I've just had the dates confirmed. I'll be flying out on the 22nd/23rd. I'll have meetings on the Monday and Tuesday but will have Wednseday off (Australia day!). Flight back will be on Thursday the 27th. If anyone's around on the Wednesday it would be good to get down with the UKB Sydney massive!
Its called the Medicare Levy Surcharge where if you have private insurance you don't get hit with the levy when you do your tax return, so Slackers, you were quite right to get money back as you only pay one or the other.Private healthcare here is a bunch of arse (as I have found out through personal experience!). Unless you have expensive top dollar cover it works like this:Lets say you need a knee-op and you don't want to sit on the waiting list for 6 months. Medicare have a set amount that they believe the surgery should be performed for, say $1000 - The 'Scheduled fee'. Medicare refund you 60% of the scheduled fee and your private health cover pays the "gap' - the remaing 40%. Sounds good right? Well, unfortunately Medicare have honed the scheduled fees right down so that most (if not all) 'private' surgeons can't or won't work for this amount. So the surgeon wants $2000 for the surgery - You're only going to get $1000 back from Medicare/Insurance which leaves you $1000 out of pocket. Same principal applies to the Anaethstatist too so more out of pocket cash. At least your private does cover your hospital stay and theatre fees (minus your excess of course!).Chris is right about Ambulances- St John Ambos are a 'user pays' organisation and Medicare do not cover the costs. Yes you'll get picked up if you call an Ambo but you'll get billed for the fees later (standard fee is about $800!).Sorry for the side-track.......
let me know if you fancy meeting up on the 24th or 25th in the day if your in the center of sydney, i work near carnage and Control Freak if you want to try and do a group get-together
Quote from: BB on December 22, 2010, 10:00:04 amI'm completely over the moon! Swindon to Sydney, bit of an upgrade in Quality of life i reckon!Hey - Congrats on the job. Sydney is a great place and whilst I've never been to Swindon, I'm sure you're right on the upgrade.
I'm completely over the moon! Swindon to Sydney, bit of an upgrade in Quality of life i reckon!
I lived in Swindon until I was 18. Theres no way Sydney can be as dull as that.
Unless you are really, really into odd roundabouts, steamtrains and the maufacturing of Japanese Automobiles.
Apologies for not contacting you Stu, didnt manage to get any web access sorted till I was on my way back.The good new is that they've now made me a formal offer which I've accepted and subject to visas will be back out there for good in March!
Just avoid Western Sydney like it was the plague!!
Personally I would avoid the Eastern suburbs (Darlinghurst, Surrey Hills, Woolloomooloo etc) as they are expensive, hipster douchebags abound (think Hoxton wankers), traffic around there is shocking, public transport ain't great and again, its expensive. On the plus side theres alot to do in terms of restaurants, bars, clubs etc and its close to the City so pushie or foot friendly for work.
Hit me with shipping firm recommendations and stuff that you wish you'd done before you left the UK.
Beta on the main banks over there would also be appreciated!
