Hello !!!

[Cedric]

​Hi to everyone,

 

Please be kind enough to excuse in advance all the mistakes I'ill inevitably make as painstakingly trying to express myself: I am not a native english speaker, my primarily language being french.

My name is Cedric, I am new to this forum, even though I have been a member of poms in Oz for some time now, although I must confess, not a very active one, having been very busy during the last few months.

I am a 36 six years old secondary school teacher (biology) and my wife is 38 and is a quality supervisor in the watch industry. I live in Switzerland and always have, altough I had the chance to travel quite a lot. My wife is from Colombia but gained swiss nationality a few years ago.

Words convey more than than just their litteral meaning, and since I was a child, Australia is a word that had always carried out a lot of magic to me. As a child, the mere mention of "The Antipodes" in a book was enough to plundge me in a deep "rêverie".

Additionnaly, I'm a rather solitary person by nature and therefore has always cherished the idea of finding myself lost amidst of big empty spaces, and Australia seems to be pretty much adorned with them

What is more, since I was trained as a biologist, I also have a particular interest in and fascination for the local wildlife and the very peculiar paths life has taken during the course of evolution in this part of the world.

Recently, I've been granted a temporary oz visa to live and work in rural Australia (489), sponsored by South Australia. So, what had been a long-time dream suddently turned into a down-to-earth preoccupation.

As a regular reader of this forum as well as australian newspapers, I am fully aware that the current times are not the most favorable to make the move, including for people in my profession (altough I don't intend necessarily to stay in that same profession).

Hence, at the moment, I am torn amidst of contradictory feeling, ranging from great excitation to fathomless worry. On the one hand, I have a secure job here since I work for a public school, a decent salary in a country that,unlike UK, doesnt have suffered too much (at least so fear) from the GC. (For what its worth, Switzerland fares well in global rankings in terms of quality of life - just like Australia), and a nice mountainous environment.

On the other hand, Switzerland is a very expensive country to live, even more so than Australia, so there are things here that one cannot even dream of nowadays, things like owning one's own home. And it doesn't offer near as much as Australia in terms of wide empty spaces.

Unlike most of the emigrants, I am wiling to live in the outback region (by choice, not by default), but I fear that it might be difficult to get a job and a stable situation there, even for someone willing to take whatever comes by. So I am particularly interested in hearing stories from people that have settled in the country and are willing to share their experiences.

I am planning to make a visit trip to SA next july to get an idea of the differents places and get a chance to talk with local people (as well hopefully, with expatriates) to hear their view about the current situation. If I am to make the move, it will not be until june 2014 anyway, since I have a contractual 6 months period to resign from my current job. So I have plenty of time to fully consider the situation and ponder the differents options.

Until then, I am looking forward to hear from anyone who would kind enough to share his/her experience, advices or just to say hello ;

Sorry for the long post, I am working on my english

Cheers,

Cedric

[Diane]

Bonjour Cedric et bienvenu a PIA - your English is fantastic, and you have written more eloquently than many a native english speaker could hope to do! A few years ago my boss moved out of the city to rural South Australia - it's not really "outback" but it is very definitely country Australia, about 2.5 hours drive away. She loves it and her family have settled fantastically - they keep horses and are very involved in the local community. Science teachers at High School seem to be very sought after so I am sure you will have less trouble than in perhaps a less specialised branch of the teaching profession. Especially if you are happy to work rurally.

[DougM]

"G'day mate" learn to say that with an Aussie twan and you'll fit in well with the guys. Say it with your melodious French accent and the ladies will swoon at your feet.

 

That aside, welcome to the forum. You present well in your introduction and I'm guessing you'll present well at any interview you go for. It's so refreshing to hear from some one that is willing to work further in land than the majority. Mind you, having said that, not many of our members will have explored in land Australia yet. I doubt that you'll have much trouble in getting work, but your wife is another story all together. Not many fine watch companies down here Quality Control and Quality Assurance in general though, are very much sort after. I worked in the auto industry for all my working life in Oz so can vouch for that as fact. All in all, if you can find a country town with a central High School, and some form of manufacturing company, you're in with a good chance of a "dream come true". Mount Gambier comes to mind first off but there are others to the north.

 

I wish you all the very best in your endeavours and hope that one day, we may meet each other.

 

Cheers, Doug.

 

PS, can you sing? Ladies :swoon::swoon:

[Cedric]

Thank you Diane for your nice message and encouragement. I especially enjoy the story about you boss. After having spending all my life in an urban environment, that is really the kind of experience that I am looking for.

 

All the best,

 

Cedric

​

Edited May 13, 2013 by Cedric

[Cedric]

Thank you Doug for you kind message. From now on, "G'day mate" will be my new motto! I'll make sure to go "waltz my Mathilda" around Mount Gambier this summer to see what it is like. I am even prepared to go as far north as Port Augusta if work opportunities are to be found there. I am sure that it must be a nice place to settle with the dramatic landscape of the flinders ranges being not far away.

 

All the best to you too in your ongoing "aussie" life.

 

​Cedric

"G'day mate" learn to say that with an Aussie twan and you'll fit in well with the guys. Say it with your melodious French accent and the ladies will swoon at your feet.

 

That aside, welcome to the forum. You present well in your introduction and I'm guessing you'll present well at any interview you go for. It's so refreshing to hear from some one that is willing to work further in land than the majority. Mind you, having said that, not many of our members will have explored in land Australia yet. I doubt that you'll have much trouble in getting work, but your wife is another story all together. Not many fine watch companies down here Quality Control and Quality Assurance in general though, are very much sort after. I worked in the auto industry for all my working life in Oz so can vouch for that as fact. All in all, if you can find a country town with a central High School, and some form of manufacturing company, you're in with a good chance of a "dream come true". Mount Gambier comes to mind first off but there are others to the north.

 

I wish you all the very best in your endeavours and hope that one day, we may meet each other.

 

Cheers, Doug.

 

PS, can you sing? Ladies :swoon::swoon: