Property in Western Australia

Lets face it Australia is a dream for many -the sand and beachs are a siren call for those who live in either colder or more dangerous cilmates. Its amazing to me living in Perth just how few people living in this dynamic town of 1 million people were actually born here – very few indeed.

The biggest immigrants are of course Aussies from the Eastern states – the Victorians and Tasmanians prefer the sun in the west and many more come because of the continual demand for workers in the mining industry which is still booming on the bck of the latest huge project – the enormous Gorgon gas field offshore the northern part of the state.

So all these new comers where are they going to live? Well in generally in pleasent but over-priced property. Perth is a new town so there are few slums or bad neighbourhoods – though I rather suspect some of the developers specials – 20-30km from the CBD without facilities are going to be the social problems of the future.

If I was going to invest in Perth property I would look for property near the beach, near the CBD or up in the hills if you like the rural thing.

Camping Lights

Choosing the right camping lights will make your Australian bush camping experience a much better one. You need to have a number of different camping lights for different purposes – and fortunately there is now a huge range of lights available – none of which cost that much money. There are  solar camping lights which makea lot of sense given the amount of sun most of Australia gets! The newer LED camping lights are also really useful as they are exceptionally light and don’t drain the battery very quicly. Some people camp with a generator – which often won’t make friends with the neighbours – but it does give you more options for lighting and other electrical requirements. Many camping lights can be simply recharged from the car when you are travelling though – getting away from the generator requirement.

Buying Overseas: Think of the Issues

Many people move abroad experienced home owners. Normally you are used to owning your own home so if you migrate abroad the instinct is to quickly buy your own piece of your new country. This may not be the best move, however. Moving overseas can be a big step forward financially but think about your property purchases carefully.

Reasons Not to Buy Immediately

You don’t know that you will stay. Not every immigrant stays in their new country. Not every migrants “stick”: some quickly return home for many reasons. Its more flexible to rent until you are sure about your overseas move. If you sell in your home country and buy in your new country and then have to sell again – you will probably lose significant amounts in fees and commissions even if the property prices have remained stable or increased.

You don’t know the property market. Your unspoken assumptions put you in a weak negotiating position. For example an Australian wouldn’t buy a family home in many parts of a Australia that did not provide a shaded outdoor entertainment area. An immigrant from a cooler climate may not see the problem with a north-facing exposed courtyard until they have moved in.

You may decide on a new neighbourhood or even state. Renting gives you the flexability to move with a few week’s notice. You may rent initially in your desired area only to change your mind 6 months down that track buy in a different area.

Renting initially also means that you may not have to buy all the appliances and furniture you didn’t bring with you. Renting a semi-furnished home initially can be a good way of spreading the set-up costs involved with yourmove overseas.

Depending on if you are on a short-term visa or not will affect the property choices open to you. Waiting until you have permanent resdiency will increase your property buying options

Renting for 6 or 12 months will give you time to establish a credit history in your new home which will make it much easier to finance a property purchase

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Harry’s first flight on his broomstick

Fans of Harry Potter will remember when Harry made his first broomstick flight , launching himself from the Hogwart’s lawn.Well for the film location they chose Alnwick Castle.

In fact the Castle was used for both these films

2002 - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint; directed by Chris Columbus

and

2001 - Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint; directed by Chris Columbus

You can see a picture of the Hogwart’s lawn, here (Alnwick Castle), however if you would like to visit the castle then there is rental accomodation available nearby.

Film buffs might also be interested to know that Alnwick Castle was also used for the following films with a quite distinguished list of actors and actresses over the years.

998 - Monk Dawson
Directed by Tom Waller. Rhona Mitra and Martin Kemp co-starred

1998 - Elizabeth
A Working Title production with Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush and Christopher Eccleston

1991 - Robin Hood Prince of Thieves
Alan Rickman and Kevin Costner starred

1982 - Ivanhoe
Starring James Mason alongside Anthony Andrews

1979 - The Spaceman and King Arthur
Walt Disney produced with Kenneth More and Jim Dale as co-stars

1971 - Mary Queen of Scots
Starring Vanessa Redgrave and Glenda Jackson, again produced by Hal Wallis

1964 - Becket
Starring Richard Burton and Peter O’Toole, and produced by Hal Wallis

Perhaps we should also say a little about the history of the Castle.

