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TRAVEL AUSTRALIA - TRAVELLING TIPS
DISTANCES
When planning your trip, keep in mind that
Australia is as big as western Europe and
about the same size as the 48 contiguous
U.S. states.
Melbourne and
Brisbane are a long day's drive from
Sydney, and driving from Sydney to Perth
takes the better part of a week.
WEATHER
When it is winter in the Northern
Hemisphere, Australia is basking in the
Southern Hemisphere's summer, and vice
versa. Midwinter in Australia is July and
August, and the hottest months are November
through March. Remember, unlike in the
Northern Hemisphere, the farther south you
go in Australia, the colder it gets.
The peak travel season in the most popular
parts of Australia is the Aussie winter. In
much of the country, Queensland from around
Townsville and northward, all of the Top End
and the
Red Centre, and most of Western
Australia the most pleasant time to travel
is April through September, when daytime
temperatures are 66° to 88°F (19°-31°C) and
it rarely rains. June, July, and August are
the busiest months in these parts; you'll
need to book accommodations and tours well
in advance, and you will pay higher rates
then, too.
On the other hand, Australia's summer is a
nice time to visit the southern states - New
South Wales, Victoria, South Australia,
Western Australia from
Perth
to the south, and Tasmania. Even in winter,
temperatures rarely dip below freezing, and
snow falls only in parts of Tasmania, in the
ski fields of Victoria, and in the
Snowy Mountains of southern New South
Wales.
The best months to visit Australia, are
September and October, when it's often still
warm enough to hit
the beach in the southern states, it's cool
enough to tour Uluru (Ayers
Rock), and the humidity and rains have
not come to
Cairns,
Port Douglas and the Top End (although
it will be very hot by Oct). And the
wildflowers are in full bloom in Western
Australia.
In addition to the period from December 26
to the end of January, when Aussies take
their summer vacations, the 4 days at Easter
(from Good Friday to Easter Monday) and all
school holidays are very busy, so book
ahead. The school year in Australia is
broken into four semesters, with 2-week
holidays around Easter, the last week of
June and the first week of July, and the
last week of September and the first week of
October. Some states break at slightly
different dates. There's a 6-week summer
(Christmas) vacation from mid-December to
the end of January.
Weather information for:
Adelaide,
Ayers Rock,
Brisbane,
Broome,
Canberra,
Darwin,
Hobart,
Melbourne,
Perth,
Sydney and
Tropical North Queensland.
View our Weather Camera for Port Douglas
PASSPORTS
Along with a current passport valid for the
duration of your stay, the Australian
government requires a visa from visitors of
every nation, except New Zealand, to be
issued before you arrive. If you are
short-term visitor or business traveller, the
process is easy and can be done in a few
minutes on the Internet, using the
Australian government's Electronic Travel
Authority (ETA). This is an electronic visa
that takes the place of a stamp in your
passport.
CUSTOMS
What You Can Bring Into Australia - The
duty-free allowance in Australia is A$900
(US$720) or, for those under 18, A$450
(US$360). Anyone over 18 can bring in up to
250 cigarettes or 250 grams of cigars or
other tobacco products, 2.25 liters (41
fluid oz.) of alcohol, and "dutiable goods"
to the value of A$900 (US$720), or A$450
(US$360) if you are under 18.
You need not declare cash in any currency,
and other currency instruments, such as
traveller's checks, under a value of A$10,000
(US$8,000). Firearms in Australia are
strictly controlled; contact the nearest
Australian diplomatic post for advice on
importing a handgun.
Because Australia is an island, it is free
of many agricultural and livestock diseases.
To keep it that way, strict quarantine
applies to importing plants, animals, and
their products, including food. "Sniffer"
dogs at Australian airports detect these
products (as well as drugs). Some items may
be held for treatment and returned to you;
others may be confiscated; and others may be
held over for you to take with you when you
leave the country. Amnesty trash bins are
available before you reach the immigration
counters in airport arrivals halls for items
such as fruit.
HEALTH & SAFETY
You don't have to worry much about health
issues on a trip to Australia. Hygiene
standards are high, hospitals are modern,
and doctors and dentists are well qualified.
Because of the continent's size, you can
sometimes be a long way from a hospital or a
doctor, but help is never far away, thanks
to the Royal Flying Doctor Service. However,
standard medical travel insurance may be
advisable.
General Availability of Health Care - No
vaccinations are needed to enter Australia
unless you have been in a yellow fever
danger zone - that is, South America or
Africa, in the past 6 days.
Australian pharmacists may only fill
prescriptions written by Australian doctors,
so carry enough medication with you for your
trip.
Check your existing insurance policies and
credit card coverage before you buy travel
insurance. You may already be covered for
lost luggage, cancelled tickets, or medical
expenses.
MONEY
Perhaps the best way to carry most of your
money is in the form of a plastic card,
especially if that's the way you do it at
home. Australia is well and truly a
card-carrying society - it's becoming
unusual to line up at a supermarket
checkout, petrol station or department store
in cities and see someone actually paying
with cash these days. Credit cards such as
Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted for
everything from a hostel bed or a restaurant
meal to an adventure tour, and a credit card
is pretty much essential (in lieu of a large
deposit) if you want to hire a car. They can
also be used to get cash advances over the
counter at banks and from many ATMs,
depending on the card, but be aware that
these incur immediate interest. Charge cards
such as Diners Club and American Express
(Amex) are not as widely accepted.
Australians love convenience, so debit cards
are widely used here. You can draw money
directly from your home bank account using
ATMs, banks or Eftpos machines around the
country. Any card connected to the
international banking network - Cirrus,
Maestro, Plus and Eurocard - should work,
provided you know your PIN. Fees for using
your card at a foreign bank or ATM vary
depending on your home bank, so ask before
your leave.
Travellers cheques generally enjoy a better
exchange rate than foreign cash in
Australia, plus they have the added bonus of
being easily replaced if they are lost or
stolen. There is, however, a fee for buying
travellers cheques (usually 1% of the total
amount) and there may be fees or commissions
when you exchange them. Amex, Thomas Cook
and other well-known international brands of
travellers cheques are easily exchanged; you
will need to present your passport for
identification when cashing them.
You'll have no problems changing foreign
currencies or cash at any bank or exchange
bureau. Travellers cheques generally get a
better rate than cash, though banks take out
a commission.
Notes come in denominations of $5, $10, $20,
$50 and $100. Coins come in denominations of
5¢, 10¢, 20¢, 50¢, and gold $1 and $2 coins.
Travelling Tips for Travelling in
Australia on your Australian Holiday
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