SUNDAY MORNING 8.15am
Good Morning!
We are here! After a wonderful sleep last night, we woke up to glorious sunshine, the sound of laughing kookaburras, king parrots and lorakeets just outside the window and fried eggs a la Nicole! Yesterday afternoon we touched down in Brisbane and had a smooth transit through an otherwise empty baggage reclaim hall. Customs was easy and the staff friendly with a number of "G'days" and smiles and then we picked up our car and drove to Flaxton to Ed and Nicoles.
We were met by smiles, hugs and bubbles and a few tears from me. Sort of "Can't believe we are here" tears.
We had tea and more bubbles and beer and collapsed at about 10pm, which would have been 8am UK time on Saturday morning. Mike and Bec are also here having returned to Flaxton earlier in the week after their 18 month tour of Europe, so they too are camping out in Flaxton until they get their house in Mapleton back in a few days.
We all awoke about 6am with Sophia sleeping a bit longer, so if we can survive today with no naps needed, we'll be over any jet lag by tomorrow morning ready to move into our home for 3 months.
We are just debating which beach to go to. Has to be done really doesn't it!! Moolooaba is looking tempting so we will slap on the sunscreen and go via Big W (Woolworths) and pick up some boogie boards. We will relax today and move tomorrow and then Alex starts his new job on Tuesday morning.
Sunday, 30 November 2008
Saturday, 29 November 2008
Singapore Slings!
Friday 28th November
UK 14.45pm
Singapore 10.45pm
Brisbane 0.45am
Hello from Singapore. Our flight to Brisbane is delayed so we have been put up in a hotel until the early hours when they hope to take us washed rested and stuffed (from the complimentary buffet!) back to the airport.
Kids went to school today (Thursday) and came home after a few tears and said goodbye to Shaun and Lynn and Steve who kindly put us up for the last three nights.
The taxi journey to the airport was emotional and we are all a little confused as we don't know how to feel. We were met by Anna, our very good friend who works for BA as cabin crew and with a little jiggery pokery and because we couldn't get seats together we were upgraded to Premium Economy which was just fantastic.
The flight here to Singapore was great. Nice staff, food and good films and we all managed to sleep and we are now going to put our heads down for a few hours until our wake up call.
A big thank you to everyone at school as well, for the cards and going away gifts we received. I am sorry we had to dash away so quickly to get the taxi and also to avoid a flood of tears in Ardleigh!
Will write again when we are in Oz.
UK 14.45pm
Singapore 10.45pm
Brisbane 0.45am
Hello from Singapore. Our flight to Brisbane is delayed so we have been put up in a hotel until the early hours when they hope to take us washed rested and stuffed (from the complimentary buffet!) back to the airport.
Kids went to school today (Thursday) and came home after a few tears and said goodbye to Shaun and Lynn and Steve who kindly put us up for the last three nights.
The taxi journey to the airport was emotional and we are all a little confused as we don't know how to feel. We were met by Anna, our very good friend who works for BA as cabin crew and with a little jiggery pokery and because we couldn't get seats together we were upgraded to Premium Economy which was just fantastic.
The flight here to Singapore was great. Nice staff, food and good films and we all managed to sleep and we are now going to put our heads down for a few hours until our wake up call.
A big thank you to everyone at school as well, for the cards and going away gifts we received. I am sorry we had to dash away so quickly to get the taxi and also to avoid a flood of tears in Ardleigh!
Will write again when we are in Oz.
Wednesday, 26 November 2008
House in a Box and Car to Sell
2.30pm Tuesday 25th November
Our house is now all contained in a 20 foot container! It headed off to the port at 11am this morning.
The house is now empty apart from a few things we need to dispose of and/or donate to a charity shop.
We still have our Golf to sell if anyone is interested. Feels quite strange sitting here at the laptop, doing some admin in an othereise empty house! I am holding for Qantas just held for 10 minutes, then the battery cut out on my phone as I am trying to find out if we are allowed to take excess baggage. I hope so!!
More later. Off to do some vacuuming...
Our house is now all contained in a 20 foot container! It headed off to the port at 11am this morning.
The house is now empty apart from a few things we need to dispose of and/or donate to a charity shop.
We still have our Golf to sell if anyone is interested. Feels quite strange sitting here at the laptop, doing some admin in an othereise empty house! I am holding for Qantas just held for 10 minutes, then the battery cut out on my phone as I am trying to find out if we are allowed to take excess baggage. I hope so!!
More later. Off to do some vacuuming...
Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Packed and Pooped!
