Arrival 'to do' list

[Sears Family]

I am writing probably my 4th 'to-do' list! :GEEK:

This one is to help me get sorted on arrival as I will only have a couple of weeks when we land before having to start work and I'd like peace of mind before I start.

 

Here's what I have so far (excluding finding a short-term house & car rental!), please let me know if I have missed off anything based on your experiences:

 

Apply for TFN number (Tax File Number) – online registration or from Centrelink Offices

Activate Bank Account

Buy Sim card

Sort out new driving licence (where do I go for this?)

Ambulance Insurance (in Post Office or may be included in health cover)

Enrol for Medicare (where do I go for this?)

Family Tax Credit & Rent Assistance ? (Where would I go to find out if I can claim?)

School visits

Income protection plan ?

New pet insurance

Find doctor, do we need to register as in UK? - any guidance on this plus how I can order tablets (Thyroxine) would be great!!

 

 

 

Thank you in advance

Kind Regards

Von xx

[Guest northernstar200]

Hi there. I used to have so many to do lists, before we arrived, and just kept ticking the things off as we did them.

 

Will try and help answer a few of your queries.

TFN ( we got our sorted at the tax office, in the city centre)

 

Driving licence doesnt need to be rushed at all, but you get it changed at service SA, they have a few dotted about, there is one at collanades, one at christies beach, nailsworth, one in the city centre too.

 

Medicare was sorted on currie street in the city centre.

 

The tax credt and rent assistance is sorted out at the local centrelink office.

 

When sorting out thyroxine, you just go to the local gpl, but my advie is to find one that bulk bills, then there is no out of pocket expenses, you can just ring them up and ask if they bulk bill. When i went they just booked me in for blood test, and you can tell them if you want the cheapest brand throxine, because the levothyroxine is one of the most expensive ones here is australia, and here you have to store it in the fridge!

 

Hope this all makes sense, good luck with your move, and lets hope when you arrive you bring the warmer weather with you.

 

Tracy x

 

I am writing probably my 4th 'to-do' list! :GEEK:

This one is to help me get sorted on arrival as I will only have a couple of weeks when we land before having to start work and I'd like peace of mind before I start.

 

Here's what I have so far (excluding finding a short-term house & car rental!), please let me know if I have missed off anything based on your experiences:

 

Apply for TFN number (Tax File Number) – online registration or from Centrelink Offices

Activate Bank Account

Buy Sim card

Sort out new driving licence (where do I go for this?)

Ambulance Insurance (in Post Office or may be included in health cover)

Enrol for Medicare (where do I go for this?)

Family Tax Credit & Rent Assistance ? (Where would I go to find out if I can claim?)

School visits

Income protection plan ?

New pet insurance

Find doctor, do we need to register as in UK? - any guidance on this plus how I can order tablets (Thyroxine) would be great!!

 

 

 

Thank you in advance

Kind Regards

Von xx

[GaryP]

Hi Von,

 

First thing to do is get over jet lag!!

 

As for your list, it all looks fairly straight forward and have put it in the order I would tackle it, shouldn't take more than a couple of days to sort this lot out. The hardest thing in Adelaide is finding somewhere to live and finding a job. It would appear you have half of this covered so things aren't so bad. Here is my input, hope it helps!

 

1) Apply for TFN number (Tax File Number) – do it online once you get here. they post it to you.

2) Enrol for Medicare (where do I go for this?) - go to a medicare centre, there are loads of them, we did ours in the Westfield Shopping Mall in Marion.

3) Family Tax Credit & Rent Assistance ? (Where would I go to find out if I can claim?) - Most Medicare centres now have a Centrelink desk where you can find this out, basically if your visa allows it then claim, they will tell you if you are eligible.

4) Buy Sim card - Get these from any supermarket or practically anywhere, they are $2 and then you recharge them either in a shop, over the phone or over the Internet.

5) Activate Bank Account - just turn up at the bank, very easy, although if you are going into the city watch out of rth expensive car parks on North Terrace.

6) School visits - Get the apppointments booked in as soon as you know where you are gonna live.

7) Find doctor, do we need to register as in UK? - any guidance on this plus how I can order tablets (Thyroxine) would be great!! - not sure on this as we haven't done this yet, we are lucky to be by a medical centre where no pre-registration is required.

8) Ambulance Insurance (in Post Office or may be included in health cover) - You can either get this as part of extras cover (which you will need) or healthercare or on its own from SA ambluance service, dont panic though as they will still pick you up if you haven't got it you would just have to pay about $700.

9) Sort out new driving licence (where do I go for this?) - dont rush with this, you have to pay for SA driving licences so use your English one for as long as you are allowed, to get an Oz one you need to go to an SA Centre, there are loads.

 

Don't know abouth these but am sure you will figure it out!

Income protection plan ?

New pet insurance

 

Cheers

 

Gary

[Sears Family]

Hi thank you very much - do let me know if I've missed anything off!

 

I hope I don't bring the weather with me, its been freezing!! Our summer finished in July the week kids broke up for summer hols, had a wet 'summer' (that being the school summer), got almost a week of warmth when they went back this month but it has got really chilly since (had to put heating on already or sit with blanket!!) :0/

 

Thanks again for the info - will be strange keeping my meds in the fridge, only remember to take them as I have it bedside!

KR

Von