Well, we have been here in Sydney since June 2009. What a roller coaster it has been. We almost left to go back to the UK. I resigned twice from my work and left them for a two week period before we settled down again. Hats off to my management for their patience and they have really earned my loyalty. 120% effort from now on.
From my first day in Sydney its been a ride, I have stayed own my own in shared accommodation for a month in Baulkham Hills, On Scotland Island for a month, enduring the long bus ride, the ferries and uphill trudges(It's a paradise though). And now we have been in St Ives for seven months. We are coming up for our first Winter. Yup, Autumn is here and I have desperately been swimming in the pool before it gets too cold. I will probably stop when I get the flu like in Cape Town.
The kids are settling, one is at TAFE, the other at school and boy it took long for the teens to settle and get happy. Now for grind of pushing on.
We have a puppy now, so thats pretty permanent. A cute little girl mini Daschund called Lulu, she is very intelligent and actually is allowing us to train her at eight weeks.
We have explored suburbs like Rouse Hill and beaches like Bongin Bay and seen Tiger sharks at Manly Beach.
My blog has jumped from page rank of 0/10 to 3/10 which is totally awesome. Three out of ten is a pretty good for a little blog, but I just wish people would click on the sponsored links a bit more. Ah well, one day!!
I have also passed 6500 page hits on my site which is quite good so its ticking over nicely! Not bad for four months hey? (its now at 60000)
My most commented post on the blog is here - Why do immigrants leave Australia?
Anyway thanks so far to everyone that has read this site and I vow to add to it more often as I have been quite slack.
Thanks also to those kind people who have subscribed for my posts. This is quite novel. Hopefully I can build a nice subscribed base.
And people, good luck with your visa's et al and wherever you get to, I hope it brings joy.
Oh yeah, for some reason, I am missing the UK and Bedford? And the few work colleagues I made there.
Later peeps!
Hi, Immigrating to Australia?, why not use our community forum - all about living, working, playing, moving and studying in Australia.
How I got my visa, Life, Lumps and spirit, Hate your new country? Your not alone! A good Furniture Rental company in Sydney,Why do immigrants leave Australia?, Sydney - Scotland island - hidden gem, Malls in Sydney, Living in St Ives, Arriving in Sydney, Driving through Sydney - first day, How expensive is Sydney
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
Australia, Sydney, St Ives - Leeches after the rain
Hi,
This leach is from the short grass next to our driveway! We were living in St Ives in Sydney Australia at them time.
I found this little present on my daughters leg some time back, The bulge is all her blood. Thanks goodness it attached itself to her sock and not her leg. As it is she had a traumatic experience over this. She just got out the car to get the post and it somehow got onto her leg.
How I got my visa, Life, Lumps and spirit, Hate your new country? Your not alone! A good Furniture Rental company in Sydney,Why do immigrants leave Australia?, Sydney - Scotland island - hidden gem, Malls in Sydney, Living in St Ives, Arriving in Sydney, Driving through Sydney - first day, How expensive is Sydney
This leach is from the short grass next to our driveway! We were living in St Ives in Sydney Australia at them time.
I found this little present on my daughters leg some time back, The bulge is all her blood. Thanks goodness it attached itself to her sock and not her leg. As it is she had a traumatic experience over this. She just got out the car to get the post and it somehow got onto her leg.
See the video below.
Ok, here I bashed it and all the blood came out. But it would not die. They are not harmful and inject a slight anesthetic so you don't feel them. Nice huh?
People who have grown up in Australia seem to be used to them, I mentioned them to someone at work and he cheerfully told me of his wife who found about 20 on her leg after a walk in the local forest....
They are like little terminators, I tried hitting it with a piece of wood about 10 times but it just kept going. They are like living pieces of rubber. Apparently viniger kills them. I just bagged it and put it in the bin in the end.
Here's a blurry video of it trying to find some flesh to suck on.
Go on, please leave a comment. Later peeps.
My most commented post on the blog is here - Why do immigrants leave Australia?
Hi, Immigrating to Australia?, why not use our community forum - all about living, working, playing, moving and studying in Australia.
