One of the first public holidays on Australian calendar in the new year is Australia Day public holiday.
In this blog, we are giving you a quick guide about Australia Day in Australia.
What is Australia Day?
Australia Day is celebrated on 26th January each year.
Its historical background dates back to 1788 as a commemoration of the arrival of the First Fleet of 11 British convict ships at Port Jackson NSW.
Now a days, it is celebrated as a day where we reflect on the history, its highs and its lows.
There are many ceremonies, parades, cultural events, citizenship ceremonies takes place on this day.
Why is Australia Day also called “Invasion Day”?
Many international students wonder why Australia Day is also called as an “Invasion Day”.
Australia’s indigenous people also known as First Nations People consider Australia Day celebrations as a celebration of Invasion, genocide of aboriginal people.
They consider it as a day of mourning as it marks the beginning of colonisation of their country and the loss of their land and culture.
There is a campaign to change the date to another day in the year as it is marked as an Invasion Day for the aboriginal culture in Australia.
You can learn more about this perspective by seeking out and attending events that acknowledge the history and celebrate Indigenous culture.
Many universities and other workplaces in Australia have started giving an option to their employees to work on 26th January instead of taking a day off. They are offering alternative day off to those staff members who decide to work on 26th January.
Few activities you can do on Australia Day public holiday
Many Australians these days consider Australia Day as just another public holiday. Here are some of the activities, students can do on their day off on this public holiday.
1. Attend marches and local activities
You can attend marches and events that explain about the pain and hurt of the aboriginal culture for this day. Some local governments organise activities like morning breakfast, concert, local tour and parties. Check the local council website to see what’s happening in your local area.
2. Go to beach
Australians love going to the beach and one of the favourite activity for many Australians is heading toward the beach to catch some cool waves and enjoy with friends.
3. Have a Barbie
Invite some friends over and organise a typical Australian style BBQ or barbecue. If you are vegan or vegetarian, you can also enjoy a meat-free BBQ as well. You can head to a local park or do it in your own backyard. Want to know some BBQ etiquette? Check our popular article on that here.
4. Play cricket
Summer means Cricket in Australia. Even if you are not familiar with this sport, you can join to play it with locals and they will be happy to explain the rules. Don’t be shy in asking to join if you see locals playing it. Common places to play includes beach, backyard & local parks on the day.
5. Try Aussie treats
Have you heard about Pavalova, Lamingtons, Vanilla slice, Tim Tams? No! Try them out. Treat yourself to some Aussie deserts. And if you are person, who like to stay indoors, then catching up on some Aussie flicks like The Castle, Mad Mex, Crocodile Dundee and Muriel’s Wedding is a must.
6. Buy the merchandise
You can buy plenty of True Blue merchandise from local businesses. You can even head to local supermarket to pick some merchandise as well. Want to go extreme with it? Get your face tattooed.
7. See fireworks
Local governments also organise fireworks for the residents during the evening on Australia Day. Check your local state or territories planned fireworks and make bookings, if required. Keep in mind, there are different restrictions at the moment in many states and territories.
Whatever you plan to do this Australia Day, we suggest that you to understand and be respectful about the cultural significance of this day.
Since the news arrived that Australia could be starting the international travel before the end of the year, everyone is talking about vaccine passports.
So in this article, we are going to cover everything we know so far about these vaccination passports and how they might work in Australia.
What is a Vaccine Passport?
Vaccine passport is basically a proof that you have been vaccinated against COVID-19 with approved vaccinations.
You can carry around this vaccine passport with you and if required you can show it around to the places you might visit that could include your workplace, a restaurant, a gym, a bar or could be when catching a flight
From October onwards Australian government will be rolling out these vaccination passports in Australia.
It will be available both in a digital format and in a physical printed format as well.
