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Ockhams Crowbar posted:I've been out of mining for a few years now, but everything I've heard indicates that work is growing harder to get across the industry, including shutdown work. Okay, that matches what I've been hearing. Thanks man!
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Jul 25, 2014 02:32
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Rougey posted:Its in an old STI clinic Will definitely see about getting over there. I think we used the subway (underground?) all of twice our previous trip, but I think I'm up to figuring it out this time. It's pretty much required to get anywhere outside of the tourist districts. Thanks again for the ideas!
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Jul 25, 2014 09:45
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Still working through the Canadian part of bureaucracy hell on my way to Oz. We had to go to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to get my wife's last name officially changed to mine, since she's been using it for years and has all documentation with it, but they didn't listen well and thought she was changing back to her maiden name. And they've already destroyed the required fingerprints, so now we need to do it all over again. On the bright side, we've changed all of our desktop wallpapers to photos of Sydney to keep us inspired. 
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Jul 25, 2014 12:09
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Beachcomber posted:Thanks for the food advice! I'm going to be with my fiance, but she will be going to Google during the day, leaving me with a lot of free time. There could be some events on that could be fun for you to check out seeing as you've been here before. These are the main sites I use to see whats going on here. Usually has new cafes/restaurants/bars opening and other random stuff. http://sydney.concreteplayground.com.au/ http://www.broadsheet.com.au/sydney http://www.au.timeout.com/sydney/ Urban Walkabout make printed neighbourhood guides. If you can find some of these then they are worth using to pick a neighbourhood and explore. Otherwise their website has a bunch of info as well http://www.urbanwalkabout.com/sydney/ Otherwise you could easily catch a train to some of the suburbs with bigger migrant populations and get a very different Sydney. I can't give you specific recommendations off the top of my head because most of the places I don't just by location when I'm driving/walking. So google for info on visiting these suburbs and what to see. Cabrammatta - Vietnamese. Its pretty much a mini vietnam and the food is fantastic at most places. Chatswood - Hong Kong/Cantonese. Massive chinese population and a couple of big shopping centres. Great yum cha and dumplings here. Its got a sizable business district as well. Auburn - Turkish/Middle eastern. I would also recommend you seeing if you can get out on a sail boat and see the harbour. Theres a few places that give lessons on small boats. Any harbour walks are good too. http://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/PlansforAction/CatchmentsandWaterways/SharingSydneyHarbour/WalkingSydneyHarbour/tabid/224/Default.aspx
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Jul 27, 2014 09:02
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Beachcomber posted:Sounds charming! Beachcomber posted:I think we used the subway (underground?) The lines go underground for parts of the city, but they all eventually pop back above ground. It is entirely possible to plan to go a single stop underground, pass out, then find yourself a hundred miles from where you started (have done this once). Fists Up posted:Chatswood - Hong Kong/Cantonese. Massive Chinese population and a couple of big shopping centres. Great yum cha and dumplings here. Its got a sizable business district as well.
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Jul 28, 2014 04:23
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Rougey posted:Do yourself a favour and try and arrive before 6pm, went there on Friday and it took two hours from the moment we lined up outside to when the drat things got served to our table that said in the twenty minutes we were outside they were passing around communal chips (fries) and we did spend a good hour down at the bar before a table was available so yeah most of the waiting time was spent downing pints and shooting the poo poo, but I honestly prefer to get there, get served, and get out. The vibe is great, but so many people want to eat there that I kind of resent people lingering on a table. I used to live right near there and I would never go there on a weekend. Its a poo poo fight to get a table and not worth it in the end. Unless you happen to be there early and want to stay for a bit.
