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Cheryl Goodenough

Cheryl arrived in Australia in December 2008. She has extensive experience in journalism, research and writing. After studying at Rhodes University, she started her career at The Witness in Pietermaritzburg and then did a two-year stint with the Helen Suzman Foundation writing for the publication KwaZulu-Natal Briefing. Cheryl then worked independently for nine years. During that time she conducted research on HIV and AIDS, safety and security and other topics; wrote copy for various publications and edited and published numerous documents and reports. She also co-wrote a cookery book called Culinary Inspirations.

Cheryl has an Honours degree in Communication and an Honours degree in Criminology from the University of South Africa. She is married to Phillip Hoare, a financial planner (and a drummer on the side) and they have a son Slade and a daughter Kai.

What did you think about Invictus?
04/02/2010
 
If you've watched Invictus, we'd love to hear what you thought of the movie, and how you felt watching it. Do you recommend it to others?
 
These are some of the comments that have been posted on our Facebook page:
  • Kevin: Liked it, think I'll buy the DVD.
  • Sonti: It was very touching. You feel proud to be a South African when watching that movie. Great performances by both Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman.
  • Brent: Clint Eastwood did a great job in portraying the truth. Think other nationalities will get a sense of how great a man Mandela is and what the Boks accomplished.
  • Tracey: Thought it was really great from a South African point of view – Acting not too great, but can be overlooked by the emotion felt in remembering where we were and [what we] felt on those days! May be a little lost on non-South Africans who don't have the emotional memories. So well-timed just before the World Cup…wonder if [it was] done on purpose? Well done!
  • Kate: I have seen it three times. Loved it!
  • Jaylene: Man…such an inspiring movie!
  • Maryka: What a trip back to my High School years back in the days with President Nelson Mandela. He was a good man! Highly recommended movie!
 
42 comments add comment
Dark Video
28/01/2010
 
We recently received an email from South African author Peter Church. Peter recently wrote a book called Dark Video¸ which has been published in Australia. He’s keen to hear from any of our readers who might have read the book. If you have read Dark Video please give us your feedback here. If you haven’t, we’re just waiting to hear back from the publishers and hope to feature the book soon in SAbona magazine.
 
1 comments add comment
Invictus
14/01/2010
 
The much acclaimed movie Invictus will be soon be on the Australian movie screens. Starring Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela and Matt Damon as Francois Pienaar, and directed by Clint Eastwood, it is said to be a brilliant must watch movie. You can see the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9Ovkye6lac&feature=fvw. If you’re interested in watching this movie, let us know which major cinema complex is nearest to you, and let’s see if we can get groups of South Africans together to go and watch!
 
10 comments add comment
Things to Do in Brisbane
19/11/2009
 
Brisbane author Dianne McLay was the guest speaker at Friday's Sabona Coffee Club that meets at Garden City in Brisbane.
 
Dianne is the author of Brisbane's Best Bush, Bay & City Walks. That book is a guide to 33 walks exploring the riverside, chic urban villages, wildlife reserves, streets rich in history and art, the shores of Moreton Bay and wilderness areas on Brisbane's doorstep. An enthralling speaker, Dianne shared some wonderful ideas about things to do in Brisbane. Her particular focus was on FREE activities. That really is something that I love about Brisbane – there is so much to do that is free, or costs very little. And I'm sure that it's not unique to Brisbane.
 
I'd like to share just a few of Dianne's ideas with you:
  • Explore City Hall: The City Hall is going to be closing [from the beginning of 2010] for restoration for three years. Climbing the clock tower is a great activity for children.
  • Council libraries: Have regular free activities for adults and children.
  • Queen Street Mall: There are free shows, dance, fashion parades, bands and lots more.
  • Outdoor Markets mentioned by Dianne including the Jan Powers Farmers Markets, Riverside Markets on the river at Eagle Street, Chandler Markets, South Bank Lifestyle Markets and Northey Street City Farm and Farmers Market.
  • State Library of Queensland: Has a free play area for young children, traditional games for older children and “The Parlour” for adults.
  • Gallery of Modern Art and Queensland Art Gallery have free activities for children and most exhibitions are free.
For more ideas from Dianne see http://www.brisbanewalks.com.au/.
 
I'd love to hear your ideas of FREE things to do in Brisbane, and elsewhere in Australia.
 
