some of this info might help you on your way to us!!!

some good sites to get started on..

For an essential travel guide offering a huge range of information for you guys and all other travellers planning a holiday in Australia this is a great site:

www.australianexplorer.com

This is the backpackers ultimate guide: everything about anything to do with travelling to and in Aussie:

www.bugaustralia.com

you will need to open a bank account..

Most likely you will need to open a bank in Australia especially if you are going to be working, so that means you will need to pass the '100 point' system to prove your identification.

Below is a list of documents which can be used to pass the '100 point' requirement:

70 Points

• Birth certificate
• Passport
• Citizenship certificate

40 Points

• Drivers licence (full / probationary / learner)
• Shooters licence
• Public Service Employee ID card
• Commonwealth or State Government financial entitlement card (eg Pension card)

25 Points

• Any card on which your name appears - Medicare card, credit card (only 1 per institution), store account card, video store card, library card, union card
• Documents on which your name and address appear: car registration, utility bill, rental receipts, records of another financial institution showing you've been a member for 12 months or more

The top 6 banks in Australia are National Bank, Westpac, Commonwealth Bank, ANZ, St George and Adelaide Bank.

 

applying for a tax file number...

A TFN is a unique number issued by the Tax Office and again this is best to have if you are planning on working otherwise you will be slugged a heavy tax!

While it is not compulsory to have a TFN, if you do not have one you may:

• have more tax withheld than necessary or
• cause delays in the processing of your documents by the Tax Office.

To apply for a TFN, please visit the website for the Australian Taxation Office at www.ato.gov.au

that all important fact of finding somewhere to live...

When you first arrive you will likely stay in temporary accommodation like a backpackers hostel.  Here are some sites that may be useful for that:

www.yha.com.au

www.gumtree.com.au

For longer term accommodation you will have to enter a lease. Most real estate agents require reference letters from your employer, bank and if available, a previous landlord.

A rental bond is paid by a tenant as a form of security for the landlord against breaches of the Tenancy Agreement. The amount of bond to be paid varies according to the type of property involved, and below is a guideline for NSW:

• Four weeks rent for unfurnished premises
• Six weeks rent for fully furnished premises with a rent of less than $250 per week
• Unlimited if the property is fully furnished and the rent is more than $250 per week.

Some of the sites you might like to visit are:

www.realestate.com.au

www.domain.com.au

www.flatmatefinders.com.au

getting around in sydney...

Sydney has an extensive public transport system. For details on timetables and routes you can visit the following sites:

www.sydneybuses.nsw.gov.au

www.cityrail.info

www.sydneyferries.info

www.australia.gov.au contains links to information including public transport in each state and territory.