Just arriving? things that help!

[Guest Pies]

Hi all,

 

Arrived on Thursday last week - some things that helped me find my feet:

 

Phone - get an Optus simcard from the airport - $20 for $80 value - oinstant phone number - remember to unlock your phone before you come. You need a contact phone no!!

 

Mobile broadband - any operator for the city, Telstra (or Vodafone from August) for the hills - check with suppliers! All the mobile phone companies located on Rundle Mall.

 

Bank - Westpac migrant branch on Gouger St, interview lasted an hour, got registered for internet bnanking and shown how to use it by Ryan (good guy!) plus all the places in the city I would need to visit to get registered/do stuff. Top service! Register and open account before you go.

 

Medicare - Currie St, select register on the computer as you walk in, take a number. Took 20 mins all in, figure an hour for a family. Bring your medical notes and NHS no - you will definitely need an NHS card if you qualify for reciprocal agreement with UK.

 

Mail boxes if required - Post office in town or any post office location will advise.

 

Tax file no - apply online the day you arrive - you need an address for them to send the number.

 

I stayed 2 nights in the city, got all my stuff done, then moved to Glenelg - great vibe!

 

Jobs - sort as much as you can from UK - much easier to come here for interview than search when you arrive.....got one on Monday night.

 

Rentals - compile a list from realestate.com.au if not sorted from UK - shoot round them by car, as some are well dodgy, some really nice, then ring agent for viewing.

 

Maps - get a UBD from Dymocks or Borders on Rundle Mall. Indispensible.

 

Car hire - Aussie car rentals on Brighton Rd, don't need a car until you are ready to look for rentals - first couple of days are recovery from flight/in city for admin.....

 

Lastly jet lag - walk a lot, try to stay up, accept it will be a few days before you get a complete night's sleep. There are lots of coffee shops...........!

 

Pies

[Guest kangomik]

good post.

 

Jet lags a killer, specially when it isn't holiday jet lag.

[Tamara (Homes Down Under)]

Great!

Really useful.

In addition there's the drivers licence.

Take along a letter (statement) from the bank with your address on it so that the Brit licence can be exchanged for an Aussie one.

[Guest Lisado]

THanks for that

 

Will print it out and bring it - as we will be there soon

[Guest Pies]

good post.

 

Jet lags a killer, specially when it isn't holiday jet lag.

 

Yeah, didn't remember it being this bad on the occasions we came on holiday - I'll enjoy watching the wife and kids soldiering through it!

 

Actually, I think it was made worse by coming in on a delayed flight that got me in late in the evening - first time I had done it that way and definitely awful! (Okay, not helped by a celebratory glass of red wine or two...or BA and Quantas evilly conspiring to bring me in 36 hours late........if it happens to you tell'em no to any flight that will get you in later in the day - daylight flights mean you get no sleep when you need it or sleep when you don't....

 

For the record: Glasgow to Heathrow 3 hours late, Heathrow to Singapore 30-0dd hours late, Singapore to Melbourne 1 hour late, Melbourne to Adelaide 3 hours late.

 

.....what year is it??? At least I blagged 90kgs of luggage all told.........! I ain't going back to the UK with that lot......!

 

Pies

[Guest simon from spain]

Thanks for all that info, will def come in handy on arrival.

 

Interesting about the UK NHS No and address for medicare and drivers licence as we are coming from Spain, will have to look into this to see if there is any difference for us.

 

Thanks again and hope all continues to be succesfull for you.

[Cannons]

Excellent post will come in very handy.

 

Hope you are enjoying your new life in Oz so far and get over that jet lag soon.

 

Jo

[Guest Pies]

Excellent post will come in very handy.

 

Hope you are enjoying your new life in Oz so far and get over that jet lag soon.

 

Jo

 

Got a full nights sleep last night, so all good! DElayed flights meant a daytime flight in - best to arrive in the mornings, but I didn't get to Adelaide til 8pm.....not good for adjusting into time zone quickly.

