If you'd told me six years ago that the next five years of my life would involve relocating from my hard earned two-up, two-down in the sleepy village of Exning, UK, to the glorious sunshine of Sydney, Australia, I would have laughed out loud. A deep, raucous belly laugh. 'How?', I would have asked you first; quickly followed by 'Why?'. But, as so often happens, I met a man, and I followed my heart.

Fast forward six years and I have been living in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs for the last four. Happily ensconced with my better half in a light and breezy apartment just two minutes from the beach, life just could not be better. Or could it?

Having moved to Australia - a country I had never before even visited - it struck me recently that I have spent the last few years in holiday-mode. Hungry to see the sights of Sydney and the rest of this vast and beautiful country, I have been focused more on sight-seeing than I have on building a life. Each and every Saturday we wake up and plot a new destination. A new part of the city to seek out and devour. And it's a great way to live - we regularly uncover undisturbed coves; new sand to walk on and new surf to swim in.

Ask me which part of this country I love the most and I will reel off a never-ending list of hidden gems; but ask me where I like to play sport; which clubs I am a member of, and I will be lost for words.

You see, things that I grew up doing in the UK, and which I continued long into my 20s, have fallen by the wayside since I moved to Australia. I am no longer a member of any team; I no longer go horse riding at the weekends. Things that used to consume hours of my week have vanished. Disappeared. And, perhaps the older I get, I find that a little sad.

It's not just that I grew up in a different country, and therefore don't have the same knowledge, or mental map, of the same organisations and institutions in Australia. It's that I never committed the time and effort to pursuing my own interests when I got to Sydney - seemingly blinkered to the community that is here, waiting to be embraced.

So, if you're moving to Sydney - or indeed anywhere - my advice is this. By all means explore, but take the time to explore your community too. Moving to another country means leaving a lot of things behind, but it doesn't have to mean leaving your pursuits and interests - the things that make you, well, you - behind as well.

 

The capital of New South Wales Australia is best known for its stunning Opera House and iconic Harbour Bridge, but there is more to Sydney than just inspirational architecture.

The city of Sydney enjoys a thriving arts scene, bringing creative types from across Australia and further afield together in a modern and cosmopolitan setting.

Art Month Sydney

The city, which boasts a culture that is truly conducive to creative activities, actively encourages an influx of artists each year with the Art Month Sydney event. This month long festival was created as a celebration of the vibrant and diverse create community in the city and is a showcase for the best of Sydney’s visual arts scene.

Running throughout the month of March, Art Month Sydney, sees the staging of a wide variety of exhibitions and installations across the urban area at more than 80 private galleries throughout the city. The festival programme also includes a selection of creative workshops and other artistic events hosted by those at the heart of the art scene in Sydney.

Sydney Galleries

For those who are unable to travel to Sydney in the month of March, there is no reason to despair since the city has plenty to offer the art fan throughout the year.

As home to some of Australia’s greatest galleries, Sydney is an exciting art tourism destination across the calendar. Culture vultures heading for the city will want to ensure that they take the chance to visit the wonderful galleries on offer including the respected Art Gallery of New South Wales which showcases a superb selection of classic and modern pieces in a spectacular Sydney setting. The prominent permanent collection is complemented by a series of temporary exhibits that tour into town throughout the year showcasing the best of Australian and international art. The city is also home to the prestigious Soho galleries, which are widely regarded as the countries premiere private gallery offering an exciting insight into Sydney’s contemporary scene. And that is just the tip of the iceberg, with the city being home to a wide selection of galleries hosting classic and contemporary offerings as well as a number of spaces dedicated to the country’s rich cultural history and offering an insight into the aboriginal art scene.

Sydney Artists

With so much going on in the Sydney arts’ scene it is no surprise that the city has spawned a number of acclaimed artists, including iconic Aussie designer, painter and photographer Linda Jackson who started her career with a small boutique in the city’s Strand Arcade, the internationally acclaimed Rosetta Spencer whose abstract compositions have been shown across the world and figurative artist Liz McKay whose works have been hailed by the industry press across the globe.

