non-AP question for my Australian friends

[froggy]

My husband and I are both teachers here in the States and are seriously contiplating moving to Oz.  If anyone could be kind enough to give me any info on good places to teach and live I would appreciate it.  I have two children girls, 7 and 14.  Also, I am trying to figure out the monetary exchange.  I know there are some great AP and ND's down there so I am not worried about that.

Thanks  and sorry for being off topic:D

Froggy:blush:

 

[lulu_melbourne]

Hi there 🙂 Apparently Melbourne is the best city for AP doctors in Australia, so that might influence your choice of potential cities to live in.
I'm originally from Adelaide but have lived and worked in Sydney and now am in Melbourne. It depends what sort of lifestyle you are looking for really. I know that Adelaide is a smaller city with a more relaxed pace, and you are close to the coast and beaches. Sydney is more of an epicentre of activity, larger and fast paced with greater living expenses, and is a tourist hot-spot. Melbourne is also a large fast-developing city, though has a great culture and vibe about it, and is my personal preference out of those three cities I mentioned. Sydney, Melbourne & Adelaide definitely all have varying socio-economic areas from upper class to lower rent.

I saw this article you might like, although it's designed for teachers emigrating from the UK you might still get something out of it http://www.emigrate2.co.uk/jobs_and_money_detail-80.htm

[lynnie_sydney]

Wow Froggy – that's a bit like asking where I should live in the U.S. It all depends on your likes and dislikes. You dont say where you live in the U.S. and what sort of environment you like to be in – or would like to be in. City, country, in or away from the madding crowd, sophisticated, traditional, small population, laid back etc etc. The vast number of people in Australia live close to the coast, the centre is very arid and dry (hence such a small population for such a vast continent). I live in Sydney and I love it. It has all the advantages (for me) of being an international and quite sophisticated city AND is right on the coast (a little like San Francisco). However, everyone has their own reasons for where they live and you'll probably get many different answers. You may find that emigrating here to teach may require you to settle somewhere where they absolutely need more teachers. Have a look at this site:http://www.education.gov.au/goved/go/pid/2844 .You might also go on line and start keying in things like About Australia. Out of interest, what has made you decide you might want to immigate here? Lynnie   

Be well! Lynnie

Palindromic RA 30 yrs (Chronic Lyme?)
Mino 2003-2008 100mg MWF - can no longer tolerate any tetracyclines
rotating abx protocol now. From Sep 2018 MWF - a.m. Augmentin Duo 440mg + 150mg Biaxsig (roxithromycin). p.m. Cefaclor (375mg) + Klacid 125mg + LDN 3mg + Annual Clindy IV's
Diet: no gluten, dairy, sulphites, low salicylates
Supps: 600mg N-AC BID, 1000mg Vit C, P5P 40mg, zinc picolinate 60mg, Lithium orotate 20mg, Magnesium Oil, Bio-identical hormones (DHEA + Prog + Estrog)

[froggy]

I live in Florida's west coast right now.  Grew up in NY and CT.  I love the ocean and my husband likes mountains.  Kids love the outdoors and dance!

Why Austalia?  It's kind of funny.  My husband was watching something on TV and they were outside of Sydney somewhere and he said it looked awesome.  So he startetd doing research.  We have family that loves it there (they still live here in the states though) and I have been talking about teaching outisde of the US for some time now.  Also, my daughter talks about going to James Cook College all the time.  SHe wants to be a marine biologist and from what she has found they have one of the best programs in the world.

So there's a little history and logic to this craziness.  once this RA calms down I spend 90% of my time outdoors, hiking, swimming, fishing, snorkling…..

[lynnie_sydney]

I dont know of John Cook College. I wonder if it's James Cook University which is in Queensland? I know they have a Marine Biology course there. You'd certainly get the tropical type Florida climate there!! If you loved NY, then you may need one of the bigger cities to get some kind of city vibe. Sydney Melbourne and Adelaide all have this in their unique ways – cost of living in the same order I named them! I wasnt born here either and I chose to live here and I absolutely love it. Maybe you could do contemplate a teaching exchange for a year or two and see how you like it. Lynnie. 

Be well! Lynnie

Palindromic RA 30 yrs (Chronic Lyme?)
Mino 2003-2008 100mg MWF - can no longer tolerate any tetracyclines
rotating abx protocol now. From Sep 2018 MWF - a.m. Augmentin Duo 440mg + 150mg Biaxsig (roxithromycin). p.m. Cefaclor (375mg) + Klacid 125mg + LDN 3mg + Annual Clindy IV's
Diet: no gluten, dairy, sulphites, low salicylates
Supps: 600mg N-AC BID, 1000mg Vit C, P5P 40mg, zinc picolinate 60mg, Lithium orotate 20mg, Magnesium Oil, Bio-identical hormones (DHEA + Prog + Estrog)

[JBJBJB]

I don't mean to “hijack” Froggy's topic. I would love to work in Melbourne, close enough from Sydney comparing to US, and “far” enough from Sydney where my family lives. I love my family, but I'd hate to live so near to them, being bossed around by my mother. I love my brother and sisters. They all live in Sydney.  Actually Lynnie met them.

Does colleges and universities pay their faculty well? I guess I would have to contact a research fellow in a Melbourne university first. Oh well, it's a long shot for me. It would be my dream to work in there.

Froggy, what do you teach? Do you have to be licensed to teach in Australia? How does your 14 year old feel about moving to another country? My kids would never want to do that. My husband had a chance to be a “big guy” in Oregon State University, my kids, at that time were 14 and 10, refused to leave. They were terribly sad. So we gave up.

