we arrive in 4 days and i start work a week later we have a mad week of home finding and car buying. We dont have much cash for a car and we have been told that buying a car in australia is quite difficult?? any advice

We looked online and bought one within a couple of days? V similar to the UK in the sense that we turned up to check out the car, owner just let us take it for a test drive and then we put an offer in and they accepted... then turned up with the money and took the car away..

You will need your Australian drivers licence number tho before you can register the new owner... just go into your local queensland licencing centre and they issue the drivers licence there and then (they take your photo on site too)

Remember that you have to pay stamp duty (or whatever the tax is) when you buy a car here..

Em x

great thanks for that!!! will get the licience asap

In NSW - we managed to register the car a few weeks before we switched the driving licenses over, they just create an account for you, you get an RTA customer number.

Once thing we missed, was the 3% of the purchase price charge to register it in our name!!!!

Perhaps they do somthing similar in Queensland? hadnt occured to me to ask!?

The 3% is a killer.. another good reason to keep cost of the car down!

Em x

we bought a new car in Cairns simon (I know thats where you are heading) and haven't changed our licences over yet, we have waited til we had a permenant address.

i have a week before starting work so need to get it sorted out in NZ at present on the internet most of the day sorting!!!

OH bought a car (including finance) with no problems. Changing over your driving license is dead easy, just go into the Qld transport office (corner of Kenny & Owen) and they will issue you an Aussie one. Do you have accomodation on arrival? You will need some sort of "proof of adress" to do this.Most Car sales on Mulgrave Rd &/or Scott St. (first thing to do on arrival is buy a street map!)

Will PM you

If you are on a 457 Visa (like us) you do not have to change your license.

But does that mean you cant buy a car unless you do ?

We need to buy a second car, first is a company vehicle.

Stu

Perhaps hire one if it comes to not finding one that you want?

Em x

we are at first but dont have a huge pot of pennies!!!

In Victoria the car has to have a road worthiness certificate. If you get it from a dealer they'll sort that out, however if you buy privately it is possible for the seller to not provide it and leave it for you to get. Thus unless you know something about cars I would be cautious about buying one without.

And if you buy a car with an out-of-state number plate check how easy it is to re-register in Queensland.

Then there's the annual road tax - nearly $600 for a car per year.

I found buying a car easy here. Although I had to have evidence of an address.

Indeed! know what you mean! Hopefully you'll pick something up quite quickly.. will be suprised if you don't actually...

Em x

In Victoria it is 5%
In WA (Up to $25,000) 2.75%

In QLD it is :

• 2.0% Hybrid and Electric vehicles:
• 3.0% Other vehicles with 1 to 4 cylinders
• 3.5% Other vehicles with 5 or 6 cylinders
• 4.0% Other vehicles with 7+ cylinders

In QLD, you need to prove identity to register a car. Normally a Drivers licence will do that, but for those without a licence:

from http://www.transport.qld.gov.au/Home...otor_vehicles/

Your posts always make me smile... you are like the offical BE factsheet!

Em x