Sydney - 3 months in.
Apr 29th 2004, 8:43 am
#1
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 21
Sydney - 2 months in.
Hi folks. My wife and I have been here since Feb 11th - I thought I would share some info for those moving here (this is in no particular order - i'm just spewing):
Mobile Phones: Go with Virgin. For $29, you get $29 pay-as-you-go airtime. No credit checks. No problems. You can buy "top-up" cards from pretty much any corner store. I brought my own (gsm) phone with me to Aus - works great.
TV: 5 channels "free". Cable tv gets you more channels, but costs about $30/month to start. Digital cable gets you the same 5 channels, but better quality picture and tv listings. Digital box is $300 box - you decide. We just have regular 5 free channels and they are almost as good as UK-tv. Daytime tv sucks (as everywhere), simpsons on 1 hour per night. American sitcoms. 2 movies on almost every night. Rugby/Aussie-rules on fri nights. Cable company is FoxTel, but you can get cable from other companies with cable/internet/phone packages. We just watched Neighbours, and "Pukka Tukka" is on now - so v. similar to UK tv.
Phone: We get our phone through Optus who seem to be the cheapest for phone, internet etc. Can't tell you how much phone is per month as we haven't had a bill yet! We had to put down a $100 deposit when we got the phone.
Flats/Apartments: The way it works is you look in the paper/real-estate agents for listings. The real-estate agents setup times for viewings (usually sat mornings). You show up (along with everyone else) and look at a place. If you like it, you fill in some paperwork and leave a deposit. It's a crap-shoot as usually other people are applying also, and they of course have jobs/credit/references etc. - you just have to apply for a bunch - you'll get one eventually! It's quite disheartening though.. Another strange thing is that flats don't come with fridges - you have to rent/buy them. We are renting a fridge, washing machine and tv from "Rentacenter" for ~$120/month.
Jobs: Here in Sydney, things seem to crawl when it comes to job hunting. My wife took 10 weeks to find a job, with good (IT) exeperience. She applied through headhunters and directly with no difference - everyone says "we'll be calling people in the next xx weeks" - things happen veerrryy slowly over here, so don't expect a job quickly. Budget accordingly. I am just about to start my own jobsearch (I have been working from home on a contract that i brought with me which has now ended).
People: 1 word: Friendly! We have met about 20 people so far, and they have invited us along to all their social get togethers etc. They are a great bunch. You do have to make an effort and go along to clubs etc. Trust me it's worth it - we know we'll be friends with these people for life.
Pubs: Excellent pubs here. Most pubs are "hotels" - they used to have a law where the pub had to offer beds, and they kept the names. Usually the front of the pub is where all the old men sit, and if you walk through the back/upstairs all the younger people are there. Beers are about $3.50-$4 for a schooner (3/4 pint). Spirits are very expensive here, but wines cheap! Lots of pubs open 24hours.
Restaurants: Great food. The best Thai we have ever had. They have BYO restaurants here: "Bring Your Own" - where you can bring your own wine and are charged a small "corkage" fee (usually only $1 or so - sometimes nothing). This makes eating out cheaper.
Bottle Shops: a "slab" of beer (case) costs about $35. You can get great wine for $10. You can get REALLY great wine for $15-$20.
Supermarkets: One of the biggest problems we had when we got here was figuring out where all the supermarkets were/what they were called. Woolworths is a big supermarket chain here - the main Wooly's in the center of Sydney has 4 floors of food. The other big chain here is "Coles" and they have "mini supermarkets" around town hidden in the shopping malls.
Anything else - ask!
Duncan
http://www.duncanandsarah.com/duncan
Mobile Phones: Go with Virgin. For $29, you get $29 pay-as-you-go airtime. No credit checks. No problems. You can buy "top-up" cards from pretty much any corner store. I brought my own (gsm) phone with me to Aus - works great.
TV: 5 channels "free". Cable tv gets you more channels, but costs about $30/month to start. Digital cable gets you the same 5 channels, but better quality picture and tv listings. Digital box is $300 box - you decide. We just have regular 5 free channels and they are almost as good as UK-tv. Daytime tv sucks (as everywhere), simpsons on 1 hour per night. American sitcoms. 2 movies on almost every night. Rugby/Aussie-rules on fri nights. Cable company is FoxTel, but you can get cable from other companies with cable/internet/phone packages. We just watched Neighbours, and "Pukka Tukka" is on now - so v. similar to UK tv.
