So I have finally got around to updating the blog! I had thought that people would not be so interested in what we were up to as it has been over 2 years since we arrived in Australia, but I have had a few complaints so here goes!

Life has pretty much settled down to normality now, I was told to give life here 2 years and it does seem that it takes that long to feel like you know how things work and where places are etc. I have finally settled into a job that I am really enjoying, it’s a role similar to that of a Macmillan nurse in the UK, palliative care nursing. We look after people in their own homes that have a terminal diagnosis-either cancer, heart/lung faliure and neurological disease. I know its not an area of nursing many would choose but I love it, I have met some truly inspiring people and it is a very rewarding role. Saying that, I also have a second job!  The way the Australian tax system is set up, particularly in nursing, it is better to have 2 part time jobs than one full time role- you are allowed to claim $10,000 per year tax free and can claim it for 2 jobs. Hence my main role is 3 days per week and my second job is working in a private hospice (still working on community) doing a casual role which attracts a 25% uplift on your salary as you dont get sick leave/holiday pay, and is tax free! I just work 1 day per week if I can but it is worthwhile. I have completed my ‘leadership course’ and am still working towards my certificate in palliative care. I have done 2 assignments so far, I have a ‘major project’ and another assignment yet, it finishes Oct. My manager has asked me to apply for a new role that has just been created- a clinical nurse specialist role, but I’m not really sure I am experienced enough yet, plus it’s 4 days per week!

I haven’t worked at the GP practice for a while now, it works well as I’m financially better off working as I do, but get to keep in touch with all the girls there. I get invited to all the social events, we went to Linda’s house on philip island and had a girls weekend away which was fun, and meet for coffee/dinner regularly, so works well!

We have finally started the process of appling for our permanent residency. Steve’s company have finally agreet to sponsor our application after initially saying that they might not be in a position to do so. We have had a few unsettled months with the government making changes to the conditions of overseas workers here, they have decided to take away the tax allowance they offer to skilled migrants, resulting basically in a 20% pay cut for Steve. Apparently what they have done is unlawful and contravenes the agreement we have with the UK but they are ploughing ahead with it anyway. It is a very short sighted descision and lots of people we know have booked or are booking their flights back home, as it makes Australia totally unaffordable. The place is beautiful but sunshine doesnt pay the bills!  We really have to find a way to stay as Ellie’s class mates in the UK have just left school and if we returned home now- she wouldn’t have high school qualifications as they only leave here at 17/18. Ellie will graduate high school in Nov 2013 so we have to stay until then. If we get our PR then we can come and go as we please, giving us more flexibility and if Ellie goes to Uni here she will be eligable for normal fees instead of international student fees- which are 3 times as much! It will cost us $6000 dollars to obtain our PR but is worth the investment I think.

It is officially Winter here now (June 1st) and it is quite cold, day time temp have been as low as 13 degrees and as low as 6 degrees at night, but funnily enough I was speaking to my mum yesterday and she informs me it’s only been 13 degrees there also! (not laughing ..) It’s funny how we have acclimatised, I realy can’t stand it if the temp is less than 20 degrees and I have ordered my North Face duck down coat for Tom to bring over next week to keep me warm on the chilly Winter days! I contine to order clothes from the UK, especially Next. They offer free delivery within 3 days to Aus and the clothes are the same prices as Uk using the exchange rate. Ellie also uses ASOS and has just ordered from River Island. Australia really does not do fashion and is so expensive- the clothes are 3 times more expensive here, and no better quality. Everyone always asks where I get my clothes from!

Not much to say about Steve’s job – still the same! Ellie is doing well at school and particularly like legal studies, she got 98% in her last exam and would like to study law at Uni if possible. She has also got tickets for Cold Play in Nov and Ed Sheeran and we have just taken her out for her first driving lesson today! Driving tuition is done differently here, you have to complete 120 hours of supervised driving once you have passed your learners permit-which she did on her 16th birthday. Tuition is mostly done by the parents here, there are only a few driving instructors but we may book her a few sessions with an instructor as we are not fully aware of the highway code here, just hope for the best!!   No really we are aware, but occasionally I will come across a traffic signal and think ‘what the…. oh well, here goes!!’  It seems strange that my 16 year old daughter is learning to drive in a 3.6l Nissan Murano auto, but thats how it is here.

News from home- my eldest sister Jackie has also left Blighty also and is loving life in France-probably due to the fact that she has retired. My youngest brother Paul has done an amazing house renovation and after living with his in-laws for 6 months they have finally moved into their new home! Terry also has an amazing new home (which has spare rooms for guests ahem…)  and Jo is still working very hard at the childrens ward. All are well, as is Steve’s family. We are still hoping to get back to the UK for Christmas but the flights are still sooo expensive (1400 pounds EACH), so in our times of new austerity- not sure if we can afford it, but I check often to see if the prices have changed.

Don’t think there is much more to say, the dog has not been too well, vets for past 2 days, she has  a bad infection under her collar area so is on antibiotics. The vet also gave her a steroid shot- so now we have a dog that is hyperactive and starving all the time! Hopefully will improve in the next few days.

Tom arrives in Aus next Monday night and is here for 5 weeks. He takes his final exam on Mon 11th June and then it is all done! He has a job lined up in Reading ready for when he gets back in August, he will be living with Sam until he gets a place of his own sorted. We have booked to go up to Queensland and the barrier reef again for a week, weather should be around 28 degrees up there-bliss!! We have also booked for the Victorian lake district and will go up to the snow also. Skiing is big in Victoria and the snow season begins next week through until Sept up in the mountains- about a 3 hour drive away. There is so much we have yet to see in Australia, we need a few more years here!

Hope the weather picks up soon in Blighty.

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