Alan&Cat

Parking isn't actually that bad. There's a really good CPP parking app that'll tell you where there's free spaces

Yeah you can do that. It's what I've done with Vodafone. One bill, including the line rental and charges for both numbers. Same goes for the on line accounts etc

I'm doing that at the moment and it's not as bad as we thought. Time has flown by being so busy in the last 2 months and meant I can have everything set up for when my other half comes across in 2 weeks. That said, we don't have any kids which makes life easier

Fair enough. And maybe in a year or two's time I'll have a different view. But even if I do I wouldn't ever regret coming here. Life is about experiences like this and if I'd listened to too many negative views I might never have made the move.

It doesn't have to be a rose tinted view but I certainly wouldn't call your posts balanced. There's never anything positive and that's not a true reflection of Perth. Yes, mining has taken a dip but that's the nature of a boom and bust industry. It amazes me that the people in it didn't realise that rather than spending like there was no tomorrow while times were good. The rest of Perth still feels like it has a positive vibe to me and is certainly nowhere near the depths that the uk has been in over the last few years. As much as people shouldn't expect the streets to be paved with gold here, they should also be aware that things aren't nearly as negative as some make out

I wouldn't go to too much effort. I've been looking at places last week and asked the agents about references etc as I don't have a rental history due to owning our own place. Some have said put in a council tax bill or mortgage letter but others haven't even wanted that. Three of the agents have already been back in touch with me this week asking if I'm interested so the tables have definitely turned.

I've found exactly the same. Looked at a property in mount lawley this week that was really nice and was told I was the only person to view it. Even contemplating a lower offer

I did this when I arrived in Perth a month ago. The first thing I did when I arrived was to go to the telstra shop and get one of the mobile wifi devices. Think it was $149 and that included a data allowance. Was really easy to do - I paid in cash and needed my passport as ID then you just top up as you run out of data. The signal is good and I've always had 4g. That said the download speeds vary significantly so at times even though it might say 4g, the speeds will be no better than 3G. The data packs are expensive as well. The device is battery powered as well which is handy when you need to be out using google maps etc. When I came to get a SIM card a couple of weeks later I ended up going to Vodafone and I've found them far better than telstra. The signal coverage isn't as good so if you're living further out its a consideration. But I've never had less than 3G and the speeds are consistent. I paid $30 a month on a month by month contract for which the equivalent was $49 on telstra. Again, all I needed was passport and bank account details. They said I could email proof of address when that came through. So I'd definitely recommend Vodafone unless you're out in the sticks. Worth going into the store as they have deals not on the internet. Have you bought your ipad yet? When I was in there, for the money I am spending on telstra data, I could have signed up with Vodafone and they give you a free ipad or ipad mini. When the ipad minis are updated I think I'll be ditching my telstra device and signing up for one

Well exactly. Not everyone who comes here's plans to stay forever. 4 years is a nice timeframe for some. And it gives employers an opportunity to bring people in, in a relatively short timeframe, that they wouldn't be able to find locally. Different visas fit different people

It serves a good purpose for certain positions. So no it shouldn't. End of.

Having just come back from the show I can easily see where the $600 went! Fantastic show mind

I don't know of any having just arrived but would be interested in joining up if you do find any. Decided to leave my kit for the container and bought an eos-m to keep me going in the mean time.

I was trying to make my mind up whether to head down there tomorrow. Sounds like it's worth taking in. Hopefully not spending $600 though!

Walked to work without a coat today. Umbrella wasn't much use on the way home!

Are you moving from the UK? I'm flying to Perth next week and decided to buy one here and take it with me. A lot of the airlines don't charge you extra and they'll be a lot cheaper here.