The advice above is good.

However; the key is that if you are going to try and teach yourself it is going to be expensive - as you ARE going to crash - a lot! [:@]

If you are determined and good at repairs and have the extra cash ... sooner or later you can teach yourself... []

In your situation (I know Austrailia is a big place), I would contact the nearest club and set up a series of appointments during your vacation (good luck talking the wife into this ).

One week of 5 hours a day with an instructor can cover a lot of ground - and then you can go home with the basics to practice on you own - a much better plan than trying to teach yourself.

Good Luck and welcome to the insanity of RC Aeroplanes!