First day in Australia and do not know where to start - help please
Oct 31st 2005, 10:45 am
#16
Just Joined
Joined: Jun 2005
Location: Warrandyte Vic
Posts: 11
Re: First day in Australia and do not know where to start - help please
Yes I know exactly how you must feel! We moved to Melbourne in August - we have four children ages 9, 7, 5, and 15 months!
within 10 days we;
1. opened bank acct
2. bought 2 cars (www.carsales.com.au)
3. found and rented a house for a year
4. Got the children into School
5. Got visas, Phones etc etc
6. I started work 7 days after getting here!
This was all possible with 4 jet-lagged children and not knowing where to live!
We have however now realised that Oz is not for us and will do this for a year maximum. Coming here we realise how great the UK is - especially Hampshire where we lived and still own our house.
Its been a great adventure - no regrets at all - Good luck with the move!
within 10 days we;
1. opened bank acct
2. bought 2 cars (www.carsales.com.au)
3. found and rented a house for a year
4. Got the children into School
5. Got visas, Phones etc etc
6. I started work 7 days after getting here!
This was all possible with 4 jet-lagged children and not knowing where to live!
We have however now realised that Oz is not for us and will do this for a year maximum. Coming here we realise how great the UK is - especially Hampshire where we lived and still own our house.
Its been a great adventure - no regrets at all - Good luck with the move!
Oct 31st 2005, 12:45 pm
#17
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Mar 2004
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 1,927
Re: First day in Australia and do not know where to start - help please
Originally Posted by arkon
Your doing all the right things, get your bank account first, we used the National because it was all set up by the time you leave the bank, get them to send a statement to your address in Oz. Then visit Medicare, this and the bank were the easiest and it will give you a couple of bits of vital stuff for getting the harder things.
Then get you TFN number, look on the web for addresses of the ATO offices, there is one smack bang in the middle of Sydney walkable from the ferries.
Phone the bank and give them you TFN number, this will stop them deducting 50% tax at source.
Get a cheap pay as you go phone asap, vodaphone were cheap and coverage in Sydney was OK.
Then off to the dreaded RTA office, pick one in a smaller away from town place, definately avoid the one in Sydney center, The Hornsby one was quite good in the end. Here youy get your RTA customer number which you need to buy a new car, not sure if you need it to buy secondhand but it can't hurt to get it.
That will do for your first week I think. There after have a holiday to get over the trauma of the whole process.
I would recomend you rent for a few years in different areas and cities before comiting to buying like I did.
Then get you TFN number, look on the web for addresses of the ATO offices, there is one smack bang in the middle of Sydney walkable from the ferries.
Phone the bank and give them you TFN number, this will stop them deducting 50% tax at source.
Get a cheap pay as you go phone asap, vodaphone were cheap and coverage in Sydney was OK.
Then off to the dreaded RTA office, pick one in a smaller away from town place, definately avoid the one in Sydney center, The Hornsby one was quite good in the end. Here youy get your RTA customer number which you need to buy a new car, not sure if you need it to buy secondhand but it can't hurt to get it.
That will do for your first week I think. There after have a holiday to get over the trauma of the whole process.
I would recomend you rent for a few years in different areas and cities before comiting to buying like I did.
Great Thread good info for newbies.
A big thanks to Arkon, thats the most positve and informative thread of yours I have read. Are you feeling ill!!
Oct 31st 2005, 1:22 pm
#18
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Perth
Posts: 243
Re: First day in Australia and do not know where to start - help please
Originally Posted by romukmelau
Yes I know exactly how you must feel! We moved to Melbourne in August - we have four children ages 9, 7, 5, and 15 months!
within 10 days we;
1. opened bank acct
2. bought 2 cars (www.carsales.com.au)
3. found and rented a house for a year
4. Got the children into School
5. Got visas, Phones etc etc
6. I started work 7 days after getting here!
This was all possible with 4 jet-lagged children and not knowing where to live!
We have however now realised that Oz is not for us and will do this for a year maximum. Coming here we realise how great the UK is - especially Hampshire where we lived and still own our house.
Its been a great adventure - no regrets at all - Good luck with the move!
within 10 days we;
1. opened bank acct
2. bought 2 cars (www.carsales.com.au)
3. found and rented a house for a year
4. Got the children into School
5. Got visas, Phones etc etc
6. I started work 7 days after getting here!
This was all possible with 4 jet-lagged children and not knowing where to live!
We have however now realised that Oz is not for us and will do this for a year maximum. Coming here we realise how great the UK is - especially Hampshire where we lived and still own our house.
Its been a great adventure - no regrets at all - Good luck with the move!
