Marshs Down Under

I have finally done it and joined fitness first! Kept searching for one with a jacuzzi etc but they just don’t do them. Went to look at one yesterday and it was so small, it was like putting running machines in our living room then calling it a gym! Fitness first have some good classes and a steam room at least, with a 25m pool, and Ellie can come too in the school hols (25th June for 2 weeks).

Went to Ikea with Maria, had a mooch then lunch, still do the same food – meatballs, fish etc, I just felt that I was going to walk outside and it would be Warrington! The stuff is the same, some of the bigger pieces of furniture are more expensive. Apparently they have started to build a new store out of town, due for completion in 2012, and will be the biggest in the southern hemisphere.

Went for a long walk  down the beach yesterday, but in a different direction, ended up scrambling over Blackrock’s red cliffs, don’t know whether you are allowed on them as they were very soft sandstone and a bit crumbly. Probably damaged art of their history, there was no-one around anyway!

Had a good chat with Chris, the gym manager, he told me his wife was going to a group called UK mums and it’s only round the corner, he rang her and told her to look out for me. So I went and they were all English mums, most had babies/tots, but a few didn’t. Of course they couldn’t believe I had older children, but they made me welcome. Jayne (Chris’s wife) was really nice, bit of a scoucer but never mind! Their daughter is 6. She has invited us to go along to Christmas in July, its a big thing over here as its the coldest month. They go into the Dandenong mountains and restaurants do Christmas dinner, with the tree etc! There are other British couples going to, some from Manchester, so that should be fun! They have been here 2 years now, and are applying for permanent residency.

Going to view 3 houses tomorrow, but they are in the area that would be my last choice to live in as there are not many shops and no train station, bet they are lovely then – sods law. Someone has recommended getting a relocation agent as they have good contacts with all the estate agents etc and can get priority viewings, so may have to consider that.

Sam has just been offered a new  job with Cisco, he has wanted to work for them since he was 14, as they are a high profile company, so he is over the moon. He will probably start early July, and he has got a higher salary also! Still be based in Reading and it wont affect Toms plans for the summer.

We will finally get our new car on Friday, have had numerous loan cars from Nissan until it comes, driving a big 3.5l auto at the mo! The government are promoting LPG conversions and are apparently offering cheap fees to convert, so may look into that as LPG is only 15p (30 cents) a litre!!!

Will let you know about the houses.

Hi everyone,

Well, as expected the transfer of my nursing registration has not gone straight forward. The board have not accepted my marriage or birth certificate, all the text is clear and visible, but the green line that borders the page is missing!!! The transcript of my training doesn’t have the number of clinical hours I did during my training, and my original statement of entry that requested has UKCC on it, not NMC. Trying not to swear, I calmly explained that because I trained in 1983 (yes, when Noah was a lad!) and this is the original documentation, AS REQUESTED!! Not good enough, so I have to try and contact the NMC now, Ggrrr……………..

Had a lovely weekend, finally went to the beach with Steve and Ellie, it was lovely, bloody hard work walking in sand though, it is just like golden granulated sugar here, not that fine, blowaway kind of sand!

The house we viewed was rubbish. no outside space at all, have a few more lined up this week, look more promising, but thats cos there more expensive, right at the top of the budget. Houses are so expensive in this area, but it is beautiful.

Went into the city on the train yesterday, only 20 mins, went past all the sporting stadiums, AAMI, Melbourne cricket ground,Rod Laver tennis centre etc, they are all so central and very easy to get to on public transport, it is so well set up for things like that. Had a look around Docklands where Steve works, it is a fab place, they sit out on the river everyday eating lunch! I’ll put a pic on later. Did some shopping,Steve bought a coat. We gave ours to the hospice shop, didnt really think we would need them, but its quite chilly first thing in the morning, they were quite old anyway.

