Wow, I'm amazed by all of the replies! So, just to sum up my post question:
Is it actually possible for me to move to Australia and take "Year 12" courses to finish high school, do I need a visa, etc.?
And out of Sydney and Melbourne, which do you think is more asthetically pleasing?
Also, (and just for fun), what's some lingo you Aussies use that we don't here in Canada?
P.S. I'm 16, going on 17 in May. What is the drinking age/driving age? And there isn't any TV TAX like in England is there?
Our's would be: "Eh?" "KD" (kraft Dinner) "Newfie" (Someone from Newfoundland & Labrador) "Pop" (Soda, fizzy drink) "Garburator" (a scraps blender in your sink). 😀
You'd have to take up the high school/visa stuff with the embassy in Canada. I have no idea abut any of that but I do know there are a hell of a lot of Canadian Uni students here in my town - they love the beach.
I would say Sydney is more aesthetically pleasing than Melbourne but Melbourne has a better "vibe" than Sydney.
As for driving you'd need a full license from Canada if you wanted to drive - getting your full license in Australia takes about 3 years and for the first period when you have your Learner's Permit you are required to have a fully licensed driver with you to sign a log book. After 50 hours of logged driving experience in a wide range of conditions you get your Provisional License which allows you to drive on your own but your speed is limited. After two years of this you get your full license.
We don't have a TV tax like they do in England, we have about 5 free to air channels which have all the major shows and sport etc and there is cable TV which almost nobody has because it's pointless and expensive.
Drinking age is 18.
As for lingo, well you've got buckley's of understanding any sort of strine I could feed you over the net because it all means different stuff wherever you are - you've got to experience it in person. There are some websites on the net that give supposed meaning to aussie slang but most of it is contrived and wrong.
Just as a finish, Outback Steakhouse = a total lie. We don't eat anything that would even vaguely resemble a "Bloomin' Onion" - I grabbed one of their menus and I've never been so embarassed in my life. Aussie food is very eclectic, borrowing from the Asian and European influences that were brought with the migrants after the war. It's generally light, tasty and made with the freshest of ingredients. One thing about the climate - there's always some amazing fruit and veg in season and the seafood is magnificent.
If you come out for the final year of school you'll probably miss the height of summer because we go from Feb -> November/December so it'll be warm at the start and finish but the rest of the year will be reasonably mild. If you get the chance, pop down to the mountains in the winter and go skiing - it's nothing on what you get in Canada but the sensation of skiing amongst the gum trees is second to none in the world and the party atmosphere is just electric (if it's a good season, last season was not a good season) and I'm yet to find anywhere that parties better.
I would seriously consider coming over for Uni instead of High School, last year of HS as I said is extraordinarily busy and stressful studying for the final exams. You get longer holidays in Uni, you could take easy bludge courses to give you more time off during the week and really get a chance to travel.
