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ExecuDork posted:Quick question: I normally wear a Leatherman multitool on my belt and thus boxes fear me. Obviously if I bring it to Australia it will be in checked luggage, but once I'm there will I get in any trouble for this habit? Some places seem to be more worried about knives than others. I doubt anyone will notice unless you look like you belong in a bikie gang. I also doubt you'd be taking it out to nightclubs and bars? The police won't tend to bother you if you are a normal person.
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Oct 16, 2012 05:09
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ExecuDork posted:Quick question: I normally wear a Leatherman multitool on my belt and thus boxes fear me. Obviously if I bring it to Australia it will be in checked luggage, but once I'm there will I get in any trouble for this habit? Some places seem to be more worried about knives than others. You'll be fine. People will think you're a weirdo if you're not using it for work though.
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Oct 16, 2012 05:10
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ExecuDork posted:Quick question: I normally wear a Leatherman multitool on my belt and thus boxes fear me. Obviously if I bring it to Australia it will be in checked luggage, but once I'm there will I get in any trouble for this habit? Some places seem to be more worried about knives than others.  Thats not a knife.  Thats a knife You are going to be fine with your multitool, as long as you aren't a complete assbag about it.
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Oct 16, 2012 05:37
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HookShot posted:My advice is if you can't spend the money on travel insurance, seeing as it costs less than $1000, you can't afford to go to Australia for a year. Unless of course something in your situation changes and you're going to get more money before you go, because seriously, $1000 will last you like 2, maybe 3 weeks in Australia if you can't get work right away. I have 4 grand in the bank at the moment with another 1500 coming when i get my next paycheck soon, i just dont want to spend a grand on health insurance before I even get the visa (in case i dont get it for some reason or something, in which case ive got a year of travel insurance and nowhere to go). I think that should be sufficient to get started, it's right around the recommended amount, I just don't want to dip into it right away because im also worried about if they ask for a bank statement. I totally agree I should get health insurance and I intend to, I just was worried about buying it prematurely in case something goes wrong with my visa. Thanks for the advice everyone.
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Oct 16, 2012 12:05
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Bulging Nipples posted:I have 4 grand in the bank at the moment with another 1500 coming when i get my next paycheck soon, i just dont want to spend a grand on health insurance before I even get the visa (in case i dont get it for some reason or something, in which case ive got a year of travel insurance and nowhere to go). I think that should be sufficient to get started, it's right around the recommended amount, I just don't want to dip into it right away because im also worried about if they ask for a bank statement. I totally agree I should get health insurance and I intend to, I just was worried about buying it prematurely in case something goes wrong with my visa. Thanks for the advice everyone. Oh, ok, in that case yeah, don't get it before you get the visa (they won't ask for the proof until you get to Australia anyways, if they even ask, they didn't for me) but definitely do get it afterwards, as you're planning on doing. Hell, even if for some reason they ask you for proof you've got travel insurance before they give you the visa, you can buy it then, but I would be so hugely surprised if they did.
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Oct 16, 2012 17:19
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Frogmanv2 posted:You are going to be fine with your multitool, as long as you aren't a complete assbag about it. Travel insurance takes like 10 minutes to arrange, it's certainly the kind of thing you can put together once you have your visa in-hand. You can probably get it most easily when you buy your plane tickets (which you should also do AFTER you get your visa sorted out, which is not what I did but then I'm rather foolish at times).
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Oct 17, 2012 19:05
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Can anyone tell me about getting some sort of cellular data service (usb evdo/mifi/etc) for about a month while in Australia? I'm mostly going to be in Brisbane, Port Douglas, and Alice Springs / Uluru (I understand coverage may be nonexistent in remote locations). If the cost is comparable to getting internet in my hotels then I'd prefer to have cellular service. I will be bringing my iphone5 (at&t) but I'm assuming international data service will be stupid expensive.
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Oct 29, 2012 22:24
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Going to those locations I'd recommend Telstra only, which may be pricey. You can check out telstra.com for pricing. I'm pretty sure they have prepaid internet, I'd check myself but I am posting from my phone 
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Oct 29, 2012 22:49
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Thanks, it looks like Telstra has a pre-paid for $170 with 5GB for one month. I also found TEP Wireless and Cellular Abroad for similar prices.
