Shout out to BIB's
Hi, my name is Gemma, I have too just discovered this website, looks brill.
As everyone knows its quite daunting the thought of moving down under but the positives weigh out the old negs on staying in the UK.
I am 32 (were have the years gone please??) and my hubby is 32, both living in Cardiff at the mo, he's a welsh one and I'm from liverpool originally. I am a nurse and he is IT (or I call him a cone head!!).
Flights are booked for 30th Sep, so were are both on countdown, planning to rent for abit in northern brisbane so it would be lovley to hear from any peeps that are within the area. Or any fellow nurses that have made the move would be great. To be honest it would just be lovley to hear from anyone in the same boat with any tips help ect. I have read didgeree do's and didgeree don'ts book and it gives some good tips but obviously not the same to actually speakin to someone living down there at the mo.....

Thanks Gemma x

 

Hi Gemma welcome to BIB
There are loads of uk nurses working in hospitals out here so you should certainly meet some of them at some point.
Good Luck with the move and post any questions you have and we will all do our best to help.

Cal x

 

hi ya Gemma
best thing we ever did moving down under
We live in Chermside at the mo, renting. Till we get our own place.
Where abouts in Brizzy are you gonna go to, or you still decideing?
There is a large hospital here in Chermside, think it's called the Prince Charles hospital. So you could try there.
You will have to let me know how you get on with the IT side.
My future son in law did his degree in 3D animation so will be looking for work next year, if all goes well. And if he can't find 3D animation work then IT it is. Another (cone head ha ha)
Family and friends say how bad the weather is there in the UK.
Lovely weather here. But when it rains it tanks it down.
Bit cold at the mo tho.
But in the summer you will find it unbareable just like the ozzies do.
There is lots to do here. Plenty of parks. Beaches ect.
When we first came think we did every shopping centre in north side Brisbane ha ha.
But you also have Redcliffe that is 10/15 mins away lovely up there, has a lovely lagoon to swim in. Google it and have a look. Plenty of places to go to here. And Brizzy is only a stones throw away from Chermside.
The only down side I can see for peeps is that if you have strong family ties back home.
A lot of peeps can't settle then. Or find it hard.
Anyways hun hope you have a fab time getting here and enjoy OZ when you do get here.
deffo best choice for us, we are rong side of 40 as they say. But love it.
Cheers Brig :biggrin:

 

G'day Brig

G'Day Brig, Thanks so much for your response, sounds like your all aving a fab time down under, honeslty I am on serious countdown..cannot wait to go!!
So sounds like you have some family out there with you already, with you mentioning your son in law? What do you do for work out there?

Chermside looks like a nice area,we have investigated loads of different places, think where gonna stick to north brisbane, round brighton and bracken ridge, bald hills..then venture once there to get some proper bearings and see where we would defo like to settle as its lookin like a big place!!

Thanks also for the info about the prince charles hospital, i will divulge, I have only really looked into the teaching hospitals, the princess alexander looks not too shabby!! So how hot is it today? the weather is crap here as you have prob heard from family...another year without a summer I think thats whats gonna happen yet again!!!


So do you find thaat you come across alot of brits out ther already cause I was reading about 30% of the population is brits in queensland..mad isn't it??

I know what you are saying about family it is gonna be well tough but I plan to sponser my mum and dad to come over in 2 years of being there as we have got a residency visa already sitting in the passport!! My mum and dad immigrated to the gold coast 4 years ago no and they lasted a pathetic 6 months as they missed home too much and me and my brother, but while they were away I moved to cardiff and my brother went to china, so felt well sorry for them coming back but at leaset in the future we can all be together again.

Did you take any pets over with you, I know strange question but we have not long given our dog away, he was a little pug but it was well risky flying him with his breathing as snub nose dogs find it really hard to cool down and they can then dehydrate on the flight so it wasn't worth the risk!! Just wondering if you have seen any pugs over ther as I would love to get another one as soon as I am there...miss him so much!!

So what do you and your partner do oveer there for work? is it well more laid back?? the only problem is with me I won't wanna work when I get there i'll be thinkin i'm on a permanant jolly!! So how do you spend yur weekends..any recommendations??

