in an above post, you can go direct to the city by tram. So sort out all the official stuff then head back to the beach at the end of the day...bliss. Mike and I would love to meet up for a coffee when you arrive, so give us - and the forum - a shout when you get here. Arlene p.s. Mike will have a beer, I'm always designated driver!

OMG! I'm really shocked some of you have had bad customer service experiences. I can honestly say that since arriving over 5 years ago I've found Aussies to bend over backwards to help and provide a great service. Now I've probably gone and jinxed myself!!!

There's a 'no-kill' cat shelter at Ingle Farm. It's called 'Help Save The Furry Ones'. Check them out on Facebook or google. We have three cats, one likes to bring snakes back into the house with her. So far she's only been bitten once. Anti-venom and 2 nights at the vet cost $485! I think that was a bargain but that's country living for you. Check with your local council what the by-laws are, I think everywhere is different. Out here in Kapunda you're allowed to keep 4 per house. ADOPT don't SHOP

Congratulations mate! Enjoy the adventure...

Hey Ali, good luck mate...fingers and toes crossed for you!

Hey Jim and Adele, Like I said, I was having a rant. I think it depends on your trade etc. I think it also depends on where you are willing to live/travel. We know of people who won't budge from the CBD/metro areas and they are really struggling but if they moved to the Barossa they would survive...and thrive...and the beach is only an hour away!

That's correct, this is Poms in Adelaide. But visas are granted in the hope that migrants will live where the work is, especially SS visa class. I'm shocked that employers have given you the 'lack local experience' line. My hubby is a mechanic and had too many job offers to chose from because he's a pom (well that's what potential employers told him). Even now after 5 years he still gets other 'garages' trying to poach him! Apparently poms work harder bla bla bla.

This may sound like a rant so here goes: After reading posts on this forum it appears that most migrants want to live in Adelaide next to the beach. However South Australia is a teeny bit bigger than Adelaide - next to the beach. South Oz has lots of regional and rural areas that need skilled migrants. I'm sure that if people were willing to live in outlying areas they would find work...and could visit the beach for holidays.

Mike lived in Tintagel (spelling?). I spent all my hols in Cornwall too, at Watergate Bay! Yes SA does have that slow vibe. Your social life probably would be good so if you do end up in WA you'll just have to fly to the various places you'd like to see rather than drive. Hopefully the house prices are not too bad in WA coz you can still get a great property in SA for (I think) a reasonable amount. I have a friend who works in the top of WA at Port Headland. He flies in from Scotland to Perth then up to Pt H'land for 8 weeks then flies back to Scotland (wife doesn't want to migrate) for 2 weeks then back to Oz! So if he can manage to cope with that fly in/out roster then you'll be ok no matter where you live!!! Food for thought........

Hey, I'd say stick with your friends but bare in mind that some of us Brits find WA too far away from the rest of Oz! If you want the ease of nipping over to Melbourne & Sydney (we do, all my dads side of family are in Victoria) then SA has it's advantages. Also easy for nipping up to NT, been there for long weekends to see my mate in Alice Springs. My hubby was brought up in Cornwall, on the beach, but now happy to live in the country and visit the beaches when it suits him... However WA does have it's advantages too..., great wine region, Monkey Mia up north, Perth is clean, The Nullabor! My god-mum lives in Perth, she loves it but then she would love living in New York or London too, as long as it's busy she's happy! I reckon you need to visit both places then decide. I'm quite jealous of your adventure as it's been a while since we had to make lots of decisions! speak soon, Arlene.

Hey, I work in Gawler, live in Kapunda. Kapunda is a wee country town, half hour drive north of Gawler. 2-3 hours north of Gawler will get you to the southern Flinders, great for camping. Adelaide is just under an hour away on the new expressway, beaches and campground there are great. 2 hours west(ish) is the Yorke Peninsula, great beaches and camp grounds. I hope you don't think that 2-3 hours is long, in Oz 2-3 days is long! Gawler is a great spot, all the shops etc you'll need! Close to the city but also far enough away from it too! Plenty of big cinemas in areas near by (Elizabeth). When I backpacked around Oz (1990-91) I fell in love with South Oz. The people, laid back lifestyle, dry heat done it for me!!! We spend most of our spare time at the beach or 4wdriving in the Flinders. I could go on but then don't want to bore you...

Hey Tracy, my hubby Mike (a pom) works at Smithfield Crash & Mechanical. They are currently looking for a mechanic. Phone and ask for Larry www.smithfieldcrash.com.au Arlene

Hey Londongirl. I do feel your pain. been here 4 1/2 years. love it now but when I arrived I crumbled...big time. I cried all day, every day for the first 5 weeks. I used to walk from Ingle Farm (short term governmet accom) to Tea Tree Plaza every morning in floods of tears just so I could get out the house. I even phoned Beyond Blue!!! Then we took a trip to the Flinders...the tears stopped. Something clicked into place. I realised I was grieving for all the friends and family left behind and but I knew I would get through it. I did. Just passed the citizenship test, waiting on a ceremony for it to be official. I've never been back for a holiday, facebook is all I need. I also moved to a country town where I've built up an amazing support network. It will get better for you, give it time.

You could head up to Quorn in the southern Flinders. just over 3 hours but worth it. explore and have a trip on the Pichi Richi railway...just like the train from Harry Potter, only Aussie!

Hey Uzinoz, Get all your documents ready, send them in on Oct 1st. We've just applied for our citz test. when I called the advice line I was told not to send the docs until the actual date we were entitled to apply from. Hope this helps. Arlene

Hey guys, there is an animal shelter at Ingle Farm (Help Save the Furry Ones) who may be able to help. They do cat boarding and adoptions. You can find them through facebook or google. Anything is worth a try... good luck Arlene.