Six weeks in Perth
Jul 4th 2006 | 5:32 pm
#1
Thread Starter
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 68
From: Perth
Six weeks in Perth
Been in Perth for about six weeks now and settling in well.
We did the fast-track route here, hubby is on a three year contract, so will be heading back to UK then. Was all a bit of a whirl wind, he got the job, a month later we all came for the reccy visit, found a rental and school, then six weeks later here we were.
A few tips I was happy to have had
- make sure your rental has heating, it's chilly at night
- local libraries have internet access, usually free.
- most of the suberbs have their own web sites, great for local info.
- 'flybys' are a kind of loyalty card, you'll get asked at most supermarkets if you have one.
- you can get copies of yellow pages for free from post offices
- post offices and news agents have lists of telephone calling cards, I have two, one is 49cents connection then 1 cent minute, the other no connection fee and 2cents minute.So calls to the UK are peanuts.
- get the Entertainment Book, hundreds of money off vouchers to restaurants and touristy places, costs $60 which you make back after using one or two vouchers. Also good as it has some menu's and tells you if places are BYO or licenced.
I have been suprised at the cost of some things here, groceries are similar priced if not dearer here. I can find just about everything I want, fresh fruit is limited by season, but tinned is cheap so can still get good variety.If you really need Marmite and PG-Tips there are several UK shops about, but very expensive.
We had been told eating out is dirt cheap, not really found that, but the quality is very good. A good restaurant you are looking about $35 for a main and same for a bottle of wine. We can go to our local Vietnamese and 4 of us have a wonderfull meal with BYO for $80. If you look around there's noodle bars at $6 meal, and Japanese for the same.
Electrical goods we have found to be comparable to the UK, and play the shops off against each other - they nearly all say they won't be beaten on price.
Car, we got 15% off an already discounted car (new) plus a few dealer fit things thrown in by going in confident and saying what we wanted. Worth spending time at a few showrooms and play them against each other.
Only hassle has been the bank, Commonwealth. Customer service is very poor, but now it's all set up and running it's fine.
Be warned, I find a lot of places will want to talk to my husband, for example Foxtel wouldn't let me rearrange installation when they came and I was out, insisted on my hubby doing it. I politely told them to sod off and bought a digi box instead!
All in all, has been quite frustrating, but now we are settling down to normal life and it feels like home. It's a beautiful place and the people are friendly, I'm determined to make the most of it seeing as I know I ony have three years here.
We did the fast-track route here, hubby is on a three year contract, so will be heading back to UK then. Was all a bit of a whirl wind, he got the job, a month later we all came for the reccy visit, found a rental and school, then six weeks later here we were.
A few tips I was happy to have had
- make sure your rental has heating, it's chilly at night
- local libraries have internet access, usually free.
- most of the suberbs have their own web sites, great for local info.
- 'flybys' are a kind of loyalty card, you'll get asked at most supermarkets if you have one.
- you can get copies of yellow pages for free from post offices
- post offices and news agents have lists of telephone calling cards, I have two, one is 49cents connection then 1 cent minute, the other no connection fee and 2cents minute.So calls to the UK are peanuts.
- get the Entertainment Book, hundreds of money off vouchers to restaurants and touristy places, costs $60 which you make back after using one or two vouchers. Also good as it has some menu's and tells you if places are BYO or licenced.
I have been suprised at the cost of some things here, groceries are similar priced if not dearer here. I can find just about everything I want, fresh fruit is limited by season, but tinned is cheap so can still get good variety.If you really need Marmite and PG-Tips there are several UK shops about, but very expensive.
We had been told eating out is dirt cheap, not really found that, but the quality is very good. A good restaurant you are looking about $35 for a main and same for a bottle of wine. We can go to our local Vietnamese and 4 of us have a wonderfull meal with BYO for $80. If you look around there's noodle bars at $6 meal, and Japanese for the same.
Electrical goods we have found to be comparable to the UK, and play the shops off against each other - they nearly all say they won't be beaten on price.
Car, we got 15% off an already discounted car (new) plus a few dealer fit things thrown in by going in confident and saying what we wanted. Worth spending time at a few showrooms and play them against each other.
Only hassle has been the bank, Commonwealth. Customer service is very poor, but now it's all set up and running it's fine.
Be warned, I find a lot of places will want to talk to my husband, for example Foxtel wouldn't let me rearrange installation when they came and I was out, insisted on my hubby doing it. I politely told them to sod off and bought a digi box instead!
All in all, has been quite frustrating, but now we are settling down to normal life and it feels like home. It's a beautiful place and the people are friendly, I'm determined to make the most of it seeing as I know I ony have three years here.
Jul 4th 2006 | 6:09 pm
#2
(It's not my real name)
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 12,469
From: Ilukapool. WA
Re: Six weeks in Perth
Originally Posted by sunnyskies
Only hassle has been the bank, Commonwealth. Customer service is very poor, but now it's all set up and running it's fine.
Jul 4th 2006 | 7:14 pm
#3
BE Forum Addict
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,844
From: Bunbury WA
Re: Six weeks in Perth
Originally Posted by sunnyskies
Been in Perth for about six weeks now and settling in well.
We did the fast-track route here, hubby is on a three year contract, so will be heading back to UK then. Was all a bit of a whirl wind, he got the job, a month later we all came for the reccy visit, found a rental and school, then six weeks later here we were.
A few tips I was happy to have had
- make sure your rental has heating, it's chilly at night
- local libraries have internet access, usually free.
- most of the suberbs have their own web sites, great for local info.
- 'flybys' are a kind of loyalty card, you'll get asked at most supermarkets if you have one.
- you can get copies of yellow pages for free from post offices
- post offices and news agents have lists of telephone calling cards, I have two, one is 49cents connection then 1 cent minute, the other no connection fee and 2cents minute.So calls to the UK are peanuts.
- get the Entertainment Book, hundreds of money off vouchers to restaurants and touristy places, costs $60 which you make back after using one or two vouchers. Also good as it has some menu's and tells you if places are BYO or licenced.
I have been suprised at the cost of some things here, groceries are similar priced if not dearer here. I can find just about everything I want, fresh fruit is limited by season, but tinned is cheap so can still get good variety.If you really need Marmite and PG-Tips there are several UK shops about, but very expensive.
We had been told eating out is dirt cheap, not really found that, but the quality is very good. A good restaurant you are looking about $35 for a main and same for a bottle of wine. We can go to our local Vietnamese and 4 of us have a wonderfull meal with BYO for $80. If you look around there's noodle bars at $6 meal, and Japanese for the same.
Electrical goods we have found to be comparable to the UK, and play the shops off against each other - they nearly all say they won't be beaten on price.
Car, we got 15% off an already discounted car (new) plus a few dealer fit things thrown in by going in confident and saying what we wanted. Worth spending time at a few showrooms and play them against each other.
Only hassle has been the bank, Commonwealth. Customer service is very poor, but now it's all set up and running it's fine.
Be warned, I find a lot of places will want to talk to my husband, for example Foxtel wouldn't let me rearrange installation when they came and I was out, insisted on my hubby doing it. I politely told them to sod off and bought a digi box instead!
All in all, has been quite frustrating, but now we are settling down to normal life and it feels like home. It's a beautiful place and the people are friendly, I'm determined to make the most of it seeing as I know I ony have three years here.
We did the fast-track route here, hubby is on a three year contract, so will be heading back to UK then. Was all a bit of a whirl wind, he got the job, a month later we all came for the reccy visit, found a rental and school, then six weeks later here we were.
A few tips I was happy to have had
- make sure your rental has heating, it's chilly at night
- local libraries have internet access, usually free.
- most of the suberbs have their own web sites, great for local info.
- 'flybys' are a kind of loyalty card, you'll get asked at most supermarkets if you have one.
