FINALLY WE ARE HERE

[John&Belinda]

Oh my word what a roller coaster!!!!! I received my visa at 2pm on Friday and my flight was booked for 10pm that night. Talk about cutting it fine. I then went to the airport and they told me that the flight was overbooked. I kept my cool but really wanted to tell the lady what I thought of her.......... Later on I got seats for my daughter and I. The flight over was as good as a long flight can be, and to put the cherry on the top - my bag was lost. Still I did not lose it how I do not know.

SO FINALLY WE ARE HERE. Did lots of running around today ie. banking accounts, looking for cars etc. Monday is looking for a school for my 12 year daughter. Well thanks to all of you who were of a great help to me when planning trip to Adelaide. For those of you who would like to have a cuppa (what i really need is a drink) please PM me and I would love to say hi and pick your brain some more.

Cheers

Beldna

[NotLookingBack]

:-) my goodness Belinda! Well think of it this way - things can only get better :-).

A huge warm welcome to Aus! If you ever come to Victoria, and more specifically West Gippsland, PM me so that you guys can come for a meal or coffee or something!

Yolande

[Annette]

Welcome John and Belinda! Thanks for bringing the cool weather with you We must catch up some time.

[bluesfan]

Enjoy the honeymoon period. Hoop julle kom reg met skole en karre. Gelukkig kan jy amper alles op die internet opspoor. Sterkte met die aanpassing.

[MannyT]

Oh my word what a roller coaster!!!!! I received my visa at 2pm on Friday and my flight was booked for 10pm that night. Talk about cutting it fine. I then went to the airport and they told me that the flight was overbooked. I kept my cool but really wanted to tell the lady what I thought of her.......... Later on I got seats for my daughter and I. The flight over was as good as a long flight can be, and to put the cherry on the top - my bag was lost. Still I did not lose it how I do not know.

SO FINALLY WE ARE HERE. Did lots of running around today ie. banking accounts, looking for cars etc. Monday is looking for a school for my 12 year daughter. Well thanks to all of you who were of a great help to me when planning trip to Adelaide. For those of you who would like to have a cuppa (what i really need is a drink) please PM me and I would love to say hi and pick your brain some more.

Cheers

Beldna

Hi Belinda

Welcome to the metropolis of Adelaide. No brain to pick but Lee and I will gladly buy you a cup of coffee downstairs at Cibo's in Melbourne Street, North Adeialde.

Go to www.Over40recruitment.com.au for my contact details.

Seeya!

Manny

[Red]

Welcome Belinda...

I missed this exciting news too!

Hope you are settling in well?!

Take care,

red

[andrea_vk]

Hi Belinda

Welcome to the metropolis of Adelaide. No brain to pick but Lee and I will gladly buy you a cup of coffee downstairs at Cibo's in Melbourne Street, North Adeialde.

Go to www.Over40recruitment.com.au for my contact details.

Seeya!

Manny

Hi Manny, is this a South AFrican company? Could I possibly come and see you for a cup of coffee?

Thanks

Andrea

[Red]

Hi Manny, is this a South AFrican company? Could I possibly come and see you for a cup of coffee?

Thanks

Andrea

Andrea - send Manny a PM - he is fantastic!

[andrea_vk]

Andrea - send Manny a PM - he is fantastic!

Thanks Red, I will

[danianna]

Hi everyone..

Does anyone in Adelaide ever get together for a meet n greet? Was thinking that something in Rymill park might be fun?! Any thoughts?

Would be a good opportunity for us to meet and build up the much needed supports/friendships we all find ourselves looking for!?

What you all think?

[dale]

Hi

We are going to be in Adelaide from the 21 March - 02 April. Would be great to meet up and get advice on "do's and dont's"!

I was a bit concerned, our auditor is in Adelaide at the moment and said it is very boring. My hubby and I are in our early 30's and even though would not like to live in a big city, still want to live!!

Any comments?

[MannyT]

Hi

We are going to be in Adelaide from the 21 March - 02 April. Would be great to meet up and get advice on "do's and dont's"!

I was a bit concerned, our auditor is in Adelaide at the moment and said it is very boring. My hubby and I are in our early 30's and even though would not like to live in a big city, still want to live!!

Any comments?

Hi Dale

Sorry can't resist the comment - Auditors are pretty boring........

I will endeavour to put your mind at rest and to dispel negative perceptions more often than not based on ignorance

- South Australia is known as the Festival State - there is a reason for that

- Santos Tour Down Under - 17 January 2010 to 24 January 2010 - The first UCI Pro Tour cycling race held outside Europe

- Adelaide Fringe Festival February 19, 2010 to March 14, 2010. 24 days and nights, 700 events and 300 venues

- Womadelaide (Eisteddfod) March 5, 2010 to 8 March 2010. 56 Groups (including South African) from 27 countries

- Clipsal 500 Adelaide. Motor racing carnival March 11, 2010 to March 14, 2010, uses the old Formula 1/GP course through the eastern fringes of the Adelaide CBD.

