srg73

Adam, A good article however I would add a further piece of advice being for people to also shop around in the selection of their broker. I understand you guys and gals at Vista are independant financial advisors (IFA) and therefore should provide unbiased advice to your clients, this is not the same with some tied or associated financial advisors. We met with Andrew a few years ago and were very impressed with the advice provided and may request some advice in the future regarding a QLD mortgage renewal. By comparison the broker market in UK is not trusted after many historic problems and a general distrust of all banking and associated industries meaning many people coming over from UK see brokers as not required and simply looking after their own interests. As mentioned initially a good article which I agree with, our broker helped us secure an Australian mortgage without issue which would have been beyond my capabilities especially with so many other things going on when first arrived. Simon

We went a few years ago and loved it. Well worth a visit for newcomers and those who have not been before. Unlike a lot of other city's the fringe is fairly concentrated and is also a little edgy especially compared to the very tame and sprawled Brisbane Festival. S

Of course you can act completely stupid and book in 84kg between 2 of us plus hand luggage on top! Our visa's had already been validated too, just be nice smile and hope! Key is to be early for check in as we always are plus don't forget to book the same airline right through. S

Holy cow! $1,200 is eye watering. I would maybe recommend a few winter jumpers and lowering the tropical expectations although the tables turn for you guys very shortly with 40 plus degree summer heat. We ended up in Brisbane where AC is the only consideration (other than summer floods and fires!) however I find it easier to be hot than cold! Hope you and your family are enjoying Adelaide, great city with plenty to offer. We are loving Brisbane, loads on offer although dreading the humidity. S

Personally I gave not only notification that I have the legal right to live and work in Australia but also provided my visa number so it could be checked. I have nothing to hide, always prefer to be honest and secured a well paid senior role before leaving the UK.

Kin Scotish are costing me money as needing to exchange over next couple of days.

Do your research, £60k in Aberdeen is not very much as I believe it is very expensive to live there and house prices are rocketing. Aberdeen is not typical of the rest of Scotland. Just as an example, myself and my wife earn circa 20% more than £60k and still find ourselves spending all of our wages each month living in the SE. UK is no longer a cheap place to live. S

Item packed and Brisbane bound. Scary S

Obviously one huge downside with our decision is that we will be paying more attention to the Life In Queensland sister site! By comparison it looks as if somebody visits the site once a week so unlikely to get such sound advice from good people like yourselves. S

..... however after some long and hard conversations, we have moved house already without even being in Australia. Although we love Adelaide, we have decided to move our efforts to Brisbane where work prospects for myself seem to be much more positive plus we have friends there who hopefully are looking forward to our arrival. The ratio for appropriate jobs seems to be about 4/1 and I am busy putting together applications and chasing up others which have been submitted in the hope that I can secure work whilst still in the UK however I am realistic. I have also proceeded to approach Australian based institutes and yesterday received confirmation that I should be accepted as a Chartered member of AIB which is great and hopefully should make potential employers sit up a little rather than seeing just UK or global qualifications. So thank you everybody for your help, our adventure continues however in another city and state. We will visit Adelaide again as we love the atmosphere, access to great beaches and the hills however we must now concentrate on Brisbane and the many positives it has to offer. I guess our situation underlines the benefit of the 189 visa and the flexibility it provides. S

Although sounding a little harsh, I would agree completely maybe even go one step further than what Snifter has stated. We have found our relatives are generally positive however we have had one or two slightly negative experiences which we believe are just for show. I strongly believe it is your life and you have to live it how you see as appropriate, that maybe abroad, with or without grand children etc etc. You must concentrate on the positives of your move otherwise you risk finding reasons to fail. Your relatives must also wish you well, there maybe tears and emotions however anything more I would see as being selfish! S

Very sad and my thoughts go out to the relatives of all involved. This will become very politically toxic with the world expecting answers to what has happened but also who is responsible as potentially this is mass murder! i have my thoughts however these remain my thoughts and not comment as nothing is proven yet. S

Tyke, looks like a mid summers day for the UK at the moment, yet another damp overcast July with big storms yesterday afternoon. S

Enjoy your trip, we are 80% sure we will be over in September for good (other 20% is for Brisbane). Cleland is good fun and allows you to get really close to the animals. We enjoyed a simple drive down along the south cost stopping off for a coffee or two but also experiencing the natural coastline. First time over we went to Finders which was amazing however it is a good 1/2 days drive each way and needs planning plus a couple of days to recover from 2 days trekking! In regards to 3g, you will be fine, worked for us when out there last, make sure your ipad/computer is unlocked, pop the fixed cost/data allowance card in and off you go. Importantly enjoy yourselves, don't over plan everything spend a couple of days simply taking the place in, shopping and watching the world go by. S

Thanks for your replies. Heat, not an issue, survived 55c when in India during a heat wave (when India gets a heat wave then you know your in for trouble) and survived Singapore humidity although that was a little uncomfortable simply due to sweating. The feedback from friends is the Brisbane is very clean, quite touristy therefore can become busy at peak holiday times (not as busy as Gold Coast though) but has a young and busy feel to it which is quite different to the sleepy small city feel that Adelaide gives. I'm just conscious why we are making the move, adventure and quality of life so I don't want to end up in a sunny version of London (nothing against London) working stupid hours and not having time to step back and enjoy my surroundings. S

Adelaide vs Brisbane. I have been looking through job sites and for me Brisbane seems to have a lot more opportunities for me although our hearts are set on Adelaide. We have not been to Brisbane although do have friends there and have others who are well advanced in their move. I appreciate the obvious ie climate, location etc but what about lifestyle, facilities and the general feel of Brisbane vs Adelaide? Thanks. S

Wow, I'm guessing this is a generational thing but I hate my mobile and tend to use it for calls only. I'm not knocking the post as I'm about to buy my first iphone outright to use in Adelaide, wife has one already and rules her life, guessing they are addictive however I'm hoping to the mobile is less important in Adelaide. S

Glad you enjoyed it Timmie, we set off in early September and excitement is slowly turning to dread although that is simply about work and finding a job, only ever sought 1 job, always been headhunted otherwise! Everything else is not a problem as we have 1 month accommodation booked and already looking slightly more long term, need to rent a small car initially before buying and even got a couple of holidays sort of planned. Adelaide as you mentioned is a great city, compact but not too dense, great beaches and great parks especially to the east and north (love Flinders personally). Really looking forward to September just need a job to really settle me down!! S

We are moving across knowing absolutely nobody in Adelaide, literally johnny no mates! Meet ups would be good to learn from each other's mistakes (I'm sure we will make many) and break the ice on the socialising front as I hear that Australian lot especially the ex poms are quite a different breed! Simon & Claire

Even for new arrivals? S

Thanks for the advice so far, does it hold much weight if we are cash buyers ie no credit etc? Thanks

We are keeping an eye on 2nd hand cars to see what prices are like and what our budget will allow for. We are looking at small suv's ie Honda CR-V circa 2007-2011. One thing which is noticeable is that cars seem cheaper interstate especially from QLD and NSW. My questions, is it simple to purchase interstate, is it worth it and also what offers are acceptable against 2nd hand cars ie if we are looking at a $15k car would you offer say $14k? In the UK I'm never concerned about making offers or trying to strike a deal, is that common place in Aus or will I end up with a black eye? Thanks. S

Of course, keep in touch s

Obviously today in my little world:wacko:........sorry Australia, bad news as it's Netherlands and not Portugal! What World Cup are we talking about, cricket? S

My wife has Australia from her sweepstake, she has greatest odds for winning the wooden spoon and £30 for most goals conceded. especially considering they play Portugal and Spain! S