Moving2Oz-eBook_v1

Transcription

Moving2Oz-eBook_v1

The A to Z guide for moving to Oz
w w w . m o v i n g 2 o z . n e t
All rights reserved © Copyright by www.moving2oz.net | 2015
CONTENTS
PLANNING ..........................................................................
01. Checklist For Moving To Australia
04
02. Shipping To Australia
05
03. Travel In Australia
06
04. Travel Insurance
08
LIVING IN AUSTRALIA ........................................................
05. Renting In Australia
10
06. Cheap, Second Hand And Free Furniture
11
07. Setup A Bank Account Before Arriving In Oz
13
08.
Victorian Drivers license -Australia
14
09. Medicare - Australias Healthcare Scheme
16
10. Mobile Phone
18
11.
Australian TV Options
19
12.
The Myki Card - Melbournes Travel Card
20
13. Transfer Money Internationally With Currency Fair 22
LIFE IN CITIES OF AUSTRALIA ...........................................
14. Where To Live In Melbourne
24
15. Where To Live In Brisbane
26
16. Where To Live In Sydney
27
WORKING IN AUSTRALIA ..................................................
17. Tax File Number
30
18.
Australian Resume
31
19.
Professional Resume Service
32
20. Looking For Jobs
33
21. Portfolio
34
22. Networking
35
23. Interview Tips
36
24.
How To Do An Australian Tax Return
37
25. Superannuation
39
26. Take Your Super With You When Leaving Oz
40
IMMIGRATION .....................................................................
27. Visitor Visas
42
28. 417 Working Holiday Visa
43
29. 457 Temporary Work Skilled Visa
44
30. Permanent Residency
45
31. How To Get Australian Citizenship
46
32. What To Do When You Get Permanent Residency 47
33. Migration Agent Service
48
LIFE STORIES .....................................................................
34. 8 Reasons To Move To Melbourne
50
35. To Melbourne, With Love
52
36.
My Melbourne
53
37. Reasons To Embrace Aussie Life
55
38. Life As A Chef in Melbourne
57
1
INTRODUCTION
Moving2Oz is a guide packed with useful information for anyone
going to Australia. If you are visiting, working, living, or traveling
around Australia, this book is for you. It was written by an expat,
who gathered all these tips and pearls of wisdom to help you
on your journey. Get advice on living, working, immigration and
much more.
2
PLANNING
Are you planning on making the big
move to Australia? This section covers
loads of helpful tips on what to do
before you leave your own country to
prepare for the move.
3
Checklist For Moving To Australia
Before you move to Oz you can organise a list of items
to take with you. We have three helpful lists below for
you, comprising of what you will need, what original
documents to bring with you, and also what to bring
if you have kids.
Checklist before moving to Australia
Essentials
Bring the original copy of the following documents
;;
Full birth certificate
;;
All marriage certs
;;
All qualifications
;;
Job and employment references for the past 10
years
;;
Proof of no claims bonus for insurance
;;
Your will
;;
If you have any companies that will still run when
you have migrated, bring all details and records
of these
;;
Passport with visa in it
;;
Print out of visa
;;
Have health insurance
;;
Travel insurance
;;
Car insurance, bring no claims bonus with you
;;
Work references
;;
Receipts of all accounts paid for
;;
Landlord references
;;
Letter from bank to verify your credit record
;;
Get your phone unlocked before you leave your
own country
;;
Most up to date version of a resume
;;
Apply for your Australian bank account online
;;
Apply for your Tax File Number if you already know
the Australian address you will be staying at
;;
School records
;;
A valid credit card
;;
Immunisation certificates
;;
Academic records
If you have children you will need the
following
4
Shipping To Australia
Depending on how much stuff you have, you
can consider air freight, or sea freight. All with
different price tags attached. If you do ship items
to Australia it is good to be aware of customs and
quarantine guidelines.
Customs Information – What you can
and can’t bring
All of the below can be shipped to Australia free of
customs duties or taxes providing they have been
owned and used for twelve months prior to their
departure for Australia.
;;
Goods that are used
;;
Household goods
;;
Unaccompanied baggage shipments
Any items that do not fall in the above category will
be subject to duty and taxes. The duty rates vary
depending on the nature of what you are shipping.
Customs will usually ask for receipts or invoices to
verify these values.
Restricted items must be declared : e.g. drugs
Weapons are subject to safety checks on arrival.
Owners will also need licenses.
To clear your goods through Australian customs you
will need to complete an Unaccompanied Effects
Statement (customs form B534) and provide a
photocopy of all stamped pages of your passport.
Australian Quarantine & Inspection
Services (AQIS)
Australia is free of many of the diseases and pests
from around the world. To ensure it stays free, people
are asked to declare on their Unaccompanied Effects
Statement (B534) to AQIS specific items in their
shipments.
AQIS will inspect the goods, treat relevant goods that
may contain pests or diseases, or destroy items that
are not allowed. The following items are commonly
quarantined:

Wooden items

Seeds
Food

Straws
Soil or garden tools

Skins

Lawn mower
Feathers
Bicycles

Vacuum cleaner
Equipment used with
animals
Carpets

Christmas
tions Toys containing cotton waste

Sand
Dried flowers

Straw or water
decora-
Who to Ship With?
There are loads of companies out there that ship to
Australia. To find the cheapest get a quote from a few
different places. Here are a list of a few to check out:
44
Seven Seas Worldwide
44
UPS
44
Shipping 2 Australia
5
Travel In Australia
Traveling around Australia is made simple with plenty
of different modes of transport to choose from. We
will take a look at: hitching a lift, campervans, bus,
planes, cars and trains.
Hitch a lift
There are a number of carpooling websites that you
can use. You can advertise on these sites either as
the driver, or as a passenger looking for a lift in a car.
On the site CoSeats.com for example, a guy looking
for a lift, puts in his starting point and destination and
puts a figure up of how much he is willing to pay to
get from A to B.
John is offering $31 for a lift from Nambucca
Heads to Sydney today. ”
It is a very cheap and fun way to travel around while
meeting people on the way. Here are some sites:

Car Pool One

Co Seats Australia

Share Ur Ride

Need A Ride

Ride Share on Gumtree
Campervan
One of the cheapest ways to travel around Australia
is by relocation deals. This means that a campervan
company need to get their campervan back to its
original city and are willing to rent it to you at a cost
of between $1 and $5 dollars per day to drive it back
for them. There is usually a time constraint of a limited
amount of days.
The deal usually includes a free tank of petrol or cash
amount of up to $250 for petrol. Usually a company
will charge you a small deposit e.g. $250 which is
refundable when you pick up the van at first. There
is also a larger deposit of up to $1000 that will be
refunded to you when you reach your destination. To
check out a few deals take a look at these sites and go
to the Relocations section:

Drive Now

Seats – Relocation
Bus
Australia’s extensive bus network is a relatively cheap
way of traveling around the country. There are a variety
of different types of tickets, ranging from hop-on hopoff passes, to direct point to point bus passes. Here
6
are a few bus services to choose from:

Firefly Express buses

Greyhound Australia
Plane
Car
There are hundreds of places to rent cars from in
Australia. To make sure you get the best deal check
out a site called Vroom Vroom Vroom. It allows you
to type in your pick up location, return location and
duration. It then lists all of the available car rental
companies and lists them from cheapest to dearest
for you.
To ensure you have the correct drivers license read the
article on Victorian Drivers License - Australia.
Train
Traveling by train can be one of the more expensive
ways of getting around Australia. Although within cities
themselves train travel is cost effective and efficient.
The map below shows the main interconnecting
railway lines in Australia.
View Online on Google Map
All of the major cities in Australia have airports.
To find the cheapest flights within Australia, use a
site called Skyscanner. It lists all airlines that fly a
particular route, and displays the flight results from
cheapest to dearest. Once you have found a flight, go
directly to that airlines page and book the flight from
their site, and you will save yourself the 10% fee that
Skyscanner charge for booking through their site.
Here are a list of the main airlines that fly within
Australia

Jetstar

Tigerair

Virgin Australia

Quantas
Check out either of these sites for more details on
traveling within Australia by train, timetables and fares:

Rail Australia

Rail Maps Australia
7
Travel Insurance
When things start to go wrong…
Holidays were invented to help you relax and enjoy
life. Sometimes they can have exactly the opposite
effect when things start to go wrong! That’s why travel
insurance was invented. It can save you from:

Delayed luggage

Flights being cancelled

Money stolen / lost

Sickness

Injury

Lost or stolen passport / documents

Stolen / crashed car

Stolen laptop
clothes that you had to purchase while your luggage
was delayed.
Domestic Travel Insurance
Domestic travel insurance will cover you if you go on
holidays within Australia. When signing up for travel
insurance check to see if it covers all of the previously
mentioned issues.
Here are some sites that sell travel insurance. Be sure
to shop around to get the best price before purchasing.

Budget Direct

Insure and Go

Compare the Market
Travel insurance makes sure you won’t be stranded
physically or left penniless.
International Travel Insurance
When you are going on holidays outside of Australia
your health insurance will not cover you if you get
sick, which means you could face a huge bill. With
international travel insurance it can reimburse you for
any medical bills. It will also reimburse you for any
8
LIVING IN AUSTRALIA
Articles in the following section will
help you look at the renting process,
getting furniture, tv, transport as well as
much more.
9
Renting In Australia
Viewing Properties
Dress to impress
In Australia estate agents set specific times to view
a house or apartment. It is usually a 15 to 20 minute
viewing session. Anyone who is interested in viewing
the place should be there on time. You can get an
application form from the estate agent at the viewing
if you are interested in the place. It also gives you an
idea of how much competition there will be for the
place, by the amount of people that have turned up,
that are also getting applications.
The agent makes a shortlist of applicants to put
forward to the landlord to choose from. A good tip
is to download a copy of the agents application form
from the website, or if this is not available ring the
estate agent in advance and ask for a form. Have the
form filled out, so if you are interested in the place you
can hand over all of your documents there and then to
the agent and be first on the list. Remember to dress
smart when viewing, as it is important that the agent
likes you. If they do not like you they might strike you
from the list of applicants.
100 Points of ID
If you are interested you fill in the application and send
it back to the estate agent with all of the supporting
documentation. Usually they will ask for most of the
following items.
100 points of ID – which includes:
Places are rarely furnished!
Most rented accommodation is not furnished and it is
up to you to get your own furniture. Luckily we have
an article just for you on getting cheap, second hand
and free furniture.