2.30pm Monday 24th November
It's 2.30 now, and having got up at 5.45 this morning and been tidying and sorting, I thought I would sit down with a cup of tea and watch tv before I get the kids from school. Then I realised the tv is packed up and the setee is wrapped up and on it's end, so here I am updating my blog!
7.30am the boys from AngloPacific were here to pack up the house. We had managed to get a lot of organisation done, but I was panicking a bit as the container is here at 10am tomorrow to put all our stuff in and then will be taken at 1pm once it is full. The chaps worked super fast and unfortunately Alex had to go to work today, so I was on my own, charging for room to room clearing out what we didn't want them packing so we can take stuff with us on Thursday. They left about 20 minutes ago, hence me thinking I will sit down for half and hour!
I now realise what we have put to the side to take on Thursday would fit a small container, so we will cull tonight. When the chaps come back tomorrow to do the study, our wardrobes and the airing cupboard, we will have a few extra bits and bobs so we don't go over our allowance and we can live without for three months.
Yesterday afternoon was very sad. The tears started when we said goodbye to Michelle and Andrew (only to realise I need to drop some more stuff off to her, so we will have do it again!!). In the evening we took Jessie the cat to Helens. Jessie meowed a bit in the car, then had a really good explore, especially in the bedrooms upstairs and later on I got a text to say she was purring so she must have settled a bit. She hasn't met Saffie and Bo, the dogs yet, but they are used to cats and Jess doesn't mind dogs, so hopefully they will get on.
So just off to tart myself up, slap some lip balm on so I can pick the kids up from school and not look like a frazzled mad woman with chapped lips!! We will then head to Lynn and Steve's for that cup of tea and a sit down before returning home to meet Alex and pack our stuff.
It's 2.30 now, and having got up at 5.45 this morning and been tidying and sorting, I thought I would sit down with a cup of tea and watch tv before I get the kids from school. Then I realised the tv is packed up and the setee is wrapped up and on it's end, so here I am updating my blog!
7.30am the boys from AngloPacific were here to pack up the house. We had managed to get a lot of organisation done, but I was panicking a bit as the container is here at 10am tomorrow to put all our stuff in and then will be taken at 1pm once it is full. The chaps worked super fast and unfortunately Alex had to go to work today, so I was on my own, charging for room to room clearing out what we didn't want them packing so we can take stuff with us on Thursday. They left about 20 minutes ago, hence me thinking I will sit down for half and hour!
I now realise what we have put to the side to take on Thursday would fit a small container, so we will cull tonight. When the chaps come back tomorrow to do the study, our wardrobes and the airing cupboard, we will have a few extra bits and bobs so we don't go over our allowance and we can live without for three months.
Yesterday afternoon was very sad. The tears started when we said goodbye to Michelle and Andrew (only to realise I need to drop some more stuff off to her, so we will have do it again!!). In the evening we took Jessie the cat to Helens. Jessie meowed a bit in the car, then had a really good explore, especially in the bedrooms upstairs and later on I got a text to say she was purring so she must have settled a bit. She hasn't met Saffie and Bo, the dogs yet, but they are used to cats and Jess doesn't mind dogs, so hopefully they will get on.
So just off to tart myself up, slap some lip balm on so I can pick the kids up from school and not look like a frazzled mad woman with chapped lips!! We will then head to Lynn and Steve's for that cup of tea and a sit down before returning home to meet Alex and pack our stuff.
Saturday, 22 November 2008
Boxes and Take-aways!
Saturday 22nd November 11am
Today we woke up to butterflies in our stomaches. We were up tidying for house viewings today and the realisation that I have to face the mountain of boxes from the loft. Filled with old photos, kids paintings plus awards and mementos, old videos and shells, I will have to sort through and keep, charity or skip. Hopefully I will get them down to a reasonable amount without losing stuff of sentimental value.
Alex is busy working and we have his dad and step mum coming in an hour. Hopefully after some lunch and an update, Alex can clear the shed, I can tackle the boxes and Grandma can keep Sophia entertained.
Harvey and Mads are at their dads in Norwich having a family weekend, seeing grandparents, uncle, aunt and cousins so that will be really nice for them, but also sad too. The next time they see each other will hopefully be when Shaun and Jitka come out next Spring (Autumn in Aus) to visit and then we will be back in September to catch up again.
