Hints And Tips

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Hints And Tips; Do's, donts and sayings
Topic Started: Apr 21 2007, 08:58 AM (617 Views)
cathnpaul	Apr 21 2007, 08:58 AM Post #1
Moderator - Croc. the yellow ribbon is for Maddy.x Posts: 464 Group: Members Member #21 Joined: October 29, 2006	Thought some of you may find this useful/amusing... basically its information gathered from people who have already emigrated... there is tons but worth the read. Paul if its any good is it worth pinning to the top of the forum??? Get a brew, sit down, relax and enjoy the read.... 1.Be careful if your sat at traffic lights waiting to turn and there is a crossing. When they change people can cross the road even though the lights are red. 2.Never drop in on someone else's wave when surfing. 3.Always put the steaks on before the snags. 4.It's called the ocean, not the sea. 5.Bin day is a weekly 36 hour-long festival. 6.Cruise control is a licence saver. 7.Always check your change 8.Always check the expiry date on food packaging 9.Always have a can of fly killer handy 10Always get a place with aircon (and that doesn’t mean our own KK Dave!!) 11.Never leave your dirty clothes on the floor, the white tails love this. 12.Never speed, you will get caught, even a few k over the limit 13.Always park in the direction of the traffic or obey the parking signs 14.Don't daydream on walks, watch where you put your feet. Nothing so grumpy as a basking snake with your size 10's on it's tail. 15. always wear a hat 16.always wear sunscreen or clothing that covers the skin 17.always carry bottles of water 18.Call football soccer or everyone will think you're talking about AFL 19.Don't let your dog off the lead unless there's a sign saying so. Rangers lurk everywhere! 20.If you want chips, it's hot chips, otherwise you'll get crisps. 21.In the summer put your washing out at night! saves it over drying and fading. 22.Always check under the doona for stowaways! 23.Always give the washing a good shake outside before bringing into the house. 24.Don't buy loads of fruit and veg in one go, it goes off real quick, better to buy a small amount every couple of days. 25.Don't put the sun visor down in the car while you are driving..make sure you are stationary,,just in case of spiders. 26.Never ever say I have been having a root around, it means something a bit different over here 27.Get used to calling an engine a motor. 28.A strimmer is called a whipper snipper. 29.A jubilee clip is called an hose clip. 30.A golf buggy is called a cart and a golf trolley is called a buggy 31.Don't get your English thongs and your Aussie thongs confused 32.Don't put your washing out at night if you have bats around, you'll never get the cr*p out of the clothes 33.Don't go out in the midday sun. Especially don't lie out in it for a long time. You will get sunstroke. It gives you killer headaches and makes you vomit. 34.Always park in the shade. 35.Keep all your fruit and veges in the fridge. In fact keep just about everything in the fridge. 36.Don't try and grow tomatoes outside in summer. They cook on the vine! Well in outback Queensland they do. 37.If you live in Queensland, don't live in a brick house. The traditional wooden Queenslander house was built for this climate and there is usually no need for air conditioners in them. 38.Expect that when you make friends here they might just pop round anytime. 39.Buy whitegoods etc with cash and then you can ask for a discount. This applies to using your EFTPOS (Switch) card as well. 40.When you are using your top loader washing machine for the first time and you have overloaded it and it stops spinning suddenly, just open it up and redistribute the items inside rather than angrily ringing the manufacturer and demanding a refund for a faulty item! 41.Expect to stand on the escalator all the way up and down regardless of how rushed you might be. There is so stand on the left rule here. 42.Expect to fill in a tax form every year. 43.Learn to scare off the other 15 potential tenants, looking at the same house as you at the same viewing, by pointing out loudly any faults. It hasn't worked for us yet but we keep trying. 44.Get a job lined up before you get here if at all possible. 45.Get used to being called a Pom and expect all sorts of assumptions about the UK that have been formed from movies where everyone is upper middle class, upper or royal. 46.When it all seems just too hot and it seems like Summer is never going to end just cast your mind back to those days when in deepest Winter in the UK you imagined the day you could once again walk outside in a short sleeved shirt. Because if you live in Queensland all year round you will be able to do that. Even in Winter by midday it is usually warm enough to take off the jumper or cardie. So that is another rule. Never forget the jumper or cardie in Winter when you set off out for the day because when night falls you will need it. 47.When your second Australian winter arrives and you're shivering with the cold, remember it's only 8 weeks long, not 8 months, so be thankful 48.Sweets are 'lollies' but ice pops are 'paddle pops' and lollypops are 'lollies' or 'lollypops' 49.Don't waste money buying Cockcroach traps, I've not yet seen a cockcroach small enough to fit in the traps hole, they just use it as a step to reach things. 