EXPAT SITES

ON THIS PAGE:
  AUSSIE EXPAT CONTACT SITES – NETHERLANDS
  GENERAL EXPAT CONTACT SITES – NETHERLANDS
  AUSSIE EXPAT SITES – WORLDWIDE
  OTHER EXPAT SITES – WORLDWIDE
  EXPAT KIDS
  EXPAT INFO SERVICES
  GAY & LESBIAN EXPATS
  MISC EXPAT & RELATED SITES


  DUTCH EXPATS IN OZ (FOR WHEN YOU – AND YOUR DUTCHIE? – GO BACK…)

          AUSSIE EXPAT CONTACT SITES – NETHERLANDS

Australian Business in Europe http://www.abie.nl/ The Dutch chapter of A.B.I.E. is a professional business association promoting Australian business in The Netherlands. This is a networking group for Australians or for Dutch with Australian business interests and hold a range of events throughout the year. Contact is Ted Stravers  ted.stravers@protocom.com 

Australian & New Zealand Womens Club  (no website) contact person: Heather Kelly gkelly@xs4all.nl The Hague (ZH)

Australians n New Zealanders in Holland http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Australians_n_New_Zealanders_in_Holland hosted by William Livingstone

Benelux Expats http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Beneluxexpats/ hosted by Aussie Sharon Kingston, “for anyone who lives in the Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg) region and has relocated here due to work, love, or any other reason”

some Aussie experiences of the Netherlands
Several expats here keep weblogs of their impressions of life here.  Reading them may reassure you that you’re not alone in your experiences here, or give you an idea of what to expect if you’re about to move here, or simply give you a good laugh!
Faith’s Weblijm http://www.weblijm.com/ Faith is the Dutch rep for the Southern Cross group

          GENERAL EXPAT CONTACT SITES – NETHERLANDS

Amsterdam Book Club http://groups.yahoo.com/group/amsterdambookclub/ English-speaking expatriates and locals that meet once a month to broaden reading experiences, read more critically and get more out of it, meet new people, and socialise over a couple of glasses of wine. Members suggest books to read (classics as well as contemporary) They run a small Yahoo!group site and would love to welcome new members. Contact amsterdambookclub@awca.nl or amsterdambookclub@yahoogroups.com

Balans http://www.balansvrouwen.dordt.nl/ multicultural women’s group based in Dordrecht (ZH), (NL)

Connect International  www.connect-int.org organisation serving the international community in Friesland, Drenthe, Groningen, and Overijssel, with the support of professional and volunteer staff, and help familiarise newcomers with the social, cultural and commercial aspect of the North Netherlands.

ELYNX –

English Speaking Community in the Netherlands  http://www.elynx.nl incredibly useful site, with activity listings, classifieds, services (including many from/for members), and lots of other useful bits of information.

English Speaking Contact Group of Haarlem http://pages.ivillage.com/english.haarlem/index.htm (NH)

Expats in the Netherlands  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/expatsnl/  “for fun-seeking expats to organise regular social get togethers in the Netherlands: drinks, dinner, movies, clubbing, day trips, book swaps, silly adventures, etc”

expatica http://www.expatica.com/ (then select Netherlands) site for English speaking expats with classifieds, discussion board (with a special section for Australians), news and loads of info

Europats http://www.europats.com/ currently a web group for expats in Holland, but planning to expand to cover all of Europe.  Has a section for Australians.  You need to be a member to access most of the site.

Go Out!  http://www.go-out.nl/index_eng.html “for enthusiasts who take a versatile interest in life and who want to get the maximum out of their leisure time” and “relaxed way of mixing fun activities with meeting new Dutch friends”.  They go for thrilling sports and horizon broadening weekends away!  Based in Amsterdam (NH)

Gone Dutch  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gonedutch/ “For anyone who has relocated to The Netherlands or is planning to. English is the preferred language. This is not a place for personal insults.”  They’ve obviously had some bad experiences already… Location: the Hague (ZH)

Grapevine English Speaking Women’s Group – Amstelveen  http://www.xs4all.nl/~iyoyod/Grapevine.htm  (NH) informal group, meets every 3rd Wed of the month, at the community centre behind Groenhof shopping centre in Amstelveen (near Sportlaan). “Each month has a different event, such as a talk from a man in the FBI on serial killers, a man came to talk about his book on horoscopes and partners, another month we all made a Xmas Wreath from scratch. We have quiz nights, to craft nights, to pot luck supper nights. Lots of fun and different ideas.”

