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!

Good luck with your adventures and hope that the flight went well.

I live NOR. So am familiar with the areas you mention and the local schools. Generally speaking, the primary schools are good in these areas and there is plenty of choice. You can check out the department of education website for specifics for each area. For example there are two primary schools in Mullaloo: Mullaloo Beach, Mullaloo Heights. So where you live will dictate your catchment. I would suggest that you check out the schools yourselves and see which best suits your child (ren). There are some quality private options too which you may want to consider depending on spaces available. The key however, is that you are selective about your High School catchment. This may not impact on you for a while, but from year 7 it will. Catchments are very strict. If you are not in the zone there is no getting in. Be mindful of this when the time comes. Senior Schools for the areas you are considering will be: Duncraig, Ocean Reef, Belridge (possibly depending on where you live). Have a look at these and think ahead. High schools can change and you will get varying reviews on each of them IMO depending on individual experience. What matters is what best suits your own. Huge decision, which I hope falls well for you all. Good luck.

Safe trip! Am hoping to see you all next Sunday. I will be on the lookout! Have a great week in the meantime everyone

So having been here for 10 weeks I thought that it may be worth us all sharing in days out. I've still got so much to do but will start with sharing that I have purchased a season pass for ADVENTURE WORLD. This will tide me through the coming long summer school holidays I hope! It cost 365 bucks for a season pass for the family. We have been today and quite enjoyed the day to be fair. The discount on the food and drink of 20% made a difference and was reasonably priced though lots of people took picnics. The water was quite cold today as I assume that the temperature is reliant on the sun warming it up! The whole place is about the size of one section of Alton Towers. There are rides for all ages. The little ones can only go on some of those if they reach the 90 cm height criteria. There are lots of options for water play, with various age group areas which seems to work well. All in all we will be going again. It will take 3 visits for us to break even for the season pass, but a point of note is that if you happen to know someone who has a season pass already, you can go with them and get 50% off ticket admission price So, I have arrived home and researching our next family day out. I discover that there is a book available for 65 bucks called THE ENTERTAINMENT BOOK. This gives lots of value in many areas. You can go online and search to check out the savings you may be able to make. So with a trip to THE MAZE and SCITECH (where the offer is buy one get one free) the book will already have paid for itself. Happy Days! Please share any of your own bargains and experiences for days out. We all have those summer holidays coming up, and I for one would be happy to receive your tips!

Hey dammo welcome and good luck with your adventure. The WACA is an awesome ground! - you can get a sim with a passport and address. You get the sim there and then so it's no problem if you have a holiday let. They just need an address and email for their records. You won't be able to get a contract phone without a employment contract - it's credit, it's not easy to get credit here without solid proof of income. So best option is to get your iPhone unlocked and then just buy a pay as you go sim. You can buy a wifi dongle for internet on pay as you go, and use wifi hotspots for FaceTime and internet stuff for free. Happy days! Good luck with it all.

Prob worth giving go matilda a call and asking the question, I think they do a free initial consultation which will help with the specifics of your query. Good luck

This thread offers important things to be considered. I would say however, that in my humble opinion, when people split up its generally because they really don't like other, and this invariably spills over and things that were agreed upon previously have been known to fall by the way side. The solicitor will be able to advise but essentially without the agreement of both parties, the piece of paper means nothing - because it all about the welfare of the child at the time of the split, therefore the welfare of the child at the time of the agreement was different and therefore is likely to be challenged on this basis. You will need a court order granting leave from juristiction for the children. If this is not in place then it could be considered as child abduction. YOU NEED THIS IF YOU ARE LEAVING THE UK WITH CHILDREN FROM A PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIP. Seek legal advice and do it early doors, this is a LOOOOONNNGGGGG process and costly, do not assume that just because your ex partner signs the form which can be sent to the agent to grant the visa in the first place that this is legally binding IT ISN'T, and you could find yourself back in court because their other parent has 'changed their mind' a week or so before you go! NIGHTMARE! .. plan and get it sorted, your optimism could prove costly further down the line otherwise.

Have a good journey and all the best with your new adventure

How wonderful for you all. Congrats and get organising, the time will certainly fly bye. All the best and keep us posted

Good luck to you all, what ever your choice - be happy.