I went to FL several times. You will really LOVE Sydney, Melbourne, and Carins. You will never regret. For all of us who have lungs condition, Sydney is a wonderful place to live.

Cheers!!!

JB

 

[froggy]

Yup, James Cook.  I was trying to go from memory, which is a little foggy these days, should have looked that up before I typed.

Thanks for the info.  I didn't even think about an exchange.  That's a great idea.  I have a couple of friends that just went to Qatar with a two year exchange program.  they love it.

 

JB,

I teach special education.  This year I teach 4th and 5th.  A couple of years ago I taught a kindergarten autistic class.  That's when I found out I had RA.  My husband is an elementary regular ed teacher.  Yes, you do need to be ceritified in Au to teach there.  From what I can tell I have already met the qualifications for a certificate from my schooling and experieince .  I will check further into it in the near future.

As for my girls the 7 yo will go anywhere with us, she does not care.  My 14yo will only go to places she suggests.  Fortunate for us Australia is on her short list.  lol.  How did you end up in Indiana and everyone else end up in Australia?

[JBJBJB]

Do you know what a “hot” career young girls want?  Marine biology!!!

[froggy]

My daughter has wanted to be a marine biologist since kindergarten.  Living in Florida by the coast she gets a good taste of it.  The only time she has even thought about something else is when she spoke to my cousin who is in environmental law.  She thought maybe she could do BOTH!!!!

[JBJBJB]

in case you could not get to Australia, Oregon and Woodnole, MA, have good marine biology programs. My bro-in-law is a professor in marine biology. My 12 year old daughter wants to become marine biologist. Oh well, let's see.

[lynnie_sydney]

JB – you could look up some teaching answers for Australia through the link I pasted for Froggy:http://www.education.gov.au/goved/go/pid/2844. Lynnie

Be well! Lynnie

Palindromic RA 30 yrs (Chronic Lyme?)
Mino 2003-2008 100mg MWF - can no longer tolerate any tetracyclines
rotating abx protocol now. From Sep 2018 MWF - a.m. Augmentin Duo 440mg + 150mg Biaxsig (roxithromycin). p.m. Cefaclor (375mg) + Klacid 125mg + LDN 3mg + Annual Clindy IV's
Diet: no gluten, dairy, sulphites, low salicylates
Supps: 600mg N-AC BID, 1000mg Vit C, P5P 40mg, zinc picolinate 60mg, Lithium orotate 20mg, Magnesium Oil, Bio-identical hormones (DHEA + Prog + Estrog)

[Rockin Annie]

Hi Froggy,

I live in perfect Cairns and have down for 8 years, I orginally moved here from Sydney which is a wonderful place and I loved living there. You have beautiful beaches and beautiful mountains as well and I had family living at in both areas, we were in the middle so enjoyed both. Lots of dancing and night life.

Its was a wonderful place to live, but we were finding it harder to get anywhere fast it was becoming more and more conjested, and the smog was unreal. I have suffered with lung problems since childhood so we decided a cleaner enviroment would be better. So after many holidays and scouting around to find the perfect place. we moved to Cairns, with beaches, and beautiful mountains with rain forests just in short distances from each other, you can actually walk from one to the other, we love it and such a wonderful place to bring up children and the air is so clean! And yes we have the James Cook College and James Cook University in Townsville, 4 hours away.

I haven't been to Melbourne yet, but I am flying down in Feb to see a very good AP doc, as there isin't any that I know of up here, but the dance scene is fabulous.

As Lynnie said, its a big ask as we are all different, and have different needs at different times in our lives. My sister lives on the sunshine coast and is perfect for her there too, she thinks Cairns gets too hot in summer, but I don't like the cold.

I do think its best to rent then go to a few chosen places and see what you like, much better than spending big $$ and then finding out its not want you really want. 

Thats interesting you teach special education and taught class of autisic children as my daughter in law is an Paediatric Occupational Therapist, and has just opened up her own business, she is so busy after only a couple of months, as there is only one other in town.

Its amazing how our kids put the pressure on, I can also remember my daughter telling me where she wanted to go, my son would have gone anywhere, must be a girl thing! :roll-laugh:.

Hope you feel well soon and start to enjoy your outdoor life again………..Annie

 

Diagnosed with RA in 2004, after trying many conventional meds I changed to mino.
2015 changed to doxy 50mgs
2016 went off doxy, after getting double pneumonia and massive flare put myself on 250 mgs Zith & 50 mgs doxy, which I will increase slowly.
Supps, magnesium, NAC, vit c, krill oil, oregano oil, thisylin, turmeric, olive leaf extract, vit B, multi vit.

[Rosemary Perth Aust.]

[user=351]froggy[/user] wrote:

My husband and I are both teachers here in the States and are seriously contiplating moving to Oz.  If anyone could be kind enough to give me any info on good places to teach and live I would appreciate it.  I have two children girls, 7 and 14.  Also, I am trying to figure out the monetary exchange.  I know there are some great AP and ND's down there so I am not worried about that.

Thanks  and sorry for being off topic:D

Froggy:blush:
Sorry that I could not recommend Western Australia as far as teaching is concerned at present, as we have a lot of problems here with the housing etc for our teachers although things are changing.  Otherwise we have the most beautiful beaches and climate. Good idea to ask.
 

[richie]

Hi
I am not Australian but am well aware of many government incentives available to teachers in South Australia and Western Australia –you should look into these closely
richie

[froggy]

Thanks everyone for all the info.  Annie, like you, I don't like the cold.  I am used to hot and muggy Florida summers.  We are having a cold spot here and I hate it!

Now I have to figure out where is the best place for my kids and that we can both afford to teach and own a house.

Thanks again all.

froggy:D

[Author]

Posts