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Oct 30, 2012 00:38
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Mobile-chat followup: I bought an unlocked Motorola Defy XT for $288 at JB HiFi, a $2 Telstra SIM card, and $50 of pre-paid last week, a few hours after I got off the plane. So far, so good, when I activated the SIM card through Telstra they set me up with a plan (if you can call it that with pre-paid) with not-terrible rates for calling and texting Canada and locally, though at 50 cents / mb for data it's certainly not for anybody who primarily uses their phone for data. There are many, many wi-fi connections here in Hobart, but almost all of them are restricted. The only freely accessible, no sign-in required signal I've found was at a KFC. I probably could have signed on to the wi-fi at the local coffee shop (Gloria Jean) if I'd talked to the barista. I expect any hotel would have a wi-fi network for their guests. My landlord has assured me she's working on getting a network set up at home, any day now.
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Oct 30, 2012 08:19
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Aquila posted:Thanks, it looks like Telstra has a pre-paid for $170 with 5GB for one month. I also found TEP Wireless and Cellular Abroad for similar prices. I couldn't find which network those other providers use (optus/vodafone most likely), but the biggest problem you will have is quality coverage. Telstra has the best coverage and (generally) the fastest speeds. You'll even get 4G coverage in major cities. One thing to note though if you havent already, you'll need to unlock your iphone so you can put another SIM in the phone.
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Oct 30, 2012 08:26
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ExecuDork posted:I expect any hotel would have a wi-fi network for their guests. They will be paid-for access, though. Hotels with free wifi are very rare as far as I can tell.
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Nov 1, 2012 01:29
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So I'm leaving for Australia in less than a week now and still have one week unplanned. I'll ostensibly be based out of Brisbane for this week and already have one week in Port Douglas and another week around Alice Springs / Uluru booked, so I need to figure out what to do. I'm thinking either a few days in Sydney then rent a car and check out the surrounding area, or jumping over to New Zealand, costs look like they would be nominally the same. Does anyone have any recommendations of cool things to do that I may not have considered?
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Nov 2, 2012 19:17
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Aquila posted:So I'm leaving for Australia in less than a week now and still have one week unplanned. I'll ostensibly be based out of Brisbane for this week and already have one week in Port Douglas and another week around Alice Springs / Uluru booked, so I need to figure out what to do. I'm thinking either a few days in Sydney then rent a car and check out the surrounding area, or jumping over to New Zealand, costs look like they would be nominally the same. Does anyone have any recommendations of cool things to do that I may not have considered? If I had a week spare and the cash to get to New Zealand I would go to the South Island in a second. Amazing place, will be a highlight of your trip.
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Nov 2, 2012 20:02
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Alright, got my WHV, flight to Melbourne is tomorrow. I read through the thread but a lot of the posts are a year old or so, so looking for some newer information. Quick questions: -Are they going to check for a return ticket at immigration when I arrive? I hear they require this all kinds of places (Thailand, etc) but have never been checked any of the countries they state it's a requirement so I'm wondering if it's fluff for Oz as well. If it is a legit requirement and I'll be turned away without, would you guys recommend just a throwaway Air Asia ongoing flight to Kuala Lumpur or somewhere near in Indonesia to get in? Any other things they're likely to check for I should be prepared for? -I'm getting in after midnight, looks like SkyBus can get me in to city center after midnight for $17, is that the recommended way to get in or is there a cheaper/better alternative? (My hostel is 24 hour reception so that's not a problem). -I've started looking for housing on gumtree, any red flags on ads so I don't travel 45 minutes to look at something that turns out to be a bunkbed room with 5 exchange students crammed in? Don't need anything fancy, just looking for a small room in a shared apartment/house. Other than that, any quick little tips for someone's first few days in Melbourne? Thanks guys.