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Jul 29, 2014 14:47
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What's the public transport situation in Melbourne and where should I stay? I live in Sydney and I was looking at going down to Melbourne in November for a few days, maybe a week, when I finish my thesis. I have in fact been to Melbourne multiple times, going down every couple of years for Christmas, but it's probably been a good decade since I did touristy stuff and I wasn't driven around to visit different relatives before jetting back up to Sydney. Ideally, I'll go the Airbnb route and get a private room or an apartment close to the city centre (Carlton? Fitzroy?). But I remember so many times from my recent trip to Europe that I spent ages walking to and from the train station near my place. It all just looked so close on the map (and I was an idiot). So um, yeah, I'd appreciate any answers you can give for my broad vague questions. It's been ages since I did any travel planning and I still need to get back into the swing of things.
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Aug 3, 2014 07:13
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December Octopodes posted:So I'll be flying into Perth at the start of August. I had a fantasy of bullshitting my way into a mining job, but apparently that's really difficult. Does anyone have experience with shutdown work, like being on fire watch? Do you have a forklift ticket? Do you have a manual driving license? Have you ever worked in confined spaces / heights? Do you have a trade skill (e.g. welding, electrician, etc) Can you pass a coal board medical? (Its the same in WA, just with a twist since its minerals) Have you worked with plant or heavy machinery before?
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Aug 4, 2014 04:21
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Octy posted:What's the public transport situation in Melbourne and where should I stay? I live in Sydney and I was looking at going down to Melbourne in November for a few days, maybe a week, when I finish my thesis. I have in fact been to Melbourne multiple times, going down every couple of years for Christmas, but it's probably been a good decade since I did touristy stuff and I wasn't driven around to visit different relatives before jetting back up to Sydney. Ideally, I'll go the Airbnb route and get a private room or an apartment close to the city centre (Carlton? Fitzroy?). But I remember so many times from my recent trip to Europe that I spent ages walking to and from the train station near my place. It all just looked so close on the map (and I was an idiot). So um, yeah, I'd appreciate any answers you can give for my broad vague questions. It's been ages since I did any travel planning and I still need to get back into the swing of things. You don't need to worry about trains so much because there are trams. If you're staying in the inner city (which you should) it's usually easier to just hop on the nearest tram rather than go to a train station. Also because the trams have an excellent app called tramtracker (download it) which uses real-time data to let you know when they're due, whereas the train service doesn't. Make sure you buy, top up and use a myki - you cannot buy or top up one onboard a tram, and the transit cops have started cracking down on it lately (or at least they were a few months ago). $200 fine and no tolerance for clueless tourists (I know because I used my old WA license and pretended to be one). edit - didn't actually answer your question. In terms of transport the CBD is the most connected place, but you can't really go wrong staying in Richmond or the inner-north block (Carlton/Fitzroy/Collingwood).
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Aug 4, 2014 11:35
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freebooter posted:You don't need to worry about trains so much because there are trams. If you're staying in the inner city (which you should) it's usually easier to just hop on the nearest tram rather than go to a train station. Also because the trams have an excellent app called tramtracker (download it) which uses real-time data to let you know when they're due, whereas the train service doesn't. Thanks, I'd forgotten about the trams! I think the last time I caught one was when I was 8. And I can just buy myki at a train station right? As the plan stands I'll take the Skybus from the airport to Southern Cross Station and get a tram from there off to a very nice apartment I've found in Brunswick St.
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Aug 6, 2014 23:20
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There's a 7-11 right next to the skybus station at SC where you can buy a myki. You can check tram connections here.
plasmoduck fucked around with this message at 23:36 on Aug 6, 2014 |
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Aug 6, 2014 23:31
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plasmoduck posted:There's a 7-11 right next to the skybus station at SC where you can buy a myki. You can check tram connections here. Somewhat late, but thanks to you too. At least Melbourne seems to have an actual public transport system which is always a relief. I am, incidentally, going up to the Gold Coast for a few nights at the end of this month. My friend and I are going to be staying in Surfers Paradise. Is there much to do or see besides the beach and those theme parks? Actually, which of the theme parks is the best? There seem to be a half dozen of them and the only similar thing I ever went to is Luna Park back in the day. We might not have time for it, but still good to keep in mind. I'm mostly just seeing this as a way to relax from uni and I'd be more than happy to never leave the hotel/beach. Also, there was a bit of talk earlier in this thread about racism in QLD. Is that true in the Gold Coast as much? I'm the whitest guy ever, but my friend is Sri Lankan and I wouldn't want her to feel uncomfortable at any point. Obviously we have plenty of racists down here too, but from the way some people talk, Queenslanders seem to want to bring back racial segregation or whatever.
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Aug 18, 2014 11:01
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BCR posted:Do you have a forklift ticket? Nope.
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Aug 18, 2014 14:40
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Octy posted:I am, incidentally, going up to the Gold Coast for a few nights at the end of this month. My friend and I are going to be staying in Surfers Paradise. Is there much to do or see besides the beach and those theme parks? Actually, which of the theme parks is the best? There seem to be a half dozen of them and the only similar thing I ever went to is Luna Park back in the day. We might not have time for it, but still good to keep in mind. I'm mostly just seeing this as a way to relax from uni and I'd be more than happy to never leave the hotel/beach. Dream World is probably the best in terms of variety and thrill rides but I haven't been in years and the prices, lines and atmosphere supposedly just keep getting worse. Do it if you have the money to spend but I wouldn't make it a priority. Sea World is closest to Surfers so if you want to see some dolphins, sharks, penguins etc with the bonus of a couple rides, then It's only a short bus trip or even a moderate walk depending on where in Surfers you are. The Gold Coast at its best is in the southern beaches at Burleigh, Currumbin, Coolangatta etc and in the hinterland at Springbrook, Natural Arch, O'Reillys. Unfortunately they all require at least a bus trip from Surfers but they're the "real" gold coast as opposed to the skyscrapers and tourists of Surfers, so if you're keen on just relaxing then you'll have to decide on making a trip or just the beach at Surfers which will be relatively busy and not all that great. Wrt racism: I don't see it being an issue. I mean I say this as a white male so I really have no frame of reference, but walking around the streets of Surfers Paradise you'll probably encounter more tourists than locals. I hesitate to say that Racism in Queensland is overstated because again I'm not the one to be making that judgement, but it probably is. The Gold Coast is a multicultural place just like anywhere else in Australia, the only time I could see it being an issue if you're out near the clubs at night around drunken, coked up dickheads who've run out of blow. If I were planning a trip for a few days I'd probably plan a day around Burleigh Heads - swimming, walking around the headland, checking out the shops, grabbing some food, markets if you're on the right day, brewery etc. Currumbin is only a short bus trip further south as well if you run out of things to do and want more of the same with a change of scenery. A day trip around springbrook and the natural arch would definitely be worth researching too. I'm just not sure how public transport works to those places and it might be relegated to actual tour companies rather than the standard buses. And if you couldn't be hosed with any of that then there's a bunch of touristy poo poo you could fill your time with walking the streets of Surfers.
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Aug 19, 2014 04:54
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The Gold Coast is pretty much full of asian tourists and most of the locals are chilled out beach bums. I highly doubt you will get any reaction being Sri Lankan and if you do its going to be some drunk dickhead who no one cares about anyway. If you were out in some redneck town you would probably find more casual racism (people saying inappropriate things and making it awkward) but there's more directed at aboriginals if anything.
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Aug 19, 2014 13:22
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Woah, massive megapost I wasn't expecting. I think Sea World is more my cup of tea. :P Rollercoasters and thrill rides like that terrify me. I'll definitely look up Burleigh Heads and perhaps Springbrook. A beach is a beach, but it does make a big difference when there's fewer people. Yeah, I'm hoping to avoid the drunken dickheads. My friend is much more into clubbing and late nights than I am. When I was younger and more energetic (I'm only 23, what am I saying?), I found those kinds of people tended only to come out when all the bars closed. At least it's not going to be during schoolies. God forbid those kids fresh out of school think we're 'toolies'.