- you can get copies of yellow pages for free from post offices
- post offices and news agents have lists of telephone calling cards, I have two, one is 49cents connection then 1 cent minute, the other no connection fee and 2cents minute.So calls to the UK are peanuts.
- get the Entertainment Book, hundreds of money off vouchers to restaurants and touristy places, costs $60 which you make back after using one or two vouchers. Also good as it has some menu's and tells you if places are BYO or licenced.
I have been suprised at the cost of some things here, groceries are similar priced if not dearer here. I can find just about everything I want, fresh fruit is limited by season, but tinned is cheap so can still get good variety.If you really need Marmite and PG-Tips there are several UK shops about, but very expensive.
We had been told eating out is dirt cheap, not really found that, but the quality is very good. A good restaurant you are looking about $35 for a main and same for a bottle of wine. We can go to our local Vietnamese and 4 of us have a wonderfull meal with BYO for $80. If you look around there's noodle bars at $6 meal, and Japanese for the same.
Electrical goods we have found to be comparable to the UK, and play the shops off against each other - they nearly all say they won't be beaten on price.
Car, we got 15% off an already discounted car (new) plus a few dealer fit things thrown in by going in confident and saying what we wanted. Worth spending time at a few showrooms and play them against each other.
Only hassle has been the bank, Commonwealth. Customer service is very poor, but now it's all set up and running it's fine.
Be warned, I find a lot of places will want to talk to my husband, for example Foxtel wouldn't let me rearrange installation when they came and I was out, insisted on my hubby doing it. I politely told them to sod off and bought a digi box instead!
All in all, has been quite frustrating, but now we are settling down to normal life and it feels like home. It's a beautiful place and the people are friendly, I'm determined to make the most of it seeing as I know I ony have three years here.
Jul 4th 2006 | 7:30 pm
#4
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,217
From: Poole, Dorset
Re: Six weeks in Perth
Sounds like you are settling in well. I hope you and your family are very happy there.
Jul 4th 2006 | 8:00 pm
#5
Thread Starter
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 68
From: Perth
Re: Six weeks in Perth
Originally Posted by renth
You didn't have the misfortune of dealing with that awful Chinese woman in the migrant banking section did you?
Yes, that's the one, Ming something or the other. Tried to make us feel as though we ought to be grateful they let us in the door.
Jul 4th 2006 | 9:11 pm
#6
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 117
From: Mount Lawley, WA
Re: Six weeks in Perth
Originally Posted by sunnyskies
Yes, that's the one, Ming something or the other. Tried to make us feel as though we ought to be grateful they let us in the door.
Good to hear you're settling in well, I hope to join you in Perth in August!
Jul 5th 2006 | 12:31 pm
#7
(It's not my real name)
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 12,469
From: Ilukapool. WA
Re: Six weeks in Perth
Originally Posted by sunnyskies
Yes, that's the one, Ming something or the other. Tried to make us feel as though we ought to be grateful they let us in the door.
Another reason to avoid the Crimminwealth Bank.
Jul 5th 2006 | 12:49 pm
#8
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,145
Re: Six weeks in Perth
Originally Posted by renth
That's her Ming - what a BITCH.
Another reason to avoid the Crimminwealth Bank.
Another reason to avoid the Crimminwealth Bank.
Jul 5th 2006 | 1:50 pm
#9
(It's not my real name)
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 12,469
From: Ilukapool. WA
Re: Six weeks in Perth
Originally Posted by sunbather
Ming the Merciless
Jul 5th 2006 | 6:11 pm
#10
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,145
Re: Six weeks in Perth
Originally Posted by renth
I've emailed Crimminweath Bank with a link to this thread. Let's see if they get back to me
Perhaps she could be sidelined to HR manager
Jul 5th 2006 | 6:26 pm
#11
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 205
From: Perth, WA
Re: Six weeks in Perth
We also met Ming when we arrived. We found her to be quite friendly BUT she spoke so fast with her accent that we looked at each other and said 'did you get any of that?' We felt very rushed and were glad when it was all sorted and we could get out of there.
