Jeff gets paid weekly here in Oz, as do most trades. Teachers are paid fortnightly. Rent is paid weekly. The country would be brought to its knees if it was any different. I was chatting about it with a teacher on Friday whose mouth dropped open in disbelief when I told them that most jobs in the UK are paid monthly!
Water rates are payable 3-monthly, although if you're renting, you're only only liable for 'excess water charges', which normally means if you have a pool or similar. Electricity bills are 3 monthly too and there is no gas; only bottled. We don't pay council rates in rented accommodation.
There are no postal deliveries at the weekends and your mail is delivered by a yellow-clothed person on a motorbike. You are able to learn to drive at 16 years of age (!) here in Queensland. Petrol prices can change over a matter of hours; particularly at weekends. I filled up the car at 4.30pm on Friday at $1.22 per litre and at 7pm, it had gone up to $1.45! You really have to time when you visit the petrol station.
Supermarkets don't sell booze, you need to go to a bottle shop. One of the supermarkets locally has just started selling clothes which is a real novelty for the locals. There are no real 'pubs' here where we live. There are food establishments which have bars. The hotels generally have a courtesy bus to take you to and from the place too! We certainly wouldn't want to lose our driving licences here. If you're even just having one drink, it's never worth it: I suppose that's the same all over the world though!!
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