Graybags

We've moved again, this time to Sorrento and this should be our final move(!). So we have a range of boxes ranging from good quality packing boxes down to wine cartons. Anyone interested?

Have you just moved in and need to get rid of boxes? We are moving within Perth and need some boxes to pack our items into. If you have some available, please message me. Thanks.

We went through a migration agency for our 456 and were still sending documents through on 11 August last year. However, the visa was granted on 15 August! I suppose since it was "decision ready" DIAC didn't have to do much. Since then we applied for permanent residency under the Employer Nominated Scheme for an 856. This was lodged on 26 June and granted on 7 September. It's a hughe weight off our shoulders as I'm now 55 and my kids would have had to get their own visas if they'd earned more than $500 a week as they wouldn't have been dependants.

Have sent you a message Caroline.

I applied on seeing an advert in The Guardian. Interviewed on Skype. Appointed. Arrived in October and met my boss for the first time!

We've got a Senior Engineer starting next week and through the 457 process he had to be classed as an Engineering Technologist. He is sponsored by our Employer and the migration agent was also looking to his future as being permanent resident. Not much of a problem for him.

I use Artims at the back of the Ebony & Ivory hair salon on Barrack Street. $25 and they even trim my eyebrows! Run by Italians - nice blokes.

We were in the Perth Hills yesterday and could have said hello if I'd seen the thread earlier! Nice apple farms and cider house (The Core). Unfortunately we are not late 40s but mid 50s!

Civils market is very good with some major construction work happening at the moment and due to happen over the next 10-15 years. There's currently the Perth CityLink sinking the railway line and bus station which will also involve some new buildings. Then I'm sure the West Australian Planning Commission will give the Waterfront project the go ahead with some works starting in April. The WACA cricket ground is also going to be redeveloped and the area around it in East Perth is a major regeneration area. Oh, and then there's the light rail system which they're only just really thinking about! The rail network is going to be extended as well. Come on down!

It is a question of timing. We sent our shipment 3 weeks before we arrived and had a holiday let for 7 weeks. The shipment arrived and 2 weeks later (following customs and quarantine inspection) we had it delivered to coincide with taking up our long term let. We had less than a week left from our holiday let so cut it fine!

Our 18 year old has found friends by working in a car wash at Whitfords. They have started hitting a few bars on a Friday night! Our 21 year old replied to some adverts for sailing crew and now goes 1-2 times a week!

We've been here a couple of months and are surprised at how few spiders we've seen. My son says he's seen a redback by the pool, but we haven't seen a huntsman yet. We have however, had a couple of huge cockroaches which were evicted!

I bought this adapter on eBay: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120708424013&ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:GB:1123 Costs around £2 each including P&P. It's a 10 amp plug with earth, so is fairly heavy duty. I bought 10!!! Has taken about 3 weeks to deliver to Perth from China. Adapters in Perth are around $12.50 each. I've also bought 10 amp plugs from Bunnings for about $5 and fitted them to UK extension cables with banks of 4-6 uk sockets.

My employer is extremely reluctant to take LAFHA on board. I've had so many excuses, including FBT, that it is getting extremely annoying. The problem is, it's only them that can obtain LAFHA for me, so I'm losing out to the tune of $17,000 a year! It's a local authority and they see it as tax avoidance, or they see me getting paid more than people on the same grade and that isn't fair. However, those people don't have to pay private health insurance and overseas rated college fees if their kids want to do further education!

With a 457 we still have issues. My daughter wants to do research and it will cost us $36,000 per year. If she was PR it would be nothing. You need to look at LAFHA. My employer seem reluctant but hopefully they will deal with it and we'll be able to afford then rent!!! Oh, and I had to swear on the statement and get a solicitor to sign it too!

My son was 17 when we got the 457, but 18 when her arrived. There wasn't a problem. However, I had to prepare a statement for my 21 year old daughter who had just finished university. indicating that I had supported her since birth; provided all living expenses; detailing how much I gave her at University; and the fact that she wasn't contributing towards household expenses since her return home. It seemed to work as she's here with us!

My kind of party! Queen's Speech is at 3 p.m. UK time which is 11 p.m. in WA, so to be swimming and on the beach at 11 p.m. is a great party!

West Perth is within easy walking distance to Perth Station (and even closer to City West), so the North-South rail lines and also the Fremantle line are easily accessible. This means that you have a considerable number of options as to where to live. The Joondalup line comes from as far afield as Clarkson (and will be extended in future), so this gives access to lots of suburbs. The Mitchell Freeway from the north and the Kwinana Freeway from the south go through West Perth, so if you're driving again you have lots of access. We're in Joondanna at the moment and it doesn't take me longer than 30 minutes door to door (my parking is 10 minutes from my desk) to get to the City.

Get your phones unlocked in the UK - it's a lot cheaper ($25 here). They can also sort out your email/internet access here. We are using blackberry and htc desire here and it's just like being at home.

Wow, what a great time! Good beer/wine; good company; good location. Thanks for making us welcome!

I think that we're CHOGM'd out! Might see you there!!! What time are you going to be there?

Have just sold my VFR in UK and we are heading out in a couple of weeks. Hence it will be a while before I get another bike. Please keep me posted!

How does this work? Doesn't it need to be plugged into the phone network somewhere? We're going into a holiday let in October and the phone only takes incoming calls/faxes.

I emailed HBF and then spoke will their contact centre who have set me up for when we arrive and posted the policy to my current address in the UK! So that's another hurdle over!