The other 50 things you need to know about Aus!

[Guest Roo1]

I couldn't fit it all on because of the word limit........so here's the rest!!

 

101.watch that speed as they are watching you

102.buy bisto gravy granuals from english lolli shop as all other makes, rotten if you like a roast

103.get into pumpkin, and used to it

104.always haggle

105.suss out the markets and buy your jams, dressings, marmalades, oils and dips as much better and fresher than supermarkets

106.be prepared to put a little weight on as socialising means eating and drinking here all the time.

107.expect the unexpected from back home to keep in touch and most likely suspects to drift away with contact as they all move on and you eventually become distant

108.never leave house without sun glasses, even saw a bride get her wedding pics taken in her sunny's

109.most importantly make expats friends, they are only ones who know what your going through and will be great help and support.

110.No one has mentioned flyby's. Flybys are a loyalty point system used everywhere and everyone to justify paying yearly fees for credit cards etc.

111.You need about a zillion points for a pack of polo's so I would highly recommend the Virgin Australia credit card. No Flybys and no yearly fee.

112. Your great credit rating in the uk counts for nothing here.

113. You need 6 months of proof of Australian income before being allowed a credit card. Make sure you don't cancel your UK credit cards, you will need them.

114.Beware the products advertised with no fees whatsoever as they then say something like. "No line rental, just $30 a month!!" WTF is the $30 a month then if it isn't a line rental.

115.take passport to post office when sending anything back home.

116.Drivers licence (not driving) - in NSW you have to pay for it. And get it renewed every few years. And pay for the priviledge.

117.Demerit points - are taken off your licence, not added. Once you lost all your points, you're buggered. Over public holidays, double demerit points are in place, so you can lose your license in one foul swoop (eg 6 are taken off if you're speeding, and if one of your passengers isn't wearing a seat belt, instead of the usual 3, adds up to 12, bye bye licence.)

118.Bank holidays - are called public holidays. Depending which state you're in, you'll get different ones. In NSW, we don't get a public holiday for horse racing (unlike other states)... we do get the Queen's birthday off (next June).

119.On a lifeguard-patrolled beach, swim between the flags, otherwise you'll piss the lifeguards off and possibly drown.

120.Surfboards hurt if they crash into you, so avoid swimming near surfers.

121.Learn about rips - you're more likely to drown in one of those than be eaten by a shark.

122.Smoking is banned on some beaches. However, no one has ever been fined.

123.Pubs - are called hotels.

124.Hotels - are called hotels. Confusing, yes.

125.SLUG - single lock up garage. DLUG - double lock up garage.

126.Off licenses - are called bottle shops. Some of these are drive through ones, some are normal shops.

127.RSLs, bowling clubs, league clubs etc - you need to be a member to use their facilities, or you can sign yourself in as a temporary member (usually with some sort of ID) if you live more than a certain distance away. Once in, the beer and pool tables tend to be cheaper, if you can put up with wall to wall sport.

128.Bare foot bowling - big in Sydney. Crown green bowling, with no shoes on.

129.Pokie machines - gaming machines that can be found in most pubs etc, usually with society's undesirables glued to them.

130.Woolworths (NSW) - isn't the same as Woolworths in England. It's a supermarket.

131.Anzac Day - a really important event in the Australian calendar, even more so than Remembrance Day.

132.Two-up - a ridiculously simple betting game that is played on Anzac Day.

133.Melbourne Cup day - another really important event. Most people have a bet and get drunk.

134.Chook raffles / meat trays - chickens and assorted meat items, and sometimes fruit and veg, seafood, and booze, are raffled off at places like RSL clubs. Unless you are somewhere upmarket, the produce will be very cheap and nasty.

135.Wine box - is called a wine cask

136.Do not berate your host if you are given a glass of cold, sparkling red wine. It's popular here.

137.Do not be fooled if your h'ost gives you a glass of sparkling white wine that tastes of cat's piss and calls it champagne. It isn't.

138.Do however, take advantage (if you are female) of the free 'champagne' that many classy establishments offer the ladieees on certain nights of the week.

139.Pasta - pronounce as 'paaars-ter'

140.Yoghurt - pronounce as 'yo-gert'

141.Coogee - pronounce as 'cudg-ee' not coo-gee

142.Bathurst - pronounce using the northern 'bath' not the southern 'bath'

143.Kebabs - come in wraps, not pitta bread. And not called kebabs in other states... however, still popular after a night out

144.Fish and chip shops - you will be hard pressed to find cod on the menu. Or rock salmon. Calamari is popular. Vinegar tends to be white, not brown malt variety.

145.Prescriptions - each pack of medication will cost you (no getting the doctor to write you six months on one prescription so you pay just one fee, here you pay for each pack).

146.Medical fees - having medical tests can cost you a lot, even if covered by medicare. Medicare refunds only part of the cost, and often doctors charge more than what medicare says the fees should be (the so-called gap).

147.Health insurance - if you earn over a certain amount ($50k as a single person) you'll get penalised if you don't have private health care with an additional levy on your salary. If you're over a certain age, and don't get health insurance within one year of arriving as a PR, you'll pay an additional premium on your health insurance.

148.MOTs - are called registration safety inspections in NSW, and are part of a system of coloured slips (pink, blue and green) entitling you to drive a vehicle on the public roads.

149.School kids - in return for getting free fares, they're meant to give up their seats on public transport for fare paying adults. Some kids are polite and will do this. Others are little gits.

150.Spruiking - they're all at it. Don't ask me what it means though.