One for the girls

Don't know your Aussie Rules from your 20/20 or your wipeouts from your tries (or is that trys??) Well help is at hand with a new Aussie based web site just for us....

http://www.sheknowstherules.com/ She Knows the Rules...or will soon A new website designed to connect women with sport in a way that makes them feel more confident about attending, watching and engaging with sport is here!

Ok not very PC, but here in Aus you have to get used to that, the Aussies say it how it is and don't worry too much if they might offend - personally I think it's great.

The best thing about this site is you can get the info to show the boys how much you know about sports - oh and Pommie guys you can gen up on the Aussie sports so you don't sound like too much of a girl when you get to the pub with your new Aussie mates.

Sports are really big over here, this quote from the site says it all 'Former Prime Minister John Howard once suggested that the only job in public life more important than his own was that of Australia’s cricket captain.' So learn, and enjoy.

I have to confess I went to the WACA to see a 20/20 match, ok I still don't quite get the cricket, but to sit in the sun for an afternoon, drinking wine and watching guys playing sport....it was a great day out.

Vote Confidence - The Case for Confidence

The case for confidence. Check out this great site showing the positive attitude currently in WA!

Life's pretty good over here in W.A. While the rest of the world is running around like a bunch of headless chooks caught up in recession fever, West Australians are busy getting on with the job of making this state a top-notch place to live.

Everywhere you turn, you'll find confidence. It's in the people. It's in the economy. And no, that's not lavender in the air, that's confidence and a can-do attitude.

In the last few months, surveys have shown that consumer confidence is back to where it was before the global economy went kerplunk. Just take a look at how we're spending our hard-earned cash. Between April and May 2009, retail purchases were up 3.4%* and car sales up 3%*. And according to 59%** of people surveyed, current buying conditions are positive. In fact, property developers are planning on expanding retail businesses over the next five years***. Not bad considering we're supposed to be in the midst of a global financial thingamaggiga.

The mining sector is on the rebound too. Billions of dollars have been invested into major oil and gas operations, including the massive Gorgon gas project that's just been given the green light. So it comes as no surprise that W.A. employers have the highest rate of confidence in Australia. Even one in five international businesspeople**** believe there's nowhere better to be living right now, than right here.

But it's nothing West Australians didn't already know. We're already busy buying up houses and homes in preparation for a brighter future. Real estate sales have jumped by 23%*****, and home loan approvals have skyrocketed by 30.8%* in the last year. That's what happens when 56%** of West Australians reckon our economy will go from strength to strength in the next 12 months.

References:
*Chamber of Commerce and Industry - "Economic Trends"; 9 July 2009
**Curtin Business School - "CCI Survey of Consumer Confidence; June quarter 2009
***Press Release - "Development survey shows long-term confidence in WA retail property"; 19 December 2008
****Press Release - "Nowhere better than Australia to ride out crisis: survey"
*****Press Release - "Real estate is safe as houses for investors";8 July 2009

First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) and Stamp Duty

FHOG
In Western Australia, the government has made a grant available to first home owners of $7,000 to put towards the cost of their first house.

As a permanent resident visa holder you too will be eligible for this grant when you buy your first home in Australia.

Even better news is that if you buy (or build) your house before 31st December 2009 you will also be eligible for the First Home Owners Grant Boost, which is in addition to the WA Government funded $7,000 First Home Owner Grant.

If your contract is made before 30th September 2009, this is:

• an additional $7,000 if you are buying an established house or;
  
• an additional $14,000 if you are buliding or buying a new house.

Or if your contract is made after 30th September 2009 and before 31st December 2009, this is:

• an additional $3,500 if you are buying an established house or;
  
• an additional $7,000 if you are buliding or buying a new house.

You can find out more about this at the Government of Western Australia, Department of Treasury and Finance

Stamp Duty
In addition to this grant if you are a first home owner you may also be eligible for no or reduced stamp duty on your property purchase. Currently, if the property is bought for under $500,000 there will be no stamp duty to pay. Further details are available here.

In addition to these incentives you may also be eligible for the

Home Buyers Assistance Account
The Home Buyers Assistance Account is established under the Real Estate and Business Agents Act 1978 to provide first home buyers with financial support.

The scheme provides a grant of up to $2,000 for the incidental expenses of first home buyers when they purchase an established or partially built home through a licensed real estate agent for a purchase price of $400,000 or less.

Again for more details of this and your eligibility see here.

All in all as a first home buyer in Western Australia you get a pretty good deal.

If you have any specific real estate questions please feel free to contact John (john@ozhouserental.com) as he is a real estate agent in Rockingham and can help you out.

Another Happy Customer :)

"We stayed at 14 Haselmere Circus for a month when we first arrived in WA.

The house was great, well furnished and spacious with everything we needed.
The garden was gorgeous and backs onto a park.

The location was very convenient for all the shops and services in Rockingham and also close to the train station for trips to Perth.

Moving straight into a house was great as it gave us a residential address for accessing services and getting established. It also helped us to settle quickly as it was much more homely than other types of accommodation.

John and Tracey were a great source of local information and support and helped us to find our way around, organise cars etc. Most of all, it was a huge benefit that they had been through the process themselves, so knew what we were experiencing both practically and emotionally.

Renting out 14 Haselmere definitely helped to make our big move smooth and as hassle free as possible. We would recommend it to anyone else like us, planning to move over from the UK.
Sam and James"

Internet access when you arrive

You've spent the last year, or more, researching on the internet, finding out about your new home, applying for jobs, communicating with the locals and others going through the same feelings, hopes, fears, doubts as you. Your virtual community has been a great friend, but when you arrive you may be left alone - argggh!

When you get to your new home you want/need internet access more than ever. To apply for your tax file number (TFN), apply for jobs, find out about schools, and more importantly to keep in touch with all your friends and family that you've left behind.

There are a few options that you can investigate, which will get you on line, if not immediately, then as soon as possible.

Your local area will probably have a library, we are lucky in Rockingham in that we have access to three, with good opening hours, the one I use Safety Bay Library is open to 7.00 Monday to Thursday. These have free internet access, you may have to book a slot (check with the local library). See http://libraries.rockingham.wa.gov.au/

If you have wifi access on your laptop then you can sit in McDonalds for 2 weeks! Rockingham McDonalds has free wifi access.

More areas in Perth have wifi access. In 2007, ResourceNet was launched in Perth – Australia’s first Wi-Fi internet network which is free for everyone 24 hours per day, seven days a week. Known as the “Resources Quarter”, the area includes St Georges Terrace, and Hay and Murray Streets west from William Street, up to the Barracks Arch near Parliament House. Free Wi-Fi spots are also available outside of the city centre, such as the main streets of Subiaco, Leederville and Mt Lawley. Fremantle café strip has free Wi-Fi along South Terrace, from Gino’s Café to the Capri Restaurant.

There are many more spots in Perth, and Perth Walkabout has compiled a handy listing of free wifi hotspots in Perth.

div>ADSL, Broadband, home based. When you arrive in your rental property you will be able to set up ADSL, Broadband, Dial-up, or even Satellite. We used BigPond which is part of Telstra, and were set up within about a week. Check whether ADSL or Broadband is available in the area you want, the ISP websites will point you to a search to check what is available. It is available in our property.

Other suppliers are Optus, IInet, Primus, but there are many more to choose from, and these will vary from area to area.

Mobile Broadband may be the way to go, again the above suppliers have products for you. By getting mobile broadband you will be able to use this wherever you move to without having to pay out a further connection fee, (subject to coverage areas). youcompare.com.au can show you the available options.

Rockingham schools for the 21st Century

Primary schools in Rockingham, Kwinana and Mandurah will share in $56.5 million funding for new projects under round one of the Federal Government’s Primary Schools for the 21st Century Program (P21)

P21 is the second phase of the Rudd Government’s $14.7 billion Building the Education Revolution program.

The P21 program is delivering much needed funding to primary schools for major infrastructure projects, including libraries, multipurpose halls and classrooms.

For example, Rockingham school East Waikiki Primary School received $2.3 million towards a precinct for early childhood, kindegarten and pre-primary ages.

The following local schools also received funding for projects:

Cooloongup Primary, funding for 2 Classroom & Multipurpose Block $1.7 million

Endeavour Education Support, funding for Multipurpose Room $270,000

Endeavour Primary School, funding for Multipurpose classroom block and Enclosed Covered Assembly Area $1.8 million

Safety Bay Primary School, funding for 2 Class ECE and Enclosed Covered Assembly Area $1 million

Secret Harbour Primary School, funding for 4 Classroom Block $1.4 million

Waikiki Primary School, funding for Enclosed Covered Assembly Area $100,000

Warnbro Community High School Education Support Centre, funding for
Multipurpose with Covered Area $920,000

One of our happy clients

We love to hear from our happy clients, here's an email we recently received.

We were very fortunate to have come across Tracey and John’s rental advert just a few weeks before our long-awaited holiday to Perth.

Tracey and John were extremely helpful leading up to our arrival and offered us plenty of ideas of places to visit and things to do while we were in Perth; they also excitedly told us that we were their first paying guests!

On arrival Tracey and John met us at the rental and showed us into what was to be our ‘home’ for the next 3 weeks. The house was cosy and comfortable and we had kindly been left a ‘survival pack ‘ of essentials, which was much appreciated as we had arrived in the evening with three very jet-lagged and hungry children. There was even a very welcome bottle of wine chilling in the fridge but it wasn't chilling for long!!

The three bedrooms were spacious, comfortable and had plenty of wardrobe space for a family of five. The living accommodation was roomy and had all the mod cons needed to make our stay stress-free. In the lounge/dining room there was comfy new furniture, a large TV (it just a pity that it was wasted on the dire Aus terrestrial stations!!). The bathroom was spacious with a large shower cubicle, bath, and loo plus there was plenty of cupboard and drawer space for all our toiletries, etc.

We noticed that there was air conditioning in all/most of the rooms but as our holiday was during the winter (July/August) we felt that the property would have benefited greatly from having sort of central heating. We managed to heat the lounge quite well with the electric fire but the other rooms were very cold, even by hardened Brits’ standards!!

The kitchen/dining/family room was well fitted out with a double-oven gas cooker, microwave, fridge with freezer compartment and ample cutlery and crockery. There was a large table and 6 chairs and a sofa In the utility room there was a washing machine, large chest freezer (which we found very useful as we were on a budget and could buy food in advance and freeze it, thus also cutting down on the shopping trips). The iron and ironing board provided were also very useful and we were left plenty of linen and bath towels for our three-week stay.

Outside, to the back, there was a large covered patio area with tables and chairs, clothesline, a grass area for the kids to play on and a large garage and a carport with electric door. The whole back garden area was enclosed, making it safe and secure for the kids. The property was protected by a burglar alarm which, on our arrival, John admirably explained how to set and unset!

During our stay in Rockingham we were close enough to all the people and places we wanted to visit and, despite all the winter rain, we had a wonderful stay in Western Australia.

Thanks again, Tracey and John, for helping to make our holiday such a memorable one; hopefully, if all our emigration plans come to fruition, we'll meet again Downunder soon!"

Warmest wishes
Karen, Ashley & the Boys

Changes for skilled visas to Australia

From July 1, 2009 trades people applying to live and work in Australia will be required to meet a higher level of English language ability than before.

English languages ability is assessed by the IELTS (International English Language Testing System), an internationally recognised system for assessing English ability. Prior to July 1, trades people required "vocational" level English to meet immigration requirements, but now must show that they have a "competent" level of English.

The change will make the English requirements for trades skills the same as all other occupations on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL). Research has shown that migrants who are proficient in English have better employment outcomes once they arrive.

Getting a WA drivers licence

If you are a visitor to Western Australia you may drive on your overseas licence until it expires.

But, if you have a permanent residence visa and intend on living in WA you must obtain a WA drivers licence within 3 months of getting your visa.

You must carry your licence at all times when driving and comply with any conditions (where reasonable) that are endorsed on the licence.

To transfer your UK license to a WA licence you simply need to attend a licensing centre complete a form, show your UK licence, have your photo taken, prove your identity, take an eye test and pay a fee.

From our experience I would advise getting to the licensing centre early as queues can get very big later on in the day.

The dpi.wa.gov.au give the following advice:

To transfer your overseas driver licence you must personally attend a licensing centre (payment by Cash, Cheque, EFTPOS or credit card) or a licensing agent (payment by Cash or Cheque only) between the hours of 8:15 am and 3:45 pm Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays).

When attending a licensing centre or agent to transfer your licence you must take the following documentation with you:

• your current overseas drivers licence.
• proof of your identity, one primary document and one secondary document (originals only).
• proof of your WA residential address.
• one document that shows your signature.
  

You must also pay an application fee of $ 36.20 together with the standard $ 36.60 (1 year) or $ 116.00 (5 year) licence fee. (current at July 2009)

You will be required to have your photo taken which will be displayed on your new Western Australian licence.

As the UK is a recognised country the only test you will have to undertake is an eye test, this is taken at the centre at the time you apply for your licence.

Please note that regulations vary state by state and the above is only applicable to obtaining a licence in Western Australia.

To hire a car with competitive rates we have teamed up with AutoEurope to give you a quote.

Air Asia X

It looks like Air Asia are set to give the big boys a run for their money, with no fuel surcharge and no admin fee, their online booking seems simple and user friendly too.

Launched in January 2007 Air Asia X are focusing on the long-haul flights using the same low cost principles as their big sister Air Asia.

AirAsia X’s cost efficiencies are derived from maintaining a simple aircraft fleet and a route network based on low-cost airports, without complex code-sharing and other legacy overheads that weigh down traditional airlines without compromising on safety.

AirAsia X say they are committed in offering X-citing low fares, X-emplary levels of safety and care, and an X-traordinary in-flight and service experience to all our guests - spreading the amazing AirAsia experience to exciting destinations in Australia, China, India, Korea, Japan, Middle East and Europe.

We are looking to get family over to Perth in January, so thought we'd try this out for ourselves.

We managed to get prices for 2 adults and a 2 year old flying from Stanstead to KL, then onto Perth for about £450 each! This included taxes. OK they had to get from Manchester to Stanstead, but the changeovers at KL were great with only a few hours on each leg, and the price was brilliant!

If anyone has actually flown long haul with Air Asia can you post your experience please.

To compare and book flights with all airlines you can now use skyscanner through our site our site http://www.ozhouserental.com/flights.htm

See more of Australia with Qantas from £714*

Thanks Craig for emailing me these details:

Contact Quantas for more information
To celebrate G’Day UK 2009 Qantas are offering an incredible fare that will get you to Australia and fly you to two internal destinations as well.
Sale ends 30 June 2009.

Valid for travel from 15 August to 31 October 2009.
Fly Economy From London - Sydney - Brisbane - Melbourne - London £714*
London - Melbourne - Hobart - Sydney - London £714*
London - Perth - Alice Springs - Adelaide - London £723*
London - Sydney - Ayers Rock - Cairns - London £746*

Alternative fares are available for other destinations and travel periods
Hurry, availability is limited.

ozhouserental has teamed up with Skyscanner.net to bring you an excellent flight comparison tool for planning your trip.
Try it now

Moving abroad and the strain on relationships

This is something that we witnessed first hand when we moved to Perth, Australia; we argued!! Now we never used to argue, but here we were picking at each other for no reason at all, and we're living our dream in a fantastic new country - so why?

We luckily had the sense to take a step back and say 'Hey what are we doing - lets stop this now!' and we did (well pretty much).

We have also seen this with other couples and families moving over here, so my advice would be to be prepared for it, and try to do what we did - stop it before it gets too much!

It was with delight that I found this excellent article that tells me that this, and therefore I am normal! Read on and remember - you're living your dream so enjoy it together.

* Leaving your support network behind
Oftentimes moving to another country means leaving behind your extended family and close friends, all those people you could call up when needed for babysitting duties, a night out on the town, or a shoulder to cry on. As a result, that network can act as a valuable pressure release valve in any relationship.
But in moving abroad there's a good chance you'll be pushed into closer intimacy - or at least proximity - with your partner, especially when you're finding your feet in the early days. You may feel more isolated, or claustrophobic. You may end up being more dependent on each other for your emotional, social and intellectual needs than you're used to. And that can lead to arguments.

* Leaving your job
Your partner may have a new job to go to when you land in your new country, but what if you're the so-called 'trailing spouse'? Will the move mean sacrificing your career, and all the sense of identity, purpose and social position that goes with it?
That can put a great strain on you both, and impact on the ultimate success of your overseas venture.

For example, KPMG's 2008 Global Assignment Policies and Practices (GAPP) survey noted that 34% of the firms that participated said dual career couples increased the chance that their employee's expatriate assignment would end in failure.

* Coping with unfamiliarity
I remember the first time I used the post office when I moved to New York. It was a completely different system to the one I was used to - and the employee I dealt with wasn't particularly sympathetic - so just sending a parcel took much longer than it ordinarily would.

And moving abroad means you'll also have to wrestle with different social security requirements, health systems, utility companies, banks, insurers, local government bureaucracies, tax regimes and a host of other activities that constitute daily life. And if you have to do it all in a foreign language as well then the process becomes that much more complicated.

Then there are the cultural differences you must adapt to - things like social etiquette, timekeeping, the food in the shops, driving behaviour...

Many of these differences form part of the excitement and joy of living abroad - but inevitably they WILL bring frustrations too.

As a result, while living in a foreign country can bring enormous fulfilment and happiness, you're also likely to get edgy and stressed, at least some of the time. And the people we tend to take it out on are our nearest and dearest. In moving abroad then it's even more important to put in the time and effort to nurture your relationships.

Paul Allen is a freelance journalist and writer who has lived in northern Spain since 2003. He is the author of "Should I Stay Or Should I Go? The Truth About Moving Abroad And Whether It's Right For You," a comprehensive e-book guide for people seeking advice on whether or not to move abroad. For more details about the book, and to get lots of free information and advice on moving and living overseas, visit his website at http://www.expatliving101.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_M_Allen

Rental market woes in WA

Miranda Holt in her article from the 'Whingeing Pom' Magazine says
'The rental market in WA takes some time for a Brit to get their heads around.'

.....'Perth’s property market is out of control. Like bees to a honey pot, there are many unscrupulous landlords keen to make the most of the city’s El Dorado status at the moment, running roughshod over poor, innocent Poms with their handfuls of dollars, desperate to find a home to rent. Those new to town, or unwilling to take the plunge into the sales market until they’ve found their feet, have to take their chances with rentals. As ever, reams of unnecessary paperwork are the order of the day which do nothing more than paper over the wildly unregulated and unethical practices doled out by many landlords and estate agents alike. '


Miranda is correct that the market takes time for you to get your head around, but it doesn't have to be this painful. If you have any questions about the rental or property market over here, then drop us a line, John works in real estate (yes he is one of the ethical ones mentioned in the article), and we have had some first hand experience of renting, so maybe we can help you.

read full article

Perth 5th most livable city in the world

CANADIAN and Australian cities account for six of the top ten spots in the Economist Intelligence Unit's latest liveability ranking.

With 100 being the 'ideal' place to live according to the survey, Perth came in 5th at 96.6 alongside Calgary. Melbourne and Sydney also came in the top 10!!

Each city is allocated a score over 5 main areas - stability, health care, culture and environment, education.

I am happy that a lot of people also feel like me about Perth being one of the best places to live - I hope you think so too.

The full ranking is available from the Economist Intelligence Unit.

Shortage of furnished rental properties....Watch this space!

