Hi,

After 2 years of waiting me and my wife already got our Visas and we were so fortunate that we could get a job before arriving, the job I got is located in Melbourne in the area of Dandenong and basically my two questions are:

- We are from Mexico, is there a way around Mexico or the USA where you could send your stuff without having to carry everything on the plane? Maybe sending luggage by boat?

- Does anyone know a good area for living around Dandenong? Some quiet area maybe, is Kingston nice? Chelsea?, we would like something nice and easy by the beach.

Thanks in advance,
Clemente

Welcome to the forum clemfc and congratulations with being so patient, they say all good things come to those who wait and hope the move to Australia also proves so.

You should have a look at the Australian Customs site - http://www.customs.gov.au/webdata/re..._factsheet.pdf, that page being found with a bit of clicking and a link to Australian Customs on the immi site - does not jump out and grab you though, as it should - but anyway, there's information there about what may be brought as personal effects, and the Customs site generally has information on prohibited items, weapons etc., and then also things that need to be declared for customs to ascertain if any inspections are warranted re possibility of bugs etc. hitching a ride.

There are companies about that specialise in smaller shipments - SevenSeasWorldwide being one, though I've never looked to see whether they have offices/branches in Mexico, but quite possibly they could advise on shipping stuff via the USA (and then you'll have their laws to deal with too I imagine)

Have you contacted companies like Fed-Ex, an American company or find one that does business between USA and Mexico as that could help, especially in clearing Mexico/US border and a lot of freight companies have international operations - could be cheaper than the more specialised sevenseas type organisations and once you have costs, aoart from the really personal mementos you want to keep, it'll pay to think about shipping cost Vs buying again (minus any sale benefit you could get).

The stretch between the Kingston area(known for a TB Santitarium being there many years ago and golf courses, it being an area of sandy soil, good for golf courses) and Chelsea is an area that has progressively developed around the bay and further inland in more recent years though there'll be a limit as a lot of the area is very low and marshy and a large sewerage treatment plant takes up a considerable area - the SE Melbourne sewerage works and treated effluent is then piped to a Bass Strait discharge.

But still a nice enough area and I would pick more back towards Kingston and Dingley if looking for something near the beach, but you're still a few km. and a good 15-20 minutes drive.

Another option if as near beach was not essential and to get to live in a really beautiful area woulf be the Dandenong Ranges - Ferny Creek, Kallista, Sassafras, Olinda (though you get quite a bit of Melbourne Sunday drivers traffic on weekends) but I'd look for somewhere as close as possible to your work for renting first and take your time getting out and about, maybe stay a weekend or two in different areas first to get a feel for the differences, see what the shopping, public transport and driving is like.

Good luck with it and hope you can share your experiences with others on the forum.