SAAustralia Settling in http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:47:25 +0000 15 http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/35385-how-do-new-arrivals-go-about-looking-for-work/ I just want to know how does one go about looking for work. I am in employment at the moment but do not like it very much. My wife and daughter cannot even get part time work. Its the same story, "no work at the moment". How does one break into the employment market here in Aus esp Adelaide. It is very depressing at the moment for them and that feeling creeps in again"Did we do the right thing?" Some days are good and other days not so good. Would like to hear any views and comments please.
Thanks
Markvan]]> Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:47:25 +0000 http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/35385-how-do-new-arrivals-go-about-looking-for-work/ http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/35379-interest-rate-for-purchasing-a-vehicle/
What is the interest rate we can expect to get from a bank if we want to purchase a vehicle. My hubby does already have a job.

Thanks]]> Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:43:42 +0000 http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/35379-interest-rate-for-purchasing-a-vehicle/ http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/35359-ironing-services/
I know there are plenty of laundromats in the area and will use them as a last resort if need be.]]> Mon, 20 Feb 2012 01:15:39 +0000 http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/35359-ironing-services/ http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/35358-meet-greet-adelaide/
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Meet-Greet-Adelaide-Australia/300184370035803

Please let anyone that is planning to come to Adelaide know to get in touch via that page ?


Regards
Cristel

mail : cristel.roux@yahoo.com]]> Mon, 20 Feb 2012 01:08:50 +0000 http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/35358-meet-greet-adelaide/ http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/35309-two-years-in-sydney/ It has been sometime since I last contributed to the forum, but after 2 years in Sydney I would like to give my view on how it has been.
I am not good at writing stories (maybe a man thing) but will use the short sentence method. LOL

Positive:
The public transport here is good compared to what we had back in Cape Town, just be careful where you decide to settle as a door to door trip with the bus can take 2 hours and even longer when there are road works etc.
I stay 40km from the City and drive 20 minutes to the train station and then a 40 minute train ride and a 15 min. walk, bit quicker than the bus.

Public schools in our area (Kellyville) are very good and low cost.
Freedom for you and your family, play in the park go walk at night.
Outdoor activities are great, fishing etc.
Medicare in my opinion is good, budget for the expenses you may have to pay upfront and then claim back most of it. (very easy process)
When you first arrive on PR and don't have work, remember you can get centerlink assistance, may only be $200 every two weeks, but it all helps.
Internet is great!!


Challenges:
If you have kids in high school plan you arrival carefully as the year 12 starts in the 4th quarter of year 11. (caused plenty of problems in our house with my eldest)
You will miss family and friends and the first Christmas may not be fun and many tears may flow.
Sydney is expensive!
Electricity and gas are every 3 months, so budget accordingly.
Buying a second hand car has additional fees involved, budget accordingly.
When your rego is due, pay it or accept the $500.00 fine
Eating out when you are a family of 5 can be pricey.
Have to be a lot more "polite" at work and careful on how you deal with people in the work place. (can be sensitive ... LOL)
Work life balance, difficult..
Sydney is like JHB when it comes to work life, fast paced etc. For me from Cape Town it is a challenge.
Having to braai on gas!!
HECS (government funding for uni) is only applicable to citizens and humanitarian PR. (my eldest sons current challenge)

The above are just some of my immediate thoughts and if I sat here a bit longer the list would grow.
Do I regret making the move no!! BUT it was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be and at some stages I wanted to say enough, I am going back to Cape Town. It does get easier and our second Christmas was great. Kids have friends now, part time jobs, girlfriends etc.

Good luck to those about to embark on this challenging journey, one that you will question, will test your family structure and occasionally your marriage, just remember why you made the decision and hang in there. Make ozzie friends.

If anyone would like more details on the experience let me know and I will provide an open and honest opinion. I had been given plenty of good advice on this forum when I started out, but some advice also painted an easy picture, that is not always the case. Especially income to live.

Cheers
Deon]]> Wed, 15 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000 http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/35309-two-years-in-sydney/ http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/35303-nor-or-sor-perth/
Another question please, do you prefer NOR, eg joondalup, ocean reef or SOR, eg as far as Rockingham?

How do the areas compare and how is the travelling to Perth CBD? And how are the beaches?

Thanks]]> Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:35:53 +0000 http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/35303-nor-or-sor-perth/ http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/35302-one-month-in-sydney/
Well, it has been exactly one month since my family and I have landed in Sydney. Boy, has time flown by these last few months!
Just a quick background on us; I started the immigration process late 2008, I did the IELTS test, had my skills assessed and then applied for state sponsorship for NSW which was successful. At that time (probably still is), the 176 visas were processed with priority and 4 months after lodging the on-line application, WE GOT THE VISAS
Now, it wasn't all that simple....you see, my husband was never keen on leaving South Africa, but he understood my concerns and general fears for our safety and decided we would go.

