Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with melbourne and Australia

Advice on moving to Melbourne

emd3737 — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:46:25 -0800

I just got a research fellowship in Melbourne and am moving there in mid February- hooray! Now I need to find an apartment. Complications: I don’t know a soul there and I currently live in the United States. Aside from craigslist, where can I find apartment listings? I’m looking for something cheap (less than $1000/month, ideally $700-800- it that even feasible?) and close to the north part of the city where I’ll be working. I’ve been to Melbourne once and really liked the Fitzroy neighborhood- what other areas of the city should I consider? I would prefer to live alone but would be fine with roommates if I can’t find an affordable studio or 1-bedroom. I’m 32, though, so the days of me sharing a flat with a bunch of uni students are long gone. Would like to move in Feb 15th or March 1st.

I’ll also need to acquire some furniture- I know that there is an IKEA, anywhere else I should look? And lastly, I play soccer- does anyone know of any women’s or co-ed leagues/clubs in the area? I figure that would be a good way to start making some friends (in addition to organizing a metafilter meet-up).

Are there any storytelling shows in Adelaide or Melbourne?

chinese_fashion — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:51:32 -0800

Are there storytelling/live reading shows in Adelaide or Melbourne, similar to The Moth in NYC/LA? I write and tell short stories in NYC, mostly through The Moth, though I've gotten stuff onto This American Life and done a number of smaller shows here like The Liar Show, Risk!, and Seth Lind's Told.

Are there any opportunities to do something similar in Australia, by any chance? There's a growing storytelling scene here in New York, sort of like standup mixed with essay-writing ... wondering if there might be something similar Down Under.

A few of my stories deal directly with aspects of Aussie culture, too, as I lived there for about a year. Here's a few samples:

'Roo Shooter
Foreign Soil
Now or Never

I'm leaving for Australia tomorrow morning for a 2-week holiday, spending one week in Adelaide and another in Melbourne. And if possible, I'd love to try some of these out down there. Is there any chance for something like that to happen? If so, would you mind putting me in touch with the right folks?

Thanks so much ...

Keeping Busy

sycophant — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:35:07 -0800

Keep us busy in Melbourne. What to do for a few days in Victoria's Capital? My wife and I are visiting Melbourne for four days in about a week. We've got a few things planned (art exhibit at National Gallery, dinner on one night, optimistically in the audience for Rove) but basically have three days free.

We were last there for a little under a week about three years ago, and did some of the most obviously touristy thing then, but are looking for some more inspiration this time around.

We're planning to visit Bridge Road, and maybe the museum, but that's about all we've got on our minds for sure this time around. We're staying in the CBD and probably planning to stick relatively central, but we're not afraid of a wee train or tram journey for something interesting.

Bonus points for a few great ideas in close proximity. And, I suspect, Mrs. Sycophant would be interested in other bargain shopping opertunities beyond Bridge Road and DFO.

Will Wonderful Weekends Wither Without Wheels?

LongDrive — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 07:12:19 -0800

Tent-phobic city-dweller seeks weekend getaway suggestions which do not require a car to reach. I've just come out of a long, high-stress period of work, and am looking to take a weekend off with a special someone to just decompress for a bit. The problem is however, my driver's license is suspended for the next three months, which puts a damper on my usual plan of renting a holiday house either in the bush or by the sea to just sit and read in for the weekend, as sometimes a new setting and some quiet can really help me recharge.

I'm wondering if anyone else had any suggestions or general ideas on how to take a mini-vacation without access to a car, keeping in mind that I'm not the person who will ever go camping, ever (again). Sleeper trains? Really expensive cab fares?

I am located in Melbourne, Australia. Bonus karma for any suggestions specific to Victoria.

