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Any Unexpected expenses?


Guest funiowcple

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Guest funiowcple

We are in the final few months till we head off to Brisbane, and are working hard to work out some sort of budget to ensure we have all our bases covered, including; flights and removals from the UK, and in OZ, rent for 3 months, car, 1st shop for food and school uniforms etc.

I should be bringing an income in in week 2 or 3, as i have organised work with an agency for when we first arrive.

But is there any thing, anyone can think of that needs to be budgeted for when you first arrive in OZ. Do you need a bond for electric/gas/water? Are Qld drivers licences expensive?

We are staying with friends for the first 2 weeks while we find a rental and our furniture shouldn't be to far behind as we are sending it 10 weeks earlier than us.

 

thanks for any help or input.

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Rental bond, licences about $70 for a 5 year licence, car (quickly!), car insurance, sightseeing because you will be enthusiastic about getting to know the place, various household items that you didnt think you needed but now decide that you do, papers so you can get to the job and accommodation ads, broadband internet, phone plans - I am sure that no matter how well you budget, you are bound to go over it!!!

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If you have a laptop or computer that will be with your straight away then set yourself up with a Skype account and buy some landline credits on it. this will alllow you to phone the UK Computer to Computer or Computer to Landline/mobile at very competitive rates. When you arrive first there are always many calls home to friends, family, banks, tax office etc and you don't need a massive phone bill 3 months after you arrive.

 

regards

 

Liam

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Guest maxxangel
Will I need to resit my driving test?

Or do you just have to pay for an australian licence ?

If you do it within 3 months you just pay for a new licence. Longer than that and you have to sit a theory test (I think I got that right).

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It depends on which state you go to. In NSW I had to sit the test but did not have to go through the L and P Plate stages. Others on the forum have mentioned that in Queensland you can just pay for a new licence with out the test but best to check on the relevant site RTA Home Page for NSW and here is an excert from the Queensland site Queensland Transport

Overseas licence holders

 

An amendment was made to the Transport Operations (Road Use Management—Driver Licensing) Regulation 1999 on 1 March 2006, exempting New Zealand licence holders, and certain other overseas licence holders, from having to complete the written road rules test and pay the prescribed fee for a car and/or motorbike licence.

 

Queensland Transport recognises driver licences issued from the following countries:

Austria

Belgium

Canada

Croatia

Denmark

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Ireland

Italy

Japan

Luxembourg

the Netherlands

New Zealand

Norway

Portugal

Singapore

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

the United Kingdom

the United States of America

Applicants from these counties (excluding applicants from external territories of those recognised countries) are not required to take a written road rules or practical driving test when applying for a car or motorcycle licence in Queensland.

 

Testing requirements do apply for overseas licence holders when applying for a heavy vehicle (classes LR, MR, HR, HC and MC) licence. Successful completion of the written road rules test and the practical driving test for heavy vehicle classes still apply. Driver licence holders who currently hold a heavy vehicle class of licence issued from New Zealand will only be required to take a written road rules test on heavy vehicles.

 

Hope this helps

 

Liam

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Guest maz&jon

plz help,im rubbish at anything with computers.i have a laptop and at the mo im with broadband,but hopefully from the end of march we should be in melbourne so plz tell me should i try an do skype from here or wait till i get over there.i dont even know how 2 do it so any instructions you could give me would be much welcome.x

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plz help,im rubbish at anything with computers.i have a laptop and at the mo im with broadband,but hopefully from the end of march we should be in melbourne so plz tell me should i try an do skype from here or wait till i get over there.i dont even know how 2 do it so any instructions you could give me would be much welcome.x

 

I would download it while you are in the UK and also get friends and family to download it as well so that you have their contact names etc before you come over. Its free software so just go to Skype official website – download Skype free now for free calls and internet calls and follow the prompts. If you want to call a land line in the UK from your computer then you can buy Credits and I buy them in $9 lots and it automatically tops up from my credit card. When you want to phone the UK you just put in the number and Skype connects to a local exchange over there to access the phone line and you get calls at really cheap rates.

 

Calling cards are also really cheap waqys to call home and are available everywhere. Just Google "International Calling Cards to UK" and you can get more details.

 

best of luck

 

Liam

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Guest Diane Willo

Hi There

Please can someone tell me what I would expect to pay for a car, not a new one but a reliable one to get us around. also what do you need up front to rent a property ie bond money

Thank you Diane

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Guest maxxangel
Hi There

Please can someone tell me what I would expect to pay for a car, not a new one but a reliable one to get us around. also what do you need up front to rent a property ie bond money

Thank you Diane

 

Hi Diane,

 

I found the threads in the 'renting and real estate' area (under 'living and working in Australia) fairly helpful for the rental side of things. The are threads going far all different areas of Oz.

 

Not sure on the car side, but get the impression it's similar to the UK in that it pretty much depends on the car, age etc. Don't know if they are any cheaper or more expensive than UK.

 

Hope this helps,

Cara

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