As your departure seems imminent I hope you have the
immigration bit all sorted, I wouldn't advise arriving at
Customs with all that luggage/personal effects on a tourist
visa :-)

fortunately, that has been taken care off, but it was 10 months in the
making ... we were 'with child' you might say ... but now we are proud
owners of a PR visa


I'd expect if you are coming with an associated airline, ie
United + Virgin, you'll get a better hearing, but I can't
confirm this. I used to travel every year from OOL to BDL -
Hartford CT, using United and Ansett, now defunct. I haven't
done so since 9/11 though. I live in the Gold Coast region.

were you from the 'old country' yourself or just a business traveler ...

we're flying United (LAX-SYD) and then connect to a Qantas domestic to OOL
.... unfortunately, Qantas domestic will not make migrant concessions,
however, their excess baggage fee is only $11 AUD per extra bag (up to 4 per
passenger), so we're saved there ... Virgin was too much of a rip-off IMHO
.... the added bonus is that we get to bring our baby's jogger/stroller for
free, this is a bulky piece of equipment and getting it on the flight with
no additional charge is a blessing ...


We know you are travelling with one child from previous
posts, of which you'll agree there have been many. After you
finally get settled I think you owe a good number of
advisors here in this forum a few beers at the local pub! In
fact it might help giving you a new cultural perspective :-)


i do feel like we owe many posters on this as well as other AUS-related
forums ... heck if it wasn't for the Internet we'd never be where we are
today ... i will have to purchase a share of a local brewery to repay all
the advice-debt i've accumulated here ... but i do look forward to squaring
it even )

we're so close i can smell the local N. NSW and S. QLD soil ... see you all
soon on your side of the pond!