Coffee cup and notebook with to do list on blue rustic desk from above. Visa process.

The road to residency part 4: all the extras

I started on the road to residency in June 2013, almost a year ago. The process is finally coming to an end. Well, sort of. I’m applying onshore (that is, from within Australia) for a de facto partner visa subclass 820. This is a temporary visa. When granted, if the relationship is intact after two …

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The London Tavern, Beechworth

We’ve just returned from spending a few days in the London Tavern, an old tavern and hotel in Beechworth. Beechworth is a picturesque historical town located north-east Victoria. It’s famous for its gold rush boom during the mid-1850s. In its golden heydey, Beechworth was wealthy, powerful, and influential. It boasted a range of industries and had colourful characters …

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Mornington Peninsula, Cape Schanck.

Weekend at Mornington Peninsula beaches

We spent last weekend in the Mornington Peninsula. Located south of Melbourne, it takes about 90 minutes to drive there, depending on the traffic. The Shire of Mornington Peninsula is made up of about 40 small towns and suburbs. Although it has a population of about 145k people, it’s a popular tourist destination. Not only does …

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A portion of the dingo fence near Coober Pedy for more fun facts about Australia.

10 more fun facts about Australia

Two years ago, I wrote an entry called 12 fun facts about Australia. It turned out to be pretty popular and I’ve learned a lot in two years so I thought I’d do another round. Here are 10 more fun facts about Australia. Australia’s first police force was a band of 12 of the most well behaved …

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Labour Day. Eight Hour Day Banner, Melbourne, 1856.

Happy Labour Day, Australia!

Today is Labour Day in Australia, the day in which Aussies commemorate the achievements of the Australian labour movement. Once upon a time, workers to Australia came from England under penal transportation. Under the Master and Servant Act, workers worked long hours, 10 to 12 hours a day, sometimes more, six days a week. As …

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