WE KNOW there's a shortage of good furnished rental property in the area, and WE KNOW that it's near on impossible to organise rental from the UK with no Australian credit rating, so.......we are in talks with a couple of property owners to get them onboard the ozhouserental site. The houses are both in Rockingham, so watch this space!

And if you have a rental property in the area and would like to work with us in this unique market then give us a shout and I'm sure we can help each other out. Email tracey@ozhouserental.com

Australian Immigration on YouTube

Australia’s immigration story is reaching a worldwide audience through its YouTube news channel – ImmiTV.

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s (DIAC) ImmiTV channel showcases the work undertaken by staff and highlights events celebrated around Australia such as Harmony Day, Refugee Week, Volunteers Week and more.

ImmiTV channel has been offering audiences an engaging insight into DIAC’s programs and initiatives since it was first launched almost a year ago.

“We don’t expect our clips will necessarily attract millions and millions of viewers online, but we wouldn’t be opposed to them becoming so popular that they did,” the department’s national communications manager, Sandi Logan, said.

“YouTube offers us an opportunity to highlight many of the varied programs and services the department offers to the wider Australian community using material shot for training, corporate videos and presentations, then edited into short TV-style clips, to tell the story.

“Featured clips include the department’s role helping unite Congolese twins separated in a refugee camp, the recent visit to Melbourne by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and several successful migration stories,” Mr Logan said.

The ImmiTV channel is the sister site to the department’s online newsroom which posts broadcast quality audio, video and digital stills material for the media to download and use.
The department’s ImmiTV channel is available at: www.youtube.com/ImmiTV

Lemon curd Recipe

If you're lucky, when you got to the home open below, you might get a chance to take down this recipe from John.
Made tonight for the first time, an adaptation from a recipe supplied by his Mother-in-law, with an input from his Father-in-law that only he will know.

3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
an equivalent volume of white sugar
4 eggs
zest of 4 lemons
150g of unsalted butter

Method:
Cut butter to small cubes, place all ingredients in a saucepan, heat on medium/low heat for approx 7 mins until just about to boil, whilst whisking. (Or stick it in a pan and boil it up)


Too Easy!

Paradise in the Meadows - $499,000 home open Sunday 7 June 2009 2pm - 2.45pm

This 5 bedroom + study home is an example of the fantastic property bargains that are currently available in Rockingham.

Home opening tomorrow at 2.00pm
4 Diamantina Way, Rockingham


Contact:
John Davenport 0410 362 285

For further details please see below


http://www.elders.com.au/branch/listing/listing.php?realist_id=331303&branch_id=473

Survey highlights skills need

More than 40% of Australian employers are struggling to fill positions, according to Manpower’s Fourth Annual Talent Shortage Survey.
Engineers, technicians and machine operators were all in the top 10 list of jobs that employers are having difficult filling.
Nearly 11,500 Australian employers were interviewed as part of the global survey.
“Despite high levels of unemployment in many markets, this year’s talent survey suggests a mismatch between the type of individuals available for work and the specific skills that employers are looking for,” Manpower’s managing director Lincoln Crawley said.
According to Crawley, companies are being pressured to shift their mindset to think more strategically and creatively about how to do more with less and the same approach is being applied to how they manage their talent.
“Employers are looking for ways to accelerate their business strategy with less people. It’s this specificity of skills required in the individuals that employers are now seeking that is creating a sense of talent shortage amidst an overabundant pool of available workers.
“This conundrum is frustrating both employers and individuals,” he said.
According to the survey, skilled trade vacancies have become the most difficult to fill in recent years, moving from eighth place in 2006, to fifth in 2007, fourth in 2008, and second in 2009.
- Australian Mining - 1 June 2009

Ozhouserental gets a blog

Welcome to my first blog. I hope this will turn into an informative site where any migrants, or anyone thinking of migrating to the Rockingham/Perth area of Australia can find useful information, network with others, and generally find interesting stuff.

If you are planning on moving to the Rockingham area, check out our web site www.ozhouserental.com for short term accomomodation for you and your family.