Handy Hints for before you arrive in Adelaide

[steph&neil]

Hi after reading another post I thought it might me a good idea to give some handy hints that people would have liked to have known before arrival in Adelaide, anything that you found out & wished you knew about sooner or something that could be time/money saving for new arrivals!

Fuse boxes are outside - & dont carry the load you will be used to so make sure you know when a torch is at night as it never seems to trip through the day!

You can get replacement plugs for anything you bring from Bunnings (like B & Q)

The 2 main supermarkets are Coles & Woolworths - note most close at 9pm m-f & 5pm on weekends. there are smaller shops that open till 8pm - we got caught out first weekend here! (it is unlikley to change either as the local gov. dont want them open all night!!!) there is a coles on Anzac highway that opens at midnight m-s

Supermarkets are like going back 20 years - nothing like tesco's!! although a lot of re fitting no clothes etc! just food & small electrical oh & socks???

You cant buy alcohol in the supermarkets - Bottle shops only but these are open late!!! some are next to the supermarkets though!

Cars most are automatic & even if you have a 4x4 or big engine (which a lot are) you will be filling up with unleaded!!

The price of petrol changes daily (up & down) Tuesday is the cheapest day!

Cars dont get MOT'd - you will see a lot of old cars!!! & the price is truly shocking for a 15 year old car you will still be about $5k will lots of miles!!! ( i know this is a big generalisation but do check the cars for sale you will see what I mean!)

When turning left in the city & smaller towns padestrians have right of way.

Parking - much more room the spaces are bigger! but you can only park on your left, never know how to word this properly (sorry) you will see that cars dont park on the "other side of the road" unless it is a 1 way street


I hope people add to this, because quickly after arriving you forget, but would have been handy to know before we got here!
Steph x

[Woody and Jane]

Good to know, good tip about pedestrians right of way, don't want to run anyone over in our first week. Thanks !

[Carolandcraig]

Nice thread, i saw something earlier which would be ideal for anyone coming from the uk,
Bring at least one ganged extension socket (one with space for at least four more plugs) so then you only have to change one plug. a quick fix until you are able to replace all the plugs for your electrical items.

[thekings]

I saw that post as well, top tip, got 2 four gang sockets at the ready ;)

[John Browning]

driving in Adelaide: avoid the Britannia Roundabout for the first few months (..Adelaide Drivers can't get used to the idea of giving way to the right, or giving way at all for that matter)

fuel: log on to MotorMouth for the cheapest fuel prices in your area (with and without shopper docket discopunts)

buying a car..join the RAA (local motor assoc) and don't even think of buying any car that hasn't been inspected by them (-you'll recoup the cost within weeks)

you will need A/C, but only for about 4 months a year. Electric windows are useful every day of the year

Avoid dark paintwork if possible, and dark upholstery like the plague. Carry a towel and drinking water in the car

there are quite a few suburbs where you can get by without a car, most of the time.

Summer is a coming on: buy a broad brimmed hat ( canvas hats are easier and cheaper to look after than Akubras); get a litre of Broadspectrum sunscreen (from the Supermarket) for about ten dollars. and don't worry about trying to get a suntan.

Aircon in the home is 100% more effective when used with a sep. pedestal or o'head fan. You can cool the house down most nights by leaving the Security Doors locked and the house doors open. However, make sure they really are reinforced security doors and not just flimsy fly-screen doors

Shopping: late night shopping is Thursdays in the suburbs and Friday in the city. Don't overlook the Foodland and IGA Supermarkets. Adelaide Central Market is the place to find out what people really eat around here, and a great place to work out all the local accents.

(-Don't fall into the trap of thinking that Australians speak English English)...well we'd need a whole new thread for that one wouldn't we?

Medical; you can still find Doctor's Surgeries that will Bulk Bill your consultation( i.e. no excess on top of the Medicare Rebate..but you will need to look hard for them)

Do us all a favour and get your Swine Flu' vaccinations before you arrive, please.

[Diane]

Fuse boxes are outside - & dont carry the load you will be used to so make sure you know when a torch is at night as it never seems to trip through the day!
**Particularly on very hot days/evenings when everyone using their air con overloads the network**

You can get replacement plugs for anything you bring from Bunnings (like B & Q)
**Or Stratco or Mitre 10 or sometimes Target/Kmart/Big W**

The 2 main supermarkets are Coles & Woolworths - note most close at 9pm m-f & 5pm on weekends. there are smaller shops that open till 8pm - we got caught out first weekend here! (it is unlikley to change either as the local gov. dont want them open all night!!!) there is a coles on Anzac highway that opens at midnight m-s

** Also Foodland that is SOUTH AUSTRALIAN and is often cheaper than the other two**
**Weekend opening - Stores usually open at 11am on Sundays and shut at 5 (supermarkets) on both Saturday and Sunday**

Supermarkets are like going back 20 years - nothing like tesco's!! although a lot of re fitting no clothes etc! just food & small electrical oh & socks???

