Mostly Off Topic - if that is ok!

[Chesire]

I hope you don’t mind … everyone has been so helpful and had such wonderful advice! I was hoping I could ask a few questions that are totally unrelated to Disney (other then we will soon be a very long way away!).

We are planning on moving to Canberra. I was accepted at the University there and after I graduate, we would love to become residents and live in Australia. We are planning on arriving sometime toward the end of May or middle of June, to get settled before the term for school begins.

We are hoping to spend a few days in Sydney before heading to Canberra, any hotel recommendations?

The University is in Belconnen. Would that be a good area to look for a home or do you have any recommendations please? I will be in school full-time while just my husband works and our oldest will be in school (he is 5).

We are hoping to bring our dog with us, do you know if people will allow us to rent with a dog (a rather lazy one!)?

Would you mind terribly if I bothered you with more questions? I know many more will come up as we get closer!

I can apply for the student visa in April and after that we make plane reservations! We are planning on driving to Los Angeles a few days before our flight to drop the dog off (we have to use a pet transportation specialist) and visit Disneyland! It’s all very exciting and terrifying at the same time!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Keep asking away!

I've stayed at the Pacific International Apartments in Sydney, the one right on Chinatown and walking distance (only just, with kids; or a short walk to the monorail) to Darling Harbour. Because it is right on Chinatown, the lobby gets busy and I think some of the tour groups like to stay here. But our room was quiet.

The other chain of hotels that do suite style accomodation is the Oaks. The Oaks has a nicer decor that PIA; but I haven't stayed at one in Sydney. There is also the Medina; but I've never gotten round to trying them out.

I've also stayed in North Ryde and Potts Point; both are either a short train or ferry ride to the downtown area.

There are lots of high end expensive hotels in Sydney...I'm sure the others will mosey along and recommend something as well.


Bringing animals into Australia is something that you need to look into, if you haven't already. Quarantine for dogs used to be at least 3 months. I'm not sure if it is still 3 months or if AQIS has made it less time. I believe your furbaby needs to have certain shots and tests to prove that they aren't carrying anything that AQIS doesn't allow into Oz e.g., rabies....we don't have any known rabies virus here. The animals are housed in government facilities. I've been to the one in Melbourne and it is a kennel, but the dogs seem to have lots of space in their enclosure and they have a big dog run that they are let into and allowed to run at least twice if not three times a day. You will be allowed visitation rights after a certain amount of time, which I think is 6 or 7 weeks. I haven't been to the government facilities in Sydney (and I don't know if they have one in Canberra; but you would expect so).

D'oh....just read that you have a pet specialist; so no doubt you already know the drill.

Rental of properties with animals will depend on the individual landlords and it will depending on whether you are renting an apartment or a house.

 

[Chesire]

Thank you!

We don't need a high end hotel in Sydney, just something clean and safe (there are some places we have visited where I would not get our of the car to go inside the hotel).

I don't suppose you have any ideas for hotels in Canberra? I am someone who tends to over plan!

I have been looking at the pet requirements for sometime and we started the process several months ago (a certain type of microchip, blood tests, vaccines, lots of paperwork). I was a little disappointed we had to use an agency to book air fair for our dog (there is a list of steps you must take on the immigration website, and we were doing them ... but we still have to pay a rather large price for a per specialist to redo everything). Oh well

We are not bringing many electronic things with us, but one i have grown rather fond of is the keurig machine ... I know its a silly question, but do they have keurig's and sell K-cups in Australia?

 

[PrincessInOz]

Hi Chesire. Hope the planning and packing is going well.

I don't think we have Keurig in Australia and I haven't seen K-cups at all here; but then I don't go looking for them.
I've seen a lot of Nespresso sold; and we are quite a coffee society. If you're after coffee, then I don't know if the Nespresso coffee shots are the same size as the K-cups. If you're after the chocolate side of the K-cups, is this something you can get on-line or get family to ship it to you?

I haven't been to Canberra in years; but we have extended family there. The last time I went, I stayed with them.

You'll be wanting something that you can stay in for a bit until you sort out permanant digs, right? I'd still look into the Oaks or Medina. That way, you have more of a service apartment concept and depending on your budget, you might do a 2 bedroom with kitchen for 2 or 3 weeks until you work out where you will rent. Can the University help? I know Residence Halls at uni's here are $$$, but at least you'll be on campus'ish......

 

[PrincessInOz]

If you're after the Keurig because of Coffee, you might find that you'll be trying out our coffee for the first couple of months instead. We do stronger coffee than in the US and you're likely to be on a coffee high for months!

Latte..my preference

Capuccino...more froth than the latte

Long Black...espresso with extra hot water

Short Black....espresso

Marchiato...espresso with a drop of milk/cream

Affogato....espresso over ice cream

Oh...and our bacon looks like this....it is middle bacon, and has the extra meaty section like Canadian bacon. A friend of mine on the Dis calls this Kangaroo bacon.