Sydney and Melbourne with a baby?

k8t — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 22:36:34 -0800

Sydney and Melbourne with a 10-month-old in September. Any suggestions? We're taking advantage of the cheap travel to AU from the US and taking our little family on a trip to Sydney and Melbourne. I haven't been in 15 years, SO has never been. 4 days in each city. (Hotel in Sydney: Menzies Hotel and hotel in Melbourne: Swanston Hotel Melbourne Grand Mercure to give you a sense of location.)

Any baby-friendly suggestions for activities and dining? Thankfully the baby is good natured and is pretty tolerant of museums and the like.

SO is into nature and photography. I like food, funky markets and interesting cultural stuff (ethnic neighborhoods, for example). Baby is into playgrounds.

We have a bunch of travel books and sites, but personal recommendations are great.
TIA!

New to contracting in Australia and need some payroll/tax advice!

Flying Squirrel — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 19:39:58 -0800

New to contracting, and new to Australia. Can someone please help me find a company to sort out my insurances and payroll (and the 'living away from home allowance' -- or recommend an accountant if I need one? I am living in Melbourne, Australia on a working holiday visa. I am currently working a 3 month contract (intranet development) for a healthcare insurance company. I got hired through a recruitment agency. I have never worked as a contractor before.

The recruitment agency will pay me a daily rate but I need to have all the workplace insurances and payroll sorted out. They recommended Ayers Management, who they normally work through. Ayers works by taking 3.5% of your pay, and that covers their 'service fee' -- they pay you and take care of all the workplace insurances you need.

I also have the option of setting up my own company but I believe this will be expensive and complicated. I don't know if I will work as a contractor again after this job.

I kept asking Ayers for a breakdown of what taxes I needed to pay as I do not know much about the income tax rates, superannuation, etc. They took a long time giving me a breakdown, and thought I would be eligible for the 'living away from home allowance' (I'm Canadian.) After they determined I was eligible for this, they gave me a breakdown. According to their calculations, the LAFHA will give me more take-home pay. This seems great, except if I use the LAFHA, they jack up their 'service fee' to 7.5%. It still means slightly more take-home pay for me, but I was irritated by this.

I have also began looking at other similar companies (I don't even know what to call them...payroll management companies??) such as Geoffrey Nathan, and Free Spirit, who seem to be more tailored to people who can claim the LAFHA.

But when I get a 'quote' they all have vastly differing income tax, superannuation, and 'service fee' deductions. I don't want to be in a situation where I end up paying tax at the end of the year.

I'm wondering if I should talk to an accountant because I can't get my head around all the payroll deductions and taxes I need to pay, and I don't understand why these companies keep quoting me different tax rates.

Can anyone point me in the right direction or recommend a good accountant I could talk to for advice? (I'm working in Hawthorn, Melbourne)

Sorry if this is confusing, I really am lost. Let me know if more information would be helpful!

Ordering a return ticket Melbourne to Los Angeles with V Australia; can I travel to LA and cancel the return flight for a refund?

Eastgate — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 06:31:51 -0800

I'm going to be flying one way from Melbourne, Australia to Los Angeles with V Australia. It's cheaper to book a return ticket than a one way ticket. Can I cancel the return flight and get a refund? I'm looking at going via Premium Economy with V Australia and getting a "Premium Deal" ticket from Melbourne to Los Angeles (approx. $923) and selecting a "Premium Flexi" ticket for the return journey (approx. $2500). After arriving in LA, I would want to cancel the return ticket. Is it possible to do this and get a full refund of the $2500 for the return ticket? Has anyone had experience doing this kind of thing before?

Going with a return ticket option was much cheaper than going with one way. I had considered selecting a "Premium Deal" ticket for the return, but I read that there was a $550 cancellation fee, which is why I'm asking about the "Premium Flexi" instead.

How has droughts in Australia (Brisbane, Melbourne) impacted perceptions of climate change?

GIMG — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:00:43 -0800

How have landscapes transformed by drought in Australia (esp. Brisbane or Melbourne) impacted people's perceptions of climate change? I'm traveling through Brisbane and Melbourne at the moment, researching how the consequences of drought have transformed the landscape (e.g. rainwater tanks, water conservation signs, desiccating lawns and parks, disappearing ponds, lowering dams, shifts toward native Australian plants for gardening, waterless fountains, brown sporting fields, etc.), and the subsequent cognitive processing of climate change. Even with the recent flooding, is this a connection Australians make? Have landscapes been transformed in other ways? And who might provide relevant insights into this question?

Melbourne, Monash and U. Melbourne?

signal — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:37:24 -0800

Please tell me about Melbourne, Monash and U. Melbourne. My wife is being encouraged by a fairly important researcher to get a master's at Monash University in Melbourne, where he teaches. If we did this, I would probably take the opportunity to get a second master's or a PhD, at Monash or U. Melbourne.
We know nothing at all about Monash, U. Melbourne or life in Melbourne. We're all the way around the globe in Chile, so this would be a major move.
So:

What's life in Melbourne like (esp. for a couple with a 3 year old)?
How good is the film department in Monash? The computer science department at Monash or U. Melbourne?
Any other schools I should be looking into?

I'm an architect with an interest in Comp. Sci. approaches to spatial analysis, in case that's relevant.

What are your favourite things to do in both the Byron Bay and Melbourne areas?

Flying Squirrel — Thu, 28 May 2009 16:02:09 -0800

What are your favourite things to do in both the Byron Bay and Melbourne areas? I've been living in New Zealand for the past year, and am now making my next move to Australia. I've got a trip planned at the beginning of July with two of my best friends from NZ. It's the last time I'll see them for a while so I want to make this a really great and memorable trip!

Another travelling friend of ours had a very romantic view of Byron Bay, it was her favourite place in the world -- so we're planning on spending a week there, then flying to Melbourne and spending another week.

I'm in my late 20s, my friends are in their early 20s, and they haven't travelled overseas without their families before. What are some really fun and memorable things we can do in both these places?

Thanks!!

Help me get the cheapest flights to New York from Australia

crossoverman — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:37:20 -0800

TravelFilter: Will the current cheap flights between Australia and New York remain into 2010? And what times of the year are considered off-peak travel to NYC? Flights to New York from Australia have become really cheap this year (AUD1000-1500) as opposed to normal (AUD2500). This is due to the market opening up: instead of only United and Qantas servicing direct routes, Virgin Australian and Delta are flying direct to the US as well.

I am tentatively planning a trip to NYC in May 2010. (Gives me a full 12 months to save.) It looks like prices will shoot back up to the AUD2500 next year (according to airline websites right now), though most airlines are only listing prices through March 2010 anyway.

Are these prices likely to stay as low as they are currently? With the economic crisis, I suspect this might help to keep prices down AND if I wait six months I'm likely not to be stung by premium rates being offered to people willing to book 12 months in advance. But I'm not really sure how long-haul overseas flight prices fluctuate, if at all.

And is May a good time of the year to visit NYC? I'm flexible to travel between April-June 2010 - don't want to go in the depths of winter or the heat of summer. Is May considered off-peak? (I'll be traveling to other parts of the US, but NYC is my main port of call - everything else can fall in line behind that.)

I don't need suggestions of what to see and do in the city - that list is already LONG - just advice on when is the best time to stay and when the best time is to book the holiday. Thanks.

I need a crash course in finding good prices in Melbourne.

mosessis — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:26:35 -0800

What shops should I go to in Melbourne, Australia, to buy inexpensive necessities (clothes, shoes, groceries, linens, electronics)? I'm in Melbourne and I need to find the cheap places to go shopping. I'll only need these goods for six months to a year and then I'll be giving them away or tossing them out, so price definitely wins out over long term quality.

