Leaving Next Month. So soon!

Alanhooly

Hi all.

We leave for Sydney on the 6th of January. It has creeped up on us so quick.

I'm just checking that I have everything in order. Is there anything I need?

- Bank Account opened with Commonwealth bank and will be using Currencyfair to transfer the money from my bank. (How long before I leave should I do this?).

- Staying with friends for first two nights and then booking a hostel in Coogee (Close to our mates) for the first week or two until we find our feet. (Any suggestions?)

- The 3 of us all have at least €3,500 ($5,000) readily available to us and will have it in our Oz bank account.

- We don't have jobs lined but we all have at least a second class honours degree (Social Care & Business Management) so hopefully that may stand to us.

- The hurley is packed for the social side of things.

Any reason to be nervous? Is there anything blatantly obvious i'm forgetting or should do before I get there? Do I have everything in order?

We are going to decide after 6 months if we are interested in a second year or not and will plan regional work accordingly (We have an employer set up but would prefer not to have to do it here but will do if worse comes to worse and we can't find anything else!)

Tigerandahalf

Enjoy it, for your time is short. See and do as much you can and worry a little less. No matter how much you prepare there will always be something that comes up so just take it as it comes. Don't get caught in the drinking trap with mates from home. Chat to everyone in the hostel, you never what contacts you might get. Many go out in groups but go their own separate ways for various reasons.
Enjoy it anyway. Great to get away and experience another place.

lg123

don't worry alan, your about twice as set-up as most who arrive here. enjoy the time with your family and friends over the next few weeks, that's whats missing from the list.

My_Sharona

I guess stock up on summer clothes - shorts, sunglasses etc. Probably cheaper if you buy stuff like that in Penneys before you leave.

pete4130

Pack a pen in your carry on luggage. Nothing worse than trying to borrow pens on planes to fill out immigration entry forms.

Get ready for the heat. Eastern Suburbs where your staying will be really busy with summer holidays. Beaches will be packed.

Get a Sim card over here. Telstra have best coverage. Aldi do sim cards that are good value. Unlimited calls/texts & 2.5GB data per 30 days for $35. Only catch is you can't top up again until your 30 days is up.

Get your Tax File Number (TFN) sorted asap.

Print out your visa grant number/email for prospective employers when you get here. They'll more than likely want to see it.

Keep an eye on your money. Everything will seem very expensive here compared to back home and its easy to go through money.

It's not a bad idea to get the rural woe out of the way sooner, before you settle into a routine and don't want to leave that.

Alanhooly

lg123 wrote: »

don't worry alan, your about twice as set-up as most who arrive here. enjoy the time with your family and friends over the next few weeks, that's whats missing from the list.

Of course, that goes without saying!

Thanks for the reply! It will be tough to leave but hopefully it will be worth it.

Alanhooly

pete4130 wrote: »

Pack a pen in your carry on luggage. Nothing worse than trying to borrow pens on planes to fill out immigration entry forms.

Get ready for the heat. Eastern Suburbs where your staying will be really busy with summer holidays. Beaches will be packed.

Get a Sim card over here. Telstra have best coverage. Aldi do sim cards that are good value. Unlimited calls/texts & 2.5GB data per 30 days for $35. Only catch is you can't top up again until your 30 days is up.

Get your Tax File Number (TFN) sorted asap.

Print out your visa grant number/email for prospective employers when you get here. They'll more than likely want to see it.

Keep an eye on your money. Everything will seem very expensive here compared to back home and its easy to go through money.

It's not a bad idea to get the rural woe out of the way sooner, before you settle into a routine and don't want to leave that.

Cheers for the reply! Tax File number will be sorted ASAP. Is it possible to sort it out before arriving? No?

I tend to be rather cagey with my money so hopefully that stands to me here

We were advised not to do the rural work as the owner of the farm we were accepted to is concerned about how previous Europeans have coped on his farm in the intense heat. It will be hard to leave the city i'm sure but if we like it enough for a second year then it's just something we'll have to do!

Thanks again!

commited

In addition to the above:

Make sure you mark yourself as a "resident for tax purposes" on your TFN form.

We enjoyed our regional work, just be wary of dealing with some of the "cash only" farms, I've known a few people to leave being owed a weeks pay.

This might sound a bit negative but don't expect Tony Abbott to be waiting in the airport to give you a job, things are tightening up in Sydney (I haven't been looking myself but it's the word from a lot of friends) and Melbourne, it's not as good as it was.

Try and secure a room in a place living with people you don't know (pref. Aussies), great way to meet people and generally cheaper than a hostel.