List of grocery items for the month of August to give an idea of how each item cost.


Amount
Item
Store
$ 1.99
berri lemon squeeze 500ml
Coles
$ 0.76
brushed potatoes .767kg @ .99/kg
Coles
$ 0.99
coles bread rolls 6pack
Coles
$ 2.39
smartbuy cage eggs 600g
Coles
$ 1.79
cabbage plain .899ea @ 1.99/ae
chinese shop
$ 1.09
sb coles bread white 650g
Coles
$ 1.25
carrots 1kg
Coles
$ 1.03
snow peas .172kg @ 5.98/kg
Coles
$ 2.21
seedless watermelon 2.28kg @ .99/kg
Coles
$ 3.29
frozen corn cob 1kg
Aldi
$ 3.49
frozen peacarrcorn 1kg
Aldi
$ 4.09
cheese shred 500g
Aldi
$ 4.00
osso bucco .730kg @ 5.49/kg
chinese shop
$ 0.88
choko .295kg @ 2.99/kg
chinese shop
$ 2.01
ampalaya .335kg @ 35.99/kg
chinese shop
$ 1.79
sb coles ground black 100g
Coles
$ 1.55
saxa salt cooking 1kg
Coles

Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Inc. gang


Address:
Pacific Hwy
Oxenford QLD 4210
(07) 5573 3999

I decided to visit a physio because of my neck pain (for several days).

The therapist gave me some lectures (blah..blah..) about the spinal cord that could have cause the pain on my neck. Then massages my neck and shoulder, gave me few tips about proper posture (which more or less I already knew) and told me that the pain should ease in a few days else, I was ask to come back for another session.

Cost: $60.00 per consultation (I am not coming back)

Consultation last for about 30-40mins.

Sample prices in Sydney:

Pandesal:
- $3.00 / 1 dozen

Spanish Bread:
- $0.70 each
- $8.00 / 1 dozen

Ensaymada:
- $0.70 each
- $8.00 / 1 dozen

Current exchange rate:  1AUD = P39.90

"Tongs" is the term they use in Australia for slippers.

This photo was taken somewhere in Sydney South.

This photo was taken at Cooma NSW where we stayed for the night before going to Snowy Mt. (Mt Selwyn) the next day.

This are just sample fees to expect. Prices may vary depending on your dentist.

Amount   Description
$55.00       Oral examination
$100.00    Removal of calculus
$50.00      Remineralizing
$40.00      Single x-ray film
$155.00    Filling
$35.00      Pulp cap

Dental cover are not usually covered by Government health fund (Medicare) but I heard that there are public dental clinic who offer free tooth extraction and cleaning for free but you have to book and may take time to get a schedule.

Getting your own private health fund is beneficial as it has health covers that you cannot claim at Medicare.
Having a private health fund may also help prevent paying extra during tax filing. (Refer to ATO website regarding Medicare Levy and Loading)

Dental examination, removal of calculus and remineralizing are usually covered 100% by private health funds.
Some percentage were covered for tooth extractions,filling and other services but again it depends on your coverage.

Talk to your private health fund for details about your coverage.

Surfing without the waves on your yellow polka dot surfboard.

How cool is that!

Aquaduck is an amphibious Aquabus (interesting....)

Tour around GoldCoast both on land and water without even leaving your seat.

Things you need to do as soon as you arrive in Australia.

1. Apply for a Tax File Number (TFN)
- You need a Tax File Number (TFN) to receive an income in Australia.
- You can apply for a TFN over the internet at the ATO website.
- ATO is equivalent of BIR in the Philippines

Australian Taxation Office (ATO) website
http://www.ato.gov.au/

2. Register with Medicare
- The Australian Government provides help with basic medical expenses through a scheme called Medicare.
- To enroll in Medicare, you should go into a Medicare office 7 to 10 days after your arrival in Australia and bring your passport or travel documents.

Medicare Australia website:
http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/


3. Open a bank account
- In Australia, most income including salary or wages and government benefits are paid directly into a bank account.
- You should open a bank account within six weeks of your arrival, as you usually need only your passport as identification. After six weeks you will need extra identification to open an account.

4. Register with Centrelink
- Centrelink contributes to the social and economic outcomes set by government by delivering services to assist people to become self-sufficient and supporting those in need.

Centrelink website:
http://www.centrelink.gov.au/


5. Enrol Your Children in School
Under Australian law, children must attend school until they are 15 years old.

6. Look for job
- Most job application can be done only

Example website:
seek.com.au
mycareer.com.au

7. Apply for a Driver's Licence
- If you are a permanent resident visa holder and have a current driver's licence from another country, in English or with an official translation, you are allowed to drive for your first three months after arrival.
- After the three months, if you want to drive, you will need to have the appropriate driver's licence. This will usually require you to pass a knowledge test, a practical driving test, and an eyesight test.