The earliest parts of the castle were built by Yves de Vescy the Baron of Alnwick in 1096, just 30 years after the Battle of Hastings. To try and put the age of this castle in perspective remember that it was built a generation before Ghengis Khan was born!

The Castle has a truly unique atmosphere. Part of this is probably attributable to its age but also there is the architecture and layout. The high walls with their carved stone figures create a strange, otherworldly atmosphere and you can begin to understand why moviemakers so favour this Castle.

Moving Overseas – Why do People Go?

Moving abroad seems to be a growing trend. It seems like entire populations are taken by the idea that the the grass is greener and heading to further shores. What’s driving thise trend?

Work and career opportunites seems to be the most common answer when people are asked why the are considering migration abroad? There is great demand for skilled immigrants in countries like Canada, Australia, Middle East and East Asia. Pay rates appear way better away from their own country seems much higher than what they are used to getting on their own nation. For them, moving abroad is a dream that comes true.

The Middle East has an enormous demand for skills ranging from engineers to chefs to secretarial support people. There are many British, American and Filipino Nationals who have decided working professionally oversease is as a worthwhile career move. There is also a huge demand for laborers in the construction industry. Many semi-skilled occupations including brick layers and metal workers as well as skilled professionals have moved to greener pastures.

In the Middle East, hospitality services are big in the market for job seekers today. Hotel staff like bellboys, chambermaid, receptionists and restaurant workers are very much needed in Dubai, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Of course, let us also not forget the ever continuing demand for Engineers and Architects in these oil-rich countries.

On the other hand, East Asia is now open for English Language Teachers. There is a great numbers of Chinese, Koreans and Japanese students now leaving their countries to learn English and for those who can’t afford it create the demand for English Instructors in their own contries.

Your family will be split by moving abroad. Initially of course makeing a beter life for your family is your reason for considering immigration. Bring your families with you when you decide to work abroad. You will find that it will be less lonely and more meaningful to see them grow with you.

Planing an Australian Move

Why Australia?

Australia is a great place to live in. Its a hugely popular destination with many hoping to immigrating to Australia Australia is a vast area of undisturbed land waiting to be developed. Immigrating to Australia is not a problem since it is not yet as congested as similar economically prosperous countries. It is a good venue to raise growing children and a wonderful setting to start your lives. Many people have considered moving to Australia and a lot of them have become successful in this regard. The climate is a big pull to for people who have seen the beaches and heard of the long hot summers.

When thinking about what to do first when planning to move to Australia, always include all aspects that will affect you and the people you will be bringing with you. These are factors like monthly overhead expenses, accessibility to necessities, and jobs.

To calculate your overhead expenses you should establish the cost of living in Australia. It is entirely different from your country of origin. If you are moving from America you will quite likely be surprised at the cost of things like dining out and night clubs are. It is very cheap to dine out in Australia and if you are a mighty eater, this is the place you should be. In Asian countries, it is expensive to buy meat compared to vegetables and poultry. In Australia, meat is very cheap but clothing and electronic gadgets are much expensive compared to buying them in Asia.

Availability of necessities varies from hospitals, schools, establishments and even churches may vary. You will rarely lack sports grounds anywhere in Australia If you are some of the people who need these around you, choose a place with plenty of them at your reach. As far as jobs goes, there is nothing to worry about. There are plenty of these. This is actually why people pursue moving to Australia more and more.

Australia Movie: Nicole Kidman Hot Pics

Nicole Kidman is looking pretty good in the new pics released for the mounting publicity campaign for Baz Luhrmann’s new film Australia. Filmed across Australia the film features Nicole Kidman and HUgh Jackman in pre-WW2 Darwin and Kidman’s cattle station in the remote Kimberleys. Sure to be a winner when its released Tourism Australia is running a visit Australia marketing push hoping to do well from the publicity generated by Kidnman and Luhurmann in Australia. Read more about Australia Movie

Moving to Australia?

Moving overseas is a big step for any person or their family to take. Moving to Australia is for many people literally moving to the other side of the world. Australia is a wonderful country but its not perfect: lets face it no where is! Do you want to move to Australia for the right reasons. Emigrating to a new country can have inter-generational consequences for your family.Read more about moving to Australia