Hazel M

If you have a UK mortgage will this decrease the amount that they will offer to you in Australia? Thanks.

Just giving this a bump up. We still have the car to sell asap. It is also listed on gumtree with photos here http://adelaide.gumtree.com.au/c-Cars-Vehicles-Motorbikes-Parts-cars-MITSUBISHI-MAGNA-STATION-WAGON-W0QQAdIdZ299012641 Thanks.

Hi Julia so sorry I didn't get back to you. Phone swapped and I've been that busy it slipped my mind. Am assuming the bed have gone by now but if not, let me know and we will take one. Can collect at weekend. Thanks xx

Hi, We are selling the family car we bought and 5 months ago as we have just purchased a new people carrier. The Magna has been a good, reliable family car - huge boot to accomodate all your shopping plus pushchair etc! Automatic, 214k on the clock and plenty more life left in her just keep her topped up with oil and she's a good runner! Service history and rego until August. Ideal 1st car for when you arrive as it's big enough to accomodate most people's needs - we have 3 children that were comfortable in the back seat. Also has roof bars that have been ideal for taking home large items of furniture that we had bought. $1950 ONO. Feel free to contact me with any questions. Will try to upload a picture, but I can mms a picture to you if you message me. Thanks, Hazel.

Ours was the 175 but I imagine its similar re the lodgement. We lodged and then I didnt start uploading and attaching docs until a day or so later. I think in the automated response they send you via email that it tells you how long you have to attatch everything. Definately took me over a week to get all the bits and bobs done. I was still waiting for some docs to be sent to me when we lodged as well so it may have been about 2weeks later that I'd done everything. Not sure about the fees for you, but with us I dont think there was anything else to pay for (apart from police checks and medicals when they are asked for) - just the plane tickets!! Hope that helps a bit. Hazel.

May be interested in a toddler bed Julia if you could mms me a pic please. will pm you x

I would have loved one when we got here too as foxychick says - but I think having to use the UBD helped us to learn where places were much quicker too. Once you've been down the main road a few times you do quite quickly get to remember where certain suburbs are off it, and then if you need to find somewhere particular in a certain suburb, get out the UBD to find it. If I can do it anyone can coz Im generally useless with maps lol!!! Also the way the streets are laid out here in a grid system really helps too - never really got lost. Hazel.

Wow, thanks very much for such an informaive answer Gill. It sounds like the tourist visa is the one then since it would be a 50/50 split that I was thinking rather than anything permanent. Thank you so much for taking the time to go through everything for me. Such a help. Hazel x

We watched The Blind Side yesterday (with Sandra Bullock). Definately worth a watch if you havent already.

I've been on it between Willunga and McLaren Vale and its a lovely cycle route.

It's horrible when the children say that, makes you feel awful.... but they will be ok. It must be more scary for them leaving everything they know behind - maybe do some image searches on Google as well to show some nice pictures of beaches, koalas, kangaroos and sunshine! Don't worry though- they will love it. My 6 year old was worst for saying things like that - and she has well and truly settled here, having fun at school with lots of new friends. I had some story books by Steve Parish, cant remember the titles offhand but they were just nice little stories to read at bedtime, and the pictures in the books were photos of proper places and animals instead of drawings.. Just found this for you http://www.steveparish.com.au/ if it's of interest. Hope that helps a bit. Hazel.

Yes she is in xx class. My eldest in yr x with Mrs x. Will look out for you at home-time!

Will PM you Steph.

Hi Tina, just looked where you are and yes mine go to McLaren Flat too :-) I think my 6 y/o knows name removed if in reception, Ive just asked if xxx knows your childrens names - she's in Room x (yr x) nextdoor! Hazel.

Hi, I think itd just be a case of giving them the details when you are here. We didnt bring any dental/medical stuff with us - just had our childrens red books sent on in the shipping. Been to the docs for prescriptions and have them history verbally which they were fine with. They didnt ask for any actual records in writing so should be fine.

Just something I'm wondering about at the moment... Does anyone know what the criteria is for parents to get a visa (maybe to live 6 mnths here and 6 mnths in UK per year). We are here on permanent residency... not sure if that would help them or not? Also not sure if the 50% of their children having to live here is still the case? They only have 2 children, me here and one in UK. If anyone has any recent ish info on this, or could point me in right direction that would be great. Thanks

Personally I would wait til you are here esp as you dont know the colours of the school she'll be going to. Some are green, some purple - my daughters school is royal blue and yellow! You can get cheap enough uniforms over here from shops like Big W and KMart. I got ours some new winter trousers a couple of weks ago and I think they were only $7 each. HTH, Hazel.

