Guest scottishkiwi Posted March 11, 2011 Report Share Posted March 11, 2011 Hi there, this is the 3rd message I've tried to post. Lost the others so will keep it brief( hopefully). We are hoping to be in Perth by mid June this year. My hubby is an industrial electrician looking for good paying work (aren't we all?). He is willing to do FIFO work which would be good financially, but not so good for me and my girls 19, and 11. the youngest is extremely shy and scared about going to start a new life. We live in NZ at the moment and goes to anCatholic school. I have contacted a few Catholic schools in Perth and not had much luck. Newman Catholc college has told me to apply. Any experience of this school? We also have no idea of areas to head for NOR or SOR, both look lovely to me. what are your thoughts on this? Until hubby starts earning we will not be too flush off financially. I am a primary teacher and will be looking to work, but not until we are well settled (especially my youngest). Any and all advice would be much appreciated. As you all know this is a scary adventure, but, as my mammy always says 'nothing ventured, nothing gained'! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest donki Posted March 11, 2011 Report Share Posted March 11, 2011 Hi we lived in Nz for 5plus years before we moved to Perth... and my girls go to a Catholic College, Its a lovely school very welcoming to new students so mine had moved once at 10 and 8 and again at 14 and 12 it was much much harder on them second time around... but they kept a smile on thier faces ( we couldnt them into the catholic school straight away so they had 2 schools in the first 3 months ) but its all worked out in the end...they are both very happy now. so good luck:smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest scottishkiwi Posted March 11, 2011 Report Share Posted March 11, 2011 Hi Donki, Thanks so much for your reply. It really helps to hear other people's experiences, especially you, since you have lived in NZ. You, like me will have had a different perspective to those coming straight from the UK. Yes, I can imagine that it would have been harder for your children the second time (maybe their age and the fact that they'd already moved before). I'm sure they are now happy that you moved to Perth. My youngest was born here so she has nothing to compare with. My older girl was too young to remember Scotland, and although she loves NZ and considers herself a kiwi, she can't wait to get there! Can I ask where you settled and the Catholic High schools that you would recommend (well, ones that we are likely to get a place at). I have been told told apply for Newman Catholic college. Have you heard anything about that? I rang Kolbe College and they told me that they have a long wait list That's a shame because I quite liked the sound of the Rockingham, Prt Kennedyish areas. Thanks again for your insight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verystormy Posted March 12, 2011 Report Share Posted March 12, 2011 Cant help with the schools as we dont have children, but might offer some advice in other areas. Firstly, Rockingham is reasonably nice, though is a bit bogan. As is Pt Ken. Mandurah which is a bit further south is nicer in my opinion and more affordable. Unless you are arriving with bag loads of cash then forget living in Perth itself. FIFO is actually a very nice lifestyle and in many ways better for families than normal monday to friday. I used to work monday to friday and hated it. Leave the house early on a morning, get home too tired to do much other than eat shower and sleep. Repeat for 5 days. Saturday too tired to do much and sunday start thinking about going back to work. These days in WA most FIFO is 8/6 which is effectivly a week away and a week home. It offers much better quality of life. For example i am at work now, fly home Thursday and we will head down for a 5 day break to Margaret River when i am on break. If i take a weeks annual leave i get three weeks off. FIFO is a much better lifestyle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sparticus Posted March 12, 2011 Report Share Posted March 12, 2011 Just wanted to say hello, I am also quite new to the site and the misses and I are hoping to be in Perth very soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verystormy Posted March 12, 2011 Report Share Posted March 12, 2011 Hi Sparticus. Where are you headed for? Any ideas yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest scottishkiwi Posted March 12, 2011 Report Share Posted March 12, 2011 Thanks Very stormy for your insight. You have cheered me up no end! Now all we have to do is for that hubby of mine to get a FIFO job! Easier said than done eh? Mind you, my son landed in Perth on 13 Jan and had interview with a recruiter the next day, had medical and drug n alcohol tests. he then had to sit his HR, which took a few weeks to arrange. however, a month from arriving he had a permanent job working in a mine. He does 2 weeks on, 1 off. Hopefully my husband will be as lucky! My son said that he thought Rockingham was a bit bogan (not a kiwi expression, but he used the equivalent lol!) I was going by rental prices and close proximity to beaches etc. My 19 year old will want to be where there is a bit of night life, and the chance of work (she works as an office junior in an accountants at the mo but will do retail or anything.) Whats the job market like for retail positions. she is also an excellent dancer and has taught hip hop here for many years (obviously she's not a qualified teacher but has worked under another teacher). She would love to continue her dancing there too, what are her chances? Thanks again to anyone who can offer advice or personal opinions on my queries Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest scottishkiwi Posted March 12, 2011 Report Share Posted March 12, 2011 Hi Sparticus, It's all very exciting and scary at the same time eh? I just want to get on with it and be there! Where are you heading to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest donki Posted March 12, 2011 Report Share Posted March 12, 2011 Hi My two are at Kolbe and love it...We didnt have to wait too long for spaces, we are living in Secret Harbour thats a pretty good place to live. Yes arriving from Nz was abit of a shock as the place isnt naturally beautiful everywhere you look....but after time you see the other beauty it has. I think as far