So, after all our plans fell into place over the last 12 months, we find ourselves in beautiful Sydney. Our kids have settled in nicely, and that is a huge relief to me. We have just moved from our short-term accommodation to a longer-term rental. We were very concerned that we would not be able to find a rental easily, but we were lucky. It was the second house that we put an application in for, and the agent phoned us about 30min later to let us know we could have the place! Our container was arriving soon, so we were glad to have a place to put all our stuff. Please note, we did't (still don't) have jobs yet! We offered to pay two months rent in advance in addition to the bond (deposit), I guess that helps. We also gave the agent written references of our SA estate agent and auditor.

We bought a car, and so far there is no need for a second one. The public transport is so good, one can get by with one vehicle.
The car licence fees are quite expensive here compared to S.A. Driving has been a pleasure, much more disciplined than Joburg
Petrol is around $1.50/l at the moment. We have yet to re-do our drivers licences, and we have been advised to have at least one if not
two lessons first.

I have found the food quality very good at our local Coles, and also not that much more expensive than S.A. I buy as much as I can on special, especially meat. So far, the Coles brand products are quite good, even the baked beans. Yes, those trolleys are horrible!
We have decided to treat ourselves to take aways once a month while we don't have jobs yet. It is also very expensive to go to a restaurant when you're "paying with Rands".

I am still trying to get used to the "sloppiness" of the way the kids wear their school uniforms and hair. My daughter is loving it, as she gets to wear her long hair down, nail polish and dangly earrings Both our kids (ages 14 and 10) go to government schools, and so far they seem fine. Depending on how far from the school you live, your child could be eligible for free bus travel. We will keep that in mind when we are ready to buy a house and make sure we are on the bus route if it's too far to walk.

It is ironic, that we have been communicating much more with our family since we have been here. Skype is a fantastic thing!
On that note, Blackberry is not as popular here with the teens as back in SA. Most of my daughters friends have normal Samsungs and a few have iPhones. Maybe it will catch on?

So far, we are very happy here. We have had nothing but friendly, efficient service where ever we have been. Our new neighbours are fantastic too. The local library is also wonderful. But we do still need those jobs...........

Hope I have'nt bored you out of your minds
It is not hard to enjoy living here.

Chocolate]]> Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:08:35 +0000 http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/35302-one-month-in-sydney/ http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/35291-electronic-appliances/
Today in 2 weeks time they are starting to pack up our house. There is still so many things to think of and worst ( or maybe a blessing) , I am working until 3 days before me and my baby fly. So planning my time is vital! Luckily my husband has some time of, but he also leaves 10 days before us.

My question is regarding plugs for electronic appliances. What do you suggest? Should we buy a few extra addaptors and bring it along? I assume most people just immediately changed all the plugs on their appliances.

Thanks again for everyone who is always so willing to help.

Lucea (Sanet)]]> Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:48:40 +0000 http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/35291-electronic-appliances/ http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/35255-converting-international-drivers-licence/
I've searched some of the post on the forum regarding drivers licence and the fact that you can drive in Australia for 3 months or so on your South African drivers licence and that you don't need an International drivers licence.
This is not my question.

I have friend in Sydney who travelled the globe and met a Ausie girl, hooked up and managed to get a Defacto visa and returned with her to Sydney. I asked him the other day how the drivers test went and he replied that he didn't do a drivers test he just converted his international drivers licence into a Sydney drivers licence.

Now my question is, and I would like to find this out from somebody who has done this (Not that I don't believe my friend ) but is it possible to convert an international drivers licence which is easy obtainable into an Australian drivers licence particularly Sydney.

If so...why doesn't everybody do it?
I mean...why would you go through the whole process of being tested etc. if you can easily get an international drivers licence and just convert it.

If someone can give me a link to a post were this might have been discussed I would be grateful! ]]> Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:23:40 +0000 http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/35255-converting-international-drivers-licence/ http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/35243-medicare-and-centrelink-on-475-state-sponsored-visa/
Am I correct in saying that we do not need to go and register for Medicare and Centrelink while we are on our 475 visa as we do not qualify for any of these??? OR do we still need to register. From my research it appears as if we don't need to register until we receive PR.]]> Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:24:42 +0000 http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/35243-medicare-and-centrelink-on-475-state-sponsored-visa/ http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/35237-help/
I know I am still in the early days but am I the only one who has found Australians to be really cliquey. Admittedly I am not the most outgoing person at first however I have tried to step out of my comfort zone and strike up conversations but some of the moms especially the dancing moms, don't respond or smile or even try to be friendly...I don't understand it. I am extremely lonely and desperate to make aquaintences, friendships will form later. Perhaps I am trying to hard. I have purposefully not joined any SA groups (sorry) as I want to submerge myself in the Aussie way of life and not get stuck on what SA was like however having said that I miss the saffers...

