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We gathered and submitted a lot of detailed paper work such as, job references, evidence and description of University qualifications, proof of language ability. In addition, just to be on the safe side we also paid an agent to check all our forms. In total the application cost 3500$US. An immigration application file is valid for two years, and if the file doesn’t reach the top of the pile of immigration applications by this date, it goes in the bin. We heard we were to be granted a visa just as the two-year deadline arrived. That was the risk. Gathering a lot of paper work, two years of waiting and 3500$. Because it took so long, we assumed that we hadn’t made it. When we did get our visas and permission to immigrate, we were given roughly 8 weeks to enter Australia and have our passports stamped. Normally there is more time, anything up to a year is common, but short notice does happen. So we sold
up and moved!
Once arriving after a long flight we checked into a youth hostel for a week to sleep, visit Sydney and wait for our boxes to arrive. Something we soon realized is that we didn’t have the identity number of our freight. After several failed attempts to contact the freight company in Switzerland, we decided to risk visiting the freight companies at Sydney airport in person. This is where we discovered Australians are very helpful and friendly. After visiting all the freight companies at the airport we eventually located our missing boxes. We were so lucky! The boxes had just arrived and we were able to take them with us, once again they also had to be checked by customs, this time for a fee. Buying A Vehicle During our week visiting the sights of Sydney we loved the harbor, opera house and sailing possibilities but decided that it wasn’t a city that we would like to live in. It’s very busy and expensive. The traffic congestion suggested that for work we could be commuting for several hours a day and the price of real estate was rising dramatically. When we had originally thought about living in Australia, we dreamed of a house by the sea or in land but with acreage. Brisbane, 962km north, the third largest city in Australia seemed to be a better destination. Our next major
decision was whether to buy or hire a car or a van. Staying at a youth
hostel gave us access to backpackers’ notice board and network. Since Australia
is a popular destination for young travelers taking a year out and driving
around the vast continent, there were a lot of vehicles for sale. Rather
than buy privately and risk a non-road worthy vehicle we visited a car
mart. This is an organized second hand garage where all types of vehicles
can be sold. They have to be registered and road worthy to be sold from
here.
We took two weeks to travel from Sydney in New South Wales to Brisbane in Queensland. Stopping along the way at Newcastle, Port Macquarie, Port Jackson, Coffs Harbour, Byron Bay… We love the coastline and small seaside towns. The colors of wild birds are amazing and it was fun to be on the road. Having A Baby Once in Brisbane we found a relocation caravan site where we could have a long term stay and move into a chalet or static home if we needed. By this time I was 18 weeks pregnant and needed to re-register with a doctor for a scan (I had been registered and had my pregnancy and monitored in Switzerland). There are both public and private healthcare systems in Australia. New immigrants are entitled to a Medicare card, which gives free treatment at hospitals and at some medical centers. After a long search through the local phonebooks and a ring round of medical centers, I discovered that it wouldn’t be easy getting an obstetrician this late in the day. So I went direct to the nearest hospital for my prenatal care. I was fortunate
to be going to a hospital with a new birthing center and a midwife birthing
team. The hospital had a good reputation and was rated one of the best.
Private health care would have been an alternative but needn’t necessarily
have guaranteed a place at a birthing center. Like many countries, Australia
even with a small population, suffers with overcrowding in hospitals. However,
I had a good pre-natal and birth experience and wouldn’t necessarily go
private in future.
I was encouraged to go home from hospital after only two days, but did have midwife visits at home. I found a childcare community nurse to go to on a weekly basis for having my baby weighed. There are a lot of “helplines” and “services” available for free, for new mothers, it just takes a bit of calling around and networking at mom and baby groups to find them. Generally speaking Australian families are large. It’s not unusual to have three or more children and for the mother to be a stay at home mom. It is difficult to get a place in child care centers or at family day-care but not impossible. Finding Work I picked up
a job teaching business English and pre-university training courses(the
field of work I’ve been in for 5 years) in an institute of higher education,
without too much trouble. Even though I was pregnant, I had the choice
between two schools and was offered a casual contract with a possibility
of returning to work in the future, if there is a job available.
Lifestyle Australia isn’t rated as one of the worlds leading countries for lifestyle for nothing. Our move has been challenging but it has also been made easier by the lack of complicated bureaucracy, the helpfulness of Australians and the positive relaxed attitude they have about themselves, their country and life. Renting a three bedroom, two bathroom house with a yard in a nice suburb in Brisbane is surprisingly cheap 340$US fortnightly. Buying a similar house costs, at this moment in time, roughly 340 000$US and upwards. “Nice” suburbs have open spacious parklands where it is safe to walk, bus or train lines to the city, churches, schools and kindergartens nearby, ample space to park cars and each house on its own block of land. Shopping Malls are usually a short drive away but again with plenty of parking area and undercover. The summer is a hot, humid and stormy often with an impressive night sky, many a power cut and sudden bursts of drenching rain. The winter has sunny pleasant days with cooler evenings and chilly nights. People live outdoors all the year round here and being part of a community and neighborhood goes without saying. There are a lot of attractions and inexpensive things to do in Brisbane. BBQ and picnic areas litter the national parks, beaches and numerous green open spaces. There are city festivals virtually every month to celebrate anything from the river to a new show opening. Australians love an opportunity to get together have a beer and get to know new people. Moreton Bay offers sights of wild dolphins, turtles and whales off the coast. There are one or two safe swimming bays and several Islands, just a short boat trip away. Amid the wild Koalas, Kangaroos and Possums is a tropical family friendly community that’s worth immigrating too. To Contact Sarah Click Here To read Sarah's
novel Click
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