Roadhouse

hi there, great to hear you are heading out too and have Baldivis in mind also, looks a great place to raise a family. It will be getting nice and warm then when yous make the move too :-). We will keep posting and let you know how it goes when we get there and cud meet while we play house mummy's , as think that will be a big change for me as I'm used to doing full time long hours at work, I'll have to keep myself busy and hopefully make some friends (as I'll have non :-(, boohoo) joanne x

Thank you deb, super excited, last day at work tomorrow and the real count down begins. Furniture floating somewhere just past Belgium on its way to Fremantle . Just fingers toes and everything else crossed now that the OH finds employment ok. Joanne x

Sounds great, yous have done really well. We arrive in just over 5 weeks and can't wait. My only worry is getting a job but I'll be applying for positions before we get there in the hope I can at least get an interview to give us hope. what do you do for work? I'm a quantity surveyor here in the north east and will be looking for a contract administrators job over in Perth. we have a 5 week holiday let in Baldivis to get us started while we look for a long term rental. Would love to look into building our own house so will explore the grant etc when we settle.

Thanks guys, VS, that's reassuring and always an option just to get some money coming in. Lozzachino, I'm an estimator / QS too, I was thinking of looking into estimating also so will keep an eye out. Once it's only 2 weeks until we arrive I'll be getting back in touch with the recruitment companies and also applying direct for any suitable positions

Thanks for the update VS, thats are only major worry really, I have to find work in the first 3 month. I'm bringing all my tools too as I'm a joiner by trade, so might get fixed up that way at first if need be. Not that I'm saying that's going to be any easier to find work. Thanks Deb, that would be great, I'll let Joanne (wife) know as she's better at arranging those kind of things. We have 2 kids 9 and 4 and they'll love the beaches and we just can't wait to get out there now.

Hi Deb, Thanks for your reply, is there positions advertised which he's applied for but hasn't been short listed or is there just not many jobs going? I'm hoping to get fixed up within the first 3 month otherwise may have to go FIFO as a last option which isn't ideal leaving wife and kids at home so early after moving, but I've been told these are easier to get as not as sought after, that way I can get the experience of the OZ way of working and hopefully get a local job soon after. hope your Oh gets something sorted soon. I see from your location heading yous are in Rockingham, how you finding it? We're heading to Baldivis and hoping to settle there after our 5 week holiday let is up. Did yous find a house ok etc thanks Lee

Hi All, Its normally my wife who would be posting on here but thought I'd give it a go as I could really do with some advise. We arrive in Perth in just over 5 weeks (30/07/14) and the plan is for me to look for work straight away, or even in advance if possible. I work for a main contractor here in the UK as a Contract Surveyor (Contractor QS) and I have been advised the equivelent out in OZ is a Contract Administrator. I've been in the Construction Industry for nearly 14 years now, I have a trade background (in Joinery) and a BSc (hons) Degree in Quantity Surveying. I have some Agency / Recruitment contacts from Perth who say they will help me search for a job once I arrive, however all the positions I see currently (and historically) advertised, state local knowledge and experience is essential! I just wondered if any other UK QS's on here have made the move and how easy (or hard) they found it to secure employment? Was this 'Local Experience' a problem? Also, does anyone know of any courses I should be looking to book on to help me out with the 'local knowledge' element , or any literature or on-line training I could complete prior to our arrivial? Many Thanks in advance for your help with this! Lee

Hi what a great post!!! Our container left today and only 7 weeks till we make the big move too and this post getting me even more excited and also a bit piece of mind about the whole thing. I just hope we do things as quick as you and oh finding a job so easily etc. well keep enjoying and won't be long until we r with all you perth lot :-) x

You very right about the 'chicken n egg' situation. But hopefully will all fall perfectly to plan :-). It still feels like counting down to a holiday rather than leaving completely but very sure the reality will hit soon enough. We will all have to share our travel adventures and where we end up. :-). X

Where do you fly from and what area are you heading for xx yeh so exciting now. Not long left at work :-)

Our son is 5 in dec and as like yours has completed nearly two years of nursery here and will have to go back in to preschool and do another year as they don't take them in as early as uk. Us also have a 6 week holiday let to give us a chance to decide exactly where we feel at home. But with research of almost 4 years our thoughts keep going back to baldivis . We originally loved the idea of secret harbour which seems amazing but a lot of people suggesting it is a place for the more business type people with not a lot going on for family's, but this is just opinions of others and would still like to check it out for ourselves. Baldivis ticks all our boxs on paper with parks ,good schools ,close knit comunity feel about it and not to far from the beach , yet far enough to get more house for your money. But even tho we have more or less decided we want to live in this place, if it doesn't feel like home we have our options open . i beleive kindy is quite hard to get placements for, as once the class is full it's full and not compulsory so no other place offered until school years. unlike once they start school, if you are living in the catchment area the school has to enrol your child in the class of there age group. This goes for anywhere I have been advised by a few schools in person. hope your little ones are looking forward .

