Australasia & Pacific - Australia, New Zealand & Antarctica
Messages: 40,686 - Threads: 4,224
All You Need to Know about Immigration, Working Holidays, Visas etc
NB This is NOT a thread to ask questions. If, after reading the links provided in this thread, you still have questions you are best off starting your own new topic.
If you've got questions about other visas please be sure to specify the passport you'll be travelling on and which country you're trying to visit.
Extensions to visas for seasonal work, studying in Australia, extending your stay, Australian citizenship, where to find fruit picking/harvesting jobs (a link from the Working Holiday Makers page) can be found at this website
Tip - use the menus along the top. It's all quite straight forward and user friendly. link for NZ WHV
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Jun 5, 2006 9:48 AM
Zedd_at_LP
last reply
Jun 5, 2006 9:48 AM
Zedd_at_LP
0 replies
11,136 views
Welcome to the Australia, New Zealand & Antarctica branch
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions can be found in the Branch FAQ thread
Information about Immigration and Working in Australia/NZ can be found in our All You Need to Know about Immigration, Working, Holidays and Visas thread.
Make sure to explore the FAQ and have a browse around the branch before you ask your question. Chances are someone may already have asked it.
FAQ, Hot Tips, Useful Links - up for the challenge?
Reply to this post and give your best links, tips and answers to Frequently Asked Questions. Up for it? Then lets go, here's a few from me:
Uluru information
Australian train pass
Climate averages australia BOM site
Facts about the size of Australia
Hit that keyboard guys.
Jun 19, 2013 12:43 PM
edddickons
last reply
Jun 19, 2013 12:43 PM
edddickons
0 replies
18 views
location:
Australia
syndey november 2013
Hey, im heading to Sydney on 20th November 2013, just wondering if anyone else is going around this time?? im a lone traveller for the first time. Just wondering how easy it would be to meet people, and also if i should buy organised trips hear before i go, or just sort it all out once im in oz.
any other hints or advise is appreciated
thanks :-)
Jun 19, 2013 8:26 AM
clanmcflan
last reply
Jun 19, 2013 3:41 PM
bushtrekker
2 replies
47 views
location:
New Zealand
Family with teens in NZ in January--book ahead or wing in?
We are a family of 4 (14 and 12 year old daughters) who are planning to spend the month of January in NZ. We are flying into QTown on January 3 and renting a car. We plan to fly out of Auckland about a month later. Since it is the busy season, do we need to make reservations ahead of time, or should we be able to find places to stay along the way? We want to have flexibility so that we can linger in places we love and not have the pressure of a strict itinerary. We are happy staying in family dorm rooms, B&Bs, farm stays, apartments, etc. Our budget is $100-150 US/night. I'm just worried that we will have trouble finding places that can accommodate a family on short notice in January.
Thanks so much for your feedback!
Jun 19, 2013 4:05 AM
Linzmarie99
last reply
Jun 19, 2013 12:33 PM
JoyVee
10 replies
172 views
location:
Australia
1 MONTH IN AUSTRALIA HELP REQUIRED PLEEEEEEEEASE
Hi Guys
Myself and my husband are looking to go to Australia for 1 month Dec 20th - Jan 18th, we have around £5000 between us both. We would like to see as much as we can, we are an active couple. Can you recommend the best place to start and finish and we can sort of fill in the blanks in between. And what is the best and cheapest mode of transport in Aus? Trains, buses or flying? Is £5000 going to be enough?
Thanks and looking forward to your views :)
Snorkelling & Diving - Whitsunday / Cairns
After visiting Sydney, we've about a week of our trip left to check out the east coast and great barrier reef.
We're both PADI but really like snorkelling too - my wife would probably do very little diving. She’s also mad on beaches.
We've a couple of ideas for how to spend the week and would like some advice on which might suit best.
Option 1 - Whitsundays. Take a liveaboard boat trip (c.2-3 nights) to include a tour of the Whitsunday islands & beaches, but mostly snorkelling (and a little diving) on the outer reefs, such as Bait reef.
Option 2 – Forget the Whitsundays and head straight for Cairns to do a snorkelling / diving liveaboard trip from there.
The deciding factor for us will be how good the diving and particularly snorkelling are on the outer reefs from the Whitsunday’s, compared to Cairns.
If Cairns snorkelling is significantly better, Cairns it is, but ...
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Jun 19, 2013 1:10 AM
ferrmont
last reply
Jun 19, 2013 1:10 AM
ferrmont
0 replies
27 views
location:
Australia
BRISBANE REGION / FRASER ISLAND CAMPING TOURS
Hello, me again!
Following with my plan, I wanted to get into a camping tour to Fraser island maybe to some tour to the national parks around Brisbane.
A girl here in the forum gave me the name of a tour operator that has the camping tours to Fr. island. But, as many people do, I checked the reviews on the net, and they were all pretty awful!!! So now I'm a little freaked and I'd like to find other comapnies that offer the camping tours.
Any ideas? any names? and whats more, reliable things?
Thanks!
Jun 18, 2013 11:07 PM
shevy
last reply
Jun 19, 2013 12:18 AM
Drovers_Dog
1 replies
60 views
Broome Wheel Clamps
Hi,
Polite warning to anyone looking at camping in the car bays at Cable and Town Beach in Broome, don't bother.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/regional/kimberley/a/-/news/17552626/broome-to-clamp-illegal-campers/
Cheers,
Jun 18, 2013 2:03 PM
gwahicks
last reply
Jun 19, 2013 6:21 AM
jedgerandclyde
11 replies
275 views
location:
Australia
Hospitals in Sydney
My wife and I will be traveling from the US to Sydney in late August 2013. She will be 5.5 months pregnant at the time, so just in case, we are researching hospitals and health care in Sydney in the event of a worst-case scenario. Our US health insurer has told us that it has relationships with the following hospitals (making coverage and processing simpler), and so we'd be inclined to use them if they are of good quality. Can anyone advise about the general quality of these hospitals, i.e., whether these are top-notch or sort of bottom-of-the-barrel?
