Or sting you into obscurity...So here are a few must know tips if you are thinking of spending time in Australia...
1. Working Holiday Visas
Very important if you want to work as you play in Oz. The Visa is linked to your passport number and is activated as soon as you cross customs into the merry old land of Oz. Once activated you have 12 months of Visa, after the 12 months you can extend the Visa by another 12 months (you can only do this once) if you stay in the country with an expired Visa an expert team are sent to hunt you down and feed you to the dingoes (or they may just deport you).
2. Tax sux!
“Yes tax, that thing that reminds you that just because you are on ‘holiday’ doesn’t mean you can get away with freeloading off the state like the scum you are” – A poster at Sydney Airport
You should get a tax code before travelling to Australia, or you can not know about it and get one when you’re out here like I did. Just search for TFN Application and away you go, it is also linked to your passport number so ‘the man’ can keep tabs on you.
If you do not have a tax code you can still work, but ‘the man’ will take 48% of anything you earn, unless you work illegally in which case you are charged with 48 funnel web spiders direct to your face!
3. Insurance
You should get this before you travel out to Oz, you can post date it so your cover starts when your trip does. Be sure to not go for the cheapest deal as it’s cheap for a reason. For example I went for a deal that covers me for 10 million pounds in injuries, which cost £270 (£270 for enough to cover an entire hospital ward), however I did find a deal that cost £100 and covered me for 10 thousand pounds (that covers the anaesthetic and not a whole lot else!)
If you are not insured and you are injured (and not eaten by sharks), Australia and the UK do have some sort of deal where the NHS can help you, but I’m not sure I’d want them sending over a box of dirty scalpels with a note saying ‘This is all we can afford, we hope your affairs are in order’ and promptly being taken to Dr. Shark.
4. Work
I walked down the street and got an interview thanks to my experience in ‘being a lucky piece of shit’, but you may need to look a bit harder. If you want to work as one of those fancy coffee guys you need to take a course. If you want to work in construction you need to take a course. If you want to sell alcohol (eg Bar Work) you will need an RSA (Responsible Sale of Alcohol) certificate (which you get after a course). If you do not have one everybody in a 2 mile radius gets fined and you are sent to the northern territories to work as a crocodile tooth pick.
There are 2 different kinds of RSA, one that covers Sydney (and for an extra $10, Victoria) and another that covers everywhere else. The latter can be obtained online but the Sydney one needs your ugly mug to turn up and sit down for 6 hours. The RSA has no expiry date, but after getting one you may wonder if you actually want the risk of being constantly fined all the time. I'm sure they are still hiring crocodile tooth picks...
5. Accommodation
There are loads of hostels all over the place, if you look at sites like HostelWorld.com you’ll get a rough idea of costs so you can wince accordingly. One thing I have noticed is that HostelWorld.com doesn’t show ‘cost per week’ but just sticks to ‘cost per day’, however it might be an idea to call/visit the hostel before booking as they may have some ‘long term discounts’. The hostel I’ve chosen has a weekly rate that saves about $7 when compared to just getting 7 days, add that up over a couple of months and you’ve saved $28, which is $28 more than you would have if you just booked online.
The alternative is to sleep on the streets and let the huntsman spiders use your head as a lookout spot.
That’s about all I have for now, no doubt if I think of anything else I’ll post it with more pictures of dangerous creatures and funny captions.
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| Deport you to HELL! |
“Yes tax, that thing that reminds you that just because you are on ‘holiday’ doesn’t mean you can get away with freeloading off the state like the scum you are” – A poster at Sydney Airport
You should get a tax code before travelling to Australia, or you can not know about it and get one when you’re out here like I did. Just search for TFN Application and away you go, it is also linked to your passport number so ‘the man’ can keep tabs on you.
If you do not have a tax code you can still work, but ‘the man’ will take 48% of anything you earn, unless you work illegally in which case you are charged with 48 funnel web spiders direct to your face!
 |
| This times 48 |
You should get this before you travel out to Oz, you can post date it so your cover starts when your trip does. Be sure to not go for the cheapest deal as it’s cheap for a reason. For example I went for a deal that covers me for 10 million pounds in injuries, which cost £270 (£270 for enough to cover an entire hospital ward), however I did find a deal that cost £100 and covered me for 10 thousand pounds (that covers the anaesthetic and not a whole lot else!)
If you are not insured and you are injured (and not eaten by sharks), Australia and the UK do have some sort of deal where the NHS can help you, but I’m not sure I’d want them sending over a box of dirty scalpels with a note saying ‘This is all we can afford, we hope your affairs are in order’ and promptly being taken to Dr. Shark.
 |
I walked down the street and got an interview thanks to my experience in ‘being a lucky piece of shit’, but you may need to look a bit harder. If you want to work as one of those fancy coffee guys you need to take a course. If you want to work in construction you need to take a course. If you want to sell alcohol (eg Bar Work) you will need an RSA (Responsible Sale of Alcohol) certificate (which you get after a course). If you do not have one everybody in a 2 mile radius gets fined and you are sent to the northern territories to work as a crocodile tooth pick.
There are 2 different kinds of RSA, one that covers Sydney (and for an extra $10, Victoria) and another that covers everywhere else. The latter can be obtained online but the Sydney one needs your ugly mug to turn up and sit down for 6 hours. The RSA has no expiry date, but after getting one you may wonder if you actually want the risk of being constantly fined all the time. I'm sure they are still hiring crocodile tooth picks...
 |
| It's a good job if you can put up with the cheesy chat up lines |
There are loads of hostels all over the place, if you look at sites like HostelWorld.com you’ll get a rough idea of costs so you can wince accordingly. One thing I have noticed is that HostelWorld.com doesn’t show ‘cost per week’ but just sticks to ‘cost per day’, however it might be an idea to call/visit the hostel before booking as they may have some ‘long term discounts’. The hostel I’ve chosen has a weekly rate that saves about $7 when compared to just getting 7 days, add that up over a couple of months and you’ve saved $28, which is $28 more than you would have if you just booked online.
The alternative is to sleep on the streets and let the huntsman spiders use your head as a lookout spot.
 |
| Your fear sustains them |
So have you sorted out the tax thing...and when do you start work and move to the hostel?
ReplyDeleteI just saw an advert for HostelHorld.com on TV, strange seeing as I had never heard of it until I read this blog entry earlier today. Also, I am wondering when you are going to be on Poms in Paradise, as apparently you are a pom, and it is clear you are in fact in paradise.
ReplyDeleteMy tax number will come through next week. I haven't had the interview yet (it's on Tuesday) so I don't know when I'll start work.
ReplyDeleteI had never heard of 'Poms in paradise' until I read that comment today, I might apply to be on it, unless it's on Channel 5, I hate Channel 5.