dudleycat

Hello all. I'm back in the UK visiting family and would like to ship back home to Adelaide some furniture that my parents have given me. These are 3, 70+ years old, mahogany wood pieces; a day bed, a captains bucket chair and a lady's tall chair. The thing that is worrying me is that these all have horse hair as their stuffing, and I can't find a definitive answer on the DIBP website nor the agriculture website as to whether these would be safe to bring into the country. Has anyone had this issue with their furniture before? If so what did you do? Is this classed as 'animal origin' (I'm assuming so...) When we actually moved and shipped our belongings, I remember how stringent the clearance of items was but we didn't own anything to worry about. If if anyone has had any experience of this or wanted to ship items similar but didn't, I'd love to hear from you and how you managed it or didn't! thanks DC

Thank you all so much for this information. Very interesting. The only other question i have now is whether I will be able to put myself on his card when I arrive, or whether I needed to be there when he originally applied for it and because he didn't put me on, I've now lost that chance??

By the way, we are both on 190, permanent residency visas.

Hi all,So my husband has just made the one way journey to Adelaide 2 weeks earlier that me to start his job and I will be following in early July.He registered for Medicare today and I was surprised to hear that he could have put me on his card. Firstly, does anyone know the benefits of this and secondly can I be added to his card when I get out there in 2 weeks or is it too late and I will now have to get my own? I've no problem with registering and having my own card, but if there is an advantage either in terms of tax or suchlike, I would assume it's best to be on his card?Thanks in advance...DC

Thanks for that info. Did you stay overnight there or did you stay in the 'day rooms'? I'm still no clearer in finding out whether they are cheaper and what's included! Was it plain (scuse the pun!) sailing? And was it easy to find? cheers dc

Hi I will be on my one way flight from London to Adelaide in 3 weeks time and have a 13 hour stopover in Singapore. I wanted to book at the ambassador transit hotel, but they are fully booked, so I have booked at the Crowne Plaza attached to terminal 3, instead. A couple of things I wanted to ask. Firstly, I am aware I will need to go through immigration since the hotel is land-side rather than in transit, but will my checked in luggage go straight through for my onwards flight to Adelaide without needing to pick up from baggage carousel? (Ie, I can just go straight to hotel after immigration with my cabin bag only) Both flights are Singapore airlines. Secondly, I have heard that this hotel does day rooms, but I can't find any information on what they actually consist of online. I went ahead and booked a normal room anyway since my flight arrives at 9.30am and leaves at 11.00pm, but I would be interested to know for future reference. Does anyone know? finally, do you need to fill out 2 immigration cards since I will effectively be entering Singapore albeit for only 12 hours!! thanks dc

Will be interested to see answers to this. Am in the same boat!

Hi gena, yes your pM got through and I have just PMd you back!!

Thanks NicF, we will check out Adelaideheritage. We are already looking on Stayz constantly!! Dc

Hi Tamara, thanks for for the heads up. We will get in touch if we need to. DC

Hi there, Does anyone know of any furnished or unfurnished rentals that maybe available from June 16th for a couple of months (or possibly more)? We have contacted all the available rentals on this site and also some on Stayz, airbnb, etc but I thought there wouldn't be any harm in posting on here in the hope that someone might know of breaking lease or a property available that isn't advertised on here. My husband has been very fortunate to secure a job, but it starts sooner than we expected and we are still in the UK. The plan is for him to fly out first with me following in July. However, we still need to secure somewhere to live before he arrives. Owing to the job, It would be nice to have a rental 20/25 minutes into the city on public transport, (so we have discounted from Marino southwards) We have no animals or children, but do need somewhere with Wifi. Any help, links or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! dc

Thanks for that Jessica. We don't have kids either so would only be looking at the both of us. It sounds like a good policy that you have. i will look into it once i have stopped cleaning all our wordly goods ready for shipping (the whole house smells of Dettol!!)

Hi there, can those of you who have private health insurance which covers a free dental check up and clean each year let me know which policies they are please? We will be coming out mid June, and I know I'm likely to need dental cover at some point (whilst the OH has managed 42 years without so much as a filling!!) thanks DC

Thanks for all the comments! I think its time for another little chat with NAB!!!

Thank you cardmaker, that was what I thought. The account I wish to open is with NAB, their affiliate currency specialist is moneycorp, for which they will not charge me a deposit fee if I use them for the conversion of £ to $. However, I wish to use another currency specialist which has a better conversion rate for the amount I am transferring and for that I will be charged by the bank a sum of $30.00. I didn't think they could be the only bank that does that!

