# The Preparation so far



## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Got my visa on 27th Jan 2011, Been speaking to a lot of people since then, I thought i should share my findings here. Feel free to add or suggest 



*Things to Take*
Clothes: A year supply, there is a 3-6 months buffer for finding a job.

Utensils: basics, depending on your cooking but from an INdia point of view below is the list.
Steel plates and eating Bowls
Flat bottom heavy woks
Rolling pin with base
Knifes
Spoons and Forks
Strainer of al shapes and sizes
Peeler (the smaller things like knife etc are expensive in Australia)
Food processor (costs approximately 90$ if purchased from INdia but the sturdy ones in AU cost about 200$+ but they are not as sturdy, Indian food requires a lot of grinding etc)
Toaster

Tools: screw driver, spanner, pliers, hammer

Spices: Packed ones with ingredients mentioned clearly, a month's supply, no one wants to run spices hunting.

Mobile: An unlocked one so that you do not have to be tied with one service provider.

Linen

Medication for atleast 6 months



*Things to DO before moving*
Open an account

Clean Shoes, Get all clothes dry cleaned

Bank Account closing plus online activation, mobile access, change of address etc.

Plan the shipping, you don’t need to have an address in Australia to send. You can get it stored in temporary storage for a week or two.

Convert you mobiles to prepaid and keep it active. 

Book tickets, confirm about baggage allowance and Bassinet. 

Vaccination document for the child and inform your family doctor about the move.

Surrender Gas connection, Landline Phone, Cable Connection

Arrange for giveaways




*Things to Carry on Board for the Infant*
4 Bottles
Baby Formula
A Packet of Biscuits
Water
Diapers
Disposing Bags for diapers
Wipes
Change of clothes
Toys / Videos



*Airfare / Airlines..*
Singapore Airlines looks like the best, ticket for three (2 Adult and one Infant) is coming to approximately 68,000 INR (one way to Sydney). They confirmed 40 kg baggage allowance for adults and 10 kg for infant. 

Thai Airlines is about the same but the journey breaks at Bangkok which means we cover 3 hours first and then a longer journey ahead. SG airlines stops at singapore, breaking our journey into two halves. Fare: 70,000 INR

Malaysian Airlines
Most expensive so far, 74,000 INR for three of us

Qantas
72,000 INR



*Extra Baggage*
For now Unaccompanied baggage looks like the best option, yet to find exact rate but from what I have been told, it is 150-200 per KG for Singapore Airlines. It has to be given to them 2 days prior to the flight. 45+ Kgs is 190 INR per KG and 100+ Kg is 165 per KG.

Indian Post is another good option, Costs about 15,000 INR for 50 KG. Takes approximately 15-20 days to reach destination. Good thing, it is cheap. not so good thing about it, you got to pack everything yourself at the post office.


Will keep writing as I remember thing

Feel free to add or correct me if I am going wrong anywhere 

Cheers
Anj


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## Guest (Feb 9, 2011)

Hi,

I can assure you that if you are going to Sydney at least, finding indian spices will be a NO BRAINER. Also ask around whether immigration will let in medications. I know food items are tightly regulated. Ask about any restrictions BEFORE you buy the stuff. Hope this helps!!!


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

no one wants to go hunting for things when you arrive, that was the reason i specifically wrote a month . as for medication, as long as one has prescription they do let you carry it. Not that we need heavy medication, just regular anti acidic tabs, crocin, pain killers etc, all these are available off the shelf there but again, no one wants to go medicine shopping in a new country


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## armandra (Nov 27, 2009)

Hey you done with your visa evidencing? Just curious to know does it say 175 or 176? :juggle:

armandra!


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

hi armandra, 
yes we got it done, it says 175, no conditions, free to go anywhere but we will still keep Canberra on top as that was how we got the visa, dont want to start our journey on an unethical note 

and your location says you live near the lighthouse, the only lighthouse that I can ever think of is GOA.. are you from Goa? Love the place..


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## armandra (Nov 27, 2009)

anj1976 said:


> hi armandra,
> yes we got it done, it says 175, no conditions, free to go anywhere but we will still keep Canberra on top as that was how we got the visa, dont want to start our journey on an unethical note
> 
> and your location says you live near the lighthouse, the only lighthouse that I can ever think of is GOA.. are you from Goa? Love the place..


I don't see anything unethical as such in that. May be, just may be, your ACT SS nomination was never considered during the processing of the visa app. This is the best I can think of. 

Moreover, I recall you posting sometime ago that you've already asked your CO about the same. Did you get any reply from him/her? Did you eventually contact ACT Migration about it? I'd say sort it out before you leave. It's just that Sydney would offer more opportunities than Canberra at least for the starters, IMHO.

All the best for your move! lane: 
I'm sure you gonna rock Kangaroo Land :first: :angel: hoto: 

Naaaaaaah, me not from Goa. Wish I was .......................  

I just love lighthouses so thought of putting in there 


armandra!


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Let's see. We plan to go to Canberra, apply from there. I wont say we wont apply for jobs in Syd, we will, rest i leave on fate

no i did not write to ACT. I do not want to, or I just might. Does this show how confused I still am .. I realised today we have just 4 months to go and so much to do.


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## armandra (Nov 27, 2009)

anj1976 said:


> Let's see. We plan to go to Canberra, apply from there. I wont say we wont apply for jobs in Syd, we will, rest i leave on fate
> 
> no i did not write to ACT. I do not want to, or I just might. Does this show how confused I still am .. I realised today we have just 4 months to go and so much to do.


Yep, confused with 100 things running at the back of your mind in parallel, proved by your frequent (read all ) typos in the thread titles you created lately. :tongue:

I understand, never the less. 

armandra!


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

is there a typo here as well? I try not to make my THE's TEH's.. cant help it.. has more to do with typing with one hand while i am catering to my daughter's needs


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## armandra (Nov 27, 2009)

anj1976 said:


> is there a typo here as well? I try not to make my THE's TEH's.. cant help it.. has more to do with typing with one hand while i am catering to my daughter's needs


May be ask her to use one hand to complement yours then? Of course she can type, right? Most toddlers these days are born with typing and dancing skills along with the usual age-old crying ones. 

Well, my English teacher said its ought to be 'preparation' when I wrote 'preperation' one fine day as part of the Oral English Test and me lost 1 mark for that . Guess, you need to lose a reputation as well 

armandra!


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

hahahha.. you do not have kids, do you?? have one and see how your spelling and grammar and every god-damn thing goes for a toss.. i did realise it is preparation when you pointed.. and then i fixed it ..


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## armandra (Nov 27, 2009)

anj1976 said:


> hahahha.. you do not have kids, do you?? have one and see how your spelling and grammar and every god-damn thing goes for a toss.. i did realise it is preparation when you pointed.. and then i fixed it ..


Kids? Me?? No for now, thanks!

I'm sure your kid is in good hands. After all, you ready to throw the-whole-moderator-responsibility-thing in air because of her. 

_Dekh tere sansaar ki kya haalat ho gayi Bhagwan, kitna badal gaya insaan_  (my attempt to translate in English - Behold the world you created oh God! and the ever changing human race!!) 

But, I don't see your rep. power down by 1 anyway? Gosh, you getting unfair marks in the test. Too bad, I'll complain to Miss Stella (my English teacher) 

armandra!


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

my rep power says splendid one to behold, with just 335 points to my credit after 5481 posts. i know few who have posts in hundreds and credits in hundred too.. i am not that famous you see


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## armandra (Nov 27, 2009)

anj1976 said:


> my rep power says splendid one to behold, with just 335 points to my credit after 5481 posts. i know few who have posts in hundreds and credits in hundred too.. i am not that famous you see


People are really getting stingy and selfish these days. Oh yep, I'll add one then.  

Anyway, guess the thread's going away from the point of discussion. :focus:

armandra!


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

yeah back to topic..


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## Guest (Feb 9, 2011)

anj1976 said:


> my rep power says splendid one to behold, with just 335 points to my credit after 5481 posts. i know few who have posts in hundreds and credits in hundred too.. i am not that famous you see


Wait, wait!!!!! I want some rep power too. I have NONE!!!! What's the secret formula of making rep power??? Please, please tell me in my ear. I promise I won't tell anyone. And I won't misue the power to take over the world either. :eyebrows: :eyebrows: :eyebrows:


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

never bothered with it aus.. just be nice to people.. help them when they need it the most.. asking them to thank you only bugs them ..


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## Guest (Feb 9, 2011)

got that!!!!


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## mr.india (Jul 28, 2009)

Good List Anj, I see that some how women never forget their rolling pin to be included in to carry list.. LoL.


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## sriikanth (May 23, 2009)

Dear Anjali.

Hi dont cancel your Indian bank accounts, keep them active and also keep the Debit card and if possible carry a credit card linked to your account if u do use your credit card you can pay online from your account...after you get your credit card in AU . You can cancel your Indian Credit card online.

Best of Luck.


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## sunita.sanjaykumar (Jul 9, 2010)

anj1976 said:


> Got my visa on 27th Jan 2011, Been speaking to a lot of people since then, I thought i should share my findings here. Feel free to add or suggest
> 
> 
> 
> ...


hey Anjali, Thanks! I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will be able to 'implement' your findings this year! 
PS:- I am sending you a PM .would love to speak to you in GGN...


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## armandra (Nov 27, 2009)

sunita.sanjaykumar said:


> hey Anjali, Thanks! I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will be able to 'implement' your findings this year!
> PS:- I am sending you a PM .would love to speak to you in GGN...


Out of curiosity, what's GGN? Don't temme Girly Girl's Network :rofl:


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## sunita.sanjaykumar (Jul 9, 2010)

Hey Armandra
GGN is short for Gurgaon (that's where Anj and myself are located - a suburb near New Delhi) 


Sunita



armandra said:


> Out of curiosity, what's GGN? Don't temme Girly Girl's Network :rofl:


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

I spoke to a friend who says try to get an ironing board as well, the ones in AU cost anything between 40-100$. the 40$ ones are not so steady. I have to check how much do they cost here. As for Iron, the ones here are available for 22$ (1000 INR).

Spoke to my personal banker, she says they do not charge anything for transfering money form their account to an account overseas, and being a classic customer, I get a benefit of .50 INR when I convert Rupees to A$.

I was also suggested by a relative to open an account with westpac, she said open a choice E and an esaver. The choice E will charge you $3 per month but if you put $600 in an esaver you will earn around $3 per month on it. ( interest is 5.85% p.a calculated daily paid monthly ). I have to check if they give a waiver to Migrants for initial few months since they do not come with a job in hand


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Randhir, we woman do not forget rolling pin.. if we do, will you men skip having chapaties is my question 

Sunita, mailed you back 

Armandra.. no no girly girl network, somehow i go well with guys, i have less of girl friends and more of male friends.. the equation works better, i wonder why


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## armandra (Nov 27, 2009)

anj1976 said:


> Randhir, we woman do not forget rolling pin.. if we do, will you men skip having chapaties is my question
> 
> Sunita, mailed you back
> 
> Armandra.. no no girly girl network, somehow i go well with guys, i have less of girl friends and more of male friends.. the equation works better, i wonder why


And what do you expect me to be? A male or a female?? :confused2:

armandra!


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

no clue.. A male i guess.. if you are a female, you are almost like me.. problem is, my thinking is too liberal, men accept it it, women in India do not take it too well


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## amaslam (Sep 25, 2008)

I wonder if getting a partial container might work better for you. Now that you're talking about things like ironing board and other household goods, might as well go the whole hog and bring a household.

Ironing boards are kinda odd to be bringing over, too heavy to mail inexpensively so total cost might end up being > AU price. 

Small dense items that don't weigh alot or have a significant price difference (i.e. electronics/computers) make more sense to bring over. 

Also you'll be visiting home so maybe seperate into initial shipment and 'NEXT YEAR'. I managed to bring over speakers in a 'NEXT YEAR' shipment after a home visit. Sometimes it works out if you do RTW tickets with a US/Canada routing so you get the much larger baggage allowance. Need to start thinking in total cost terms (trips + shipping + baggage fees). Hard to plan a year ahead but might work out as you can sneak in a little holiday too.


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## armandra (Nov 27, 2009)

anj1976 said:


> no clue.. A male i guess.. if you are a female, you are almost like me.. problem is, my thinking is too liberal, men accept it it, women in India do not take it too well


This is by far the most anti-feminist comment about Indian women I've ever heard. Feel lucky that you are moving to Aus. 

armandra!


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

no they can not accept it.. women here do not want to be seen with other women who smoke, if two men are talking and they swear, they look at the men as if they committed a crime, i simply laugh. so many instances.. all women talk about is clothes, i do not. my shopping takes 10 mins unlike most women.. on n forth.. n yeah, i hate talking on phone . i do not do family gossip n i hate watching tv


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

thanks amaslam 

but i feel a container would be too much, we do not plan to get anything other than clothes and utensils. utensils too are not much. i guess 2 pressure cookers, 2 woks, 4 plates, a few steel bowls , forks, knives, spoons. 
i have my doubt about the board as it is coir filled. i dont know how quarantine would react to it. 

even if i get it, i think it might not be more than 5 kgs, if i consider INR 165 as the per kg price, it would come to 3.5$ over and above the cost of the board. 

as for computer, we are getting two laptops, a mac and a dell. my husband wants to buy a 62" tv, so we plan to leave our 32" behind.

i have asked my sister to get a few things when she comes later this year or early next year. i guess i will make a list and ask her to get stuff when she comes.

i wonder, how do we get prescription made? i plan to get basic medicines with me but do i just ask the doc to write all medication on his letterhead.. is that convincing that we need those medicines? as what i plan to get is for common cold, stomach infection, cough, etc etc


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## Cini (Jan 24, 2011)

Good post on the preparations.
We too are planning to move by May and are sorting out the things to carry with us.
Any idea whether they will allow liquid medicines..
like homoeo, contact lens solution etc

Especially I'm interested in knowing about those things that we are not supposed to take..so that we can avoid those..

And for taking 2-3 strips of of all medicines which we would need in a year for the family like paracetamol,pain killers,antibiotics etc we need to have prescription for the exact quantity?

I ahve one more query..Appreciate if you could answer this...
For searching jobs, what is the approach that you are following...
Going though consultants or applying through jobs sites?
I believe from India, applying for jobs would be a difficult process.
Any advice from your end?


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

hi Cini

I guess a prescription would be required for antibiotics and not the other regular day to day medication like paracetamol, let someone residing in Au answer this.

I did not see anything about Liquids not being allowed in checked in luggage. When we got our visa stamped, we got a booklet on what not to bring. I suggest carrying lense solution in check in baggage and wearing glasses while flying as the solution wont be allowed in hand luggage.

Again, I am a lil confused about exact quantity prescription. if it is exact qty, i dont think that should be a problem.. Just carry stuff good for 6 to 8 months.

For jobs my husband has been working on it, he has made a few contacts on Linkedin. We can not do much right now as we still have 3-4 months to go, we plan to start looking around towards the end of May so that if at all someone wants to interview we can take time till we land there. We also plan to give address of a friend in Canberra, that way they consider your application.

Consultants, Job sites and networking sites, all three approach, beggars cant be chooser


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## amaslam (Sep 25, 2008)

Prescriptions work like this:

1. You go to the GP when you get here and show them the list from the Indian doctor. Either on their letterhead or their prescription forms. You may ask for repeats so you do not have to get a new prescription every time you need to refill.
2. The GP then gives your prescriptions (called 'scipts' for short) and then you then go to any pharmacy and with your Medicare card given you can get the prescriptions filled. In the future in the same pharmacy they should have a record of your Medicare card so will not usually ask for it again. 

First step is to get your Medicare cards, you get a temporary 'receipt' with your medicare number the day you go into Medicare to register for the system and then permanent plastic cards come within a few weeks to an address you tell them to send it to. To get your Medicare cards take your passports with the PR stamp into any Medicare office. The process takes only a few minutes. 

You can use your receipt to go to the GP and get prescriptions.

A bulk billing GP is best as you are not paying anything out of pocket. The bad thing is that there are usually long waits (sometimes 1 hour plus). However you can 'put your name down' by going to the office, then ask for the wait time (i.e. 45 mins) and then go do something else for 45 mins (i.e. go to the local shopping centre for some groceries). Then you come back and see the doctor when your turn comes up.

Not all doctors bulk bill so any GPs you want to go to it is best to ask when their hours and if they bulk bill.

You are not restricted by city or location to your doctor and can go to any GP.

***
Also for your baby ask if you can get a blue book, this is a medical history and everytime she gets immunisations or health checks (i.e. 12 month check by a nurse) they record it in the blue book. When your baby starts school or daycare they might ask to see her blue book to check status of immunisations.

Medicare also has online access where they store immunisation history and you can print that out as well.

One nice thing is once your baby has all their immunisations done I think Centrelink gives you $20 something as a 'good job, well done'.

***
Medicare offices are also combined with Family Assistance depts offices so when you are applying for things like Childcare Benefit and rebates you can file your forms in the same office.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Thanks for the detailed post Amaslam .. as always, you rock.. 

My question is, carrying the medicines to AUS.. they do ask you if you are carrying any medicines with you, without a prescription they do not let you take them. When you ask the doc here to prescribe it for you, he wont prescribe all medicines in one prescription.. How does that work..


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## amaslam (Sep 25, 2008)

Usually they look at the label at customs. They need to see your name and Drs. Name and the drug name on the label. I haven't dealt with Indian pharmacies but I assume they put the same information on the label. What you might want to do is look at the drug name and check the customs website to see if it's a controlled substance (i.e. pseudoephedrine usually is and it has a legit purpose: cold/allergy medicine and non-legit purpose: component of the drug Ecstasy). It is these controlled substances that you must do your best not to bring into AU. 





anj1976 said:


> Thanks for the detailed post Amaslam .. as always, you rock..
> 
> My question is, carrying the medicines to AUS.. they do ask you if you are carrying any medicines with you, without a prescription they do not let you take them. When you ask the doc here to prescribe it for you, he wont prescribe all medicines in one prescription.. How does that work..


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

well, the drug stores here dont ask for prescription always, i get most of my medicines over phone, i call, tell them the name of the med, give my address and it is at my door in an hour.. i know things are different there..


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## armandra (Nov 27, 2009)

I see that your preparation so far is going great  Keep it up girly!!! 

armandra!


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## devibon (Nov 24, 2008)

anj1976 said:


> thanks amaslam
> 
> but i feel a container would be too much, we do not plan to get anything other than clothes and utensils. utensils too are not much. i guess 2 pressure cookers, 2 woks, 4 plates, a few steel bowls , forks, knives, spoons.
> i have my doubt about the board as it is coir filled. i dont know how quarantine would react to it.
> ...


Nothing to worry about medicines. During my last visit to Adelaide, I was not sure what to fill in the incoming passenger card which says "Do you carry any narcotics, drugs or medicines - YES/NO/Not Sure". I was carrying all these routine general stuff for Head Aches, Stomach cramps, Antibiotics, Vitamins etc. I saw every where in the Airport written "DECLARE OR BEWARE". To be sure enough I have marked the question as "Not Sure". This delayed my check-out process for at least two hours. Finally all they asked is - if the medicines were for personal use. That's it. I was through.

So no worries mate.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

thanks devi

ok just spoke to an excess baggae handler in gurgaon

he quoted 

INR 80 per Kg for min 150 kg by sea and 
INR 200 per Kg by air, to be picked from the port (both cases). 
INR 150 per Kg extra for an agent. 

the stuff will be picked from home, they wont pack it but will assist (if you need help packing).


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## devibon (Nov 24, 2008)

Hi Anj,

I found this link very useful:

Relocation Checklist - Live in Victoria


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

thanks for sharing


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Sent an email to westpac for opening an account, below is their reply



> Dear Sir or Madam
> 
> Thank you for your email regarding Westpac bank accounts. We welcome the opportunity to assist you with your banking needs.
> 
> ...


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## devibon (Nov 24, 2008)

This is great! If the Bank could open an account online even before we arrive there it would be easier for us to transfer money rather than carrying in cash or traveler checks. Good findings! 

How about other preparations so far? Did you decide on the location you like to land on? I was planning for Vic. Have been browsing some Regional Victoria Council web sites. Just about a 1hr drive from Melb. I feel it is better for us to initially locate ourselves in regional area where we could save on overheads.

BTW did you book your tickets and what did you finalize on cargo?


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## Dhawal (Oct 29, 2010)

anj1976 said:


> Sent an email to westpac for opening an account, below is their reply


Hi anjali,
I just wanted to know if there is a time limit for initial entry within which one needs to enter Australia to get the PR validated or is it that one can enter Australia any time within the 5 years PR validity. If there is such a time limit then wht is it?


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## Dhawal (Oct 29, 2010)

devibon said:


> This is great! If the Bank could open an account online even before we arrive there it would be easier for us to transfer money rather than carrying in cash or traveler checks. Good findings!
> 
> How about other preparations so far? Did you decide on the location you like to land on? I was planning for Vic. Have been browsing some Regional Victoria Council web sites. Just about a 1hr drive from Melb. I feel it is better for us to initially locate ourselves in regional area where we could save on overheads.
> 
> BTW did you book your tickets and what did you finalize on cargo?


Hi devibon,
When are you planning to move? And which city you planning to settle down?

BR/Dhawal.


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## aussieland (Oct 14, 2008)

Dhawal said:


> Hi anjali,
> I just wanted to know if there is a time limit for initial entry within which one needs to enter Australia to get the PR validated or is it that one can enter Australia any time within the 5 years PR validity. If there is such a time limit then wht is it?


Hi Dhawal,

there is an initial entry date with PR n u need to enter before that date....ones u get it validated you can then be outside aussieland for remaing time...


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## Dhawal (Oct 29, 2010)

PankajNamdeo said:


> Hi Dhawal,
> 
> there is an initial entry date with PR n u need to enter before that date....ones u get it validated you can then be outside aussieland for remaing time...


Hi,
Ok thanks a lot.....And what is the time limit that they give for initial entry from the date of visa grant?


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

hi devi

the best option so far in terms of baggage is unaccompanied baggage. it costs less, it reaches around the same time as you, only problem i see is, what if it reaches a dat after you, incase you are not in the same city as the airport is, it is a little inconvenient waiting fro the baggage or coming back for it. 

i did find about shipping the stuff, port handling charges etc turn out to be mroe or less the same if the stuff isnt too much. if u pay INR 80 per kilo and the pay 300 port handling cahrges, it isnt worth it.

we are not sure about the location yet,s till waiting.

we have booked ticket slot but i noticed seats were already booked, i dont know if the seats have been booked by passengers or blocked by the airlines. We desperately need the bassinet seat for my daughter. but we can not do much. 

Regional makes much more sense, your overheads are low, you can look for a job in teh area plus in the city as well and spend less.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

the time you get depends on your PCC or medicals whichever was done first. we got our PCC in November and medicals in Dec, our initial entry is a year from the date on PCC.


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## Cini (Jan 24, 2011)

Hi Anjali,

Ya As you said we are not left with much choice..
Hey thanks for the replies regarding the prescription and stuff..
As suggested, will carry a prescription for the major ones-antibiotics,kid's homeoo medicines etc..
And regarding the preparations..in fact I have started making a checklist which looks quite exhaustive by now  but what to do...there are many things that we
could do without once we reach there..
You are planning to move to whic place by the way?
We are planning for Melbourne as the place seems to have more job opportunties..Infact we are planning to make the initial entry by May as planned..but staying back there still seems to be a big question..Nevertheless going ahead with the preparations...thatz one thing us ladies can't do without 

The job seeking is not in an active mode now as we have 3 more months to go...


A brief summary for the things that I would like to add to the preparation list:
*Things To Do before move:*
Vacate house(if rental),give notice, sell/give away/transfer the house hold furniture,electronic items,vehicles etc
if living in own house, then rent out house,arrange for trasferring the rent(can rent out with the existing furniture and stuff in this case)
settlement of dues if any(related to house loans/deposits/insurance etc)
Get reference/experience letter/PF/gratuity from current job,give notice
Existing Mobile connections/Landline Phone connections/Internet connections -do the needful
Get TC for kid
have a medical checkup for the family-get immunization certificate for the kid,consult the doc and get preventive medicines especially for kids

have all the certificates ready-education,marriage certificate,birth certificates,job related documents-have proper files/folders for all
Bank accounts-offshore and in Aus
Shoppings-medical,clothes,accessories,electronic items as needed
Get the adresses/contact no of all our ppl--in offshore as well as in Aus

*Things to carry*
Medicines-antibiotics,pain killers,regular medicines
(avoid herbal ones )
Clothes-summer,winter wear,business formals,casuals etc for all members
Bed sheets,pillows,quilts
Accessories-hand bags,cosmetics,shoes,school bags,sandals
Toiletries-for all
House hold items-stationary items ,useful Tools
Kitchen items-Mixie,Toaster,non-stick cookware,vessels,dinnerset,cups,glasses,knives,peeler,forks,
spoons,opener,microwave compatibe plates/bowls,plastic containers,pressure cooker
Electronic items-CDs,USB,laptop,camera,adapters/extensions/three pins,Mobile(chargers) etc
Books-technical/dictionary/story books, have additional ones for kids learning/prayer books/Diaries/Address book

Documents-passports/travel documents,cheques,driving license,certificates,
experience letters/reference letters/salary slips/academic certificates

Food items-can't carry most of them..but I think curry/masala/other powders which list the ingredients clearly might be allowed.(some ingredients like cinnamon are not allowed )
No other food products-pickles/ready to cook -ready to eat packs/tinned food etc are allowed

Heard that mattresses are very costly and comes to nearly INR 80,000(what to do..need to buy this along with all the initial things required for settling down in Aus- like furniture and other items) 




anj1976 said:


> hi Cini
> 
> I guess a prescription would be required for antibiotics and not the other regular day to day medication like paracetamol, let someone residing in Au answer this.
> 
> ...