Passport (70 points)

Drivers license (40 points for Australian license)

Medicare card (25 points)

Bill in your name (25 points)

Evidence of income
There are lots of different sites advertising rental
properties. Here are two of the most popular in
Australia:
www.realestate.com.au

Work reference

References from previous landlords
If you would like to rent a room in a house with others
check out www.flatmatefinders.com.au
Where to look for rental properties
www.domain.com.au
10
Where to look for rental properties
A deposit is called a ‘bond’ in Australia. When renting a
property you are asked to pay a bond which is usually
the equivalent of one months rent. In most cases each
tenant is asked to sign the bond application form and
it is held by a separate company. Lets look at a quick
example:
If you move in with three people and 6 months later
decide to move out, get in contact with the bond
company and ask for your name to be removed from
the bond form and replaced with someone else and
you will receive your portion of the bond back once
an inspection has been carried out on your room and
the property.
............................................................................................................
Cheap, Second Hand And Free Furniture
Where to look for furniture?
Hmmm ok the furniture in the picture above might be
a bit too fancy or misleaading but you get the idea
that we’re talking about furniture right! When moving
to Australia you might not be planning on staying too
long. To pick up some cheap and affordable furniture
to tie you over there are a few excellent sites for
second hand furniture or sometimes you might even
get people giving away items for free. Check out these
sites.

The Trading Post – www.tradingpost.com.au

Gumtree – www.gumtree.com.au
There are loads of facebook groups as well which sell
cheap furniture. One that I am a member of which sees
people leaving Melbourne and selling or trying to get
rid of their furniture quickly is Irish around Melbourne.
There are plenty of Salvation Army shops scattered
across Australia where you can pick up cheap
furniture.
Melbourne
Salvation army shops located in Melbourne
Here is a directory of Op shops in Melbourne.
11
Sydney
Adelaide
Salvation army shops located in Sydney.
Salvation army shops located in Adelaide
Here is a directory of Op shops in Sydney.
Here is a directory of Op shops in Adelaide.
Brisbane
Salvation army shops located in Brisbane.
Darwin
Here is a directory of Op shops in Brisbane.
Salvation army shop located in Darwin.
Here is a directory of Op shops in Darwin.
Perth
Salvation army shops located in Perth.
Here is a directory of Op shops in Perth.
Where to buy furniture
There are also a number of Ikea stores spread out
through Australia. Check out the Ikea map to see if
there is a store located near you.
12
Setup A Bank Account Before Arriving In Oz
Commonwealth Bank
Commonwealth bank Australia provide a great service
for people that haven’t yet left their own country and
want to open a bank account in Australia. As long
as you intend to move to Australia within 4 weeks of
applying for the account, Commonwealth bank can
help you, whether you are migrating for work, study
or for a holiday.
How to Apply
You can apply for Commonwealths banking services
online by filling out an online Australian Bank Account
application form. The account will usually be opened
within 2 business days of the application being sent.
If you opt for email communication instead of postal,
your application may be processed even quicker.
Account Security
Commonwealth automatically put a stop on your
account for security, allowing you to make deposits
but not withdrawals. You can remove the stop on your
account once you arrive in Australia and visit your bank
in person showing them two forms of identification,
such as passport and drivers license.
You are asked to make a deposit into the account within
four weeks from the date of the account opening. If
no money is lodged into the account within four weeks
the account is automatically closed.
Fee free Account
The Commonwealth account you setup will usually
waive any account fees for the first 12 months and
after 12 months if you are depositing $2,000 or more
per month (e.g. salary) then this fee will continue to
be waived.
Visit Commonwealth Bank online application form to
find out more about setting up an account with them
before you arrive in Australia.
Tips for Safe Mobile Phone Banking
1. Never store passwords on your smartphone
2. Install smartphone security software
3. Turn off tethering, Wi-Fi™ and Bluetooth™ when not in use
4. Only use Wi-Fi™ hot spots that are reputable and password protected
5. Install remote data wiping software
13
Victorian Drivers License – Australia
Getting an Australian driver’s license depends on the
Australian state you are living in. This article is for
those applying for their Australian driver’s license in
the state of Victoria and covers the following topics

Visa status

License translations

Applying for a Victorian full driver’s license
Visa Status
Temporary visa
In Victoria it all depends on whether you entered
Australia on a temporary or permanent visa. If you are
on a temporary visa, you can drive on your overseas
driver license as long as it is current and not out of
date, providing it is in English or you have an English
translation or an international driving permit.
Permanent visa
If you are on a permanent visa in Victoria there are
two conditions you can drive under, depending on
whether the visa was issued to you before you entered
Australia or after you entered Australia:

If you received your permanent visa before you
entered Australia you can drive on your overseas
license for up to six months from the day you
entered Australia.
If your permanent visa was issued to you while
you were in Australia then you can drive on your
overseas license from the date the permanent visa
was issued to you.
After 6 months to continue driving in Victoria you will
need to change your overseas license to a Victorian
drivers license.
License translations
If your overseas license is not in English, you will
need an English translation with it. VicRoads only
accept translations from certain places listed below
and you will need to cover the cost of it.
License Translations Accepted from:
A NAATI accredited (any level) translator

An appropriate consulate in Australia

A valid and current International Driver Permit,
which complies with the UN convention for
International Driving Permits, and is issued in the
country the overseas driver license is issued in,
and is accompanied by a current overseas driver
license from the same country the permit was
issued in.
Applying for a Victorian full driver’s
license
There are a few checkpoints to pass to be eligible for
a Victorian license. These include:

Holding an overseas full driver’s license OR have
held an overseas probationary driver license for at
least 3 years from your 18th birthday (and being
able to provide evidence to prove this)

Being 21 or older
14
To get a Victorian driver license you will need to make
an appointment with VicRoads Customer Service
Centre. At the appointment you will be doing the
following tests:
*A road law knowledge test
*hazard perception test
eyesight test
*drive test
*You may be exempt from the road law knowledge
test, hazard perception test and drive test depending
on whether you have your full foreign license or not
Exemptions from license tests
If you hold a driver license from a recognized country
or jurisdiction you will not have to sit a test.
Recognised countries or jurisdictions
Austria, Finland, Nethoerlands, Norway, Sweden,
Switzerland, Canada, Belgium, France, Italy, Germany,
Japan, Portugal, UK, Croatia, Greece, Luxembourg,
Singapore, USA, Denmark, Ireland, Spain, Guernsey,
Jersey, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Isle of Man*, Malta**
* for licences first issued on or after 1 April 1991
** for licences first issued on or after 2 Jan 2004
Countries and jurisdictions where driver experience
is recognised
Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong*, Czech
Republic, Estonia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania,
Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa and
Cyprus**.
* Hong Kong – *The Special Administrative Region of
the People’s Republic of China.
** Cyprus must be accompanied by a Cypriot passport
or Cyprus Identity card or letter of verification from the
Cyprus High Commission of Canberra
Making an appointment for your test
To make an appointment you have two options:

Call Vicroads on 131171, and pay by credit card

Visit a VicRoads Office. You can pay by cash,
cheque, EFTPOS or credit card.
For further details visit the VicRoads site directly.
*Disclaimer: While all efforts are made to ensure information is factual,
the Moving2Oz team recommend checking the VicRoads site as it is
constantly changing and updating and it would be worth your while
looking at it to verify information.
15
Medicare - Australias Healthcare Scheme
What is Medicare?
Reciprocal health care agreements
Medicare is Australia’s universal health insurance
scheme. It was introduced in 1984, with the aim of
making health care affordable, giving greater access
to health services and at a higher standard.
The Australian Government has signed Reciprocal
Health Care Agreements with eight other countries.
These countries include New Zealand, UK, Netherlands,
Sweden, Finland, Italy, Malta, Belgium and Ireland.
Each person who works and pays taxes in Australia
contributes to the medicare tax or levy. The levy is 2%
of your gross salary.
Under these arrangements, residents of these countries
are entitled to restricted access to health cover while
visiting Australia. Ireland is included in this. To read
more on Australia’s reciprocal health care agreements
click here.
Who is eligible for Medicare?
People who live in Australia and:

hold Australian citizenship

have been issued with a permanent visa

hold New Zealand citizenship, or

have applied for a permanent visa (other
requirements apply).
Each country has a different reciprocal agreement
set up with Australia varying in its duration and
what benefits you are entitled to. Here are a list of
some of the services which are NOT covered by the
agreement, and it would be wise to look into alternate
health insurance cover for these services.

Dental cover
How to sign up for Medicare

Ambulance cover
To sign up for Medicare call into a local Medicare
office or call 132 011 to ask for a sign up form. Those
applying will be asked to present proof that they are
eligible for medicare. To find out what documents
you will need to present call the Medicare office in
advance.

Hospital accommodation and treatment

Funeral arrangements

Elective treatments
Because the above mentioned services are not
covered it is important for all visitors to Australia to
get both travel and health insurance designed for
overseas visitors.
16
If you are not eligible for Medicare
what to do
1. Claim back your medicare contributions
Each person working in Australia contributes 2% of
their gross wage, through their taxes to the Medicare
system. You can claim back your medicare contribution
for each tax year. To claim back your contribution you
will need to do three things:
1. Download a Medicare levy exemption certification
application and fill it out
2. *Get certified copies of the photo page of your
passport and all pages that have Australian arrival
stamps
3. Evidence of your visa to cover the period you are
claiming for. This can be a certified copy of the
page in your passport of the visa, or if your visa
was issued electronically a print out of the entire
email from DIAC.
*There are a number of authorised people that can
certify documents. These include police officers,
pharmacists, justice of the peace, legal practitioners,
medical practitioners.
Once you receive an exemption certification from
medicare you should include this letter when doing
your tax return and the full amount will be returned to
you.
2. Get private health insurance
When arriving in Australia on a working holiday visa it
is mandatory to have health insurance for the year as
a requirement of the visa. I had Irish health insurance.
Its important to check if your health insurance from
your home country, will cover you for the entire
time you expect to live in Australia. My Irish health
insurance provider only covered me for up to one
year living outside of Ireland. After the year was up
I switched to an Australian health insurance provider.
Because I was on a 457 visa BUPA Australia had
special health insurance for me which was tailored
towards people that are on temporary working visas.
I was looking for something that would cover doctors
visits, medication and ambulance cover. BUPA built
a perfect package around my needs. Here is some
information on BUPAs 457 visa cover.
Check out the BUPA website for more details on health
cover.
Send all of the information to the following address:
Levy Exemption Certification Unit
Department of Human Services
GPO Box 9822
HOBART TAS 7001
the Moving2Oz team recommend checking the Australian Medicare Site
as it is constantly changing and updating and it would be worth your
while looking at it to verify information.
17
Mobile Phone
If you plan on bringing your current phone with you
when you move to Australia make sure to get it
unlocked before you leave.
There are a number of network carriers to choose
from in Australia. Some of the main ones include:

Telstra

Vodafone

Optus

Virgin
It is nearly impossible to get a signal in much of rural
Australia. Telstra is your best bet as it has the best
coverage in the country. You can check out maps of
the different areas that the different providers cover.
All of the cities have good coverage.
Prepaid SIM Card Plan
If you are on a temporary visa such as a holiday visa
or a working holiday visa (subclass 417) you will only
be able to get a prepaid plan.
To get an Australian SIM card you will need two things:
1. A physical address. You will be asked to bring
in a bill or some form of evidence to prove the
address.
2. Your passport.
There are so many different prepaid plans to choose
from, it is worth your while doing your research before
you jump in and choose one. The link below is to a
site that compares a number of prepaid plans. Prepaid
plans comparisons.
Contract SIM Card Plan
To get a contract SIM plan you will need to prove that
you are not on a temporary holiday visa, usually by
showing your visa documents. You need to provide
your passport, driver’s license, bills with your address
on it and a number of other documents. Here is a
link to a site that compares contract SIM plans –
you will need your own phone. Contract SIM plans
comparisons.
18
Australian TV Options
Streaming TV

Get a one month free trial
Streaming TV is the cheapest option available in
Australia.