50.Don't buy cleaning products that say something like "And it really works" on the tin. It doesn't. 51.Each state is very different, assume nothing because we all know what assuming does, makes an ass out of you and me. NSW is the worst state for stealth taxes and over regulation, also the most expensive state to drive in. 52.Remember you can't take your dogs into national parks. 53.Don't bother with ant sand, the houses are too big and the ant sand bottle way too small. Buy ant traps instead and put them in the path of the ants, kills the nest within days. 54.Don't leave un-eaten dog food on the floor, The ants love it, so do the flies. 55.If you see a snake or other nasty in the house, don't run away, keep your eye on it and call for help, You will never sleep well again, if you let it get away and can't find it. 56.Creatures get in through light fittings in the ceiling so fill the gaps with pollyfiller. 57.Make sure your outside doors all have creature seals on them. 58.Don't have turn ups on your trousers. 59.Always poke your mail in the mail box before you take it out, The fireants seem to like it in there. 60.we call skivers - bludgers, 61.ice lollys - ice blocks, icey poles or ice creams (depending on the variety) 62.sweets – lollies 63.trousers - pants (always get weird looks in the UK when I'm talking about what 'pants' I wore on my night out!!) 64.if you are called a spunk - take it as a compliment and not that someone has just called you a sperm 65.Polo necks are called Skivvys 66.jumpers are called Windcheaters 67.bodywarmers are Vests 68.Don't expect to be 'let out' from a side-turning anytime this decade - just barge out unapologetically. 69.If you let someone out of a side-turning and they thank you with a wave - they're British. 70.Receipt is a docket. 71.Lolly-shop is a sweet shop. 72.Slab is a box or crate of 24 beers. 73.Five dollars will last you approximately 15 minutes if you bet 10-lines a go on the pokies 74.Twat is wholly different thing to twot 75.bedding is called Manchester 76.a sideboard is called a "buffet 77.Vests are singlet 78.courgette is zucchini 79.spring onion is challots 80.challots are brown onions 81.buy safeway- good taste magazine every motnh, it helped me get to know, whats what with food and whats in season etc and good recipes as well 82.tuesdays in victoria is cheap day for petrol so fill up 83.dont buy cadburys, buy dove(exact same as galaxy) 83.take passports everywhere when you first get here, for id 84.always take a plate of something going to a barbie, even if they tell you not to, take some sort of food or snacky thing. 85.take your own drink ALWAYS 86.expect people to undertake on left and fly in front of you on roads 87.spray bottom of legs at night if in garden or barbecuing in dark for mozzie bites 88.buy in bulk (telfast) from pharmacy for mozzie bites, anti histimine. mozzies love the british blood as very sweet apparently. 89.eat plenty of fresh garlic, deters mozzies apparently and also vitamin b6 expect to take little virus's and bugs when you arrive as immune system low and getting used to climate change etc 90.layby your xmas toys/gifts at end of june/july to get them at sale price 91.if you dont have a big fridge, get a spare for garage for summer for drinks and beers etc 92.keep money aside for kids school, unexpected , fundraising , excursions and books, uniforms, outings, and more books etc even if at public 93.dont get disheartened when applying for jobs if they dont get back to you, very few send refusal letters, in fact nobody really does 94.buy an esky(coolbox) as soon as you arrive, most used thing here 95.dont bring uk, dvd/tv combis as cant get signal for tv channels, only good for watching dvd 96.dont leave any water round sink at night or on draining board, attracts the ants 97.get used to having quick showers 98.if you dont ride a bike, learn and get one, as the done thing here 99.a router for wireless internet is called a (rowter), or they may think you mean something else 100the toot is the loo(toilet) 101.watch that speed as they are watching you 102.buy bisto gravy granuals from english lolli shop as all other makes, rotten if you like a roast 103.get into pumpkin, and used to it 104.always haggle 105.suss out the markets and buy your jams, dressings, marmalades, oils and dips as much better and fresher than supermarkets 106.be prepared to put a little weight on as socialising means eating and drinking here all the time. 107.expect the unexpected from back home to keep in touch and most likely suspects to drift away with contact as they all move on and you eventually become distant 108.never leave house without sun glasses, even saw a bride get her wedding pics taken in her sunny's 109.most importantly make expats friends, they are only ones who know what your going through and will be great help and support. 