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## Thilagamdiraviam (Jun 19, 2009)

Oh that's great you visa grant is for 176 or 175


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

hi cini

the list is great but are you serious about carrying plates and all the kitchen stuff that you mentioned? after speaking to most people i am not carrying anything except for 2 karahies, 2 pressure cookers, one tawa, one rolling pin with base, peeler, knife, a few forks, spoons, that would be it. plates etc you can get form there.. no point carrying stuff when you know you can buy for the same amount (as much as it takes to send it there). i'd rather carry clothes.

did you see the online shopping sites fr mattresses? You can not carry those from here, so no point crying over it, you have to buy it.. few thigns are cheaper and few are more expensive .

as for linen, a friend said they use fitted sheets there and they are the most convenient, once you start using them, you wont like indian ones at all, just carry a couple of them.

as for spices, carry one month's supply, i.e. one box each, catch is a good brand, pick turmeric, red chili, salt, coriander pwd, garam masala etc. once there you can hunt for shops that sell the same, dont waste too much space.

i have been speaking to a lot of people since last 20 days (yeah its been exactly 20 days since i got my visa), everyone said the same thing, right now everything would look important to you, but once you are there you will regret getting all the stuff that you did and miss a lot of stuff that you felt was not important.

you missed universal plug, i think samsonite has one, it costs 12-1300 bux but is worth every penny. need to check the price though.


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## Abhijeet (Feb 1, 2011)

anj1976 said:


> Got my visa on 27th Jan 2011, Been speaking to a lot of people since then, I thought i should share my findings here. Feel free to add or suggest
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Hii Anj,
Gud to find ur posts and also glad to know that u wud be planning to fly by Jun. Ur post wud be of help to me. I am too havin a daughter 1yr old and wud be flyin somewhere around June. MY consultant told me that for my profession (Mech Engg), feb and Jun are the months when lots of openings come thru. Not sure about this, but neways we ll be movin in Jun.
Nice to have u as a companion on this forum. Wud be reading ur post hereon.

Regards
Abhi


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## aussieland (Oct 14, 2008)

anj1976 said:


> the time you get depends on your PCC or medicals whichever was done first. we got our PCC in November and medicals in Dec, our initial entry is a year from the date on PCC.


Hi Anj,
For how long the Indian PCC is valid ?


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Hi Abhi

wish you luck,

my daughter will be 9 months by June, she is not even 4 months, turns 4 months on 19th


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

a year as initial entry date is exactly a year form teh date on the PCC on the passport..


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## devibon (Nov 24, 2008)

Dhawal said:


> Hi devibon,
> When are you planning to move? And which city you planning to settle down?
> 
> BR/Dhawal.


Hi Dhawal,

Our initial entry be made before November. But if I take that long, Nov and Dec are not good hiring season in Oz due to Chirstmas Holidays. So was planning to move July. The only problem is getting accommodation booked online. About 4 years ago when I landed in South Australia on a Regional Sponsorship visa, SA Housing has made a good arrangement called On Arrival Accommodation :clap2:. This facility is available for new immigrants for the initial 12 weeks by then you need to search your own accommodation. But to my knowledge, this facility is not available in other states. Not sure. But Victorian Govt. has no such facility.


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## Cini (Jan 24, 2011)

Would like to add on a few points which I got from the various conversations with my Aussie contacts/mails/forums which I feel would be useful 

Best places to look for job-
Sydney,Melbourne
Sydney-expensive, jam packed, more opportunities
Melbourne-less expensive when compared to sydney;has more students out here..jam packed too..has a lot ot opportunities
Brisbane-less opportunities, more suited for those who don't prefer a cold climate
Canberra-more of governmental jobs...usually 

Climate-summer would be extreme..better to have the cooling glasses,hats,sun screens etc in place ..
again climate varies from place to place
winter--not as intense as in western countries..canberra/melbourne can have very cold climates though

Rentals--very difficult to get,need to clear the points test..there could be many applicants applying for the same one.. depends on the owner as well...look in sites like realestate.com.au...
have all the documents handy which would be needed for the contract..
suburbs would cost less..can look for apartments/units..avg rent is $ 300 - $500per week and the first months rent should be paid in advance along with the deposit amount which would again sum up to a month's rent ;in short, 2 month's rent should be paid initially 

not all houses come with furniture..hence better to buy second hand ones initially if you want to save money....oven/gas connection would be available,built-in cots/cupboards could be available in most houses...

if you have kids choose a suburb considering the distance to workplace/shopping area/kids school,parks etc..

Transportation-> good in Sydney/Melbourne..can avail tickets for travel in monorail/buses all over the city for a particular period at a lesser price..


Money->jobs are difficult to get,during the initial period..hence need to have a backup for atleast 6 months including the initial settlement and travel costs;rentals are the one that cost the most 

Experience->Aussie experience is only considered valid,hence there would be an initial struggle and may have to take up lower profile jobs ..the reference from an aussie job counts a lot..and later you can switch on to a better job aligned to ur level of experience and skills..but again it's sheer luck ..some people do get their first job in a very short span of time..

Travel->It's better to book via good airlies such as singapore airlines,considering the fact that we are travelling for the first time and would have to carry max baggage(40 kilos per head allowed)..cheap airlines could charge more for excess luggage and not recommended on the whole..


Any one who wants to add on useful points for the migrants which would aid them in preparing for the move are most welcome .

QUOTE=anj1976;460753]hi cini

the list is great but are you serious about carrying plates and all the kitchen stuff that you mentioned? after speaking to most people i am not carrying anything except for 2 karahies, 2 pressure cookers, one tawa, one rolling pin with base, peeler, knife, a few forks, spoons, that would be it. plates etc you can get form there.. no point carrying stuff when you know you can buy for the same amount (as much as it takes to send it there). i'd rather carry clothes.

did you see the online shopping sites fr mattresses? You can not carry those from here, so no point crying over it, you have to buy it.. few thigns are cheaper and few are more expensive .

as for linen, a friend said they use fitted sheets there and they are the most convenient, once you start using them, you wont like indian ones at all, just carry a couple of them.
please do the 
as for spices, carry one month's supply, i.e. one box each, catch is a good brand, pick turmeric, red chili, salt, coriander pwd, garam masala etc. once there you can hunt for shops that sell the same, dont waste too much space.

i have been speaking to a lot of people since last 20 days (yeah its been exactly 20 days since i got my visa), everyone said the same thing, right now everything would look important to you, but once you are there you will regret getting all the stuff that you did and miss a lot of stuff that you felt was not important.

you missed universal plug, i think samsonite has one, it costs 12-1300 bux but is worth every penny. need to check the price though.[/QUOTE]


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

thanks for sharing cini


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## amaslam (Sep 25, 2008)

Just to add that Melbourne being less expensive than SYD is becoming less true each month. In the past (lets say 2 yrs ago) the real estate was quite different, but MEL has caught up to SYD for buying and rentals are about the same in both places. 

I consider MEL to have better public transport but SYD has a better climate.


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## Cini (Jan 24, 2011)

175 skilled visa


Thilagamdiraviam said:


> Oh that's great you visa grant is for 176 or 175


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## devibon (Nov 24, 2008)

amaslam said:


> Just to add that Melbourne being less expensive than SYD is becoming less true each month. In the past (lets say 2 yrs ago) the real estate was quite different, but MEL has caught up to SYD for buying and rentals are about the same in both places.
> 
> I consider MEL to have better public transport but SYD has a better climate.


You are very true in saying this. The same was quoted by my friend living in Melbourne. He says on an average about 800 new immigrants arrive in Melbourne every week. But they do not have enough housing in Victoria.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

was checking a few sites, a starters kit with 6 x glass tumblers, 6 x mugs, 6 x bowls, 6 x dinner plates, 6 x side plates, 6 x knives, 6 x forks, 6 x dessert spoons and 6 x tea spoons costs about 55$, which would be INR 2500 approximately, i dont think it is too much considering the hassle of packing, shipping it, chances of it breaking etc etc..
Buy House x Home 54 Piece White Home Starter Set | Read Reviews | BIG W Online Store Australia

for a 5 piece cooking set it is approximately 40-60$, again not worth carrying from here..


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Final, no more perth for us.. Sydney it is and then over to Canberra..


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## sunita.sanjaykumar (Jul 9, 2010)

Hey Anjali.......
:clap2:............ we'll see you there soon.......fingers crossed :cheer2:


sunita



anj1976 said:


> Final, no more perth for us.. Sydney it is and then over to Canberra..


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

sure sunita


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## avinash (Feb 2, 2010)

my view / suggestions. 

When I landed, I stayed in full furnished studio apartment in CBD on 6 months lease. Gave me good time to figure out where to move and what to buy etc....

When u arrive you will have zero credit point, it is will be very diff to secure a local creditcard, car/house loan or post paid sim. Would suggest keep the Indian creditcard handy conversion rates are not bad and atleast u can use them in emergency . 

Dont disconnect your Indian SIM, two reasons.
1) Banks send instance registration pin to your mobile, if you want to transfer money from one account to another in India and if that another account is not registered, then it is a big headache. If you are internet banking.
2) Handy to make calls between immigration check and takeoff/landing, to family waiting outside the airport.
I took two prepaid sim, for local calls "three" and for India Lebara. When at home I use Jumblo | Free calls from my iphone. 


Initially we brought only one pressure cooker from India and bought an eletric rice cooker in coles for 15$ which is really nice basic version.

Rejectshop, should be the first place for you to visit, you will like the price tag there.
The Reject Shop - Home

China's shop should be your next, power pin converter is cheap. you may need 2 to 3 of them. It cost me 5$ each.

I am not sure about ur renting plan. It is very expensive to move stuff from one home to another, unless u r opting for rented van and making the move yourself. Plan accordingly. 

Three main things that will be missed once u move to a house away from CBD,
1) Car (for reference redbook.com.au)
2) Fridge
3) Washing machine.

Unlink in India repair and maintenance is expensive here, so used goods are a big risk unless u know someone who can vouch for the items. Gumtree is a good place for used items, but electronic items are, like said risk.

check this one, 
cutleryandmore.com | Wusthof Knives, All-Clad Cookware, Le Creuset, J.A. Henckels Kitchen Knives, Calphalon Cookware & Cuisinart


Anything bought in relation to work can be used for tax exemption For a IT guy , mobile , laptop, suit , dryclean etc .... 

If company has car lease benefit / salary sacrifice , it saves few $$$ from tax. Nice question to ask the company at the time of interview .

I used Indian post for a 20K pkg, was happy with there service. Cost was like 5000rs.


Prepare for the driving test before u start your journey, there is a long Q for the test, see if you can book early. 

Ambulance is expensive, if not insured, check there webpage.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

thanks avinash.. ur posts are always helpful  keep adding


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## aussieland (Oct 14, 2008)

I used Optus mobile services...it was good n cheap...for India calling I used calling cards...


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## kirankumarpv (Jan 18, 2010)

anj1976 said:


> I spoke to a friend who says try to get an ironing board as well, the ones in AU cost anything between 40-100$. the 40$ ones are not so steady. I have to check how much do they cost here. As for Iron, the ones here are available for 22$ (1000 INR).
> 
> Spoke to my personal banker, she says they do not charge anything for transfering money form their account to an account overseas, and being a classic customer, I get a benefit of .50 INR when I convert Rupees to A$.
> 
> I was also suggested by a relative to open an account with westpac, she said open a choice E and an esaver. The choice E will charge you $3 per month but if you put $600 in an esaver you will earn around $3 per month on it. ( interest is 5.85% p.a calculated daily paid monthly ). I have to check if they give a waiver to Migrants for initial few months since they do not come with a job in hand


Hi Anjali, 

These days the banks in Australia have become aggressive in their marketing. 

Go for a NAB account instead of Westpac. Previously Nab also used to have the fees but in the competition they have waived all the fees. NAB also provides an option to open account online before you land in Australia. 

Please check NAB site for more information. I am not able to post the lost as i am still not an active member

Kiran


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

hi kiran

but i have not heard good things about nab, also, westpac does give the fee waiver to migrants for 6 months and if one does not like the services, he can close the a/c once there and open another one and a 2000$ deposit each month is alright once you start earning..


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## mr.india (Jul 28, 2009)

People like me would move $ 2000 from e-saver to choice account and back everyone month to save fees after 6 months through e-banking 

Once you start getting salary in this account then this headache will also go.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

i purchased a universal plug from Samsonite yesterday, costs 1450 INR and a must buy.. for charging phones, laptop etc..

a friend told me, buying vests and thermals a must for those who wear them. other than that i have been checking prices online on aldi, everything seems more or less the same as india. we buy nestle tetra pack milk, costs 45Inr/1$ here and long grain rice we take is for 1.45$.. the same price as that available at Aldi..


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## aussieland (Oct 14, 2008)

avinash said:


> my view / suggestions.
> 
> When I landed, I stayed in full furnished studio apartment in CBD on 6 months lease. Gave me good time to figure out where to move and what to buy etc....
> 
> ...


Reject shop is the place to go for cheap goods....do consider that...

Sent from my iPhone using ExpatForum


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Booked tickets for Delhi - Sydney fr 15th June, 2 adults, one infant. 

cost : 63,000 INR. 

4 hours halt in Singapore. Leaves Delhi on 15th Morning, Reaches Sydney on 16th Morning.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Pankaj i spoke to a friend regarding rejectshop, she says the place is cheap for sure but the quality isnt the best. for good quality stuff Aldi is better.


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## aussieland (Oct 14, 2008)

anj1976 said:


> Pankaj i spoke to a friend regarding rejectshop, she says the place is cheap for sure but the quality isnt the best. for good quality stuff Aldi is better.


Agreed...quality is not that good...but never the less worth checking out...

Sent from my iPhone using ExpatForum


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## mr.india (Jul 28, 2009)

anj1976 said:


> i purchased a universal plug from Samsonite yesterday, costs 1450 INR and a must buy.. for charging phones, laptop etc..
> 
> a friend told me, buying vests and thermals a must for those who wear them. other than that i have been checking prices online on aldi, everything seems more or less the same as india. we buy nestle tetra pack milk, costs 45Inr/1$ here and long grain rice we take is for 1.45$.. the same price as that available at Aldi..


@ Anj: Universal plug for Rs. 1450, It is better you get it from Oz then available everywhere for $10 all major stires has it, called universal travellers plug.

Did you booked tickets in Singapore AL?


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## aussieland (Oct 14, 2008)

Has anybody tried AirAsia..???? Heard that it's cheap...

Sent from my iPhone using ExpatForum


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

pankaj they are cheap but not comfortable, very less leg room, hardly any baggage allowance. no food onboard. i feel when you are traveling in such long flight, (anything over 3 hours is a long flight fr me), one needs legroom. 

Randhir, i did not want to take a chance, thought, might as well carry it from here


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## aussieland (Oct 14, 2008)

anj1976 said:


> pankaj they are cheap but not comfortable, very less leg room, hardly any baggage allowance. no food onboard. i feel when you are traveling in such long flight, (anything over 3 hours is a long flight fr me), one needs legroom.
> 
> Randhir, i did not want to take a chance, thought, might as well carry it from here


No food...this is strange..
well anyway SA is the best...thou wanted to travel in A380 plane...hopefully this time my wish would be granted...

Sent from my iPhone using ExpatForum


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## LuckyLee (Oct 28, 2010)

Hi Anj,

How did you book your ticket? Through agent or Singapore airlines website?

Could you please reply?

Regards
LuckyLee



anj1976 said:


> pankaj they are cheap but not comfortable, very less leg room, hardly any baggage allowance. no food onboard. i feel when you are traveling in such long flight, (anything over 3 hours is a long flight fr me), one needs legroom.
> 
> Randhir, i did not want to take a chance, thought, might as well carry it from here


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

through an agent, someone known to me, i checked the prices with a lot of people, the quote i got was for 68-69 by most (both travel portals as well as SIG Airlines website) but this was the cheapest.


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## amaslam (Sep 25, 2008)

More on the banking, I've gone with HSBC for the last 7 years. No fees on most things and no minimum and no account keeping fees. They don't have many branches but for ATMs you can also uses Westpac ATMs free of charge (I think St. George ones as well). Other banks to consider in the same role: ING, Citibank, Bendigo Bank, Bank of Queensland, Bankwest.

Since they're smaller they compete more and give better rates. You can have more than one type of account. Mainly check their ATM fees and locations as that is the only thing you need to use most of the time. All of them have online access for banking. I've only been to a branch 3 times in the last 7 years, so not a big deal if one isn't close to me.


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## amaslam (Sep 25, 2008)

I've flown Airasia, but it's a LCC so everything (food, blankets, entertainment, headphones, baggage) has a charge and for each flight. So work out total cost. Other than that it'll get you from point A to point B, but not lots of flights to any one location, so you miss one either you get delayed hours or a day. It's good once you're used to a AU flight, but for your first I recommend a full service carrier. Don't need airline stresses for your first trips.


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## LuckyLee (Oct 28, 2010)

Oh really?? Even I was checking with many people, but all of them quoted as almost same as travel portals (makemytrip was the cheapest that I found)..

Does your agent has any offices in south? preferably in bangalore? 

Regards



anj1976 said:


> through an agent, someone known to me, i checked the prices with a lot of people, the quote i got was for 68-69 by most (both travel portals as well as SIG Airlines website) but this was the cheapest.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

no luckylee i doubt they have an office in south. But i think it will be an E Ticket, does not matter wehre you are, deposit money in their account, they do the ticket and email it to you.. i can share their number if you want, let me know


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

thanks ahmed, will check with citibank and hsbc, we have an account with both here.


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## LuckyLee (Oct 28, 2010)

Hi Anj,

If you don't mind, could you please send/PM me your travel agent's contact details?

Regards



anj1976 said:


> no luckylee i doubt they have an office in south. But i think it will be an E Ticket, does not matter wehre you are, deposit money in their account, they do the ticket and email it to you.. i can share their number if you want, let me know


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

done


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## LuckyLee (Oct 28, 2010)

Got it.. Thanks a lot Anj...


anj1976 said:


> done


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## DS3 (May 13, 2010)

anj1976 said:


> done


Hi,

My son was 18 months old when we took him on the reco trip to Adelaide. However my wife did a mistake of feeding him bottled milk. He threw up on the second leg of the journey and it was a mess. Do note that only in India the descent rate of an aircraft is at 1500 feet per minute but over there its at 3000. Hence a plane will start descending much earlier at a much faster rate and the equilibrium in your ears will go for a toss for a longer time as compared to India. I know this as i work with an airline plus personal experience. However its important that you keep on feeding your kid something when the plane stands to descent and it happens for a long time suggest bottled water/orange juice or anything else that wont be as messy as milk.

Also SA is a good airline but Quantas would have been a better choice as you get a lot of frequent flyer points and am sure there would be a lot of internal travelling...and Australia is a huge place for sure...and again you will be travelling back to India. For every round trip flight in eco class approximately the next flight in Quantas can be upgraded to Biz. The food is great and the leg space is superb in the biz class

Now PRACTICALLY speaking you should IDEALLY wait for your kid to turn atleast a year old before you move. And PRESUMING your hubby is the primary applicant he should go first, get a decent job and then call the 02 of you over, which since he is in IT should happen in less than 3-4 months time. That way lesser stress on him to get a job. However am sure you wont be doing that so wish you a lot of luck.Btw have you guys been to Australia before as in before your kid was born or has there been a physical reco trip at all? Huge difference between theory and actuals sadly regarding acceptance in the society, jobs, credit limit et all.

And as for the bassinet there are usually 04 bassinets on every place--- at least Quantas had plied an A 330, but am sure even the Boeings have a similar config. So since you are fare paying passengers you can demand bassinets so am sure if you just tweak your travel dates a couple of days you should get it. And yes bassinets are a must or else you will go berserk for sure with an infant.

Do advise what is the medical insurance that you have taken and how much back up cash are you taking? Dont need to worry much about taking medicines---just declare that its for personal use--- and packed/branded spices like Everest etc... dont take ACT 2 pop corn as seeds arent permitted to be imported. In fact i would suggest take lots of medicines, clothes,shoes, spices as though they are available its quite costly there. You can forget about the utensils {just carry the basics or whatever is sturdier and not found there} as its too much of a hassle. 

Good luck with your new life. Suggest also enroll in a part time course if possible but only once the kid grows up to atleast 02 years. Before that its unfair to leave them in a day care facility no matter how good. Think about joining courses in child care, or be a teacher as decent demand and you get to stay with your kid too.

Ciao.

Warm Regards,

DS


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

HI DS

Sadly we have booked with SG already, had you replied any earlier I would have not taken SG plus my agent knows people in SG, he said i will make sure you get a Bassinet. Lets see how it works.

Our problem, we can validate visa by November, Post June it will be cold there and extremely hot here, too much of a contrast for a lil one to take. if i wait for her to turn 1 we cant leave before October.. too close to november, god forbid, for some reason if i am unable to leave, it will be too tight or i will end up loosing my visa. June looks the best, i knwo she will bi in middle of her teething, i dont know how will i manage, lets see.

what is an option if not bottle feed? we can not carry tetra pack, can we? we can only carry powder milk and they provide the warm water..

Oh the insurance is fr India, not travel insurance. dont plan to take it either. as for cash, we are looking at 30k, give or take a few.. still have to manage our finances. 

my plan is to put my daughter in day care once she turns one and half year and start working or if i get clients i dont mind working frmo home, it all depends on when my husabnd gets a job and how he is paid. if life is comfortable im ight wait till she turns 2 else i might call my mum or my mum in law, leave her with the kiddo adn go work.


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## devibon (Nov 24, 2008)

DS3 said:


> Hi,
> 
> My son was 18 months old when we took him on the reco trip to Adelaide. However my wife did a mistake of feeding him bottled milk. He threw up on the second leg of the journey and it was a mess. Do note that only in India the descent rate of an aircraft is at 1500 feet per minute but over there its at 3000. Hence a plane will start descending much earlier at a much faster rate and the equilibrium in your ears will go for a toss for a longer time as compared to India. I know this as i work with an airline plus personal experience. However its important that you keep on feeding your kid something when the plane stands to descent and it happens for a long time suggest bottled water/orange juice or anything else that wont be as messy as milk.
> 
> ...



Thanks DS. That helps a lot. I was planning the same way to move first in July and look for work. My validation date is given 6th Nov 2011. Hopefully 3 months would be enough to find a job and then before November my wife and kids can join me. But I have a question - by then my elder child would be 3 and half years old and younger one 1and half. Will the airline permit both children to travel with my wife? I worry if my wife could manage or not. But it is the circumstances that demand us to do that way :confused2:.


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## DS3 (May 13, 2010)

Hi Devibon,

What kind of industry are you in right now? A lot depends on that . Usually one has to be prepared to do odd jobs. And yes coming from India wherein one is used to having everything on the platter its a huge challenge. However unlike India even odd jobs pay well and there is dignity of labour so you dont have to worry much as such. 

The Airline would have no problems at all...and if your wife has never travelled abroad it maybe a slight problem .... suggest you guys go like we did....validate your visa....and then come back and save for a year or so before making the final move.....presuming you have applied on a regional TR visa too?


Warm Regards,

DS


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

this was another reason why i will be moving with my husband, cant manage daughter alone while flying, and i think when u struggle the entire day and go back to a family, it always brings a smile on your face, going back to an empty room is not easy


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## DS3 (May 13, 2010)

anj1976 said:


> this was another reason why i will be moving with my husband, cant manage daughter alone while flying, and i think when u struggle the entire day and go back to a family, it always brings a smile on your face, going back to an empty room is not easy



Easy?? Any person who is ok to uproot from his/her roots and settle in an alien place has a lot of courage and is definitely not looking to take the easy route any which way. However as i mentioned that will be a practical thing to do and not emotional. And we humans are more emotional than practical. So am sure you have thought about it and good luck with it.

Warm Regards,

DS


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## devibon (Nov 24, 2008)

DS3 said:


> Hi Devibon,
> 
> What kind of industry are you in right now? A lot depends on that . Usually one has to be prepared to do odd jobs. And yes coming from India wherein one is used to having everything on the platter its a huge challenge. However unlike India even odd jobs pay well and there is dignity of labour so you dont have to worry much as such.
> 
> ...


Hi DS,

I am in Financial Services Industry and Accountant by profession. Have obtained the required membership from one of the Accounting Regulating Bodies in Australia. We are on PR 175. BTW what did you mean by specific odd jobs - something irrelevant to our qualifications and experience or a lower level/position in the same field? I do not mind to take up any job that I can handle and that would feed me and my family. Can you mention few such jobs. 

Regards,
Devi


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## DS3 (May 13, 2010)

devibon said:


> Hi DS,
> 
> I am in Financial Services Industry and Accountant by profession. Have obtained the required membership from one of the Accounting Regulating Bodies in Australia. We are on PR 175. BTW what did you mean by specific odd jobs - something irrelevant to our qualifications and experience or a lower level/position in the same field? I do not mind to take up any job that I can handle and that would feed me and my family. Can you mention few such jobs.
> 
> ...


Hi,

As an accountant {ie CA/ICWA etc} you should not have that much of a problem really but by odd jobs i meant taxi driver, sales man, cleaner, waiter basically anything that you can lay your hands on. 99% you will have to accept a lower level/position but if you are good in your job you will rise very fast as well. The good thing with odd jobs is that pays decently and you will be able to survive w/o much discomforts.I think am hijacking this thread so if you need more info please feel free to send a PM


Warm Regards,

DS


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## devibon (Nov 24, 2008)

anj1976 said:


> this was another reason why i will be moving with my husband, cant manage daughter alone while flying, and i think when u struggle the entire day and go back to a family, it always brings a smile on your face, going back to an empty room is not easy


Very true! But case-to-case and very subjective.

