I personally use google, or embassy websites and am fairly self sufficient. But I always think - if you can't be helpful, or you're annoyed, just move on - no need to respond to it!
I think the Sydney Embassy is slower than Canberra. I actually trying calling them and after pressing 2 for Visas (or whatever the number was) it was a recorded message saying 'we are too busy processing to answer calls, please send an email to blah blah instead". So they must be under the pump!