I am just waiting for Maria to call, we are going to have a ride to Ikea, they have one here, its near the city. The weather is sunny, but only expected to get to 12.0c today Brrr.., I think I have been mis-sold this place, want a refund!! Hope you are all enjoying your sunny weather, wish I was there, but then I remember what the office was like, all fans going and still roasting hot and not sleeping. We should have air-con when it gets that hot here!

Some one told me that in the summer months here, when it is really hot, the nurses wear thongs!!!  I think the shock on my face made him correct himself, oh you call them flip-flops don’t you, Phew….. can you imagine!!!!.

Hi everyone,

well, I bet your all wishing you had my draughty Aussie house now don’t you! I believe you are all roasting, and by the number of you that are still up past midnight its too hot to sleep! At least I get to talk to you all though.

We have woken up to beautiful blue skies, will get to about 18.0c today. Going to the beach to show Steve as he still hasn’t seen it yet. There is a house viewing at 2.30, dont think it will be for us, but will go and look anyway, I like looking at houses! Was talking to an old chap who told us about a lovely beach with red cliffs and a cafe on the beach where you can watch the sun set, so will go there later, only 5 min away in Blackrock.

I am suffering at the moment, in so much pain. The manager at the gym invited me to do a class called ‘bodypump’, to see if I’d like it with a view to joining. When I walked in people were picking up barbells, dumbells, steps etc. Apparently it works every muscle in the body and involves doing squats with a barbell over the shoulders, then tricep curls and lots of other terrible things. OMG, I had trouble lifting a drink to my lips yesterday, but as it was wine I managed!

Went to TGI Fridays for a meal then got Ellies Apple Iphone, she’s so pleased. Got 2 months free, 1gig of data for first three months, 3 free screen protectors and the 16gig 3gs, all for 25 quid a month!

Well, going out now, will write later

Hi everyone,

Had plans to go and see Xena yesterday morning, but when I was looking at house rental websites, there was a viewing at 12.00 -12.15 at a house in Blackrock, next village along. I went to look and it was very nice, had an open fire also, but only one bathroom with a naff little shower over the bath. I cant believe how cold the houses get in the evening, they are just set up for the heat so for the few months of winter, they feel cold. There is no double glazing, cavity wall or loft insulation and there is daylight showing around the front and back doors, I need one of those snake draft  excluder things!

We have to wrap up at night, its like living back in Knowsley Ave before we had central heating put in! There is hot air heating that comes through vents in the floor, it does warm it up, we have  left it on overnight on some occasions, I suppose we will acclimatise eventually.

Ellie went on a school trip to the city yesterday, to the shrine of remembrance in the city. It is a memorial to the ANZAC soldiers killed in the war, apparently have stunning views of the city in lovely gardens, and a beam of sunlight shines down on the name plaque of those killed. We have decided that we will use Sundays to explore the different attractions the city has,  it is unlimited travel anywhere for only 1.50 on a Sunday.

Went to see Xena for afternoon visiting, she was fine, it was quite hot and xena was finding shade, still saw Aussies in their wooly hats though!

Went  to the Mall with Ellie after school, she finishes at 2.15 on Wednesdays, looking for a mobile phone, as we promised her one for her birthday in April, but had to wait til we got here. The i phone 16gig  is on offer for28 pounds a month, no upfront costs and good data allowance so will probably get her that,  think that’s cheaper than the UK.

Steve has joined the ‘Australian cricket family’, you are meant to be a supporter of Australian cricket, but in reality he has joined so her can get priority tickets for the Ashes on boxing day, apparently they are really hard to get and Sam and Tom want to go when they are over.

I want to say ‘thank you’ to my family. I finally plucked up the courage to watch the dvd that you did of our leaving party, it made me cry all over again, particularly the messages as on “wanted down under” but it also made me laugh, especially Pauls commentary! It was really nice seeing everyone again and I’ll probably watch it loads, just a good job the background music wasn’t Dolly Partons song ‘The letter’ eh Paul!!!

Have put a few more pics on flickr.

Hi everyone,

Had a nice weekend, seemed to go so fast though. Went to view the house on Sat lunch time, they do things very different over here when it comes to house renting/buying. The owner opens the house for everyone that is interested for 15 min only, the agent is there. If you are interested you complete a form with all your details, the the owner decides who he wants! Anyway, although it was nice and new, it was quite small, the bedroom was smaller than what we have at home, but what they are doing is demolishing a nice old house and building 2 new houses on the same land, so not what we wanted. We will have to keep looking.

We drove down to the Mornington peninsula on Sunday and went  to Julie and Ians (old Lowtoners), we had a lovely Sunday roast and Ian drove us to see some lovely sights. It is very pretty and more rural, but too far for Steve to commute to the city. The weather has been lovely, beautiful blue skies but cold in the mornings, about 7.0c when we wake up, the girls at school are all wearing their winter woolies, gets to 18 – 20 in the day, dark at 5.30pm. It will be our shortest day on June 21st, when it will be your longest day.

Went looking for gyms yesterday, looked at 3, but they are just not as good as in the UK, definatley not as good as FX, they don’t have jacuzzis! One did have a steam room, but basic, the best one so far seems to be fitness first, but a bit older, and you have to wear a swimming cap in the pool, can you imagine!!! I have one more to look at yet.

Went down to the beach with Ellie after school yesterday, it was so still, as the sea is the Pacific and the bay is horseshoe shape, there are no real waves, more like a lake. There was absolutely no-one else on the beach, so beautiful, with the sun shimmering on the surface as it was starting to set, will put the pics on later.

Going to go and see Xena again today, she seems to be doing well so far

Well I finally bit the bullet and decided to drive to see Xena, all by myself! I’m getting quite good driving by TomTom, and learning the roads a little more, so I know not to turn off the highway when she wants me to go weird ways! Going over the Westgate bridge gives me palpitations, it is twice as high and twice as long than the Thelwall, I daren’t look down! Anyway, I made it there and back ok, so I’ll do it again now, scary driving near the city with all the trams to deal with also!

The roads are great though, just seem to be 3 or 4 lane highways, even the smaller roads are dual carriageways, still only 30mph though, but never see any traffic jams.

Went to Maria’s yesterday for lunch and a quick visit to her local mall as feeling at a loose end, then picked Ellie up from school. She needed more A4 books and pens, so we called at our local mall, Southlands. It is as big as the Trafford centre, and is only 1.5 miles up the road from our house, there are 2 big supermarkets there also, so its very handy!

We heard yesterday that Nissan have approved the finance on the car, don’t know when we will get it though. Petrol prices are good here today, every Thur or Fri they reduce the price, 60p gallon today (haha), but goes up at weekend and bank holidays??? So you have to choose your day to fill up!

We will go for a meal tonight with Ellie, and take our own wine (seems so wrong!), got a viewing on a house tomorrow,not many decent rentals around at the moment, unless you want 1970’s bungalow type! Got alerts logged with the agents though if any properties come on the market, the weather is forecast to be sunny so we may go and investigate the beach as Ellie and Ste haven’t seen it yet.

I have arranged to go to the local fitness first for a free 3 day pass on Mon, the gyms aren’t as nice as the UK, don’t seem to have the same relaxation/steam/jacuzzi areas, but this one has a pool and steam room. The manager is from Nantwich, he says that quite a few Brits go there, will have a good chat with him then, might get to know some other people!

Hi everyone,

Ellie survived her first day at school, she said everyone was really nice, and loved her accent, they kept asking her to say different things!! Her back pack is huge (they are only allowed a school backpack – no other bags), and it weighs a ton, as they have to take their own textbooks in everyday. They have a locker and she has  a combination lock which she was advised to paint with nail polish so she can recognise it, so it is now glittery pink!

The kids in school cant believe that education is totally free in the UK, including all your books and that you can wear any black shoes and take your own bag! I think she’ll start a rebellion!

