Popular Post AllisonW Posted June 21, 2012 Popular Post Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Two days ago we arrived in Melbourne. It is the most wonderful feeling in the world and this city is just so beautiful...The flight was terrible. Like hell terrible! the kids couldnt sleep. The baby cried and cried and hubby and I had to walk up and down with her for hours. I was so miserable i had a secret cry in the bathroom.But arrival in Sydney was great. The airport was clean and functional and the customs official just smiled as the frazzled bunch with the 14 suitcases and waved us through. We had declared food, the baby formula but they didnt even ask to see it. They just asked what the food was. Nothing like scarey border control! I was petrified. Somehow we managed to get all the bags to the domestic arrivals. We bought our sim cards from two very helpful teenagers at the vodaphone shop and we already facebooking before we got to melbourne. The 90 minute flight to melbourne was better in that the kids slept.Then we arrive in Melbourne and call the rental car company to collect us to discover they have hashed up our booking and dont have the large mini bus, people mover that we ordered to take our 14 suitcases to frankston. i almost had a jhb meltdown on the phone but instead of just saying: "eish!!" the lady phoned around, got another bus, with two boosters, one car seat and a gps and called us back in less then 5 mins. A friendly greek immigrant collected us and regaled us with his own arrival stories, we got to the rental car place and they helped us pack all our bags, set the gps for us and the kind driver even drove after us to make sure we were ok, just because he was going that way. No worries! And this meant they all had to work 30 mins later as we only left there at 8;30 and they shut at 8:00! Wow!!Then we get to frankston and cant find our booked furnished townhouse. Its in a street just off from the beach, loads of sea bush, dark when a dear old lady walking her dog pops up to help me who is looking at postboxes trying to find the number. I almost kung fu her!! I mean in jhb, you are about to be mugged or hijacked. She sticks her head in the window, chats to the kids and finds the address, even opening the gate for us. I could have wept.The cottage we hired is wonderful. Three bedroom townhouse, fully equipped, with every convenience, gate leading onto the beach. I had called the owner to say that i was arriving late with three little ones and could she please maybe please get me some bread and milk. She immediately replied that she would love to no cost and got me a full shopping list so i could feed the kids an egg and cheese sandwich when we arrived. Plus she left us muffins and other goodies just to welcome us! The night we arrived when the kids were sleeping i had a little meltdown and wept. I just couldnt fathom that i had taken my babies from their family, their home and was sitting 11000km away from "home". But i have to be honest i am in love with melbourne. since then we have been to the bank and got cash, been shopping and got our internet and plugs sorted. Hubby has his first interview tomorrow in Collins street, Melbourne CBD so i will have to drive him. I have to say to everyone back in SA, if you are coming to Australia you wont be disappointed. I love this place, the streets are clean, everything works, i feel so safe, its just amazing. I fit here. If i could design a community i wanted to be in it would be oz. I have travelled a lot and always felt slightly out of fit but not here. Except for the accent i am so australian! :-)all the things i worried about didnt happen:The people obey the law but so far i havent found it a police state at all. We saw people slightly over the speed limit, minor things but generally i get the sense people obey the law because they want to. Actually i have hardly seen the cops at all. Yet i feel so safe.things are cheap here. I bought a full trolley of groceries from coles for $330. If i convert that to SA i would have wept. i have seen clothing, furniture etc here that are basically the same price or cheaper then SA.They didnt do a body cavity search at the airport.Sorry for the long story but just wanted to catch up. Looking forward to catching up with some other SA folk in melbourne....al 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcK Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Welcome. Glad all ended up well after all the mix-ups and horrible flight. All the best in Melbourne. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Sounds great! Hope hubby gets the job and you can settle in quick! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miraclebabycaw Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Have been waiting for your post. So glad to hear you all arrived safe and sound. It's hair raising travelling with one toddler so I take my hat off to you guys travelling with 3 small kiddos. Wow can you imagine if you had that sort of a mix up here in SA.It would have been always someone else's fault and 2 hours later you might have been lucky if someone sorted something out for you. Good luck to your hubby on the job front and look forward to hearing more updates from you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mara Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 If you happen to see this message before tomorrow, it may be better for hubby to take a train in to the city than for you to venture in by car. Traffic is really bad, then you have to contend with hook turns, hope you know about them and last but not least, you have to PAY for parking, and I mean PAY, through your nose. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deroche Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Apart from the flight from hell, it all sounds great.Hope your hubby gets the job and all goes smoothly.Good luck with your new adventure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronwyn&Co Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 What a great post! I really loved reading it. Good luck guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keglin Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 A great read, sounds like you, the family and melbourne have clicked.Good luck to hubby, hope it goes well.Keglin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toitjie Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Congrats on the landing! I was waiting to hear from from you Glad it went ok apart from the flight. 11 hours is really very long for the little ones.Good luck with settling in finally! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAD Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Wow, 14 suitcases and 3 kids, please pat yourself on the back. Well done to you and hubby. From your post you seem like you are walking around with a great big smile on your face. Enjoy settling in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanineR Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 WOW!! What an adventure. Thanks for the post. Glad you all made it and that things turned out well.We will be arriving in Melbourne in just under 7 weeks...super excited and maybe feeling a little more at ease after reading your post.Good luck to hubby...I'm sure all will go well. Pleaes keep us posted on your adventure.Take care!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAD Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Hey JanineR , we fly to Melbourne on aug 9. Its the final countdown hey!!!!!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanniewagnie Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Hi guys - I sit here with tears in my eyes... I'm SOOO happy for you. If only I could know how long it will take for our Visa to be approved... I yesterday almost had a breakdown after reading Beeld. AlissonW, we'll hold thumbs on this side that your hubby get the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle101 Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 (edited) Hi Allison & familyWe are so glad to hear you all made it accross safely, and are already settling in nicely! Tried to PM you before you left to say good luck & have a great flight, but I think your message mail box may be full as the platform would not post my message. Hope the weather is not too bad, and that the job interviews go great! Good luck with everything. Regards, Basil & Liezl Edited June 22, 2012 by Basil & Liezl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanineR Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 Hey JanineR , we fly to Melbourne on aug 9. Its the final countdown hey!!!!!!! I know....time is flying by so quickly now...cannot wait.Basil & Liezl are also flying out to Melbourne more or less the same time as us. I think the 8th or 10th if memory serves Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jill Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 Welcome to Australia Allison and family...good times lie ahead.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndreaL Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 So glad to hear you have arrived safely Allison, I know you will find your feet quickly and fit right in. Don't forget to take the time to photograph or journal these first few weeks, all the "firsts" you encounter will be wonderful when you look back in a couple of years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllisonW Posted June 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2012 Hi all,thanks for the kind replies. Sorry my reply is late. I just dont get time to sit down in front of the computer.The last few days have been good. I went shopping again. I popped into the local "op" shop. I loved it and came out with a pile of books and magazines and a raincoat for my son for less then $10. :-)Today i went out for my first day of house hunting. I am looking at edithvale or aspendale on the bayside, perhaps mordialloc or mentone. Went to two inspections. The first one sounds lovely but we could not get in as the agent brought the wrong key! So i am going to see it again on monday. It is a large three bedroom townhouse directly on the beach, lounge, dining room, laundry, garage, kitchen with new appliances. Only a court yard no garden so that was a bit off putting but it has a gate in the court yard that leads directly onto the beach sand! The other house was too small. I must say i am amazed that there are beautiful houses and in the middle of it all you will find a hovel. And i mean a HOVEL!Rad, Janine, Basil and Liezel where are you staying when you arrive area wise? And do you need any help? I can shop or lift from the airport or something? At the least i can send you my number so if you get stuck somehow you have someone to phone? I really dont mind. And i will clear out my mail box asap! lol!Otherwise we walked on the pier today and drove out to some of the farms near Mount Eliza and bought piles of organic veg and free range eggs for a princely $12! its like being on holiday! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joweni Posted June 23, 2012 Report Share Posted June 23, 2012 Yes=Melbourne is just the best.We live in Adelaide but visit our daughter who lives there and enjoy our time there soooooo much. Was there last weekend for her birthday,to watch the Wallabies play Wales and do a bit of shoppin!! We walked the streets at nights,going from pub to pub-such fun-never feel nervous or unsafe.Caught the trains to and from the stations and everybody was in such a good mood-the Wallabies just won by 2 points. You will love your new life.Good luck!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SafferBlue Posted June 24, 2012 Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 Great post, Allison! I am happy that you and your family arrived safely and are finding your feet without any major problems.This is a wonderful place to be able to call home.Welcome Down Under and keep us up-dated!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAD Posted June 24, 2012 Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 (edited) Dear Alison,Thank you sooooo much for your offer of assistance. We really appreciate it especially since you are settling in yourself. We have been so busy wrapping up things on this side that we are only now in the next 5 weeks starting to concentrate on accomodation on that side. We are looking at the eastern suburbs, perhaps Hawthorn or surrounds. I will definitely shout if I need your help. You as well, when we get over there we would be only too glad to help wherever we can.Thank you so muchRAD Edited June 24, 2012 by RAD 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penny Posted June 24, 2012 Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 Hi Allison,My family and I are in Mordialloc. If you would like to chat send me a PM. We have lived here for nearly 3 years now and we are very happy.Penny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nev Posted June 24, 2012 Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 Hi, great that you here now, Shout if there is anything my wife and i can help with or if you looking for a chat / visit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllisonW Posted June 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 Penny thank you for your PM. It is a small world! I will call you tomorrow. Would love to chat and get some views from you and just have a cup of coffee.Rad, its a date. Hawthorne is not too far from us, well by jhb standards anyway. So we will get together as soon as you have settled or before you have settled if you need help.Today was another good day, which seems to be a melbourne pattern. The kids have finally lost the jet lag, which affected them more then i thought. so bed time was back to 8:00pm. I trawled gumtree last night and found some great bargains. Had to replace my car seats and got great, perfect, almost new ones - two for $80. then i arrive and because i cant keep my mouth shut i end up chatting to this lovely lady who is selling them in aspendale gardens. she has a whole garage full of kids toys that she needs to sell. Walked out with a lovely trike, one of those the parent can push, with a sun roof for my daughter, Lily for our walks and a pile of really good fisher price toys for $20 and finally this lady insists on giving me a bag of pumpkin patch clothes for my daughter, lovely coats etc. She was so kind. We had coffee, i found out that the house next door is up for lease and the inspection is on wednesday so i will be popping over and she was able to give me a review of the local schools. I have found australians really friendly and i dont think it will be hard to make friends. I think you have to put yourself out there and i find the accent is really convenient! Lol! Everyone wants to know when you arrived. Our neighbour in the renting property kindly asked me how "fresh" I was! It took a moment to understand what he was asking. I wasnt sure if it was a weird hygiene comment. Lol! But at least he recognised the accent. Its wonderful to live in such exciting times. And i find the calls back home very reasonable. We bought $30 recharge pay as you go for our phones and got $400 or so airtime. We have phone mom, three siblings, two friends, a cousin and my sons best friend, each talking about 10 mins and still have loads of money left. So its managable to keep in touch. I have also really been in impressed with the cost of things here with the exception of property. I wish i hadnt bought all that linen and clothes back in SA and put it into the container.And the good news i found ouma rusks and mrs balls chutney and appletiser at the local supermarket. And we had smoked south african cod for supper. I always buy haddock for my fishermans pie but i just could not resist when i saw where it came from and had to buy it at woolworths. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllisonW Posted June 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 Nev i will pm you my number. Would love to chat and meet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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