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Hi, any one tried updating Aust map on Garmin GPS before? Please advise on source and procedures. First time GPS user here. Thanks!

Hi, anyone have any idea for honeymood to Australia??? we are going there for 10day trip. heard from some friend can go there stay near the farm, rent car drive around. please advise ... thanks

One of the best motoring experience that a person can have is to drive a few thousand kilometers from home. This allows you to experience driving in a slightly different setting as well as driving something different from the norm instead of just driving around the Malaysian Peninsular. The furthest most would do is up to Krabi in Thailand. Now if you're a motoring journalist this can happen occasionally where manufacturers end up flying a bunch of scruffy blokes from all over the world to an official launch somewhere. Of course, not all of us are that lucky where they can travel, get a off on the free drinks and food and then try out a new car. So I've got a slightly expensive solution for you guys and gals out there. A rent and drive holiday. I did just that on a recent holiday to the Gold Coast, Australia. But when I mean a different motoring experience I did not mean going there and renting a Mitsubishi Lancer, a Toyota Corolla/Camry-Aurion or a Hyundai Whatever. You go there and rent something truly Australian, like a Holden (not a Cruze but the homegrown Commodore or the Statesmen) or an Australian Ford like the Falcon (not a Focus or a Mondeo). The reason why I am suggesting either of the brands mentioned above is that you get to try something totally different from what we can drive here in South East Asia. At the moment, while globalization has not really hit the Australian brands (and there are industry rumours that this would eventually happen and make local Holdens and Fords extinct) this could be the closest place to actually try out something truly different. Australia in the old days was a pretty isolated continent and it was actually more convenient and economical for the Australians to produce their own cars. This allowed the people down under to do things their own way and look what happened. They've ended up with cars that have their own identity and personality. Of course Ford is a global brand, but even then the Australian Fords are different from those in America which are as big as what is offered in Australia. You also get the 'ute', or a coupe utility car popular in Australia and New Zealand. It basically combines a two-door coupe cabin with an integral cargo bed behind the cabin using a light-duty passenger vehicle-derived platform. Now couple that with a V8 engine and these utes are truly fast. There is no place in the world today where you can see so many of this sort of cars around and they are astounding. Something that looks like a pickup truck but is actually based on a car instead of a truck. The rest of the world wants coupes without a large hole in the rear but not the Australians. I'd say that these are the most practical coupes in the world. At this point of time, only Australia has utes by the thousands (with a smattering produced by Proton (Arena) as well as Fiat and VW in Brazil). I totally loved looking at the Utes pass by, especially those Holden HSVs with their thundering V8s. Anyway, back to the rent and drive motoring experience. Australia is best experienced this way. By renting a car you get to experience the country at your own pace instead of the hassle of waiting for the tour bus (or the airport transfer). You fly in and then head over to the car rental office and collect you car. In my case, it was a late model (2011) Ford Falcon XR6 with about 9,500km on the clock. It had about 290bhp and 380Nm torque from its 4.0liter straight-6 engine. It also was rear wheel drive which actually made it a lot of fun coming out of junctions and traffic lights. Turn off the traction control and you can do a little show-boating. Now being a Ford XR model, this meant that the car isn't a lumbering barge. The suspension rides firm, the steering very responsive, the 6 speed automatic eager to kick down and the handling quite resolved for a car that is slightly longer than a Toyota Camry. It would beat the socks off the Camry and our US inspired Honda Accord around a slalom as it actually handles (yet is able to soak up the potholes that it can encounter on the Australian B-roads even on its 17 inch tires and rim combo). I remember taking a string of fast bends and corners at around 80-100km/h and the car tracked true and solid. Turning the traction control off made the handling better as somehow the rear turns in more smoothly than with it on. Cruising at around the local highway speed limit of 110km/h the engine turns at slightly over 2,000rpm making it a totally relaxed cruiser (and great for the economy too). And with that 4.0-litre engine, exiting junctions and overtaking is a clinch. Doing the 80-100km/h dash is remarkably easy and takes mere seconds. Build quality for the car I rented seems good, nothing fell off and nothing broke throughout the three days I was driving it. The boot is huge too and swallowed up tons of shopping. This fact as well as the overall comfort of a large car was loved by the wife and kid as they bought tons of stuff. I ended up driving to Byron Bay (breathtaking scenery and beaches as well as car watching) and its surrounding areas down in New South Wales and then up to Brisbane (great shopping and car watching) up North from the Gold Coast (great shopping and errr, 'bird watching') clocking about a thousand kilometers throughout the duration of my stay. The Ford Falcon XR6 was a good drive (and I wish that the rental company could have provided me with the XR6 Turbo

Ford Australia will put the GT Black Concept that it showcased at the Melbourne Motor Show into limited production, after the positive response the showcar garnered. To be called the FPV (Ford Performance Vehicles) GT Black, the menacing looking sedan will be limited to just 125 units, and will retail for AU$74,290. Which is still cheaper than a lot of lesser cars over here. I was lucky enough to have seen the concept in the flesh in Melbourne, and I can attest to its popularity. The Aussies were simply loving the car as they crowded around the Ford stand. It's a brooding, menacing, muscle car, with its matte black paintwork and aggressive styling details. And just look at that bonnet bulge! It hides a 5.0-litre supercharged Boss V8 with 449bhp and 570Nm of torque. Those lucky Aussies. Enjoy the pics. Because this might be the closest you could get to this beast.

Every year, the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) pits cars and drivers in a series of two, three or four-day events though some of the toughest, and most varied, conditions on the planet. The roads on this epic motorsport adventure range from the ice and snow of Scandinavia to the stifling heat of Jordan

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wow so many nice places to drive overseas..... singapore is like a concrete jungle

I am going to buy an air ticket to australia and intend to stay for more than 3 months but the visa is only given 3 months and i will extend it after i have reached there. Will the immigration allow me to step into australia when i show that my return flight is later than my visa ends?

TIGER Airways could be grounded for at least a month and be forced out of business in Australia altogether after the Civil Aviation Safety Authority revoked its permission to fly, saying the airline posed ''a serious and imminent risk to air safety''. quote: http://www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-new...0702-1gwie.html

who has been to Australia here? my friend just paste me this site to join in the contest to win a $15000 trip to australia but i haven't been there before.. http://www.nothinglikeaustralia.com/sg/index.htm

hi anyone knows or been through the experience before? please share

Hi all, anyone could advise which website to apply for Australia Visitors visa?

Hi all. Am planning to go Australia. Planning to take plane there n rent a car for me n wife. Anyone here done this? Can share ur itinerary n places to look out for. N also which company is good car rental? N also are there hotels or motels there that is like our 81 here where we can check in 1 night that type

-Micheal Schumacher at the 2010 Bahrain GP It's confirmed, the season opener for the FIA Formula 1 that was scheduled for Bahrain in March has been cancelled. The very sensible and logical decision was made by the Crown Prince of Bahrain, Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who incidently is the rights owner of the race. Bahrain has been on the F1 race calendar for the last seven or so years and as far as I can remember, there has never been a cancellation on an F1 event over the last 25 years. It could be more, but I was a little kid then and Hot Wheels were the only cars I was interested in. This anti-government protests that have spread around the Arab world have serious repercussions. We all know that it first started off in Tunisia, then Egypt, then this Arab country, then that country. Amazing viral-like protests that have affected even us over here as oil prices are soaring and now we're going to have to wait for the next scheduled race -the Australian GP on the 27th of March for the F1 circus to start. In fact, the official pre-race group test that was also to be held in Bahrain will now be held at Barcelona on 8th to the 11th of March. There is also no news whether the Bahrain GP will be postponed to a later date or that it will still be a fixture in this year's F1 calendar. I suppose that would depend how stable the country is within the next few months. Oh well, last year's Bahrain GP was Bore-rain to me, and a lot of others too. But then again, this year, during the same time it'll be even worse as there wouldn't be a race at all as F1 begins a little later. - Alonso won at Bahrain last year source: associated press

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/world-news/4461-...op-threat-level Cyclone Yasi is seen approaching the coast of Australia, in this weather satellite image, courtesy of the Japan Meteorological Agency, taken 2300 GMT on February 1, 2011. Thousands of residents fled their homes and crammed into shelters in northeastern Australia as the cyclone described as the most powerful in the country's history and with a 650 km (400 mile) wide front barreled toward the coastline on Wednesday. REUTERS CAIRNS, Australia, Feb 2, 2011 (AFP) - A terrifying cyclone roaring towards Australia strengthened to the most dangerous threat level Wednesday, as officials warned it could be the deadliest storm in generations. As the winds that heralded Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi's arrival began battering hundreds of kilometres (miles) of Queensland coast, officials told residents it was now too late to escape the monster storm.

economically, and if you have on hand some aud currency. anyone got experience in this? remittance services accepts only sgd currency and so does bank.

