What’s the first thing you think of about Australia? For me it is the Sydney opera house, Kangaroos, shark attacks and guys saying Gday mate! But what’s it really like down there?
I don’t really know lol, as I have never been there but being a Moving Doctor and having a lot of Australian “mates” and having moved thousands to Australia including rock stars, doctors and nurses, students and professors, IT professionals, missionary workers and even a playboy bunny I do have a fairly good idea!
Here are 10 things you need to know if you are considering moving to Australia
1/ Expensive; Australia is very expensive. In recent years, Sydney has held a spot among the top “most expensive cities to live in” in the world, ranked with Paris, Zurich, Oslo, Tokyo and Frankfurt. Australia also has the highest electricity prices in the world….….shocking!
2/ Weather; is great and Sunscreen and sunglasses are not optional! If you visited one new beach in Australia every day, it would take over 27 years to see them all!!!! ………. Life’s a beach!
3/ Wildlife; No Worries, you probably won’t be killed by the wildlife! Australia’s wildlife is unique, so it is something they brag about, but many Australians also seem to delight in striking fear into foreign visitors with stories of sharks, spiders, snakes and jellyfish. The reality is that most people live in urban areas and do not come into contact with any of these creatures…………………..phew! BUT The Box jellyfish has killed more people in Australia than stonefish, sharks and crocodiles combined…just saying!
4/ Big Cities; are of course Sydney, Perth & Melbourne. It is the 6th largest country in the world. 25% of Australians are born in another country. Melbourne topped 140 rivals to be crowned the world’s most livable city 2 years in a row since 2011.
5/ Visas; when travelling to Australia you will need a valid visa or Electronic Travel Authority (ETA), unless you are an Australian citizen or a New Zealand passport holder (most). The Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs website provides extensive visa information and application forms. Each week, 70 tourists overstay their visas….not recommended!
6/ Tipping; Australians don’t tip. If you are the sort of person who panics about leaving the ‘correct’ tip then this will be a huge relief to you. However the unfortunate result in Australia is that customer service more often than not is not so good, as there is no incentive to provide good service.
7/ You drive on the left and it is illegal to walk on the right-hand side of a footpath….…or run presumably!
8/ Poop; Wombat poop is cube shaped! This apparently helps it mark its territory and has nothing to do with how much crap you can get into a U Cube for a lump sum price!
9/ Don’t Smoke! If you do smoke, be prepared to pay $18 – $22 a box. Hardly anyone smokes in Australia…..at least not cigarettes~!
10/ Quarantine Regulations; Australia has very strict quarantine regulations. When intending to visit, or return to Australia check what you can and can’t bring into the country with regards to food, animal and plant material. The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service check every piece of luggage and cargo that is shipped into Australia. Click here for more info about moving to Australia

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Jul 19, 2014 by Timothy Powell

UPakWeShip

I have just received my shipment from the US to Australia. It was delivered directly to my residence with no added fees. I wish to commend Upackweship on a very courteous and fair dealings. I can heartily endorse this company for their work and wish to bear testament that they actually follow through on the price quoted from drop off to delivery. There were no hidden charges no changes in price just the price quoted and adjusted for fair treatment of the packaging (cubic size).
I have dealt with another company for shipment and they under priced this company on the first go around. They made up for it with additional fees and charges for destination delivery. Not this company.
All my goods were undamaged in original containers with no sign of tampering.
I must say again that I can give a very positive testimonial on the work that they do.
The only fault that left me not giving them five out of five stars was a bit slow miscommunication by the delivery company. It was all cleared up though in a day and really not a major problem and overall the service was excellent.
I heartily endorse this company and I will use it exclusively in the future.

Thank you Timothy for your very honest testimonial.
Don’t forget anyone moving to Australia…… check out UPakWeShip for their all inclusive door to door pricing and great moving reviews. Don’t move overseas without talking to UPakWeShip
Ship More For Less

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