Customer Reviews: Read 7 more reviews...
 Poor September 10, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I read the book cover to cover in a couple of hours. This is mostly down to the vast majority of content being pretty basic and useless. I agree with the critical reviews already published. There's an awful lot of generalisation, little facts or detail. Says tax is higher, but not what the rates are, says wages are lower - but not how much in proportion to cost of living. Gives advice to research in advance, but mostly refers to the Govt immigration website. Advice on jobs and/or careers is poor. So in terms of decision making, it doesn't help one way or another. It's ok for a second-hand book to read, but if you're looking for a serious book to give you the hard facts of living and working in Australia, this isn't the one!
 A Hugely Helpful Book April 22, 2008
My decision to take the plunge and move to Australia was a rather last minute one! This book turned out to be my lifeline - it outlined everything I needed to consider and do before leaving and on arrival. Thank you!
I could not have done without it! April 8, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
If you are looking for a travel book then this is not for you, but if you are serious about moving to Australia then you must read it! I found the section on obtaining a Visa extremely helpful and the advice about renting a property and healthcare were indispensable. This is not information and advice to be found easily once you are in the country. I really could not have done without it!
DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK! March 16, 2008
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
It is the biggest waste of money ever. Part One "a general overview of living in Austrlia" contains such gems as "Australia has an incredibly high taxation system - a fact few people realise before they arrive in Australia". That's it, so what's the tax rates then , where do I go to find them? Or "Gaining credit can be problematic for non-residents. It is unlikely that any financial institution will offer this facility as a matter of course....". However there is no mention of how useful it is to get credit reports from your bank etc, in the Uk and take them with you.
The second section "Australia's Main Cities" I think has been sponsored by the Australian Tourist Board. There is apparently no problems in any of the australian cities, it is, if you took this book at face value. Utopia. Rents are quoted from 2005 - despite this being a 2007 print - so are completely unrealistic. I loved the coment " Metro Light rail.....is fairly limited at present , therefore it is generally only used by people comuting between the areas it currently services:..." - well, yeah, obviously.
I didn't buy this book thinking it would contain all the answers, I saw it as a jumping of point with ideas for good websites and lists of Before You Go's.
Save your money, Google "Living in Sydney/Adelaide/Perth", use Cityhobo and Australia Expat Forum and actually get some up to date advice.
 Dissapointed March 10, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Given previous reviews which had been written on this book I had high hopes for it. However the information tended to be a bit general, and didn't supply me with much more than I already knew from the internet etc.
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