Lovley hearing from you..hopefully hear back soon, until then throw a shrimp on the barby for me xxx

 

hiya good to here from you
Totally guttered there typed loads and hit the wrong bloody button ARGHHHH!!!!!
Where was I.

We don't have family here at the mo, my daughter and her partner soon to be son in law. They want to come over for good. Probs next year hopefully
I do have family in Geelong tho but never met them.

I have a freind in bracken ridge, is very quite there. Redcliffe is loverly, beaches, lagoon go whale watching. Pubs restraunts and a few shops only small place. But nice.
We were country bumkins till we came here.
havn't been on a night out yet but will do
There are pubs restraunts and a large club here that has bands on plus the pokiesQuite lively here.
Depends if you like quiet or lively.
Yeah is a big place.

Our first weekend here was in Jan bloody hot and we decided to go for a little walk. We were renting in Clontarf then. We went for sun tan lotion ha ha 4hrs later we had walked upto Redcliffe and back Margate shopping centre nearly colapsed through the heat. And got bloody burnt, funny as. everyting is spread out so much here. We thougt it was just arround the corner.

We have met our friends who are brits came out same time and we were gonna help each other if we got stuck cos we both came over with pennies compaired to some Brits
Met a few Brits But they do say Redcliffe is central fo Brits. And a lot still moan about oz.
Lifes what you make it.



Weather dose get a bit rainy sorry terrential at times.
The summers are bloody hot tho so the winter time is cool a bit like English summers. But after you have done the summer you will feel bloody cold on a night.
My daughter said it has been rubbish over there in the uk.

aw your poor mum and dad, but at least your gonna get them over so that's a bonus for you.

We have had to wait 3 months to get our ikkle chiwawa out due to cash flow. But he fly's next Tues and lands in Sydney on Fri he will get out of quarranteen just before my bday WHOOOPPPEEE!!!!
Can't wait to see him
Such a shame you couldn't bring your dog with you. hard to leave them.
But if you have a look on Trading post Brisbane Qld, you should find plenty on there. They also have puppies in shopping centres here, we thought it was cruel at first but they are looked after.

I don't work at the mo, did work in a nursing home as a domestic every thing to cook. Wanted to come out and go into care with dementia patients, but not as easy to get into here. So a lady of lesuire.
When my daughter comes out for good we are gonna go into buisness and do alternate clothing cup cakes and candy all home made
My hubby was classed as a cabinet fitter but couldn't find work, so purely by chance we were told of a rental that needed doing up and we got 6 weeks free rent,. So we didn't have any choice and took it on.
Well it was a right state needed bug bombing it had had dead termites which were glued fast to curtains walls cupboards 100's dirty and smelly dead roches. We nearly died but didn't have any choice.
Even the sink is on a table. But we have transformed it it's lovely now, just need to do the kitchen.
And to boot our landlord is lovely he has taught my hubby how to do guttering and he is making good money now. So I do cooking for our landlord, think he likes the company. We live in a bungalow that has been partitioned he lives on the other side of us. Nice man.
He only charges us 250 a week and that includes electric gas and iternet. So done ok.

the peeps are so funny here and the swearing that they come out with on the news from time to time is funny. Yeah deffo laid back.
Right gone on too much as per usual.

When do you's make the big move then?
I bet you can't wait.
Wish you well and if there is anything you need to know please ask and I will try to help.
All the best Brig xxx

 

G'day again Brig,

Thanks again so much for your response it was much appreciated with your info and its so nice to have a chat with you...Mmmmm maybe have to put the thinkin cap on about moving near bald hills, not wanting to get old before my time as I'm only bloody 32...and still like it ALOT livley!!!

Ahhhh, i'm so happy to hear that you have your little fella flying over he'll be with you before you know it..not long...bet you cannot wait!! God it was a pure mission deciding on what to do about Hoagie (the little fat pug!!) but just the thought of him not making the flight i would never have forgiven myself what so ever!! Can't believe you can go the market and buy a dog...funny, like you say I would prob think it was abit cruel too but if they are looked after well, thats all you could ask for really!! Hey whilst on the topic have you been to that market called eumundi or carrara markets they look bloody class, I'd happily spend an entire day mooching round...si will be crawling over all the stuff i'll be buying when i get over there...we live in a small one bedroom flat in cardiff at the mo...so when one has more space...i'll be running a riot on purchases..must get a job first to pay for it all!!!!!

