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Time is running out - time to go or stay...


KelsM

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Hi everyone

 

So after getting our visas in 2014 there have been numerous reasons why we couldn't go over to Australia. Health issues, work, finances and the thought that we still have lots of time to make the move.

 

Now, time has caught up with us and we have to make the decision to go or stay. I would hate the idea of spending all that money on visas and letting the opportunity pass us by. So we have decided that the time has come to make our plans to go over.

 

I have done loads of research and have also completed my teaching diploma this year in preparation for the move to Aus (I am actually an accountant - CA (SA) but want to have some options from a work perspective). Recently I have considered doing the Certificate in Individual Support as we initially want to set up base in Perth. But at this stage nothing is cast in stone yet.

 

We are busy looking at flights in the first week in December as I am still finishing off at work. My question is the following - is it more difficult to secure a rental over the festive season? We are planning to stay in a Airbnb and during this time try and secure a rental in the Perth area. Also, what is the standard rental term? We are hoping for 6 months only. Also, are there any recommendations for health insurance? We would rather have something basic than nothing at all.

 

How does one go about applying for an Australian Police Clearance Certificate and how long does it take? 

 

Sorry for all the questions, but we have lots of planning ahead and very little time!😓

 

Thanks😂

 

 

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4 hours ago, KelsM said:

want to set up base in Perth

There are many rentals available in Perth currently at a discounted price. The market is stagnant and a renters paradise (not good for landlords)

However, most agencies close over the festive season.

Depending on the size of the family, what you can do is securing a furnished apartment (eg airbnb) and then wait your time out to get the best rental, best suited where you will work & socialise. Get yourself a letterbox till you have a more secure/permanent address. It takes a lot of uncertainty away!!

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

@KelsMYou should be able to pick up adverts for December rentals from now onwards. Just download the Realestate.com.au app and search under ‘Rentals’ for your preferred areas. You can also set up alerts so you get messages when a new suitable rental is loaded online. 

 

Btw a deposit is called a ‘bond’ and is between 4-6 weeks rent. You get it back at the end if the house is perfectly cleaned and undamaged. 

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  • 1 month later...

Hi @KelsM

On 10/22/2018 at 2:32 AM, KelsM said:

any recommendations for health insurance?

They are all reasonable. Bupa has just had a change (for the worse) of benefits on the cheaper plans. But you'll get much the same on Medibank and HIF.

 

On 10/22/2018 at 2:32 AM, KelsM said:

How does one go about applying for an Australian Police Clearance Certificate and how long does it take? 

You can do this online. Just make sure you know which on to do because there is a state one and a federal one. My wife just had a federal one done. Took over two week's.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi everyone.

 

So we arrived in Perth on the 5th December and it's been an absolute whirlwind. I enjoyed reading the journals of people arriving in Australia and how they are settling in etc, and promised to 'pay back' and give a true reflection of our journey so far..

 

Anyway, back to the 5th December..😁

 

We arrived in Perth at approximately 9 a.m. Our flight (via Mauritius) left JHB late which meant we only had 45 minutes to disembark, run to customs, and run to catch our connecting flight to Perth! But the staff at the airline are absolutely fantastic and we had a really enjoyable flight. Upon arrival in Perth it took about an hour to get through passport control. That said, we are normally the last people to leave the plane as hubby loves to pack a lot of stuff into hand luggage!! This, with a busy three year old, is normally a recipe for disaster! 🤣 It seems they were a bit short-staffed but we eventually made it through to collect our suitcases. They waved us through at customs and there we were, in Perth ready to start our new lives..

 

Car rental was a breeze. The shuttle stopped about 2 minutes after we made it to the pick up area (good timing I think!). The rental was $17 a day and a brand new Corolla. The Airbnb (we stayed there before) was like visiting family and we felt right at home. Jet lag was tough but after 2 days we were ready to start with the dreaded 'Admin'...

