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| 2 weeks here and loving it | |
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| Topic Started: 5 Nov 2007, 07:37 AM (571 Views) | |
| DollyDaydream | 5 Nov 2007, 07:37 AM Post #1 |
Settled Member
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Been here just over 2 weeks and really love it. It seems like we've been here a lot longer....we've all settled in well. We came over at the beginning of September to validate visas so we got a lot sorted out..TFN, a rental, medicare, centrelink which made our permanent move over a few weeks later far less stressful. We had to validate by 2nd October and in the period of having booked the validation trip and putting house on the market, MrDD managed to get himself a job. They wanted him to start mid-October so we had no choice but to still do the validation trip. It was great though as the boys had a tour of their school, we got heaps done in preparation for the 'big' move over, met Caroline and her family (who were lovely)...so all in all, it worked out well. When we did the 'big' move,we spent the first week in the Big4 at Frankston whilst we got our rental sorted with furniture etc. Our rental is a 5 min walk for the boys to school and from our bedroom window we can see the bay (well, a small expanse of water, but the bay nonetheless :D ). Boys have started school at Frankston High and like it and MrDD started work in the CBD and that's going well too. Had a few hiccups when we first got here (as do most people I guess) but nothing unsurmountable and easily fixed (after a bit of hair pulling out!!!). We've just bought a 6 month old Yaris as a runaround....going to get a Tarago once funds are sorted from the UK. The final couple of weeks in the UK was mental (mainly due to the organisation skills of MrDDs new company). We'd been told that MrDD would be given a pot of money to fund flights/shippers etc and to get quotes in. So by the time we came over in September we'd got most things covered, just waiting for the go-ahead. We went up to their offices so MrDD could sign his work contract. At that point they said they would deal with everything - flights/shippers/rental furniture/rental car/first weeks accomm at Big4 etc. I've never seen a bigger p*** up in a brewery in my life! No forward thinking/planning. For example, we gave them our 'preferred' airline/shippers etc and because Big4 didn't have the holiday cabin available, we were told no accommodation was available. I then phoned Big4 from the UK and sorted out an ensuite cabin for the days we needed. Not difficult, but geez why couldn't they think of doing that. Oh and the totty we gave our preference list to sat on it for over a week before doing anything about it, giving them just under 3 weeks to sort the whole lot out. Don't get me wrong, we are very grateful indeed that MrDDs company funded our move over, we have been exceptionally lucky, but the stress it caused was enormous, and add to that the emotional stresses that I thought I was prepared for but wasn't, I was a complete head case!!! To think that we were moving in just over week but still hadn't got a shipper or flights sorted was very scarey. We had a small family leaving do which wasn't too bad on the emotions (I only blubbed around 50 times). Said our goodbyes to friends. The shippers came on Monday 15th Oct, packed for 2 days then the container arrived on Wednesday. Wednesday evening we stayed in a hotel near Heathrow and on midday thursday we flew out. Had a week here to settle in and on the 29th the boys started school and MrDD his new job. I never thought I'd see the day where I'd be posting a thread from Oz, it's been a very long and rocky ride to get to this stage, but it's all been worth it. Good luck to all who are in the process of moving over.... D D |
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| benle | 5 Nov 2007, 08:04 AM Post #2 |
Addicted Member
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glad to hear everythg is going well !!! c u next week for that brew x :D |
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| ValeSpark | 5 Nov 2007, 08:54 AM Post #3 |
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Glad its going great (Hope it goes as well for us) Pete, Ruth and Jasmin |
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| Lindsay Clan | 5 Nov 2007, 08:56 AM Post #4 |
 
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Welcome to Melbourne and glad that everything has worked out for you. Hope you continue to be happy here in all that you do and achieve. :waving: |
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| Pootle | 5 Nov 2007, 03:41 PM Post #5 |
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Hey - didn't know you'd moved over now!! Glad everything is going well for you. Once the new eastlink opens you'll have to pop over for coffee! Ruth :) |
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| True Blue | 6 Nov 2007, 06:57 PM Post #6 |
Elite Member
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Hi :waving: Welcome to the other side......we haven't been here that long either (arrived the end of August) but feels like we've been here a lifetime! We love it and it already feels like home :D Good luck with all that the future holds. :thumbsup: Di x |
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| kelzo70 | 6 Nov 2007, 08:17 PM Post #7 |
Addicted Member
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Great post, glad to hear its all going along nicely for you. We are looking at the Frankston south/ mt Eliza/ mornington area to live and have read that Frankston high is a good school! What do you think of the catchment area around that school and did you get the boys in just from the big 4 rental? also (sorry lots of questions) which area are you looking into to settle and are you allowed to move out of the catchment area and the boys be allowed to stay on at the school? just out of interest how old are they and which year did you put them into ( ie...oldest/youngest in class ) my boys are 16 & 13 and little girl of 4. Thanks in advance :thumbsup: Enjoy your new lives Kerrie, Eddie & family :Grin: |
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| DollyDaydream | 7 Nov 2007, 10:50 AM Post #8 |
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Settled Member
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Hi there, When we were over in September we secured our rental then. All we had to do to enrol the boys in school was to take a copy of the rental agreement and copies of their school reports. All of the local people we've spoken to about FHS have said what a good school it is. Our boys are on their 2nd week so it's early days yet so don't really have a solid feel for the school yet. But on impressions so far, we're very pleased. They are very strict with their school zone, we looked at a rental which was fabulous but it was one street out of catchment, I rang them to see if it would be OK but they said catchment area only. Not sure about leaving catchment after you've got your child(ren) into the school but I'll post an update in a few months time when the boys have been there a bit longer. No1 son was 15 in May and has gone into Year 10 (Year 11 in January and will start his VCEs) and No2 son was 13 in February and has gone into Year 8 (Year 9 in January). It's all a bit fluffy as to where children will be placed, the school takes into account their birthday and the year they are in at school in the UK and then makes their decision upon when in the year they were born. Ideally, we want to move down to Mt. Eliza or Mornington (Mt. Martha is just a bit too far for MrDD to drive to Frankston to catch the train in the morning). But where we are at the moment within a short walk or 5 min drive we've got a Good Guys, Bunnings, chemists, doctors, dentists, Bayside shopping centre, etc etc. Just waiting for our house to sell and then we're hitting the Real Estate agents!!!! - can't wait. If you want any more info then either PM me or wing off an email, I'll be glad to help as much as I can. D D |
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| DollyDaydream | 7 Nov 2007, 10:52 AM Post #9 |
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Hi Ruth, Still pinching myself - can't believe we're here! So how long have you been here, and where did you settle? D D xx |
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| Pootle | 7 Nov 2007, 11:14 AM Post #10 |
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Addicted Member
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Nearly 3 years now!! (Time flies when you're having fun!) We're up in Ivanhoe which is to the north-east of the cbd. Let me know if you're ever over this way, or if there's anything you need - be happy to help if I can. (You can stop pinching yourself now before you're black and blue - you really are here!!) Ruth :D |
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| hevs | 9 Nov 2007, 07:47 PM Post #11 |
Forever Ignored.
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Welcome Dolly, glad to see you're here :thumbsup: |
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