Hi Guys,
I'm trying to manage my dream: living one year in OZ,Perth.
But I need tons of information about everything...so any kind of tips and advices are welcomed:
- cheap accomodation for two people (in Perth or very close to it)
- cost of living
- how to get an internship in a company...
and whichever thing you think It could be useful to me, please tell me...
Good wind and let me know.
Simone
Australia is the most expensive Anglo-saxon country by far and 1 of the most expensive countries in the world, so you'll have to bring lots of money. Or a tent and not as much.
Average property price is A$585k (US$530k) vs US $175k vs GB pound 143k (US$ 230)... our interest rates are also the highest... so expect rent to cripple you (A$2000-3000 a month in the city (Sydney)). You even have to bid up places (pay more than the asking rent) cos Howard/Rudd invited the world in and didn't build the infrastructure to accomodate the influx.
Food is also more expensive than any other Anglo-saxon country... every time I go to Whoolies I spend A$100 for 2 days food (2 people)... And don't even think about bring supplies in, cos customs will analy probe you and confiscate anything they want and then charge u for the pleasure.
Kites, again most expensive.
Parking again most expensive... and allow for multiple fines (not sure about WA, but in NSW/Vic just open your wallet & bend over any time u see a Ranger/Cop).
++ Road tolls, speed/red light/hidden/funny/plane/chopper/car cams.
If you're a backpacker you'll be competing with boat people for jobs... minimum wage is $550/w but 10% just disappears in to a "Super" rip off, and the rest will vanish in taxes and medicare surcharges.
That sums it up, bring as much money as you can or you might not last a year 
.
Also because there are a lot of Great Whites, savage sea lions, Stingers, Tiger Sharks, Bull Sharks, most venomous Snakes/Spiders/Ants/Roaches/Bees/Flies/Fleas/Trees/Fish/Octopy/Dogs/Devils/Wombats/Birds in the WORLD and Medicare will only help you if you're about to die and then charge you for the ambulance... get medical insurance.
If you can afford A$7000 a month you can rent a nice place on the beach and have Tiger prawn BBQ everyday, with friendliest people... and life will be super sweet.
.
KIT33R: We killed all the bears and the ones we missed, global warming got... but I forgot to include ice burgs.
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/6768364/Giant-iceberg-heading-for-Australia.html
By the time Simone gets here the burg will be here too, and you just know the local councils are going to introduce some surcharge for the pleasure of kiting near an ice burg, even if you can't see it.
rloemker: I was being positive, I didn't even mention the detention centres if she doesn't pay the inevitable fine, the 11 year old rapists, 17 year old arsonists, head butters, train bashings, murdered bush walkers...
But seriously if you have the cash they'll be no problems... if you're forced to stay in the more economical areas, well then you'll need to invest in some more insurance.
If you stay in a good area, sure rent will be more expensive but you can always bludge off the neighbors and you'll be safe.
I also recommend watching the documentary "Wolf Creek" (www.imdb.com/title/tt0416315/) for some outback driving tips. By the way "outback" is 30km in any direction from the CBD. And WA is bigger than the whole of Europe.
In 2009 The Economist voted Perth the 5th nicest place in the world to live if you had lots of money. And crime is no where near as bad as the UK... where there's a stabbing every 30 seconds... maybe that's why the NHS is free.
Cheapest way to get to Australia is via a boat from indonesia. The boat trip costs US$7000 but once you get here, you have free housing, free school, free medical and you don't even need a job to get it so you have all your time free to kite. There are also an unlimited amount of spots available, especially if you can prove you came from a poor country except I hear the boat trip is a little cramped.
Don't bother with the whole skilled migration thing or working thing. Permanent residence costs the same except you actually have to work when you get here and they won't give you medical until you've done 400 different tests to prove you don't need any medical cover for the next 20 years.
Its no wonder they stopped processing skilled migration visas until 2012. Who needs these damn skilled people when we can get so many unskilled people and save all the visa processing paperwork and medicals.
Hey Flysurfer,
It's actually a little pointless bringing any possessions to WA as everything will be stolen from you within a week of entering the state. Home, car and even personal theft is rampant and the police cannot and will not try and stop it due to the extent of it. We don't have any stone fish, blue ringed octopi or cone shells here because the Great Whites have eaten them all, thankfully!
It's not even safe to use your debit/credit cards over here due to the card skimming racket going on where they completely empty your bank account after you buy a hamburger. 
Most of us have taken to keeping our life savings in notes rolled up into a small capsule and inserted internally up the rear. Luckily due to the cost of living, the capsule is small enough to carry both fifty dollar notes, so insertion is relatively painless. 
If you are bringing a lot of money, you'll need a much larger capsule than the ones they hand you at the airport/borders, so bring extra personal lubricant.
It would be safer (although just as expensive) for Simokite to visit the east coast.
Cheers,
KH 
It might be better to see if you can contact some backpackers as they will have a better perspective on your situation, i.e. the people living here don't need to know about short-term accomodation, casual jobs etc. Here is a start:http://www.tntdownunder.com/
www.tntmagazine.com/working_abroad/work-in-australia/default.aspx
It's also hard to give some advice without knowing what jobs you are qualified for, e.g. do you need a car for work? It may be better to pay more rent to live near the beach and do without a car or just rent one when you want to travel.
As to internships - pretty rare in Perth. Jobs are either permanent employee, contract/temporary or casual, but there are plenty:
www.seek.com.au/
It's pretty difficult to find an acceptable place to rent for less then $330 per week these days. Sharing a place is a possibility but this is not as widespread as in other countries:
www.realestate.com.au/cgi-bin/rsearch?s=wa&t=ren&snf=rbs&a=sf
As a very rough guide: if you aren't looking for a champagne lifestyle and you don't wish to save any money and you aren't too fussed about where you live or the type of car you drive (i.e. you just want to come for the surf and sun and a good time), then you could easily live on about $600 per week. Between the two of you, you should have no trouble getting some sort of job or jobs to fund at least that much but more then likely much more.
Cheers.
If I was doing a trip to Australia I would go straight to Tasmania. 
I would prob stay there the whole time too lol
sorry to butt in but an idea for work may be wild flower picking in Albany around February, my son and his girl earnt about 5 K in a month last year while there.
Thank you mates, for your funny answers...
@Kitehard: I've been laughing yet...I prefer leaving my country without money that having a capsule in my rear
@FlySurfer: Also in Italy,we do that. When someone asks some information about our spots, we always say "No good mate,there's no no wind,no pussy girls...." we're jealous..but don't worry my friend, I don't want to manage an Italian Kiters migration in OZ ,we're only two,my girlfriend and I and she prefers sunbathing than go kitesurfing so I think there will be enough room and enough waves for everyone
@LaurieP:thank you for the links,I hope to find good tips...
Regarding my looking for a Job,I'm 26 years,and I have a Master degree in Management Engeneering and I've been working for 3 years like business analyst and controller in a big Financial Services Company in Automotive Market...
I spoke about internship only because my English is not so fluent yet, like an Aussie company,I think,asks for its employee. And however an internship however wouldn't give me a "hole" in my resume like an year like "backpacker".
Ma que catso, Italiano, bene .... Perth è male, è come il deserto, è troppo costoso e dovete guidare migliaia di km per andare altrove. Sulla costa orientale si può guidare un altro in cui, come le montagne, se non ti piace della città. Ingegneria e gestione di posti di lavoro ... non succederà ... en un caffè di sicuro.
Sydney e Perth sono costosi, forse un po 'più di Milano.
Simone è un nome di donna in inglese, Simon è maschio.
Also the engineering/management job aint gona happen cos: http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/working-holiday/417/
Did you consider New Zealand? You can eat the locals.
... Which city in OZ do you suggest me for kite and for life experience?
