Hi from outback Australia

[graynomad]

Hi all,

This looks like an interesting forum so I thought I'd sign up. A few one-liners about me

• Worked for 20 years as electronics/software engineer and nature photographer
• Retired at 45 (12 years ago)
• Built motorhome on 6x6 Ex Army chassis (see avatar)
• Hit the road in 2001
• Pulled apart above motorhome and rebuild about 4 years ago
• Now spend all my time sitting in great places

I spent some time in the US in 1978 and we (Mrs Graynomad and I) have been talking about returning for years. Maybe buy a small camper and live in it for a year or so if the US immigration mob allow that

[bsirby]

Welcome to the forum. I would love to see more pics of your home. Sounds interesting. Hope you can get to the USA again.

[frankdamp]

Unfortunately, the "mob" limit a stay on a tourist visa to 6 months.

By the way, we have relatives (my cousin and her husband) who are full-timers in Australia. If you ever cross paths with Shirley and Bob Preston, tell them about the forum and that Shirley's cousin Frank is a member.

Cheers!

[graynomad]

Quote:

Unfortunately, the "mob" limit a stay on a tourist visa to 6 months.

Can you just spend the weekend in Canada then come back? Or are there restrictions about time out of the US as well.

I gather people can spend a year in Aus, and I've also heard of them flying to NZ or Bali for a week so they can come back for another stint. Of course I don't have to do that so haven't looked into it.

Quote:

more pics of your home

I'll knock some up.

[KIX]

If you want to come into the US and stay indefinitely then come through Mexico ......everybody else does it that way. No Customs hassles, no INS laws, no visa, no sponsor, no money.......it's all good.

(Tongue in cheek)

By the way.........welcome to the forum.

[burfurd]

Kix said it BEST!

burfurd

[graynomad]

Good idea, no wait, I hate swimming is there a dry way to get in from Mexico?

I have a mate here in Aus who came out here on a tourist visa about 11 years ago. Many people do that I suppose and just "disappear". I can see how that would work if you drop off the radar and maybe work as a fruit picker or not at all, but he started a business and paid all his taxes, had a drivers license, insurance, tax file number, medicare etc etc. In short everything a citizen does.

It took immigration 9 years to catch him. He was deported but back in no time (married a local although that's no guarantee of being allowed in, especially after being deported) and carried on as before.

[KIX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by graynomad Many people do that I suppose and just "disappear". I can see how that would work if you drop off the radar and maybe work as a fruit picker or not at all, but he started a business and paid all his taxes, had a drivers license, insurance, tax file number, medicare etc etc. In short everything a citizen does.

That would probably get you thrown out here too. You'd be better off here just collecting benefits rather than paying taxes. Government is suspicious of those that pay taxes and obey laws, etc.

[frankdamp]

We're legally resident aliens, thanks to Boeing. They were recruiting very heavily in Europe in 1966-1969, primarily becuase they were staffing up for the 737, 747 and SST programs. Rumour has it that they recuited about 25,000 European engineers over a 5-year time span. I was one of them, in 1968.

Been here ever since and all but three years in the Pacific Northwest. Wouldn't change it for anything else.

Things with Immigration & Naturalisation (what ever it's called now) got VERY messy after the 9/11 attacks and being able to enter and then "get lost" is long gone. The sanctions the authoirities have availble nowadays, for even the most innocent deviations from the accepted norm, would curl your hair.

If you want to come, do it strictly by the book - no funny business, no "work-arounds". Fill in all the squares, salute as appropriate, then enjoy. Once you're past the Immigration controls and the bureaucratic [Moderator Edit], this is the greatest place.

[KIX]

I hope all you guys KNOW I have been just kidding with my posts on this thread.

[sdennislee]

I have always wanted to return to Australia, last there in the 70s. Maybe we could just trade places for a couple years.

[doublel]

Welcome to the forum. My wife is from Australia up Towoomba way. She moved over here for me but I work for an Australian company so we get to go back every few years. We just got our rig but love it.

[graynomad]

Quote:

I hope all you guys KNOW I have been just kidding with my posts on this thread.

I did, but I wasn't joking about swimming, the only things water is good for is showers and home brew.

Quote:

Maybe we could just trade places for a couple years.

Do you think immigration would go for a straight swap

As promised here are some photos. I can't caption each one so...

Last one - what we bought in 1997
First 2 - What I call MK1, the first version, pulled apart in 2007, chassis cut down and new house built to make Mk2.
Middle 4 - Mk2, what we currently live in.

[graynomad]

Quote:

My wife is from Australia up Towoomba way

Not far from what we loosely call "home", 25 acres of bush up near Bundaberg, except we would say down Towoomba way