BrendanH Posted January 23, 2016 Report Share Posted January 23, 2016 (edited) This has been a journey two and a half years in the making and we have touched down. What a great feeling. It hasn't been been the smoothest of landings. I'm used to short domestic hops so that 12 hour haul between Joburg and Sydney was rough. Qantas really packs us poor economy class victims in like cattle(The air hostesses were working their butts off trying to keep the 100 people in our small section fed and happy). We landed in Sydney and our plane was delayed by an hour and a half. At that point we were running on over 30 hours without sleep and not in the mood for that... Then our luggage didn't make it to Canberra so we got a wake up call at 8am this morning when it was delivered to our accommodation after spending a night in our Qantas issue pyjamas. Oh, and my first time driving an automatic rental car in a strange city in the rain at night on 0 hours of sleep was something else. It says a lot about Australians that the poor woman I almost drove into at the pedestrian crossing at the airport seemed more bemused than angry... Canberra is starting to grow on me. I love the fact that there are trees everywhere. And cockatoos. Lots of people walking and riding bikes everywhere. It's hard to describe but everyone seems so much less on edge. It just feels a lot safer and I'll probably end up getting mugged for my efforts but it feels good to be able to let your guard down walking around the town. So this Saturday we have done some grocery shopping and we're going to just relax and let our bodies recover from the flight and tomorrow it is off to Cancon. On Monday we hope to be a bit more acclimatised so that we can run through our massive list of things to do - Medicare, driver's license conversions, getting bank cards, looking for a second hand car to buy... Anyway, lunch and then afternoon nap time. Also, attached is a photo from our balcony : Edited January 23, 2016 by BrendanH Typo, Added photo 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mara Posted January 23, 2016 Report Share Posted January 23, 2016 Congratulations on your arrival.... I do hope that you get sorted out with what you need easily! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OubaasDik Posted January 23, 2016 Report Share Posted January 23, 2016 Nice - where are you? I mean suburb-wise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rozellem Posted January 23, 2016 Report Share Posted January 23, 2016 Brendan, I did not see from your post if you have kids going through jetlag (or jetlegs as we refer to it) or just you. I live in Sydney and have made this journey many, many times and found a technique online that works for us every time. We use it vaguely for us, but we are diligent with rolling it out for our kids (4 and 6yrs). Without it, life is not worth living and at 2:30am we swear to never go back to RSA ever again. We arrived back in Sydney last Sat afternoon 3:30. You go home and stay up as late as we can, which was 10pm for us all and woke again at 7am. Next night it was 9:30pm till 7am. Then 8pm till 7am (kids only). The kids did not sleep too long on the plane and was mostly watching the TV's provided. So, they were back to their normal sleeping times by day 4. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrendanH Posted January 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2016 42 minutes ago, rozellem said: Brendan, I did not see from your post if you have kids going through jetlag (or jetlegs as we refer to it) or just you... Hi Rozellem, at the moment my seven year old son seems to be coping better than his mom and dad. It was a bit of a fight to get him to go to sleep last night but he has done well today. I've just woken up from a 3 hour nap. 2 hours ago, OubaasDik said: Nice - where are you? I mean suburb-wise. We are staying in Lyneham. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RYLC Posted January 23, 2016 Report Share Posted January 23, 2016 Awesome news. Now just to change your location on your profile too.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPanda Posted January 23, 2016 Report Share Posted January 23, 2016 Enjoy the peace! We also like the cockatoos we saw on our short trip through, but the locals told us they can be a nuisance? Good luck (sterkte) with all the admin, but you will probably just enjoy the efficiency of all the places you need to deal with Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrendanH Posted January 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2016 12 minutes ago, RedPanda said: We also like the cockatoos we saw on our short trip through, but the locals told us they can be a nuisance? We had a Sulphur Crested Cockatoo as a pet growing up so I can believe that a flock of them chewing through your gutters or window sills could be a huge pain. Not to mention the noise. Although for now they are a novelty. As for the admin - not looking forward to it but the sooner it gets done the better. What I am not looking forward to is finding a longer term rental. By the looks of it there is huge competition for rentals so prices have shot through the roof and property owners can choose to be very selective. But that is a problem for future Brendan. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 23, 2016 Report Share Posted January 23, 2016 Welcome to Oz Brendan. I completely understand the feeling of being less on edge here in Oz, you don't actually realise how stressful life in SA is until you get here. We really suffered with jetlag when we came back from a holiday to SA in Dec for almost a week! Couldn't get to sleep til 5 in the morning then slept til 1. Had to start setting the alarm eventually but it wore off. Should have done what Rozellem suggested. I think kids adapt alot quicker, our son basically sleeps all through the night when we fly. I wouldn't worry too much about getting Medicare etc sorted you're not dealing with idiots over here but efficient people who get the job done.....and can you believe it..with a smile to boot ? I don't think Melbourne has Cockatoos, but we do have crows which I have really grown quite fond of, they are so comical and sometimes their chatter reminds me of minions. We also have rainbow lorikeets. Canberra looks lovely. All the best to your new life and settling in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doggit Posted January 25, 2016 Report Share Posted January 25, 2016 Welcome Brendan, I hope your admin has gone smoothly today. A rental suggestion: try having a look on gumtree for rentals, specifically filter by owner (not agency). In my small experience, owners seem more open to tenants without official Australian references. I was offered both places I applied for, but perhaps that was just my dashing good looks Seriously though, I made an effort to be friendly, to compliment them on the lovely apartment, etc. I also provided a couple of character references that I have been using for job hunting, as well as a link to my LinkedIn profile which also has a couple of references. I think every bit helps. Good luck. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrendanH Posted January 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2016 So, we got Medicare sorted (Ten mintes from walking in the door to exiting.) and we got our bank cards (It is great to be treated like a human being and not a rounding error on a spreadsheet.). We also test drove a few cars. Unfortunately we didn't get our licenses converted because we went there first and didn't have ID when we arrived but it is within walking distance so we will do it after meeting our case officer tomorrow. We were driving around looking at suburbs and schools and came across this which I thought was awesome : The Dickson wetland is a small pond fed by runoff water in the suburb. The water is purified by a combination of a healthy ecosystem and sand purifiers. This water is then stored in large underground tanks which are used to irrigate the local sports fields and parks. I think of all the pollution and filth clogged canals in Cape Town flowing into toxic lagoons and being wasted and I get grumpy. Oh, the wetlands are also a haven for a myriad of bird, fish and frog species. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellfish Posted January 26, 2016 Report Share Posted January 26, 2016 On 1/23/2016 at 7:48 PM, emmayenkanna said: I don't think Melbourne has Cockatoos, Not to nitpick but Melbourne has loads of cockatoos. Galah's too (the pink and grey cockatoos - noisy little beggars but beautiful. The bird life is amazing where we live - rosellas, rainbow lorikeets, galahs, just spectacular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 26, 2016 Report Share Posted January 26, 2016 I've seen the Galahs but none of the white cockatoos that Perth have. ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odendaal Posted January 26, 2016 Report Share Posted January 26, 2016 Keep the updates coming Brendan! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mara Posted January 26, 2016 Report Share Posted January 26, 2016 Emma, then you just have to visit in Sunbury or Bulla, you will often see dozens, and I mean dozens of them! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrendanH Posted January 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2016 (edited) We went through to the Commonwealth Gardens to watch the fireworks with my brother and his girlfriend. The atmosphere was great - the fireworks were amazing and the Canberra bats are Massive. Also, getting into our car without "Car Guards" harrassing you when you get into your car or beggers at every traffic light. But here is a cellphone snap that absolutely does not do the fireworks justice and also includes some dudes head. Edited January 26, 2016 by BrendanH Software weirdness. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chips Posted January 27, 2016 Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 Keep them updates coming Brendan, all the best with your settling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrendanH Posted January 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 (edited) I've posted a lot about the recreation and cool thimgs we've seen but most of our time is spent driving around and doing *stuff*. We have been test driving cars and settled on a little 2013 Hyundai I20 with 40k on the clock. Tomorrow we finalize insurance and get a bank guaranteed cheque to pay. Today we visited our case officer who mentioned that as permanent residents we should join Centrelink for a small childcare grant. This I did not know. It will probably only be a few hundred dollars a month but since we are unemployed it will definitely help. We have also been exploring suburbs and driving past schools. We have identified Curtin, Garren, Torrens, Lyneham and Farrer for schooling. Today we applied to view 6 properties in these suburbs. Tomorrow morning we are off to print rental application cover letters along with copies of bank statements and the email our last landlady wrote as a reference. Our 7 year old son has been great but is definitely starting to take strain with all the driving around and boring stuff. I really think it is time for him to start school and meet kids his own age. Tempers are starting to fray on all sides now and it has been less than a week. He has also