Driving in Australia

Very relaxing and stress free to be able to walk around and not worry about being mugged.
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Maybe @aussiejosh can help with your questions about working in Australia.

 

How much money did you save up before fleeing? I plan on doing the same thing in a few years. The city I grew up in has been destroyed and is only getting worse.

 

Speaking for myself, I would have run away after I found out how to work in Australia, not before I found out. I'd love to live in Canada, or northern England/Scotland but I haven't found an inexpensive way to become legal/work in either place, so I'm still in the US. Did you read what the govt of Australia says about working in the country? Every country I've looked at has an FAQ about visiting/VISA requirements.

 

I found a real good job in Singapore and a nice oceanfront condo for my family.
Wife refused to move there, so we didn't.
My DD-214 gave me preference as an Ordinary Seaman without taking any tests.
Here's the website where I found the job:
Military Sealift Command
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Ok first off you would need experience with truck driving to obtain an employer to sponsor you for a 457 k visa. There are actually some transport companies in the Iron Ore Industry that have contracts with mining companies to haul iron ore from the mine to the port rather then build a railway line, or they'll haul by road till the mining company build a railway. There are also contracts with some mines to haul unprocessed gold ore, to the mining wash plants. If you were able to find an employer that could sponsor you then you would apply at the Dept of transport in which ever state you were going to reside in alternatively some companies were actually paying to fly people over to Western Australia from any Capital city, also from New Zealand, and I'd heard some Aussies that were living in Bali, Thailand were also getting flown to Western Australia ( Port Hedland) for free. The catch was if they flew you over you had to work for 4 weeks straight then have 2 weeks off. Drivers living in Port Hedland would only have to work a 2/1 roster 1 week of day shift a 24 hour break then 1 week of night shift then 7 days off.

Yes it is true our rates of pay are much higher over here or down here depending on how you look at it I suppose, however the cost of living is much higher, our dollar is worth less that the US dollar subject to day to day currency fluctuation at present our dollar is worth about 33 % less than the US dollar. Driving Road trains you could earn as high as $58 dollars per hour. This includes free accommodation, food, transport to work, and travel from any capital city nearest you. To get hired as a Road Train driver though you'd need minimum experience driving either b-doubles or road trains, some companies do offer trainee ships however don't pay as much, and there's a big question mark as to whether they'd be willing to fly you in from Indonesia as a trainee. If you do have experience and think you can handle very hot conditions, average daily temps in the Pilbara ( Port Hedland ) are around 45 c during summer, and that's in the shade. As a result truck drivers must have a minimum of 10 lts of water with them in case of break down. Send me a message and I can put you in touch with a few WA based transport companies.

 

Take a vacation to your choice of country and meet some people and get some references and addresses of your new friends. You will be surprised at how many people will be happy to help you.
I did that in Norway and soon was offered a job and help to get the paperwork approved.
Did the same in Germany. Went outside the city to smaller towns and met some people in stores and bars. I'm German, born in the USA. They started asking open ended questions about my opinions on Nazi's, etc., so I gave a shrug and ask for a refill on my beer. Got job offers. That's a simplistic answer, but you get the drift. Always be alert and knowledgeable about the culture and take the temperature of the views of the people. You'll be ok. It's not as difficult as it seems on the surface.
Do some research before going there and it'll work in your favor.

 

I spoke to a driver in Amarillo about MSC. It is great for anyone with prior Navy and Coast Guard service since they will already have their ratings, plus it pays a ton more than the USN or CG were paying and with more time off. I'm old enough I don't think I want to start over and I certainly don't want to spend more time in heat & humidity.

 

I looked at Argentina also. My neighbor son lived there for 20 yrs.
Lots of German DNA there and lots of blonde women. I think it's a very good option for anyone seeking an alternative to living in the USA.

Short mild winters; about 2 months.