0 comments add comment
Holidays Away From Family
13/11/2009
 
Well, I know that it's not quite Christmas yet. Although looking around the shops at all the Christmas goodies that are on the shelves (and flying off the shelves) it's a hard to believe that there are actually still 40-odd days until Christmas. I've been busy working on the next issue of Sabona which has lots of exciting Christmas gift ideas, has Sabona readers talking about what they would like for Christmas, and includes yummy ideas of things to bake and cook during the holiday season.
 
So, as a result, I feel like I've got way ahead of myself. Christmas is top-most in my mind (not that I've done any of my own Christmas shopping or anything like that!). In fact, a friend phoned today to chat about New Year's plans and I told her that I'd only been thinking about Christmas, and certainly hadn't as far as New Year yet! All of this has also got me thinking and talking about being far away from family and just being somewhere that is a little less familiar, that is not quite ‘home', over this time.
 
Last year was my first Christmas in Oz, but I had only been here for less than a month so life was a bit of a whirlwind anyway! During these coming holidays I'm really fortunate to have family coming to visit. Many people that I've spoken to are dreading being so far away from family and friends this Christmas season. One of the most common responses I get from people to the what-would-you-like-for-Christmas question, is to be with family and friends.
 
Last year I set out to make a special dinner, even though it was just my husband and our young kids. We decided that we would still go to the effort of making Christmas a special time, even though we didn't have a big group of family members with which to celebrate. It felt like an extraordinary length of time before I could wish my family a Happy Christmas (the time difference between South Africa and Oz really is a serious challenge), but for our little family it really was a special day.
 
Do you find it difficult to get through the holidays? Are there some things that your family does in Australia during the holiday season that make things a little easier? Please share these – it may make someone else's Christmas a little easier too.
 
3 comments add comment
Helping Others
16/10/2009
 
Since I started working with Sabona earlier this year I’ve discovered that one of the most wonderful things is how the organisation helps people, and also enables others to help people in need. There’s often a limited amount that Sabona itself can do to assist, but we regard part of our role as sharing information about people in need so that as many people as possible can help in different ways.
 
We’ve started the Sabona Appeals Network to assist people who are in need of various kinds of assistance. Sabona also has a database of people looking for jobs and we allow companies and recruitment agencies to advertise jobs available for free on our website. It’s heartwarming to hear from some of the people that have been helped through Sabona, and you can read about some of them in the next issue of Sabona which will be out in a couple of days.
 
The help that we provide is not only through physically doing things, but also through providing information. We can’t always answer questions ourselves and many queries are somewhat subjective. We believe that people benefit from hearing about the different experiences of others.
 
We really appreciate those of you who’ve taken the time to respond to a few recent queries:
  • The sister who wants to immigrate on a teacher’s skilled visa
  • Bringing a vehicle from South Africa to Australia, and there’s a subsequent request to hear about experiences of bringing a motor bike to Australia
 
This week we have a few new requests:
  • Moira is relocating from Johannesburg to the Gold Coast in December and has asked readers to recommend shipping or relocation companies.
  • Trish is looking at moving to the Brisbane or Gold Coast area after living in Melbourne for a few years. If you live in this area, tell us which suburbs you recommend.
 
17 comments add comment
Teacher's Skilled Visa Query
08/10/2009
 
Can you help our reader with this query?
 
'My sister and her family are trying to immigrate on a teacher’s skilled visa. We’d like to make contact with someone who has done this and who could give us some advice.'
 
6 comments add comment
Brought Your Vehicle to Aus?
02/10/2009
 
We recently received a query from a reader regarding the pros and cons of bring a vehicle from South Africa to Australia. We’d love to hear your experiences. The reader in question has a 2007 Honda Accent lxi-A with only 25,000km on the clock. What’s your advice?
 
25 comments add comment
We love to hear your feedback about the Sabona magazine.
04/09/2009
 
We love to hear your feedback about the Sabona magazine. Please tell us:
  • What articles from the magazine and on our website have you found the most useful?
  • What articles do you remember the most?
  • Tell us about people you know who would be inspiring for you to read about?
  • When you open Sabona, which are the first articles that you read?
  • What do you think about the competitions we run?
  • What else would you like to read about in Sabona magazine, on our website, or in our newsletter?
  • Thinking back to what you've been through since you started your immigration process, what articles would have helped to inspire you and make the journey easier for you?
 
6 comments add comment
Biltong, Boerewors and Lemon Creams
29/08/2009
 
Relatively speaking, my family is really ‘fresh off the boat' as many put it. However, I was a little surprised when my children asked, without any prompting, if I could get some Pronutro when I next visited my local South African shop. We hadn't mentioned it since leaving South Africa and didn't even know for sure that we could get it here.