No lock in contract

No ads
Netflix: Netflix has finally arrived and is proving very
popular. Its got a massive variety of TV shows and
movies and is very affordable.
1 screen $8.99 per month
Website: www.stan.com.au

2 screens $11.99 per month
Presto: Stream thousands of hours of movies and TV
shows on your laptop, tablet or mobile, or your big
screen via Google Chromecast with Presto.
Presto TV is $9.99 per month

4 screens $14.99 per month

Presto Movies are $9.99 per month

Presto Entertainment are $14.99 per month

No lock in contract

Play on 3 screens at a time
Website: www.netflix.com/au.

Get a 30 day free trial
Quickflix: Quickflix is another streaming option and is
also quite reasonable. Watch movies and TV shows
on a range of different devices.
$9.99 per month

No lock in contract

No ads

Multiple devices

$19.99 per month for streaming and DVD
Website: www.presto.com.au

Pay TV & Cable Providers

No lock in contract

No ads
Website: www.quickflix.com.au
Stan: Stan has thousands of hours of TV & movies in
HD. You can watch Stan on up to 3 screens at a time.
$10 per month

Foxtel: Foxtel is a cable option and is very common in
Australia. A cable connection will need to be installed
in your house if there isn’t one already. Plans start at
$25 per month. Website: www.foxtel.com.au
Foxtel Play: Foxtel Play allows you instant access
over the internet to Foxtel on a range of compatible
devices. There is no lock in contract which allows
you to change your picks per month or cancel your
subscription at any time. Website: www.foxtel.com.
au/foxtelplay
19
The Myki Card - Melbournes Travel Card
Transport in Melbourne is excellent. It consists of
trains, buses and trams, all of which use one payment
method – The Myki Card.
The Myki card
Myki has four categories.
1. Myki money
2. Myki pass
3. Free Myki
4. Myki for visitors
Myki Money
Concessions: If you are entitled to concessions or
free travel, these concessions will automatically be
applied to your card as you touch on and off. These
can include:
Early bird free travel (touching on and off a train
before 7.15am)

Seniors free weekend travel

On weekends and public holidays users pay a flat
rate of $3.30 for the entire day for travel in zones
1 and 2
Lowest Fare Charged: When you get to a Myki machine and put money on your card, once you have
touched on and off, Myki always charges you the lowest fare for your journey. With Myki money you can
travel in any zone, including metropolitan and regional,
at any time.
Topping up: Myki allows you to set up an auto top up
service which automatically tops up your Myki money
once its balance is below a certain amount. You can
connect your Myki directly with your bank account.
Myki Pass
To be able to use a Myki Pass make sure your Myki
has a positive money balance. You can top your money balance on your card by as little as $1.
Myki pass is ideal for anybody who travels a lot. If
you use the train/tram/bus daily going to work, then
the Myki pass is for you. When topping up your Myki
choose the zones you wish to travel to and the amount
of days you wish to top up for. You have a choice of 1
to 365 days. The more days you choose the more of
a concession you get. The first time you tap on, your
Myki pass will be activated and it will not expire until
the amount of days you have paid for, are up. You can
travel as many times as you want within your choosen
zones until your amount of chosen days have elapsed.
If you venture outside the particular zones that you
have paid for, your card will start using Myki money
to pay for the other zones. When you top up, you have
12 months to activate your Myki pass, from the date
you bought it.
Myki for visitors
Visitors to Melbourne can now buy a Myki Visitor Value pack. In the pack you get:
20

A full fare (cost $14), concession child or seniors
Myki card which is preloaded with one days
money worth, in zones 1 and 2

Discount offers at 15 of Melbournes tourist
attractions saving you over $100. These include:
Eureka skydeck
• Puffing billy
• National Sports Museum
• Melbourne Aquarium
•
Free tram Zone
In 2015 Melbourne introduced the free tram zone in
the CBD. There is no need to tap on and off if you are
travelling within this zone. Here is a map of the free
zone.
sion, seniors and child myki) cost $3.
Once you buy your Myki card you will need to top it up
and put credit on it. You can do this at all the above
mentioned places. You can also topup online automatically when your credit is diminishing.
Tip* I use my Myki card every day travelling to and
from work. I top up with a full fare 7 day pass for
$37.60 a week for zone 1+2. You can select this
option at the Myki top up machines. This allows me
to travel as many times as I like within zone 1+2 for
those 7 days. It works out cheaper overall for me. To
check out the different Myki options go to the Myki
fair site.
Here is a map of the Melbourne train line in zone 1
and 2. Zone 1 is represented in yellow. Zone 2 is
represented in blue. All trams are in zone 1 except for
the 109 tram route which goes into zone 2. The government are planning on changing this soon so that all
trams are within zone 1.
Where can I buy a Myki card?
At any of the following locations:
7-Eleven stores and selected retailers where you
see the myki sign

the ticket office window at Premium Stations

online

by calling 1800 800 007 6am – midnight daily

from a myki machine (full fare myki only) at all
metropolitan train stations and V/Line commuter
service train stations and selected accessible
tram stops and bus interchanges

PTV Hub (full fare myki only)

onboard buses
How much is it?
A full fare myki card ( as in the actual card itself) costs
$6 and all concession myki cards (includes conces-
Zone 1 & Zone 2 Melbourne train transport
Journey Planner
If you live in one part of the city and are working in another part and need to find the quickest route by public transport, Public Transport Victoria (PTV) provide
an excellent site for finding your quickest way there.
Check out Journey planner.
21
Transfer Money Internationally With Currency Fair
Get more bang for your buck with
CurrencyFair!
To transfer money internationally check out
CurrencyFair. Transferring money from Australia to
Ireland with a normal bank in Australia will cost you
$22 dollars per transaction. CurrencyFair charge $3
dollars for normal transfer and $7 for a faster transfer.
Banks give their customers an average exchange rate.
CurrencyFair offers its customers far more competitive
rates.
How it works in 5 easy steps
Step 1- Sign up: Sign up for an account here:
www.CurrencyFair.com.
You will need to add two bank account details to your
account. One account to transfer money in from and
one to transfer money out to. For this you may need
IBAN details and SWIFT codes.
Step 2 - Login: Once you have signed up for an
account login to your personal CurrencyFair account.
Step 3 - Deposit funds in: Click on the ‘Deposit funds
in’ option in CurrencyFair and follow the instructions.
CurrencyFair will display a page with all the details
you will need to transfer money from your own bank
account into the CurrencyFair account. CurrencyFair
will give you the reference number to place in your
transfer details.
It can take up to 2 days for your money to clear and
appear in your currencyFair account. You will receive
an email telling you when your money is in your
CurrencyFair account.
Step 4 - Exchange: To exchange your money click on
the ‘Exchange’ link at the top of the screen and choose
from ‘Quicktrade’ or ‘Marketplace
Quicktrade – A competitive exchange rate to
beat all of the banks. You can select your rate
immediately and set the currency you wish to
transfer your money to.

Marketplace – An option to place your money on
the marketplace with a particular exchange rate
that you have chosen, which is usually higher than
normal and wait for another user to accept this
rate and exchange with you. This method may
take longer as you wait for another customer to
accept your rate but will get you more for your
money.
Once you have selected an option you will be asked to
choose the currency you want to convert your money
to. This will happen instantly.
Step 5 - Transfer money out: Once you have converted
your money to the particular currency you would like,
you can transfer your money out by clicking on the
transfer money out link. A screen will appear listing all
of the bank accounts you have given details on, and
you will be asked to select the one where you want the
money to go to. The money takes around 2 days to
transfer to the new account.
the Moving2Oz team recommend checking the CurrencyFair website as
it is constantly changing and updating and it would be worth your while
22
LIFE IN CITIES OF AUSTRALIA
The following section gives an overview of what it is like to live
in different cities scattered throughout Australia. A few popular
suburbs were selected from each city.
23
Where To Live In Melbourne
Melbourne – Voted most livable city
2011 – 2015
Melbourne has been voted the worlds most livable city
for the fourth year in a row and for good reason. It
has great transport, long stretching beaches, exciting
nightlife, awesome markets, bustling cafes, tasty
oriental food and much more.
With a population of over 4 million and growing,
Melbourne hosts some of the most fun sporting
and entertaining events on an annual basis. These
include the Australian Tennis Open, the Grand
Prix, the Australian Squash Open, the Melbourne
Cup, Melbourne Fashion Week, the Melbourne
Comedy Festival, White Night Melbourne, Taste of
Melbourne, Moomba festival and much more.
Melbourne Seasonal Weather
In 2014 Melbourne had two weeks of over 40°C
heat in January. It was HOT!! This winter (2015) the
temperature plummeted to 2 and 3°C in the mornings
for around 3 weeks. In general the figures below will
give you an overview of what its like weather wise.
Where to Live in Melbourne?
If you are moving to Melbourne the information below
will give you an idea of where you could potentially
live.
St Kilda
St Kilda is a popular suburb located around 6km south
west of the city. It is served by a number of trams (96,
3, 16, 67, 102), buses and a train station (Balaclava
station) nearby that connect it with the city. The train
takes 15 minutes to the city and trams can take 30 –
45 minutes. St Kilda is along the coast and has some
lovely beaches and walks as well as plenty of shops,
pubs, cafes and restaurants.
Acland Street - St Kilda: Its main street is Acland
Street lined with shops, cafes and restaurants. This
street is normally packed with visitors during the
summer, sitting outside the cafes and enjoying the
sunshine.
Fitzroy Street - St Kilda: Fitzroy street, also located
in St Kilda is another popular haunt lined with pubs
clubs and restaurants. Two excellent Irish pubs that
24
do spectacular food along Fitzroy street are The Wee
Chief and The Fifth Province.
Who lives in St Kilda?
St Kilda consists of backpackers, Irish under 35,
Bohemians, Hippies, Surfers, homeless and a few
prostitutes (prostitutes found along Grey and Greeves
street). There are a number of great pubs and
nightclubs/disco pubs (pubs that move furniture out
of the way to create a dancefloor after 9pm). St Kilda
Fest takes place every February which is a day long
music festival. A central stage is setup in front of the
sea and people come from all over the city to help join
in the celebrations. Its a great day out and completely
free. Click on the map of St Kilda to see where it is
located in relation to the city.
Average Rent Prices in St Kilda
The average rent in St Kilda for a two bedroom
apartment is $550 per week. That’s $275 per person
per week (as of 27/8/2015. Check realestate.com.au
for more details).
Fitzroy
Fitzroy is located 2km north east of the centre of
Melbourne. Its one of the most densely populated
areas of Melbourne with cafes, pubs, restaurants
and nightclubs lining the streets. Alexandra Parade
(north), Victoria Parade (south), Smith Street (east)
and Nicholson Street form the borders of Fitzroy with
Brunswick Street being the main strip.
Who lives in Fitzroy?
It is mostly populated by bohemians, hipsters and
young professionals. It provides an ideal location for
those working in the city during the day. You will see
a lot of bearded men wearing caps, skinny jeans and
converse. There is no shortage of transport with trams
running the length of many of the streets in Fitzroy.
Chapel Street
Chapel street stretches through four different suburbs,
including St Kilda, Windsor, Prahran and South Yarra.
A train line runs through all of these suburbs parallel
to chapel street. A tram line (78, 79 trams) runs the
length of Chapel street as well connecting it with the
city and surrounding areas. Chapel street boasts
hundreds of pubs, nightclubs, shops, second hand
shops, cafes, restaurants, entertainment centres and
much more. If you are looking for nightlife this is the
place for you.
Average Rent Prices near Chapel Street
The average rent around Chapel Street South Yarra
end for a two bedroom apartment is $650 per week.
That’s $325 per person per week (as of 27/8/2015.
Check realestate.com.au for more details).
The average rent around Chapel Street Prahran for
a two bedroom apartment is $620 per week. That’s
$310 per person per week (as of 27/8/2015. Check
realestate.com.au for more details).
Average Rent Prices in Fitzroy
The average rent around Fitzroy for a two bedroom
for more details).
Yarraville
Yarraville is a suburb 8km west of Melbourne city. It
has become a very popular suburb for young families
settling down with kids. The Yarraville Village has
many award winning restaurants and cafes. Yarraville
has a train station in the heart of the suburb connecting it with the city.
Average Rent Prices in Yarraville
The average rent around Yarraville for a two bedroom
for more details).
25
Where To Live In Brisbane
Brisbane – Rated in Top 10 most
Beautiful Cities
Brisbane is Australia’s third largest city and the capital
of the state of Queensland, Australia’s sunshine state.
With a population of two million people Brisbane is
a laid back city built around the Brisbane river. While
there are no good beaches along coastal Brisbane it
has easy access to the Sunshine Coast and the Gold
Coast, two of Australia’s best coastal areas both under
ninety minutes drive away. The 2018 Commonwealth
Games will be held on the Gold Coast.
Melbourne and Perth. If you are moving to Brisbane
the information below will give you an idea of where
you could potentially live.