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Aug 20, 2014 13:09
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Octy posted:Woah, massive megapost I wasn't expecting. A truck hit a bridge and I was stuck on the train for an hour. 
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Aug 20, 2014 13:24
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Gold Coast was fun! Our only out-of-hotel expedition was to SeaWorld and Infinity Attraction. Most of the rest of our time was spent lounging by the hotel pool and drinking cocktails. We had a bit of a scary flight back, though. About 20 minutes in we hit some nasty turbulence and then the plane just suddenly dropped down for what felt like at least 10 seconds. The captain later told us it was a 'sudden rapid descent due to traffic'. I mean, my stepfather used to advise the federal minister for transport, and he read near-daily reports of that happening and it was usually because of a near-collision with another aircraft. Apparently happens a lot. So my nerves were pretty frayed. I think I got gipped on the taxi fare home too. I live in the Inner West and the guy wanted to take me through the cross-city tunnel rather than Sydenham. I was too tired and unnerved to argue. The fare read about $58 when I finally got home, but apparently the tunnel toll is $25 because my card statement reads $83.25. Sorry, just had to vent a little. Not the best way to end a holiday. Octy fucked around with this message at 09:30 on Sep 1, 2014 |
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Sep 1, 2014 09:28
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Octy posted:Gold Coast was fun! Our only out-of-hotel expedition was to SeaWorld and Infinity Attraction. Most of the rest of our time was spent lounging by the hotel pool and drinking cocktails. We had a bit of a scary flight back, though. About 20 minutes in we hit some nasty turbulence and then the plane just suddenly dropped down for what felt like at least 10 seconds. The captain later told us it was a 'sudden rapid descent due to traffic'. I mean, my stepfather used to advise the federal minister for transport, and he read near-daily reports of that happening and it was usually because of a near-collision with another aircraft. Apparently happens a lot. So my nerves were pretty frayed. Dude. Contest that poo poo. Does the receipt have any info of the taxi or even company? That is not cool. Also why I tend to take more ubers now because they can't gently caress you over as much. A taxi (booking with Uber) screwed over my sister going to the airport after I booked her one which I could see in the email receipt which traces the route. I complained to them and they refunded me $40 which brought me down to the usual fee to the airport.
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Sep 1, 2014 11:39
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Fists Up posted:Dude. Contest that poo poo. Does the receipt have any info of the taxi or even company? I ended up not getting a receipt. My card statement shows 'Taxi Combined' followed by a short string of numbers (might be their phone) and 'Darlinghurst AU'. I've submitted a complaint, but having looked up reviews of Taxi Combined, I probably won't get it resolved. I've also submitted a complaint to Transport for NSW, but given I don't know the taxi registration or driver ID number I can't see this going too far. But Christ, even Sydney Airport estimates the average fare for getting to North Sydney to only be $55-65. Octy fucked around with this message at 23:21 on Sep 1, 2014 |
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Sep 1, 2014 23:08
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Hey, so my mom is going to Perth in March for 3 weeks to visit relatives (my grandparents and cousins) and I have the opportunity to go with her. I would love to go to Australia but I feel like going for 3 weeks to one city and just to hang out with relatives could get boring. I don't know much about Perth other than it is a big city that is very far from everything else (I think). Are there places nearby that are easy / relatively inexpensive to travel to around there that would make the trip more exciting? I love hiking, adventuring, etc. I also feel like if I am spending all the money to go to Australia I would want to do things like see the great barrier reef, etc but I know that's on the opposite coast and may not be viable to do (inexpensively). Basically I just want to know if there are fun things a 23 year old male could do after spending some time with relatives in Perth. Sorry if this is too vague!
