Thinking of Moving to Australia

[vscola]

Good luck.

It's our oldest university. It's also in a group we call "Sandstone universities" which is, I suppose, equal to what you call "Ivy league" (being that all the older 'grander' universities have imposing old buildings made of sandstone)

It has a lot of facilities.

Most people attending it live off-campus, but there are a few residential colleges - totally unlike what I see 'fraternities' depicted in US films. There are a lot of old terrace-house suburbs near-by, as well as the infamous one called 'the block' at Redfern.

City Road, and especially Parramatta Road have lots of buses going to Central Railway - which is the major station of Sydney.

Thank you! It sounds lovely. I have never seen any 'fraternities' at the college I currently attend (or the one I graduated from) either.

May I ask, do you know anything about the University of Canberra or James Cook by chance (those are the other two schools I am applying to)?

 

[ebia]

Thank you! It sounds lovely. I have never seen any 'fraternities' at the college I currently attend (or the one I graduated from) either.

May I ask, do you know anything about the University of Canberra or James Cook by chance (those are the other two schools I am applying to)?

So long as you are aware of what the climate is like in N. Queensland!

 

[vscola]

So long as you are aware of what the climate is like in N. Queensland!

LOL, maybe not as much as I thought! Subtropical to tropical is what I read, which really doesn't tell you much! I was thinking it might be around 23-33 degrees and humid?
We currently live in a desert, so it's a stretch for me to picture.

 

[Montalban]

Thank you! It sounds lovely. I have never seen any 'fraternities' at the college I currently attend (or the one I graduated from) either.

May I ask, do you know anything about the University of Canberra or James Cook by chance (those are the other two schools I am applying to)?

I only know that JCU is in Townsville which is very far north - I've never been that far north, myself.

And Uni of Canberra - when I was in Canberra at Australian National University (ANU), the ANU was the only university there -because the Canberra College of Advanced Education (as it was known then) didn't yet have university status.

All the CAEs (Colleges of Advanced Education) got upgraded to universities in the late 80s.

Canberra is a 'planned city' and people think it is rather souless because of that, with great circular roads, and ring roads within those many people get lost on their roads

Canberra is one of the very few places one can legally purchase fireworks, and porn.

It has an excellent system of bicycle pathways and a good bus system, but the car rules. There's no train, except the railway station at Fyshwick which connects Canberra to Sydney... but no train system within Canberra

Canberra has some nice museums. The best is the War Memorial.

 

[Montalban]

LOL, maybe not as much as I thought! Subtropical to tropical is what I read, which really doesn't tell you much! I was thinking it might be around 23-33 degrees and humid?
We currently live in a desert, so it's a stretch for me to picture.

You just have to remember the further north you go the hotter it gets.

Far north Queensland (FNQ) is tropical on the coast. They get cyclonic winds. Lots of stone-fish, sharks, cane-toads, cone-fish, marine stingers, snakes, crocodiles, and of course red-neck Queenslanders

 

[TheDag]

LOL, maybe not as much as I thought! Subtropical to tropical is what I read, which really doesn't tell you much! I was thinking it might be around 23-33 degrees and humid?
We currently live in a desert, so it's a stretch for me to picture.

when I went to townsville in winter one year the tempreture was around 28-30 degrees each day. In summer it would get up to 35 degrees but as you say the humidity was the real killer. It is very draining energy wise if your not used to it.

 

[Montalban]

They have a term for it "Going tropical" (or 'troppo')
Urban Dictionary: Going Troppo

It's why the Northern Territory has such a high murder rate -with a spike in deaths over summer

 

[Tahoenite]

Ok two more questions:

1) Is it difficult to get driving privileges for those of us that drive on the (not left side) of the road?

2) How do most Aussies feel about the Aborigines?

Ok three questions

3) What is it like over in Perth?

 

[Montalban]

Ok two more questions:

1) Is it difficult to get driving privileges for those of us that drive on the (not left side) of the road?

I'm not sure what you mean. You can have an international diver's licence and drive on the left like Australians do. If you mean can you have the privilege of driving on the right, no because we drive on the left.

If you're visiting here in NSW you need to read these...
International visitors to NSW

and

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

All our cars are built with the driver position on the right, but a few people import cars direct from America which have the sterring on the left of the car, however they still have to drive on the same side of the road as the rest of us. These cars must be marked with a sign saying "Left-hand drive"

2) How do most Aussies feel about the Aborigines?