Hi all, I'm now faced with a dilemma. I'll be going to Melbourne. Went to several online car rental sites hoping to book my car in advance. Pick it up from the airport. FYI, this is going to be a Great Ocean Road trip. I will be going all the way to Warrnambool, up to Halls Gap, then to Ballarat before returning the car back at th airport. I am shown cars from a lot of companies. All rental are for 7 days. At Europecar, I can rent a Skoda Octavia. With excess reduction to AUD350, costs me AUD637. Hertz, Avis, Budget and gave me all gave me a lot of other cars. Excess reduction to AUD350 all cost a whopping 550+ onwards. Then I came to this company. Offered me a powerful V6 Magna wagon (TF) which is used for AUD437 including excess reduction to AUD350, 2 booster seats plus GPS! Wife tell me she like new car. I told her this is a powerful older car. Other cars from richer tourists will have their balls shrinking if I bear down on them with a Magna! Is it worth it to rent a Magna? I assume it is well maintained since it is a rental vehicle. Don't care if it is scuffed or whatever. I'm only going to use it for 7 days.

Dear all, any kind soul here can direct me where to buy Australia map for my Garmin 200? I have searched the web but couldn't seem to locate any seller. Thanks hor.

Dear all Any recommendations for car rental in australia? going to Sydney and Melbourne for holiday, looking to rent something like a Camry.

wah... wat a utter and complete turnaround it is for the F1 circle in in just 2 races. frankly, i cld not even be bothered to keep up to tabs to the news leading to the Melbourne race. i did watched the Qualifying, and had a bad feeling about it when then usual suspects took their familiar grid positions. is it going to be just another race?? will i doze off during the 90mins of just watching cars going around and around? and thanks Heaven (literally!) i made it in time back to watch the race! and thanks for the rain! in just 3 laps, my fren commented 'this is already better than the ones in Boring, sorry, Bahrain... from the start to the end, there was something to talk about and how abt Button winning it by using one option set of tyres for 50 laps! i dunno how he did it... it was awesome display of his smooth driving! this is an interesting article from grandprix.com: So it seems reports of Formula 1's death have been greatly exaggerated. After the yawn-fest in Bahrain, the magic returned with a sprinkling of Melbourne rain and it's as if there was never a problem with the sport's health. As John Travolta waved the chequered flag, this looked very much a sport 'staying alive'. The Australian Grand Prix was a classic race, with enough action to last half a season. But memories are rather shorter than that. Afterwards Fernando Alonso made the wisecrack that F1's critics would not be able to call the sport boring 'for one week, at least...' Therein lies the rub. In a modern media age the maxim 'you are only as good as your last race' doesn't only apply to the drivers. The Bahrain Grand Prix created the reaction it did because it was the first race of the year. After five months of build-up featuring arguably the most exciting line-up of all time, the world's media outlets sent extra correspondents. What else were they supposed to write about? The procession served as a wake-up call - or rather its diametrical opposite. But to imagine there is anything unusual about disappointing Sunday afternoons in modern F1 is to overlook the fact that the last few seasons have all regularly produced poor races, even in the context of exciting title battles. Qualifying has provided much more consistent entertainment. As usual, the truth lies somewhere between the two extremes of Bahrain and Melbourne. The Australian Grand Prix took place in precisely the conditions in which F1 thrives. A period of rain leading to a drying line is the perfect combination to guarantee mayhem. It has long been the same as it throws a whole bunch of spanners into the teams' immaculate preparations, which otherwise have a tendency to balance each other out. That's why the idea of using sprinklers persists as the simplest way for Formula 1 to guarantee a thriller. In Bahrain the new rules came under attack, particularly the ban on refuelling. The teams should share any blame as they were invariably taking a cautious approach in a bid to make sure of a finish at the first race. That was reflected in the stale contest. But there is an argument that the very same rules helped generate some of the interest in the latter stages in Australia - as guys like Hamilton, who'd made an extra tyre stop, attacked and ultimately caught the Ferraris, who had stayed out. However, the problem persisted that he couldn't pass when he got there - and that is F1's eternal dilemma. The sport now heads to Malaysia, which showed last year how even rain can go too far. On that occasion a tropical storm caused the race to be stopped at half-distance - that's not exactly a show either. The twilight start time meant it couldn't be restarted and the cars were left stranded on the grid in a futile and embarrassing hiatus until time ran out. The race start has been brought forward this year so hopefully there will be no repeat, but neutrals will be hoping for thunderclouds regardless. Other than rain, the other major factor that brightens up grands prix is the safety car - and those inevitably happen more often at circuits with barriers close to the track. Recently the sport has been swamped by giant circuits designed with a clean sheet of paper by Hermann Tilke - such as Bahrain, Malaysia, China, Turkey and Fuji. Those don't even set the pulses racing, let alone the cars. But Tilke's street circuits in Valencia, Singapore and Abu Dhabi hardly make up a list of classic racing venues either, close walls or not. Before we tint our spectacles any rosier, overtaking also comes at a premium at more established circuits like Barcelona, Monaco, Silverstone, Hungary and Suzuka. Imola had turned desperately processional before it disappeared from the calendar. Australia has bought F1 some time. But pre-season testing and Bahrain have shown that cars need to be about three seconds quicker than their quarry to get past with ease in dry conditions. So yes, the problem remains. No knee-jerks, certainly, but the teams' planned meeting in Malaysia must go ahead regardless of the leeway afforded by the thriller in Oz. Getting them all to agree on anything will, of course, be next to impossible anyway. If they do get desperate, they should all just club together to buy a large hose.

