Bobbsy
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If you read that press clipping in full, you'll see that the change from Factor 30+ to Factor 50+, the actual difference in protection is just 1%. The fear has always been that people will assume a Factor 50 is vastly more effective (when it isn't) and stay in the sun too long. This doesn't mean the more effective sunscreen will be sold--just that they've given into pressure and are allowing the misleading labels prevalent in other countries.
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Yes, totally. They're two different countries, each with their own good and bad points. The thing is, at least for those of us with visas, we're the lucky ones--we have a choice of two great countries to live in. The vast majority of people don't have such a choice--whichever country we choose to live in, we're the winners.
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Do people rent full 3 bed houses for themselves??
Bobbsy replied to ggavy's topic in Renting & Real Estate
It think it may simply be that areas with detached houses often don't have many flats/units. A slight move of your target area may get you into a suburb with lots of other sorts of accommodation (but I can't help as I live up in Qld). However, I know that if you did a search on the area where I live, you'd find nothing but 3-5 bedroom detached houses--but the next suburb over has lots of flats and townhouses. -
In our case just a small amount of cash--the flight we booked had a single fairly brief stopover. In the end, however, even this wasn't needed as they were looked after by the airline during the stopover.
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In 2004, my two step daughters (then 15 and 13) flew Brisbane-Heathrow with Emirates and they were looked after brilliantly by the airline. Based on that experience, we'd have no qualms at all.
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What the others have said: FM will work fine, DAB probably not unless you happen to have a receiver that can do DAB+ (Australian standard) as well as the basic DAB used in the UK. Also, digital radio only really exists in the main capital cities--it's far from country wide. One other thing to say is that, if you have a good quality "specialist" hifi setup, that's one of the things that is far more expensive in Australia. Basic music centres are fine but good, audiophile stuff is hard to find and very pricey--so bring it if you have it.
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Our first year here I did a whole Tasmanian salmon. My favourite way of doing whole salmon is to scale it and cut off the fins, stuff the cavity with slices of lemon and herbs of choice (I like lots of fresh dill) then tightly wrap the salmon in sheets of newspaper which have been soaked in water until they're totally sodden--try for 3 or 4 layers of paper everywhere. Bake in a hot oven or BBQ with the lid shut for about 40 minutes, until the newspaper is just dried out. The salmon will be lovely and moist because it's effectively steamed. If you're lucky, the inner layer of newspaper will take most of the salmon skin with it when you unwrap.
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I know how a bad experience can colour your opinion, but another vote for the Ford Territory. We bought one recently and are VERY happy with it. The rear row of seats folds down completely flat giving a normal "boot" (if thats the word for and SUV) but come up easily at the pull of a handle. We tried the equivalent Captiva when we were testing cars and it just didn't seem as well built.
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I didn't know you could buy frozen Spam....
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Again from the Queensland point of view (but I suspect NSW is similar)... The rules about getting an Australian licence are specific that you must get the local licence within 3 months if you are on a RESIDENT visa--and the sub class 309 is certainly a resident visa--it allows you to live and work in Australia, apply for a Medicare card, etc. It's only temporary in that you must live here a couple of years before converting to a sub class 100 visa. My experience is that you will need to get your NSW licence within 3 months...just filling in a form and paying the fee--but you also need 100 points of ID and it took a couple of months to accumulate things like utility bills with your address on them.
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Just to reinforce what you've been told: 1. Standard US plugs do NOT work in Australian sockets. There are a few out there with pins that rotate so they can be used, but see point 2.... 2. Do NOT use 2 pin sockets without the earth pin except for a few low current appliances (for example electric razors) that are designed to work without an earth. For anything designed to have an earth, it's unsafe to use a 2 pin adaptor. 3. Yeah, bring 2 or 3 UK extension leads with 4 or 6 way blocks. They will be incredibly useful until you get fully relocated.
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We use Suncorp for all our insurance--car and household contents. I'm sure there's cheaper out there if we went to some kind of online service but we've made two claims (one car and one home contents) and on both occasions they were fast, efficient and paid with no quibbles. To me, that's more important than saving a couple of dollars in premiums.
