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.
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.
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.
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.
By Dan Porter
