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I love Internode but the $100+ set up fee isn't great for a six month only contract. You're probably better off with TPG or iiNet for a short term contract. If you're moving after that six months and also intend to get internet in your new property they will roll the service over but start it at the beginning of the contract. So if it was 24 months you pay the setup fee once, move house, and then it starts at 24 months again but no moving fee (usually $90 or so). Internode are definitely the best bet for a long term contract.
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Jan 11, 2013 01:04
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Yeah, just to chime in, iiNet or Internode. iiNet has less of a setup fee iirc
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Jan 11, 2013 01:21
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Internode is easily the best service, quality and is great for gamers/nerds. However you pay a bit extra for it. TPG is pretty good until you have to deal with their customer service which means 90 minutes on the phone.
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Jan 11, 2013 04:27
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Another vote for internode. Excellent customer service and unmetered Steam. Though as mentioned, might not be the cheapest for short term.
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Jan 11, 2013 05:55
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Thanks for all the replies, looks like I'd be mad to not give internode a try! For those keeping track I finally found a decent place to work, as did my girlfriend, so we're now happily living the Australian dream... apart from this bloody heat.
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Jan 12, 2013 05:03
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Quick question for you guys as a future traveler: What are the best places to eat that I should not miss in Darwin, Cairns, and Port Douglas? Hopefully reasonably priced, and with non-seafood options (I know, I suck).
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Jan 16, 2013 22:19
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Picnic Princess posted:Quick question for you guys as a future traveler: It is hands down the best Italian food I have EVER eaten in Australia, and I've been to Melbourne numerous times. edit: I looked it up, it's this one: http://www.lafettuccina.com/
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Jan 16, 2013 23:20
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Picnic Princess posted:Quick question for you guys as a future traveler: The wool shed, Cairns. http://www.thewoolshed.com.au/ And a youth hostel three blocks away. http://www3.yha.com.au/hostels/qld/cairns-and-far-north-queensland/cairns-backpackers-hostel/ Enjoy!
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Jan 17, 2013 08:31
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Picnic Princess posted:Quick question for you guys as a future traveler: In Port Douglas Zinc is probably the best place in town and the food is amazing, the carpaccio especially. The TIn Shed on the harbor is also really good, less expensive, and has great views. And really, try the fresh fish when you're in FNQ, skip the barramundi, not that it's not good, there's just so much better. Origin Espresso was the best coffee shop I found while I was there.
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Jan 19, 2013 06:40
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Shakes gelati bar in Port Douglas is also good if you just want a snack!
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Jan 19, 2013 06:55
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You guys rock. I would rather eat where the locals eat rather than some place familiar like some chain, stuck in a total dive, or somewhere that paid for a place on a website.
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Jan 21, 2013 03:45
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I'm not a local to Port Douglas, but all those places I recommended were recommend to me by one, so almost as good 
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Jan 22, 2013 07:36
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Yeah I'm not a local to either Cairns or Port Douglas either, they were just places I stumbled upon.
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Jan 22, 2013 07:52
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ExecuDork posted:I've nearly exhausted the places I want to visit close enough to Hobart to do as day-trips, and it's time I started camping. I didn't bring any of my gear with me, so I'm hoping to buy some cheap / second hand stuff. I'm not going to be doing any serious backpacking ("bushwalking"), but driving to a site and setting up a tent. My girlfriend will be visiting in February, and we'll be going camping then, too. I wish I had seen this earlier as it is far too late but Allgoods has a large camping supply store in Cambridge Park. ExecuDork, you mentioned you were working with CSIRO and AAD, do you ever come onto the port? If so I have probably let you through the gates a time or two.
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Feb 1, 2013 17:37
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I haven't driven through any gates in Hobart except the automatic cable gate at the CSIRO car park, and that only twice because I walk in most of the time (that way I can drink in Salamanca after work and not worry about it). I picked up a cheapo sleeping bag and $8 foam pad at KMart along with a cheap tent, a cheap stove, and some other cheap-cheapness. Works great in summer, which is all I need. I've been using the tailgate of my ute for a kitchen counter, it even has cupholders! SD 114 Bruny Part 3 Jetty Beach 1 by Execudork, on Flickr Which gate do you push buttons for? All of the gates I've seen have been either permanently open except for special events, or completely automated. Shameless plug: my ute is for sale! http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/mount-stuart/cars-vans-utes/2001-ford-falcon-xr6-ute/1013154066
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Feb 2, 2013 00:16
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Any Melbourne goons know of bars that regularly show UFC fights? Trying to catch a fight tomorrow.