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Nov 4, 2012 06:46
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Bulging Nipples posted:
Yep, a cab to the city is around $45-50. Unless you have 2 or more people, skybus is the cheapest/easiest way quote:-I've started looking for housing on gumtree, any red flags on ads so I don't travel 45 minutes to look at something that turns out to be a bunkbed room with 5 exchange students crammed in? Don't need anything fancy, just looking for a small room in a shared apartment/house. Not really red flag checking, but keep in mind that everything in Melbourne rotates around the inner city. On a night out, everyone heads towards the city/Carlton/Fitzroy/Collingwood/St Kilda. Ideally you want the best value place close to a train/tram near the city. I'm not sure where you're heading from - but not all cities do this. Sydney for example is quite the opposite - everyone heads to the suburbs for a night out. quote:Other than that, any quick little tips for someone's first few days in Melbourne? Thanks guys. Melbourne is a great city to explore - just walk around the city. Heaps of great cafes, laneways, shops and all sorts of things. Degraves St in the city is great for finding a good and cheap meal. Also, if you're hanging around either check the Melbourne Goon Meet thread or the Facebook Group. We get together once every 4-6 weeks, especially over summer for some drinks. There seems to be quite a few international goons turning up lately which is awesome to see.
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Nov 4, 2012 07:00
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quote:Financial requirements http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/working-holiday/417/eligibility-first.htm As long as you have funds to buy a ticket out it should be fine. They probably expect more than you would actually pay I remember reading in the requirements for other working holiday visas its usually an extra $2000 on top.
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Nov 4, 2012 09:54
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Both times I entered Australia on my WHV they just looked at my passport, stamped it and said "Welcome to Australia" YMMV, but I wouldn't worry too much about not having a return ticket.
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Nov 4, 2012 17:50
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HookShot posted:Both times I entered Australia on my WHV they just looked at my passport, stamped it and said "Welcome to Australia" I've been vaguely wondering about this too but figured I'd be alright as I've got proof of sufficient funds etc- not booked flights yet but have my visa, though I think I'll probably just buy a return anyway as it'd save me about £800 in the long run if I wish to stay for the two years and want to visit the UK at some point down the line. I'm planning on flying out at the end of February, totally got the fear now! I keep thinking I'm forgetting really obvious things that I should be planning; visa, flights, money/bank account, jobs, accommodation, phone, anything major I need to add to that list? (Have already bought theatre tickets because obviously that's a number one priority.) I'm probably going to be asking a heap of moronic questions in this thread over the next few months 
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Nov 4, 2012 18:25
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Gloomiebat posted:I'm probably going to be asking a heap of moronic questions in this thread over the next few months Ask away, us Aussies are pretty easy-going and we won't mind telling you all about how awesome our country is 
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Nov 11, 2012 14:58
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Gloomiebat posted:I've been vaguely wondering about this too but figured I'd be alright as I've got proof of sufficient funds etc- not booked flights yet but have my visa, though I think I'll probably just buy a return anyway as it'd save me about £800 in the long run if I wish to stay for the two years and want to visit the UK at some point down the line. I'm planning on flying out at the end of February, totally got the fear now! I keep thinking I'm forgetting really obvious things that I should be planning; visa, flights, money/bank account, jobs, accommodation, phone, anything major I need to add to that list? (Have already bought theatre tickets because obviously that's a number one priority.) If you do need an 'exiting australia' ticket just buy some cheapy jetstar flight from Melbourne to New Zealand or Bali, or a virgin ticket or air pacific ticket to Fiji, or an Air Asia ticket to Kuala Lumpur. NZ should be the cheapest, can get a one way to Auckland or Christchurch from 100-200 bucks or so depending on what's going on. and ask away! Hopefully us Melbournegoons can help you out!