Haarlem Shuffle http://www.haarlemshuffle.com  excellent (non-commercial) info and contact website for English speakers in Haarlem and thereabouts, but they are gradually expanding their scope.  Host Doug also runs part of the site for the cricket club in Haarlem

 

Hague Online http://TheHagueOnline.com for expats by expats (English).

International Cultural Exchange Group  http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/ice_thehague/ “young international group of people composed of expats and locals, students and professionals based in The Hague”

International Womens Club South Limburg http://www.iwc-sl.nl/ location: Maastricht (L)

Kinky Expats (no website – what a pity, I hear you say) I think the name says it all!  They meet up in Amsterdam on the last Wednesday each month to “introduce you to the scene.  Contact: pussylash@hotmail.com

Lawine http://www.stichtinglawine.org/ is an organisation of Dutch women with foreign partners (NL)

Love Immigrants http://www.loveimmigrants.com/ Julia Ferguson moved to Holland to be with her Dutch partner.  This is her page of practical advice on how to do it, as well as other emotional points to consider

Moonbird http://www.moonbird.nl/ organisation for inter-cultural couples, their children, family and friends

MyHaarlem  http://www.myhaarlem.com  social network for professionals in the Haarlem and Amsterdam area

Nondutchable in Holland http://www.nondutchable.nl for all sorts of expats in Hollands, mainly English speakers, run by Yvonne and Piet

 

Rotterdam People  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rotterdam_people/ “for expatriates to meet, mingle, and organize casual outings in and around Rotterdam”

T.G.I. Friday in the Hague  (no website) Meet on Fridays (surprise!) for drinks.  Contact: waterweelde@planet.nl Location: the Hague (ZH)

Undutchables – The Meeting Point http://www.theundutchables.com/cgi-bin/webbbs/config.pl message board of the site of the book!  “…for posting messages or lurking. The subject matter is Holland, Dutch and ex-pats. Aussies are welcome.”

VIP Social Group (no website) location: Assen (Dr) Weekly drinks after work.  Contact: Denis Wood vip@flexible.demon.nl

What’s Brewing in the Hague  (no website) meet first Wednesday each month, for drinks and eats.  Contact:.a.e.wolterbeek@hetnet.nl Location: the Hague (ZH)

Words in Here  http://www.wordsinhere.com/ “an international collective of writers” whose “aim is to promote the community through our various projects, give it forum and showcase, to bring the world's attention to the thriving and diverse energy of the Dutch literary scene while simultaneously bringing the Netherlands the world”.  Not exactly a course, although they do also have workshops.  The workshops aim to inspire work, to develop existing work and to cultivate a writing habit. It is for writers at all stages and is open to all genres whether fiction, poetry, non- fiction, or screenwriting. You can join in at any time.  Cost of workshops vary: from € 8 for the Poetry Critique Group evenings, to € 150 for the Comedy Writing workshop.

more below in: EXPAT KIDS and EXPAT INFO SERVICES

          AUSSIE EXPAT SITES – WORLDWIDE

Australian Community News http://www.austcomnews.com/

Australians in and Abroad http://groups.yahoo.com/group/australiansinandabroad/ A yahoo group for sharing expat experiences.

Australians International http://www.ausint.com.au/visitor/setup.htm

AusMates http://www.ausmates.org/

Aussie expats http://www.aussieexpats.asn.au/ News stories, links and forums aimed at Aussie expats all over the world.

Homesick http://www.homesick.com.au/  Set up for Aussies everywhere. News, information and forums.  Homesick is one of the Australians Abroad sponsors that keep this webpage online! 