 

First up - we needed a car. Having a limited budget is always a problem and as soon as we found a good deal we rushed as fast as we could only to find the 'car has been sold, sorry'. We also didn't factor in the amount of time it takes to get from one suburb to the next. The traffic lights stay red for a VERY long time! I joked with hubby and told him that we should bring a flask along and enjoy a cuppa while we wait at the traffic light 🤣.  With one day to spare, and driving all around Perth we found a car we thought was a good deal. I would rather not go into too much detail here but please, if anyone is buying a vehicle privately, please take the car for an inspection first before buying. It is worth the $176. We were quite desperate, bought the car, and on the drive home realized that the brake lights were faulty, no wheel spanner etc. When we had the car checked we found out it needed a new timing belt ($600 later!!) and new shock absorbers (probably the same amount). Labour is expensive here so rather spend more on a car that still has a warranty in place. Will pay off in the long run. Oh yes, rego costs almost $200 for 3 months... Ouch indeed!

 

Car sorted, we started looking at rentals. This was fairly easy. We used Realestate.com and as some of the properties were empty for some time and the agents were willing to come out and meet you at the property. We found a small villa which is just right for us North of the River. It was the first place we applied for and we were successful. We provided bank statements to prove we have funds available and paid two weeks in advance (over and above the bond). The furniture was another story.. We opted to go as cheap as possible (we are accountants after all!! 🤣) and drove around the whole of Perth picking up bits and pieces of furniture. Another tip, try and buy a car with a tow bar, makes  it so much easier as you can rent a trailer which is cheaper than a ute or truck.

 

Medicare we did on the third day after we arrived - took about two weeks for the cards to arrive in the post. They are very efficient and it took about 30 minutes for someone to help us register etc. The banks, Post Office and Dept of Transport are also super efficient. The next hurdle was converting driver's licenses.. All went well until the lady behind the counter asked me innocently "Are you taking any medication?". Like ANY medication, to which I replied yes. She asked me what medication I am taking so I replied I am a bit stressed so doctor gave me a month's prescription just to ease my through the transition. She look horrified and wanted to know if I didn't want to move to Australia, whether it was my husband's decision etc. She then proceeded to say I needed to go to a GP for a fitness assessment before they can process my  application.. This was a real low point for me. Knowing that I may not have a license was really tough as most of the jobs I applied for required a license. 

 

Christmas was a quiet day. We went looking at the Christmas lights and spend the day in the park. Inbetween property inspections and collecting furniture it wasn't really a memorable Christmas.😥

 

Shortly after Christmas I started sending out job applications. It was absolutely quiet but then the rejection letters started rolling in. My mood started sinking and when we met with my husband's friend his daughter, who is in IT recruitment, told me to relax and give it time. We will find jobs.. Knowing the market in WA is tough for accountants, and many people telling us we should rather go to Melbourne or Sydney, I started doubting our decision and became more despondent. Not someone to give up, I spent some time on my Linkedin profile and started applying for jobs directly in Linkedin and Seek. Last week I received calls from agents who promised to have me at an interview the same day, resulting in me rushing to Perth CBD to quickly meet with them before seeing the client. Then, once I met with the recruiters face to face they came up with excuses such as the client decided to hire someone from internally, or the position has been put on hold etc. So I believe it was a way for them to get more candidates on their books. Inbetween all this one employer who I applied with directly contacted me for an interview. This was for an accounts payable job (I am a CA) at a big group but I thought hey, maybe I can just get my foot in the door. Interview went well and I was called back today for a second interview. During this time I was also contacted the FD of another company who saw my profile on Linkedin.. I am meeting him tomorrow. This is a more senior role and I am really excited about it. Anyway, second interview went well and operations manager phoned me to say 'You have got the job!!" Really excited but will still definitely meet with the FD of the other company tomorrow - even if it is just to broaden my network..

 

So, I finally got my license converted (after going to the GP for the assessment), job is basically in the bag, and life is starting to settle into a new normal. We are still frantically looking for a nice pre-kindy for the little one, and Centrelink has somehow messed up the linking code so I can't apply yet for the subsidized care. So will be heading there tomorrow again..

