Quoll

Even finding a job which will let you be away for 3 months a year will be a bit of a challenge. Most of us make do with 20 days rec leave! Not sure too many employers would be happy with 60 days rec leave. Hadn't read past posts but I would say you and Marisawright are bang on the money there!

https://www.tasmanianeschool.education.tas.edu.au Bit more structured than the covid homeschooling although UK did that better than Aus from what I observed. They're used to distance ed stuff in Aus

You mean you want the kids to take time out of school June/July/August? Every year? Possible. Education in Australia isn't as draconian and people travel and take their kids out all the time - absenteeism is quite a problem which is relatively unmonitored. What you could do, if you thought that their education would suffer is enrol them in distance ed for your state - one of the criteria is travel (I assume Tasmania is the same as all the other states) for the period you are away. However you won't want to do that if the kids are in yrs 11/12 because that would be a substantial chunk out of a critical period (kids 16/17). Or could she go back to NI and leave the kids with you in Hobart so their education isn't disrupted?

I think for a kid with moderate intellectual disability that might be a low estimate - I would have gone for $20k for a child with reasonable social behaviour and no physical care needs and more if a special class or special school is required (that is the jurisdiction I am in, other states spend more, others spend less). Bear in mind that the same cost judgments would be made if permanent residence was a goal down the track and even if the child has been in Australia they may well have to leave should you apply for permanent residence. School leaving age in Australia is 17 but where I am, at least, special schools take kids up to 19/20. Post school options are limited and very dependent on area - there may be sheltered workshops or some employers who are prepared to take workers with special needs, not much different from UK probably. Independent living is another possible expense to consider. The people who make the decisions do so with the wealth of information that you provide to them - there are basics that they can use, hence the full current assessment of ability, skills and adaptive behaviour, as objective as possible - and they are very experienced and dont make decisions lightly. As has been said, it is not enough for you to say "we won't use services" they have to judge on whether you "could" need to use the services - if you are eligible then you would be able to!

You'd need the advice of an agent who specialises in medical conditions and they'd need to consider cognitive ability, current skill level and adaptive behaviour. The catch 22 is usually if the child is going to qualify for disability support then they aren't going to qualify for a visa and vice versa. Special Ed costs mount up very quickly unfortunately and is hard to judge because in many states allocation is based on individual need across a range of areas of function. STAs get different rates of pay according to the state. But, generally, if a child is in a special school or requires more than an hour or two STA time every day, they're going to be over the threshold. An agent will give you the best advice - if you haven't got an up to date psycho Educational assessment then you may have to fork out for an Ed Psych to do that.

Hey, I'm up for 43 years in a few weeks too! I did eat the vegemite sandwich many years ago otherwise I couldn't have worked (turns out I didnt need to in the end). Like you, dont belong and never will! Still, you often are faced with the least worst option huh!

Did he have an IQ test as part of his original assessment? If it's within 2 years it's current but if it's older than that and in the normal range they may accept it. If he hasn't had one then an Ed Psych would do the job. You may have to get it done privately. Schools are inclusive - they aren't allowed to be anything else. However, and here's the catch 22 again, if you think he's going to need special treatment because of the label then that's where you're going to have trouble with the visa.

Very good point!!! But gathering the basic information and getting ahead of the game is a good start.

Yup, you are aiming to prove that there is no impairment despite the label. Doesn't sound like he would be eligible for any support in Australia anyway.

Educational psychologist. Wasn't there a full cognitive assessment done as part of the work up for diagnosis? The adaptive behaviour is a questionnaire that the Psych gives to the people working with him. The school can probably address current skill level but an Ed Psych can do it too.

Include the assessments that lead to the diagnosis along with updated cognitive assessment and adaptive behaviour assessment from his current school, also a current skill level. It's not the label that is the sticking point for visas it's the level of functioning. So if you can demonstrate that functioning level is within the normal range and that additional support is not likely (and you wouldn't be eligible for additional support in Australia) then it should be OK. The fact that he isn't statemented but it's coping ok independently is a good start. It's very much a catch 22 - if he's eligible for disability support in Australia he's more likely to be rejected for a visa.