So how long have you been over there for now? So whens your birthday? Got any nice plans??

We have flights booked for 30.09 but have a 2 day stop over in the kongeridge...break up the flight and I get to see my big bad bro as he resides in China so he is going to meet us there....soooooooooooooooo excited, seriously!!!

God I am soo jelo that you are a lady of leisure and what a plan of action in when your daughter comes over sounds like a fab idea...cake making, yum yum I would be the size of a house!! I was saying to Si after we have been there a few years I would love nothing more than to open up a little cafe and just make amazing sandwiches..nursing is so stressful here and constantly bore myself with saying how short staffed we are and not forgetting under paid...but prob chnage my mind when I get over there hopefully with a slower pace and muchas less patients to look after..I have just finished a batch of nights and I had 17 patients...any need???

So when is your daughter planning on coming out for good, hopefully next year you said, is she getting married in blighty or down under? you gonna sponser her too?

God I really cannot believe what you went through with your house, my god I would have been sleeping with one eye open and wrapped in a mosquito net...you have done so well there, bloody well done!! But how good is that with your rent thats well cheap, we have been looking around and finding it a tad expensive so after a good few months and a right old mooch we will hopefully buy...as don't wanna be living somewhere too quiet so it'll be investigations until we find somewhere right i think the nearer to brisbane maybe the better?? Chermside is a nice little location just had a mooch on the map, we have seen a few nice rentals in fitzgibbon do you know much about that area??

So you lookin nice and brown now...its gonna be lethal for me, bloody love the sun, I'm the type that does the whole circumference with the lounger when I'm sitting out in it, total freak but just need to stay in line no half burnt bodies for me!!!

Right well I think you could talk more than me, funny!! Defo keep in touch it'll be lovely to have a friend when we land on the other side of the world...so would you recommend bringing the old winter woolies when we have climatised??

Speak soon xxxxxxxx

 

Good moring as it is here now.
Been quite lazy and got up at 9.30am. LOL

Nah havn't been to those markets yet but will write them down and have agood nosey
When we first got here we must have checked out all the shopping centres here. So funny our friends did the same too.

They have some fab furniture shops here, and we have already picked our suite out. Gonna buy my chair soon to the suite, just have to make sure it fits through the door first. LOL
And some of the wooden animal carvings are brill. I seen a huge lizard that I want and he's only $250 dollars you woul pay £100's in the uk.

Weve been here just over 3 months but we feel we have been here for ever. We love it, no worries as they say here.

darryl my hubby calls me out front on a night as we have possums that sit on the telegraph poles so cute.
frogs you don't touch here as can be leathal, especially for doggies and cats.
We have gekko's that come in on a night they are sooooo cute, but they make loud noises on a night. You will probs get the odd roach or spider. I really hate bugs big time.

Nursing is a hard job. i don't envy you.
But when I was in the nusing home i used to sit with the demetia paitents, it's amazing how much of a coversation they will have with you if you take time with them.
I used to clean up flem which makes me gip as some of the philipeano nurses would just walk away, used to bug the crap out of me. But I couldn't leave them in a state. Nursing homes opened my eyes big time sad place.

My daughter gets married next Oct and hopefully soon after that they will be here, can't wait.
I have 2 other kids well grown ups. My eldest is married and my son in the middle is living with a girl. he wants to come eventually. Older daughter wont who is married, we don't get on with her partner or I don't. But that's another story LOL.

Our friend hubby commutes to Brizzy on the train all week as you couldn't drive in the traffic is really bad in the mornings and evenings. he is an accountant in CBD.

Don't know much abour Fitzgibbon.
Tan is comming on slowly, brown on top will have to get the other half done
My bday is 24th june and my daughter arrives that day with her partner, so excited. She wont want to go back.
weve got lots planned and were gonna do Tangalooma whale watching and dolphin feed check it out. It's only a stone throw away from Redcliffe/Brizzy. Looks fab.

