Fidjet Posted April 4, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2018 We have been in Melbourne a bit over two weeks now, and if I had to pick one word to describe it it would have to be COLD! Seriously we are le are loving it here, arrived on Sunday went for our first walk into "town" on Monday and felt at home. When we went to London/Scotland it felt strange, looked strange even smelled strange. This just feels like we moved to a new, cleaner and more polite town. We can go for walks (if we feel like braving the hill) and sit in the park, and its clean. Feels like its a paid entry garden (botanical garden or something, since its clean and well maintained) but no it's just a little spot of grass on the side of the road, in afr we would say "parkkie". The flight was bad, and I will never fly cattle class again if I can help it. It is well worth paying for the extra legroom, I'm tall and get badly motion sick. We had really bad turbulence and an ASS in front of me that insisted on having his seat back even during food times. For some stupid reason we could not check-in online or pick our own seats, and the entire experience was just not fun, too cramped and I felt sick most of the trip, they ran out of breakfast so the only option we had was super slimy and greasy egg and smoked sausage, not the best meal when you're already feeling motion-sick. Ended up not being able to sleep at all, and when we finally arrived we were exhausted. It did help with the jetlag since we arrived around 10 pm local time and had no problem going to bed. Woke up the next morning feeling rested and used to the new time zone. Airports were fine and customs was a joke, we had more trouble getting on the plane in JHb then we did with customs in Auz, do you have anything to declare, yes X Y and Z, of ok that's fine welcome. A pleasant surprise since we were stressing about all the meds and stuff. When we got to Melbourne we had to pay for trolly rental and since we didn't have any dollars on us a friendly lady paid for us so that we could load all our bags on one. So nice of her, we really didn't feel like lugging bags around. We left Pretoria and Johannesburg after a particularly hot summer (especially since we moved to PTA and slept in a room with lots of fridges ect), I counted we only had about 8 nights where it was below 30 in our room, crazy hot! When we landed in Sydney it was 39' outside (Customs lady said it was 42 when she started her shift) hoped on our connecting flight landed in Melbourne and it was only 17' BRRR, quite an abrupt change, and the feeling cold started. We spend the next two weeks "hiding in the forest" staying with a friend in Tecoma. Getting most of our admin sorted and just relaxing. First stop was banks and then Medicare, both these and the drive between too less time then we spend trying to close our Abses bank back in PTA. So happy about that, next up was applying for TFN, all done online and our actual numbers arrived by mail yesterday. Same goes for Ambulance cover and my new laptop. No complaints with the admin, we will see how Vic Roads behave, my husband called for an appointment and was on hold for nearly 30 min and the earliest appointment we could get in the area is end April. But I guess that's the problem with going to the smaller local communities. This weekend we explored a bit, went into Melbourne city proper on Saturday, we used Groupon (Jippy Groupon works here again) and got two "hop on hop of " bus tickets, and used the bus as a "lets see what there is to see" since that was the aim it was a success, but the tour itself is a bit disappointing, its just a big advert for the city, when we did the same tour in London it was a lot better, telling us about the history of the aria nad interesting plases. But yes since we wanted to get an idea of what to see it was 100% successful and we now have a nice long list of things to do (on a weekday) in the city. We had a picnic lunch in Firtsoy garden, so pretty. We definitely want to spend more time there and g into cooks cottage. So basically my impression on the city itself, interesting place to visit, so glad I don't have to live there. Sunday we tagged along with our host and a friend and had a look at the Flinders area. Was a good road trip with breathtaking views of the bay area. Would definitely recommend it, but also get a local to point out the nice spots, apparently, our hosts have been there before and found it a disappointment. Thi is our last week of "holiday" just relaxing and going for a lot of walks. We will both start job hunting next week and go from there. Our stuff is still in Sa and we asked for it to be kept in storage for a while and will be shiped end of this month, it gives us a bit of breathing room with finding a rental ect. ideally, we would want to know where hubby is going towork before we find a rental, will see how things turn out. Ok enouth for now. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted April 5, 2018 Report Share Posted April 5, 2018 Welcome to Melbourne. It's funny how one acclimitises. I don't find it cold at all.... But then we've had time for a change of seasons. Glad you're enjoying the new experiences. Where are you looking at renting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisH Posted April 5, 2018 Report Share Posted April 5, 2018 (edited) 7 hours ago, Husky said: It's funny how one acclimitises. So true, yesterday was 25C in Brisbane and I felt cold! Edited April 5, 2018 by ChrisH 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidjet Posted April 6, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2018 (edited) 15 hours ago, Husky said: Glad you're enjoying the new experiences. Where are you looking at renting? Not sure, for now, and until our stuff gets here we will live with friends in Tacoma (so grateful since it is a massive help), and I have to admit I love it here "in the forest" Hubby hates the driveways and some of the "roads" are a bit ... let's say interesting. We are not sure where to rent, it will depend allot on where we find work, and on which comes first our stuff (and the need to find a rental) or a job. Any suggestions, we don't want to live in the city or in a high-density area, one of the reasons we like it here is that I don't have to look out int my neighbour's window. Edited April 6, 2018 by Fidjet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mara Posted April 7, 2018 Report Share Posted April 7, 2018 Mmmm.... now let me see.... Sunbury? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPanda Posted April 11, 2018 Report Share Posted April 11, 2018 Oi, you two need to get that tour sorted! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidjet Posted April 19, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2018 One month down, ok technically it was yesterday but since we landed late at night and went straight to bed, the 19th was our first day in Auz. It has been a very good month, we are starting to acclimatise to the cold, still cold but no longer colder than our hosts. We got ourselves new pillows and a SUPER Fluffy warm blanket today so thinking tonight will be a good sleep. And the biggest best news, Hubby got and accepted a job offer, and its a damn nice one. So last week Monday we planned to finally start the job hunt, and out of the blue one of Hubby's old University friends called him, "are you in Melbourne yet? The company I work for is looking to hire and if you have landed send me your CV and I'll forward it." That same afternoon they company called back wanting an interview on Wednesday. The Wednesday interview went really well and they invited him for round two in Canberra, paying for his travel costs there. And on the same day, they offered him a contract. Most people warn us that you will have to take "a step back" for your first job, and the best part of this job is it is a promotion, it is basically the same level (and job title) as he could have expected to get if he stayed at his old SA company. So we are over the moon happy. He starts mid May (wanted some time to explore properly without having to worry about, making every cent count because we are unemployed and will have to go to Canberra (the main office) for training for about a month, I plan on going with and then we get to see another city, very excited about that. Bad news is my tooth is acting up. Again. So I went to the Dentist yesterday and turns out that the root canal wasn't done properly and I will have to go see an Endodontist again and then either have the root canal redone or have the tooth removed. The dentist said she will not pull it or anything since it is in the sinuses and I will need a specialist to do that... So I don't even want to know what that is going to cost. Luckily hubby found a job and we will be earning AUD soon. God really is taking care of us, amazing opportunity "falling" into Hubby's lap just when we will need it. Don't get me wrong Hubby deserves this and had to work hard to get to where he is but its also a bit of "luck" that the company is looking for someone with his specific skill set the same day he started looking. We also discovered Hello Fresh (another Groupon deal), go look it up! You pick how many meals and for how many people and then they send you a box with everything you will need to make it and a recipe card. The food is really good and fun to make. It also forces us to try new things, since "well we have the stuff and already paid for it so might as well eat it" and its now strange stuff its just stuff we don't normally eat, like salad and broccoli. Also, one small personal victory for myself, I have lost 4kg's since landing, looks like all the walking is paying off. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidjet Posted April 19, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2018 On 4/7/2018 at 10:18 AM, Mara said: Mmmm.... now let me see.... Sunbury? On 4/11/2018 at 9:38 PM, RedPanda said: Oi, you two need to get that tour sorted! This weekend, it happens this weekend. ;-P 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPanda Posted April 21, 2018 Report Share Posted April 21, 2018 ..Hmm..you are putting in the required effort with the walking! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidjet Posted July 11, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2018 We got to Canberra on the 6th of May and went to our AirBnB, what a disaster that was someone flooded the place and left the wet carpets just standing there, so it reeked of mold and cat P! Ended up booking into an IBUS hotel, more expensive but was all we could find on that short notice. Like the hotel LOVED the fish and chips. Spend the first week exploring Canberra, went to the museum (Melbourne’s is WAY better) went on lots of walks and went to the war memorial, WHAW I will highly recommend going if you are even in Canberra it is stunning! We have been back twice since then. Our first weekend here also happened to be the first cold weekend for the locals, and we even got snow! We moved into the short-term rental supplied by hubbies new work the next Sunday and he started working that Monday. He is very happy at work, likes the people, likes the work loves the free hot chocolate, so all in all he is very happy. The caretaker at our apartment was kind enough to lend us two bikes so I have been exploring like mad. LOVE cycling in Canberra, the city is built for bikes! With bike trails everywhere and bike lanes even next to the highways. LOL they even put out a new bike lane with cones if they have to close lanes for construction work. About 2 weeks into hubbies 4-week training we decided we don’t want to go back to Melbourne, and asked if they would mind transferring him to Canberra permanently. Turns out the company have been looking for someone to fill his role for a couple of months now and only out of desperation decided to try to find someone to work out of the Melbourne branch. So that worked out really well for everyone involved. We flew back to Melbourne, rented a car and drove us and our stuff back to Canberra over the long weekend. Whaw how it grows, we landed with 3 bags and 4 backpacks. Came to Canberra with about dubble that and now we probably have double that again. Mostly stuff we decided would need replacing once we get here and left in SA, or stuff for the cold. BRR Melbourne and Canberra are cold, technically Canberra is colder but I will take Canberras frost over Melbournes wet any day. A very pretty but long and slow drive, glad we split it into a 2-day drive! Want to do it again and this time spend 3 or more days so that we can actually look around the towns and go for some of the hikes we saw. We got back to Canberra and had to move into a different short-term rental apartment, the caretaker was again very nice and offered to help me move. Fast forward a month and a bit and we are moving again, this time into our “perminant” rental, or atleast I realy hope so. We desided to start looking for a rental sooner since it is a first and everyone says it is so difficult to get a rental. We also wanted to figure out how things are done and what is available. After 2 weeks of this (and many many miles on my bike) we found a STUNNING place in Tuggerangon, more than big enough with breathtaking views and since it is “far from civic” it fits the budget very nicely to. We applied, filling in a billion forms they so much information, some of it we can not give them eg. Australian contact details for next of kin that will not live with you, well sorry we don't have that. Anyway 2 days after applying we got a call saying the place is ours if we still want it. GREAT STUFF! We get the keys tomorrow and will spend this weekend moving over and kitting out what will be the guest bedroom. We need a bed and some basic stuff until ours get here, and the plan is to get one that friends and family can use when they visit. IKEA here we come. Speaking of our stuff, out container finaly got to Melbourne last week, so hopefully it wont be too long before we get all our stuff back. We cant waite!!! It has been almost 9 months since we packed everything into a box and move in with my parents. In the last year, we have lived in 6 different “houses” in 4 different cities, it will be very good to have some stability and all my stuff around me again, not to mention my own BED! Live here is great, so much better then what we expected and we couldn’t be happier… Ok that a lie we could be happier, I’m very lonely and haven’t managed to make any friends yet, this will hopefully change now that we have a permanent house. I miss our SA friends so much and my family a bit less, does that make me a horrible person. But other than the loneliness, and that will be fixed in time, we are so happy. We have no regrets about moving over. I cant say why it is better, but it is, we are happier and more relaxed here then we have ever been. We don't stress so much about safety or money for that matter. In Sa we struggled to keep afloat with 2 jobs (and never knew if one of us would lose it again) here we are fine with extra on hubbies only. I will look for something next month after the move has been settled but the income will be for a house deposit, not because we feel we need it to live. Basically, if you are still in SA and reading this while waiting for your grant, or wondering if it is the right thing to do, (like I did with other journals) the answer is yes. I know it not for everyone, but being here I can imagine going back to SA for more than a visit. NAd my biggest wish right now is to "import" my friends and family. Some observations on things that are different. 1. Specials, are things ever not on special? 2. Store rewards cards actually work and are worth getting, or at least coles and woolies cards are. 3. Electricity and gas suppliers are more like internet providers in Sa. When you find a place to stay you need to shop around and find a supplier in your area with the best price, and then sign up and arrange for them to get everything working for you. It's not like SA where you have water and lights work and then have to fight with your local minsupality to get the billing sorted. 4. People are friendly and want to talk, if you go to the shops the cashier will ask you how you are and chat with you. Wierd! People hear the acsent and then ask where you are from, how your finding it here, have you been to see this or tried eating there. 5. People are trusting, and to be honest a bit gullible. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPanda Posted July 12, 2018 Report Share Posted July 12, 2018 Yup...pretty much. Welcome to your life here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonny Posted July 13, 2018 Report Share Posted July 13, 2018 (edited) Reading back on the earlier parts of this thread really reminded me of some of the good bits about SA. The food and social aspects, to be specific 😉 Btw Fidget, we got married in Nigel, you brought back memories! In my first while in Aus I began to think there’s a difference between lifestyle and quality of life. I think in SA we had a much better lifestyle, but in Aus we have much higher quality of life. If that makes sense. ps. Unsurprising that you lost weight, after all the farewell braais, parties, dinners, vetkoek and biltong, haha! Beware when you go back for a holiday it will happen again 😂 Edited July 13, 2018 by Bonny 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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