Bulimba/Balmoral – trendy inner suburbs on the
southside and on the river about 4km from the city.
Good public transport with buses, the city cat, and
the nearby morningside train station. With cafes,
restaurants, interesting boutiques and a cinema,
there are also parks and wide tree lined streets.

Southbank/South Brisbane – only 10 mins walk
from the CBD, it is also accessible by the bus way,
trains, ferries and city cat . There are many cafes,
restaurants and cinemas, the cultural center and
kangaroo point cliffs, and the west end is only a
short walk away.

Manly – on the bay about 15-20mins drive from
the CBD. The best areas are by the water.

The Gap – about 8km to the north west of the
city this is a family suburb characterised by good
parks, and is close to Walton Creek and Mt Cootha
state forest.

Camp Hill – a leafy family suburb about 7km
south of the CBD. Close to Carindale shopping
centre with lots of parks and cafes
Brisbane Seasonal Weather
Brisbane has a subtropical climate with an average
summer temperature of 29°C and an average winter
temperature of 22°C.
Where to Live in Brisbane
Median house prices in Brisbane are less than Sydney,
26
Where To Live In Sydney
Sydney is Australia’s largest city with a population of
approximately 4.9 million and has the largest natural
harbour within Australia which spreads towards the
Blue Mountains in the west.
Sydney is known for having hosted the 2000 Summer
Olympics and boasts a number of spectacular
attractions which must be seen. These include the
Sydney Harbour, the Royal National Park, Bondi Beach,
the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney Opera House and
Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Sydney Opera house hosts world class acts and
is booked out nearly every month with famous
orchestras, rock bands, speakers and theatrical
pieces. Sydney has a yearly comedy festival which
usually takes place in both the Opera house and the
State Theatre.
Sydney hosts a few festivals throughout the year
which include the Sydney Festival in January, the
Vivid Light Festival in the middle of winter and loads
more.
Sydney Seasonal Weather
Sydney enjoys mild winters with approximately 340
sunny days a year. The summer season is from
December to February and temperatures can reach up
to 30 degrees.
Where to Live in Sydney?
If you are moving to Sydney the information below will
give you an idea of where you could potentially live.
Newtown
Newtown is a suburb of Sydney’s inner West side and
is located approximately 4km from the CBD. Enmore
Road and King Street together are made up of 9.1
kilometres of over 600 shopfronts. King Street is also
known as “Eat Street” due to the amount of cafes,
restaurants and galleries. Newtown is served by a
number of buses which include 422,426, 428, 423
and the 370. It also has its own train line known as
Newtown railway station.
Newtown hosts four festivals throughout the year.
These include The Newtown Festival with free live
music, events, workshops and stalls, Feastability,
27
which is Newtowns food and wine festsival, which
is held on the last Sunday of each month and an
alternative festival also held in Septembver called
Under the Blue Moon Festival. It comprises of live
music, discussions, street performers, entertainment,
fashion shows and loads more.
Bondi Beach is serviced by a number of buses that will
take you to the CBD or to Bondi Junction to the train
station. To get to the Junction it usually takes around
10 minutes whereas to get to the city it can take 1hour.
The Sydney Fringe festival is a three-week alternative
arts festival that was held for the first time in September
2010 at venues in Newtown, Enmore and Marrickville.
It is a project of the Newtown Entertainment Precinct
Association.
Who lives in Newtown?
Professionals live side by side with students, pierced
ones, gays, straights, and migrants. Newtown is
Sydney’s grunge capital and a cultural kaleidoscope.
Average Rent Prices in Newtown
The average rent in Newtown for a two bedroom
for more details).
Bondi Beach
Bondi Beach is located approximately 7km east of
Sydney CBD, and is one of the most visited tourist
locations in Australia. The beach is 1 km long. The
beach has an underwater shark net to protect the
swimmers. The beach is usually packed with surfers.
Sydney hosts the City to Surf fun run each year in
August and Bondi beach is the final destination where
up to 63000 people cross the finish line. Bondi Beach
also has an annual Flickerfest, which is Australias
premier international short film festival, World
Environment day in Jun and in November Sculpture
by the sea. Every Sunday the Bondi markets are open.
Many Irish and British tourists can be seen on the
beach itself on Christmas day.
Average Rent Prices in Bondi Beach
The average rent around Bondi Beach for a two
bedroom apartment is $920 per week. That’s $460 per
person per week (as of 27/8/2015. Check realestate.
com.au for more details).
Randwick
Randwick has it all with hospitals private and public
schools and close proximity to the city and the
beaches. Randwick lies 6 km to the east of the CBD.
The Randwick racecourses takes up a large portion of
the north west corner of the suburb. The rest of the
suburb is mostly made up of residential houses. There
are a range of shopping centres on the Belmore Road.
There are plans to build a south east light rail from
Circular Quay down George Street to Central Station,
then across to Moore Park and down Anzac parade.
Average Rent Prices in Randwick
The average rent around Fitzroy for a two bedroom
for more details).
28
WORKING IN AUSTRALIA
Getting into the industry and working in Australia can be a
tough process. In this section we cover hints and tips on how
to get your dream job. We look at resumes, portfolios, interviews, tax file number, superannuation and much more.
29
Tax File Number
In Australia you will need a tax file number (TFN) to
work. It is also needed for:

a valid permanent migrant visa, or

a valid visa with work rights, or

open a bank account

a valid overseas student visa, or

apply to government agencies to claim benefits

seek financial help to go to university
a valid visa allowing you to stay in Australia
indefinitely.

lodge a tax return
You can apply for your TFN online if one or more of the
following apply to you:
If you are a permanent migrant or temporary visitor
who is actually in Australia. You must also be either:

a working holiday maker

a New Zealander and you are automatically granted
a visa on arrival

an overseas student and your visa has been
amended to allow you to work

a person with a valid visa allowing you to stay in
Australia indefinitely

a person with a business visa
To apply go to the Tax file number online application
page.
the Moving2Oz team recommend checking the Australian Taxation Office
as it is constantly changing and updating and it would be worth your
while looking at it to verify information.
You will need the following:
30
Australian Resume
A resume is the first contact you will have with
potential employers and it is essential to create a good
impression. Lets break down the process of creating
an awesome Australian resume that will stand out and
give an excellent first impression.
The format of a winning resume
Length of CV should be 2 pages ideally, no more
than 3
A skills matrix at the top of the first page reflecting
your experience and achievements that is relevant
to the particular job you are applying for.

Tailor your CV for the job you are applying for by
listing the important and matching points or skills
first
Write a short objective summary of who you are.
Be careful not to fill it with the usual sentences like
‘Natural leader’, “team player”
The interviewer will question you on your CV so
know it and don’t lie in it
Match the job description requirements, in your
CV. Demonstrate through your jobs, that you have
experience in the skills they are looking for.
If you are studying currently make sure to mention
this and write down the expected year for the
qualification.
As well as stating the post that you held and the
responsibilities that you carried out, illustrate how
you added value to an organisation by writing
about the achievements you have accomplished
Sell yourself
Presentation of your CV is very important. It needs
to be visually pleasing, printed and use a clear
simple layout

Ensure your positive features and skills stand out

Write about your qualities and skills in the present
tense
The Do’s and Don’ts Checklist
Ensure that:
You list your professional and higher education
qualifications along with your school results
You list any recent relevant training
You list any foreign language skills that you have
(be honest)
You write a note of any publications / thesis you
have done
It is best not to:
List irrelevant training courses
Put down your date of birth, religion, nationality,
race, political views, marital status, or mention
your kids
Mention your current salary
Mention risky hobbies such as sky diving
Why not check out our Professional Resume Service
and have us look at and perfect your resume for you.
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32
Looking For Jobs
Australia’s number one Jobs Site –
Seek.com.au
Australia’s most popular job site is Seek.com.au.
When applying for a job on the site the competition
can be very high. Seek often get 250+ applicants for
each job they have advertised. It is a good idea to set
up a profile on the Seek site. Employers can browse
through your skills and follow up with you.
When setting up a profile:
ensure that privacy is set to standard, so that
employers can find you
Keep your skills up to date
create a few different resumes
Your Comprehensive Guide to Creating the Perfect
LinkedIn Profile
How to create the perfect LinkedIn profile
Ten tips for the perfect LinkedIn profile
It can be difficult when you start looking for work if
you do not have Australian experience. Australian
companies can be slow to take on new employees
without previous Australian work experience. A good
way to get a job is by networking. Read our article on
networking for more tips.

