australia

[Tharuna]

hi everybody,

am in chennai rt now. will be travelling to sydney for a project with my husband and two year old kid. please guide me on the lifestyle in australia and what to pack for australia. will be there for around 1 year in australia.

1.Should i carry mixie/grinder. (i had a butterfly mixee for US and dumped it there when i came back to india)
2.what special things should i pack for my kid?

any advice please?

[Braandan]

Yes, carry the mixer and grinder.
Do not carry any food or bilogical articles (customs is very strict about this). all indian variety of food
(even palakkadan mattai arisi) is available here.

All Kids food is available in good quality. Any food material for the kid will not be allowed in anyway.
all medicine for kids are also available. Prescribed medicines have to be prescribed (not over the counter as in India)

It is cold here now, carry enough woollen clothes and specially for the kid. Until September it would be cold here.

Send me a pm when you are here, I will contact you.

Nothing tough about the lifestyle. Within 2 weeks you can settle in a rented unit. Your Indian driving license is valid for 3 months if you are PR visa or always valid for work-visa.

Please ask specific question for more answers.

[Badri]

I think driving license is valid only for the 1st year on a WP

[Deepapriya]

Hi Tharuna,
I came two years back to Australia with my husband and my six months old daughter.She is two and a half year old now. We have settled in here. We can bring the child food and medicines but we have to disclose about all the things we are bringing. We can even bring masala varieties and powders. But they must be in a transparent containers or covers with a proper label. You have not to bring any fresh fruits, pickles and all. Any way when we are coming in for the first time the customs will just warn us if we are bringing anything illegal. After the first time they will definitely take some legal actions.

I brought a big basket ful of medicines and formula for my girl.

The warm clothes are necessary for this climate.

[Braandan]

You must be ready to go to the "Red Channel" queue if you are going to declare things, never try to go thru "Green Channel" queue if you carry medicines food etc and you have not written them down in the declaration form..

I thought I can ease the new-comers from standing in the Red Channel queue (about 30 minutes or more) with a kid..
that is why, I advised them not to bring any thing..

I generally do not bring in anything..

[Deepapriya]

You are correct Braandan. We were on the queue for nearly an hour with my sleeping daughter. I didnt bring any stroller. So I had to carry her and some luggages. That was really a terrible experience.

[Tharuna]

thank u deepapriya and braandan for ur prompt replies.
what brands of mixee and grinder do u have with u ? i hope its the same 110 volts as in US?
any idea about the weight restrictions for the luggage. i dont know as of now about which airlines i'll be put up . i jus want an idea about it.

[Braandan]

It is not 110 volts here. It is the same as in India, because I used the one which I bought from India. Just I needed extra was the plug-point adapter (universal adapter) and it started working. Unlike US, switches are just like in India (down for ON and up for OFF). Australia is part of Commonwealth just like India. For driving it is 'Left is right and right is wrong'.

[Tharuna]

thanx once again braandan.
deepapriya, how about the food for kids over there. can u suggest
some brand names for a nourishing drink (he takes junior horlicks over here) and some breakfast cereal or something like that. can u jus give me some general details about the food available for kids ?

are the apartments in sydney generally fully furnished?. what are the basic facilities i can expect in any apartment? (am planning to stay somewhere around St.Leonard's suburb). what will be the average cost of a single bedroom apartment?. The company is giving us a hotel accomodation for a single week after which we have to find our own . can i look around for something in the rent-a-home.com.au ?.

[Deepapriya]

Hi Tharuna,

For the kids, here is a formula named NAN or you can have some indian items like cerelac, farex in some Indian shops. You can get bottled food items in shoping centres. But all the kid's food items here would be without sugar and salt. My daughter doesn't like that "Chup" taste. So I add little bit sugar or pepper powder in that with salt. You can get different types of breakfast cereals here and also some healthy porridge mixes like oats, wheat, rice etc., In melbourne I am not getting Junior Horlicks but normal horlicks, complan, bournvita and boost. But for that we have to find a good Indian shop first.

I haven't been to Sydney so I am not very sure about that. May be Braandan could help you in that.

[Braandan]

For renting a "unit" (apartment is called that way here) go to the nearest propery agent (L J Hooker, Reine & Horne etc) there will be many in any suburb. Look up the notices stuck on the windows, or talk to the people inside. Tell them your present visa status and fill in necessary forms. (unitl you settle down always have your passport with you).(I got my unit even before I got my 457 visa). If you are interested in any of the ones displayed they will take you there for an inspection. Once ok, you have to pay 2 weeks rent to show your interest, they will get back to you by talking to the landlord. If the landlord is not interested you will get your money back. If not if you are taking the unit you have to pay a deposit for 4 weeks (rents are always on weekly basis), which is refunded when you leave the house. the 2 weeks rent you paid is adjusted and you can move in. Units are only furnished with hot-water boiler, kitchen stove/grill etc. You have to inspect the premises thoroughly and fill in the forms with defects you detect (else you have to pay when you leave!).

Start with second hand furniture and slowly go for new ones if you need. Single bedroom apartments are rare. 2 bed room ones are easy to find. Depending on the suburb and nearness to Rly station etc it would be 300 to 400 per week at the maximum. You can bargain with the agent and try to lower.

[Braandan]

There are many rental agents. I am just giving those which come to my mind quickly. (Popular ones).

http://www.raineandhorne.com.au
http://www.ljhooker.com.au

[Badri]

http://www.realestate.com.au is a comprehensive site which lists all rental properties available from different real estate agents and as such would be an easier option than go thro individual agent websites

[Braandan]

Thanks Badri, I had forgotten this site.