LSD MELBOURNE ADVISE PLEASE

[Stranded]

Hi Melbourne

It is with great excitement that we have decided to come look around Melbourne, seeing that Hubby would love to stay in your city and me in Brisbane. So in May we will be spending 6 days in Melbourne and 6 days in Brisbane.

I need your best advice please?

Coming to Melbourne in May 2010, with the new VAustralia airline.

Just the 2 of us, and Hubby is very bad about hygiene and safety. Me, well I am easy...

As always, money is extremely tight so I need your money saving tips!

1) Campervan or car rental, money wise best option?

- Do we even need to rent a car with your public transport system?

- Where will we sleep over with the campervan?

- Would public transport be good enough to use during the day, or can we travel and park the van during the day?

2) Caravan parks with chalets, are they safe and clean, which ones is best central if we look around?

3) Getting to Brisbane from Melbourne, what is fin. best option, keeping time in mind?

Any advise would be welcome? The net is just to big and to much, I struggle to follow, so the dumb one is coming to you for help please?

Stranded

[Mara]

Hi Stranded, glad to hear you are going to visit our lovely city. Now let me try and answer your questions.

Travel - If you have a campervan, you can sleep over in a caravan park, but why do that, just hire a chalet, as campervans are pretty expensive to hire and then you still have to pay for your campsite. If you are planning on seeing the rest of Victoria, then you may need to hire a car for a day or two, but if you only wish to explore Melbourne, then public transport should be fine for the six days.

Caravan parks are very safe and clean, if you want something fairly central and on a public transport route, then look at the following websites:

Coburg North : http://melbourne-holiday-park.vic.big4.com.au/

Craigieburn North : http://www.apollogardens.com.au/

Getting from Brisbane to Melbourne would be to travel by air. By road the distance is 1800 - 2000klms, depending on which route you take. It is a two day trip, and whilst you want to see a lot on your LSD, I don't think that this is a good use of your time. Here is a website that I use for booking all of our staff's local travel in Australia.

http://www.webjet.com.au/

Hope this information is what you were looking for.

I have also sent you a PM.

[elleneo]

Seeing as you only 2 adults I agree with Mara...I think a small "studio" furnished apartment will do fine for you in Melbourne so you are central to everything, Use public transport to get to the cbd,st kilda (my favourite) and surrounds and then I would then hire a car for 2 days or so, then you can explore the outer suburbs of melbourne, east and west and south-east to get a feel of the areas available to you to rent in when you first arrive. General rule is that closer to the cbd the more expensive the suburb is.

If you keen on holiday parks there are "discovery holiday parks" http://www.discoveryholidayparks.com.au but id think you would want to be closer to the cbd and suburbs for an LSD trip.

Try www.stkildastayz.com.au for furnished apartments close to the cbd, in what i call "the melville of victoria" we stayed there and enjoyed it, colourful people and very arty.

[Retha B]

Hi all

My hubby plans to go to Melbourne/Vic and stay for 6-8weeks to try and secure a job - in May/June 2010

He has already arranged for leave at his workplace here in SA and they know his reasons for coming to Aus - but are nevertheless still supportive.

we need some tips:

- Can he do contract work in Aus while still employed in SA - we have PR and have already validated our visas in 2009.

- Does he have to get a tax nr in Aus if he gets contract work?

- Does he have to do his drivers lisence during this time - or can it stay over until we finally relocate?

- Best place to stay for 6 weeks?

- how to go about this whole expedition? He does not want to waste time, so must he line up some interviews with recruitment agencies or just try and get contract work as soon as he arrives (he is in Finance/accounting/uni lecturing - a qualified CA) but will do any type of contract work whilst there.

Any advise will be appreciated!

[Stranded]

Hi Elleneo and Mara

Thank you for all the advise, I will be spending my data package, surfing those links!!

Much appreciated

Stranded

[Mara]

Hi RethaB

Sorry just saw your questions:

- Can he do contract work in Aus while still employed in SA - we have PR and have already validated our visas in 2009.

Yes, but there could be tax implications, best to get advice from someone in the know!

- Does he have to get a tax nr in Aus if he gets contract work?

Yes, and for that he has to supply an Australian address.

- Does he have to do his drivers lisence during this time - or can it stay over until we finally relocate?

This is a difficult one, as it is suggested that his three months start from when he first enters the country. So in that instance I would be inclined to say yes.

- Best place to stay for 6 weeks?

It all depends on what he wishes to pay, but on his own, he may want to try and find share accommodation in Melbourne for the time that he is here. There are many links in google : http://www.google.com.au/search?source=ig&...mp;aq=f&oq=

- how to go about this whole expedition? He does not want to waste time, so must he line up some interviews with recruitment agencies or just try and get contract work as soon as he arrives (he is in Finance/accounting/uni lecturing - a qualified CA) but will do any type of contract work whilst there.

You did not state whether or not he has already done his conversion? I guess he would be wise to line up interviews before he arrives then, but please remember that Australia is not an 'instant' country with 'instant' answers. It could take anything from 'immediate' to 'six weeks' or 'longer' to get an offer from a company where you have applied for a job. Their process can sometimes be very slow. With regard to the contract work, I cannot answer that because, if he has not done his conversion, I think he may have a problem. If he has done his conversion, I do not know if he is going to come up against the 'need Aussie experience' problem.

Sorry if these were not the answers you had hoped for, if there is anything else, please shout.

[NotLookingBack]

- Does he have to do his drivers lisence during this time - or can it stay over until we finally relocate?

This is a difficult one, as it is suggested that his three months start from when he first enters the country. So in that instance I would be inclined to say yes.

It is actually 6 months in Victoria. See http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/Licenc...ersLicences.htm

If you are in Victoria on a permanent visa issued under the Migration Act 1958, you may drive on your overseas driver licence for:

* six months from the date you first entered Australia (if the permanent visa was issued before you entered Australia); or,

* six months from the date when the permanent visa was issued to you (if the permanent visa was issued to you in Australia)

[Retha B]

Thank you both Mara and Notlookingback!

All the info is of great value - if I read between the lines it may be better for him to do conversions first, otherwise he will not even get employment..so why the effort/expense of going to find a job? He has some homework to do!

Retha