How I got my visa, Life, Lumps and spirit, Hate your new country? Your not alone! A good Furniture Rental company in Sydney,Why do immigrants leave Australia?, Sydney - Scotland island - hidden gem, Malls in Sydney, Living in St Ives, Arriving in Sydney, Driving through Sydney - first day, How expensive is Sydney
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Parrots in St Ives, Sydney
Ok, after being woken up at 4am for the frikken umpteenth time, I decided to show the world what the worst sounding bird in the world looks like. Seriously these guys have no whistle, they make crows sound like canaries. They flock in clumps of 3 to 15 and when they wake up all hell breaks loose.
Come to think of it they do it it at dusk when they settle in the trees around our house at night. (Little fu**ers). They are all over and will commonly be on the ground as I walk to my car from the station and are less perturbed by me than doves. I reckon their beaks can do some serious damage too.
Here is a video I took of two parents feeding their baby in the trees above where we park our car at night. The light was very bad so the colour is a little washed.
Here are some othere parrots. I have even seen a flock of budgies !?
I was warned by a lady on scotland island NOT to feed them, otherwise they hang out at your house or verandah and chew everything to bits..
How I got my visa, Life, Lumps and spirit, Hate your new country? Your not alone! A good Furniture Rental company in Sydney,Why do immigrants leave Australia?, Sydney - Scotland island - hidden gem, Malls in Sydney, Living in St Ives, Arriving in Sydney, Driving through Sydney - first day, How expensive is Sydney
Hi, Immigrating to Australia?, why not use our community forum - all about living, working, playing, moving and studying in Australia.
Hi, Immigrating to Australia?, why not use our community forum - all about living, working, playing, moving and studying in Australia.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Our Puppy - our first pet in Sydney, Australia
I know this does not have much to do with immigrating to Sydney but hey, what the heck.
Well, one of the ways to create roots in a new country is get a pet.
Without much further ado, here's Lulu our little girl pup who is a mini -daschund. This picture is of her just after we came back from fetching her all the way in Wollongong.
Here are some videos, excuse the crazy South African accent... :)
Hi, Immigrating to Australia?, why not use our community forum - all about living, working, playing, moving and studying in Australia.
How I got my visa, Life, Lumps and spirit, Hate your new country? Your not alone! A good Furniture Rental company in Sydney,Why do immigrants leave Australia?, Sydney - Scotland island - hidden gem, Malls in Sydney, Living in St Ives, Arriving in Sydney, Driving through Sydney - first day, How expensive is Sydney
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Rouse Hill - schools
Hi,
this is a quick follow up on my excursions to Rouse Hill as we wer quite interested in it as a place to settle.
It has a bullet bus that takes 40 minutes to Sydney CBD.
There are two Rouse Hill area, the "Old" and the "New". We were looking at the old area.
We have since found out that it has primary school and a high school. The high school is new though and is currently on years 8 and 9 - year 10 next year only. Its growing year by year.
The catchement area for the old Rouse Hill (where we wanted to be) is Riverstone and a few of the local people were negative about the school. Driving through Riverstone confirmed this as it looks very rural. So although we would love to be in Rouse hill, the high school is not too favourable for us.
The "Rouse Hill" which is on the east side of the huge shopping centre is in the catchement for Kellyville high.. but this is very new with a lot of building going on. Perhaps the right time to get in?
Kellyville high school is a better option.
We really loved Rouse Hill as it had lots of easy shops and parking, was not hugeley built up, all the houses were new but, it really is for young families. If you have big money this is not for you...;)
Hi, Immigrating to Australia?, why not use our community forum - all about living, working, playing, moving and studying in Australia.
How I got my visa, Life, Lumps and spirit, Hate your new country? Your not alone! A good Furniture Rental company in Sydney,Why do immigrants leave Australia?, Sydney - Scotland island - hidden gem, Malls in Sydney, Living in St Ives, Arriving in Sydney, Driving through Sydney - first day, How expensive is Sydney
this is a quick follow up on my excursions to Rouse Hill as we wer quite interested in it as a place to settle.
It has a bullet bus that takes 40 minutes to Sydney CBD.
