3 May 2007

Hi there

Well we’ve been here for 5 months now (Leon – 6months) & thought it was time for another general letter. Leon told me to write some of the negative things as my last letter was all good & positive but to be honest, I’ve been wracking my brain & cant think of anything negative except that, for those of you who may ever consider immigrating, its not easy……Everything & I mean EVERYTHING, you’ve ever known in your life in SA, is very different here! It’s also very difficult to leave all your family & friends behind & start all over again & that can’t ever be replaced. As I said to Leon, “If I live to be 100, S.A., particularly P.E., will always be home.”

The Ozzies are different from us & now I see why most Saffers stick together. They sound different, talk differently (including “you’s”), think differently & are just different!! e.g. you don’t just pop in for coffee without an invite or phoning first, birthday parties = no gifts, etc. There’s also a bit of discrimination that we South African have to put up with but we are used to it…..(we had it in SA…there we were too white) I think the Ozzies feel threatened by us (especially in the workplace) & also there’s the sport factor!!

Banking is different…. better but still different. E.g. Phone Banking – I just phone our bank & transfer money from one account to another or pay accounts. (Obviously using a pin no. & phone key pad). Everybody uses Eftpos (Debit cards) & can get “cash-out” which they add to your bill & give you the cash so very seldom go to an Auto teller (auto bank) to draw money.


Grocery shopping was different at first but I’ve got to know all the different brands & have found some very nice alternatives. As I mentioned previously, everything is available for your convenience, even cheese toast – all you have to do is grill it. I must be honest, I still buy good old Tastic rice, when I find it (R20 – 1kg) as the rice here is a hassle to cook. Like Basmati, so has to be cooked half way, washed & then cooked again in clean water. There are a few places that stock SA foods & one online called SATOOZ, who deliver to your door but it’s very expensive.


Driving has been a bit of an adjustment as here, pedestrians have right of way & just step out onto the crossing & walk. Not like in SA, where you have to stand & wait until someone stops or risk being knocked over. Busses also have right of way & you have to let them in as they just go….a bit like SA taxis. The only difference is here, you are at fault, if you hit one. If you are in a turning lane, you can only turn when you get the green arrow, which comes 1st & not last, as in SA. The cops are always out in action, all times of the day & night, doing breatho’s or speed checks, even in back streets. As I told you, last time, people on a Provisional license (under 25yrs or license for less than 5 yrs) = 0 alcohol tolerance, which is great as I don’t have to worry about Andrew drinking & driving or the risk of him being wiped out by a drunken driver is minimal. The cops usually do Breatho’s early in the morning, so even if a Prov. Driver has had a heavy night, the night before, it could register some alcohol which is big trouble = huge fines & license suspended. Once we are perm. Residents, we have 3 months to have our drivers licenses converted (written test & road test). They only recognize British licenses….probably think we bought ours in Africa!! We girls are not charmed!!


The best is the freedom to walk, shop & live without any fears of being robbed, mugged, raped, murdered, etc. It still feels weird for us. The other day, we went shopping in Leon’s Ute (bakkie) & put all our groceries including a case of beer, on the back of the Ute, which is open. We then drove to another shopping complex, left everything on the back of the Ute & when we got back, it was all still there, including the beers!! On Friday, I ordered some stuff from SATOOZ & it was delivered to our door, today. I was out, so the box was left on our doorstep & that’s happened a few times. No fear (No worries – as the Ozzies say) of somebody stealing it!! Can you imagine that in SA?

Andrew completed his 3 months probation last month & received $1800 (approx. R 10 800) tool voucher, so is very chuffed with his new tools. Torgas will deduct $15 per week, off his salary, for the duration of his apprenticeship but pays it back to him at the end of each year. This is in case they don’t complete their training. So by the time he qualifies, he will have received all the money back & gets to keep the tools, so it’s like a forced form of saving. He also gets $800 (R4800) for tools, from the Government at the end of this year – for tools & $500 (R3000) cash bonus at the end of his 1st, 2nd & 3rd year – all incentives for the guys to do trades as they are in great demand & as you know, in short supply.

The weekend, we bought a genuine “braai”. They call it an “Avid Outdoor Fire Pit”. Leon says this gas Barbie’s not for him & doesn’t taste the same. I must admit, the meat did taste great. Leon was a bit out of practice w.r.t. stacking the wood, etc but finally got it going. Have put a photo of it, on the blog. Actually, quite a nice ornament & comes with a mesh dome/cover so the ash doesn’t blow around & beats cleaning the gas BBQ after every use.

Medical treatment is very expensive & as we are not permanent residents, do not qualify for Medicare so have to pay up front for treatment & claim back from our Expat Medical Aid, which takes about 1 month. 3 x fillings cost Leon - $405 (R2490). Dr’s charge according to the length of the consultation - $50 (R300) - $70 (R420), so you don’t sit & talk about the weather!!