Yes Blossom, it did go through my mind! Although, I do wonder if there is any bank out there that doesn't charge even if you don't use their affiliated/preferred currency exchange company? Did you use the currency specialist that was affiliated to the Commonwealth bank?

i know. i thought it was strange as well. Personally i think they are charging a sort of 'admin/transfer fee' because the money is coming from a currency specialist that is not affiliated with them. if i use the currency specialist that they are affiliated with, i pay no charge. I would be happy to do that if the money that i would be losing by using their (less attractive) exchange rate is offset against the charge the bank is leveling, but unfortunately, it isn't, so paying the charge is the lesser of two evils!! Clairentel, you are right though, the bank has nothing to do with where the money comes from. Very frustrating!!!

I wish that was true Claire! ive just been on the phone to my Oz bank and they charge $30.00 if the currency specialist passes the money through another bank on the way to the receiving bank and $15.00 if they transfer direct from the currency specialist to the receiving bank... Its probably something to do with the fact that i am not using their affiliated currency specialist as the conversion isn't very good for the amount of money i will be transferring. (way more than a $30 difference!). but that maybe me being cynical!! Im going to ring the currency specialist up now and find out how they do the transfer once they have converted the money.

Thank Claire-n-tel. Did your UK or Oz bank charge you any fees for your transfer??

Hi Im a little confused as to the fees which are associated with making a money transfer from the UK to Oz. I was under the impression that a money transfer from a UK bank via a currency specialist to a Oz bank account can incur fees from the currency specialist in making the currency exchange (if the amount was small) and that was all. However, I understand from my preferred bank in Oz that sterling held in a UK bank account can sometimes pass through another bank on the way to the receiving bank and for that they charge but if it comes straight from a UK bank account, they don't. Then i contacted my UK bank and they tell me that if the receiving bank makes the conversion, they don't charge. So if it is converted using a currency specialist, does that mean it doesn't come direct from a UK bank and therefore the receiving bank charges or that it does come from a UK bank and therefore the recieving bank doesn't charge but my UK one will because it will be in dollars?? Can someone please set me right on the possible fees i would need to pay in order to move money from my bank here in the UK to my new bank account in Oz? or maybe just outline the process a little clearer than i am obviously making it?! thanks in advance DC

Thanks Claire.

Morning all, Getting down to the nitty gritty with what to ship for our move to Oz. Would like to take our super comfy Super King mattress, but since our bed base is broken, that won't be coming with us. However, we will only take the mattress if it fits a bed base size in Australia. My thinking is that it is likely to fit an Australian King base, is that right? If so, how similar are the sizes? Am i going to have an overhanging mattress over the base, or a too small mattress sat on a bigger bed base?! Thanks DC

Hi Smithers, sorry for the late reply, haven't been on here for a while. We are staying in Marino at the moment. its a lovely suburb a couple of train stops south of Brighton. We haven't actually made it from here into the city yet, (keep stopping at the beachside suburbs on the way in!) so couldn't tell you how long it takes, but my estimation is about 30 mins. It's 10 mins from here to Brighton (on the Seaford line) and a train and bus combination to get to Glenelg in around 30 mins. We plan to drive up to Henley beach one of these days to check out suburbs from there down along the coast as far as where we are now. I think that might be our search criteria, but we might throw in a wildcard by venturing up to the hills and seeing what that's like as well. we are here until mid jan, so plenty of time to suss out the areas. We are housesitting so unfortunately cant comment on rent costs I'm afraid.

Thanks for that lazy cow, really appreciate your time in posting that. I'm gradually getting familiar with the suburbs and layout but obviously at the moment it's only from the comfort of an armchair with Google Earth and you lovely people with your insider information , this time next week it will be us pounding the pavements! Jessica, thanks for that info as well, it all helps piece together how things work. Steve and Lesley, we have also been looking at Henley Beach area and Brighton, which would humour our friends and family here as we are from Brighton uk!! Keep in touch and maybe we can meet up when we are all over....

Great thread Smithers. Useful information for my husband and I. We are coming over for a 6 week reccie next Wednesday and having never been to adelaide before, have a list as long as our arm of suburbs to investigate! Lazy cow, if you are reading this, I'm fascinated to know where you live as close to the city and the beach is our major factor (we have no kids to consider though) We are planning on moving over around May next year and possibily renting for a while, but really unsure for how long, so will keep an eye on responses thanks for posting! dc