Life in the land of Oz!

[BriD]

Hi Bri

I think the "Hire a Hubby" franchise is definitely worth thinking about. Although Australia is full of tradies, people who aren't tradies are generally not very good at the handyman thing (my observation). Melbournians are also quite happy to pay someone else to do something that they are not good at. Point in case is a friend of ours who is a painter. He quoted us to paint a bedroom and one wall in our lounge and the quote came in at $2000. Needless to say we decided to paint ourselves. He was not fussed and basically said that he is so busy he doesn't need to give us "mate's rates".

Point really is that people who are handy can earn a decent living here, and you may find that he can earn better working for himself (getting all the tax deductions etc) than by being a manager in someone else's business.

Just a thought ....

Good to know! Thanks! Hubby is at this very moment at the "Hire a Hubby" info meeting in Melbourne CBD...so shall be interesting to hear all about it when he is home!

[McCabes]

Let us know about that? My hubby is quite good (pretty darn great actually) at putting stuff together - he designed and made our son's loft bed, and then created a desk set for himself with LED lighting. He has tiled and painted and made all kinds of things, so I think this might also be an idea if/when we first land if he isn't snapped up immediately.

[BriD]

Will def let you know how it goes

[BriD]

I am so so sorry I have been so scarce!!

I can hardly believe that we have been here nearly a month now...and have been bustling around getting settled and sorted. The time is just flying!!

Everything official that needed to be done has been done, Driver's licenses, Medicare, TFN, Centrelink, We have a rental, We have phones, the kids are settled into their respective kinders, we get our car today!! (been driving a loan car around). The one big huge thing left is for hubby to secure a job. The wheels of employment turn so slowly here...the job applications are open for ages before they even start sorting through cv's...so it really is a waiting game here. We have experienced though, that they are usually considerate enough to let you know if your application has not been successful. Quite a change from the South African way...if you don't hear back you didn't get it.

I can tell that Hubby is trying very hard not to feel disheartened...as much as you tell yourself that you knew you would have to wait and be patient and send a trillion cv's...the reality of it is very difficult. We agreed that it would be cheaper for me to stay home with kids. They only have 2 and a half days at Kinder each week. Full time kinder would cost more than I would probably earn...so cheaper to be home with the kids. I wish I could help more though...just continuing to encourage him and support him. We are expanding our search to other cities and more regional areas...it's just to land that first aussie job...so we cannot be too choosy. Still centering our efforts in Melbourne...but will see where the wind takes us.

We had a great opportunity to help a friend swop cars between Sydney and Melbourne. So we drove up to Sydney on the Hume Highway - the quicker route (10 hours) and back the coastal route over 2 days. We stayed in Sydney with family and friends while there. It was great. And especially great to get the chance to see more of the country on the drive there and back. This truly is a beautiful country with amazing scenery...there is a new beauty around every corner.

We were warned not to travel at night because of the kangaroos that jump into the headlights. We saw quite a few of these luckless roo's on the road Very sad. But we heeded the warning and did not drive at night.

One thing that seems quite excessive here is the amount of nut allergy kids around...I never met one single person in South Africa who had a nut allergy. Here...every school has at least 1 pupil in their class that has a nut allergy. Seems like more of a problem here! I never anticipated the "problem" of finding nut free healthy lunch box options for my kids. It is a challenge for me!! Shoo whee!!

Our container was inspected by quarantine yesterday and was cleared with no problems. I AM SO EXCITED!!! I cannot wait to have all my stuff with me again!!! It has been TOO LONG!!! Can you tell I am struggling to contain my excitement!! Hopefully sometime next week me and my stuff will be reunited! The kids will have proper beds again and I will be able to drink tea out of a proper mug! YAYNESS!!

My little girly celebrated her 5th Birthday yesterday. We ordered NUT FREE cupcakes to take to school. My hubby and I could come and see her hand out her cupcakes and everyone sang happy birthday to her. She wore a birthday girl cake hat and looked so shy. I think though that handing out the cupcakes to each classmate somehow helped her feel more at home at school. I know it sounds doff...but the interaction was good for her. Social stuff does not come easy for her...so every step forward is a good one.

Today she starts a dance/play ballet class. She is so excited! It was something I promised her...that once we were settled here we would find a dance class for her. It is so close too which is perfect.