110.No one has mentioned flyby's. Flybys are a loyalty point system used everywhere and everyone to justify paying yearly fees for credit cards etc. 111.You need about a zillion points for a pack of polo's so I would highly recommend the Virgin Australia credit card. No Flybys and no yearly fee. 112. Your great credit rating in the uk counts for nothing here. 113. You need 6 months of proof of Australian income before being allowed a credit card. Make sure you don't cancel your UK credit cards, you will need them. 114.Beware the products advertised with no fees whatsoever as they then say something like. "No line rental, just $30 a month!!" WTF is the $30 a month then if it isn't a line rental. 115.take passport to post office when sending anything back home. 116.Drivers licence (not driving) - in NSW you have to pay for it. And get it renewed every few years. And pay for the priviledge. 117.Demerit points - are taken off your licence, not added. Once you lost all your points, you're buggered. Over public holidays, double demerit points are in place, so you can lose your license in one foul swoop (eg 6 are taken off if you're speeding, and if one of your passengers isn't wearing a seat belt, instead of the usual 3, adds up to 12, bye bye licence.) 118.Bank holidays - are called public holidays. Depending which state you're in, you'll get different ones. In NSW, we don't get a public holiday for horse racing (unlike other states)... we do get the Queen's birthday off (next June). 119.On a lifeguard-patrolled beach, swim between the flags, otherwise you'll piss the lifeguards off and possibly drown. 120.Surfboards hurt if they crash into you, so avoid swimming near surfers. 121.Learn about rips - you're more likely to drown in one of those than be eaten by a shark. 122.Smoking is banned on some beaches. However, no one has ever been fined. 123.Pubs - are called hotels. 124.Hotels - are called hotels. Confusing, yes. 125.SLUG - single lock up garage. DLUG - double lock up garage. 126.Off licenses - are called bottle shops. Some of these are drive through ones, some are normal shops. 127.RSLs, bowling clubs, league clubs etc - you need to be a member to use their facilities, or you can sign yourself in as a temporary member (usually with some sort of ID) if you live more than a certain distance away. Once in, the beer and pool tables tend to be cheaper, if you can put up with wall to wall sport. 128.Bare foot bowling - big in Sydney. Crown green bowling, with no shoes on. 129.Pokie machines - gaming machines that can be found in most pubs etc, usually with society's undesirables glued to them. 130.Woolworths (NSW) - isn't the same as Woolworths in England. It's a supermarket. 131.Anzac Day - a really important event in the Australian calendar, even more so than Remembrance Day. 132.Two-up - a ridiculously simple betting game that is played on Anzac Day. 133.Melbourne Cup day - another really important event. Most people have a bet and get drunk. 134.Chook raffles / meat trays - chickens and assorted meat items, and sometimes fruit and veg, seafood, and booze, are raffled off at places like RSL clubs. Unless you are somewhere upmarket, the produce will be very cheap and nasty. 135.Wine box - is called a wine cask 136.Do not berate your host if you are given a glass of cold, sparkling red wine. It's popular here. 137.Do not be fooled if your h'ost gives you a glass of sparkling white wine that tastes of cat's piss and calls it champagne. It isn't. 138.Do however, take advantage (if you are female) of the free 'champagne' that many classy establishments offer the ladieees on certain nights of the week. 139.Pasta - pronounce as 'paaars-ter' 140.Yoghurt - pronounce as 'yo-gert' 141.Coogee - pronounce as 'cudg-ee' not coo-gee 142.Bathurst - pronounce using the northern 'bath' not the southern 'bath' 143.Kebabs - come in wraps, not pitta bread. And not called kebabs in other states... however, still popular after a night out 144.Fish and chip shops - you will be hard pressed to find cod on the menu. Or rock salmon. Calamari is popular. Vinegar tends to be white, not brown malt variety. 145.Prescriptions - each pack of medication will cost you (no getting the doctor to write you six months on one prescription so you pay just one fee, here you pay for each pack). 146.Medical fees - having medical tests can cost you a lot, even if covered by medicare. Medicare refunds only part of the cost, and often doctors charge more than what medicare says the fees should be (the so-called gap). 147.Health insurance - if you earn over a certain amount ($50k as a single person) you'll get penalised if you don't have private health care with an additional levy on your salary. If you're over a certain age, and don't get health insurance within one year of arriving as a PR, you'll pay an additional premium on your health insurance. 148.MOTs - are called registration safety inspections in NSW, and are part of a system of coloured slips (pink, blue and green) entitling you to drive a vehicle on the public roads. 149.School kids - in return for getting free fares, they're meant to give up their seats on public transport for fare paying adults. Some kids are polite and will do this. Others are little gits. 150.Spruiking - they're all at it. Don't ask me what it means though.
	LATE JUNE 2007, IS THE START OF <span style='font-family:Arial'>A NEW LIFE DOWN UNDER</span>


