Category: My Life

Saturday Morning - Life down under!

5/8/2023

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The Big Chill Down Under Continues!

2/7/2023

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Saturday Evening Chat!

15/4/2023

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The Hard Reality of Expat Life!

25/3/2023

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This week has been a bit of an eye-opener for me in many respects. After buying a car over a week ago, we have returned it to the garage where we purchased it; It was unroadworthy and a danger. Today, we are still waiting for a reply from them, let alone on the road to getting our money back. In all fairness, buying this vehicle was a big mistake, we know that now. As Expats, relatively new to Perth, we had no idea, just how bad the car market was; had we known, we would never have paid money for it. This place is full to bursting with con merchants, and Darrell really should have walked away instead of purchasing this road hazard. All we can do is just keep waiting and hoping the bank returns our money, so we can buy a new car. Personally, I don't have much hope and certainly have no faith in the legal avenues open to us; we may well just have to write this mistake off to experience!

Now that we are settled in Perth, I have also started the process of moving my life, lock stock and barrel, over to Western Australia. As you can imagine, this is a particularly time-consuming and complicated business. Most importantly, I have begun migrating my British pensions over to an Australian Superfund. Now, this really is where things get complicated. In order to move my pension funds over, I have to do it through an HMRC compliant company here in Australia, or a (Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme.) My current Superannuation fund, is with Plum Super, which sadly isn't accepted by the tax office in the UK. This means I will have to find another organisation who will accept the transfer.

Consequently, I have contacted various financial advisers in Australia, who I believe can help in this process. For me, it is necessary to move this money over, and although it isn't worth a great deal, it is important for the powers that be, that I show commitment to my new life in Perth. That isn't the only reason, of course. If I leave my pension pot in Britain, I believe I will be liable for tax. Drawing the money will also be more difficult, especially when one considers the exchange rates and costs involved in converting UK pounds to Dollars. Later on in life it will become a real headache and I feel it would be best to move it as soon as possible.

I do keep a close eye on my UK pension funds, and I am shocked at how badly they are doing. I have been comparing these pensions with equivalent superannuation funds in Australia, and there really isn't any comparison. Any money I have in the UK, would be much better off here than back in Britain.

This week, I also found out more about the UK state pension, which I am still able to get when I reach UK retirement age. It appears that the money I get each week will be based on how much I am entitled to today. In seventeen plus years time, when I officially retire, it will be worth absolutely nothing. With the way things are, my state pension will be worthless, and I should discount this income long term.

I am still at a loss to understand why my contributions are frozen at today's prices. If I stopped working in the UK now, but still lived there, the amount I receive would still go up in the same way everyone else's does. I am being penalised for moving abroad, but more importantly, to Australia.

Australia has no social security agreement with the UK, which does create problems for expats like me. My state pension will remain frozen at the levels they are today for this reason alone; if I had moved somewhere else, where a reciprocal agreement was in place, then this wouldn't be the case. Once again, I am being punished because I am living in Perth, and that isn't right. Not every expat is wealthy; I live on relatively modest income and will have even less when I retire. It is up to me to save hard over the next decade and a half, in order to have enough money when I am older. However, looking at our situation long term, I am not sure if it will be possible to live here in my dotage. It may well be better to sell our home and move back to Europe. A lot can happen between now and then, so the only plans we can make for now, are for the immediate future, a long term strategy is just not possible!

Pippa continues to settle in to her new home with us and appears to be growing stronger by the day. Her life was clearly very traumatic, and it will take some time before she has adjusted to her new circumstances.

Over the last week, she has been suffering with an unfortunate eye infection. Last Sunday, we took her to the vets, after noticing she had a swollen eye. After she was examined, the vet informed us that she had herpes. Apparently the condition was brought to the fore because of the stress she has been under. For Pippa, moving from her foster home was a big deal, and she has been under an enormous amount of stress ever since.

We have stopped visitors from coming into the house at the moment, in order for her to feel comfortable in her own home, and we are sure it won't be too long before she is able to enjoy a full and happy life.