been telling us about how he wishes we were back in South Africa which is hardest of all to deal with. Next week I will be contacting the few job leads I have to arrange meetings. One thing I am realizing is just how challenging things are at the moment. I'm more than ever reminded of a conversation I had with my brother-in-law who accused us of taking the easy way out leaving South Africa instead of fighting to make it better. We are doing this for a lot of reasons but doing it because it is easy is not one of them. Edited January 27, 2016 by BrendanH 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyberJoe Posted January 27, 2016 Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 Hi @BrendanH! Thank you for the updates, it really is great to see it from the perspective of someone who has just arrived. I know it sounds crazy but I almost cannot wait to apply for any admin related thing in Aus. In and out of a Govt. department in 10 minutes! No way! I applied for my marriage certificate way back in Aug 2015, still have not received it. This is despite at least three calls a week and emails every other day to the various "supervisors". I have not been too busy on the forum as of late, trying to keep myself occupied while we are waiting to hear from our case officer regarding our 189 application. The wait is a absolute killer for me but the one sentence you wrote kind of touched a nerve. The fact that your brother-in-law has accused you of taking the easy way out is absolutely ridiculous. I find it utterly amusing that he is the one staying in his little bubble of comfort with family and support around him and then accusing you of performing a cowardly deed. I can only imagine that he has never even considered what you guys had to go through just to get here and the sheer willpower that it takes to actually take the leap to move to another country. We have only told my mother in law and my mother that we are planning to move overseas but I am fortunate enough that they both support us in the undertaking. Whatever your reason for taking this journey, it sure as hell is not to be more comfortable on the other side since there are no guarantees. For most of us it is nearly a year long process from start to finish, in some cases even more (thinking of you @Chips). Admin, tons of decisions, costs, feeling sad about the people you will leave behind, living in limbo while you wait to hear if you will be 'lucky' enough to be selected and then as they say, the real fun starts. All I can say is bravo guys. Most people I know are scared of going down a roller-coaster at Gold Reef City, let alone look at a situation and make a life altering choice to move to another place. We wish you all the best, especially with the little one! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 27, 2016 Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 Brendan thankyou for the posts. You have done so much in a week and nice to know you are enjoying it so far. I wouldn't worry so much about your son. I can remember for the first 2 weeks or so our four year old saying he wanted to go back to SA. Everything around him is so unfamiliar right now, there is no routine and kids thrive on that. My son has settled in very well now and he loves it here. I am sure yours will too. Once he starts school and you get your own place everything will settle. All the best in finding work I look forward to reading more about your adventure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterthe1 Posted January 27, 2016 Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 12 hours ago, BrendanH said: Today we visited our case officer who mentioned that as permanent residents we should join Centrelink for a small childcare grant. This I did not know. It will probably only be a few hundred dollars a month but since we are unemployed it will definitely help. You may be entitled to more benefits, depending what Visa you are on. Check with the Centrelink people. My visa stated that I was not entitled to any public funds but when I first registered with Centrelink I was informed that I could claim unemployment benefits. I came here on a 100 visa (PR). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OubaasDik Posted January 28, 2016 Report Share Posted January 28, 2016 Brendan check your Private messages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrendanH Posted January 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2016 So it turns out that Centrelink is about as efficient as Home Affairs. One and a half hours and still waiting. My advice is like Home Affairs to get here before it opens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 28, 2016 Report Share Posted January 28, 2016 They do take forever when you contact them via phone, but were seen too very quickly when we went about 10 mins. Maybe it depends what office you go too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrendanH Posted February 2, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2016 So, it is official - Centrelink is about as bad as any South African bureaucracy we have had to deal with. After waiting in the queue of over two hours on Friday we needed to leave due to another appointment. Yesterday (Monday) we went in again and got about half way through when their systems went down. We tried again this morning and they couldn't find our file online (Due to a misspelled surname...) and then apparently the system was down again with no notification... So we will give them until Thursday to fix their systems and go in one again. Maybe fourth time is the charm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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