Thats great mike, it will come so quick!! We sold our house last July quicker than we thought so moved in with my mam and dad, with hubby and two kids so bit of a squeeze ;-) but working out fine and not long to go till we will have a huge Aussie house heehee. We are heading for baldivis SOR looks fantastic for family life. How about yourselves? i do not envy the 'sorting out stage' you are at , very stressful. I'm pleased we have done that already. Our shipment goes on 9th June .

Hi everyone. With it getting so close now until us leaving England , would be great to hear from anyone else arriving on or around the same time as us. We leave from Manchester airport on 29th July at 9 am. Stopping at sinapore for a few hours then will arrive in perth just after 3pm on Wednesday 30th July xxx

Hi jo. Long time no speak , thought I best get back on here and see how people are doing and how they are progressing. Sad to here lil Lucy isn't feeling good about doing the move. I don't no if she has access to a computer but my oldest katie (9) has got a kindle and loves sending emails, maybe them two sharing feeling might help them get excited and realising there will be more friends out there and hopefully meeting up when we both there will make Lucy feel like she has a friend already. Even a letter to each other might help. I'm sure katie will be super excited to get to no another little girl in the same boat xx are you still hoping to move this Christmas time?? Or have you managed to do it any sooner. Our flights leave July 29th. Vvvvery excited/nervous/afraid all in one huge emotion. Just busting to get there now xxxx joanne xx

thanks lou, will pm you my details now. My eldest is 9 (girl) and youngest 4 (boy). They very excited. We have been In touch with two schools in particular settlers hill primary and baldivis primary. But because we have a holiday rental for the first 5 weeks we can not enrol them until we are actually living in our first renal or at least have paper work for it to say we are in the catchment area. Both schools say they will have plenty of room for my daughter but 'kindy' classes seem to get pretty full quick so unsure what will happen if that is the case. Maybe you don't send them or wait until they start infant school. X

Hi Lou, we are moving to baldivis on 30th July and soon becoming reality as I only have 5 more weeks left at work and our shipping goes on 9th June, been loving reading your threads and seeing how first impressions have been for you and your family. We are very surprised at all the documents for driving licence needed and hope we could have that info from you if you get a chance to send it. we are very excited now and kids counting the sleeps. Joanne and lee xx

Hi there, oh that is really helpful thank you. We are up for looking around a lot to see all the places we possibly can in the area while we are in our holiday let, so giving those is a heads up where to look. I've actually been looking at exactly where you live too 'new parklands heights estate' , looks lovely. It's so hard to get a feel of where is good when we haven't been and searched Round the streets and houses there. Also the sound of New catholic school is fab, my two children are currently in a catholic school. Going to definitely look in to that! thanks a lot with that joanne and lee

hi there, nice to here from you and yes would be real good to meet up in July once we get there. And great you have kids similar ages too :-) . its so good to hear someone living the life we are about to and still enjoying the area. Was on wanted down under yesterday and was a good watch. Days seem to be going quick, think July will come around very quickly. Xx

ye I understand what you mean about furniture , the only thing we aren't taking is our big fridge as thought the same as you, you have to know the area you have for that kind of thing, but think the huge Aussie houses will be quite capable of fitting the rest in :-) our kids are super excited but our little one, Owen , is too young to understand the distance and assumes family and friends can just pop over on a Wednesday ,as he says, to have tea . Bless him. it will be hard on them but they will sure love it in the long run. And your little Lucy will settle I'm sure. that is why we are doing the move in July also. Plus it's not so bad the kids being off school so long in their normal 6 weeks holiday time.and can adjust to the heat xx

Anything better than the -1 we got at the minute! It will feel great not to ever scrape the windscreen or have to wear 2 pairs of gloves taking the kids to school:laugh:

We are taking all our stuff, literally everything we can take. Because once you pay for the shipping you might as well fill as much up as you can, plus be cheaper in the long run. We thought it would be nice for the kids feeling abit of home once we moved.but our friends over there took nothing and are doing great. the weather will be lovely when you are planning to make the move, we will be moving in their winter time so it can only get better . Gotta be better than our English weather tho. i will keep in touch and let you know how it goes once we land in July. Hopefully be able to help you with things by then, and nice to know there is two little girls on their way for Katie to play with . joanne x

Hi jo you have two girls my daughter Katie's age (9) , would be brilliant to meet up and let them meet once we both over there. where about's are you from and when are you planning on moving? really nice to hear from you. joanne x

That's great to know they settled well. We are looking between settlers and makybe primary for our two, depending where we choose to live for catchment . We have one girl 9, one boy 4. Ashington close, we at gateshead. Just come back from meeting my husbands old work friend that emigrated to perth 6years back, he was on holiday home and had food with us at jesmond. Was so good to hear all the oz stories and even that his accent had changed x very excited x

Yeah I have read a few times that the school was hoping to extend but not sure how old the posts were and if the school ever did. That's good to hear that they have classes up to year 7. Thanks x

That would be fab! So many of us going to be out there soon, surprised anyone left in newcastle :-). Where did you live in n/castle? Have you any family , If so what school did you decide on xx joanne