Popular Post MelG Posted February 29, 2016 Popular Post Report Share Posted February 29, 2016 (edited) hi Every One My signature below has our basic timeline. I’ve been so bad with keeping up to date on the forum except for in my time of need in 2014 with CO questions, and 2015 with pet questions. True to form, forumites came through for us. So many thanXxxx ? Mara, Bob, Mandy and so many others, you’re all Amazing !! Our family’s journey began Oct07 ~ I always knew in my heart that we’d live in Australia. It mattered not to me that we’d never been, I was quite certain it would be fine. But I was well-travelled, where my husband was not. So we decided to visit - 2008 - we hadn’t been in Sydney a day, and DH confirmed that I was so right, and we could so live here On that trip, we stayed with family and friends of family, and were even offered a bed by people we met on this! forum, how Amazing!! ♡♥ I had done so much reading, and learnt so much on this wonderful platform, and was confident we could apply for our visa on our own and just get it done, however since neither my husband nor I were degree-ed it was going to be a little trickier than originally anticipated. We were turned down by at least 3 immigration agents. But when you know something for certain, you just hang on, even if only by a thread. We explored 457’s but no luck. Finally a lovely agent (at ASA) saw our ‘entry’ in DH’s work experience - IT skill. We paid the agency fees, and they offered direction in what was required to put our application together with ACS assessments, etc. This proved worth the cost, but it really isn’t necessary if your application is straight forward. The long wait for our visa took 5yrs, 7yrs in total move time. We were in a batch of applications that were put on hold for a time (years!?), and then back in the processing queue, where we waited again for months/years for our turn. We held on with the faith of a mustard seed hey, that is literally all we had, a tiny mustard seed’s worth. We never knew from one month to the next whether it was gonna happen. We decided it was going to eventually, so best we carry on living. In 2014 we got that email, and our CO had been assigned :oHappy:Day !! Our CO was so lovely. Every one in Australia is so lovely. We went through with all the medicals, and our visa was issued, which we validated last year Feb15. During all this visa validation and medicals business, we sold our house in Pinelands, and bought and moved to Kommetjie. "Whaaaat!!", I can hear you all say "why would you do that?" Indeed, we’d overcome all the hurdles so far, and then went on to create some hurdles of our own. Truth is though, we were meant to live in Kommetjie. It was crazy that we hadn’t moved there years before. And moving there was good for us. Beautiful Komm was a perfect stepping stone. Kommetjie is about as close to Aus as we’ve ever been in SA!! We moved there and we didn’t really know anyone, by the time we left we had so many new good friends. My son’s surfing and skating stepped up to a whole new level. And perhaps the wait was all as it should’ve been, as DH got a wonderful job in a Beautiful Sawtell, which he may not have gotten had we come over earlier - he came across begin.Jan16, and could only describe it as same same but different/better/bigger - Kommetjie on steroids Our lovely home in Komm is waiting to be sold. We got rid of loads, but honestly, we should’ve sold everything, and really only shipped a couple of boxes. Basically one can get all of it here, and then some. Mates told me this. I didn’t listen :| So now home is all packed up and waiting on sale to make funds available for shipping. Hobbes & Calvin are in Kommetjie Cattery and are ready to come over 2Apr16. Looking back, we’ve been in limbo for years now, and it’s hard to snap out of. But snap out of it we must as there’s $$$’s to be earned and bills to pay I’m still looking for work, and hoping for some temp/casual secretarial work. That would be a best! for me The kids are settled well in school, are happy and making friends. My kids have been in Waldorf schooling. There is a Steiner (Waldorf) primary school in Coffs Harbour, which is our close city centre. My son chose to go to the local public school, he rides his bike to school and is well pleased about that. My daughter is enrolled at a close Catholic High school (private). My daughter has been placed into the advanced (top) maths class, and my son got full marks for his first two maths test. Both kids started in the grade they should’ve, and 2-3 weeks into the year. So well done Waldorf on that front :)) We have a very nice rental that’s furnished until our container arrives. Its going to be fun unpacking the container, but yikes, so much we shouldn’t have even bothered with. (Note to others’ logs;) ThanX again so much to the Forum moderators for keeping SAAustralia going. What a gift! I hope I can be of assistance to others on their way. We miss our friends and family something terrible Skype and WhatsApp are just so awesome, and we have chatted to them all like they're down the road We Are so Blessed and so Grateful to Be here *~_()_~* ? ╭დ Edited February 29, 2016 by MelG typing edits 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackoFam Posted March 1, 2016 Report Share Posted March 1, 2016 What a lovely post - thank you for sharing your journey with us. I hope you will be very happy in Australia in the years to come 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eva Posted March 1, 2016 Report Share Posted March 1, 2016 sounds like things have got off to a great start! all the best for the future... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelG Posted March 2, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 thanX. Ya it has been pretty seamless, especially with hubby landing first. Despite having to start his job in a semi-new area and trying to hit the ground running, he'd sorted so much for us before we even got here. Drivers licence and medicare all sorted now. It's very easy and efficient. Not so say that SA is entirely inefficient in all these areas, aside from not having the best reputation on these fronts - these civil tasks seem much less! daunting here, basically. We're also super lucky to have friends here that have pointed us in directions to save us time It's hard to believe we are finally here. I'm finding it hard to snap out of that limbo feeling, it's all I wanna do. It's harder than I thought. My daughter (14) is suffering from similar, sort of, though school and new friends help. I need a job and fast!! My hubby and son (11) on the other hand, pffft, they just carry on, no worries. There's surf and sun here, what else does one need ╭დ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel-B Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 It is hard! And exciting, its a crazy ride. It took us 8 years from application to arrival. And I am still adjusting. 2 weeks in, feeling very foreign 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelG Posted March 2, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 Hahaha, Mel B - 2 weeks in. Me 3 weeks in You can see why my friend LoliBelle got confused Xx Best of luck !! ╭დ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JandBwithR Posted March 18, 2016 Report Share Posted March 18, 2016 On 2/29/2016 at 1:44 PM, MelG said: We got rid of loads, but honestly, we should’ve sold everything, and really only shipped a couple of boxes. Basically one can get all of it here, and then some. Mates told me this. I didn’t listen :| So now home is all packed up and waiting on sale to make funds available for shipping. Hobbes & Calvin are in Kommetjie Cattery and are ready to come over 2Apr16. Hi MelG Great post, please could you mention which items you would not have bothered packing in retrospect? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelG Posted March 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2016 (edited) Hiya, We sold our fridge,freezer,w/machine,t/drier,d/washer. We also had a big corner couch which we sold to save space - and gave away things like bookshelves, coffee tables, a couch, electric appliances, etc. to friends and family who had use for these things. We ended up packing beds, as they were quite new. Cupboards of various sizes (x4) and then boxes and boxes of stuff like kitchen goods, linen. And computer and tv. And tools. And some camping stuff. We basically filled a container with all that. The big deal I was weighing up regards was that we shouldn't bother with selling stuff, since we'd hardly get any money back for it, and just pack it all so that we wouldn't have to spend on the other side. The reality is: all these great things are in storage on the other side of the world, and we are making do here without them all, battling along in some respects because we don't want to go and buy new stuff when we already have it ...coming some time in the future... simply prolonging that limbo feeling Ya, so as I said in another post, I think it was to you (Congrats;) "..note to Captain's log: you can get everything you had, here. like every thing! right down to that sentimental hippie throw, i discovered mates told me this, i didn't listen bring only your treasures, save yourself the rest of the stress." Try to be ruthless, it's not easy, it's a heart-wrenching affair. I would only have brought things I could live without, and be excited to get, like: - a little cupboard that was sentimental - special books/photo albums - some of our pictures - surfboards (maybe not even?) - bikes (maybe not even?) - some (probably most:) clothes & special linen - special kitchen ware ~Xx Edited March 21, 2016 by MelG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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