It got me wondering about whether the longing for South African foods will ever go away. Not that I want it to, but I'm convinced that I currently enjoy some things more now that I'm living in Oz than I did while in South Africa. Perhaps it's the comfort of knowing that they're South African while I'm so far away from ‘home'!

When South Africans meet, the discussions about where to get what things, the latest outlets that have opened, and which boerewors or biltong is the best are common-place. Philip Scott even asked for ideas about how to run an Australia-wide biltong and boerewors competition on Facebook recently!

I relish the biltong and boerewors, but my other absolute musts lemon creams and chocolate logs.

So how long have you been in Australia and what are the SA products that you just can't go without? Tell us here, and if you also have any ideas on running a biltong and boerewors competition we'd like to hear those too!

 
10 comments add comment
To Afrikaans or NOT to Afrikaans?
24/07/2009
 

I've borrowed this title from Philip Scott's column in the upcoming issue of Sabona magazine. The topic for the column was kick-started partly by an email accusing Philip of neglecting his mother tongue (Afrikaans). I'll leave the rest of that story to Philip (and if you want to be sure to get your copy subscribe here now), but the discussion that ensued and has followed, raises an interesting topic as to whether Sabona magazine should include articles written in Afrikaans (with an English translation available on the website).

It's important to us that Sabona caters for its readers so we'd like to hear what you think.

  • Do you think that as Afrikaans-speaking people are a very big part of Sabona's target market we should include articles in Afrikaans?
  • Are you an Australian/English-speaking South African/Zulu-speaking South African etc who reads the magazine and our other correspondences who wouldn't understand articles written in Afrikaans?
  • Do you think that Southern Africans who have moved to Australia need to accept that they need to become more ‘Australianised' and adopt the ‘when in Rome do as the Romans' philosophy?
  • If you are an Australian/ English-speaking South African/Zulu-speaking South African etc, what would your response be to seeing Afrikaans articles in Sabona?
  • If you are Afrikaans-speaking, what would your response be to seeing Afrikaans articles in Sabona?
  • If Sabona's aim is to help Southern Africans settle in Australia, what can Sabona do to further this purpose and how does the language debate impact on this?

Incidentally, as an English-speaking South African from KwaZulu-Natal, my work with Sabona has resulted in me reading more Afrikaans in the last few months than in the past 20 years during which I was living in South Africa (and before which I learned Afrikaans at school). In fact, I'm regretting not bringing my English-Afrikaans dictionary with me (expecting not to have much need for it in Australia), and am probably going to have to ask the next family member who visits to bring one over for me!

So what's your opinion?

 
63 comments add comment
457 Visas
19/06/2009
 
Sabona's Philip Scott started an interesting, and perhaps somewhat controversial, discussion on his Facebook profile this week. He warned anyone thinking of coming into Australia on a 457 visa that it's just not worth the risk.
 
As pointed out in the subsequent discussion, the subclass 457 visa is a temporary visa that (on its own) does not lead to permanent residency.
 
Currently Sabona is trying to assist a number of people who have come to Australia on a 457 visa and have been made redundant. As the visa is linked to the job, these people (and their families) are only able to remain in Australia if they are employed within a relatively short space of time by another company that is willing to provide the sponsorship.
 
Philip says on Facebook that some people might consider it to be a worthwhile risk, but he gets two calls a week from people who have been retrenched or unfairly dismissed, sometimes after three years. Kids are settled into school, a new life has been created and and it's extremely stressful for the whole family.
 
Philip suggests that ex-Southern Africans based in Australia stick together as a community and try and lobby the government to make changes to these visas. He says that perhaps people should be able to take out insurance against being retrenched and that should be a condition of the visa!
 
An agent says in response that it must be the number one priority for anyone on a 457 visa to see a registered agent and put steps in place to get a more substantial visa as soon as possible.
 
What do you think?
 
43 comments add comment
Websites for Job Seekers
07/05/2009
 
We are currently being contacted by a number of people who have been made redundant are urgently looking for work. We are increasing our efforts to help those who are in Australia on 457 visas and will have to return to South Africa if they are unable to find employment and a company to sponsor them.
 
As part of our efforts in this regard, we have found websites that may be useful for job seekers as they have jobs posted.
 