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Sep 12, 2014 22:16
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You could hire a car and head down to the Margaret River region for a few days. There's lots of vineyards, caves, surfing, breweries (I highly recommend the Olive Grove) and generally lots of stuff to explore depending on what you're into. Be warned though, as it's a popular tourist destination everything there is expensive but you're going to encounter that pretty much everywhere here in Australia. Three weeks in Perth is a long time, if you can afford to fly to the east coast for a week or two and check out the barrier reef and Sydney/Melbourne it's a good idea.
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Sep 12, 2014 23:35
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Also fly north to Broome for a few days omg do this.
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Sep 13, 2014 02:38
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As far as cities go, I found Perth boring as gently caress. Western Australia is awesome, though. Head south to wine country, north to adventure country, east for lots of desert and people mining things. Rent a camper van and drive it from Perth to Broome over two weeks, then fly back. You'll get to see Ningaloo Reef instead, which rivals the Great Barrier. The Kimberley coast is loving amazing, too, but it's north of Broome. I'm sure there are tours for backpackers - do something like this: http://www.peterpans.com.au/backpacking-holidays-australia/19-day18-night-aussie-wanderer-perth-darwin-safari-one-way March will be hot.
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Sep 13, 2014 03:41
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Rent a car, drive south to Albany, then head back up the coast. You can take as long as you like and still won't see everything. Wineries, arts and crafts, the bibbulmum and munda biddi tracks, plus the giant treetop walk. Ningaloo reef is better than GBR, due to damage that's happening over in QLD and greater biodiversity in a smaller area. Plus, you don't want to go to QLD if you can avoid it. If you scuba dive, I thoroughly recommend diving the navy pier. HMAS Perth is a cool dive down in Albany. Rottnest is a nice overnighter, with some cool snorkeling spots. Make sure you bring a hat, sunglasses and sun screen. You will get sunburnt in March if you spend more than about 30 minutes in the sun.
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Sep 13, 2014 04:23
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Sharks Below posted:Also fly north to Broome for a few days omg do this. Why? I've been to Broome a few times for work, and on weekends off did some exploring. The attraction of the place is a complete mystery to me - there are plenty of other coastal regions in Australia that are just as nice without being so hellishly hot or remote
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Sep 13, 2014 04:32
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There are quokkas in Western Australia. 
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Sep 13, 2014 06:00
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I used to work in tourism in Perth. Echoing what's above me, a lot of the best parts of WA are outside of Perth - Ningaloo Reef and Shark Bay are both pretty cool up the coast, Margaret River is pretty cool down the coast. That said, if you prefer staying within day trip range of the city there's fun stuff as well. Kings Park is really beautiful, offers a great view of the city and has some nice hiking (well, strolling) in it. There's no entry fee and it's a great place to get lost for a few hours. The museum/culture complex in Northbridge (just up from Perth's main train station) has a couple of interesting museums and art galleries. Rottnest has quokkas. I didn't really care for too much about Rottnest - apparently the further beaches are nice? And there's some cool snorkeling - but quokkas. Quokkas are cool. Makes for a nice, but relatively expensive, day trip. Rent a bike and you can go roaming around the island. The Swan River valley doesn't have the same cachet as Margaret River, but it's got some nice vineyards, great restaurants and some pretty sight seeing. Rent a car and explore, or there are some guided trips around. Shoalwater Marine Park down in Rockingham has Penguin Island and Seal Island, which has few seals but many sea lions. There's a ferry that runs back and forth, but there's a couple of companies that do kayaking trips, snorkeling and other things down there as well. Fremantle is secretly part of Perth, despite what they say, and has some nice historic buildings, restaurants and museums. As far as hiking: March will be quite warm, and Perth doesn't have the geology for grand sweeping vistas, but the bushwalking is interesting in its own way. The Bibbulmun Track's northern terminus is just east of the city. There are a few national parks, the Avon Valley, and some state parks. I spend a lot of time hiking and doing outdoorsy stuff near Perth, so I'm happy to help with any specifics.
