Forum Category: Australian Life

Can I become an au pair with a WHV when I found a family through an online platform?

Hi, I’m 22, from Germany and plan to become a au pair in Australia. I’ve found host families on www.AuPair.com and was wondering if it’s legal to find a host family on an online platform. Because in the USA you definitely have to go through an agency. They give a ...

Applying for student loan for second BA degree, in process of granting permanent residency visa

Currently living in the UK and applying for permanent residency visa with my wife, I already hold a BA degree from the UK but when I move to Australia I'm looking for a new career change and want to study occupation therapy, will I be eligible to apply? Because I ...

Can people please fill out my survey for year 12 Research project and share with others?

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XVXZ2J8

How do I vote from Australia for the upcoming general election in NZ?

The information on the electoral commission website is quite confusing, anyone got advice on how to vote from overseas? I'm in Melbourne and would like to vote so I can go back to NZ one day and not live in a privatised corporate junkyard.

Any tips on building a house in Oz.

I am looking to move to Australia within the next few years from the UK but as a Kiwi. I would be interested to know more about the planning permission/resource consent system in Oz and keen to hear about what kind of beast is it. I am assuming its similar ...

Melbourne or Adelaide, which one is best?

My wife and I are keen to move from Dunedin to Australia in the future. For a while we have been set on Melbourne but now I am starting to look at Adelaide as a option. Does anyone have any opinions and negative/positive comments about these 2 cities? What is ...

What about the poisonous snakes, spiders, scorpions etc mixed with pets and kids? Has this been an issue for anyone?

My wife and I are considering moving from Dunedin to Melbourne but are a little concerned about the poisonous creatures in Australia. Are we right to worry or is this not an issue? We are most concerned for our 2 dogs and our 1-year-old. Do you come across snakes within ...

My parents are retired and would like to move to Aus on the NZ pension

My parents are retired and rely on the NZ pension but would like to move to Aus to be close to their children (myself, my sister and our small children) how do they do this? It seems they can’t unless they pay extra tax on their pension (Aus side) Then ...

Finding a rental and job

Hi my husband 2 kids and myself are leaving for Perth on the 20th september. We originally had a place to stay with family but that has fallen through as they have other family coming from South Africa. (We coming from nz. We are NZ citizens.) We are needing a ...

Will a TV purchased in NZ work in Australia?

Is it worth taking electrical equipment to Australia?

Does your nz passport have to stay valid while in Australia?

I've been in Australia 7years now. My passport expired 2 years ago and haven't renewed it. I was wondering if I'm meant to keep it valid while living here or can I leave it expired and just renew when I next Intend to travel?

Where do I renew my New Zealand passport in Perth?

Are spiders a problem on the Gold Coast?

We are looking at moving to the Gold Coast to live and have 2 cats we hope to bring and 2 young boys...I do not like spiders at all!!!...My sister lived in Sydney and they had red back spiders outside on their outdoor furniture so I refused to sit out ...

Can NZ Citizens do Government Work?

Can New Zealander Citizens work for libraries in Australia? I am a librarian wanting to move to Australia. I currently work in public libraries, which mean I work for councils. I heard that New Zealanders can't work for local government in Australia. Is this correct?

Medicare Proof Doccuments

Hello, I have moved to Australia and am looking to apply for a Medicare card. It implies on the their website that they require documents from another country and that they have to be "certified" documents. I am found that most documents are being emailed these days in NZ and ...

Cost of living in Australia

What do you need to be able to drive in Australia? How do you buy a vehicle? Are WOF and registration requirements the same as here? Thanks!

Best place to live around Melbourne? (Possible relocation from UK).

Hello! We may be looking at a possible relocation to Melbourne with my husband's job. We have three young children and I was just wondering where the best places to live were around Melbourne please? His job looks like it could be in Richmond. We'd like to live about 30 ...

