2 weeks to go until our LSD/Activation trip to OZ! Some questions!

[BriD]

Hiya All

I am SOOOOO excited for our trip to Australia coming up very quickly now. I am finalising details and remembering things last minute etc. I am also getting nervous...hope all goes well and we simply love it there.

What I wanted to ask was:

- Is a South African Driver's license ok for car hire? Or do you need an International one?

- What sort of clothes do we need to bring for September? Is it like SA spring? Or still cold or warmer?

- How complicated will it be for us to get the Air Train from Brisbane Airport into the city? We don't have car hire for our time in Brisbane...so we need to use the public transport.

- Also in Sydney...from airport into the centre...I know it is expensive. Would it be worth it to book and pay for those train trips ahead of time? Seems you can book the tickets online?

- All the pricing seems to be for kids age 4 and up...so can I take it that my 3 year old will be our cheap person in our group or am I in for some suprises?

- On our first day in Melbourne, we will get to our accommodation around 2pm. Then we need to find somewhere to buy food and supplies for the week (we are self catering). Are there are shops you would recommend that we should head for? Or avoid? Like pricey shops over better prices and quality wise etc?

- Plug wise...I am assuming we need to find ourselves a converter plug for use with cellphone chargers and so on?

- Cell phone...is it possible to buy a prepaid sim card type thing to use while we are in Aus? We will be visiting a lot of family and friends and I don't fancy using our SA phones to communicate.

- In the same way...it is possible to buy a 3g card for our Tablets for while we are there?

Ok...that is all that I can think of right now.

All help will be appreciated!!

Thanks so much!

Bri

[RichardH]

Hiya All

I am SOOOOO excited for our trip to Australia coming up very quickly now. I am finalising details and remembering things last minute etc. I am also getting nervous...hope all goes well and we simply love it there.

What I wanted to ask was:

- Is a South African Driver's license ok for car hire? Or do you need an International one? Just a South African one is fine.

- What sort of clothes do we need to bring for September? Is it like SA spring? Or still cold or warmer?

- How complicated will it be for us to get the Air Train from Brisbane Airport into the city? We don't have car hire for our time in Brisbane...so we need to use the public transport.

- Also in Sydney...from airport into the centre...I know it is expensive. Would it be worth it to book and pay for those train trips ahead of time? Seems you can book the tickets online?

- All the pricing seems to be for kids age 4 and up...so can I take it that my 3 year old will be our cheap person in our group or am I in for some suprises?

- On our first day in Melbourne, we will get to our accommodation around 2pm. Then we need to find somewhere to buy food and supplies for the week (we are self catering). Are there are shops you would recommend that we should head for? Or avoid? Like pricey shops over better prices and quality wise etc?

- Plug wise...I am assuming we need to find ourselves a converter plug for use with cellphone chargers and so on? Yes you will need SA to Aus. I found a good one in a travel shop in SA. Remember SA (3 pin round) plugs are not really found anywhere else in the world so be sure to buy the converter from SA before you go else you might battle in Aus. They will definitely be cheaper in SA.

- Cell phone...is it possible to buy a prepaid sim card type thing to use while we are in Aus? We will be visiting a lot of family and friends and I don't fancy using our SA phones to communicate. Try Boost mobile. $2 for a SIM and then $40 odd for unlimited local calls for a month. The SIMS are available everywhere and the network is Telstra.

- In the same way...it is possible to buy a 3g card for our Tablets for while we are there? Use Boost as well for this.

Ok...that is all that I can think of right now.

All help will be appreciated!!

Thanks so much!

Bri

[Heymanse]

So excited for you guys!

Firstly, you don't need an international licence. Your SA driver's licence will suffice.

[Heymanse]

You don't need to pre-purchase your train tickets. Just purchase a train ticket at either the Sydney Airport Domestic Station or Sydney Airport International Station (whichever you'll be arriving at). That way they'll tell you also if your kids will or will not have to pay for tickets. Adult pricing is around $15.90 one way per person.

You can also buy a pre-paid sim card from any of the mobile phone stores at the Airport. I did it when we arrived here and it took all but about 5-10 minutes and we were sorted with air time/talk time/text time.

Edited August 22, 2013 by Heymanse

[Jordy]

- Is a South African Driver's license ok for car hire? Or do you need an International one?

South African is ok

- What sort of clothes do we need to bring for September? Is it like SA spring? Or still cold or warmer?

Australia a huge continent with weather that ranges from snow to desert heat. If you going to multiple cities bring a variety of clothes from winter to summer.

- plug wise...I am assuming we need to find ourselves a converter plug for use with cellphone chargers and so on?

Yes

- Cell phone...is it possible to buy a prepaid sim card type thing to use while we are in Aus? We will be visiting a lot of family and friends and I don't fancy using our SA phones to communicate.

yes, and no fica checks either. Go with a Telstra prepaid card.

- In the same way...it is possible to buy a 3g card for our Tablets for while we are there?

If you have an iPhone or Samsung then use that as a hotspot and connect to the net thru your phone. Unless you a typical South African who only ever owns a Blackberry , then buy a tablet sim card or buy a SIM card wireless dongle.

