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)!

The post Trying to buy or sell items when moving to Australia? appeared first on Leading Out.

If going for 5 to 7 days, we recommend starting in Tokyo and heading down to Kyoto as well.

Day 1: Tokyo

Fish Market; Meiji-Jingu shrine, shopping for electronics in Akihabara, and that night, heading to Shibuya Crossing for all the lights, busy street corners etc.

Day 2: Road trip to Kyoto

You can stop to see Mt. Fuji but in the winter, you might not have much luck seeing it! Once in Kyoto, head to Nishiki Market; and the Ponto-cho (night market).

Day 3: Kyoto

Go to all the Temples in S.Higashiyama. Also go to the Imperial Palace and the Gion region for the Geisha dancing.

Day 4: Kinosaki

Head to Kinosaki from Kyoto for the Onsens (hot baths!). In this town, they have 5 hot baths in the village that anyone can go to, plus you can get a private hot bath in certain accommodation.

Day 5: Tokyo

Head back to Tokyo. Fit in any more temples, markets, museums, etc. that you can!

The post Japan – Stop in while travelling to Australia appeared first on Leading Out.

[poll id=”9″]

[poll id=”18″]

The post How do you feel about Teaching in Australia? appeared first on Leading Out.

Melbourne’s markets are open all year long!

Not only are the open all year, but there are markets across the city. Many people go to the touristy and very popular Queen Victoria Market, but have you gone somewhere more convenient to you? White Hat is a great website that gives details, addresses, etc. for all Markets in Melbourne and across Australia.

Stop going to the Grocery Store (Supermarket) in Australia!

As teachers in Australia, we are always looking to save money. Stop shopping at the expensive grocery stores and go to the market. Not only are you buying local produce and supporting small businesses, but it is cheaper! My favourite is Footscray Market. The fish, seafood, and meat are by far the cheapest I have found. Also it is surrounded by Vietnamese stores and restaurants so if you want a good feed, this is the place for you!

But how about Dandenong Market, South Melbourne Market, Prahran, St.Andrew’s etc… The list is never ending so there’s nothing stopping you from getting fresh produce for a fraction of the price.

The post Market shopping for your groceries in Australia appeared first on Leading Out.

6) A Backpack – so often when I pick up teachers at the airport, they show up with big refrigerator size suitcases. What you will find out quickly is that having a backpack when travelling in Australia is essential. It is not like Europe, most attractions in Australia are outdoors and require hiking, walking, swimming, etc. Not an easy thing to do with a rollie suitcase! Save yourself having to buy one, and make sure one of your bags you pack for Australia is a backpack.

7) Electric converter – If you didn’t know, Australia’s voltage is 220V but more importantly, the spokes are angled. You don’t need a large one if you already have an adapter on your laptop (which most do!). Also DO NOT bring a hair dryer or hair straightener. Doesn’t matter what you do, it will blow up! So leave it at home.

8.) Laptop – or any other technology. If you don’t know, electronics in Australia are super expensive so come prepared!

9) Mobile/Cell phone – If you have a phone with a SIM card, get your phone unlocked and bring it with you. It will save you from buying a phone and you will only need to buy a SIM card.

10) Bring half the stuff, double the money – this is usually the advice when going on holiday, but I think it is even more important when moving overseas. Although you want to make sure to have the critical things, there is no point bringing everything but the kitchen sink! There will always be things you will need as you get used to the climate and the type of activities you are doing.

We hope this has been helpful for you.

If you have other things that you found helpful when moving to Australia or something you know you won’t leave home without, let us know!

The post What to Bring to Australia Part II appeared first on Leading Out.

The Ten Most Important Things to Bring to Australia

1) A Jacket – not just a thin jacket, but a real winter jacket. Despite what people think about Australia, it does in fact get cold. So cold that those that don’t bring jackets, scarves and a hat, usually buy it or have their family send it over. Learn more about Winter in Australia or Tips to cope with Winter.

2) Electronic Copies of documents- since you will be travelling, you won’t want to carry original copies or photocopies of your documents. Not only as they could get ruined or lost, but also must easier to send to schools/agencies online.

3) A Variety of Clothing- remember not only will you be travelling but you will also need teaching clothes. We suggest packing a number of items that can be mixed and matched to make different outfits. Clothing is expensive in Australia so you don’t want to be relying on this to heavily especially over the first few months.

4) Toiletries– Deod0rants are mainly sprays so if you like stick, then stick with it and bring a few over! Sorry guys but this is an important one for the females you come over to Australia. If you have your favourite types, bring them as they are quite different or old school products in Australia. See Australian feminine products.

5) Photos of Family and Friends – Yes you will have your laptop but there is nothing better than having a few printed photos to put in frames up in your room. Just makes your new place homey and makes your home overseas feel a little less far away.  Homesickness is quite common and the 3-month rule will help you see that you are not alone.

Come back here to find out what the next five things that you should bring to Australia when moving to teach! Find the second part of this series here.

Have you thought of anything that we haven’t said yet? Let us know!

The post What to Bring to Australia Part I appeared first on Leading Out.

My suggestion is, sign up for an account now, and you will be surprised how many people are actually on it, even if you are not overseas yet. This way, when you are already on your computer, you can have a quick chat with someone too!

Ten years ago when I first travelling to Melbourne, Australia, Skype didn’t exist, or Facebook, and I was lucky to even have my family using internet regularly. Now back in Melbourne, having skype to quickly call my friends and family in Canada, makes such a difference to my enjoyment and love for living in Australia.

The post Skype: a tool for teachers in Australia appeared first on Leading Out.

