Zebradeb

so to start with where you choose to live is a very personal thing. Everyone on here will pretty much tell you they are happy where they live and that probably doesnt help you much. So things to consider are jobs and schools. if you know roughly where you are going to be working, then you can pick a base which is within an acceptable travel range. Or you may just go by schools in the first instance. Either way, the very best thing would be to go and look at the area and get a feel. What suits someone else may not suit you but once you have narrowed it down, there will be people on here fore sure who will help you out with the finer details. So schools wise. Depends on primary or secondary and ages. In the main, state (public here) are great at primaries. Its the secondary schools where the debate largely begins. Check out the education thread for lots of advice on this aspect. Check websites of schools, VISIT and listen to the Principal... are they on the same page as you in terms of the education you want for your child? In my opinion Principals are KEY to the success of the school. Leadership is very important it provides direction for the school, the staff and the students. Good luck with your choices.... its huge... but will be worth it in the end. If you are thinking NOR, Alkimos is being built currently and along with it is a high school St James Anglican, that might be worth checking out if it suits the appropriate age group. It happens to be Private, but its quite a bus ride down to the closest Public School from there, which is another thing you will need to add into the mixing pot! Good luck

Hi Guys I am unable to help with SOR but can help with NOR if anyone needs that. Just to reinforce some of the things mentioned on here. Private V Public is and will always be a huge debate and about personal choice. For those coming over from UK private here is not like private in the UK. It is more affordable on the whole, however do not expect small class sizes, and please check out the school first. You need to select the place which is right for your child. Govt info and results are a measure, but I echo that it is NOT the full picture. The PRINCIPAL is make or break for a school, so check out how long that Principal has been there - this will tell you if what you see is a reflection of this leader or if the stats are likely to change based on new leadership. Also State schools (Public schools here) are NOT FREE! you have to pay a charge for schooling in WA and also for the subject choices your child opts for. Schools are not any where near as well resourced in WA as they are in the UK. So your kids need everything from paper to pens, compulsory text books, etc. These ARE NOT supplied. Check out what you need for your child on the schools website and look under BOOK LIST this will tell you what you need for each subject. There is a lot to consider, but all in all, if your child is happy, they will do well. There is good and bad everywhere but with motivation and application you are half way there! Good luck.

I am working tomorrow so will miss out again work really does interfere with these things! Still can't complain, I'm blessed to be here and at work. So have one on me and hope to catch up with you all soon!

I haven't discovered this. I will certainly be checking it out, thanks for the tip

Mine love AQWA too. The underwater shark tunnel is amazing. The cafe isn't too bad and there is free wifi too ( helpful when you first arrive & haven't got internet yet) it is also an option to upgrade for regular reductions on ticket price on the day. I love the fact that it is built into the sea. There seems to be so much more room for the residents to swim around in. A lovely day out and recommended

I tend to go to Coles, but do pop in Woolworths too. We have flyers through the door weekly so as they are both a equal distance from us, we go to which ever has the offers on we want. I don't find much between them in the main part. One to put on your list for sure is Spud shed aka Wanneroo farmers market. This is great for veg and meat (much cheaper than Farmer Jacks in my experience). I think there will be a much needed shake up for the market leaders once Aldi start trading. Joondaloop store is set to open in January 2016. We shopped there on the East Coast and the prices and products were exchange rate priced as UK. This will represent a huge saving on the weekly shop, and I for one will be driving there and going less and less to Coles or Woolworths.

Yes, yes, yes... maybe an after school meet up when it suits you? Hope all is well with the family and be great to see you

Which reminds me I REALLY need to find a decent hairdresser!

Hi Louise, I know! Its been really busy with relief work and I've managed to get a full time job from Feb. Its great to have some money coming in, but I miss being able to meet up, have a chat and meet new people. You will have to let me know how things were when you went back and how it all went. Also how school is going for your daughter etc. Hopefully we can catch up soon! Maybe an after school at Mullaloo Dome?

We found that the emigration group helpful for initial assessment. We ended up doing the visa ourselves, but Go Matilda were helpful too when we called for a half an hour consultation, and they do always have good feed back it seems on forum.

Apologies that I missed this too. Hope that those who went had a good time and am looking forward to seeing you guys at the next meet up.

OP - you have got loads done, and with little ones in tow that really is goof going. Someone asked about driving licence info, I can't remember exactly, there is a list available on the department of transport site which can be checked out for the specifics. I do recall that it was one of the last things that we could apply for due to the ID requirement. We were waiting on things to come back like Medicare etc but once we went in it was pretty straight forward to transfer it. Word of warning though, they take your photo there and then . Always good to hear that people are doing well and progressing with their journey. For those still waiting for paperwork to arrive, its frustrating I know, but one day in the not too distant future you will be telling the people going through exactly the same things that you are right now to try not to worry, because eventually it will all come good. Good luck with your journey.

There seem to be lots of families who go cycling along the cycle paths. This was something I would not have considered doing in England. There are many offers for cheap mountain bikes from 89 dollars at places like Big W to from 299 dollars to 2000 dollars at Anaconda (which reminds me of decathlon) all the way through to specialist shops for the really sophisticated kit. There are also options on gumtree and ebay of course. We managed to buy a tow along seating trailer for the little one. These are fairly easy to fit to the bike frame and my boy loves being towed in his 'tent'. Provides for a cheap day out, a bit of exercise and an adventure. So far so good. Glad to hear that the info has been useful.

That's sounds great, I love the cinema too. Just discovered that optus do $10 cinema tickets if you have a phone contract with them. You can order them from their website. I will keep adding to this thread as I make new discoveries, it seems no one else has made any, cba to share, or maybe I'm just wasting my time. Still if it helps one person then its a thread that would have helped me and PP is helpful if nothing else.

I'm working for the rest of this week, so sadly wont be able to make it this week. I will let you know when i've got a Thursday free have fun!