Last winter we spent a very enjoyable weekend in Canberra and shared our Canberra discoveries in A weekend in Canberra – excitement and education for kids. We recently had another short break in Australia’s capital city and had more fantastic family fun.

Many Sydneysiders we chat to are dismissive of Canberra, but we’ve been impressed with the things to do and places to see, and it’s very easy to get around. Yes, the grid-style layout of the city isn’t exactly … Read more

Continuing our series on Australian relocation: State capital city links and websites, today we’re sharing the love for online resources that help families who are relocating to Perth, the state capital city of Western Australia.

Perth has always been a popular location for relocating Brits – known to be Australia’s sunniest city, the contrast with the UK climate is stark. Being a relatively short flight from South Africa it’s also a popular destination for South African immigrants.

Here is … Read more

When I started blogging I read books providing tips for new bloggers. One of the tips I read said that bloggers should avoid “ranting”. The author said that it’s fine to discuss challenges you are facing but if a blog turns into a constant rant about poor service, or the difficult times an individual is having, readers will switch off.

Avoiding the odd rant has been something I have tried to stick to on this blog. Mum’s gone 2 Aus… Read more

If you have are reading Mum’s gone 2 Aus you have probably sat down, after the kids are in bed, to embark on some research about your family relocation to Australia. You will be hoping to move one day, or maybe you have already obtained your visa and confirmed your relocation date.

Whatever stage you’re at with your family relocation to Australia, Mum’s gone 2 Aus provides you with a wealth of knowledge and support. We started the blog a … Read more

We launched our third Australian relocation ebook this week: The ABC of Australian Schooling, aimed at students (children), parents and teachers.

Our third ebook provides over 100 terms used in everyday school life in Australia; the simple, visual format make it perfect for children of any age. It will help you feel confident and excited about your move to Australia.

Best time to move to Australia

Our other ebooks are essential reading for parents planning to relocate to Australia. … Read more

Is Surry Hills on your shortlist of Sydney suburbs to explore during a visit or relocation to Australia? Are you moving to Sydney and hoping to call Surry Hills home?

We’ve lived in Sydney for over two years and although we have heard a lot about Surry Hills – it has good bars and restaurants and is known as a fashionable suburb; we had never walked the streets and taken a look for ourselves, until recently.

Last week Mum enjoyed … Read more

We started Mum’s gone 2 Aus five months after relocating to Australia. One of the reasons we started the blog was because we found our first months here very overwhelming, and before and after our arrival we spent a huge amount of time searching the Internet for information that just wasn’t there.

At the time, we didn’t know much about the services of relocation consultants. Using a relocation consultant didn’t occur to us when planning our move and had we … Read more

Last week’s relocation dilemma: Should we go on a reccy? received lots of discussion and great tips over on the Mum’s gone 2 Aus Facebook page and here on the blog. A different but related dilemma is how long to stay in short term accommodation i.e. when you first arrive in Australia before securing a long term rental property or buying a house.

What type of short term accommodation?

Before discussing the length of time families should plan to stay … Read more

A common dilemma for families considering emigration is “Should we go on a reconnaissance trip?” also called a reccy and spelt in a number of different ways (recci, reccie, recce). If you’re South African you will be wondering whether to take an L.S.D trip…Look See and Discover before you start getting ideas about those crazy South Africans!

To recci or not? What did we do?

When we applied for Australian Permanent Residency we hadn’t set foot in Australia. … Read more

When we planned our relocation to Australia we wanted to move to a big city; like many people we chose between Sydney and Melbourne. However, during our final weeks in the UK I recall watching a TV show about emigration to Australia and the family being featured relocated to Hobart in Tasmania. Their lifestyle and the benefits of living in Australia’s often forgotten state seemed very good. Since then I’ve held onto a positive impression of what it would be … Read more