| The EscapeArtist.com International
Relocation Reference Library pages for Australia. We have been publishing
international relocation articles & reports for over a decade. |
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| Adventures
in Australia's Outback |
| - As much
as I love setting out on my own to explore an area with nothing more than
my guidebook to direct me, there are certain situations and locations that
justify, or even necessitate a guided tour. Australia’s Red Center
is one of those places. Not only is the area inhospitable, but there are
huge distances between places of interest to travellers.And so I find myself
jumping on an Adventure Tours bus leaving Alice Springs very early one
November morning. |
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| Australia:
Wilson's Promontory |
| - Australia
has no shortage of national parks providing magnificent scenery.
When it comes to wildlife, however, one stands out from the rest – Wilson’s
Promontory National Park. Referred to as The Prom, this national
park protects 50,000 hectares of diverse landscape; untouched beaches,
swamps and rainforest. Jul/06 |
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| Australia
Property Buying Process and Investment Facts |
| - Income and
capital gains derived from property owned in Australia has to be reported
to the Australian taxation authorities but there are certain incentives
in place for overseas property investors to reduce or negate their taxation
liability. Sept./06 |
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| Australia’s
East Coast Islands - Island Hopping |
| - One
place worth stopping in for at least a few days is the town of 1770. The
only town to have a name consisting solely of numbers, 1770 was named after
the year Captain James Cook stopped there. Our main reason for visiting
here is to participate in one of the day trips going to Lady Musgrave Island.
From 1770, the boat takes about two hours to get out to the Great Barrier
Reef. Once there, it ties up to a pontoon that holds snorkeling equipment,
an underwater viewing tunnel and a glass bottom boat. You can go for a
walk on the island itself, but scuba divers have to sacrifice this opportunity
in order to descend into the depths of the coral rich blue-green waters
of the lagoon. |
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| Australia:
The Price of Adventure |
| - When my
family and I decided to undertake a move to Australia we found that, while
we thought we had researched the costs pretty effectively, we were woefully
unprepared. My wife's initial reaction was something along the lines
of “I don’t think so” but with a lot more expletives. Michael A. Kozlowski
May/06 |
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| Awake
From The Dreamtime - Facing The Realities Of Modern-Day Australia |
| - When I was
a little girl, the dream of visiting the Land Down Under occupied my mind.
I dreamed of long stretches of white beach, of bush land as far as the
eye could see, of deserts that rivaled the Sahara. I thought about the
friendly faces of blond haired, blue eyed Australians smiling as they greeted
me with the traditional “G’day.” When I finally visited Australia, during
my senior year of college, I found myself entering the land of my dreams. |
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| Back
In Time To Gonwonda Land - Adventure In Australia |
| - Great article
about traveling around the remote northern territories of Australia. Find
out what it's like to travel through a landscape that is 120 million years
old. You will see some of the oldest flora and fauna in the world. Be careful
because there is the dangerous funnel web spider and the brown box jellyfish,
both of which can kill a human. If you're brave and like adventure then
take a look at what it's like to travel to the far north of Australia. |
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| Brisbane’s
Building Madness - In The North Of Australia |
| - Being Australia’s
booming city means building madness for Brisbane. Land releases, whole
new villages planned and built, original size blocks of land halved and
existing properties increasing in value. Buying property is still possible
here and the good news is that for the first time in 9 years, Australia
has recorded it’s lowest annual increase in property prices. Land prices
have even decreased in some places to 50% of the price they were two years
ago. |
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| Creatures
And Comforts On Kangaroo Island - 4-WD Tracking of Koalas, Kangaroos, and
Cockatoos |
| - The dark,
deserted building showed no resemblance to an airport. Noticing our hesitation,
the cab driver reassured us that this was the Adelaide General Aviation
Terminal, the departure venue for Emu Airways’ 84 weekly flights to Kangaroo
Island. Much of our eager anticipation for this sojourn centered on a magical,
ecological adventure to Australia’s third largest island, 30 minutes by
air and 120 km. from the mainland. Being the dutiful U.S. travelers that
we are, we arrived at the terminal the customary 2 hours prior to departure
time. |
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| Crikey!
