What things to bring to Australia?

[gmacpac]

Okay, so far my list is:

1. laptop.
2. ipod
3. clothes may be to last me a couple of months, I will likely buy all of my clothes there.

Any other advice?

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[JohnnyRockets]

You will have to buy an Australian power supply for the laptop and Ipod, trust me, I made the mistake of simply using an adapter and I fried my Ipod. Look for a transformer to use American electronics in Australia.

Definitely look into light clothing, short sleeve shirts, shorts, just have a few dress clothes for clinicals and formal functions.

Australia is real strict on bringing food from overseas, so don't bring food with you.

 

[gmacpac]

thanks for the advice.

How are winters in Australia? I plan on staying in AU during the intersemester break, and I understand it will be winter season there. Are winters mild? Do I need to bring a couple of sweaters?

Also, the converters that come with laptops are not sufficient enough?

I used my laptop in UK for a week without any problems. Is Australia similar to UK?

 

[Winged Scapula]

The converters that come with laptops are generally not enough. Check the manufacturer's specs before losing/frying your MB.

Brisbane can get chilly at night during the winter (although nothing like you get in the NE) and of course, you will need an umbrella. Average temps during winter range from 10-20 degrees Celcius. Unless you are very hot blooded, a couple of sweaters or sweatshirts wouldn't be a bad idea.

 

[gmacpac]

Thanks everyone for your input.

 

[redshifteffect]

Clothes and styles are slightly different here too....plus they are usually cheaper in North America.

I'd suggest bringing as many as you can.

As for voltage converters, be carefull as well since the cheap ones you buy from North America are only good for like 30-50 watt devices, but if you plan on bringing something that uses more wattage, you will definiately need a more powerful voltage converter.

The best thing to do would be to just charge your ipod over usb. That way you don't have to worry about voltage.

And yes the voltage is the same as the UK, no conversion needed. Just need an AU plug.

 

[gmacpac]

Can I buy this converter in AU? I want to travel as light as possible.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Can I buy this converter in AU? I want to travel as light as possible.

Not as easily.

These things are small and don't weigh that much. I can't see taking the chance of not finding what you need (since you will need it right away) for something that takes up so little room in your bag.

And agree with above, clothes are more expensive in Oz, but styles for men are not that different.

 

[gmacpac]

Well, I happen to have a universal style of clothing.........Jeans and a T-Shirt 🙂
Can't imagine it being much different for me in AU.

Thanks again, I will look into getting a converter here.

 

[JoeNamaMD]

The seasons are in reverse in Australia, winter in the US is summer in Oz. Try to get light clothing, you will regret wearing long sleeve shirts and jeans or pants during January in Queensland. A few pairs of more dressy clothes are good to have on hand though for clinicals, you need to dress in shirt, tie, pants, and shoes.

 

[markdc]

You don't need a voltage converter for a laptop. Most of them have switching power supplies and will say on it 110-240v.

Clothes are double the price here. Stereo equipment is more as well. So are musical instruments. I shipped over a ton of stuff but it took 3 months to get here. Desktop computers and bicycles are almost the same these days. Cars are more new but you can get an old beater fairly cheap.

 

[JohnnyRockets]

You need to get a step up/down transformer in addition to an adapter, try to get it in the US, its a lot easier to find in the States. I would agree that electronics are a lot more expensive in Oz than in North America, new cars are also pricier and leases are only available to business and self employed people.

The Aussie Dollar was very strong lately, making things more expensive, the normal value is usually 1 AUD = .75 US cents.

Definitely do not bring any food items, if customs checks your baggage and you did not declare it, you could get into big trouble.
Laptop, Ipod, and other electronics are a good idea to get before going to Oz. You also might want to get the book list from school and try to get second hand copies from Ebay, I was at UNSW for a year, and thought new books in Australia were very expensive.

 

[shan564]

You don't need a voltage converter for a laptop. Most of them have switching power supplies and will say on it 110-240v.

Clothes are double the price here. Stereo equipment is more as well. So are musical instruments. I shipped over a ton of stuff but it took 3 months to get here. Desktop computers and bicycles are almost the same these days. Cars are more new but you can get an old beater fairly cheap.

How much does it cost to ship a bunch of stuff like that? I can go 3 months without my guitar and my winter clothes.

 

[leilad]

when you say electronics, does that include cell phones? does anyone recommend that i buy a cell phone (ie. iphone, blackberry) here in NA? and wat about PDAs? cheaper to get in NA or Oz?

 

[gmacpac]

when you say electronics, does that include cell phones? does anyone recommend that i buy a cell phone (ie. iphone, blackberry) here in NA? and wat about PDAs? cheaper to get in NA or Oz?

Also, do cell phones run on GPS network? or TDMA?

 

[JoeNamaMD]

Most Australian providers use CDMA and few use GSM. Don't bother bringing a cell phone from North America, you can get one for free with a service plan with an Australian mobile provider. They have some crazy promos, I got a free Xbox 360 from my carrier. Oh yeah, I forgot to add, cell phone service in Australia is far more reliable than the nonsense in the US. Also they don't rip you off as much as in the States, most cell plans are capped to certain amount of money.

Not a good idea to have an Xbox 360/PS3 in medical school.

 

[Freedom75]

Ya no need to bring a cell phone. you know you're going to be here for at least 4 years so there is no problem getting a 2year contract which should give you a free phone. Just avoid Telstra (big telecomm) like the plague for everything (including broadband internet). They are the ripoff masters. They have the most horrible plans. 3 network and Optus seemed to have the best deals when I was getting a phone but be sure to shop around. And don't ask about free evenings and weekends, you'll just get blank stares (or just plain get laughed at).😳

As for power converters, my laptop has been fine. Just check the plug on your charger, some are fine with 110-240V, others are not (like my Sony MP3 player) and require specialised converters.

 

[JohnnyRockets]

Its called a step down converter, a good idea to get a fairly heavy duty one. I actually used an electric shaver in Australia without using this converter, my shaver was shorted.

 

[redshifteffect]

CDMA was closed last year.

Most companies use GSM or 3G (HSDPA).

Best plan? TPG mobile using the optus network $60/month unlimited calls/texts/mms (24/7) to any network in the country mobile/landline

Best low use plan is the bean counter with Virgin, online recharge only but 0.10/min

If you want free voicemail check out the topless plan with Virgin (also using optus network).

 

[redshifteffect]

when you say electronics, does that include cell phones? does anyone recommend that i buy a cell phone (ie. iphone, blackberry) here in NA? and wat about PDAs? cheaper to get in NA or Oz?

One area where Oz is better then NA is cell phones. There are a lot of models that are released years earlier, because people here are willing to buy them unsubsidised. Also the networks across Australasia use similar frequencies, so you'll have less trouble if you buy a phone in Asia, then in NA (which uses it's own set of frequencies...)

 

[redshifteffect]

I'd have to disagree with the Car prices. Toyotas and Hondas etc are about the same price, plus the Holdens are comparable to GMs. Luxury cars are way more expensive though. Keep in mind the sticker price is the walk away price - in Canada (and I assume the US) you pay a lot of extra junk fees on top of the stick price.

Electronics are the same almost (especially the stuff I buy, like portable hard drives, ipods, LCD monitors etc) and the warranty is 100% better in Oz then in most stores in Canada (costco being the exception). Here if something breaks or gets stuffed, no questions asked they return it. I had a stuffed router from futureshop in Canada (and literally the same day brought it back) and they said the serial numbers didn't match - though my feeling was they just reshrinked wrapped a returned router, but didn't put it in the right box, and told me to contact the manufacturer. In Oz they wouldn't even have cared about that.

You honestly get what you pay for.