Guest julieMHnurse Posted September 12, 2014 Share Posted September 12, 2014 As a long term member and stalker of PIO I have often been put off this forum due to the lack of activity. However, I notice Perth Poms, Life in Victoria and Poms in Adelaide are all really active forums. So come on fellow Queenslanders and Queenslander wannabies... Lets start using this forum more!!! I propose we all get to know each other a little better... I am Julie. Wife to hubby and mum to 3 children 10, 8 and 3. We are hoping to be in Queensland in September 2015 however a job offer may speed that up. We are aiming for Brisbane/GC area but would consider Townsville or Cairns too as we like the entire state. I am a mental health nurse, newly qualified after a career change and will be looking for work on arrival. Hubby will be a stay at home dad for around 6 months whilst the children settle. Looking for people to share the journey with. I have waited for so long and I am excited about taking the next steps. IELTS academic test on the 20th eeek! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest julieMHnurse Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 Come on everyone 77 views and no posts... It doesn't take long to join! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Keith & Linda Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 Hi Julie, yes this queensland one is very quiet, I did mention it before and was told it's new and give it time. I try and respond where I can, but any questions asked about visa's and the like, I really know nothing about, like wise with area's to live outside the SEQ area, except that work opportunities are better around the Brisbane / Gold / Sunshine coasts, likewise with schooling too I know nothing. We came here as a family in 1999, the kids were at working age, daughter now married to a Aussie soldier from Perth, and looks like they will be moving there next Jan due to his promotion. We live in the Redland City area on the bayside of Brisbane and find we have all amenities and it is central enough, with both City and Gold coast at 45min and Sunshine coast 1hr. Good luck with your move and any job offers, please ask any general questions and I will try to help. Keith & Linda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mjdbannister Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 Hi, my name's Mark and I've been in Australia for a week. I'm moving to Maryborough. I'm actually hear now to visit my future employer, I'm a teacher, and have a look around the town. I don't know a soul here so it's going to be an adventure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tothemoon Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 Hi everyone. Great to see this forum being used a bit more. I'm an adult nurse student due to qualify in January 2015. Hoping to make the move 2017 and looking at Sunshine Coast. Mark I hope things go well for you. I will be on my own when I make the move so I can imagine how daunting it is yet exciting. Julie you have it well planned and are determined. I wish you all the best. X Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest julieMHnurse Posted September 20, 2014 Share Posted September 20, 2014 Lovely to see some more members! Thanks Keith and Linda for the feedback, QLD looks such a beautiful place to live. I feel so lucky to have the opportunity. Good Luck Mark, I don't know Maryborough but I will have a nosy, feel like there are still so many suburbs to explore! You know me and my organisation, I hate being unorganised!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AnneHfromsussex Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 Hi. Julie has already been messaging me (bless you) but I'd like to introduce myself to other members. Been in Australia 12 days... Moved from West Sussex and now on Sunshine Coast. Am a nurse practitioner from UK (GP practice) and married to Tony, GP. Have 18yr old daughter, Katherine, with us, and 22yr old son coming out in 2 months with his girlfriend. Hubby started work today in Woodford/Wamuran. I'm not going to be working for a while ( ) and Kat is on a 'gap' yr after A levels. Staying in Moffat Beach for 2 weeks, then Mooloolaba till our belongings arrive from UK. Would love to meet up with anyone who has the time as we know noone ... And Kat is finding it all especially difficult. She wants to get on a plane home. Look forward to hearing from future friends Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tothemoon Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 Hi AnnH. How exciting for you. I hope the move went smoothly and you are finding your way around. The only thing I can suggest for meeting people is taking up a hobby, that way you meet people with similar interests. I can imagine it must be really difficult not knowing anybody, especially for an 18yr old that is used to having her friends around her. I hope she settles. Xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mjdbannister Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 I've now got a car, got a lease on a unit, sorted on the employment front, transferring my pension, gained a TFN.....It's amazing how much you can do in a week or so. Loving the weather too. Still listening to BBC radio 4 though :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tothemoon Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 Wow you have been busy. When do you start work? Nice to hear you're getting sorted. Look forward to the update and maybe some pics if the beach just to show us what we're missing. :-) x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest julieMHnurse Posted September 28, 2014 Share Posted September 28, 2014 Sounds like things are working out pretty well... You are so brave doing it on your own! Are you still in holiday mode? When do you think it will 'click' that you actually live in QLD? It still doesn't seem real that I am nearly there and I have been planning this since Feb 2008! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dawn2002 Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Hi there I have been a member of this forum for a while, but don't use it much, also due to lack of activity. Anyway, I'm Dawn, been on the Gold Coast just over a year with Hubby ( Aussie from GC, hence the move here) and 2 children, 4 1/2 yr old daughter( going on 14 !) and my son who's 2 1/2. I'm a stay at home mum at the moment. It took a while for us to find our feet. But once you work out what's what, and get a bit of normality in life it settles down. Good luck with your moves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tothemoon Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Hi Dawn. Lovely to meet you. What would you do differently if you had the chance of a do over? Any suggestions for things you wish you had/ hadn't done? X Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dawn2002 Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Hmm, that's a difficult one. There's a few. For me I think, I defiantly wouldn't have had such a long stopover in Singapore, (4 nights), we stayed on Sentosa Island, but there wasn't a massive amount for our children to do. The zoo was good though. I think the other things would be, think really hard about stuff you bring with you, we've about 6 boxes we haven't unpacked yet, so really did we need to bring them ? Also I defiantly wouldn't pack myself in order to save a few hundred pounds ! It really isn't worth it. We also imported our car, but didn't think about the month or so we'd be without one. We hired one for half of that time, we'd probably have been better buying one as it cost us a couple of grand or so. Luckily hubby's dad lent us one of his when we realised how much it was going to us for the entire time. And as far as finding a rental, try not to rush it and make sure you think it's defiantly right for you. Not easy when you have 15 mins to view with other people !! We made a bit of a poor choice, especially on the per week, hence we are moving on Friday. Our family of 4 spends around $200 pw on food, and I buy a lot of own brand stuff. I've also found electricity quite expensive. So you need to factor it in when considering what you can afford. Anyway don't let any of that put you off, I love it here and the children are very happy. Any other questions, fire away, I'm not an expert, but I can always try ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tothemoon Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Thanks Dawn x glad you're all settling in well. I'm sure I'll think of other questions xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest snaik Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Hi, I'm Sally planning on moving to Brisbane with husband Paul and 2 daughters aged 6yrs and 11yrs. Just been granted our PR visa's and planning on spending xmas/new year in Goa (my husband is from there) visiting family then onto Brisbane in January ready for the kids to start school. I am a nurse with 13 yrs experience, but only have a Diploma. I am waiting for AHPRA to refuse my registration and hope that they offer me a bridging programme. Otherwise I will have to consider a different career. Seems a shame when its my nursing qualification that actually entitiled us to a visa!! Ah well, what will be, will be!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tothemoon Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Hi Sally, I can only imagine how disappointed you are. I hope you get to do the bridging programme and carry on with your career. Keep us updated with your journey xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Keith & Linda Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 Good to see all you guys talking, it all sounds reasonably good for you all too, I wish you all well in your lives, and I will try to jump-in with any advice/comment/reccommendations or be plain nosey whenever possible. Cheers Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest julieMHnurse Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 Dawn nice to hear from someone who has settled in the Gold Coast. It's the area I am always drawn to as I have three children but don't seem to see many roles advertised for mental health nurses. I contacted the local recruitment team but they weren't very helpful! Please let us know what your life is like, are your children happy in schools? Do you think you will buy in the area? Snaik, what a shame for you. These changes have been handled so poorly its not fair on so many nurses. Is there no way you can ask an Australian Uni if you can top up rather than do the bridging course? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dawn2002 Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 Hi Julie The Gold Coast is lovely and I like it very much, it has wonderful beaches that are rarely crowded, and Springbrook national park around 45 mins drive away. We settled here purely because my OH grew up here and his family are here. We obviously checked out the job prospects before hand though. I will say a job on a website you are completely suited to is not necessarily easy to get ..Hubby is an accountant. He currently works at the casino, but will be starting with Suncorp up in Brisbane next month. So I'll be able to advise in the commute in a few months !! I couldn't offer much help with your line of work. They have recently opened a new hospital here, which a friend of mine ( a midwife) works at. There are numerous private hospitals/clinics about too. I'm sure if need be I could look up local recruitment agencies for you. Maybe this web address could assist with you research ? http://www.health.qld.gov.au/goldcoasthealth/html/workforus/nurses.asp We now live in Mudgeeraba, which is the hinterland side of the motorway. Only been here a week, so no strong opinions yet, but it is hubby's home town so I won't be able to be to harsh !! For me personally, life is not to much different on the day to day stuff. My daughter starts school in Jan, we have enrolled her in a private school nearby. My son will also go to the Kindy there. I visited two of the state schools we were considering, both were good, one was noticeably better than the other facilities wise. Some are strict on catchments some aren't. http://education.qld.gov.au/directory/schools/index.html, is the website to find a school. You can also look at the Naplan results, for a guide to the schools academic results. We felt the facilities were much better at the private school. Private school here is