Southern Cross Group http://www.southern-cross-group.org/ Extremely informative website for all expat Australians. To quote: “The Southern Cross Group is an international non-profit advocacy organisation which speaks on behalf of the some 860,000 Australians who live overseas. The Group tries to work for changes to existing law and policy where these adversely impact the Australian expatriate community.” Aussie Faith Hunter is one of the two SCG reps in the Netherlands.

          OTHER EXPAT SITES – WORLDWIDE

e-Business Nomads http://www.e-businessnomads.com/ international site, based in Switzerland

Expat Exchange http://www.expatexchange.com/ international site for English speaking expats, but rather heavily aimed at the US expat

International Couples’ Homepage http://www.geocities.com/fcanzian/Couples.html very useful site with lots of info on the ins and outs of being in, or about to become, a cross-cultural couple.  They have members from every possible country, and you can search by country to see the Aussies in your area or situation (i.e. perhaps a Dutch/Aussie couple in Sydney) and hear about the pleasures and pitfalls this brings.

International Swap http://groups.yahoo.com/group/International_Swap/ “A help for expats who wish to have a little something of home. Food will be the main swap but for others, calendars, flags, souvenirs, will also be swapped. Limits will be set on the monetary amount for swaps and no extravagance accepted. It is the little things that count. If you miss things from home or maybe you are just curious on trying things or collecting items from foreign countries, then this is the place for you.”

Small Planet www.talesmag.com These tales started out as a subversive e-zine put out by American foreign service spouses who offered ‘real post reports’ has now expanded to include a magazine of creative writing about expat life and forums. There is a page on Sweden.

The Trailing Spouse http://users.anet.com/~smcnulty/homepage.html This is a website for accompanying spouses (wives or husbands) of international expatriates designed to gain insights into the unique challenges and needs of the expatriate trailing spouse. It's the research of international Human Resource academic Yvonne McNulty, an Australian expat living in the US.

Transitions Abroad http://www.transitionsabroad.com/index.shtml international site, US based, quote: “an antidote to tourism”.  Hmmm.

          EXPAT KIDS

Dubbelop http://home.wxs.nl/~stuur013/ for raising children with more than one language (NL)

Expat Moms http://www.expat-moms.com/ As you can tell from the name, it’s American based but still has information relevant to mums everywhere.

Family Life Abroad http://www.familylifeabroad.com/ This site is American based but contains some good information on travelling with children and some good links to kid’s sites.

Lanis site voor halfbloedjes http://www.clubs.nl/community/default.asp?club=Lani%27s+site+voor+halfbloedjes for children from “biracial families” (in NL with some English) – the Dutch webhostess also runs worldwide site for children of intercultural couples at http://communities.msn.com/biracialworld

Mixed Kids http://www.clubs.nl/community/default.asp?club=MIXED%2AKIDS%2ALINKS  web forum with lots of links for families of mixed cultures

Mums Survival Guide to Amsterdam www.xs4all.nl/~iyoyod/home.htm  Useful site for mums and mums-to-be: giving birth in NL, places to go with kids, playgroups, and useful links.

See also the heading “nice things with kids” on the page “NICE THINGS IN THE NETHERLANDS”.

          EXPAT INFO SERVICES

Access http://www.euronet.nl/users/access/ An international group of English-speaking volunteers who are ready and able to help other English speakers in The Netherlands. Their mission is to assist people relocating to The Netherlands and ease their adjustment throughout their stay.  Their website is very for English speakers new to the Netherlands – loads of practical advice

Autonoom  http://www.xs4all.nl/~ac/english/index.html  okay, they’re not actually an expat group, but… they have an excellent website (in English too) with a lot of info over migrants and anti-racism, and they have a “no border network” so I reckon they qualify for inclusion.  (I’ve never actually met a Dutch autonoom – I hope they aren’t as scary as their German counterparts…)

Bureau Opvang Nieuwkomers http://www.xs4all.nl/~bonav/  literally: Reception Office for Newcomers – all foreigners living in Amstelveen, Uithoorn and Ouder-Amstel.  Info on Dutch language classes and work.  BON works together with the Dutch Social Security Office and Employment Office. (NL)

English language web portal http://www.english.surft.nl/ Dutch based

Expat Access http://www.access-nl.org worldwide online service for international relocation

Expat Solutions http://www.expatsolutions.org new company set up to help anyone coming to live in the Netherlands.  Offer: accompanied tours, partner support, personal shopping, orientation of your neighbourhood and more.

