evojoan

There were plenty of taxis at the airport when we arrived on a flight from Birmingham via Dubai at 10pm. We were given a large mini bus type one for 3 of us and lots of luggage. So you should be ok when you arrive. The taxi rank is easy enough to find. Good luck & safe journey

Was your Dad seen in a public hospital ? Did he show his British passport when he attended A&E ? Perhaps might be worth ringing Medicare for some advice ?

Thanks for the advice everyone, which one would be more suitable for teenagers and grown up children ?

Hi everyone This will be our first Christmas and New Year in Adelaide and our son is over from the UK for a month on holiday making it an extra special Christmas and New Year. I know there are various fireworks displays on New Years Eve in and around Adelaide i.e Elder Park, Glenelg etc but could anyone who attended any of them last year let me know, in their opinion, which one they would recommend. Thanks again for answering another of my many questions PIA's

Could everyone share their experiences, good and bad, on the letting agents they have used since being in Adelaide. .

Hi Leanne We were going to come down on Sunday for a drive to look at the sand sculptures, will they still up to take a look at ? Thanks Jo

Sherbet dip dabs or black jacks were favourites of mine.

Hello Our timeline for our 489 visa application was as follows: submitted on 20 March 2013, Case Officer allocated on 7 May 2013, Medicals on 31 May 2013, Police Checks on 3 June 2013 and Visa allocated on 6 June 2013 and arrived in Adelaide on 2 September 2013. Good luck Jo

Hello Cheryh79, We came over in September on a 489 visa and enrolled our son in a local public secondary school. As the school at the time of enrollment were unsure whether we would have to pay international school fees we visited the SA education office in Adelaide. They confirmed that on a 489 visa, school costs were the same as those on a permanent visa and we would not have to pay international school fees. If you are in any doubt you can check out their website http://www.decd.sa.gov.au which gives their contact details for you to speak to them directly with any concerns you have. Hope that helps Jo

Had a lovely day at Glenelgh Christmas pageant today, bit surreal seeing Father Christmas in 30 degree heat and giving out presents in his beach hut instead of his grotto.

Hi All Just rang SA Ambulance again and spoke to an adviser who said that as we have a registered car, have a rental agreement and pay electricity & gas etc then this shows that we are intending to stay long term/ permanent so we are entitled to SA ambulance cover. Thanks everyone

Hi Jamie & Blossom, thanks I will try Medibank. I rang SA Ambulance when we arrived and was told by the advisor that as we were on a provisional visa we couldn't be covered as it was just for Australian residents. Might try ringing them again. Thanks

Hi All We came over in September on a 489 visa and have been looking for Ambulance & insurance cover. As we are on a provisional visa we can't get ambulance cover with SA Ambulance. We have a medicare card under the reciprocal agreement between Australia and the UK and this covers: free treatment as a public in-patient or out-patient in a public hospital subsidised medicine under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Medicare benefits for out-of-hospital treatment provided by a doctor. Medicare will not cover: medicine not subsidised under the PBS treatment arranged before your visit to Australia accommodation and medical treatment in a private hospital accommodation and medical treatment as a private patient in a public hospital ambulance services dental examinations and treatment (except specified items introduced for allied health services as part of the Chronic Disease Management (CDM) program physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, eye therapy, chiropractic services, podiatry or psychology (except specified items introduced for allied health services as part of the CDM program acupuncture (unless part of a doctor's consultation) glasses and contact lenses hearing aids and other appliances the cost of prostheses medical costs for which someone else is responsible (for example a compensation insurer, an employer, a government or government authority) medical services which are not clinically necessary surgery solely for cosmetic reasons examinations for life insurance, superannuation or membership of a friendly society eye therapy home nursing. You can take out private health insurance to cover many of these services. Could anyone on this visa or another temporary visa recommend a company for ambulance cover and to cover the extras. thanks in advance

Hello Did anyone go to the Big Day Out music festival in Adelaide last year and if so, would you recommend buying tickets for it ? Thanks

Hello, I fetched my iPhone 3 over to Oz, forgot to get it unlocked before I came. Called into Vodaphone and Apple here, but unfortunately they couldn't unlock it from here and told me to contact Vodaphone back in the UK. My Husband sorted it on line via the Vodaphone website and I have to wait either 72 hours or if they have to contact the phone manufacturer it could take 7 - 10 days so might be worth getting them unlocked before you leave the UK. My first SIM card cost $2 from the Vodaphone shop in the city. Jo

Hello, we will be looking for another rental in Henley Beach but unfortunately not until 18 January and we would be looking at long term. Jo

Hello, we have just signed up to money corp online, can't comment on their service as not used them yet. The other company we looked at was Tranzfers for smaller amounts and OzForex for larger amounts. Someone will hopefully come along and give us some feed back on their experiences with these companies.