Apply for jobs directly
Applydirect.com.au cuts out the middle man. When
applying for a job on this site you are contacting the
employer directly instead of through an external site.
LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a great resource for displaying suitable
jobs for you. Employers often search LinkedIn for
potential employees. It is important to keep your
LinkedIn profile up to date with any new skills that you
have adopted. There are many sites which will give
you tips on how to improve and impress with your
LinkedIn profile. Here are a few to check out:
33
Portfolio
Portfolio
If you are working in a creative environment it is
beneficial to have an online portfolio displaying all of
your creations. Whether you are a graphic designer,
web designer, web developer, user experience (UX)
designer, architect or draftsman, create a portfolio
of projects you have worked on and illustrate the
specific parts of the project you worked on. An
online portfolio allows you to share your work easily
with potential employers. If you have images of these
projects, include them, after all a picture speaks a
1000 words.
Sign up for a LinkedIn account
Sign up for a Seek Profile and add a resume
By doing this you will be offered jobs by recruiters.
If you would like help improving your LinkedIn or Seek
profile and customising your resume and cover letters
for a particular job, Moving2Oz provide a Professional
Resume Service to help.

There are hundreds of tools out there that can help
you create an online portfolio. Check out 20 of the
top tools to help you create an online portfolio. Also
check out Top online portfolio websites.
Creative Resumes
If you are a graphic or web designer it may be beneficial
to have a creative CV. Check out this excellent site
with examples of creative resumes.
LinkedIn and Seek Profiles
It’s important to have your resume online, up to
date and accessible for potential employers to see.
LinkedIn and Seek are two ideal sites to join when job
hunting. If you have not already done so, a good idea
would be to
34
Networking
Networking is a very important aspect of looking for
a job, and can be a great way of meeting people from
your industry and forging relationships in business.

To become part of a group or community that involves
your work check out the meetup.com site.

No matter what industry you are in you will find a meetup
group which will help you build contacts and network
and may even help you find a job. Networking is so
important in Australia. You might have an awesome
CV but without Australian experience employers can
be reluctant to take you on. Networking can get your
foot in the door.
Perth: Here are a few meetup groups in Perth from the
meetup.com site.
Agile Perth
Perth Traders
Lean Film making Perth
Perth Agile Scrum User Group
Meetup.com
Brisbane: Here are a few meetup groups in Brisbane
from the meetup.com site.
Melbourne: Here are a few meetup groups in Melbourne from the meetup.com site.
Network of Accounting and Finance Professionals
Lean Startup Melbourne
Melbourne Joomla Users
Agile Projects and Project Managers
Melbourne Network Marketing
Melbourne Photography
Melbourne Adobe Developer Meetup
Software Engineering Melbourne

Sydney Project Managers
Creative Arts Alliance Sydney
Sydney Digital Project Managers
Lean Film Making Sydney
Sydney Business Analysts
Brisbane Accountants and Bookkeepers
Brisbane Sales and Business Development
The Brisbane Web Design Group
The Brisbane Architecture Group

Adelaide: Here are a few meetup groups in Adelaide

Adelaide SEO
Adelaide Personal and Business Development
Adelaide Entrepreneurs
Adelaide Lean Start Up
Adelaide Traders
Look for your own interest / networking group on
meetup.com.

Sydney: Here are a few meetup groups in Sydney
Sydney Lean Startup
Darwin: Here are a few meetup groups in Darwin from
the meetup.com site.

Darwin New Media Meetup
35
Interview Tips
Tips to Prepare
Glassdoor.com: Find out the truth about the company
you are interviewing for. Glassdoor.com gives you the
lowdown on nearly all large companies out there. You
sign up and check through its library of feedback from
thousands of other employees that have written ratings
about their own companies. It gives you a proper
insight into what previous and current employees are
honestly saying about the company they work for.
Users are anonymous on the site which allows them
to speak freely and honestly about their experiences
and rate their employer properly.
Keep in mind that a lot of unhappy employees sign up
to vent their frustration and give their opinion, whereas
very little happy employees sign up. When checking
out your potential company use glassdoor.com to
ensure that there is not an overwhelming amount of
negative comments from users.
Google alerts: Know your potential employer. Its not
enough to search on the company website anymore.
Sign up for google alerts, for that particular company
and see what the general public are saying about the
company.
Monitor your online presence: Its important to know
how you are presenting yourself online as potential
employers will definitely google you and do a cross
check to see what will turn up.. There is an excellent
app called social sweepster that monitors and cleans
up your online social presence. The app identifies
pictures of you partying or profane content and allow
you to take action. The app scans Facebook and
Twitter and has plans of expanding to other social
media networks in the future.
On the Day
Dress Appropriately
Wear appropriate attire for the interview. Dress
neatly and professionally for your industry
Turn up early for the interview. Plan how you will
get to the location before the interview and leave
plenty of time in case of delays
Find out your interviewers name beforehand and
use it during the interview. Maintain eye contact
and look interested. Its important to listen and be
alert
Map your skills to those of the job in question and
make sure you get to mention all of your skills in
the interview
Prepare examples of where you dealt with a
difficult client /customer. The interviewer wants
to see how you deal with difficult situations or
clients. E.g.: Show the interviewer that you are
a competent person who knows how to escalate
issues to your manager if you cannot deal with
them on your own.
The ‘weakness’ question and what to say: There are
many cliches out there about being a perfectionist that
pays too much attention to detail but your interviewer
has heard this hundreds of times. Come up with real
scenarios that you are showing you are currently

36
working on, to improve your skills.
Example one: Sometimes I don’t like delegating tasks
and tend to take all the work on myself, but I have
learnt from past experience that this is not always
valuable to the team and it is important to make sure I
do not delay a project by taking on too many tasks by
myself, that others can do. I am working on delegating
to ensure no future delays occur.
Example two: I am not always good at holding
meetings. I am quite aware of it and have been
working on improving this by sending out minutes of
the meeting before hand and ensuring that each topic
is kept within its allotted time to ensure the smooth
and efficient running of a meeting.
What not to do in your interview
Don’t cross your arms, it can come across as
defensive.
Don’t fiddle with a pen or object.
Don’t fidget with your hands. Move your seat in
under the table and if you have a habit of fidgeting
with your hands, make sure your hands are on
your lap out of sight.
Don’t tap your foot.
Don’t be too familiar
Don’t talk to much or use slang
What to do in your interview

Listen to the interviewers questions
Take your time when answering
If you are asked any questions that involve working
out the answer, make sure you talk the interviewer
through the process you are using and do any
calculations out loud
Thank your interviewer at the end and shake their
hand
Use appropriate language throughout the interview.
Ask good questions

What is the culture here in this organisation?
Will my skills be a fit for the organisation?
Sell yourself
I don’t know about you, but I have come out of
interviews in the past and thought, oh I forgot to tell
them this, or I forgot to mention that. To ensure that
this doesn’t happen to you have a plan or a story
about yourself that encompasses all the good things
you have done work wise. Mention if you have done
voluntary work or any extra relevant courses.

............................................................................................................
How To Do An Australian Tax Return
Each working individual who pays taxes in Australia
needs to do a tax return. The tax year runs from 1 July
to the 30th June of the following year.
don’t submit it you can be fined up to $180 for each
28 days that pass, or a maximum of $850 for that
particular tax return. (See more below)
Each person has four months to submit their tax
return each year, from 1 July to 31 October. If you
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has an online
service to help you prepare and lodge your own tax
37
return. Visit the ATO Lodge Online page.
ing on its size.
Before lodging your tax return there are some helpful
guidelines found at ATO.
The ATO can send you a warning letter summarising
the date you must lodge the overdue return by if you
want to avoid being issued a default assessment.
It is important to know what you can claim for. Here
are some examples which may be worth your while
looking into.
vehicle and travel expenses, including travel
between work and home
clothing, laundry and dry-cleaning expenses
gifts and donations
home office expenses
interest, dividend and other investment income
deductions
self-education expenses
tools, equipment and other equipment
other deductions
Late or previous year tax returns
Commonly asked question.. “I never did my tax return
last year! What will happen?”
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) can apply a “failure to lodge on time penalty”. They calculate the fine
rate at one penalty unit per 28 days that a document is
over due at a fine of $170 per 28 days, up to a maximum of 5 penalty units with a fine of $850.
You are likely to be fined by the ATO if you have:
more than one tax return still to do
a poor lodgement history
not complied with a request to lodge your tax
return

Medicare Levy
Every person in Australia that pays tax also pays 2% of
their earnings towards the medicare levy (healthcare).
If you are not eligible for medicare you can claim your
medicare contributions back. To find out whether you
are eligible for medicare and how to claim back your
contributions if you are not, read the following article
on medicare and what to do if you are exempt. Note:
If you are Irish and do not have permanent residence
or citizenship you will be entitled to the medicare
exemption. Be sure to claim it back, it will be a few
grand for the year.
*Disclaimer: While all efforts are made to ensure information is factual
the Moving2Oz team recommend checking the Australian Taxation site
under tax return as it is constantly changing and updating and it would
be worth your while looking at it to verify information.
Size tests can apply depending on the size of your tax
return. The penalty is larger for big tax returns, with
the penalty unit being multiplied by two or five depend-
38
Superannuation
Superannuation age increases from
65 to 70
Superannuation, otherwise known as pension in
Australia is the setup of funds for when you retire. The
age of retirement in Australia is currently 65. It is set
to rise to 70 from 2035. The pension qualifying age
will start rising by six months every two years, from
1 July 2025 from age 67 years to 70 years by 1 July
2035. Anyone born after 1 January 1966 will not be
able to apply for the age pension until 70.
Salary inclusive or exclusive of superannuation
Your employer by law will pay your superannuation
which is 9.5% of your gross wage. This will be paid
into a superannuation fund for you. When negotiating a
salary it is important to ask if the figure you have been
offered is inclusive or exclusive of superannuation.
Salary exclusive of superannuation
Salary inclusive of superannuation
If a company offer you $70,000 gross salary exclusive of superannuation the company will pay
$6650 (which is 9.5% of your wage) towards your
superannuation making your gross pay $76,650.
If a company offer you $70,000 gross salary inclusive of superannuation, your actual gross pay will
be $70,000 minus $6650 totalling $63,350.
Taking your superannuation with you
when leaving Australia
If you are living in Australia on a temporary visa
(such as a 457) you can take your superannuation
with you when you leave if you are not planning to
return to Australia. Read our article on Taking your
superannuation with you when leaving Oz.
Once you are a permanent resident you cannot take
your superannuation with you if you leave the country
before retirement age. You will only gain access to it
when you are eligible (at the age of 65 – 70).
For more information on superannuation check out
the Australian government site for superannuation and
also the Australian Taxation Office site for more details
on your super.
the Moving2Oz team recommend checking the Australian Taxation site
under Superannuation as it is constantly changing and updating and it
would be worth your while looking at it to verify information.
39
Take Your Super With You When Leaving Oz
Who can claim back their super?
Anyone that has visited Australia for a year or so and
is returning back home can claim back their super if
they do not have permanent residency. This means if
you were a temporary resident on a working holiday
visa or a temporary working visa (e.g.: 457) you are
eligible.
You can claim super benefits you accumulated while
working in Australia if all of the following apply:
you visited on a temporary visa (excluding visa
subclasses 405 and 410)
your visa has ceased to be in effect
you have left Australia.

