travelbug, I think there is a site for pilots etc, don't know the name, but you might want to look for it and get some inside info about this airline.

I do not know of australian veggies, but veggies you will certainly find here. There are also Indian vegetarian restaurants, as far as I know. Plenty of rice, as that is a staple here.

The law is pretty strict...best to stay on the right side of it....you MOST certainly do not want to get in ANY kind of trouble here.

No need for a head wrap, but do wear "culturally acceptable" clothers, as in no mini skirts or spagetthi straps...this has more to do with you not being stared at(usually by other expats), that the actual culture. although some people may get offended if you are too exposed...;)

Are the locals friendly...some are, some are not.

Cost of living...well, that depends on...if you like to go out to clubs and bars, it will be very expensive, clothes are not particularly inexpensive here either.
Food, well, again, if you buy imported, it is very expensive...local stuff is cheap.

Public transport. there are buses, they are mostly used by labourers and low level office workers.
There are taxis, but they are not reliable.
There have been incidents of women being mistreated by taxi drivers. The taxis fares are reasonable (IMHO)

Imho, you DO neeed a car to get around.

all in all, if the money is right, it is worth being here. But that is only my opinion.