Hi All bro, need some advices from you before i get eaten alive when i put my signature on the dot...... situation now..... Director ask me and offer me to relocate to australia... melbourne... now i dun know really what should i ask for and what to look out for.. 1) i am earning close to 4k now... 2) how much to ask for adjustment if go there? what is reasonable? 3) how much is the tax in melbourne...? 4) how much more is the expenses? 5) i know definitely i will get a company rav4 car hehehehehe 6) i know i will get a housing as well... 7) i just bought a flat and reno it ... 8) i just rom and my wife is working earning good $$ too.. 9) common practice if i relocate there, my wife go with me ... company pay for my wife too? what to do now... mmm good to go or not... how much to expect if i want to make some money out of it

in cup size that is. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25290859-36398,00.html

supercharged 3.5-litre dual VVT-i V6 engine .. hopefully AWD [inline trd_aurion_gray.jpg] [inline trd_aurion_hilux10.jpg] [inline trd_aurion_hilux11.jpg] And the monster engine itself [inline trd_aurion_hilux12.jpg] Does any PI import cars from Australia? I heard there are many interesting models from other makes as well.

Source: http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20090113/tap-...at-5a1703c.html SYDNEY (AFP) - - An Australian state is offering internationally what it calls "the best job in the world" -- earning a top salary for lazing around a beautiful tropical island for six months. The job pays 150,000 Australian dollars (105,000 US dollars) and includes free airfares from the winner's home country to Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland's state government announced on Tuesday. In return, the "island caretaker" will be expected to stroll the white sands, snorkel the reef, take care of "a few minor tasks" -- and report to a global audience via weekly blogs, photo diaries and video updates. The successful applicant, who will stay rent-free in a three-bedroom beach home complete with plunge pool and golf buggy, must be a good swimmer, excellent communicator and be able to speak and write English. "They'll also have to talk to media from time to time about what they're doing so they can't be too shy and they'll have to love the sea, the sun, the outdoors," said acting state Premier Paul Lucas. "The fact that they will be paid to explore the islands of the Great Barrier Reef, swim, snorkel and generally live the Queensland lifestyle makes this undoubtedly the best job in the world." Lucas said the campaign was part of a drive to protect the state's 18 billion Australian dollar a year tourism industry during the tough economic climate caused by the global financial meltdown. "Traditional tourism advertising just doesn't cut it sometimes and we are thinking outside the box by launching this campaign." Queensland Tourism Minister Desley Boyle said some people might question whether it was risky to let an unknown person become an unofficial tourism spokesperson for the state. "I think the biggest risk will be that the successful candidate won't want to go home at the end of the six months," she said. "This is a legitimate job which is open to anyone and everyone." Applications are open until February 22. Eleven shortlisted candidates will be flown to Hamilton Island in early May for the final selection process and the six month contract will commence on July 1. Job-seekers can apply on . P.S: Anyone wants to try to apply?

Anyone caught the newest Top Gear Australia? From left to right: Charlie Cox, Warren Brown and Steve Pizzati brief overview of the presenters: Warren Brown, cartoonist and motoring columnist for The Daily Telegraph Charlie Cox, MotoGP commentator for the BBC, and a former radio presenter and ex-racing driver Steve Pizzati, advanced driving instructor, race driver and freelance motoring journalist I think it sucks BIG TIME.... and its making a big ridicule of the original show itself. i just dont know where to start.... but heck here goes: 1) the presenters arent the bit funny 2) hate their accent... 3) what the hell was with dumping the car as shark bait? is this even a car show ? 4) The celebrities can even get a better track time than "The Stig" 5) Whats the layout of the track? it feels like its just 3 corners and all straights 6) Steve bumped his head coming out of the Ford GT??? 7) Charlie spun out on the Ford GT a couple of times? 8) Charlie looked absolutely scared pushing the Ford GT to its "max" speed. Some race driver.. 9) Ok give them a bit of teething problems but the 2nd episode was rubbish too. 10) look at the crowd on the 1st episode.. and the tiny "gathering" at the 2nd. obviously even the Ozzies thought it was crap. 11) And whats with Steve suggesting to rename the Stig to Stiggo ? WTFBBQ?