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 You
have arrived in Australia,
passed through Customs and are now at the
airport’s main arrival area. The first thing you
must do is either change some money or travellers
cheques at the Money Exchange or get some money out
of an ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) with your
credit card. AUD 200 should be enough for a few days
until you find a Money Exchange or bank offering a
better exchange rate in your town. Banks and Money
Exchange agents in Australia work in two ways: you
will either pay commission based on a fixed amount
or a percentage. Sometimes there will be no fee at
all. This is why you have to use your financial
expertise, choosing the best place to change your
currency taking into account the commission and the
exchange rate. There is not one bank that offers a
better rate than others: one day a bank offers a
better rate and the next it will be another one.
For
those travelling overseas for the first time
we suggest organising transfer from the airport to
your accommodation. This will make things much
easier, especially for those whose English is not
very good. In the main area of Australian airports
there is an Information booth offering information
about accommodation, tourism, transports and
reservations. You can organise transfers from the
airport, book a hotel or backpacker hostel, etc.
Shuttle Services are offered in mini-buses: the cost
is between that of a taxi and public transport and
it takes you and your luggage up to your
accommodation door. For those willing to save some
money, there are buses or trains transporting people
from the main airports to the city centres and other
suburbs. In this case, both your English language
skills and your previous travel experiences should
be helpful. Do not forget that after 36 hours
travelling having to carry bags in and out of public
transport could be a little tiring. Shuttle Services
offer the best value.
You
will probably feel jet lagged for approximately a
week after your arrival: you will feel very tired
and sleepy in the middle of the day and as awake as
an owl in the middle of the night. This will happen
especially during the first two days after which
your body will adjust to the new time. The best way
to get used to Australian time is not sleep during
the day and try to get a normal night sleep from
10pm to 6am. The time difference between Australia
and other Countries can be up to + 13 hours, depending on the state and
time of the year.
Your
first steps in Australia will be the most dangerous.
As cars drive on the left hand side of the road, it
will take you sometime to safely cross roads. Be
very careful! And do not cross the road, even if it
appears to be empty, before checking twice.
Australian cars are not very noisy and people used
to right hand driving tend to look right before
crossing the road. There’s where danger lays! Cars
run from right to left including bicycles that are
considered vehicles and run on the road.
Always look right first, then left,
especially on two-way streets. Remember to cross
where traffic lights or pedestrian crossings are. On
the pedestrian crossings without traffic lights
pedestrians have priority and cars should stop.
To
start your life in Australia you’ll have to sort
some details out first. The first thing you should
do is check with the school where you are enrolled
about details of your course: starting date and
time, classroom and for those studying English doing
a language test. Those who intend to stay longer and
work in Australia the following items are absolutely
necessary:
Read
more about How to Open a Bank Account
and also about Study in Australia consulting our Australian
Course Guide.
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