G'day from Melbourne, Oz.

[Thunderlips]

Hi all, first post, got to get that 5 post count up so I can contribute a little bit.

I've been smoking off and on since about 1982, when I was 13.. More smoking than not.

I started vaping around December 2013 and have not had a cigarette since then.
Don't even feel like one. Even when I go out drinking with mates, which I thought would be really tough. Nope, no worries.

In Australia the sale of liquid with nicotine is illegal, but it is legal to import it, so my first experience with nicotine juice was from China. I tried a few and most were rubbish but I stuck with it. Then I tried some from England and found them a big step up and totally satisfying. I wont mention any names but also some from the Holy Land, which is also quite nice.

I can't really say I've saved any money though because since December I've bought things like Ego batteries, a Vaporshark DNA, a Microstick, Protanks, assorted Aspires, Davides, and most recently Kayfun and Squape clones.
That will be my first go at rebuildables, which I'm looking forward to.

So hopefully with a few more posts I can contribute.
Already saw a post in the Microstick thread which I want to help with, I just can't do it yet

Here's hoping to many more posts and lots of questions of my own.

 

[misohoni]

Congrats on making the switch & welcome to ECF from a Sydney vaper Lol,

I made the switch in Jan-Feb & have been smoke free since - Best feeling ever plus I've got a new hobby in the process,

It does suck that we can't e liquid with nic locally but there are some places that aren't too bad with shipping costs for example:
Mount Baker Vaper are quite reasonable with there prices on e liquid plus shipping is approx. $20-25 &
Alice In VapeLand are reasonable as well - Worth checking out if you haven't already

 

[dripdaze]

Hello Thunderlips! Welcome to the forum and congrats on ditching the cigs.

 

[EBates]

Welcome aboard!
Do you have local e-liguid sellers, selling 0 nic juice? If so, why would you not just import nic and add to you local juice?
I demo my ignorance.

 

[atcsat64]

Coming up on 3 months smoke free, and just getting into the money savings here! But I think I've added a few years of life, well worth the price!

 

[Buggainok]

Welcome to the forum. When I read your post I tried to have that wonderful Aussie accent in my head!

You'll get your five newbie posts in no time, and then you can dive in and help everyone whenever you want.

And, big congrats on those smoke-free months since December!

 

[Thunderlips]

Thanks all for the welcomes.

Ebates, yes we do have locals that sell 0% juice. I was planning on going down the road you mention and buying nicotine and mixing it myself. Slowly but surely.

I'm finding that at the moment I'm still preferring tobacco style juice but I'll experiment a bit with the different kind of fruits and deserts etc.
Maybe some of that yellow custard, which seems to be popular.

I've always been under the impression that cigarettes cost a lot more in Australia compared to America. I was paying $32AU for a packet of 50, which comes to about $29US. Is that a lot?
Don't get me started on the price of beer in this country...

Nice to see some fellow Aussies here, there's probably heaps.

I actually lived in the States in the mid to late 70s when I was a boy. My dad was in the RAAF and got transferred there.
Loved my time there and made some great friends

 

[EBates]

Gees, I was chokin' over $5 per pack (20/pack).
Either you folks get some fantastic salaries or you have to give up eating and live in a cardboard box for smokes and beer.
Just bought a Watermelon juice yesterday that's really good, but my ADVs are tobacco. Never been a fan of the desert flavors.
Picked up a Sigelei Z-Max V3 during my buying spree. Excellent so far. Me, my Watermelon juice, and Z-max are in Hog Heaven.

 

[Anthonyz63]

Hey Thunderlips, welcome to ECF!!!!

 

[laurie9300]

G'day Thunderlips, fellow Aussie here, from Sydney. Are you on AVF too?

 

[jhelliwell]

Hey mate. Nice to meet you. I was in Melbourne not so long ago, drinking ice cold James Boags served on draught in the back of a Purepop Records in St. Kilda.

Really, you can't buy eliquids with nicotine? Thanks for the heads up, I'm coming over to Aus soon to visit relatives, and so now I know to bring my own eliquids.

 

[Thunderlips]

Gees, I was chokin' over $5 per pack (20/pack).
Either you folks get some fantastic salaries or you have to give up eating and live in a cardboard box for smokes and beer.

Most of the price is made up of tax. 60% I believe.
As for salary, the Government sets the minimum full time wage,which is about $16 per hour. For casuals it's $20.
There's been some talk recently about our wages being too high.
Our car manufacturing industry, which is currently Ford, Holden and Toyota, can't compete with the imports and are all shutting up shop in the next few years. It's a big loss. I think the typical worker at those factories are on about $30 per hour. A lot of workplaces, like mine, also have higher rates on the weekend, like 1.5x on Saturdays and double pay on Sundays.

A typical 6 pack of beer costs about $16.

 

[Thunderlips]

Hey Thunderlips, welcome to ECF!!!!

Thanks
My uncle lives in NJ. He runs a fish and chip shop and a Scottish shop called Pipers Cove.

 

[Thunderlips]

G'day Thunderlips, fellow Aussie here, from Sydney. Are you on AVF too?

I'm there as well.
Same name.

Hey, 5 posts!
Now I can answer a question in that Microstick thread

 

[laurie9300]

Yep, just after I posted I went back to AVF and there you were!