We only ever hear bad things about OAA is it possible to ask for certain areas or do you get what you are given?? We are moving over to Happy Valley, Trott park, sheidow park or hallet cove around June 1st.

Can i have some honest opinions about OAA please.

Clare.

OAA?? Whats that then

ITS A HOUSING A SSOCIATION TYPE THING, TO HELP MIGRANTS ONCE THEY ARRIVE IN THE COUNTRY. SOrry caps on

You apply for cheap accomadation, i believe this for up to 12 weeks once you arrive.......... i also think they do a meet and greet from the airport, to take you to the dwelling.

A web search would kick up more info.

Cheers

Mik

We had a small unit in Oaklands Park, it was in a great spot, very central next to a massive reserve and bike track, the neighbours were lovely and friendly, and the unit was very clean and had a very private back garden for Miya. Oh and it cost about 20pence a week including all bills!

What more can you ask for?

Siz

ours was good, clean and cheap. no bad things from us. use it as it should be used basic accomodation.we were next door to tea tree plaza in modbury. the only reason we moved out quickly was because we had to get our kids into school.

We had a 3 bed house in Christie Downs with a hugh garden. Pretty basic but it had recently been 'done up' so was clean and had everything we needed. It was only $162 per week INCLUDING bills.
One of the meeter and greeters were 4 doors down from us and were very helpful. They also stated that alot of Brits turned their noses up at the house, but we thought it was great. We didn't want to shell a load out in rent. We were in it 9 weeks and it cost us less than $1500.

Definately worth trying for it.

We had OAA asked for house near to Hallett Cove and was given one just up by the airport, Novar Gardens, our rent was $220 per week, and this was supposed to be one of the better houses they had. We used the house for its purpose which was a base, just to eat and sleep in.

You will get some good ones and some bad ones, but as far as your original question can you request where they put you, you can but don't expect to get it.

Good luck

Wend

hi

I was in Plymton, a flat, basically furnished but was clean. Being just of the Anzac highway it was an easy bus ride into the city. Rent was $166 a week come to think of it still not had my deposit paid back. :huh:

No complaints from me.

We are in OAA in Hope Valley. We have our dog with us so were given a unit with a garden.
Good 3 bed unit, bedrooms quite large, everything you could need, (apart from air conditioning and heating!!!) $178 a week, bills included.
Been here since 10th Jan, lease finishes 6th April, thats 12 weeks. We hope to move out this week as found the rental in area we want to live.

I was told to apply for OAA, but have a back up place to go just in case its no good.

I only applied 8weeks before we arrived.

Apply, and then when you get address week before you go, post on here and someone may have stayed there so can tell you about it, or may have some photos.

Julie

Take a look in the FAQ's - there's a section on OAA.

We stayed in Glandore (between Anzac Highway and Cross Road). $144 a week (again including bills) first floor 2 bed unit. Clean and basic but what more could you ask for for what amounts to the same price as 2 nights in a cheap hotel?

http://z2.invisionfree.com/Adelaidebrits/i...showtopic=24282

On arrival accommodation ;)

We were in Clovelly Park.

It was basic but a good start for us..... we bought a house after been here fro 2 weeks! :sign68: :lol:

think it was about £206 a week.

Hi,

We too were in Clovelly Park. It was a 3 bedroomed unit- it reminded me of the kind of self catering apartment you would get on a last-minute holiday. It was clean, decently furnished and worked well for us. We were in there 10 weeks and it cost $188 per week all-in.
Going off our experience, I would definitely recommend going for OAA.
Even if you don't get it I would still suggest getting the meet and greet at the airport because they paid for the taxi to our rental and we got a free UBD out of it, so even if nothing else, it's nice to get something for free!!

Caroline
x

Our OAA was in Everard Park, some scary neighbours but on the whole it was clean and cheap. At first when we walked in I wanted to run away, however we we made the best of it and stayed there for the full 12 weeks until we bought a house. It is very cheap accomodation and helps you to get a feel for Adelaide without using pots of money on hotels or rented accomodation. You have nothing to loose in trying it, you can always walk away as there are plenty of motels or holiday parks around.

Alli :cool shake:

Thanks OAA seems quite good i think it depends on how lucky you are with what you get given.

Any more experiences please...

Lee

hi, we had a 3 bed unit at Blair Athol (just off Main North Road near Gepps Cross).
It was clean and sparsely furnished but fulfilled our needs. It cost us $160/ week. We had an enclosed back yard as we brought our two hounds with us.
I would recommend OAA.
We stayed there for 8 weeks before moving to the mid north.
J.

Were your meet and greet an older English couple? If so, they also picked us up. He came back next morning to take us shopping for a car. We ended up buying a very old Falcon from a guy who owns a small lot in Noarlunga who was a friend of the meet and greet fellow.
We were so tired after our 30+ hour flight all we wanted was to get them to leave us alone for some shut eye. They picked us up at 10:20 in the morning and finally left at about 5 in the afternoon when the kids very politely (not) said they were tired and could you please go home now.
Our OAA was in Surrey Downs. Nice and clean but sparsely furnished. The neighbours were great and very close to public transport.

Hi all

Can I ask what bedding is supplied - will we need to buy duvets and pillows on arrival.

I know we will have to bring our own sheets, covers and towels and such but..

Thanks
Tina

Thanks for the replies it seems very positive does anyone know of someone who got refused OAA??

Finding out so near the time could pose a problem with no plan B.

Cheers Lee

We were refused oaa (3 years ago now) and also many on here have been. They say that only 1 in 10 is accepted - so have backup plans available! OAA is on offer to migrants from all over the world so they have a vast number of people applying for their limited number of houses. However, the price is so beneficial that it is one of those 'nothing to lose, everything to gain' situations. Even if you don't like yours when you get here, you can move on after a short time with nothing lost.

Elaine is it only for skilled migrants?? 1 in 10 seems a little low so only 10% get OAA.

What did you do when you arrived because getting a rental takes a while, it sounds like the worst part of the process by far.

Lee

After the initial panic (we only found out about 6 weeks before flying) we managed to book 4 weeks in a cabin at Brighton Caravan Park, at great expense. We just managed to get a rental by the skin of our teeth with a couple of days to go in the cabin - it was Nov/Dec and very little on the rental market that close to Christmas. Oh, happy days that we'll always look back on fondly :rolleyes:

You could be right about only for skilled migrants, though I wouldn't be certain without checking their website.

Not sure how accurate the 1 in 10 is, or whether it's pure rumour - but one way or another you need to be aware that there is a reasonable chance you won't get it and be prepared for that.

Where you on a 136 skilled visa Elaine?

Tells you here whats included:

http://www.immigration.sa.gov.au/site/services_onarrival.php

We bought new quilts in the UK and kept them in their shrink wrap and put them in an holdall, also had covers for kids quilts in luggage, so just needed to buy a cheap cover for our quilt when we arrived.

You can buy cheap quilts/covers when you arrive though from most supermarkets.

Even if you don't get OAA, use the meet and greet service, they take you to your accommodation and will show you round the place too.

No - a spouse visa. I had specifically asked whether we would be covered and they had said yes. When it came to it though and we applied, they said 'wrong visa type' and rejected us. I wrote back quoting their initial response and they then told me that we did after all qualify - but tough luck they had nothing available. So I don't honestly know how well you'd do with a spouse visa after all that :loopy:

Hi

Thanks for the reply - good idea to bring quilts in a holdall, they don't really weigh too much. We are going to bring covers and sheets if possible.


We will book the meet and greet though.

Thanks

Tina