Travellers' overview

Visa requirements

There are various visa options available:

1) Short stay tourist visa (or ETA): The perfect option if you want to visit Oz for up to three months.
2) Long stay tourist visa: For anyone who wants to travel around Oz for three to six months.
3) Working holiday visa: Very popular with backpackers and gappers! Allows you to work in Australia for up to 12 months (this can be extended to two years under certain circumstances).
4) Student visa: For anyone who is serious about studying in Oz. You'll need a confirmed place on a course before you can apply.

More information on Aussie visas >>

---

The article continues below...

---

Getting there

International airports: Darwin, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney.
Land borders: No, don't be silly.

More information on RTW tickets >>

---

Getting around

Transport information for Australia >>

---

Ideas & things to do

Australia is vast. The whole of western Europe would fit in just one of its six states, Western Australia. With all the cool things there are to see and do here - and the huge distances between them - Australia will certainly keep you busy.

While most of Australia's attractions are natural - scarlet rock formations bubbling up from the desert, steaming rainforests, amazing beaches and some truly weird wildlife - the country also boasts some of the World's most buzzing cities.

Some top things to visit in Australia

- Uluru, or Ayers Rock
- Sydney Harbour (Opera House, Harbour Bridge etc)
- The Great Barrier Reef
- Daintree Rainforest
- The Whitsunday Islands
- The Neighbours set and studio
- Kakadu National Park
- The Blue Mountains
- The Great Ocean Road
- Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo
- Cattle stations and tiny pubs in the Outback
- Swim with wild dolphins at Monkey Mia
- Fraser Island
- And loads, loads more...

---

What's on, where & when

1. Jan 15th (ish) - Australian Tennis Open
2. Jan 26th 2007 - Australia Day
3. Jan 26th (ish) - The Big Day Out
4. March - Australian Grand Prix
5. March 3rd (ish) - Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras
6. April 3rd (ish) - Rip Curl Pro Surfing
7. April 11th (ish) - Melbourne Comedy Festival
8. July 15th (ish) - Voyages Camel Cup
9. July 26th (ish) - Darwin Beer Can Regatta
10. Early August - Hervey Bay Whale Festival
11. Sept 16th (ish) - Henley-On-Todd Regatta
12. December 25th - Christmas Day
13. December 26th - Start of the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race
14. December 31st - New Year’s Eve fireworks

More Australia events >>

---

Recommended routes

More info on recommended routes >>

---

Climate advice

The seasons in Australia are the reverse of those in Europe, so spring and summer is during October to March, autumn and winter is between April and September. The south is generally cooler and can experience chilly and rainy days in winter, with snow only common in mountainous regions.

The north is tropical and hot with the wet (summer) and dry (winter) seasons being the only changes weather wise - the temperature is more or less a constant 30 degrees throughout the year. Central Australia can be warm in autumn/winter days, but gets quite cold at night due to the clear skies.

In the summer, inland Oz can be seriously hot - up to and over 40 degrees. Wherever and whenever you go in Australia, I would recommend taking a lightweight cagoule and broad-brimmed Aussie-outback-type hat - both can be useful in keeping the sun and rain off.

More information on Australia's climate >>

---

Ideas of cost

While there's never a firm answer to the question 'how much money will I need?' it is possible to work out a budget for yourself. Australia represents many and varied opportunities for lightening your wallet, but here's a rough idea of what to expect.

Product / Item to buy	Price in GBP	Price in AUD
Loaf of sliced, white bread	£1	$2.45
A ’glass’ of beer (in a bar)	£1.20	$3
1 litre of bottled water	£0.60	$1.50
Bag of pasta (500g)	£0.27	$0.66
Shampoo (Pantene ‘classic’ 400ml)	£3.75	$9.30
Bus ticket for a 4 hour journey (eg Brisbane to Byron Bay)	£15	$37
One day’s car hire (if you’re hiring for under a month)	£17.45	$43
Single flight Sydney to Cairns	£60.45	$149
A night in a hostel dorm	£8.10	$20
Whitsunday sailing trip (3 day, 2 night)	£138.75	$340
Uluru, Olgas, King’s Canyon tour (3 ½ days)	£138.75	$340

* All price conversions are approximate and prices correct as of 11/7/06 *

---

Staying healthy

Protect yourself against mozzies - they can carry dengue fever and Ross River fever in Queensland and the Northern Territory, and Murray Valley encephalitis (which can be fatal) from Western Australia to Queensland.

Reciprocal medical arrangements exist between Australia and the UK, which means that UK nationals may have unforeseen emergency medical treatment under the Australian Medicare scheme. Beware though - the reciprocal agreement has loads of exclusions and won’t cover you for everything.

Immunisation against yellow fever is essential if you’re arriving in Australia within six days of having visited an infected country.

---

Staying in touch

Staying in touch with people back home is not a problem. Especially in the cities and well-trodden tourist routes there are plenty of internet cafes - most of which are fairly cheap ranging from $3 to $5 an hour. We would recommend joining ClubGossip or something similar. These membership cards double up as a phonecard which you can top up at post offices. It also allows you cheaper internet rates at selected stores and other travelly discounts within Australia.

If you're going to be in Oz for a while, buy a local SIM card for your phone. If you're just there for a month or less as part of an around the world trip, it's worth looking into a global roaming SIM card.

More information on international SIM cards and so forth >>