There are two Rouse Hill area, the "Old" and the "New". We were looking at the old area.
We have since found out that it has primary school and a high school. The high school is new though and is currently on years 8 and 9 - year 10 next year only. Its growing year by year.
The catchement area for the old Rouse Hill (where we wanted to be) is Riverstone and a few of the local people were negative about the school. Driving through Riverstone confirmed this as it looks very rural. So although we would love to be in Rouse hill, the high school is not too favourable for us.
The "Rouse Hill" which is on the east side of the huge shopping centre is in the catchement for Kellyville high.. but this is very new with a lot of building going on. Perhaps the right time to get in?
Kellyville high school is a better option.
We really loved Rouse Hill as it had lots of easy shops and parking, was not hugeley built up, all the houses were new but, it really is for young families. If you have big money this is not for you...;)
Hi, Immigrating to Australia?, why not use our community forum - all about living, working, playing, moving and studying in Australia.
How I got my visa, Life, Lumps and spirit, Hate your new country? Your not alone! A good Furniture Rental company in Sydney,Why do immigrants leave Australia?, Sydney - Scotland island - hidden gem, Malls in Sydney, Living in St Ives, Arriving in Sydney, Driving through Sydney - first day, How expensive is Sydney
Saturday, February 27, 2010
St Ives, Sydney - general tips about schools, trains and shops
Hi,
I was asked about schools, parking and trains in St Ives.
In general, you can't go to Sydney by bike or car as parking in Sydney is $60 plus a day.
Most people use the busses and trains which are safe and good and numerous.
Yes, you can park at the stations - you dont pay to park even with cars. Everyone fills up the station car park and then parks all around the station. The later you arrive, the more blocks away etc.
St Ives primary is great. Excellent Headmaster and teachers - I have a lot of time for them.
The high school is not bad and is safe. I dont think there are enough teens in St Ives so a lot of kids arrive by bus and train. LOTS of kids take trains to school.
One of the best schools in the WHOLE of Sydney is Killara High School. St Ives is just out of the catchment though.
The nearest train station in St Ives is Gordon. It has lots of parking, although it fills up quick. It is right next to a main Rd or High Street called Pacific Highway. There are numerous shops, banks, a Woolworths, a couple of food places (Curry, chicken, fish 'n chips, news agent, Thai etc)
There are other stations near by which are literally 5 minutes each way from Gordon. We shop at Coles near Lindfield station as its not busy and is the cheapest of ALL the super stores. Its not getting enough customers so its prices are always better than even other Coles stores.
The St Ives Village Mall is good, but we found it a little too expensive and also very busy but it has everything you can ask for.
Oh yeah my wife just put our new(we got him today) 7 week old Daschund girl pup on my shoulder.
Anyway hope that helps.
Oh yeah, There is an excellent barber on the Gordon main rd near the station...
Don't forget to leave some tips or experiences about St Ives or nearby in the comments section!
Hi, Immigrating to Australia?, why not use our community forum - all about living, working, playing, moving and studying in Australia.
My most commented post on the blog is here - Why do immigrants leave Australia?
How I got my visa, Life, Lumps and spirit, Hate your new country? Your not alone! A good Furniture Rental company in Sydney,Why do immigrants leave Australia?, Sydney - Scotland island - hidden gem, Malls in Sydney, Living in St Ives, Arriving in Sydney, Driving through Sydney - first day, How expensive is Sydney
I was asked about schools, parking and trains in St Ives.
In general, you can't go to Sydney by bike or car as parking in Sydney is $60 plus a day.
Most people use the busses and trains which are safe and good and numerous.
Yes, you can park at the stations - you dont pay to park even with cars. Everyone fills up the station car park and then parks all around the station. The later you arrive, the more blocks away etc.
St Ives primary is great. Excellent Headmaster and teachers - I have a lot of time for them.
The high school is not bad and is safe. I dont think there are enough teens in St Ives so a lot of kids arrive by bus and train. LOTS of kids take trains to school.
One of the best schools in the WHOLE of Sydney is Killara High School. St Ives is just out of the catchment though.