You will need coats and woolies as it is cold on a morning and evening. I've got a fur coat comming in my boxes. Not a real one only fake for me.

EE I bet your so excited about comming. Oz is what you make it you can have a quite life or bussy and lively life. It deppends what you want.

Like I said they don't seam big on pubs here. But when we eventuall get our own place next year, want to be where it is lively. And loads of busses, i don't drive which is a down side. But doesn't bother me.

Anything else you need just ask away.
Hope the weather picks up for you in the Uk.
Have a great Sunday or sat night for you at the mo.
Take care Brig xxxxxx

 

Hey there

Sorry to jump in on your conversation! We're hoping to move to Queensland at the end of the year, I quite fancy the Gold Coast. I'm a nurse too but I work in the Community because, like you I got fed up with coming home every day moaning about the lack of time\staff etc. in the hospital. Work is now fantastic and much more laid back, I'm hoping to carry on working in the community in Australia as I can't face going back into hospital!

I was interested in what you said about sponsoring your parents to come out with you, I too want my parents to move out with us asap. Any tips on what I need to do would be gratefully received!

Once again sorry for hijacking your conversation!

Emma x

 

Alright there Emma, don't worry your more than welcome to join in..more the merrier as they say!!

Its very nice to hear from you by the way!! Community nurse then?? don't blame you mate, I have ones fingers crossed that its a slower pace over there! Have you missioned you IELTS test yet? I have mine on the 28/29th May, dreading it to death to say the least! Loads of english nurses are failing it and I have not stopped revising the last couple of days to get questions about CO2 ommissions and what the government can do for the environment and global warming...err but what has that got to do with nursing?? frayness!!

Anyways fingers crossed. I have been looking into info about sponsering folks and its abit of a minefield (to say the bloody least!!). I know that you can only sponser them one you have lived and been a resident for 2 years but it can be abit of a lenghy process, your folks can pay additional money to fast track and there are 2 types of visa'a they can go on. I'm gonna properly look into it when I get a sec from bloody revisin for this shi**ter of an exam so I'll keep you posted. In the meantime have a mooch on these websites and also there's info on the DIAC....
the websites are......
Plain English Guide to Sponsoring Family Members for Migration to Australia

http://www.australianimmigrationvisas.com/parents-visa-subclass-103

So have you booked your flights or anything yet? My parents immigrated to the gold coast they loved it..hense thats why they wanna go back!! Surfers paradise..oh yes bet you cannot wait!!

Let me know how you get on re visas and visa versa xx
Keep in touch if you need any help with anything give us a shout xxx

 

Alright there Brig, So sorry for being a tad slack on the old response front...not been too well and started the bloody revision fro my IELTS exam, so p**ed off I have to sit it, but hey ho i'm not alone...i'm actually boring myself talking about it so i'll put a sock in it!!
God so you have done so well considering that you have only been there for 3 months and seem to be settling in really well, that great i'm so happy for you!!

Oh I cannot wait to get a mooch out and about in all the craft shops...I am a bad sucker for the old wood carvings, like a said we live in a small falt and si just rolls his eyes now when something new appears, he has got used to it!!

So did you have a nice weekend? The weather hasn't chnaged, its gone well nippy for may, but i suppose its just the same old crap british weather...4 seasons in one day!!

Ahhh bet you cannot wait for your little visitations, not long to go bet your really excited, and birthday girl, what a way to celebrate but to swim with dolphins, I have cardiff bay to have a dip in but one would probably catch pneumonia!!

Ahh can I just say phlem, is one thing I can never get used too..makes me wretch but patients dignity is more important than my stomach..think its hard as nails after the past 3 years...could probably eat a sandwich in one hand and wipe someones a**e with the other, ha ha only messin, only if I was paid!!

Well I hope your good and enjoying your days there miss Lady of Leisure!
Speak soon, sorry its only a short one, not used to revisin pie charts and graphs and reading stories on agricultural horses ( honest a god no messin!!??!!) , that was a previous test paper...what the hell is that about?? Anyways speak soon matey xxxxxx

 

Hey there no problem,
Just get your work sorted first.
My daughter is sitting exams at college and it;s doing her head in.