Benefits of Vaccine Passport
Traveling without restrictions: One of the benefit is traveling without much restrictions. At the moment if you are coming to Australia you need to do a 2 week hotel quarantine which obviously is done in order to control the spread of COVID-19. So those quarantine arrangements could change with vaccine passports as there might be an option for home quarantining instead of doing it in a hotel.
Visiting local venues: If you have been issued a vaccine passport you could visit different places like pubs restaurants bars and obviously
Work related travel: Vaccinated people will be able to travel around easily for work purposes.
Concerns of Vaccine Passport
Discrimination: One of the biggest concern is regarding discrimination especially against the people who are not vaccinated yet. Unvaccinated people might feel that they are getting discriminated because they can’t visit some of these premises or businesses.
Privacy: People feel that they will have to show these vaccine passport every place they visit that intrudes into their privacy
Scams: Lots of scammers are obviously watching out this as an opportunity to make money and to scam people.
How will they work in Australia?
To understand how these vaccines passports might work in Australia, we will divide this section into 2 parts:
For local travel and life in Australia
For international travel
For local travel and life in Australia
Australia is considering the use of vaccine passports within Australia.
New south wales government will be the first in the country to trial the vaccination passports especially when visiting local venues like bars, restaurants and pubs.
The trial will run for a couple of weeks in October and if it’s successful more freedoms will be given to the people who are already vaccinated and could be rolled out to other parts of Australia.
For international Travel
At the moment Australian government is in talk with other countries to work out which vaccines will be recognised for international travel once they start opening up their borders.
Obviously, there are lots of vaccinations available at the moment against COVID-19 and some of these ones are already been recognised and approved for use in Australia.
There is no official update on which vaccines will be approved apart from the ones that are already been approved in Australia
Australia is also trialling a home quarantine system as well this is being trialled at the moment in South Australia and if successful, this could be implemented for local and international traveller in Australia.
With vaccine passports, Australians could soon be able to travel overseas and Australians who are stuck overseas can come in larger numbers.
What does this means for international students?
Although the introduction of vaccine passports might be a great news for international travel especially for Australians but it obviously brings us hope that there is a possibility that international students and other visa holders could start coming back to Australia.
Tourism minister Dan Tehan has mentioned that once Australia reached that 70 and 80 percent vaccination rate, Australians will be able to travel overseas again and Australians will be able to return home in larger numbers and he also added that “We will also be able to start welcoming international students and those who want to come to work and ultimately tourists as well”.
With more Australian coming back home quicker and doing home quarantine will also free up space for quarantine facilities for other economic visa holders like international students as well.
When is Australia officially opening its border for international students?
It is important to remember at the moment there are no fixed dates for international travel in Australia as yet.
And as soon as we hear any update we’ll make sure we keep you posted with that so make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and our email newsletter.
Covid-19 has brought many challenges in our lives. But for some people it has brought opportunities as well. One of those groups are scammers.
The scam artists are using various techniques to take advantage of various vulnerable people in Australia.
As per ACCC, more than 6100 scams has been reported with more than $8,400,000 lost since the outbreak of Covid-19 (coronavirus).
So in this article, we are going to give you a information on some common international students scams in Australia and how to avoid them.
Types of International Students Scams in Australia
Thes are some of the common types of scams that international students could face in Australia:
Covid-19 vaccination scams – Some scammers are calling people and asking them to pay money if they want to get the vaccination ahead of other people.
Getting a transcript from Australian university – Some people who pretended to be an education agent promise students they can get them an Australian transcript from an Australian university.
Offering huge university scholarships – Some pretending agents also get students to pay them in exchange for getting a extra university discounts.
Offering amazing discount on accommodation – Similar story like university scholarship, students get offers for unbelievable accommodation rates in exchange of money.
Promise to book ticket – While borders remain closed to foreigners, some scammers ask students to pay them to book a flight to Australia.
Fake property scams – It does happen on gumtree and some other real estate websites where property shown on the websites either does not exist or look significantly different than advertised.