The nearest train station in St Ives is Gordon. It has lots of parking, although it fills up quick. It is right next to a main Rd or High Street called Pacific Highway. There are numerous shops, banks, a Woolworths, a couple of food places (Curry, chicken, fish 'n chips, news agent, Thai etc)
There are other stations near by which are literally 5 minutes each way from Gordon. We shop at Coles near Lindfield station as its not busy and is the cheapest of ALL the super stores. Its not getting enough customers so its prices are always better than even other Coles stores.
The St Ives Village Mall is good, but we found it a little too expensive and also very busy but it has everything you can ask for.
Oh yeah my wife just put our new(we got him today) 7 week old Daschund girl pup on my shoulder.
Anyway hope that helps.
Oh yeah, There is an excellent barber on the Gordon main rd near the station...
Don't forget to leave some tips or experiences about St Ives or nearby in the comments section!
Hi, Immigrating to Australia?, why not use our community forum - all about living, working, playing, moving and studying in Australia.
My most commented post on the blog is here - Why do immigrants leave Australia?
How I got my visa, Life, Lumps and spirit, Hate your new country? Your not alone! A good Furniture Rental company in Sydney,Why do immigrants leave Australia?, Sydney - Scotland island - hidden gem, Malls in Sydney, Living in St Ives, Arriving in Sydney, Driving through Sydney - first day, How expensive is Sydney
Thursday, February 18, 2010
The biggest favour you can do for yourself when Immigrating - A TomTom or similiar
Hi,
For a while now I have been wanting to express my feelings about my Tom Tom GPS system. I know that to most people this is a normal piece of daily life, but for me it was slightly different. I had always looked down on them. I finally caved in about 2 years ago in the UK and bought my self the cheapest TomTom I could find.
I tell you what, genuinely, this is a stupendously under-rated piece of equipment.
I never have to check a map, I never have to squabble in the car on missed turn-offs. I never have to actually concentrate on every turn-off to see if its the one I need to take. I NEVER have to remember the way home. I can explore, and it just re-adjusts. When I came to Australia I just pre-downloaded the Australian maps and bam, it worked off the plane in Sydney.
The UK opened up to me immediately. Sydney opened up for me immediately. If I need a nearby shopping mall, garage, beach or tourist point of interest, I can just click it up.
They give speed limit, warn you when your speeding, tell you by voice about your next turn, tell you how far the next turn is, tell you how far you must go on the current road and also estimate the time of your arrival at the destination. Some even monitor traffic build up.
If you have a car you really need to get one of these.
How I got my visa, Life, Lumps and spirit, Hate your new country? Your not alone! A good Furniture Rental company in Sydney,Why do immigrants leave Australia?, Sydney - Scotland island - hidden gem, Malls in Sydney, Living in St Ives, Arriving in Sydney, Driving through Sydney - first day, How expensive is Sydney
For a while now I have been wanting to express my feelings about my Tom Tom GPS system. I know that to most people this is a normal piece of daily life, but for me it was slightly different. I had always looked down on them. I finally caved in about 2 years ago in the UK and bought my self the cheapest TomTom I could find.
I tell you what, genuinely, this is a stupendously under-rated piece of equipment.
I never have to check a map, I never have to squabble in the car on missed turn-offs. I never have to actually concentrate on every turn-off to see if its the one I need to take. I NEVER have to remember the way home. I can explore, and it just re-adjusts. When I came to Australia I just pre-downloaded the Australian maps and bam, it worked off the plane in Sydney.
The UK opened up to me immediately. Sydney opened up for me immediately. If I need a nearby shopping mall, garage, beach or tourist point of interest, I can just click it up.
They give speed limit, warn you when your speeding, tell you by voice about your next turn, tell you how far the next turn is, tell you how far you must go on the current road and also estimate the time of your arrival at the destination. Some even monitor traffic build up.
If you have a car you really need to get one of these.
How I got my visa, Life, Lumps and spirit, Hate your new country? Your not alone! A good Furniture Rental company in Sydney,Why do immigrants leave Australia?, Sydney - Scotland island - hidden gem, Malls in Sydney, Living in St Ives, Arriving in Sydney, Driving through Sydney - first day, How expensive is Sydney
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