Phone: We get our phone through Optus who seem to be the cheapest for phone, internet etc. Can't tell you how much phone is per month as we haven't had a bill yet! We had to put down a $100 deposit when we got the phone.
Flats/Apartments: The way it works is you look in the paper/real-estate agents for listings. The real-estate agents setup times for viewings (usually sat mornings). You show up (along with everyone else) and look at a place. If you like it, you fill in some paperwork and leave a deposit. It's a crap-shoot as usually other people are applying also, and they of course have jobs/credit/references etc. - you just have to apply for a bunch - you'll get one eventually! It's quite disheartening though.. Another strange thing is that flats don't come with fridges - you have to rent/buy them. We are renting a fridge, washing machine and tv from "Rentacenter" for ~$120/month.
Jobs: Here in Sydney, things seem to crawl when it comes to job hunting. My wife took 10 weeks to find a job, with good (IT) exeperience. She applied through headhunters and directly with no difference - everyone says "we'll be calling people in the next xx weeks" - things happen veerrryy slowly over here, so don't expect a job quickly. Budget accordingly. I am just about to start my own jobsearch (I have been working from home on a contract that i brought with me which has now ended).
People: 1 word: Friendly! We have met about 20 people so far, and they have invited us along to all their social get togethers etc. They are a great bunch. You do have to make an effort and go along to clubs etc. Trust me it's worth it - we know we'll be friends with these people for life.
Pubs: Excellent pubs here. Most pubs are "hotels" - they used to have a law where the pub had to offer beds, and they kept the names. Usually the front of the pub is where all the old men sit, and if you walk through the back/upstairs all the younger people are there. Beers are about $3.50-$4 for a schooner (3/4 pint). Spirits are very expensive here, but wines cheap! Lots of pubs open 24hours.
Restaurants: Great food. The best Thai we have ever had. They have BYO restaurants here: "Bring Your Own" - where you can bring your own wine and are charged a small "corkage" fee (usually only $1 or so - sometimes nothing). This makes eating out cheaper.
Bottle Shops: a "slab" of beer (case) costs about $35. You can get great wine for $10. You can get REALLY great wine for $15-$20.
Supermarkets: One of the biggest problems we had when we got here was figuring out where all the supermarkets were/what they were called. Woolworths is a big supermarket chain here - the main Wooly's in the center of Sydney has 4 floors of food. The other big chain here is "Coles" and they have "mini supermarkets" around town hidden in the shopping malls.
Anything else - ask!
Duncan
http://www.duncanandsarah.com/duncan
Last edited by dunk; Apr 29th 2004 at 9:12 am.
Apr 29th 2004, 8:49 am
#2
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 21
Re: Sydney - 3 months in.
More...
Weather: The weather is GREAT. Sunny and warm, not too warm. It was a little on the hot side when we first got here, but it's cooled down nicely now. There is definately something to be said knowing you can wear shorts to the pub/restaurant at night :-)
Bugs/Spiders/Nasty creatures: Everything you have heard is true. Sydney is moving with spiders - i've never seen so many. The good news is, after the first couple of days you stop noticing them, and even start enjoying them! I got stung by a bluebottle jellyfish the first time i set foot in the sea which was annoying - but didn't hurt too much..
Banks: HSBC. We opened an account 3 hours after landing with our travellers cheques. All you need is your passport. No fees. 15 hole-in-the-wall transactions free per month. Easily the cheapest bank. ~3% interest. They withhold half the interest until you give them your tax file number - like a national insurance number.
Healthcare: You go to the medicare center. Fill in a form. done. They recommend you don't do this until you have been here 2 weeks (don't know why).
Tax File Number (TFN): You can apply for this online and they mail it to you. If you don't have one, you get taxed at the highest rate (50%) on earnings.
That's all for now!
Cheers.