Government departments are great & very jacked up. Jan & Dave went to Immigration, the other day, to have their visas cancelled & to collect their Perm. Residence which, took about 20 minutes in total. Nothing like Home Affairs!!

Since my last letter, we’ve learnt some new Ozzie terminology & to know what they are saying, you have to learn the lingo:
Hooters = tits
Good-bye = See ya lata
Hello = How ya going?
Working overtime = working back
You = you’s
Booked off sick – copping a sickie (they believe you must take all sickie days, like accumulative leave)
What’s happening = what’s the go?
Shitty = it’s pretty ordinary
Not good = f!@#n wrong
Good = F!@#$n beautiful
Just now = means immediately to them
Now, now = means right now
Good = spot on


Jamie has settled in at his new school & is doing well considering he was bumped up a year. He is in Year 10 (Gr 10/Std 8). Schooling here is different, in that they don’t do “waste of time” type subjects & are being prepared for the real world. All teachers give extra lessons everyday, after school. He has also joined a very nice Youth Group, which he attends on Friday nights. Last week, they went Ice-skating. He’s a bit put out about Paintballs, as here you have to be min. 16yrs of age. Jamie says he misses the Boardwalk & Walmer Park Friday night jol – here they don’t socialize & no sleep-outs except with his ex SA friend. Nearly forgot, he now has a girlfriend. Also ex SA but been here since she was 6yrs. Her name is Michelle & I believe her Mom also still calls traffic lights, robots, like me.

For an “English only” speaking country, their grammar & spelling is bad. They spell their & there as – there for both; often leave off the “ly.” e.g. It was done proper; See you later = See you’s lata; 4x4 = forby; Day shift = Dshift, etc.

Leon is enjoying his new job which involves a lot of travelling up & down the Gold Coast & Sunshine Coast. Check out the Ute on our blog. Really looks weird. Most bakkies look like that. They remove the back & replace it with an aluminum tray. Another thing, here you may not carry passengers on the back of a Ute. The law states – “no safety belt = no ride”. That also applies to passengers in cars at the back. 3 safety belts = 3 passengers only. He has been issued with a straw hat with bright orange reflective material for working outdoors on sunny days & the most hilarious hard hat with a brim & neck flap for the mines. Still trying to get him to take photos & put on the blog.

I never thought I’d miss, you know who, but I would give anything to have my char again. The cleaning, washing & ironing is the pits!!! There are cleaning & ironing companies here but charge an arm & a leg so have to grin & bear it!!

Australia is in a very serious drought & we are now on level 5 water restrictions. The Government is frantically building pipelines to supply re-cycled water & de-salinated water to our local dams. Just hope that it doesn’t end in a huge flood, like in P.E.

Australia is also big on “Climate-change” & is constantly researching alternative forms of sustainable energy & give house-owners huge incentives / rebates to have solar energy panels fitted to their homes, convert cars to run on natural gas, etc. Public transport is promoted & pretty cheap & people are encouraged to use them or to have lift clubs. We have designated lanes called T2, T3, and T4, which means that you can only travel in that lane if you are 2, 3 or 4 people in the “Ka” (car).

The cost of living here is very high & although salaries seem high when converted to SA Rand, it’s all relative to what you spend. As I mentioned previously, cars & appliances are cheap but houses, rentals, food stuffs & luxuries are expensive.

Last Wednesday, was Anzac Day, which is huge in Oz. Ozzies are very patriotic!! Anyhow, we took a drive to the Gold Coast & stopped at the biggest garage (servo) I’ve ever seen. It has a shop, Mc Donald’s, Nando’s, Flame Grill & Mc Bean coffee shop. The petrol forecourt had 60 petrol pumps, which were all full & a separate trucker’s area with another 30 odd diesel pumps. In the time we were there, all the pumps were engaged & all self service. They are probably pumping over 4 million lt’s per month! The amazing thing is that everybody helps themselves & then goes into the shop to pay. No free-loaders. Although there are security cameras, in case you ride off without paying, we’ve never heard or seen it happen. Ozzies work on an honesty basis. I’d hate to have a self-service servo in SA…you’d be bankrupt in a week!!

I suppose you’ve all read our blog on Fraser Island. Well, needless to say, we girls were not happy campers, so next time we go, we are going to hire a house & another holiday we are planning sometime, is to hire a house boat on the Gold Coast.

Anyhow, to my support team back home, I want to tell you that I have a wonderful friend, Jan, Dave’s wife, who has been my rock. I would have been lost without her. Dave has also been an awesome friend & it’s so nice to have friends like them!! Dave & Leon are like 2 naughty school boys, always scheming on something and refer to Jan & I as the Government who they need to pay serious taxes to get approval for their schemes.

Well folks, that’s all for now. Keep the emails, sms’s & photos coming. It helps to shorten the distance between us.

Love to you all.

Debbie, Leon, Andrew & Jamie