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Australia - The Land of the Feral Koala Bear [Move Complete!]
Inquisitor77
2 x Penny Arcade Fight Club ChampionA fixed point in space and timeRegistered User regular
2 x Penny Arcade Fight Club ChampionA fixed point in space and timeRegistered User regular
My work asked me two weeks ago if I wanted to go to Melbourne for 6 months. I said yes.
So now, in accordance with the laws of the gods, I come to you. You, in your infinite wisdom and benevolent guidance, you with knowledge of the alpha and the omega. You, who can tell me stuff like, "Don't touch those giant things that look like fluffy worms because they will fuck you up."
Since this is through my job, there are travel/relocation/secondment consultants that are walking me through the big steps, like getting my visa, putting my affairs in order here, etc. But I wanted to see if anyone here had any advice, as well.
Anything from what types of clothes to bring (apparently it's windy and hot down there for the next 6 months) to what places to visit via three-day weekend to how to pick up hot Aussie chicks would be appreciated. Thanks guys!
Update Below:
Things are progressing nicely. Thanks for all the great tips, guys. So now I have the choice between several locations in Melbourne, and I figured what the hell, since you were so helpful before, why don't I get your input on that, too? Below are my top three choices, organized in order of my current (but certainly not final!) preference. My job is about a mile and a half further south down St. Kilda Road, so I will be taking the tram regardless of where I'm staying. Given the relative locations I am dealing with, they are roughly equivalent in terms of commute (time & ease).
33 City Road
Google Maps
Across the river. Supposedly has a fantastic view. Very close to the CBD, but still far enough away that I don't have to deal with being "in the city" if I don't want. Includes amenities like a laundry, balcony, spa, pool, and gym.
325 Collins Road
Google Maps
Right in the heart of the CBD, so fantastic location. Doesn't look like it includes any amenities like laundry, though.
118 Russel Street
Google Map
I actually have a choice between three apartments in this building, but they're all pretty much equivalent, just with different furniture. Again, looks like the location is good, but not as good as the Collins Street place. I do get a balcony and laundry access with this place (along with double-paned windows).
Thanks again everyone!
Second Update:
Decided on my first choice on City Road. Thanks for the input guys!
So now, in accordance with the laws of the gods, I come to you. You, in your infinite wisdom and benevolent guidance, you with knowledge of the alpha and the omega. You, who can tell me stuff like, "Don't touch those giant things that look like fluffy worms because they will fuck you up."
Since this is through my job, there are travel/relocation/secondment consultants that are walking me through the big steps, like getting my visa, putting my affairs in order here, etc. But I wanted to see if anyone here had any advice, as well.
Anything from what types of clothes to bring (apparently it's windy and hot down there for the next 6 months) to what places to visit via three-day weekend to how to pick up hot Aussie chicks would be appreciated. Thanks guys!
Update Below:
Things are progressing nicely. Thanks for all the great tips, guys. So now I have the choice between several locations in Melbourne, and I figured what the hell, since you were so helpful before, why don't I get your input on that, too? Below are my top three choices, organized in order of my current (but certainly not final!) preference. My job is about a mile and a half further south down St. Kilda Road, so I will be taking the tram regardless of where I'm staying. Given the relative locations I am dealing with, they are roughly equivalent in terms of commute (time & ease).
33 City Road
Google Maps
Across the river. Supposedly has a fantastic view. Very close to the CBD, but still far enough away that I don't have to deal with being "in the city" if I don't want. Includes amenities like a laundry, balcony, spa, pool, and gym.
325 Collins Road
Google Maps
Right in the heart of the CBD, so fantastic location. Doesn't look like it includes any amenities like laundry, though.
118 Russel Street
Google Map
I actually have a choice between three apartments in this building, but they're all pretty much equivalent, just with different furniture. Again, looks like the location is good, but not as good as the Collins Street place. I do get a balcony and laundry access with this place (along with double-paned windows).
Thanks again everyone!
Second Update:
Decided on my first choice on City Road. Thanks for the input guys!
Inquisitor77 on
0
Posts
1. Ply them with booze.
2. Remember: lift with your legs, not your back.
My biggest advice is to rent storage (it's hella cheap), leave everything you don't absolutely need here, and basically go over there with a hobo bag (if you can get away with it).
Melbourne has a pretty awesome music scene, so get out to see some live shows if you can. Catch an Aussie Rules match, they're great. Also, try to fly to Sydney for a weekend - it's an awesome city.