A mix of feelings - I guess like what Americans think of indigenous Americans.

Some believe that there's a racial reason why Aborigines are over-represented in Australia's jails, and have higher infant mortality rates, higher unemployment rates and a lower life expectancy.

Others believe that these are because of those with racial attitudes towards Aborigines and the social discrimination that exists towards them.

3) What is it like over in Perth?

I'll leave that to someone from Western Australia, or someone who's been there.

 

[ebia]

Ok two more questions:

1) Is it difficult to get driving privileges for those of us that drive on the (not left side) of the road?

No. Pretty much every country in the world recognises everyone else's driving licence, and most people don't find swapping to the other side of the road difficult providing they are driving a car set-up that way. Bringing an american set-up car with you would be expensive and unhelpful. Like anyone else going to a different country, you need to familiarise yourself with the slightly different road-rules.

2) How do most Aussies feel about the Aborigines?

Sadly, there is a degree of racism in Australia.

Ok three questions

3) What is it like over in Perth?

A long way from anywhere else.

 

[Montalban]

Perth is said to be the most isolated city in the world

 

[TheDag]

Ok two more questions:

1) Is it difficult to get driving privileges for those of us that drive on the (not left side) of the road?

the most difficult thing will be remembering to drive on the left rather than the right.

2) How do most Aussies feel about the Aborigines?

hard to say really. there are people who hate them there are people who actively campaign for better treatment and rights and there are those who say they have no problem but make comments that show they are anti-aboriginal (just like with gays really)

3) What is it like over in Perth?

well western Australia almost didn't become part of Australia and that shows in attitude. how that might affect interactions with you i don't know. Thats about all I can say about it. Hopefully someone more knowledgable will come along.

 

[Montalban]

well western Australia almost didn't become part of Australia and that shows in attitude.

The Commonwealth Constitution actually is written in such a way as to cover the possibility that WA didn't join the Federation.

26. Notwithstanding anything in section twenty-four, the number of members to be chosen in each State at the first election shall be as follows:--

New South Wales:- twenty-three;
Victoria:- twenty;
Queensland:- eight;
South Australia:- six;
Tasmania:- five;

Provided that if Western Australia is an Original State, the numbers shall be as follows:--

New South Wales:- twenty-six;
Victoria:- twenty-three;
Queensland:- nine;
South Australia:- seven;
Western Australia:- five;
Tasmania:- five.
Parliament of Australia: Senate: Constitution - Chapter 1

But then again NZ and Fiji were both at various stages part of the original negotiations thus...

6. "The Commonwealth" shall mean the Commonwealth of Australia as established under this Act.

"The States" shall mean such of the colonies of New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, and South Australia, including the northern territory of South Australia, as for the time being are parts of the Commonwealth, and such colonies or territories as may be admitted into or established by the Commonwealth as States; and each of such parts of the Commonwealth shall be called "a State".
Parliament of Australia: Senate: Constitution - Preamble

Western Australia had representatives at the 1890 conference (as did NZ).

WA didn't have a referendum on the issue till 1900.
Federation of Australia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There's also an interesting article here on secessionism in WA

 

[Dionysiou]

move to melbourne man. I live there and its good. city is good, people are nice enough and everybody is pretty laid back.

 

[Montalban]

move to melbourne man. I live there and its good. city is good, people are nice enough and everybody is pretty laid back.

Maybe they aren't big fans of bad weather.

 

[Dionysiou]

Maybe they aren't big fans of bad weather.

lol, quit scaring the immigrants man, i want em here!

 

[Montalban]

lol, quit scaring the immigrants man, i want em here!

We've got heaps of room here in Sydney, if only they could afford it

 

[Montalban]

Sydney is over-priced! It's real estate prices means that most Australians can't properly afford Sydney property

 

[Dionysiou]

Sydney is over-priced! It's real estate prices means that most Australians can't properly afford Sydney property

True, and from what i hear, its a dirty place.

 

[ebia]

Keep going guys - you'll get rid of him successfully if emphasis the down side of each place in Australia. I think you've still got Adelaide and Hobart to go before we start rubbishing the regional university towns.