Go Back   Expat Forum For People Moving Overseas And Living Abroad > Australasia > Australia Expat Forum for Expats Living in Australia > The Platypus Den

The Platypus Den This new forum is for socialising, networking and off topic discussions for all members either living in or moving to Australia.

Like Tree71Likes

In Melbourne....feeling great :-)


Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Search this Thread
  #1 (permalink)  
Old 30th July 2012, 12:16 PM
Senior Expat
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 148
Rep Power: 27
aspireaus is on a distinguished road
51 likes received
30 likes given

Users Flag! Originally from india. Users Flag! Expat in australia.
Default In Melbourne....feeling great :-)

Hello frnds,

I am back on the forum after a small gap, but from a different place ;-), You guessed it right. Posting this from Melbourne.

The d-day finally came, 28th July 2012 - the date of our travel. As usual, the packing went on till last moment.

Our baggage came around 100kg (including laptop bag). It was 8 kgs more. The Thai guy has given a concession upto 4kg. We had to pay for the extra 4kg. They have charged around 1500/kg. We paid 6300 (including taxes).

The flight was good. We reached Melbourne airport around 8:00PM (Mel time), 29th July. The immigration took us 1 hour. Since we didn't carry any of the food items, we had to declare only the wood items and the shoes that we are carrying. We reached our residence at 9:30pm. Currently residing at Coburg. Melbourne is very cold currently. Thermals & wool wear is a must. I am feeling severe cold even inside our house. Though I have got a heater, feeling cold in the rest of the rooms. Have to get used to the cold I suppose ;-)

Today:
1. We got our bank account opened in NAB
2. Took pre-paid SIM cards. We went with Lebara card. Heard Lyca is also good, but Lebara is offering better packages than Lyca.
3. Completed the Medicare formalities
4. Got the travel card (Myki card)
5. Applied for TFN

Hmm.. now the ultimate task to be completed - Job Search. Have updated our resumes with the new address & phone number. Will start applying for the posts from tomorrow.

That' all from my side. Will keep updating.

Have a good evening & good day.

Cheers

Reply With Quote
  #2 (permalink)  
Old 30th July 2012, 12:28 PM
anj1976's Avatar
Moderator
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 8,183
Rep Power: 4181
anj1976 has a reputation beyond reputeanj1976 has a reputation beyond reputeanj1976 has a reputation beyond reputeanj1976 has a reputation beyond reputeanj1976 has a reputation beyond reputeanj1976 has a reputation beyond reputeanj1976 has a reputation beyond reputeanj1976 has a reputation beyond reputeanj1976 has a reputation beyond reputeanj1976 has a reputation beyond reputeanj1976 has a reputation beyond repute
655 likes received
357 likes given

Users Flag! Originally from india. Users Flag! Expat in australia.
Default

Great.. Wish you luck

__________________
ACS assessment : May 2008. Visa Application VE 175 : September 2008. State Sponsorship : September 2009. CO Allocated : 17th November 2010. Medicals and PCC submitted : 13th December 2010. Medicals for my Daughter : 22nd December 2010. All Documents Met : 31st December 2010 (except for meds for my daughter)

VISA GRANT 27th January 2011

Reached MELBOURNE on 16th June
Reply With Quote
  #3 (permalink)  
Old 30th July 2012, 12:33 PM
Moderator
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Perth, Australia
Posts: 4,443
Rep Power: 94759
Maz25 has a reputation beyond reputeMaz25 has a reputation beyond reputeMaz25 has a reputation beyond reputeMaz25 has a reputation beyond reputeMaz25 has a reputation beyond reputeMaz25 has a reputation beyond reputeMaz25 has a reputation beyond reputeMaz25 has a reputation beyond reputeMaz25 has a reputation beyond reputeMaz25 has a reputation beyond reputeMaz25 has a reputation beyond repute
414 likes received
48 likes given

Users Flag! Originally from seychelles. Users Flag! Expat in australia.
Default

I had to laugh when I read your comment about the cold. I'm in Perth and I am forever complaining that I feel cold and one of my colleagues told me that I should avoid moving to Melbourne if I feel this cold all the time, since he reckons that Perth is quite warm compared to the Eastern states.

It's always good to read these happy posts and it reminds me of the excitement I felt when I was moving here nearly a year ago.

Hope you settle in quickly and best of luck with your job search.

Reply With Quote
  #4 (permalink)  
Old 30th July 2012, 12:33 PM
Senior Expat
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 148
Rep Power: 27
aspireaus is on a distinguished road
51 likes received
30 likes given

Users Flag! Originally from india. Users Flag! Expat in australia.
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by anj1976 View Post
Great.. Wish you luck
Thank you Anj.

Reply With Quote
  #5 (permalink)  
Old 30th July 2012, 12:41 PM
Senior Expat
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 255
Rep Power: 0
melbourne is on a distinguished road
19 likes received
77 likes given

Users Flag! Originally from india. Users Flag! Expat in australia.
Default

Thanks for sharing the info.