Asking for payment of Taxes – Some group of scammers pretending to be an ATO (Australian Taxation Office) calling people in Australia to pay the taxes to them.
Fake jobs offers – Offering jobs to international students after paying for a course or promise to get a job after payment to these scammers.
Virtual Kidnapping – Some students from Chinese backgrounds were targeted in this scam where they were asked to kidnap themselves in exchange of ransom from their parents. Pretty bizarre but real scam.
Most of these scammer will try to use threats, make your fearful and then ask you for either money or personal details which can be used for scams by these people.
How to do avoid getting scammed
Calls related scams
If you are getting calls from the scammers, then we suggest you take the following actions:
Disconnect the call. Avoid calls if they call back
Do not give any personal or sensitive information
Check with Scamwatch website. You can check different types of scams going in Australia
Check with organisation/business directly by calling them
We also suggest you register your number with Do not call register. Registering your number can help to reduce the number of unsolicited marketing calls from Australian businesses.
Although, please be mindful that scammers can still try to reach out to you as some of them could be based overseas.
Emails related scams
If you are getting emails for
Don’t click on hyperlinks in the suspected emails
Don’t reply back to these emails
Always check the email address of the sender.
Contact the business directly via email or call
Go to the website through the browser rather than link from a website
Agency related scams
Some pretending agents will lure international students for scams as well. You can avoid them by:
Doing a proper research
Confirm with at least 2 to 3 other agents in your area
Contacting university college directly
Contacting Department of Home Affiars
Searching on migration agent details on Mara Website
You can lodge a complaint against a migration agent on Mara website
We hope you find this information useful and if this can help someone else avoid getting scammed then please share this article with them.
You can also watch a video on this on our YouTube Channel
In this blog, we are giving you a quick guide on what is Boxing Day in Australia and our Top 10 Boxing Day Deals for students you might want to snap.
What is Boxing Day in Australia?
First of all, let’s be clear, Boxing Day does not mean something like this:
Boxing Day is celebrated on a day after Christmas Day, 26th December each year in Australia and across many other countries around the world.
The tradition came in around 1800s when wealthy people started giving their servants a day off after Christmas Day and a boxed gifts (usually leftovers from Christmas Day).
And hence, a Boxing Day. (See the connection, Boxing = Boxes) 🙂
While that tradition has long gone, now a days, it is a public holiday in Australia and is one of the biggest sales event of the year.
In 2023, it is expected that shoppers will spend around $4.6 Billion during Boxing Day sales period in Australia.
What to do on a Boxing Day in Australia?
Here are the list of Top 5 things that many locals like to do on a Boxing Day.
Boxing Day Shopping – You can shop till you drop in your local shopping centre or you can shop from the comfort of your home via online websites. We got some deals for you below.
Boxing Day Cricket Test Match – You can also watch a cricket test match between Australian cricket team & a visiting nation team at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) or on TV.
Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race – This famous Yacht race from Sydney to Hobart also starts on Boxing Day, it won’t end until next few days but it is worth to watch too.
Continue with Christmas BBQFeast – If you have been cooking up a storm on Christmas Day, then just continue with finishing up those food or call up your friends over for BBQ.
Head to the Cinemas to Catch Latest Flick – Many people also like to head toward cinemas to catch the latest movies on Boxing Day.
Here are our Top 10 Boxing Day Deals for Students in 2023
So here are our hand picked deals for you for Boxing Day Deals 2023 (prices in AUD):
Free Amazon Echo Pop Smart Speaker via TopCashBack
Get Double Dollars when loading credits ($60, $100, $200) at Timezone
Get $10 Credit with $150 Spend on Amazon Gift Cards at Amazon
Samsung 75″ Q70C QLED 4K Smart TV for $1788 at JB Hi-Fi
Bose SoundLink Flex Bluetooth Portable Speaker for $129 at Amazon
Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) with Charging Case for $158 at Amazon
List of Top Boxing Day Sales Retailers in Australia
Here is a list of popular retailers for Boxing Day Sales in Australia:
Amazon
Big W
Bing Lee
Catch
David Jones
eBay
JB Hi-fi
Harvey Norman
Myer
Officeworks
Target
The Good Guys
Tips for Boxing Day Shopping in Australia
If you are planning to shop during the boxing day in Australia, then these practical tips can help:
Do your research: You must always do the research before making any purchases. Search on different websites to make sure that you are getting the best deal possible.