Oct 31st 2005, 7:10 pm
#19
Member
Joined: Apr 2005
Location: Sydney - North Shore
Posts: 14
Re: First day in Australia and do not know where to start - help please
Hi, we have been here 3 weeks now, and managed to:
open a bank account before we left the UK, and had our 'handycards' sent to us there, so all ready to withdraw cash. however they wont give us a credit card until we are working, so keep your UK one handy.
applied for a TFN online, no problem, arrived in the post within 1-2 weeks.
applied for a medicare number in a medicare office - get your number straightaway, just take in your passport and UK drivers licence.
the problem for us is renting. the mad Saturday open inspections! we had one lined up and were told that no-one else was in for it, then a week later just as we were about to move out of our holiday rental, it apparently went to someone else - reason was we didnt have references as having just arrived we hadn't rented here before! we have spent the last week trailing round every day (with a small very bored child) to find somewhere else, and some we have viewed are in shocking condition, so this has had to be our first priority.
it is difficult to guess where to stay if you dont know where you are working though, but didnt think it would take so long/be that difficult to find somewhere.
oh well, we move in somewhere tomorrow, just waiting for our stuff to get through customs today!!
open a bank account before we left the UK, and had our 'handycards' sent to us there, so all ready to withdraw cash. however they wont give us a credit card until we are working, so keep your UK one handy.
applied for a TFN online, no problem, arrived in the post within 1-2 weeks.
applied for a medicare number in a medicare office - get your number straightaway, just take in your passport and UK drivers licence.
the problem for us is renting. the mad Saturday open inspections! we had one lined up and were told that no-one else was in for it, then a week later just as we were about to move out of our holiday rental, it apparently went to someone else - reason was we didnt have references as having just arrived we hadn't rented here before! we have spent the last week trailing round every day (with a small very bored child) to find somewhere else, and some we have viewed are in shocking condition, so this has had to be our first priority.
it is difficult to guess where to stay if you dont know where you are working though, but didnt think it would take so long/be that difficult to find somewhere.
oh well, we move in somewhere tomorrow, just waiting for our stuff to get through customs today!!
Oct 31st 2005, 7:14 pm
#20
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,337
Re: First day in Australia and do not know where to start - help please
Originally Posted by ali south
Hi all
after a rollercoaster couple of weeks we are now in Sydney.
Our plans for today are to go to Parramatta to look for a car.
To open a bank account
Get our tax code sorted
and perhaps to sort Medicare
What should we do this week?
Feeling in need of a bit of advice. Plus did not get time to unlock UK phones.
Thanks
Tara
after a rollercoaster couple of weeks we are now in Sydney.
Our plans for today are to go to Parramatta to look for a car.
To open a bank account
Get our tax code sorted
and perhaps to sort Medicare
What should we do this week?
Feeling in need of a bit of advice. Plus did not get time to unlock UK phones.
Thanks
Tara
http://www.immi.gov.au/settle/bookle...ts/nsw/eng.pdf
Oct 31st 2005, 11:15 pm
#21
Tell it like it is'er
Joined: Apr 2005
Location: Perth, WA
Posts: 84
Re: First day in Australia and do not know where to start - help please
My best advice would be 'turn around & go back before it's too late' 
!
!
Nov 1st 2005, 12:35 am
#22
BE Forum Addict
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: Mona Vale, Northern Beaches, Sydney
Posts: 1,076
Re: First day in Australia and do not know where to start - help please
Originally Posted by Perthforme
Print this off
http://www.immi.gov.au/settle/bookle...ts/nsw/eng.pdf
http://www.immi.gov.au/settle/bookle...ts/nsw/eng.pdf
Nov 1st 2005, 12:46 am
#23
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 256
Re: First day in Australia and do not know where to start - help please
Hope you settle in quickly, don't try and do everything at once, it'll all work out eventually, we only been here less than 4 weeks and rushed around doing everything we haven't had time to enjoy ourselves and now we have started work,
Nicola
Nicola
Nov 1st 2005, 3:47 am
#24
Banned
Joined: Feb 2004
Location: Somerly,Perth
Posts: 545
Re: First day in Australia and do not know where to start - help please
One tip I have is that if you need to go to Centrelink to register for child benefit (ie family assistance) try using the Medicare place instead. They provide the same service buts its much quicker.
We spent 2 hours in Centrelink only to discover we were missing a few bits, took the forms back to Medicare, took 20 mins.
This is in Joondalup but I'm sure its the same everywhere.
We spent 2 hours in Centrelink only to discover we were missing a few bits, took the forms back to Medicare, took 20 mins.
This is in Joondalup but I'm sure its the same everywhere.
Nov 1st 2005, 6:27 am
#25
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: From Sidcup to Elanora...Sunny GC! 20/08/05
Posts: 2,075
Re: First day in Australia and do not know where to start - help please
Originally Posted by diddy
As someone who got around to getting a medicare card after being here for 9 months and only getting a TFN after having a job for a couple of weeks, the first thing you should do is enjoy yourself. You're here, take it in and have a laugh.
Paul.
Paul.
Agree 100%
Hiya Tara
just chill and enjoy, yes that all needs to get sorted but try to enjoy and explore your new home you'll get it all done soon enough.How long have you got where you staying?
All the best hun and keep us posted on how you get on.....YOUR OUT OF SIDCUP!!!!!!WHOOOOOOO
Sue x
Last edited by Sue2; Nov 1st 2005 at 6:32 am.