[Heymanse]

September in Sydney is still quite cold but heck, we've had an up and down all over the place winter with warmer than average temperatures this year. It isn't super cold but I would bring summer clothing with the odd jean or two for the colder nights and of course a cardigan or hoodie for a bit of warmth. If you do forget to get yourself some plug converters you can buy them at the airport or any other luggage shop.

[McCabes]

Great questions Bri!!!

So excited for you

[Bams]

Bri, I was smiling from ear to ear whiles reading your post, you sound like me, a hundred and ten questions and wanting to have everything in order before hand...

I can't give you any info, but will say good luck with the trip, hope you get everything ready before hand and that it is all that you dream it will be.

If you can please take some pics and post them on your return, I love seeing the cities through other peoples eyes.

Safe travels.

[Toitjie]

Happy travels...sounds exciting!

[189inprocess]

I have no answers, just wanted to say happy travels and i look forward to reading your post when you return

[Clover]

Happy Travels !

[21yearsoutofrsa]

Brisbane airtain is easy. You walk out of the domestic (don't know were your first point of call is) terminus and basically walk into the ticket office, it's closer than the parking. It will be well sign posted and if you still have issues someone will help you. Trains go every 20 minutes during the day.

The train (and shuttles) charge per person, whereas a taxi charges per vehicle, so with three it MAY be cheaper by cab. (Use cab fare estimator).The cab will deliver you to your door, the train will deliver you to the station. The train will more than likely be quicker than a cab, unless you just miss one. The same would apply to Sydney. Taxi's in Australia are not like taxi's in South Africa.

Edited August 22, 2013 by 17yearsoutofrsa

[rozellem]

If its more than one person travelling to your hotel in Sydney, I would also do the taxi. Depend on a few things: where is the hotel? What time do you arrive? Is it in peak traffic? I would ask the hotel what the taxi fare is to them. By the way, where is the hotel? That might give us a better idea.

[rozellem]

If its more than one person travelling to your hotel in Sydney, I would also do the taxi. Depend on a few things: where is the hotel? What time do you arrive? Is it in peak traffic? I would ask the hotel what the taxi fare is to them. By the way, where is the hotel? That might give us a better idea.

[Lyn]

I have no words of wisdom, but want to wish you a safe journey and hope that you have a fantastic time.

[Mara]

You wanted to know about buying groceries in Melbourne? You will have to tell us where your accommodation is, this is a HUGE city. Buying from Woolworths or Coles would be usual, if there is an Aldi, it would be the cheapest. Stay away from the shops attached to garages, they are very expensive.

[Maktub]

Hi BriD!

Very exciting!! Wow still remember the feeling of the first trip over

Melbourne is still likely to be quite cold (compared to Brisbane)...not freezing...but it does, quite literally, often have four seasons in one day! I would pack clothes that you can layer! I am in Ballarat, which is notorious for being colder than Melbourne, though only just over an hour away...and it snowed on Mon and Tue this week (not proper full-on snow, but still...those winds can be freezing cold!) Having said that, Melbourne has had lovely sunny warm days quite often this winter! This is my first winter/spring here...so cannot say for sure...but layers are the way to go!

You will also probably need to get a Myki when you are in Melbourne if you plan on using public transport (especially if you are going into the city centre...where parking is notoriously expensive).

Regarding food shopping...it will probably just be easiest to go to whichever supermarket is closest to where you will be staying. Coles and Woolworths are everywhere, and are probably the best shops to use. Google the closest ones to where you will be.

Have fun! Keep us updated!

[zoot]

"On our first day in Melbourne, we will get to our accommodation around 2pm. Then we need to find somewhere to buy food and supplies for the week (we are self catering). Are there are shops you would recommend that we should head for? Or avoid? Like pricey shops over better prices and quality wise etc?"

Shops are much of a muchness - Coles and Woolworths/Safeway are the main food stores and are very prevalent. Prices are much the same one week one has a special the next the other does on the same item so nothing much to pick between them. IGA is a bit more expensive generally and smaller stores, and then of course ALDI where you can get the basics bread, meet, veg, milk etc often a bit cheaper than Coles or Woolworths. Shops are generally open till quite late so arriving at 2 should give you plenty of time.

A lot of the libraries offer free WiFi as to many coffee shops. Sim cards a very easily obtained and you are spoiled for choice. If you are planning to stay in the city areas then any will do else if you are going to be more rural Telstra will be your best bet.

South African plug converters - either bring a small south african multiplug type thing with you and just change the plug to an Ozzie one when you get here or else buy a converter here. I have found the $2 often have the South African plug converters.

Enjoy the trip.

[Jacovl]

We didnt made use of car hire during our activation trip. We used either taxis or public transport and found it very efficient. Consider using the skybus from Melbourne airport to city centre and back- it is well priced. We were a family of 4 traveling with 4 big suitcases and 4 smaller overnight bags. Had no issues with this on the skybus.

We bought our suplies from either Coles or Woolworths.

