DavidW4

Their service is really very good. Always helpful and with plenty of time for their customers because they employ enough staff to meet demand, unlike most banks.

The offering of products and services is similar to other banks, with about the same fees. Where you really save by banking with them is on penalties. My local branch managers have often waved fees for me, such as dishonour fees on automatic transactions, without my even having to ask, then sent me a personally addressed letter about it by way of explanation. The big banks don't do that.

The other good thing about them is that their basic credit card has the lowest interest rate I've been able to find, and a generous interest free period.

I recommend the local Bendigo Bank to anyone who doesn't like waiting in line and who likes to be treated like a person.

There are some upgrade works on the Monash free way section at the moment which have caused some minor delays. However, there really is no quicker way to get out to the eastern suburbs or from the City to the Airport.

Its better value if you use the tolls regularly with an eTAG. However, day passes cover unlimited trips for 24 hours or for a weekend (midday Friday till midnight Sunday) for a flat rate, which was $12.15 last time I checked. If you need to go back and forth more than once then this really is a bargain considering the saving in fuel. If you have an eTAG you can still buy a day pass, but you need to leave the tag at home or put it in the metallic bag in which it is supplied, or else it may still be detected and charged. Seek advise from toll way staff if unsure. They had long waiting times on the phone before, but that seems to have improved a lot in the last few days.

Peak hour can be congested, but just think how much worse that is on roads with traffic lights.

I was worried the new chain shop selling extremely cheap Pizza just across the street would out compete them... having tasted their pizza, I really needn't have worried though!

Il Paesanos use quality, fresh ingredients. Their Marinara has no frozen seafood. It really is beautiful and worth paying a couple more dollars for.

A real favourite of mine is the Chicken Paesano pizza, which is a speciality. All their pizzas are nice, with the crust just right. I also love the garden salad.

Early in the week they have special prices. They deliver to the surrounding area.

I love this place and have enjoyed every moment of my study there. I agree with the universities values and have a great deal of respect for the academic staff. The university makes an effort to provide opportunities for people in the Western Suburbs to further their careers and improve their lives through study.

The university have said yes to every reasonable request I've made thus far. When I have said I wished to change courses, continue my study, enrol in the post graduate program etcetera, I have been made very welcome and been told its just a matter of filling in the paperwork.

Whereas most universities make students sit scholarship exams and compete for exchange programs, I have been offered both, upfront, by VU, and have benefited immensely from them.

I sometimes buy petrol there, which is priced about the same as most of the big chains, give or take a little.

I tried asking the mechanic there what he would charge me for changing the oil and filter and cleaning the plugs. His reply was more than twice what my regular mechanic charges for the same thing. When I hesitated in momentary disbelief, I was glared at and asked "Have you got a problem with that?" in a loud and aggressive voice. I said I'd have to get back to them on that one and haven't been there since.

The pumps are self serve and customers are asked to pay in advance for fuel. This may work well enough if someone comes along wanting $20 worth of unleaded. However, LPG customers generally fill the tank each time and don't know the exact cost in advance. That means paying more and then going back to collect change after you've pumped the fuel.

I went there on my motor scooter, which generally costs me between $3 and $5 for a full tank. I was even asked to prepay these trivial sums of money. I don't carry cash, so I offered to leave my credit card as a deposit while I filled the tank, but was told I had to have a transaction put through before I could start pumping. For $3.80?! I've heard of being security conscious, but that's just going too far. According to the attendant its all based on orders from management and he can't do anything about it.

Went and studied there for a semester. Definitely overrated. Teaching staff I encountered were young and inexperienced and generally rather uninspiring.

The grounds and buildings are of course magnificent. Its a great place to go for a walk. However, the whole orientation of the place doesn't seem at all conducive to students being helped to succeed. The cafes have high prices even compared to the rest of Carlton and Parkville. Scholarships and exchange programs are in short supply. Academic staff seem too busy to meet with students a lot of the time.

Having said all that, I'm sure there are a lucky few who rise to the top of the tree within the university and for them its the experience of a lifetime.

I still prefer some of the smaller universities personally though.

This is a relatively new branch of the chain that, as far as I know, offer the lowest priced computer parts of any retailer in Australia. Unlike the other branches, the waiting times to be served have not yet built up very much at this branch.

The service is still businesslike and it pays to know what you want before you go, but at least at this branch they usually have time to answer a couple of questions before they run around grabbing the things on your shopping list.

If your in the market for a desktop PC, I suggest you build your own and all the parts you need are available here unless you need something particularly rate and high end.

The quality is the same as you would get anywhere, since computer parts come from a limited group of manufacturers. Don't be deceived by fancy packaging: the computers on offer in expensive shops are made with the same components you'll buy here at a small fraction of the cost.

The hair dressers have a good sense of style and know how to deal with many kinds of hair, including my natural waviness. The haircuts are reasonably priced and they often include special treatment such as washing and straightening (I once asked them to make me look like Kevin Rudd) at no extra cost.

The cafe is a relaxed place to hang around, read the paper and have a morning coffee. The young man who served me last time was friendly and talkative and offered me a particular Vietnamese variation on Iced Coffee, which I enjoyed, though I found it a little on the sweet side.

Overall, I find going there is always an enjoyable experience and I come out looking a lot better than I did when I went in.