Looking after a damaged animal isn't easy, but we knew that when we took her on in the first place. We wanted to give her a good home, when no one else would, affording her the life she deserves. We are certainly under no illusions about how difficult this process will be, but the reward is to see her happy and content; for that reason, we are happy to keep on trying to bring the best out in her. Like all our other cats before her, she is more special than she will ever know; she is the light in our life and a reason to care!

...and finally, today we had Sunday lunch at The Stirling Arms in Guildford, celebrating my Mother-in-Law's Birthday. It was a special day for all of us, being here in Australia with Mum at this time. She has spent far too many Birthdays alone, but thankfully now we are back, that will not be happening again.

Like us, I hope you've all had a wonderful weekend!

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The Curious Clapped Out Car Con!

18/3/2023

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This week, we finally got the internet installed at the villa; yes, it really has taken this long. To be honest, I am still hot spotting off my phone, because the connection is bloody terrible. I had been warned just how bad NBN broadband is here in Australia, but I didn't actually know that for sure, until we had a live connection (When it works) - it's bad, very bad! It reminds me of the internet in the UK back in the mid-nineties, and it is unlikely to get any better. Australia is a large country, so connecting every corner of this continent is just not going to happen anytime soon. This is one of my pet hates as I settle in to my new life, and it is one of many that continue to niggle me as I get to know this country inside out!

On Wednesday, Darrell finally took possession of his car, after nearly a week of ongoing repairs, from the garage where he purchased it. I hadn't actually seen the vehicle up to this point, and I wasn't sure just how much $5300 would buy you in Western Australia, but I don't mind telling you, I was gobsmacked at the state of it. In Britain, this car would have been scrapped; it really just isn't fit for purpose.

The Honda Accord is about twenty years old; it is covered in dents, dings and scratches and looks extremely worn out. It has over 250,000 kilometres on the clock and the paint is peeling all over the car. This isn't unusual for Australia, since the sun is so intense and obliterates everything in its wake, but it was still a shock, seeing just what you can buy for the money.

Darrell had also asked for different things to be fixed by the car yard who sold him the vehicle, so when he took possession, he expected it to be drivable; nothing could be further from the truth.

The steering was defective, the central locking faulty, and you are unable to see out the front passenger window. As if that wasn't bad enough, the passenger door can not be opened at all, making the car unroadworthy and dangerous. According to Darrell, there are also many other faults; like me, he is as angry as hell that this piece of rubbish was being sold in the first place.

The car market in Australia, like the housing market, is in a mess, and all because of COVID. With fewer cars being imported over the last few years due to the pandemic, people bought second hand cars, pushing prices upwards. This has left a large amount of 'clapped out' vehicles at the bottom of the market available for sale, that would have otherwise been scrapped. Unscrupulous car salesmen are selling them at highly inflated prices to desperate people, who need a car, and just can't get one anywhere else; Darrell just happened to be one of those unsuspecting people, and he was taken for a complete fool.

Luckily he hasn't signed a contract, but we are both unsure of his rights, since there is very little protection in Western Australia for someone who has bought a 'wreck!' Currently, his bank is trying to retrieve the money and if that fails, he will lodge a complaint with the WA Consumer Complaints Department, who will investigate the matter further.

I have my doubts that anything will get done, and worst case scenario we could lose the money and car. There are so many things about this country that makes my blood boil, and the protection of consumer rights is one of them. Both Darrell and I can ill afford to lose that kind of money, especially after everything we have paid for recently, and I have said he will not be buying a second hand car again. If we do recover any of the cash, it will be used as a deposit on a new car. With car values increasing, I feel sure this is the only course of action we can take. Cars at the bottom of the market are just too risky.

This seems to be a common problem across the country at the moment. Complaints have gone up by 730% over five years in WA alone, and it is important, anyone considering buying a vehicle, thinks carefully before parting with their hard-earned money. Knee-jerk reactions from desperate people are likely to end in tears, as we know to our cost

Only time will tell whether we get our money back, and I am still flabbergasted that a so-called first world country treats its citizens this way. There needs to be more protection in place to help people who have lost thousands of pounds to underhand, crooked car salesmen; until then people need to vote with their feet, literally, and walk or get public transport. I don't have a problem with walking, and nor should anyone else. It will take a long time to break the car culture in Australia, but if anything will, it's the state of the used car market. Mark my words, if we lose a single dollar over this, I will take them to court; I won't stop until we have every cent returned!

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Snake Season!

4/3/2023

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The snake season has arrived in Australia; not a particularly welcome part of the year, but an important date in the antipodean calendar I'm sure. Of course this isn't something I knew off the top of my head, or was made aware of when I moved here, this is an event that just happened to rear its ugly head and reinforce my dislike, of some of the more colourful wildlife here in Perth.

It was a typical afternoon at work, and I was due to take part in an online meeting with colleagues. It was a particularly humid day, clouds were gathering in the sky, and I was in the middle of eating my lunch. I had just taken the last bite of my cheese and Ozemite sandwich, when I heard voices coming from the back of the stockroom. A member of staff had come across a small baby snake. Without her glasses on, she went to pick up what she thought was a cord and was taken aback when it suddenly moved away from her; In her words, it was rather agile and active.

Having never dealt with such a situation before, I was initially unsure about what exactly to do. I began by evacuating the store room and moving staff to the front of the shop. After taking advice, we were told a snake catcher was on the way and to try and keep away from the back of the stockroom. Before we could do that, a member of staff quickly ran to the back and shut the roller door, just in case anyone ventured inside. On her return, she spotted the snake and instantly through a bin on top of it, trapping it inside.

It wasn't long before this rather rugged Aussie snake catcher arrived and went to detain the offending reptile. To be honest, not knowing much about snakes, I assumed it would be pretty harmless, especially being a baby - how wrong was I!

The snake was called a Dugite and is native to Western Australia. It has a greenish body and black head. These snakes are solitary and tend to live alone. This little babies Mother literally threw him or her out as soon as she was able, and boom, it was out on it own. I was expecting there to be more of them, maybe a nest or something, but no. The snake catcher explained that where there is a solitary snake, there will not be another. There may well be one next door, but certainly not in the same building. In a way that was reassuring, but as he stood there with the snake in a bag, I couldn't help thinking, 'when would our new resident move in.' Whether that is true or not, and as one snake leaves, another surely follows, I don't know.

Mr Snake Catcher continued in conversation, detailing the life of this little Dugite and confirming it was only passing through. This is snake season in Australia and endless eggs will be hatching, making them more visible than they otherwise would be. Generally they don't go inside people's homes, but having just hatched, unaware of their environment, it probably made a mistake, ending up in our back room.

.... Now for the chilling part. This seemingly harmless snake is highly venomous and yes, it can kill, even as a baby. That's when it actually hit me - I am in Australia, where the wildlife is so far removed from that in the UK, that I need to be on my guard at all times. These situations can happen from time to time, and I must make myself aware of what is dangerous and what is not. I could have quite easily tried to pick up this little critter and throw it outside, but thankfully I didn't, or this blog post may well have ended very differently.

Since the snake incident at work, I have to admit I have become a bit paranoid, checking for reptiles and spiders wherever I go. Every morning I check under the toilet seat, my shoes, in my knicker draw, and in the laundry room, just to make sure there is nothing lurking in the shadows. I have rarely seen anything nasty since moving here, and as a rule I don't go out of my way to find them.

It reminds me of the time I was living in Australia in 1997. We lived in a new build in the then up-and-coming suburb of Ellenbrook and were there for several months. Every day, numerous times a day, I would head to the kitchen sink, get a drink of water or do the washing up. All perfectly normal, so I thought. It wasn't until we left the house in Mid-Summer Circle, that Darrell told me the plants along the sink, on the window shelf above, were full of red back spiders. My mouth dropped, I couldn't believe he never said a word.

Looking back now, I am glad he didn't. If he had, I would have spent everyday looking for them, avoiding the sink and generally becoming a nervous wreck. If you can't see something, or are not aware it's there, you can generally function normally - give or take the odd mishap. Now, something's just can't be unseen, and although I am familiar with the venomous Dugite, I would have rather not experienced it in the first place.

I suppose my date with a snake, not unlike others I've had in the past, was a warning to be mindful of where I am. In time, I will forget it ever happened, but until then it is just part of the course, living down under. The further I integrate into Australian life, the more used to the extremes I will become. I look forward to the day when snakes and spiders will be like water off a ducks back; until then, I'll keep on learning, adapting and mastering, becoming part of the fabric of society and relishing the challenges that come my way!

This week we have managed to continue decorating the villa. With work commitments top of our agenda, we are having to fit home improvements in when we can. We have more or less finished the front lounge, with the new multicoloured rug, which matches Mollie's hair perfectly, and a few other finishing touches - a homage to the collector still in my heart. The family room now has a new sofa, and I am waiting for the new carpet to arrive tomorrow. This room will be a reflection of the 1960s and 70s, and I am going to try and make it as retro looking as I can, starting with a bright orange feature wall - who knows where it will end!

Despite work taking priority, we did manage to spend a weekend together, which will be the last one for a while. This is a very busy time for me and Darrell, as we continue building our careers in Australia. Moving from the UK was about improving our life together, but it was also about the quality of life we have together. The dark, grey, rainy days in Portsmouth may well be a distant memory, but if we spend all our time working, we will never experience the lifestyle we both crave.

For now, we have renovations to complete, furniture to buy and decorating to do, so it's time to knuckle down and continue to rebuild our life in Perth. We have a hefty mortgage to pay, a cat to look after, a car to buy and bills up to our eyeballs, so that elusive lifestyle will have to wait, just a little bit longer.

As we move from summer into winter, our new villa will come into its own; a sanctuary from the elements outside and a bolthole from the disparaging World around us. We are both happy to be far, far away from Britain and the dark, grey, depressing existence we had before we left, but we are conscious of our roots, even if they are sometimes painful to recall. This is the life we have chosen together, because we no longer have the patience to bother with other people; people who essentially never cared about us. The best way to show the detractors you have moved on, is to build bigger, better and show you are far happier than them - that's exactly what we are doing today!

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Christmas in Australia!

25/12/2022

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You can definitely tell you are in Australia, when you bump into a Praying Mantis on the Christmas decal outside the front door. They are actually quite harmless, but it did give me quite a fright, as I left the house for another walk on Saturday morning.

I am gradually getting more acquainted to the sounds and sites of Australia, which are so different to The UK. The colourful parrots resting on the overhead telephone wires, unfamiliar squawking and bird song, and of course, the different insects that are a big part of this place; even the ants are four times as big as those back home.

It has been a bit of a culture shock, being back in Perth, even though I have lived here twice before. Nevertheless, it is something I certainly need to get used to, which I am sure I will in time. Of course, the hotter it gets, the more creepy crawlies I am finding. No less than our resident 'Sally Spider' in the back garden. Still I am beginning to accept the differences and if I am honest, enjoying the experience, apart from the rather oversized cockroaches, which I will never get used to!

Once again, I took a seven-mile walk around to Woodbridge Lakes, which is quickly becoming one of my favourite places to go. Even the people there seem to be more friendly than elsewhere I have been - all of them passing the time of day and briefly exchanging pleasantries, as I walked around this stunning natural reserve just outside the City of Midland.

Since it was Christmas Eve, I treated myself to a couple of pints of Carlton Draught in the afternoon, while out with friend and neighbour joy. We had the last of the Christmas shopping to get; luckily everything was fairly quiet, as we quickly grabbed a few last minute items from Midland Gate!

It was nice to wish the girls at The Swan View Tavern a Happy Christmas, since we hadn't seen them for quite a while. All of us have been so busy, that we just haven't had the time to pop into the pub to see everyone. They were as lovely as ever and I know we will be back before the year is out.

In the evening, we popped around to Joy's house for a few beers. This will be the first Christmas I have not been around my family in four years and despite the differences I am glad of the change. Mine and Darrell's life has always been full of variety, differences and alternative endings, so for us, it is just part of the course, it makes us who we are. Lucky enough, we adapt to situations pretty quickly and although invariably things never turn out the way we would like, we are happy enough to do the battling to get where we want to be.

This isn't the way I would personally celebrate Christmas, I am typically British when celebrating at this time of year, going all out to have the most enjoyable, over the top experience I can; this is a new level of commemorating the great day, and one I will have to get used to. Christmas is celebrated very differently over here, as it should be. Likewise, when we lived in Spain, we enjoyed the differences, in the same way we do today.

Of course, this was us looking in on someone else's festivities and not our own special day. Next year we would hope to do things as we would want and bring a little bit of Britain and Spain to Australia. A cold Christmas Dinner isn't particularly something I would do for myself, but with temperatures over 30 degrees, it is easy to see why! I mean, who the hell wants to be cooking in a kitchen when it is so hot anyway? Well, maybe next year that's exactly what I will do; for now I'm just happy I wasn't the one slaving away for a change!

I did do my best to add a little bit of home to the festivities and despite my aversion to spending a fortune on chocolates and cakes, I did manage to pick up a distinctly Australian tin of Cadbury's Roses for $15.00, half the usual $30.00 they were on sale for at the beginning of the month. They are a little different to their British ancestors and actually taste far better, so definitely worth the money.

I also managed to get plumb pudding, Christmas cake and my favourite Stollen from Aldi. Everything here is far more expensive, but I have discovered this isn't too much of a problem, especially when you see turkey's being sold in the UK for £147.00 (Bird Flu, has apparently increased prices across the board.) All it really means is you buy less stuff to eat, think quality rather than quantity, and you don't over eat!

We did exchange a few gifts, as we would in the UK. Rather than the over the top, bags and bags of presents, which really have little or no meaning, (just a sign of greed and gluttony, especially at a time of economic crisis, if you ask me,) we did give and receive a few select items, which had special meaning for us and meant for a more poignant occasion.

Equally, Christmas Dinner consisted of traditional turkey, ham and other meat, but there wasn't hours spent preparing and cooking; it was more of a buffet, and we could pick and choose what we wanted to eat, or even if we fancied anything at all. Remember, it was hot, very hot, so eating is the last thing on peoples minds.

Spending time with family and friends is of course the best part of Christmas Day. Darrell's Aunty Alice, his Mother, neighbour Joy and friends Pete and Leanne; a group of lovely people, whose company I thoroughly enjoyed, made for an enjoyable day! Sometimes it's just nice to spend time in adult company, rather than having hoards of kids running about. I have never been a person who appreciates the company of children anyway, so it was nice to avoid that side of Christmas altogether. I have done my years, spending Christmas with Kids and all the tantrums that entails, I am just far happier doing what I want and not what others expect of me. This isn't a day for just kids, it is also a time for everyone to spend together and appreciate each other, without the arguments and outbursts that tend to come with larger family gatherings!

With Dad at my Brother's in Basingstoke, there was no Christmas Day call, but then there never usually is anyway. We have never been that close, no matter how much I love him.

However, it was lovely to hear from the two people who have been there for Darrell and me throughout our journey, when we left the UK at the beginning of September. My dear friend John, who is really my family in every sense of the word. He has always been there for us, especially in recent months, and gave me a good laugh on a day when I needed it more than most. Like Darrell and me, John has very little family left now, so he will always be one of the most important people in our life, as he proved on Christmas Day.

I also heard from my dearest Brother from another Mother, Julio, who once again is the family I never had. We have kept in contact since leaving the UK, and he is so important to my sense of well-being. If I could have taken him with us, I would have; I miss his witty banter every day. He always put a smile on my face, and we have never had a crossed word in all the years I have known him. The hope is, both him and John will visit us in Australia at some stage. Along with the over two hundred messages I received yesterday, I am just so glad to feel loved; people truly care. This was a different Christmas day, but it was significant to end it was the two most important friends from the UK; this made my day perfect and one I will never forget!

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Christmas Down Under!

20/12/2022

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The End of a Successful Week!

17/12/2022

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One Step Forward, Two Steps Back!

22/11/2022

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These last few days have been something of a rollercoaster, one minute we get some good news, the next nothing but. Sitting here today writing this blog, I have literally given up on predicting the future, because it is so bloody difficult at the moment.

