The Journey · Stage 02

First month

You made it. Take a breath — then read this.

The first few weeks in Australia are overwhelming — new city, new systems, new accents, all at once. Don't try to do everything. Here's the order that actually matters, written by someone who fumbled most of it the first time. Living in a new place can be daunting, but you'll be fine.

Watch out

Scammers target new arrivals.

01Fake job ads. Anyone asking for payment to "process" your application is a scam. Real employers never ask for money upfront.
02Rental scams. Never send a deposit on a property you haven't inspected in person. Photos and addresses can be stolen from other listings.
03ATO & immigration impersonation. The ATO never asks for payment via gift cards, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency. Real calls end with "you can verify at ato.gov.au" — not urgency.

If something feels off, report it to ScamWatch. You won't be the first to report it.

Start here

📱

Get your Australian number

🏦

Visit your bank

🏠

Find a permanent place to live

📋

Apply for a TFN

Week 1 checklist

✓Phone active

✓Bank account open

✓Permanent place secured

✓TFN applied for

The order that actually matters

📱
Get a SIM card on day one
💳
Open a bank account within the week
🚆
Get an Opal card before you ride
📋
Apply for your TFN (tax number)
🏥
Sort Medicare and private health
🔗
Link MyGov to ATO and Services Australia

Pro tip

The three mistakes that cost real money.

01Not applying for TFN. You'll lose 30–40% of your pay to emergency tax until you do.
02Using your home-bank card. Foreign transaction fees stack up fast. Get a bank account first, then a debit card with no international fees.
03Renting the first thing you see. Domain and Realestate are your friends. Inspect 3–5 places before signing. Photos lie.

After this guide

📱

SIM, bank, Opal — done

📋

TFN applied for

🏥

Health sorted

🔗

MyGov linked and ready

Heads up

Scammers target new arrivals.

01Fake job offers. "You're hired, just send $200 AUD for the training kit." Real employers never ask for upfront fees. If they did, that's the scam.
02Rental scams. Overseas landlord, can't show you the place, asks for a deposit via bank transfer. Real landlords don't take deposits sight-unseen.
03ATO / MyGov phishing. "You owe $2,847 AUD in tax, click here to pay." ATO and MyGov never email or text asking for payment. Go directly to the site, never via the link.
04"Korean community" crypto groups. Get-rich-quick WeChat / KakaoTalk groups targeting Korean-Aussies. If it sounds too good to be true, it is.

Honest take

What travel guides don't tell you.

01It's more expensive than you think. Coffee $5 AUD, casual lunch $20 AUD, dinner $40+ AUD per person, a pint of beer $12 AUD. A couple's weekly food budget is realistically $500–$700 AUD. Budget more than the guidebooks say.
02Public transport stops at midnight. Trains, buses, ferries all wind down around 12am. Plan a taxi or Uber for the way home after a night out — or you will be walking.
03Wildlife is loud and weird. Possums fight on your roof at 3am. Cockatoos scream at dawn. Magpies dive-bomb in spring. It is not a horror movie — it is just Australia.

Guides for your first month

💼 Workplace

Resumes, interviews, Award wages, your rights

🏠 Apartment

Leases, bonds, flatmates, where to look

💰 Finance

Banking, TFN, super — the boring essentials

Scammers target new arrivals.

01Fake job ads. Anyone asking for payment to "process" your application is a scam. Real employers never ask for money upfront.

02Rental scams. Never send a deposit on a property you haven't inspected in person. Photos and addresses can be stolen from other listings.

03ATO & immigration impersonation. The ATO never asks for payment via gift cards, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency. Real calls end with "you can verify at ato.gov.au" — not urgency.

If something feels off, report it to ScamWatch. You won't be the first to report it.

The three mistakes that cost real money.

01Not applying for TFN. You'll lose 30–40% of your pay to emergency tax until you do.

02Using your home-bank card. Foreign transaction fees stack up fast. Get a bank account first, then a debit card with no international fees.

03Renting the first thing you see. Domain and Realestate are your friends. Inspect 3–5 places before signing. Photos lie.

Scammers target new arrivals.

01Fake job offers. "You're hired, just send $200 AUD for the training kit." Real employers never ask for upfront fees. If they did, that's the scam.

02Rental scams. Overseas landlord, can't show you the place, asks for a deposit via bank transfer. Real landlords don't take deposits sight-unseen.

03ATO / MyGov phishing. "You owe $2,847 AUD in tax, click here to pay." ATO and MyGov never email or text asking for payment. Go directly to the site, never via the link.

04"Korean community" crypto groups. Get-rich-quick WeChat / KakaoTalk groups targeting Korean-Aussies. If it sounds too good to be true, it is.

What travel guides don't tell you.

01It's more expensive than you think. Coffee $5 AUD, casual lunch $20 AUD, dinner $40+ AUD per person, a pint of beer $12 AUD. A couple's weekly food budget is realistically $500–$700 AUD. Budget more than the guidebooks say.

02Public transport stops at midnight. Trains, buses, ferries all wind down around 12am. Plan a taxi or Uber for the way home after a night out — or you will be walking.

03Wildlife is loud and weird. Possums fight on your roof at 3am. Cockatoos scream at dawn. Magpies dive-bomb in spring. It is not a horror movie — it is just Australia.

You made it. Take a breath — then read this.

Scammers target new arrivals.

Get your Australian number

Visit your bank

Find a permanent place to live

Apply for a TFN

Get a SIM card on day one

Open a bank account within the week

Get an Opal card before you ride

Apply for your TFN (tax number)

Sort Medicare and private health

Link MyGov to ATO and Services Australia

The three mistakes that cost real money.

SIM, bank, Opal — done

TFN applied for

Health sorted

MyGov linked and ready

Scammers target new arrivals.

What travel guides don't tell you.

You made it. Take a breath — then read this.

Scammers target new arrivals.

Get your Australian number

Visit your bank

Find a permanent place to live

Apply for a TFN

Get a SIM card on day one

Open a bank account within the week

Get an Opal card before you ride

Apply for your TFN (tax number)

Sort Medicare and private health

Link MyGov to ATO and Services Australia

The three mistakes that cost real money.

SIM, bank, Opal — done

TFN applied for

Health sorted

MyGov linked and ready

Scammers target new arrivals.

What travel guides don't tell you.