...and that is just in the first three months of the year.

- and then their are the great restaurants and pubs (South Australia is well known for it's great wine and food).

- great beaches, some as close as 10kms from the CBD

- The world renown wine regions like the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Clare etc - only approx 35, 45 mins and 90 mins from the CBD

- The beautiful Adelaide Hills (with it's vineyards, apple, pear and cherry orchards a mere 15 -30 mins from the CBD

- and hey we have the pandas, Wang Wang and Funi just 2 mins from the CBD

and hey if your auditor friend is "really" bored he can always take a walk down Hindley street and pick up some "takeaways" or vist The Palace, Crazy Horse etc..

Adelaide (and its environs) is a lovely city to live, work and bring up a family in - As I have4 said often before it is Australia's best kept secret

Enjoy!

Manny

Ps. All things are relative - Adelaide is bigger and (in my opinion) much more exciting than East London

[dale]

Hi Manny,

Thanks for the comments!

We hear so many mixed reviews, just need to take everything with a pinch of salt and remind ourselves why we are doing this!

Always helps to "hear" from people who are living there and in the same boat as us, thanks again

Dalene

[danianna]

Hi Manny,

Thanks for the comments!

We hear so many mixed reviews, just need to take everything with a pinch of salt and remind ourselves why we are doing this!

Always helps to "hear" from people who are living there and in the same boat as us, thanks again

Dalene

Well put Manny!

Adelaide is lovely. A great family place if you have young kids too. It's not boring.. Unless you make it boring.

We are also in our 30's with kids aged 9 and 7.

Would love to help out if we can!

[Bob]

I guess Manny only highlights a salient point about Adelaide.

I've heard it said by more than one South African that Adelaide is "enormous" in size . . . . about 100 kms from its far northern suburbs to the southern suburbs . . . yet the city centre is slow, the people drive around and walk at a sedate pace and life has a particularly relaxed atmosphere about it, almost like a holiday location where everyone is on holiday and nobody is under a great deal of stress.

Compare that sort of lifestyle to London where I was last year and the stress levels on the average Londoner seem greater, let alone Paris or some other Continental cities I went through.

I can well understand someone from overseas thinking that because Adelaide is such a relaxed city, it can't have much in the way of entertainment or activities for folks to enjoy. . . . yet it does.

If you want the common ol' garden variety discos or night clubs that doosh away till the sun comes up then you will be disappointed, cos Adelaide doesn't have too much in the way of that kind of stuff.

It does offer musicals and concerts (Wagner's "Ring Cycle" was performed here about two years ago and West End shows that my wife enjoyed in London are here, too), there are world status sports events (Formula 1 Grand Prix, cycle races as Manny mentioned), I go at times to listen to open air classical concerts in the summer.

Today, I'm off to see a Highland Games in my home town up in the Adelaide Hills. The last highland games I saw was in Perthshire last year, yet we have them right here in Adelaide, too!

Everyone in Britain and Europe has heard of Australian wines. No doubt the word's even got out to those quaffers in South Africa?

Well . . . . there are world famous winery districts both north (the Barossa Valley) and south of Adelaide (McLaren Vale) that export more wine than any other wine region in Australia. In fact, South Australia alone exports over $1 billion worth of wine each year. That's a fair bit of plonk!

Yet Adelaide people don't INSIST that every newcomer visits and tries the wines in those districts within easy car driver for the afternoon. They keep it so "low key" that you almost have to find out for yourself.

I suppose Adelaide is summed up in the phrase "You can't judge a book by its cover"

Scratch below the surface and there's a surprising amount of events and activities going on, particularly over the summertime.

[nerakinoz]

We have just celebrated our 1 year anniversary in Adelaide and we are also in our thirties with two boys aged 10 & 6. And we could not be happier. There is plenty too do and see you just have too look... I know the point has been made that you just have to drive 20 minutes out of the city and you are amazed at what you see and it is so true...

Just this morning we left at around 7-30 and went to the Adelaide Central Market for coffee and brekkie and then had a wonderful stroll around buying different interesting things I love the atmosphere there. After that we went to the bike track for the kids and read the paper and had some delish pastries we had picked up at the market. Tomorrow we might go down to the beach and let the kids fly their kites and just be for a few hours oh yes and maybe go to the Pooraka market as we are looking for finger limes (but that is another story)

I personally love the small town atmosphere here in Adelaide and that does not mean there is nothing to do there is heaps and maybe it is a little more relaxed than the bigger cities but it suits us... and most suprisingly my husband who is originally from Brissie...

Its heaps good...

[dale]

Hi,

Thanks to everyone for the insight, really appreciate it! It is 4 weeks today until we leave to validate our visa and I am besides myself with excitement! Even more so with all the positive feedback!