Duncan.
http://www.duncanandsarah.com/duncan
Weather: The weather is GREAT. Sunny and warm, not too warm. It was a little on the hot side when we first got here, but it's cooled down nicely now. There is definately something to be said knowing you can wear shorts to the pub/restaurant at night :-)
Bugs/Spiders/Nasty creatures: Everything you have heard is true. Sydney is moving with spiders - i've never seen so many. The good news is, after the first couple of days you stop noticing them, and even start enjoying them! I got stung by a bluebottle jellyfish the first time i set foot in the sea which was annoying - but didn't hurt too much..
Banks: HSBC. We opened an account 3 hours after landing with our travellers cheques. All you need is your passport. No fees. 15 hole-in-the-wall transactions free per month. Easily the cheapest bank. ~3% interest. They withhold half the interest until you give them your tax file number - like a national insurance number.
Healthcare: You go to the medicare center. Fill in a form. done. They recommend you don't do this until you have been here 2 weeks (don't know why).
Tax File Number (TFN): You can apply for this online and they mail it to you. If you don't have one, you get taxed at the highest rate (50%) on earnings.
That's all for now!
Cheers.
Duncan.
http://www.duncanandsarah.com/duncan
Apr 29th 2004, 9:42 am
#3
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2003
Location: Mornington, Victoria (10 mins from the beach!!!)
Posts: 335
Re: Sydney - 3 months in.
Originally posted by dunk
More...
Weather: The weather is GREAT. Sunny and warm, not too warm. It was a little on the hot side when we first got here, but it's cooled down nicely now. There is definately something to be said knowing you can wear shorts to the pub/restaurant at night :-)
Bugs/Spiders/Nasty creatures: Everything you have heard is true. Sydney is moving with spiders - i've never seen so many. The good news is, after the first couple of days you stop noticing them, and even start enjoying them! I got stung by a bluebottle jellyfish the first time i set foot in the sea which was annoying - but didn't hurt too much..
Banks: HSBC. We opened an account 3 hours after landing with our travellers cheques. All you need is your passport. No fees. 15 hole-in-the-wall transactions free per month. Easily the cheapest bank. ~3% interest. They withhold half the interest until you give them your tax file number - like a national insurance number.
Healthcare: You go to the medicare center. Fill in a form. done. They recommend you don't do this until you have been here 2 weeks (don't know why).
Tax File Number (TFN): You can apply for this online and they mail it to you. If you don't have one, you get taxed at the highest rate (50%) on earnings.
That's all for now!
Cheers.
Duncan.
http://www.duncanandsarah.com/duncan
More...
Weather: The weather is GREAT. Sunny and warm, not too warm. It was a little on the hot side when we first got here, but it's cooled down nicely now. There is definately something to be said knowing you can wear shorts to the pub/restaurant at night :-)
Bugs/Spiders/Nasty creatures: Everything you have heard is true. Sydney is moving with spiders - i've never seen so many. The good news is, after the first couple of days you stop noticing them, and even start enjoying them! I got stung by a bluebottle jellyfish the first time i set foot in the sea which was annoying - but didn't hurt too much..
Banks: HSBC. We opened an account 3 hours after landing with our travellers cheques. All you need is your passport. No fees. 15 hole-in-the-wall transactions free per month. Easily the cheapest bank. ~3% interest. They withhold half the interest until you give them your tax file number - like a national insurance number.
Healthcare: You go to the medicare center. Fill in a form. done. They recommend you don't do this until you have been here 2 weeks (don't know why).
Tax File Number (TFN): You can apply for this online and they mail it to you. If you don't have one, you get taxed at the highest rate (50%) on earnings.
That's all for now!
Cheers.
Duncan.
http://www.duncanandsarah.com/duncan
Good luck Dunc 
Apr 29th 2004, 9:46 am
#4
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2003
Location: Coogee, Sydney
Posts: 1,017
Where abouts in Sydney are you Dunk ??
Not sure I like the bit about renting flats and having to apply for loads. The missus is a bit fussy about these things - can see it taking ages.
How long did it take you guys to find somewhere?
Not sure I like the bit about renting flats and having to apply for loads. The missus is a bit fussy about these things - can see it taking ages.
How long did it take you guys to find somewhere?
Apr 29th 2004, 9:53 am
#5
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 21
Originally posted by sjn2003
Where abouts in Sydney are you Dunk ??
Not sure I like the bit about renting flats and having to apply for loads. The missus is a bit fussy about these things - can see it taking ages.
How long did it take you guys to find somewhere?
Where abouts in Sydney are you Dunk ??
Not sure I like the bit about renting flats and having to apply for loads. The missus is a bit fussy about these things - can see it taking ages.
How long did it take you guys to find somewhere?
It took us 1 week to find a place, but we looked at a LOT of places and the place we ended up getting we were lucky 'cause the real estate agent was also the property manager and so was able to give it to us on the spot (he liked the look of us he said!) - don't worry too much. It was hard for us since it was right in the middle of summer (35c+) and all we wanted to do was sit in the pub instead of find a place to live..
Apr 29th 2004, 9:59 am
#6
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Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 21
Oh yes, we rented a furnished place for the 1st week we were here - called the "Goldsborough". DON'T RENT A PLACE HERE! it looks great in the pics, but is full of tiny little apartments, drunken roudy backpackers etc. and is generally not somewhere I would want to be for more than a night or two..
Apr 29th 2004, 10:04 am
#7
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 2004
Location: Cairns FNQ, a bit of paradise on earth:-)
Posts: 1,104
Re: Sydney - 3 months in.
Good post!
Info very helpful - have made a few notes.
Great pictures of Bali - really enjoyed looking at them!
Glad all going well for you and your lady.
Cheers
Info very helpful - have made a few notes.
Great pictures of Bali - really enjoyed looking at them!
Glad all going well for you and your lady.
Cheers
Apr 29th 2004, 10:22 am
#8
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2003
Location: Coogee, Sydney
Posts: 1,017
Originally posted by dunk
We are in Pyrmont - just next to Darling Harbour (yuppie part of town) - our place is expensive: $390/wk for a 1-bedroom - although it's hard to find anything nice for less than about $350 in the inner city.
It took us 1 week to find a place, but we looked at a LOT of places and the place we ended up getting we were lucky 'cause the real estate agent was also the property manager and so was able to give it to us on the spot (he liked the look of us he said!) - don't worry too much. It was hard for us since it was right in the middle of summer (35c+) and all we wanted to do was sit in the pub instead of find a place to live..
We are in Pyrmont - just next to Darling Harbour (yuppie part of town) - our place is expensive: $390/wk for a 1-bedroom - although it's hard to find anything nice for less than about $350 in the inner city.
It took us 1 week to find a place, but we looked at a LOT of places and the place we ended up getting we were lucky 'cause the real estate agent was also the property manager and so was able to give it to us on the spot (he liked the look of us he said!) - don't worry too much. It was hard for us since it was right in the middle of summer (35c+) and all we wanted to do was sit in the pub instead of find a place to live..
1 week is pretty impressive in my book....don't think I would have managed to drag my ass off the beach within that time !!
We're looking for somewhere a bit nearer the sea, probably Bronte/Coogee this September.
Keep posting how you are finding it and whether the winter is cold and miserable
Apr 29th 2004, 10:31 am
#9
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Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 21
Originally posted by sjn2003
1 week is pretty impressive in my book....don't think I would have managed to drag my ass off the beach within that time !!
We're looking for somewhere a bit nearer the sea, probably Bronte/Coogee this September.
Keep posting how you are finding it and whether the winter is cold and miserable
1 week is pretty impressive in my book....don't think I would have managed to drag my ass off the beach within that time !!
We're looking for somewhere a bit nearer the sea, probably Bronte/Coogee this September.
Keep posting how you are finding it and whether the winter is cold and miserable
But as for "real" beaches - Bondi is the best, Clovelly is great and so is Coogee. You can snorkel at Clovelly in a man-made harbour and there are loads of fish!
Bondi is definately the best beach - and only about a 20 min bus-ride from our place...
Apr 29th 2004, 12:06 pm
#10
Just Joined
Joined: Apr 2004
Location: Newcastle
Posts: 3
Re: Sydney - 2 months in.
Hello Duncs.
I will second that about searching for Jobs, I have been looking for work 4 12 weeks , now working P/T. The process is (my experience only!) slow beyond belief. Living North of Sydney (2 hours drive) .
