The dream is over before it began...

At the first hurdle, we have fallen :-(

Steph's teaching qualification is not recognised in Oz due to the fact that she has done a BA with Initial Teacher Training and not a BA with a further year as a Post Graduate Certificate of Education. It is the PGCE that they recognise in Oz and therefore, she would have to do that first before being considered. That would entail her leaving her job and doing the PGCE full time for a year and joining people who had no teaching experience. Crazy considering she has been teaching for 6 years! Also, we can't afford to lose a salary for a year. To say we are disappointed would be an understatement. Still, we'll survive and we just have to come up with a good plan B instead.

So, our trip to Australia will have to remain a lovely holiday where we did lots of exploring, sightseeing and catching up with friends. We will be back one day for another visit cos we loved it so much.

Take care all and be happy :-)

Sydney, what a wonderful place!

Oz proved to be a great success. It was absolutely amazing and a great adventure. We stayed at an apartment in Miranda which was within easy access to the beach as well as the city centre. The train station was within 5 mins walk and Westfield backed on to us. We stocked our food cupboard from shops at Westfield, armed ourselves with a 1 week travelcard and we were on our way. We ate most meals in and had loads of picnics during our daily travels and this kept the cost down. Food over there is quite expensive and eating out is even more so. During our travels we did the usual sightseeing which included the obligatory Harbour Bridge & Opera House.

We also took the ferry to Manly as well as a trip to a lovely place called Gordons Bay and Cogee Bay. The picture below was taken at Gordons Bay.

We also went to a small wildlife park where we got to interact with the animals - much more fun than your average zoo. We fed the wallaby, cuddled koala - it was great. We met up with some friends during our travels. Steph's friend met with us a couple of days in and we had a coffee and a chat by the harbour. On Easter Sunday we met up with one of my friends and his girlfriend. She is about to embark on an adventure to Africa and India via work to educate people on hydration to avoid illness. Her trip will last 6 months and then he will join her at the end for some travlling. Sounds amazing! I hadn't seen him for 8 years so it was lovely catching up. We went to the fish market and bought some of the most gorgeous cooked fish and seafood I have ever had. It came with chips and the portions were the largest I have ever had. I couldn't finish it! We ate this in a lovely park and the girls played in the playground whilst we chatted. Then, on Easter Monday we met up with my other friend and his girlfriend. Again, I hadn't seen him for 8 years and it was great catching up. I had never met his girlfriend but I can see that they are perfectly matched. She has such a warm lovely personality and they are well suited. We all had breakfast and a nice long chat that morning and then went on to meet again a couple of days later at our place for a BBQ and a splash in the pool. That was the beauty of this place we stayed at - it was really affordable and had its own gym, pool, sauna and BBQ area. So, all in all, a fantastic trip and totally worth the long haul and the cost. Feeling very relaxed and sunned up. The pale and pasty look has given way to the healthy look. We all feel rested and the girls really enjoyed themselves. We all got to spend loads of time together and we all feel much better for it. Yesterday we were greeted in the UK with frost on the lawn and today it was rain :-(

So what does this mean for us and our possible move? Well, we viewed a couple of homes on open viewings and Steph visited a school for an hour for a tour and chat. We loved the houses we saw and the school were very helpful. My friends really want us to move out there and were falling over themselves to help us. They told me not to worry about work as they would help me find something suitable. We felt so at home and relaxed and at times it didn't even feel like a holiday. The flights both ways were not anywhere near as bad as I thought they would be and with good sleep planning, jet lag was more or less non existent.

The verdict: I am going to type an email to a migration agent recommended to me by our friends and start the ball rolling - Oz is definitely the place for us!


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Sydney is Great!!!

Wow, I am so pleased we came to Oz! Sydney is great and the weather has been fantastic. Beaches, walks along the harbour, ferry rides - gorgeous! Only 4 more days to go before we have to return to the UK :-(

Anyway, thought I'd quickly pop this update on whilst checking my emails. Will post a more detailed account of what we have been up to when we get back to the UK - don't want to get bogged down with too much technology as it will interfere with my lovely holiday :-)

Take care and hope all my Aussie blogger friends have been enjoying the nice weather just as much as we have (my tan is coming along nicely).


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