StraighttothePoint

I take it your daughter is young, not yet cynical and still beleives in fairies then ?? Politics is as much about personalities as it is about the parties. Aussies have long memories when it comes to simple things like this and Gillard was not their choice. Oh and she lied, sorry did u turns a lot, so out she goes. No intention of becoming a citizen as my long term plans do not reuire it. My wife is an Aussie and my son a citizen by descent though.

She was never accepted beacuse she was never voted PM by the Aussie people. Anyway that is as far as I am commenting on this because I do not have the vote in Australia. Just like probably three quarters of the POM's that have arrived in recent years to Perth!!

Sounds like the $32 has been a bank fee for tranfering dollars to UK pounds direct from an Aussie bank account and then to TORFX, could it have been that? I am in Westpac and if you do it that way they charge $20 per transaction. I put it directly into the Nationwide with no extra fees at the UK end. If you do it that way you can put it direct to a UK bank account. That is one process. The other process if you do it yourself is the Ozforex one, the same company as elf is referring to, is cheaper in fees and you tend to get a better exchange than the bank. It was good to read that Ozforex fees are still the same because it is a great service. You set up an account with them and then BPAY the dollars via online banking to them at no charge and they charge $15 to transfer it direct to your UK bank account. Just wanted to clarify to be sure.

If you add them onto your insurance it is very reasonable but the risk is they are on your insurance. I only paid an extra $300 for a 19 year old on my insurance, fully comp. Costs on their own car expensive for comprehensive insurance will be high but there is the option to take out third party only which is lower. What type of insurance, and what were the conditions surrounding it, on the Fiesta? You always hear horror stories but then there is always a reason as to why costs are so high. First insurance, comprehensive, area they live in and so on. Do nothing till you get here, don't fret and then just look at all the options on arrival. However keep the myth the insurance is high and get her to save. The money will always come in handy for something!!

Recent TV and newspaper reports suggest down turn so my brain cannot understand where all the jobs are? Companies are shedding staff left, right and centre and retail is all but stuffed. I know that in our technology based set up we have just been able to keep all our contractors in jobs, some for 3 months, some for six and only one or two for 12 months, but their rates for next year have not increased. Big corporates are cutting back big style. All our guys have had the option to look elsewhere but they could not find anything out there even on their current rate. Mining is going south and the boom is over. That spins off for us all. Yet people keep coming. It is like the government is happy to keep issuing visas even though they know the economy is sliding. Why would they do that? To get the numbers in so that the money machine keeps turning? Who knows... All I know is that I would be having second thoughts if it was me at this current point in time thinking of coming over. I would be waiting to see what happens over the next 6 to 9 months even if I had my visa. I know that tactic will not suit everyone, and that some are coming to a job, but drawing breathe for a few months may pay dividends. The other thing of course is that it is not just the UK that people are deserting, it is other countries / areas as well like South Africa, parts of Asia, Europe, NZ etc. If you add those all together then something has to give. Perth is a boom and bust city (town really) and we have had the boom......

Welcome to Australia...... First thing you can possibly save on when doing this is the bank transaction to put the money into TORFX. If you get yourself Internet access to your bank account and then you do a BPAY or bank tranfers yourself, via online banking, and it is free. No $32 fee required. (I use OzForex for my tranfers and they accept BPAY's so assume TORFX will.) Then you have to decide on how you want to handle the fees at the UK end as the bank receiving the funds will no doubt want to take their cut. I do the same as lilo lil and pay the fees at the OZFOREX end to make sure that I put the full amount into the UK bank. So if you want 1000 pounds into the UK bank pay the fee at this end to the transfer company. By following the processes above my total fee for transfering any amount up to $10k has only ever been $15 in total. Might have increased since I last did it but would not have thought by that much if it has. Looking at what you are saying it looks like $32 at the bank and another $90 (circa 60 quid) at the UK end, total $132. If that is right think you just need to work out a better method of transferring cash. Do you need to consider more options open to you rather than following what you thought was the obvious method? Not an accounting issue more a research issue really.

If anyone admits to doing this on the forum then that is even being dafter than actually doing it

Wummin with prams, feeding their young un's with stuff they bring in plastic containers, leaving rubbish all over the floor and taking over half the coffee shop..... Annoying meet up or what.....

Good honest Aussie area and down to earth Aussie mainly school. It will toughen her up, she would be fine. Do you not need to be living in the suburb though? Perhaps when you consider that you will, as a family, change your minds? Nothing wrong with Wanneroo just that in some areas it is a bit older style housing. Nice big blocks though and some great opportunities to buy and renovate.

All good here, great weather at the moment and getting plenty of golf in but handicap just gone up to 11.5 which is a bummer as I used to be single figures - age obviously kicking in!! I am loving it here at three quid a pint for good real ales and Belhaven Bests. You had better get used to the prices out there quickly as it the beer is only one thing that will hurt until you start earning dollars Just back from a trip to Musselburgh and the Forth is looking braw. Am going in next week to buy my tickets for the three home games. Happy to give them the ninety quid as it all will go into the pot that hopefully saves them. I would have bought a season ticket but at around 350 / 400 quid it is just that bit too steep. McHattie, MacDonald, Stevenson and Hamill all agreed to 50% wage reductions. Real Jambos. Rudi is donating stuff for an auction and various retired players coming to the party as well. We will be ok. HHGH Oh and first thing to do is buy a copy of The Entertainment Book and you will save a fortune out there. http://www.entertainmentbook.com.au/ We swear by them and you will notice a difference if you use it.