The things I will need to buy are women's clothes (shops I often use in UK: H&M, Primark; in US: Target, Marshalls, Forever21), shoes, coats, groceries, toiletries, housewares, basic electronics (burnable dvd's, usb headset, etc.), or anything else you would normally shop for during the course of a year

I have this down to somewhat of a science in the US, where I know more or less where to look - and where to avoid - for the best deals on these basic categories of goods. But I know almost nothing about Australian stores and where, for example, it will be cheapest to buy deodorant. I went into a Target in the CBD yesterday, and it looks about the same as a Target in the US, with cheaper clothes and dishes and such, so that's a start. Where else should I be looking? Any Melbourne specific details, such as which Salvation Army location is best for kitchenware vs. best for clothing, or which specific shopping centers I should look at/avoid are much appreciated.

If you're a very price conscious shopper, please share your expertise or favorite web resources with me!

Where to go in Australia and for how long?

smackfu — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 06:12:22 -0800

I'm visiting Australia for 10 days / 9 nights, flying in and out of Sydney. How would you divide your time amongst the various cities? 3 nights each in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane?

Melbourne to Brisbane: inland by camper

bookley — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 02:16:07 -0800

We’re hoping to rent a camper van in Melbourne (approx April 13), drop it off in Brisbane a week later. Any advice? There’s a good discussion about driving through Australia here:
http://ask.metafilter.com/52325/Help-me-cross-Australia-in-March

What we’re looking for are some specific suggestions for going inland from Melbourne to Brisbane. For example, we’d like to get a respectful sense of the bush fire devastation and recovery efforts, maybe have a couple stops in some of the wine valleys, find misc things like the sculpture Nick Cave is supposed to be building, plus whatever outback flavour we might soak up without going too far off track -- anything we wouldn’t find in the guidebook.

Any tips about camper rental and travel in Australia are also appreciated, even if it’s just appropriate driving music. We’re not totally committed to the van either -- as much as anything it’s a case that the camper rental companies seem more flexible on one way drives than companies who rent small cars.

Two important parameters:

1) We’ll have already spent a week in and around Sydney and don’t need to head that direction.

2) Quite a few years ago I drove from Melbourne to Tibooburra via the Great Ocean Road, Bendigo, Mildura, Broken Hill, popping up to White Cliffs. One of the most amazing drives of my life, but I’d like to see as much new terrain as possible on this trip.

We certainly don’t need to go in the straightest fastest line either, and I don’t mind under or overshooting Brisbane by a day’s drive, if it means a more interesting route. (Would be quite keen, for instance, to spend time in the rainforest area between Byron Bay and Nimbin.)

Thanks for any suggestions.

Can I get a tax deduction from building a website for a charity?

Eastgate — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 00:50:45 -0800

Building a website for a charity in Australia. Can I get any tax deductions from this? Does it make a difference if I charge them or if I do it for free? I'm a freelance web developer in Melbourne, Australia, and I've been asked by a charity if I will build a website for them. I'm wondering whether I can get any tax deductions or any other tax benefits from doing this. I'm also wondering whether anything changes if I do it for free or charge them. Anyone know about how this works?

Can I get a tax deduction from donating clothing in Australia?

Eastgate — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 03:07:49 -0800

I'm living in Melbourne, Australia, and I have a whole lot of unwanted clothing (some unworn or barely worn) that I want to donate to an op shop. Am I able to get any tax deduction for this?

How to Buy a Flat in Australia

LongDrive — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:41:10 -0800

I'm currently looking to buy my first small flat in Melbourne, Australia and having no luck. Apart from the big two online sources, are there any other sources to see what's on the market, or to find places before they get listed? I have a buyers advocate on board, but due to dodgy pre-auction policies on offers, I seem to be constantly missing out on good places, and right now it seems like nothing is out there. Maybe its my small budget or the fact that the market is really quiet until after the holidays, but it seems like there is nothing on the market right now. Am I just missing something, or are there other places or methods that I should be looking into?

Your New Best Friend

xz — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 16:10:14 -0800

Have you seen my people? They must be in Melbourne somewhere... Oh Mighty Hive-Mind, I throw myself upon your mercy...

