Hutch

lol - they are big ****ers. My BIL was sat using his PC last summer... glanced up and there was a humungous huntsman on the wall. He slowly pushes his chair back, goes into the kitchen and gets some tupperware to catch it in. Comes back in, marries the tupperware up to the spider, goes 'oh shit - I'm going to need something bigger'. Goes back into the kitchen comes out with a casserole dish!! Goes to put it over the spider - huntman leaps four metres across the room to the other wall and then runs down the back of the aircon unit. In the end he just opened the window and shut the door. Went back later and spidey appeared to have vanished. However. Few days later he has his neice over to stay and she sleeps in that back bedroom that the PC's in. Everyone toodles off to bed, has a nice sleep, in the morning they're sat there eating their breakfast and she goes 'Uncle Richard - there's a really nice big spider in my bedroom'. He goes, 'oh yea', she says 'Yes, it played on the wall for me'. So he goes into the bedroom and there he is. Whips the casserole dish out again - makes a dash for the spider - get the dish over it but catches one of its legs on the edge. So he pushes down good and hard and the leg falls off. Gets a bit of card, slides it under the dish, takes dish out to car, drives car five miles up the road, deposits handicapped huntsman in forest and returns. Says to his brother 'like to see the bastard jog back five miles with a leg missing!' and puts the casserole dish in the dishwasher.

chels

Some of my rambling contributions may be of use to someone...

If you have a front loading washing machine, make sure you buy the right washing powder for it - most of the stuff for sale is for top loaders (not sure what it would do to my machine, but better not risk it)

Not everyone house has a swimming pool, aircon, huge amount of land...

People commute long distances to work here too, like in England

Chemists don't sell sandwiches and soft drinks etc, unlike Boots

Banks charge you for having an account, and won't let you move more than $5,000 per day into other accounts (or directly overseas)

Car insurance rockets if you buy a car they reckon is a high insurance risk (we bought a Hyundai Excel 1.5, had no idea they are easy to break into apparently so our insurance rocketed)

Earrings are big and brash / plain simple earrings suitable for work are expensive

Iced maderia cakes aren't popular as birthday / wedding type cakes, mud cakes are all the rage

Basics like bread, milk etc are more expensive

Fruit and veg from the big supermarkets doesn't last very long (esp. peppers / capsicum)

Australians pronounce words differently and may find your attempts to say them hilarious (I didn't realise it was Baff-hurst, not Barf-hurst, Bang-orr, not Bang-(h)er)

So-called Aussie institutions - Bert Newtown, Mollie Meldrum, Derryn Hinch, that smarmy bloke who does Dancing with Stars - cannot be mocked

Sunshine isn't a guarantee over here - even in summer, things planned for outdoors can be rained off (like the wedding I went to in January, where the couple had chartered a boat on Sydney Harbour, and it rained on them)

Supermarkets reduce their prices dramatically to get rid of stock - so time it right to get all your meat etc. I go to my local supermarket at 3pm on Sundays, just before it closes at 4pm, and pick up half price roasts, less than half price steaks etc.

Millionaire's shortbread is called caramel slice over here, and they put coconut into the base. Make your own instead (like I did this weekend)

Kebabs aren't seen as unhealthy mopping up alcohol food items - people are not ashamed to be seen eating them at all times of the day Though they put them in wraps, not pitta bread, and will spread houmous on them if you aren't careful

I am still searching for a decent local curry (takeaway), less common types of apples, citrus smelling shower gel, cheap decent make up. However, happy to have found out they sell bonjela mouth ulcer gel over here now. And I found some proper pitta bread for sale the other day.

Mercedes

I don't know whether they still have it they used to have a list of resturants that came like a menu so that you could order delivery from various different types of food, ie if you wanted Indian and your partner wanted steak etc, they would deliver to your home, and Indian was one of them. There also used to be a good Indian resturant on Oxford Street, they may do take aways.

I don't think they use as much chemicals to keep fruit and veg to last longer, but by putting them in the fridge may help. I personally prefer them not to be covered in chemicals to make them so.

One thing I miss from there is potato wedges, with sweet chilli sauce and sour cream. As well as being able to buy fresh water melon juice, or freshly juiced carrot juice etc. I never used to drink coffee and it was a good start to the day.

Mercedes

He should be reported to the RSPCH.

BenandPam

[QUOTE=Gold Coaster]I wish that I had known just how slack they are with regards to getting things done in business. I had an idea, but never realised just how slack and behind the times they can all be. It makes it all very interesting

Tony
QUOTE]

This is one of my peeves as well. I have started two businesses here and the first was set-up to sell through local wholesalers. Big mistake as I fell for the "Over promise, under deliver" BS. Second business is partly selling to the "public" and partly selling to other businesses, which is a bit better. I will only deal direct with the public from now on, because at least you know when you are getting paid !

chels

Yes, there are some good indian restaurants in Surry Hills and Paddington, I just wish our local ones in Balmain/ Rozelle were as good!

I think they actually use more chemicals / preservatives etc in australia - what I have heard about the supermarkets is that they keep the fruit and veg for longer (in cold storage) so when they hit the shelves they look great briefly and then start to deteriorate rapidly. Even putting capisicums in the fridge doesn't stop them going crinkly after a day or so.

NB - this can be avoided by using local fruit and veg shop (our one gives us free, freshly squeezed fruit juice too while we're queueing to pay ) the quality seems much better. Or going to a wholesale/retail market like Flemington for cheaper produce.

Johnsyweb

Do you not find it a little odd that a chemist should purvey products that would be more at home in a bakery?

It's alright though because Australian cobblers also cut keys and engrave trophies, a marriage that I was never able to understand on the other side of the Equator.

On a loosely-related note, not all places that serve food and drinks (if you can call the stuff that the likes of Starbucks stock food or drink) have toilets. This has caught me out on more than one occasion. Thankfully to the point of discomfort, rather than embarrassment!

chels

Er, no - convienient and the title of this thread is 'things you wish you'd known before arriving in Australia' - not 'things you find a little odd about chemists'

I did qualify my original post by saying they were my ramblings... and no, it's not a major issue, but most of the major issues had been covered. And I do still sometimes forget that I can't buy a snack in the local chemist - no big deal, I find a newsagent instead for a drink / packet of crisps, after I've wandered around aforementioned chemist trying to find them

Johnsyweb

Mea culpa. Perhaps I should have started a new thread

iamthecreaturefromuranus

That by being on a 457 visa in NSW I would be forced to pay for my kids education at public school. $10,000 pa that I wasn't expecting. I don't think it applies in any other state.

moneypenny20

I thought it happened everywhere with temp visas.

sugar and candy

i too was surprised at the school fee rates. My children go to state schools and they have to supply everything themselves. It cost me $400 or more to get standard books, pens etc. Wish i knew all this before we came too. I find alot of things more expensive also.

The Crow

I'm looking forward to meeting some when we move up to The Basin next month (house is being sprayed though!). I remember when I was here some years ago and staying with a friend in Marysville, VIC and he always had a bucket and broom handy Though I have heard tales of them running down the broom handle :scared:
Can you get electric cattle prodders for the job

iamthecreaturefromuranus

Nope.. I was one of three people who came here from the same company... didn't have to pay in Perth or Melbourne... just me in NSW

Jimmy Cliff

Mercedes, I think you are hard core mate, hitch hiking from Darwin to Perth, ants in tent, sleeping in loos!!!!!! :scared: