Hello everyone, my name is Ian and my family and I have just started the process of emigrating to Queensland.
I am a Paramedic and my wife is a driving instructor and i have applied to Qld Ambulance service.

I look forward to meeting you all, plying you with all the questions ive got floating round my head and maybe being able to answer a few.

ian

 

Welcome

Hi, welcome to the site, im prity new here too, although, i stummbled on this site a bit late cause we arrived in QLD- Gold Coast 8 weeks ago!!

You shouldn't have a problem getting work here at all as a para. But i ll give your wife a word of advise (me being an ex driving instructor too) the driving style here will drive you mad its just pick a lane a go... they under take on the inside all the time, dont bother whether you indicating or not. It makes central London drivin like driving ms daisey!!!! so just a wee warning ok

hope all goes well for you
Take care
Phyllis

 

Thanx phyllis, my missus will be used to driving like that, she sits next to me in the car. i think ive got blue lights on sometimes ! so how has your first 8 weeks faired ? i think i am more excited than rosey, or maybe just show it more. her mum is throwng the guilt trip on her so maybe its that. we are going to Brisbane on 1/11/07 for a fortnight so maybe that will do it :roll: .

 

Hi Ian n family

My first 8 weeks in Oz ,well.

The first 4 weeks were so busy, trying to find somewhere to rent, and we didn't know where we wanted to settle, the area is so vast!! But now we have got the house, car n stuff, Hubby got a job, kids in school, the old homesickness has started to kick in! Leaving my family back home, is probably the hardest thing i've had to do my whole entire life, just a rollercoast of emotions!!

My hubby (Joe) loves it here, wakening up every morning to the sun shining, lovley blue skies, he would only ever go back home for a holiday. My son loves it too says he's got more to do, more of an outdoor life (he's 14) my daughter (15) hates everything about it , so far!! but hey teenagers hate everything and everyone usually!!!! Me, well Im still undecided, its hard to settle when i know my daughter is unhappy.

So next thing on my list is for me to get a job, get out there and meet some new people hopefully!!!


Phyllis

 

Im sure everything will be fine. my daughter hates everything as well and she is not even a teenager yet !
there was a couple of things i needed to know, what is this TRA everyone keeps talking about ?
and with my kids being the ages they are, as regards the flight, are me and rosey in for a long 23 hrs ?

Hope everything is going well with you all

Ian 'n' family

:lol: :lol:

 

Hi Ian n family,

A Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) is an assessment of your qualification and work experience, to see whether you are capable of undertaking your "trade" in Austalia. My hubby had to have this done due to him being a chippy and i think all trades have to have it done. Although my husband is a carpenter he was assessed as a joiner!!!! but hey still got us in!!

The flight is long, but your are on a large aircraft with a lots of films n stuff to watch, games to play etc to, the time goes prity quick. first time we came to Oz we did the Mancherster to Kuala Lumpur (12 hrs) then Kuala Lumpur to Sydney (7 hrs), but my son suffered terrible jet lag and was sick on both flights. So when coming this time we thought if we brake the flights down to Glasgow to Dubai (Approx 7 hrs) Dubai to Singapore (7 ish hrs) then Singapore to Brisbane (7hr ish). But i felt this was so long and we agreed that the longer flight first was the best way to come to Oz.
Another thing is Singapore Airlines are fab with the kids and so are Malaysian Airlines. And i 'm saying that and my sis works for British Airlines! I think Malaysian Airlines have more leg room than the others, which is good on a long flight!

We' ve all just got back from a day out on the dirt bikes, it was really warm today,again! We were also away looking at an area which I saw was selling land, but didn't like it so the search is still on.
Anyway we're not interested in buying till we 're def settled, also the Oz goverment give you $7000 towards purchasing your first home, will need that as they take it back on the stamp duty they charge you here!!!

Hope i answered your questions Ian and sorry i do go on a bit!!!

Take care

Phyllis

 

Thanx Phyllis, youve been a gr8 help. i love hearing about what you have been up to and how you are all feeling about your new life. it gets me impatient about starting our new life if you know what i mean.

ian'n'family

 

Hi Ian n family

No worries!! Any questions just ask away and if i can answer them i will, if not I'm sure someone on the site can.