Don't meen to rub it in was down the beach this weekend. But it was nippy here too. So we just sat and relaxed. My friend took her little ones and they were collecting sea weed lots of it.

So excited to see my dog Maxi. And for my daughter to come over Whooppeee!!!!

I was guttered this morning forund out on of the old guys from the home died. He had dementia. So i used to sit and talk with him.
My freind at the home said they where putting him in the lounge and leaving him. Poor man. They even left him sat at the table to feed himself when he found it difficult to do. God make me mad.
One day we found him with a table pushed into his legs so he couldn't stand up only cos he used to stand up and turn arround. So we moved the table. Poor man.
My daughter who worked there too said after seeing what goes on in a home she would never put us there.
Thank god ha ha.

Oh i saw an ikkle pug for sale on Trading post the other day was thinking about you. He looked so cute bless.

Go get on with your home work. LOL
speak soon hun, and stay warm xxxxxxx

 

Well ahoy there Brig, how the hell is one?

What have you been up to this week, any news? Whats the bloody weather like, its criminals here, like pi**in winter again, boltic at night too, and its nearly god dam june...roll on roll on isn't even in it!!

Ahhh I'm so sorry to hear about that poor man that passed away, its never easy hearing stuff like that, and what sort of b**tards would leave him to fend for himself and feed when he was incapable, makes me sick stuff like that, just lazyness, get another job if you can't do it properly!!

If I won the lottery I would love to run loads of nursing homes so people would get the right standard of care and properly staffed, and then witth the remains of the cash buy a nice pub..oh yes that would be an essentail!!

So whats the plans for this weekend? Up to anything nice, heading to the beech..you make me so jelo!! But why the bloody hell not!!

Revision going ok bought yet another prep book for it and getting better my pea brain is expanding with knowlegde ha ha!!

So how many weeks till you get that gorgeous little dog of yours? Ahhhhhhhhhh I cannot believe you seen a little pug, I cannot wait to get another one I miss hoagie to bits, unbelievable!! Are pugs expensive over there by the way like they are here in the UK?

Hope that you have a fab weekend let me know what you get up too. I'm cooking steak tonight and then goin out for bevs tom in cardiff, then back to work on monday, mare !!!

I'll look forward in hearing for you soon Brig, take care until then xxxxxx

 

Hey ho
were great down here, a bit cold but at least the sun is shining

Hey winning the lottery sound good especially if your gonna buy a pub I'll be there a few larger and blacks or Pernod's LOL.

Plans for this weekend is to take the kids down to Clontarf to see the big Kite show they have on. Not my kids my freinds Been there and done that a long time ago

Keep that swatting up you never no might end up with a brian the size of an elephant. Do they have big brains tho ha ha.

4 weeks on Mon we will get him. Need to go and buy him lots of toys, new t-shirts, maybea jacket tho he might not need one this year. and a new harness and lead. Oh a bean bag for him to curl up on.
Was really panaking about him staying at my hubby's parents. But to my supprise Maxi had a ball and got spoilt too. My sister in law said he sat on her lap whilst driving, thinks he's agrand prix driver ha ha. No he shouldn't but he was scared. That is also my eldest daughters fault for him doing that she used to have him on her knee whilst driving Dangerous.
Aw well he's here now so will ring quarranteen up to see how he is today. Think the whole thing has cost arround £3,000 not cheap is it.
there are some pugs advertised on Trading post at the mo and he looks a proper little terror LOL, he's priced at $1,000 so think that's about £600 is that about right.
Only thing over here they don't like dogs all over the beaches so you have to find one's where they can go to. And walks to like in the forrests and mountains they don't like dogs there cos of the wild life which is fair enough, so just have to look arround. All we'll do is get a tent and then Maxi will sit in there, so he can still go to the beach with us.

I've been making sos rolls cheese an O pasties, cos ther expensive here to buy.
I did my beef for tomoz dinner with onions and gravy.Yummy.

I'd make the most of the pubs before ya get here enjoy while ya can.
Have a fab night out, speak soon and try to stay warm
Till our next chat xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx