Australia
Capital:
Canberra
Official Language: English
Religions:
90% Prostestant, 26% Roman Catholic and 14%
other
Currency:
Australian Dollar = 100 cents
Placements:
Mountain Ecolodge, Australian Farm, Australian Ecotourism Retreat,
Australian Eco Lodge, Tasmanian Centre, Australian Falls Lodge, Bat Hospital
Map
Background
Australia's biggest attraction is its natural beauty. The landscape varies
from endless sunbaked horizons to dense tropical rainforest to chilly southern
beaches. Scattered along the coasts, its cities blend a European enthusiasm for
art and food with a laid-back love of sport and the outdoors.
Visitors
expecting to see an opera in Sydney one night and meet Crocodile Dundee the next
will have to re-think their grasp of geography in this huge country. It is this
sheer vastness that gives Australia - and its diverse population - much of its
character.
Special Events
Christmas is part of the long summer school vacation and during December and
January you can be forgiven for thinking that half of Australia is on holiday.
This is when accommodation is almost always booked out.
Australia's arts
festivals attract culture vultures from all over Australia to see mainstream and
fringe drama, dance, music and visual arts. The jewel in Australia's touring
rock festival crown is the annual Big Day Out, a day-long showcase of major
local and international bands, which hits most major cities in late January. The
huge Festival of Sydney, which takes up most of January, is the umbrella for a
number of events from open air concerts, to street theatre and fireworks. The
Adelaide Arts Festival takes place at the beginning of March in even-numbered
years. Each year, Womadelaide, Adelaide's outdoor festival of world music and
dance, takes place in the second week of March. Melbourne has a Comedy Festival
in April, the world's biggest Writers' Festival in September and the fabulous
Melbourne International Festival in October. A couple of festivals to celebrate
Aboriginal arts and culture include the Stompen Ground Festival, which is held
in Broome in October and the Barunga Wugularr Sports & Cultural Festival,
held near Katherine in June.
Sporty fun includes Darwin's Beer Can
Regatta in August, when a series of boat races are held for craft constructed
entirely of beer cans; Alice Spings holds the Henley-on-Todd, a boat race 'run'
on a dry river bed. More mainstream events include the Sydney to Hobart yacht
race (from Boxing Day); the Australian Open tennis championship (Melbourne in
January); the Australian Grand Prix (Melbourne in March); Australian Rules
Football (around the country from March to September); and the country-stopping
Melbourne Cup on the first Tuesday in November.
Gay festivals include
Sydney's massive, outlandish Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, in February/March,
and Melbourne's January/February Midsumma Festival.
Climate
Summer (December to February) can get uncomfortably hot just about anywhere,
even in Tasmania. If you're in the southern states during these months it's
great beach weather and great melanoma weather. Up north, this is the wet
season, and it's very, very humid (plus, the sea is swarming with box
jellyfish). On the upside, the Top End is beautifully green and free of tourists
at this time.
From June until August things in the north have cooled down
a little and dried up a lot. This is a good time to visit Queensland or the
outback. If you're here for the skiing, now's the time to head for the
snowfields of NSW and Victoria. Overall, spring and autumn are probably the
safest bets - the weather is reasonably mild wherever you are, and spring brings
out the wildflowers in the outback, while autumn is particularly beautiful
around Canberra and in the Victorian Alps.
Travel Info
Air travel is Australia's best friend, with most visitors taking a long haul
flight to get here. Virtually all visitors to Australia arrive by air. The main
international airports are Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, followed by Perth,
Adelaide, Hobart, Darwin and Cairns. There are plenty of connections to Asia,
Europe and the USA, but Australia's remoteness makes flights relatively
expensive and long. Many flights are heavily booked, so make plans well in
advance. Departure tax on international flights is US$19. This tax is usually
included with the price of your airline ticket.
Visas
Every nationality except New Zealanders need visas. Tourist visas and
Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) visas are valid for three months, but
longer-term visas can be applied for. ETAs are just under 11.00; standard visas
cost 35.00.
Safety
Terrorism
You should be aware of the threat from
terrorism in Australia. Attacks could be indiscriminate and against civilian
targets, including places frequented by foreigners.