as the future for the family and lifestyle wages etc its a much better place to live ( there are soo many kiwis here I think that says alot) Where in Nz are you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verystormy Posted March 12, 2011 Report Share Posted March 12, 2011 Your very welcome. Your husband wont struggle with work. In fact as an industrial sparky his main problem will be choosing which offer to accept. Generally sparkies do one week on one off. Truckies do 2:1. Which mine is your son at? Mandurah is a great place for families and even if your daughter had to work in Perth, its only 50 mins on the train which runs every 10 mins between 5.30am and 2.30am and costs about $13 return. Though i would be surprised if she couldnt find work in Mandurah We have been in Mandurah for 2.5 years and love it. We are just south of the town in an area called Dawesville. I have attahced a couple of links for houses available around where i am to give you some ideas. The beach is a two minute walk from anywhere in this area and is excellent. The river is a manmade river and is great for fishing. 39 Sanctuary Circuit, Dawesville, WA 6211 - House for Rent #403861925 - realestate.com.au 75 Southport Boulevard, Dawesville, WA 6211 - House for Rent #405050400 - realestate.com.au Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest scottishkiwi Posted March 12, 2011 Report Share Posted March 12, 2011 Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. wow! the links of the houses were gorgeous! My husband had a look and he loved it, especially the golf course! I don't mind being away from perth, in fact i'd probably prefer it. I'm used to not living in a big city as it is. And, if hubby is working away, he doesn't need to be in perth. When we get settled i will want to start teaching again, but there are obviously schools everywhere. My son works at Mt whaleback in Newman. He's got 3 more nights then back to Perth. He is still in the training stages and was saying that driving in the dark is a whole different ballgame than in the day. I looked at a video on youtube and the bloomin thing looked the Grand Canyon! I shouldn't have looked! Yikes, driving on those road in the dark... Thanks also on the positive comments on my husbands prospects on getting sparky work. He has sent his cv through online to a few jobs but no one has even got back to him, so i have to say we were getting worried. He has lots of experience and hasn't had a sick day in 18 years! so, he's reliable to say the least. as my son found out, you really have to be there, I think? Where do you work and what do you do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest scottishkiwi Posted March 12, 2011 Report Share Posted March 12, 2011 Thanks Donki, I'll have to seriously consider applying for Kolbe, even thought they said they were full with long wait list. You never know... I'm going to get a letter from our parish priest so that I've got that handy for applying for schools. We live in Whangarei and you're right, NZ is so beautiful! it takes my breath away sometimes. In some ways I kind of feel like a traitor, leaving NZ to go to OZ, especially when my kids have grown up here. Its just that we feel that there are more work opportunities for us to get ahead financially. I may be wrong but if we don't try, I'll aways wonder, what if... I did the same thing 16 years ago and have never regretted it, even though life has been tough at times. where did you live in NZ? it must have been a tough decision for you too, especially as would have been well settled after 5 years. I've looked at Secret Harbour, it looks lovely! Can I ask a silly question that's been worrying me a wee bit? Do you swim in the ocean? I barely swim here in NZ because of my fear of dare I even say it...sharks! We were talking today about all the things we would take with us and mu hubby said we'd take the boogie bards and surf board. I don't think i'd be wanting them to go out that far. Am I being melodramatic? Thanks again for your words of wisdom/experience of perth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest scottishkiwi Posted March 12, 2011 Report Share Posted March 12, 2011 Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. wow! the links of the houses were gorgeous! My husband had a look and he loved it, especially the golf course! I don't mind being away from perth, in fact i'd probably prefer it. I'm used to not living in a big city as it is. And, if hubby is working away, he doesn't need to be in perth. When we get settled i will want to start teaching again, but there are obviously schools everywhere. My son works at Mt whaleback in Newman. He's got 3 more nights then back to Perth. He is still in the training stages and was saying that driving in the dark is a whole different ballgame than in the day. I looked at a video on youtube and the bloomin thing looked the Grand Canyon! I shouldn't have looked! Yikes, driving on those road in the dark... Thanks also on the positive comments on my husbands prospects on getting sparky work. He has sent his cv through online to a few jobs but no one has even got back to him, so i have to say we were getting worried. He has lots of experience and hasn't had a sick day in 18 years! so, he's reliable to say the least. as my son found out, you really have to be there, I think? Where do you work and what do you do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verystormy Posted March 12, 2011 Report Share Posted March 12, 2011 Glad to be of help. I am a exploration geologist at a large gold mine. Do a combination of surface and underground exploration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest scottishkiwi Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 Hi Donki, Just wondering if you have heard any reports about Assumption Catholic primary school? It appears that they are the only school in the area with any chance of getting my wee girl into Mandurah CC are full as, Kolbe too. Dawesville are chocca, but as I said, Assumption have places...I should be delighted, but part of me is asking why? to be honest, because she is year 6 i am more concerned about whether she's get into a local Catholic High School. It appears that getting the High School sorted determines where you settle in Perth.am I right? She is used to the Catholic system and it would be one stabilizing factor in the big move. Any advice is much appreciated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest scottishkiwi Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 Wow, that sounds very technical and impressive! With all the mining in WA, you certainly have come to the right place! Thanks for all your advice. I'm still pursuing the Catholic Schools in Mandurah. You certianly helped to 'sell' it to us. We'll see how we go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen_PFR Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 Re: your 11 year old, for Catholic high schools, try Mercedes College - one of the oldest schools in Australia, let alone WA - I'm a proud ex student as you may have guessed! It is a lovely school, girls only, that really encourages its students to be the best they can be. It's located in the Perth CBD but kids get used to the commute - I used to catch the bus or train for an hour each way (lived near Armadale, south of the river). Here's the website: Mercedes College Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest scottishkiwi Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 Thanks Jen for your suggestion; I'll give that website for Mercedes College a try. I also had a look at your rentals, they look great. We may be interested nearer the time as it appears that it's not so easy to get into a longer term rental. Only thing is that we will be shipping some furniture to OZ and it only takes 3 weeks from NZ. If we committed to renting form your for 2 months then we's had no where to put our stuff. Oh well, it's all food for thought Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen_PFR Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 No probs, feel free to have a look around - if you think we'd be able to help just drop me a PM or send me an email and I'll be happy to help. We have migrants to Australia stay at our properties often - just had a couple leave (from NZ!) and currently have a family from South Africa waiting on their container! For some reason the containers always seem to get delayed?! No idea why though. One thing we have found with our tenants is that they have had difficulty in getting long term rentals, as you said. I don't think this is because they're not desirable tenants - I suspect it's more because there is a housing shortage in Perth which means there is more housing demand than supply. It has surprised some of our tenants how long it's taken for them to get a place to settle down in. As a result we've had a few people stay a bit longer than planned, but that isn't usually a problem as we're reasonably flexible I make sure to factor in some additional time between leases, just in case people don't get the first few rentals that they apply for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest YaYa Posted March 20, 2011 Report Share Posted March 20, 2011 Just wanted to say hi. I only joined the site yesterday, me and hubby will be coming out as soon as our house sells . Cant wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stevieb Posted March 20, 2011 Report Share Posted March 20, 2011 Just wanted to say hi.I only joined the site yesterday, me and hubby will be coming out as soon as our house sells . Cant wait. Hi YaYa Welcome to the forum. Good luck with the house sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest loopyl Posted March 21, 2011 Report Share Posted March 21, 2011 Hi Donki, Just wondering if you have heard any reports about Assumption Catholic primary school? It appears that they are the only school in the area with any chance of getting my wee girl into Mandurah CC are full as, Kolbe too. Dawesville are chocca, but as I said, Assumption have places...I should be delighted, but part of me is asking why? to be honest, because she is year 6 i am more concerned about whether she's get into a local Catholic High School. It appears that getting the High School sorted determines where you settle in Perth.am I right? She is used to the Catholic system and it would be one stabilizing factor in the big move. Any advice is much appreciated Hi we have been in Perth for nearly 10 weeks now. We live in Meadow Springs, Mandurah area and our son goes to Assumption and daughter Mandurah Catholic College. I can say that the 2 schools appear to be fantastic so far, my boy year 5 had some headaches with the heat when arrived and the pastoral care he got when it started was great (the school kinda thought the headaches were a combination of heat/change). If you want anymore information please feel free to ask. Lyndsay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest donki Posted March 22, 2011 Report Share Posted March 22, 2011 Hi sorry not been on-line....we have family visiting ( you know what its like) howa it all going????? It looks like your getting some good information:smile::smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest scottishkiwi Posted March 23, 2011 Report Share Posted March 23, 2011 Thanks, loopyl , donki and everyone who has helped out by posting responses. It really helps to her peoples experiences (as I'm sure you'll all agree). We are aiming for arriving in June as my husband has to tie up lose ends at his work. We've started packing up a few boxes to ship and others to put into storage (we're not taking everything initially 'just in case'). One minute I'm excited, the next minute i think we should stay where we are. I think I'm driving my OH mad! By the time it gets to go, he might tell me to stay where I am and go without me lol! loopyl, I'm going to pursue the Assumption application. How hard was it to get your child into Mandurah Catholic College? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest scottishkiwi Posted March 23, 2011 Report Share Posted March 23, 2011 Hi Lyndsay, We too are looking at Mandurah. It looks gorgeous on the net but I've read some posts from people who live in perth and some of the comments are a wee bit negative about it and that it can be a bit 'rough'. Coming rom glasgow originally I'm only to aware of how 'rough' places can be lol! I can't imagine that it can be any wore than that. Before any thinks i'm slating Glasgow, I'm not! I'm talking about people's perception of a place, and there are good and bad areas everywhere! I'd just like to be well informed. How do you find it and can you give me an idea of the areas to avoid? Also, what would be a realistic amount to pay for rent (4x2)? Thanks so much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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