It is just the most perfect time to start some new Christmas traditions for yourself. Your traditions from your home country probably came from family traditions. You do things in the way that everyone else in the family has always done them, and you’re following that process. But when you get here, you’re free to create your own brand new traditions…you can celebrate Christmas your way.

Welcome to the New Life in Australia podcast

In this episode, Karen talks about how she has embraced Christmas in the sun. This includes: 

• Getting Santa photos (and how funny it is seeing Santa in Hawaiian shirts, board shorts and thongs!)
• Christmas carol events in the suburbs
• Enjoying the long school summer holidays over Christmas
• Christmas food traditions in Australia
• The Christmas dress code in Australia
• Celebrating Christmas how YOU want to (not having to do what is expected of you)
• Embracing a new kind of Christmas and creating your own new traditions

Additional resources

• Episode 11: Christmas gifting when you move to Australia
• Find out about Christmas in July
• Learn more about celebrating Christmas in Australia 
• Read this article about Christmas gifts for your final year in your home country 
• Read this article about why flowers are a special gift to send to someone living overseas
• Send cards online with Moonpig

You can find the show notes and transcript over at SmartStepstoAustralia.com/episode-14

If you enjoyed listening, don’t forget to subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts! All positive reviews would be really appreciated!

When you get out there and explore, it really just reminds you why you moved. So, especially if you’ve been feeling a bit homesick, there’s nothing more exhilarating and exciting than pulling into a really beautiful new beach and remembering that you actually get to live here! Whenever I think to myself, I’m so lucky to live here, it’s so beautiful, I remind myself I’m not lucky. I just took action and did the hard thing, and this is the reward that we get.

Welcome to the New Life in Australia podcast
In today’s episode, Karen talks about planning your future holidays in Australia after you’ve moved over. This includes: 

• Choosing your transport
• Planning your accommodation
• Organising bucket list experiences
• Being mindful of travel distances and planning for this
• Things to be aware of when driving in Australia
• Why domestic travel insurance is still important
• Planning for your pet while you’re away
• Staying in touch with local conditions
• and so much more!

Additional resources
This list contains affiliate links. Please do your due diligence before making any bookings to ensure products are the right fit for you.

• Check out domestic travel insurance with sites like Covermore Insurance
• Consider motorhome hire with Jucy, Motorhome Republic, Britz or Maui. You can find car hire links in the Move to Australia Directory 
• Check out Get Your Guide for trips and tours (where you can buy now, pay later and also usually cancel later if your plans change)
• Visit Mon Repos to see the turtles laying their eggs or hatching near Bundaberg
• Listen to episode 9: Living with extreme conditions podcast
• Listen to episode 5: 11 tips to stay sun safe in Australia
• Read the blog post: Living with extreme weather in Australia 
• Listen to episode 7: House sitting in Australia
• Read the blog post about planning a trip in Australia
• Find more resources for your travels in the Move to Australia Directory

You can find the show notes and full transcript over at SmartStepstoAustralia/episode-13

If you enjoyed listening, don’t forget to subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts! All positive reviews would be really appreciated! 

We live in central Queensland, it's the Sunshine State. You know, it's very rare that we don't see the sun. It's warm. Even in wintertime for us, it was warm. And you know, paddle boarding - it's low impact. It's a good all round sport for any age group, any level of fitness. And it's great, not just for body fitness, but for the mind and the soul as well. Whether you participate in the sport for well-being, mindfulness or fitness, there's something there for everybody.

Welcome to episode 12 of the New Life in Australia podcast

In today's episode, Karen chats to Chris who moved to Australia earlier this year on a parent visa to live with her daughter. She has now set up a brand new stand up paddle boarding school in Australia. In the interview we talk about:  

• The challenges of moving over on a parent visa.
• The frustrations of waiting and waiting and waiting, and the difficulties of living across two different countries.
• Taking up a hobby of stand up paddle boarding and then going on to become an Academy of Surfing Instructors accredited instructor.
• Setting up a new business - Blue Therapy SUP - and all of the steps involved in that.
• The importance of being flexible and adaptable, especially with regards to wait times and the visa.

Additional resources

• Chris recommends Richard at Endeavor Migration 
• Find out more about the ASI and search for a SUP school near you  - Academy of Surfing Instructors 
• Places mentioned in the episode: Callide Dam and Biloela
• Visit Chris' business page -  Blue Therapy SUP on Facebook 
• Find out about Chris' SUP school - Blue Therapy SUP School  
• Listen to the New Life in Australia podcast episode 4 - 9 Practical ways to overcome homesickness 

If you enjoyed listening, don’t forget to subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts! All positive reviews would be really appreciated!

For the full show notes and transcript, visit https://www.smartstepstoaustralia.com/episode-12 here

It’s really difficult for your family to know what things are going to work for your new life in Australia and what is practical to give you as a Christmas gift for your final Christmas before you move. Help them out by giving them some ideas!  

Welcome to episode 11 of the New Life in Australia podcast

In this episode, Karen talks about considerations around Christmas gifting when you’re moving to Australia. Topics covered include: 

• What things can you add to your Christmas list for your final year in your home country that will be useful for your new life in Australia?
• What experience gifts can people give to you?
• How to manage Christmas gifting with family after you’ve moved to Australia.

