AU Removals & Removal Companies – Moving Quotes

Know Australia

• Freedom of Speech
• Freedom of Association
• Freedom of Assembly
• Freedom of Religion and
• Freedom of Movement

Social Etiquettes

• The value of universal brotherhood is deeply ingrained and the Australians usually call each other “Mate”.
• Just as unsolicited superiority, social or financial, is sniggered at in Australian society, so is charity. Charity is usually considered as a sign of inequality and as something that goes against the spirit of self respect. Modesty is highly appreciated.
• Women are treated with great respect and there are strict laws that deal with racial and sexual discrimination.
• Other social and dinner customs and mannerisms are that of British kind and origin.
• If you are a host, then Chocolate, Books and Flowers are appropriate gifts for you. Wine, which is produced in plenty in Australia also, has its own share of value.
• The beer culture of Australia deserves mention. Beer is bought in rounds and everyone has to go buying beer for his mates.
• Shouting or shout is another important aspect of the Australian peer group. You should shout to get included in the Australian peer group.
• Beer should be drunk quickly so that you do not fall behind your peer group. It is considered offensive to let your beer warm.

• The Business Etiquettes of Australia generally closely follow the social etiquettes.
• Work generally speaks for itself and undue stress upon titles and qualification is not welcome. Punctuality is respected and bargaining is outdated.
• Direct and Crisp deals are highly esteemed.
• Australians are warm, friendly and like people who defend their cause.
• Aggressive and Arrogant behavior is not taken in good spirit.
• Unambiguous and Blunt Speeches characterize the Australians. They are often misinterpreted as rude and undiplomatic. But the Australians are high-spirited and highly individualistic.
• To know more about Australian values and etiquettes, Click Here.

Cost of Living

Food & Drinks

• An average family of four people needs to spend around 500 euros every month for food and drinks.
• Meat in Australia is either lamb or beef which is processed and can be acquired locally.
• Fruits & Vegetables are very easy to get.
• Milk and Beef are perhaps the two cheapest available commodities in Australia.
• Water is fresh, clean and free. Australian wine is also very affordable.
• What costs more in Australia are imported products, like: Cereals, Biscuits, Beer and Imported Fish.
• Australia is widely popular for exporting Milk, Beef and some exotic products like Kangaroo meat and King Island cheeses.
• New South Wales offers Oysters and Illabo milk-fed Lamb, Victoria offers Meredith Lamb while South Australia is known for its Tuna. Other exotic foods include: Crocodile, Shark, and Ostrich and Emu meat. Anything that is locally available is affordable in Australia.

Clothing & Accessories

• Locally made Australian clothes are cheap while imported ones are expensive.
• The citizens equally wear Traditional & Modern fashion outfits. People will find several products made from the local Chinese material.
• A lot of preferred cuts and colors of Australian clothes today are reminiscent of the Chinese culture brought by the early migrants during 1800.
• Silk, Velvet and Chiffon are used to make Shawls & Coats.
• There are several cheap items available for local accessories, like, bead necklaces, bracelets, wooden earrings and anklets that are made of aboriginal roots.
• When it comes to modern fashion Australia does not lag behind. Victoria is considered as the most fashionable place in Australia. Although the locals prefer casual appearances but there are several designers available in major cities.

Housing

• Australia is in need of immigrants and that is why several housing options are available for everyone according to everyone’s comfort and preference.
• You have a whole lot of options available for you. From one room apartment to a small house with yard space or a huge area in downtown, Australia offers various housing options for its immigrants.
• Land is in excess when compared with actual number of residents.
• Housing in major cities costs more rather than living in small provinces or farmlands.
• On an average, for a family of four, the house rent or mortgage is about 400 euros.
• Utilities are also quite easily available and some states provide clean water to the residents for free. A typical family will have a bill of around 100 euros for electricity and water consumption.
• The most common way for getting a house in Australia is giving an initial deposit and then applying for the house loan.
• Public housing is offered for lower class citizens.

Health & Education

• For all the residents and immigrants the Australian government offers National Health Policies.
• The Health Service is generally subsidized and all medical services, pharmaceuticals, and health institutions receive financial assistance from the government.
• Almost 10% of the country’s total GDP is devoted to the health sector.
• Australia also put emphasis on education and every individual up to the age of 17 is ordered to stay in school.
• The public schools are free with additional allowances provided to the students. The costs are wholly or partly subsidized by the government.
• Students can also opt for private schools or universities provided that they pay for their tuition once they start earning.

Employment

Bank Accounts

• In Australia, your Income, Wages as well as Governmental Benefits are paid into Bank Accounts. So the first thing that you will do after your arrival in Australia is that you must open a bank account within six weeks of your arrival.
• Usually if you open your account within six weeks of your arrival, you will only need your passport as identification. After six weeks you will be asked for extra documents for identification.
• Opening a Bank Account in Australia is a very simple process. You need to complete a “New Account Form” and return it along with the documents required. Generally it takes five working days to process your application for new bank account.
• Once your application is processed you will receive a letter confirming your Account Number. This Account Number is your primary means of reference and should be quoted on all correspondence with the bank, any payment or transaction.
• Once your account is opened with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, you can take advantage of the foreign exchange rate.

