Well we have been here six weeks so far and I can't believe how much we have done.

We are currently living in Canberra and came here by a different route to most people. Paul has joined the Aussie Navy and they paid for everything to get us here. From 20 boxes of airfreight (to help us settle in), a 40 foot container to Business Class Flights with a stop over in KL.

Overall the experience has been wonderful. We arrived on 2nd December at Canberra Airport (after a fabulous flight) and immediately thought we were in Niarobi because of all the flies that were flying around our faces!! They are here too, not just in Adelaide!! There are also lots of grasshoppers???

We were put up in an Apartment Hotel while we looked for a Defence House to live in. We needed to get into a house pretty quickly as our dog was due out of quarantine in Sydney 3 weeks later and the hotel didn't take pets.

We were only offered one house and we took it and moved in a week later. We purchased some stuff to deal with our immediate needs i.e. fridge/freezer, sofas, TV and beds, until our furniture etc. arrives.

During that week we were in contact with Jarvis Ford in Gepps Cross in Adelaide (we do know the manager) who had the perfect people mover sat on the forecourt. They freighted the car to us in Canberra and it arrived two days later. I know we are friends with the manager, but his staff were excellent to deal with and they gave it a very thorough checking over before it came to us, as we told them we were planning to drive to Adelaide in it in the near future.

The drive to Adelaide was a very long 14 hours - we did it in one go, taking turns at the wheel. The road was a never ending, flat, straight one and there wasn't much in the way of scenery, but we managed it with little to no whinging from the boys.

After two days in Adelaide we starting looking at blocks of land. We fell in love with the second block we saw, put in an offer and it was accepted. It is up at Blakeview, just of the Craigmore Road in the North. It is a super block looking down over Adelaide.

We have instructed Rossdale Homes to draw us up some plans, based on their Mintaro house, we haven't had the price from them yet!!!! Dreading that bit. We hope to move in next Christmas.

The dog came out of quarantine and was flown to Adelaide by Dogtainers, she was fine, happy and hadn't lost any weight. We are really glad to have her back!

We had a fabulous Christmas in Adelaide with our friends and we are now back in Canberra to start a bit of normal life.

I have found Canberra to be a beautiful city that is so well ordered, with surprisingly little traffic (considering it is the capital). I have found the food shopping to be a lot more expensive, but was pleased with the choice that was on offer. Very shocked on Friday when I went to the doctors for a prescription of tablets that I am on and the chemist bill came to $80 for one month's worth!! Yikes, that's going to be an expensive regular outgoing.

Do different chemists charge different for their medications????

We are very very glad to be here, although adjusting to a lower salary and more expensive outgoings will be a challenge.

That's the end of this update, sorry if it's too long!!


STEPH

Hi Steph

so glad to hear how easy it has been for you and you are enjoying the experience so far..

Some chemist do charge different prices for things.

My friends chemist charged her $20 for 4 months of her contraceptive pill and the chemist i went to charged me $26, so it may pay to shop around. Also yo can ask for the chemists own brand on some items which are significantly cheaper. My Hayfever tabs Zirtek cost $22 a pack. The chemists own brand cost me $11.

we are not to far from Craigmore really. We are in the North East

Jo

Glad to hear that you have arrived safely and are enjoying the experience so far.

I do believe that pharmacies vary in their costs for medication. You might also want to try one of the online pharmacies http://www.pharmacyonline.com.au/ or www.epharmacy.com.au (I'm sure there are others if you Google). The internet pharmacies do tend to be a fair bit cheaper and if you buy a few things then the cost of p&p won't negate the savings.

Congrats on buying your block of land!

Good luck, adelaidegirl

Hi Steph

So glad you are settling in.

We are currently Renting in Craigmore, but building in Andrews Farm so not too far away. Hopefully see you next year when you get into your new house.


Debbie

Thanks for your good wishes and replies and I look forward to meeting up with some of you when we eventually get there.

STEPH

Hi Steph,
good to hear things are going well for you.
My hubby is in the RN in the UK. He actually leaves after 24 yrs on the day we fly to Adeliade. Well there is no point in hanging around!!!
He thought about joining their navy but was put off at the thought of going away to sea again. After 24 yrs I cant blame him. So he has been offered a position as a refridgeration technician in north Adelaide.
Cant wait to arrive and get started on the house hunting trail. We have been in rented accomodation for over a year and we all hate it. It`ll be nice to be in our own place again.
Well good luck
Cookie

Hi Cookie

Paul did his 22 years in the RN, got the payout/pension etc. and off we went. Yes, I am not looking forward to him going away again, I know he will have to. But it was the best and only option in the end to get us here, and we were determined to come. He can leave after 6 years service. He shouldn't go to sea for at least a couple of years, however, we are going to separate ourselves as I am going to live in Adelaide with our sons and he will be flying home weekends from wherever he is posted to. Seems tough, but it nothing compared to the weekend travelling he did in the UK, and it gives us the stability of having our own home and the boys can settle and not move again. I really hate living in married quarters.

Good luck to you all at the start of your adventure, maybe we'll meet up and our husbands can dust the salty sea dust of their shoulders with some old sea stories together!!

STEPH