You can get your simcards at the airport. We got 2, one for the phone and one for the tablet. If my memory serves me well it was at a cost of $30 each. We never managed to use up all the airtime and data in 3 weeks. Try to use wifi wherever possible, it will safe you data.

Enjoy your trip!

[OubaasDik]

I'm late into this, but, I'll try.

Hiya All

I am SOOOOO excited for our trip to Australia coming up very quickly now. I am finalising details and remembering things last minute etc. I am also getting nervous...hope all goes well and we simply love it there.

What I wanted to ask was:

- Is a South African Driver's license ok for car hire? Or do you need an International one?

SA is fine. I had an international one and hired a car and they were all "Ooh, what's this - where's the number - why isn't the photo glued down?"

- What sort of clothes do we need to bring for September? Is it like SA spring? Or still cold or warmer?

Where are you going? In Canberra last Monday I doubt the mercury topped 8 deg C. Our news has reports on the skiiing just south of us ..... but in Perth the top is 23 and the lows are 14.

- How complicated will it be for us to get the Air Train from Brisbane Airport into the city? We don't have car hire for our time in Brisbane...so we need to use the public transport

- Also in Sydney...from airport into the centre...I know it is expensive. Would it be worth it to book and pay for those train trips ahead of time? Seems you can book the tickets online?

- All the pricing seems to be for kids age 4 and up...so can I take it that my 3 year old will be our cheap person in our group or am I in for some suprises?

- On our first day in Melbourne, we will get to our accommodation around 2pm. Then we need to find somewhere to buy food and supplies for the week (we are self catering). Are there are shops you would recommend that we should head for? Or avoid? Like pricey shops over better prices and quality wise etc?

Go for Woolies, Coles, Aldi or maybe IGA - stay away from the shops at the garages - they're sort of like the shops at the garages in SA - very expensive.

- Plug wise...I am assuming we need to find ourselves a converter plug for use with cellphone chargers and so on?

Yep - the AA shop in SA should have, and also check airport shops.

- Cell phone...is it possible to buy a prepaid sim card type thing to use while we are in Aus? We will be visiting a lot of family and friends and I don't fancy using our SA phones to communicate.

Yes - plenty to choose from - in fact when I got here I used my unlocked SA phone ... don't know whether that still works.

- In the same way...it is possible to buy a 3g card for our Tablets for while we are there?

Should be - depending on the tablets. There was a bit of a scandal here when the 4G ipads came out and it turned out that the y were only wired for the US 4G and Aussie 4g was different - so you were, in effect, paying for the 4G logo ...

Ok...that is all that I can think of right now.

All help will be appreciated!!

Thanks so much!

Bri

Have a good trip.

[BriD]

Thank you everyone so so much for the assistance. It really helps!!

[BriD]

- Is a South African Driver's license ok for car hire? Or do you need an International one?

South African is ok

- What sort of clothes do we need to bring for September? Is it like SA spring? Or still cold or warmer?

Australia a huge continent with weather that ranges from snow to desert heat. If you going to multiple cities bring a variety of clothes from winter to summer.

- plug wise...I am assuming we need to find ourselves a converter plug for use with cellphone chargers and so on?

Yes

- Cell phone...is it possible to buy a prepaid sim card type thing to use while we are in Aus? We will be visiting a lot of family and friends and I don't fancy using our SA phones to communicate.

yes, and no fica checks either. Go with a Telstra prepaid card.

- In the same way...it is possible to buy a 3g card for our Tablets for while we are there?

If you have an iPhone or Samsung then use that as a hotspot and connect to the net thru your phone. Unless you a typical South African who only ever owns a Blackberry , then buy a tablet sim card or buy a SIM card wireless dongle.

Lol...I said goodbye to Blackberry last year sometime. I love love loveeeeeee my Samsung. So I shall do that Thanks!

[BriD]

You wanted to know about buying groceries in Melbourne? You will have to tell us where your accommodation is, this is a HUGE city. Buying from Woolworths or Coles would be usual, if there is an Aldi, it would be the cheapest. Stay away from the shops attached to garages, they are very expensive.

We will be staying in Point Cook - Saltwater Coastal Park area

[qwerty]

This post answered a lot of the questions we had. We're flying on Friday to activate our visa. As luck would have it, my daughter is sick!! So hoping it's nothing contagious - imagine getting to Oz and they refuse us entry

Good luck with all the preparation (our suitcases are almost packed and ready to go) and enjoy your trip!

[BriD]

This post answered a lot of the questions we had. We're flying on Friday to activate our visa. As luck would have it, my daughter is sick!! So hoping it's nothing contagious - imagine getting to Oz and they refuse us entry

Good luck with all the preparation (our suitcases are almost packed and ready to go) and enjoy your trip!

Glad I could help.

As Murphy's law would have it...I have just been to the doctor with both my kids and myself. And walked out the chemist with Anitbiotics and antihistamines etc and so forth and so on...so 3 of 4 of us are sick with 3 sleeps to go. I hope we all good to go by Thursday! I will obviously be declaring the chemist of medication we will be hauling with us at Border Control in Sydney .

Hope you all healthy to go on Friday Sure you will be! Enjoy your trip!