Crocs And Devils And Platypuses - Oh My! |
| - After spending
over a month lazing on beaches, swimming in the sea and interacting with
Australia’s wildlife, I was actually ready for a city break by the time
we arrived in Brisbane. The capital of Queensland, Brisbane is a delightful
city – big enough to have all the comforts of city living, but small enough
not to smother you. Part of Brisbane’s charm is definitely its multitude
of riverside parks. Brisbane River winds its way through the city, so be
sure to spend an afternoon strolling through the Botanic Gardens that run
alongside the water. |
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| Development
Preference Shares - an alternative to development risk |
| - It appears
to be the latest trend to involve investors in development of projects,
in order to gain greater return for the investor. Development does involve
some level of risk. When Professional developers look at potential returns
they generally expect some level of variance to the returns suggested at
the outset due to building delays, expenses being over budget and a lack
of sales of the final product which can add to holding costs. As a way
to limit these risks for those funding projects developers in Australia
have introduced “development preference shares” as a way of moving an investor
into the position of financing the project rather than being a fellow developer. |
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| Emerging
Growth Location - Real Estate in Australia |
| -
Looking for an emerging growth location in Australia, consider investing
in Darwin Australia, in a project that offers investors a long term lease
with guaranteed returns. As a property investor, you are probably looking
for excellent value today as well as solid projected medium to long term
growth. |
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| Escape
Artist Evaluation of Australia As an Expatriate Destination |
| - As pointed
out in the book Escape From America, measuring a nation's potential as
an expatriate destination by looking only at the level of wages & personal
income is foolish. Level of income tells you nothing other than how much
is being earned. It doesn't tell you the price of tomatoes, the quality
of the schools, nor the level of crime. If you have to put bars on your
windows, bus your children 15 miles to a civilized school and eat polluted
tomatoes, you've lost income and quality of life - - Australia is
noted for many things, but most of all it is noted for it's excellent quality
of life. |
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| Ex-Pats
Living And Thriving Down Under - In Australia |
| -
Australia and New Zealand are very appealing to Americans because of the
similarities in lifestyle, language and currency - and for a lot more reasons,
politics aside. There’s a plethora of MIAs (migration agents) and unique
services like BMI (Business Migration Investments & Tours) that are
headed by ex-pat Americans eager to help you make the “sea change.” And
there are organisations like AAA (Australian-American Association) and
Necomers Network to tell you where to go to network with fellow ex-pats. |
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| Expatriates
Build Wealth in Australia |
| -
The Aussie dollar is at an all time low against the American dollar and
the strong Pound Sterling, consequently there is strong purchasing power
for Expats and UK residents in Australia. Australia welcomes foreign investment
in real estate. Overseas investors can therefore obtain the benefit
of freehold title. To take advantage of this, major developers such
as Central Equity apply to the Federal Government Foreign Investment Review
Board to gain permission to sell their residential apartments to foreign
investors prior to releasing their development to the public. |
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| Falling
In Love With Australia - Staying On In Australia |
| - I fell in
love with Australia when I was about 10. It might have been the koalas,
kangaroos or pictures of the Opera House. I am not quite sure, but I always
had a healthy obsession with the land down under and a strong desire to
travel there. |
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| Fleeing
Tropical Darwin For The Capricorn Coast - Or, How We Escaped The “Build-Up”
In Australia’s Sunshine State |
| - Just south
of Brisbane and in what the Aussie's call the "sunshine state" Yeppon,
Australia offers the expat many incentives. From the endless summer days,
to the wide open beaches, to the abundant wildlife, northern Australia
makes for a good investment and a good place to call home. If you want
to get out of expensive Europe or dangerous America, then take a look at
safe Australia. |
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| Go
West - Australia’s Other Coast |
| - Traveling
down the East Coast of Australia, you’ll undoubtedly meet hordes of other
travelers. From teenagers to backpackers to grandparents, everyone will
have stories to share and advice to give. And it’s worth listening to;
most tourists come to Australia and merely travel down the East Coast.
But one wise traveler, who had dared to go beyond the East Coast, shared
a story with me that was ultimately responsible for what I consider to
be the most extraordinary experience of my life. |
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| Going,
Going – Ghan - Across Australia By Train |
| - The full
moon beamed down on the baked Red Centre clay, emitting a rebounding glow
from the earth. Rounder, fuller than the moon my eyes are accustomed to
viewing, the illusion of a different Southern Hemisphere’ tugged at my
imagination. Just then – a movement outside the window distracted my attention.