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Feb 2, 2013 03:52
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ExecuDork posted:Which gate do you push buttons for? All of the gates I've seen have been either permanently open except for special events, or completely automated. The gates and turnstiles at the port on Macquarie Point. I thought you might have been to the AAD facility inside the actual port.
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Feb 2, 2013 06:48
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Not yet! I haven't actually been to AAD yet, but I'm planning to visit for a day this upcoming week. Almost-serious question: I know tipping in Australia is very rare, and usually reserved for really outstanding service at a restaurant. What about gate/tollbooth/bridge/ferry operators? 
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Feb 2, 2013 09:01
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ExecuDork posted:Not yet! I haven't actually been to AAD yet, but I'm planning to visit for a day this upcoming week. Cabs and pizza delivery guys pretty much covers tipping in Aus unless you get some real exceptional service.
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Feb 2, 2013 09:18
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I literally never tip in Australia, we get paid well enough to not need them. I will round up on some things if they really are great though.
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Feb 2, 2013 10:41
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I tip in restaurants a decent amount. Around 10%. Also round cab drivers up. But really you don't need to at all in Australia.
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Feb 3, 2013 06:32
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I'll tip a few bucks in restaurants if the service has been good. That's about the only place I've done it though. The majority of taxi drivers have tried to rip me off or various other misadventures seem to happen so I can only recall one or two instances I've rounded up with them. Taxis are stupid expensive here anyway.
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Feb 3, 2013 09:34
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Anyone offer any wisdoms about getting a cheap prepaid or pay-as-you-go mobile? TIA
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Feb 4, 2013 02:13
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If you're staying in the state capitals. http://www.kogan.com/au/mobile/ If you're in the middle of nowhere. https://onlineshop.telstra.com.au/prepaid-mobile/
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Feb 4, 2013 07:45
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Me and my fiancee are considering moving to Australia when we get our college degrees. I'm studing physics and she is studing to be a molecular biologist. What are our chances of getting a job over there? Thanks in advance
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Feb 4, 2013 23:15
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Bulging Nipples posted:Any Melbourne goons know of bars that regularly show UFC fights? Trying to catch a fight tomorrow. The Skinny Dog in Kew, I believe.
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Feb 5, 2013 08:31
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Yggdrassil posted:Me and my fiancee are considering moving to Australia when we get our college degrees. I'm studing physics and she is studing to be a molecular biologist. What are our chances of getting a job over there? Why do you want to move to Australia?
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Feb 5, 2013 09:21
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BCR posted:Why do you want to move to Australia? This. Plus where did you get your degree from. Plus loads of other detail that is probably quite important. Try and give a decent amount of information about your background/what you want to do.
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Feb 5, 2013 13:07
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Does your girlfriend want to stay in academia (RA, PhD, postdoc) or move to industry?
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Feb 5, 2013 22:50
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Yggdrassil posted:Me and my fiancee are considering moving to Australia when we get our college degrees. I'm studing physics and she is studing to be a molecular biologist. What are our chances of getting a job over there? Depends how much you like mining. Also where are you coming from?
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Feb 5, 2013 23:07
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ExecuDork posted:I haven't driven through any gates in Hobart except the automatic cable gate at the CSIRO car park, and that only twice because I walk in most of the time (that way I can drink in Salamanca after work and not worry about it). I picked up a cheapo sleeping bag and $8 foam pad at KMart along with a cheap tent, a cheap stove, and some other cheap-cheapness. Works great in summer, which is all I need. I've been using the tailgate of my ute for a kitchen counter, it even has cupholders! I was faffing around Gumtree today trying to get an idea on rents (pretty early, but can't hurt). Wanted to try and get close to UTAS, are there any areas I should avoid? When I lived in Perth the area around my uni (Joondalup) was actually really bad for muggings and poo poo like that. I was also kicking around the idea of maybe doing a liveaboard on a sailboat (grew up around sailboats, my cousin was doing it in the US, and it honestly wouldn't be *that* much worse than the place I've got in Japan now), but no idea what a slip would run me. Kind of a longshot, but anyone have an idea, for something in about the 30ft range? I've found a 1-2 marinas online that listed prices, which were pretty lol. I'm wondering if that's maybe standard though, as a lot of the boats I was looking at were moored (something I probably wouldn't want to deal with if I was living aboard).
