So, You have decided to move to Australia. These are some of the things you need to know.Note that this is based on moving to Queensland. The process and requirements will vary from State to State.
Disclaimer : None of what follows is legal advice. Most of it applies to Queensland. Other states will have their own rules and regulations. This was my understanding and was accurate in 2023 and 2024. Rules will change over time.
This is a large blog and is divided into sections, each of which could easily be in their own page.
Busy : If you are looking for a busy lifestyle, then Sydney or Melbourne is the way to go. We thought they were too busy and there is too much traffic.
Relaxed : If you are looking for a more relaxed lifestyle you can choose a small town. Or you could chose Canberra or Brisbane. We thought that Brisbane was a good compromise.
Climate : Invariably, you are looking for a warmer climate. This means that Queensland is probably the way to go. Any further North is too hot.
Friends : If you know people in a city then that can be a plus. Try to move some place where you know at least a couple. It will make things much easier.
This is a legal status and has many ramifications (below). If a form requires a visa status, your passport number will satisfy that.
You can open a bank account online, but they may want to see some ID in person the next time you are in Australia. Note, joint accounts may need a personal visit. For ANZ, you can book an appointment on line. This is the best way.
If they want a NZ address, give a friend's address. They will only post the debit card to an Australian address. They will accept a Kiwi mobile number. But only in person as most Aussie software will not accept Kiwi mobile numbers. If the operator persists, often a "04" will get prepended!
When we made the decision to move over, we actually got a full fledged monthly plan. And we had a message recorded on both numbers to call the other one if there was no reply. For a few months we had both numbers active (one always on roaming).
There is a lot of paperwork, just walk into a shop and they will put you in the queue. No appointment necessary.
The best company to go for is Telstra. It is the largest and has good coverage. We made the mistake of going to Vodafone first and found many holes in coverage in major cities such as Canberra and in car parks. If there are two of you, the best plan is the one that lets the lower plan to share the other one's data.
Items to take over (assuming you already have some spares)
Items to buy there, use in your visit and leave the rest for the next trip
Its just a fact of life that every one needs to make quck decisions and change lanes. Especially since the intersections are clsoer together, the driving speed is high and Google sends things to their server (for Waze and Maps) which can be a slow process outside of USA.
In Queensland, you are allowed to do U-turns on uncontrolled intersections. At traffic lights you can do U-turns only if it''s indicated. Note that in NSW, U-turns are permitted at traffic lights unless signed otherwise.
The temptation is to keep using your New Zealand credit cards, but there are some problems.
Open a local bank account and use your debit card. Forget about trying to collect air points.
Before departing, visit all the banks you have cards with and change your mobile number to the Australian one. Or, use a local debit card.
Use a local debit card. Open a local bank account and use your debit card. Forget about trying to collect air points.
Close your current Paypal account. Create a new account. Enter an Australian address. Only load it with Australian cards.
Sell all your assets before you move to Australia
It is very tempting to take almost everything you own. But there are items you should NOT take.
Items that you should order in your earlier trips. If possible, get them delivered to your friends place or the new rental (which you should get as soon as possible). Trust me, you really need these items right away.