Few things in life need to be sacrificed to gain a lot of things. :eyebrows:  After all we are struggling for our children only. Priority would be to give them good life, good education, social security and healthy environment. Next comes our life styles. :clap2::clap2::clap2:


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

no problem if you hijack the thread .. feel free, it is always better to write here than pm, there are many who do not write in the forum but gain knowledge by reading


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## drag288 (Apr 23, 2010)

Anj,
Dont worry SQ provides very good service, esp if ur travelling with kids.
They do provide milk powder and warm water unlimited for kids. I have seen many times when an infant starts crying atleast 1-2 cabin crew rush to ur seat n try to help you out.
People might have had bad experiences...but this is what I have to say from what I've seen.
Dont worry u will be given priority to board the flight first and settle down.
Infant meals is also available and bassinet will surely be provided. Sometimes (If ur flying in A380) and If not many passengers are there in business class u can request the cabin crew and occupy biz class seat for few hours n make ur kiddo sleep.

Cheers
Div


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## Cini (Jan 24, 2011)

Hi Anj,

How is the preparation going ?
We have booked tickets to Melbourne on May 13 on SA.
Came to around 86.5 k for 2 adults and one child(aged 6).
Hope it's a good deal(we are travelling from South India).
How are you planning to carry the money..International debit card/traveller's cheque or a combination of both?
Also I think we should have an NRI account opened at offshore for attaining an international debit card .
I presume converting the entire amount initially for Aus usage would not be a good idea as the conversion rates may vary.
Also, regarding the bank account in Aus, I guess we can open it as soon as we reach there as I don't see any advantage having an account prior to our reaching there.
Enquired on the good suburbs at Melbourne for the new migrants and heard that Ormond is a good one ..considerably near to the city and could get fairer rental rates as well..
Better to go through the RTA link for our specific region and prepare for the driver's license test online .We could try to get the driver's license parallely when we search for jobs as this provides an important identity there for any activity..

Any technical certifications etc for the jobs , better to take from India before we go as it is very costly at Aus..


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

hi cini


i have friends at Tullamarine, it is near the airport, she says 10-15 mins from teh airport, takes about 20 mins to the CBD, is much cheaper than the other burbs.

another one stays at hampton park, it is an nour form the CBD, one of the better suburbs. 

We got our tickets for 2 adults, one infant for 61K INR, Ex Delhi. I wont say yours is good or bad as you have already taken it. dont bother if it is good or bad, you will not get a refund, i hope you mentioned hwile booking the extra baggage alowance, we opted for Asian Vegetarian food as last time my husband had not mentioned and they gave him salmon and he is a vegetarian, salmon, that too raw was not in his list of favorable dishes . 

We plan to open the account in April and start transferring the money, will not be carrying much with us. opening an account from INdia would make things easier, carrying so much money with us is not what i would ever opt for. another reason for transferring for here is the current rupee dollar rate, it is at 44.7 i think, the lowest i have seen in months. it had gone up to 46.4. one can transfer as and when the rate goes down.

About the certification, yes my friend told me vmware certification is about 5kA$ wehreas here it is for 8K INR.

I have a few friend who keep passing info to me, let me know if u want to know anything, will pass the info on 

Keep in touch, will meet in Melb for sure


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## DS3 (May 13, 2010)

We plan to open the account in April and start transferring the money, will not be carrying much with us. opening an account from INdia would make things easier, carrying so much money with us is not what i would ever opt for. another reason for transferring for here is the current rupee dollar rate, it is at 44.7 i think, the lowest i have seen in months. it had gone up to 46.4. one can transfer as and 
when the rate goes down.


About the certification, yes my friend told me vmware certification is about 5kA$ wehreas here it is for 8K INR.



Sensible option as anything over 10K AUD has to be disclosed to the immigration authorities and a lot of time will be wasted in explanation plus there is the added danger of losing it in transit


What are these certifications that you have mentioned here?


Warm Regards,

DS


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## Cini (Jan 24, 2011)

anj1976 said:


> hi cini
> 
> 
> i have friends at Tullamarine, it is near the airport, she says 10-15 mins from teh airport, takes about 20 mins to the CBD, is much cheaper than the other burbs.
> ...


Great to see that u too going to Melbourne..
If you have friends in a reasonably good suburb there then that would be the best option.At a later phase we can consider changing the area based on the transportation,shopping,kid's school , good residential area ,rentals etc

We too have a few relatives & contacts out there who could help us out with our initial stay..we'll be initially going to tarneit.

Ya on the air fare ..I had inquired via a few sources..We are flying from Trivandrum
and there would be considerable diff on the fares say abt 3-4 k atleast on each ticket when compared to those from North..also for the child we don't get much discount(only 25% or so) .. So it came to around 30 k each for the adult and 25k for my daughter...aprt from the taxes which they are adding now for the new terminal at Tvm )
Anyways as you said it's already done..so not much use discussing the fare now...I 've already specified the 40 kg luggage reqmt ...reg the menu I need to check ...have not opted for any..

So you mean to say that opening an account at an Aus bank now itself would be the best option?But how do we open the account there without a presence and transfer money as well from here?..Also, what about the interest on the 
deposited amount ..as we are still in India we won't have much access to the acct right..Isn't that a bit risky..

Another fact is we may need to maintain a few accounts offshore ...Once we go to Aus, if we still need to maintain and access the offshore accounts online , it should be an NRI account right?That's what I heard from the bank rep with whom we discussed last day...I presume there's no other way to do it unless we have someone managing our accounts from India...


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

ok, about the bank account, just read every page in this thread, i did post the reply i got from westpac. NAB and Westpac are good options, you have to activate the account within 90 days post opening the account, you can open it online, a facility they have for migrants. it takes a few minutes to do it.

you have to go there with an identity to activate the account, till then u can transfer the money from here. No i do not think it is risky, carrying cash is risky. As for operating your account for here, go to the bank, ask them what are the formalities to make your account online account, weherein you do all transactions online, transfering fmor one account to the other etc etc. yes NRI account is an option but it is very expensive as they charge a lot for each transaction.

another thing, bargain with your bank, lot of banks charge a fee when you transfer money form their account to an international account, i spoke to my personal banker, he said we charge 1500 from normal customers but since i am a classic account holder they wont charge me anything. They are anyways earning from the exchange rate. Worth checking out i'd say.

Nominate one person who can sign on your behalf here and manage your accounts, someone you can trust. i plan to nominate my dad.


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## Cini (Jan 24, 2011)

anj1976 said:


> ok, about the bank account, just read every page in this thread, i did post the reply i got from westpac. NAB and Westpac are good options, you have to activate the account within 90 days post opening the account, you can open it online, a facility they have for migrants. it takes a few minutes to do it.
> 
> you have to go there with an identity to activate the account, till then u can transfer the money from here. No i do not think it is risky, carrying cash is risky. As for operating your account for here, go to the bank, ask them what are the formalities to make your account online account, weherein you do all transactions online, transfering fmor one account to the other etc etc. yes NRI account is an option but it is very expensive as they charge a lot for each transaction.
> 
> ...


Thanks a lot for the useful info..
Will look into the pages here and plan after that..

Do keep in touch...


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

sure thing


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## DS3 (May 13, 2010)

anj1976 said:


> sure thing



I have an option to open an account in the Common Wealth Bank. During your research on banks what would be your opinion about them? In Adelaide there are more Common Wealth Branches as compared to Westpac...


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

aagain, from what i was told by amaslam, you do not really have to go to the branch ever, what you use the most is an ATM and online banking. Common wealth bank is the best, better than westpac, only hitch is they charge an amount if you do not deposit minimum 2k each month, westpac waives that amount for 6 months for migrants, i have to speak to commonwealth bank if they waive it or not.


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## DS3 (May 13, 2010)

anj1976 said:


> aagain, from what i was told by amaslam, you do not really have to go to the branch ever, what you use the most is an ATM and online banking. Common wealth bank is the best, better than westpac, only hitch is they charge an amount if you do not deposit minimum 2k each month, westpac waives that amount for 6 months for migrants, i have to speak to commonwealth bank if they waive it or not.



2k a month!!! We will be lucky to make 2k a month at the start. Guess it will have to be westpac too for me.

Warm Regards,

DS


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

DS 2k is hardly an amount. a friend was working part-time in a super-mart, he was making more than that. dont under estimate yourself.


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## DS3 (May 13, 2010)

anj1976 said:


> DS 2k is hardly an amount. a friend was working part-time in a super-mart, he was making more than that. dont under estimate yourself.




Hopefully not under estimating even if you earn say 4k depositing 2k per month may not be an option. Btw i think he must have been a stacker and working odd hours....they are paid around 25 dollars an hour....the minimum wage rate is 14 dollars an hour....and yes the average australian salary is around the 45-65 k category a month which works out to about 4-5k a month. There is not much of a difference in part time and full time jobs as such remuneration wise of course job security is a different matter all together.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

for now 
Medical File Ready for the lil one

Husband gave his resignation today

papers sorted, plan to leave the not so important ones with parents and carry the important ones along like educational certificates, work exp documents etc. the not so important ones will be appraisal letters for which we have scans, we wont be requiring them but you never know.

woolens packed, almirahs sorted, have to pick a couple of bags to fit our stuff.

basically since the last time i wrote here, i have not done much except for get a tooth implant, get all cavities filled and get teeth scaling/cleaning done.


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## devibon (Nov 24, 2008)

Hi Anj,

Did you finalize on cargo in addition to what you are going to carry along with you? And how did you get the medical file done. Is it a certificate issued by your family doc or some thing like that. What I hold for my children is a vaccination card issued by the hospital post delivery. Every time we got the vaccination done they ticked the relevant item and wrote the date of vaccination. Hope this card would be enough for Medicare / School admission purposes.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

hi devi

for the medical card, yes we also have the WHO approved card with all vaccinations printed, the doctor says the only vaccination that is extra in India is the chicken pox one that she should take in (th month but we would be moving when she will be 4 months short of finishing 9 months, we asked the doc if it is alright to get it done then, he said yes it is fine to get the vaccination done around that time, since she is born here and has spent 8 months here already it is better to get the chicken pox vaccination here and then go. i will be comparing the AU vaccination chart in sometime but no point getting them here, its best to go there and get it done.

as for cargo, we are still deciding if unaccompanied baggage is a better option or sending by Indian post. Indian post takes 15 days against the unaccompanied that takes 2-4 days. but unacconpanied is expensive, Indian post is 180-200 per kilo, unaccompanied is the same but we have to pay a fixed amount, i think 3-5000 INR as handling and clearing charges.. I would go with indian post, hassle free, cheaper, you do not have to go back to the airport to pick it, they deliver it at your place. for unaccompanied you have to send the boxes to airport or the agent's godown, they then get the formalities done.


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## SlimNeo (Jan 18, 2011)

anj1976 said:


> aagain, from what i was told by amaslam, you do not really have to go to the branch ever, what you use the most is an ATM and online banking. Common wealth bank is the best, better than westpac, only hitch is they charge an amount if you do not deposit minimum 2k each month, westpac waives that amount for 6 months for migrants, i have to speak to commonwealth bank if they waive it or not.


Hi anj,
I am not sure on your findings about common wealth bank. I am keeping an account with them since 2008 and i find they charge only 4$ per month for an account keeping fee, nothing else. We should have a minimum balance in our account but never heard about this 2k rule.

Neo


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

hi neo, 
i sent Westpac an email and they replied with the info, i think in the thread i did copy paste their reply somewehre.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

hi neo, page 5 i copied their email, a friend works for westpac, she told me about the minimum deposit each month for hte fee waiver, i guess each bank has different policy


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## SlimNeo (Jan 18, 2011)

anj1976 said:


> hi neo,
> i sent Westpac an email and they replied with the info, i think in the thread i did copy paste their reply somewehre.


it seems they have different rules for students, immigrants and workers. I think you will be able to waive most of the rules if you have a nice chat with them. Once i managed to open an account with out putting a single $ for my friend as we told the manager that we will keep this account as the salary account.

Neo.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

but the first 6 months they anyways give you a waiver as far as the monthly fee is concerned..


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

1. tooth implant done after a lot of haggling. the cap needs to be in place, right now I have the healing cap. feels funny though 

2. bank account for my company closed (had an advertising agency in partnership), money transferred to my account

3. third party transfer activated (a must i must say for anyone, always leave some amount back home for bad days)

i was told by the bank branch (HDFC) that money transfer to AU bank has to be done from the branch. i do not understand this bit. is it the case?

4. i am a gastric banding patient, got an adjustment done, took the phone numbers of doctors in melbourne, pending is a recommendation letter from the doc here for the doc there.

i seriously feel there is something i am missing.


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## devibon (Nov 24, 2008)

anj1976 said:


> 1. tooth implant done after a lot of haggling. the cap needs to be in place, right now I have the healing cap. feels funny though
> 
> 2. bank account for my company closed (had an advertising agency in partnership), money transferred to my account
> 
> ...


Hi Anj,

Did you reserve few AU$s on hand to carry with you as you may need on arrival.
BTW what was the exchange rate you transfered the money?


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

i am yet to transfer the amount to AU bank. the rate is very high right now, spoke to someone at a bank treasury, he said AU dollar is likely to go high for next fortnight then will crash. I am waiting for it to go down a bit. it is at its highest right now at 47.8
AUD, Australian Dollar Exchange Rates Table - x-rates

I will be carrying 2-3000$ in TC and about 2-3000 Cash. or i might not carry TC. dont know, am yet to decide but i will be going to a friend's place initially, dont think i would need a big chunk initially, just a bit would do. plus i plan to open an account with citibank. transfer money onc ethe rate comes down a bit. why citibank, well transfering money form AU to India will be easier, if i do not like their services i might just close it once i am there.


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## devibon (Nov 24, 2008)

anj1976 said:


> i am yet to transfer the amount to AU bank. the rate is very high right now, spoke to someone at a bank treasury, he said AU dollar is likely to go high for next fortnight then will crash. I am waiting for it to go down a bit. it is at its highest right now at 47.8
> AUD, Australian Dollar Exchange Rates Table - x-rates
> 
> I will be carrying 2-3000$ in TC and about 2-3000 Cash. or i might not carry TC. dont know, am yet to decide but i will be going to a friend's place initially, dont think i would need a big chunk initially, just a bit would do. plus i plan to open an account with citibank. transfer money onc ethe rate comes down a bit. why citibank, well transfering money form AU to India will be easier, if i do not like their services i might just close it once i am there.


I am planning the same way. I have a HSBC Account in India. I did open an account with HSBC in Adelaide about 5 years back. Not sure if they declared it dormant as it was non-operative. Will write to them first and see if possible to reactivate it.:ranger:


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

i am sure it can be activated again. i had two dormant accounts with HDFC, gave a letter day before yesterday and got them activated, they just want a letter to activate them. i am not sure if they levy a fee since my accounts were here in India.


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## drag288 (Apr 23, 2010)

anj1976 said:


> i am sure it can be activated again. i had two dormant accounts with HDFC, gave a letter day before yesterday and got them activated, they just want a letter to activate them. i am not sure if they levy a fee since my accounts were here in India.


Hey Anj,

if I may ask, where to you plan to stay? have you booked any service apartment or hotel in melbourne?

We plan to validate our visa next month thinking of flying to Melb for a week or 10 days.

Please adv

Cheers
Divya


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## aussieland (Oct 14, 2008)

drag288 said:


> Hey Anj,
> 
> if I may ask, where to you plan to stay? have you booked any service apartment or hotel in melbourne?
> 
> ...


hi divya,
first of all..congrats for the grant letter....I may tell u that....u bring smiles to the faces of many non 18th March email applicants..

i would suggest be there around for 3 odd weeks n try to get some interview set as u land there...u never know...u might get some offer there...


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

hi divya

sorry for late reply, my daughter keeps me busy . 
we will be staying with friends initially. have you tried youth hostels? yo uwill be going as a couple or with kids as well? i can ask around if you want, i am sure someone will reply soon as there are a lot of those in MEL who have posted in this thread like Maddy, Avinash etc.. this was the reason why i asked you to post here 

for anything else ask away. btw, we will be there on 16th June


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## devibon (Nov 24, 2008)

anj1976 said:


> hi divya
> 
> sorry for late reply, my daughter keeps me busy .
> we will be staying with friends initially. have you tried youth hostels? yo uwill be going as a couple or with kids as well? i can ask around if you want, i am sure someone will reply soon as there are a lot of those in MEL who have posted in this thread like Maddy, Avinash etc.. this was the reason why i asked you to post here
> ...


Hi Anj,

Did you manage to get the currency. How did you go about it and what was the rate?


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

not yet, we have opened the bank account though with westpac. waiting for the rate to drop down a little, it is at 48.0 right now.


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## drag288 (Apr 23, 2010)

anj1976 said:


> hi divya
> 
> sorry for late reply, my daughter keeps me busy .
> we will be staying with friends initially. have you tried youth hostels? yo uwill be going as a couple or with kids as well? i can ask around if you want, i am sure someone will reply soon as there are a lot of those in MEL who have posted in this thread like Maddy, Avinash etc.. this was the reason why i asked you to post here
> ...


Landing in Melbourne on 17th morning. Mostly we will book Singpaore Airlines ticket..
No kids yet.. so its only me n my husband. Staying in youth hostel...food will be a problem since we r vegetarians so I thought of booking a serviced apartment but everything is above 600 Per week. I will read thru the posts by Maddy & Avinash.
BTW did u get ur visa sticker pasted from Australian embassy in India?


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## devibon (Nov 24, 2008)

drag288 said:


> Landing in Melbourne on 17th morning. Mostly we will book Singpaore Airlines ticket..
> No kids yet.. so its only me n my husband. Staying in youth hostel...food will be a problem since we r vegetarians so I thought of booking a serviced apartment but everything is above 600 Per week. I will read thru the posts by Maddy & Avinash.
> BTW did u get ur visa sticker pasted from Australian embassy in India?


I found Elephant Backpackers in Melbourne to be the cheapest ones beginning right from $20 to $70. Weekly rent seems to be further cheap. :eyebrows:

Elephant Rates and Charges

Devi


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## iNinjaN (Feb 14, 2011)

drag288 said:


> Landing in Melbourne on 17th morning. Mostly we will book Singpaore Airlines ticket..
> No kids yet.. so its only me n my husband. Staying in youth hostel...food will be a problem since we r vegetarians so I thought of booking a serviced apartment but everything is above 600 Per week. I will read thru the posts by Maddy & Avinash.
> BTW did u get ur visa sticker pasted from Australian embassy in India?


Hey Divya, you can also try studio apartment which is at flinders street! It's called "flinders home". It is cheap.

Also u can go for "darling towers" in south yara suburb, very near to Melbourne! Will coat u around 70 dollars per day!

Further info PM me. Have stayed there for 2 years. Could help u!
How long u want to stay?


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## Guest (May 10, 2011)

devibon said:


> I found Elephant Backpackers in Melbourne to be the cheapest ones beginning right from $20 to $70. Weekly rent seems to be further cheap. :eyebrows:
> 
> Elephant Rates and Charges
> 
> Devi


Errrrrr are you guys completely aware of what a backpacker hostel entails - ESPECIALLY if you are choosing a 4/6/8 person dorm???????


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

there are plenty of options for vegetarians, my husband is vegetarian as well, i am sure you will be flooded with info now as i already see lots of them coming up to help you.
we got the stamping done from VFS, submitted one day, picked the next. as for airline tickets, we have booked Singapore airlines as well, we wanted to experience airbus 380 so we booked accordingly, form india it will be a normal flight, we change to A380 in SG after a 4 hour transit.


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## avinash (Feb 2, 2010)

I stayed in Melbourne-metro YHA, Dorms are the cheapest with bulk booking (more than 7 nights). They have shared kitchen, with all the necessary cooking utensils and 10 big fridges.


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## drag288 (Apr 23, 2010)

anj1976 said:


> there are plenty of options for vegetarians, my husband is vegetarian as well, i am sure you will be flooded with info now as i already see lots of them coming up to help you.
> we got the stamping done from VFS, submitted one day, picked the next. as for airline tickets, we have booked Singapore airlines as well, we wanted to experience airbus 380 so we booked accordingly, form india it will be a normal flight, we change to A380 in SG after a 4 hour transit.


Thanks for the info, started exploring the options based on the info given by the forum members.


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## drag288 (Apr 23, 2010)

avinash said:


> I stayed in Melbourne-metro YHA, Dorms are the cheapest with bulk booking (more than 7 nights). They have shared kitchen, with all the necessary cooking utensils and 10 big fridges.


Thanks for the info, got ur PM.


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## drag288 (Apr 23, 2010)

iNinjaN said:


> Hey Divya, you can also try studio apartment which is at flinders street! It's called "flinders home". It is cheap.
> 
> Also u can go for "darling towers" in south yara suburb, very near to Melbourne! Will coat u around 70 dollars per day!
> 
> ...



I will start exploring the options. I have few more questions to ask...I'm going to send you a PM shortly.

Many thanks
Divya


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## iNinjaN (Feb 14, 2011)

ausimmi said:


> Errrrrr are you guys completely aware of what a backpacker hostel entails - ESPECIALLY if you are choosing a 4/6/8 person dorm???????


Yeah exactly would not suggest a backpacker for a couple! It's ok to have for bachelor or when we are traveling in groups to different locations as tourist or sight seeing


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## drag288 (Apr 23, 2010)

*hehe*



iNinjaN said:


> Yeah exactly would not suggest a backpacker for a couple! It's ok to have for bachelor or when we are traveling in groups to different locations as tourist or sight seeing


ur absolutely right.


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## avinash (Feb 2, 2010)

Youth hostel is the best place for everyone who is not looking for luxury. And would like to meet new and friendly people. I have seen infant to aged people using YHA!!! I am not sure why that image about Youth hostel !!!!


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## devibon (Nov 24, 2008)

ausimmi said:


> Errrrrr are you guys completely aware of what a backpacker hostel entails - ESPECIALLY if you are choosing a 4/6/8 person dorm???????


Not sure . You can share if you know.


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## Dhawal (Oct 29, 2010)

Hi Divya,
What are your plans?Are you gonna resign from your current job and then move permanently to Aus from Sing?Or make an initial entry, validate your visa and then decide your further plan of action?


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## devibon (Nov 24, 2008)

devibon said:


> Not sure . You can share if you know.


Thanks Ausimmi for your PM 

But the reason for this choice is to get an instant den as soon as I land there. Because the real estate agents are damn strict and tougher than even recruiters. They do not respond to your mails or what ever and they need all sort of documentation - ID, reference, a job, and what not. Staying at backpackers will earn some time to source for a good accommodation while not spending much of our savings. Is there any better low-cost option you would suggest? What if I am going alone leaving my family behind to join me after I find some good accommodation? What say you? :eyebrows:


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## Guest (May 10, 2011)

devibon said:


> Thanks Ausimmi for your PM
> 
> But the reason for this choice is to get an instant den as soon as I land there. Because the real estate agents are damn strict and tougher than even recruiters. They do not respond to your mails or what ever and they need all sort of documentation - ID, reference, a job, and what not. Staying at backpackers will earn some time to source for a good accommodation while not spending much of our savings. Is there any better low-cost option you would suggest? What if I am going alone leaving my family behind to join me after I find some good accommodation? What say you? :eyebrows:


Well for bachelor guys I suppose its not too much of a problem. Another option is to get in touch with some Indian students. Usually they make groups of 4/5 and live in the same house. That is also a VERY cheap option. As a matter of fact, with so many people getting visas all of a sudden right here on the forum, I would encourage you guys to pool up resources and book one accomodation until you get jobs and can afford separate places. Best of luck!!!


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## drag288 (Apr 23, 2010)

Dhawal said:


> Hi Divya,
> What are your plans?Are you gonna resign from your current job and then move permanently to Aus from Sing?Or make an initial entry, validate your visa and then decide your further plan of action?


@dhawal
We are calculating the approximate expenses of relocation n also deciding if we permanently go in September chances of getting a job is not very easy. 

So we r thinking whether to validate before September n permanently migrate after february 2012 or just quickly warp up everything here n take a chance.

2 nd option is expensive if we don't get a job before november we will have to wait until Jan for the recruitment to start. End of the year hiring will be very dull.

These 2 things are running in my mind.


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## Dhawal (Oct 29, 2010)

Hmmmn ....do let me know whatever you decide and whatever challenges you face on your future move....


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## drag288 (Apr 23, 2010)

Im confused. Looking for advise from Seniors like you


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## Guest (May 10, 2011)

drag288 said:


> Im confused. Looking for advise from Seniors like you


No matter what you do, start applying for jobs after searching on sites like monster.com jobserve.com.au and seek.com.au It takes NOTHING to apply and can only open doors. If it leads to an opportunity for an interview, that can only be a good thing. Good luck!!!


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## Dhawal (Oct 29, 2010)

You applied for the visa before me....In order of date of lodgement you are supposed to be my senior.....Jokes apart....best would be since you have to go to Aus to validate before september give yourself a month or so and see if you can line up with interviews(dont resign from your current job).....if you dont land up anything then best would to make a move in feb 2012.....coz as you said nov-jan is a very lull period for getting jobs......


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Divya

my take would be, do it now, for me it is always here and now or never. Because of this my husband calls me panic queen and a little impatient (not in the negative sense though). 

There are things that I feel one should get them over with. If you move by August-September, the job market wont be that bad. The market slows down in December (from what i have been told by dozens of expats). July and February are the best in terms of job market but that does not mean the rest of the year has nothing to offer. I know people who went in November and had a job in a couple of months.

If you validate and come back and then go again, i'd say you loose as much money as you would by moving at one go.

And if you do plan to go once and for all, do not leave it for the last moment, as you said your initial entry is Sept, i'd say make sure you are gone by July end-August max (i like keeping buffer for what if's)


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## iNinjaN (Feb 14, 2011)

anj1976 said:


> Divya
> 
> my take would be, do it now, for me it is always here and now or never. Because of this my husband calls me panic queen and a little impatient (not in the negative sense though).
> 
> ...