2 comments add comment
Using a migration agent or going it alone
01/05/2009
 
So you've decided that you want to immigrate to Australia, or at least spend a few years there exploring and working and then be in a position to decide whether to apply for citizenship or not…or you're already working in Australia on a temporary visa and you want to apply for permanent residency. The first step is to see what visa options are available and, most importantly for many, find out what the process is going to cost. You see adverts and information about migration agents, but there's also the nagging thought at the back of your mind that perhaps a visa application is something that you could do yourself. How do you make up your mind whether to use an agent, or go it alone?
 
This is a question that we asked Sabona readers. We got a range of responses from people who have used an agent and others who have done it on their own, and advice from the agents themselves. It really is such a personal decision and amongst the most useful responses for those still having to make the decision was the answers that provided some valuable advice about things to consider when making the decision.
 
The website of the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) (http://www.immi.gov.au/) has extensive information about the different options available and also a Visa Wizard that can help in deciding which visa is most suitable for individual cases.
 
Brisbane business owner Shandell Riley says there are so many fantastic migration agents who really add value and make the migration process less stressful. Amongst the aspects that she and other respondents suggested needed to be taken into account were whether you are admin-oriented and feel confident about and comfortable with filling in lots of forms, and secondly whether your application process is straight forward.
 
While it is tempting to include cost as another deciding factor, the other issues are possibly more critical in the long run.
 
With regard to the administrative process, Shandell says that each application has a checklist and, if you work according to that checklist, you can't really go wrong. However, the amount of paperwork can be daunting.
 
Recruitment professional Rialet le Roux says that being very meticulous is an important characteristic for people who decide to ‘go it alone'.
 
With regard to the complexity of your specific situation, Shandell suggests that if you have more than enough points and feel 120%-sure that you are eligible for a visa, then it may be okay to go for it on your own. “However, if you think you may or may not make it, or may or may not be eligible, use an agent. They will know how to submit your application with the best supporting documentation to make your application that much stronger.”
 
Rialet says that people who do not know what visa class to apply for, or who have a health issue (such as a disability) in their family may consider these factors important in deciding to use an agent.
 
Craig Oxford agrees saying that the question to ask is how confident you are that you meet the requirements for the visa that you are applying for. He says the Visa Wizard on the DIAC website is a great tool, but that not all visas can be accessed using the wizard. “If you have any concerns or queries that you cannot get answers for, then perhaps you should use an agent. $2,105 [for the cost of the application] is a lot of money to throw away if you have not read the small print. Although agent's fees aren't cheap, they can be well worth the fee if your application is a complicated one.”
 
An important aspect raised by immigration agents and lawyers who responded to our query is the complicated and often changing regulations relating to immigration. Lawyer Etienne Hugo, who specialises in immigration law, says Australian immigration law is quite complex, confusing and forever changing. “By engaging specialist lawyers to represent you or your business in relation to a visa or sponsorship application you can be confident that you are getting the most accurate advice from professionals who have a comprehensive understanding of the relevant laws and policies.”
 
Migration agent Greg Bowler agrees saying that applicants lodging on their own would not usually know the exact immigration regulations they need to satisfy and would not have access to the policy manual that the decision maker uses to consider the application.
 
“A registered migration agent has access to the full legislation and policy manual to prepare the client's application to provide the best chance of success. Indeed, a migration agent would not lodge an application unless completely satisfied that there would be no reason not to grant the visa. Also lodging a complete application with all the required forms and supporting evidence allows a quicker decision to be made, instead of experiencing delays caused by the case officer requesting further information for processing.”
 
Personal experiences vary. Avril Sellars found going it alone to be a very long, drawn-out and frustrating experience. She says they spent about three years trying to get a visa by going it alone, but then appointed an agent, and within a couple of months they had the visa and were on their way. It cost a lot, but she says it was worth getting an agent. “If we hadn't, I believe we would still have been waiting.”
 
Dion Thomas says that during his experience of moving between different countries he has found that immigration lawyers know the ‘ins and outs' enabling the application process to run as smoothly as possible. In addition, he says the reputation of immigration lawyers rests on them getting a client a visa so they offer a first class service. “No clients means no job for them.”
 
Errol, who has settled in Sydney, says unless you are under 35 years, have a degree that is specified by the DIAC, have the right work experience and can full satisfy the particular vetting agency, it is worth using an agent.
 
He found the attitude at case manager level to be “cold, bureaucratic and brutal”. He says there are applicants who do not qualify who try to take on the system, and as a result case managers are battered by lawyers trying to beat the system. This, he says, impacts on the applicants who try to move through the system with naďve good faith.
 
