rackcatt

MOVING TO MEL. DO I NEED TO RESIT MY DRIVING TEST, BEEN DRIVING IN THE UK FOR 8 YEARS.
CHEERS

Bernieboy

No,but you may need to downgrade yer driving skills,A LOT

rackcatt

Oh heck...not got enough skills as it is...!!!

koalakim

Ha ha...! Yes, you have to loose the ability to use your indicators, be able to switch lanes at a nanosecond, tailgate, drive through red lights are a few.

All you have to do is to show up at one of the VIC road centres and swap your licence over. They do make you read some letters on the wall, you have to declare if you have to have glasses/contacts to drive and then they take a pretty picture of you. You can smile, do your hair and make-up for it.

I think NSW and WA you have to do written and/or practical tests? So we are quite lucky down here.

You also have 3 months to swap your licence over unless you are on a 457 visa in which case you don't have to.

K

rackcatt

PHEW !!!!! No test im glad. sounds scary driving over in OZ...lol

scrubbedexpat020

And the rest.

Drive in any lane you wish as everybody else does.

Tailgate - national past-time.

When turning left/right don't feel compelled to acknowledge the white line has a purpose. Feel free to meander onto to the other side of the road. This happens because people are going too fast when turning.

Be prepared for some joker zipping up your inside to squeeze into your lane because as he is indicating and his car is a micron in front of yours you have to hit the brakes and give way.

Seriously, when you get here, get a Brit to take you for a spin and point out how it's different. The big thing to me is that drivers are less courteous/more aggressive.

Best thing is that there are traffic lights everywhere so the muppet who has pulled a bad manoeuvre will be alongside you at the lights. Let's play "race to the next red light".

The roads are very good but, I used to drive at 90mph on the motorways because you could predict what people in front were going to do, here I haven't got a clue. If they suggested an increase in the 100kph limit I would not be happy.

Even entering the freeway I wait for the inevitable prat who hasn't been taught to move into the second lane to make way for cars entering the freeway.

To get a licence here the kids have to do 120 hours under instruction. Great, you say. But, most kids do a lesson or two with a driving instructor to learn to the mechanics of driving, then the parents take over. Plus, don't be surprised to see new drivers in big V6s.

Been here 5 years and I still hanker for the relatively pleasant driving experience of England.

rackcatt

OH GREAT....I AM NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO DRIVING.

Bernieboy

A natural already

Deancm_MKII

A drivers licence in Australia is usually obtained from a packet of Kelloggs Cornflakes.

Bernieboy

Cheaper at hungry jacks.

Amazulu

No test in WA - so you are not so lucky.

IndieG

http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/...rsLicences.htm

' If you have entered Victoria on a permanent visa issued under the Migration Act 1958, you may drive on your overseas driver licence for:

six months from the date you first entered Australia if the permanent visa was issued before you entered Australia; or,

six months from the date when the permanent visa was issued to you if the permanent visa was issued to you whilst in Australia.

If you want to continue driving in Victoria after this time you must change your overseas licence to a Victorian driver licence. '

koalakim

They've increased it as it was 3 months when we arrived.

I thought WA had to do something as I remember one of those Downunder tv show a woman on it was having kittens at having to do a test or maybe she hadn't learnt to drive in the UK

scrubbedexpat020

and, don't forget the road-toll figures.

every xmas and easter they report the number of road-deaths in the different states in the news bulletins.

happy holidays!

I hate driving here. Just went up and down a road nearby that has double lines down the centre because it's a hill and you can't see what's coming. On the way out there was only one car parked, on the way back, two. If I hadn't slowed down on the way out I would have had a head-on with the bin-truck.

and watch out at the roundabouts!

koalakim

You'll also learn to hate traffic lights and big junctions where you sit for hours waiting for your turn again!

As I live in Mornington I have to use the Nepean at lot to get into the city and boy if you hit one of those million sets of lights you get them all!

Other than the roads Melbourne is a lovely place to live