Dan starts his little kicker class tomorrow - he did it in South Africa, and I was delighted to find out they do it here too. He so loved it. So he is very excited about that too.

Aside from Ballet and Soccer, I am signing the kids up for swimming lessons. The aquatic centre is 400m down the road and if they do classes there we can go swim there anytime. Australians are swimming mad and I think my kids need to do lessons asap to get into the Aussie way of things. So those shall be our only extra murals...in my opinion...more than enough!! Just call me "Taxi"...lol!

I still keep reading News24 everyday. Of course I am still concerned about all our loved ones there. And I must admit...I think I am even more shocked now that I don't live there anymore at the state of things. It is like you step your froggy legs out of the boiling water...and as you return to a more normal style of living the way it should be, you start to realise just how shocking things are. You thought you knew it...until you are out of it and then you know it even more!!!

I keep up with my family once a week with a long chatty email, and they reply. I so love getting long emails...it is almost better than talking on the phone sometimes. We are busy settling up contracts for landlines etc and one of the packages includes International calls....so hoping that comes through soon. Would be nice to be able to call anytime. We tried to organise ADSL for my family for Skype calls...and after 8 weeks of waiting for it to be finalised and following up etc...we were told "there is no infrastructure in their area for adsl" and the order has been cancelled. Even though they sent my dad a modem and everything...it is RIDICULOUS!!! I sent a steaming angry email to the incompetent who had the bad luck to have to deal with me....and my dad has now taken over the battle...saying he would be able to be calmer about it. There is nothing ok about this...you wait for weeks...and only after several follow up emails from your side do they finally tell you that nothing will ever happen. JUST PATHETIC! Ok...trying not to freak out all over again about it. This was meant to be my lifeline to my family...and it is still not happening

On the other side, my hubbies family has all the technology and connections etc and we have skyped SO many times since we got here. Almost too many in some ways...you know when you um and ah and don't have any news anymore. This whole situation is so frustrating

Anyways...this has turned into another epic post. Will try to come on more regularly.

xxx

[Toitjie]

wow I love reading your long posts

wrt nuts in schools - i was admonished for sending sandwiches for my kids (only for them) with Nutella on it. I was bummed out about this, but they are serious about nut allergies!

The service we were used to in SA is just shocking compared to here. When we went to JB Hi-fi to hear about Telstra offers the guy asked me where we stayed and quickly checked online and said yes, there is ADSL infrastructure near us. simple as that.

I hate reading the news but I cannot stop myself. The news here still does not make a lot of sense to me, when they talk about people I dont know I dont listen, and we still have family so it easy to go back to those sites but its bad. I am heartbroken every time I read of another attack on defenseless people. This time an ouma with her grandchild. I wish I could get my family out of there but its not going to happen.

I hope your hubby find work soon, Melbourne is lovely. My brother lives in St Kilda and he loves it.

[Erik]

The first month seems to fly by with everything that needs to be sorted out, but things will start falling into a routine and it will be business as usual. Hope your hubby gets a job soon, it's never good for moral to not have something to do. I told my wife the other day: "I wonder how much a truck or bus driver earns, you know, just in case this whole science thing doesn't work out"

I don't really see how somebody else's kid's nut allergy is your problem? They should be teaching their kid not to just eat anything someone offers them, not let everybody suffer because of them...

That's like prohibition, not letting anybody have a glass of wine, because one or two people don't know when to stop drinking. Really weird how people make one person's problem, everybody's problem.

My kid is lactose intolerant, should I expect nobody at school to have milk because he can't have it? Anyway, that's me on my soapbox for today...

[OnYellowBrickRd]

@Erik, in principle I agree with you on the nuts issue, but there are kids in my daughter's school who go into anaphylactic shock when they SMELL nuts! (Weird, I know!) But we cannot deny them access to school because of an allergy.

Hubby and I were saying that when we were kids, food allergies were a very rare phenomenon. Some parents do exaggerate things a bit (I know parents who deny their kids any dairy from birth onwards...just in case!), but unfortunately we need to accommodate these "first world problems".

@BriD I am glad that things are starting to settle. Soon hubby will have a job and your new lives will become normal. I am glad to hear that your little girl is settling. The extra murals will help her socialising too. Just remember, eat the elephant one bite at a time!