One respondent said their situation was really complicated and the agency they used was worth every cent. “They had information we had no way of accessing on our own and the biggest plus was that they kept us informed every step of the way, so there was very little doubt or ‘hanging in the balance'. I have heard that many people who go it on their own have no communication with the DIAC once their application is in. They just have to wait it out.”
 
A respondent who asked to remain anonymous used an agent for a work visa, but was convinced by friends to do a permanent residency visa himself. “I was scared as I didn't know the procedure and was afraid I was going to put something wrong in the application and it would prevent me from getting residency. I took the chance, saved $2,500 on agent's fees and got my residency.” He says that the government was great and the people he dealt with were very helpful.
 
“Personally I would say ‘do it yourself'. It's a lot of paperwork, but you save a lot of money and you know exactly what is going on. There are many South Africans here willing to help others,” he says.
 
Another anonymous respondent says they did the application alone and liaised directly with a case officer via email. This saved them from paying a middle man.
 
Another person who did the visa on her own says that it was not so daunting because they were pretty certain they qualified for a specific visa and followed every step exactly as required. “We did it all ourselves, saved a ton and were approved in two weeks.” But, she also advised people who aren't sure which is the best visa category for their circumstances to use an agent. “It's far too important a process to mess up. And they can save you a lot of stress and work.”
 
Vannessa Cushway, who used an agent when lodging one visa and subsequently lodged another visa by herself, said that although using an agent was very expensive she knew the person handling the visa papers knew his or her way around the systems and would ensure nothing was forgotten. Although it was easier to lodge her own visa when she had been through the process with an agent previously, it was time consuming and she had to call the department several times for assistance. “For this reason I would suggest using an agent because you will have peace of mind that all the information needed is there and that the person dealing with your visa has done this many times before. You will also have a direct point of contact for advice or to answer any questions you may have.”
 
If you do decide to use an agent, there are a number of factors to remember. One respondent warns: “There are many unscrupulous sharks out there and desperate would-be immigrants are easy prey.”
 
It is important to select an agent who is registered with the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA) in Australia. In deciding on an agent to use, Rialet suggests: “Approach a couple of agents first, get quotes and find out how they do things. Ask for references and check with MARA whether the agent is registered and whether there have been any complaints against the agent you are considering using.”
 
Rialet also suggests chatting to people who have migrated already, recruitment agencies and networking organisations or discussion forums about the agent you are considering using. “Once you have done extensive research, you will have sufficient information to make an informed decision and you can appoint an agent and engage their service. You pay them a lot of money so make sure that they will be able to deliver,” she says.
 
Useful websites
 
7 comments add comment
The best things about cities and towns in Australia
01/05/2009
 
In fulfilling our mission to provide a positive environment for ex-Southern Africans to help make Australia their home, we'd like to put together information about the best things about cities and towns in Australia. Go to GREAT THINGS ABOUT MY CITY OR TOWN and tell us five great things about the place where you've settled in Australia.
 
To get the ball rolling here are five great things about the Brisbane area:
  1. South Bank beach and water activities area.
  2. Wynnum Park playground and whales.
  3. Ipswich Workshops Rail Museum.
  4. Special tickets for Queenslanders giving cheap access to Sea World, Wet ‘n' Wild and Movie World.
  5. Sabona Business Network and Sabona Coffee Club get-togethers!
 
16 comments add comment
Deciding where to settle - Melbourne vs Brisbane
24/04/2009
 

Looking to relocate to Australia and unable to decide between Melbourne and Brisbane, a writer to Sabona questioned whether to go where family are based (in this case, Brisbane), or where there may be more jobs available (in their view, Melbourne).

Putting the question to Sabona readers we received an overwhelming response. Many emails focused on the kind of criteria that people should consider when deciding where to settle in a new country. Of course, many of the responses are personal opinions. Such a decision really is a very personal one. There are people living happily in both cities, and many people do not have experience living in both cities, making it rather difficult to compare.

Interestingly there were some people who thought that family support should be the deciding criteria, while others said that the job market should dictate.

“Never underestimate the power of a support structure,” said Craig Oxford. “If the two are a close run thing go to your family and friends. Hey, you have just moved 10,000 kms. What is another 1,000kms in a couple of year's time if Brisbane is not everything you wanted in Australia?”

Family and friends were particularly important for Lara Ford, who said that she is not sure how they would have managed without them. “From what brand of washing powder to buy, to knowledge of different schools, areas to live, places to work, and so on.”

