Life In Melbourne
Yes it does seem strange to say, Canada Day in Winter but for Canadian teachers in Australia, this is when we celebrate Canada Day. We won’t be having BBQ’s or sipping Caesar’s, instead we will be heading to an ice hockey game, going skatingor perhaps staying warm at the pub. Does Australia really get a winter? [...]
Have you thought about the East Coast of Australia? If not, then consider Fraser Island, the Whitsundays or the Gold Coast. Fraser Island – largest sand island in the world Definitely worth a visit. You get to drive on the Sandy highway, you can go up in a plane to see whales and the sand drifts, [...]
Continue reading about July Teaching Holidays – Fraser, Whitsundays, Gold Coast
Where should you go for the July School Holidays? In July it is Winter in Australia which actually means great things when it comes to travel. Not only as teachers do you have 2 weeks off at the beginning of July, but you have so many places to choose from to visit. In this series [...]
So many of our teachers arrive in Australia and instantly miss their pets at home. Well have you ever thought about fostering a pet while you are here? Responsibilities of Foster Parents – Take care of kitten/cat or puppy/dog – Provide food and make sure to feed your pet – Give them lots of love! [...]
When people think about what to drink when they travel over to Australia, most suggest wine especially as Australia has some of the best wines in the world! However Australia also has a fantastic beer culture with a number of local breweries across Australia. Some of my favourite local Brews in Australia: James Boags – [...]
Is it true that everything in Australia is more expensive? When teachers from Canada, and USA arrive in Melbourne, Australia one of the first things they say is that they can’t believe how expensive things are. But is this just a bit of culture shock?; or have they not taken into account the exchange rate [...]
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3 things to NOT like about Footy/Australian Rules Football/AFL/Aussie Rules? What happens with the players off the field! It is something a struggle with each time I watch a game knowing the number of players who have had drinking or drug issues; rape charges & uncharged; are rude in public. As key role models for kids in Australia, [...]
Continue reading about Australian Rules Football – the Dislikes/Cons
5 things to love about Footy/Australian Rules Football/AFL/Aussie Rules? If you like sports & athletics, this is the sport for you! A combination of rugby, soccer, basketball, football all put together with a heck of a lot of running (cricket oval size field). Fast pace, few interruptions – the game flows withonly stoppage if someone is [...]
Continue reading about Australian Rules Football – the Likes/Pros
Blog Series – Post 1 Before we can discuss the likes and dislikes of Australian Rules Football, its best to explain a little bit about what it is for new readers not from Australia. A little bit about Australian Rules Football Also called: Aussie Rules, AFL, footy Its a sport played in Australia that originated [...]
Continue reading about Australian Rules Football – the Likes and Dislikes – Blog Series
January – New Year’s Firework Celebration; Australian Open; Midsumma Festival; Melbourne Zoo Twilights; February – St.Kilda Festival; NAB AFL begins; March – Australian Grand Prix; Melbourne Queer Film Festival; Moomba Festival; Melbourne Food & Wine Festival; April – Australian Rules Football season begins; Melbourne International Comedy Festival; Bells Beach Surfing Championships; School holidays – if [...]
Continue reading about Calendar of festivals/events/activities to do in Melbourne, Australia
Second tournament of the year and into the Round of 16 at the Australian Open! Justine Henin has been tested by Dementiava (5th seed) on Rod Laver Arena and then gritted her teeth to beat Kleybanova (27th seed) on Hisense Arena. Looking forward to a great match against Wickmayer in the Round of 16 at [...]
It’s that time of year where Melbourne, Australia comes alive with day and night action with the Australian Tennis Open. If your first thought is, oh I don’t like watching tennis, think again! It is an event not to be missed, not only because of the great tennis you can watch but also just for [...]
Continue reading about Australian Open – Tennis, Melbourne, Australia, 2010
I was listening to a choir singing carols in Melbourne last week and one of the songs that we were able to sing along to was Jingle Bells (Aussie Style) and after having a good laugh, I thought I would share it with you! “Dashing through the bush, in a rusty Holden Ute, Kicking up [...]
Australia: we have the top 4 most deadly venoms, the worst snakes and spiders, PLUS crocs and sharks — but what you really have to fear are the BIRDS! IEEEEE! Sept 1st marked the onset of spring and I received a terrible reminder! Be careful which paths you take– UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you take a [...]
Continue reading about Magpies and Minors: Australian birds of terror
As a teacher, it helps to be ‘in the know’ about social ‘faux-pas’. Some things are said in Australian classrooms that are never used in Canadian classrooms, such as “rubber” and “nice as” (which sounds like “nice ass” in the Aussie accent!). As a teacher, and a sportsperson, I’m also big on nicknames as terms [...]
Continue reading about Naming Your Kids: Australian Nicknames
There’s a book I’m reading that I can’t put down. It has descriptions that make me re-trace my steps, tells of the extreme previous conditions of the landscapes I walk everyday, involves both imagination and historical fact–and on top of all this, it’s funny. The only way I knew the name Bearbrass, was because of the cafe [...]
Continue reading about Want to Know What Early Melbourne was like?
After many trips to the Yarra Valley wineries, I think I have a fantastic route from Melbourne where you can get a bit of everything. Leave Melbourne and head past Yarra Glen to De Bortoli. Here you taste cheeses with your wines. Try the garlic goat cheese, yum! Don’t forget to experience the Sparkling Shiraz [...]
Getting to your first teaching job doesn’t have to be stressful–but if you don’t know where to look and how to find what you’re looking for, it really can be stressful. Don’t make more work for yourself; when you move to Melbourne invest in two things: A Melways: this is a train, tram, street (even [...]
Continue reading about Getting to Your Teaching Jobs in Melbourne
“Foxtel” is the Australian form of Canada’s “cable”, and you’re certainly not going to see any ice hockey, baseball or basketball on “telly” unless you have it. But whether or not you’re a sports addict, you might want to think of budgeting for a TV package because the TV in Australia is kind of crap. [...]
The Aussie are so hardcore at Customs, they even attempted to capture the drama in a reality TV show called “Border Control“. Why the Drama? You see, Australia’s had a bad run of importing foreign material. In the past, it was thought ‘harmless’ to bring in certain comforts from ‘home shores’. Anyone who’s been up [...]
Continue reading about Coming through Customs: Into Australia
The leaves that once strewn the sidewalks have now been kicked to the gutter! Or have they? That’s the Melbourne winter difference–the leaves get to stick around. After Autumn, the weather doesn’t change that much. The roses will still be in bloom and lemons will be growing on backyard trees. It is dark now around [...]
When I moved to Australia with my partner we had no one on the other side to help us. Even though we had each lived abroad internationally previously—and even though we were moving to an English-Speaking country—it was extremely intimidating. (But that’s another story you can read about in About the Teach’N’Traveller Blog!) We wanted [...]
Continue reading about How Much Money do you need to Move to Australia?
As we all know (and you’ll soon learn) Melbournians love their food. And even if you’re not a “foodie” (DEFINITION: Aussie slang for “someone who loves food”), you’ll soon become one. Eating out is incredibly popular, but so is cooking from home. Although I was eventually Kitchen Manager at my summer camp in Ontario, my [...]
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 [...]
Continue reading about Thinking of Moving to Australia? RE: Teaching Holidays
The CBD explained: CBD: Central Business District. The CBD is a neatly grafted square of streets. Most of the hills have been levelled. The city was once very muddy as it slid down into the banks of the Yarra River/swap. There were the Yarra Falls (which can’t really be seen anymore) and the Docklands made [...]
Continue reading about What is the “CBD”? (Part 10: 10 Things to Know Before Moving to Melbourne)
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