Probably going to have 2 communte to Sydney for a permanent role. Job placement turn around time from adverts in papers etc is at least 4 weeks to an interview situation.Be prepared for the wait.
What areas of Sydney do you recommend to stay for good schooling etc. ?
Bye Geezer.
Ozzy
PS - Pre paid phones are a good deal to get you started , 3G not quite here yet!.
I will second that about searching for Jobs, I have been looking for work 4 12 weeks , now working P/T. The process is (my experience only!) slow beyond belief. Living North of Sydney (2 hours drive) .
Probably going to have 2 communte to Sydney for a permanent role. Job placement turn around time from adverts in papers etc is at least 4 weeks to an interview situation.Be prepared for the wait.
What areas of Sydney do you recommend to stay for good schooling etc. ?
Bye Geezer.
Ozzy
PS - Pre paid phones are a good deal to get you started , 3G not quite here yet!.
Originally posted by dunk
Hi folks. My wife and I have been here since Feb 11th - I thought I would share some info for those moving here (this is in no particular order - i'm just spewing):
Mobile Phones: Go with Virgin. For $29, you get $29 pay-as-you-go airtime. No credit checks. No problems. You can buy "top-up" cards from pretty much any corner store. I brought my own (gsm) phone with me to Aus - works great.
TV: 5 channels "free". Cable tv gets you more channels, but costs about $30/month to start. Digital cable gets you the same 5 channels, but better quality picture and tv listings. Digital box is $300 box - you decide. We just have regular 5 free channels and they are almost as good as UK-tv. Daytime tv sucks (as everywhere), simpsons on 1 hour per night. American sitcoms. 2 movies on almost every night. Rugby/Aussie-rules on fri nights. Cable company is FoxTel, but you can get cable from other companies with cable/internet/phone packages. We just watched Neighbours, and "Pukka Tukka" is on now - so v. similar to UK tv.
Phone: We get our phone through Optus who seem to be the cheapest for phone, internet etc. Can't tell you how much phone is per month as we haven't had a bill yet! We had to put down a $100 deposit when we got the phone.
Flats/Apartments: The way it works is you look in the paper/real-estate agents for listings. The real-estate agents setup times for viewings (usually sat mornings). You show up (along with everyone else) and look at a place. If you like it, you fill in some paperwork and leave a deposit. It's a crap-shoot as usually other people are applying also, and they of course have jobs/credit/references etc. - you just have to apply for a bunch - you'll get one eventually! It's quite disheartening though.. Another strange thing is that flats don't come with fridges - you have to rent/buy them. We are renting a fridge, washing machine and tv from "Rentacenter" for ~$120/month.
Jobs: Here in Sydney, things seem to crawl when it comes to job hunting. My wife took 10 weeks to find a job, with good (IT) exeperience. She applied through headhunters and directly with no difference - everyone says "we'll be calling people in the next xx weeks" - things happen veerrryy slowly over here, so don't expect a job quickly. Budget accordingly. I am just about to start my own jobsearch (I have been working from home on a contract that i brought with me which has now ended).
People: 1 word: Friendly! We have met about 20 people so far, and they have invited us along to all their social get togethers etc. They are a great bunch. You do have to make an effort and go along to clubs etc. Trust me it's worth it - we know we'll be friends with these people for life.
Pubs: Excellent pubs here. Most pubs are "hotels" - they used to have a law where the pub had to offer beds, and they kept the names. Usually the front of the pub is where all the old men sit, and if you walk through the back/upstairs all the younger people are there. Beers are about $3.50-$4 for a schooner (3/4 pint). Spirits are very expensive here, but wines cheap! Lots of pubs open 24hours.
Restaurants: Great food. The best Thai we have ever had. They have BYO restaurants here: "Bring Your Own" - where you can bring your own wine and are charged a small "corkage" fee (usually only $1 or so - sometimes nothing). This makes eating out cheaper.
Bottle Shops: a "slab" of beer (case) costs about $35. You can get great wine for $10. You can get REALLY great wine for $15-$20.
