Discussion
In queensland , for anything more than 3 months you must get an Qld lisc. they are real prats for that , try and lock you up for anything , cameras everywhere , standard of driving bad, having said that most accidents are for trees jumping into the road (probably related to the Roo's. or just plain driving without looking as to what is going on around them.
Dave
Dave
VYT said:
Well in Victoria your chances of getting stopped by a policeman are pretty slim, never see them. However the dratted scameras are everywhere so you will receive a friendly letter asking you for cash, nothing else if you are driving on a foreign license.
Not where I live mate, I see unmarked plod Clubsports pulling over dudes all the time here in Melbourne. The scameras are everywhere but a lot are traffic light cameras.
skinnyboy said:
Well in Victoria your chances of getting stopped by a policeman are pretty slim, never see them. However the dratted scameras are everywhere so you will receive a friendly letter asking you for cash, nothing else if you are driving on a foreign license.
Not where I live mate, I see unmarked plod Clubsports pulling over dudes all the time here in Melbourne. The scameras are everywhere but a lot are traffic light cameras.
Hmm, have to say I have seen more police on the road in the last month than I saw in the previous 6.
Smae here! Got done in Dalby, QLD by a copper doing 136 instead of 100. $350 fine but no points as I am Swiss.
One word of caution. Most police cars in Oz have a radar thingy fitted on the side.
They can meassure the oncomming trafic from a large distance away. I was at least 500-600 meters from the cop car when hes lights started to flash! That is so unfair!
One word of caution. Most police cars in Oz have a radar thingy fitted on the side.
They can meassure the oncomming trafic from a large distance away. I was at least 500-600 meters from the cop car when hes lights started to flash! That is so unfair!
They can be a pain and have a reputation in NSW as being gits, but I offer two examples of, well, almost human behaviour..
A couple of years ago I was stopped driving a truck that was out of rego (Road Fraud Licence in UK). They still fined me $440 on showing my UK licence, but then also recommended my employer pay it, and the copper would back me up. They also waited till later to explain that had I been in an accident, the insurace would be void and I would be locked up as a flight risk until things were sorted. Nice
Then a week ago a mate was pulled for doing 130kmh as he left the Harbour Tunnel, the limit is 80, and anything over 45kmh over the limit is, I think, an automatic ban for 6 months and $1000 fine. Ah, but bless the copper who took pity and recorded just 124kmh, so my mate got just a 3 month ban and $500 fine.
And the police in NSW will take a UK licence off your hands if you've been too naughty.
A couple of years ago I was stopped driving a truck that was out of rego (Road Fraud Licence in UK). They still fined me $440 on showing my UK licence, but then also recommended my employer pay it, and the copper would back me up. They also waited till later to explain that had I been in an accident, the insurace would be void and I would be locked up as a flight risk until things were sorted. Nice
Then a week ago a mate was pulled for doing 130kmh as he left the Harbour Tunnel, the limit is 80, and anything over 45kmh over the limit is, I think, an automatic ban for 6 months and $1000 fine. Ah, but bless the copper who took pity and recorded just 124kmh, so my mate got just a 3 month ban and $500 fine.
And the police in NSW will take a UK licence off your hands if you've been too naughty.
Saw traffic light cameras a lot in Melbourne suburbs, usually at major junctions though.
Stay off toll roads unless you get the permit. Got done on two in Mlb,and I was in a hire car. Got two $100AUD summonses about a month or so after getting back to the UK. I would agree about unmarked pig cars. Saw a few of them too,and yes they can trap you even if they're going the other way. BE AWARE!
Stay off toll roads unless you get the permit. Got done on two in Mlb,and I was in a hire car. Got two $100AUD summonses about a month or so after getting back to the UK. I would agree about unmarked pig cars. Saw a few of them too,and yes they can trap you even if they're going the other way. BE AWARE!
i was over working near sydney, and there were loads of speed cameras and traffic police, and unlike here, they'd hide up to catch you!
i had a lucky escape coming back from the pub one friday afternoon though, i was going a bit quick and got pulled by a patrol car, i pleaded ignorance (having only been there a week), and said i thought it was miles an hour, not kilometres/hour. he just gave me a warning, and let me go on my way.
i had a lucky escape coming back from the pub one friday afternoon though, i was going a bit quick and got pulled by a patrol car, i pleaded ignorance (having only been there a week), and said i thought it was miles an hour, not kilometres/hour. he just gave me a warning, and let me go on my way.
Wanchaiwarrior said:
Ive just got here from UK/HK with a UK liscence.
I am here on a 457 temporary residents visa and my UK liscence is fine for the 4 years of my visa.
Best talk to Queensland Roads when you get here.
I am here on a 457 temporary residents visa and my UK liscence is fine for the 4 years of my visa.
Best talk to Queensland Roads when you get here.
mate i'm in the same boat here in NSW, and the RTA only gives you 30 (!!) days to get a license here. you can get a ban, etc if you don't either have an international license or a local one. make sure to get a second one of your UK
before applying! the insurance companies have a bit of an issue as well as you'll have an Oz address. oh, and having an Oz address, the police & RTA will not take too kindly to pulling you over on oz plates and spotting this discrepency. get your 2nd license, then get along to the RTA and get a local one. up to you how you proceed, i don't need the aggro...
Hay warrior, be careful, I did the same - and got well and truly threatened by a F@@@@wit of a cop who tried to JAIL me. The problem not being mine but a discrepancy between QLD Transport and Dept. of Immigration and the cops. Don't risk it, you really need that lisc. after 30 days all you need is a prat of a cop who is trying to look clever.You will find the Dept of transport wont give anything in writing so they cant be proved at fault and neither will the cops, in my case both were seriously at fault due to my having an exemption notice from immigration and transport paperwork not being able to deal with that, hence cops tried to give me "accommodation" at their pleasure. Be careful their are too many smartarses trying to achieve their pay rises trough tickets.
Dave
Dave
ajg31 said:
i am moving over there after the summer, permanently i hope (residency visa). how do you get a local license? does it vary from state to state? is it as easy as taking a theory test and handing your uk license over?
I think you will be made to forget the good etiquete you learnt in the UK, and told under no circumstances to let anyone merge or change lanes. Also don't worry about the indicators being on the other (ie CORRECT) side of the steering wheel, hardly anyone uses them here.
Gassing Station | Australia | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff