h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So, J has ben sort of offered a new job. It is in Melbourne. We don't have all the details yet, but would be for a company one of his former colleagues went to work at. Sounds like the sort of work he would like and the pay is reasonable (not stellar, but not bad either - about the same as here but then factor in losing my earnings...), and housing within a reasonable commute should, just about, be affordable.

This is the most exciting thing that has happened to us for ages and am really up for the opportunities this may give us, and we are starting to investigate all the stuff we need to investigate - about 80% of this task is finding out what that is.

I'm nervous about being so far from my support systems, friends and family, but pleased we may see more of J. I am nervous about how the boys will cope but assume, being so young, they will just take it as the adventure it is.

Will be trying to get there for a week soon to see if we like the feel of the place and find out where we might like to live if we go for it.

Interesting times

That is exciting. Every Brit I know who has spent time Over There has nothing but praise for it.

Go for it!
It's not the things you do that you regret - it's the things you don't do.

I've visited Sydney, it rained so heavily and for so long that I didn't actually get to see most of the sights most people want to see there - no Blue Mountains, no three sisters, no Harbour Bridge walk. I then went to Ulhuru (it rained so healvily I couldn't see the 'sky free from light pollution' or the sunset over the rock). This was mid-summer mind.

Was sunny in Perth, but what a dull city!

Melbourne sounds ok though. Lifestyle-wise it sounds good.

I can feel myself making plans, I shouldn't really because until things are signed and J hands in his notice it could still not happen. But what an opportunity!

My feelings exactly T, and if we hate it, or the boys don't get on then we can just come back again. But we'll have tried it!

(oh for an edit button) ...AND I'll have quit the job that is slowly killing me, so whatever happens my life will be better.

it sounds like an absolutely wonderful opportunity.

Don't underestimate how much you will miss your support systems though - but it's got to be worth it for being able to pack your job in, surely?

If I was in your position kelli, I'd jump at the chance of a move to Melbourne. I've heard only good things about it, including from an old schoolfriend who's been living there for about 10 years. The quality of life in Oz is pretty nice.

And they drive on the correct side of the road

Oh, this sounds very exciting!

Good luck with the research. I'm sure you will manage to build a new support system there.

I was just thinking... oh no, Kelli's leaving. Then I remember this is the internet and of course they have that in Australia too... Silly Mina.

It sounds great, some of my family live out there and love it, although they put my dad off going when they were selling £10 fares (or something along those lines) which I often think is a shame.

Sounds blooming marvellous! Hope it works out for you!

FB

Melbourne is wonderful.

Hope it all works out for you

From visiting Melbourne - twice I think - it's a very mice place. , hope it works oit and well.

Kelli, I'm with everyone else. It sounds like a wonderful opportunity for all of you.

Yay! Lucky you!

PERFECT opportunity to get the kids into a school of your choice as well.

B

Was so hard not to burst out with it at work today! We need to make a decision asap so I can hand my notice in...

I'm not sure what the factors are that could scupper this - am sure there are some but can't think of them.

Just as J *finally* got around to finishing the summer house and we finally got the wallpaper murals up for the boys (t'Boy has an entire floor-to-ceiling wall of under-the-sea with sharks and rays and turtles and a sunken galleon and treasure, E has an enitire wall of dinosaurs. Have wanted those for *ages* (really want the space one for my room but J says I can't have it <pout&gt so we finally get them up and will almost certainly have to paint over them to let the place! And we only put up our solar panels in June so although we will carry on getting the feed-in tariff we won't get the free leccy which we had factored into our equasions. And I finally planted my fig tree and apple trees in the garden (at least they will be well established if we decide to come back in a couple of years.

Will have to re-home the chickens.

All those things aren't that important though, what an adventure!

*throws two closing bracket upwards - doesn't really matter where they go so long as one is after the first opening one and the other is after the last opening one. Feel free to parse it however you want*

k <- too excited for good punctuation

That is exciting news! I do hope it works out well for all 4 of you!

You can factor in free leccy into your rent? Or you might be able to find a company who'll buy it all from you so the new tenants have to pay for what they use?

Well it is more limiting for the tenants because they can't switch so easily, and have a narrower choice of tariffs.

Their leccy won't be totally free, just that anything they use while it is being generated will be free - so always do the laundry during the daytime, for preferance. All I meant was we had factored in some free electricity for our use when we were working out how long it would take them to pay for themselves, and now it will take longer.

The way the solar panel work is that you get paid for generating the electricity in the first place, then you can use it yourself for free which reduces your bills - obviously you don't generate anything at night so you are drawing power from the grid then which you have to pay for, but anything you use on a bright sunny day is free.