Australian experts please

[robinpud]

We are coming for a year and are getting down to thenitty gritty of it all. visa,flights and accomodation all sorted. so my burning questions tonight are

1. Which type of dvds do your machines play?same as uk or same as USA
2. If we were to get enough points to open a bank account , how long would they take to process?
3. Is it normal to pay to use a debit card and the cashpoint?
4. Can you get cashback in shops for free using a australian debit card?

Thanks so much

no way is Toto a common aussie name [snort] rather more like someone's dog.

just wish we done it before we came, it a easier to emigrate! They are totally useless!

Robinpud - at Toto - trust me that is quite normal for QLD! All sorts of weird and wonderful names up north . NB we were much further north than Eidsvold - they're probably quite sensible in Brisbane.

We were on the same visa as you - we did pay Aus tax etc as dh was earning there but I paid UK tax on the portion I was paid by my employer for the research I did out there. Not eligible for any form of child benefit but childcare was (as with most things) not as expensive as home and you will be absolutely loaded in Aussie terms if you're earning a UK salary and spending in Aus - loads of basic things are so much cheaper e.g. gas, electricity, petrol, food.

Current list of random things I miss:

my recycling wheelie bin
waxed paper for sandwich wrapping
butchers & delis wrapping things in paper so can be recycled instead of small poly bags
King Island yogurt

and obviously the sunshine

Ok- feel I should clarify, toto is belgian but has come from australia.. bit of a globe trotter. If said with a belgian accent(Poirot) it sounds very cool.. i think!

slightly nosy question Hannah'saunt.. what sort of research?

Hi Robinpud - I am a university administrator at the UK so was looking at management of teaching & learning within Aus unis esp re rewarding excellence in teaching (Carrick Inst)and the Learning & Teaching Performance Fund as well as outworking of national policies in the local context where we were (Townsville so James Cook University). Doesn't sound exciting but it was actually quite interesting

hannah'saunt- I am a teacher and looking for something to do whilst we are out there. I have had a quick look at MAs- horribly expensive, supply teaching isn't likely to fall into my lap and so was wondering about trying to get some articles comparing uk and Oz education systems published in journals such as TES and Child Education. It's a bit of a long shot tho'!!
yours sounds interesting to me! Was it your main reason for being over there?

No - we went with dh's job - he had to spend a year as a part of his SpR training in a DGH doing general medicine. We thought if we had to move, we may as well do it in style . You never know re supply - teachers in QLD get 7 years off (if they want) after their first baby.

that is right - teacher's get 7 years unpaid family leave.

You never know where you end up may be desperate for supply staff. You will just need to contact the relevant district office, not sure how you will go being overseas trained - they usually put you on a probation if you are full time - not sure about supply.

Perhaps the private schools might have an easier way - again you can approach Catholic Ed or the private schools assoc.

Tutoring - lots of calls for tutors in all sorts of areas and subjects - that way part time - you can chose your hours.

teachers - not that terribly inaapropriate use of apostrophe!!