Your claim will be for a Departing Australia
Superannuation Payment (DASP).
Once you finish your job and leave the country your
employer will no longer be paying your super fund.
The superannuation company will hold on to your
super for 6 months and after that transfer the amount
to the Australian Tax Office who will hold on to it for
you until you claim it.
Why not claim back all of your super, it’s your money
after all.
Who can’t claim back their super?
If you fall into one of the categories below you have the
right to retire in Australia and cannot claim a Departing
Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP)

Permanent residents
Australian citizens
New Zealand citizens
Retirement visa holders
Investor retirement visa holders
How much will I get back?
By law you pay 9.5% of your wage to superannuation,
so if you earn $100,000 per year you will get $9500
back for one year when you leave. If you would like a
company to get your super fund back for you, taxback.
com provide an excellent service. They also have a
free calculator to see how much you will be entitled to.
Check it out here taxback.com/calculator.
How to claim a “Departing Australia
Superannuation Payment”?
There are two ways of claiming your DASP from the
Australian Tax Office. These include:
Online
On paper
The benefits of applying online:

You can prepare your application before you leave
The ATO confirms your immigration status for you
for free
The ATO finds all of your super accounts
The ATO delivers the application to your super
fund
Although you can prepare your online application you
cannot submit it until you have left Australia and your
visa has ceased.

Will my super be taxed?
Yes your super will generally be taxed at a rate of 35%.
If you contributed any more than the required amount
to your super this will be tax free.
How will I get my Super back?
The ATO will send your refund to an Australian bank
account. If you need to transfer the money to a
different country have a look at our article on on the
cheapest way to transfer funds internationally with
CurrencyFair.
40
IMMIGRATION
This section takes a look at a few of the visa types available
to those thinking of moving to Australia. These include Visitor
Visas, 417, 457, Permanent Residency and Citizenship.
41
Visitor Visas
Do you fancy visiting Australia? There are two main
types of tourist visas that willtourist allow overseas
visitors to visit Australia for up to 3 months. The third
visa can allow a visitor stay between 3 and 12 months.
eVisitors Visa
If you are applying from a European country and are
not yet in Australia you can apply through the eVisitors
visa (Subclass 651). In my experience the visa was
lodged and I had an answer in less than a week.
Employment is not allowed.
Electronic Travel Authority
Australia check out the Electronic Travel Authority
(Subclass 601). Employment is not allowed.
Visitor Visa
If you are a visitor that wishes to stay between 3, 6
and 12 months try the Visitor Visa (Subclass 600).
For more information on tourist visas visit the
Australian immigration website.
on this site, the Moving2Oz team recommend checking the the Australian
Borders site under Visitor Visas as it is constantly changing and updating
and it would be worth your while looking at it to verify information.
If you are applying from other countries outside of
42
417 Working Holiday Visa
The working holiday visa is a temporary visa for young
people who wish to holiday and work in Australia for
up to a year. To apply for the first working holiday visa
you must be outside of Australia. When the visa is
granted you must also be outside of Australia.
You can usually apply for this visa online. When
I applied for mine, from Ireland it took less than 4
days to get a response. There are a few terms and
conditions that you will need to pass. These include:
being between the age of 18 and 30
not having any dependent children with you during
your Australian stay
having a passport from an eligible country

*There are 18 eligible countries listed below:

United Kingdom
Canada
Netherlands
Republic of Ireland
Sweden
Denmark
Norway
Finland
Japan
Italy
France

Malta
Republic of Korea
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Taiwan
Germany
Belgium
Estonia
There is a second working holiday visa that will grant
you another year in Australia. To be eligible to apply
for this you will have to do rural work or farm work for
88 days. If you apply outside Australia, you must be
outside Australia when the visa is granted.
What does this visa allow you to do:
stay in Australia for up to 12 months
work in Australia for up to six months with each
employer
study for up to four months
leave and re-enter Australia any number of times
while the visa is valid.
For more details on this visa and also how to apply
online check out Working holiday visa on the Australian
Immigration website.
on this site, the Moving2Oz team recommend checking the Australian
Borders site as it is constantly changing and updating and it would be
worth your while looking at it to verify information.
43
457 Temporary Work Skilled Visa
The Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (subclass 457)
allows a skilled worker to work for a business that
will sponsor you for up to 4 years. The business
that sponsors you must comply with certain criteria
to be able to sponsor you. The business can hire
you if the role that they wish to hire you for, is on the
consolidated sponsorship occupation list.
The 457 visa allows you to leave and re-enter Australia
as many times as you like within the visa expiration
date.
If you are let go from your job you have 90 days to
leave the country or try and get another business to
take over your sponsorship. Usually the business
nominates you and then you submit your application.
Here is a guide of the documents I submitted to gain
my 457 sponsorship.:
Certified copy of your passport
Certified copy of your birth certificate
A police check from your own country dating back
10 years.
Certified copies of all your parchment qualifications

Certified copies of your results from your colleges
or universities
Certified copies of any certification documents
Certified copies of reference letters from referees
Certified copy of your cv
Two passport sized photographs with your name
printed on the back
A letter from your work place offering you a
permanent job, with the date on it.
Certified copies of work experience
When I submitted my application it took less than
a week to get a response via email. My visa was
granted.
For more details on the temporary work (skilled) visa
subclass 457 check out the Australian immigration
site.
Immigration Site for 457 visas as it is constantly changing and updating
and it would be worth your while looking at it to verify information.
44
Permanent Residency
Employer Nominated Scheme
Having permanent residency means you have a current
visa that permits you to live in Australia indefinitely.
You can be in or outside of Australia when you apply.
You will need to be younger than 50 years of age
(unless you are exempt).
There are three different ways to get permanent
residency. These include:
Temporary residence transition scheme
Direct entry stream
The agreement stream
Temporary Residence Transition Scheme
If you have been on a 457 visa working for your
nominating employer for 2 years
If that employer is willing to nominate you for the
temporary residence transition scheme, they will
need to offer you a permanent job.
There are two steps involved.

1. Nomination by an approved Australian employer
2. After the nomination is approved an application by
the nominated employee
Some employees like to submit their application at the
same time as the employer submits the nomination
application. The risk in doing this is that the nomination
from the employer is rejected and the employees
application has already been paid for and submitted
and cannot be refunded.
It is better to wait for the employer nomination to be
approved before submitting your employee application.
There are a few steps involved:
1. Nomination by an approved Australian employer
2. After the nomination is approved an application by
the nominated employee
3. Get your medicals done
4. Wait for a case officer (CO) to be assigned to your
case
5. The case officer might ask for more documents
6. Decision on whether your application has been
accepted or rejected
Check out our Visa Processing Times table, to get an
indication of how long it will take for a final decision
on your visa.
Direct Entry Stream
People who have been nominated by their
employer under the direct entry stream
People who have never or only briefly worked in
Australia
Temporary residents who do not qualify for the
temporary residence transition stream or
People with a nomination lodged with us before 1
July 2012
on your visa.
The Agreement stream
The agreement stream is for people sponsored by an
employer through a labour agreement.
For more information on permanent residency check
the Australian immigration site.
on your visa.
Immigration Site for permanent residency as it is constantly changing
and updating and it would be worth your while looking at it to verify
information.
45
How To Get Australian Citizenship
Why become a Citizen?
Becoming an Australian citizen allows you to say
‘G’day mate, I’m Australian’. As an Australian you
have the right to:
Vote
Work in the Australian public service or Defence
Force
Seek election to parliament
Apply for an Australian passport
Leave and enter Australia freely
Register children born overseas as Australian
citizens by descent
Applying for Citizenship
The process of applying for citizenship depends on
your eligibility. Each option has different eligibility
requirements.

Here are the different options:

Australian citizenship
Australian citizenship by descent
Australian citizenship by adoption
Resuming your Australian citizenship
Evidence of Australian Citizenship
For more information go to http://www.border.gov.au/
Trav/Citi.
Applying for Citizenship having Permanent Residency
If you can answer yes to the two questions below you
can apply for your citizenship
You must:
have been living in Australia on a valid Australian
visa for four years immediately before applying
which must include the last 12 months as a
permanent resident, and
not have been absent from Australia for more than
one year in total, in the 4 year period, including
no more than 90 days in the year before applying.
Residence Requirement Calculator
Check out the Residence requirement calculator to
see if you meet them.
For more details on citizenship visit the Australian
immigration site here.

on this site, the Moving2Oz team recommend checking the border.vic.
gov.au site under citizenship for further details on becoming a citizen as
it is constantly changing and updating and it would be worth your while
46
What To Do When You Get Permanent Residency
Here is a simple list of things that are possible when you get permanent residency:
Apply for medicare – if you were not entitled to it before. Click here to access the medicare form.
If you have health insurance change your package to suit your needs as medicare will cover a lot of what was
previously covered by your health insurer.
You can apply for a loan with a bank once you have permanent residency.
You can apply for your citizenship once you have had permanent residency for a year, and have lived in Australia
for over 4 years.
Read more about citizenship.