[Bronwyn&Co]

Nuts are a very big deal here. Almost everything says 'Produced in a factory that may process nuts'. Last year a boy at my daughter's year 12 formal (matric farewell) was taken away in an ambulance because the venue stuffed up with some pesto...and the headmaster had spoken to the chef three times telling them to be super careful.

[Brad76]

The job search thing is a little daunting. People warned us about it before coming over but you're never quite prepared for how slowly the wheels seem to turn here - then of course there's the challenge of "local" experience!

Edited February 28, 2014 by Brad76

[OubaasDik]

The first month seems to fly by with everything that needs to be sorted out, but things will start falling into a routine and it will be business as usual. Hope your hubby gets a job soon, it's never good for moral to not have something to do. I told my wife the other day: "I wonder how much a truck or bus driver earns, you know, just in case this whole science thing doesn't work out"

I don't really see how somebody else's kid's nut allergy is your problem? They should be teaching their kid not to just eat anything someone offers them, not let everybody suffer because of them...

That's like prohibition, not letting anybody have a glass of wine, because one or two people don't know when to stop drinking. Really weird how people make one person's problem, everybody's problem.

My kid is lactose intolerant, should I expect nobody at school to have milk because he can't have it? Anyway, that's me on my soapbox for today...

I've even applied for a job washing rock core samples - I didn't get it.

I did get a job making blank cartridges for yacht races ..... see if anyone can beat that.

And, yes, if one kid has a nut allergy, everyone is punished. It seems like the same attitude is in action with the "everyone must register their tattoos to fight bilie money laundering" idea that both NSW and QLD seemed to be considering a few weeks ago. See http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-08/tattoo-registry-rejected-as-infringement-on-rights/4677754

Edited February 28, 2014 by OubaasDik

[Brad76]

Guess you need local experience to wash rocks as well!

[OubaasDik]

Guess you need local experience to wash rocks as well!

Nah, maybe I was overqualified - I told them I'd done lab work before in a soil and rock lab - Liquid Limits, Plastic limits, Plasticity Index and Shear Table. Maybe I was overqualified to be an Aquatic-lithic Application Specialist.

[BriD]

So we are one month into our new lives in Australia! 1 Month!! I cannot believe how quickly it has passed!!

We are expecting our container to arrive tomorrow...YIPPEA!!! I cannot describe how intensely I am yearning to have the stuff in there. I think I will virtually kiss the boxes as they arrive. It will be like Christmas!!!! I cannot wait to have a couch to sit on and a proper desk to work on. And to have a side table next to my bed...instead of an air mattress box. I cannot WAIT!!!! Okay enough about the container now...lol

On the job front, hubby has been diligently working hard at applying and applying and applying. I am so proud of how everyday he sits down at his computer and "seeks" and sends. His hard work adapting his cv to every job and sending a cover letter specifically for each job will eventually pay off. Also, it does make a difference to you when you network. An old friend of the family...already retired, suggested to my hubby that he attends a "Collins Club" luncheon. Seems a rather formal affair, suits and all. You pay for it, but it appears to be a long standing South African group for Business men...it seems. After we paid for it, he was contacted by someone who is a member and would be his sort of "introduction" at the lunch on Friday Afternoon (yes...container arrives and my hubby goes off to a fancy lunch...all for a good cause I say!!) He went to see this man yesterday, we all took a train into the city and the kids and I went to the Aquarium and Hubby went off to his meeting. This man is a recruitment agent!! So bonus!! Hopefully something will come of this maybe. We hold thumbs!! I think my best advice is to find a way to network with people from the industry you are wanting to be in...you know that saying "It's not what you know, it's who you know"...I think it applies here.

As far as life in Aus goes, though we have "downgraded" if you want to call it that, to a small flat etc...we feel we have completely upgraded our lifestyle. The outdoor side of things...to be able to walk around freely, the parks, the public transport...is a world beyond the world we knew in South Africa. I have not pined for our life back in S.A. at all. In fact, sometimes it hardly feels like it ever existed. I did not bring with any spices or soups or anything. I have tried to find new ones to love and new brands etc. Mayo was a big one...the first bottle we bought was SO gross!! But second time round we looked for one that had "tangy" written somewhere on it and it was much better.

The kids are doing well at their respective kinders, and I truly love both of the kinders. They pay such attention to detail...both sides know the other sibling by name!! Astounding to me...and I really appreciate it. If I bring Dan to fetch Amy, the teacher greets him by name and gives him a cuddle...listens to him chat. Brought Amy to fetch Dan and the teacher wished her a happy birthday and asked what she got...I am just so impressed.