My dad and Margaret came yesterday and helped us get sorted by packing up the trampoline, doing the bottle bank run and clearing out the kitchen amongst other things. Fantastic help to us. We are now down to a few fish fingers and some chops and half a bag of rice and biscuits in the cupboard, so it was fish and chips last night, friends are bringing a curry round tonight and tomorrow it will be chinese. What would we do without take-aways?! Monday evening we are moving out to Lynn and Steve's down the road, so at least I will be able to cook and have plates to eat off!
Off to face the boxes and get a couple sorted before the visitors arrive!
Today we woke up to butterflies in our stomaches. We were up tidying for house viewings today and the realisation that I have to face the mountain of boxes from the loft. Filled with old photos, kids paintings plus awards and mementos, old videos and shells, I will have to sort through and keep, charity or skip. Hopefully I will get them down to a reasonable amount without losing stuff of sentimental value.
Alex is busy working and we have his dad and step mum coming in an hour. Hopefully after some lunch and an update, Alex can clear the shed, I can tackle the boxes and Grandma can keep Sophia entertained.
Harvey and Mads are at their dads in Norwich having a family weekend, seeing grandparents, uncle, aunt and cousins so that will be really nice for them, but also sad too. The next time they see each other will hopefully be when Shaun and Jitka come out next Spring (Autumn in Aus) to visit and then we will be back in September to catch up again.
My dad and Margaret came yesterday and helped us get sorted by packing up the trampoline, doing the bottle bank run and clearing out the kitchen amongst other things. Fantastic help to us. We are now down to a few fish fingers and some chops and half a bag of rice and biscuits in the cupboard, so it was fish and chips last night, friends are bringing a curry round tonight and tomorrow it will be chinese. What would we do without take-aways?! Monday evening we are moving out to Lynn and Steve's down the road, so at least I will be able to cook and have plates to eat off!
Off to face the boxes and get a couple sorted before the visitors arrive!
Thursday, 20 November 2008
Flights and Bedtime Stories
Wednesday 19th November 8pm
We have booked the flights! Depart 9.15pm from Heathrow a week tomorrow.
We have been much more focussed today and managed to get quite a bit done, including taking the marquee down and writing a proper timetable of what we have to do over the next three days and weekend. Still have to do a few more things on todays list which I will have to do between reading a story to Sophia and saying night night and Desperate Housewives at 10pm!!!
I am being shouted at from upstairs!
Wednesday, 19 November 2008
WE HAVE A DATE!
Finally, after booking the removal people for next Monday and Tuesday, and the cleaners for Wednesday, we are intending to depart from Heathrow on the evening of Thursday 27th November
We should have opened a bottle of bubbly last night, but we were just too exhausted!
We will arrive in Brisbane 9.20 on Saturday morning, get through customs, pick up a car and be at our friends Ed and Nicole's (where we stayed in April) for lunch and bubbly with Mike and Bec, our friends who have been travelling Europe for the last 18 months.
Saturday and Sunday will probably be getting accustomed to the time difference, then on Monday we pick up the keys for our house in Montville and Alex will head into work for the Tuesday morning.
So over the next few days We have stuff to do such as inventory of household items for the shipping insurance, removing the final bits from the loft, separating the stuff we want to take with us as opposed to the stuff to be shipped, clearing out the shed, (all those bits and bobs Alex has collected over the years!) doing a bottle bank run, charity shop run and disposing of various items and sorting through boxes to see if we really really need to take it or if we can live without it! We have a skip and I suspect by the end of the weekend, it will be full to the brim and be ready to be carted away!
We will also be sad to part with Jessie our cat, who is going to live with Helen and her family across the field. I am sure Jessie will settle fine with Helen, her 4 boys and Bo and Saffie, the dogs. She will get lots of cuddles and food and she also has a field out to back so she can carry on hunting. She will be fine in no time at all.
Off to sort the airing cupboard out, take stuff to the charity shop and complete the insurance form for the shipping company. This is where you have to count exactly how many DVD’s you have and work out how much you would need to replace an old video recorder picture frame or set of glasses if they got broken.
Just grab my clipboard…..
We should have opened a bottle of bubbly last night, but we were just too exhausted!
We will arrive in Brisbane 9.20 on Saturday morning, get through customs, pick up a car and be at our friends Ed and Nicole's (where we stayed in April) for lunch and bubbly with Mike and Bec, our friends who have been travelling Europe for the last 18 months.
Saturday and Sunday will probably be getting accustomed to the time difference, then on Monday we pick up the keys for our house in Montville and Alex will head into work for the Tuesday morning.