Why did you choose Melbourne over Sydney - I am about to take the decision so asking .
Do you have the link to customs site which says what one cannot bring and what one has to declare?
For declaring wooden items etc, do they give a card when you are on the flight or before boarding it - please excuse me for asking too many questions .

-Melbourne

__________________
175: 13-Feb-12 | CO: 30-May-12 | PCC: 13-Jun-12 | Medicals: 13-Jun-12 | Grant: 13-Jun-12 | Landing in Sydney on 1-Feb-13
Reply With Quote
  #6 (permalink)  
Old 30th July 2012, 12:43 PM
Senior Expat
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 148
Rep Power: 27
aspireaus is on a distinguished road
51 likes received
30 likes given

Users Flag! Originally from india. Users Flag! Expat in australia.
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Maz25 View Post
I had to laugh when I read your comment about the cold. I'm in Perth and I am forever complaining that I feel cold and one of my colleagues told me that I should avoid moving to Melbourne if I feel this cold all the time, since he reckons that Perth is quite warm compared to the Eastern states.

It's always good to read these happy posts and it reminds me of the excitement I felt when I was moving here nearly a year ago.

Hope you settle in quickly and best of luck with your job search.
Thank you very much Maz25 .

Cheers.

Reply With Quote
  #7 (permalink)  
Old 30th July 2012, 12:52 PM
Senior Expat
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 148
Rep Power: 27
aspireaus is on a distinguished road
51 likes received
30 likes given

Users Flag! Originally from india. Users Flag! Expat in australia.
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by melbourne View Post
Thanks for sharing the info.

Why did you choose Melbourne over Sydney - I am about to take the decision so asking .
Do you have the link to customs site which says what one cannot bring and what one has to declare?
For declaring wooden items etc, do they give a card when you are on the flight or before boarding it - please excuse me for asking too many questions .

-Melbourne
Hi melbourne,

Our visa was sponsored by Victoria state. So, we had to move to Melbourne. Even if it was not the case, I was considering Melbourne as the 1st option to Sydney. Heard Sydney is very crowded , even though the options are also high. Melbourne have quite a lot of opportunities and the life style is kind of cool when compared to Sydney. When are you travelling? I will provide more information as the time pass by

There is a passenger card that is provided in the flight. We have to provide our details - name, passport number, etc on the card. There are questions to be answered on what items we are bringing into the country. We have informed that we had to bring wooden item - rolling pin & base. We got some shoes which had to be declared. We did not carry any of the food items. Hence we got off easily. There is a sniffer dog which is made to smell all the luggage. If any of the food items are found, if you declare, they will ask you for explanation. If they are satisfied, they will let go of us or else we have to throw them away at the designated counters.

There is a link on the official site on what to bring & what not. Please refer to the below link:

What can't I take into Australia? - Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

Cheers

Reply With Quote
  #8 (permalink)  
Old 30th July 2012, 04:12 PM
RR RR is offline
Senior Expat
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: India
Posts: 296
Rep Power: 0
RR is on a distinguished road
30 likes received
12 likes given

Users Flag! Originally from india. Users Flag! Expat in australia.
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by aspireaus View Post
Hello frnds,

I am back on the forum after a small gap, but from a different place ;-), You guessed it right. Posting this from Melbourne.

The d-day finally came, 28th July 2012 - the date of our travel. As usual, the packing went on till last moment.

Our baggage came around 100kg (including laptop bag). It was 8 kgs more. The Thai guy has given a concession upto 4kg. We had to pay for the extra 4kg. They have charged around 1500/kg. We paid 6300 (including taxes).

The flight was good. We reached Melbourne airport around 8:00PM (Mel time), 29th July. The immigration took us 1 hour. Since we didn't carry any of the food items, we had to declare only the wood items and the shoes that we are carrying. We reached our residence at 9:30pm. Currently residing at Coburg. Melbourne is very cold currently. Thermals & wool wear is a must. I am feeling severe cold even inside our house. Though I have got a heater, feeling cold in the rest of the rooms. Have to get used to the cold I suppose ;-)

Today:
1. We got our bank account opened in NAB
2. Took pre-paid SIM cards. We went with Lebara card. Heard Lyca is also good, but Lebara is offering better packages than Lyca.
3. Completed the Medicare formalities
4. Got the travel card (Myki card)
5. Applied for TFN

Hmm.. now the ultimate task to be completed - Job Search. Have updated our resumes with the new address & phone number. Will start applying for the posts from tomorrow.

That' all from my side. Will keep updating.

Have a good evening & good day.

Cheers
Congratz mate... i'm really happy for you. I'm now in the first step, applied for victoria state sponsorship. Awaiting positive response. Besides, i submitted EOI recently. I've only 65 points, fingers crossed!

Reply With Quote
  #9 (permalink)  
Old 30th July 2012, 06:06 PM
Active Expat
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Hyderabad
Posts: 44
Rep Power: 27
krishireddy will become famous soon enough
14 likes received
17 likes given

Users Flag! Originally from india. Users Flag! Expat in australia.
Default

@Aspireaus....So the day has come for u to live the dream :-)

All the best mate in ur job search....pls keep us posted about ur xperiences.

