I have been in Oz for almost three months now and have majorly been dependent on J for transportation. For some reason (there always seems to be a reason), the weekend is always filled with activities and J cannot teach me how to commute via the buses here in Canberra. Last Saturday, J finally put his foot down and decided to postpone all errands so that he can finally teach me the transportation system here.
It's really quite easy. A big help is the Action website that tells you all you need to know about commuting. You can even buy your bus tickets online. It's that efficient. All you really need to know is the bus schedule and at what time the bus passes the stop nearest you. We actually missed the first bus because we clearly underestimated this schedule. Obviously they were almost always on time so we had to make sure we leave our house at least ten minutes before the time the bus passes. Since it was a weekend, we had to wait another hour for the next bus to come (On weekdays, the bus comes every half hour). Lesson learned! 
The rates are very reasonable as well. They just charge you a flat rate of AU$2.50 per adult. It doesn't matter which part of the route you get off. You can also purchase a prepaid bus ticket and just swipe it everytime you board the bus. This saves you a lot from the hassle of rummaging through your bag for change or waiting for the bus driver to give you your change.
Now I am much more mobile. Going to the malls is so much easier because all bus interchanges are located behind the malls. Hmm.. now, that's a thought. Maybe when I'm really bored, I'll just go to the malls to while the time away. 
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J now lets me take the car two blocks away from our house. Woohoo! Although it isn't too far a distance, it pretty much allows me to practise my stop-look-drive skills. Next week, J promised to let me drive around the suburb for a good two hours. I'm both nervous and excited!
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