**Coles St Agnes is the best supermarket in Adelaide so far - much more like Tescos!**

** Remember to take your own bags with you if you have them. The check out girls/boys do your packing for you**

You cant buy alcohol in the supermarkets - Bottle shops only but these are open late!!! some are next to the supermarkets though!

**Drive through bottle shops are the best invention - you don't even have to get out of your car!**

**Chinese takeaways however are not open late! Usually shut about 9pm! And if you have a good takeaway fish/chip/chicken shop nearby, they usually run out by about 7:30pm - but don't make the mistake of ordering a bag of chips for each person: One bag of "Minimum Chips" usually costs about $4.50 and is enough to feed a family of four (and their dog!)**

Cars most are automatic & even if you have a 4x4 or big engine (which a lot are) you will be filling up with unleaded!!

**Or LPG - and not all are automatic, but driving around Adelaide is constant stopping and starting because of the traffic lights, hence why autos more popular. You can pass your test on an auto and be allowed to drive anything!**

**Adelaide drivers will overtake you from any lane - and just because your indicator is on to change lanes, don't assume the person in your mirror won't speed up to fill the gap you were going to move into**

**Lots of traffic light junctions have hidden cameras, and they are very strict about speed limits here - even going 2 or 3 km over the limit can get you caught. speed cameras are sometimes hidden in plain cars parked at the side of the road, disguised wheelie bins, and policemen have beenknown to even hide up trees to get you!**

The price of petrol changes daily (up & down) Tuesday is the cheapest day!

**Tuesday or Wednesday now - and Tuesday is also cheap day at most cinemas, adults at kids prices usually**

Cars dont get MOT'd - you will see a lot of old cars!!! & the price is truly shocking for a 15 year old car you will still be about $5k will lots of miles!!! ( i know this is a big generalisation but do check the cars for sale you will see what I mean!)

**But they don't tend to rust because of the dry atmosphere**

When turning left in the city & smaller towns pedestrians have right of way.

**When turning any direction they do - and not just in the city!**

Parking - much more room the spaces are bigger! but you can only park on your left, never know how to word this properly (sorry) you will see that cars dont park on the "other side of the road" unless it is a 1 way street

**Look for signs before parking - they will tell you if you need a ticket or not - 1P means 1 hours parking, 2P 2 hours etc - at weekends even at metred parking spaces in the centre of the city it costs just 20cents**

**Also, it's a recognised signal that if you see someone getting into their parked car, and you stop and put your indicator on, that means their space, when they vacate it is YOURS**

**Stores like Kmart/BigW and Target are pretty interchangeable but have umpteen sales over the year, so look at your junk mail and never pay full price for clothes/bed linen/underwear/towels/bedding/toys etc**

**The dustmen still collect on public holidays**

Just added my two penn'orth!

[Diane]

Just thought of one more thing! Even though things are priced $9.99 - you will not get change from a tenner! There is no such coin as a 1 cent so your total will be rounded up or down to the nearest 5c (for cash purchases). Your EFTPOS card is what I would call a debit card - so the equivalent of cash - and you can ask for cash out at the checkout if you pay on Eftpos, which you won't get charged a bank charge for (like you do if you use a cashpoint (ATM) belonging to a bank other than your own)

[John Browning]

RENTING the good news is that the Residentaial Tenancy Tribunal do free standard 12 month contracts that will give you a pretty good deal and recourse to a free abitrator in the unlikely event the landlord tries to gives you a hard time.

Most properties are unfurnished , but you can get the basics (white goods, furniture and TV's etc) on rental from places like Radio Rentals etc. If you are not sure about staying, why not make do with good quality second- hand furniture rather than shipping every thing out. Charity shops around here are called OP Shops and some carry excellent (and sometimes brand new) lines. There is no stigma at all in using this stuff, and when you upgrade you just give it back..everyone benefits.