Scene Keeps Artists in Sydney

The amazing vibe of the Sydney arts scene, the proliferation of galleries and artist led spaces and the welcoming café culture of the city conspire to keep artists captivated. Indeed, many UK artists find themselves so taken with the city of Sydney rush to buy their cheap flights to Sydney and stay in this cultural centre to cultivate their talents.

For those who have not heard the quote before it is actually referring to England and America but I definitely believe it applies to England and Australia. After all both nations speak English but upon first impressions when touching down on Australian soil I noticed subtle difference between the ways we and our Australian cousins use language and how certain things can get very lost in translation. i.e. “thongs” – in England an article of underwear, in Australia…shoes!!

Thanks to the free guidebook we picked up at the airport we now no longer had to live in the ignorance that “dunny” meant toilet! Not sure how that could be misconstrued to be anything else – “dunny” brings about all kinds of unsavoury connotations, think we could have worked that one out for ourselves.

A lot of our British colloquialisms translate across to Australia (although I will not argue who laid claim to them first) i.e. “bloke”, “bangers and mash” – (this one confused my American co-worker no end!), “scrub up” to name a few. I forget who said it but I refer to a quote by one much wiser than I to describe the initial feeling of landing in Oz – “Our Similarities bring us to a common ground; Our Differences allow us to be fascinated by each other”

The reason I am in Australia; this breath taking country, is due to my husband and I emigrating and following in the footsteps of so many of our “pommie” ancestors to the Promised Land of sun, sea, sand, surf..what more could a girl from the North East of England want. So we have embarked on this adventure pretty much blind having never even visited Australia before! Is that daring of us? Or Bonkers?! Time will tell! But so far it seems to have been a wise decision.

Arriving in Sydney

It was 8am on a balmy Sydney January morning when we stepped out from the artificial strip lights of airports and planes that had been our home for the past 28 hours to a hustle that can only be experienced at airports. People, cars, luggage; it’s the same no matter which country you are in. So far there were no real noticeable differences.

Also no killer snakes or spiders as was promised by all the slightly ignorant people back home who thanks to TV shows hosted by the likes of the late, great Steve Urwin were convinced that stepping off the plane meant certain death by Australia’s native wildlife. But no, much to their shock and indiscreet disappointment we survived and have yet to see such critters here in Sydney.

We got to the hotel and so far nobody had uttered the words “G’day” or “Barbie” and I was feeling slightly hard done to albeit probably putting too much emphasis on Australian culture from influences from the likes of Crocodile Dundee! Forgive me! But I reckon most Australians visiting the UK want to see the Queen drinking Tea in London rather than actually realising there are towns and cities north of the Watford Gap! That being said Australians tend to be a lot better travelled then us Brits. We tend to live for stereotypes, for cliché!

Given that we are approx. 10,000 miles away from the backdrop of the River Tees that I grew up with Sydney certainly feels a bit of a home away from home. After all the links in history between my “small town in Europe” where I grew up and this thriving metropolitan city are well documented.

The Harbour Bridge – build by the company Dorman Long in 1930’s was designed and constructed in Teesside; Captain Cook was born in Middlesbrough, Teesside and in fact there is a museum and hospital named in his honour. However given that I grew up in the area of his birth I knew little about him until coming here and now let’s just say it is probably best to play the Captain Cook affiliation down a bit J

The only real difference is obviously the weather. Since arriving here we have found ourselves being typically British and mentioning the weather every 5 minutes! But I think that has been the biggest change. In terms of being on the other side of the world I actually feel quiet at home!

Ok so I have been wracking my brains trying to come up with a top ten of what I advise I could give to those who are thinking of moving overseas; particularly to Sydney. Here are some I have come up with:

1. Sunscreen – ok all you sun worshippers like me you will be saying “ah it’s not that hot, I have sunbathed in hotter” but the one thing I did NOT release is that the hole in the Ozone everyone was bleating on about in the 80’s and 90’s is pretty much right over Australia. Australia has the highest skin cancer incidence rate in the world. Australians are four times more likely to develop a skin cancer than any other form of cancer. Approximately two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer before the age of 70 – this is not scaremongering its common sense. Factor 30 at least even when its overcast!


