Our journey to Australia

I was asked in a recent comment about my journey to Australia and decided to raise it to a proper blog post.

Hi,

we left South africa Originally to go the USA as we felt it had a lot of racism (as we are a mixed couple). Also we felt we had a better future in country with less internal problems etc. We came back from the USA as we were taken over on a visa which only allowed us to work at one company for three years and the salary was quite low - so we struggled and on top of that we missed home very much. it was the first time we left South Africa and it was the hardest. When we got back to South Africa we were there for three years and the old problems cropped up. The south African economy was crashing a bit due to various factors. The interest rates went up to about 19% at one stage and I watched the price of things in the shops double in about 2 Months. - My mortgage more than doubled in about 3 4 months. This and various other factors made us look to find a better future elsewhere. The only place I could go was the UK. We spent 5 years there and it was a shock to us as the UK was definitely very strange in many ways. The culture, the cold weather, the lack of warmth and sunlight. We were then able to get a australian visa which came through at about the time of the global credit crunch and as I was a contractor and on a visa which gives no support I had to find work elsewhere. Believe me I tried hard to get work in the UK, but at the time the market was flooded with several thousand out of work computer professionals. It was like a door closed and a door opened in Australia. This is a greatly simplified version but really we could and we did.


hope this helps a bit?

I think australia has less help for its citizens than the UK on the whole. ATM the UK feels like home. Australia is too expensive for me. If you are both working, willing to live cheap then you will make it in Australia. The UK is in a recession atm, Australia is not. I cant comment on New Zealand apart from the fact I like the the few New Zealanders I have met so far.

I have met people here from Europe who work as drivers etc and they complain bitterly and in fact relate the same stories as every where else - if you are a labourer your life sucks :)


Anyway hope that helps?

If you  go somewhere it will take 5 years minimum for it to become home.

Or go somewhere really light -take little get a job and have the mindseet that you are trying it out - so you can go home with feeling like your trip has failed. moving coutnry is ok for some, others its not.

Thanks for reading! - please leave a comment on your experience too - let me know about your life here plz

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

Cheap medical costs in Australia - what a nice surprise for a change

Well my son did something to his foot and ended up limping around for weeks.

We took him to a foot specialist on a Saturday(take note UK), expecting to pay through the roof. He only charged us $20 over the medicare limit. Sent us for x-rays (the place was modern and in line with private hospitals), which were charged on the medicare rate.(so free).

Holy crap, all I needed to pay was 20 dollars for the whole morning!

Where I come from you pay for everything as there is not government medical aid so its quite a nice surprise.

later peeps


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

Australian medicare - easy easy

Hi all,


Well, we finally got listed on medicare. We found it really easy. Just go to your nearest medicare office with your forms filled in. (damn dog keeps licking my fingers,how am I supposed to type?)

Anyway, make sure you bring the proofs of address and identity and so on with you, your valid passports (you cant do them with expired passports).

You also need to bring everyone with you (ie your spouse and kids if you have them).

Its quick and its free. I was shocked because everytime I go anywher near anything in Australia it costs money..

The cards came in the post a week later and sorted.

Now to find all those old doctors bills for claiming. Wohoo money back!!!

later peeps

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

Bonus letter day

Not sure if this is a Sydney thing but there seems to be a big excitment and festivity around bonus time where I work.  Along with bonus's come promotions and everyone is congratulating each other. I guess this only happens in large institutions like banks.

I think its called "letter lunch" or "letter dinner" or "letter day"

All of sudden there were lunches, gatherings, drinks, restaurant bookings and so on.

Seems quite nice, I never saw this is the UK or South Africa.

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

Sydney, Australia, What the hell are FlyBuys or Fly Buys

Ok,

I finally got sick of people asking me for FlyBuys every time I go shopping, its "FlyBuys sir?". So I looked it up. Google'd it ne'.

In Australia they have a long running loyalty awards program where you currently get 1 or 2 points for every $5, five dollers you spend. And when you have spent about $2500 you are eligible for some rewards. Ok thats the minimum award...

There are a couple of Australian banks and chain stores in this so purchases on credit cards and shopping get you these points.

There are apparently over 10 million people using FlyBuys and its card. Similiar to the tescos card, etc.

There are all types of rewards (over a thousand) apparently such as flights, accommodation, credit card payments, merchandise- you get it I think. Points are only valid for three years. 

Some major shops participate on this - eg Coles, Kmart, Target, Bi-Lo and some others.

So there you have it, just another loyalty scheme..

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

Sydney outing - Aquarium - very nice.

Hi All,

well we went to the Sydney aquarium. Cost me $80 for 2 adults and 2 kids. I enjoyed it as it was not too busy and the Sydney waterfront was very mellow for a change(and this on a Saturday Afternoon). It must be because Winter is almost here. Took us about an hour and a half to go through everything and it covers sharks, doguns, coral reef and the various river regions in Australia.

I liked it, it was quite a bit bigger than the Cape Town one and there are some nice underwater walkways.

Its in Darling Harbour and can be reached by all the usual transports - car, bus, train, ferry etc. We took the car and parked in a parking garage in Sydney for a $10 flat rate. You just walk to the waterfront which is 2 blocks.

Watch out for the gift shop you go through when you leave, My wife and two eleven year old girls were oohing and aahing and there was a another til-kaching on the way out :)

But good fun, with some restaurants on the waterfront or just double scoop ice-creams all round etc.

Regards
Byron

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

Australia at 8 months and counting

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