Divya, I would also agree here. Best time is July en as the new Financial year starts loads of jobs are available... 

So would suggest to think over and better to move in one shot winding up from current!


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## drag288 (Apr 23, 2010)

Thank you for providing ur Inputs.
I will discuss these things with my husband and take a quick decision

Sent from my Nexus S using Expat Forum


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## devibon (Nov 24, 2008)

ausimmi said:


> Well for bachelor guys I suppose its not too much of a problem. Another option is to get in touch with some Indian students. Usually they make groups of 4/5 and live in the same house. That is also a VERY cheap option. As a matter of fact, with so many people getting visas all of a sudden right here on the forum, I would encourage you guys to pool up resources and book one accomodation until you get jobs and can afford separate places. Best of luck!!!


Real great idea Ausimmi. :clap2:

Thanks.

Now all you guys who ever interested could join me. PM me so that we can plan together. Since we all are heading to Melbourne who ever goes first could help the rest. May be you could find some place and we all could join you and share. It would be quite helpful for every one of us to slowly fit ourselves and get rid of any culture-shock and cost-effective too.

Cheers! :clap2::clap2::clap2:


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## avinash (Feb 2, 2010)

I recommend [email protected] if anyone is making a perm move to Melbourne and yet to find a job. 6months lease is the best. They even give reference letter once you move out after 6months. Saves lot of time on travel and will not feel lonely in the new land. I miss the CBD crowed 

PS : Even 10mins walk to station in suburbs, that too in winter is a pain. And if it is raining in the morning pufff!!!


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## MaddyS (Jun 24, 2010)

just a small word of caution on [email protected] have heard that some appts there wont allow kids..dont know if this is true....but please confirm this before you sign up..


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

this is interesting.. thanks avinash, even though we are going to a friend's but still will check it for once we move out.


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## avinash (Feb 2, 2010)

I had my daughter along with me for the whole 6months. But I don't recommend studio apartments if you have kids. They need place to run around and explore.  Studio apartments don't suit them. 

I did see few family with kids. But if no kids then it is one of the best option compared to living in suburbs.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

i have sent them an email, lets see what they have to offer. how much did you pay avinash?


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## avinash (Feb 2, 2010)

Anj, I paid around 1200 per month. You should get a good price now that student market is bad. They will ask for 1mont deposit and one month rent on day one. They take cash or card. Power + gas bill is not included. Water bill is included in the rent.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

which is not bad. 1200 is seriously good, and that includes a furnished apartment right? what about linen? do they provide or you get your own? is it a serviced apartment?


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## avinash (Feb 2, 2010)

anj1976 said:


> which is not bad. 1200 is seriously good, and that includes a furnished apartment right? what about linen? do they provide or you get your own? is it a serviced apartment?


It comes with small fridge, room heater, small common gym, common washing machine + dryer , queen size sprint mattress, microwave and 2 hob electric stove. U need to get ur own kitchen-ware and linens. U get vacuum cleaner for 2$ rent. Internet is Ethernet cable broadband, for which rent is separate.


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## iNinjaN (Feb 14, 2011)

avinash said:


> I recommend [email protected] if anyone is making a perm move to Melbourne and yet to find a job. 6months lease is the best. They even give reference letter once you move out after 6months. Saves lot of time on travel and will not feel lonely in the new land. I miss the CBD crowed
> 
> PS : Even 10mins walk to station in suburbs, that too in winter is a pain. And if it is raining in the morning pufff!!!


Totally agree!!!!


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

and you said you were in a studio apartment, how did you manage with your kid on a queen size apartment? or did you buy something for the lil one?


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## avinash (Feb 2, 2010)

anj1976 said:


> and you said you were in a studio apartment, how did you manage with your kid on a queen size apartment? or did you buy something for the lil one?


From age of 1 she has been sharing our bed 

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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

thats why i asked, in a queen sized bed, 2 adults plus one child.. a little tight isnt it?
my daughter sleeps in our bed, we have a side rail that we purchased sometime back, keeps her from falling as she sleeps on the side, takes almost half of the bed, sleeps like a king  and if i try to push her she makes sure she comes back to the place she feels has been assigned to her, that is half the bed .


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## amaslam (Sep 25, 2008)

And then obviously I can't sleep because I'm afraid I'll hurt the little munchkin. Oh, the achy shoulders and neck in the morning.



anj1976 said:


> thats why i asked, in a queen sized bed, 2 adults plus one child.. a little tight isnt it?
> my daughter sleeps in our bed, we have a side rail that we purchased sometime back, keeps her from falling as she sleeps on the side, takes almost half of the bed, sleeps like a king  and if i try to push her she makes sure she comes back to the place she feels has been assigned to her, that is half the bed .


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

i think she has trained me well now, i do manage now after tough 7 months . it is the father who has to keep hearing, gimme some space please as i am sandwiched between father and daughter


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## avinash (Feb 2, 2010)

anj1976 said:


> i think she has trained me well now, i do manage now after tough 7 months . it is the father who has to keep hearing, gimme some space please as i am sandwiched between father and daughter


It makes me lol thinking how they managed in that small place for 9 months befor coming to this world. 

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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

she is taking revenge by pushing me everytime i try to straighten her, she sleeps with her legs thrown all over and her arms on both sides, wide open.. like the world is her baby..


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## avinash (Feb 2, 2010)

anj1976 said:


> she is taking revenge by pushing me everytime i try to straighten her, she sleeps with her legs thrown all over and her arms on both sides, wide open.. like the world is her baby..


Looks like weather is in play. Wait until she feels Melbourne winter.  she will sleep tight.

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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

well, yes, it is 43 degree here but we have the aircon on all day/night for her with the temperature at 26 degree C


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## Guest (May 11, 2011)

anj1976 said:


> well, yes, it is 43 degree here but we have the aircon on all day/night for her with the temperature at 26 degree C


Not my place to say this but this is spoiling the child. Let her face some hardships and the weather because it makes her rough and tough. Just like some other person we know - but you don't allow me to be personal...


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

ausimmi, i do not know if you have kids but as and when you have, you will know, if you can afford it, you give it to the child. 44 degree C is insane. I dont want to run to the doc every few days becasue i wanted to the child to face hardship so i did not put the aircon on. c'mon, aircon is hardly a luxury these days and more of a necessity, atleast for me it is a necessity.
there are other ways of making her strong, 7 month is too early to expose her to the heat or the cold weather. i might be wrong but who knows what future holds for us, when i can afford it now i use it, i migt not have it tomorrow adn i know one adjusts accordingly


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

and i know what you are talking about, but did you see what you wrote in the post? we are here to talk about issues we face on daily basis during our migration/application process and not to humiliate the other. lets close it at that please.


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## Guest (May 11, 2011)

anj1976 said:


> ausimmi, i do not know if you have kids but as and when you have, you will know, if you can afford it, you give it to the child. 44 degree C is insane. I dont want to run to the doc every few days becasue i wanted to the child to face hardship so i did not put the aircon on. c'mon, aircon is hardly a luxury these days and more of a necessity, atleast for me it is a necessity.
> there are other ways of making her strong, 7 month is too early to expose her to the heat or the cold weather. i might be wrong but who knows what future holds for us, when i can afford it now i use it, i migt not have it tomorrow adn i know one adjusts accordingly


Actually the argument is that ACs are relatively new. How did children manage when there were no air conditioners?? You would be surprised at the range of temperatures humans can tolerate whether chidren or adults. I don't have kids but I know people who let their children run around unprotected in winters (for short whiles only) and let the flu run for a few days before giving medication. Anyways, its a personal choice of each parent. Just putting my two cents...


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## Guest (May 11, 2011)

anj1976 said:


> and i know what you are talking about, but did you see what you wrote in the post? we are here to talk about issues we face on daily basis during our migration/application process and not to humiliate the other. lets close it at that please.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

i cant talk about anyone else but i have had an aircon in my room since the day i was born and i am 34 years old. 
exposing the child to heat or cold for sometime is alright but not for long. 
have a few of your own and i will ask you then . a person's thinking changes completely the moment he has his own child in his arms


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## Guest (May 11, 2011)

anj1976 said:


> i cant talk about anyone else but i have had an aircon in my room since the day i was born and i am 34 years old.
> exposing the child to heat or cold for sometime is alright but not for long.
> have a few of your own and i will ask you then . a person's thinking changes completely the moment he has his own child in his arms


The world has a history that goes back further than 34 years you know...


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

mine goes back 34 years, there are a lot of things that never used to happen and a lot of things that used to, we can not live in the future or the past, it is always here and now


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## Guest (May 11, 2011)

anj1976 said:


> mine goes back 34 years, there are a lot of things that never used to happen and a lot of things that used to, we can not live in the future or the past, it is always here and now


Hey don't take it seriously!!!!


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## avinash (Feb 2, 2010)

anj1976 said:


> Off to MELBOURNE on 15th June


First question to be asked to you by people in Melbourne, why did you choose to come in peak winter


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

interesting. 
because july-august it gets worse, i could not travel in may, too early, september-october, too close to my initial entry date, plus job mkt is supposedly the best this time of the year, unfortunately the dollar rate too is the strongest.


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## drag288 (Apr 23, 2010)

anj1976 said:


> interesting.
> because july-august it gets worse, i could not travel in may, too early, september-october, too close to my initial entry date, plus job mkt is supposedly the best this time of the year, unfortunately the dollar rate too is the strongest.


True...$$$ rate is strong as of now.
Anj, Good to know that Sep-Oct is the best time of the year for job hunt.:ranger:


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## iNinjaN (Feb 14, 2011)

drag288 said:


> True...$$$ rate is strong as of now.
> Anj, Good to know that Sep-Oct is the best time of the year for job hunt.:ranger:


Divya, not sure whether Sep-Oct is the best time, but as what I have seen while staying there, financial year starts from July, so loads of jobs are available from mud July onwards :ranger:


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## avinash (Feb 2, 2010)

iNinjaN said:


> Divya, not sure whether Sep-Oct is the best time, but as what I have seen while staying there, financial year starts from July, so loads of jobs are available from mud July onwards :ranger:


I recon that after May and before oct is the best time to land in oz to find IT job.

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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

no no i meant july-sept as best times for job market


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## maverick343 (Aug 13, 2009)

Hello Anj,

Quick question, any particular reason why everyone is looking to move to Melbourne? I was able to see a lot of job offers (IT) in Sydney. So what's the logic applied to moving to Melbourne?

Cheers,
Maverick


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## Darla.R (Mar 27, 2011)

anj1976 said:


> well, yes, it is 43 degree here but we have the aircon on all day/night for her with the temperature at 26 degree C


I would do the same, there's no way I'd leave a baby in 43 degrees - they're too small at that age to be able to regulate their body temperature properly - the heat stress would be far too great. Not even an adult would be able to tolerate that for long.

26 degrees is fine .


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## amaslam (Sep 25, 2008)

For a while (but I don't think true anymore) Melbourne was the less expensive city to live in and salaries were close to Sydney salaries. But these days rentals are the same in both cities and Melbourne house price growth is > Sydney. Sydney houses are expensive, but Melbourne is catching up quickly in this regard. 

However I think for alot of the IT migrants (which mostly seem to come from India) Melbourne is usually choice #1 followed by Sydney.



maverick343 said:


> Hello Anj,
> 
> Quick question, any particular reason why everyone is looking to move to Melbourne? I was able to see a lot of job offers (IT) in Sydney. So what's the logic applied to moving to Melbourne?
> 
> ...


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## EE-India (May 16, 2009)

anj1976 said:


> well, yes, it is 43 degree here but we have the aircon on all day/night for her with the temperature at 26 degree C


Hi ANJ
I wonder! Do you have 24/7 electricity in Delhi now a days? 
I still remember spending long summer nights without power in Noida back in 2006


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## aussieland (Oct 14, 2008)

amaslam said:


> For a while (but I don't think true anymore) Melbourne was the less expensive city to live in and salaries were close to Sydney salaries. But these days rentals are the same in both cities and Melbourne house price growth is > Sydney. Sydney houses are expensive, but Melbourne is catching up quickly in this regard.
> 
> However I think for alot of the IT migrants (which mostly seem to come from India) Melbourne is usually choice #1 followed by Sydney.


and since more INDIAN r moving in mel..it attracts more n more INDIANS there
BTW I am also planning to landlane: in Mel bec I have been there n loved it


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## Guest (May 13, 2011)

Darla.R said:


> I would do the same, there's no way I'd leave a baby in 43 degrees - they're too small at that age to be able to regulate their body temperature properly - the heat stress would be far too great. Not even an adult would be able to tolerate that for long.
> 
> 26 degrees is fine .


GOSH!!!!!! Babies born in the desert or born to parents who can't afforst 24/7 AC come with this internally fitted air-conditioning system by G.E. that runs on wireless power supplied through satellites


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

EE-India said:


> Hi ANJ
> I wonder! Do you have 24/7 electricity in Delhi now a days?
> I still remember spending long summer nights without power in Noida back in 2006


Made me smile 

we have backup. cant do a thing without backup. gurgaon in particular is really bad, powercut every few hours for an hour, approximately 5 hours power cut a day . though Delhi is becoming better now.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

HI Mave
I did compare the cost of living of SYD and MEL, I had already booked my ticket for SYD, changed it a fortnight after booking it. i spoke to a lot of people whoa re in MEL, SYD adn those who have lived at both places. Everyone said the same, Syd, too crowded, Mel a little better in terms of traffic. Public transport better in Mel, beaches are better in Syd. Weather is good at both places, depending on what you like, Syd is more humid and hot as compared to Mel (i migth be wrong here but fmor what i have been told, it desnt stay hot in Mel for long). Job wise, if Syd has 100 jobs, Mel will have 99.
Slightly cheaper in terms of housing, both for buying as well as renting. Better eating options at Mel, more cosmopolitan, everyone told me Mel is more European wehreas Syd is more Americanised. i dont know what that would mean but this is what a few people told me

i have cousins in Syd and i have very close friends in Mel, i had an open invitation from both. it was a tough decision but Mel it was for us. a friends, where i would be lodging initially had stayed in Syd for 4 years and then moved to Mel, she says she prefers Mel over Syd. Those who do not live in Mel or Syd prefer Mel over Syd.

i can go on 

but again, we are keeping it open, we will apply everywehre, whatever jobs come our way, if we get something in sydney or canberra or for that matter perth we dont mind moving anywhere.


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## amaslam (Sep 25, 2008)

:focus: Seriously. Debate about babies and their health is NOT part of this topic and universal truth - Mum knows best.


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## Guest (May 13, 2011)

amaslam said:


> :focus: Seriously. Debate about babies and their health is NOT part of this topic and universal truth - Mum knows best.


You guys make the unfortunate mistake of thinking I am debating when I am just commenting  You can laugh at some of my comments too you know. Anyways :focus:


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## maverick343 (Aug 13, 2009)

Thank you Amaslam and Anj for your responses.

I understand what you are saying.
I did a simple search on Seek and came up with 33 jobs in Melbourne and 138 jobs in Sydney (IT, Java - I could be wrong). I was also all set to move to Melbourne. The people I have spoken to have also indicated Melbourne to be a better place to raise a family and probably could be the place where I would buy a house etc. But purely from a starting off and looking for a job perspective, was wondering how everyone started with Melbourne.

Hey Amaslam, always wanted to ask you, does Amaslam stand for Am Aslam or Am A Slam? 

About the baby stuff, I agree with Amaslam, Mum knows best.

Cheers,
Maverick


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

ausimmi said:


> You guys make the unfortunate mistake of thinking I am debating when I am just commenting  You can laugh at some of my comments too you know. Anyways :focus:


ausimmi they sound more like wisecracks and less like comments.


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## Guest (May 13, 2011)

anj1976 said:


> ausimmi they sound more like wisecracks and less like comments.


OK. You can laugh on my stupid wisecracks. See??? Friends again??? :eyebrows: :eyebrows: :eyebrows: :eyebrows:


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## devibon (Nov 24, 2008)

anj1976 said:


> not yet, we have opened the bank account though with westpac. waiting for the rate to drop down a little, it is at 48.0 right now.


Whats happening?? 

How far.... so far?? 

AUD rate not crossing down 47.50


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

the median rate today is 48.3
damn!!
packing almost done (half way thru, all sorting done, most of the stuff is sold, going with unaccompanied baggage, getting a good rate of INR 200 per kilo plus 1500 for handling charges, all they need is my passport, visa, ticket copy. they will get a flight departure certificate from the airlines, and in the next flight the stuff will go.

i have touched 70 kgs already (after packing only clothes for the three of us-1/4th still left). 

leaving our apartment on the 3rd or max 4th, will then go to mom's for 10 days till I leave. one dinner scheduled for 6th, dont know about the others 

Cheers


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

it isnt easy shifting bag baggage. and damn the stuff never finishes. you pack one bag and then by the time you are onto the next one you realise there is so much more. All i'd say is, dont take it lightly 

110 kg baggage allowance plus 100 kg unaccompanied baggage, not happening.


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## iNinjaN (Feb 14, 2011)

anj1976 said:


> it isnt easy shifting bag baggage. and damn the stuff never finishes. you pack one bag and then by the time you are onto the next one you realise there is so much more. All i'd say is, dont take it lightly
> 
> 110 kg baggage allowance plus 100 kg unaccompanied baggage, not happening.


I know when I returned from Australia after 22 months it was 96 kgs of luggage.. Allowed 30+8, I bought 35+8+14(laptop bag) rest courier!!!

It never ends !!!

Just to add I am single and not married!! :rofl:


-Ninja- :ranger:


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

just to add, i am married with a child 

and what laptop do you use that weighs 14 kgs


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## iNinjaN (Feb 14, 2011)

anj1976 said:


> just to add, i am married with a child
> 
> and what laptop do you use that weighs 14 kgs


I know that's the reason I said it's never ending... Well that laptop bag contained 2.5 kg laptop and other 11.5 kg electronics .... A laptop bag is not weighted I got away some extra luggage into it 

-Ninja- :ranger:


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## amaslam (Sep 25, 2008)

laptop bag = purse for men 



iNinjaN said:


> I know that's the reason I said it's never ending... Well that laptop bag contained 2.5 kg laptop and other 11.5 kg electronics .... A laptop bag is not weighted I got away some extra luggage into it
> 
> -Ninja- :ranger:


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## iNinjaN (Feb 14, 2011)

amaslam said:


> laptop bag = purse for men


Yup can rightfully say that 

-Ninja- :ranger:


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## mpuneet (Jan 26, 2011)

*Unaccompanied Baggage Cost*

Just found out that Thai airlines Cargo charges Rs 137/kg for the unaccompanied baggage for Australia from India, if the weight is > 100 Kg. Rs 4500 is additional Custom clearence and forwarding charges. For < 100 kg the rate is Rs 167/kg.

This is hte best rate I have found so far. First flight gave Rs 300 per kg which was negotiable but could have come down to Rs 250/kg at best.
Anyone has any info on a better rate than this ? I plan to use Thai for this service for my move on 1st July to Sydney.

Thanks.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

my luggage weight is over 100 KGs now and i have now got a rate of 170 INR/Kilo for 100+ Kilo plus 1500 for handling charges.

Just make sure there are no charges over the 137 rate that you got.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Amaslam, this is where I need your help.. best ways to carry the luggage from the airport to the accommodation (10 mins drive from the airport)??


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## mpuneet (Jan 26, 2011)

anj1976 said:


> my luggage weight is over 100 KGs now and i have now got a rate of 170 INR/Kilo for 100+ Kilo plus 1500 for handling charges.
> 
> Just make sure there are no charges over the 137 rate that you got.


The rate I got was Rs 137/kg + Rs 4500 charges as the net rate inclusive of everything, and they would pickup the bags form my home and then I will have to collect at Sydney Airport once I reach.

I think Rs170/Kg + Rs 1500 is a pretty close to what I got, if you total up for 100Kg it would be Rs 17000+1500 = Rs 18500 and mine would be Rs 13700+4500 = Rs18200.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

yes but they usually add handling charges or freight from what i was told. Malaysia gives the best rates (everyone was talking about malaysian airlines when i spoke to multiple companies. Seems Bangalore adn Hyderabad charges are less than that in Delhi


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## amaslam (Sep 25, 2008)

For the amount of luggage you are bringing probably best to rent (hire) a small van from one of the car rental agencies around the airport and then put down the back seats to put in all that luggage. 

You could do taxi too if you don't want the hassle of bringing the rental van back the next day.

The airport shuttles will do it too but charge about $10/baggage above 3 I think, this varies so best to call them up. If they know you're bringing alot of baggage they will often use a trailer attached to the main van. You need to tell them how many total pieces. 



anj1976 said:


> Amaslam, this is where I need your help.. best ways to carry the luggage from the airport to the accommodation (10 mins drive from the airport)??


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## amaslam (Sep 25, 2008)

I thought of one more thing (Sorry): Logistics of getting the baggage from the carousel to the customs clearance desk and beyond. Yes the free trolleys are there, but they usually handle 2 full size + 1 carry on. I estimate you'll have About 5-6 full size + 2 carryons + baby + 1-2 baby items (pram+seat). 

I have not really seen porters (or very few) at the airports so you need to check beforehand (call the airport) to see if there will be any in the International baggage area.

You'd need about 6-8 hands to manage it all.

If this is the case could you maximise unaccompanied as you have the chance to pick it up the next day?

Also you need to pack in your carryon some ibuprofen (or similar medicine for muscle aches) as I don't envy the poor soul (and I know who the poor soul is) who has to move all that stuff.


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## armandra (Nov 27, 2009)

amaslam said:


> ..
> as I don't envy the poor soul (and I know who the poor soul is)
> ..


Agreed. Totally 

P.S: May be one or two friends can just turn up and pick these guys at the airport. Can't think of any better idea, though.


armandra!


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

just spoke to my friend, she says she will come, they leave for work at 7.45, if flight is on time and if i do not have anything that can be a quarantine issue we should be out of the airport by max one hour, gives them time to go home, change and leave for work.

i think we will go with van hire at teh airport, she says they used one sometime back and it is easily available at the airport, booking now would mean if the flight is late, they charge (whatever)


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

and armandra, why are husbands always considered poor souls??


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## projectOZ (Apr 30, 2011)

hello everybody, 
lot of valuable information on this thread ..  .. i will be moving to melbourne shortly .. waiting for my spouse visa to come through .. My husband is currently in melbourne. 
i would like to send some baggage ~50 kilos .. to my husband .. Wanted to know whats the cheap and reliable way of sending a parcel . i went through the posts on this thread .. 
there were recommendations of unaccompannied baggage and something about india post.
tried googling .. for both and what i understood was
1. un accompannied baggage can be used for the excess baggage when u are travelling. am i right ? and not really a parcel / courrier service.
2. and as far as india post goes, they have something called Logistics Post .. Is this what is used to send international parcels ?

Can somebody please guide me with the best way to send baggage to melbourne?
thanks for ur help


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

hi projectoz, 
well, yes, unaccompanied is basically when u have your ticket in hand and can nto carry the excess with you, you send it through unaccompanied baggage.

best way to send it is bulk baggage thru Indian Post. You go to the Post Office, they will tell you about it, best is to make 12-15 kgs boxes, they deliver at your door step, the max you can send is 25 kgs but if it is very heavy at times they call and you have to pick the stuff. they take about 6 to 30 working days from India to Australia.

I am sending close to 150 KGs by unaccompanied baggage. the only reason I am using this service is that my accommodation is near the airport, going to pick it will not be that expensive and time consuming for us. The rate I am getting is 170 per Kilo plus 1500 handling charges.

About the Post office bulk baggage, what you can do is, just pack your stuff nicely, make a declaration along with the list of goods saying all this is as a gift to so and so person. (make sure you write gift) followed by, it is not for commercial use but is for personal use. etc etc. This is how Indian postal service works. It should be packed in a carton nicely, bubble wrap it, then cover it with a manila color or white color paper, further put cellotape all around to make sure there is no breakage etc. they do not open it if it is nicely packed. Leave some space fr a letter that they give you to sew or paste, (you can not paste on cellotape, leave some paper space so that pasting is easy). and paste the to adn from addressed on 3 sides (in big words) and list of items with the declaration on two sides. 

This is how my friends send the stuff to her sister in Canberra, The cost will be around 250/Kg

Hope this helps

Cheers


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## projectOZ (Apr 30, 2011)

anj1976 said:


> hi projectoz,
> well, yes, unaccompanied is basically when u have your ticket in hand and can nto carry the excess with you, you send it through unaccompanied baggage.
> 
> best way to send it is bulk baggage thru Indian Post. You go to the Post Office, they will tell you about it, best is to make 12-15 kgs boxes, they deliver at your door step, the max you can send is 25 kgs but if it is very heavy at times they call and you have to pick the stuff. they take about 6 to 30 working days from India to Australia.
> ...


thank you so much .. so thoughtful of u to mention all those tiny details .. i will go to the post office and find out more .. One more question though (with respect to the post office ), do we have to pay extra handling charges for the baggage in australia, or all the charges are paid right at the beggining.
thanks again


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## avinash (Feb 2, 2010)

Interesting to know how may box = 150Kg, coz in oz anything more than 30KG needs to be handled thr forklift etc (work-safe) and how you plan to move that 150KG from airport to house?


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

avinash, 10 kg approx each box. plan to probably hire a van. the place wehre we will be staying is very near to the airport, infact it is at tulamarine itself. dont know what we do once we move to our own place hopefully we will have car by then so it wont be that much of a problem. the boxes are small in size, purposely kept that way. did not want to exceed 10-12 kilos, makes life easier. friend says if nothing works out we will make 5 rounds, she is that close to the airport, hopefully it should not be a hassle

projectoz, as long as your boxes are not beyond 15 kilos, they will come deliver at your door step, no hidden charges


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## ozsolz (Jul 10, 2009)

when you are flying Anj? I send couple of parcel from India through post, 20kg each. They delivered to my home. My wife collected it even though it was in my name.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Leaving on 15th June, a week from now


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## ozsolz (Jul 10, 2009)

Oh yeah it's in your signature. I didn't notice that. So you decided to move to Melbourne . I think initially you plan to move to Sydney right.

