I've wanted a record player for a while, and to start myself a vinyl collection, but I've really not wanted to spend 50 bucks on a piece of crap from Target or what have you,  because that's all that is around my area. But coming online, my options are endless and anytime I try and find a decent turntable, for a decent price I end up reading heaps of crap saying I shouldn't get anything that doesn't require me to sell my body to pay for it.

So, my question is, with roughly 5 or 6 hundred dollars, what would any of you fine folk recommend to get me started? 

From the little I know, I'll need a turntable (obviously), an amp of some sort, preferably with vacuum tubes, and speakers. The speakers aren't too much of an issue for me, there are always speakers lying around, and it isn't hard to find decent ones cheap. 

Please let me know of what ever else I might need or need to know, plus I live in Australia, so it would need to be able to get shipped here.

Thanks for any help you may be able to provide,  and sorry for any grammatical or slelling mistakes, I'm using my phone to make this post :)