2. Housing - Look in the real estate market before you leave – getting an apartment over here is difficult due to the demand, for every place you look to rent there will be a queue of people behind you waiting for the same place! Destinations like Mosman, Bondi and North Shore are always popular. It is an idea to do some research from www.domain.com.au before you leave, check your budget and speak to the letting agents to find out when open houses are taking place. It is hard to apply from outside the country if you see somewhere you love. Usually it is a good idea to make the application in person but sign up for email alerts via domain.com.au to get ahead of the game. I event think they have a phone app! So you never miss out.
   
   When moving your residence it is important to review your home insurance options to best fit your situation.
   There are many websites offering a Home Insurance Comparison so make sure to use your due diligence and shop for the best deal.


3. LAFHA – it stands for Living Away From Home Allowance. If you are lucky enough to be sponsored with an employer in Australia talk to their HR or accounts department about LAFHA, I do not understand the calculations but basically if you are working in Australia and working here means you are not in your normal place of residence i.e. 1 Smith Street, London, England – then you can apply for LAFHA which allows you to get an extra allowance on tax depending on the amount of rent you pay. There may be other conditions but it is worth investigating once you start working – more information can be found at http://www.lafha.com.au/Home.aspx
   


4. Shopping – unlike the UK, Australia does not tend to have large supermarkets, or if they do they tend to be out of the city centre and could require a hefty bus trip to reach them. If you are lucky enough to owe a car it makes life a lot easier, although beware of toll roads! There are lots!


5. Gumtree & Ebay – a god send if like us you are starting from scratch. We did not ship any furniture over from the UK mainly due to the cost so when we found a place to rent it was bare! Gumtree is bigger than ebay over here with lots of things for sale and some for free! But you will need to organise a way of collecting i.e. hire a car/van/ute. Beds and sofas are very very expensive compared to the UK and electronics like Fridges and TV are on the pricey side as well. Look at discount warehouses, house sales or notices in local shops to grab a bargain. We also found some of the cheapest clothes dryers, on appliancesonline.com.au which is another good site for assessing the prices of household appliances.  Also if you are not proud (or can’t afford to be like us when we started out!) the residents of Sydney have a “clear out” about twice a month. So you could be going along a main road in a residential area and see piles of old furniture, tv’s computing equipment etc all by the side of the road. If you see something you think is in good condition you can simply take it before it is collected by the local council. We actually picked up a pretty decent coffee table this way. Be warned though, second hand furniture like this is not always in the best condition. Check out www.gumtree.com.au and www.ebay.com.au
   


6. Cars – now we don’t actually own a car yet as they seem to be very expensive. Even the 25 year old bangers seem to go for $3000! Then there is the added expenses of Rego (registration, cars need to be registered to the state they are in), GreenSlip (Tax and 3^rd party insurance combined), parking (most apartments in the CBD will not have parking and you can “buy or rent” a parking space if you need to) and Stamp duty (only really applicable on new cars). Public transport is pretty decent in Sydney and cheap and I recommend trying that first www.131500.com.au but another alternative we found was www.goget.com.au. Goget is a car share initiative which allows you to join as a member for about $49 a month then basically there are lots of cars parked around the city, you go online find one close to you pick it up and drive away for the day. You don’t pay petrol, tax, insurance or tolls! There are mileage charges but they are minimal.


7. Alcohol – unlike us boozey Brits the Aussies do not allow you to purchase alcohol at your local supermarket. There are designated liquor stores if you want to buy alcohol but be warned compared to the UK it is expensive. Even in pubs you are looking at $7-8 for a “scooner” which is 2/3 of a pint.


8. Creepy crawlies – now to be honest we have been pretty lucky in avoiding such encounters at the moment as I think I would be on the next plane home, but it is worth considering that the little beggars will get in your house (especially in Spring as flies are everywhere) so my advice is look at getting insect screens over your windows, or ask your landlord to look into it as an investment. In the summer months it can get hot on an evening and windows have to be kept open and this is when they will come in handy. Those living in high rises probably won’t have so much of a problem. Also invest in sprays and air fresheners that deter them from wondering into your house in the first place. Mosquitos are an issue especially near water we have found so invest in some sprays from the local shop to stop getting bitten.


9. Removals – If you do not have a van at your disposal and you need to collect furniture (as bought on ebay or the like) it can be cheaper to hire “a man with van”. These guys usually advertise on Gumtree under removals or in local shops and charge about $30-45 an hour – which is cheaper than hiring a Ute or paying delivery charges from shops.
10. Walking – Sydney is very hilly so if like me you are not used to walking it is always an idea to bring trainers with you in your bag for those steep climbs. The CBD is not so bad but the suburbs can be tough on the old calf muscles.

Anyway I hope this was helpful to those of you who have just arrived! Good luck and welcome to Sydney.

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As an outdoor gal, it’s always amazed me when people head to the gym in Sydney when the sun is shining! When I discovered yoga a few years back – I immediately thought, “this would be great to do in a park”. I looked online and found it hard to find an outdoor class so approached a yoga instructor and set up “Sydney’s outdoor yoga” group on the “Meet Up” website! I figured if I wanted an outdoor yoga class – I should organise it!

Now outdoor yoga does come with its challenges – wet grass after rain, the wind blowing when you are trying to focus on a balance and the off dog running through the middle of the class – toppling you from your “downward dog” position!

But mostly, it is just lovely. The fresh air, the sounds of nature, the grass under your feet. It clears my mind, sorts out my back and gets me ready for the day!

Now one of my favourite activities is Sunday’s morning’s down at McMahon’s Pt for a yoga class followed by brunch. I don’t get to do it all that often now but when I do, I cherish it.

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Whenever someone visits me from overseas I always take them kayaking, primarily as I know the response will be something like, “wow, this is amazing” or “I can’t believe I am just a few kilometres from the city and completely surrounded by bushland”.

The Harbour is an obvious drawcard for newcomers, but I am here to tell you folks - it’s not just about the beaches in Sydney; kayaking allows you to visit little bays, rocky outcrops, mangroves and even cafes! (you can pull up your kayak near the cafe “Plonk” at the Spit for example)

It’s also a great opportunity to take a look at some very nice Sydney real estate! As I paddle round Sydney, my friends and I like to dream about which Sydney Harbourside property we will one day get our hands on. (So we can kayak from our front door step of course!)

In terms of where to kayak from - there are lots of great places to kayak in Sydney and the best thing is you can hire kayaks for a very reasonable amount – generally $15-20 an hour with discounts on additional hours.

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A couple of years ago, I had never heard of these events. A challenge for me was an 8km fun run. (which still challenges me by the way – just differently!)

I then stumbed upon “adventure racing” at a visit to my chiropractor. The flyer showed a team of three on a kayak, mountain bikes and trail running. It looked exciting and despite not owning a bike I thought, “I can do this!”

I rallied a couple of friends, borrowed a bike and registered for the “novice’ category. We were so nervous we hardly slept, but we completed the race in 1 hour 50 min and were ecstatic to find out we had come 2^nd in the Novice Women’s category! We were hooked and since then we have done about 7 races.

Through contacts and friends I have met at races, I have discovered that Sydney not only offers great adventure racing but also fantastic endurance hiking and trail running events, mountain bike events and loads of ocean swims, kayaking races and triathlons.

A team of four of us did the 100km Wild Endurance in the Blue Mountains last weekend! It took 31 hours and exhausted me for days but what an adventure! At least a few of us want to go back next year and try for under 24 hours!

To the film lovers without any budget, here is a great find. There is an outdoor cinema set withing the Royal Botanical Gardens. It plays films from 8.30 most nights, which you can check online. I have heard it normally costs $30 a ticket, but there is a free option. If you take the path that leads up behind the cinema, you will come across some rocks on the right hand side. Climb up on these (not too challenging) and you have a good view of the large screen, albiet slightly obscured by some trees.