Make a list: Make a list of items you need to buy and the ones you may be buying but not sure if you will have a budget for that.
Be an early riser: Many deals whether online or in-store starts nice and early. So it might be worth while to visit your favourite place to shops nice and early as sometime deals are limited by the stock. Also, you might avoid the peak hour traffic for shopping as well.
Wear comfortable clothes: If you plan to shop in-store, then it important that you wear comfortable clothes and footwear as you might be on feet for very long time
Have patience: Especially when it comes to in-store shopping, you might need to wait for your turn to come as there will be many people lining up to snap the deals.
Take advantage of online shopping: Many Australians shop online to avoid the insane traffics on the road and in the shopping centres. So you can do that as well.
DISCLAIMER: This list may contain links from our affiliates like Amazon and others, sponsors, and partners. If you use these products, we will get compensated – but there’s no additional cost to you.
The biggest sale of the year has arrived “Black Friday and Cyber Monday”.
In this article, we are going to explain what is Black Friday and Cyber Monday and some of the most popular Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals for the students in Australia in 2024.
What is Black Friday?
Black Friday is a day after Thanksgiving Day, which is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November each year in the United States. This year Black Friday will be celebrated on 29th November 2024.
It is considered to be the start of the shopping season for Christmas in United States and many retailers start the season with exclusive deals on this day with huge discounts.
It is a day when consumers can save big money on appliances, fashion and other accessories.
While it is an American tradition, it has gained more popularity in Australia since 2013.
Many retailers like JB HI-FI, Harvey Norman, The Good Guys along with their American counterparts like Amazon and eBay launch exclusive deals for Australian consumers on Black Friday for the last few years now.
Most retailers open their stores early on Black Friday and close them late as well to make it easier for shoppers. These days you can score many deals online, so you don’t necessarily need to go to the store to get a bargain.
Cyber Monday is celebrated on Monday after the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States as well. This was primarily designed to encourage people to shop online rather than in Brick and Mortar stores.
This day started in 2005 and quickly gained popularity with the increase in number of internet users. This year Cyber Monday will be celebrated on 2nd December 2024.
How to use cashback websites to maximise your savings during this Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales?
Before you buy anything online, make sure to sign up and check if there is a cashback offer available on these websites. This will be an additional saving on top of discounts from those brands. Sign up is free and if you sign up using the links below, you can score a referral bonus of up to $15 as well.
Cashrewards – Get $10 referral bonus after spending $20 or more within 14 days and additional savings using the links on the website. Sign up here.
ShopBack – Get $10 bonus when you spend $20 or more through ShopBack using the link here.
Here is a quick step-by-step guide for using cashback websites:
Step 1: Make a list of things you want to buy during the sale. It helps you to stay focused on the things you need.
Step 2: Join Cashback websites like Cashrewards and Shopback for free (using the link given above). If you are joining for the first time, you can get referral bonus when you sign up using the link above.
Step 3: Look up for the store you would like to shop and click on the link provided in the website.
Step 4: Complete your transaction.
Step 5: Repeat this process if you want to get cashback on your purchases.
Here is a list of top Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. Please note that these deals will be updated regularly, so please come back to check out more deals here. Some deals have an exclusive discount for students, so make sure to take advantage of that.
Check all the Black Friday deals from Telstra here.
Catch Deals – Catch has reduced Apple AirPods Pro to $319 (a saving of $80). They are also offering Apple AirPods 2nd Gen at $209 (with a saving of $40). Plus don’t miss out on exclusive 10% student discount. Get your exclusive code here.
