Live in Australia

MAJOR AUSTRALIAN SERVICES

If you are coming to Australia from another developed nation, you will have access to the same services that you are familiar with in your own country. Australia is a fully functional constitutional monarchy that prides itself on staying up with the times. So expect a high degree of similarity with your own country.
So here is a list of Australian services you will need to familiarize yourself as you head out into the Australian community.

COMMUNICATION SERVICES

The reason I am starting with ‘Communication Services’ is because you will need to know the Australian communication system to navigate Australian life, while keeping in touch with home when you need to hear from your ‘mates’ and ‘relies’ (family).

The Internet has been in Australia the same length of time as it has been in most other developed economies and has had several generational developments during that time. So you will have similar access to the internet as you would in your own country.

Australia has all four major forms of internet access via Dial-Up, ADSL, Broadband, and Satellite. But because Australia is a large country you will find that ADSL and Broadband work better in the city and major regional areas with a PC, and Satellite is the way to go if you are a student with a laptop, notebook, or a based in a rural area.

So you are just an email away from home at all times during the day. And if you have ‘facebook’ or have access to another social networking site then you can talk to those special people in your life whenever you want for free.

Also, there are multiple Internet plans in Australia, but if you are a student on a budget, pre-paid Satellite Internet is the best option because it is easily manageable and teaches you to use your Internet access economically. But if you have access to more funds than paying for a post-paid Internet account with most providers will give you access to plenty of ‘gig’ at a reasonable rate. But remember you are locked into this contract for the long haul (possibly 12 – 24 months).

MOBILES

Like the Internet, there are many mobile phone companies in Australia, but the four major companies are Telstra, Optus, Virgin Mobile, and Vodaphone, although you are not limited to these four providers alone. So it would be wise to have a good look around and compare prices when you are choosing a phone for yourself.
You can get a pre-paid mobile phone plan or a post-paid mobile phone plan. The easiest and easily managed of both of these plans is the pre-paid plan because it leaves you in control and like pre-paid internet it is your responsibility to manage it financially. With pre-paid you will usually purchase a phone from between $40 and 200AU and buy credit along the way as you use it. Some pre-paid plans are very good with excellent services while others can be as dodgy as a five-legged dog. So do your research and you should be fine. If you are new to the country then maybe your AA Education Agent can help put you onto a fair and decent provider that is within your budget requirements.

Also, it is a smart move to get VOIP (voice over internet protocol) when you hook upto an internet provider as this will make it cheaper to communicate with home and conduct your life in Australia. International phone calls in Australia can be expensive and with this technology you can lessen overheads still that will put less pressure on your budget.

A phone call within Australia will cost you around 50cAU and for international phone calls the price can skyrocket but this will depend on the provider you are using for this service.


TELEVISION

Australia has five free to air channels (ABC, SBS, NINE, SEVEN, And TEN) and depending on the area you live in a community channel. But you also can get ‘cable’ television as well that has dozens of channels. The two major ‘cable’ providers are Foxtel and Austar that you pay for on a monthly basis. The price of these services depends on what package you want to receive.

A point of note:
Australia’s free-to-air system is expanding over the next couple of years to 15 channels and the Australian government is phasing out its present system for another one that will require a new television if you want to access it.


SHOPPING SERVICES

Australia has the same shopping access as most other developed countries. Most major Australian shopping centres are open 7 days a week. During the weekdays shopping centres in Australia are open from 8.30am to 7.00pm at night and Thursday is late night shopping night when centres are open till 9.00pm. So you will have plenty of time to get what you need while you are in Australia.


POSTAL SERVICES

Postal services are provided by Australia Post and there is next day delivery in the same metro area. While across the country you will get a letter within two days of posting. Australia Post is open from 9.00AM till 5.00PM throughout (some open up on a Saturday morning) the week. And if you are expecting a larger parcel from someone then you will receive a card in the mail that will tell you to pick it up at your nearest post office. You can also get a post office box as well.


LIBRARY SERVICES

Australian libraries are open six days a week and are administered on federal (Australian National Library), state and local levels of government. But the most common administrator of the countries libraries are the shire and city councils that make up local government. In most shire and city councils you will find that they are networked with other libraries across the shire or city and have an abundant supply of books, journals, magazines, newspapers, DVDs, CDs, cassettes, eBooks, and heritage related material for those people who want to take a trip back in time. To join a local library you will need to display an address for the area that the library covers and the cost for being a member of a local library is free. And another benefit of joining a local library is that the internet is free (for 0 – 20 minutes).
And if the library does not have a book that you need they will order it in for you.


FINANCIAL SERVICES

Australia has an electronic financial system so it is possible to walk around most metro areas in Australia without having a large amount of cash on you. ATM’s are nearly everywhere and you can access EFTPOS at most stores where you can purchase products and get out money.

Australia is dominated by four major banking institutions: they are Commonwealth Bank of Australia, ANZ, WESTPAC, and National Australia. Although there are many other financial institutions you can deal with if you want.
Most banks work from 9.00AM to 4.30PM and you will have to get an Australian bank aqccount to have full access to the Australian financial system. As an international student you can get a bank account with just your passport as identification, but after being in the country for six weeks you will have to provide an Australian address.


NEWSPAPER SERVICES

Australia has many broadsheets that you can access while you are in the country studying. As well as ethnic papers that can be brought at the local news-agency. So explore this and see what wet’s your whistle. The list of newspapers, magazines, and journals is nearly endless and most of them can be accessed on-line.