Anonymous agreed: “Go to where there are family and friends. A support network is essential, work opportunities are a secondary concern, unless it is an absolute golden opportunity.”

Family and friends may also help in the job search. Russell Williams suggested going where the friends and family are as newcomers need the support. “They will have networks that you can utilise to get a job.”

There were many references to the job market and the current economic situation. Avril Sellars questioned: “Who knows where the best opportunities lie? Her advice: “When it comes right down to it, having a job is just a start. As the present economic downturn has shown, no one should be totally dependent on a job. We should all be looking to diversity our income as much as possible. Australia is a land of tremendous opportunity to set up alternative sources of income.”

Others said that it is really difficult to say whether job prospects in one state are better than in another.

Vannessa Cushway suggested going to http://www.seek.com.au/ and searching for jobs in each city to suss out the opportunities available for relevant professions.

Anonymous believes that Melbourne is more open to employing ‘New Australians' than Brisbane. She said that her son had no trouble obtaining employment in Melbourne five years ago, but later went to Brisbane and battled, even with Australian experience, as he was not born in Australia.

The job market is an important criteria for Lynda Owen, who has been in Brisbane for a short while and has struggled to find a job. She said that one can make friends through work as well as through other networks. “To fly to Brisbane and back to see friends is easy. I would rather have a job.”

Dickie Naidoo agreed: “I think with the global crisis and huge shortage of jobs, let the job dictate where you should stay, and not the lifestyle for now. That should come later when you have got your feet in the door.”

Climate was a key factor for a number of people who have already made the decision on where to settle. Lara Ford said they chose Brisbane because they had lived in Durban and felt the climate, as well as the size and culture of Brisbane, was most similar to Durban.

As far as Craig Oxford is concerned although Brisbane gets pretty hot and humid in summer, it's way better than the howling wind that he used to put up with in Cape Town.

Avril Sellars said that the decision depends on what is important, and if a pleasant climate is a top priority, then “Brisbane wins hands down”.

Mark and Collette chose Melbourne because it was where they had a good friend, but describe Brisbane as too humid, and Melbourne having very extreme temperatures.

Several people suggested visiting each location in person before deciding where to settle, even though a visit is somewhat different to actually living in a city. One writer said that you certainly can get a feel for a city during a visit.

A property buyer's agent Martyn Fleming provided a somewhat scientific response to the question. He did the search on http://www.seek.com.au/ and found:

  • 22,374 jobs in Victoria (of which 20,900 were in Melbourne)
  • 19,628 jobs in Queensland (of which 13,574 were in Brisbane and 1,372 on the Gold Coast)

Then he considered the population for each state (2007 figures):

  • Victoria 5,205,200
  • Queensland 4,182,100

And then calculated that the current opportunities per person are approximately:

  • 4.3 jobs per 1,000 people in Victoria
  • 4.7 jobs per 1,000 people in Queensland

Martyn also provided unemployment figures for March – 5.7% in Victoria and 4.5% in Queensland, while median house prices as at January 2009 were $439,005 in Melbourne and $442,060 in Brisbane.

Based on these figures, he declared Queensland a winner. However, he did caution that it depends on one's trade or profession as opportunities vary between states.

Martyn also stated that late last year Brisbane surpassed Melbourne as having the higher average wage and this occurred at a time when there were significant interstate migration patters, with many residents from Victoria and New South Wales moving to Queensland.

For added measure, Martyn has lived in Queensland and Victoria and said he prefered the lifestyle on offer in Queensland.

In making the personal decision about where to settle, there are range of criteria to consider. Wessel Appel said the decision should involve deciding what type of lifestyle you want: More slow paced or a major city, rain in winter or summer? Can you stand up to the temperatures – hot or cold?

Finally, for added measure, the response from one reader showed how personal the decision is. She suggested settling in Adelaide: “It is the most beautiful city, slow and quiet.”

 
1 comments add comment
Looking for South African Volunteers in Australia
23/04/2009
 
We are looking for Southern Africans who do volunteer work in Australia. Now we realise that you may not want to be in the spotlight, but we would like to tell Sabona readers about the benefits of doing volunteer work, what opportunities for volunteering are available in Australia and highlight the difference that volunteers make.
 
6 comments add comment
Question about shipping
23/04/2009
 
A query from a Sabona reader: “We have one or two larger things and some smaller bits and pieces that we'd like to bring to Australia with us. It's not enough for a container and we are trying to keep the cost as low as possible. What options are available for us to ship the items ourselves?
 
9 comments add comment
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