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Feb 7, 2013 09:18
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Pompous Rhombus posted:I was also kicking around the idea of maybe doing a liveaboard on a sailboat (grew up around sailboats, my cousin was doing it in the US, and it honestly wouldn't be *that* much worse than the place I've got in Japan now), but no idea what a slip would run me. Kind of a longshot, but anyone have an idea, for something in about the 30ft range? I've found a 1-2 marinas online that listed prices, which were pretty lol. I'm wondering if that's maybe standard though, as a lot of the boats I was looking at were moored (something I probably wouldn't want to deal with if I was living aboard). Sandy Bay has some student accomidation and recently the local newspaper ran a story about UTAS developing an area in central Hobart as student flats but I think that is a year or two away. I will ask around as I know a few uni students down here and they might know where to look. Edit: Hobart Marina also has a clause that says you must vacate the berth when it is needed for events like the Sydney to Hobart and the Wooden Boat Festival.
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Feb 7, 2013 10:13
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People here like to exagerate the differences between suburbs - Glenorchy and other areas to the north of Hobart have a reputation for bogans, but I can't tell the difference from passing through the area, or talking to people who live in those areas. Sandy Bay is where UTAS is, as I'm sure you've figured out. I've heard nothing one way or the other about the suburbs to the south and west of Sandy Bay. Really, Hobart isn't big enough to have anything too sketchy going on. Rents are likely to be a bit cheaper in North Hobart, West Hobart, Mount Stuart, Lena Valley, Moonah, Derwent Park... because these places are a little further from the Uni and the slightly-posh neighbourhoods around it Kingston might have a marina that doesn't mind live-aboard as much. Did you quote my post because you might be interested in my ute?
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Feb 7, 2013 11:20
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To be fair, when people say Glenorchy is full of Bogans, they tend to be referring to the shopping centre Northgate which is pretty bad.
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Feb 7, 2013 11:38
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Friendly Fire posted:The lease agreement for the Hobart marina (Sullivan's Cove) has a clause that you cannot live onboard while berthed. I'm not sure about any of the others in the area though. Thanks for looking in to that! I could deal with a mooring a few weeks out of the year, I reckon. I'm actually about 2 years away from moving there, so that might actually be well timed I'm trying to avoid roommates if at all possible; while I've had them before in college and haven't had any bad experiences (mostly good, really), I just really like having a place of my own. I know UTAS has some on-campus housing, but roommate issues aside, if they didn't have a separate section for grad students I'd give it a miss, as I don't think I'll really be after a party atmosphere. ExecuDork posted:People here like to exagerate the differences between suburbs - Glenorchy and other areas to the north of Hobart have a reputation for bogans, but I can't tell the difference from passing through the area, or talking to people who live in those areas. Ah, gotcha. I'll do some more puttering around and try to find out more about the berth situation. Haha, just because it reminded me you were in Hobart. If I wasn't so far away from moving out there, I'd consider it though. I'm not sure what I'll do for a vehicle; I got by fine my first year in Japan with just a bicycle, but I did have semi-decent public transport to fall back on. I think I'd have to get something motorized for getting out on the weekends/holidays, either a motorcycle and a car. I've got both right now, but I've also actually got an income  As a general thing, is there anything in particular I could look for if I was after cheaper single-occupant accommodation? From what I was looking at on Gumtree, $165pw was the absolutec cheapest I found, with $180-200 being more typical.
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Feb 7, 2013 11:48
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Pompous Rhombus posted:I think I'd have to get something motorized for getting out on the weekends/holidays, either a motorcycle and a car. I've got both right now, but I've also actually got an income You would definitely want a car as backup if you had a bike. There are some awesome roads for motorcycles in Tassie but in winter you have to worry about ice and it can get very windy down here. ~100km/h winds are not too uncommon in Autumn and Spring.