If you are bringing a lot of stuff out, don't feel you need to rent a very large place at first to accommodate it all , while you are settling in: you can hire self- storage units (-like a garden shed in a warehouse with secure access), at a much cheaper rate, than renting extra bedrooms you don't really need

Shifting stuff: similarly you don't need to lumber yourself with a four wheel drive; providing you have a 6 cylinder car with a towing bar you can hire a trailer anytime you need one (-for about $25 a day or less) from most Petrol Stations (-"servos"). Furniture shops will loan you a free trailer
And you don't need to hire a removal firm just to shift a chest of drawers or a fridge: you can get a one or two- man taxi truck by the hour.

Parking: you will probably find on- street parking a lot easier and a bit safer than you are used to, depending on the area. Very few people bother to lock their cars up in a garage overnight (-most make do with a carport for shade)

Public Transport: you may well be within walking distance of a Go-Zone -this will give you a guaranted conection within about 10 minutes during the day. Multi- trip tickets will give you two hours of unlimited connections by Bus, Tram, Train and O'Bahn (dedicated express busway, like light rail). The Adelaide plains are generally flat and so using the push bike tracks is also an ok option. SO you may well find you don't need a second car

You will almost certainly find you are a lot closer to a well- maintained, patrolled and secure Council Run swimming pool than you are used to: -so don't feel you have to seek out a backyard pool to survive your first summer. If you do rent a place with a pool: remember it's your responsibilty to clean it, find the water for it and keep the fence around it locked.

What you should look for:
- security doors: These are reinforced outer mesh doors (a lot sturdierthan fly screens). You can leave the house locked , but still get cool fresh air into the place anytime

AirCon of course. But you will only need the cooling cycle about four months of the year, so you'll get better value from Reverse Cycle AC that you can also use to warm the place in winter. Also look for reversible ceiling fans: they improve the efficiecy of any cooling or heating 100%.

Large windows facing north and west need be shaded in some way. Believe it or not there are still a few places in Adelaide without insulation in the lofts (-or "roof cavity")...check it out.

Take a good look at the Water, Gas and Elect meters. The latter in particular will tell you a lot about the place: -is there an RCD safety trip, -are the circuits protected by trips or just old fashioned fuse wire, -does the A/C have its own 30 amp circuit. Remember Oz PLugs haven't got separate fuses in them, it's the fuse box you are relying on if there is a short.

[steph&neil]

Hi with regards to swimming pools - some landlords will provide a maintenance service others don't, we have a pool & neil spends a lot of time maintaining it, the last tenants had a company come once a month. Also ask about water if esp if you have a pool as they do try to omit this but you can negoitate a small amount!!! note when renting the landlord pays the council tax!!
Also just remembered in summer when there are heatwaves the electric companies do what the call shedding - this is where the cut the eclectic in a whole suburb or area for 30 min to 1 hour!!! very frustrating but it is to cope with the overload on the system - if you live near cafes, shops etc & think oh well I will go there to keep cool forget it they will be knocked off the system as well!!!

[laura girling]

Hi Guyz,
Just thought of something to add.

You can join the local library, this is handy for internet access, free dvd hire, the kidz to play on x box for a while. Also the one at westlakes has a kind of solicitor who signs and authorises paperwork for free.

Hairdressing is cheaper here than in the uk exspect to pay $26 for a cut.
Apparently there is a great English girl in Just cuts Westfield Mall West lakes named Laura just ask, LOL.

Get all the references you can to rent a house here, can b tricky.

For all schools you pay school fee's usually around the $250 per year mark per child.

You pay your Tax every week and then reclaim a lot back every year, dead line is 31st October and then you will be charged a fee for being late.

There are speed cameras everywhere, very costly habit.

Try not to buy a car from a dealer they ripped us off badly. (saw me coming).

Buy your food from local markets and local fish and meat factories, much fresher, cheaper.
BUT AVOID buying marinated meat as they cover up you cant see if its gone off.

When parking car, you have to park on the same side as the traffic flow.

At Dan Murphy wine warehouse the alchohol is a lot cheaper. This is on Port rd.

If you think you have been approved for your skills by the TRA before you arrive, you will need to do this when you arrive in Adelaide to get your certs ammemded. it will cost you a few hundred dollars.

You will need Ambulance cover a.s.a.p this costs around $100 per year.
If you fail to do this and someone in your family needs an ambulance they will charge you $800 call out fee, there will be no getting around it.

You do not need a tv licence, the progs on tv are much better than the uk.
They have foxtell here which isnt as good as Sky.
but who cares when the weather is as good as who watches tv.

When a plane circles over the sea, get out there's a shark near by.

If you want to check quickly for the cheapest deal, use www.lassoo.com.au
this has every deal for every sale here in adelaide.

Good luck.
Laura