digitalis

Skid row.

4 seasons in legian is decent

Bali is a beggar infested, dirty shithole. At least Legian is. Thailand on the other hand, now were talking.

LOL a ghetto in Perth?

lol @ people saying that these tiny towns in the NT are more violent than Brixton :biglaugh: or even places like Grangetown in Cardiff. Broken Jaw state? A guy was killed in Cardiff outside one of the main pubs a few weeks back in a street fight. In London areas like brixton or peckham there are stabbings and shootings everyday. There is a lot of euphemism going on here, combat let me tell you exactly what the posters are referring to when they say "culture shock" etc. Pissed up and solvent upped Abo's. I lived in Darwin for 5 months and never felt threatened by a skinny scrawny drunk out of his mind Aborginal or even groups of. Al they do is shout and scream at each other. Much more potential for violence in Shenanigans or Monsoon's, pubs full of European men. Combat you will be fine mate, at least on a safety level especially given your military past.

Is that Joondalup?

I agree with you mate. That was kind of a one off example, and is very heavily dependant on the mining boom remaining or at least the price of iron ore staying over a certain amount. Remember a few months back when the price of iron ore dropped? There was collective mass panic in Perth for weeks (a slight exagerration lol) and thousands of miners got laid off overnight by one big firm. Admittedly it returned to normal but things are so tied in with the mines it seems like house of cards waiting to fall. A common theme with other Brits I meet out here is how similar it is to the UK pre crash. Everyone getting in debt, car loans, credit cards $400 nights out etc etc. Most Aussies are leveraged to eyeballs in various debt.

Very true. I feel sorry for electricians who were sold the PR thing actually as they pretty much have no choice other than to work as a TA on the equivalent to just over minimum wage here for at least a year if they want to get back in the game. Not easy being a labourer past a certain age. That's not even touching on what you said about the courses, tickets and quals. Makes me laugh on seek when they ask for a "labourer" who has about 4 tickets and experience in this, this and that. Well then he's not a fkin labourer is he, even though they want to pay labourer rates. On the other side of the coin look at welders, I know a guy early twenties in Perth who had had a about a year industry exp after his 3 year apprenticeship. Think he worked for the MOD. He was on 10pound per hour in the UK. Within a week of being here got a job in a place that fabricates for the mines, $40 an hour, 60 hr week plus double time on Saturday if he wanted to work it. Serious wedge by anyones standards this would apply to heavy diesel fitters as well. Straight off the plane into a job paying very well indeed. Painters do well here and all. All about research, research and more research. Forewarned is forearmed. I thought he was lying but checking seek that's about the going rate for welder in Perth! So not all trades struggle to make the financial transition work but yeah, I'd be gutted if I was a sparkie who thought he was going to come out and start off as in UK but with sun. Welcome to red tape Oz.

I personally would save yourself some money and skip the Oz intro and head straight for the one of the bigger hostels on the east coast, of which there are loads. 3500 is plenty, enough actually to kick back for a few weeks, get over the jet lag a bit of "socialising" (drinking) and see a few sights. You may even have enough for a car/van if you start work soon, which will really make your life 5 x easier over here plus give you a massive jump on looking for jobs. 24 is about the perfect age, enough life experience without being "too" old. That is a contentious subject on here but I am 29 and would deffo have done this a few years back. You'll find the average age of backpackers, particularly the Europeans about 21. There are plenty older however. If your job is being held for you, then you really have no excuse NOT to go lol. You will definitely grow as a person. I was not interested in travelling at all before I came here, but now want to see the world before (and if) I ever return back home lol. There is also the career aspect. You have much more opportunity out here should you want it. Don't get me wrong you WILL experience stress and low points, as well as massive highs and memories. Ones I never envisaged have bitten me on the ass a few times but it's all confidence building. You learn to become resourceful and self-sufficent to a massive degree.

Hehe, Bob I like and respect your posts on here but this is what I mean when I say about Aussies not liking the British.

Haha sorry! To paraphrase Alan Partridge "Woofing is a brand name, it's like when people say Tannoy when they mean public address system.". It's really common out here for people to get their regional woofing (voluntary). There are that many backpackers here that the "employers" can really name the terms and they know it. Not to put you off though, I know people who had fantastic experiences doing it. Yeah IME the first 4 months went really slow, then once 6 months hit it all went lightning fast as you are settled here by then. Hostels are most definitely an experience, obviously they vary greatly the good being well good and the bad being awful, regardless they are an excellent way to meet people and network.

Dick King. JB hifi.

Bit anguished for me mate unless you're into that type o thing!:Randy-git:

Fk me Becks is expensive! That's weird though saying that $5 pints are like unicorn **** in Perth. I got charged over $10 for JUST over half a pint of "authentic" beer in some rip off Beligna joint in Perth, oh and $11 a BOTTLE in Mustangs on Australia day.. Only realised when I sat down. In my old hostel in Darwin (Maleulca) they had pitchers of similar price. There is so much money sloshing around Perth pub/club owners don't need to discount or offer to be honest mate.

I gave up smoking in 2002 but started again intermittently when I spilt with the ex a year or so back. I don't smoke regular but have the odd one if really stressed. Rolling tobacco isn't tOo dear actually, it the booze that the real killer out here $$ wise. A cheap night out in Perth (and I mean cheap) is $150. Could EASILY double that. A box of 24 becks bottles is $45 in Perth. Whats the price in QLD?

Mate my housemate is amazed how much tea I drink. Liptons is good I found, tetley's made me pee a lot for some worrying reason. It's like a bartering system as you said. Top of the chain is beer, followed by rollie tobacco followed by the very cheapest noodles and bread money can buy. Bit like Prison actually, with the bunks and cockroaches an all only with women and rent to pay lol.] This lifestyle is not conducive to a good physique though mate I tell ya, turning 30 in May and atm I look like a white water ballon with pipe cleaner arms. My mates in Wales would laugh at how I've let myself go aooooohhh well! :Randy-git:

I will I'll tell her you'll be wearing a red carnation and carrying a folded Financial Times under your arm near the station.:wink:

Well see there Mad Cyow, yer hav' a wee point there so ya do.

Jah my housemate is Aussie and is obsessed with finding a Hugh Grant/Colin Firth bumbling English gent type character, seriously!

It's a common theme mate, the English girls in particular go crazy for Irish men out here in Perth and in Darwin, hell my sister is with one lol (and she's Welsh). Fair do's to them, don't blame them at all for hamming up the accent lol.

Haha I should do what the irish lads do and put on an exaggerated Gerad Butler "PS I love you" lilt and claim I know where leprachauns live back in Ol' Ireland.

God knows but it's chock full of fellas! Mines I suppose, though I have to say the women here are very good looking and easy to talk to. I haven't really been in the backpacker areas since I moved into a sharehouse quite a way out of the CBD (Cannington) in October and my social life has suffered lol. Can easily be rectified though!

MC, haha you know what Perth is like! Testosterone central. And that's just me! :chatterbox:

It's hard to secure a job in Aus from the UK. I tried and failed though as a female and looking for a woofing type job you may well have more luck. I recommend helpx if you want to go down that route. Deffo get the 88 days out of the way early or at least a good % of it. Try and stay in a backpackers for at least a few days as I found out when I moved into a sharehouse, it's nice having the privacy but it can get very boring.