Ask Josem about visiting/living in Australia

[Josem]

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So getting it in my head that I am going to have to spend about $2,500 AUS per month for rent is a good idea. Not excited to see that the prices I was finding weren't extraordinary.

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I pay $185 per week for an unfurnished two bedroom unit in a country town. The idea of spending $AU576 per week for a furnished apartment is extraordinary - even in the heart of Sydney. I can't imagine that's even in the ballpark unless you're looking for some seriously balla place with gold plated toilets.

TeddyFBI got a furnished one bedroom place literally 50metres from Bondi beach for a little over half of that.

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Around Sydney, which of those beach areas would you recommend I look in? I think that might be a good choice if I'm going to be trying to go to the beach a lot to surf.

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I'm not a surfer, I don't know.

My only suggestion would be http://www.google.com.au/search?sourceid...ey+surf+beaches

[TheMetetron]

How/where did TeddyFBI do that? I've been looking and there are no furnished rentals for under $500 per week anywhere. Even dumps.

[Josem]

i may have exaggerated on the price, but i can only suggest you pm him.

[TheMetetron]

OK, PM'd him and it does seem like around $2,000 AUS per month is going to be about what I am going to have to expect to pay unless I rent a closet. He seemed to suggest that he liked Bondi Beach a lot, any experience with the different beaches from a non-surf point of view Josem?

Might be getting a 2-bedroom and am not opposed to splitting it if someone is interested. Josem, do you recommend looking before arriving or is it possibly to do after you get there? I'd imagine availability would be small trying to do it after arriving but TeddyFBI made it sound like he did it when he get there. Thoughts?

[Josem]

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OK, PM'd him and it does seem like around $2,000 AUS per month is going to be about what I am going to have to expect to pay unless I rent a closet. He seemed to suggest that he liked Bondi Beach a lot, any experience with the different beaches from a non-surf point of view Josem?

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meh. a beach is a beach. sand and water.

the difference between the various sydney city beaches is likely to be fairly marginal.

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Might be getting a 2-bedroom and am not opposed to splitting it if someone is interested. Josem, do you recommend looking before arriving or is it possibly to do after you get there?

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it's certainly likely to be possible to do before you get there - that way you'll be able to meet housemates (an interview?) before they move in with you.

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I'd imagine availability would be small trying to do it after arriving but TeddyFBI made it sound like he did it when he get there. Thoughts?

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Teddy lived alone.

There's likely to be a bundle of other people who are seeking similar, short-term and close-to-beach arrangements, so I doubt you'd have trouble finding someone after you move there.

In a city of 5 million, I suspect there's at least one who will tolerate you.

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[Sandy Beach]

1) Americans often associate Australia with Kangaroos. How often do you really see Kangaroos in Australia?

2) Another thing we associate with Australia is Aborigines. What are your thoughts on the Aborigines? What are they like?

[Josem]

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1) Americans often associate Australia with Kangaroos. How often do you really see Kangaroos in Australia?

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They simply don't exist in cities - and over 85% of Australia's population live in large cities. I'm currently living in a country town of about 20,000 people. I have no doubt that at dusk I could drive for under 30 minutes and see plenty of the things.

Their meat, I find, is very "gamey" - it is very stringy, and has very low levels of fat. Their skin also makes great football boots, and is used throughout the world for top level boots of this sort, most famously by David Beckham. Some moronic and ignorant Europeans (the ignorance of the European "intellgentsia" never ceases to surprise me) launched a campaign about this, without realising that the animals are in plague proportions in many parts of Australia and are reguarly culled.

One word of caution though: they totally bugger up your car if you hit them while driving along country highways. If you're doing a lot of driving on country roads, it is well worthwhile to invest in a bullbar as kangaroos have an unfortunate habit of destroying your car when you hit them at 100kph.


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2) Another thing we associate with Australia is Aborigines. What are your thoughts on the Aborigines?

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As a group, many suffer a variety of very serious problems. The Australian Government has just announced a crackdown on alcohol and sexual abuse in many of the remote aboriginal communities which involves, amongst other things, sending in the army and large numbers of police officers to get in there and fix the situation up.

There are some horrific (like, it makes OOT look like a convent by comparison) stories of some genuinely revolting episodes of abuse. Google news will have more info on this.

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What are they like?

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I guess they're like any people. I don't understand this question...

[TheMetetron]

Foster's.... Australian for Beer.

Confirm/deny?

[Josem]

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Foster's.... Australian for Beer.

Confirm/deny?

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Apart from special events like the Grand Prix, Fosters is not heavily marketed in Australia.

The biggest brand is Victoria Bitter, which accounts for a quarter of all beer consumed in the country.

Other leading brands include Carlton Draught, Tooheys New and XXXX.

The premium beer market has been experiencing strong growth recently.

[TheMetetron]

So Victoria Bitter is like the Budweiser of Australia. Is it any good? What good Australian brews should I try... I have a thing for dark beers if that helps.