Kris_Rocks

Odd question I know, but I am currently sorting and packing for shipping and was wondering wether my landline phone/answering machine would work in Australia?

Also any advice on necessities you think I should bring would be greatly received, trying to travel light so only want to bring what I absolutely need to.

Oh, and what is the 2nd hand situation like in Perth, I am quite a frugal person and over the last 20 years of living independently I have picked up a lot of my furniture etc. 2nd hand or free, I don't like waste and try to keep as much as I can out of landfill, I have found that in the UK there is a whole wealth of resources such as freecycle, streetbank, charity furniture stores, car boot sales, facebook selling pages, eBay, gumtree etc.
What is it like over there, have tried a few internet searches but not really come up with much tbh, wondering now if perhaps the economic situation in the UK has forced an explosion of the 2nd hand market etc. To the point that it's everywhere and this might not be the case over there.

Thanks

paulry

Yep it should work

If I recall, all I needed to do for mine was to swap out the cable with another that came with the original packaging.

StSabre

Except that unless it is specifically tested and approved, it is illegal to connect it to the phone network in Australia.

roaringmouse

The question asked isn't about legality, it's about whether or not it would plug in and work.

chris955

I cant really imagine many people worrying about whether a phone is legal or not.
We have one that worked coming the other way so I dont see any problems.

rasen78

Lots of Salvos (Salvation Army shops). Smaller ones do the clothes, household goods, books etc, but the larger ones do furniture. Lots of other 2nd hand shops around too. Gumtree seems to be more popular than ebay and freecycle isn't as popular (certainly here in SA), but is still here.

Depending on your location (metro will obviously have more options than rural), you should be bale to furnish a flat/small house relatively cheaply. Also might be handy to know that Salvos also sell brand new mattresses at lower prices too.

Good luck

paulry

We needn't worry, it'll probably be one of the thousands of laws to be repealed soon.

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politi...319-35199.html

Amazulu

They may or may not work. Mine didn't - even when I replaced the cable with one bought here

The only way I could get them to work was via a GBP5 adaptor that I bought in Maplin

If there is a law against using overseas phones here then it really needs to be broken. In fact, anyone complying is an idiot

quoll

Probably, but as has been pointed out, not legal and not then subject to free repair should anything go wrong. They're cheap as chips anyway, don't bother. Use this as a fantastic opportunity to declutter and don't transport your junk from one side of the world to the other at great expense. Freecycle is alive and well, Aussies don't much like having non trendy stuff and there is always loads on Freecycle and OpShops abound.

Kris_Rocks

I am asking because I have noticed quite a lot of people in other threads seem to be saying bring everything because it costs a fortune to replace, which I am sure it would if you went out and bought everything brand new, but pretty much most of my furniture at home wasn't bought new.
I was just wondering is that because most of these people are just not considering 2nd hand or is it because it's hard to find?
I haven't once bought a brand new sofa or suite! And every one I have had has been great for a fraction of the cost, my current suite cost me £50 and it was practically new.

My other consideration is that I will be going in to rented so don't want to ship out a load of furniture that might not fit in etc. Then I would be left with trying to get rid of it there!

Then I am thinking that in the length of time it takes to arrive I will probably get fed up with having nothing that I would go out and get more in the meantime and end up with double so I might as well not take much at all.

It's very hard trying to critically look at everything in your current home and making a decision as to wether its worth it or not and there is an Ikea there now isn't there

paulry

I reckon you'll love Australia. Here they leave pretty decent furniture by the side of the road. And in parts of Sydney they have weekends where everyone can clear out their clutter and leave it by the side of the road for the council to collect. You'll be astonished at the good stuff that people chuck out and nobody minds you helping yourself to it provided you don't make a mess.

When we moved over we did a bit of travelling en route with our camping gear and then by the time we arrived in Australia we only had a month or six weeks before our stuff arrived so camped out in the rental with all our basic stuff and made do and improvised. Actually, it felt quite liberating to have few possessions for a time.

Kris_Rocks

I am continually astonished at the things that people get rid of here!

Alfresco

Did you read all of them?

paulry

No. Saving that for when I have difficulty sleeping

ozzieeagle

I reckon the great TV disposal of about 2/3 years back was the most amazing thing I've seen.

Literally lines of perfectly servicable TV's on the sides of roads all over Australia.

Although I guess most people have the vast majority of their money back on their LCD/Plasma purchase now just on electricity cost savings.