So over the next few days We have stuff to do such as inventory of household items for the shipping insurance, removing the final bits from the loft, separating the stuff we want to take with us as opposed to the stuff to be shipped, clearing out the shed, (all those bits and bobs Alex has collected over the years!) doing a bottle bank run, charity shop run and disposing of various items and sorting through boxes to see if we really really need to take it or if we can live without it! We have a skip and I suspect by the end of the weekend, it will be full to the brim and be ready to be carted away!
We will also be sad to part with Jessie our cat, who is going to live with Helen and her family across the field. I am sure Jessie will settle fine with Helen, her 4 boys and Bo and Saffie, the dogs. She will get lots of cuddles and food and she also has a field out to back so she can carry on hunting. She will be fine in no time at all.
Off to sort the airing cupboard out, take stuff to the charity shop and complete the insurance form for the shipping company. This is where you have to count exactly how many DVD’s you have and work out how much you would need to replace an old video recorder picture frame or set of glasses if they got broken.
Just grab my clipboard…..
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Visa Visa Visa!
Tuesday 18th November
We received notification that our
visas have been granted!
The 'not knowing' has been really hard over the last week, but this week will be fun too, fitting in everything we need to do to get ourselves organised to go.
I would pop open a bottle of bubbly, but as it is 7 in the morning and I have a lot to do, I don't think it would be wise. Alex and I feel a weird combination of being completely exhausted yet full of energy, lets hope the energy dominates today and then we are able to sleep like babies tonight! Will wake the kids up soon and let them know.
Monday, 17 November 2008
Wombats Winkles and Kangaroo Poo
Monday 17th November - Morning time!
(for some reason the dates are all wrong on this system! )
Thank you to everyone who came on Saturday to have a few drinks and say bye to us. Alex's sister's family came during the day and then my dad and step mum Margaret came for the afternoon and early evening, to be joined by a few good friends and a large handful of kids.
An enormous THANK YOU goes out to Michelle and Andrew, who lent us their marquee for the garden so Harvey and his mates had somewhere to play on the playstation and throw popcorn about. Also Michelle made a FANTASTIC cake (see photo below) and she came with Rolf Harris as Jake the Peg (see photo below) who left halfway through just before Andrew turned up!
Thanks too to Steve and Sue, you know why...! Thanks to Margaret and Dad for the very special gift which I will treasure forever. Thank you for helping us get everything organised and helping with the food. The wallabies in swags (sausage rolls) and dingos dongers (mini sausages) were a hit as were my vegemite and cheese straws and kangaroo poo! (chocolate raisins and maltesers!)
And thank you to all our other friends who were able to spend time with us and make the evening so memorable (yes the Abba Singstar did come out...!!) and the Ryder v Hoffmann Singstar challenge which had been postponed since August was able to take place!
We received news this morning that our contact in Aussie Immigration now has ALL the details they need. She thought she had everything on Friday, but then found something that didn't add up. So last night (Monday day in Aus) they managed to sort it out, despite it being the key persons day off but her colleagues and Tara in Immigration still managed to get hold of her so hopefully the visa will be processed tomorrow. If that happens, we will get the removal people in w/c 24th and book our flights for the end of Nov/start Dec.
Still got a lot of sorting out, packing up and getting rid of stuff to do, but we are winning!
(for some reason the dates are all wrong on this system! )
Thank you to everyone who came on Saturday to have a few drinks and say bye to us. Alex's sister's family came during the day and then my dad and step mum Margaret came for the afternoon and early evening, to be joined by a few good friends and a large handful of kids.
An enormous THANK YOU goes out to Michelle and Andrew, who lent us their marquee for the garden so Harvey and his mates had somewhere to play on the playstation and throw popcorn about. Also Michelle made a FANTASTIC cake (see photo below) and she came with Rolf Harris as Jake the Peg (see photo below) who left halfway through just before Andrew turned up!
Thanks too to Steve and Sue, you know why...! Thanks to Margaret and Dad for the very special gift which I will treasure forever. Thank you for helping us get everything organised and helping with the food. The wallabies in swags (sausage rolls) and dingos dongers (mini sausages) were a hit as were my vegemite and cheese straws and kangaroo poo! (chocolate raisins and maltesers!)
And thank you to all our other friends who were able to spend time with us and make the evening so memorable (yes the Abba Singstar did come out...!!) and the Ryder v Hoffmann Singstar challenge which had been postponed since August was able to take place!
We received news this morning that our contact in Aussie Immigration now has ALL the details they need. She thought she had everything on Friday, but then found something that didn't add up. So last night (Monday day in Aus) they managed to sort it out, despite it being the key persons day off but her colleagues and Tara in Immigration still managed to get hold of her so hopefully the visa will be processed tomorrow. If that happens, we will get the removal people in w/c 24th and book our flights for the end of Nov/start Dec.
Still got a lot of sorting out, packing up and getting rid of stuff to do, but we are winning!
Saturday, 15 November 2008
Is No News Good News?
Our news after speaking to Aus late last night, was that everything was in order and they were confident we would receive an email at the end of their working day (about 6am Friday our time)......
So we got up this morning to find they had found the salary Alex has on his job offer is different from the paperwork his employers and sponsors have completed. So that has to be sorted before they can approve everything. And of course it is now Friday night, so we won't be able to sort that until Sunday/Monday night.
We have family round tomorrow day and friends coming round in the evening for drinks, but we still don't know when we are going!
However the Good News is that Singstar Abba came out today and so there will be fun in the house tonight!!! Alex is out with some mates at the pub, Harvey is at a party at the school hall in the village and so it's a girls night in for Mads, Sophia and me! We will be singing some classic tracks such as Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, that Australian Visa.... Thank you for the Vegemite and Kan-ga-roo, I'm not defeated by your soft paw, Kan-ga- roo, promise to love you for ever more.
By not having our visas it does mean we will probably have time to to the million and one things we will find we have to do and not have time if we were going sooner.... does that make any sense? Has me convinced anyway!
So we got up this morning to find they had found the salary Alex has on his job offer is different from the paperwork his employers and sponsors have completed. So that has to be sorted before they can approve everything. And of course it is now Friday night, so we won't be able to sort that until Sunday/Monday night.
We have family round tomorrow day and friends coming round in the evening for drinks, but we still don't know when we are going!
However the Good News is that Singstar Abba came out today and so there will be fun in the house tonight!!! Alex is out with some mates at the pub, Harvey is at a party at the school hall in the village and so it's a girls night in for Mads, Sophia and me! We will be singing some classic tracks such as Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, that Australian Visa.... Thank you for the Vegemite and Kan-ga-roo, I'm not defeated by your soft paw, Kan-ga- roo, promise to love you for ever more.
By not having our visas it does mean we will probably have time to to the million and one things we will find we have to do and not have time if we were going sooner.... does that make any sense? Has me convinced anyway!
Thursday, 13 November 2008
Still No Visa Grrrrr!!
It's Thursday and this morning we got up, excited we might have received an email allowing us legal entry into Aus, but no.... hopefully tomorrow!!
If we don't by Friday am, our schedule will be set back a week but on a positive note, it means we have more time to do all the things we would have squeezed into a few days.
On another positive note, Harvey was awarded the highest badge in Scouting last night. The award requires that he demonstrated community, faith, self-motivation, personal discipline, and many other qualities including several lots of challenges, including one which meant him and a few others hiked in the rain over two days with packs and set up camp overnight before completing the hike, wet, exhausted and very smelly!
We do hope he will continue scouting when we get to Aus, but will have to see if at 14, surfing and girls become more of interest!
If we don't by Friday am, our schedule will be set back a week but on a positive note, it means we have more time to do all the things we would have squeezed into a few days.
On another positive note, Harvey was awarded the highest badge in Scouting last night. The award requires that he demonstrated community, faith, self-motivation, personal discipline, and many other qualities including several lots of challenges, including one which meant him and a few others hiked in the rain over two days with packs and set up camp overnight before completing the hike, wet, exhausted and very smelly!
We do hope he will continue scouting when we get to Aus, but will have to see if at 14, surfing and girls become more of interest!
Tuesday, 11 November 2008
House in the Hills and Xrays
G'day again
The final bit of the jigsaw has arrived in Aus. The medical info for the visa process has been signed for in Sydney, so hopefully over the coming days we will hear when they will be granted.
As soon as that happens, we will be booking flights, removal people and packing up the house as quickly as we can!
We have now found accommodation in Montville, thanks to Bec, our friend from Aus who called someone who knew someone etc etc and we now not only have a roof over our heads, but a fully furnished roof over our heads with a huge deck and views over Kondalilla National Park. Really excited about it.
We dropped Mike and Bec off today as they are heading back to the Sunshine Coast via Helsinki, Thailand. It seemed odd to say goodbye, only to know we will be seeing them again in a matter of weeks on their turf!!
Onwards and upwards (or should that be downunderwards!)
The final bit of the jigsaw has arrived in Aus. The medical info for the visa process has been signed for in Sydney, so hopefully over the coming days we will hear when they will be granted.
