mistermoose Posted December 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2015 1 hour ago, EmNew said: Wonderful news on the progress on the job front ! Thanks Em! It's exciting, but trying not to get too attached to any of them until/unless at least one of them turns into an offer. 52 minutes ago, Mara said: Wow MrMoose, well done, that is wonderful news... let's be honest, one of the three just has to be "the one" that comes through! Exactly what I've been thinking, Mara. It would be nice to be able to choose, but whichever one is meant to be will be Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermoose Posted February 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 (edited) I've been wanting to write this post since the day after we arrived in Sydney. We've just got back after a week in the city, and though I'm still in a bit of a groggy state after an overnight jet lag coma, I wanted to share my thoughts about the trip as soon as I could. The short version: ignore the nagging thoughts, the doubts, the pros and cons list, the articles about high prices in Aus, the people who've told you about friends who've returned to South Africa, the often one-dimensional portrayal of Australia in movies and TV shows, the politics, the RSA vs Aus comparisons, the debate between feeling pushed vs being pulled, the notion that staying could be better, and the idea that it's too late to start over. Ignore the jibes about racism, xenophobia, workplace prejudice and everything else you've seen, felt or heard that makes you question the opportunity to move to Australia. Ignore all of that, get your visa, start your interviews, and plan your new life in a country that has an endless list of first world benefits to offer. The very short version: make the move to Australia ASAP. You'll absolutely love it. The reason I haven't gotten to this post sooner is that I was so immersed in experiencing life in a thriving metropolis that talking about it seemed less of a priority than living it. It was a trip that I had to make (with my mom) for two practical reasons and one reason that I didn't know existed until I got there: 1. We had to validate our visas before mid-Feb 2016. No getting around that. 2. One of the three companies I had been interviewing with by phone wanted to meet me in person, and have me meet three of their management team. 3. The one I didn't know I didn't know: the need to see the country, and city, with my own eyes. I know many have moved without visiting, and this could've been me if I'd secured a job, but for my OCD tendencies to fully resolve themselves, nothing could have replaced the settling comfort and reassurance of making the right move that visiting the place myself delivered. We have an entirely new perspective, and are so happy that we didn't give up along the way. Here's a quick list of some of the places we visited: Haymarket (home to our hotel, in the heart of the Thai food village, and down the road from very central train/bus/light rail (tram) links - also close enough to Darling Harbour to walk to major attractions) Royal Botanic Gardens, including Government House Sydney Opera House Cremorne Point and Cremorne Reserve (by ferry) Centennial Park Chinatown Sea Life Aquarium Watsons Bay (by ferry) Sydney Fish Market Chinese Garden of Friendship Australian Museum We saw much more than this along the way, and while travelling between stops, that widened our eyes and lightened our hearts with every new discovery. It's difficult to list them all, so I'll summarise how they made us feel instead: Sydney is a gorgeous city. Sensationally so. There are staggering views everywhere, nature all over the place (birds, parks, reserves, walking trails, boardwalks, quaint walks), and a cleanliness and shimmer that cities like London and San Francisco can deliver on their best days. But the city is also welcoming, embracing, so easy to get around (using the Opal app was invaluable - all the walking/bus/train/light rail/ferry timetables and routes worked out for you, whenever you're ready to go - oh, and how about double-decker trains with aircon that always have a seat available and loads of live signage about upcoming trains and next stops?), fun to get around (imagine racing through the surf towards a wharf to visit your next destination by ferry), filled with things to see and do (free, culturally diverse and fascinating, and catering to all interests both indoor and outdoor) and incredibly cosmpolitan. The last bit was one of the biggest eye-openers for us, and a large part of what made us take an instant liking to the place. Far from the scenes of Crocodile Dundee, we found people around us from all over the world, with so many from all parts of Asia, and with them a courteous, helpful, respectful, joyful way of living. Not to mention the food and culture that they've added to the Australian landscape. But this is not to say that Aussies of the expected variety weren't every bit as friendly. At one point, I asked a road worker for directions and introduced myself with "sorry to bug you". He told me three times that I couldn't possibly bug him, and he was only too happy to help. This happened a few more times at different places in different contexts, all with the same 'welcome, mate' approach to a complete stranger. Even our hotel, which was the Metro Hotel Sydney Central, gave us more than we bargained for at every opportunity. We staggered downstairs on our first night after checking in, hoping to use their mobile charging station in the lobby because we had forgotten to bring (or find, at the airport) RSA to Aus adapter plugs. This meant we couldn't charge our phones, iPad, Macbook or other appliances. A very helpful staff member at reception called us over and opened a cupboard behind him to reveal a treasure trove of international plugs. She gave us two of them and said we could keep them with pleasure until we checked out in a week. The hotel went above and beyond every day of our stay with them, and we wouldn't stay anywhere else if we had to have another hotel stay in Sydney. I'll be adding this to Trip Advisor later, too. They deserve all the business they get - and if you haven't visited Sydney before, it's really difficult to pick the right place that ticks all the boxes within your budget. When visiting Cremorne Point, we asked a bus driver who was waiting at a bus stop before leaving at the timetabled time (!) for directions. He switched off the bus, opened his driver door, got out the bus, and joined us in the street to have a full conversation about our options, pointing in each direction as he gave us the details. He then wished us a happy day and got back into his bus. And he wasn't even, it appeared, a native born Aussie. We had many similar conversations with people all over the city. It felt like we had been a part of the community for years. And believe me, I was well aware of any honeymoon/halo effect that might've been going on, but just looking at these interactions on the face of them, you can't help but appreciate a society that breeds courtesy everywhere. So much so that most pedestrians generally wait for green lights before crossing roads. And trains have signs posted that remind you to be courteous and report 'anti-social behaviour'. I didn't feel the effects of a nanny state, as others have bemoaned before. All we felt was a society that cared about taking care of each other, regardless of who you are or where you've come from or what job you do. The number of people we saw in luxury cars (a Tesla, even) wearing t-shirts and shorts were too many to mention. Ordinary people with extraordinary means/wealth, but never assuming to be better than those around them. The food. Damn. Asian food on every corner. Even asian grocers, with huge beanstalks of lemongrass, the freshest fruit and veg you could ever want, and freshly-made meals that taste like home cooking. Shopping at Coles for drinks or supplies was cheap and easy, but everything else was done at independent shops, restaurants, bakeries and patisseries all over town. Breadtop's almost/custard buns are incredible. And the desserts at Koi Dessert Bar in Kensington Street are the most astonishing things I've ever encountered. They taste even better than they look, which is a miracle on its own. Transport! I've read so much about Sydney being so difficult to get around. Granted, we were central, but even when having to visit a suburb far out of the city centre for my interview, the trains transport you in first world comfort, with first world convenience (everything within a few minutes' walk), and with first world reliability. We didn't miss having a car for a second, other than wanting to tour some of the (many) national parks around, which would've been far too big for us to hike around by foot. The guys at the (global brand) company that I interviewed at couldn't have been nicer, either. We joked, we chatted, we talked about technology and the future, and all of them wished me a happy stay in the city and country. They didn't discriminate based on my South African experience, and talked through each role I've had with respect for the work done, without a single sign of reserve or question about my non-Australian roots. The nature is Sydney is remarkable. Parks everywhere. We went birding in the botanic gardens and Centennial Park, and both provided endless opportunities to spot some wildlife. Centennial reminds me a lot of Richmond Park in London, without the deer, but with the immaculate borders, trees, lakes and tranquility. There was a bit more humidity than I expected on some of the days, but a small price to pay for everything else you get in return. I could really go on and on. The Lunar Market at Pyrmont Park. The late night trips on the light rail. The little shops we got lost in. The outdoor spaces we lost our breaths in. The specials all over the place - we scored a 2 for 1 special at the aquarium from a coupon on a bag of Cheezels and a 2 for 1 for the museum from Groupon. We went expecting to see an Australian version of a first world city and found ourselves in an international city that could rival anywhere else on the planet. Sydney and Australia have so much to offer. You just need to reach out and take the first step towards a brand new life in an incredible country. That's what we're now well on our way to doing, and (while we're looking forward to being able to afford to visit South Africa again in future - especially Kruger and Mala Mala) we won't be looking back. P.S. As you may have picked up in some of my previous posts, @AFreshStart has been a regular responder, and someone who's always happy to give you as much detail as you need about every aspect of life down under in general, and in Sydney in particular. We had met Matt once in Cape Town at a food event and were surprised to hear of his move to Australia when I bumped into him again on the forum. We watched him take the plunge, asked him questions along the way, received such helpful replies throughout, and then met up with him in Sydney during our trip. As usual, he was full of enthusiasm about his new homeland (not that new anymore!) and even more forthcoming with helpful advice, guidance and tips about everyday life down under. It was really once we saw Matt choosing Aus over Cape Town about a year ago that I really started to believe that there must be something amazing out there. Matt has played no small part in helping us make this move a reality, and his ongoing and selfless help has been very much appreciated. Thank you, Matt. We can't wait to call Sydney home. P.P.S. A few of the photos from the GBs we ended up taking while visiting. What a special place it is. Edited February 7, 2016 by mistermoose 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrendanH Posted February 7, 2016 Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 It is an awesome country. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmNew Posted February 7, 2016 Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 Have been waiting to hear how your LSD went!!! So happy to read that you loved it. Your photos are beautiful too - can't wait to see Sydney for myself one day! It is also good to read that the friendliness and helpfulness is a general Australian thing. We've been a little scared that it's just a Melbourne thing, as that is has much of Australia as we currently know. It still blows me away, every day........ I sometimes turn to my husband , shaking my head, and pinch myself, as it just astonishes me that there is so much consistency in the helpfulness and general consideration of others. Now that your heart and mind is settled on life in Australia, I pray that the practical things like employment fall into place for you soon! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mara Posted February 7, 2016 Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 (edited) Wow, MrMoose, what a wonderful report on your trip. So glad you loved it so, much and that you look forward to returning! Edited February 7, 2016 by Mara 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPanda Posted February 7, 2016 Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 @mistermoose Wow, those pictures (from the link) are awesome! I'm so glad you were pleasantly surprised by what you found. It has been our experience that people either know what Australia is like, from having been there, or else they have the wrong notion of it, like it's some kind of backwater, left out place? (I think they get enough interest from migrants, so they don't ramp up any promotion outside the country. But that's just my personal opinion.) Good luck with the admin to get yourselves over there! (the final move) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AFreshStart Posted February 7, 2016 Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 Mistermoose, What a lovely journal entry and photos to boot. It was great to meet you and your Mom (again) and answer your questions. I'm glad you got to experience Sydney for yourself, form your own opinions and draw conclusions from personal experiences. Wishing you all the best with the admin back in CPT and holding thumbs on the job offer! Cheers Matt 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermoose Posted February 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 (edited) 10 hours ago, EmNew said: Have been waiting to hear how your LSD went!!! So happy to read that you loved it. Your photos are beautiful too - can't wait to see Sydney for myself one day! It is also good to read that the friendliness and helpfulness is a general Australian thing. We've been a little scared that it's just a Melbourne thing, as that is has much of Australia as we currently know. It still blows me away, every day........ I sometimes turn to my husband , shaking my head, and pinch myself, as it just astonishes me that there is so much consistency in the helpfulness and general consideration of others. Now that your heart and mind is settled on life in Australia, I pray that the practical things like employment fall into place for you soon! Thanks so much for the faith and support, Em. Watching your progress eagerly too, and thrilled to hear that your new job is working out so well! I think there'll always been the day to day niggles that come with any job, but on the whole you/we will be better off, at home and at work, as we build towards a future (and a present!) that really mean something. You've proved that it can be done! 10 hours ago, Mara said: Wow, MrMoose, what a wonderful report on your trip. So glad you loved it so, much and that you look forward to returning! Mara! I thought of you when visiting and am keeping your details safe and sound, for our first trip to Melbourne one day. You, me and Em (and anyone else in town!) will have to have a proper catch up face to face. You guys feel like family already 10 hours ago, RedPanda said: @mistermoose Wow, those pictures (from the link) are awesome! I'm so glad you were pleasantly surprised by what you found. It has been our experience that people either know what Australia is like, from having been there, or else they have the wrong notion of it, like it's some kind of backwater, left out place? (I think they get enough interest from migrants, so they don't ramp up any promotion outside the country. But that's just my personal opinion.) Good luck with the admin to get yourselves over there! (the final move) Thanks Panda We took loads more and even looking back on them now, it's hard to believe that that's where we were just a few days ago. I think you're absolutely right - we definitely weren't expecting the amazing experience we had. You never know until you know. And now we do! Most of the travel shows on TV / YouTube show you the big highlights, and they do look great, but don't ever spend enough time on