47
Moving2Oz.net
MIGRATION AGENT SERVICE
CONTACT OUR ASSOCIATES IN THE
PROFESSIONALLY REGISTERED MIGRATION
AGENCY SERVICE TO FIND OUT ABOUT YOUR
VISA OPPORTUNITIES TODAY
.............................................
Visit our website at:
www.Moving2Oz.net/Migration-Agent-Service
48
LIFE STORIES
This section is a collection of life stories written by different
expats between the ages of 18 and 50, about their particular
experiences while moving to or living in an Australian city.
49
8 Reasons to Move to Melbourne
Chris Telfer, IT Consultant
Ever thought of living where the beach meets culture?
Melbourne is the place to be with a series of excellent
beaches, a mix of theatres, magnificent art galleries,
fine 19th century buildings and great back street
cafes and restaurants. Melbourne is renowned for its
excellent coffee, boasts itself as the world’s sporting
capital, all under long hot summers and perfect
autumns. Melbourne is regularly voted the world’s
most liveable city by the Economist Intelligence
Unit, with great access to education, health facilities,
transportation as well as high personal safety. Here is
my list of great attractions and why I moved to live in
Melbourne:
1. Beaches: Relax and enjoy the warmth of summer
days at any one of the 14 beaches along
Melbourne’s suburbs, or at world class beaches
such as Torquay and Bell’s surfing beach an
hour and a half’s drive away located on the great
southern ocean.
2. Cafes: Melbourne’s lifeline is the cafe, serving
superb coffee and gorgeous fare in small suburban
streets or quaint lanes of the CBD, cosy in winter
and al fresco in summer.
3. Art Galleries: The National Gallery of Victoria, just
walking distance from the main business district,
is Australia’s largest and oldest museum and
holds art of great beauty and history, covering
16th century paintings through to modern
contemporary pieces, while regularly hosting
great exhibitions from around the world. Other art
galleries include the Ian Potter Centre, Australian
Centre for Contemporary Art and numerous
smaller galleries throughout the city centre.
4. Museums: Melbourne abounds with various
museums, including the southern hemisphere’s
largest museum, the Melbourne Museum. These
museums are exciting and varied, covering
natural history, art, science, sport, religion, war
and culture. Some of the larger museums include
the Melbourne Maritime Museum, Immigration
Museum, National Aviation Museum, National
Sports Museum, Science Works(great for
50
children), Old Treasury Building(Melbourne
history) and a number of religious museums.
5. Sport: Three world class sporting events are
held every year in Melbourne, making Melbourne
arguably the sporting capital of the world, hosting
the Australia Open, one of the four tennis grand
slam locations, Formula One car racing and the
Flemington Melbourne Cup horse race. Great
national sports are held at the Melbourne Cricket
Ground, known as the MCG, regularly holding up
to 100,000 roaring spectators watching cricket
matches and the Australian Football Rules grand
final. But if you are a fan of soccer(football),
rugby, basketball or golf, all have a great presence
in Melbourne, all with world class venues. During
winter, skiing is available at several excellent ski
resorts all within a few hours drive of Melbourne.
6. Restaurants: During lunch or early evening,
Melbourne city centre is alive with diners seeking
the best restaurants on small quaint back streets.
The smaller the back street the more authentic the
food. Much of the fun is exploring the city centre,
always being surprised at the hidden locations that
can be found, each place unique, but always great.
Other popular food precincts include China Town
on Little Bourke street, Lygon Street (great Italian
dining), Brunswick Street in Fitzroy, and a large
number of other inner city sidewalk restaurant
locations.
7. Trams: Moving around inner Melbourne is easy,
just jump on a tram. The world’s largest tram
network is picturesque and practical; it is an icon
of Melbourne, delivering quick and pollution free
transportation in a grid across the city centre.
Moving around the city centre is a pleasure and is
far easier than any other city in Australia.
8. Architecture: The Melbourne central business
district is a concentration of great 19th and 20th
century architecture, funded by the great Victorian
gold rush of the mid-19th century. Magnificent
examples of Victorian, Venetian Gothic, Gothic
and neo-Gothic architecture exist across the city,
which has lead to Melbourne being stated as the
most European styled city in Australia. Modern
stylish skyscrapers complement the earlier
architecture to make Melbourne a brilliant blend of
the old and the new.
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To Melbourne, With Love
Carissa McCrae, Business Analyst
There is nothing I didn’t love about my time living in
Melbourne, even the fact the I was living back with my
gorgeous parents didn’t faze me, in fact it was nice
to have the three of us back together again under one
roof enjoying each other’s company and being a part
of each other’s lives. I wasn’t scared when my folks
suggested I make the jump across the ditch from little
ole New Zealand to Aussie, I’d just come off a massive
OE around the UK and Europe and wasn’t feeling
settled back into my old life, I still had some pretty
damn itchy feet. So it was with a smile, a container full
of crap and a furry little critter that I waved goodbye
to my old stagnant life and rushed head first into the
bright promise that was Melbourne, and she did not
disappoint.
From the moment I stepped off the plane, after
numerous hugs from said parents, I knew I was going
to love Melbourne. There was a sense of peace and
excitement in the air as soon as my bags were in the
boot and I could not wait to start my new journey. I
first met Lady Melbourne when we drove across the
Bolte Bridge on the way to my new home, the sky was
an azure blue, the sun was shining and she sparkled
like a million diamonds. Do I sound a bit obsessed? I
was!!
Like I was saying, I loved Melbourne, the public
transport, mainly the trams for me were a new shiny
toy for me to play with, and the virtual waiting times
between trams made me giddy, no more waiting 30
– 40 mins to get to and from home for me. And the
food, I can honestly say, hand on my heart, that I have
never eaten a bad meal during my time in Melbourne,
from the heavenly caramelised pork belly at Red Spice
Road to the always on point mouth-watering steak at
the Meat & Wine Co I was in foodie heaven.
Melbourne is not the quietest town, there is always
something going on, some form of entertainment to
dazzle yourself with wherever your feet may take you,
and a lot of great gems can be found in and around
Melbourne’s laneways. There are even specific tours
that you can do around the laneways so you know
where the good spots are, but I found it is best to
put your walking shoes on and discover them all for
yourself. It isn’t the obvious things about Melbourne
that make her amazing, it is the little places you find
for yourself, the places that even though you are
surrounded by a million people it feels quiet and
relaxing, for me that was South Melbourne Markets.
There was something free and romantic about taking
your trolley to the market on a Saturday morning and
picking out your weekly fare from the truly amazing
fresh produce available, as well as perusing the
deli’s and sampling selections of cheeses, tarts and
chocolate. Not to mention the little market shops that
housed fashion and home wares as well as other
trendy finds, the South Melbourne Markets for me
truly was a magical place and was something special
I was able to do with my dad.
The people of Melbourne also help to make up the
character that she essentially is, cool and chic with a bit
of cheek are how I would describe said Melbournites,
or are they calling themselves Melbournians now….
New Cities can often be daunting, especially if you
do not know anyone living there, which is why I feel
blessed to have made some new amazing friends
and had met some pretty awesome people during my
time in Melbourne. As an only child I never felt lonely
being alone, I was always able to, and still am able
to entertain myself and be in my own company, but
having some friends you can turn to and explore the
big city with was also a big help. Not saying it’s going
to be easy, but you’ll find once you make one, the rest
will follow, and they truly are a lovely bunch to try and
get to know.
I credit Melbourne with a lot of the amazing things
I have seen and experienced in my life so far, from
the new foods and cuisines I have tried, to the
confirmation and joy from finding a career path I am
truly passionate about. But most of all I am grateful
to Melbourne for giving me a canvas to be confident
on and grow in, a place where I was able to discover
her and me all at the same time, and lastly for giving
me and my parents such a beautiful, warm home to
be a family in. So dear reader I wish you the best in
your travels and luck with your decisions and hope
Melbourne bestows upon you all the glory, the lessons
and the love that I had received and found. Until we
can meet again Melbourne ...
52
My Melbourne
Patrick Benc, Student
Why did you move to Australia?
Being a 19 year old gap year student from the UK, I
was looking for something fun and exciting to do in my
year off. The opportunity to play and coach Hockey
around Australia for 6 months came up and, being a
keen hockey player, it was the ideal thing for me to do.
Why did you choose Melbourne and how long have
you been there?
I chose Melbourne for a number of reasons. Often
labelled the ‘sports capital of the world’, it seamed a
great place not only to improve my Hockey but also
to learn about the culture surrounding other sports
such as the famous Victorian game of Aussie Rules.
However after more research I quickly found out that
sport isn’t the only cultural aspect of Melbourne. It’s
also famous for its art, festivals, live performances,
architecture, restaurants and street culture. I have been
in melbourne for 2 and a half months now and have
been to the Melbourne international comedy festival,
Jazz festival, Shrine of Remembrance, been up to the
Eureka Skydeck, around the Botanic gardens, through
the city ‘laneways’, and explored the city centre as
well as many other things. It’s now pretty obvious to
me why Melbourne is an international culture centre.
What’s your visa status and how have you found
the visa stuff in general to date?
I am on a working holiday visa which allows me to
work and holiday in Australia for up to a year. I found
the application pretty easy. I applied online and it was
far more straight forward than I thought it would be.
What are your three favourite things about Melbourne?
1. Well, I like to eat and Melbourne has a colossal
selection of restaurants, cafes, and other food
places to chose from. Therefore you can almost
certainly find a restaurant within your budget
serving the food you desire. For me that’s Asian
food, and where I live (chapel street) I have more
than a few to chose from.
2. Being able to get tickets to NRL, Super League,
international Rugby and the A league games for
53
just $40. As well as cheap tickets, the whole
process of going to these professional sports
games is so easy. You can decide a few hours
(or minutes!) before a game that you want to see
it, get a train or tram towards the stadium, queue
up at the ticket stand for a few minutes (I’ve never
queued for more than 15 minutes), get your ticket
and walk in. Literally no hassle.
3. The Nightlife. There are a number of different
areas within Melbourne where the nightlife is
good such as the city, Chapel Street and St Kilda.
As well as Nightclubs there are a number of bars
each with their own kind of atmosphere. There are
a few down Chapel Street where I live that have
some great live music so if we don’t fancy a big
night out we will usually go to one of these bars to
have a drink, listen to the music and soak up the
atmosphere.
What’s the one thing you miss most from home?
If I’m honest there’s not much that I miss from home
(yet). In terms of materialistic things, Australia has
pretty much everything England has. I would probably
say my dog Pepper is what I miss most.
What’s the one thing you enjoy here the most that
you could’t get at home?
Trams. As well as trains, buses and taxis Melbourne
has a tram network that takes you pretty much
anywhere within the city centre and most suburbs.
They are fairly frequent (every 15/20 minutes) so
getting to where you need to go is fairly easy once
you get used to how they work.
Where do you work? Is it different from home?
I work as a hockey coach at Camberwell Grammar
School and Powerhouse St Kilda Hockey Club. I don’t
think it is too different from coaching at home apart
from the winter weather maybe. Coaching in the middle
What’s your favourite Melbourne view?
of winter in the UK is pretty punishing and no one
I am a member of the Tennis world gym and when I
really wants to be there so it can be difficult. However
stand at the entrance, to my left is the Rod Laver and
winter in Australia is perfect Hockey playing weather
Hisense Arenas where the Australian Tennis Open is
as it’s not too cold yet it is cool enough to prevent