Cheers,
Krishi

Quote:
Originally Posted by aspireaus View Post
Hello frnds,

I am back on the forum after a small gap, but from a different place ;-), You guessed it right. Posting this from Melbourne.

The d-day finally came, 28th July 2012 - the date of our travel. As usual, the packing went on till last moment.

Our baggage came around 100kg (including laptop bag). It was 8 kgs more. The Thai guy has given a concession upto 4kg. We had to pay for the extra 4kg. They have charged around 1500/kg. We paid 6300 (including taxes).

The flight was good. We reached Melbourne airport around 8:00PM (Mel time), 29th July. The immigration took us 1 hour. Since we didn't carry any of the food items, we had to declare only the wood items and the shoes that we are carrying. We reached our residence at 9:30pm. Currently residing at Coburg. Melbourne is very cold currently. Thermals & wool wear is a must. I am feeling severe cold even inside our house. Though I have got a heater, feeling cold in the rest of the rooms. Have to get used to the cold I suppose ;-)

Today:
1. We got our bank account opened in NAB
2. Took pre-paid SIM cards. We went with Lebara card. Heard Lyca is also good, but Lebara is offering better packages than Lyca.
3. Completed the Medicare formalities
4. Got the travel card (Myki card)
5. Applied for TFN

Hmm.. now the ultimate task to be completed - Job Search. Have updated our resumes with the new address & phone number. Will start applying for the posts from tomorrow.

That' all from my side. Will keep updating.

Have a good evening & good day.

Cheers

__________________
IELTS: 23/03/12 (8,8,7,7) | ACS +ve : 26/04/12 | 175 (online): 29/04/12 | CO allocated: 06/06/12 | PCC: 17/06/12 | Medicals : 20/06/12 | 175 Grant : 27/06/2012
Reply With Quote
  #10 (permalink)  
Old 31st July 2012, 12:21 AM
Senior Expat
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 255
Rep Power: 0
melbourne is on a distinguished road
19 likes received
77 likes given

Users Flag! Originally from india. Users Flag! Expat in australia.
Default Thanks

Quote:
Originally Posted by aspireaus View Post
Hi melbourne,

Our visa was sponsored by Victoria state. So, we had to move to Melbourne. Even if it was not the case, I was considering Melbourne as the 1st option to Sydney. Heard Sydney is very crowded , even though the options are also high. Melbourne have quite a lot of opportunities and the life style is kind of cool when compared to Sydney. When are you travelling? I will provide more information as the time pass by

There is a passenger card that is provided in the flight. We have to provide our details - name, passport number, etc on the card. There are questions to be answered on what items we are bringing into the country. We have informed that we had to bring wooden item - rolling pin & base. We got some shoes which had to be declared. We did not carry any of the food items. Hence we got off easily. There is a sniffer dog which is made to smell all the luggage. If any of the food items are found, if you declare, they will ask you for explanation. If they are satisfied, they will let go of us or else we have to throw them away at the designated counters.

There is a link on the official site on what to bring & what not. Please refer to the below link:

What can't I take into Australia? - Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

Cheers
Thanks for your response!
I will be travelling in Jan/Feb 2013. But not able to decide on Melbourne vs Sydney

One question out of curiosity - Why one has to declare shoes as well, of course one will bring some extra shoes?

-Melbourne

__________________
175: 13-Feb-12 | CO: 30-May-12 | PCC: 13-Jun-12 | Medicals: 13-Jun-12 | Grant: 13-Jun-12 | Landing in Sydney on 1-Feb-13

Last edited by melbourne; 31st July 2012 at 12:23 AM.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Feeling fed up. ronnie&mike Australia Expat Forum for Expats Living in Australia 8 20th May 2012 08:32 PM
Melbourne Lovers!! - Australia's Great Ocean Road Named Spectacular Route MaddyOZ Australia Expat Forum for Expats Living in Australia 0 15th December 2011 08:15 AM
Feeling miserable?? Pesky Wesky Spain Expat Forum for Expats Living in Spain 26 16th February 2011 01:42 PM
Just feeling down... frenchie France Expat Forum for Expats Living in France 38 13th March 2009 01:58 AM
Feeling really depressed now Roofuss America Expat Forum for Expats Living in America 8 22nd May 2008 12:02 AM

LEGAL NOTICE
By using this Website, you agree to abide by our Terms and Conditions (the "Terms"). This notice does not replace our Terms, which you must read in full as they contain important information. You must not post any defamatory, unlawful or undesirable content, or any content copied from a third party, on the Website. You must not copy material from the Website except in accordance with the Terms. This Website gives users an opportunity to share information only and is not intended to contain any advice which you should rely upon. It does not replace the need to take professional or other advice. We have no liability to you or any other person in respect of any content on this Website.
FORUM PARTNERS

ExpatForum.com is owned and operated by the MoveForward.com Limited group.

Retiring Overseas Guides | Moving Overseas Guides | Cost of Living | Health Care Guides


All times are GMT. The time now is 01:04 AM.

Contact Us - Expat Forum - Archive - Top

Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2013, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO