study abroad student needs help in packing
Feb 7th, 2005, 12:08 AM
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study abroad student needs help in packing
I am leaving in 10 days to study at Macquarie University outside of Sydney. I really haven't had time to research what kind and how much clothing I should take. I will be there from mid-February to June 30. Do converters work for hair dryers? What kinds of things should I take and what do your recommend buying there. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. Any other advice....
Feb 7th, 2005, 05:27 AM
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Hello gbs,
According to the Weather Underground website, where you can look up the highest and the lowest temperatures in a given city during a specified date range over the last several years, the highest temperature you can expect to encounter is <b>100 deg F</b> and the lowest is <b>35 deg F</b>.
The best packing website that I know of is the Universal Packing List. You fill in a questionnaire about the temperature range in the places you'll be visiting, the kinds of accommodation you'll be staying in, the kinds of transportation you'll be using, the kinds of activities you'll be undertaking, etc., and the website generates a list for you:
http://upl.codeq.info/index.jsp
Here is an excellent website about electricity and phones:
http://www.walkabouttravelgear.com/wwelect.htm
Some hair dryers are dual voltage (can switch between 110V and 220V electricity supply). Check if yours is. If your hair dryer is designed for 110V only, you will need a converter to operate it on 220V. Regardless of whether or not your hair dryer is dual voltage, you also will need an adapter plug for the Australian power outlets. If your hair dryer has a 3-prong plug, be sure to get an adapter into which it will fit. Adapters come in 2-prong and 3-prong versions. If you don't manage to buy a converter and adapter before you leave home, they are available in Australia.
In addition to electricity, North America's and Australia's television sets and VCRs also are incompatible with each other. NA uses the NTSC system, and Oz uses the PAL system. So the video tapes of one country do not work on the VCRs of the other country. Newer Australian VCRs, however, are able to accept both kinds of tapes.
Generally speaking, the two countries' DVD players also are not compatible.
Most North American cell phones are not compatible with the Australian system, although a few are.
Interestingly enough, North American and Australian phones are compatible (although they use different wall sockets). So, if you wanted to hook up a laptop computer to an Australian phone line to access the Internet, it would work, provided you used it with an adapter for Australian phones' wall sockets. (Many laptop computers are dual voltage. If you wanted to use a single voltage, 110V laptop in Australia, you would of course have to use a voltage converter. Regardless of the voltage issue, you also would need an a dapter for the power outlet when you wanted to recharge your laptop's battery.)
Batteries for flashlights and cameras are the same in both countries. Camera film also is essentially the same in both countries.
One of the minor frustrations that a student encounters is that NA and Oz paper sizes are incompatible. Oz uses a metric standard paper size called A4. It is about half way between the NZ letter and legal sizes. I think it's absolutely pointless for you to take NZ 3-ring binders with you, because the Australian paper won't fit in them, and the pre-punched holes will be in the wrong position. Also, you'll have to submit your essays, etc., on A4 paper. This is one area where it would be better to get what you need in Oz.
For the most part Australians dress casually, so you will not need to take much in the way of formal clothing.
Power is expensive in Oz and, while the country does have central heating, most Australians do not keep their homes at a temperature that allows for walking around in a T-shirt during the winter. You are expected to wear a sweater indoors. Also, I would recommend having warm pajamas, for the same reason.
Oz has wonderful sheepskin slippers. I would buy a pair over there.
I highly recommend the Ekit communication system (e-mail, voice mail, phone card, etc.):
www.ekit.com
Except for trying to get hold of power converters and adapters ahead of time if possible and except for waiting to buy paper in Oz, I would suggest you pack largely as if you were heading to a NA dorm (allowing for the temperature range I've indicated). But you have the comfort of knowing that if you do forget anything it will be available for purchase in Oz.
According to the Weather Underground website, where you can look up the highest and the lowest temperatures in a given city during a specified date range over the last several years, the highest temperature you can expect to encounter is <b>100 deg F</b> and the lowest is <b>35 deg F</b>.
The best packing website that I know of is the Universal Packing List. You fill in a questionnaire about the temperature range in the places you'll be visiting, the kinds of accommodation you'll be staying in, the kinds of transportation you'll be using, the kinds of activities you'll be undertaking, etc., and the website generates a list for you:
http://upl.codeq.info/index.jsp
Here is an excellent website about electricity and phones:
http://www.walkabouttravelgear.com/wwelect.htm
Some hair dryers are dual voltage (can switch between 110V and 220V electricity supply). Check if yours is. If your hair dryer is designed for 110V only, you will need a converter to operate it on 220V. Regardless of whether or not your hair dryer is dual voltage, you also will need an adapter plug for the Australian power outlets. If your hair dryer has a 3-prong plug, be sure to get an adapter into which it will fit. Adapters come in 2-prong and 3-prong versions. If you don't manage to buy a converter and adapter before you leave home, they are available in Australia.
In addition to electricity, North America's and Australia's television sets and VCRs also are incompatible with each other. NA uses the NTSC system, and Oz uses the PAL system. So the video tapes of one country do not work on the VCRs of the other country. Newer Australian VCRs, however, are able to accept both kinds of tapes.