Dell – Dell 24″ 1080p IPS 75hz AMD FreeSync for $138.93 Delivered (was $249) using the code: LOVEKEANU More details are here. Upto 35% on other products like laptops, monitors etc here.
The Good Guys – Dyson V7 Motorhead Cordless Vacuum for $379 (was $599). Check out this deal here.
Microsoft Store – Up to 20% off on Microsoft Surface from $974 here, Up to 40% off on Gaming and other accessories at Microsoft store here.
Lenovo – Lenovo Thinkpad E595 8GB 512GB SSD for $799 Delivered and up to 55% off Black Friday Sale at Lenovo here.
Becextech – 60% off sitewide + Extra $20 off student discount here.
Dick Smith – Take an Extra 20% Off Top Appliances using code: COOLBF here.
Fashion Deals
Boohoo – 60% off everything and 10% student discount when using this link here.
Missguided – 50% off everything + Extra 10% Student Discount here.
The Iconic – 30% off selected styles on Black Friday sales here.
Boohoo Man – 50% off menswear + extra 5% student discount here.
Crocs – 40% off sitewide and free shipping with orders from $50. More here.
Adidas – 30% off storewide here. Early access to the sale for Creators Club members.
Nasty Gal – Massive 60% off on Nasty Gal. Details here.
Cotton On – 30% off everything on the website here.
Bonds – 40% off sitewide on Bonds website from 27th November here.
Click on the “Shop Now” button, next to ” 3 Year Plan + Bonus 3 Months for $121.29 (83% off) – New CyberGhost VPN Customers”. You will be directed to Cyber Ghost VPN Deal
Press “Claim Deal Now” on the Cyber Ghost deal page.
Choose the 3 Years + 3 Months Plan and pay for the service.
Once paid, check back on the Shopback for the tracked link.
Get your cashback for the deal within 60 to 90 days.
Enjoy Free VPN for next 3 years and 3 months.
Make sure to cancel the plan befoore the expiry to avoid recurring payments in the future.
Amaysim – 1-year Prepaid Plan with Unlimited calls and text with 120 GB data for $100 but use the Shopback to get $60 cashback making it $40 for a whole year. And with sign up bonus of $15, it will be only $25 for the year worth of plan. Use this link to get a $15 sign up bonus now.
Chemist Warehouse – 10% off storewide in Store and online on Black Friday. Some exclusions apply. More details here.
Koala Mattresses – Up to 20% off on Koala’s mattresses and other accessories here.
Booktopia – Up to 80% off on millions of books at Booktopia here.
DISCLAIMER: This list may contain links from our affiliates like Amazon and others, sponsors, and partners. If you use these products, we will get compensated – but there’s no additional cost to you.
Many international students who come to study in Australia get to know about a new term they never hear of before “Daylight Saving”?
Does that mean we save the Daylight? or does it mean using solar panels to capture daylight in the summer days?
Well, none of that.
So in this article, we are explaining everything you need to know about Daylight Saving in Australia.
What is Daylight Saving?
Daylight Saving Time (DST) is advancing the clocks one hour forward during the summer months. The idea behind daylight saving is to enjoy one extra hour of daylight in the evenings.
It makes your day feeling longer and also helps to save the consumption of electricity and hence helping the planet a bit.
When did it first started?
The idea was first proposed by George Hudson, an astronomer from New Zealand in 1895.
However, it was first used by the residents of Port Arthur, Ontario, Canada in 1908.
Australia first observed its Daylight Saving Time (DST) in 1916. Although it wasn’t until 1967 when the practice of daylight saving became more regular after drought in Tasmania. Other states picked up the practice in 1970s.
It might be surprise for some that Australia is not the only country that observes daylight saving. There are 70 countries around the world that participate in the daylight saving.
Which states and territories recognise daylight savings in Australia?