I went to investigate Sandringham yesterday, shops seem ok, lots of lovely little cafes and restaurants,the good thing is that in most of the restaurants you take your own wine and beer, no rip off prices! Found the beach, it is beautiful, and there is a yacht club also, told you it was posh!

We haven’t got the car yet, though Nissan have given us a Dualis (Quashqai) for the time being, Nissan are considering the application but we dont have any credit history here in Aus, so they are being a bit cautious, we’ll have to see what they decide! If they refuse, we’ll just have to get a cheapo until we have a better credit rating!!

Just wondering whether to go and see Xena, the weather is looking a bit dodgy, and if it rains you cant take the dogs into the exercise pens, you have to sit with them in their kennel area, don’t fancy that much, especially with all the barking from the other dogs!

Have put a few more pics on the Flickr link.

Had a busy day yesterday, buying books, stationary and uniforms, think we spent about $800 dollars in total, haven’t paid the school fees yet! Ellies French books were expensive, but she can keep them in year 10 also. There is a strong second hand market for school books – not surprising though! Ste was talking to someone at work whose wife orders them off Amazon UK (don’t have amazon here) and gets them shipped over, still cheaper! The price of books here is extortionate, paper back books that sell for 4 pound in UK are 13 pounds here, even the really old ones!!

Ellie is definatley NOT impressed with the uniform! The school colours are really nice, burgundy, navy and light blue, a bit like St Aelreds, but light blue knee length socks ( which they all roll down) and black low heeled lace up shoes, think doc marten type! Ellie was retching as she was putting them on!! They actually look OK, and I have been trying to get her to wear better shoes with her dodgy ankles for years!! Bit drastic moving to Aus though.

We filled in the many forms that are required, and we were told that if we did not bring in these forms she would not be allowed into school, so yes, we set off without them! Had to turn round and come back, making us late! Anyway, we were met by the head of year 9 and a pupil in her form who will buddy her. Australia are doing their SATS this week, so Ellie was told she will have to do them also, exams on her first day, what a start!

So I am now a lady of leisure, Ste at work, Ellie at school and Xena in jail, I will have to find something to do. Cant work yet because my nursing registration in Aus hasn’t come through yet. Will go and investigate Sandringham town/shops I think, bet they dont have a home bargains!!!

Weather is quite chilly, was raining going to school, but blue skies again now, the girls have to wear their winter uniforms now, seems strange seeing people in scarves and big coats, its quite pleasant for us!

Went to Mentone girls school yesterday (tom tom got me there) and they accepted Ellie as a student! Quite shocked by the amount of books that we have to buy though, although it is a government school there is a school levy, about 300 pounds, then all the text books that are normally provided by the schools for English, science etc we have to buy, another 300, schools dont provide any paper either, everything has to be brought from home. We have to but the uniform also, which is more expensive than the UK, think its a bout 80 for the blazer alone, thank god its only one child to kit out! Today will be spent shopping then……..

We also went to visit Xena, I drove but Maria and Ellie came also, you have to drive through the city and over a huge bridge that goes really high over the water, takes about 30 mins. She must have heard our voices before she saw us because she had jumped up to look over the fenced bit, she was so excited to see us. She seems to be ok, tried to do a runner again as we put her back in her pen , but we had taken a chew so she was a bit happier with that!

The weather has changed today, rain and 18.0c for the next few days, then sunny again. I have just spoken to Julie on the phone, she was a mum I used to chat to when Ellie went to St. Catherine’s as Beth ( her daughter) was in Ellies class. They have been here 4 years now and we are going to see them on Sunday, they live in Mount Martha on the Mornington peninsula, which is meant to be beautiful, so looking forward to that.

Hi everyone, Sam has arranged it so you can see some photos, just click on the link and they should come up, double click on one and it should enlarge! I will have to take some of Aus as they are mostly Singapore! I will add to them if I can, you know my IT skills…………..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/marshsdownunder