moving to central coast/wyong area near sydney

basscadetz

so, i'm moving near sydney (within an hour of) and i'm curious about a few things that maybe you guys could help me out with. i joined the sydney BMA forums but havent gotten approved yet and im too anxious to wait. also not getting much from bikeforums.net soooooo...

are messenger jobs easy to get for americans?
what are the pay rates for a messenger?
are there and bicycle co-ops i can get a cheap track/road/fixie type bike (or does anyone have one laying around they dont want that i can arrange to have picked up? )?
are your experiences as a messenger there positive?

any suggestions/tips/otherwise will be greatly appreciated.
thanks!
soon to be australian,
mike

Albert 50

Mike, I'm from there. I see your getting a quick lesson about orstrayen culture from the TAN posters. Don't take to much to heart, especially from the Mexicans, cause their having a heat wave atm & it's shrivelling their brains even more than usual
Um....messenger jobs? [Do u mean pick up & deliver parcels in a vehicle / van or maybe bicycle courier ]
Bicycle co-ops.......not that I'm aware of.
You surely seem to have some plans afoot.
Sounds like we may be hearing a lot from u, & I wish u well.

basscadetz

yes, as a bicycle courier. thanks for the good words! again any help would be great!

1id10t

Mike,
You could try looking up couriers on yellowpages.com.au. I think Mailcall is one company looking for cycling couriers but don't quote me on that.
Don't know about co-ops but you could try eBay, the Trading Post, the lbs or even some pawn shops around the city (i've seen a couple of bikes at one along Oxford St near Paddington). If you keep your eyes open you might pick one up free during the rubbish cleanout local councils conduct once or twice a year. Usually older 27in road bikes people leave on the nature strip outside their house. Not always good pickings but a start.
Now about becoming an Aussie around Sydney you'll need to change your name to Mick, start following footie (or football aka rugby league or union; take your pick) in the winter and cricket in the summer. Most other sports are also welcome. Get a taste for the local beer, meat pies, vegemite...
If you plan to cycle around Sydney get a thick skin and life insurance.
Welcome and best of luck.

basscadetz

awesome, thanks for the info on that.
i'm cool with anything road/street/fixie/whatever. if riden beaters and really nice bikes. they all have pedals, and are cool with me. I guess that's something ill have to do when i get there.
don't know the sports, but will learn! you can call me whatever, just don't call me late for dinner. we have meat pies in new orleans, but they're prolly not the same. i dont eat meat so i'm cool with not learning that! LOVE BEER so that's cool, as for vegemite, man that stuff is gross!oh, i've got a thick skin. been hit a million times by horrible drivers.

thanks for the encouraging words! you rock.

jock.c

Any updates basscadetz? it's Australia Day in half an hour so make sure you post you relocation progress here and then go and chuck a few shrimps on the barbie.

Albert 50

Maybe his Aussie girl has given him the punt?

basscadetz

when i said soon i meant more like, this summer. i just like to plan in advance, you know?

sogood

Check out Nunnery bike workshop in Newtown for a possible short term bike solution. And it's virtually next door to Cheeky Monkeys mentioned in the next article.
http://bikeclub.wordpress.com/about/

A local courier report,
http://www.australiancyclist.com.au....php?s=8&a=1439

I don't see how being an American is a negative to your job prospect. How about this one for the job,
http://www.gumtree.com.au/sydney/27/6423227.html

__________________
Morphed Bianchi Camaleonte IV 2006, Ridley Damocles 2006, Garmin, Mac

matagi

Gawd! By then we will all have lost interest and wandered off. Better keep us updated or we'll have forgotten about you by the time you turn up on our shores.

Actually if you're planning to make the move during your summer, you will be landing here during our winter. The winters here are very pleasant, dry and temperate, great riding weather.

jock.c

Except when it unpleasant, pissin down rain, and blowing a freezing SouWester off the snowy mountains

matagi

Bah! You're just a thin blooded Northerner! It doesn't get that cold up here even when there's a freezing sou'wester. Agree the rain isn't pleasant.

jock.c

Perhaps I should have mentioned that good riding time is usually found between 4:00am and 7:30am... not the mid-afternoon hours of those in good keep

matagi

Ok, agree that in the early hours of the morning it can be a tad chilly - we go below zero at our place.

And those in good keep ride in the mid-morning hours - the mid-afternoon is for recovering from lunch!