Also, if possible, take a long weekend any fly to New Zealand while you're down there.
The bullshit that americans come up with about 'dangerous critters' is simply bullshit. The so called dangerous stuff doesn't bother urban dwellers at all, and if you're in more rural areas, wear heavy boots, not flip-flops (thongs in Australian) or sandles or whatever. They'll keep to themselves if you don't screw with them. The ones that do tend to come inside are generally harmless and easily dealt with.
Public transport in Melbourne is a dream, but can be complex for a newcomer. We use an automated ticketing system, and the tickets come in a few forms: 2 hour tickets (which you can ride anything for the zone(s) you've bought it for), daily tickets, weekly, monthly, etc. You can get the tickets at the train station, or on busses/trams, or in a newsagent nearby.
We've got a train system that goes into the city and back out every 20 minutes on weekdays. all of the trains loop around 5 or so stations in the city center, and they're regular and easy to catch.
Busses suck a bit, but are still numerous.
Trams typically run ever 8-12 minutes for most of the common lines.
Get yourself a copy of the Melways as soon as you can (any newsagent), as it will have detailed route maps (it's a huge book with street-level road maps, and lists each individual stop for the transport system, etc.) Each route also has route timing booklets, keep one handy.
The PT's very handy if you live in the inner suburbs, as it'll be a zillion times cheaper than a car. The only problem is, since petrol skyrocketed in cost, the public transport is crowded, and often at capacity even outside of peak hours. That said, it's filled with the same kind of people you are as well: lower to upper-middle classes going to work. I Highly recommend it, as it's generally very clean and safe.
We drive on the opposite side of the road too: be careful when crossing the street. CARS WILL NOT STOP FOR YOU IF YOU JUST WANDER ACROSS THE ROAD. If someone's going to give way, they'll signal to you, if not, don't assume they will, even in the city or even in a carpark. Wait for the cars to pass, then cross, or use a crossing.
We also have a lot of roundabouts for suburban intersections instead of those crazy 4-way stops that the US has. You give way to the right, absolutely. You go when there's a gap to the right.
You'll also find that our traffic laws and enforcement are a lot more strict. You can't turn left *at all* on a red light, it's illegal. You'll also find there are automatic speed traps in a lot of places, red light cameras, and booze buses. It's not illegal for a cop to randomly stop you and breathalize you, then haul your ass to jail if you're over the 0.05 limit.
There's stricter laws and fines, and there's a lot more cops.
Americans won't get the same treatment in Australia that an Aussie does in the US. Don't expect the girls to go nuts over your accent, but don't assume they won't either. The pub/bar/club scenes are very rich in the city and in South Melbourne, and the city is relatively safe to walk around in at night, particularly in groups, but even if you're alone. Our clubs have a dress code. Dressy shoes, black slacks, collared shirt. The bars often (but not always) do as well. Pubs don't.
For places to go? Wander around the city, there's a lot of shopping and other things to be seen/done there (Also, southbank, over the Yarra river has some fine shops). Don't go to starbucks for coffee. The best is to be had in Lygon St (Carlton), or in Brunswick at small italian/european cafe's.
If you get time, and like beaches, go to Torquay (pronounced tor-key) or further down along the great ocean road when it's hot. Wear suntan lotion though, we've got a massive hole in the ozone, and you'll fry very quickly. SPF30+ at least. It's a 3-4 hour drive though, generally, but worth it for seeing things like the 12 apostles.
The countryside also contains a lot of wineries and interesting country towns (I'm biased, but i recommend Echuca if you're interested in Paddlesteamers, it's 300k's north of Melbourne, good weekend trip)
- The dangerous critters thing is way overhyped. You're going to be in a townhouse/flat in the largest/second largest city in Australia, not in a tin shack in Bonnie Doon.
- We likes the beer.
- We'll take the piss out of you. We take the piss out of each other. We take the piss out of everything. It's not rude, it's just our sense of humour. Just roll with it.
- Eh. The asian chicks are hotter IMO.
- Otherwise Sydney and Melbourne are pretty much smaller scale versions of <insert Californian city here>.
Satans..... hints.....
So in terms of things to do, I have:
1) Aussie rules football
2) New Zealand
3) Sydney
4) Melbourne (clubs, pubs, music, shopping, etc.)
5) Torquay (a friend told me that there's some sort of Ocean Road that I should go down, I assume this is on the way?)