My experience moving to Western Australia

Hi there, Having made the move to western australia and circumnavigated there bureaucracy here are a few pointers from my personal experience. WA actually stands for "wait a while". Don't expect things to happen quickly. The wheels of govt turn very slowly! Do not use ANZ as your preferred bank. ...

This is a fantastic forum...we are also looking to move to Australia. My question is: is the grass really greener on the other side?

We intend to sell our home and pack up our house to move over to Australia. Our car is a toyota van 1997 and we were thinking of taking it over in a 20ft container with whatever other belongings we can fit around the car. Is this even possible? We ...

Will my asthma be better or worse in Australia?

We are moving to Brisbane in Feb/March 09 and my kids and I get asthma pretty bad in the winter here. I was wondering if Australia will be better or worse for us with the warmer weather?

Kiwi Moving to Melbourne

Hi All, I am in the lucky position of being offered a good job over the ditch and I am currently weighing up my options. I'm not one to bounce around, and if I decide to move from Auckland to Melbourne I'd like it to be a good long term ...

Do I still get ACC in Australia?

I receive weekly payments from ACC in New Zealand. If I move to Australia do I keep getting these payments?

Help needed for passport

Hi there, I'm in a situation where I became a guardian to my sister in laws child who was going through a mid-life crisis at the time. her baby was just 7 months old at the time. I flew to NZ from a holiday in Australia with this child to ...

I've got a gun licence in NZ, does that make it easier to get an Australian one?

What is the reality of living in Australia?

The media is saying dire things about Australia's economy 'going soft' and are portraying the country as being on the rocks! If what is written in The Age is to be believed, Victoria seems especially hard-hit. What is the reality for those of us who are getting ready to move ...

Do Kiwis get treated like second-rate citizens?

We've been wanting to move to Aus, but recently seen some bad press about Aussie being very prejudice against kiwi's for everything from jobs to university. Do we just have to prove that we can work harder, or longer with super-human talent all while sporting a winning attitude just to ...

New Zealand senior citizens moving to Australia with a South African pension.

My parents are New Zealand citizens on a South African pension and will not be working in Australia if we move there. Can anyone offer any info/advice on whether they will face any surprise costs or taxes? General advice about settling in is also welcome. I don't want this move ...

What is Australia's up and coming city?

I'm a New Zealander, and I'm thinking of relocating to Australia, except I don't know which city. From what I've read so far, Adelaide is the most affordable, Sydney is too crowded and expensive. I'm considering Brisbane or Perth at the moment. The qualities I'm looking for in a city ...

Moving to Sydney

Am planning on moving to Sydney from Christchurch later on this year, Am looking for any tips about the move, Things you wished you had known before moving, Or just anything useful that you have found Many thanks

Living in Melbourne with 2 young boys : Will it be better?

My husband is a senior graphic designer and I am working as a Business Solutions Specialist for merchant services in a bank. We earn about NZD100k as total income for our family. We owned 2 properties with 2 cars and we are quite happy with our life here in NZ ...

I'm thinking about moving to Australia, where's the best place to live there?

I'm looking for somewhere convenient and not too expensive to live and hopefully has lots of jobs maybe in the tourism industry.

What Are The Supermarket Brands In Australia?

What are the brands of supermarkets in Australia and how do they compare to brands I might be used to in New Zealand?

How much does orthodontic care cost - child needing braces

We are in the process of moving to Sydney. Our youngest child has had all her moulds etc done and are due back for her final consult before having her braces applied. The cost is approx $8000.00. How does this compare to prices in Australia, do you think we should ...

Is anyone thinking of migrating to NSW?

I notice most people are talking about moving to Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne and even Adelaide. No mention is made of Sydney or Newcastle. Is there a reason for this? Is NSW too expensive now? We are trying to decide between Brisbane (and its surrounding towns) and Sydney (and its surrounds, ...

Opinions please: New South Wales vs Queensland??

We are a Kiwi family relocating to Australia next year (2012). I am pretty much guaranteed a job regardless of which state we decide on...but would like to hear your opinions on whether to head for (fairly coastal) NSW or Queensland. What are the good towns, bad ones...any info at ...

Is it worth the move?

I am thinking of moving to Melbourne later/early next year from Auckland. But beside the lifestyle, the gap between salary vs expenses seems to be small. I am on a 40k here in NZ and my living costs here don't allow for much savings. Having read that someone spent 12k ...

Anyone know of a good kiwi chat site online?

Would like to chat with fellow kiwis - get homesick some times.

Can anyone share any information about their eczema after moving to Melbourne/Brisbane? Did it get better?

Both my girls have the dreaded eczema and I am hoping the change in climate/humidity and other environmental factors result in improving their eczema.

I'm considering following the harvest trail around parts of Australia. Like advice on what to take with me.

Contemplating following the harvest trail. What do I need to take with me to live simply?

Gay scene in Australian cities/suburbs?

I'm looking at possibly moving myself and my cats to Australia within the next few years. At the moment I'm looking mainly at Brisbane or possibly Melbourne though I would be open to moving to other cities if I had a good reason to (I consider a strong queer community ...

Racism in Adelaide?

Hi there, I'm about to move to Adelaide with my family and want to know if there is any racism that we should be concerned about. We've been living in Auckland and have had some issues pop up every now and then concerning our brown skin colour and mixed Euro/Polynesian ...

Ethnic groups in South Australia/Adelaide

I'm not meaning this to be racial or stereotyping, but what ethnic groups live in specific areas/cities/suburbs of South Australia and/or Adelaide? As most ethnic groups flock to their own community when immigrating.

How to help children cope with moving

We are thinking of moving to Australia when my son is eight and my daughter is five. I am worried about how well they will settle in at school with such a big change. Has anyone had experience in this area? What did you do to help settle them into ...

Taking my children to Australia after a divorce.

Does anyone know what legal rights I have to move my kids with me across the ditch? I'm divorved from their father and have been granted day-to-day care of the kids.

What's the easiest way of getting to the Gold Coast from Brisbane airport?

Public transport in Adelaide

Does anyone know if public transport in Adelaide is any good?? Are their buses good service and close to supermarkets and all the usual shopping places? Is Adelaide good to walk around in and get most of the usual shopping done? Are shops nearby or do you need a car ...

I am planning to migrate to Australia. Is that a good idea?

My husband is a Mechanical Engineer & I'm into software. We both have more than 7 years of experience in our respective fields. We have a 6-year-old daughter. If I migrate now will that be good for my career & enable us to comfortably?

I'm a 12-year-old kid from NZ. Will it be easy for me to move ?

I'm a 12-year-old kid from NZ. Will it be easy for me to move to Australia??

How much money do you need to move to Australia?

Is there a minimum amount of funds you need behind you before you move from NZ to Australia? And do you need proof of it?

How can I take my 3-year-old son to Australia with me?

I want to take my 3-year-old son and move to Australia but his father won't let me go. Is there any way I can move there without his permission?

Did anyone find out anything about bringing firearms to Queensland?

What do I need to prepare a 13 year old to live in Australia?

I have a 13-year-old son moving to Brizzy in Australia to live with grandparents...I guess I would like 2 know what I have to prepare for him....i.e. legally, schooling, medical, etc...to make his stay over there as stress-free as possible for myself and my parents...

Can a NZ St Johns first aid certificate be used in Australia?

Does my NZ civil union have any legal standing in Australia?

What's the cost of living in Australia?

What kind of day-to-day expenses am I looking at incurring while living in Australia? I'm looking at moving to Brisbane.

Is it really that great living in Australia? Was it a big cultural change?

Best utility service providers in Melbourne

Which are the best utility service providers in Melbourne for phone, internet and electricity? How long does it take to get connected? Also, what is the current water shortage situation like in Melbourne's outer northern suburbs? My wife and I are planning to relocate from Wellington in couple of months. ...