45

TEACHING

It is not centrally organised Australia wide - each state has its own requirements for registration, and its own employment opportunities.

Education Departments - states and territories has links to state govt education departmetns/ministries, along with other institutions (curriculum and assessment authorities etc).

The only one it misses out is the new Victorian Institute of Teaching, which you will need if you are planning to register and teach in Victoria.

46

The "getting your car registered" post missed one Service Tasmania

Tasmanian Travel Centres
Tasmania South
Tasmanian Government (Travel Agents)
Tasmania Fly Drive Tours
Tasmanian Car and Motorhome Rentals
TT Line - For Spirit of Tasmania
Parks and Wildlife

Tasmanian Hostels
Hostel Tasmania
YHA Website

Port Arthur Historic Site
Freycinet/Coles Bay
Edge of the Bay Resort

Gordon Gateway
Strahan Travel and Accomodation info
West Coast Accommodation and Activities

Ok, I can vouch for most of those websites, but my apologies if a couple stuff up.

47

Try this one for the bus thing...

Kiwi Contiki...kinda

....nice sites too britboy!

Sweetie_kiwi

48

Gives accomm, attractions, history, currency, history, jobs, nature, photos, places, slang, sport, tips, transport and visa info on all the States in Aus. Very comprehensive.

http://www.australianexplorer.com.au

49

Kaikoura: Official Visitors Centre site, provides links to accomodation options etc. Whale Watch was one of the highlights of my RTW. Tip: If your boat is cancelled look to see if any other crews sailed that morning, chances are higher that they'll sail again later on, so book that boat. Another option is Dolphin Encounter, which I haven't tried myself.

50

you want to move to Australia permanently? (See posting 42 for websites)

If you are not in a legit long term relationship with an Oz citizen, do not have a sucessful business, not of retiring age, do not have close relations in Oz, then you are most like to get PR (permanent residency) through apply for independant skilled migration

Just have academic qualifications, forget it. You need RELEVANT work experience as well.
Not done skilled work for 12 mth out of last 18, forget it (Note bar work on a WHV will not count). Over 45, forget it.

1) Look at SOL (Skilled Occupation List) to see if your job is classified there. Not there, no chance
2) Identify the body that will assess you occupation, and find out the criteria you need for this eg in IT then it is ACS. Note: it is very easy especially with ACS to over estimate your experience that is RELEVANT and thus the amount of points you will get.
3) Download Booklet 6, read it several times, and see if you meet the rest of the criteria and get 115 points (currently). Look at DIMA website for updates (some changes take effect from 1/7/03). Try britexpats site - more people there going/gone through process there.
4) After gathering all required documents send off skills assessment
5) If you receive a positive skills assessment, get all required documents for visa application (Form 47SK) and send that off and then WAIT.

time - should allow 18 mths for whole process (could be quicker could be shorter as this depends on several factors)
cost - skills assessment fee, visa fee $1795 (not refundable if visa not granted), medicals & police checks approx £200pp, relocation costs, no income as can take time to find employment, no social security benefits for first 2 yrs, agents fees(?), plus other bits an pieces
should I use an agent? It can be done without an agent but is time consuming as you need to ensure you are fully aware of all the proceedures. If you have a complicated case, you are nearing 45yrs, have more money than sense etc then get an agent
can I apply whilst in Oz? It can be done, but you need a valid visa whilst you wait for the PR application to be processed

51

Q. Whats there to do in QLD ?
A. http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/sectionindex2/0,5935,escapes^^TEXT,00.html

52

Try this about the lightning in the Top End

http://www.abc.net.au/science/scribblygum/december2002/default.htm

53

Good accommodation sites:

holiday city - search by $ or area, cheap rates. International as well as Oz. Also car hire.
Wotif - last minute rates. Prices for the next 13 days only - bargain rates on good hotels.
Priceline - name your own price (within reason!).

Good places for cheap flights:
ebookers
opodo
priceline
travelmood
travelbag

Find the cheapest price from these sites, print it off as proof, then go to (or phone) your nearest Flight Centre to get them to beat it.
flight centre (they own half of QANTAS)

54

If you're staying for a week or more and want the space of an apartment for the price of a moderate hotel the following are worth a look:
Unique (sydney and environs)
apartments plus (sydney, melbourne, brisbane)
oakford (sydney and melbourne)

55

Looking for a cheap flight? Check out this

56

Poste Restante
I'm sure this is in the LP guide, but:
Poste Restante

Poste Restante is an international postal convention, operating routinely in Australia , as in most countries. Many travellers in Australia rely on it, but many others, particularly non-English speakers, seem not to be aware of it here.

Australia Post will reliably hold mail marked "poste restante" for at least a month at any Post Office or agency anywhere in Australia - longer if the sender indicates a different period. There may be a fee for parcels held longer than one month.

Any postal product (letter, parcel etc) can be forwarded to, and received from, the Poste Restante.

At the end of that time, if the item is not claimed, it will be returned to the sender, generally free of charge.

Your mail should be addressed :

Your Given name + FAMILY NAME in large print

Poste Restante

TOWN - state Australia - postcode, if possible



To collect your mail, simply advise anyone who wants to write to you of your planned route and approximate date of arrival at each place. All towns in Australia, even quite small ones, have at least an agency of the Post Office, though you may need to check with a major post office before you leave, if your map indicates no other services at all at the destination (eg no petrol or hotel).

You will need to present some form of identification to collect your mail.

At the time of writing, there is no extra fee for this service, apart from the cost of the postage paid by the sender. As unclaimed mail will be returned, eventually, it is also reasonably safe even if you happen not to collect it.

This service is useful even to send a letter or parcel to yourself at some point on your future journey (see above for parcel information).

One possible difficulty is that some Post Offices offer a 5 day (only) service, that is , they may be closed on weekends. So you may need to plan your arrival to coincide with opening times.

57

all things big and beautiful. Check out all the Big monuments to strange things in Australia...

Big things in Oz - link 1

Big Things in Oz - link 2

Big things in Oz - link 3

Article about Big things in Oz

58

Hi

Was in Sydney n Melbourne for 2 weeks in May and thoroughly enjoyed my stay there.

Have some tips/nice experiences to share:

1. sydney.com.au has a pretty comprehensive list on accommodation in various states of Australia, ranging from three stars to five. I used it to check out the online rates and location of the hotels before I booked with my agent.
2. Money changer with the "best" rate in Sydney: There is this small shop at the beginning of Oxford Street, near Gloria Jeans, operated by Asians, probably Korean. You can recognise it by the electronic board at the entrance. The rate shown on the board is what-you-see-what-you get, no further charges.
3. A great place to stay on the Blue Mountains is the YHA at Katoomba. Very cosy, cheap and friendly counter staff. There's a supermarket nearby where you can buy yr groceries to do yr cooking at the YHA kitchen. Was an unforgettable experience staying there and I definitely recommend it!
4. Make some time to go to St Kilda's in Melbourne. A very charming place with cafes, bookstores and yummy bakeries. There is a small but lovely beach there. Crowded on the weekends with an awesome arts and crafts market. A good place to spend at least half a day.

That's all I can think of now. Will contribute more if I can later....

59

Cheapest car rental

http://www.bayswatercarrental.com.au/