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Sep 13, 2014 09:02
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Thank you for all of the responses! I ended up booking the trip because it sounds like there are plenty of fun things to do in the area. My grandparents/uncle have offered to lend me their car as well, which will make things easier. I look forward to seeing the Ningaloo reef and (hopefully) everything else that was suggested.
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Sep 14, 2014 03:00
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Finch! posted:As far as cities go, I found Perth boring as gently caress. Western Australia is awesome, though. I am from Perth and I thoroughly endorse this statement. Spend as little time there as you can, drive up north to Shark Bay and snorkel on Ningaloo Reef etc. As others have pointed out the south-west is nice too but I would definitely recommend the north more, the thousands kilometres of coast from Lancelin to Exmouth offers a sort of absolutely empty stark beauty that you will be hard-pressed to find anywhere else and will remember for the rest of your life. Margaret River is nice and all but it's not that much different from cute winery towns you can find all over the world.
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Sep 15, 2014 01:17
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Fun fact : I grew up hearing how dodgy Kings Cross was in Sydney and you will be stabbed and raped if you go there. Went there when I was 19 or so and felt safer than being in Northbridge in Perth.
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Sep 15, 2014 02:54
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Frogmanv2 posted:Fun fact : I grew up hearing how dodgy Kings Cross was in Sydney and you will be stabbed and raped if you go there. Went there when I was 19 or so and felt safer than being in Northbridge in Perth. I got mugged in broad daylight, on the edge of my uni campus in Joondalup when I was 19. Good times. I kinda liked Perth but I am about the least picky person ever when it comes to cities, so take that as you will. For tourist stuff, I thought the night prison tour in Freemantle was pretty neat.
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Sep 15, 2014 03:12
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I was in Perth for a little bit, now I'm way the gently caress up in South Hedland. Perth has a kangaroo island if you're interested, but it's easy to run out of poo poo to do. I second people saying get out of town, you'll be much happier that way.
December Octopodes fucked around with this message at 06:15 on Sep 15, 2014 |
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Sep 15, 2014 06:10
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December Octopodes posted:I was in Perth for a little bit, now I'm way the gently caress up in South Hedland. Perth has a kangaroo island if you're interested, but it's easy to run out of poo poo to do. I second people saying get out of town, you'll be much happier that way. Rottnest Island, with the Quokkas? There's a Kangaroo Island 2000km away in South Australia, that doesn't have quokkas but does have kangaroos.
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Sep 15, 2014 12:30
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Mr Chips posted:Rottnest Island, with the Quokkas? There's a Kangaroo Island 2000km away in South Australia, that doesn't have quokkas but does have kangaroos. And a lot of koalas and seals and sea lions and possums and platypus. Kangaroo Island is awesome 
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Sep 15, 2014 13:10
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And penguins!!!! Kangaroo Island is my favourite place in Australia.
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Sep 16, 2014 00:30
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HookShot posted:And penguins!!!! Oh yeah, thousands of penguins. It's one of my favourite places too, even if it costs a small fortune to get the ferry. I take most of my foreign visitors there for a few days and they usually combine their first experience sleeping in a swag with their first echidna sighting. Most have seen koalas - they live all around my house in Adelaide - but nearly everything else is new for them.
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Sep 16, 2014 00:42
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Mr Chips posted:Rottnest Island, with the Quokkas? There's a Kangaroo Island 2000km away in South Australia, that doesn't have quokkas but does have kangaroos. The one i'm thinking of is east of the perth business district. I forget it's real name but it does feature kangaroos. I didn't see any, but got to see dolphins splashing past in the river.
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Sep 16, 2014 04:59
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December Octopodes posted:The one i'm thinking of is east of the perth business district. I forget it's real name but it does feature kangaroos. I didn't see any, but got to see dolphins splashing past in the river. Herrison island?
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Sep 16, 2014 07:12
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Frogmanv2 posted:Herrison island? I've spent 3+ years in Perth and walked over that bridge scores of times and not noticed them at all, but apparently there are some there!
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Sep 16, 2014 07:25
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