Additional resources
(This list contains affiliate links and sponsored content links)

• Find out about Christmas in July
• Learn more about celebrating Christmas in Australia 
• Read this article about Christmas gifts for your final year in your home country 
• Read this article about why flowers are a special gift to send to someone living overseas
• Order Christmas flowers – or even a Christmas tree! – to be sent within Australia from Floraly (an ethical and sustainable flower company)
• Check out this guide to ordering gift hampers in Australia
• Find out about ordering online experience gifts 
• Send cards online with Moonpig
• Visit Experience Oz
• Visit Adrenaline
• Visit Red Balloon

For the full show notes and transcript, visit https://www.smartstepstoaustralia.com/episode-11 here

If you enjoyed listening, don’t forget to subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts! All positive reviews would be really appreciated!

I see a lot of people in forums giving their list of outgoings, but one person's outgoings is so different to another person's outgoings. So I just wanted give you a different perspective on things...The truth of the matter is that you don't know the context of the figures that people are sharing online.

Welcome to episode 10 of the New Life in Australia 

This episode covers the different perspectives around whether Australia is more expensive or not and gives you some things to consider when comparing costs. 

Karen talks about: 

• The shifting exchange rates and how this makes it difficult to compare like for like
• House prices 
• Food shopping
• Salaries (and how your income will change over time)
• Lifestyle choices and values
• Energy bills and solar
• Disposable income
• Letting go of your old currency and thinking in Aussie dollars
• All that really matters when it comes to affordability

Additional resources

• Search for house prices on realestate.com.au and domain.com.au
• How much money do you need to move to Australia?
• What is the cost of living in Brisbane
  
  
• Save money on your move to Australia by exploring some of the special offers in the Move to Australia Directory

For the full show notes and transcript, visit: https://www.smartstepstoaustralia.com/episode-10

If you enjoyed listening, don’t forget to subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts! All positive reviews are really appreciated! 

When we first arrived in Australia, we were driving to the shops and we got stuck in a massive hailstorm. It was the biggest one that I've ever experienced.. We weren't on any of the the alert lists, and we weren't prepared for it.  It was an absolutely insane hailstorm. I've never seen hailstones as big as that! We were able to take cover quickly, but it spurred me into making more of an effort to find out how to be prepared for next time.

Welcome to episode 9 of the New Life in Australia podcast

In this episode, Karen shares six tips that will help prepare you for Australia's extreme conditions.

The episode covers:

• Karen's early experiences with various storms when she first arrived.
• Why it's important to know how to drain your pool if you have one.
• How to stay up to date with storm and bushfire alerts.
• How to prepare your home for storm season.
• How to make smart choices when it comes to choosing a home to rent or buy.
• A reminder of Australia's emergency number (which is different from the one you know from 'home')
• Staying sun safe and being aware of beach safety.
  
  

Additional resources

• Listen to episode #5 - 11 tips to stay sun safe in Australia
• Read the blog post: Living with extreme weather in Australia 

For the full show notes and transcript, visit: https://www.smartstepstoaustralia.com/episode-nine

If you enjoyed listening, don’t forget to subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts! All positive reviews would be really appreciated! 

It might be your first experience of things feeling opposite here in Australia. It was our first real experience of celebrating something that we were used to celebrating in cold weather in the UK while it was really hot weather in spring in Queensland. It’s a strange experience getting used to events being hot and sunny rather than being freezing cold!

Welcome to episode 8 of the New Life in Australia podcast

In this episode, Karen talks about  what to expect from Halloween in Austraila. The show covers: 

• How does trick or treating work in Australia?
• What are sweets known as in Australia?
• Where to get Halloween costumes in Australia
• What sort of events you can enjoy in Halloween Down Under
• How to avoid Halloween in Australia if you don’t want trick or treaters knocking on your door

Additional resources

• Find out more about Halloween in Australia in this blog post
• Share what you’re up to to celebrate Halloween in Australia by tagging Karen at @smartstepstoaus on Instagram and Facebook

For the full show notes and transcript, visit:  https://www.smartstepstoaustralia.com/episode-eight

If you enjoyed listening, don’t forget to subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts! All positive reviews would be really appreciated! 

We had access to a car and a 4-bedroom home with pool for three and a half months. We reckon we saved $25 to $27,000 by housesitting in those first few months...We didn't have to pay any bills or anything like that. So basically, apart from putting petrol in the car and paying for our phone access, there was nothing else. 

Welcome to episode seven of the New Life in Australia podcast

In this episode, Karen chats with Tracy Collins from Tracy's Travels in Time and host of the UK Travel Planning Podcast and the Global Travel Planning Podcast all about her experience housesitting. 

The episode we talk about

• How Tracy began house-sitting
• How Tracy and Doug saved $25-27k on their arrival to Australia by organising a 3-month house sit which came with a car and bills
• How Tracy still regularly house sits in Australia and around the world
• How to craft a winning profile on the house-sitting website

Additional resources

• Feeling inspired and keen to try housesitting for yourself? Find out more here in this blog post
• Listen to episode #3 where Tracy talked about moving to Mackay and then relocating to Brisbane. 

For the full show notes and transcript, visit:  https://www.smartstepstoaustralia.com/episode-seven/

If you enjoyed listening, don’t forget to subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts! All positive reviews would be really appreciated!