Holland Relocation Services http://www.hollandrelocation.nl/

Intercultural Communication http://www.kit.nl/frameset.asp?TargetURL=/intercultural_communication/default.asp rather interesting site from the Royal Dutch Tropical Institute.  Includes courses, quizzes, and cultural stuffo.

 

Southern Cross Group http://www.southern-cross-group.org/ an excellent and informative site for all Aussie expats!

Vada – Multicultural Portal http://www.vada.nl/indexen.htm extremely useful site full of links, many for within the Netherlands, but also worldwide, regarding multicultural issues (NL)

Vreemdelingenland  http://www.vreemdelingenland.com/  info site with a virtual infodesk, particularly re legal questions about residency in NL.  Membership of the organisation is free (NL) but you can also request info about Vreemdelingenland and its services by emailing them on this link:  http://www.vreemdelingenland.com/ol.htm  Amongst their services is:
* CD (on request in English) with detailed info about immigration in NL and the relevant laws, cost € 11
* package with all necessary documents and info for a visa as au pair, de factos and adoption
* a handy “strippenkaart” system so you can receive basic legal advice, 5 enquiries for about € 22
* a variety of other packages, each at a reasonable price
their FAQ page is truly excellent – albeit in Dutch  http://www.vreemdelingenland.com/faq.htm

Xpat http://www.xpat.nl/ Dutch information page for newcomers to Holland

          GAY & LESBIAN EXPATS

COC Netherlands http://www.coc.nl/?file=english organization for gay and lesbians in the Netherlands, and the largest and oldest in Europe. Lots of useful info and links, including legislation covering gays and lesbians in the Netherlands.

FLAG NI (Foreign Lesbians and Gays in the Netherlands) English-speaking social group that meets once a month, second Sunday afternoon of the month. No agenda, no hierarchy - just drinks, informal chat and a laugh, and maybe even a bit of networking. Dutch partners welcome too. Venue: Queen's Head, Zeedijk 20, Amsterdam (NH) at a canalside table near the back of the bar. Kicks off at 4pm. No website, contact is Gordon Cramb gordonamsterdam@hotmail.com

Gaymix COC Rotterdam (ZH) http://www.cocrotterdam.nl/werkg.html special group focussing on lesbian women and gay men coming from outside the Dutch culture; offers help, support and assistance; and has a dance and café night.

Gayswim Amsterdam (ZH) http://www.gayswimamsterdam.nl/eng/index.html the biggest gay / lesbian swim and water polo club in the Netherlands.  Members include Aussies Richard Keldoulis (see Pinkpoint, below)

Pinkpoint http://www.pinkpoint.org/ Gay and lesbian info kiosk situated at the homomonument in Amsterdam, and co-owned and co-run by Australian Richard Keldoulis.  The webpage has lots of info and links.  Richard goes back to Sydney every year, so he’s well in touch with both countries, and he is happy to be contact person for any other gay or lesbian Aussies here.  (email via the pinkpoint website)

          MISC EXPAT & RELATED SITES

aboriginal.pagina http://aboriginal.pagina.nl/ similar page to the above link, but with specifically Aboriginal links – again, more for the Dutch than for Aussies

australie.pagina http://australie.pagina.nl/ a Dutch website with links to all sorts of Australian things, mainly for Dutch interested in Australia, but he’s now added a section for us, “sites voor Australiërs”

Life Coaching for Expats www.coachingforexpats.com Julie Ferguson (also hosts “Love Immigrants” - see General Expat Info Sites) is a life coach who assists “expats around the globe to achieve their dreams and enjoy the expat/immigrant lifestyle”

The Undutchables http://www.theundutchables.com/ based on the best selling book – a humorous look at the Netherlands and the Dutch.  The site has a messageboar for “lurking on”.

