I can finally tell you all - I'm emigrating

Wow!  It sounds like it's going to be all go in your house for the next 5 months then!

Congratulations to Mr CBH on his new job and wishing you all the very best of luck with the preparations and move down under.  My cousin and his girlfriend moved to Sydney in January this year through his work and despite missing friends and family they really do love their lifestyle, so i'm sure it has got lots to offer you.

Like Lois, I didn't know either!  Then again, I've not been online as much as usual due to this, that and plenty of the other (nothing to do with howsyerfather either!)

Huge congrats CBH!  Hope you enjoy your new lives Down-under just as much as we do here across the pond

Fallen Angel:

Know we haven't 'spoken' as such (i'm a lurker mostly)

 

We're emigrating to Sydney on 14th July, our house contents were removed a week ago and sailed yesterday! 

Definately start clearing out stuff now, we have all been done in a rush really, H accepted a job in April and all's gone quick since then. Best tip I can give is not to go on holiday and get back home 2 days before the removals come. It was a nightmare!

 

It is all exciting and just a little bit scary tbh. Huge congratulations to you

Wow!  You accepted the offer in April and you're moving in July?!  Flipping heck!  What sort of visa did you have to apply for?  I'm wondering whether yours might have been quicker than ours - we had to have medical checks too, did you go through that nightmare?

We won't be taking much in the way of household contents other than our dog, our dinner service and my sacred Rolf Harris print!  

We'll be heading to Sydney in late August for a two week "look see" so if you're free and you fancy a Hitched Meet let me know!!

WifeyLind - encouraging to hear that you know people who are enjoying it out there.  It sounds as if a lot of people have made the move - I wonder what the stats are on Brits who go and stick it out or decide it's not for them?  Might be interesting reading.

Yay! You'll love Sydney. I think you're a very "Sydney" type of person.

Is the job with Macquarie?

If all else fails, my dad would love to show you around, I'm sure. He likes nothing better than playing tour guide.

Fallen Angel, who have you used for the house move? It's something we're going to have to think about in the next 12 months.

We're going on a 457 visa, only had to have chest x-rays so wasn't too much like hard work! H is going to be working on railways so as the company is still government owned it was all passed through easy! The actual visa was issued 8 days after they received the paperwork (for the second time as it was all lost first time round!)

We moved using John Mason International. Cannot recommend them highly enough, two men turned up at 8.30am, by the time they left at 1.30pm, the kitchen, lounge, dining room, play room (with enough toys to put Toys R Us out of business), utility room, bathroom and half of one bedroom were all packaged up. The rest was done by 11am the following morning and the container loaded and gone by 1.15pm. We had 170 packages (we've taken everything as it was all paid for as part of the relocation package so seemed daft to leave anything), they fitted all but 9 fitted into a twenty foot container which was amazing. It was literally packed in there without a spare inch. The door was shut whilst one of them was holding a mattress as it was that tight! Will have to let you know how well it was packed when we get it all the other end but from what I saw of them it was done far better than I could ever have done!

Give me a shout when you're over in August, H starts work middle of August and our stuff arrives similar time (hopefully) so we should all be sorted and found our feet somewhat by then!

Fantastic news for you, CBH - hope you have a fabulous time down under  

Ladelley!  Long time, no hear!

His job is with U of NSW and we're going in on a 121 visa I think?  That might be the wrong code but it's an employer sponsored visa for permanent residency as we're going indefinitely with no plans to return.   Eeeeek!

Fallen Angel - We don't intend on taking any of our possessions but "starting again" when we get there and everything (visas, removals, flights, exporting Woody etc) is covered by a relocation package so we don't yet know which removal company will be employed to transport what little we are intending on taking.  John Mason sound really good!  Be interesting to see who is hired on our behalf but if we are asked to find somebody then I think we would go with them based on what you've said.

Keep in touch on Hitched if you can when you get there and once my August plans are finalised I'll definitely shout for you. 

Congratulations on getting your visa's through. I hope  the move will all go well and you will enjoy your new lives in Sydney

How exciting!  Hope you have a fab time out there and that the next few months aren't too stressful.