LOL an 8 year old will probably be quite happy with either

I agree with the others, time to settle down when she's about 13/14 but until then you are free to have adventures. You're not going to know if UK is going to meet your needs until you try it really and what you have at the moment is broken enough to warrant repairing. Frome is a nice enough little place and close enough to Bristol for your DH to get his city fix. Your daughter will probably find other entertainments and passions to replace the sun and surf but you won't be too far from Bournemouth if push comes to shove (or Weston Super Mare if you are really desperate) Like you I felt like I was "home" every time I touched down at Heathrow. We lived in UK 2011-2020 and I can honestly say that feeling never went away and I barely gave Australia a thought. My husband who once said that he was never going to live in UK again and would be depressed if he had to, actually found himself enjoying it. He threw himself into British history and enjoyed our trips around the country. If we could have afforded it we might have stayed there. Have you got your citizenship? Always wise to get it just in case and the converse will be true for your DH if he can achieve his British citizenship. BTW I assume you have checked his ancestry to see whether he might get an Ancestry visa? Much easier all round if he has a UK born grandparent.

The schools probably won’t give you tours until you’ve got an address - if they spent every day showing people round who never get to live in their area they’d waste a lot of time! But don’t sweat the schools, honestly. Unless your kids are 16/17 in which case I would say don’t move until they’ve finished HSC. If they’re younger than that, the schools will fall into place - they tend to reflect the neighbourhood so if you’ve trawled the neighbourhood (sit in a local cafe for a couple of days, walk around the streets and get the vibe) and you think you couldn’t live there, then you probably don’t want to send your kids to the local school (hang around the school gates at going home time, maybe chat to the odd parent and see what they say!)

I’ve found that apple products are cheaper in Australia but I’ve not done the comparison and taken off the vat if you claim it back when you leave. But I’ve always bought outright rather than on a contract, I haven’t compared relative contracts but my impression is that equivalent Aus contracts may be more expensive, you’d have to search that. I signed up with Virgin on their lowest plan which is around £7 a month and I hang onto that, just make sure my bank account is charged up but talk to your provider and tell them you want to hang on to the number as cheaply as possible. When doing the reverse I found that Vodafone here in Aus had a very cheap 365 day account, Vodafone U.K. may have the same. Before that though, I had a pay as you go arrangement and as long as I sent a text every 6 months it kept current. I also keep my U.K. sim in my old phone so I don’t have to chop and change. I talked to my bank (in person) before I left, gave them an Aus address and an Aus phone number. Haven’t needed it thus far (touch wood) and I see that my bank put out a general notice saying they needed a U.K. number - will deal with that one when I come to it. I had more trouble when in U.K. with one of my Aus banks which couldn’t handle a foreign phone number!

My nephew does. He doesn’t drive and takes the train. Been doing it for a long time now. He starred as a student and has just kept going.

100+km actually. Most of it on the Westgate Freeway which can be very good or not so good depending on the traffic and the other drivers. They reckon about an hour and a half into central Melbourne.

Ah Geelong. Just be careful you don't call it GEE long. It's more like J'long You'll probably find that your "team" is chosen for you - if you don't support the Cats (Geelong) you could find something unsavoury on your doorstep, especially if they lose one week. If you decide to barrack for Essendon or Carlton don't expect to make too many friends LOL

Should be specific - that's Aussie Rules of course!

You don't know cold until you've been to Ballarat!!! Partly because the houses aren't cold friendly but the wind comes straight up from the South Pole and goes right through you! In the summer though, it's not very pleasant when it is high 30s low 40s (all jokes aside, its not a bad place for an Aussie country town and it has been known to have snow on Christmas Day but then on New Years day it will be 40C) OK - when you say "outside Melbourne" just how far outside Melbourne do you mean? You could be out in the wilds of Woop Woop in which case your internet speeds could rival that of a slow tortoise. Cable tv -hmm Aussie tv is not good at the best of times. Victoria is quite a decent size so what may be true at one end of the state may not be so at the other end - and Victoria is, of course, one of the smaller states. I assume you mean one of the further suburbs of Melbourne or maybe one of the closer country towns (like Ballarat - you aren't going to Ballarat are you?) then everything will be reasonably civilised. Broadband speeds aren't too bad though maybe not quite as fast as Canada, I don't know, never been to Canada but not as fast as I was used to in UK. Never had cable tv, don't actually own a tv but you can get programs on your computer through all sorts of free sites and if you feel like paying you can get Netflix, Prime etc. Aussie dude neighbour - yeah right, half of them will squeal and stand on a chair if they see a spider, especially the ones that live in the suburbs. Out in the bush, not so much, anyone will squash it for you - the Sheilas are just as handy with a rolled up newspaper as the blokes. Just don't leave your shoes outside and if you are the gardening type, jump up and down on your gardening gloves before you put them on (red backs like things like that) and don't put your hands into any dusty dark spaces. If you're living in the bush you will probably get them in your wood pile and you will need to watch out for the snakes as well. If you're in the suburbs, chances are you will never see a red back or a snake in your entire time in Australia. Edited to say the spiders aren't the size of your hand - not in Victoria anyway - and it is the little ones that kill ya! (just keep an eye out for the red back or the white tails). Ah, I see you aspire to endless beaches - not Ballarat then, its a good 100km from the sea. Actually, Victoria isnt really the best place for beaches although there are some lovely ones the weather isn't always beach weather and really there aren't that many towns on the sea except the odd tourist places like Lakes Entrance in which case you want to watch out for floods from the Snowy. Remember that the closest place to the south coast of Australia is the Antarctic and the water and the winds from there can be a tad on the chilly side. What else should you watch out for - check out the neighbourhood before you move in anywhere and don't believe the real estate advertisements and pictures of rental appartments, there's a lot of poetic licence in them (always visit in person). Check out the mobile coverage maps, mobile phones don't always work everywhere. Check out the flood maps and the bushfire risk maps. Talk to the locals, they don't bite. Don't stress, it'll either work out or it won't. Good luck, it's going to be quite different from the West Coast of Canada!

I'm sure there is a solution - schools must be taking kids of this age all the time. Maybe look at Tech Colleges (or whatever the equivalent) but talk to the local education department, if a child is within the mandatory school age they cannot deny them an education. Pretty sure that international students arrive just to do A levels. If all else fails, write to your MP. I would be actually talking to folk on the phone rather than relying on emails or text messages too, then you can ask to go up the chain until you get to a real decision maker - if you've approached the school by email you may have got the school secretary who may not have been on top of all the implications.

The wilds of East Gippsland have a lot of opportunity for that kind of life if that is your bag! Meanwhile, have you got your gun licence so you can go out and pot a few roos? It certainly is a completely different way of thinking and doing that's for sure

He’s not keen on livestock at the moment. His ex has goats and cows but he still likes his freedom to come and go and doesn’t want the tie if he doesn’t have to. I still think he’s daft but he’s happy and so is the dog!

My odd DS has moved back to the bush to escape the Covid. He was fortunate enough to get an inheritance which enabled him to buy a place so now he has 16 acres, 100 year old house with wood stoves, big water tanks, Creek with solar pump, mains power (an inside flush loo!) and he's very happy. The kids are doing distance Ed and he has satellite broadband for that. He's already put in a quarter acre veg plot and bought a dozen hens so he's happy as Larry. The grass was growing - a lot - so he got out the mower but it got filled almost immediately so then he attacked it with a whipper snipper which didn't really cut it. He found a scythe blade in the barn and sharpened it up (he's good at that), designed his own ergonomic handle and can now cut an acre with barely raising a sweat. I think he's bought a new up to date scythe blade now but he's really happy with it. And to think, generations of my ag lab ancestors would have given their eye teeth not to have to do such back breaking work and he, with all the advantages he had had, is enjoying it! He takes the dog out and when he's done a row she sleeps on it. Horses for courses! Personally I couldn't wait to leave. Should also say, he shoots his own meat and had a big freezer full, also had a generator for if the power goes out. He might think of solar if he ever has enough money.

Good to know! Next time, get citizenship as soon as you can, huh!