I don't miss home, I do miss friends and family and the familiarity of where to buy what. I had stationery and uniforms and a suit to buy for kids and hubby and it is really hard to know where to shop. Everything is very expensive and in the beginning you can't help but convert to SA rands...a suit in Myers will set you back $800-$1000. That's R8000 for a suit.... I would never spend that at home but had no idea where else to shop. I guess over time I will stop converting and settle down but for now I am feeling a bit blue...

I have a 14 month old with whom I wanted to spend quality time with but now I am thinking I should put her into daycare and look for a job so that I can meet other adults...time will tell if I am making these decisions correctly or if I am being irrational.

Ps I miss not having a maid...]]> Tue, 07 Feb 2012 02:31:14 +0000 http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/35237-help/ http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/35205-hospital-plan/ Has anybody taken out a hospital plan (or similar) in case of an emergency? My Discovery plan covers you fully for 90 days from arrival in Australia. As a temporary resident I will not be entitled to Medicare Can anyone advise me if such a plan exists (as opposed to costly Private Healthcare policies). Thanks, Moo]]> Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:55:09 +0000 http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/35205-hospital-plan/ http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/35200-what-are-the-costs-of-living-in-perth-with-change-in-lifestyle/
We’ve been granted our PR 176 visa – and are now planning a potential arrival date by June / July 2012 (Perth) – lots of things still to sort out – so maybe sooner if we can sell (or at least sort out) the house

I think we will be a bit more active on the forums now that there are so many questions that are rushing through our minds – plenty excitement, and plenty trepidation as well.

I think the one thing we are concerned about is the potential costs of living, and for how long we can live in the manner we envisage. We envisage living off a single salary for some months, but would be interested to understand how others have done it..i.e. the practical implications of having small children and no assistance at the home.

We have 2 kids, 1 we anticipate will be going to Grade 1 in 2013 – so we are looking for schools now and she will most likely go to one as we land as well (or shortly thereafter), and the other is 3 years old currently (turning 4 end of year) – so potentially looking at some form of kindy for 2 days a week (really not too sure what we going to do with him at present ...)

My questions are thus:

Based on an anticipated salary of $84,000 p/a (this is wild speculation of course – I have not secured any job – but have been on some job portals to check anticipated salaries), this would leave us with just under $5000 per month after taxes.

1) Does this net amount seem reasonable – I just went onto the ATO tax calculator to compute this amount – so not too sure about superannuation inclusive or not, and that was the net figure provided to me. Also, based on living expenses Ive seen from Perth of about $5000 per month for a family of 4 - is $5000 per month living costs reasonable assuming we will be renting at around $500-$600 per week.

2) For families in similar situations with small kids, what does the 1 parent do if the kids can only go to school 2 days of the week. Surely you cannot have a 2 income family without some form of help? And with schools closing at 3:30 - who picks up the children after school or is there some form of aftercare?


Would love to engage with some families that have made the move across – and how the 1 parent was experiencing this aspect of life (potentially staying at home with children)

Obviously, we would only be able to sustain this (even if it was some form of negative amount per month - eating into our savings) for some months – so was wondering what the mothers do whilst at home (not sexist – we have just decided that mom will be staying home initially). Part time work opportunities or something similar?

My wife is anticipating being quite busy looking at houses and suburbs and the like for the first few months and stabilising the family – so not too sure she will get bored – but she is so driven that she would like to earn some income to support the family in any case.

Any comments / experiences are welcome.]]> Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:20:05 +0000 http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/35200-what-are-the-costs-of-living-in-perth-with-change-in-lifestyle/ http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/35197-free-calls-from-sa-to-oz/ Great news !!!

MXIT has a new service called M-Dialer, it allows users to call OZ at local ZA cellphone rates or use the free minutes from Vodacom or MTN (NOT CELLC).

The M-Dialer Site

The Forum Post

Hope that helps some on here.

MNG]]> Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:00:57 +0000 http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/35197-free-calls-from-sa-to-oz/ http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/35164-learning-the-language-for-little-ones/
Just like a few other people on the forum, we are leaving SA in March. Our little girl is 18 months old and we speak Afrikaans to her at home. We will continue speaking to her in Afrikaans, and I really want her to learn both Afrikaans and English fluently ( just like the little German girl at her swimming class who speaks both German and English). Although I am embracing Australia with all my heart, I still love my country South Africa and will continue loving it, I just don't love the continuous problems in SA.

So, what I am saying, I want our little girl to still understand and speak Afrikaans and I also want her to pick up English as soon as possible.

I will really appreciate advice from people who were in a similar situation. From what I have heard from a speech therapist a while ago, is that parents should continue to speak to kids the language they want their kids to speak at home and kids will pick a new language up automatically by watching tv and by playing with other kids?

She is only 18 months and very sociable, so I can not think that at her age she will feel that she doesn't fit in because of a language. What is your opinion?]]> Sun, 29 Jan 2012 12:07:39 +0000 http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/35164-learning-the-language-for-little-ones/