Chopchop

Might be using the bag as a sleeping bag at this rate! Kind thought though dave!

hey portlaunay, Thanks for the kind info! looks good and possibly an option! you've been a great help craig

I remember those vans by wicked! They usually had some filthy wording on them don't they?! haha! bloody good idea thou! I will get a quote now! cheers

Cheers! And you!

Hi aannjean! Eventually we are hoping to settle north of the river, probably Mindaire area, the course that I have to complete is not far from the cbd so im looking at the sites closest to there but there isn't many to choose from! we stayed in the big4 site in Munster and the caravan park in Quins Rocks so maybe one of them again!

£38.56 I will have dave, that should get me a tent and a couple packs of beef Maggie Noodles. They were always worth the extra 30 cents

hey loopylauren, hows it all going with you and your plans? I seem to remember you were in the November lodge gang... I've not been posing for a while, too much on! Believe me this is going to be done on a shoestring! Im sat here trying to save money too, I have my wireless heating thermostat next to me which I keep lowering the temperature on hahah!! When are you hoping to head over? We only have a sofa until Friday, sold it and they pick it up then so making the most of it because i dont know the next time my ass will be sat on one!!

Well im sort of bricking it a bit now tbh!!!! The time is coming.... not long till I to get on that tin can for 20 odd hours one way! Working my hardest to get over for end of may to get straight onto the migrant gap training course that I need to complete. The job that I have been on for 2 years came to a close 2 weeks ago and I have been non stop sorting things out since then. With the Visa sat in my email account, we are very eager to get over! We were hoping for the house to sell to free up our money to make it alot more enjoyable and less stressful when we land. This has not happened so have unfortunately have had to resort to renting it back out. We have rented it out in the past however things went bad with tenants. This time we have put as many measures in place as possible to minimise any financial risk and running it as a business. Tenants move in Tuesday, back to mum and dads to live in the lounge!! Living the dream.... happy days!!! We bought a wooden crate online from kitepackaging to ship my tools over and a few memories, bit and bobs etc. Im going to send it via pallet 2 ship. Has anybody on the site used them? My missis and the little one will follow over in a few months time, that's going to be hardest bit for sure, Facetime is going to get a hammering! I have a few acquaintances in Perth but nobody to really ask to stay with, so im hiring a car and buying a tent after a night in a hotel! Do the course for 2 weeks and set up the essentials! Then its find employment and and a rental! I really wish we had a wad of cash that allowed us to all come together and make it not so much of a panic but hey you cant have everything! Im not so worried about the whole 'getting a job' as I sort of know what it is like.. We found that you have to be patient and use your initiative. You have to go out and get it, I used to drive round the new housing estaes in north perth just stopping and asking the tradies if they knew of any work, register in person with all the agencies, phone companies, network with people and all of a sudden we found offers of employment coming from everywhere! you have to put some real effort into getting offers of work but once you find a job and take it you will hear back months later from companies that you sent out your CV to! Everything is slower over in OZ than the UK! Have any other members on here done what im planning on doing, ie landing and then staying in a tent??!! We were in Australia back in 2011 for 17 months, stayed in Perth for 3 months in a camper van and both held full time jobs whilst living out of a toyota townace. My daughter was actually made in Quinns Rocks! lol! My missis landed a job in an estate agents, I used to laugh every morning at 6am as she stood outside the camper van door on the grass pulling up her tights, brushing her hair and trying to make herself look like she had not just slept in the back of a van for the last 8 hours! I just cannot wait to have it all again.... sun, healthier living, james squire ale and our own pool!!! Missed it since we landed back in Manchester April 2013! haha Sorry if the above has bored you, but im sat on my sofa chilling with a beer and no one to talk to as the missus is in work!

Have fun! I am sure you will love it!!

we are in this situation at the moment... visa granted, house been up for sale for 9 months with 1 offer 15k below asking price. We have rented out the property in the past and had a nightmare tenant. Never paid, wrecked the house threatened neighbours with knifes etc causing A LOT of stress! We had unfortunately used a below average estate agents that had not credit checked the tenant, checked references or protected the bond. When we finally got the tenant out we both vowed to never become a landlord ever again! Having said that we are now coming round to the idea of renting it back out. Main reason that neither me or my partner have a pension. This time round if we were to rent the property out I would do the following... 1) Use a well established fully managed estate agents, do not go with the cheapest. 2) Get a good rent guarantee insurance. 3) Have sufficient funds in your bank account for at least 6 months of missed rent if your rent guarantee insurance does not cover you. Funds that you are wiling to loose. 4) Fix my mortgage on a Buy to let for 5 years so that I know the payments.

tracy123.... thanks for the congratulations! tell your other half not to be nervous whatsoever..... it is pretty straightforward for any plumber! I did mine up up Blackburn but I would have thought thought It will be much the same down in london. In the morning it was just paperwork, checking you have your first aid certificate etc and then straight into practical assessment. You were given a 'booth' where we bent copper to a plan, it is basically a set of pipework to an imaginary water heater and across to a basin. One section in speedfit pipe, a couple of compression fittings and a few soft soldered joints. No steel or brazing was required. 1 1/4 pipe to an imaginary basin. Assessor then pressure test the pipework. The next stage was to rip all that off the wall and do some stack work to a plan. All pushfit. Assessor asks you some questions.We all found ourselves racing against each other to finish however this is not necessary!! After lunch it was the theory side. Straightforward questions any plumber could answer. In all honesty I worked myself up for it, just a human instinct I think but tell your other half he will walk out and think 'what was all the fuss about'!

3 cheeky emails in the middle of the night! VISA granted!!! Good luck to all else who have lodged! Won't be long now for you!

Thanks for everyone's replies! Well I sent an email yesterday evening to the CO and got a reply back at 3am informing me that the visa has been granted! Whoop whoop!!! Sooooo happy!! Best feeling after so much time, effort and money has gone into it! Just have to sell the castle now!!

thanks for everyone's input...I called some agents today and basically asked if I could pay for some advice.... no one was interested even with the offer of payment. I got through to a company called go Matilda and the friendly guy advised me to call the Europe service centre/Australian high commission... so did that and was basically advised to Email my CO and explain everything.... so that is what I have done. Nervously awaiting a response and contemplating the thought I may have just blown a considerable sum of money. I am most concerned that if the visa is refused then I will have to spend another 2 years in this country until we can reapply.

Hi! Hope someone can help or guide me here.... So I have applied for 189 visa claiming 65 points. I have been assigned a case officer and they have requested more evidence of my self employment back in 2004-2007. I have sent the case officer more tax documents but I don't really have much else to provide. All old paperwork has been destroyed years ago, before even thinking of applying for an Australian visa. Now here is my dilemma... Shall i just wait and see if the information will suffice or withdraw the application and hope for a refund or just wait to hear for a grant or refusal? I could have claimed 60 points by just providing 5 years work experience which I have no problem doing whatsoever because it was with employers. Hindsight is a beautiful thing. Do I withdraw and reapply.... Or appeal if the visa is refused .....What do you think? Anybody else been in this sort of situation?

Just to let others know and who are waiting for their visas, I was assigned a case officer today and have requested a bit more info! I seen the email address and though whoop whoop but hey at least it's moving along the ladder... Just thought I'd post to update people in the same boat!

We still get that feeling every now and again... But hey life is not a rehearsal so just take a chance! I'm sure that once you are there you will love it! I think that anyone who has the travelling 'bug' will find it hard to not like Perth! ????

high five! Well done! Bet the beers are flowing tonight!!!!

hey HoneyJackMonster and LoopyLauren! glad you have have been assigned a CO, should not be too long now till you get your grant! LoopyLauren..... what do you have to do to prove your good conduct? This waiting is so hard to deal with!!! I have no patience!!!! I must learn to be!!!! ha! Even if our visa is granted we still have to wait until the house is sold anyway!

Hang on in there, I had to do it 3 times to pass. I struggled with the reading section, go on YouTube and watch some tutorials. There is a systematic approach to it and will help you a lot. Yes it is a scam but it's just one if those things that you have to do and you can't do much to change that!

There is nothing rubbish about Perth! The positives far outweigh any negatives!!! When are you hoping to move over?

A WEEK! Good luck! Whilst chatting to people on various stages of gaining a visa I was amazed at how many people were planning on emigrating without visiting the country first... I really did admire these people! Like you say we are all different! My partner and I visited for 17 months and plan on returning soon, I still have my worries about gaining employment, making new friends finding somewhere to live and supporting my family in the meantime! Last time there was 2 of us and now there is 3 which makes it even more complicated!

Who has been to Australia first, before deciding to emigrate, be it on holiday.... a working holiday visa or did you just take the plunge and hoped for the best.... did it all work out? Was it the best decision you ever made in life?

hi there! We didn't lodge in November but pretty close to that... the 15th Dec. Everything uploaded... nothing heard yet... do you find yourself checking your email account in the middle of the night, or is that just me?!

Hi there! I think I met your Keith in the ILETS test in Wrexham?! My names craig, we were chatting for a while before the speaking test! Might have the wrong person but hey if not sorry! cheers craig