Taking £3000 to Australia

[Smithy]

You will need an Australian bank account for that, yes. But you can then use a card to withdraw cash from that and simply not use your credit card for cash withdrawls anymore.

I'm concerned with having my funds split over 2 accounts. Even with being as careful and disciplined as I can be with my money, I feel I'd be setting myself up for a financial ****-up. Probably irrational, but it's not sitting well with me.

btw do you have work lined up? It's actually really hard to find - the plan was that my GF would find work, I'd fly out and join her. But it proved almost impossible, she couldnt find anything, so we just travelled instead.

I think the ability to find work is based on several factors. Of the several people I've spoken to who entered the country in similar circumstances to me, none of them had any trouble finding work. Perhaps your GF was searching for work at a time or place where it was particularly hard for tourists to get work, or maybe she was just particularly unlucky, but your the first person I've spoken to about it who has expressed any concern with getting work.

 

[[TW]Fox]

Maybe it was time of year - it was in winter - but she arrived in a group of about 20, none of whom had much success.

Not that I minded, travelling instead of working was much more fun

 

[Smithy]

Maybe it was time of year - it was in winter - but she arrived in a group of about 20, none of whom had much success.

Not that I minded, travelling instead of working was much more fun

I'd hold a similar philosophy if it came to it and I couldn't find any work.

Out of interest, how long were you out there for?

 

[[TW]Fox]

She was there for 3 months, I was there for 6 weeks.

I absolutely loved it, it was the best 6 weeks of my life. I cannot wait to go back, as soon as the exchange rate is back up to $2:£1, I'm going back for a month

 

[Smithy]

Where in Australia did you travel?

I arrive in Melbourne early Jan and plan to travel northward up the east coast. Whitsundsays is my destination. I've not much of a plan between the two, nor an idea of a time frame. I'm going by myself though, so any plans can easily be created or destroyed at a whim, and I've never been a fan of extensively planning trips like this anyway.

 

[Jimbeam3678]

Correct.

Not many cards are like this, though. As far as I am aware only the Santander Zero and Halifax Clarity will offer you this now.




You will need an Australian bank account for that, yes. But you can then use a card to withdraw cash from that and simply not use your credit card for cash withdrawls anymore.



This will cost you a fortune.

btw do you have work lined up? It's actually really hard to find - the plan was that my GF would find work, I'd fly out and join her. But it proved almost impossible, she couldnt find anything, so we just travelled instead.

To be honest fox , I couldn't disagree more I was there for a year and found it easy as to get work. I chucked my cv about for one day and got 7job offers within a week this was 18 months ago.

To the op if you need any advice or some leads for jobs give me a email and I'll fill you in I still have a fair few mates over there. Have fun you'll have the time of your life !!!!!!

 

[[TW]Fox]

Where in Australia did you travel?

I arrive in Melbourne early Jan and plan to travel northward up the east coast. Whitsundsays is my destination. I've not much of a plan between the two, nor an idea of a time frame. I'm going by myself though, so any plans can easily be created or destroyed at a whim, and I've never been a fan of extensively planning trips like this anyway.

I flew into Melbourne, took a Wicked Camper to Adelaide, picked up a Falcon XR6 and drove it to Sydney, swapped it for another Falcon XR6 and drove it to Brisbane via Byron Bay and the Gold Coast, swapped the XR6 for a Toyota Aurion and drive it to Cairns stopping at Fraser Island, Airlie Beach (Whitsundays), Rockhampton, Mackay and Townsville. Then I flew back to Melbourne from Cairns.

To be honest fox , I couldn't disagree more I was there for a year and found it easy as to get work. I chucked my cv about for one day and got 7job offers within a week this was 18 months ago.

You quoted my entire post and said you couldnt disagree more when it seems you disagreed with only one thing I said, which wasn't really advice anyway, just what I found.

 

[Beansprout]

I was pretty sure the Clarity has no 0% period ie interest accrues on any transaction from the day you spend it. I ordered one 2 weeks before I went away but it didn't arrive so I never got a chance to test this and cancelled it when I got home.

I ended up using my Amex abroad for larger purchases, cash for small ones, and when I ran out of cash I used my friend's currency card to get more cheap cash. Not ideal but I got the Amex points I guess....didn't use it much so only a few quid either way for me, as in total spend of a few hundred.

 

[[TW]Fox]

I was pretty sure the Clarity has no 0% period ie interest accrues on any transaction from the day you spend it.

I have explained the situation quite clearly in this thread. Interest only acrues from the day of transaction for cash withdrawals. Purchases are treated completely normally and you will pay no interest if you pay the balance off when the statement arrives.

For clarity:

For purchases paid in full on the due date, no interest is charged.

HOWEVER..

Cash Withdrawls attract interest from the day you make them - so if your billing date is 30th of the month and you withdraw £100 in cash on 2nd of the month, you will pay 12.9% APR for those 28 days.

 

[Jimbeam3678]

You quoted my entire post and said you couldnt disagree more when it seems you disagreed with only one thing I said, which wasn't really advice anyway, just what I found.

Sorry on my IPad pain in the bum to delete parts of the quote but for you fox and just this once I have

Just what you found, so I thought I would offer some positive advice The job Market in oz is fine if you apply yourself correctly in the Aussie way.which I can only assume your better half didn't

 

[2bit]

....The job Market in oz is fine if you apply yourself correctly in the Aussie way.which I can only assume your better half didn't

In what way should you apply yourself and what's your missus expected to do? I'm intrigued?

I thought you only has to eat poor quality sausages in buns and drink filthy lager to get by?

 

[Smithy]

I flew into Melbourne, took a Wicked Camper to Adelaide, picked up a Falcon XR6 and drove it to Sydney, swapped it for another Falcon XR6 and drove it to Brisbane via Byron Bay and the Gold Coast, swapped the XR6 for a Toyota Aurion and drive it to Cairns stopping at Fraser Island, Airlie Beach (Whitsundays), Rockhampton, Mackay and Townsville. Then I flew back to Melbourne from Cairns.

Sounds like what I plan to do, except what you did in 6 weeks I plan to do in 6 months.

Was the internal flight from Cairns to Melbourne dear? My return flight also departs Melbourne.

 

[[TW]Fox]

No, I think it was about £100, so not bad.

Spent £3k on all in the 6 weeks inc flights.

 

[Jimbeam3678]

In what way should you apply yourself and what's your missus expected to do? I'm intrigued?

I thought you only has to eat poor quality sausages in buns and drink filthy lager to get by?

Generally speaking a smile on your face,dress smartish and say your hanging around for the full 6 months even if your not. For day to day work , look in the local rags or job agencies .


I worked the v8's over there (their version of touring cars) earned a fortune for just watching cars all day in the sun

 

[Jimbeam3678]

Sounds like what I plan to do, except what you did in 6 weeks I plan to do in 6 months.

Was the internal flight from Cairns to Melbourne dear? My return flight also departs Melbourne.

If you want cheap car rentals google one way relocation for rental cars you'll get cheap rent and fuel allowance .

Lonely planet forum really is a gold mine for this information. Have I mentioned i'm jealous as hell

 

[Smithy]

If you want cheap car rentals google one way relocation for rental cars you'll get cheap rent and fuel allowance .

Lonely planet forum really is a gold mine for this information. Have I mentioned i'm jealous as hell

Relocation rentals seem to be the way to go. $5 a day from Melbourne to Sydney with a 1400km allowance for example. Not sure what the catch is...

Lonely planet is a great resource, but I found the forums to be full of people who aren't from the UK, and so their answers to my questions weren't relevant.

I'll be taking a Lonely Planet guide of the east coast with me though.

 

[Jambo]

I cannot wait to go back, as soon as the exchange rate is back up to $2:£1, I'm going back for a month

I wish it would hurry up. It was 2.17 when I was there in December 2008. The difference is mega!

 

[megakid]

It would be easier for me if I could open an Oz account and transfer all my UK monies in to that account in one hit. Then just use that account for receiving payment for work and for all my transactions.

I would go for this option. I live here now (not for much longer - off to Chicago soon!) but I opened up a bank account on day 1. No issues what so ever, and no fees.

I then opened an account with ozforex.com.au and their exchange rates are *better* than the wholesale VISA rates - albeit very slightly. I transfered over my cash in one hit and paid a $10 fee and that's it. I then had a fully fledged, full Australian bank account (I used WestPac for their vast ATM network but there are plenty of other options). Ozforex.com.au took me less than 2 days to go from registering my account to confirming my first transfer. I used online banking to transfer the pounds from my UK account to their UK bank then the AUD appeared in my Australian account 2 days later. I've used them 5 or 6 times now to transfer money back and forth - they don't charge fees for transfers above $10,000.

 

[ak22]

Hi there, in a couple of weeks I'll be heading out to Australia for several months on a working holiday. I intend to take with me the £3000 I have saved. What's the best way of doing this?

Cheers.

Hey you will love out there I was there for 10 months last year what I did was get a aussie account, Communality bank was mine and just on-line bank form my HSBC to my aussie account, my mate put 1k on a thomas cook holiday card.

Hope this helps enjoy it out there

 

[ak22]

I worked the v8's over there (their version of touring cars) earned a fortune for just watching cars all day in the sun[/QUOTE]


Hahaha yea the Falcons and Holden Comodors beasty V8s