Leading Out

Tag: accommodation

Trying to buy or sell items when moving to Australia?

We did talk quite a bit about how to find furniture in Melbourne in past posts, but what about when you leave Melbourne and want to sell all of your stuff.

Many people just give everything to an Opt Shop or worse, throw it all away! It is environmental to try and pass on all of your items to someone else. That way, they don’t have to buy everything brand new, but it also doesn’t fill up the landfill sites (and bonus, you can make a bit of money back!).

So how do you find people who would actually want your used couches, bed, fridge, kitchen utensils, desk, etc. Well we all know Ebay and for individual items, this works well but the best option for used items, we have found is Gumtree.  

Gumtree Melbourne is fantastic to buy or sell the small things (utensils, plates, etc.), to bigger things (fridge, bed, desk), and you can even sell/buy cars for under $5000. Did you know you can look for work here too or a place to rent (just be careful for people who are scamming you)!

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OZ-NZ Holiday Accommodation Terms and Info

Here are a few key terms and some points to note about accommodation in Oz and NZ (Australia and New Zealand):

  • Self-contained: this is one of the Australasia’s best gifts to tourism. They contain a full kitchen (what you need to cook ‘with’,  ‘in’ and ‘on’: pots, utensils, stoves/fridges).  You will literally have everything you need for a cozy stay (towels, linen (They call this “Manchester” here) and hopefully a ‘car-park’ (a.k.a. “parking space”). If you are traveling in a group of 3 or more and plan to save money by cooking at home–definitely search for these.
  • Hostel: Can be quite similar to Italy’s hostels (Europe in general). Make sure you do your research/hostel. If it is a YHA it should be in good condition. There are a serious variety in quality, but if you look at the traveler’s comments then you should be ok.  After some experiences in Vietnam, I learned that you NEVER BOOK ONLINE ACCOMMODATION without going to Trip Advisor first! Make sure there is parking and breakfast, and find out where your bathrooms will be located.
    • What does your accommodation really offer you?
    What does your accommodation really offer you?
  • Motel/Hotel: These are basically the same thing in Australasia. Hotels are typically more upmarket-but make sure you look at the star-rating (on a 5 star scale, just like North America) to make sure which quality you are getting. I don’t tend to prefer anything less than 3 -star for the cleanliness can decrease signficantly with each star). Usually each room will have tea and coffee making facilities.
  • Caravan Parks: these are the equivalent of Canadian “car – camping” grounds. They include toilet/shower facilities, usually a kitchen/bbq area and a small shop.  They often offer Cabins which can be a great deal for a double room at $45/night (but you might not get a private bathroom or linen in this price).
  • Resorts: these are more up-market. If you’re going to stay in one, make sure you get all the trimmings: spa, parking, massage upgrades, free bottle of wine/champagne on arrival, and 4-5 stars. Note that only really a 5 star place is full-on luxury. 4 star can be pretty average in NZ and in Oz.
  • Studio: This is an open-style apartment.
    www.freedigitalphotos.net
    www.freedigitalphotos.net

    You will be cooking and sleeping in the same room. You will likely have a separate washroom area.  Often these will be combined with “self-contained”.

  • B & B: They serve you breakfast, included in the price. Usually each room will have tea and coffee making facilities.  Sometimes the B&B will provide you with breakfast making provisions in Australia/NZ. But usually it is more traditional, where the ‘hosts’ serve you breakfast, etc. It’s great if you really want to meet the home owners, not so great if you prefer to sleep-in and be independent (which is why old-people usually frequent these places more than the young.)

If you liked this post, check out my New Zealand Top 10 Places to visit.

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