 

[HappyFingers]

use wotif.com to book your accomadation 1 week before you land

you should get a good deal this way
wotif also allows you to view the hotel and its facilities

avoid driving early in the morning Like 4am on back roads
this is the time when your most likely to kiss a kangaroo

 

[Chesire]

Thank you! There is so much to figure out ...
I enjoy a latte, but that's about as far into the world of espresso that I have ventured. Despite his misgivings, my husband will let me bring the keurig and hope amazon will deliver to Australia!

avoid driving early in the morning Like 4am on back roads
this is the time when your most likely to kiss a kangaroo

I will look into wotif.com though!

Any suggestions of areas to look for housing? I think we will have one car between the two of us.

 

[Kangarucci]

Hi,

How exciting for you. We lived in Canberra for 7 years and lived on the north side which Belconnen is on, however, we were across from Belconnen in a township called Gungahlin which is about 10-15mins from the city.

Our suburb within was Ngunnawal, don't say the 'g'. It is a newer area than Belconnen and has quite alot of young families and defence families living there like we were. The area is still growing and since we left at the end of 2007, another new suburb has opened up.

There are several schools from primary to secondary in the area with one independent school. Belconnen is about a 15min drive to Gungahlin.

The outskirts of Canberra are bush and open land so be careful when driving in the area early morning or at dusk as the kangaroos are out and we have bumped into one or two!

The airport is about 20-30mins to Gungahlin. Canberra is a great place to bring up a family with plenty of bike paths, parks, sport clubs, children activities and only 3 hours to Sydney.

Hope that this has given you some insight.

 

[Sugarglider]

Hi and once again welcome to beautiful Canberra!!

OK - so you are going to UC in Belconnen. The closest suburbs are Belconnen, Bruce, Weetangera, Kaleen, Florey, Aranda, Cook. Have a look on whereis.com.au for maps. All are safe, suburban areas and all less than 5kms (3miles?) from UC. Belconnen town centre is more concentrated with apartments etc and has the shopping centre etc so not quite so suburban. I am in O'Connor (in the inner north) and am only 5 miles (about 5 - 10 min drive) from UC. Everything is small and close.
The best place to look at housing options in canberra is www.allhomes.com.au - esp. rental - the No.1 site.
Also in the ACT check your lease. There has been for a long term a ban on pets in strata units (apartments, townhouse complexes etc) and the only place to rent with pets was a free standing house. I know that in recent years newer complexes had been getting special exemptions for pets under a weight limit (20Kgs?) but check carefully. When I moved here 7 years ago (from Sydney), the ACT law was no pets in strata properties. But up in the belconnen area there is mostly freestanding houses.
Look at wotif.com and Tripadvisor for hotels in both sydney and canberra or PM me if you want my opinion on a particular establishment.
I do not know this Keurig of which you refer, but if you are bringing an electrical appliance to Australia you should check to see if has a transformer with variable voltage (like laptops do). The US operates on 110 V and Aust on 240V and you'll blow up your little machine the moment you turn it on (and probably trip the house fuse or surge protector) and end up like this guy:

 

[Sugarglider]

just had a thought - in Sydney you might want to check out the Harbourview Hotel at north sydney. They have just refurbished the inside so it is nice inside and you can get absolutely spectacular Sydney Harbour views at about half the cost of harbourviews in the city. They are pretty cheap (harbourview room for $180/night)
It is right on top of Nth Sydney rail station - so only 5 mins into the city. 2 blocks from the expressway (into the city and straight through to Canberra). And reasonably priced!
OK - the downside - being in an old building, the bathrooms are very small. North Sydney is a business district so on weekends everything is closed. And the trains running underneath can be bothersome if that sort of underground rumble bothers you. And the view is on the western side of the Harbour Bridge so you cannot see the Opera house (on the eastern side)
http://www.viewhotels.com.au/north_sydney_harbourview/index.aspx
Tripadvisor has heaps of photos of the view.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Location...ew_Hotel-Sydney_New_South_Wales.html#29365213

 

[Toy Story]

I agree the allhomes, it is the best for accommodation.

The University of Canberra is a drop off point for the Action bus network; with one car you may be better off considering the Belconnen / North or Gunghalin side of Canberra.

The MySchools website http://www.myschool.edu.au/ will provide you an overview of the schools in the area. Take the academic results into consideration with everything a school offers. A public (Government) primary school could have anywhere between 200 - 750+ students in it - so think about the type of school you would like to send your son to - not every suburb has a primary school.

 

[Chesire]

Thank you so much!!!

I am off to start looking at all the websites!

 

[Chesire]

I have found some places on the housing website that look great! I know it's a bit early, but I am excited (finding a place to live when we get there has been stressful!). Some even will take dogs!

I was wondering ... any suggestions about a car? We figured we would need one (although I can probably walk/bike to school, my husband will need one for work). We will be living in Caberra, would we buy a car in Sydney? Is there a certain place to go? We are hoping to get a small, economy car.

I have a quick medical question too please. We are paying for insurance through the school. Here, we have a primary care doctor who we see for most things (and will go to a specialist if necessary, but we are all healthy). We had to see him once to establish ourselves (become one of his patients) and then we can see him if we get sick.

Do you know if we need to establish ourselves with a doctor there (just in case)? Or do you just go find one if you are sick (I am just a bit nervous because we have boys ... and they like to climb and jump off of things!)

Last one (for now I fear!). Are there really that many kangaroos around? My 5 year old wants to ride one to school ...

 

[PrincessInOz]

Chesire - that's an interesting thought about medical practitioners. Whilst medical fees in Australia isn't quite as expensive as the US, they can add up, especially if you look at things like dental and extras. I'm curious....what have you been offered by way of Health Insurance? Is there a reciprocal thing by your current health fund provider or do you need to look into that over here?

To answer your question - no, you don't necessarily need to find a doctor; but with two boys, it probably doesn't hurt to look around at the doctors near where you live and book in for a "wellness" visit. You can probably do that once you're a bit more settled.

And yes, Virginia! ....there really are Kangaroos around; but not in the cities. There probably are more around the rural countryside outside of Canberra or in the outskirts of some of their suburbs and satellite towns than where I am; but your son is sure gonna be disappointed. If he's not walking, the only things he is likely to ride to school will involve wheels of some sort.

 

[Sugarglider]

well if there is one thing Canberra does not do well - it's GPs we have a shortage - but there are options. Firstly, in Australia everyone pays a medical levy in our annual tax which provides a minimum level of care called Medicare.
Almost all GPs operate inside some kind of group arrangement. Up in Belconnen there is:

• the big Ginnindera Medical Centre - lots of doctors, get in queue, wait an hour or 2 see whomever and they "bulk bill" to Medicare so you do not pay.

• There is a private family centre where you always see the same person and you to book (frequently a day in advance - do you know that you will be ill tomorrow?). You pay them a full fee ($50/$60) and then claim back about half from the govt at a Medicare outlet.

• Finally in Belconnen there is a co-op. You pay an annual membership fee (pretty small - like $50 or $100) and they bulk bill too. Because they have limited members it is very easy to get a same day appointment. You will have to spend a few months on their queue waiting for a membership to be available.

 

[HappyFingers]

Never approach kangaroos
This is most important when referring to the red kangaroos
The greys will for the most part just get up and hop off
The dominate red males however can rear up on their tailand kick you in the stomach thus disemboweling you

The ones in the petting zoos are more tame and will tolerate being handled (to some degree) the wild ones are to be admired from a distance

If your ever in melb look me up, my brothers farm has hundreds upon hundreds of them (greys) hopping wild, we chase them on the farm bikes so we can watch them all hop across the paddock as a group (amazing to see, I must film it one day)

You can walk into any medical centre around Australia for medical care
Also any emergency department of any hospital public or private (fees may apply) no tipping required lol

You'll find the tipping structure very different here in aus
You don't have to tip unless you want to
You never tip a taxi driver unless you are drunk

 

[Sugarglider]

And finally I am going to be the bearer of good and bad news on the kangaroo front :

1. Canberra is crawling with kangaroos
2. they are wild so your son won't be able to ride one

It can depend on where you end up living but look at a map of canberra and you will see it is scattered with Nature Reserves - the larger ones frequently have mobs living in them.
I live 3 kms from the city centre and see wild kangaroos all the time - I live next to the large reserve than spreads out from Black Mountain Tower and can walk into the reserve and easily find them. about 6 months ago I was walking down the street and had the archetypal experience where 2 male kangaroos came out of the reserve and went hopping down the street pavement! DH and I were on the other side of the road - a suburban street with houses - we all stood there for a moment looking at each other and then they went hopping off down the road. YES IT HAPPENS HERE! They nibble the grass on the sports field at the Australian Institute of Sport at Bruce - I can walk there from my house. There is a mob in Weston Park at Yarralumla, a mob in the embassy houses at O'Malley, and a HUGE mob that requires frequent (and contraversial) culling on the defence land in Belconnen.
Not as exciting but I still find it strange that there is a cattle farm in Kaleen - there is a major intersection Hayman Drive / Ginninderra Drive - 2 corners are suburban housing, one corner is the UC campus and the other corner is a paddock full of cows! sheep, cattle, and horses are all over belconnen. and it is less than 10kms from the city centre!

 

[Sugarglider]

The other thing canberra has that the big cities don't is birds - bucket loads of parrots - everywhere - cockatoos, galahs, lorikeets, rosellas, etc etc in every colour and size. we have an endemic parrot called the Gang Gang - very pretty with a pink fluffy head http://photogallery.canberrabirds.org.au/cockatoos.htm#GGCO - and our swans are black.http://photogallery.canberrabirds.org.au/swan_ducks.htm#BLSW

and in case this thread needs to get back to Disney - I still have my Stitch antenna topper

 

[austraveler]

I have found some places on the housing website that look great! I know it's a bit early, but I am excited (finding a place to live when we get there has been stressful!). Some even will take dogs!

I was wondering ... any suggestions about a car? We figured we would need one (although I can probably walk/bike to school, my husband will need one for work). We will be living in Caberra, would we buy a car in Sydney? Is there a certain place to go? We are hoping to get a small, economy car.

In respect of the car, cars here are almost double what you will pay for a car in the states so be prepared for a bit of sticker shock.

 

[Sugarglider]

have a look at www.carsales.com.au for a good range of vehicles in both canberra and sydney