Visas
All visitors (except from NZ) need Visas to enter Australia.
ETA's (Electronic Travel Authority) are free and valid for
3 months to UK, US, most European, Malaysian, Singaporean,
Japanese and Korean nationals. The Visa is valid for 12 months
from the issue date, and can be used for multiple entries
up to 3 months.
Tourist Visas cost $50 and are valid for 6 months with multiple
entries in a 12-month period. Long stay visas (also $50) can
be used for multiple entries over a period of 4 years with
a maximum stay of 6 months on each visit.
Working Holiday Visas allow people between 18-25 (18-30 for
Brits and other nationals whose governments have working agreements
with Australia) to work in Australia for 1 year. In theory
this Visa only allows a maximum period of 3 months employment
with any one employer. Working Holiday Visas can be applied
for 12 months before you go - there are a limited number available
each year so it is a good idea to get applications in early.
For current information on Visa requirements see:
www.immi.gov.au
Currency
The currency is the Australian Dollar.For up to date currency information, check the Currency
Converter.
US$1 = AUD$2
UK£1 = AUD$3
EURO 1 = AUD $1.7
It's a cheap country to travel in by European standards -
with prices comparable to parts of the USA for hotels, hostels,
drink and travel. For shoe string travel, budget for living
off at least $50 US a day.
People
The Aboriginals are the oldest inhabitants of any continent,
and have dwelt in Australia for 40,000 years. Although they
are the original people of this nation, population figures
taken in 1996 estimate the Aboriginal peoples to number fewer
than 400,000.
Numerous immigrant groups such as Italians, Greeks, Turks,
Lebanese, Maltese and Yugoslavs added to the predominantly
white population of British and Irish settlers of Australia's
19 million population. Large numbers of Vietnamese and other
Southeast Asian neighbours have added to the blend creating
a multicultural population largely found in the South East
corner of the country and the metropolitan centres of Melbourne
and Sydney alone make up for more than a third of the entire
population.
Travel
There are many modes of transport depending on which region
you are visiting. If you're planning on hiking in the Outback,
you'll need to hire a 4 wheel drive vehicle. Internal flights
are reasonable priced, but long distance Greyhound bus is
a cheaper alternative for long distance. It's a reasonably
safe place to hitch hike, but some areas outside of the cities
are very remote.
Food
Food in Australia isn't necessarily all meat pies and steak,
although the good old-fashioned Barbeque is an Australian
institution and is synonymous with the Australian party. Immigrants
from all over the world have brought their cuisine with them
and eating out may involve dishes from just about everywhere
in the world - Greek, Italian and Asian cooking is especially
prevalent. For those who want something particular to Australia
you might like to try the specialist steaks - Kangaroo, Emu,
or even Crocodile.
Language
Although English is the official language of Australia, you
may sometimes wonder. Australian slang has permeated all corners
of the world and most of us are familiar with its rudiments.
It's not hard to pick up and stays with you long after you
leave, but long before white settlers reached Australia's
shores there were many Aboriginal languages spoken and all
but about 30 of these have died out.
Climate
Due to its enormous size the climate differs enormously from
state to state and from season to season, and despite what
many people think it's not sunshine all year round. The seasons
are the opposite of those in the Northern hemisphere so Christmas
is one of the hottest days of the year and often spent on
the beach. Summer starts in December, winter in June. Generally
speaking the further south you go in winter the colder it
gets, and in the far north it is always warm but extremely
wet in the summer as the monsoon season begins. Temperatures
reach the mid to high 30's C in the north during summer in
Northern Queensland and Darwin, and as low as freezing in
Canberra winters. The Red Centre of Australia, the heart of
the outback, fluctuates between near freezing temperatures
in winter and high 30'sC in summer.
Health
There are no special health requirements for Australia. The
most hazardous thing to your health that you are likely to
encounter down under is the sun. Australia has the highest
rate of skin cancer in the world and there have been numerous
campaigns to raise awareness of the damage excessive exposure
can cause. You wont find many places that sell sun block under
factor 15.
Apart from blistering heat, Australians share their country
with a selection of nasties, but with a few exceptions you
are unlikely to have any difficulties.
Box Jellyfish - or Stingers as they are more commonly
known - drift into the coast of Queensland during summer months
and can be fatal. You will see containers at posts along beaches
filled with vinegar and it's not for your fish and chips.
Liberal dousing with vinegar is the only way to get the tiny
spines out of the victim. These are a hazard along the northern
coast during the summer months and nets are put out for swimmers
between October and January on some beaches.
Australia has a host of other creatures that should be avoided,
snakes of any sort should be left alone, as should crocodiles
("salties" and "freshies"), and any spiders.
Wear long sleeved shirts and trousers when exploring the bush
- Australia has more varieties of venomous snake than the
rest of the world put together. |