Just put them on the form. I panicked about that too as we both had speeding points etc & I didnt want it to bugger up the application! My hubby went to court for one of his fines too so I just declared absolutely everything and no probs.. They just want the info - it wont make any difference to the visa if they are just normal speeding points and fines, in court or out. Hope that helps, Hazel

we were in - can see the end of the car poking out the carport!!!

McLaren Vale - best of all worlds I reckon. Beach & shopping centre within 5 / 10 mins drive away, gorgeous views just out the window of the house, vineyards, cellar doors, rolling hills and coutryside nextdoor :-)

we were chuffed to bits yesterday when hubby got expat shield and for 2 hours watched back to back corrie!!!!!!!!!!!! BUT arghhhh... :arghh:today it wont work - we can get bbc iplayer ok - but its not letting us on itv player (or channel 4 OD from what i tried earlier). Anyone got any ideas? Or can anyone give me an idea of which ones you pay a bit for which are worthwhile downloading? We were looking fwd to another night of Corrie catchup tonight but could only get Top Gear Thanks

Is there anywhere south of the city I can go? If not, what building is it I need? I thought I read somewhere that there's a place on north terrace but can't remember the name of it or anything!! Also do you have to take proof of address (and if so can it be a PO Box or just residential address?) Thanks

Silversands is lovely and you can drive on. And we had to make a fast escape from Moana a couple of days ago. Wouldn't have been able to get off if we were just on the dry sand!! Lovely beach though!

well here we are at last - I cant quite believe we have been here for a week already... its absolutely flown by. We have been sooooo busy sorted out 1 thing then another then another... We arrived after a very smooth flight (Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong) on 2nd January, were picked up by 2 suspicious looking characters at the airport (only joking - thank you so much Yvonne & Pete, nice to be greeted by others who'd been in the same position as us). And there the smooth run ended.... we got to our apartment (where we stayed 2 nights) desperate to flop on the beds... to be told that our room would not be ready for another 2.5 hours. We set off to walk around the middle of town to get a few essentials like bread and milk etc to see us through our 1st day & night. About an hour later when we couldnt walk any further, we returned to just sit in reception and wait! I think the misery on our faces plus 3 whingy children was enough for them to offer to upgrade us to another room which was ready. The next morning our eldest daughter started to complain about a pain in her hip and generally aching all over. If it hadnt been a public holiday we would have used this day to register at Medicare. This would have saved me a heap of panicking not just about her health, but also the hospital fees I could see spiralling out of control before my eyes, when she went into hospital at midnight that night with my husband. Fortunately she was sent home with antibiotics after a blood test a few hours later and told to drink plenty of fluids. Lucky my OH is a nurse else she may not have been allowed to go home so soon. (Fortunately hospital costs were non-existant...we did not have to pay for the antibiotics either - the only plus-point of the experience, and Heather did say she preferred the hospital here to the one in Wolverhampton!) Next day we were taken to the real estate office to collect the keys for our rental, via another Pom in Adelaide to collect our camping beds to see us through til our beds arrive next week (thanks Liz & Rich, and Hattie for the DVDs, Mary Poppins has been enjoyed!!). We get out our credit card to pay the bond only to then be told that they dont take cards AAARRGHHHH!!!!!!!! Can't withdraw the money we needed from an ATM using the UK card we had, meanwhile kids in car, 1 still feeling worse for wear - thanks Yvonne for taking them to yours while we sorted out the bond. Then arrive at rental (in the lovely area of McLaren Vale, through wineries and vineyards - lovely views of the hills to the side.... BUT no electricity at the house... and this wasnt sorted out until the following day. Head torches were definately good stocking fillers for the girls at Christmas... worth their weight in gold!! Shame we didnt get them millipede poison too!! Since those first 48hrs though, we have been mega busy, but with the kindness shown to us from other PIAs we have been comfortable. We have set up bank accounts, registered for medicare, family allowance, bought 2 cars, got a fantastic large FREE fridge off Freecycle.. glad ours not being shipped now!,bug-bombed the house, fed kangaroos, been to beautiful, empty beaches, and generally done loads of driving and starting to find our feet. An action packed, thoroughly exhausting week but we know we have definitely made the right move for the girls, and ourselves. Hope the next week is slightly less fraught than the 1st ... but bring it on.... and the VB / Toohey's certainly helps!! Hazel.