On 3 November 2005,
the Australian government introduced an urgent amendment to the country's
counter-terrorism legislation, in response to an assessment by Australian
intelligence agencies that a terrorist attack in Australia is feasible and could
well occur. Subsequently on 8 November 2005, the Australian police arrested 16
people in Sydney and Melbourne in a counter-terrorism operation designed to
disrupt preparations for a terrorist attack.
Crime
Be
particularly careful with personal possessions and travel documents in popular
tourist destinations such as Sydney, Cairns, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold
Coast. Robberies of safe deposit facilities at cheaper hotels and hostels are
not uncommon. Unattended vehicles and identifiable hire cars can also be
targets. Particular care should also be taken when walking in areas such as the
Kings Cross district of Sydney and downtown George Street. Take care when you
are withdrawing cash from cash machines. As with most cities in the world, care
should be taken with important documents, belongings and personal items. Avoid
carrying everything in one bag. Remain vigilant for petty crime
anywhere.
Local Travel
Australia is a vast country. You are
strongly recommended to take regular rest breaks when driving long distances -
there are many rest stops provided. There are extremely remote outback areas,
which can present unexpected hazards. If you intend travelling to such areas you
should plan your trip with care and seek and follow local advice on what
precautions to take. In addition, when travelling to remote tourist areas of the
outback, it is essential to leave your route details and expected time of return
with the relevant local tourist authorities or police. Ensure that you also give
notification when you return. Many tourists are reported missing, only to be
found safe and well at their next destination.
As a visitor, you may
drive in Australia on a valid UK driving licence, which covers the class of
vehicle you use. Licences must be carried when driving, in addition to a valid
passport. An international driving permit is not sufficient and must be
accompanied by a separate valid driving licence.
When swimming always
obey the directions of lifeguards, swim only between the flags in the designated
area, and do not swim in unguarded remote locations.
Weather hazards can
seriously impair driving – road conditions can change rapidly. Sudden storms and
strong winds can make driving difficult. Seat belts must be worn at all
times.
The Australia tourist website:
www.australia.com has extensive
information on travelling around the continent.
Local laws and customs
The Australian authorities will take action against anyone who imports or
is found to be trafficking illegal substances. Prosecution and/or deportation is
commonplace. (Deportation may lead to a number of years’ ban on entering
Australia).
Driving whilst under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs is illegal. The
penalties can be severe.
Laws, and the penalties for breaking them, can differ from State to
State.
Australia has an established tradition of tolerance towards homosexuality,
however there are still isolated incidents of homophobic related crimes. Gay and
lesbian travellers should be aware of local sensitivities particularly when
visiting rural communities.
Quarantine Procedures
Australian authorities are rigorous in their efforts to keep out any pests
and diseases that could affect plant, animal and human health. All luggage is
screened on arrival, whether arriving by plane with visitors or by mail. Any
items of quarantine concern are further inspected, treated and, if necessary,
confiscated and destroyed.
All visitors to Australia are given an incoming passenger card on the
plane, on which they must declare any food or goods of plant or animal origin.
These goods includes nuts, dried fruit and vegetables, herbs and spices,
biscuits, cakes and confectionery, teas, coffees and milk-based drinks and
sporting equipment (including camping gear), amongst others. A full list of
items which must be declared, as well as prohibited goods, can be found on the
web site of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in
Australia.
All visitors must also declare on the passenger card if they have "visited
a rural area, or been in contact with, or near, farm animals outside Australia
in the past 30 days". As a result of these quarantine procedures, visitors
should expect some delay on arrival.
Health
Australia is a remarkably healthy country in which to travel, considering
such a large portion of it is in the tropics. Thanks to Australia's isolation
and quarantine standards, most tropical diseases and diseases of insanitation
are unheard of.
Few travellers will experience anything worse than an
upset stomach or a hangover. If you should need medical attention, the standard
of hospitals and health care is high.
Injections required
Immunisations advised
Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Yellow
fever
Malaria - Not usually on mainland
Reciprocal Health Care Yes