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Feb 7, 2013 12:22
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The roads in Tassie are goddam amazing. Just awesome. My ute has ox-cart suspension and the steering feel of a Buick and I absolutely love going through the mountain passes. On a motorcycle they'd be pure sex. Keep in mind I'm only here in the summer, and Tasmanians like to tell me all about their horrible winters - but I'm from the flat, boring, frozen, windswept, subarctic part of the middle of Canada (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) so their stories just make me make this face:  (also I'm occassionally an rear end). I posted one particular stretch of road in the "Great roads" thread in AI, and considered putting up a few more, but then I realized I should just post a road map of the entire state - I haven't found a single road that didn't have at least a few glorious curves on it.I recommend this to everyone, everywhere, but it's especially true in Tassie - go for a drive / ride / whatever on the weekends, it's a fantastic hobby to just get out and explore - and it mixes well with photography. The misnamed National Park system is really excellent, too; I say misnamed because it's just for Tasmania, and has no apparent relationship with the "National" parks in the rest of the nation. Regardless, the walking tracks are fantastic. I'm paying $180/wk and that seems to be a bit lower than typical. The house is for sale and anyways you're still 2 years out so it's kind of irrelevant. As a wild guess, $200/wk seems like the best you'll do, and $240 might be more realistic. Also, there's a boat thread in AI (which is pretty quiet most of the time but there's been some discussion of living aboard a sailboat). http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3278412&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=14 On that topic, the Wooden Boat Festival is on this weekend; it's a big enough deal (apparently) to have its own statutory holiday - Monday is a day off, which would be awesome except for the fact next week is my last week of work here and I've got a tonne of poo poo to get done. Oh well, I'll take pretty pictures of pretty boats and show those to my supervisor when I get home and hope he doesn't use the buckle end of the belt when he whips me (I kid, I kid - he never whips me, it's all punches! )EDIT: I forgot the most important part. If you were living on a boat berthed in Tasmania, and riding around on a motorcycle, you'd basically be the coolest person I'd ever heard of. I dunno about anybody else, but you'd certainly be *my* hero. ExecuDork fucked around with this message at 06:39 on Feb 8, 2013 |
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Feb 8, 2013 06:37
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Friendly Fire posted:You would definitely want a car as backup if you had a bike. There are some awesome roads for motorcycles in Tassie but in winter you have to worry about ice and it can get very windy down here. ~100km/h winds are not too uncommon in Autumn and Spring. That sucks to hear, wind has me particularly concerned, crosswinds are a real pain in the rear end, especially on something as big/upright as a dual-sport. I'd fancy bringing my XLR over from Japan to save myself the hassle of buying/selling on each end (plus sentimental value), but AFAIK it wouldn't be economical with compliances and stuff. On the other hand, I could always pull the Dakar tank and rear rack off it pretty easily, then throw them on another, lower mileage MD-22 once I get over there. I (re-checked) average annual temperatures in Hobart and I'm pretty sure the part of Japan I'm living in (pretty far south) is colder. Winds where I live can get pretty strong, but probably not 100kph strong though, yikes. ExecuDork posted:I'm paying $180/wk and that seems to be a bit lower than typical. The house is for sale and anyways you're still 2 years out so it's kind of irrelevant. As a wild guess, $200/wk seems like the best you'll do, and $240 might be more realistic. Yeah, I do a lot of that now, just getting out on the roads and riding around randomly. Currently weighing whether I'm masochistic to ride my motorbike over to my friend's place (sun will be almost down by the time I get there) or just take the car, it's about 2C but I've been wanting to get out on the bike all week. Saddlebags are already packed so it's pretty much a matter of a last minute "save vs cold/common sense" I was seeing $200 pretty reliably when I was looking on Gumtree, but even that's a tough pill to swallow (admittedly not objectively bad, but adding up all the money over two years makes me want to explore alternative ideas). At that point I'd be spending so much on rent that I was thinking it'd make sense to take out a student loan for my tuition, buy the boat outright with cash, and likely sell it at the end of two years (depending on how I'm feeling about continuing to live in Tassie). I'm fine with living in a small place, and... I'd have a boat I could sail around. My old man is retired as of a few years ago and really into sailing (currently delivering a yacht to Grenada), I could probably talk him into coming over for a summer and helping me out with it if it was a fixer-upper, as well as provide sage advice during the buying process. I guess a lot of marina's these days have Wifi, but assuming I don't find one that does, what kind of prices are there for mobile hotspots? Do the Aussie carriers lock out the portable hotspot feature on smartphones, or just charge a lot for tethering?
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Feb 8, 2013 08:51
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ExecuDork posted:On that topic, the Wooden Boat Festival is on this weekend; it's a big enough deal (apparently) to have its own statutory holiday - Monday is a day off, which would be awesome except for the fact next week is my last week of work here and I've got a tonne of poo poo to get done. Oh well, I'll take pretty pictures of pretty boats and show those to my supervisor when I get home and hope he doesn't use the buckle end of the belt when he whips me (I kid, I kid - he never whips me, it's all punches! I just spent the last 3 hours of my shift at work opening Constitution and Victoria dock bridges to let boats in for this festival. Seriously, if anyone is in Tassie at the moment, this is probably the best event in Hobart to see. It blows the Sydney to Hobart out of the water (pardon the bad pun) It goes until Monday and unless things change, only happens once every two years. The public holiday is for the Hobart regatta which is actually unrelated to the Wooden Boat festival. They do kind of fit together though. Friendly Fire fucked around with this message at 09:04 on Feb 8, 2013 |
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Feb 8, 2013 09:02
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I'm moving from Melbourne to Adelaide in March, any advice would be appreciated as I know absolutely nothing about the city. Why is Eastwood more expensive to rent than the CBD?
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Feb 10, 2013 02:47
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