Phyllis

 

HI
Names mark and am new to site
am hoping to move over next year . am still awaiting the return of tra
would be interested to hear from you about anything to do with the move
and how its working out .
gotta go work calling
good luck to you all
hope to hear from you soon

mark

 

Hi Mark,

How you doing, what do you want to know? we've been on the gold coast for 12 weeks now an setteling slow but sure. must say its nice to get up to the sun shining every morning even though its winter at the moment!! But it sure gets cold at nite, so bring the thermals! im not joking!!! Any questions give me a shout ok

Phyllis

 

phyllis
doing fine thanks but very impatient want to get this moving and get some dates set up so we know where we are. Hope it is all going ok with you where abouts in the uk are u from .
questions where do i start ?
where are you living, we have been looking at redland,mango hill and north lakes but still cant make our mind up .
did you take any pets with you , we have two dogs and are want to bring them with us but are unsure who to use .

 

Hi Marc

We 're from Glagow, but in the Gold Coast in Oz, (Upper Coomera) don't like it here, so we're thinking of moving when our 6mth rental is up, which is October. We have been looking at North Lakes or Albany creeks in the nth its nice up there, or Springfield lakes, Forest Lakes which I think is south west!! My daughter hasn't settled very well and wants to come back to UK on her own, she hates everything about Oz!! Have you looked on www.ourbrisbane.com.au it has loads of info. We left our dog behind, rehomed her it was heartbreaking, it is quite hard to get a rental here that will accept pets though, so im glad we left her. Then there s the cost, it all depends on the size of your dog, ours was a wee Lhasa Alpso and it was going to cost us £1700, they fly the dog into Sydney, then you have to arrange picking the dog up or flying it to brissie which is more cash!!!

Hope this helps
Take Care
Phyllis

 

thanks phyllis
My 18 yr old son is not to keen on coming but we have persuaded him to come and try it for six months .
what is it you dont like about the gold coast area
we want to settle in an area within 45 mins of brisbane centre but also close to construction work any ideas ?
did you have accomadation already for you when you arrived or did you find on arrival ?

mark

 

Hi Mark,

What type of construction are you in? my hubbies a chippy. I don't dislike the gold coast its just this area. and the fact my daughter isn't setteling at the school. We didn't have a rental organised for us coming, we just stayed in a holiday let until we found this place. We were up at Nth Lakes, Mango Hill and surrounding areas today then went to Springfield Lakes again and I think I like Springfield Lakes best plus its not far to brissie from there. So looks like we will be packing up again soon!!

Phyllis

 

Phyllis

We have lived in Springfield Lakes for about 10 months now after moving from Birmingham.I dont think you can go far wrong if you maybe moving here, it is just amazing as you have no doubt noticed, and there is so much happening here and when it is complete iti s going to be just magnificent,it will have everything you would want and more.

Hope you enjoyed your trip here

Villapom

 

Hi Villapom,

We have been up in Springfield/Forest lakes nearly every week end having a look round, think we prefer Springfiled lake it has the plus of that great shopping centre!! Do you know anything about the high schools? We have 2 teenagers (14 & 15) . Also whats it like traveling into brissie in the morning ,is the motorway really busy as its only 2 lanes? We would be renting for a while to see how we settle is there any area/streets I should avoid? sorry so many question!!

Thanks
Phyllis

 

Phyllis

All i know about the schools are that the school for younger kids opened in January and the school for older kids opens next year but in the meantime they go to the school in Springfield which by all accounts is very good anyway.

It doesnt take long to get into Brissie on the motorway even in the mornings, even though it is only 2 lanes(i hate the roads here,and the way they drive)

We looked at Forest Lake before we came here,but im glad we didnt move there.As for the shopping centre here that is only phase 1 there are another 3-4 phases yet to come(much to my wifes delight)

Also there are lots of jobs up here

Hope to have helped

 

Hi Villapom

Thanks for that, your wife sounds like me a bit of a shop-a-holic!!!! At the moment though we re in the gold coast til October!!! Then we will def have to make the descision one way or they other!!
Next time we're up you way we should arrange to meet up for a coffee, speak soon.

Thanks again
Phyllis

 

Phyllis

I forgot to answer about is there a street or area to avoid, not really,we did live on the university side to start with,but iy was like living on a building site,so we moved to the other side by the lake and the shops,but now the other side is taking shape so it all looks good to me

Villapom

 

Phyllis
Im a mechanic/plant fitter but have spent a lot of time on construction plant ,the main reason we want to be close to construction work is for my son james who is a plasterer , at the moment i dont care what i do i just want to get there . we are putting our house on the market for the 1st of july and are looking at all the different suburbs in and around brisbane. trouble is there are so many , we live in a small town in herefordshire and everywhere is going to be so different it is hard to make a decision .
hope your daughter settles soon

mark