WWW Virtual Library on Emigration and Ethnic Relations http://www.ercomer.org/wwwvl/index.html

          DUTCH EXPATS IN OZ

I put it in for those who, like me, plan to take a chunk (or in my case, a hunk) of Holland back with them – this will give my hunk something to appease his homesickness with.  You may also just find yourself missing the Netherlands if/when you move back to Australia… the sudden craving for a kroket, drop or haring…

Bruna – books http://www.bruna.nl/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/-/-/-/ViewToplijst-View?TLID=1&PartnerID=38 One of the big Dutch bookshop chains offers Dutch books online - the usual  prices but with low freight costs. (NL)

drop http://www.drop.nl/ the Dutch equivalent of http://www.vegemite.com.au/

Dutch Australasian Link http://www.dacc.com.au/  The Dutch Australian Cultural Centre Ltd has as its aims and objectives the collection, preservation, promotion and dissemination of Dutch culture and heritage in Australia. It also aims to be a broad based source of information, advice, assistance and interest for the benefit of people of Dutch nationality or descent in Australia as well as for the wider Australian community.

 

Dutch-Australian http://www.ammerlaan.demon.nl/OZDUTCH.HTM useful page of links from Tom Ammerlaan

Dutch Online Australië  http://www.dutch.net.au/   lots of useful links for Dutch living in Oz, or Dutch visitors. (NL)

 

emigration links  http://emigratie.pagina.nl/ (NL)

escape artist  http://www.escapeartist.com/australia/australia.htm  info for emigrants (not just Dutch) to a variety of countries.

Even Thuis http://www.eventhuis.nl/ nice worldwide Dutch expat site with similar facilities to Aussies Abroad (NL)

expat links http://expats.pagina.nl/ all sorts of useful links (NL)

expat plus http://www.expatplus.nl/ media for Dutch expats

Golf: An Aussie profgolfer John Bleys has interesting sites for those who love golf. It could also help John a bit by underwriting his training: www.afscapital.nl and John’s own website www.johnbleys.com.

 

Holland Ring http://www.thehollandring.com/  to promote Web sites of all Dutch people, but mainly to connect those Dutch who, like me, are living abroad and like to stay in touch with *home*.

 

Hollandse Drop http://www.hollandsedrop.com/ online shop for all things drop

Intercultural Communication http://www.kit.nl/frameset.asp?TargetURL=/intercultural_communication/default.asp interestingly enough, this site is from the Dutch Royal Tropical Institute.  It offers courses including:
training in intercultural awareness
training for preparation for a return to the Netherlands
training in teaching NT2 (like TEFL but for Dutch)

IT jobs http://www.computable.nl/artikels/archief9/d50ro901.htm written by expat Dutch ITers (NL)

Job Search site http://www.jobsearch.gov.au/ Australian government site

Lekker Hollands http://www.lekker-hollands.nl/ Dutch online food store, also with a message board and chatroom (NL)

Newcomers Network Melbourne http://www.newcomersnetwork.com/mel/home/index.html excellent site for helping newcomers (foreign or Aussie) settle into a new life in Melbourne

Oranje Boeken op Internet http://bob.minbuza.nl/default.asp Dutch Foreign Affairs info site

Records on Dutch Migration to Australia  http://www.naa.gov.au

Roots in Holland http://www.rootsinholland.com/index.htm NL govt site for Dutch emigrants and expats (and I’m sorry – I can’t help it – this websites name makes me laugh each time! The Dutch language version, Heimwee naar Holland, doesn’t have nearly the same ring to it.)

Stichting Buitenlandse Pensioen Belang http://www.come.to/sbpb

weather in Holland http://www.knmi.nl/ … andit’s grey skies and rain again folks! (NL)