Sent from my iPad using ExpatForum


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

no i had plans to mvoe to canberra but last minute changes, changed our tickets from Sydney to MEL


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## mr.india (Jul 28, 2009)

Goooood Luck Anj1976,

You are going to land in the country of your dreams in 2 days. May god bless you and your family with smooth and fast settlement. 


Good Luck Again. 
Randhir Singh


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

thanks randhir
yesterday some documents vanished, today laptop charger, things are in front of u and u dont see it, it is kind of insane


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## armandra (Nov 27, 2009)

Good luck _ji _good luck from my side as well!! 
Wish you a happy and _bumpless _journey particularly with your little one! lane:


armandra!


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## drag288 (Apr 23, 2010)

armandra said:


> Good luck _ji _good luck from my side as well!!
> Wish you a happy and _bumpless _journey particularly with your little one! lane:
> 
> 
> armandra!


Good Luck Anjali,
Share ur experiences with us as soon as possible.

Cheers
Drag


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## Dhawal (Oct 29, 2010)

anj1976 said:


> Hi anjali,
> All the best for your move and have a happy and safe journey...


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

thankyous


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## iNinjaN (Feb 14, 2011)

anj1976 said:


> thanks randhir
> yesterday some documents vanished, today laptop charger, things are in front of u and u dont see it, it is kind of insane


All the best Anj!!! Hope u have an great welcome at Melbourne  by the way it's too cold there, so do remember to have a jacket which blocks wind for all family members before exiting airport 

Take care!!

-Ninja- :ranger:


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## avinash (Feb 2, 2010)

anj1976 said:


> thankyous


May your presence bring some warmth to Mel climate


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Avinash, i hope so too.. lemme pack some warm air in the bags, Delhi right now is at 40 degree C, humidity level must be at 80%.

Thanks Ninja, yeah we have packed our jackets, an overcoat for myself, a warm jacket with stockings and a cap for the lil one and a jacket for my husband


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## Abhijeet (Feb 1, 2011)

Hey Anj,  Best wishes for ur new journey, from me too. Nice that u got in touch with my wifey.world is small indeed. I am sure we ll meet some time in Oz land...  All the best from myself n poonam.  Regards Abhijeet


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

hi abhijeet
thanks tons to both you and poonam
cheers


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## mr.india (Jul 28, 2009)

Get set and gooooo Time..!


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## uroojs (Mar 24, 2011)

Hey Anj!

Good Luck Dear.....

Have a safe and comfortable journey !

And more importantly all goes well while you are on board with the little one.

I'll be waiting to hear from you as soon as you'll reach there.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

hi urjoos

thanks tons . Will update soon


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## iNinjaN (Feb 14, 2011)

anj1976 said:


> hi urjoos
> 
> thanks tons . Will update soon


All the best for tomorrow's flight!! Take care 

-Ninja- :ranger:


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Just got airway bill for unaccompanied baggage. sending 180 Kilos costs about 33,000 INR, inclusive of everything.

Thought i'd update everyone


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## aussieland (Oct 14, 2008)

anj1976 said:


> Just got airway bill for unaccompanied baggage. sending 180 Kilos costs about 33,000 INR, inclusive of everything.
> 
> Thought i'd update everyone


Best of luck Anj with ur flight 2morrow n with everything...
may u reach ur dreamland i.e. Aussieland without any hickups...
N as usual waiting for ur expert reviews...

Bon Voyage

Sent from my iPhone using ExpatForum


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## uroojs (Mar 24, 2011)

aussieland said:


> Best of luck Anj with ur flight 2morrow n with everything...
> may u reach ur dreamland i.e. Aussieland without any hickups...
> N as usual waiting for ur expert reviews...
> 
> ...


when do u plan to leave aussieland?


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## aussieland (Oct 14, 2008)

uroojs said:


> when do u plan to leave aussieland?


I'm planning to leave via my current company as of now ( still not 100%)...
otherwise if I have to leave by myself then it would be Jan 2011...
Wll keep everybody posted..

Sent from my iPhone using ExpatForum


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## iNinjaN (Feb 14, 2011)

aussieland said:


> I'm planning to leave via my current company as of now ( still not 100%)...
> otherwise if I have to leave by myself then it would be Jan 2011...
> Wll keep everybody posted..
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using ExpatForum


Jan 2011 is gone 5 months back... 
Jan 2012 will come in next 6 months... 

All the best and keep us posted....

-Ninja-


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## sunita.sanjaykumar (Jul 9, 2010)

hey Anj
Congrats and Best of luck.... sad we cldnt meet up before u moved.... but i'm sure we'll catch up in Oz 



anj1976 said:


> hi abhijeet
> thanks tons to both you and poonam
> cheers


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

thanks sunita
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/au...ralia/81510-im-here-my-experience-so-far.html
my experience so far


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## pkrish (Jul 3, 2008)

Hi Anj,
I hope you all enjoyed and had pleasant journey to your dreamland.
How was your experience when reaching the Airport? How was the immigration check process at the airport?
Wishing you all good luck ahead in Aussieland.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

hi pk

immigration was easy, took a bit of time but went fast, you must have read my thread, lemme know if you need further info. there are a few things that i will suggest people to get and a few things that i dont suggest. will write soon.

Cheers


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

a few pointers

about medication
we got everything, from pain killers to anti acidic tabs to stomach issues, cough, cold, fever, nasal drops, eye drops, ear drops, anti allergic, basically everything that was in my medical kit. just make sure you have a prescription, they don't check but they do ask, if they want they can ask for the prescription as well. carry it with you for if need be situation. go to a medical practitioner, tell him we are going overseas and we want medication fro everything, they will give you the prescription, take a list of problems that you might have (not that you will fall sick but you never know, it always helps to carry stuff). my uncle's a doc, he asked me what all do you think you need the meds for, i told him aches and pains, common cold, upset stomach, stomach infection, etc and he wrote everything down. we got supply that i am sure will last till they expire. make sure the expiry is for atlas a couple of years.

forks and knives, get 6 each if you really want to, you can get them here otherwise. we got them.

knives in India are a pain, i now realise, i have been using the big knife my friend has here and i am loving it, i hate the indian knives now . comes for 100$, the knife sharpener (not sure what they call it here) comes for 30 i think and it runs for life, but beware it is sharp, i am a cooking person so love it and manage not cutting my fingers 

Wok is a must, the ones here are non stick, work for sometime but you know how indian cooking goes 

rolling pin with base, i use the plastic base so it did not add much on the weight. they did ask me at customs if the rolling pin is wood, i told them it is wood but new/polished, i can show it if you want. you do get mortal pestle, a good one for i think 20$ here

peeler, can opener i got from india, the imported ones, the same as you get here, food processor, if you plan to buy, get the hand held one, if not, go with what you have, they are expensive here. don't buy, too much weight, buying plus weight allowance would come to be the same. you do get a lot of stuff on gumtree, tradingpost, check those out first.

tools yes,

spices i did not get, there are indian shops everywhere, you get everything, from Parle G to slice to ghee, everything, and better quality.

linen, i got 2-3 bed sheets with pillow covers.

blanket, thanks to the ones i got with me, my friend had a quilt, awesome but for three of us we would have to buy it.

clothes, i'd say get whatever you have, don't buy new, you do get good T shirts, if you see indian standards, the ones at K mart are good, come for 5$ and they do match indian standards, unless you are a brand conscious person like I am, a sleeveless seater from Tommy costs about 70$ here when on sale, a muffler about 20-30$. get mufflers, boots, coats (over coat, long ones), business suits, these are expensive. formals i'd say get form there, casuals buy from here.

we went on a crazy shopping spree, but again, i took stuff from Marks & Spencers, Next, Mango, Debenhams, these brands i have not seen here yet.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

a few pointers

about medication
we got everything, from pain killers to anti acidic tabs to stomach issues, cough, cold, fever, nasal drops, eye drops, ear drops, anti allergic, basically everything that was in my medical kit. just make sure you have a prescription, they don't check but they do ask, if they want they can ask for the prescription as well. carry it with you for if need be situation. go to a medical practitioner, tell him we are going overseas and we want medication fro everything, they will give you the prescription, take a list of problems that you might have (not that you will fall sick but you never know, it always helps to carry stuff). my uncle's a doc, he asked me what all do you think you need the meds for, i told him aches and pains, common cold, upset stomach, stomach infection, etc and he wrote everything down. we got supply that i am sure will last till they expire. make sure the expiry is for atlas a couple of years.

forks and knives, get 6 each if you really want to, you can get them here otherwise. we got them.

knives in India are a pain, i now realise, i have been using the big knife my friend has here and i am loving it, i hate the indian knives now . comes for 100$, the knife sharpener (not sure what they call it here) comes for 30 i think and it runs for life, but beware it is sharp, i am a cooking person so love it and manage not cutting my fingers 

Wok is a must, the ones here are non stick, work for sometime but you know how indian cooking goes 

rolling pin with base, i use the plastic base so it did not add much on the weight. they did ask me at customs if the rolling pin is wood, i told them it is wood but new/polished, i can show it if you want. you do get mortal pestle, a good one for i think 20$ here

peeler, can opener i got from india, the imported ones, the same as you get here, food processor, if you plan to buy, get the hand held one, if not, go with what you have, they are expensive here. don't buy, too much weight, buying plus weight allowance would come to be the same. you do get a lot of stuff on gumtree, tradingpost, check those out first.

tools yes,

spices i did not get, there are indian shops everywhere, you get everything, from Parle G to slice to ghee, everything, and better quality.

linen, i got 2-3 bed sheets with pillow covers.

blanket, thanks to the ones i got with me, my friend had a quilt, awesome but for three of us we would have to buy it.

clothes, i'd say get whatever you have, don't buy new, you do get good T shirts, if you see indian standards, the ones at K mart are good, come for 5$ and they do match indian standards, unless you are a brand conscious person like I am, a sleeveless seater from Tommy costs about 70$ here when on sale, a muffler about 20-30$. get mufflers, boots, coats (over coat, long ones), business suits, these are expensive. formals i'd say get form there, casuals buy from here.

we went on a crazy shopping spree, but again, i took stuff from Marks & Spencers, Next, Mango, Debenhams, these brands i have not seen here yet.


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## ozthedream (Dec 31, 2010)

sriikanth said:


> Dear Anjali.
> 
> Hi dont cancel your Indian bank accounts, keep them active and also keep the Debit card and if possible carry a credit card linked to your account if u do use your credit card you can pay online from your account...after you get your credit card in AU . You can cancel your Indian Credit card online.
> 
> Best of Luck.


Hi Srikanth 

i have asked this elsewhere too - can we keep our indian bank account going even when we are NRI as our bank asks us to convert to NRO / NRE & close our current local account - but we have housing loans linked to it . 

meanwhile i opened NRE account with another bank just in case . yr advise ?


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## mr.india (Jul 28, 2009)

ozthedream said:


> Hi Srikanth
> 
> i have asked this elsewhere too - can we keep our indian bank account going even when we are NRI as our bank asks us to convert to NRO / NRE & close our current local account - but we have housing loans linked to it .
> 
> meanwhile i opened NRE account with another bank just in case . yr advise ?


hi Srikanth, 
You may continue ur NRE account with Australian PR. I couldn't understand your question well, but to me it dosen't look difficult. As ur loan account may be linked to ur NRE account.


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## CSK (Mar 21, 2012)

*Moving from Bahrain to Melbourne*

hi Anjali,

I have been reading your threads in this forum for past couple of days.

I have just been granted the visa. had applied online myself.. 175..

I am CA and right now working in Bahrain.. I have a 18 month old.. My husband and me have to decided travel to Melbourne in Oct 2012.

we are thinking of travelling directly from Bah to Aus.. still not sure if good or bad..

I have some queries...

could you tell me what is weather like in october? i have to decide what clothes to pack for my daughter specially and ofcourse for us also..

We will be going to India in June as we need to visit my in-laws before we move to Aus...

So, have decided to buy some stuff from India...any suggestion? not sure what to buy and take with to Aus...lot of people have various opinions..so not sure..

could you please let me know if its ok get spices. like my mother has made me some sambar powder and i only use the one she makes for me. so, wondering will that be fine to carry.

thanks,


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

october will be cold one day and hot one day.. november onwards it starts getting pleasant, but it gets cold at times. get winter wear for all of you.

i dont suggest getting spices, save teh space and get other stuff, you get spices here at decent prices, MDH or catch spices, one box for about 1.25$. I will tell you how to make sambhar powder , eezy peezy. the packed spices are fine to carry but i dont suggest carrying home made ones.

get flat woks, pressure cooker, whatever you want for cooking, make sure it is flat base as there are times when you have a grilled gas cook top, the round base woks etc wont work. i got most of my steel utensils and the cooking ones, you get everything here, it is expensive but quality isnt the best and make sure you get a quilt, you would not want to run and buy one the day you arrive.

read this thread and another one, I'm here, my experience so far.. heaps of info in this thread.


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## Sindebad77 (Oct 19, 2011)

Good day for you,

Thanks a log for granting us a part of your precious time and I am highly appreciate it.

I am a 35 years Electrical Engineer ,recently got my 475 Visa Sponsored by SA government, planned to move to Adelaide on the coming October, I just want to know that what are the ways by which we can demonstrate that we are living in South Australia or under the sponsorship of the designated Area? As you know that holder of 475 Visa should prove that he lived for 2 years and worked full time for one year prior to applying for PR visa. I am asking this question because I have an intention to live with an OZi family and share their house there and that means no tenancy contract or E, W or G bills will be in my name!!!!

Thanking you in advance for your answer and looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Best Regards,

Alderi


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## happ (Jul 22, 2011)

am blowing my head off these days thinkin what all to take along and what to leave/sell... This is no easy deed.. I never thought it would be that time consuming.. Wish I was a Pirate .. they had simple rules, "leave nothing behind".. lol

I am at a situation where I have booked my flight to MEL (will land on 9th June), traveling alone initially, wife would follow in 3 months or so. Yet nothing finalized about initial stay... looking for jobs simultaneously.. 

Keep wondering what all did Anjali carry to make it 150 Kgs... Which clearly means I am underestimating this by a big margin.. 

Happ!


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Happ it was not 150, it was 180 ther than the luggage we took with us. I got winter-wear, utensils, hangers, cookers, a few books, shoes etc. my perfumes alone were about 10 kgs and i know i am a freak so dont remind me .

i do not regret getting anything along, things that you have always been using make you feel comfortable and i did not want to go on a shopping spree after coming here. When you have everything back in your country, which we had, and you leave them jsut because no one tells you what to do or get and then you go buying stuff here, it is a hassle, initially you want to save every penny and i feel getting stuff along made sense to me as I did not buy anything after coming here. I did but not as much as one will have to if they got nothing. makes life easier. and trus tme, stuff here is expensive. I might sound foolish to some but i do reckn getting your things along, i left a lot of hangers behind and i regret it but its alright, i got half of themadn then every week i was going to get hanger and they are expensive here. end of the day you do have to start buying stuff form here, you can not depend on things from India forever, but dont think too much, the cost you incurr for getting stuff form INdia is much less than the cost one incurs buying stuff fmor here and the quality isnt the best.

if possible get your stuff now, get a place to stay and once you are settled ask your wife to send cartons using Indian post, it comes to about 250 bux INR per kilo but totally worth it.


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## maverick343 (Aug 13, 2009)

Hey Anj,

Happy to see that you are still very much on the forum...

Keep up the good work!!

Cheers,
Maverick


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Hey Mave, yeah very much.. where will I go


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## maverick343 (Aug 13, 2009)

Just noticed that I had not yet changed my current location here, changed it just now


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Yeah and I was wondering why are you back in Germany now .. How is the wifey and the lil one?


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## maverick343 (Aug 13, 2009)

Both doing great. My wife started working here and the little one has started day care. All of us had several bouts of flu. Kiddo is falling sick more often since she started day care. People say it takes upto 1 year for them to build up immunity.  

One general observation. This place is bl**** expensive 

Are you guys all settled in?


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## happ (Jul 22, 2011)

baahahaha... 10Kg just for Perfumes... :laugh:

Jokes apart... I think you are right the Indian post thing would be a good idea in my case.. Anyways, i dont think I would have a lot to take along, I live in a joint family (parents, we 2 bros, and our respective and respected wives  )... So we have a lot of common stuff.... Apart from furniture (which one cant carry), there isn't a whole lot of stuff for me to carry... but am sure, when i start to pack i would get a lot of things that i never thought existed.

How about electronics?? should one carry some from India or is it cheap there?

Thanks!
Happ!



anj1976 said:


> Happ it was not 150, it was 180 ther than the luggage we took with us. I got winter-wear, utensils, hangers, cookers, a few books, shoes etc. my perfumes alone were about 10 kgs and i know i am a freak so dont remind me .
> 
> i do not regret getting anything along, things that you have always been using make you feel comfortable and i did not want to go on a shopping spree after coming here. When you have everything back in your country, which we had, and you leave them jsut because no one tells you what to do or get and then you go buying stuff here, it is a hassle, initially you want to save every penny and i feel getting stuff along made sense to me as I did not buy anything after coming here. I did but not as much as one will have to if they got nothing. makes life easier. and trus tme, stuff here is expensive. I might sound foolish to some but i do reckn getting your things along, i left a lot of hangers behind and i regret it but its alright, i got half of themadn then every week i was going to get hanger and they are expensive here. end of the day you do have to start buying stuff form here, you can not depend on things from India forever, but dont think too much, the cost you incurr for getting stuff form INdia is much less than the cost one incurs buying stuff fmor here and the quality isnt the best.
> 
> if possible get your stuff now, get a place to stay and once you are settled ask your wife to send cartons using Indian post, it comes to about 250 bux INR per kilo but totally worth it.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

In electronics i got an iron (did not want to go buy one and the one i had was jsut a couple of months old), blender/grinder - this was a few months old as well, laptops with chrgers, nothing else really but my sis in law got a chopper/grater, the cheap ones here are very bad quality adn the ones that are expensive are very expensive, what you can get in India for 5000 INR, you get that for 300$ here, you do the maths yourself, dont go buy it if you dont have it but since you are coming alone try adn get a chopper for veggies, coems handy, it is light weight and very useful. 

try adn get utensils, spoons etc youc an take from here, a set of 4 comes for 2$ at kmart i think but again, no one wants to go shopping the first day after coming here. since you will be staying with a family you dont have to worry too much about spoons etc bu do get utensils or ask someone to send it after you have the address etc.

get clothes, they are expensive here

tv etc is not that expensive, and it deos not make sense carrying heavy good from India. check this site for rates if you want MyShopping.com.au - Online Shopping Australia - Compare Prices - Shop and Buy Online


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Well yes we are kind of settled in, lil one goes to cc and the same story here as well, a perpetually flowing nose, everyone told me the same thing, one season of heat and cold will be like that, the next one will be good. their immunity takes about a year to build up


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## CSK (Mar 21, 2012)

*Preparation Bahrain to Melbourne*

hi,

Thanks Anji, you are right...i can get the sambar powder done there itself..mom has promised to give me her recipe

in terms to taking things to Mel...could you tell me what rate the Indian post charges per kg...i couldnt make out in the threads here..

I had decided to carry the utensils that i am using here in bahrain with me.. i dont have much...very limited...so might as well carry that.. the rest like the clothes which i will buy in India..instead of getting them back here to Bahrain and then taking with me...i could just as well ask my brother in India to send it by Indian post to me..

how is your little one doing in daycare?? are the daycares good?? i have been reading about flu and running nose...is it cause of daycares or is it the weather??

tc


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

250 per kg

yes runny nose is normal, atleast for first one year adn then their immunity starts working full time adn this is nt just in Australia, the case is the same everywehre, my bro's daughter was sick every few dasy in India when she started kindergarten.


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## happ (Jul 22, 2011)

Called up Indian Post mail today and they said that Rs. 2930 would be the price for 10Kg Parcel for Australia and one unit can weigh maximum 20 kgs. That would mean that the latest price that they have is 293/Kg.

1800-11-2011 is the toll-free number for such international queries.

Happ!




anj1976 said:


> 250 per kg
> 
> yes runny nose is normal, atleast for first one year adn then their immunity starts working full time adn this is nt just in Australia, the case is the same everywehre, my bro's daughter was sick every few dasy in India when she started kindergarten.


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## CSK (Mar 21, 2012)

hi, Happ!!

thanks... you are saying one unit can weigh 20kgs max... but is there any limit how many units can be sent at one time... and also, any restriction on what can be sent and is there any customs duty??

thanks,
chaithra


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

they have various options, one that goes by sea, one that goes by air, registered, non registered etc. speak to them at length, tell them you have a lot of boxes and try to keep box weight below `5 kgs, make sure volume of the box is lower then the weight as they charge for whatever that is higher, keeping boxes below 15 kg will make life easier for you as well as those who are handling it because if the boxes are very heavy, at times they do not deliver but ask you to pick them from nearest post office


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

CSK try to send used stuff, dont send new things, there is no custom duty involved if you give a declaration it is for personal use, no eatables, no liquids, no breakable stuff, rest all good


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## CSK (Mar 21, 2012)

hi,

have not been able to post anything for the last few days... my daughter has come down with chickenpox... everybody says it easier when children get it at a very young age....anyway, everybody has their views...i was busy with her chickenpox and office..leaving me no time for anything else...so moving to aus was hold..

thanks for your info...im not able to talk to the indian post from here in bahrain..but have asked my brother to talk to them...

will let you know if get any new info...

cheers,
chaithra


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## happ (Jul 22, 2011)

hey Anj..

Would it be advisable to ship my TV?? Its fairly new.. like a year old.. can i try to ship that through indian post? I have the box and everything of it intact.. so i can pack it well.. but am worried, what if it breaks or anything.. 

Happ!



anj1976 said:


> CSK try to send used stuff, dont send new things, there is no custom duty involved if you give a declaration it is for personal use, no eatables, no liquids, no breakable stuff, rest all good


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

not worth it happ


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## happ (Jul 22, 2011)

Thought so .. Alas  



anj1976 said:


> not worth it happ


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## lifeisgood (Mar 30, 2010)

hi;
did they tell you the time duration in which the parcel would reach Australia ?



happ said:


> Called up Indian Post mail today and they said that Rs. 2930 would be the price for 10Kg Parcel for Australia and one unit can weigh maximum 20 kgs. That would mean that the latest price that they have is 293/Kg.
> 
> 1800-11-2011 is the toll-free number for such international queries.
> 
> Happ!


----------



## happ (Jul 22, 2011)

oops.... didnt ask that... Will confirm the same and update here.

Happ!



lifeisgood said:


> hi;
> did they tell you the time duration in which the parcel would reach Australia ?


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

it takes anything between 10 days to a month, i have had 2 parcels from India and both were here in 12 days flat


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## gg3103 (Apr 26, 2012)

I have a question regarding the tax clearance. Someone told me that if you are migrating then you need A clearance certificate from the Income tax department. The indian immigration authorities may check this? Did any of you, who have moved to Australia on a PR, obtain this?

Sent from my iPad using ExpatForum


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## lifeisgood (Mar 30, 2010)

Here in Gujarat the private courier guys are charging Rs 325/kg + 12% tax for parcels above 30 kgs...
if the parcel is more then 50 kgs then the cost per kg comes down to Rs300/kg + 12%...
they will do the packing ...



happ said:


> Called up Indian Post mail today and they said that Rs. 2930 would be the price for 10Kg Parcel for Australia and one unit can weigh maximum 20 kgs. That would mean that the latest price that they have is 293/Kg.
> 
> 1800-11-2011 is the toll-free number for such international queries.
> 
> Happ!


----------



## garrycool (Dec 29, 2011)

Hi All,

Can we bring spices and other eatables in our baggage as I have heard that one can carry only those stuff which has ingredients mentioned... Please help...

Thanks


----------



## forlorn79 (Jun 10, 2011)

My first preparation starts with telling my office collegues about my plan to move. I was bot planning to tell but we were discussing about working cultures in other country so I thought that was a good queue to tell them  was lucky they did not shoot back with many questions. On Thursday will be with mu Manager. Again did not plan to tell so early buy he is visiting from Houston so telling this kind of stuff might be better face 2 face then over phone.


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## gg3103 (Apr 26, 2012)

gg3103 said:


> I have a question regarding the tax clearance. Someone told me that if you are migrating then you need A clearance certificate from the Income tax department. The indian immigration authorities may check this? Did any of you, who have moved to Australia on a PR, obtain this?
> 
> Sent from my iPad using ExpatForum



I found the answer to my question above. As per the following link from the income tax department, the tax clearance certificate stands abolished and is not needed for any one leaving the country.
FAQs - Tax Clearence - Income Tax Department - Karnataka & Goa Region


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## gg3103 (Apr 26, 2012)

lifeisgood said:


> Here in Gujarat the private courier guys are charging Rs 325/kg + 12% tax for parcels above 30 kgs...
> if the parcel is more then 50 kgs then the cost per kg comes down to Rs300/kg + 12%...
> they will do the packing ...


I got a quote from Malaysian airlines for unaccompanied baggage. Basically you have to book it through their authorised agent. Here are the details :

Air freight & customs clearance charges from Bangalore to Melbourne airport as follows :-

Air freight :- Rs. 180 / kg +45 slab & Rs.154 / kg +100KG Slab( port to port )

Clearance :- Rs. 4500.00 / shpt
Inspection :- Rs. 1500.00 / shpt
Transport :- Rs. 2200.00 / shpt
Notary :- Rs. 450 .00 / shpt

Airlines :- Malaysian airlines
Transit time :- 2-3 days
Routing :- bangalore – Kuala Lumpur – Melbourne.

Payment terms :- advance 100%

Require documents :-
Invoice
Packing list
Passport copy
Visa copy
Ticket copy
Authorization letter to airlines & customs authority.

Sent from my iPad using ExpatForum


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

what are these charges for
Clearance :- Rs. 4500.00 / shpt
Inspection :- Rs. 1500.00 / shpt
Transport :- Rs. 2200.00 / shpt
Notary :- Rs. 450 .00 / shpt
Total 9k INR???

i just paid 170 per KG for 100+ KGs and here i paid 125$ for handling charges to the agent, which you have to pay no matter what.


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## gg3103 (Apr 26, 2012)

anj1976 said:


> what are these charges for
> Clearance :- Rs. 4500.00 / shpt
> Inspection :- Rs. 1500.00 / shpt
> Transport :- Rs. 2200.00 / shpt
> ...


I have not checked back with them about the details of these additional charges as I intended to check with couple of other airlines as well. From what I understand these are charges per shipment

Clearance = Custom Clearance.
Inspection = Inspection by the travel agents
Transport = Pick up and transportation charges from home to the airport
Notary - no idea


What are the agent charges that you mentioned? Is it payable in Australia while collecting your shipment?


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

yes you have to pay here to the agent as handling charges..


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## dreamaus (Nov 12, 2011)

anj1976 said:


> yes you have to pay here to the agent as handling charges..


Hi anjali...will we get mixie, wet grinder etc over there or advisable to take it from India only?


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

well, i got mine and i am glad i did but mine was old and has not been working too wel, i want to buy another one but the ones that i like are for 300Aud, the cheaper ones are no good.. get a mini chopper n shredder, thts one one thing i regret getting.. i'd say get one even if you have to buy new one.. the grinders here are not very good for grinding our spices


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## dreamaus (Nov 12, 2011)

Ok good. Let me see if my luggage allowance does not exceed the limit.


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## coolsnake (Nov 12, 2011)

dreamaus said:


> Ok good. Let me see if my luggage allowance does not exceed the limit.


Hey buddy,
When are you flying to OZ?

Read your post sometime back where you had mentioned that you will be flying to Sydney. Hope you are almost done with all the ground work to move out.


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## dreamaus (Nov 12, 2011)

Yes, almost everything is done and I got offer to join a company in Sydney. I will be flying on 19th July. Final stages of preparations for move are on... I have mailed Victoria folks that I might be able to live in their state as I got a permanent position in Sydney. I am sure they are going to kick my a**s for doing so but I have to at least inform them that I am not able to live there.

How are thing going on your end?


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## gg3103 (Apr 26, 2012)

dreamaus said:


> Yes, almost everything is done and I got offer to join a company in Sydney. I will be flying on 19th July. Final stages of preparations for move are on... I have mailed Victoria folks that I might be able to live in their state as I got a permanent position in Sydney. I am sure they are going to kick my a**s for doing so but I have to at least inform them that I am not able to live there.
> 
> How are thing going on your end?


Sorry to budge in. But aren't you required by law to stay in Victoria for 2 years at least before moving to any other state. I see you have a 176 from vic.


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## coolsnake (Nov 12, 2011)

dreamaus said:


> Yes, almost everything is done and I got offer to join a company in Sydney. I will be flying on 19th July. Final stages of preparations for move are on... I have mailed Victoria folks that I might be able to live in their state as I got a permanent position in Sydney. I am sure they are going to kick my a**s for doing so but I have to at least inform them that I am not able to live there.
> 
> How are thing going on your end?


Cool.. So you have less than a month to fly out. Great and given the fact that you are going there with a job offer in hand, it should have taken one big monkey off your back. 

Vic guys would definitely not like it but did you tell them you plan to spend 2 years in their state sometime in future? That might soften them.

I am stuck waiting for the UK PCC which is the last doc between me & the GRANT.  Hoping to get it in the next day or two.


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## dreamaus (Nov 12, 2011)

gg3103 said:


> Sorry to budge in. But aren't you required by law to stay in Victoria for 2 years at least before moving to any other state. I see you have a 176 from vic.


It is a moral obligation to stay in sponsoring state for 2 initial years but my situation is that I got a very good job in Sydney which I don't want to loose for any reason. Even recently DIAC has not mentioned staying in sponsoring state for 2 years for 190 visa subclass. I wouldn't quote this to support my move to different state but my situation forces me to do so. check out various threads on this forum...this topic is discussed and beaten to death.


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## rvijaysubs (Dec 25, 2011)

dreamaus said:


> Yes, almost everything is done and I got offer to join a company in Sydney. I will be flying on 19th July. Final stages of preparations for move are on... I have mailed Victoria folks that I might be able to live in their state as I got a permanent position in Sydney. I am sure they are going to kick my a**s for doing so but I have to at least inform them that I am not able to live there.
> 
> How are thing going on your end?


Can we do such a thing? Not stay in Vic and staying in Sydney?

And did you get a job sitting outside Australia? Which field are you into?


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## dreamaus (Nov 12, 2011)

rvijaysubs said:


> Can we do such a thing? Not stay in Vic and staying in Sydney?
> 
> And did you get a job sitting outside Australia? Which field are you into?


PR is a permanent residency visa which allows you to stay and work in any occupation in any part of Australia as long as you abide by their law. Because the sponsoring state has helped you securing a visa and that too quickly they ask you to stay in their state for good. but if you are not in a position to obey that obligation you are fine to move to a different state but I have decided to at least tell them that I am going and if by any chance they are ok with it then I can save that email for future so that I don't face any problems when I apply citizenship


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## gg3103 (Apr 26, 2012)

dreamaus said:


> PR is a permanent residency visa which allows you to stay and work in any occupation in any part of Australia as long as you abide by their law. Because the sponsoring state has helped you securing a visa and that too quickly they ask you to stay in their state for good. but if you are not in a position to obey that obligation you are fine to move to a different state but I have decided to at least tell them that I am going and if by any chance they are ok with it then I can save that email for future so that I don't face any problems when I apply citizenship


Sorry.... I missed the comments in the bottom of the page. As of today, they still have that requirement. Please ignore my previous comment

http://www.liveinvictoria.vic.gov.a...illed-nominated-visa-subclass-190#Obligations

The thread where this is being discussed.
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/au...p-2yr-commitment-being-removed-new-rules.html


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## sherlock (Mar 28, 2012)

gg3103 said:


> Looks like our doubts were being answered in a different thread . No matter what the previous requirements were, Victoria seems to be removing the 2 yr commitment clause. Now you can freely go and pursue the new job in Sydney. All the best with your move, buddy.
> 
> http://www.expatforum.com/expats/au...p-2yr-commitment-being-removed-new-rules.html


Actually, the info in the thread given in your link is not confirmed at all. Infact, Victoria site clearly continues to state the moral obligation. DIAC does not impose that rule anyway.


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## gg3103 (Apr 26, 2012)

sherlock said:


> Actually, the info in the thread given in your link is not confirmed at all. Infact, Victoria site clearly continues to state the moral obligation. DIAC does not impose that rule anyway.


Yeah. I realized that and edited my comments to correct myself.


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## melbourne (Sep 6, 2011)

dreamaus said:


> Yes, almost everything is done and I got offer to join a company in Sydney. I will be flying on 19th July. Final stages of preparations for move are on... I have mailed Victoria folks that I might be able to live in their state as I got a permanent position in Sydney. I am sure they are going to kick my a**s for doing so but I have to at least inform them that I am not able to live there.
> 
> How are thing going on your end?


Hey dreamaus, congrats for the job offer and all the best for the move.

I see that you are also into IT, like me , how did you manage to secure a job from abroad. Hope you will not mind providing the info as this will help folks on this forum.

-Melbourne


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## dreamaus (Nov 12, 2011)

melbourne said:


> Hey dreamaus, congrats for the job offer and all the best for the move.
> 
> I see that you are also into IT, like me , how did you manage to secure a job from abroad. Hope you will not mind providing the info as this will help folks on this forum.
> 
> -Melbourne


Pls PM me.


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## Labeeb Ahmed (Oct 16, 2011)

I have 40 x 5 = 200 KG limit Plus hand carry of about 25 Kgs.
What do u suggest me to Bring along with me n family and what to drop.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Labeeb, read thru this thread, there is heaps of info, read another thread, I'm here.. experience so far, that and this thread together is perfect for Indian travelers, I know it is a lot of reading but it will be totally worth it. It talks about not only my experience but a lot of people have discussed their issues here


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## Labeeb Ahmed (Oct 16, 2011)

Yes, i have read this and now reading the other one. You have left nothing more to ask  but still if i have query, i will put it for elaboration.
Thanks a lot.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

It is better if you ask specific questions because I dont see covering the entire list again, might miss on something


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## pawinder_gupta (Nov 20, 2011)

*Thanks*

Hi Anjali,
I have been going over discussions in the expat forum for quite some time and the information you have provided is very useful. I recently migrated to Australia on 176 Visa. Your threads have helped me a lot in preparing for the migration.

Thanks you for all the information that you have shared. It is simply superb.

Pawinder


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## pawinder_gupta (Nov 20, 2011)

*Thanks*

Hi Anjali,
I have been going over discussions in the expat forum for quite some time and the information you have provided is very useful. I recently migrated to Australia on 176 Visa. Your threads have helped me a lot in preparing for the migration.

Thanks you for all the information that you have shared. It is simply superb.

Pawinder


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## lavanyamiranda (Jul 25, 2012)

[

*Extra Baggage*
For now Unaccompanied baggage looks like the best option, yet to find exact rate but from what I have been told, it is 150-200 per KG for Singapore Airlines. It has to be given to them 2 days prior to the flight. 45+ Kgs is 190 INR per KG and 100+ Kg is 165 per KG.

Indian Post is another good option, Costs about 15,000 INR for 50 KG. Takes approximately 15-20 days to reach destination. Good thing, it is cheap. not so good thing about it, you got to pack everything yourself at the post office.


Will keep writing as I remember thing

Feel free to add or correct me if I am going wrong anywhere 

Cheers
Anj[/quote]

Hi,
Can you please let me know how the Indian Postal system works for sending stuff to Sydney. I am looking to take some toys, clothes, shoes, linen and kitchen stuff.
Thanks


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

just go to the post office and ask them if they do it. just pack everything, take it there with a list and give them money, it will be delivered at your residence.


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## santo_ind (Sep 16, 2012)

*Coming to Sydney for couple of weeks*

Hi Anj, 

We got our PR in July 2012 and we need to come for initial entry before end of Oct 2012. I am coming to Sydney in 3 weeks time with my hubby and daughter Anika who will be 7.5months. Do we need to give any vaccination from India before we reach Australia or its fine even if we do not give any. We have completed giving her vaccinations as per Indian immunization schedule. Do we need to show her vaccination details at the airport at the time of arrival. Is it necessary to carry our doctors letter indicating what all vaccinations we have given our baby as per australian standards?

Are there any other tips you would like to give us for our short trip? 

Another question for you.

Do we need to open a bank a/c for our short trip. \we plan to come n settle down next year. If yes, what bank do you suggest which will have minimal maintainance charges as we will not be using it for a long time.

Any other advice for our short trip would be really helpful.

I read through the forums and need to say that you aare doing a great job by sharing your experiences and info

Regards
Santo


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

hi santo,

My daughter's name is Anika as well .. back to topic now.. no you do not need any vaccine record for a short trip. but download the vaccine for australia and start giving her those as well to keep her up-to-date.


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## jas131 (Nov 9, 2011)

Hi,

Can someone please share there experience of sending cargo from India to Aus..
Whats the best mode of sending abt 100kgs.

Thanks!!
-Jas131


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## coolsnake (Nov 12, 2011)

jas131 said:


> Hi,
> 
> Can someone please share there experience of sending cargo from India to Aus..
> Whats the best mode of sending abt 100kgs.
> ...


Hi Jas,
I shipped my items through India Post. They are the cheapest and the best way to send parcels to Australia. Just make sure each parcel you send is not more than 20 kgs otherwise they wont accept it. 

The Post Office I shipped my items from told me to bring all the items over and they would pack the stuff for me (as they want everything to be packed in front of them) but we ended up packing everything ourselves. 

I think 20 kgs parcel costed me about Rs.5500 and it would reach OZ in less than 10 working days.

Trust this helps.

Good luck!!


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## jas131 (Nov 9, 2011)

Thanks coolsnake for your reply.

It really helps... Which city from India were you?
I will get more info by going to the post office this weekend.. 
20 kgs 5500 is decent... 

Thanks!!
-Jas


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## coolsnake (Nov 12, 2011)

jas131 said:


> Thanks coolsnake for your reply.
> 
> It really helps... Which city from India were you?
> I will get more info by going to the post office this weekend..
> ...


You are welcome. Don't think the city would make any difference. 

Anyways, I got my items shipped from Chennai.

Speak to the post office guys. They should be able to give you a clear picture.


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## fayskelley (Dec 3, 2012)

I am just curious ... since we wash all of our clothes, except for a couple of wool dress jackets, is it always possible to find dry cleaners in other countries ... I would have taken only wahsables having never thought of that option. Thanks ~


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Yeah there are plenty of options for dry cleaning .. your concern is justified, you can not hand/machine wash everything..


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## rkumar1 (Aug 2, 2012)

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/au...here-my-experience-so-far-66.html#post1019993


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## rkumar1 (Aug 2, 2012)

Hi Senior Experts.. I want to clear few point if you can ans then it would be a great help for me :
I got my visa on 9th Jan (189 -as System Analyst with almost 9 years of exp in India).
1. I am Planning to move to Australia in April 1st Week will that would be a good time to find a job.
2. I am thinking to Land in Melbourne or Sydney (please suggest if any there is any better place where i can find good job. as of now i am moving along will call up my wife once i get a good job oppurtunity)
3. How much cash Aud we can we are going to AUS
4. Also one important thing someone mentioned 40 kg per box Baggage allowed and we are allowed to carry 2 bagage (means we are allowed to carry total 80 kg per person or what and in how many bags we need to carry all suff like in 1,2 or 3 ?
5. As for docs i will preparing all set docs from India only (my Agent suggested me to keep at least 4 sets of all my DOCS ATTESTED by notary as it will cost me more in AUS and need to submit attested copy every where
6 one last question if any one can tell me what all docs i need to Apply for TAX number, Medicals, Open up an Bank account, driving license and to get a shared accommodation on rent..or these need to be in attested copies or without attested copies will also work..

Please suggest me o this...


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## avinash (Feb 2, 2010)

reply in-line



rkumar1 said:


> Hi Senior Experts.. I want to clear few point if you can ans then it would be a great help for me :
> I got my visa on 9th Jan (189 -as System Analyst with almost 9 years of exp in India).
> 1. I am Planning to move to Australia in April 1st Week will that would be a good time to find a job.
> _
> ...


----------



## Megha09 (Dec 16, 2012)

anj1976 said:


> no clue.. A male i guess.. if you are a female, you are almost like me.. problem is, my thinking is too liberal, men accept it it, women in India do not take it too well


I have been reading your posts and they are fantastic.What you said is true.I echo with you.


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## Jaik2012 (Jun 2, 2012)

avinash said:


> reply in-line


Hey Avinash,

I'm into storage administration (was unix admin) and planning to move to Sydney early next year. Since you are into infrastructure domain, would like to know how are the opportunities in storage administration. My skillset includes EMC (SAN), NetApp (NAS) and Symantec Netbackup with prior experience on unix administration.


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## ARJAY (Feb 23, 2013)

Thanks Anjali.. this is probably what i was looking for and you came to rescue. Let me introduce myself..I am Archana from Bangalore, India we (I and my Husband Jay) got our grant in Dec 2012. and we are planning to fly down by July end 2013. and right now in the preparation mode. This post of yours is really helpful.


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## saradha (Feb 22, 2011)

ARJAY said:


> Thanks Anjali.. this is probably what i was looking for and you came to rescue. Let me introduce myself..I am Archana from Bangalore, India we (I and my Husband Jay) got our grant in Dec 2012. and we are planning to fly down by July end 2013. and right now in the preparation mode. This post of yours is really helpful.


Hi. Archana,

Myself n hubby got our grants this jan,...
He is planning to fly out in june to mel...
Maybe we could keep in touch n discuss in planning n packing stuff

Regds,
Sara


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## ARJAY (Feb 23, 2013)

saradha said:


> Hi. Archana,
> 
> Myself n hubby got our grants this jan,...
> He is planning to fly out in june to mel...
> ...


sure.. it would be great..


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## saradha (Feb 22, 2011)

So what are ur profiles archana...which city are u planning to go to?
Have u booked tickets?
Hubby is a mech engineer in manufacturing industry...
Am a ex-software professional, now a full time mommy to 4 yr old son.
Now, i have started preparing lists. As to what to carry,what to sell/buy..
I see u dont have PM facility as u r new here...how else can we connect?

Regds,
Sara


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## ARJAY (Feb 23, 2013)

saradha said:


> So what are ur profiles archana...which city are u planning to go to?
> Have u booked tickets?
> Hubby is a mech engineer in manufacturing industry...
> Am a ex-software professional, now a full time mommy to 4 yr old son.
> ...


frankly i dont even know what is PM facility..i came across this forum just recently and havent even explored it well.. we havent booked our tickets yet..both me and Jay are Project Management professionals in IT from bangalore..you can tell me if there is some option where we can take this conversation offline..or else this might spam everyone else's inboxes


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## aka2905 (Feb 25, 2013)

ARJAY said:


> frankly i dont even know what is PM facility..i came across this forum just recently and havent even explored it well.. we havent booked our tickets yet..both me and Jay are Project Management professionals in IT from bangalore..you can tell me if there is some option where we can take this conversation offline..or else this might spam everyone else's inboxes


Hi Anjali/sara/archana

I am also migrating this april 2013 with my family

can you please advice which important things do we need to carry.

I am planning to go to sydney .

Anajli you are doing a good job

regards


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## ARJAY (Feb 23, 2013)

aka2905 said:


> Hi Anjali/sara/archana
> 
> I am also migrating this april 2013 with my family
> 
> ...


Hi Dear,

you should read anjali's post on the initial pages..it will give you a good perspective on what to get from your home country..
I hope this helps. 

Cheers!!
Arch


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## saradha (Feb 22, 2011)

aka2905 said:


> Hi Anjali/sara/archana
> 
> I am also migrating this april 2013 with my family
> 
> ...


Hi aka2905,

Congrats on ur visa n good luck with ur move!
Anj has posted elaborate lists of things to pack...with ample reasoning as well...
I started reading this thread today early morning and juz nw done with it. Cant thank her enof.
You too will applaud once u go through this thread.

Am based outta south india n my hubby is plannin to fly out in june to mel/syd, wherever his job search leads him. Myself n son would follow in 2/3 months or as soon as he secures a job, whichever is earlier.

Btw, what are ur profiles n acco plans as of nw...lets be in touch n share ideas.

Regds.
Sara


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## akidadude (Mar 3, 2013)

thanx for the info


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## saradha (Feb 22, 2011)

ARJAY said:


> frankly i dont even know what is PM facility..i came across this forum just recently and havent even explored it well.. we havent booked our tickets yet..both me and Jay are Project Management professionals in IT from bangalore..you can tell me if there is some option where we can take this conversation offline..or else this might spam everyone else's inboxes


Hi archana,

PM is private messaging facility thats gets activated once u contribute certain no of posts here...
I thought it would be ideal to exchange sensitive data like gtalk id n stuff...anyways, lets wait till its possible.
As of nw...wats ur visa status n preferred destination in oz?
Myself n hubby hail from coimbatore n madurai resp. Hw abt u guys?
Tc.

Regds,
Sara


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## ARJAY (Feb 23, 2013)

ohkk..this PM thing isnt activated for me yet actually..we got our grant in Dec 2012.. and we are planning to fly to melb sometime in July..

I would like to ask the senior expats for guidance.. we have loads to do with respect to what to buy/sell, job preps/hunting, prep to go etc ..and really dont know where to start..everything seems like a huge task right now.. can anyone enlighten me on this please.


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## saradha (Feb 22, 2011)

Hey archana,

I would suggest taking on each issue one at a time...
First prioritise the tasks at hand...

Am on the same boat as well, here is my plan in order of urgency.
1. Finish govt/bank related work as could take as long as it takes. Eg.gas cxn,telephone,internet,dish tv et al.
2. sort out electronics,furnitures,clothes n other misc items into wanted n unwanted category.
3. arrange to sell/donate/preserve relevant stuff..this would leave u with stuff that u cant part with...pack it!
Buy more essential stuff gradually till one month b4 flying...it can take lotta time n trips to shopping outlets,do them with a checklist.
4. Build ur resume and fine tune it till u click send button...lol
5. Its very important to have a near perfect linkedin profile...any practical advices are more than welcome 
Build a network of ppl who can come handy once u r there...like recruiters,australian contacts with similar profiles, friends/ forum mates...add ur imagination. There is no limit on the number of connections u could have, i suppose.
But, this area is vague for me as well, someone elaborate on hw to go about it actually. How do i find recuiters or 
aussies in the same field if i have very limited circle to begin with?? (i find it really hard to bring mech engg together,esp)...

Regds,
Sara


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## ARJAY (Feb 23, 2013)

Thanks Sara..this is really good.. i am getting jitters to even start thinking about it ..this has kind of calmed me down for now.. i am really glad at how genuinely friendly and helpful are people on this forum.. all you guys rock \m/


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## saradha (Feb 22, 2011)

ARJAY said:


> Thanks Sara..this is really good.. i am getting jitters to even start thinking about it ..this has kind of calmed me down for now.. i am really glad at how genuinely friendly and helpful are people on this forum.. all you guys rock \m/


Welcome to the club...even i personally find this forum as a godsend!
Its upto us to keep up its spirit n purpose...


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

archana, we all go through it and surprisingly, we manage it well, time flies, specially when you are in such situations and when you do look back, you feel, wow, did I really manage it all. You will be fine. just do your share of reading, prepare yourself for the worst and expect the best


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## aka2905 (Feb 25, 2013)

*Sydney for accouning job market*

Dear All

I am migrating to sydney in April 2013 with my family. Just need information on accounting job market in Sydney.

People always say that you shoudl have local experience, How a person who is emigrating for first time have a local experience, can anybody help me on it???

Will it be good to come alone and then call the family in??

which suburbs are best for indian family??

Please share you experiene with me

Regards

AKA


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## ARJAY (Feb 23, 2013)

anj1976 said:


> archana, we all go through it and surprisingly, we manage it well, time flies, specially when you are in such situations and when you do look back, you feel, wow, did I really manage it all. You will be fine. just do your share of reading, prepare yourself for the worst and expect the best


Thanks for bucking me up  ... somehow prep is something I can still manage with.. its concluding our CVs, cover letter, applying for jobs etc which is freaking me out..leaving something completely settled behind is a big decision.. i am sure i will be able to manage eventually but it still sends cold shivers... its like college last days once again where we would run behind securing a job through campus .. but this one is more maddening and we are older 

one question.. even though we have decided to travel around july end...just want a reassurance from the already stable guys if its a good time in terms of Job market..and how much and what all we can try and do from home country with respect to job scenario before arriving..


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## rkv146 (Jul 16, 2012)

ARJAY said:


> Thanks for bucking me up  ... somehow prep is something I can still manage with.. its concluding our CVs, cover letter, applying for jobs etc which is freaking me out..leaving something completely settled behind is a big decision.. i am sure i will be able to manage eventually but it still sends cold shivers... its like college last days once again where we would run behind securing a job through campus .. but this one is more maddening and we are older
> 
> one question.. even though we have decided to travel around july end...just want a reassurance from the already stable guys if its a good time in terms of Job market..and how much and what all we can try and do from home country with respect to job scenario before arriving..


Hii Anjali,

How are you doing?? Hope you are enjoying your vacation in Pune/Gurgaon..
My preparations are smooth so far... One thing I wanted to check with you with regards to the tetra Pack Milk.. We tried the Nestle A+ milk ( Blue colour), the baby is taking it well.. You were referring to the same milk na...


Hi Archana,

I am moving to Melbourne on April 17th.. If you see the posts in forum majority of them get their foot in a Good job in 2 to 3 months... so everyone will get their chance.. The main reason why everyone is preparing for the worst is so that we stay positive even during any rejection, because more than any other stuff its the mental strength which carries us through during the initial phase..

Jobs are there and will flow, also sometimes it depends on luck as well, I managed to get an offer in November 2012 without even havin a PR,, so sometimes luck does play, but please do good homework on CV, cover letter and basic Australian culture stuffs...

Sometimes its better to have that nervousness and cold shiver as it keeps us on the toes and helps us prepare better..

All the Best..

Regards
RK


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## aka2905 (Feb 25, 2013)

ARJAY said:


> Thanks for bucking me up  ... somehow prep is something I can still manage with.. its concluding our CVs, cover letter, applying for jobs etc which is freaking me out..leaving something completely settled behind is a big decision.. i am sure i will be able to manage eventually but it still sends cold shivers... its like college last days once again where we would run behind securing a job through campus .. but this one is more maddening and we are older
> 
> one question.. even though we have decided to travel around july end...just want a reassurance from the already stable guys if its a good time in terms of Job market..and how much and what all we can try and do from home country with respect to job scenario before arriving..


Arjay

I have checked with couple of stable guys there. July is good time to start with as all companies complete their yearend and start the new year with new budget and expectation.

You are from which field and moving to which place?? At present market is tough but we need to more tougher to saty and live there

Regards


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## jas131 (Nov 9, 2011)

Hi Guys,

I got lots of Info form this Forum when I had to move to Australia, now i think its my turn to return back 

Let me introduce myself. 
I had got my visa in Aug 2012 and came here to Aus in Nov. We(My husband and myself) came here through our company in India(Onsite project) we were lucky to get one on the right time... Let me try to help u people with what to get and what not as per my experience.

With the amout of luggage allowance its tough to decide what to get and what not. 

1). Get formal clothes as these are expensive here. specially when u land here to find a job. All interview require formal. Suits are must. When you go for an interview you will find everyone dressed up very well in formals.
2). Ladies avoid carrying lots of Indian dresses as you wont wear them often specially if u working. No on wears Salwar/Sarees in office. Get trousers/skirts
3). Formal Shoes... these too are expensive nothing less that $70(good ones).
4). Indian Utensils if you wanna cook at home. Please only the utensils like pressure cooker/ kadai.( I have give details offline to people who want to know more on this).You do get them here but again it would be very expensive.
5). Dont carry any food stuff. You wont be allowed in the airport and will waste your luggage limit.

One thing i would suggest, if you have luggage that does not come in the flight luggage capacity please dnt pay extra to the airlines people. They charge some 1600/kg. Its better to pack your stuff in india and send it through India Post(Registered, not speed post) Its very cheap and the stuff comes in some 3-4 weeks. I got two such parcels done for my self. They charge some 3600 for 10kg. Its worth it. Please check this before you pay extra to the airlines.

There are few stores here where you can get stuff which are less expensive(Kmart/Aldi/Target/Ikea) you can check their websites.

On the job market... I wont say its very easy to get a job but yes not difficult also. You need to be patient and keep following the consultants. I did manage to get one but it took sometime. Dont get dissapointed with the time it takes but trust me something will fall in ur plate soon. Local experience is preferred but again there are so many people coming here for the first time but they do manage to get a job. Contract jobs are common here, so for a start you can take one of these. 

Things I did in India before I left.
1). Gas connection/electriticity bill cleared all these.
2). Closed all those banks account which I dint need. Changed the phone number of the internet bnanking account that I needed. You can ask the bank people the proecess to get your australia number registered for internet banking after you come here.
3). Sold all the furniture and stuff as i dnt want to carry one.
4). Scanned all my original certificates/ offer letters/ any legal doc and emailed myself. kept a copy of the same with my parents.

Choice of Melbourne over Sydney... Sydney is expensive... people say its expensive than New York.. House rent is very high here in Sydney. Job opportunities are there in both Sydney and Melbourne. 

I wrote what I could think of, do let me know if you need any other help in something specific. I might be able to help you.

Thanks!!
-Jas


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Yes RKV, my daughter is taking the same after coming here. Once you reach australia, you can start taking A2, that is an equivalent of A+, infect is better than A+. I give my daughter normal full cream homebrand milk from coles/ aldi or woolies. they are good enough.

Archana, Don't fear, you have to go through it, it is like being pregnant and in your last month, you can not go back, you have to go through it to reap the benefits .

CV is straight forward, just write what they want, don't make stories, see which job requires what skill. as I said, they have 200-300 CVs to see, and no they do not read all of them, they scan through and if your CV has the key points that they asked for, you will get a call. Make a crisp and clean CV of 2-3 pages, no more. Don't elaborate on the company, just give the company website or just one line about what the company is into. they ar einterested more in you and not the organisation unless you have worked for organisations like Microsoft and the like.

July is a good time, June is an even better time. We came in June, took 15 days to settle, got a job 10 days after my husband started applying, started work on 1st August.

Last but not the least, Jas, thanks for the wonderful post 

and as Jas said, jobs are difficult to secure but not impossible. Dont give up. It is easier to get a job here than it is in India. There are heaps of jobs advertised each day, everyone gets it, even you guys will manage.


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## ARJAY (Feb 23, 2013)

a big thanks to everyone for encouraging. This definitely helps.. i am planning to create a master list of things very soon with help of all your suggestions.. i was thinking of start applying for jobs by April from India itself and tell the agents i am travelling in July.. does this kind of scenario really work or should i invest my time in other preparations and look for jobs only when i am there.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

I suggest you start applying asap, start building a network on linkedin as well


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## aka2905 (Feb 25, 2013)

anj1976 said:


> I suggest you start applying asap, start building a network on linkedin as well


Anj 1976

thank you anj 1976

you are right to build the network but sending resume right now for a person who is migrating after 3 months will not help as recruiter don't remember who contact them when??

I would suggest contact recuriter just one month before you are flying/migrating and keep in touch with them.

hope this helps

regards
AKA


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Aka i dont agree with you here. The recruitment process here is very slow, if the consultant really wants to wait for you, he might. An there are no set rules, I know people who secured a job 2 months before coming. it depends on your luck and how desperate the people are and how you suit the profile


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## jins09 (Mar 21, 2012)

*Vaccination Document & Cargo Procedures from Sydney Port*

Hi Anj1976,

Thanks a lot for your post. Its quite informative. Also, I extend my gratitude to all the others who have made this thread quite informative. :clap2: :clap2:

You mentioned about taking the vaccination document of your child. Actually, I also need to take the same for my child but since its in Arabic, it needs to be translated. So I want to know if you also had to get it translated and if so, where did you do it? And how can you verify if a translator is internationally accredited as they claim so its safe to get it translated from them?

One another question is regarding the procedures to taking cargo to Sydney. All the reasonably rated agencies I enquired with, have only port delivery. After that you need to take the items home yourself. So my question is can anyone give me a detailed insight into the procedures and confirm if the rumour regarding customs-hidden-charges is true?

Also I need to know an opinion - The only electronic item I am planning to send as cargo is a fridge of around 600L. My question is it worth sending such a huge fridge to Sydney, considering electronics is very expensive there and also wrt to the current consumption?

Any replies are most welcome and appreciated in advance.

Thanks a lot.

Jins


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

No sending the fridge is not worth it. dont bother with it. and yes there are charges, not hidden though, the agent who handles your shipment there takes handling charges, we sent our stuff through Indian post and we paid $200 as handling charges plus transportation charges but ours were small boxes, if what you send is big boxes then you might need someone to deliver them plus transportation, comes out too much, not worth the effort and money. Buy new here. Send boxes that weigh around 10-12 kgs so that it is easy for you to handle and remember whatever you send is subject to custom and quarantine clearance. check the cost of Postal service.

About vaccine, no I did not need any translation, jut look for a translator, if you find any, ask them to translate or can you not ask the doctor to write it all in English and give it to you in one letterhead?


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## jins09 (Mar 21, 2012)

anj1976 said:


> No sending the fridge is not worth it. dont bother with it. and yes there are charges, not hidden though, the agent who handles your shipment there takes handling charges, we sent our stuff through Indian post and we paid $200 as handling charges plus transportation charges but ours were small boxes, if what you send is big boxes then you might need someone to deliver them plus transportation, comes out too much, not worth the effort and money. Buy new here. Send boxes that weigh around 10-12 kgs so that it is easy for you to handle and remember whatever you send is subject to custom and quarantine clearance. check the cost of Postal service.
> 
> About vaccine, no I did not need any translation, jut look for a translator, if you find any, ask them to translate or can you not ask the doctor to write it all in English and give it to you in one letterhead?


Dear Anj1976, thank you very much. Yes, we will try to approach any doctor to see if he / she can translate it and give it in their letterhead. But thanks for the idea.

Take care.


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## falss (May 29, 2012)

jas131 said:


> Hi Guys,
> 
> I got lots of Info form this Forum when I had to move to Australia, now i think its my turn to return back
> 
> ...


Hi,
Can you please PM me what all things to carry in luggage and what all stuff can be send through post and also plz let me know abt which kind of foodstuff is not allowed in plane.
Thanks in advance

Falss


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## mikstylo (Jul 21, 2012)

*question about masala*

Hi Anj,

Great posts!! Your threads have been really helpful!!
My hubby and I are travelling to Sydney on the 9th of next month. Just had few queries... Can I carry some masala's (home made) like chilly powder, turmeric powder , pickle? Will get them sealed in zip lock bags but will not have the ingredients labelled on them.

Hope to catch up with you once we are in Australia!!

Aarti


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Aarti the spices are easily available here, dont waste your luggage space getting spices. MDH spices, one box is about $1.10 which is almost as much as it is in India. Rather get clothes and other household stuff.


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## mikstylo (Jul 21, 2012)

anj1976 said:


> Aarti the spices are easily available here, dont waste your luggage space getting spices. MDH spices, one box is about $1.10 which is almost as much as it is in India. Rather get clothes and other household stuff.


Thanks


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## tanvi0902 (Jan 8, 2013)

Hello Jas, 

Thanks for the information. 

Can you or someone senior here please tell me if there is some restriction on carrying the amount/quantity of toiletries in check-in baggage too? As I will be having few bottles of Shampoo, Lens Solution, Deos, Perfumes etc. just for initial two months. But got doubtful if there is a limit on these items. Or they do extra scrutiny of the bags if they find too much liquid in a bag.



jas131 said:


> Hi Guys,
> 
> I got lots of Info form this Forum when I had to move to Australia, now i think its my turn to return back
> 
> ...


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## TnAVaz (May 10, 2013)

What airline are you using???


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## tanvi0902 (Jan 8, 2013)

TnAVaz said:


> What airline are you using???


Going via Singapore Airlines


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## falss (May 29, 2012)

Hi Jas,
Can you PM me what all stuff to carry mainly utensils etc. and can we send those stuff through post?







jas131 said:


> Hi Guys,
> 
> I got lots of Info form this Forum when I had to move to Australia, now i think its my turn to return back
> 
> ...


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## roposh (Apr 30, 2013)

Dear Anjali,
I found this thread last night and have been hooked to it since then. I read each and every comment of this thread till page 30 in one go last night and finsihed the remaining 7 pages first thing in the mroning 
I would like to thank you for sharing these wonderfull posts with all of us. This is indeed a great service.* HIGHLY APPRECIATED!*
regards,
Roposh

P.S Now moving onto your other thread 'I'm here, my experience so far'


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## v_yadav (May 21, 2012)

I dint even see this thread before , guess i'll read all about what happened before i'm here, my experience so far


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## applyoz (Apr 20, 2012)

Thanks Anjali for the tons of information on this thread  U rock as always!!!

I am in the process of making a list of the things I need to carry and this thread helped me a great deal!I am planning to use the cargo for sending mixer,grinder,books etc... I am probably going to hit the panic button soon since there is so much to do and very less time.

I had a question regarding the vaccination chart for my 3 year old daughter. There is a booklet with all the details of her vaccinations along with the dates they were injected on.Would that suffice?
Also , please let me know if there are any extra vaccinations that you are aware of according to the norm in Aus. I am trying to check in the website too.Will update the thread if I find anything.

To carry medicines for general use like paracetamol,d-cold etc... , read in the thread that we need a doctor's prescription for the same. All medicines in a single prescription under the heading General prescription would do?


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## findraj (Sep 24, 2012)

applyoz said:


> Thanks Anjali for the tons of information on this thread  U rock as always!!!
> 
> I am in the process of making a list of the things I need to carry and this thread helped me a great deal!I am planning to use the cargo for sending mixer,grinder,books etc... I am probably going to hit the panic button soon since there is so much to do and very less time.
> 
> ...


My opinion in red


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## applyoz (Apr 20, 2012)

thanks a lot findraj.. it definitely helps 

But I heard from one of my friends that the mixer/ grinder would be expensive in Aus.. and hard to find the kind we use in India to grind spices etc..


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## findraj (Sep 24, 2012)

Do you grind whole spices like turmeric? Or just regular grinder? Because we can buy ground spices from stores..I am sure my current grinder wouldnt be able to grind whole spices..I found somtething on the internet 

Grinder, Meat Mincer, Mill - Shopbot Australia

I am not in Aus currently so cant help you much but I know when I was studying in Canada and my Mum sent me a package through post; I had more than a fit when I had to carry a box weighing 15 Kgs.Turned out the things she sent didnt work somewhere the shipment had been mishandled because there was a crack at the bottom The outside packaging didnt give me a hint at all of damage..The Shipping company said the package was given to Canada Post at the Border and they wouldnt know who was responsible for damage...

I got trolled.


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## applyoz (Apr 20, 2012)

yes.. i grind whole spices  and from the link, it doesn't seem to be the kind that can be used for Indian cooking needs. 

The other thing to worry is of course safe delivery and unfortunately that is not guaranteed and could lead to damage and leave us nowhere


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## ashish3116 (Dec 15, 2012)

Hi Friends, I am new to this thread and found this thread really helpful and quite informative. 

I have lodged my Visa. I have question to people who are settled there, how can we transfer our funds to our folks in India. I will not be taking my family now and will try to settle things first and then will call them.

In between, if I have to transfer funds to India, what is the procedure besides western union.


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## pulikali (Jul 9, 2013)

applyoz said:


> yes.. i grind whole spices  and from the link, it doesn't seem to be the kind that can be used for Indian cooking needs.
> 
> The other thing to worry is of course safe delivery and unfortunately that is not guaranteed and could lead to damage and leave us nowhere


I think I understand the type of mixer/grinder you mean. The 'Indian' ones. 
I've seen it here in many Indian stores, I'm talking about Melbourne. 
I wasn't aware about this and I got mine when I flew from India. 


~~~


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## pulikali (Jul 9, 2013)

ashish3116 said:


> Hi Friends, I am new to this thread and found this thread really helpful and quite informative.
> 
> I have lodged my Visa. I have question to people who are settled there, how can we transfer our funds to our folks in India. I will not be taking my family now and will try to settle things first and then will call them.
> 
> In between, if I have to transfer funds to India, what is the procedure besides western union.


There are multiple options - many of them you can do from your desk; online. 
sbi bank provides one such online functionality however, I think you have to visit their branch personally for the first time - they are in Sydney. 

I used to use money2india by icici before. This was completely online. There is also worldremit which is again a completely online procedure. 



~~~


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

applyoz, see the vaccine chart in the chart from below link
http://www.whitehorse.vic.gov.au/IgnitionSuite/uploads/docs/Immunisation Schedule 2013.pdf

jsut take the page 1 print to the doc and ask him to write which ones have been given and when and get it written from the doc. whatever is missing, ask him/ her to give it.

as for the meds, get it in one prescription from the doc. they normally do not ask for at the airport but it is good to have the prescription and invoice.


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## applyoz (Apr 20, 2012)

cool!! I am planning to buy a new one and then get it sent. Do you suggest buying it there instead?



Chembata said:


> I think I understand the type of mixer/grinder you mean. The 'Indian' ones.
> I've seen it here in many Indian stores, I'm talking about Melbourne.
> I wasn't aware about this and I got mine when I flew from India.
> 
> ...


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## applyoz (Apr 20, 2012)

Thanks Anjali  found a similar list on Current Immunisation Schedule - Medicare Australia. I am trying to cross check and find out.Nevertheless, will pay a visit to the doc soon.




anj1976 said:


> applyoz, see the vaccine chart in the chart from below link
> http://www.whitehorse.vic.gov.au/IgnitionSuite/uploads/docs/Immunisation Schedule 2013.pdf
> 
> jsut take the page 1 print to the doc and ask him to write which ones have been given and when and get it written from the doc. whatever is missing, ask him/ her to give it.
> ...


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## Piyutel (Nov 15, 2013)

Hi All
Isn't it really amazing?
My Timeline sofar for SS 189 (sub-class 221111):-
Skill Assessment Applied to ICAA on 05Nov13
Skill Assessment Cleared by ICAA on 08Nov13
EOI submitted to DIAC on 14Nov13
Received Invitation to apply for Visa from DIAC on 18Nov13
Wish me good luck folks for the next process.
Piyutel
New Delhi


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## GO2OZ (Jul 7, 2013)

*cooking aids/spices/indian herbs allowed to carry to australia*

I was curious if company packed cooking aids, spices & herbs are allowed (by quarantine) to be carried along, to stock for a week or month till somebody finds grocery store stocking their favourite ingredients.

Also whether maggi bhuna masala (for making indian curry) is fine to take as without it chopping oninos/peeling garlic & frying them has to be learnt all over again. 

Hope Maggi bhuna masala is available in Aus also freely in most indian stores.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

I dont suggest carrying cooking aid. I did carry utensils, kadaies, tawa, rolling pin, steel katories, steel plates (specially smaller ones to cover dishes, of all sizes). Since most of my stuff was new (newly married) I did not want to leave things behind and there were no takers for my stuff, everyone said we dont hv space in our kitchen.. sigh!. anyways.. i did not get a single spice or herb, not the time i came, not even when I made my first trip back home. it is not worth it. i'd rather carry stuff tha tis important and not waste my luggage space.

Every area has an Indian grocer, it will make sense you go buy spices herbs or even maggi from there.. I have never used maggi bhuna masala so cant say if it is available, form what i remember, I have not seen it at the grocer shop but you do get ready to eat meals from haldiram, gits, MTR etc.. and they are not expensive, i think a couple of $$ each.. you get frozen chopped onion at the super mart, garlic paste as well.. you can use that.. you get garlic paste at indian grocer as well.. 

and if you do plan to get pans etc, make sure they are flat bottom ones. the woks that I got were round base so i can not use them, eventually you do start buying here, most of my cookware is purchased from here now and i feel they are better quality form that in India and price wise there isnt much difference.. dont get too much stuff.. just things that you wont get here..


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## GO2OZ (Jul 7, 2013)

OK got that Anj. Most things are available in indian stores & also price delta is not large to focus on packing them.

That makes things simpler in some way


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

MDH spice pack is for $1.05 I thinkSalt 1 Kg pack for 1.50, Indiagate Classic rice $16 for a 5 KG pack. You do get cheaper rice too. Jasmine rice at Coles is for 10$ on specials. Most lentils are $2-3 Kg..


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## Piyutel (Nov 15, 2013)

anj1976 said:


> I dont suggest carrying cooking aid. I did carry utensils, kadaies, tawa, rolling pin, steel katories, steel plates (specially smaller ones to cover dishes, of all sizes). Since most of my stuff was new (newly married) I did not want to leave things behind and there were no takers for my stuff, everyone said we dont hv space in our kitchen.. sigh!. anyways.. i did not get a single spice or herb, not the time i came, not even when I made my first trip back home. it is not worth it. i'd rather carry stuff tha tis important and not waste my luggage space.
> 
> Every area has an Indian grocer, it will make sense you go buy spices herbs or even maggi from there.. I have never used maggi bhuna masala so cant say if it is available, form what i remember, I have not seen it at the grocer shop but you do get ready to eat meals from haldiram, gits, MTR etc.. and they are not expensive, i think a couple of $$ each.. you get frozen chopped onion at the super mart, garlic paste as well.. you can use that.. you get garlic paste at indian grocer as well..
> 
> and if you do plan to get pans etc, make sure they are flat bottom ones. the woks that I got were round base so i can not use them, eventually you do start buying here, most of my cookware is purchased from here now and i feel they are better quality form that in India and price wise there isnt much difference.. dont get too much stuff.. just things that you wont get here..


Thats how everyone should carry or not to carry initially.


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## Piyutel (Nov 15, 2013)

anj1976 said:


> I dont suggest carrying cooking aid. I did carry utensils, kadaies, tawa, rolling pin, steel katories, steel plates (specially smaller ones to cover dishes, of all sizes). Since most of my stuff was new (newly married) I did not want to leave things behind and there were no takers for my stuff, everyone said we dont hv space in our kitchen.. sigh!. anyways.. i did not get a single spice or herb, not the time i came, not even when I made my first trip back home. it is not worth it. i'd rather carry stuff tha tis important and not waste my luggage space.
> 
> Every area has an Indian grocer, it will make sense you go buy spices herbs or even maggi from there.. I have never used maggi bhuna masala so cant say if it is available, form what i remember, I have not seen it at the grocer shop but you do get ready to eat meals from haldiram, gits, MTR etc.. and they are not expensive, i think a couple of $$ each.. you get frozen chopped onion at the super mart, garlic paste as well.. you can use that.. you get garlic paste at indian grocer as well..
> 
> and if you do plan to get pans etc, make sure they are flat bottom ones. the woks that I got were round base so i can not use them, eventually you do start buying here, most of my cookware is purchased from here now and i feel they are better quality form that in India and price wise there isnt much difference.. dont get too much stuff.. just things that you wont get here..


well said


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## GO2OZ (Jul 7, 2013)

> Most things are available in indian stores & also price delta is not large to focus on packing them.


I happened to land on online shopping page of coles as well as woolsworth. Browsed few items & the price band. And dropping the idea to pack any kitchen related stuff in my context & usage to carry from here to Aus.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

I too carried a lot of stuff when I came, now i have started buying here (ofcourse i had to) and i feel i wasted a lot of space getting things. All the best


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## neelarao (Oct 31, 2012)

Hi Anjali….

Thank you so much for this wonderful thread and most importantly for your continuing advice and feedback. 

We are making our move in Feb, 2014 to Melbourne. From your experience I would like to know what stuff would you consider carrying from India unnecessary and is there any particular items that would be necessary (clothes being the general consensus). Thanks.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Hey Neelarao

Well, i did get a lot of clothes from there. trouser, shirts, formal ones. you would not want to go shopping the moment you step in Australia. Carry good walking shoes, formal ones. Try hushpuppies. their shoes are the most comfortable and are good for walking while on way to work. if you have babies/kids, get their clothes. You do need woolens almost thru the year. Summer here is just for a few weeks, rest of the time the temperature is in teens or early 20's. Mornings are cold and eventually gets warm then evenings are cold again even if the temperature touches 30's, morning will still be 14-15.
In utensils, I got all laddles, basically spoons (a set of 12), one sharp knife and cooking essentials, get one wok that is flat base, tawa is a must and again, absolutely, mine came after a few months from shoppers stop i think (sis sent it). fork, spoons, knives you will get here but since they are hardly any weight, get them. Other than that, I got steel kitchen stuff like plates, small bowls (katories) anything that you use in steel in the kitchen for Indian cooking. My most priced possession is the masala box and the ghee container. i even got tupperware this time as tupperware is a ripper here.
thermals for kids, spice grinder, i got mine from INdia and it broke, took a philips food processor but that doesnt have a spice grinder so I am stuck, planning to pick a coffe/spice grinder but the reviews have not been that good. I might end up buying it from Indian store. Do get a mixer grinder or might as well get a food processor. It is available at Indian store. if you want to keep it light, buy from here but the Aussie ones wont work, they are not good for grinding our lentils and other stuff for Indian cooking unless you buy the restaurant quality which comes for $250+. 
Medicines for initial use with prescription (even if it is common cold medicines, jsut carry the bill and the prescription).
That would be it I suppose. if you have specifics on your mind, ask away


----------



## neelarao (Oct 31, 2012)

Hi Anjali,

Thank you so much for your inputs. It has been of great help and now I have some idea as to how to start the process. 

When the time of our move is nearing, I am sure I will have a lot more questions. I understand that you get a lot of PMs, just wanted to know if you prefer me posting my queries here on the thread or is okay to send you a PM in case I need any help. 

I am really grateful that you take time to help us first timers. Have a great day!!! 

Neela


----------



## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

I'd prefer here please. I don't reply on PMs unless it is really personal and can not be discussed here. For a simple reason, I am no expert and might not give the correct opinion on everything, let others benefit from the info and let others contribute, this is how this forum works. If I dont reply to your post then PM me with the link to the thread.


----------



## GO2OZ (Jul 7, 2013)

Can we carry woolen sweaters ? I am confused whether wool is prohibited item or sweaters are ok to carry


----------



## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

ofcourse you can


----------



## kjp (Nov 18, 2013)

Hi,

I have read your posts and has been informative.


First of all I'd like to thank you in taking time to help people in the migrating process.

I am awaiting grant and hoping to receive it in a month.

I would like to know if you can help with an AU resume format so that I can start preparing my resume. Also I'd like to know when the job market is good to start applying for jobs?

My hubby is a UX professional and we are awaiting SA sponsorship.

Any suggestion is highly appreciated.

Thanks
kjp


----------



## tht (May 8, 2013)

Any idea on what is the cost of following items in Canberra 
Gas
Electricity
Water
Groceries

A monthly or weekly average would do. i want to plan how much i need to carry.


----------



## ashish3116 (Dec 15, 2012)

Hi All, I am moving to perth in Feb, Can anyone help me by giving an idea about the job market of call centers


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## khatri (Jul 19, 2013)

anj1976 said:


> Got my visa on 27th Jan 2011, Been speaking to a lot of people since then, I thought i should share my findings here. Feel free to add or suggest
> 
> Things to Take
> Clothes: A year supply, there is a 3-6 months buffer for finding a job.
> ...


Hi Anj
Nicely written.
Can we carry medicine while moving to AUS? 

Thanks in advance...


----------



## naishargdalal (Dec 20, 2012)

Yes you can.. But dont forget to carry prescription from a doctor (obviously on a letterhead) and bills along with you.. Authorities do ask for the same.

Regards,
Naisharg




khatri said:


> Hi Anj
> Nicely written.
> Can we carry medicine while moving to AUS?
> 
> Thanks in advance...


----------



## khatri (Jul 19, 2013)

At the time of migration, if some one is well and healthy, even then can he carry medicine on prescription? When we say prescription, its a set of medicine written on a doctor,'s letter pad. My question here is , can we have set of medicine which might be useful in different illness on one prescription and that too when someone is healthy?


----------



## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Khatri, yes you can, as long sa you have prescription along. I had antibiotics and what not, never used it but no one asks as long as you have the invoice and a doctor's prescription


----------



## khatri (Jul 19, 2013)

anj1976 said:


> Khatri, yes you can, as long sa you have prescription along. I had antibiotics and what not, never used it but no one asks as long as you have the invoice and a doctor's prescription


Thanks Anj. Do I need to declare them anywhere? And do you suggest me to carry medicines? I am sorry for bothering you too much but if you can provide me a list as per Aus weather?