Hey, Teacher: What are you Doing with your Life?

Are you tired and overworked? Do you feel drained in January? Do you look forward one week off in March to return in March and feel exhausted? Has a 20-week term got you down? Here’s the answer: MOVE TO AUSTRALIA!

WARNING: this is not a sales pitch, this is pure enthusiasm. I used to teach in Ontario, and then I got out of there! No jobs? There’s lots of teaching jobs in Australia. Insufficient recovery time? It’s sufficient in Australia.

What’s ‘the Catch’?

The first thing on your mind is salary: yes! It’s the same (pretty much)! And, it’s not so different with the exchange rate that you will feel hard-done-by. So now that we’ve got that settled, I would
MOVE TO AUSTRALIA!

The School year starts in January—no more of that “2005-2006” split school year crap. The year starts in the same calendar year as it finishes – this makes perfect sense. And even better, the school year starts at the end of January! This means that since you finished before Christmas (and usually in the first couple of weeks of December!) that you have had at least a 6-week break over summer. (Remember the seasons are opposite to North America!)

Are you worried a 6-week break is not long enough?

I used to believe that six weeks paled in comparison to the treat of two months off from school.

Let’s be frank: we are talking about a two-week difference. Furthermore, if you still aren’t feeling rested enough—and this is not the experience of any of my colleagues—never-the-less, if you feel it is not enough: let me point out that in Victoria, you receive the students on February 1st and wave goodbye at the end of Term 1 eight weeks later.

“Terms” are far more intelligent than semesters.

Let’s face it, teaching is freaking exhausting. I worked three jobs in university, going to school full-time and that was so easy and fun in comparison to the absolute exhaustion I feel in teaching. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done!

Don’t get me wrong, I love teaching, but after leaking knowledge all day, you need time to recover so that you don’t turn into that screaming ‘educator’ who hates the world and blackens the hearts of innocent young children just from their sheer exhaustion.

School Holiday Schedule:

April holidays last two weeks, and then you will have a longer term of just twelve weeks until June. Mind you, it is a term filled with many phone calls to home as the honeymoon is over; all of our work habits are

starting to exude their areas of improvement! However, July’s two week holiday can see you up in Noosa relaxing on the beach or skiing up in ‘the snow’ in north-west Victoria.

The nine weeks that last until the end of term can be a challenge for sure, but you will still have a two-week break in September to recuperate once again, ensuring that you return to school with a genuine smile on your face, ready to face the year ahead.

The official school year usually winds down in November too, allowing December a time for transition and excitement for the year ahead. You have a few weeks to do some pre-planning for the new year. It all just–works.

So, seriously, MOVE TO AUSTRALIA.

Post-Script:

A final note, education research is always comparing Victorian education with Ontario curriculum like some sibling rivalry—but on this one note I happen to concur that the Aussies do it better.

The post Thinking of Moving to Australia? RE: Teaching Holidays appeared first on Leading Out.

This post marks the start of a 10-post series that Leading Out has asked me to write for you. These posts will appear once a week, over the Australian summer months, to give you time to get ready for 2009.

Part 1: Public Transportation in Melbourne

More good news on public transportation in Melbourne—it’s cheaper than Sydney and moves pretty well. With the purchase of one card, you can access buses, trains and trams. The deal is this, for longer journeys, take the train, for city journeys, take a tram and for awkward journeys you take a bus.

The best aspect of the MET system are the MET shops where you will find very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable staff who will enthusiastically hand you free timetables for your train line.

Connex runs the train system and they are… sort of reliable. Apparently they are working to get more trains…yeah, well, we’ll see. What really needs to happen is the building of more exhange platforms so commuters could easily switch lines. That would get far more people commuting. As it is now, Richmond, Flinders and South Yarra are the main exchange stations, and they are as far in as the CBD.

Do You Need a Car in Melbourne?

It’s pretty great to have a car in Melbourne, as it is anywhere (especially if you are running late) but you really don’t need one.

But you can get anywhere you need to go without a car. If you need to get somewhere important (especially for the first time) make sure you look it up online. The transportation system is good, but it’s not infallible. And always take the route earlier than you need to take in case they cancel the train (they do that sometimes).

Regarding “Connex” and their Employees:

Don’t expect to get any help from the Connex people working at the stations. It is widely accepted by commuters that Connex workes are unhelpful: they don’t sell tickets; they don’t know train time tables; they stand there and “work” the ticket machine which works by itself.

Apparently they are “officers”. But I’ve seen them chase a number of people, and they always get away. I’ve also seen them ignore people who deserve chasing.

Mostly, the Connex workers just tell you off (which isn’t even efficient, or as funny, Karma “fare evaders” posters–which are quite effective ad campaign (they make me want to stamp my ticket, and I have a “monthly”). So, it’s not like me to bag someone’s job, but I really don’t know how their salary is justified (If you know why it is, please tell me!) and how it wouldn’t be better spent on more trains.

Yarra Trams,

however are pretty good. They are clean, secure and while the odd timetable might get a bit slowed down, you can get an SMS message from Track-Tracker letting you know when to expect the next train.

Where to Buy a METCard:

You can get cards at Newsagencies and 711s and any place with a little blue banner “METcards sold here” out the front.

You can buy a “monthly” (pass), a “daily” and a “2-hourly” pass. There are also two zones which you need to pay attention.

METCard Fees–Who Pays ‘Full Fee’:

As a teacher you’ll be paying Full Fee (only elderly and students qualify for “concession” prices).

The post Public Transportation in Melbourne appeared first on Leading Out.