1) did your GP do it or does a specialist?
Dh had his done by a Urologist

2) so how does it work?.....see your gp and raise the issue, then get a referral...time frames??
DH came with my to my 6wk check up after DS2's birth and he got a referral to the Urologist. DH had the surgery done when DS2 was 5 months old, so not long. It would have been quicker only they had to reschedule his surgery and put it back a month.

3) costs?? if a specialist does it or the gp???
I'm not sure, it was done in a public hospital and medicare covered it.

4)recovery. My DP has a pretty pyshical job...lifting furniture, unloading furniture trucks...so how many days off would he need??
If he has a job that physical, then he could need up to a week off work. My DH doesn't have a terribly physical job, and went back after 4 days, but he said he should have had more time off before going back. Mind you this will vary depending on the technique used to do it.

5) DP wants to know if when you go to the gp for the initial appt to ask for the referral as in I want to have a vasectomy...do they feel your balls? (Total man question!LOL but it worries him) no, they weren't felt at that appointment, but they will be felt during the op LOL. One thing my DH did do though was shave himself. He wasn't keen on someone else shaving him down there so he did it before we left for the hospital. Otherwise a nurse was going to dry shave it with a crappy old BIC single blade razor LOL.

With the sperm test afterwards, it is best to have a 'live' sample apparently and he was advised to do it before taking it into the testing place. He never had it done though, we just used condoms for a while then used charting to avoid ovulation. It must have worked though because he had it done 3 years ago now and no more babies for us LOL. I woudln't recommend that to everyone though.