Australia TEFL

[baffled]

Hi all,
Any advice you can give me would be great.
About me: I live and work in England, hold a good honours degree in English (2001), have worked as a teaching assistant to primary children and college students and currently work with children with learning disabilities, challenging behaviour and communication difficulties.
Am thinking of doing a TEFL course in Australia, I remembered that a lot of Japanese and Asian students used to go to Aus and NZ to learn English (however that was way back when so not sure if this is still the case). So...
1) Is Aus as an English speaking country a viable place to get work from doing a TEFL?
2) Which TEFL course do you recommend, I've heard that the month long intensive courses are the most useful (albeit costly) and probably this would be the type I'd go for. However, have heard several scathing reviews of CELTA and i-to-i (broken promises, non-transferable cert). To add a disclaimer tho, I've no idea whether this is just complaints from several lone people.

[Alex Case]

Of those two, CELTA for sure. No competition.

Not sure about job prospects, but I think you just missed the peak time (Xmas, being Australian summer). What will you do about a visa?

[systematic]

If you mean you would want to work in Oz after qualifying, probably your best chances would be in language institutes in areas such as the Dandenong. The large suburb is one of Melbourne's most culturally diverse areas, with well over half of its residents residents born overseas.

[Alex Case]

I've heard that the job market is getting much more competitive in Oz, so I doubt the OP could get work teaching immigrants (TESL) straight off a TEFL course. Come to think of it, any work outside peak times might be a problem without relevant experience on your CV