All you need to know about the Working Holiday Visa when coming to Australia: You must be under 31 to be eligible for the Working Holiday Visa (WHV), Only certain countries are eligible (go to www.immi.gov.au) for more information. It is a one year visa and you can only work with one employer for up [...]
When working and travelling in Australia, one term that will likely be new to you, is superannuation. But it is important to understand what it is and what you are legally eligible for. What is Superannuation? It is similar to a pension plan but in Australia they call it Superannuation. When working here, you will [...]
Now here’s a game that Canadian teachers in Australia could bring out to play with Australians and not only is the game fun, but they will learn so much about Canada! In fact, even as a Canadian, you are likely to learn something about your own country! Check out their website as they even have [...]
Yes it does seem strange to say, Canada Day in Winter but for Canadian teachers in Australia, this is when we celebrate Canada Day. We won’t be having BBQ’s or sipping Caesar’s, instead we will be heading to an ice hockey game, going skatingor perhaps staying warm at the pub. Does Australia really get a winter? [...]
Is it true that everything in Australia is more expensive? When teachers from Canada, and USA arrive in Melbourne, Australia one of the first things they say is that they can’t believe how expensive things are. But is this just a bit of culture shock?; or have they not taken into account the exchange rate [...]
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3 things to NOT like about Footy/Australian Rules Football/AFL/Aussie Rules? What happens with the players off the field! It is something a struggle with each time I watch a game knowing the number of players who have had drinking or drug issues; rape charges & uncharged; are rude in public. As key role models for kids in Australia, [...]
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5 things to love about Footy/Australian Rules Football/AFL/Aussie Rules? If you like sports & athletics, this is the sport for you! A combination of rugby, soccer, basketball, football all put together with a heck of a lot of running (cricket oval size field). Fast pace, few interruptions – the game flows withonly stoppage if someone is [...]
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Blog Series – Post 1 Before we can discuss the likes and dislikes of Australian Rules Football, its best to explain a little bit about what it is for new readers not from Australia. A little bit about Australian Rules Football Also called: Aussie Rules, AFL, footy Its a sport played in Australia that originated [...]
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January – New Year’s Firework Celebration; Australian Open; Midsumma Festival; Melbourne Zoo Twilights; February – St.Kilda Festival; NAB AFL begins; March – Australian Grand Prix; Melbourne Queer Film Festival; Moomba Festival; Melbourne Food & Wine Festival; April – Australian Rules Football season begins; Melbourne International Comedy Festival; Bells Beach Surfing Championships; School holidays – if [...]
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The Aussie are so hardcore at Customs, they even attempted to capture the drama in a reality TV show called “Border Control“. Why the Drama? You see, Australia’s had a bad run of importing foreign material. In the past, it was thought ‘harmless’ to bring in certain comforts from ‘home shores’. Anyone who’s been up [...]
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The leaves that once strewn the sidewalks have now been kicked to the gutter! Or have they? That’s the Melbourne winter difference–the leaves get to stick around. After Autumn, the weather doesn’t change that much. The roses will still be in bloom and lemons will be growing on backyard trees. It is dark now around [...]
When I moved to Australia with my partner we had no one on the other side to help us. Even though we had each lived abroad internationally previously—and even though we were moving to an English-Speaking country—it was extremely intimidating. (But that’s another story you can read about in About the Teach’N’Traveller Blog!) We wanted [...]
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The CBD explained: CBD: Central Business District. The CBD is a neatly grafted square of streets. Most of the hills have been levelled. The city was once very muddy as it slid down into the banks of the Yarra River/swap. There were the Yarra Falls (which can’t really be seen anymore) and the Docklands made [...]
Continue reading about What is the “CBD”? (Part 10: 10 Things to Know Before Moving to Melbourne)
The Internet works totally different in Australia compared to the rest of the world. In Singapore and Vietnam, you get free internet in the airports and hotels—which best articulates of how prolific our dependence, and expectations, are of the internet. However, in Australia, they have managed to make people pay per/download. It is ludicrous I [...]
The Australian Dollar vs. The Canadian Dollar The market keeps fluctuating with the Australian dollar recently decreasing significantly below the Canadian dollar. Previously the two were quite even. Canada has always had a bit of an upper edge on the Australian dollar, but for 2006-2008, this has been less than a 10 cent difference on [...]
Eating Out vs. Buying Groceries: The tricky thing about Melbourne is that everyone eats out! Sure, this doesn’t seem so tricky, except when you see the prices and the frequency and your bank account…and you start to wonder, how the heck does everyone afford it?! However, the trickiness doesn’t end there. Groceries will seem expensive [...]
Considering there is a water-shortage in Australia, and the Australian press has made citizens very worried about water usage, the prices of water hasn’t really increased. I would think that if they really wanted people to cut down on their water use, they would start charging more for it…but that’s for another discussion. You Want [...]
Although it’s sometimes hard for us to face it (myself included) teachers are more than their job. If you don’t think teachers struggle with this, go out for dinner with a bunch—what do we talk about?? Teaching!) RULE #1:
The good news about using a mobile phone in Melbourne is that you don’t have to pay for receiving calls—somebody with a brain (not just a wallet) developed that one. However, the drawback is that there isn’t free calling after weeknights and on weekends. Similar to Canada, you can get a “pay-as-you-go” phone (Aussie for [...]
This post marks the start of a 10-post series that Leading Out has asked me to write for you. These posts will appear once a week, over the Australian summer months, to give you time to get ready for 2009. Part 1: Public Transportation in Melbourne More good news on public transport in Melbourne—
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