the ground, in the suburbs, at the parks, showing you what daily life is like for so many. Shows like Wanted Down Under take things to the other extreme, showing outer outer suburbia where there's nothing for miles around the house. For some this heaven, but for others it can be a little disconcerting because you think you're going to land up miles from nowhere, with nothing to do, and no one you know around you. That's definitely not the case, or at least it doesn't have to be. It's all up to you. 9 hours ago, AFreshStart said: Mistermoose, What a lovely journal entry and photos to boot. It was great to meet you and your Mom (again) and answer your questions. I'm glad you got to experience Sydney for yourself, form your own opinions and draw conclusions from personal experiences. Wishing you all the best with the admin back in CPT and holding thumbs on the job offer! Cheers Matt High 10, Matt. Both hands! Admin now in full swing - estate agent mailed, full steam ahead. Thumbs firmly fastened for both of us. There's quite a lot I'm going to miss about your neck of the woods, until I get back for good Edited February 7, 2016 by Mara 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RYLC Posted February 7, 2016 Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 3 hours ago, mistermoose said: (Couldn't upload photos to the forum - files are too large in total. Admins: if you're able to help me embed an iframe here, please let me know ) Wonderful to hear your description of your LSD. I can hear from your writing that all doubt is now gone. Re loading photos - I have the same problem. I upload them to photobucket.com (free) and then paste the url for each pic into the forum as a link. When I hit submit they magically change from links into actual photos. Wa la! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermoose Posted February 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 (edited) 28 minutes ago, RYLC said: Wonderful to hear your description of your LSD. I can hear from your writing that all doubt is now gone. Re loading photos - I have the same problem. I upload them to photobucket.com (free) and then paste the url for each pic into the forum as a link. When I hit submit they magically change from links into actual photos. Wa la! Thanks RYLC. Doubt has turned into conviction, and stress into calm anticipation of great things to come. For us, it's definitely the right move to make. Thanks for the tip re photos. It works beautifully! Edited February 7, 2016 by mistermoose 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackoFam Posted February 7, 2016 Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 Thanks so much for this post - have had a bad week and this has re-energized me for the journey ahead. I am now beyond excited for our activation trip in July - which will of course only happen if we get our visa in time! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mara Posted February 7, 2016 Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 MrMoose, thank you, for those kind words... I do look forward to meeting you and your mum one day... I am happy to provide the venue and lunch.... you just have to make it to Melbourne! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 8, 2016 Report Share Posted February 8, 2016 Thoroughly enjoyed reading your take on Sydney MrMoose. Only been to Sydney once when my husband was admitted but unfortunately we didn't see very much of it as we were very ill. I am hoping that we can go at the end of the year and visit my 2 cousins who live there. You have brought Sydney to life and I look forward to going now and exploring it. I wish you all the very best on the job front and to a bright future here in Australia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermoose Posted February 8, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2016 13 hours ago, emmayenkanna said: Thoroughly enjoyed reading your take on Sydney MrMoose. Only been to Sydney once when my husband was admitted but unfortunately we didn't see very much of it as we were very ill. I am hoping that we can go at the end of the year and visit my 2 cousins who live there. You have brought Sydney to life and I look forward to going now and exploring it. I wish you all the very best on the job front and to a bright future here in Australia. Thank you so much for the (much needed and appreciated) support and encouragement, Emma! I hope you get to visit Sydney soon and am sure you'll love every second of every one of the many steps you'll be taking around the enormous stretches of fascinating viewing material Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greggle Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 Thanks for your post @mistermoose- I am just going to say 'ditto' and that saves me from having to type my account since arriving in Sept 15 (which goes along the same lines that yours does). I am loving living in Sydney and have not missed home once (well, apart from my hounds but I get daily photos and reports of them from my mother-in-law and it sounds like they are even happier now because all of the house-rules I had have gone out the window and they do as they please!). Australia is a great place - wish I could have moved over sooner! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermoose Posted February 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 Awesome, Gregster. Very happy to hear that this isn't just how I perceive things, but how they actually are Hope life out East is treating you well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stace Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 @mistermoose you captured the Sydney essence perfectly in your post! It's such a magical place, we have been here 3 months now and love every bit of it!!! Thankyou for sharing your experience! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermoose Posted February 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 6 minutes ago, Stace said: @mistermoose you captured the Sydney essence perfectly in your post! It's such a magical place, we have been here 3 months now and love every bit of it!!! Thankyou for sharing your experience! Sydney FTW, hey Stace? Aus doesn't seem to have one bit of it that people don't like for some reason. Awesome country. Full stop! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yuvi Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 Hi @mistermoose, great read, thanks for posting this. We will be heading to Sydney in May and its given us a good idea of what to expect. Keep the posts coming :-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermoose Posted February 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 Good luck and enjoy the trip, @Yuvi. You'll have a blast! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chips Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 Thank you for the beautiful post Mistermoose, loved the pictures everything is beautiful and clean. Am sure you cant wait to return. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavePE Posted February 11, 2016 Report Share Posted February 11, 2016 Thanks for posting this MrMoose. It's very encouraging reading your experiences were so positive. I'll be making the trip over to Sydney by myself sometime in the next few months. I'm also considering to a LSD trip but worried about the finances. Do you think you'd have had more responses to job applications if you had an Australian address on your CV? I'm busy responding to a couple of applications online now without much luck. I'm trying to gauge how much more successful I'd be if I were in country already. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermoose Posted February 11, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2016 7 hours ago, DavePE said: Thanks for posting this MrMoose. It's very encouraging reading your experiences were so positive. I'll be making the trip over to Sydney by myself sometime in the next few months. I'm also considering to a LSD trip but worried about the finances. Do you think you'd have had more responses to job applications if you had an Australian address on your CV? I'm busy responding to a couple of applications online now without much luck. I'm trying to gauge how much more successful I'd be if I were in country already. I'm not sure, Dave. The chances are certainly greater of you getting to more final interviews by being on the ground, but whether that leads to an actual job offer is up to the people interviewing you. Many have said that they've struggled to get a job offer from South Africa, while many others have managed to do it. I don't have the option of giving up an income while looking for a job, so I have to make it happen from here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermoose Posted February 14, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2016 What a crazy, amazing, astounding, beautiful week it's been. After getting back from Sydney last Saturday, and to continue pushing in the right direction to make this move happen as soon as possible, we contacted our estate agent and asked to put our home on the market. I looked around at property prices in the area, our agent went in towards the top end, and it went on sale on Thursday. By Friday, we had five viewings booked for Saturday morning. By Saturday evening, we had two offers - one local and one international - and we've just signed the offer to purchase an hour or so ago. This is the fastest we've ever sold a house (by far) and it's hard not to see the higher plan starting to fit into place, especially because the buyers are moving from elsewhere in SA and want to buy as much of our furniture as possible (discussing prices now), may also be buying our two cars as well, and are only too happy to keep our two kitties here in the home they know (and who are too old to make the trip over). What are the chances of everything coming together so beautifully? Pure magic. Very grateful. Beyond words. And now, we have a deadline. We have to make it over before June at the very latest, or April at the earliest. The interview I had in Sydney ended up with very kind feedback but no offer. They chose another candidate that made it through to final interviews. Another job that I had put in loads of prep and presentation work for - and been through several rounds of interviews for as well - also came back this week to say that they had really appreciated my effort during the process but they'd decided on someone with a bit more experience in a specific area. SO, the job applications continue, and there are some exciting opportunities out there. In the meantime, Excel cells are being populated second to none, and the dumping/selling/donating mission begins. I already feel unburdened, and free, and so ready to begin our Australian adventure for real. This is it. The future is happening right now. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chips Posted February 14, 2016 Report Share Posted February 14, 2016 Welldone mistermoose on the house selling and the furniture, things seems to be going well for you Sydney is calling you indeed 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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