A huge, red, short-haired kangaroo hopped alongside the sleek silver Ghan
Train car, his speed enhanced by the coolness of the Great Victorian Desert
night. We were both traversing the vast Australian Outback, by different
locomotion and with different view points, to be sure. Earlier, only faint
outlines of the ‘roos, hiding from the unmerciful sun among the scrub bushes
and scant gum trees, were visible. |
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| Immigrating
To Australia - The First Twelve Months |
| - There are
obvious times in one’s life to immigrate to Australia. Being pregnant,
with no organized prearranged job, family or friends in Queensland are
not many peoples idea of good, well-planned timing. |
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| Learning
Australian - Surfing Australia |
| - Crista Birmingham,
an American surfer has been learning Australian while she surfs the best
spots in the land down under. She provides us with insights about Australia,
Australians and what it takes for a Yank to get along with them and their
culture. She also explains how to transverse the country and how to land
jobs. |
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| Little
Things on a Big Island |
| - Moving
to another country one can expect a bit of culture shock. However,
when my family and I decided to seize an opportunity to live in Australia
we were fairly certain we could adapt easily. After all there is
no language barrier and the culture is decidedly similar to the United
States. What we found was that it was the little things that took
us by surprise, things we hadn’t considered or prepared for. Oct./06 |
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| Local
Guide Solves Migration Dilemma - Moving To Australia |
| - When Louisa
and Robert Dawdy sold their property and business in the UK and made the
life-changing move to the Gold Coast with their three children, they did
not expect the challenges that lay ahead. Almost 18 months after migrating,
Ms Dawdy said the move had been the hardest thing the family had ever done:
“we expected to pick up where we had left off – we sold up everything we
had in England and took it for granted that everything would fall into
place over here”. |
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| NOW
is the time to invest in Australia’s East coast cities |
| - As a property
investor, you like most are probably looking for excellent value today
as well as solid projected medium to long term growth. |
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| Real
Estate in Australia |
| - A somewhat
polarised option for consideration as your new destiny. Being a long way
from other major population centres, you may feel isolated from, say, European
destinations and the expedient of being able to travel to another country
and culture in short time frames. However, there are extenuating factors!
Physically about the same time as the USA, Australia offers a wide range
of climates and topographies, so think more "continent" than "country." |
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| Residency
In Australia - From Residents To Citizens |
| - Our two
year anniversary of living in Australia has been officialised by an application
to become Australian citizens. This is an opportunity open to permanent
residents after living in Australia for two years. What the change of status
means is that as members of the Australian community, we have the same
rights as Australians; we can vote, have a passport, receive social security
payments, work in the public service or serve in the armed forces if we
want to do so. |
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| Sensational
Sydney - Falling In Love With Sydney |
| - Sydney!
I really, really love Sydney. This line, from the slightly tacky commercial
advertising Australia’s biggest city, has an irrefutable ring of truth
to it. I, personally, really, really do love Sydney. Besides having one
of the most famous and spectacular harbors in the world, Sydney truly has
a multicultural and cosmopolitan vibe. |
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| South
Molle Island – The Affordable Whitsunday Getaway |
| - The Whitsundays
have the additional reputation as one of the more pricey places to stay
along Australia’s East Coast. Celebrities such as Julia Roberts and George
Harrison have homes in the area, and Hamilton Island boasts a luxurious
five star resort. But if you’re like most vacationers and not traveling
on an A-list budget, South Molle Island is the perfect place to take in
all that the Whitsundays have to offer, without giving up too many luxuries.
Oct./06 |
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| Still
Surviving Down Under - An American In Australia |
| - “She’ll
be alright mate”, an Australianism for dismissing problems as mere inconveniences.
“No drama” (no need to worry) unless it’s time to rush to a BBQ or down
to the beach. Very comforting words when facing the challenges of our second
year. Now at the end of October the temperature is already hotting up 32C.
