Been a while

No kids .. You throw them overboard ....

Shark bait!!!

Well done mate...The best move you'll ever make, especially for the kids.

YAY :cheers:Congratulations!!

Yill probably be offered a country/regional posting to start...

... Carnarvon has it's problems and issues but overall is a pretty good place to live - just sayin'

Wherever you end up - WELCOME to WA and Good Luck

Hope to meet you up here when you eventually explore the coast

Thanks!! Very exciting times ahead.

We've been told that we'll be posted South Metro/South East Metro initially. Minimum tenure of 2 years, unless we ask to 'go country' within that 2 years. Some country posts can be quite lucrative, with subsidised/free housing and bills, plus extra pay. Big decision, especially with the 2 children, but if we do it, it'd be better to go before Alex starts High School I think?

Got most of the paperwork sorted. Needed a driving licence check, bankruptcy check and, of all things, a police check! Also got to have a full medical which I'm hoping to get done next week.

It's as much for the kids that we're doing this, the UK is not a good place to be anymore!

While on, is it worth bringing my 'freshwater' fishing gear over? I know it's not big over there, but will the reels/rods be any good for salt water fishing. May be difficult to get them passed customs though as everything has to be spotlessly clean!

You wouldn't imagine you'd have too many problems with fishing gear. They (quarantine) would probably want it steamed or some other form of deep cleaning. I dunno if your coarse gear would be useful but other freshwater spinning gear would be fine over here.

If they make it too painful leave it there and I'll set you up with a couple of combos as a welcome to ooorrstraleeaa assuming you don't want anything too bloody fancy LOL.

I think with the coppers if you opt for a country posting you then get your choice at a later date. I suppose you'd have to consider where the country post is. It'd be tough on the family if you got Marble Bar or somewhere like that first up. 40+degrees    for 6 months in a row would put them off bloody quick I imagine.

Lez

Thanks Alex, I know someone who'd gratefully take the fishing gear off us!! We're getting the shipping companies out to quote soon so will take advice from them about whether it's worth taking the stuff or not.

I watched an episode of a cop programme which was showing Kalgoorlie. I don't think I'd be forgiven for moving the family there. Broome is an option, but very popular and hard to get. Once you've done a country posting you do get your choice of next posting, or at least top of the list. Something we'll consider.

Depending on where the country posting is it could be an eye opener :-)

Dealing with the natives on an everyday basis is not something i would like to do. 

I'd also not working the Northbridge beat either. 

Esperance, Albany, Pemberton, Manjimup, Donnybrook would be some places worth going to.

Not sure how Lez got translated to Alex, but thanks LEZ!!

Broome...Geeze that'd be a hardship

It would, that's why it's very hard to get there!!!

Hard LOL... If you were arresting 'Horse' or 'Tripod' for exposure outside the boundaries of 'nude' Cable Beach ..

You could get bogged in their furrows ;-)

Nice Baldy!!!

It's all official now. Sent all of my paperwork over on Monday night, had an initial email back saying it had been received and that my medical had been signed off by their physician. They were hoping to get back to me by Friday. Another email arrives a couple of hours later, file finalised and could I start on January 20th?! That is just too soon for us to get everything arranged and get over, so I phoned this morning and spoke to recruiting and explained this. Completely understood, and I now have a provisional space on the course in April.
So, full steam ahead. Passport to apply for, Katie's visa application to finish and send off, with payment (about £2,500 incl kids!!) and get house sold/rented and shipping arranged.

Now, does anyone have any ideas about holiday rentals south of Perth? We'll be looking for one for about 6-8 weeks while the container is making its way across, and then find an unfurnished longer term rental, probably around Baldivis, Secret Harbour etc. My options for posting after the course are all South areas. Don't want a massive commute, but will suffer the agony of one while training at the academy in Joondalup.

So, get the beers chilling, and the rods ready. We aim to arrive about 3-4 weeks before my course starts, so mid March at a guess. We want to have a bit of time for ourselves, find a school for Alex, get a car and sort all of the mundane stuff that has to be done when arriving in a new country.

Look forward to seeing you all/some of you soon.

Sorry did someone say south of Perth .... Baldivis.... Does anyone know who this person is ....  
  