RTA website:
http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/

Additional tip: Get a certificate copy of first issuance with LTO specially if you already got a drivers license in the Philippines for more than 3 years so that you can go straight to FULL license once you pass the practical driving test.

Government Departments

---------------------------------------

• Road and Traffic Authority road rules and regulations in NSW

• myRTA Online Services

• Book your driver licence test

• Practice RTA Hazard Perception Test

• Australian Driver Trainers Association (NSW) Ltd

• Australian Automobile Association

Buying a Car

---------------------------------------

• Autochic

• Drive

• CarSales

• Cars Guide

• Trading Post

Prices and valuations

---------------------------------------

• Red Book

• Tips for car buyers

• Yellow pages

Green slips
---------------------------------------

• Compare green slips

Visit your bank and check if you can get a better rate on your savings account.

If you do not monitor your current savings account interest rate, then you might be left behind with a lower interest rate.

I went to one of my bank branch and tell them that I am not happy with the current interest rate of my savings account (2.75%) compare to the newly advertise promoton for newly open account which is about 4.40%.

I told them that if I do not get a better interest rate, I will be force to move my savings account to somewhere else which provides a higher interest rate.

I was hoping that they will just change the details of my interest rate but said that they cannot do that. (a bit surprised).

Asked for options they can give:

They told me that I should close my current savings account and open a new one to get the current insterest rate of 4.40%. Ok, I agree if that is how I can get a better interest rate.

So I agree to close my account and transfer it to a new savings account with new account number to get the higher interest rate.

Still, I do not understand their purpose of doing such process. It takes more process and a bit of discomfort as they have to give you a new account number.

Process involve:
1. Open a new savings account
2. Transfer all my money from old to new savings account
3. Close old savings account
4. Provide customer a new account number

- If ever you are using this account for auto debit transactions, this would cause a lot of pain to change account number.

I told them that why not just change my interest rate. That way, it will proably take only one step (change interest rate) and then I keep same account number.

Now, I know that I have to keep track of the interest rates of my bank account and what are their new offers.

This is the photo of the first live kangaroo I've seen in the wild and as close as possible. It is about 4ft tall and 20 meters away from where I was standing.

This is photo was taken at the backyard of Snowtels Caravan Park, Cooma NSW where we stay for the night before going to Mt Selwyn Snowfields the next day.

Processed experienced in taking the Australian Citizenship Test :  (Immi Sydney Central)

1. Arrive 30mins before the test
2. Go to the reception (left side when you enter the main door pm the 4th floor) and advice that you are book for a citizenship test.
3. Receptionist will tell you to come back or wait for awhile while she prints out the booking slip (queue number that includes your Appointment Id #).
4. Once you got your queue number wait until your number appear on the screen or when your number is called.
5. Go to the counter assigned (about 8 counters in City Immi).
6. Present the documents and identification.
7. Immi officer will take a photo.
8. They will inform you if you are already eligible or not.
9. If you are elgiible they will ask you if you want to apply for citizenship after you pass the test.
10. In our case we are not yet eligible (2 yrs required), immi officer will offer how you will apply for citizenship. I choose online application. The officer ask you to fill up the the proof of identity if you are going to apply with in 6 months and they will sign as your character reference on the spot.

Note: If you are going yo apply for citizenship after 6 months, you have to submit the character reference form.

11. Once everything is verified, you will be ask to go to the testing room and present your appointmnet slip.
12. Immi oficer will verify your appointment ID number, will assign you a computer and give you briefing on the test.
13. Once you finish the test, you will see immediately if you pass or fail and inform the immi officer.
14. Immi officer will print out the result of your test whether you pass or fail.
15. If you fail, immi officer will look at the test result and decide if you will be allowed to retake the test.

Note: They may allow one retake else you have to book for another schedule

16. If you pass, you can now go home or go back to the immi officer if you have further question.

The cheapest men haircut I found round Hurstville NSW is $5.00

Men haircut is about $5 along Diment way corner Forest Road.
Just across Hurstville train station, about 3-5 mins walk. You wont miss their shop as there are signs about $5 haicut.

Women's hair cut is about $8.

Pros:
- Cheapest haircut I can find in Sydney.
- Very convinient if you live around Hurstville area.

Cons:
- May find some difficulty in communicating on what kind of hairstyle you want to look like if you do not speak chinese as most if not all are Chinese hairstylist. (from expereince)
- Haircut for men took only about 5 mins (that quick) to finish.

Bottom line: You get what you paid for