1. Prince of Wales Private Hospital
2. Sydney Adventist Hospital
3. Kareena Private Hospital
4. Westmead Hospital
Second question: putting aside insurance/money concerns, what are the best hospitals near downtown Sydney? Meaning, if we were prepared to spend whatever in the event of a major health issue, where should we g...
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Jun 18, 2013 11:41 AM
shemeansmo
last reply
Jun 19, 2013 5:55 AM
daycat
11 replies
201 views
location:
New Zealand
Chip and Pin Card for NZ
Hi everyone,
Will we need to obtain a chip and pin card before our trip to NZ in August? We're from the U.S., which has yet to adopt the chip and pin card nationwide. Therefore, my husband and I only have magnetic swipe credit/debit cards. Or are we fine getting by with your current cards?
Thanks for your responses ahead of time.
Edited by: shemeansmo
Jun 18, 2013 11:04 AM
Joske
last reply
Jun 19, 2013 4:28 AM
jedgerandclyde
3 replies
88 views
South Oz or East Coast (6wks- with baby)?
Hi all,
Some questions.
We're heading to Australia in February 2014 with our (then 1 year 4 months old) son. We have 6 to max 7 weeks in total to spend. Ideally we would like to do adelaide to cairns by camper. But we think is too long. So.... what would you people suggest: south Australia (Adelaide, flinders range via Great ocean road to Melbourne (Sydney?) or go Sydney to Cairns.
We do not want to be on the road every day and do it very relaxed. We've seen the cities Sydney and Melbourne. Isn't South Australia a too small loop for 6 weeks thenn? Any suggestions?
But on the other hand... is the East Coast still relaxed with some fairly quiet spots and camp sites? Our baby boy does not enjoy the parties (yet.....).
Hope to get some advice. Thanks in advance.
Jip, Joske (and Stef) from Holland
Lone traveler seeks traveling buddy/tips for Australia Dec'13
Hi!!
I'm a 27 yr old female going traveling for the first time. I have no definite plans as of yet but would like to spend Christmas and new year in Sydney then travel up the east coast all within 6 weeks as I will be then heading to Thailand to meet a friend. I would prefer to have a companion as I'm nervous about travelling alone, if anyone fancies it please get in touch :) or if anyone has any tips about where to stay over Christmas and new year I'd be greatfull ...... Thanks :)
Jenny
travel around New Zealand
I am from Canada and going to New Zealand on January 5, 2014. I am going to rent a car for a month to travel around the islands. Please let me know if anyone interested in sharing the fun and cost. Thank you
Jun 18, 2013 7:16 AM
lakester411
last reply
Jun 18, 2013 7:16 AM
lakester411
0 replies
35 views
location:
New Zealand
One way car hire in NZ, and ski shuttles!
I've done a bit of net search but typically do the NZ car rental companies sting you for one way rentals? e.g. Pick up Auckland drop in Taupo or Pick up Rotorua drop in Wellington? I know that in Oz they charge a lot extra but it seems that in NZ they are a bit more geared towards this...
And it also seems from my research that the ski shuttles (e.g. National Park to Whakapapa) are all paid services yes? I will never complain about the punctuality and masses of kids on that ski bus in Austria again!
Jun 18, 2013 6:38 AM
smolus
last reply
Jun 18, 2013 7:11 PM
daycat
2 replies
110 views
location:
Australia
Backpacking in Australia along. Need Guidance :)
Hello,
I am from India (although I look like a Thai), 25, male and I am planning to go out on a backpacking trip across Australia.
Since this is my first time I am ever going alone on a backpacking trip, I have no idea where to start.
1. I have been to Singapore, HongKong, Thailand and Malaysia but those were all short group tours.
2. I have read many articles on Australian tourist visa for Indians and there seem to be a lot of condition and grounds of rejection.
3. I am worried if I will get too lonely midway since I am not that good in meeting new people.
So, please guide on how to get started.
4. I have time (cos I work online) and I have some money, but please guide me how much money I should ideally have and how much time I require to have a good feel of the entire country.
5. What are the things I should check and absolutely have before I leave my country?
6. ...
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Jun 18, 2013 5:12 AM
Linzmarie99
last reply
Jun 19, 2013 6:41 AM
Linzmarie99
4 replies
105 views
1 month in Australia and New Zraland - ion a strict budget
Hi guys
Myself and my husband are thinking of doing 1 month in Australia and New Zealand with a budget of £5000 from December 21st this year to Jan 18th. IS THIS POSSIBLE for time and cost and seeing the main sights???? We are coming from the UK. Please help I have been trawling the internet and am not finding my answers :/
Thanks xxx
Jun 18, 2013 2:02 AM
shadowlord
last reply
Jun 19, 2013 3:18 AM
hereandtherenz
6 replies
137 views
Itinerary for 1.5 week in Auckland
I will be travelling in Auckland as part of my RTW-trip. I have at least 1.5 week.
I thought maybe spending few days in Auckland, then some trip to nearby, and coming back to Auckland.
What is worth of doing in Auckland?
And I think maybe visiting Rotorua and Taupo. Is it easier to hire a car or go by bus/train? How many days is needed for Rotorua/Taupo trip from Auckland?
Thanks in advance!
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