After being told by The Commonwealth Bank that we could both get a mortgage, we decided to start looking for properties to buy. Within a few short days, we found a one bedroom unit not far from where we are now. The tiny house was small but perfectly formed, offering everything we needed and more. It was freshly decorated, had a sizeable garden and security shutters back and front. Situated in a small cul-de-sac of seven similar properties, well maintained and looked after, it would have been the perfect bolthole for us. When travelling, we could have just locked up and left, knowing the unit would be secure in our absence. To say I was quite excited would be an understatement; this was a home I wanted for us both, so we did our very best to secure it, without delay.

This was Sunday afternoon, but I duly emailed our Mortgage Advisor at the bank, and he said he would do some figure work for us when he returned from a Barbecue later that evening. In the meantime, the Real Estate Agent came over, and we made an offer of $229,000 on the property, after filling out pages and pages of paperwork. All going well, we should have been in within a few weeks - yes, that is how fast things are done here.

The next morning, I awoke with bad news; Darrell had not been in his job long enough to secure the Mortgage we wanted. He was told to submit payslips over the next few months, so they had more of an idea of his wages, and then they would think again, hopefully making us an offer for the full amount. This was not the answer we wanted, and we were both pretty deflated as we headed for a day out in Perth. Immediately we pulled out of the deal and will just have to wait a little longer before we find somewhere else to call home. In many respects it was our own wishful thinking that got us here, we were so focused on getting out of my Mothers-in-law's house, that we didn't really think about how long we had been back in Australia. It was after all only two months ago we were travelling around Thailand. The fact they offered us a Mortgage at all was a surprise. For now, we will just take one step at a time!

It wasn't all bad news yesterday. While sitting on the train to Perth I received a message from my lawyer, who said my partner application had been lodged with the Government and I needed to pay the $8085.00 (£4511.43) fee to ensure the application would not have to be resubmitted. Yes, that was a shocking amount of money to lose in one day, but I was finally on the road to residency and within a year I should be able to call Australia home. It is great news everything has started to move in the right direction, despite the high costs involved.

Within a few weeks, I should hear about my medical examination and will have to spend yet money to have it done. I was also told I could apply for my Medicare Card straight away, which I did this morning, at Centrelink in Midland. I suppose I was expecting it to be hard, having dealt with the official side of Australia before, but it was actually straight forward. After booking in at the front desk, (oddly I had an active Centrelink account) I waited no more than ten minutes to be seen, by Darlene, who spent most of the appointment coughing her guts up, to my horror. With COVID on the rise here again, I just got on with it, what else can you do now. I asked if she was alright, to which she replied (I hope so), which didn't instil much confidence in me.

She took my details and immediately told me I already had a Medicare card, and I just needed to reactivate it. This card was from 1997 and my second trip down under. I couldn't actually believe how easy it was to reinstate it. After a lot of questions about my marital status, I was good to go with immediate effect. She duly wished me luck and politely asked me to return to the office once my bridging visa kicks in, so they could make 'everything permanent,' whatever that means. Anyway, by that time, I just wanted to leave; her coughing was just getting worse and worse and I thought it was best to take my leave, no matter how chatty and agreeable she was!

With my Tax File Number also being processed, and the Bridging Visa now activated, but remaining inactive until 28th December, I am hoping the process of getting a job will be more or less pain free. The biggest concern for me now is the impending medical. As someone who tends to suffer from health anxiety on occasion, I am understandably worried about the outcome. At my age they could find anything wrong, but the hope is, I've done enough to avoid any difficulties obtaining a visa on health grounds. Putting all worries aside, I hope to live a relatively normal life until my permanent residency is granted. Then I will have the freedom to leave and go as I please; I am counting down the days until this happens, after all, travel is my life. In the meantime, it's sit tight for now, keep my nose clean and follow the rules, to ensure my transition to Australian life is as trouble free as possible. I have done as much as I can to make sure that happens; the hard bit comes next!

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From a new life in spain, to an old life in britain, 'roaming brit' documents uncertain times!

Saturday Morning - Life down under!

The Big Chill Down Under Continues!

Saturday Evening Chat!

The Hard Reality of Expat Life!

The Curious Clapped Out Car Con!

Snake Season!

Christmas in Australia!

Christmas Down Under!

The End of a Successful Week!

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back!

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