The allure of Australia

**Flyingpony** · 25th September 2006, 12:35

Originally Posted by Hillbilly

Depends on which state you want to move to. They all have different laws and prices. In NSW, it's $68 to do your P plates, but in SA it's $298 just to go for your L's.

Is the NSW licence valid in SA?
Since each state has a mini government, do people need to buy a raft of lic's just to ride from one state into another?
What about vehicle registrations, need multiple plates too?

**warewolf** · 25th September 2006, 14:18

Originally Posted by Flyingpony

Is the NSW licence valid in SA?

You only need to be licenced in one place. Worse, these days tickets issued in another state are recorded against your licence in your home state.

[Edit: Ls & Ps sometimes aren't valid in other states, you will have to read the fine print. Full licences are sweet.]

Originally Posted by Flyingpony

Since each state has a mini government,

Nothing mini about it. It's a real government, several would be each bigger than the NZ govt. Aus has four levels of govt: federal, state, local and at times regional. Living there you just don't realise how bureaucratic it is; reading the grief on sites like Horizons Unlimited is a bit of a wake up call.

**McJim** · 25th September 2006, 14:23

So where some states have Learner Approved bikes that are greater then 250 if you leave the state do you have to leave the bike at the state line and jump on a 250? or because your licence was issued by the state that allows you to ride the bigger bike you are then allowed to ride the big bike in the state that wouldn't have permitted this normally?

**Big Dave** · 25th September 2006, 20:20

Originally Posted by McJim

So where some states have Learner Approved bikes that are greater then 250 if you leave the state do you have to leave the bike at the state line and jump on a 250? or because your licence was issued by the state that allows you to ride the bigger bike you are then allowed to ride the big bike in the state that wouldn't have permitted this normally?

It's different from what you are used too - it's several thousand KM between some centres - not many people do it on a 250 and not many learners are up for it.

**warewolf** · 25th September 2006, 22:03

Originally Posted by McJim

So where some states have Learner Approved bikes that are greater then 250 if you leave the state do you have to leave the bike at the state line and jump on a 250? or because your licence was issued by the state that allows you to ride the bigger bike you are then allowed to ride the big bike in the state that wouldn't have permitted this normally?

AFAIK, with full licences, if it is allowed in your home state, it is allowed as a visitor. When I was fresh out of school, some of the wilder vehicle mods not allowed in NSW were easily done in the ACT. So if you wanted to shoehorn a 1.8 or 2.0L engine into a Datsun 1000, you needed someone to register it for you in the ACT. Then you could quite legally drive it in NSW.

However, with Ls & Ps there is some doubt. When I had my Ls, I drove regularly in 4 states. At some stage, someone was horrified because they thought that Ls were not valid out of your home state. I remember trying to find out, but don't recall the result. Over there, Ls are a permit not a licence - which was the sticking point.

Try finding the answer at some of these sites:

RTA (NSW)
VicRoads (Vic)
Urban Services (ACT)
DMR (Qld)

**warewolf** · 25th September 2006, 22:13

Originally Posted by Big Dave

It's different from what you are used too - it's several thousand KM between some centres - not many people do it on a 250 and not many learners are up for it.

True for touring, but that's a JAFS (JAF...Sydney-sider) thing to say.

If you lived in Tweed Heads, Albury, or Queanbeyan (to name just a few examples), you could quite easily commute on your 250 into another state and back each day.

**Hillbilly** · 25th September 2006, 22:24

Originally Posted by Flyingpony

Is the NSW licence valid in SA?
Since each state has a mini government, do people need to buy a raft of lic's just to ride from one state into another?
What about vehicle registrations, need multiple plates too?

Only for 3 months if I actually move or relocate there. After 3 months I have to apply for a SA licence. That applies to every state! That also includes the NZ licence, and you have to have held a full licence for a minimum of 2 years before they'll transfer it over.

After you change your Kiwi licence for an Aussie State Licence (NSW, WA, SA etc) no matter which state, a nice big hole gets punched in your Kiwi licence rendering it invalid!

Can't have multiple plates either. The plates must be from the state that you reside in. They have to be changed after 3 months as well if you change states.

**Big Dave** · 25th September 2006, 22:26

Originally Posted by warewolf

True for touring, but that's a JAFS (JAF...Sydney-sider) thing to say.

If you lived in Tweed Heads, Albury, or Queanbeyan (to name just a few examples), you could quite easily commute on your 250 into another state and back each day.

Since when has queensland been part of australia?

**warewolf** · 25th September 2006, 23:01

Originally Posted by Big Dave

Since when has queensland been part of australia?

Sorry, forgot to mention passport control!

**Terminated** · 25th September 2006, 23:51

Sadly today's news of a rider RIP when tree branches fallen and struck him.

The ride from the coast just north of Nowra then inland over Mt Cambawarra down into and across Kangaroo Valley then up Mt Barrengarry, is a good ride.

I recall once coming back from Canberra and travelling to the Naval Airstation just south of Nowra, came down Mt Barrengarry and the fire service was flat out quelling spot fires, by the time I got across the valley and up Mt Cambawarra I looked back and the extent of the fires became truly evident.

Looks as though Sydney and greater New South Wales are in for a torrid time this summer with fires starting already.

**Big Dave** · 26th September 2006, 01:04

Originally Posted by BuckBuckNo1

Sadly today's news of a rider RIP when tree branches fallen and struck him.

Same thing happened to a mate of mine's older brother on a Norton in 1977.

**Hillbilly** · 26th September 2006, 02:45

saw that happen to a guy that was tailgating me during a severe thunderstorm last year as I was driving out to the Hunter Valley. The road was partially flooded, and I could barely see past the bonnet, but this idiot was tailgaing me in a 4x4. Two bolts of lightning landed right beside me to my left - scared the shit of me. It was the first time I'd driven in weather like this. Further up the road, the branches were getting blown off the trees from the right, and a couple of small ones missed me. Looked in the mirror and this big branch clobbered the 4x4 in the windscreen really badly. That's the last I saw of him. Heard later after I got to waok that he was OK aoart form minor cuts and bruising, but the 4x4 was really badly damaged.

There are bushfires flaring up now, and it really looks like it's going to be a really bad season for them. A 55 yr old rider also got blown under a car near Sydney yesterday. At least that's what i've heard. Some mates went for a ride to an Italian Bike expo, and said it was a really awful day.

**SPman** · 26th September 2006, 18:22

Originally Posted by Hillbilly

After you change your Kiwi licence for an Aussie State Licence (NSW, WA, SA etc) no matter which state, a nice big hole gets punched in your Kiwi licence rendering it invalid!

Not mine, they didn't!