As soon as that happens, we will be booking flights, removal people and packing up the house as quickly as we can!
We have now found accommodation in Montville, thanks to Bec, our friend from Aus who called someone who knew someone etc etc and we now not only have a roof over our heads, but a fully furnished roof over our heads with a huge deck and views over Kondalilla National Park. Really excited about it.
We dropped Mike and Bec off today as they are heading back to the Sunshine Coast via Helsinki, Thailand. It seemed odd to say goodbye, only to know we will be seeing them again in a matter of weeks on their turf!!
Onwards and upwards (or should that be downunderwards!)
Thursday, 6 November 2008
Hoffmann Peels Move to Australia
Hi and G'day!
Everyone keeps asking how we are getting on and whether we have a date or not, so I thought I would start this blog and update it so you all can find out where we are with our visa application and also we can use this page to let you all know what we are doing when we arrive in Australia.
Visas
After sending off all the documents needed to apply for the visa we all went up to Cambridge to have our x-rays and medicals and they were sent off today. So we are hoping to get out at the end of the month in order for Alex to start his new job on the 1st December. We are calling the visa office tomorrow to speak with our contact there and hopefully we will know when our visa may be granted.
Moving our furniture
We are taking a container to Aus and once we get there we will find some temporary fully furnished accommodation and then find somewhere unfurnished to rent from Feb when our furniture and belongings arrive.
Schools
If the timing goes to plan, we will arrive in time to visit schools before they close for the summer/Christmas holidays. We want to see the schools in full flow and for Harvey especially to get a sense of what they can offer him before he chooses where he wants to go and restarts year 9 at the end of January.
Where?
We are moving to the Sunshine Coast which is 2 hours north of Brisbane. On the coast there are towns such as Noosa Heads and Maroochydore. Just inland you will find Landsborough and Nambour which are more industrial towns and then to the west there is a mountain range which runs north-south called the Blackhall Range which is where we are going to live. On the range there is a much slower pace of life and you get great views but you are also only 30 minutes from the beach. We are hoping to find a place in Montville or Mapleton, both places have photos and info on google which will give you an idea of where we will be.
Alex's job
Alex will be commuting to the office in Brisbane each day. It should take him around an hour and 3/4 hours which is made up of a 20-25 minute drive down off the range to Landsborough and then 1 hour 20 on an airconditioned train which goes past the beautiful Glasshouse Mountains. He is working for a large firm of architects and the contract is for two years.
That is probably enough for now.
Hopefully this won't become too addictive, but be a good source of info, pictures and news for everyone!
Ali
Everyone keeps asking how we are getting on and whether we have a date or not, so I thought I would start this blog and update it so you all can find out where we are with our visa application and also we can use this page to let you all know what we are doing when we arrive in Australia.
Visas
After sending off all the documents needed to apply for the visa we all went up to Cambridge to have our x-rays and medicals and they were sent off today. So we are hoping to get out at the end of the month in order for Alex to start his new job on the 1st December. We are calling the visa office tomorrow to speak with our contact there and hopefully we will know when our visa may be granted.
Moving our furniture
We are taking a container to Aus and once we get there we will find some temporary fully furnished accommodation and then find somewhere unfurnished to rent from Feb when our furniture and belongings arrive.
Schools
If the timing goes to plan, we will arrive in time to visit schools before they close for the summer/Christmas holidays. We want to see the schools in full flow and for Harvey especially to get a sense of what they can offer him before he chooses where he wants to go and restarts year 9 at the end of January.
Where?
We are moving to the Sunshine Coast which is 2 hours north of Brisbane. On the coast there are towns such as Noosa Heads and Maroochydore. Just inland you will find Landsborough and Nambour which are more industrial towns and then to the west there is a mountain range which runs north-south called the Blackhall Range which is where we are going to live. On the range there is a much slower pace of life and you get great views but you are also only 30 minutes from the beach. We are hoping to find a place in Montville or Mapleton, both places have photos and info on google which will give you an idea of where we will be.
Alex's job
Alex will be commuting to the office in Brisbane each day. It should take him around an hour and 3/4 hours which is made up of a 20-25 minute drive down off the range to Landsborough and then 1 hour 20 on an airconditioned train which goes past the beautiful Glasshouse Mountains. He is working for a large firm of architects and the contract is for two years.
That is probably enough for now.
Hopefully this won't become too addictive, but be a good source of info, pictures and news for everyone!
Ali
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