So your scales were wrong then or did you have too much hand luggage? Only allowed 7kg each for that on board. Mind you 74kg in total, 2 x 30kg cases and 2 x 7kg in flight bags, is a flaming big allowance. Did Mrs Hoff take too many dresses over or did you sneak out a few cases of Scottish beer

I know it is your first post and so will be as gentle as I can...... However you are coming out in a months time and you have not worked that out yet by yourself? This site is packed with all the answers to your questions, links to relavant websites and other information you will need to do the research. Suggest you have a really good read through of the site, or another read through if you have done it once, and just take it all in. Then go to a map and match the information to what you see. A train station, a Catholic School and matched against what subrub you can afford is not that hard to work out. Is it or I am just being an ar*e here by stating the obvious? Well somebody has to do it......

Don't worry about the case. As long as it is on the 30kg mark you will be fine. I do it regularly in both directions and all they do is stick a heavy bag tag on bags over 25kg. Dubai airprot handlers will not handle anything over 32kgs. Good luck on the flight and journey but you will be fine. I am in Scotland until early October but will perhaps catch up with you when I get back. Fixture list just announced so fingers crossed we are not liquidated. Games away to St Johnstone, Partick, ICT and Ross County as well as a few home games and a derby all beckon for me so here's hoping. HHGH

Rolf Harrris grew up in the suburb of Bassendean. He is frequently referred to as "The Boy from Bassendean".

Yes but... I have been fortunate during my life and worked / lived in several locations and I can honestly say, hand on heart, that Perth is by far the "greediest" place I have ever been. It is all about the dollar. Only my view of course and sure others perhaps feel differently.

And you think the estate agents, car dealers and others are not rubbing their hands in glee about this. More money coming into Perth just means the sharks will be out in force to prise it from you all on arrival.

The nifty gadget we use to do that is a plastic container which we fill and then we tip that into our water cooler Yeah folk probably need to be more aware in terms of water usage, as do house builders, but rain is the key because people saving water alone will not fix the problem. It is too big an issue what with the population growth as it is.

Reality check don't shoot the messanger...... This city needs water and therefore we need rain and lots of it. There is a chronic water shortage in Perth and it has been getting progressively worse over the last few years. What we all need to do is opne the curtains every morning and say we hope it pours today not how great it is when the sun is shining!! With incomers rushing to live here and public spending being reduced then good. old fashioned wet weather is what we need to fill the dams. Yeah it is great to come here and see how different it is to the UK but the problem is that the weather has changed here as well and we will suffer more and more as if it is not wetter. Rain in Perth comes down in torrents at times and so even if we get rain here it is usually only in short bursts rather than constant. So come guys get real, open those curtains, get those fingers crossed, stop being selfish and hope for rain....

Good that it worked for you, that your thread was of use and hope any catch up's have helped you settle. I suppose it is like so many other threads on this site though you never hear what actually happens when a "need friends" thread starts you never hear the outcomes. Perhaps it is just the way.

Ok I will bite.... And go easy.... What do you mean by "I just wanted to know people's thoughts of it"? Is "it" Perth? If it is then perhaps just read through this site and you will get views on how good it is, how bad it is and how boring it is and so on. Then it may be easier to come back on and ask some more specific questions that will help you further. Most people on this site are either here, and loving it, or are planning to come here and think it is going to be great. Then there is the realistic view points If you need a range of starter information PM your e-mail address and I will send you a lot of stuff including a budget spreadsheet.

Out of interest do these threads actually result in any meetings or catch up's? The site is becoming like a dating agency and always curious as to if it actually works? There was a few folk tried to start a walking / jogging group late last year and never heard what happened and then every week there are loads of folk coming on here looking for chums. Is it just a lot of folk saying yeah great idea without nobody actually organising anything or is there are real benefit? See I am old and so seeking friends online just seems all a bit weird to me. I think the art of face to face conversation is the way to go but hey ho that is what happened back in the day..... Hence the interest to see if it actually works or not.

You are right not an easy decision and research is the key. If you Private Message me your e-mail address I will send you a sheet of information links that will help you start to look at the detail. In addition there is a budget sheet as well that you can fill in based on your own circumstances. Only thing that I would suggest is to perhaps do a bit of the research before you sign anything with the visa agency. Once you have the basics then you can start to look at more detailed questions relavent to your own circumstances.

Eh....? You write an original post saying that you are looking to buy a house for a low amount, then everyone comments realistically with views on how hard that will be and then you say those were negative comments and now you are buying a unit which is completely different proposition???!!! It's not easy on this site $225 for something that size is interesting. What suburb is the unit in that you are oferring on? Or is it an area in Mandurah itself?

It is good. No its not. Yeah I live there I like it. The schools are good. No they are rubbish my kids hate it. Too many hoons. Not enough hoons. No part time work. Yeah there is some in the shops. The beach is great. No it is not, it is a surfers beach. The houses are well priced. The houses are over rated and highly priced for what they are. And so on... The problem with this type of thread is that everyone has different views of a suburb. It is near the sea, the suns shines, the houses are fine and they have state schools. However it will be more down to what you guys need in terms of a house, the facilities and infrastructure you need close at hand, commuting, schools and so on. If it was me I would not go anywhere that has no railway station near at hand but that is only me. The reason being is that this city will be one giant car park in a few years time and being near a station and a train will better than not being near one.

Just watch East Enders for what it is like in swathes of Perth nowadays!! If you live SOR and are poorer then support the Dockers but if you live NOR and are more affluent then the Eagles are the team for you!! If you live in either SOR or NOR and are the other way around in terms of wealth then bit of a dilema I am afraid