held, to my right is the phenomenal MCG and straight
the players from running out
ahead I can see the tall sky
of breath after 10 minutes. I
scrapers of the city centre.
think it’s a different matter in
However my favourite view
... I am a member of the Tennis
the summer though!
was when sitting in the
MCG watching Collingwood
vs Essendon on Anzac day
with a crowd of 93000!
world gym and when I stand at the
entrance, to my left is the Rod Laver and
Hisense Arenas where the Australian Tennis
Open is held, to my right is the phenomenal
MCG and straight ahead I can see the tall
sky scrapers of the city centre. However
my favourite view was when sitting in
the MCG watching Collingwood
vs Essendon on Anzac day with a
crowd of 93000! ...
What is the best thing you
have done in Australia?
This is tough as I have
done a few amazing things.
Learning to surf was great
fun as well as seeing my
first Aussie rules game in
the MCG on Anzac day with
a crowd of 93,000. But I think my road trip along the
Great Ocean Road takes the prize. 10 of us hired two
camper vans and drove for 3 nights and four days
stopping at all the tourist attractions along the way.
The views were fantastic pretty much the whole way.
We stopped at the famous 12 Apostles, went to a few
bays and beaches, did a forest walk, and swam in a
waterfall (so cold). Plus the whole thing only cost $80
each.
What tip would you give
people moving to Australia
now?
I think it’s important to
be friendly and open
minded. That’s how most
Melbournians are and by
doing so you will get to know
more people and therefore
you will learn more about
the city and its culture. The
people I meet at work and at training are very generous,
inviting me over for dinner, recommending restaurants
bars and clubs, offering me part time work, giving me
lifts to various places and some even offering me a
place to stay for up to 6 months! The Chairman of
my Hockey club offered up her beach house to me
and my friends for a week which is remarkable as I’d
only just met her two weeks previously. Very kind (and
brave).
54
Reasons To Embrace Aussie Life
Aine Phelan, Senior Billing Analyst
‘She’ll be right’
If ‘Strayans were any more relaxed they’d be horizontal.
OK, so you are likely to be pushed under a train or
run off the road in the, ahem, ‘aggressive’ morning
commute, and there does exist a hectic, pulsing,
work-hard-play-harder lifestyle, into which you’ll fling
yourself with gleeful abandon until some part of you
snaps and you have to swear off drink for a month so
you can go run a half-marathon (which they do!), but
in general, life in Australia seems to be underpinned
by a supreme sunniness, a positivity, a chilled out and
benignly blasé outlook on life which is only bloody
wholesome and delightful.
It’s a national persona in part projected by the
language: what they say, and how they say it. You
will hear these all the time: “no worries”, “too easy”,
“she’ll be right!”, “(good) onya!”, “awesome” and
the ubiquitous “mate”. And they actually answer
the greeting “How’re you going?” with a bona fide
response, usually in the positive. Effusively so.
Imagine that! You’ll find ‘cuss’ words are practically
de rigueur too, with an inordinate number of goodnatured “bloody”s and F-bombs guaranteed to pop
up even in the most austere of workplaces. And can
you imagine Anne Doyle or Sharon Ní Bheoláin staring
down the barrel of the 9 o’clock news camera to
report, “2 blokes were bashed in Tassie”? I’ve heard
similar and plenty of it during prime-time informational
broadcasting, from the lips of genuine, Lego-haired
newscasters. A more lax attitude to grammar and
blithe disregard for register I don’t think exists in a
thriving first world economy.
Now, this being the chalk to the proudly miserable
cheese of our own national disposition, it’s only natural
to look down, even patronisingly so, on it initially. “Ah
God love them, aren’t they awful happy”. It does appear
to be so simple an outlook compared to the deeply
complex and special neurosis of the Irish condition,
one built on years of oppression, begrudgery, rain, and
damp socks, which is deeply and proudly ingrained in
the national psyche; compound layers of misery lads,
a giant lasagne of wretchedness.
To any small feeling of superiority which might bubble
up within at our own cultural caché, I say this: these
people drink the Irish under the table (or, at least, we’re
both under the table together), and after 8 years in
this country I’ve yet to meet an Aussie who gets ‘the
Fear’ after a heavy night’s boozing. I compare this to
almost every single Irish person I know, and my own
personal experience, and I think there’s an awful lot to
be said for immersing yourself in a culture not quite
so mired in the misery of life as to have produced an
entire nation of people predisposed to depression.
Australia (in its manifestation as a nation founded 200
years ago) really is a young nation, and one which in
its short life to date has had a lot of good fortune and
prosperity, and very little to trouble it from the outside
world. Maybe this explains the happy, laid-back, chilled
out as all-that-and-a-bag-of-chips demeanour – full
of all the exuberance, confidence and ease of youth.
Whatever the reason it’s a cracking atmosphere to be
a part of. No worries there.
55
The Great Outdoors
I’m typing this from the depths of winter. It’s currently
a Baltic 15° here this Sydney evening; one of the
coldest days this year so far. I’m surprised my fingers
haven’t dropped off. I can only assume it’s the brute
force blood circulation driven by the typing motion
that has kept my digits attached.
You’ll soon find yourself joining the boot-campers, the
runners, the cyclists, the surfers at the crack of dawn,
as another sun rises to a glorious blue sky.
And that’s just one facet of life. Aussies are great
at celebrating, whatever the occasion, and on fine
weekends (which let’s face it most of them are)
you’ll find Aussies gathered outside – in courtyards,
beergardens,
parks,
Lads, where would you be
beaches, balconies. The
going, ha?
... I’m typing this from the depths
whole world is your venue
Now, obviously, the weather
of winter. It’s currently a Baltic
here, you have nothing
is what it’s all about here. It
15° here this Sydney evening; one of the
but choices of amazing
almost goes without saying.
coldest days this year so far. I’m surprised
natural locations. It’s great
But it’s not just the weather,
my fingers haven’t dropped off. I can
as a novelty when you first
it’s what you do with it. And
only assume it’s the brute force blood
arrive and are simply blown
by this I don’t just mean go
circulation driven by the typing
away by Sydney’s Botanic
to the beach, get sun-burnt
motion that has kept my digits
Gardens – so sweeping
and/or end up on ‘Bondi
attached. ...
and full of lush greenery
Recue’, subtitled because of
and bizarrely shaped trees,
your unintelligibly thick Irish
framed between the iconic
accent, getting dragged spluttering and red out of the
skyline and the idyllic harbour, and realise you can
water by Sam from Home & Away. I mean the potential
plonk down in the splendour and crack open a bottle
for quality of life that comes with the glorious mellow
of bubbles to watch the boats (and joggers) sail by.
sunshine; the impact it can have on your overall health
It’s even better when you come to realise the many
and well-being, both physically and mentally.
and varied festivals on all the time which involve
You’ll get your first clue if you stay stationary in pretty
food, wine, fireworks, art and music, melding natural
much any part of Sydney for any period of time.
outside and indoor venues seamlessly. And it’s still
Suddenly you’ll spot them: the runners, including the
amazing 8 years later when you’ve been to your third
Mums and Dads in their Lycra and trainers, pushing
beach wedding.
a double stroller as they whizz past your pudgy, unfit
Despite the prevalence of things which can kill you
self. There is by all accounts an obesity issue in
there, Australia was built for a life lived in the outdoors,
Australia, but I can guarantee it won’t be in any of the
and lived well at that.
places that you end up living. Metropolitan Australia is
populated by the exercise-mad, and it’s contagious.
56
Life As A Chef In Melbourne
Chris Orr, Professional Chef
Its 6.30am and I’m running for the train. I have to
be in work in half an hour. I’m on the breakfast shift.
It’s winter and it’s still dark outside. The birds are
not even singing yet and the streets are so quiet.
Maybe because everyone was out partying last
night. I know that within a very short time I will have
hungry hungover people, early morning cyclists and
no doubt screaming young kids wanting ice cream for
breakfast. I don’t mind. The busier, the better as long
as I am organised because by three o’ clock I will be
out the door, grabbing a cold one and going out to
some cool hipster eatery and relaxing with friends.
This is Melbourne and this is my life now…
I’m pretty well traveled and have lived all over the
world. It helps when you can yield a knife and bake a
cake! Being a chef has given me such a cool insight
into living and getting by as I get older. We all need to
be fed and I am good at filling bellies.
I am in my 30s now and to be fair I am slowly
slowing down! I always felt a need to revisit Australia
and especially Melbourne. My first love affair with
Melbourne started 10 years ago with our mutual
passion for food. Melbourne was like being in the
heart of Europe with its al fresco dining, markets and
the amazing variety of different fruit and veg. For me it
was something new and exciting. The city lured me in
and I wanted more. I was only 23 at the time and was
on a working holiday visa. It made me want to return
to Melbourne to learn more of the city’s mystic ways.
I was only in Melbourne for three months and spent
another three in Sydney, before going to Asia for a long
stint. In the 3 short months that I was in Melbourne
I wanted to get to know it, its people, the culture and
the local buzz. I was still a backpacker and living
at the backpackers hostel and hanging around with
backpackers, doing what every backpacker does, and
it was fun (not for my liver though). I got some cashin-hand work as a dishwasher/chef on Little Collins
Street at a swanky little place. I managed to befriend
some really cool locals and do some non backpacker
things. This gave me an excellent incite into real
Melbourne living and also planted the seeds in me to
want to come back and live in this cool city, in the
future.
After traveling the world and living in many different
cities I thought I’d give New Zealand a go. I went to NZ
for the snowboarding season and ended up spending
a year working and partying on the south island, in
Queenstown. Although I loved every minute I still
yearned to return to Melbourne. I was 30 years of age
and afraid that I would no longer be able to apply for a
working holiday visa because I was too old. I managed
to get the visa a week before I turned 31. My next task
was to try and do my farm work which would buy me
57
a second year on my visa. This was a gamble! It so
happened that I was too old to do the farm work option
and my visa only allowed me to stay in Australia for
the year. Luckily I got a pretty cool job and I was given
the opportunity to be sponsored.
I had no idea about sponsorship in Australia and felt
that it was pretty hard to be able to stay longer than
your holiday visa. My boss (a young guy running his
first Italian restaurant in Abbotsford) was very happy
to sponsor me. I was living the dream overwhelmed
with excitement for the opportunity he was giving me.
I so badly wanted to stay in Australia. Coming from
Scotland and growing up in Glasgow, life was much
tougher, especially after the recession hit Scotland. I
wanted to move on and live in a better climate and
live in a part of the world with better opportunities
for working. Australia was booming and I was loving
every minute of its easy carefree lifestyle.
The process of being sponsored for me was quiet
scary. My boss had never sponsored anyone before
and we had no idea how to do it. Firstly the business
needed to become a sponsor so that they in turn could
sponsor me.
There were three stages:
the business becoming a sponsor
nomination of an employee
sponsorship
All forms were submitted online. Of course if you knew
me then you would know that I leave everything to the
last minute and ended up nearly running out of time!
With one week left before I had to leave the country
I finally submitted my sponsorship application. I
really hoped I would be put on a bridging visa while
immigration decided my fate. It was a gamble that
paid off. After four painful months of waiting I finally
got my 457 visa approved.
As for me now , I’m so happy and have a wonderful
life with my girlfriend in North Melbourne. We have a
great house, great friends and are close to the markets
which allows me to cook all sorts of lovely foods. My
life in Melbourne has so much more than it did in
Scotland. I miss Scotland but not the weather.
I am planning on applying for my permanent residency
in the next few months.
58
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Clodagh moved to Australia in November 2011. Originally from
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