I've lived in Melbourne AU for two years now and I have a problem. I can't seem to find my friends.

I'm an outgoing fellow (36, married) with a variety of interests and no problem talking to strangers. I've managed to make a bunch of friends here in town, but I'm still searching for the group of people who make me feel at home.

I've tried hanging out at my local and meeting people there. I've tried starting my own clubs (writing group, rock climbing, film viewing, trivia, the gentleman's daily ration society). I've tried finding good groups to join (not much luck). I volunteer for Popcorn Taxi. These efforts have led me to a place where I have a bunch of people I like, and whom I like to pal about with, but no one (save the wife) whom I feel genuinely close to.

I've moved to new cities before. In some, you find your spot right away. In others, you never do. Melbourne seems like the place where I should be able to find my people, so I'm confused and discouraged. I don't want to blame my lack of success on age, or marriage, or on being foreign (although working from home might be a culprit).

It certainly seems like my type of folks would be in healthy supply in such an interesting town, so MeFi can you help me out? Any ideas on where to trawl for interesting types?

Are you here trying to find people willing to join your crazy scheme? I'll probably say yes.

Dietitians down under?

LongDrive — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 22:14:33 -0800

Can anyone help me find the best dietitian in Melbourne, Australia? After reading pretty much every diet related post on the green in the last four years, I'm going to follow the advice of many, and seek the help of a dietitian in hopes of avoiding an early grave.

Before I crack open the yellow pages, I thought I would check in here to see if anyone has any personal or anecdotal recommendations for someone who can work with a young and extremely picky, sugar-addicted, time-poor, guy with zero cooking skills, to help make some long-term changes.

Cost is no object. Location can be up to an hour drive from central Melbourne.

What's a good, cheap hotel in Melbourne, Australia?

No-sword — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:40:18 -0800

Looking for a cheap place to stay for a week in Melbourne, the cheapest that meets these criteria: (1) Hotel is 30 minutes or less from the CBD by public transport; (2) I can get a two-person room with its own shower; (3) I will not get stabbed or robbed there. I don't want to eat breakfast or dinner at the hotel. I don't need a gym or bar or anything like that in the hotel. Just a room with a lock, two beds (or one double bed), and a shower.

Not looking to couchsurf or anything like that; we do have friends in Melbourne but for a variety of reasons we would prefer to just pay some money for a room we can come and go from as we please, without worrying about inconveniencing someone or offending their hospitality.

Meta-answers on how to find such a hotel would be great too. I tried to Google this but found only spammy aggregator sites and super-expensive fancy hotels in the city center. I'm really trying to avoid Googling "hotel +[area]" for each individual area of Melbourne I can think of that's 30 minutes or less from the CBD...

What are the cool areas to live in Melbourne?

Silentgoldfish — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:31:36 -0800

Need advice from people in Melbourne, or familiar with it about where to live. So as sort of a followup to this question I've gotten a job at the Royal Melbourne and start in June. Since I don't know Melbourne at all, geography wise, I don't really know what the good suburbs to be looking to live are.

The Royal Melbourne is in Parkville, which I understand is basically downtown (though I could be wrong), and my ideal place would be as close as possible so that I could either walk or catch the minimum of public transport to get there. Where I live right now is a 10 minute walk from where I work right now and in a perfect world I'd have the same set-up in Melbourne.

I'm looking for share-house accomodation (mostly cause I don't know anyone in Melbourne yet and it seem the fastest way to kickstart that!) and going by the share-house websites I've been looking at there's lots of choices. I just don't want to wind up with a 3 hour commute by looking in an interstate suburb! Also, I'd prefer to avoid slum areas.

Where to stay in Melbourne?

adamk — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 15:27:57 -0800

Where to stay in Melbourne, Australia? Need lodging for 5 nights in mid-April. Looking at hostels, but there are so many options and neighborhoods to choose from! Thanks to everyone who gave advice in this thread a few months ago.