General Advice:
1) Don't bring a lot of stuff (my plan has always been clothes + laptop)
2) Cars don't have to give right of way
3) Good public transportation in Melbourne
The same friend I referenced earlier also said that Asians and race relations in general are different in Australia than they are in the States, particularly in comparison to big, liberal cities like San Francisco and New York. I was told to speak as soon as possible, so that people don't assume I'm a sycophant Asian student. Is that true? I'm sure it's being slightly exaggerated, but I'm curious about social aspects like this. Obviously I'll learn a lot of it as I go, but it never hurts to be prepared...
Also, I plan on using credit cards for the most part while I'm there. I have heard that credit card use is not nearly as ubiquitous in Australia as it is in the States, where you can get pretty much everything with a Visa or Mastercard. Should I plan on using mostly cash? The reason I ask is because the last time I was overseas for an extended period, I ended up watching the exchange rate every other day. It became something of a hassle, and I'd like to avoid it if possible.
Other things like that, maybe not related directly to "What should I do while I'm there?" would be helpful, too. Shopping tips? Food I should try? Crocodile Dundee jokes? Etc. etc. etc.
Lately there was a bit of controversy in Melbourne where people were beating up Indian students. But then it was okay because other minorities were doing it too, not just white people...
I haven't heard anything about that for a while though, so I don't really know. I'm from outer west Sydney and my friends are pretty evenly divided between Aussie, European, Asian and Indian/Lankan, so take that as the anecdotal evidence that it is of the kind of multiculturalism we've got going on here.
1. Aussie rules has its Grand Final next weekend, and I'm unsure when the new season will be starting next year (Will likely be around March-April), so you may have to accept watching replays of previous games on TV (depending on what month you'll be leaving).
2. You should be able to get by mostly with your credit cards, most places support credit use, however i would advise having some stock of cash on you, particularly for public transport, and the minority of places that don't have credit support.
3. Shopping tips: Definitely look for shops where you could get souvenir-type things, Australian Geographic stores are good for this, when I used to work there they had a dictionary of Australian slang, could be good for both a laugh, and to help you understand what we are saying. (Or just check the internet, there's surely a guide online).
4. On the topic of understanding us: Don't feel intimidated to ask someone what they mean if you don't understand a particular phrase or word. a) We're all glad to help explain it, and b) We'll probably get a laugh out of it later on with our mates, having confused a foreigner with our words. So yeah don't be discouraged about asking.
5. Best Australian joke (one of the few I've actually heard
Something along the lines of "G'day Mate, Welcome to Ostraya!"
What's the worst thing about Australia?
And in an effort at diplomacy...
Why are New Zealand race horses some of the fastest in the world?
I was in Geelong, which is about an hour out from Melbourne by train. Try to catch some of the stuff that goes on at Federation Square, they usually have stuff like comedy festivals, music festivals... I saw a screening of Red vs. Blue there too for some reason.
You should drop by Geelong as well, there are clubs and bars on pretty much every corner.
Definitely go see an Aussie rules football game. Bring a native with you to explain, because you won't know what the fuck is going on, but it is cool as hell.
As far as the Great Ocean Road, it is gorgeous. I'm from Ohio, so nothing here compares. For a weekend trip, there is a resort town on the road called Lorne, which is pretty freaking nice. That was the first place I ever went surfing, and you should try that too.
And watch the news while you're there. For some reason, Australian news stations have the hottest newscasters. I swear. Oh, and a show called The Chaser's War on Everything. Absolutely hilarious.
Good luck with it though, I'm completely jealous.
If you're around in April hit up a few shows at the international comedy festival. There'll be people plugging various comics around melbourne town hall. Some will offer free or cheap tickets. Fed Square is pretty good for street performances and stuff around that time as well (also, holy crap, The Cat Empire are playing there tonight). Pretty sure the jazz festival is soon after the comedy festival finishes.
The War is over
Edit: Do you know where you'll be staying in melbourne? Perhaps someone could recommend some stuff nearby that you could check out.
I'm in Australia on a working holiday visa, and though I'm not on the east side I can tell you the following things as an English-speaking Asian with an American accent
people do not tend to assume I am a foreign student... at least not until I open my mouth, at which point they tend to be amused by my American accent
don't take any pokes or prods about your accent or background personally; for the most part, people are just having a bit of fun and mean absolutely no harm
no one really cares where you come from, no matter how neat your story is; the conversation is more likely to turn to the footy or the cricket or some other sporting event before people will even bother figuring out where in the US you are from... again don't take this personally, but to be fair this might be more common here in Perth than over east
don't get set on fire, it's unlikely you'll ever be put out
prepare to be frustrated with random delays in release dates for random assortments of movies and video games
Australian TV shows are amusing... purely for the cultural experience, you should watch Home and Away, Neighbours, and Packed to the Rafters... just one episode each, that's all you'll probably be able to stomach anyway
and Australian TV shows that AREN'T those three shows are either a cop drama or a quiz show
and yeah, I'd imagine you're more likely to get taken to the hospital for a ridiculously severe sunburn than you are for anything even remotely related to "dangerous critters"
Version of that that i've heard was:
Two people, one american, one english are discussion crime in general: "What if we tried putting all of the criminals onto an island, and going away for a while?"
"We tried that, now they beat us at Cricket
Credit cards can be used, but avoid using your US card if you can. The international rates and transaction fees will suck, bigtime. If you can move a larger chunk of money in one hit, that's a better idea, but moving money from the US to Australia can be tricky. If you can get a local bank account, and use something like OzForEx (A bunch of my co-workers at MS swear by them for larger chunks of cash) to get money to Australia, you'll probably save a crapload.
Then you can just use EFTPOS against a local debit account.
If you can't do this, You'll want to compare the various fees involved, since there's a bunch of ways to at get foreign money:
1. Credit against a visa/mastercard debit card
2. Credit against a visa/mastercard credit card
3. Use an ATM and withdraw from a checking account (I did this last time i was in the US. the fees weren't bad, but weren't great either). This won't work with ETFPOS however, so it won't work in stores, only at ATMs. It'll be far FAR cheaper than making a cash advance against credit, however! (no cash advance fee)
4. Travellers cheques.
5. Others i'm probably forgetting.
wait, what?
Trams are fine, but expect to get fucked in the ass if you're travelling in peak hour on the trains. It is not uncommon for them to be cancelled or delayed. Today was the first time this week my train was on time.
This poor Canadian find that one out the hard way
That being said, we get some pretty awesome beer ads.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eH3GH7Pn_eA
Fixed that for you.
Yeah, the place is beautiful, but you will be finding sand for weeks afterwards.
That said, definitely go to Tangalooma, the beaches are awesome, the dolphins are cool, and they have these sweet artificial reefs you can snorkel around.
And sand tobogganing rocks!
Normally I'd laugh at TBH and agree with psyco, but Canberra is worth seeing if you've never been, even if just for a day.
But being in Melbourne would make it pretty hard to get there. From Sydney it's a 2.5 hour drive, so it would be worth your time, but not from Melb.
I think you should try VB. Also you should try a kebab after consuming copious amounts of said VB, usually there are little kebab hole-in-the-wall joints that are open late at night, specifically servicing the hordes of drunk people spilling from pubs on the way home.
You should also try Vegemite.
Don't do this, for the love of god. It only appeals to those poor unfortunate souls who were raised on it.
It is soooo gross.
Can you tell I was a stupid American tourist who got tricked into some shit a couple of times?
Vegemite is the breakfast spread of champions.
And Canberra has a technology museum, our parliament house, and a war memorial primarily concerning when the British landed our armies on the wrong beach in World War One.
People love watching americans eat vegemite because they eat it like jam
you gotta have a 1:1 ratio, or less, as compared to the margerine
What is this VB? Is it a drink?
Unfortunately I don't think I'll have access to a car, so I don't know how realistic Canberra is. But I'll definitely try to check it out, at least for a weekend or something like that.
Thanks again for all the tips, guys! Much appreciated. If anyone is out near Melbourne from October to April, hit me up!
like having the inside of your mouth on a dirty boot, I enjoy it
Pretty much. And in my opinion, it's only good on toast that's been slathered with butter.
I'm an American married to an Australian, so the above has been limed for COMPLETE AND TOTAL ACCURACY.
Seriously.
Don't do it.
And yeah, Moreton Island is fun, but Tangalooma is... pretty three-star :P Its not bad, and there are fun activities, but the resort is the only point of civilisation on Moreton, and they know it, and they charge accordingly. Its way funner to camp nearby, but you really need gear, an offroad vehicle and several pals for that (FYI access is via one of two barges - one leaves from Redcliffe, and one from the Port of Brisbane). Other stuff in and around Brisbane... well, Australia Zoo. If you're into that kind of thing :P The villages up behind the Glasshouse Mountains are good for hippie stuff and art/craft, and its fun to drive around up there. The rest of the city is a building site, and the southside is full of terrible mutants.
Taronga Zoo is a must if you're in Sydney, though.