Generally speaking, the two countries' DVD players also are not compatible.
Most North American cell phones are not compatible with the Australian system, although a few are.
Interestingly enough, North American and Australian phones are compatible (although they use different wall sockets). So, if you wanted to hook up a laptop computer to an Australian phone line to access the Internet, it would work, provided you used it with an adapter for Australian phones' wall sockets. (Many laptop computers are dual voltage. If you wanted to use a single voltage, 110V laptop in Australia, you would of course have to use a voltage converter. Regardless of the voltage issue, you also would need an a dapter for the power outlet when you wanted to recharge your laptop's battery.)
Batteries for flashlights and cameras are the same in both countries. Camera film also is essentially the same in both countries.
One of the minor frustrations that a student encounters is that NA and Oz paper sizes are incompatible. Oz uses a metric standard paper size called A4. It is about half way between the NZ letter and legal sizes. I think it's absolutely pointless for you to take NZ 3-ring binders with you, because the Australian paper won't fit in them, and the pre-punched holes will be in the wrong position. Also, you'll have to submit your essays, etc., on A4 paper. This is one area where it would be better to get what you need in Oz.
For the most part Australians dress casually, so you will not need to take much in the way of formal clothing.
Power is expensive in Oz and, while the country does have central heating, most Australians do not keep their homes at a temperature that allows for walking around in a T-shirt during the winter. You are expected to wear a sweater indoors. Also, I would recommend having warm pajamas, for the same reason.
Oz has wonderful sheepskin slippers. I would buy a pair over there.
I highly recommend the Ekit communication system (e-mail, voice mail, phone card, etc.):
www.ekit.com
Except for trying to get hold of power converters and adapters ahead of time if possible and except for waiting to buy paper in Oz, I would suggest you pack largely as if you were heading to a NA dorm (allowing for the temperature range I've indicated). But you have the comfort of knowing that if you do forget anything it will be available for purchase in Oz.
Feb 7th, 2005, 05:37 AM
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Oops, typos.
>>>Oz uses a metric standard paper size called A4. It is about half way between the NZ letter and legal sizes. I think it's absolutely pointless for you to take NZ 3-ring binders with you, because the Australian paper won't fit in them, and the pre-punched holes will be in the wrong position.<<<
Meant to say:
Oz uses a metric standard paper size called A4. It is about half way between the <b>North American</b> letter and legal sizes. I think it's absolutely pointless for you to take <b>NA</b> 3-ring binders with you...
>>>Oz uses a metric standard paper size called A4. It is about half way between the NZ letter and legal sizes. I think it's absolutely pointless for you to take NZ 3-ring binders with you, because the Australian paper won't fit in them, and the pre-punched holes will be in the wrong position.<<<
Meant to say:
Oz uses a metric standard paper size called A4. It is about half way between the <b>North American</b> letter and legal sizes. I think it's absolutely pointless for you to take <b>NA</b> 3-ring binders with you...
Feb 7th, 2005, 10:07 AM
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I would just buy a hair dryer when you get there. I studied in the UK and was told to just wait until I got there. Glad I did..it didn't take up room in my suitcase and I didn't have to worry about a converter or adaptor. However, you'll probably still need one if you take over anything else electrical. Plus, when I went back to visit and decided to bring my hair dryer along, I blew it up the first time I tried to use it. There are some things that are worth waiting to buy once you get there.
Feb 7th, 2005, 10:10 AM
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Oh and that goes for school supplies too. Buy when you get there and leave behind. Pack as little as you can. I mostly packed clothing and found that I didn't wear a lot of it anyway (mostly because you have a tendency to buy clothing locally..or at least I did) I do recommend bringing a few pics along to hang up on your walls..you'll enjoy a small reminder of home every once in a while 
Feb 8th, 2005, 03:19 AM
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Just a very quick rider. The temps vary more than you'd expect between different parts of "Sydney". Much hotter/colder in the western suburbs than it is in the Inner West or East - being closer to the ocean can make a difference of 4 degrees C.
I'd try and keep the clothing you bring with you to a minumum. You can buy here - not sure about price diffential but it's interesting to look around - and shopping is more fun if you need something, don't you think? I doubt it is more expensive here. One caveat. If you are an American size 4 or smaller you will have very little to chose from. Slightly better for size 6 but not much. It's a small domestic market compared to USA so I don't find this surprising - but it is endlessly frustrating!!
And to state the obvious!! If you want to check out skiing in the Snowy Mts then bring your goretex and small accessories. Things you wouldn't want to have to buy again.
Have fun.
I'd try and keep the clothing you bring with you to a minumum. You can buy here - not sure about price diffential but it's interesting to look around - and shopping is more fun if you need something, don't you think? I doubt it is more expensive here. One caveat. If you are an American size 4 or smaller you will have very little to chose from. Slightly better for size 6 but not much. It's a small domestic market compared to USA so I don't find this surprising - but it is endlessly frustrating!!
And to state the obvious!! If you want to check out skiing in the Snowy Mts then bring your goretex and small accessories. Things you wouldn't want to have to buy again.
Have fun.
