Sydney Living Cost 2010: Car Ownership Expenses

Often mistakenly dubbed as Australia’s Capital, Sydney Metropolitan area is very very big. The area is no less than 12,100 square km – if it is a square, it’s roughly 110km by 110km. So, with public transport not in very best condition, the logical alternative will be to own a car to move around Sydney.

You Are Blocking Traffic, Mate !

A little bit traffic quiz and education for all Sydney motorists. With more and more residential stacked up along big highways, access road to these highways will create a lot of intersection that need to be served by traffic light. And with more and more intersection, the traffic light will be set such as that the highway will have more green than the access road. This is one of the story

Cost of Public Transport In Sydney For Commuting to Work

When I moved to where I live now, I actually feel blessed in many aspect, but in particular related to commuting to work, because there is a train station nearby. Not just tiny little one, but a train station that services busy Westmead Hospital (so, most train will stop there). My wishful thinking is that someday maybe I don’t need to drive anymore. But I am still driving nowadays to go to work. What happen ?

G’Day, Mate! It’s Australia Day

Wake up on Australia Day means a annual trip to local park to celebrate Australia with its barbie (BBQ) and share good times with people from multi race background who live in Australia. Some like to go to local citizen ceremony to welcome Australia newest citizen. But for anything that you do today, for sure you will see Australian flag all over the country. Yes, it still have a union jack on it as Queen of England is officially still head of state, but it’s still Aussie flag. One that people carry to Olympics and World Cup and make them proud as a nation.

Saint Mary MacKillop: St Mary of the Cross, The First Australian Saint

Born and raised as Catholics, I know first hand about the Catholic culture related to their holy saint and the devotion: they don’t take it lightly. For a humble nun from Australia who once excommunicated by the church itself to be recognized as one of the church’s idol, that is a massive achievement.

So, this is my dedication to fellow Australian who does extraordinary things for fellow human regardless of their status. Hope the highest recognition from Catholic Church – a sainthood for Mother Mary MacKillop – could at least inspires us to do good deeds for those who less fortunate than us.

Taronga Zoo – Sydney’s Best Animal Park with Magnificent View

There are many animal theme park surrounding Sydney, but the best of it all is the Taronga Zoo. Not only a home of more than 2500 animals from around 350 species, but the backdrop is no less than Sydney Harbour skyline as its premium. You have not been to Sydney yet before go to this [...]

Hindsight is Your Friend, But Foresight is the One Making Money

Everything in life, absolutely everything at all: decision making, investing, trading, business, parenting, working, studying, betting, would be much more easy if we have the benefit of hindsight. But unfortunately (or actually fortunately) nobody has that power, and this what makes life interesting and fair. Nobody what happen next. So, how to make hindsight your friend, churn it and then having a foresight to get the most of it?

Decent Hot Chili in Sydney

One tiny little nag that I have when moving to Australia, in particular Sydney, is the absent of decent chili that is actually hot. Yes, you can still buy those red chili easily in supermarket or green grocery widely, but the degree of hotness is very poor. If I have a “hot-o-meter” scale from 0 to 10 where 0 is not hot at all and 10 being ’super max kicking hot’ the average supply of chilli in Sydney will be around 2 or 3 level. Not good enough for me…

Tiger Airways in Australia: Pay Your Convenience

When Tiger Airways extend it’s wing to Australia, I can see it will be good to the market in general, domestic routes in particular. As you probably know, Australian almost has no healthy competitive market- it’s just between Qantas (and its subsidiary, Jet Star) and Virgin Blue. So this Singapore based airline which only start at 2004 surely will improve the condition. Let us see as I book my first flight with them.

Child Care a.k.a Day Care: the Necessity of Family Life

With increasing cost of living, having both parent working is something that very common these days. Long gone the time where majority of the queen of the family stay home whole day to care for their children. The mommies need to work to chip in to the family earning (Of course, it could be the daddies that chips in and the mommies is the main income earner) Therefore, child care or day care is very crucial service needed to support a family life.

Federal Budget 2009: Benefit to Working Australian Family – Tax Cut Still There

This federal budget will need a special mention. It is the first deficit budget after so many year of surpluses. The culprit will be the Global Economy Crisis that not only tighten the credit situation but also drive the commodity down together with the strength of Australian Dollar. But what will be the direct impact for working Australian Family?

Another Rate Cut, Is it time to Fix Your Mortgage ?

Today, 7 April 2009, Reserve Bank of Australia announce another interest cut of 25 basis point to 3.00%. Australia only see a rate this low in 1960, almost half century ago. So, all mortgage holder should be full of joy for this additional relief ! But the real question will be, is it the time to fix the mortgage ?