Supermarkets: One of the biggest problems we had when we got here was figuring out where all the supermarkets were/what they were called. Woolworths is a big supermarket chain here - the main Wooly's in the center of Sydney has 4 floors of food. The other big chain here is "Coles" and they have "mini supermarkets" around town hidden in the shopping malls.
Anything else - ask!
Duncan
http://www.duncanandsarah.com/duncan
Hi folks. My wife and I have been here since Feb 11th - I thought I would share some info for those moving here (this is in no particular order - i'm just spewing):
Mobile Phones: Go with Virgin. For $29, you get $29 pay-as-you-go airtime. No credit checks. No problems. You can buy "top-up" cards from pretty much any corner store. I brought my own (gsm) phone with me to Aus - works great.
TV: 5 channels "free". Cable tv gets you more channels, but costs about $30/month to start. Digital cable gets you the same 5 channels, but better quality picture and tv listings. Digital box is $300 box - you decide. We just have regular 5 free channels and they are almost as good as UK-tv. Daytime tv sucks (as everywhere), simpsons on 1 hour per night. American sitcoms. 2 movies on almost every night. Rugby/Aussie-rules on fri nights. Cable company is FoxTel, but you can get cable from other companies with cable/internet/phone packages. We just watched Neighbours, and "Pukka Tukka" is on now - so v. similar to UK tv.
Phone: We get our phone through Optus who seem to be the cheapest for phone, internet etc. Can't tell you how much phone is per month as we haven't had a bill yet! We had to put down a $100 deposit when we got the phone.
Flats/Apartments: The way it works is you look in the paper/real-estate agents for listings. The real-estate agents setup times for viewings (usually sat mornings). You show up (along with everyone else) and look at a place. If you like it, you fill in some paperwork and leave a deposit. It's a crap-shoot as usually other people are applying also, and they of course have jobs/credit/references etc. - you just have to apply for a bunch - you'll get one eventually! It's quite disheartening though.. Another strange thing is that flats don't come with fridges - you have to rent/buy them. We are renting a fridge, washing machine and tv from "Rentacenter" for ~$120/month.
Jobs: Here in Sydney, things seem to crawl when it comes to job hunting. My wife took 10 weeks to find a job, with good (IT) exeperience. She applied through headhunters and directly with no difference - everyone says "we'll be calling people in the next xx weeks" - things happen veerrryy slowly over here, so don't expect a job quickly. Budget accordingly. I am just about to start my own jobsearch (I have been working from home on a contract that i brought with me which has now ended).
People: 1 word: Friendly! We have met about 20 people so far, and they have invited us along to all their social get togethers etc. They are a great bunch. You do have to make an effort and go along to clubs etc. Trust me it's worth it - we know we'll be friends with these people for life.
Pubs: Excellent pubs here. Most pubs are "hotels" - they used to have a law where the pub had to offer beds, and they kept the names. Usually the front of the pub is where all the old men sit, and if you walk through the back/upstairs all the younger people are there. Beers are about $3.50-$4 for a schooner (3/4 pint). Spirits are very expensive here, but wines cheap! Lots of pubs open 24hours.
Restaurants: Great food. The best Thai we have ever had. They have BYO restaurants here: "Bring Your Own" - where you can bring your own wine and are charged a small "corkage" fee (usually only $1 or so - sometimes nothing). This makes eating out cheaper.
Bottle Shops: a "slab" of beer (case) costs about $35. You can get great wine for $10. You can get REALLY great wine for $15-$20.
Supermarkets: One of the biggest problems we had when we got here was figuring out where all the supermarkets were/what they were called. Woolworths is a big supermarket chain here - the main Wooly's in the center of Sydney has 4 floors of food. The other big chain here is "Coles" and they have "mini supermarkets" around town hidden in the shopping malls.
Anything else - ask!
Duncan
http://www.duncanandsarah.com/duncan
Apr 30th 2004, 1:22 am
#11
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 13,233
Bump back to the top, for a great post.
We're 3 months in too, and have similar thoughts and experiences. However, we both found work within a fortnight of looking.
We're in Kirribilli about the same distance from the water. Maybe we could meet up halfway? Middle of the harbour bridge?
We're 3 months in too, and have similar thoughts and experiences. However, we both found work within a fortnight of looking.