not so much of a big deal as it is in the UK. I will say that I personally feel the staff/ child ratio here in kindy is not what it should be and is less than the UK. However my children are happy, but it did take them a bit of adjusting, but it would have taken time if we'ed have moved their nursery in the UK. I like the fact that we can, if we want, just head to the beach for an afternoon, or even just an hour with not much hassle. I keep a bag with buckets and spades and a towel in the boot !! We plan to buy in the area in a couple of years. the dream of course is to buy some land and get a house built. But who knows what will happen, we still have to sell our UK house which we currently rent. Overall and bear in mind I'm not currently working, I'd say that for me life is the same as the UK, but the weather is significantly better. !!! The kids love going to the beach and my 4 year old can now swim (sort of), my son isn't to far behind. Are they happier, well I don't think they are old enough to know any different. But they are happy. Financially we are worse off, however we were both well paid in the UK. However we did not move for more money, it was more of a lifestyle change, being closer to family, ( we now get babysitting grandparents, whereas in the UK, through no fault of their own, my family just could not help out at all) and we wanted our children to grow up in Australia. So that's my honest opinion, experience so far of life on the Gold Coast. Anything else please shout. Cheers Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest thejoyproject Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Hi guys My names Sarah , we came here 3 yrs ago with my hubbys work and 2 kids in tow and we love it ! we live in the western suburbs of Brisbane and its beautiful ! easy access to the city and yet still feels close to the bush with great schools etc . We've moved internationally a few times now and so know how hard it can be ! and how much there is to do and when you get here the fun begins again, but it's def worth it . Along with a couple of friends we started The Joy Project this year www.thejoy-project.com and we are all about helping people settle in who've moved here and providing info for people looking at moving . We have a growing amount of info over on our site and we are adding to it all the time . We also have regular social events coffees, family BBQs and evening meals so people can meet others . At the moment its mainly for the city and the west but we are gradually growing as there are so many people here which is great . I would agree with others that the cost of living here is more but the quality of life outdoors you cant beat and its so great for our kids to be able to have so many outdoor activities . They are both very happy here . keep going to all of those applying for visas it is definitley worth all the hard work Blessings Sarah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lesleybruck Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Hi all just introducing myself was an active member up until we moved here about 18 months ago then i slacked off didnt intend too but live becomes busy. We live in the sunshine coast been here for about 18 months and we love it here, we hve been lucky and had most of our family come visit us already. Im married with 3 boys aged 14, (almost), 7 and 2. Hubby is an electrician currently working in brisbane, doesnt mind the commute. We hve made some good friends but always on the look out for more, i know how hard it is to make good friends, some you stick with some you dont. Im 41 soon to be 42 but dont tell anyone, hubby is 42. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Iscashe Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Hi, I'm Tracy, also a MH nurse and hoping to be in Queensland in September this year with hubby and 4 yr old daughter. Not sure which area, Sunshine Coast or Townsville appeal but wherever I can find a job I guess! Would be great to get to know some people a bit before we even arrive :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Shelley McGonigal Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Hi everyone My name is Shelley and myself and hubby and 2 kids moved to brisbane 7 and a bit years ago on a 457 visa - we are now citizens. My husband is an engineering consultant and travels around Australia so has an incite in a few different areas. After being a stay at home mum for a couple of years I went into property management here for 3 years in the western suburbs and I am still a registered real estate agent. I then did some business development for a cleaning company and helped them grow their business whilst starting my relocation agency business, opal relocations. I have found people great places to live all over Brisbane, acted as buyers agent while they were abroad and generally try to ease the stress and worry for them during this big move. Although I offer paid services I do try to use the forum to provide free advice where I can - and support you guys through what is a very tricky time. I have found a lot of people are moving here for a lifestyle change and we definitely have managed to balance our lives more - giving ourselves more time with the kids and doing the things we like to do. We do keep reminding ourselves why we came so that we don't get sucked into work work work!!! One of the biggest issues we find is being away from family and home sickness can set in, thank god for FaceTime, skype and google+. All I can say from my experience is get out there and keep trying to make friends, homesickness comes in bouts and will pass after a while, use social clubs and support groups to guide you through this tricky time, and keep focused on what you wanted to achieve from your move. Let's keep talking Shelley xxxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest emmiejay8 Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Hi everyone, we are family of 5, myself Emma 39, hubby 44 and 3 boys, 19, 17 and 10. Flying out to Brisbane on 7th may this year [emoji12] so excited booked holiday accommodation in moreton Bay Area so we can explore before we put down rootsx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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