TheLoadedDog

Also, be sure to pronounce it "man-JURA-ma", not "man-du-RAMA".

Just realised something: why is it "rain" in the city and "rains" in the country?

Aaah here we go. Found an ABS survey FAQ: http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/D3310114.nsf/4a256353001af3ed4b2562bb00121564/de8ba33b760d9c9fca2571060079d60a!OpenDocument

I don't know about the legal requirements. I somehow doubt it - beyond the six-yearly census I've never had the ABS turn up on my doorstep in my life (in fact, this thread is the first I'd heard of it). If they got pushy, I think I'd be cordially inviting them to bugger off.

Can I recommend the Charles Dickens Tavern? It's on Collins St. I'm a Sydney boy, but this is my chosen local when I'm in Melbs. As the name suggests, it's a bit of a Pom hangout. However, I still like it despite that (I kid, I kid ;P ). Just a nice, cosy, and unpretentious little joint in the CBD (and those are getting hard to find).

Oliver Reed. Hmm.

Tend to agree. This question is an internet staple, and I treat it as a bit of fun. Truth be told, and I were really about to spend the rest of my life isolated, I'd probably load up some classical music (which would involve a whole, other opinionated thread).

In no particular order: - Anything by Bryan Ferry / Roxy Music (because, if I'm on a desert island or somewhere, this smooth and urbane sound will hopefully help my sanity when I'm grizzled and in rags) - Ditto by AC/DC (just so I can rage at the moon) - The Man who Couldn't Cry - Johnny Cash - Guitar Town - Steve Earle - Waltzing Matilda (just because)

I deal with Salmat in my work. Avoid.

Seriously, if you want cafes and a street vibe, consider investigating the Inner West. Anywhere along the railway from the city to about Strathfield should fit the bill regarding good coffee and interesting people.

You say "avocado coloured bathroom" like it's a BAD thing.

Mordy's nice too, though.

I know I'm from Sydney, but... Williamstown. That is all.

Opal's a great idea, but it's fifteen years late, and poorly implemented. Some cities have point-to-point ticketing, some have zones, and others have time-based tickets. Sydney has them all, and the software is supposed to somehow work around that. Opal is the second attempt, as the proposed T-Card was aborted some years ago, as the software vendor eventually threw up its hand in despair at the complex ticketing system. Many cities can send an individual mad, but only Sydney can do it to a corporation. The Opal software is fine, in and of itself. It's just that the implementation of it was a perfect time for them to develop a new, simpler ticketing system from scratch, but certain invested parties stopped that from happening. Welcome to New South Wales - incompetent and on the take since 1788.

Chatswood: Slightly upmarket. Big middle class Chinese population. Lots of high rise apartments and also older freestanding homes. Busy shopping centre. Killara: Leafy. Old money. Epping: Again, big middle class Chinese population, but without so much high rise. Leafy. Macquarie Fields: DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT. Drugs, bored teenagers, and everybody has tattoos but nobody has teeth. Also, it's only slightly closer to town than London. West Ryde: Similar to Epping. Oxford Falls: Leafy. Quiet. Freestanding homes. Mosman: Harbour views, daaaahlink. Take your credit card with you. Parramatta: Former working class place now getting a bit of a vibe of its own. It's going places. Big shopping centre (it's essentially a satellite city). No idea about the schools though, sorry. The private ones on the North Shore will be pricey. Edited to fix typo

There are exceptions, but in general, the Lebanese around Surry Hills, Cleveland St, etc are Maronite Christians, and the ones around Lakemba are Sunni Muslims, which is probably why the difference. As for the alcohol or not, I tend to go with "their restaurant, their rules", so long as they comply with the law. They wouldn't be licenced to sell booze anyway, as they wouldn't have bothered applying.