Originally posted by dunk
We are in Pyrmont - just next to Darling Harbour ....
the water is about 300m away
We are in Pyrmont - just next to Darling Harbour ....
the water is about 300m away
May 2nd 2004, 11:09 am
#12
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 11,149
Originally posted by dunk
Bondi is definately the best beach - and only about a 20 min bus-ride from our place...
Bondi is definately the best beach - and only about a 20 min bus-ride from our place...
May 2nd 2004, 11:13 am
#13
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 2004
Location: Far away from canned Oz
Posts: 1,833
Originally posted by bondipom
Shhhhh
Shhhhh
The northern beaches - Manly, Palm Beach etc rule
May 4th 2004, 2:55 am
#14
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 32
Re: Sydney - 2 months in.
Dunk,
Your information is very useful.
Is $29 is a basis charge, then charge in by minute/second basis? Or $29 for unlimited calling time?
Have you brought your TV to Oz or buy it there? Is it a PAL system for Oz TV channel? If yes, PAL No. ?????
Do we need to bring our own telephone to Oz. Is any kind of telephone is suitable in there?
What size of how many liter of capacity of fridge is suitable for a 4-people family (2 adults and 2 kids)?
Is it necessary to use a mosquito net for bed time?
Thank you.
Your information is very useful.
Originally posted by dunk
Mobile Phones: Go with Virgin. For $29, you get $29 pay-as-you-go airtime. No credit checks. No problems. You can buy "top-up" cards from pretty much any corner store. I brought my own (gsm) phone with me to Aus - works great.
Mobile Phones: Go with Virgin. For $29, you get $29 pay-as-you-go airtime. No credit checks. No problems. You can buy "top-up" cards from pretty much any corner store. I brought my own (gsm) phone with me to Aus - works great.
TV: 5 channels "free". Cable tv gets you more channels, but costs about $30/month to start. Digital cable gets you the same 5 channels, but better quality picture and tv listings. Digital box is $300 box - you decide. We just have regular 5 free channels and they are almost as good as UK-tv. Daytime tv sucks (as everywhere), simpsons on 1 hour per night. American sitcoms. 2 movies on almost every night. Rugby/Aussie-rules on fri nights. Cable company is FoxTel, but you can get cable from other companies with cable/internet/phone packages. We just watched Neighbours, and "Pukka Tukka" is on now - so v. similar to UK tv.
Phone: We get our phone through Optus who seem to be the cheapest for phone, internet etc. Can't tell you how much phone is per month as we haven't had a bill yet! We had to put down a $100 deposit when we got the phone.
Flats/Apartments: The way it works is you look in the paper/real-estate agents for listings. The real-estate agents setup times for viewings (usually sat mornings). You show up (along with everyone else) and look at a place. If you like it, you fill in some paperwork and leave a deposit. It's a crap-shoot as usually other people are applying also, and they of course have jobs/credit/references etc. - you just have to apply for a bunch - you'll get one eventually! It's quite disheartening though.. Another strange thing is that flats don't come with fridges - you have to rent/buy them. We are renting a fridge, washing machine and tv from "Rentacenter" for ~$120/month.
Bugs/Spiders/Nasty creatures: Everything you have heard is true. Sydney is moving with spiders - i've never seen so many. The good news is, after the first couple of days you stop noticing them, and even start enjoying them! I got stung by a bluebottle jellyfish the first time i set foot in the sea which was annoying - but didn't hurt too much..
Last edited by ifriend; May 4th 2004 at 3:08 am.
May 4th 2004, 3:12 am
#15
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 11,149
Re: Sydney - 2 months in.
Originally posted by ifriend
Dunk,
Your information is very useful.
Is $29 is a basis charge, then charge in by minute/second basis? Or $29 for unlimited calling time?
Dunk,
Your information is very useful.
Is $29 is a basis charge, then charge in by minute/second basis? Or $29 for unlimited calling time?
Have you brought your TV to Oz or buy it there? Is it a PAL system for Oz TV channel? If yes, PAL No. ?????
Do we need to bring our own telephone to Oz. Is any kind of telephone is suitable in there?
Is it necessary to use a mosquito net for bed time?