I have started to feel a new kind of emotion...I feel scared and sad that I may very well not end up staying in this area. I am starting to meet people, building relationships, getting to know things and I am liking it...maybe too much. I think perhaps women put down roots very quickly...even when things are uncertain. And the prospect of leaving all this and starting again sucks. But I am trying to prepare myself that it is very possible it will happen...more than once. At the same time though, it is also true that putting down roots is a good way to help you settle. If you put off doing that, then you will never feel settled. Life is too short to wait around for whatever you are waiting for to happen...sounds confusing, but it makes sense in my head lol!

We planted some veggies in some pots for our balcony. Kids were taking care of them. One of them was some lettuce and sugar peas...the other beans and carrots. For a week or 2 it was fine. Then the possums discovered it...the first night we caught one demolishing the lettuce we thought it was cute. Now 3 days later, and my son is in tears because not one speck of green remains in his pot...the lettuce is gone, the peas are gone, even the little tufts of green from carrots growing is gone. So we shall have to devise some kind of anti possum plan for our balcony...or give up on having veggies there...

One thing that is a bit of a pain is our lack of an Aussie Credit rating...it means we cannot get any contracts, no mobile no internet...so we stuck using prepaid until we can come up with a credit rating. It sucks!! You need debt to get debt...and pre-paid mobile and internet is blinking expensive. Anyone have any advice on this?? What did you all do?

Anyways...our first month has been a good month and I have appreciated this opportunity very much. We are going to make this work and we will have a happy life here I know it.

As far as missing loved ones...in all honesty, I have missed them...but not intensely like in tears everyday. I am sure that those moments will come, especially as time drags on. Life goes on for all of them too, just received word that my BIL and his wife are expecting their first baby. So happy for them! Had a long Skype conversation with them this morning. I think sometimes, you end up speaking more to people when you live far away.

As far as my family goes...I have been used to only seeing them 3 or 4 times a year as they lived in another city...so perhaps that is what is helping me now. Every now and then I am suddenly struck with a wave of sadness that I am so far from my mom. But it is a sad moment and not an endless day of sadness. Maybe this makes me sound hard...but I am actually a very emotional softie. Perhaps this is my inner protection just keeping the emotion at bay...or perhaps we have just been too busy. I know that tough days will come...in fact, received word that my mom has to have an op on her ear. Some kind of non cancerous growth has been eroding the bone away between her ear and brain...so now it is imperative they try and patch that up. In her last email she wrote of some of her fears of the op and how close they will be to her brain when they are scraping and patching. So I am not happy that I am so far away...but it is a fact of life for us now. There will be many more moments like this...this is just one of the first. Perhaps it is as my husband always likes to say...you accept the facts you cannot change and don't strain against them. What is the point in fighting something you cannot change. So that is where we are at right now.

I don't deny that there will be some extremely difficult days that may creep up on us...I am sure there will be...in fact, I kind of hope there will be...if there aren't what kind of person will that make me? Just voicing my thoughts out loud here...I hope I am not seen as callous or anything...I prefer to see it as accepting of the decision and the consequences.

Sigh...Maybe I just woke up too early or something and my brain is fried. I reserve the option to come back to this post and correct myself if I read it again and think I was speaking nonsense.

Have a good day (or evening) everyone

xxx

[Zim]

Wow BriD I just love your posts and following your journey. Your brain does not sound 'fried' at all - you are talking my language! We are leaving in 24 days and also considering a little 2 bedroom flat and I thought of u guys and thought it must be possible with 2 kids if you guys can do it - even if your window box garden hasn't been so successful!

[Tazzn]

Think of you guys often Bri. Hope all is going well

[shannonc4]

Awesome post Bri, hope you guys continue flourishing

[BriD]

Wow BriD I just love your posts and following your journey. Your brain does not sound 'fried' at all - you are talking my language! We are leaving in 24 days and also considering a little 2 bedroom flat and I thought of u guys and thought it must be possible with 2 kids if you guys can do it - even if your window box garden hasn't been so successful!

Aw thanks Zim. Exciting times!! Yes...it is possible. Definitely possible and much more affordable in the beginning too.

[BriD]

Heading towards the end of our second Month in Australia...even writing that seems insane!! I still have moments of "rerealisation" that we are actually here and doing this!! It baffles me sometimes...just so huge that I cannot comprehend it. Plus, I think that the fact that everything feels familiar helps us feel more at home than we expected to at this stage.

I would say that we are doing really well, as a family, emotionally, socially etc. We do still have the huge thing of a job to deal with...but it has not affected our drive and commitment to integrate into Australia as much as possible (without looking desperate lol). Hubby and I have really put ourselves out there...attending social gatherings related to the kids, accepting invitations from strangers, my hubby is approaching people in business boldly asking for some time with them to discuss working in Aus and trying to get some advice and hopefully useful contacts from that. I must say that for both of us, this is putting our social skills to the test. We are both very much homebody types and did not readily accept invites etc back in South Africa. Here though, every invite is an opportunity to meet people and to build up contacts, friends, and a type of support network. As an example...on Tuesday there was a clash in plans with the different Kinders. Amy's one was having a mommy's tea in the morning, and Dan's had a birthday tea for one of his classmates before kinder started. I went to Amy's mommy's tea and Craig took Daniel to the birthday tea...and chatted to the mom's etc. Very brave of him...think Dad's can often feel a bit out of it amongst mom's. But he did it and marketed my potential baking business to those he met lol!

We have felt so much more at home since our container arrived. Don't underestimate the power of familiar stuff...it definitely changed our apartment into a home. And it was good having all my old faithful kitchen things and my books, all my cat decorations (making up a tiny bit for the catless home we have right now )

Also made a huge difference for the kids, to see familiar toys and their beds. We all definitely almost visibly settled in even more once everything was unpacked. Was good

On the job front, hubby decided to pay a professional cv writer to write his cv, update his Linked In and write a cover letter for him. I think it definitely has helped and he has had good comments from his more recent contacts about how his cv comes across. So hopefully this will maybe give him a bit more of an edge in the job hunting side of things. He has a lot to bring to a company, he just needed to be able to "sell" himself properly in his first contact with potential employers...ie his cv. In conversations with others, he has heard that about 2/3 years ago...the jobs on seek were much much more than they are now. That employers were vying with each other for employees and employees almost had a pick of jobs. Nowadays it is much different. Employers have a huge selection of applicants coming to them...times have changed here in Australia. There is no denying that. I think those coming over must expect the job hunt to be more difficult and be prepared to throw yourself into it and put yourself out there and network as much as possible. And don't be too picky...if you narrow your search area too much you really narrow your opportunities. You need to get a foot in the door and gain some Aussie experience...if that ends up being in a regional area...then so be it. It is Aussie experience...a foot in the door. These are just our observations thus far. Hubby is applying in Victoria, NSW, Queensland, even Tasmania and South Australia. We will go where the job is.

At the mommy's tea, I had a chance to listen to the Aussie moms discussing schools in the area. Was very enlightening...this I think is the only way to know what the general though of schools are...by listening to the people living in the neighbourhood. A mom I spoke to there, on finding out that Amy is so very shy recommended a Parish school very close to our apartment. I had not even realised it existed. They are very small, having 1 prep class that follows through the years till year 6. At least my shy little girl would not get lost in the crowd so to speak. It happened to be their open day that very day! So as soon as I got home, hubby and I went to see the school. I was SO impressed. Although we are not catholic, it is open to non-catholics after they have accepted all catholic applicants, and non-catholics are not forced to do any of the catholic things. I like the Christian base that the children have there, and I got a really good feeling. School is immaculate, classrooms well equipped and just a wonderful vibe there. We went home and immediately filled in the forms and I wrote a cover letter saying why we loved the school and kind of but not pleading to be considered for a place there for Amy next year. Of course, we cannot be sure that we will still be in this area then...but you have to live every day as if you are going to be there. I have learnt not to put things off for just in case...life happens...just go with it. So we shall see.

We have found a church that we really love. It is in North Balwyn...so about a 15 minute drive. But it is so worth it...and the people there are amazing. 28 countries represented in the congregation! Kids are loving Sunday school and it just feels like we have found our "home" there. I have started going to the church's playgroup on Wednesdays with the kids. We are there for 2 hours for a play and some songs. Fills another day for us. And Hubby is going to the men's cell group and I am going to the women's get togethers...one is this weekend a woman's movie night at the church. It will be my first night driving in a long long time. I feel nervous...but I know it is safer here than it ever was in South Africa...so willing to give it a try.

