Quoll

That's a complex medical issue. Also, if she's in school and may require disability support (that depends on how much her disability impacts get functioning in school) also take any physio or other other therapeutic assessment reports. Ah, do I assume you don't actually have a visa yet? If not you've got the medicals hurdle to get over in which case any assessment of prognosis and possible required interventions will be required because the medical assessment will need to work out the potential cost of the condition to the Australian tax payer.

Only if you've got a complex medical issue - otherwise, dont bother.

Cambridge to Canberra it was about £950 UK side then another $900 at the other end I think - ball park figures. It was more than we needed but I dont think we could have gone down to a medium

Move cube collected 12 December, landed Sydney yesterday 1 March so expect it to be in Canberra since time this week - fingers crossed.

Canberra will have been very slow for the past couple of months but it should be starting to pick up now - give it 6 months to show really willing. You haven't got the boot yet so you've got a bit more time to try for roles in ACT

I agree with the counselling - always a good start even if it's just to give you strategies to cope day to day. I do see what the others are saying about the pragmatic "wait until LSL" but what you might well find is that when you get to that point your baby will be a year into school and "it'll be hard for them to move school /country" - there will be a very reasonable rationale for staying just a little bit longer. We always went with the pragmatic decision and i ended up where I didn't want to be because we had passed the point of no return. Its so very easy and comfortable to do that - back then, I didn't hate Australia, we were doing well, the kids were OK, our jobs were good, we knew folk but it wasn't where I wanted to be forever. Your DH might be able to apply for a career break - that'd be even better than LSL because it would be for 12 months rather than the LSL 3/12, that'd enable you to move sooner and maybe in time for you to have a second child if that is on your horizon. Anyway, with luck, counselling will help you cope a bit better. Won't solve the problem but it might give you some clarity about where your see your future. Good luck!

You're not likely to get into the top tier private schools as soon as you arrive because they tend to have quite long waiting lists but there's be nothing stopping you from putting their names down for an entry at some later point, maybe HS. You're more likely to get into a Catholic school, especially if you are Catholic as there's is an almost parallel Catholic system. Put your kids in with their age cohort and don't sweat the year level names that they might have been in in UK. Take as long as you like to get them into school, get yourself settled first.

If you get a visa with no further stay then you're screwed. Why would you not want to have your baby in UK where you are assured of Good free medical cover and initial extended family support? Are you comfortable lying to Immigration? It's going to look dodgy that you rock up at the end of your pregnancy and say you're going home when Blind Freddie can see that you're unlikely to get an airline to fly you anywhere. Why the rush?

We asked for ours more as a “just in case” because DH has had some exploratory stuff done but if there’s nothing specifically concerning in your history I wouldn’t bother.

I'd agree with that, Even 40 years ago there was still quite a lot going on if you knew where to look. The only problem we used to have was to find somewhere for dinner on my husband's and my birthdays! They're both on public holidays and our choices were limited - not so now though.

Over 40 years ago my BiL took a tier of our wedding cake into Australia (for my inlaws who couldnt be there) and it got through alright but that was 40 years ago, they're more stringent now but it'll be a gamble - declare it and hope for the best, plan for the worst and take what comes. One thing Quarantine is not, is sentimental!

You might be wise to get your husband's citizenship before you leave, you never know if you might need it. As you've not got PR yet that isn't going to be an option for you. If you've both got British passports then make sure they're current and walk in. Talk to a financial advisor about managing your finances and what you may /may not be entitled to in both places. Good luck! It's an amazing place to be a retiree!!!

I think it means that you don't have to have a professional who has known you in that capacity, you can have someone who has known you as a friend or neighbour for the required period but who is or was one of the professionals in the list. But of course it could be a person who had known you in their professional role for more than 2 years. Psychologist wasnt on the list specifically but it's accepted by the passport office as being professional enough so there is a bit of leeway with respect to professional role. I've countersigned several for friends over the years.

Both married - to each other????

Good! It's not nearly as bad as it is painted. It's much maligned in fact!

Might be the Responsible Service of Alcohol? Necessary for bar work in most states. Not expensive and easy to do.

It's as good a place as any if you have to live in Australia. It's probably going to be better than Reading given my recollection of Reading! There's plenty going on but you have to put yourself out there to participate and that takes work. Plenty of bush close to ANU and you can nip up Black Mt in your lunch time if you want exercise. There will be climbing somewhere but it's not something I've ever been interested in. There are gigs, plenty of restaurants, lots of sporting clubs, pubs, and organisations to cover pretty much any interest. You're probably going to make most connections at work or if you have particular interests then at a club or gathering associated with that. Your capacity to make friends is going to be up to you but yes, on balance its much like any other city and making good friendships in a city is a bit hit and miss. Smaller towns are probably better for that. After 4 decades there I have very few friends - lots of acquaintances but few friends - I was 30 when I went and I think that maybe was too late to find the sort of friendships I have here in UK, formed when we were all young and going through the same developmental angst. However you find friendships in the unlikeliest of places so you never know. It is still essentially a public service town and there is a degree of "what level are you at" "where do you live" "how much did your house cost" but you don't have to play those games if you're not brown nosing your way up the PS ladder. If you get bored with Canberra its not far to Sydney or the beach or the snow and a lot of folk leave town at the weekend for various things. You could do much worse. I assume this would only be a temporary job anyway as it's a position you are being offered.

Are you a young person thinking of coming on a working holiday visa? That is what it says on the tin - work, holiday, go home. If you haven't got a skill that's in the list (and it would be hard to imagine that assistant bar manager would be on there) then your best bet in the longer run would be to look towards getting a skill that's in demand. For sponsorship an employer has to prove that they can't find local talent to do the job and they have to be able to demonstrate that they've really tried. I don't fancy your chances of staying indefinitely - one year if you don't do your regional work and 2 years if you do, then you go home. Remember too that on the WHV you can only work for one employer for 6 months.

My next door neighbour did. The other neighbour she initially asked wasn’t on the list of professionals and she got knocked back so she asked me even though I was retired I had been on the list. Doctors, dentists, kids’ teachers are usually good options.

That's even worse! Some states don't allow rabbits as pets

And someone will say "Welcome Home!" And you'll go "Aaaaah!" To the OP - Get yourself on the electoral roll as soon as you can and start establishing yourself.

Someone tried to bring a rabbit????? What the hell were they thinking?!

Think of it as a research project - you can report back to us on what happens when you rock up and show your Australian passports at check in. My guess is that nobody is going to notice that that's not what you put on your booking information and they'll just see you have a valid passport to leave on and that will be it. When will you be flying? We need to wave!!!!! (I love tracking people of Flight Radar!)

Gosh, I don't recall ever having to put passport info into flight bookings. I'd think that just presenting them at check in and through passport control would be enough

So, basically an anchor baby.