airconkid	Apr 21 2007, 09:10 AM Post #2
MODERATOR- Great White Posts: 637 Group: Members Member #25 Joined: November 14, 2006	Bloody hell "Sheila", how long did it take to write that little lot out??? Some brill info there mate. Airconkid
	Grab the cane toad by the legs and go for it, life is too short to wander "What if...." or "If only...." Now LOVING *"A New Life Down Under"*


cathnpaul	Apr 21 2007, 09:13 AM Post #3
Moderator - Croc. the yellow ribbon is for Maddy.x Posts: 464 Group: Members Member #21 Joined: October 29, 2006	airconkid Apr 21 2007, 07:10 PM Bloody hell "Sheila", how long did it take to write that little lot out??? Some brill info there mate. Airconkid Your bit is question 10 mate x with regards to how long... you will know exactly how long.
	LATE JUNE 2007, IS THE START OF <span style='font-family:Arial'>A NEW LIFE DOWN UNDER</span>


alison	Apr 22 2007, 03:17 PM Post #4
Taipan Posts: 58 Group: Members Member #105 Joined: March 23, 2007	Cath That was great - please tell us some more



cathnpaul	Apr 22 2007, 06:56 PM Post #5
Moderator - Croc. the yellow ribbon is for Maddy.x Posts: 464 Group: Members Member #21 Joined: October 29, 2006	alison Apr 23 2007, 01:17 AM Cath That was great - please tell us some more Thank you Alison I will add as I find things out now worriesx
	LATE JUNE 2007, IS THE START OF <span style='font-family:Arial'>A NEW LIFE DOWN UNDER</span>


jo90	Apr 23 2007, 02:41 PM Post #6
Taipan Posts: 129 Group: Members Member #93 Joined: March 6, 2007	Oh my God! i needed a chocolate fix half way through that! Fantastic tips Cath! Jo
	[SIZE=7] Jo (32) Craig (32) Ruby (3)


airconkid	Apr 23 2007, 03:25 PM Post #7
MODERATOR- Great White Posts: 637 Group: Members Member #25 Joined: November 14, 2006	jo90 Apr 23 2007, 03:41 PM Oh my God! i needed a chocolate fix half way through that! Fantastic tips Cath! Jo Watch your cat don't fight you for it Jo90...........!!!! Aircon
	Grab the cane toad by the legs and go for it, life is too short to wander "What if...." or "If only...." Now LOVING *"A New Life Down Under"*


cathnpaul	Apr 23 2007, 04:31 PM Post #8
Moderator - Croc. the yellow ribbon is for Maddy.x Posts: 464 Group: Members Member #21 Joined: October 29, 2006	jo90 Apr 24 2007, 12:41 AM Oh my God! i needed a chocolate fix half way through that! Fantastic tips Cath! Jo Now seems wierd you calling me Cath!! got used to Catherine from you haha. Glad you liked the tips..they seem to be a positive for all. Glad collated it all now.
	LATE JUNE 2007, IS THE START OF <span style='font-family:Arial'>A NEW LIFE DOWN UNDER</span>


Bex	May 24 2007, 09:32 PM Post #9
Redback Posts: 9 Group: Members Member #124 Joined: May 24, 2007	:rolleyes: OMG! Will I ever remember all that - thanx for the tips! Bex
	[SIZE=1]Australia here we come!


cathnpaul	May 25 2007, 04:07 AM Post #10
Moderator - Croc. the yellow ribbon is for Maddy.x Posts: 464 Group: Members Member #21 Joined: October 29, 2006	Bex May 24 2007, 09:32 PM :rolleyes: OMG! Will I ever remember all that - thanx for the tips! Bex Is that Bex Bex by any chance???? I know what you mean about remembering it all - but its good to read - how much is absorbed is another matter. haha.
	LATE JUNE 2007, IS THE START OF <span style='font-family:Arial'>A NEW LIFE DOWN UNDER</span>


the mortons	May 21 2008, 10:34 PM Post #11
Redback Posts: 13 Group: Members Member #178 Joined: February 8, 2008	THINK I WILL HAVE TO PRINT THIS OUT AND REVISE REVISE REVISE the mortons x



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