----------



## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

I got the basics like pain killer, medicines for stomach upset, acidity, diarrhea, fever, nausea, cold and cough, food poisoning, pudin hara, stomach ache/cramp etc. They do give you a form to fill and ask you at the counter during immigration if you have any medicines etc, just tell them you have non prescription medicines but have prescription and the invoice as well. they may check or might let you go. But don't make a big deal out of it, everyone gets medicines fr the initial few months which I call the teething period.

I dont remember exactly the names but I got Crocin, Dependal M, Lactulose (Evict), Combiflam, Nex Pro Fast 40 (Acidity), Pudin Hara, Vitamin B complex etc.


----------



## happybuddha (Sep 28, 2012)

On medicines, I dont know about other cities, but where I am, the doctors will just not prescribe antibiotics at all (of course, that is if the doctor can even understand what you are describing). So one shouldn't assume Australia to be a medical paradise. Compared to medical care available in India, IMO Australian medicare is just average. I and a few of my friends have faced this issue. For a few symptoms, based on our experience in the past and even after showing the doctors that doctors world over prescribe antibiotics - we were given minimum dosage (which had no corelation to body weight) which didn't work. We ended up having antibiotics shipped from India. So you may want to get a few anitbiotic courses.


----------



## Future_ozzy (Feb 26, 2014)

Hi Guys,

Just watch this series ,you will have an idea how they look for customs in Australia when you arrive.






Imp Note: Declare food items - even though it is small quantity ,do not forget or there is a fine of 200-300 dollars if you just do not declare the food items.

Medical prescriptions - Never get medicines on someone else's behalf - it is an offence


----------



## julie_dodia (Apr 28, 2013)

Hi all,

One question ...I am taking somethings like chilli powder and sine cooking masala which are home made. Are the loose packs packed at home allowed if I declare them? Or they hvto be the ones packed and have some ISO mark?

Do general cough cold medicines also needs prescription?


Regards,
Julie


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## applyoz (Apr 20, 2012)

julie_dodia said:


> Hi all,
> 
> One question ...I am taking somethings like chilli powder and sine cooking masala which are home made. Are the loose packs packed at home allowed if I declare them? Or they hvto be the ones packed and have some ISO mark?
> 
> ...


_I am taking somethings like chilli powder and sine cooking masala which are home made. Are the loose packs packed at home allowed if I declare them_

We got the pack sealed with the ingredients list inside the pack. Any pack that has Nuts might be thrown away. There was no issue when I got in. 

_Do general cough cold medicines also needs prescription?_
It is a good idea to get the prescription. I was asked to go to customs as I had declared medicines as I had declared. I held my prescription for the officer to see and the medicines were in a packet. Officer let me through without checking. 

I suggest you to get a prescription.


----------



## julie_dodia (Apr 28, 2013)

applyoz said:


> I am taking somethings like chilli powder and sine cooking masala which are home made. Are the loose packs packed at home allowed if I declare them
> 
> We got the pack sealed with the ingredients list inside the pack. Any pack that has Nuts might be thrown away. There was no issue when I got in.
> 
> ...


Thanks...
Si you mean I can seal pack home stuff n put a hand written chit on it ?


----------



## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Julie you get everything here, why get anything at all? Indian stores are almost everywhere, if not Indian stores, these things are easily available even at Asian stores or for that matter at coles/woolworth


----------



## applyoz (Apr 20, 2012)

julie_dodia said:


> Thanks...
> Si you mean I can seal pack home stuff n put a hand written chit on it ?


Thats what me and my wife did. We came separately on different dates. We never had problems. I believe that was the advise given by someone in the forum. 

I dont know if others had issues. Hope people could post about this if they had issues.

Cheers


----------



## julie_dodia (Apr 28, 2013)

applyoz said:


> Thats what me and my wife did. We came separately on different dates. We never had problems. I believe that was the advise given by someone in the forum.
> 
> I dont know if others had issues. Hope people could post about this if they had issues.
> 
> Cheers


But than things like chilly powder, mustardseeds jeers etc...what ingredients to mention. And since it's all gonna be expensive there n it's good if atleast I can take a month's supply for now.


----------



## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

julie mdh chilli powder is $1.05. everything you gt in your luggage counts, even 200 gms of spices count, if yiu calculate that cot, the spice you are getting will come out to be even more expensive. Get thing like clothes etc that will go a long way.


----------



## julie_dodia (Apr 28, 2013)

anj1976 said:


> julie mdh chilli powder is $1.05. everything you gt in your luggage counts, even 200 gms of spices count, if yiu calculate that cot, the spice you are getting will come out to be even more expensive. Get thing like clothes etc that will go a long way.


You are right and I agree with you. but if there is some space isn't it good to hv some. We hv to throw off or fve away to someone n come instead it's better if we can get it. As if we are home sick during initial stage and we always eat home made stuff. We get all masala done by picking own ingredients. So thought atleast such things can make us feel comfortable if not changed. :'(


----------



## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

you will do fine.. dont go overboard with the spices is all i am saying. we get everthing here. i did not carry a single spice with me and now i have my pantry full with stuff that i used to have in india plus more and better quality


----------



## Jack_g3 (Oct 21, 2013)

Hey Guys,

Can anyone share something on basic Australian Culture, manners in social as well as official environments? That would be great help again. Seniors please comment.

Cheers,
G3


----------



## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

H iG3, culture and mannerism is very basic statement, what is it that you want to know?


----------



## Jack_g3 (Oct 21, 2013)

anj1976 said:


> H iG3, culture and mannerism is very basic statement, what is it that you want to know?


Hi Anjali,

I mean, the etiquette, any specific official mannerism which are required while working with Australian organizations and people. I want to know about it. Like Official dress code, interview dress code, party dress code which We should be aware of in advance. 

The reason behind asking and knowing these things is: Australian recruiters seek for "Local Experience" which normally expected from all candidates. I read somewhere that local experience is required so that candidate is well aware of work ethics/style of Australian people, general etiquette etc.

Cheers,
G3..


----------



## jre05 (Feb 16, 2013)

Jack_g3 said:


> Hi Anjali,
> 
> I mean, the etiquette, any specific official mannerism which are required while working with Australian organizations and people. I want to know about it. Like Official dress code, interview dress code, party dress code which We should be aware of in advance.
> 
> ...


Agree, so many advise that, it is because of poor English and cultural values/skills and an eyesore dressing sense is the reason behind why they do not like to offer jobs to people who are not aware of that culture. 

I appreciate your eagerness to be aware and prepare, you can more see youtube videos etc. If you haven't been outside anytime, let me tell you, any county you go, the culture is same and different, I am sure once you go outside, you will be adjusted to that culture by "observing and practicing". I want to emphasize that, the culture/etiquette/mannerism/dressing difference is vast, but very much one can learn quick 

Sorry, you asked this to Anj, let Anj throw you more light and more accurate information on this.

All the best.


----------



## girlaussie (Nov 21, 2012)

Hi,

Perhaps these docs will give you enough inside of our culture, I 've found them useful for all new folks who are interested to learn work ethics, office environment, dress code in Australia, please have a look:

http://www.spectrumvic.org.au/conte...nderstanding Australian Workplace Culture.pdf

http://myqiba.com/module_7/unit15_attachment12.pdf

Hope you will keep these points in mind while applying for new job or working in Australia.

Best,

Girl Aussie




Jack_g3 said:


> Hi Anjali,
> 
> I mean, the etiquette, any specific official mannerism which are required while working with Australian organizations and people. I want to know about it. Like Official dress code, interview dress code, party dress code which We should be aware of in advance.
> 
> ...


----------



## Jack_g3 (Oct 21, 2013)

jre05 said:


> Agree, so many advise that, it is because of poor English and cultural values/skills and an eyesore dressing sense is the reason behind why they do not like to offer jobs to people who are not aware of that culture.
> 
> I appreciate your eagerness to be aware and prepare, you can more see youtube videos etc. If you haven't been outside anytime, let me tell you, any county you go, the culture is same and different, I am sure once you go outside, you will be adjusted to that culture by "observing and practicing". I want to emphasize that, the culture/etiquette/mannerism/dressing difference is vast, but very much one can learn quick
> 
> ...


Hey many thanks Jre..

Anjali, u, rkv146 r all most respected senior expats..
I m sure Anjali will b happy to see that more n more expats r getting involved in these kinda conversations..  
Cheers,
G3


----------



## Jack_g3 (Oct 21, 2013)

girlaussie said:


> Hi,
> 
> Perhaps these docs will give you enough inside of our culture, I 've found them useful for all new folks who are interested to learn work ethics, office environment, dress code in Australia, please have a look:
> 
> ...


Truly Appreciated! 
Not only me but all the readers will be thankful to you..
Thanks a ton! Cheers!


----------



## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Well, People are polite, when I say polite, I mean very polite. It is a multi cultural country, a country of immigrants. Everyone respects the other. WOrk culture is like any western country. For interview you have to wear formal. For women it will be trouser and shirt with a jacket or skirt with a top, stockings and jacket, for men a suit or a shirt trouser, tie. Office attire depends on teh office culture. mostly it is formal or smart casual, no jeans (only fridays).
Everyone respects the other, i have not see much gossip in offices, or perhaps I was lucky. 30 mins lunch break means 30 mins, no one takes 29 mins or 31 mins. they usually eat at their desk adn go out for a 30 min walk or do grocery shopping or whatever they want to but people dont sit in office during lunch time.
No one works over the working hours unless absolutely necessary. there is work life balance, what else do I say??


----------



## girlaussie (Nov 21, 2012)

Thank you, glad you found them useful.

Best,

Girl Aussie



Jack_g3 said:


> Truly Appreciated!
> Not only me but all the readers will be thankful to you..
> Thanks a ton! Cheers!


----------



## jre05 (Feb 16, 2013)

girlaussie said:


> Hi,
> 
> Perhaps these docs will give you enough inside of our culture, I 've found them useful for all new folks who are interested to learn work ethics, office environment, dress code in Australia, please have a look:
> 
> ...


Thank you Girl Aussie, as Jack said. it would help many people who are new to outside India.



anj1976 said:


> Well, People are polite, when I say polite, I mean very polite. It is a multi cultural country, a country of immigrants. Everyone respects the other. WOrk culture is like any western country. For interview you have to wear formal. For women it will be trouser and shirt with a jacket or skirt with a top, stockings and jacket, for men a suit or a shirt trouser, tie. Office attire depends on teh office culture. mostly it is formal or smart casual, no jeans (only fridays).
> Everyone respects the other, i have not see much gossip in offices, or perhaps I was lucky. 30 mins lunch break means 30 mins, no one takes 29 mins or 31 mins. they usually eat at their desk adn go out for a 30 min walk or do grocery shopping or whatever they want to but people dont sit in office during lunch time.
> No one works over the working hours unless absolutely necessary. there is work life balance, what else do I say??


Completely agree. In fact, it was a Great/Perfect environ to work as it was peaceful, joyous, and motivating always as every individual would come forward to teach you too even if you have silly doubts, although they were like 20 or more years experienced. I found very high competency even with 3 or 4 years experienced people. They take ownership and are committed for their work. I worked in a world renowned prestigious Bank comprising of more than 2000 people working at my building alone, and many of them were High profile Business people in IB and or Traders and software programmers (The real programmers that I could ever imagine) and are filthy rich economically and by appearance, yet they were so humble and very respectful, I sometime feel nervous myself that they were so down to earth when I am talking to them, they were really kindest  *(Both men and women).* It was truly amazing. 

And as Anj mentioned no gossip apart from work related, perfect work life balance, never worked over time and or on holidays. Some people go for jogging too in the lunch break. My office was just opposite to Opera House (2 mins) And Botanical Gardens or whatever you name it, and I daily walk during lunch break  

Always everybody carried a smile, and you must also reciprocate the same, this is more important. Everybody wishes in the morning (At least people who you work with). And, at my office, the stand-up meeting start sharp at 9 AM. I was amazed to see that, even though one day it rained madly, everyone was at their desk by 9 AM. I was late, I was embarrassed, of course that was in the initial day when I went  ) Mostly, a lot of people reach office early say by or before 8 and some maximum by 8.45. That is why, the train tickets are little cheap too after 8.45 or 9, which is called less peak hour. 

Also, the common sense and helping someone even though you do not know them has a lot of value there. (One gorgeous high profile women asked me to share her umbrella by extending when it was raining/drizzling in the road, and amazingly, I found the same again when one such high profile guy in a suit, from my office again did the same some other day when I was standing in rain while cross my signal opposite to my office. Even though I felt so great, yet I was was nervous and feeling so inferiority complex  when they do that to me, but with time, I was comfortable  , and I too did the same to someone else when the situation arised  ). This was just one experience, but many like that I have seen. The common etiquttes such as when someone kept something, we shouldn't touch it even though we need that place and sort of things are highly recommended to learn, else one would go embarrassed. A lot of difference in culture really when you first time go outside (I found the same in many/most countries). That is why it is a common understanding that, once you go out to any place outside India, you will be confident to go anywhere, I mean any other country as most of the culture is same  

All these are very much one can learn. As Anj said, one should be careful to dress well, with suit or good plain formals (Tie optional). 

In Brevity - So rich culture, people and environment  


All the best again.


----------



## mikstylo (Jul 21, 2012)

jre05 said:


> (The real programmers that I could ever imagine)
> 
> (One gorgeous high profile women asked me to share her umbrella by extending when it was raining/drizzling in the road, and amazingly,
> 
> I found the same again when one such high profile guy in a suit, from my office again did the same some other day when I was standing in rain while cross my signal opposite to my office.


No offense, jre05 but those parts of your post made me laugh.

you definitely made my day  

All the best.


----------



## jre05 (Feb 16, 2013)

mikstylo said:


> No offense, jre05 but those parts of your post made me laugh.
> 
> you definitely made my day
> 
> All the best.


Don't know what is the connotation here 

But at least I shared my experience as it is there  I have also seen great programmers from around the world, in USA etc.


----------



## mikstylo (Jul 21, 2012)

jre05 said:


> Don't know what is the connotation here
> 
> But at least I shared my experience as it is there  I have also seen great programmers from around the world, in USA etc.


the connotation for me is below:

(The real programmers that I could ever imagine) == Billu Gates/Jonathan James

(One gorgeous high profile women asked me to share her umbrella by extending when it was raining/drizzling in the road, and amazingly,) == Deepika Padukone in a suit with an umbrella 

I found the same again when one such high profile guy in a suit, from my office again did the same some other day when I was standing in rain while cross my signal opposite to my office. == Narendra Modi in a suit

Just kidding, dude. Chill 

But I would have definitely asked Deepika for a coffee :thumb: The weather seemed to be your side too.


----------



## mikstylo (Jul 21, 2012)

:focus::focus:


----------



## jre05 (Feb 16, 2013)

mikstylo said:


> the connotation for me is below:
> 
> (The real programmers that I could ever imagine) == Billu Gates/Jonathan James
> 
> ...


You seem to be mysterious yet sweet and not even a little bit offensive your posts are, liked your communication style, but really don't know what you are trying to say  , but sorry, I am excited about Australia like many others here   

And yes, lol my English is bad  So you seem to like Deepika Padukone a lot  I wish to see her too sometime, but I don't single out her as I like many in my like list


----------



## Jack_g3 (Oct 21, 2013)

Thanks a ton JRE and Anjali again..

Great amount of information which will help us to learn and adapt the work culture and all..


----------



## julie_dodia (Apr 28, 2013)

Hey guys...

What all original documents should be carried? Specifically employment letters and qualifications certificates?

Regards,
Julie


----------



## v_yadav (May 21, 2012)

julie_dodia said:


> Hey guys...
> 
> What all original documents should be carried? Specifically employment letters and qualifications certificates?
> 
> ...


i need an answer to that as well :help:


----------



## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Hi Julie

Original documents for what? I mean with you to australia? We got everything with us. No one asks you for documents unless you are applying for govt. jobs. They do reference checks though but its always good to have your originals with you.

Make sure you carry them in hand bag with you. and keep one colored attested copy in another bag and scans in a stick or in your email.


----------



## julie_dodia (Apr 28, 2013)

anj1976 said:


> Hi Julie
> 
> Original documents for what? I mean with you to australia? We got everything with us. No one asks you for documents unless you are applying for govt. jobs. They do reference checks though but its always good to have your originals with you.
> 
> Make sure you carry them in hand bag with you. and keep one colored attested copy in another bag and scans in a stick or in your email.


Ohh k..thanks..


----------



## v_yadav (May 21, 2012)

anj1976 said:


> Hi Julie
> 
> Original documents for what? I mean with you to australia? We got everything with us. No one asks you for documents unless you are applying for govt. jobs. They do reference checks though but its always good to have your originals with you.
> 
> Make sure you carry them in hand bag with you. and keep one colored attested copy in another bag and scans in a stick or in your email.


Thanks


----------



## jre05 (Feb 16, 2013)

julie_dodia said:


> Hey guys...
> 
> What all original documents should be carried? Specifically employment letters and qualifications certificates?
> 
> ...


Hello Julie...


----------



## rashe_12 (Sep 3, 2013)

*Shipping electrical appliances - India Post*

Hi Anjali,

I'm planning to ship few electrical appliances from Bangalore to Adelaide by India Post. However, someone told me you can't ship appliances is that true? 

I've read comments of many members that they were able to ship without any issues. Just wanted to confirm before I buy any of them. If not its a waste of money if I can't ship them 

Also, which bank do you recommend to open a savings account. I've read Commonwealth is better than NAB. 

Regards,
Radhika


----------



## Yenigalla (Jul 13, 2013)

rashe_12 said:


> Hi Anjali,
> 
> I'm planning to ship few electrical appliances from Bangalore to Adelaide by India Post. However, someone told me you can't ship appliances is that true?
> 
> ...


Hi Rashe
Ofcourse you can ship electrical appliances .,go ahead with ur shopping


----------



## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

In Appliances I'd say get the mixer grinder. I got one, something went wrong in transit and it stopped working, mum dad came a month back and got me another one but the previous one I used for three years even after going bad. Just make sure its packed well and is cushioned well.

Anything else, I wont suggest. small ones, yes will do, like a hand blender and chopper (got a black and decker chopper this time i went to India and use it day in and out). Rest purchased everything here.

Pressure cooker too i'd say get it. I have four now. different sizes adn I use each one of them, Got two with me when I came, got another one from India when i visited and asked dad to get one this time

Dont buy too much as most of it gets wasted. Remember, you will spend money to buy it adn then ship it. in that much you will be able to buy stuff here.

Banks are all teh same. No difference. Some give you better rate of interest, some waive fee of, etc etc. I think NAB as of now is the most immigrant friendly, Mine is with westpac.


----------



## rashe_12 (Sep 3, 2013)

anj1976 said:


> In Appliances I'd say get the mixer grinder. I got one, something went wrong in transit and it stopped working, mum dad came a month back and got me another one but the previous one I used for three years even after going bad. Just make sure its packed well and is cushioned well.
> 
> Anything else, I wont suggest. small ones, yes will do, like a hand blender and chopper (got a black and decker chopper this time i went to India and use it day in and out). Rest purchased everything here.
> 
> ...



Thanks so much!!! Your posts have been of great help. Now will start reading the other thread of your


----------



## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

pleasure


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## Sandy J (Aug 1, 2013)

Hi, I have been granted visa recently and was exploring the options of different flights when a thought came to my mind that how can we avail the benefit of miles travel. Is it tied to a particular credit card through which we book the tickets or to a frequent use of a particular airline by which we travel. 

I hope the query is easy to understand. The reason for asking this is, I might have to travel multiple times from india to oz coz of some reason and I want to explore an option by which I can be benefitted. Looking for expert advise. Thx


----------



## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

HI Sandy

You can get a card made. It isnt credit card based but is flight card based. So you get a card made by say Singapore airlines, then get points on it everytime you travel irrespective of who pays for it. Not sure who puts in the points, the airlines people do or the agent does it. Check with the flight office. Contact singapore airlines and see how it works. Mine is qantas but i have never used it. keep frogetting.


----------



## Sandy J (Aug 1, 2013)

anj1976 said:


> HI Sandy
> 
> You can get a card made. It isnt credit card based but is flight card based. So you get a card made by say Singapore airlines, then get points on it everytime you travel irrespective of who pays for it. Not sure who puts in the points, the airlines people do or the agent does it. Check with the flight office. Contact singapore airlines and see how it works. Mine is qantas but i have never used it. keep frogetting.


Thanks you so much for the info. Will talk with airline staff to get the detailed info and dont forget to use this benefit in future as you ll feel light when you travel free


----------



## granted2012 (Mar 6, 2013)

*Gumtree*

I am doing a search in Gumtree for House share/Flat share, I can see the entire details of the advert, except for the phone number, can anyone help with with what is causing this.

Rgds,

M


----------



## melloncollie (May 24, 2012)

I have heard this before. I think Gumtree blocks requests for viewing contact details when the request comes from outside Australia. Maybe worth trying a public proxy to access Gumtree using an Aussie IP address. You could still message the advertiser though.



granted2012 said:


> I am doing a search in Gumtree for House share/Flat share, I can see the entire details of the advert, except for the phone number, can anyone help with with what is causing this.
> 
> Rgds,
> 
> M


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

I would say try leaving a message.


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## FIFA_World_Cup_fan (Apr 25, 2014)

*re: GumTree*



granted2012 said:


> I am doing a search in Gumtree for House share/Flat share, I can see the entire details of the advert, except for the phone number, can anyone help with with what is causing this.
> 
> Rgds,
> 
> M



Hi Granted_2012,
hey !

do not panic as yet.

Most of the Australian localites are very friendly ; and even those guys (who are migrants from the sub-continent) are quite nice.
So - I would suggest you leave them a message - stating the advert # in the title/subject-line.

Also - aside from gumtree ; you can also check out FlatMates.com.au
I really liked the features on that one...


good luck friend !!


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## nehajha (Jul 10, 2014)

Hi Everyone, 

I am Neha from India....I got my grant for 189 visa....I have some questions in my mind....please help me.....I want to know...

1...Can I bring my used 42" LED TV, Home Theatre, Small Speakers, Microwave, Printer, Projector and Vacuum Cleaner etc. by unaccompanied cargo? (I don't have bill for LED TV and Projector)

2...Can I bring crockery, stainless steel utensils, Kitchen Appliances? Pillows, Bed sheets, Curtains and Blanket/Quilts?

5...Do I have to pay custom for all these things? All things are used....Nothing is new.... 

Please help me

Looking for your reply
Thanks
Neha


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

HI Neha

My reply is in red below.

1...Can I bring my used 42" LED TV, Home Theatre, Small Speakers, Microwave, Printer, Projector and Vacuum Cleaner etc. by unaccompanied cargo? (I don't have bill for LED TV and Projector)

For all of the above I'd say no, dont get. it is easier fro you to buy here. It is better to sell everything there. 

2...Can I bring crockery, stainless steel utensils, Kitchen Appliances? Pillows, Bed sheets, Curtains and Blanket/Quilts?

Glass crockery, no, steel utensils, yes, mixer blender, yes, bed sheets, yeah you can but do not over load. curtains, no, all rental properties come with blinds or curtains. quilt, if very heavy then no, if it is light weight blankets and very warm, then yes. but again, where are you coming? Melbourne you need thick blankets/quilts 

5...Do I have to pay custom for all these things? All things are used....Nothing is new.... 
you pay custom duty if things are new but again, mostly if they realise you took it for home use, they dont bother but they do charge handling fee. i think all teh stuff that we got, half of it was a waste because eventually you do start buying here.


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## rrnarayan (Dec 10, 2011)

Hi Anj,

I had sent you a PM ....looking for some suggestions.


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## Danav_Singh (Sep 1, 2014)

angelnx said:


> [*REMOVED BY MODERATOR* suit[/URL]


what the hell is this!!


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## rrnarayan (Dec 10, 2011)

Request the mod's to pls delete these recent posts.....


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## nehajha (Jul 10, 2014)

Hi Anj1976,

I need your help....I need info regarding transpotation of 4 bags and 5 cartons from melbourne airport to boxhill storage king. please suggest how to transport my luggages as normal taxi will not allow so many luggage?

Thanks in advance
Neha


QUOTE=anj1976;5755721]HI Neha

My reply is in red below.

1...Can I bring my used 42" LED TV, Home Theatre, Small Speakers, Microwave, Printer, Projector and Vacuum Cleaner etc. by unaccompanied cargo? (I don't have bill for LED TV and Projector)

For all of the above I'd say no, dont get. it is easier fro you to buy here. It is better to sell everything there. 

2...Can I bring crockery, stainless steel utensils, Kitchen Appliances? Pillows, Bed sheets, Curtains and Blanket/Quilts?

Glass crockery, no, steel utensils, yes, mixer blender, yes, bed sheets, yeah you can but do not over load. curtains, no, all rental properties come with blinds or curtains. quilt, if very heavy then no, if it is light weight blankets and very warm, then yes. but again, where are you coming? Melbourne you need thick blankets/quilts 

5...Do I have to pay custom for all these things? All things are used....Nothing is new.... 
you pay custom duty if things are new but again, mostly if they realise you took it for home use, they dont bother but they do charge handling fee. i think all teh stuff that we got, half of it was a waste because eventually you do start buying here.[/QUOTE]


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## melloncollie (May 24, 2012)

My 2c - If your cartons are not too large, you may still be able to get a people mover taxi to transport them. Failing that you can find multiple "man with a van" kind of services on Gumtree. I have already PMed you the contact details of one that I have used multiple times in the past.


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## nehajha (Jul 10, 2014)

melloncollie said:


> My 2c - If your cartons are not too large, you may still be able to get a people mover taxi to transport them. Failing that you can find multiple "man with a van" kind of services on Gumtree. I have already PMed you the contact details of one that I have used multiple times in the past.


Thank you melloncollie


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