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Nov 14, 2012 14:08
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bee posted:Ask away, us Aussies are pretty easy-going and we won't mind telling you all about how awesome our country is Aw cheers! I'm currently home from work sick as a dog so I can't think of anything specific right now to ask, ha, but I'm pretty much drafting up a mental list of questions that I'll no doubt unload here in a few weeks when I realise that I actually need to get my arse in gear. Almost time to give notice on the flat I've lived in for the past six years teacup posted:If you do need an 'exiting australia' ticket just buy some cheapy jetstar flight from Melbourne to New Zealand or Bali, or a virgin ticket or air pacific ticket to Fiji, or an Air Asia ticket to Kuala Lumpur. I was totally planning on hopping over to NZ anyway at some point and it never honestly occurred to me that my exit ticket didn't have to be back to the UK, so thanks for potentially saving me a heap of $$$! I absolutely cannot wait to go back to Melbourne, I loved it so much when I was there, and one of my friends has just informed me that the Darkness are playing there in April apparently so let's get on this, bahaha! Looking forward to maybe attending some goonmeets while I'm in the city if there are any
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Nov 14, 2012 16:15
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Gloomiebat posted:Aw cheers! have a look at jetstar.com.au and look up flights to like, christchurch, queenstown or auckland. Jetstar even have a few options for domestic new zealand flights as well, and they can all come pretty cheap. It's a great place.
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Nov 15, 2012 09:49
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teacup posted:have a look at jetstar.com.au and look up flights to like, christchurch, queenstown or auckland. Jetstar even have a few options for domestic new zealand flights as well, and they can all come pretty cheap. It's a great place. I actually did have a look a little while ago because I figured if I'm 'in the neighbourhood' (like how often will I be able to go to New Zealand for a couple hundred bucks) so to speak there really was no excuse to miss out on a trip to NZ and it was surprisingly inexpensive (if not necessarily cheap they were a lot cheaper than I was expecting). It's definitely something I'm going to do at some point. I'm so excited about this (all of it), it's only over the last year and a half or so that I've really caught the travelling bug after a lifetime mooching about the UK and I absolutely cannot wait to see everything. Fake edit: forgot to mention though it's not really important but I flew with Jetstar to Sydney and back (from Melbourne) and despite my flight getting delayed by like two and a half hours at Avalon they were really good so I'm happy to fly with them again
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Nov 15, 2012 12:09
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Adeladians! I'm on a Working Holiday Visa and struggling to find casual, non-skilled work here. Are there any non-obvious options that I may not be aware of? I've browsed through the usual seek, careerone, gumtree, etc. I'm looking into temp agencies now; any specific place I should go to? Any advice would be helpful. Alternatively, if anyone just wants to hang out, I have A LOT of free time!  I know there are goon meets for Sydney and Melbourne, but haven't seen any for Adelaide (not surprising). How many of you goonfolk are here?
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Nov 16, 2012 09:55
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i am bones posted:Adeladians! Hey hey. What have you already looked at? I'm not that knowledgeable about being gainfully employed unfortunately. Hospitality (bars/restaurants) would probably be a good bet this time of year, if it isn't already too late. Are you already here?
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Nov 16, 2012 10:01
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Lizard Combatant posted:Hey hey. What have you already looked at? I'm not that knowledgeable about being gainfully employed unfortunately. Hospitality (bars/restaurants) would probably be a good bet this time of year, if it isn't already too late. Are you already here? Hey! Like I mentioned, I've sent out a bunch of resumes through the usual employment websites like seek.com.au, etc. but haven't really gotten any bites. And yeah, I'm mostly looking in Hospitality but wondering if there are any other areas for casual jobs? Yes, I am here! I've been here for about two and half months now.
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Nov 16, 2012 12:03
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Those crappy jobs working for charities, telesales and door to door. No one wants to do it, no one sticks around. You would get one of those jobs straight away. Some money in your pocket while you look for a better job
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Nov 16, 2012 12:20
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If you're trying for hospitality/retail you're basically going to have to pound the pavement rather than look online. I literally never got a single hook by replying to ads on Seek and the like, my old retail jobs in Australia (worked in bakeries) were all from actually dropping off a resume.
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Nov 17, 2012 04:36
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What are some cheap staple foods/dishes in Australia? My boyfriend and I have been struggling to translate our usual "cheap cooking habits" - stuff like chicken and bell peppers are more pricey here, so the usual cheap stirfry/fajitas become expensive treats...
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Nov 17, 2012 06:24
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plasmoduck posted:What are some cheap staple foods/dishes in Australia? My boyfriend and I have been struggling to translate our usual "cheap cooking habits" - stuff like chicken and bell peppers are more pricey here, so the usual cheap stirfry/fajitas become expensive treats... My cheap meals consist of chicken, onion, capsicum (or bell peppers  ), zucchini, asparagus. I think if those things are too pricey you're really looking at lettuce, peas, corn, lentils, potato, broccoli and so on. Lentils are cheap and filling. Theres always pasta/noodles if you're looking even cheaper and can burn off all the carbs from constantly eating it.
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Nov 17, 2012 06:51
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You can cook for a lot cheaper if you buy your meat and veggies from Aldi instead of from Woolworths or Coles. Or getting fruit and veg from local markets often works out pretty inexpensive too.
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Nov 17, 2012 07:49
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i am bones posted:Adeladians! Try community work and look outside of seek. There is a lot of community work out there you just need an in.
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Nov 17, 2012 13:06
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bee posted:You can cook for a lot cheaper if you buy your meat and veggies from Aldi instead of from Woolworths or Coles. Or getting fruit and veg from local markets often works out pretty inexpensive too. I am so happy to discover that Aldi exists in Australia 
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Nov 19, 2012 22:31
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Gloomiebat posted:I am so happy to discover that Aldi exists in Australia Only the east coast though.
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Nov 20, 2012 10:57
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I've been in Sydney for just over a week now. Moved from the UK with a WHV and applying for pretty much job I can get. Don't really have any questions but if anybody wants/needs any advice on doing the same fire away!
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Nov 25, 2012 11:37
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* If you have a full manual driving license you can convert it to an NSW one. While you can drive on a foreign license for three months it opens up more jobs if you have an Australian license. * In Australia to do anything you need a license. Serve drinks in a bar? Responsible Service of Alcohol. Work on a building site? White card. Drive a fork lift? etc. Jobs search engine. For whatever I need a job right now: 1) get your RSA and work the bars. The casino is a great gig if you can get it. You'd need your RSA and Responsible Service of Gambling costing $100 each but you get back $25 per hr and guareeteed hours. 2) Get your forklift license and head to the factorys or Port of Botany. 3) Get your driving license and be a courier or a taxi driver. 4) Get your security license and do crowd control.
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Nov 26, 2012 11:13
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BCR posted:* If you have a full manual driving license you can convert it to an NSW one. While you can drive on a foreign license for three months it opens up more jobs if you have an Australian license. If you are going for a job that involved driving this is good advice. If not DONT do this. They can't give you points on an international license
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Nov 26, 2012 15:10
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I can't drive and all year I've been like 'oh I'll book lessons soon' because I figured it'd be useful at some point obviously though I've never planned on buying a car but I never got around to it, it worth getting lessons/licence (no idea on cost at the moment but assuming it's not cheap!?) in Australia or not really worth it if I'm not specifically intending on getting a job that involves driving (well, for starters anyway)? Would it be worth it purely for the job opportunities it might open up? Not that I'm booking lessons in advance or anything but it's something to think about. Also, how much does the RSA licence/course(?) cost? Haha, I've never done bar-work before (worked retail forever) and I'm really anxious about it, ha!
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Nov 26, 2012 22:27
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Gloomiebat posted:I can't drive and all year I've been like 'oh I'll book lessons soon' because I figured it'd be useful at some point obviously though I've never planned on buying a car but I never got around to it, it worth getting lessons/licence (no idea on cost at the moment but assuming it's not cheap!?) in Australia or not really worth it if I'm not specifically intending on getting a job that involves driving (well, for starters anyway)? Would it be worth it purely for the job opportunities it might open up? Not that I'm booking lessons in advance or anything but it's something to think about. If you are going to learn learn in your own country. Australia is not a good place to learn. By this I mean it has great standards but it will be very expensive. There is also a gradual system to the license. First year you can only do x speed and not have anyone in the car, second year you can only do y speed, etc. this means if you learn here you may be unemployable for car work anyway! If you have time to learn to drive where you are then do it. it's good to get it out of your way in life and it means you can rent cars in Australia. It's a big country. Neither my cousin or his girlfriend could drive. Didn't have any effect on jobs, just made their life harder in terms of transport. I'd only bother with the RSA if you are specifically going to work in a bar. The courses are everywhere and even online. If you like retail stick with retail.
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Nov 26, 2012 23:51
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