Three months in

[Lovestory]

Well we have been in Sydney for three months now. Time flies! I am going to attempt to sum up the experience so far and hopefully it helps someone.

We landed in what seemed like a forest for our temporary accommodation. After three weeks we moved to a place nearby in the upper north shore. It is true that whee one lands, one tends to stay. Those first three weeks were terribly emotionally taxing. We questioned our decision many times and, although we knew it would be tough, nothing could have prepared me for how hard it is to be starting over - no home, no car, no schools for the children... Finding a rental was brutal. Just the first month of rent (once we finally found a place) and deposit was financially draining. Fortunately my partner started work within the first month. Administration issues were fairly easy - Medicare, license conversion, bank accounts etc. Homesickness was very real for me and still is at times. There is so much to question. I actually felt quite guilty for taking our children out of their beautiful private school and selling our gorgeous home and cars. We have started over with nothing and renting is a real mental adjustment. All this whilst pregnant!

Fast forward three months and my partner loves his work. Our eldest child is in a wonderful public school (free aside from the "voluntary" contribution which is not voluntary at all but is not bad) and despite being quite far behind academically - she is in kindy now, was in Grd 0 in SA - has been catching up so well and loves school!he is thriving. The school staff have been fantastic and I am so impressed by the standard of education. Our youngest is in a long day care with a preschool program (financially crippling...) but I am not too happy with it and so will move him when I can. The hospital (free!) is amazing and we have found the pregnancy great thanks to wonderful staff. It is quite something to get used to a new system - so different from our gynae care in SA, but cannot be faulted. It is real first world care.

We are so enjoying the beaches, parks, parrots, quality of groceries (though not the takeout) and the friendly Aussie people. So much to still get used to and we are still adjusting but starting to really enjoy life in Aus. And we are so grateful to be here. The freedom one feels is amazing. The lack of crime and the freedom to be out and enjoying life is incredible. We sleep so well. Last night I sent my hubby on a chocolate run to the BP (blame the pregnancy) and realized that for the first time on years, I did not feel stressed about him popping out at night to the petrol station! We have realized that so much of what we experienced in SA is so abnormal.

I love SA and always will, but we are happy in Aus and this is our home now. Three months in and we would not even consider moving back!

[Mara]

Don't you just love it when a plan starts coming together?

[FairGo]

Hi Lovestory

We are in two minds whether we should have our second child in SA or Australia. Thank you for sharing your story and giving some insight on public care and schooling.

Congratulations and best of luck with your pregnancy!

[Sweepea]

Thank you for this! So great to hear how different people experience all the firsts! Best of luck with your pregnancy. I look forward to hearing where you take your little one to for child care as the stories of costs scare me! I have 14m old baby twins and only at start of process

[Chips]

Great start Lovestory, wish everyone's start could be like yours.

[monsta]

Don't take this the wrong way. But your story makes me glad that I had traveled quite a bit before I migrated here. It made moving here a lot easier.

I remember one of the first work trips I took here. They rented me a car, but I didn't fill it up for about 3 weeks. I was worried that I would over fill it or under fill it.

One day in the office, someone said to me "make sure you hear the click when you are filling up the rental car before you take it back. They will ask about that!".

Well, that's how I found out how you know when to stop filling petrol . For the Saffers here who don't pay attention when the attendant fills your car, the pump has a shutoff mechanism when your petrol tank is full

Edited August 25, 2015 by monsta

[RichardH]

Well, that's how I found out how you know when to stop filling petrol . For the Saffers here who don't pay attention when the attendant fills your car, the pump has a shutoff mechanism when your petrol tank is full

Ha ha, you learn something new every day! I wish you could set the pump to pump without having to keep the handle pressed and then let it cut out automatically. To give you time to clean the windscreen.

[Lovestory]

Another first - throwing in one's own petrol. Remarkably easy actually. The Aussies seem to find it quaint that we have petrol attendants in SA. They used to have them here too.

On the childcare front TacticJourney and Sweepea, it is so tough with young children and maybe this warrants a separate thread, but perhaps the ideal time to come would be when all children are in primary school if you are going to go with the public schooling. Having said that, if we waited until our younger child was in kindy (2017), our older one would be in year 1 and I think would miss out a bit socially etc. For her, this has without a doubt been the best time to move. I really cannot praise the kindergarten program enough. And to think that we moved with a baby on the way - wow that's going to be interesting! I will stay home until our son starts kindy in 2017 probably and then attempt to work part time. It's a catch 22 with the childcare thing and ages of children. You just have to weigh up what's best for you.