Just arrived - Advice Please!!!
 

Hi,

Yesterday my family and I finally arrived in Sydney and feel totally daunted by starting everything from scratch!!

One of the first things we need to sort out is a mobile phone. Does anyone have any advice on who to go with for the best deals? Can we get a contract phone yet or will it have to be a pay as you go? Are there any companies that offer good rates for calls to the UK using your mobile?

The other question I have is who is the best/cheapest Internet Service Provider for broadband?

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

TOB

Re: Just arrived - Advice Please!!!
 

Hi TOB, got your PM, glad you all arrived safe and well. if you want anymore info or just someone to chat to i really don't mind. we had pay as you go mobiles, mainly because the temptation to keep texting is contageous and we thought if we had to be bothered to keep getting credit we would limit ourselves :D didn't work though.
We were with AOL over there, purely because my parents and some friends are and we could keep in touch really easily (this was before we knew about MSN) sorry i cant remember the full story on payments, i think we had to pay a dial up fee to optus for the initial internet connection (everytime) and then monthly to aol as over here. I think.

As in your PM if you let us know what areas you were looking for (i pressume Northern Beaches, Lower North Shore) we will give our oppinion on them (if we can)

Don't forget to have fun. i know it is stressful, but try to relax, things will work themselves out, even if you worry about them or not.

Louise

Re: Just arrived - Advice Please!!!
 

You can get a payg mobile phone in any of the shopping malls - we chose vodaphone they do unlimited calls including 20minutes to UK for $49 'cap' this expires after 30 days. You can also buy for example 30$ of credit for 365 days and it wont expire unless you use it. They're all much the same, no mobile provider offers good value calls to UK....

To ring the UK go to the post office and buy a phone card - global buzz or similar, 20$ of calls on that will keep you going for 24 hours + of talk time from a land line and its a 1300 number to ring os you can use a call box etc etc etc.

Broadband try www.whirlpool.net and look at their reviews etc.

Re: Just arrived - Advice Please!!!
 

If you bought your mob phone from the UK, just buy a vodafone red sim - available all over (garages, dick smiths, woolworths) for $2 and then charge with credit. If you phone is locked to a UK provider have a look for one of the many mobile phone shops / mod shops who will unlock it for you. That said if your UK mob phone is nothing amazing, probably just as easy to buy a new one for $80

Re: Just arrived - Advice Please!!!
 

Thanks again for your advice Lousie. We're off to Pitt Street Mall this afternoon as there are both Virgin and Vodaphone mobile shops there.

With regards to where to live we were thinking of looking around Hornsby, Chatswood, French's Forest, etc, etc, not really sure until we look but again your advice would be appreciated. We have to bear in mind that we have two small children (ages 4 and 2 and a half) so want to live somewhere with good schools etc and not too far from a station.

We will try and have fun but it is a stressful time. My husband starts his job next Monday so I will be on my own with the kids which will be fun!!!! I am trying to think of all the things we can do together to keep occupied during the day while he is at work, I am sure we will find things to do.

Thanks again.

Tracy

Re: Just arrived - Advice Please!!!
 

Hi TOB,

Welcome to the land down under!! Hope that it all goes well for you and you're family.

I went with Vodafone Red Sim as they seem to be slightly cheaper than Telstra and offer cheaper Voda to Voda call rates. As for ISP I've gone with iinet.com.au who have a very good customer service record here, I also get my national and international phone calls through them.

Papa Z

Re: Just arrived - Advice Please!!!
 

We are with virgin pay as you go at the mo but am going to change to vodaphone as the deals are better. Broadband with TPG, $49.95 per month unlimited downloads and I think speed 512/512

Re: Just arrived - Advice Please!!!
 

Hi Tob, Welcome to the land of Oz! First thing first, do not panic, remember that you are in an english (well sort of!) speaking country, and people are only too pleased to help. Any time I had a problem, I just said "excuse my ignorance, but I am just a bloody stupid Pom!" that usually broke the ice. Your phone queries have been answered. Regarding internet, we are with Telestra, on BigPond. Cost about $29 per month, for broad band.
One tip is to take each day at a time. It is a big learning curve. I did get frustrated as I wanted to do everything in one day. You will be amazed at some similarities with the UK, and amazed at how different things are as well. From someone who has only been over here for 11 weeks, I can only say.....it's brilliant! PM anytime you need help, if I can help I will!
Enjoy your day!
ViVi :)

Re: Just arrived - Advice Please!!!
 

Hi Tracy,

Have sent you a PM.

Nichola

Re: Just arrived - Advice Please!!!
 

I am using Vodafone $50 prepaid cards ( talker bundle )
and Optus Broadband

Re: Just arrived - Advice Please!!!
 

Hi Tracey,

I just arrived on Saturday night too and felt very scared and daunted! Thankfully Gav arrived three weeks before me, so he could offer me some advice.

I've so far figured out the bus system (buses really quite are slow and few and far between here in Newcastle!), opened a bank account, registered with some agencies, got a mobile (PAYG for now) but we're on really slooooow dial up at home through iinet (had to go through telstra first to get the phone connected) the broadband is taking just a little longer.

I'll be in Sydney on Saturday afternoon hopefully! I've only seen inside the airport so far!

take care, it'll all fall into place!

Lel