My flights are all booked, and next month I'll be flying: Los Angeles -> Sydney -> Brisbane -> Cairns -> Melbourne -> Los Angeles. I have hostel bookings in all of the cities except Melbourne.

Using sites like TripAdvisor, LonelyPlanet and HostelWorld I've found a few different hostels that all seem quite reasonable, but they're all in different parts of town and I'm looking for any advice.

In the city center there are options like Greenhouse Backpacker and Urban Central. In North Melbourne there are options like YHA Melbourne Metro. In St Kilda there are options like Cooee and Base.

Does anyone have any insight into these hostels, or the parts of town that they're in? I'm a 24 year old guy who is traveling alone, so I'm interested in staying places where I can meet people to hang out with, or duck out on my own for a day of exploring without needing to travel too far to reach the interesting attractions.

Can you help me and my family plan a roadtrip in Australia?

Kattullus — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 11:51:33 -0800

My family and I will be in Australia from March 14th, 2008 to the 26th. We'll be staying in Sydney for most of the trip (friends' apartment) but we also want to take a leisurely road trip to Melbourne. Do you have any recommendations what to do in Sydney, Melbourne and during the roadtrip? We were thinking that we'd rent a car, spend two days on the drive to Melbourne, stay a couple more in the city and then fly back to Sydney. What route should we take? Where should we stop for the night? What should we see on the way? Where should we stay in Melbourne? What should we do while we're there? Is there anything especially awesome happening in Melbourne during the period we're in Australia?

If you know of something cool that's happening in Sydney while we're in Australia, please let me know, as we haven't decided when we'd be going to Melbourne. Generally, if you know about something superawesome that's not well known please share the info.

As to what we like, we're fairly artsy, cultury, natury type people. Museums, concerts, national parks, theater and such are up our alley but if it's cool and fun in general we'll probably like it. My parents are 50, my sister is 21 years old and I'm 26. You can give suggestions applicable to all of us or something my sister and I would like and my parents would be less likely to and vice versa. My parents have been to Sydney before, so they know what to expect.

Also, we were considering going on another excursion while we were there, possibly Uluru or The Great Barrier Reef, but we're concerned we'd be too pooped from the 24+ hour travel. How feasible would another major outing be given the jet lag we'd experience traveling to Australia from Iceland (my family) and Boston (myself)?

Where in Melbourne can I hire projectors?

PuGZ — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 00:58:10 -0800

From where in Melbourne, Australia can I borrow projectors (+ screens) for one night?

Changes ahead in Australian tertiary education?

PuGZ — Sun, 27 May 2007 03:39:26 -0800

One of the two big universities in Melbourne, Australia have radically changed their philosophy on education to be more in line with that of the US and Europe. Where should I go? For quite some time, Melbourne University has been talking of changing their system of undergraduate studies and their relation to postgraduate studies to be more like the system in the US. Next year is the first year that such changes apply.

Now that more information regarding the "Melbourne Model" is out, I'd like to query the hive-mind that is AskMefi and get some opinions. I'm currently a high school student in my final year and if all goes to plan (!) I'll be entering university in 2008. I have my heart set on Engineering (Electrical), Science (Physics) and languages (French, et cetera, but that's probably irrelevant).

Now, as I see it, due to the changes that are taking place at Melbourne, these are the options I am tossing up between:

* BSc + ME at Melbourne (five years)
* BSc + BE at Monash (five years)

My question is such: which qualifications would be most highly regarded and provide the best education for a future in Engineering? At this point in time, I'd absolutely love to do R&D, which may factor into your suggestions. Also, I know that I'll be travelling the world down the track, so international recognition is important too.

Thanks for all your advice and I hope that the replies in this thread may prove to be useful for kids in a similar position to my own.

EDIT: I realise that a few people will jump in and go for the BSc + ME without thinking. I would like to know, in such a case, how three years of an undergraduate science degree and two years of a post-graduate Engineering degree could be comparable to a typical four-year Engineering education.