Up here, not only can you see the cinema screen and hear the dialogue, but you can also see the Opera House and Bridge lit up in the night. You'll find your eyes wandering between the film and the stunning backdrop, trying to comprehend the surreal nature of the situation. There is one snag though; you will be sharing your seat with a few possums and bats.

It seems that someone always seems to know someone, somewhere. The two friends I am in Sydney with, Rob and Dan, went to university with a girl who is living in Freshwater, just around the corner from Manly. To get there I got the ferry from pier 3 at Circular Quay. It costs around 10 or 11 bucks for a return ticket. The ride over to Manly is very pretty in itself. The sun was shining down on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera house as the boat chugged around the coast. Half an hour later and you get to Manly, a beachside town full of pretty people on surfboards.

Apart from the inferiority complex this can give you, this seems like the place to settle around Sydney. I spent that night sat my friends, and their friends, perched on rocks and drinking beer as the Sun set. Absolutley perfect.

{mnf=off}

A​rriving in Sydney the most important thing came first, where to find cheap food? I instantly found there are at least two Coles stores on George Sreet, brilliantly news. There is also a Woolworths on the corner of George Street and P​ark Street.

Ok, so next, free internet (I have an online research job and the first big task of travelling to a new place is finding a wireless connection). The usual Wifi and power points of Hungry Jacks are nowhere to be found as in Melbourne. Although, finding Wifi was not as bad as the midnight search of Singapore, which only got me and my laptop drenched and my dignity taken from me as I slipped over in the wet streets. The Sydney State Library offers free wireless and thankfully, the lockers their are also free, which the not so friendly security man pointed me to. All in all, not a bad first few hours.

and this is one of the many reasons i came here.

 

Source – Dial a Flight – Cheap Flights to Australia.

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There are obviously the token essentials you’ll take like your digital camera and/or video and your phone and then no doubt your Ipod or music player .

With that, if you can get your self some in your ear or noise cancelling headphones then your travelling is all going to be about you and your tunes. Great for planes, trains, buses and any other noisy modes of transport your noise cancelling headphones are going to be your best friend blocking out the drone of life around you.

Things to go with your tunes though, would be an airline headphone jack adapter, which allows you to plug your personal headphones into the standard airline audio plugs. (right)

Also if your going to listen to hours and hours of music and don’t have access to power or laptop, then an extra battery pack for your ipod is another cracker of an idea.
If your like me and cant live without some kind of entertainment or link with the digital world, then taking your laptop with you on your trip is a no brainer.
But also if your looking and travelling heaps then maybe a smaller and cheaper alternative to your main laptop is to get another one like the Asus EEEPC or MSI wind. These little guys weigh about a kilo and run Windows Vista/XP and are perfect for taking on holidays as they have wireless so you can hook into any hotspot and get on the net, as well as have enough grunt and storage to play movies, music, run basic apps and best of all last fricken ages with some going for 6 hours.
Id get one off Ebay for a few hundred bucks cheaper than retail. About $300 - $800


The other great thing about taking your laptop is that you’ll have a spot to store / backup all your photos that you take. Instead of worrying about losing your camera or memory card you can copy them to you lappy and even update Facebook / flickr or equivalent on the fly while your away, forever keeping those memories alive.
With all your toys, your going to need a way to charge them all. And instead of carrying 4 different adapters here and there you should get a universal travel adapter.
Like this one;


And also what I find doing is packing a double adapter or even a four plug power board, so that you just need one Power Adapter for the country you’re in, but then your power board can run your laptop, charge your camera, your phone and your misses hairdryer.

One thing to quickly mention about taking your phone with you,
1. Make sure it’s unlocked and not bound to any carrier if you are going to get a local simcard.
2. Check to see if you phone will psychically work on the countries network. Ie what band it uses; 900 1800 1900 etc
“For a GSM phone, dual-band usually means 850 / 1900 MHz in the United States and Canada, 900 / 1800 MHz in Europe and most other countries. Tri-band means 850 / 1800 / 1900 MHz or 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz. Quad-band means 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz, also called a world phone, since it can work on any GSM network.”

To be continued...........