 

All in all, if I can give advise (probably relevant to Perth) it will be as follows:

 

 1. If buying a car privately please do an inspection first.. Also use the report on the Department of Transport's website to make sure it is not stolen etc. Try and buy a car with a tow bar and service history.

2.  Be prepared to wait a long time at traffic lights - factor this into your commute time

3.  Apply for Medicare asap as you need it for proof of identity

4. Apply for a flybuys card at Coles - you get a lot of bonus points as well as 4c (AUD) off per litre of fuel. Fuel prices here vary every day but you will find that fuel is the cheapest on a Monday.

5. Work on Linkedin - it really makes a difference as most companies and recruiters will view your profile once they receive your resume. Meet with recruiters but ideally apply directly to companies.

 

Wow, that is a lot of information in one go. Bit tired so will try and update my post by this weekend. Hope everyone has a great week!

Edited by KelsM
typo
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12 hours ago, KelsM said:

1. If buying a car privately please do an inspection first.. Also use the report on the Department of Transport's website to make sure it is not stolen etc. Try and buy a car with a tow bar and service history.

I would rent that initial car for a few weeks as this will give you time to hunt around and bargian a bit.
Tow bar is a big one, they can cost a lot of money to fit later.

 

2.  Be prepared to wait a long time at traffic lights - factor this into your commute time

Ha ha, first world problems... At least they work? Much better than waiting with the Hawkers trying to peddle you their wares.

 

4. Apply for a flybuys card at Coles - you get a lot of bonus points as well as 4c (AUD) off per litre of fuel. Fuel prices here vary every day but you will find that fuel is the cheapest on a Monday.

Also use the getFuel app, it shows prices.

 

 

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@RichardH - Quite right, I enjoy driving in Aus a lot more than back home. You have a turning signal here so not like back home where I avoided certain intersections as I either found it too dangerous (can't see oncoming vehicles because of layout of road or another vehicle pushing in next to you / in front of you) or because it was a smash-and-grab hotspot! Will definitely download the app - thanks for the advice!

 

So I went for the other interview / meeting today and it went well. Hoping to hear back by this afternoon or tomorrow morning. Guess the point I am trying to get across to accountants coming over from SA is don't stress too much.. The market is picking up and if you are patient and work on Linkedin / networking you will find something. I had a serious mental block about this as my former boss (in SA) told me I was making a big mistake and that there are no jobs for accountants in WA. Glad I proved him wrong! 

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Great to hear your job search is going well. I've worked with a number of accountants migrating and for some the journey has gone smoothly, for others they needed to be a little more strategic (i.e. using LinkedIn more effectively, applying directly to companies etc). No matter what obstacles you meet, if you remain positive then doors do open. Best of luck.

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Great update, very interesting! You’ve done a LOT in a short amount of time. 

 

I have found it’s better not to be toooo honest re. medical stuff here. It’s bitten me once or twice too. I also remember my sister was out from SA for a holiday and she asked a pharmacist here to recommend a syrup to calm her toddler for the flight home. She was thinking of a spoon of Calpol etc, like a doc in SA would recommend, geez I think that pharmacist thought she should call CPS. She was really freaked out. 

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On 1/20/2019 at 7:28 PM, Bonny said:

Great update, very interesting! You’ve done a LOT in a short amount of time. 

 

I have found it’s better not to be toooo honest re. medical stuff here. It’s bitten me once or twice too. I also remember my sister was out from SA for a holiday and she asked a pharmacist here to recommend a syrup to calm her toddler for the flight home. She was thinking of a spoon of Calpol etc, like a doc in SA would recommend, geez I think that pharmacist thought she should call CPS. She was really freaked out. 

I had a similar experience at a pharmacist asking for panadol (the shop was weirdly laid out and I just couldn't find it) and I had to go through 21 questions to buy something you can pick up off the shelf at 7/11.

 

I also had a local doctor, a German, tell me that the Aussie dosages are really low, so told me not to bother with 2 panadol, but to take 2 panadol *and* 2 nurofen at the same time 🤪

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