Otherwise, my mom had a major operation on Monday. And my dad is not very good at all at keeping me updated. It is so infuriating. So I have had to make a couple of international calls to keep up to date with things. I have not been able to speak to her yet...but it sounds like she is doing ok. I feel terribly far away though...these are the times that are difficult.

That is where we stand at this point...loving it here. Hopefully the next time I post we will have made some headway with the job thing.

To all those here looking...sending lots of good vibes and strength!

Edited March 19, 2014 by BriD

[McCabes]

Hugs Bri, really enjoyed the update!

I really hope the networking pays off soon, was interesting about the professional CV writer doing the LinkedIn page as well.

I think it's fab that you have found a church you feel at home in. It was something I came back with - that it would be key to find a church if/when we got there.

I really hope your mom is ok and recovers quickly!

Find what you said about living life as if you are going to be there - tough for me to swallow right now, but very true. I need to stop living in the maybes and what ifs.

Thinking of you - keep us posted!

[BriD]

Find what you said about living life as if you are going to be there - tough for me to swallow right now, but very true. I need to stop living in the maybes and what ifs.

Yes...I know it is hard to swallow...I know because it has been a difficult personal journey for me to be able to come to that conclusion. I am a self confessed control freak and I am still working on this...I think it will be a lifetime of working on it. All the best!! I understand the struggles with this!

[Toitjie]

Hi Bri, it's so good to read that you have settled so well, especially the kids

have you found mobile plans yet? What I did when no-one wanted to give us contracts because of the credit issue, was to go to Vodafone. For some reason I passed their credit check and I took out a month to month contract for my 3G which means I can stop it at any time. she said that I qualified for 2 contracts but I prefer pay as you go on my cellphone instead of a contract.

[BriD]

Hi Bri, it's so good to read that you have settled so well, especially the kids

have you found mobile plans yet? What I did when no-one wanted to give us contracts because of the credit issue, was to go to Vodafone. For some reason I passed their credit check and I took out a month to month contract for my 3G which means I can stop it at any time. she said that I qualified for 2 contracts but I prefer pay as you go on my cellphone instead of a contract.

Actually just this morning, I called Telstra after receiving a letter saying we might be able to get a fixed line contract...which I was hoping for (international bundle is very good...would enable unlimited calls to South Africa for only $15 per month flat rate.)

The lady I spoke to was so helpful, and she said we could do an advance payment option which would enable us to get contracts with Telstra without having a credit rating!! This was something we had asked the store people about, but they all said it was impossible. But she said it was definitely possible.

So today I organised:

A Bundle that contained:

Internet Connection with 200GB per month including modem and tech support

Fixed Line with International Calling Package

Foxtel entry level including tech set up etc

And 2 mobile contracts that are BYOH - Bring your own handset.

So a 12 month contract, includes $700.00 worth of calls per month in Australi, unlimited sms's within Australia, 1.5GB data per month.

And all I paid was a $300.00 advance payment which is put onto our account as credit. And then we pay normally once credit is up.

She had to phone the credit ratings place to waiver the issues or whatever...and after the last mobile contract was set up they said that that was the last contract we could do like this. Any others we would have to wait until we had the normal credit ratings.

So I am SUPER stoked about that. For us the pre-paid option was working out extremely expensive...I had Vodafone and Hubby Telstra...and my Vodafone seemed more expensive than his. So I am really happy to have sorted this out now.

[Mel-B]

I enjoyed reading the updates of your journey and the costs and process of things. I'm busy putting together budget for Melbourne. Were looking at coming over end of year-ish. Need to get our home sold!

[HarryVR]

Good on ya BriD! Sounds like things are really beginning to move on for you guys. Now that elusive job. What line of work is Craig in? We have been in Australia for 17 years and know a few people around in many industries, so shout and I'll stick my feelers out for you guys as well. Stay strong!!!!

[BriD]

Good on ya BriD! Sounds like things are really beginning to move on for you guys. Now that elusive job. What line of work is Craig in? We have been in Australia for 17 years and know a few people around in many industries, so shout and I'll stick my feelers out for you guys as well. Stay strong!!!!

Hiya Harry. Craig is a qualified Industrial Engineer. His experience is in production management and manufacturing. Thanks, would appreciate it...every little bit helps!