Driving Rules

• If you hold a valid Driver’s License from another country and the license is in English, then you can drive in Australia for up to 12 months.
• But if your license is not in English, then you should carry an International Driving License or an approved translation of your license.
• If you want to be on the safe side you should carry a recognized translation of your driver’s license.
• In some states, the international driving permit is not enough.

Traffic Rules

• The first and the most important of all is that, in Australia we drive only on the left hand side.
• Both the Drivers and Passengers must always wear Seat Belts.
• Never drive if your blood alcohol level is more than 0.05%.
• The Speed Limit on highways and country roads is 100km/hr or 110km/hr, unless a lower speed limit sign is posted.
• Northern Territory is the only territory that does not have a specification of speed limit. But for safety reason, it is wise to stick to 110km/hr.
• The speed limit in residential areas is 50km/hr to 60km/hr.
• If there are no traffic lights or stop signs, give way to the right.
• You should also give way to T-intersections.
• Go around roundabouts clockwise.

Driving License

• Australian Driving Licenses are generally given at State or Territory Level. As a result the regulations vary a lot.
• A State Driving License is generally obtained within 3 months of taking residence in the state.
• You need to sit for a Practical Test unless you:
  1. Have a New Zealand Driving License
  2. Currently hold an Overseas License but had previously Australian Driving License.
  3. You hold a current License issued by an overseas country that includes EU nations, like: Canada, USA and Japan and those countries whose system of issuing Driving License is similar to that of Australia.
• If you hold an Overseas Driving License for quite sometime, then you need not follow the Probationary Restrictions once you pass the text.
• In New South Wales, often abbreviated as NSW, the most populous state in Australia, the Driving License test is a computer based theory test. This theory test can be practiced online and if you fail, it does not matter, you can try again. The cost for each attempt is 30 AUD.
• Under NSW regulation, you can also keep your Overseas Driving License once you get your NSW Driving License but it will be endorsed so that it is no longer valid in the state.
• To get a NSW Driving License, you need to prove your residential address in the state. This is quite simple. Any official letter addressing you in that address will serve the purpose.
• People those who have Temporary Visa in NSW can keep using their Overseas License for no longer than 3 months. If they wish they can take the NSW Driving License but they need to go through the test.
• In Australia you generally need to carry your Driving License all the time which is unlike the practice in UK.

Education

• If you are planning to move to Australia and you have children, you need not bother about their education. Australia is regarded highly throughout the world for its education. In fact, many of the Australian universities are compared with US or UK universities as far as the standard of education is concerned.
• Australia has a certain compulsory stages of schooling. Like a child has to start its school education at the age of five. This is the primary education. Depending on the terms time, some children start it at early four while some others start it at late six.
• Primary school is generally followed by secondary school. But some states and territories have a middle school and then a secondary school. Finally at the age of 15 to 17 students graduate and they can go for their tertiary education, like university, Technical and Further Education Colleges known as TAFE.
• Although the curriculum of the schools of all the states is based on the same standards and principles of schooling, but yet they depend on two important things: the state you are from and How do you endeavor to complete your leaving certification, for higher education or employment?
• In addition to this, it is important for the parents to know that the governmental department of Education, Science and Training governs the Australian Qualifications Framework. This is the ultimate framework on which all school leaving certificates are based.
• Once you have decided in which state you are going to live and in which area, then you can contact the local education board and see in which schools you child is eligible in.
• You can contact the school directly and enroll your child without finding out any information about additional requirements, like: uniform or learning aid. This is the good thing about Australian schools.

Healthcare

• As one of the most advanced nations in the world, Australia has a very well developed Healthcare System. If you are a citizen from UK and visiting Australia, then you can get many advantages, as your nation has a reciprocal healthcare agreement with Australia.
• There is a publicly funded healthcare scheme with which the people from UK and people from those countries with which Australia has a reciprocal agreement can get free medical treatment.
• The Australian government funds almost 70% of health related costs in Australia. With a population of over 20,434,176 citizens, the Australian government supports a healthy life expectancy with an average of 77.7 years for male and 83.6 years for female (statistics from CIA World Factbook 2007).
• However, there are a few areas which still have a drawback, like: the waiting time for non-emergency surgeries are very long and it is also difficult to get a specialists appointment unless you have a private health insurance.
• As soon as you come and start working here, you immediately begin to pay for the public healthcare scheme through your income tax. Medicare is supplement to the basic public healthcare and it subsidized the medicine bought from the pharmacy shop.

• You don’t need to wait to be seen or waited.
• You can get private rooms if you need to be hospitalized.
• When it comes to treatment, you will have the priority.
• No matter you are a citizen of Australia or not, you receive excellent basic emergency medical care.