Step 5: Packing
What should you pack? If you are going over there with the intention to work you are going to want to pack some work related clothing along with your sandals and beach wear. Here is my packing list.
My Australia Packing List | |
5 pairs of underwear | 5 pairs of socks |
2 pairs of jeans | 1 pair of black dress pants |
6 t-shirts | 2 button up dress shirts |
2 pairs of board shorts | 1 short sleeve button up shirt |
2 long sleeve t-shirts (old for farm work or fruit picking) | 1 pair of work shorts |
1 big brimmed tilley hat (for fruit picking) | 1 pair of running shoes |
2 pairs of black socks | 1 pair of black dress shoes |
1 zip up sweat shirt | 1 pair of sandals |
1 cotton sleeping bag liner (for dirty hostels) | 1 pillow case (also for dirty hostels) |
In addition to the above you should also bring along a digital watch (preferably with two time zones), an unlocked GSM cell phone, a digital camera and the necessary toiletries. I also took along an Asus EEE netbook. They are small, light weight and perfect for travel. Mine came with Skype already installed which was great for phoning home. I also really liked being able to upload my photos to facebook so I could make room for more.
Step 6: Getting an Australian phone number
Unlocked GSM cell phones can be purchased on Ebay quite inexpensively. If you already have a Rogers or Fido phone your phone is capable of accessing the GSM network. You can look into having it unlocked if you prefer to use your phone while in Australia. Rogers and Fido offer international coverage however if you are looking for a job while you are down under you will require an Australian phone number. Australian cell phones operate on the 900 and 1800 MHz frequencies. When you are shopping for a phone try to find a quad band or at the very least a phone that works on the 900 and 1800 MHz bands. As I mentioned earlier you can buy unlocked quad band GSM phones on Ebay or Tigerdirect .ca quite inexpensively. Once you arrive in Australia all you will have to do is purchase a SIM card from any local corner store and you will be ready to receive calls (and job offers) on your new Australian number. My Telstra sim card cost me $10 AUD and that included $10 dollars of airtime.
The following is a list of phone companies in Australia. Most of them offer great package deals on pay as you go service and the sim cards can be bought almost anywhere. I even saw them for sale in some of the airports there so you may want to pick one up as soon as you get off the plane.