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Rocky123 has it about right. That basic cable from Jaycar (or any electronics shop) should work fine. IF it's either a very long run or your amp is a very powerful one, a slightly larger gauge of cable might improve things--just use the lightest grade of electrical cable (the sort of thing used for a lamp or other small appliance) would be suitable. Just buy what you can find at your local DIY shop.
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Well, a couple of things to think about: First off, unless you ship your tools 2-3 months before you fly, they won't arrive until well after you do. If you're lucky enough to get work quickly, you might need to buy new tools anyway. Second, how many power tools do you have and are they set to work at 110V via a transformer on building sites? If so, be aware that the standard for sites here is 240V and no transformer. If neither of those are factors, then it probably comes down to the relative cost of shipping vs. replacement.
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Inside Brisbane, the coverage from all the main players is fine. The differences start to show when you go outside the capital. Once you leave the city, Telstra has the best coverage with Optus a fairly close second and all the others a lot more patchy.
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I generally shop around all the regulars but have almost always managed to negotiate the best price at The Good Guys--they may not start off the cheapest but generally seem able to give more discount when you twist their arms.
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I agree about Barra...but my new favourite fish is John Dory (often just called Dory). Our local fish shop sells us nice fresh fillets...3 of them cost between $5 and $7 depending on the size and weight...we treat ourselves to them quite often. Flathead is another really nice one too.
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<p> </p>
<p><p>Hi Simon,</p></p>
<p><p> </p></p>
<p><p>Yup, I've been in Toowoomba almost 5 years now and really like it as a place to live (even if it's a bit chilly by Aus standards just now!). It's about 125,000 so big enough to have most things I want but small enough that, even in rush hour, I can drive from one side of town to the other in about 20 minutes. It's also a few degrees cooler than down on the coast in summer and a lot less humid which is good for most of the year. The only downside would be that it's somewhat less cosmopolitan than the capitals if you want a hectic clubbing night life--but I'm a senile old git!</p></p>
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<p><p>Anyhow, if you have any specific questions, feel free to PM me!</p></p>
<p><p> </p></p>
<p><p>Bob</p></p>
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Every supermarket sells barbeque brushes which are basically a handle with a wire brush on one side and a scraper on the other. Spray a bit of liquid on when hot and scrape away...clean in seconds. I bought a brush about 4 years ago and it's still going...though I may treat myself to a new one this summer.
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Fantastic furniture is at the very cheap end of the market and has a quality to match. If you need to fill a house fast and don't care if it lasts, it't the place. We've found that moving one rung up the ladder to Super A Mart got us prices that weren't too bad--but at a quality that will last a good long time. Don't forget to haggle...we've never paid the full asking price.
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<p>Hi Wolla Bolla Bing Bong,</p>
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<p>Tried to reply here but my answer ran to longer than was allowed for visitor messages, so I've PM'd you instead!</p>
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<p>Cheers,</p>
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<p>Bob</p>
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where is the best place to live for joint problems !!
Bobbsy replied to judyq's topic in Aussie Chat
Well.... I have rheumatoid arthritis and, for me, it's not just the temperature but the humidity too. The coast in Queensland is nice and warm but it's also humid so we chose to go inland a hundred kilometers or so. Where we are (a place called Toowoomba) is a couple of degrees cooler than the coast but much more dry and it seems to suit me. There are only a couple of months of "cool" weather each year and that coincides with the driest season anyway, so it works for me. However, I guess everyone is different. Bob -
Well, you said "from anywhere" so.... We visited New York City last year and got lucky with the timing of our trip past the Statue of Liberty on the Staten Island Ferry: Bob
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My wife had a Commonwealth Government job for many years on her PR visa (even with a higher than normal security clearance). This was back in the 80s and 90s so the rules may have changed, but don't give up hope just yet. Bob
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Accurate advice so far. My wife arrived in Australia as a child in the mid 1960s, accompanying her mother. The mother never took out citizenship and, because of that, my wife still has PR (she's in the process of getting citizenship now) One thing that might help: when a question arose about this, the immigration people were able to check the exact date of entry and status even though my wife could only provide the name of the ship and a rough year of arrival--even though her recollection was wrong by a year or two, they were able to trace her history almost instantly. And, yes, because of the date of her arrival, my wife votes--indeed, she'd be fined if she didn't. Bob