 

Pies

[Guest D&LA]

some really useful info. Some of the many hundreds of questions floating about in our heads at the moment. Hoping to get visa in next week or so, and then planning to come over in March / April time next year. Biggest concern around getting job and place to stay as got a wee one now !

[Guest Pies]

some really useful info. Some of the many hundreds of questions floating about in our heads at the moment. Hoping to get visa in next week or so, and then planning to come over in March / April time next year. Biggest concern around getting job and place to stay as got a wee one now !

 

Our experience has been that thinking about where you want to stay has been the headache, then once you have an idea, there are loads of places for rent. They do vary in standards and once you are viewing, they like to take a few applications for rental and make a choice from that. So, best advice is apply for a few, understand what the landlord or property owner is wanting and try and structure an offer around that. You will need a reference for renting, so if you can get a letter of reference from someone in UK, that is always good.

Congrats on your new addition!

[Guest D&LA]

Thanks thats useful. When you say they take a few applications and then choose, what sort of things are they looking for one tenant application over another. Assuming you have a reference is it about how long you want the property for, who will be staying there etc , or ability to pay i.e good to take evidence of that . Also are most properties unfurnished (what we would want) and other than the reference, per above, what other checks can they do if you have basically just moved over ? Many thanks

[Guest Pies]

Thanks thats useful. When you say they take a few applications and then choose, what sort of things are they looking for one tenant application over another. Assuming you have a reference is it about how long you want the property for, who will be staying there etc , or ability to pay i.e good to take evidence of that . Also are most properties unfurnished (what we would want) and other than the reference, per above, what other checks can they do if you have basically just moved over ? Many thanks

 

Good question: they will want some evidence of current employment or ability to pay the rent, length of contract desired, any changes or fittings you would want to be playing with e.g. plasma on a wall, smoker/non-smoker, pets?, most are unfurnished, some are negotiable. Generally, if furnished, they will say so.

 

All rents are quoted per week, 2 weeks up front effectively secures the rental.

 

There are many older properties on the market - watch for "interesting" decor - went to see a couple today, and not changed since the fifties...or sixties anyway.....but they still wanted the market rate.

 

Don't rent sight unseen, unless you have a lot of photos and measurements, always drive past the property - great-looking, but sandwiched between an adult shop and railway line??

 

It is possible to rent a split new house in a popular part of town, but you will be paying premium rates for this. Many are properties that owners have decided to rent out until the market improves (according to one agent, used to be 30 days to sell, now 100 days plus....I think you could probably add a few days to this estimate on the more expensive properties). The standard of finish can vary, but most we have seen are very good for Australia. Don't expect double glazing.....

 

If you are really in the money, Stormont on Glenelg seafront is still on the market...for $8million!!! Lot of money for a Victorian villa with a swimming pool and tennis court......

 

Once you decide on a few areas, cruise round them, make pals with the local agents, impress on them your undoubted virtues as potential renters, look at the Advertiser on a Saturday and realestate.com.au - most estate agents produce lists of properties on their books.

 

Landlords are responsible for the rates, you are responsible for energy, phone bills and any excess water bills (maybe $600 per year if you like a reeeeaaallly long shower...)

 

Enjoy!! Hopefully we can conclude a deal this week.

 

PS ask loads of questions about the landlord, try to work out what will appeal to this person and structure your offer to suit.

 

 

Pies

[Guest D&LA]

brilliant hope you get on ok. just going through the same process at this end as house sale goes through in 2 weeks and we are renting before coming out early next year - if we ever get the visa through ! seems to be taking forever, keep getting told by agent will be through this week, then the next !!!!! Then can finally start the job hunt for oz. Loads of questions but really excited.

[Guest Pies]

brilliant hope you get on ok. just going through the same process at this end as house sale goes through in 2 weeks and we are renting before coming out early next year - if we ever get the visa through ! seems to be taking forever, keep getting told by agent will be through this week, then the next !!!!! Then can finally start the job hunt for oz. Loads of questions but really excited.

 

If you think you are excited now, wait til you get your visa, then get here.......