:-)

Start date has now been confirmed. I'll be starting at the academy on 31st March, 2014!!! Can't wait, getting very excited now, but mixed with some feelings of trepidation too. We are looking at arriving 3-4 weeks before I start, so if any of you will be around Perth, be great to catch up.

Good luck with it Greg, see if you can get posted to Rockingham, the place is going stupid with crime all to do with the meth heads & ferrals living here. 

As a copper your going to get very frustrated catching these dick heads only to see them out on the streets the next day ....

Sounds prettying like what's happening here Baldy. We got a bloke with 8+ kgs of white stuff the other week. He got bailed and promptly got a plane out of here expecting a sentence of 10+ years! Others we've put away with sentences of 10+ years are getting out in 4! Can't see the point. Oh well, it's only work and it pays the bills. Went to Aus house last week and new passport will be with me early in the New Year. Then went and opened a bank acc with WestPac, cards arrived yesterday, from Australia! I wouldn't get that service in the UK!!! Also opened a GBP WeatPac AC and can transfer GBP straight into it and they will then exchange it and put it in our Aus AC. Great service.
Away in France from Sunday for 8 days, with friends for Christmas. 5 days at their houses and 3 nights at Disneyland Paris. Then back to fill steam ahead for the move. Likely to be flying out second weekend in March.

Fuckn stupid ... 8kg and get bail, if I was the judge they would get the death penalty ... Given that choice or 20 years the small fry would soon start dobbing in the big guys ... The big guys would definitely be put down ... 

Will catch up for a g'day when we can. I can pump you for info on our planned trip to UK / Europe towards end of next year.

Sounds great. Look forward to t.

Gregster - do you do Facebook at all??

I can put you in contact with another Pommie copper import family who are living in Baldivis at the moment to chat and perhaps further look for accommodation ideas etc...  They were posted here in Carnarvon for a while

Best of luck with you packing, uplift and final settling

It's the final countdown! T minus 19 days!! Flights booked, shipping arranged, passport in hand and Katie and children have got 12 month visitor visas while the spouse visa is being processed (7-8 months!!) we arrive on the afternoon of 9th March, have got a furnished holiday rental sorted in Baldivis, probably got a car sorted too! My district for work has changed too. Now got Peel. Don't know which station yet though. Will be commuting to the academy in Joondalup for 13 weeks.
Getting pretty excited now and doing some 'lasts'. Alex had his last rugby training yesterday. My last week at 'work' this week and then 2 weeks off sorting out the house and visiting family and friends.
See you soon.

Good news that all is falling into place, let us know when your here and settled and we can catch up say g'day.

So, we're here. Coming up just about 4 weeks. Had a manic first week getting a car, kids seats etc, sorting phones some kind of Internet and trying to stay awake at the right times! Settled down a bit in week 2 but got Alex into a school which he started at the beginning of week 3 and viewed a couple of rentals. Went for the second one we looked at. Really nice, brand new 4 bed place and we cannot wait to get into it. We get the keys on 17th April but May be living on the floor for a couple of weeks until our container arrives and furniture we've ordered is ready for delivery.
Alex has settled into school really well. He's at Makybe Rise in Baldivis and has made new friends very quickly. He scoots to school while Katie and Clodagh walk. Really nice for them to be able to do it.
I was lucky enough to be invited out with Gordon on his boat last Friday. Early start, but had a great day. Caught a good few fish, some went back, some became bait and some went into the tank. Hope to be invited back again but going to the coast tomorrow with Gordon and Jenny to have a chuck in and see what we get. Need to see what kind of gear I need to buy here and where's best to get it. Had a look in BCF today while getting some other bits. It's a mine field!
I started at the academy last Monday. Nice to be earning again, rather than spending all the time. It's expensive this moving lark. Nothing too taxing last week, mainly intros and dos/don'ts! Fitness test thrown in for good measure but no problem.
Anyway, I'm up and running with a phone. For those that don't have the number, if you want to message me, message me and I'll gladly pass it on. Hope to meet you all at some point. Once we're in the new place we will look at a house warming if some kind.

We're moving into the new house today so will out an invite up on here for those close enough, or want to travel, for a BBQ and a beer soon.
Academy going well. Nearly at the end of week 4. Legal exam last week which I managed to scrape through with 90%!!
Container has arrived in the country. Just got to clear customs and quarantine.
Watch this space.