This we’ve found is just the right temperature to disappear every other
weekend for camping, fishing and water sports. |
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| Surfing,
Koalas And Night Canoeing - The Final Leg Of Australia’s East Coast |
| - Two hours
south from the commercialized tourist resort of Surfer’s Paradise lies
Byron Bay. Part of New South Wales, Byron Bay is the perfect beach town.
Not too big and not too small, the surfing mecca is flawlessly situated
on an ideal surfing break. Tourists flock here not only for the surfing,
but also for the town’s many spas, yoga centers, nightlife and one particularly
famous dive site. |
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| Sydney:
From the City to the Mountains |
| - You could
easily spend weeks in Sydney and not see everything that this sensational
city has to offer. In my last article I covered only a few of Sydney’s
highlights. When you’re in a big city for a short time, it’s hard to decide
which tourist attractions you have to leave out, but there are certain
must do’s in Sydney. April/06 |
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| Tax
Structure In Australia - Contracting Down Under |
| - There are
lots of people who write to the E-zine interested in going to Australia:
what do I do, what about immigration, what about taxes? The country must
be a wonderful place to live in. I have a friend who is working in the
north of Australia and she tells me she wants to stay as long as possible
as there is no other place she would rather be. If you want to start planning
a move to Australia, then the above article will help you plan your move. |
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| Traveling
And Staying Healthy - Working On Organic Farms In Australia And New Zealand |
| - When I first
decided to take an extended journey away from home, I knew I would be faced
with the tiresome dilemma of what to do with all my stuff. I quickly decided
that "stuff" was meaningless in the grand scheme of life. But I didn’t
want to give it all up. I wanted to keep my favorite books, my practically
new Swedish foam mattress, and all the things I had collected since college.
I couldn’t afford a storage unit (could barely afford to survive the 6
months I'd be away). When I thought about it though, six months is nothing.
I mean, I wasn't spending seven years in Tibet. |
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| Travels
Down Under - The East Coast Of Australia |
| - I have no
idea why I waited so long to travel to Australia. I guess the fact that
it is far, far away had something to do with it, but let me tell you -
the long journey is well worth it. Australia is a huge and extremely diverse
country with plenty to keep the avid traveler happy. I'm here on a one
year working visa, and I'm already worried that one year won't be long
enough. |
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| Travels
in Australia - More From The East Coast Of Australia |
| - Last month,
I began my adventures on the East Coast of Australia, starting off in Cairns
and journeying south to Magnetic Island. Leaving Magnetic and continuing
farther south, I’ve been taking my time and enjoying all that the Coast
has to offer. I see way too many travelers rushing down to Sydney, missing
out on so many new and original experiences. The East Coast of Australia
has so much to offer that sometimes I think I could probably spend the
rest of my traveling days happily following the shoreline as it winds around
some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. I haven't come across
a single place that I wouldn't return to in an instant - but some locations
definitely stand out from the rest. |
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| Turtle
Hatchlings - Wet, Sloppy Seal Kisses and Feeding Dolphins |
| - On Australia’s
East Coast, just about every month of the year is part of a season bursting
with special wildlife activity. Some of these seasons, such as the presence
of stingers in the north, are not always welcome. But one of the most interesting
and exceptional seasons takes place from November to March. Fifteen kilometers
northeast of Bundaberg, Queensland at Mon Repos, marine turtles drag themselves
onto the beach to lay their eggs, and starting in January, tiny hatchlings
emerge from the sand. |
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| Western
Australia Part Two - Time Travel And Mermaids |
| - My adventures
in Western Australia began about halfway up the coast near Exmouth, Coral
Bay and Ningaloo Reef. I had been surprised at the area’s isolation and
small number of people who lived and traveled here. But as we went south
towards Perth, we were confronted with even more of Western Australia’s
remoteness; long distances between towns that decreased in number and in
size, and very few vehicles on the long empty roads. |
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| Worth
My Weight In Gold - The Final Leg Of Western Australia |
| - After making
our way down the enchanting but secluded coast of Western Australia from
Exmouth to Kalbarri, I have to admit I was thrilled to arrive at our next
destination, Geraldton, and see a traffic light! With a population of over
23,000, this was the biggest city we’d seen in Western Australia so far.
As much as I love the isolation and immersion into nature that the rest
of the coast provides, I did feel a certain excitement at seeing neon lights
and a huge grocery store. |
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