Hi Claire, thanks, just something for OH & teenage son to do, neither of them have had any experience but would like to try it out. How far is Goolwa ? Jo

Hi thanks, had a look at that site. Oh, I wondered why there didn't seem any out on the sea, thought there perhaps might be a reason. Thanks for the help. Jo

Hello all Can anyone help by advising me on the best place near Henley Beach to hire and use jet skis ? Thanks in advance Jo

We arrived in Adelaide on 2 September at 20:15, flying by Emirates from Birmingham airport in the UK. The flight was faultless, comfortable with plenty to eat & watch. We noticed that the lady checking our declaration card didn’t have a local accent; she advised that she was in fact from Wales and whatever happened to give Australia at least 2 years before making a decision to go home. Took a mini bus taxi from the airport to our holiday rental (unit) in Henley Beach, which cost about $20. The unit was in an ideal location as it was 10 minutes walk to the shops and 15 minutes walk to the beach and 20 minutes by bus to the city. We have found the buses & trams quite easy to use and very reliable. Thoroughly recommend our landlords Joanne & Phil; they made our 2 & a half week stay thoroughly enjoyable in a clean and welcoming unit. We opened a bank account whilst still in the UK which we could put money into but couldn’t take money out of, until we arrived in Australia and registered our arrival at the welcome meeting with the bank on 3/9. During the meeting we also picked up our bank cards and pin numbers. I arranged my tax file number on line, it was sent to our unit within a week. Started looking on the usual websites, Seek, Career one etc for work and managed to secure a casual position within a week of being in Adelaide as a boilermaker/welder with an agency, but the contract only lasted 8 days and then disappointingly there was no more work for the time being. My wife and son went to the South Australia welcome meeting, where a variety of different people gave information on training, transferring qualifications, adult learning, visas etc. We managed to secure a longer term let in Henley Beach, a street away from the beach. The interior of the bungalow is very dated but after a spring clean, we are now happy to call it home. It is in a quiet street with a large garden and in the catchment area for Henley High School for our 15 year old son. We viewed and enrolled our son in Henley High School, just needed copies of our passports, copy of rental agreement, copies of bills etc to confirm that we did in fact live in the catchment area. There were some concerns about whether we would have to pay international school fees due to coming on a 489 visa, but on speaking to the education department in Adelaide they confirmed that we would only need to pay the same as a permanent visa holder, $920 per year. Our son starts school on 15 October after the school holidays in year 9. Once settled in our new home, started to apply for more jobs via seek, career one etc but received no responses from any of the applications. Just when we were weighing up our future options, I received a telephone call and asked to go for an interview at another agency. Whilst on a day course to get my white card on Friday 27/9, I received a phone call asking to go for a weld test on Saturday 28/9. The weld test was successful and I started work on Monday 30 September. On Friday we bought a cheap car for $1185 to get me to work and are now able to get out and about and see more of SA. It is early days for our new life and we are taking each day as it comes, but so far so good.

Hello and sorry for the incorrect information, was just trying to be helpful, as newbies we are still getting used to everything including public transport, I put "I think" 20 minutes as I wasn't sure. Anyway good luck with the move and all the best.

There is a tram that goes from Glenelg to the city and takes, I think about 20 minutes so another option for you.

Hello, sorry we missed it. How did it go, did many turn up ? Let us know when the next one is and we will try and get there.

Hello Would anyone be able to give their thoughts and feelings on Brighton as a suburb and Brighton Secondary School. Currently staying in Henley Beach which is a lovely suburb for those wanting a quiet relaxed costal suburb. We have been staying in a rental unit on Marlborough Street, a 10 minute walk to Drakes, McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut, cheap as chips & a fruit & veg shop and 15 minutes walk in the opposite direction to Henley beach. Bus stop straight outside which takes 20 minutes to the city at a cost of $3.60 before 9am or $1.80 after 9am and before 3pm (either that or 3:30). Thanks in advance Jo