In Australia, these states and territories recognise the daylight savings:
✔️ New South Wales
✔️ Victoria
✔️ Tasmania
✔️ South Australia
✔️ Australian Capital Territory
So if you are living in:
❌ Queensland
❌ Northern Territory
❌ Western Australia
You don’t need to worry about daylight saving except when travelling interstate or dealing with people from those states and territories with daylight savings.
When does Daylight saving start and end in Australia?
In Australia, Daylight saving start at 2 am on the first Sunday of October and ends at 2 am on the first Sunday of April.
In 2025-26, the daylight savings will start on 5th October 2024 at 2 am and end on Sunday, 5th April 2026 at 2am in Australia
In the table below, you can see the Daylight Savings start and end times for the next few years in Australia.
Year
Daylight Savings Starts
Daylight Savings Ends
2025 – 2026
October 5, 2025
April 5, 2026
2026 – 2027
October 4, 2026
April 4, 2027
What should I do for Daylight Saving changes?
If you are living in any of the states and territories in Australia where Daylight Savings are observed, then all you need to do is forward your clock by 1 hour on the first Sunday of October and move it backwards on the first Sunday of April.
You usually don’t need to change the time on your mobile devices as it is automatically changed by your mobile network provider.
You lose an hour of sleep when daylight saving starts, but you get it back when daylight saving ends.
If you are living in other parts of Australia that does not recognise daylight saving, then you don’t need to do anything. Life goes on for you as per normal except if you have to deal with people living in Daylight Savings time zones.
How to prepare yourself better for Daylight Savings changes?
But if you want to prepare yourself better for Daylight Savings changes, we suggest you:
Adjust your sleep cycle: Before the time changes, it will be great if you can adjust your time schedule for sleeping. For example, if you typically go to bed at 11 PM and get up at 6 AM, you can start going to bed 15 to 30 minutes earlier each night in the week leading up to the Daylight Saving changes.
Check the time for public transport: To avoid any possible work-related delays, it is best to check the local transport schedule to see if any changes have been made.
Plan your meal and exercise timings: You can start planning your meal schedules and exercise timings as well before the start of the Daylight savings.
Be patient: Last but not the least, Daylight Savings can disrupt your life patterns, but it will be only a few weeks before you start adjusting back to the new time. So don’t stress. Give yourself extra self-care time after the change to Daylight Saving timeframes.
Which countries observe Daylight Savings?
There area around 70 countries around the world that observe Daylight Savings including:
✔️ Australia
✔️ Brazil
✔️ Canada
✔️ Chile
✔️ Fiji
✔️ Mexico
✔️ New Zealand
✔️ United States
✔️ United Kingdom
✔️ Most Eurpoean Union
✔️ Some Middle Eastern Countries
What are the benefits of Daylight Savings?
Here are some benefits of having a Daylight Savings:
Energy savings: The benefit of observing a Daylight Savings is that it leads to energy savings. This is due to the fact that people tend to use less electricity due to the longer day hours. T
Longer evenings for outdoor activities: Daylight Savings gives people more time to spend outside in the evenings. It can be good for outdoor activities such as sports.
Great for Economy: As people tend to spend more time outdoors, it turns out that they spend more money, which helps the local economy.
What are the drawbacks of Daylight Savings?
Here are common drawbacks of having a Daylight Savings:
Disruption to sleep patterns: DST can cause disruption to sleep patterns, as people may have to wake up earlier and go to bed later than usual.
Negative impact on some businesses: Some businesses that tend to deal with people from different states or countries with different timezones may have impact on their operations.
Does the Daylight Savings affect your health?
Although, some reports do suggest that it can disrupt your sleeping pattern, food habits, appetite etc. temporarily.
There is no scientific evidence that it poses serious threats to your body. You might feel a bit tired due to lack of sleep when daylight saving starts. It can take some time for your body to adjust to the new timing as well.
What do you think about Daylight Saving? Do you like it or not? Give your thoughts in the comments below.
