From Wikitravel

Australia is the only country that has a whole continent itself. World famous for its natural wonders and wide open spaces, its beaches, deserts, "the bush", and "the Outback", Australia is actually one of the world's most highly urbanised countries. It is also well known for the cosmopolitan attractions of its large cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth.

[edit] Understand

[edit] Geography

Australia is the world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country; it's slightly smaller than the 48 contiguous United States. The highly urbanised population is heavily concentrated along the eastern and south-eastern coasts. Australia is bordered on the northwest, west, and southwest by the Indian Ocean, and on the east by the South Pacific Ocean. The Tasman Sea lies to the southeast, while the Great Barrier Reef lies to the northeast. Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Indonesia are Australia's northern neighbours, separated from Australia by the Arafura Sea and the Timor Sea.

Australia is mostly arid and semi-arid: the centre is desert and much agricultural land is poor quality by the standards of continents with richer soil. The south east is temperate and the north tropical. Australia was massively deforested for agricultural purposes: forest areas survive in extensive national parks and some other areas.

Australia is prone to severe drought and water restrictions are currently in place in some areas, however these shouldn't affect travellers as they mostly relate to watering gardens and washing cars.

As a large continent a wide variation of climates are found across Australia. The north is hot and tropical, while the south east corner has a much cooler Mediterranean temperate climate. Western Tasmania has a climate similar to England, although Tasmania's capital Hobart is the second driest Australian capital. Temperatures in some southern regions can drop below freezing in winter.

As Australia is in the southern hemisphere, the timing of the seasons is reversed with respect to Europe and North America. In other words, June-September is winter in Australia while December-March is summer. So Christmas actually falls in the summer in Australia, instead of in winter like in North America or Europe.

Australia has an area of 7,682,300 square kilometres (2,966,152 sq mi) and most Australians live on the coast. Many travellers underestimate the enormous distances between cities and towns.

[edit] History

The continent of Australia was first settled more than 40,000 years ago with successive waves of immigration of Aboriginal peoples from south and south-east Asia. With rising sea levels after the last Ice Age, Australia became largely isolated from the rest of the world and the Aboriginal tribes developed a variety of cultures, based on a close (spiritual) relationship with the land and nature, and extended kinship. Australian aborigines maintained a hunter/gatherer culture for thousands of years in association with a complex artistic and cultural life - including a very rich 'story-telling' tradition. While the 'modern impression' of Australian Aborigines is largely built around an image of the 'desert people' who have adapted to some of the harshest conditions on the planet (equivalent to the bushmen of the Kalahari), Australia provided a 'comfortable living' for the bulk of aborigines amongst the bountiful flora and fauna on the Australian coast - until the arrival of Europeans.

Although a lucrative Chinese market for shells and beche de mere had encouraged Indonesian fishermen to visit Northern Australia for centuries it was unknown to Europeans until the 1600's, when Dutch traders to Asia began to 'bump' into the Western Coast. Early Dutch impressions of this extremely harsh, dry country were unfavourable, and Australia remained for them something simply a road sign pointing north to the much richer (and lucrative) East Indies (modern Indonesia). Deliberate exploration of the Australian coast was then largely taken over by the French and the British. Consequently place names of bays, headlands and rivers around the coastline reflect a range of Dutch, French, British, and Aboriginal languages.

In 1770, the expedition of the Endeavour under command of James Cook navigated and charted the east coast of Australia, making first landfall at Botany Bay on 29 Apr 1770. Cook continued northwards, and before leaving put ashore on Possession Island in the Torres Strait off Cape York on 22 Aug 1770. Here he formally claimed the eastern coastline he had discovered for the British Crown, naming it New South Wales. Given that Cook's discoveries would lead to the first European settlement of Australia, he is often popularly conceived as its European discoverer, although he had been preceded by more than 160 years.

Following the exploration period, the first wave of British settlers came to Australia in 1788, starting a process of colonization that almost entirely displaced the Aboriginal people who inhabited the land. This reduced indigenous populations drastically and marginalized them to the fringes of society.

While Australia began its modern history as a British penal colony, the vast majority of people who came to Australia after 1788 were free settlers, mainly from Britain and Ireland, but also from other European countries. Convict settlements were along the east coast, Adelaide and Perth being settled by free settlers. Many Asian and Eastern European people also came to Australia in the 1850s, during the Gold Rush that started Australia's first resource boom. Although such diverse immigration diminished greatly during the xenophobic years of the White Australia policy, Australia welcomed a successive series of immigration from Europe, the Mediterranean and later Asia to formulate a highly diverse and multicultural society by the late 20th century.

The system of separate colonies federated to form an independent country in 1901, each colony now becoming a state of Australia. The new country was able to take advantage of its natural resources to rapidly develop its agricultural and manufacturing industries and made a proportionally huge contribution (considering its small size of population) to the Allied war effort in World Wars I and II. Australian troops also made a valuable, if sometimes controversial, contribution to the wars in Korea, Vietnam and Iraq. Australian Diggers retain a reputation as some of the hardest fighting troops along with a great social spirit.

Long-term Australian concerns include salinity, pollution, loss of biodiversity, and management and conservation of coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier Reef. Government in Australia is based on a federal system (with States and a National Governments) similar to the USA, but these Governments follow a British model, with two elected houses (similar to the US House and Senate) with an unelected representative of the Queen of The United Kingdom in the (notionally powerless) executive position 'above' the parliament. A referendum to change Australia's status to a republic was narrowly defeated in 1999, largely due to a split between those seeking a directly elected President (the majority) and those who believed the President should be elected by the Government. Demand for another vote was discouraged by the then conservative Government, but it is likely to resurface following a change of government in late 2007.

Most of the population is concentrated in the south-east of the country, to the east of the Great Dividing Range. This is because the inland and western areas of the country are at best semi-habitable desert, known as the Outback. The most-inhabited states are Victoria and New South Wales, but by far the largest in land area is Western Australia.

[edit] Culture

Modern culture of Australia largely reflects its British origins; Anglo Australians are very protective of their culture and country. Australia has a large multicultural population from various nations and practicing almost every religion and lifestyle. Over one-fifth of Australians were born to immigrant parents, and there are approximately half a million Australians of Aboriginal descent.

Broadly speaking, Australian culture closely resembles that of the United Kingdom. Notwithstanding increased migration from all corners of the globe, 93% of the population is of Anglo-Saxon origin (or rather, Anglo-Celt, there was substantial Irish migration during the early years of white settlement). Contrary to popular mythology, white Australians are descended just as much from free settlers rather than convicts, who even during the years of transportation outnumbered convict migrants by at least five to one.

Australian English was once known for its colour and colloquialisms but has lost a great deal of this to outside influence, although people in rural areas still tend to speak in a broader accent, using many of the slang words that have become outmoded in metropolitan areas. There is very little provincialism in Australia and although there are a few subtle regional accents.

Australians can be socially conservative compared to some European cultures, and most resemble Canadians or New Zealanders in their political outlook. They tend to be relaxed in their religious observance. While the mythic Australian sense egalitarianism has declined in economic terms, modes of address still tend to be casual and familiar compared to some other cultures. Most Australians irrespective of socioeconomic status will tend to address you by your first name and will expect that you do the same to them.

The most multicultural cities are Melbourne and Sydney. Both cities are renowned for the variety and quality of global foods available in their many restaurants, and Melbourne especially promotes itself as a centre for the arts. Smaller rural settlements might still reflect a majority Anglo-Celtic monoculture (often with a small Aboriginal population), however virtually every large Australian city and town reflects the immigration from Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Pacific that occurred after World War II and continued into the 1970s; in the half century after the war, Australia's population boomed from roughly 7 million to just over 20 million people.

[edit] Holidays

The national holidays in Australia are:

• January 1: New Years' Day
• January 26: Australia Day, marking the anniversary of the First Fleet's landing in Sydney Cove in 1788.
• Easter weekend ("Good Friday", "Easter Saturday", "Easter Sunday" and "Easter Monday"): a four day long weekend in March or April set according to the Western Christian dates.
• April 25: ANZAC Day, honouring military veterans
• Second Monday in June: Queen's birthday holiday (celebrated in Western Australia in September)(WA observes Foundation Day a week earlier)
• December 25: Christmas Day
• December 26: Boxing Day

Many states observe Labour Day, but on completely separate days. Most states have one or two additional state-wide holidays.

When a public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday (Easter excepted), the following Monday (and Tuesday if necessary) are declared holidays in lieu, although both the celebrations and the major retail shutdowns will occur on the day itself. Most tourist attractions are closed on public holidays. Supermarkets and other stores may open for limited hours on some public holidays and on holidays in lieu, but are almost always closed on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, ANZAC Day and Christmas Day.

Salaried Australians have four weeks of annual leave every year. There is no fixed time to take it, but many take the three working days between Christmas and New Year and the following week. Domestic tourism is strongest during January and the Easter school holidays.

[edit] Economy

Australia has a prosperous Western-style capitalist economy, with a per capita GDP on par with the four dominant West European economies. Rising output in the domestic economy has been offsetting the global slump, and business and consumer confidence remains robust. The Federal government's emphasis on reform is another factor behind the economy's strength. The recent upturn in global commodity prices has helped Australia's economy grow since 2000.

While income disparities grew throughout the 80s, especially in outer suburban areas, strong employment growth and mandated minimum conditions for workers ensured that overall living standards kept growing until the 1990s.

The Australian Dollar (AU$) is a stable and reasonably strong unit of currency. It has been the official currency of Australia since 1966, replacing the Australian pound (£) and introducing decimal currency. It is the 6th most traded currency in the foreign exchange markets. All Australian coins depict Queen Elizabeth II on one side.

Services – tourism, education, financial services. The service industry accounts for the majority of the Australian Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – about 69%. Within the service sector, tourism is one of the most important industries in Australia, as it provides employment, contributes $73 billion to the economy each year and accounts for at least 11% of total exports.

Agriculture is yet another significant part of the Australian economy, accounting for about 3% of the GDP, although historically it was far more important, representing 80% of the GDP as recently as the 1950s. At the moment, the agricultural sector is experiencing a lot of difficulty due to the current drought, particularly in NSW.

[edit] Time zones

Mainland Australia spans three time zones.

• Eastern Standard Time (EST) - operates in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, Tasmania and Queensland, 10 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

• Central Standard Time (CST) - operates in South Australia and the Northern Territory (half an hour behind EST, 9.5 hours ahead of GMT)

• Western Standard Time (WST) - operates in Western Australia (two hours behind EST, 8 hours ahead of GMT).

In NSW, ACT, VIC, SA, daylight savings time applies from the first Sunday in October to the first Sunday in April. In WA it is the last Sunday in October to the last Sunday in March. Queensland and the Northern Territory do not use daylight savings time. Due to the half hour difference between CST and EST, this means that during summer there are five different time zones operating in Australia: GMT+9 (WA), GMT+9.5 (NT), GMT+10 (Qld), GMT+10.5 (SA) and GMT+11 (NSW, ACT, Vic, Tas).

• Note 2 - The city of Broken Hill (NSW) operates on CST and the few roadhouses along the Eyre Highway in south-eastern WA operate on an unofficial intermediate time zone between CST and WST (three quarters of an hour behind CST and three quarters of an hour ahead of WST).

[edit] Electricity

240V 50Hz. On paper, 230V with the introduction of AS60038-2000 in line with European countries. Outlets are of the Australian AS-3112 standard, which features two angled flat blades and a third vertical flat blade for grounding. The configuration of the electrical contacts is similar to that found in Argentina and mainland China. Lamp sockets are predominantly bayonet (B22d), though Edison screw (E27) is used for some specialized or imported fittings.

European and other travellers with 230V 50Hz appliances need only a plug adapter. U.S., Canadian and travellers from other 60Hz countries need to check whether their power adapters can handle both 230V/50Hz and 110V/60Hz. If so, they only need a plug adapter. If not then step down transformer is required. Many laptops, shavers and iPod-type chargers can handle both voltages and frequencies.

[edit] Regions

New South Wales (NSW)

Northern Territory (NT)

Queensland (QLD)

South Australia (SA)

Tasmania (TAS)

Victoria (VIC)

Western Australia (WA)

[edit] Islands

• Ashmore and Cartier Islands
• Christmas Island
• Cocos Islands
• Coral Sea Islands
• Heard Island and McDonald Islands
• Lord Howe Island
• Norfolk Island
• Macquarie Island
• Bruny Island

[edit] Cities

• Canberra - the purpose-built national capital of Australia
• Adelaide - the City of Churches, a relaxed South Australian alternative to the big eastern cities
• Brisbane - sun-drenched capital of Queensland, fastest growing city in Australia (and the Southern Hemisphere) and gateway to beautiful sandy beaches.
• Cairns - gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, Port Douglas, the Atherton Tablelands, Daintree National Park, and many beautiful beaches and resorts. A great place for people to getaway to and relax.
• Darwin - Australia's smallest and northern-most capital, at the top of the Northern Territory
• Hobart - small and quiet capital of Tasmania
• Melbourne - Australia's second largest city and the nation's first capital city. Melbourne is a large sporting and cultural capital, known as a shopping destination in Australia. Melbourne is regarded as Australia's most European city in style.
• Perth - the most remote continental capital city on earth, on the south-western edge of Western Australia
• Sydney - Australia's oldest and largest city, famous for its picturesque harbour. Sydney is the capital of New South Wales

Other cities can be found under their respective state articles.

[edit] Other destinations

• Queensland's Sunshine Coast, including Caloundra, Noosa, Maroochydore and Mooloolaba.

• Queensland's Great Barrier Reef.

• The Outback: Australia's red centre.

• Uluru (also known as Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas), rock formations located in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in the Northern Territory.

• Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory.

• Melbourne's Vineyard Districts within an hour's drive of the city : Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula and Bellarine Peninsula. Victoria has one of the highest concentrations of vineyards in the world and all within a few hours of the capital.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

Approximately half of all international travellers arrive first in Australia in Sydney, the largest city, (IATA: SYD, ICAO: YSSY). After Sydney, significant numbers of travellers also arrive in Australia in Melbourne, the second largest city. There are also direct international services into Brisbane, Perth, Cairns, Adelaide, Darwin, and the Gold Coast.

Assuming direct flights to Sydney from various parts of the globe, travellers can expect a 3 hour flight from New Zealand, a 7-11 hour flight from countries in Asia, a 14 hour flight from the west of the United States of America and Canada, an 14 hour flight from Johannesburg, South Africa, a 13-16 hours flight from South America, and up to a 24+ hour flight from western Europe. On account of long journey times from some destinations, some travellers opt to have a stop-over, commonly in Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur.

[edit] Discount airlines

There are some routes into Australia that are operated by discount airlines, that can often be combined with other fares to make getting to Australia cheaper. Select your point of entry and exit to give you a cheaper round-trip, and possibly some interesting stopover opportunities on the way.

• Air Asia X, flies into the Gold Coast from Kuala Lumpur, at often deeply discounted fares. You can save money from Europe if having a stopover in Malaysia.
• Viva Macau [1], flies into Sydney from Macau, offering the same possibility from or via Hong Kong.
• Tiger [2] flies from Singapore to Perth.
• Jetstar International [3] flies to Hawaii and several South East Asian destinations, including Osaka and Phuket.
• V Australia will commence flying between Sydney and Los Angeles in early 2009.

[edit] By boat

November to February is the cruising season, and there are usually about 10 ships that arrive in Australia during this time. You can cruise to Australia, and then fly home.

Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Royal Carribean, all offer cruises to Australia across the Pacific.

[edit] By overland tour

There are a couple of expedition companies such as Ozbus or Exploratory Overland Expeditions that conduct organized trips from London to Sydney but the last leg of the journey involves flying to Darwin from East Timor or Singapore while the bus is shipped across. These are targeted at backpackers able to take months for the trip.

[edit] Customs and quarantine

Australia has a strict customs requirement when it comes to animal and vegetable derived products, including wood. This is because Australia is an island, and thus far free of many diseases and insect pests sometimes found in other countries. All incoming visitors must pass a customs check for these items. No fresh fruits, vegetables, meat or other food products are allowed. Most manufactured, packaged food (chocolates, cookies, etc) is usually found to be acceptable, and will generally be inspected and returned to you. However, even permitted food items must be declared to customs and inspected before they are allowed into the country. Most baggage is scanned and examined by dogs prior to entry.

There is no penalty provided goods are declared - they'll just be confiscated and destroyed or held in quarantine. If you attempt to bring them in without declaring them, there is the possibility of extremely heavy penalties including fines (in the order of thousands of dollars) and even a possible jail term. More likely an on-the-spot fine of $220 will be payable. It is far safer to declare any items that might be prohibited; if they are not then you will suffer no consequences.

The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service website [4] has more details.

There are also some restrictions when travelling from one state to another, or even within the same state. This especially relates to items such as fruit and vegetables which can transmit pests.

[edit] Visas and documentation

Most citizens of New Zealand may travel to and work in Australia for any length of time without applying for a visa, but entry is not guaranteed: check with Australian immigration if you have a criminal record or have been refused entry to other countries recently. Citizens of New Zealand immigrating to Australia might want to apply for Australian permanent residency in order to be eligible for some welfare payments.

All other nationalities require some form of visa. There are two types:

• Electronic Travel Authorities (ETAs), an electronic visa available to holders of certain passports, see "Am I eligible?". These are valid for visits of up to 3 months and allow multiple entries for a year. Australian employment is not allowed. ETAs are available online at https://www.eta.immi.gov.au/ and may be available through your travel agent. Apply for the ETA through your travel agent if buying tickets from them, as the fee for applying online is usually waived.
• Non-electronic visas, the only option if you do not hold an ETA-eligible passport, also required if you are staying for a longer period of time or wish to seek Australian employment. These will require a written application and processing by an Australian consulate or embassy. Contact the Department of Immigration for more information.

WARNING: Australia has strict visa conditions. Overstaying or violating any terms of your visa can result in deportation and a 3-year entry ban, regardless of your nationality.

[edit] Get around

Australia is huge but sparsely populated. By land area it is the world's sixth biggest country, but the population of the entire country is only comparable to that of the Seoul or Mexico City metropolitan area. This means that great distances separate its cities and after leaving one city, you can sometimes expect to travel for hours before finding the next trace of civilization.

[edit] By car

Australia drives on the left. Overseas visitors who are used to driving on the right should exercise caution until they get used to this. Car hire companies and local police will give advice on whether your car license is valid in Australia. Distances and speeds are specified in kilometres and fuel is sold by the litre.

Australia has a generally well-maintained system of roads and highways. In Australia, as in many large countries, cars are widely used. Many Australian adults own cars. Most of the state capitals are linked to each other by good quality highways. Some parts are dual carriageway but many sections are one lane each way. Major regional areas have sealed (paved) dual-lane roads, but isolated areas may have poorly maintained dirt roads or even tracks. Note that Australia's low population density makes for long driving times between major centres; its large size means there is sometimes great distance between key locations. Here are some indicative travel times:

• Melbourne to Sydney: 9-10 hours (approximately 900 kilometres / 560 miles)
• Brisbane to Sydney: 12-13 hours (approximately 1000 kilometres / 620 miles)
• Perth to Sydney: 50 hours (approximately 4100 kilometres / 2550 miles)
• Sydney to Canberra: 3-3.5 hours (approximately 300 kilometres / 185 miles)
• Adelaide to Melbourne: 8-10 hours (approximately 750 kilometres / 465 miles)
• Brisbane to Melbourne: 19-20 hours (approximately 1700 kilometres / 1056 miles)
• Melbourne to Perth: 40 hours (approximately 3500 kilometres / 2175 miles)
• Perth to Adelaide: 32 hours (approximately 2700 kilometres / 1677 miles)
• Brisbane to Cairns (QLD): 22-24 hours (approximately 1700 kilometres)

While major sealed highways are well serviced, anyone leaving sealed roads anywhere in inland Australia is advised to take advice from locals, carry sufficient spare fuel, spare parts, spare tires, matches, food and water (minimum 4 gallons per person per day). Some of these roads might see one car per month (or less). It is common to hire a satellite phone (cellular coverage does not extend to many remote areas) in case of emergency. The carrying of an EPIRB is also advised when travelling in rural and remote areas. Local police stations would prefer that you call in and say hello and give them your itinerary, but they will not automatically start looking for you if you don't report in. It is the best idea to advise a friend or relative of your itinerary and let them know to alert authorities if you do not contact them within a reasonable amount of time after your scheduled arrival at your destination. It is not unusual for people stranded in remote areas to wait for a week or more before being rescued (if they are lucky enough that anyone notices they are missing). Heat and dehydration at any time of year can kill you rapidly. If stranded, stay with your vehicle and do what you can to improve your visibility from the air. Do not take this advice lightly, even Australians die out there.

See also: Driving in Australia

[edit] By plane

Due to the large distances involved, flying is a well-patronised form of travel in Australia. Services along the main business travel corridor (Melbourne-Sydney-Brisbane) are run almost like a bus service, with flights leaving every 15 minutes during the day.

The only way to get the best airfare is to visit each of the airlines pages directly, and compare fares. Never assume the Qantas fare will be more expensive, as their online deals often are the cheapest available on a route. The best fares are always available on the most competitive routes. Consolidator websites and travel agents almost invariably add a surcharge to direct booking. Use them to compare, but always check the airline website before booking.

The are four domestic airlines in Australia that operate jet aircraft linking capital cities and major destinations.

• Qantas [5], the only nation-wide full service airline, flying to major cities and some larger regional towns;
• Virgin Blue [6], a nation-wide budget airline, flying to major cities and a few larger regional towns;
• Jetstar [7], Qantas's discount arm with limited service and assigned seating.
• Tiger Airways Australia [8], one of Asia's largest LCC has a hub in Melbourne serving about 10 destinations across the mainland and Tasmania, prices are very competitive.

Several airlines service regional destinations. Expect discounts on these airlines to be harder to come by, and for standard airfares to be above what you would pay for the same distance between major centres.

• Regional Express [9], covering larger towns & cities on the eastern seaboard;
• Skywest [10], covering regional Western Australia;
• Airnorth [11], covering the Northern Territory;
• MacAir Airlines [12], covering regional Queensland.

[edit] By train

Visitors from countries with well-developed long distance rail systems such as Europe and Japan may be surprised by the lack of high-speed, inter-city rail services in Australia. A historical lack of cooperation between the states, combined with sheer distances and a relatively small population to service, have left Australia with a national rail network that is relatively slow and used mainly for freight. As a result, travel between major cities will not only be faster by air, but often cheaper as well depending on the route you wish to travel. Train travel between cities is, however, more scenic, and tourists are likely to see more of Australia travelling by train than they would otherwise see.

The long-distance rail services that do exist are mainly used to link regional townships with the state capital, such as Bendigo to Melbourne, or Cairns to Brisbane. In Queensland, a high speed train operates between Brisbane to Rockhampton and Brisbane to Cairns. Queensland also has passenger services to inland centres including Longreach (The Spirit of the Outback), Mount Isa (The Inlander), Charleville (The Westlander) and Forsayth (The Savannahlander). There are also inter-city train services operated by Great Southern Railways on the routes Melbourne-Adelaide (The Overland), Sydney-Adelaide-Perth (Indian Pacific), Adelaide-Alice Springs-Darwin (The Ghan) however as noted above, these are not "high speed" services, so if you do not enjoy train travel as part of your holiday in its own right then this is probably not for you.

Within the capital cities, mass transit is by train or bus, and Melbourne also has a comprehensive tram network serving the inner suburbs. Sydney has an extensive rail system which includes stations within the metropolitan area. Some states also have an inter-urban train service, although it tends to be devoted to carrying people into and out of the state's capital.

Not all states have a public rail network. Tasmania, for example, discontinued passenger services more than 20 years ago, though tourist railways still exist. The Northern Territory has the rail line linking Darwin to Adelaide through Alice Springs only, and the Australian Capital Territory has only a single railway station close to the centre of Canberra.

• Great Southern Railways - The Ghan, The Overland and Indian Pacific
• CountryLink - Trains to and from regional cities in New South Wales; also linking Sydney to Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra.
• CityRail - Trains within the Sydney metropolitan area, linking to the regional cities of Newcastle, Maitland, Wollongong, Nowra, the Blue Mountains and Lithgow as well as the Central Coast area of New South Wales.
• V/Line Passenger - Train & coach services in Victoria, including combined Train + Bus services between Melbourne & Adelaide, Melbourne & Canberra and to places not served by railway lines
• Melbourne Public Transport - Train, Tram and Bus information and timetables in the Melbourne metropolitan area.

• TransWA - Train and coach services in Western Australia

• TransPerth - Train, bus and ferry services in the Perth metropolitan area

• Queensland Rail - Traveltrain - Long distance passenger train services in Queensland
• The Savannahlander - A unique train service that links Cairns with the outback town of Forsayth.

[edit] By bus

Bus travel in Australia is cheap and convenient, although the distances involved for interstate connections are daunting. Greyhound has the largest bus route network.

• Firefly Express, ☎ 1300 730 740 (+61 3 8318 0318 - international callers, enquiries@fireflyexpress.com.au), [13]. Firefly Express has services connecting Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.  edit

• Greyhound, ☎ 1300 473 946 (info@greyhound.com.au), [14]. Greyhound travels to over 1100 destinations in Australia daily every day of the year. It has a variety of ticketing options allow you to travel at your own pace, hopping on and off as many times as your ticket allows.  edit

• Murrays, ☎ 13 22 51 (reservations@murrays.com.au), [15]. Murrays has services connecting Canberra with Sydney, the NSW South Coast and snowfields.  edit

• Oz Experience [16] runs bus tours in Australia aimed at backpackers.

[edit] By boat

Due to Australia's size and layout inter city ferries are not common.

• The Spirit of Tasmania,[17]. The only long distance ferry route connects Tasmania to the mainland and runs between Melbourne and Devonport. The Spirit of Tasmania carries cars and passengers on the route across Bass Strait daily.

[edit] By tour operators

Organized tours by bus are popular, especially for young people, allowing you to visit the famous tourist spots most easily reached by private vehicle (such as Ayers Rock, Kakadu National Park) without the hassle of organizing the trip. A variety of accommodation from camping to five star hotels is available. Competition among operators is strong, so checks rates and itineraries and for discounts and special offers.

Tour operators:

1. AAT Kings [18] Coach tours in style
2. Adventure Tours [19] Mini bus and 4WD tours all over Australia
3. NatureTour Australia [20] Natural habitat wildlife tours
4. Wayward Bus [21] Mini bus tours in SA, NT and Vic, "Let the others rush"
5. Groovy Grape [22] Mini bus tours in SA, NT and Vic
6. Contiki Tours [23]
7. Down Under Tours [24]
8. Down Under Coach Tours [25]
9. Emu Run Tours based in Alice Springs run some excellent tours with very well informed guides. If you need a disabled bus, however, do not go on the one day trip to Uluru with this company. It does not kneel and the armrests are fixed. Front seats full of equipment and not available for disabled passengers.
10. In contrast the Adelaide Sightseeing company is excellent. Booking agent saw my w/stick, rang to confirm bus on the Victor Harbour tour next day could kneel and offered to reserve a front seat for me.
11. Diamantina Touring Company [26] Outback 4X4 Expeditions
12. Connections Tours

[edit] By thumb

It is not illegal to hitchhike in Australia though it is an offense to obstruct traffic by "soliciting ... a ride ... from within the roadway". If you stay on the footpath, you're legally in the clear.

Travellers have hitch-hiked all around Australia from the most populated to least populated regions with success, though wait times running into days in the very sparsely trafficked outback regions have been reported. The very lightly populated outback regions in Australia can provide the relatively unique opportunity of a ride in a road train. Waits can be long and the climate harsh but the local people very warm and inviting and supportive of any venture to move around by hitchhiking (public transport is often non-existent). It is highly advisable if venturing into these regions without your own transport to carry enough food and water with you for at least a day and carry a good sun hat and warm clothes — people do die in these areas from lack of preparation.

[edit][add listing] See

Owing to its unique geographical character, there is much to see in Australia that you can't see (easily / in its natural setting) anywhere else:

[edit] Wildlife

Australian flora and fauna is essentially unique to the island continent, the result of having been isolated from the rest of the world for millions of years. Amongst Australian animals are a large group of marsupials (mammals with a pouch) and monotremes (mammals that lay eggs!) Just some of the animal icons of Australia are the kangaroo (national symbol) and the koala. A visit to Australia would not be complete without taking the chance to see some of these animals in their natural environment.

• Wildlife parks and zoos are in every capital city, but also check out the animal parks if you are passing through smaller towns, like Mildura or Mogo, or staying on Hamilton Island. See the Warrawong Fauna Sanctuary if you are in South Australia, or visit the koalas with best view in the world, at Taronga Zoo in Sydney.

• In the wild. You can see the emus, kangaroos and wallabies in many of Australia's national parks. Wombats and Echidna are also common, but harder to find. You won't see any Kangaroos hopping down the street in Central Sydney, but you will see some not to far from the centre of the nation's capital

• There are tour companies around Australia that offer tours to see many of these unique creatures in their natural habitat such as NatureTour Australia [27]

[edit] Landmarks

Australia has many landmarks, famous the world over. From Uluru in the red centre, to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House in Sydney.

[edit] The unusual

See some of the Big things in Australia.

[edit] Sports

Weekend sport is an integral part of the Australian culture from the capital cities to country towns.

• In the winter in Victoria Aussie Rules is more than just a sport, it is a way of life. Catch a game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

• In summer, international cricket is played between Australia and at least two touring sides. The games rotate around all the capital cities. To experience the traditional game catch the New Year's test match at the Sydney cricket ground played for 5 days starting from the 2nd of January. Or for a more lively entertaining form, that only takes a few hours, try a twenty-twenty match.

• The Australian Open, is one of the tennis grand slam's played annually in Melbourne. Or the Medibank Open in Sydney Olympic Park in January.

• Catch a rugby union Super-14 game, with teams playing from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in Brisbane, during winter.

• Netball is Australia's largest female sport, and there are weekly games in an international competition between Australia and New Zealand teams.

• Soccer is a small event by European standards, but there is still an Australia and New Zealand competition, with games played weekly during the summer.

[edit][add listing] Do

[edit] Swim

• in the surf. Australia has seemingly endless sandy beaches. Follow the crowds to the world famous Bondi Beach in Sydney, or Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast. Or find a stretch all for yourself. The surf is smaller and warmer in the Tropical North, where the reef breaks the swell, and larger are colder in the south with waves rolling in from the Southern Ocean. (And yes, in the middle it is just right).
• in calm tropical oceans. Cable Beach in Broome is swept pristine daily by the tide, has perfect sand, and warm water - go in winter.
• in thermal pools. South of Darwin there are many natural thermal pools, surrounded by palms and tropical foliage. The most expensive resort in the world couldn't dream of making a pool this good.
• in freshwater lakes. Inland Australia tends to be dry, but there freshwater lakes where you would least expect them. Explore inland of Cairns at the Atherton Tablelands, or head outback to the Currawinya National Park.
• in rivers. If its hot, and there is water, there will be a place to swim. Wherever you are, just ask around for the favourite swimming spot, with a waterhole and rope to swing on.
• in man-made pools. The local swimming pool is often the hub of community life on a summer Sunday in the country towns of New South Wales and Victoria. Many of the beachside suburbs of Sydney have man made rock pools for swimming by the ocean beaches.

• just Sun Baking. Find your spot by the water, and get out the towel. Tropical north in the winter, down south in the summer.

[edit] Diving

• Snorkelling take a trip out to the Great Barrier Reef, or to the rocks off Byron Bay, or just dive in off the beach to see the tropical fish in Bundaberg.
• Scuba Diving

[edit] Sports

• Golf

• Rock Climbing

• Mountain Biking. Try the trails in the Snowy Mountains or black mountain in Canberra, or cycle for days along the Munda Biddi Mountain Bike trail in Western Australia.

[edit] Ski

• Skiing. New South Wales and Victoria have well developed ski facilities. Tasmania can also have skiing for a few months of the year, given the right weather.

See Winter sports in Australia

[edit] Thrill Activities

• Sky Diving, all around Australia
• Hot Air Ballooning, in Canberra or in the Red Centre.

[edit] Gamble

It has been said that if there are two flies crawling up a wall, then you just need to look around to find the Aussie who will be running a book.

• Casinos. Crown Casino in Melbourne is Australia's largest, nicely located at Southbank, but there are others scattered in every capital city.
• Day at the races. All capital cities have horse racing every weekend, with on-track and off-track betting available, they are usually family occasions, and fashion and being seen are part of the event. Just about every pub in New South Wales will have a TAB, where you can place a bet without leaving your chair. Greyhound racing and trotting happens in the evenings, usually with smaller crowds, more beer, and less fashion. Smaller country towns have race meetings every few months or even annually. These are real events for the local communities, and see the smaller towns come to life. Head outback to the Birdsville races, or if you find the streets deserted it is probably ten past three on the first Tuesday in November (the running of the Melbourne cup).
• The unusual. The lizard races, cane toad races, camel races, crab races. Betting on these races is totally illegal, and at you will find the TIB (Totally Illegal Betting) around the back of the shed in at the annual guinea pig races at Grenfell.
• Two up. If you are around for Anzac Day (25th April), then betting on coins thrown into the air will be happening at your local RSL club, wherever you are.

[edit] Talk

English is by far the dominant language spoken by Australians and British English spellings are used generally. It is the only language used in the school curriculum, and generally the only Australians who are not fluent English speakers are older people who immigrated as adults. Expect everyone in the tourist industries, hotels and retail industries, and almost every other Australian, to speak English.

Travellers accustomed to North American accents may have a little trouble understanding Australians. Australian slang should not present a problem for tourists except possibly in some isolated outback areas. As with other regional accents a few words and euphemisms that are considered offensive in the US are common vernacular in Australian speech.

As Australia has a large number of immigrants, there are a number of minority languages spoken by a sizable number of Australians including (but not limited to) Arabic, Mandarin, Cantonese, Italian and Greek. However, since it is expensive to travel from Australia and there is no single commonly used second language, Australians commonly do not have a fluent second language unless they are educated or part of a family who immigrated recently. It is fairly rare to find signs in a second language, except in urban areas with a high population of Asian immigrants and students, where signs and restaurant menus in Vietnamese and Chinese are a common sight; and also around Cairns in tropical Queensland where some signs (but not road signs) are written in Japanese, due to the large number of Japanese tourists.

Visitors who do not speak basic English will find travelling in Australia difficult. There are some tour companies who specialize in offering package deals for Australian tours complete with guides who speak particular languages, and non-English speaking travellers might find this easier.

[edit][add listing] Buy

Australian prices are equivalent to other first world countries in North America, Western Europe or Japan. A basic meal would cost anywhere from $5-15 and prices can easily rocket up to hundreds of dollars in the most expensive restaurants. Backpackers should budget around $100 a day to be safe and the cheapest accommodation available in large cities would be in the region of $30-50 per night, though you would have to share a bathroom and bedroom with other people.

[edit] Currency

Australian currency is known as the dollar, and the currency symbol is $. There are 100 cents in every dollar. The dollar is called 'the Australian dollar' usually written as 'AUD' when it is necessary to distinguish it from the currencies of other countries that call their currency 'the dollar'.

The dollar is not pegged to any other currency, and is a highly traded currency on world foreign exchange markets, particularly by currency speculators. Its exchange value to other currencies can be quite volatile, and 1-2% changes in a day are reasonably regular occurances.

No other currency is commonly accepted for transactions in Australia. Some businesses in international terminals of some airports may accept some other currencies (US dollars, British pounds, Euros, and possibly NZ dollars).

The coin denominations are 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, $1 and $2. The note denominations are $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100. Australian notes are produced in plastic polymer rather than paper.

If the total of a transaction is not a multiple of 5 cents the amount will be rounded to the nearest five cents if you are paying in cash. The exact amount will be charged if paying by credit or debit card.

[edit] Cash

Cash dispensing Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) are available in almost every Australian town. No Australian ATMs will impose a surcharge over what is charged by your bank or card issuer. Check with your bank as to what fees will apply to withdrawals in Australia.

Dedicated currency exchange outlets are widely available in major cities, and banks can also exchange most non-restricted currencies. These exchange outlets - especially the ones at the airport - can charge 10% over the best exchange that can be obtained from shopping around. Australian banks usually offer an exchange rate around 2.5% from the current exchange midpoint. A flat commission of $5-8 can be charged on top. Some outlets advertise commission free exchange, usually accompanied by a worse rate of exchange. Don't assume every bank will offer the same exchange. A simple calculation will let you know what offers the best deal for amount you wish to exchange. There are vouchers for commission free exchange at American Express available in the tourist brochure at Sydney Airport.

There is also no need to arrive in Australia with cash if you have a Cirrus, Maestro, MasterCard or Visa card: international airport terminals will have multiple teller machines that can dispense Australian currency without the hefty commissions of the exchanges.

[edit] Credit cards

Credit cards are widely accepted in Australia. Almost all large vendors such as supermarkets accept cards, as do many, but not all, small stores. Australian debit cards can also be used via a system known as EFTPOS. If you have an Australian bank account, many supermarkets also provide a "cash out" service which you can use to withdraw money over the counter when paying for your purchases. Any card showing the Cirrus or Maestro logos can be used at any terminal displaying those logos.

VISA or MasterCard are the most commonly accepted and are both accepted everywhere credit cards are accepted. American Express and Diners Club are accepted at major supermarket and department store chains and many tourist destinations, but they may not be accepted or may incur a surcharge at smaller stores or fuel stations. JCB is only accepted at very limited tourist destinations. Discover is never accepted.

[edit] Haggling

Bargaining is uncommon in Australian stores, though vendors are usually willing to meet or beat a quote or advertised price from a competing retailer. It's also worth asking for a "best price" for high-value goods or purchases involving several items. For example, it would not be unusual to get 10% of an item of jewelry that was not already reduced in price. The person you are dealing with may have limited authority to sell items at anything other than the marked price.

[edit] Tipping

Tipping is not compulsory and is usually not expected in Australia. Most people think it is acceptable to pay the amount stated on the bill. When Australians do tip, it will often be in the form of leaving the change from a cash payment (usually as a convenience so the change does not hang around loose on someone's person - not as a gratuity), rather than a fixed percentage. Staff are seen to be paid an appropriate wage and will certainly not chase you down for a tip. You may feel free to tip for exceptional service, in which case it will typically be appreciated. Tipping is also not expected in taxis, and drivers will typically return your change to the last cent, unless you indicate that they should round the fare (it is not unusual for passengers to instruct the driver to round up to the next whole dollar, mainly for convenience).

[edit] Trading hours

Australia's base trading hours are M-F 9AM-5PM. These days, in many larger cities, shops will stay open until 9PM on Thursdays in the suburbs and on Fridays in the city centre.

Australia's weekend is on Saturday and Sunday of each week. Retail trading is now almost universal in larger cities on weekends, although with slightly reduced hours. The city of Perth and some rural towns still severely restrict Sunday trading even of essentials.

Australian banks are open M-F 9AM-4PM only, often closing at 5pm on Fridays. Cash is available through Automatic Teller Machines 24 hours, and currency exchange outlets have extended hours and are open on weekends.

[edit] Tax

Australia has a more or less universal sales tax known as the Goods and Services Tax or GST. Only basic supplies such as unprocessed foods, medical services and certain input taxed supplies by financial institutions such as banks and insurers are exempt. GST is included in the price of any item you purchase rather than added at the time of payment.

Receipts (tax invoices) will contain the GST amount, which is one eleventh of the total value of taxable supplies.

[edit] Sales tax refunds

If you are planning to buy items over $300 at one place at one time, you might be interested in the Tourist Refund Scheme [28], which allows you to obtain a refund of the GST paid (effectively a 9.1 % discount). Note that you must buy the goods less than 30 days before departure and take them with you when you leave Australia. You need to show the item(s) plus the receipt at the TRS desk in the departure lounge, so you should carry the items with you and also allow an extra 30 min before departure. The refund payment can be made by either cheque, credit to an Australian bank account, or payment to a credit card.

The TRS is for goods taken as personal hand luggage at the time of departure. There is also a GST reclaim scheme for services consumed in Australia by non-resident enterprises.

[edit][add listing] Eat

[edit] Places to Eat

• Restautants. Australians eat out frequently, and restaurants are nearly everywhere, with large a large range in larger towns and cities.
• BYO Restaurants: BYO stands for Bring Your Own (alcohol). In many of the urban communities of Australia you will find small low-cost restaurants that are not licensed but allow diners to bring their own bottle of wine purchased elsewhere. This is frequently much cheaper than ordering a bottle of wine in a restaurant. Beer can be taken to some BYO restaurants, others allow only wine. Expect to pay a corkage fee which can vary from $2 or $3, to $15, or may be calculated by head. BYO is not usually permitted in restaurants that are licensed to sell alcohol.
• Pubs. The counter lunch is the name for a lunch served in the bar of a pub. Traditionally served only at lunchtime in the lounge. Today some pubs provide lunch and dinner and many have a separate bistro or restaurant. Meals of steak, chicken parmigiana, nachos are common.
• Clubs. Clubs, such as bowling clubs, leagues clubs, RSL clubs are in many towns and cities. They are most common in the states of Queensland and New South Wales. Some allow in visitors, and sometimes offer good value meals. Some offer attractive locations, like the water views from the Twin Towns in Tweed Heads.
• Cafes. Most towns and suburbs have a cafe or coffee shop, serving breakfast and light meals and cakes throughout the day. Not unusual for them to close before dinner.
• Bakeries. Usually a good place to buy bread rolls, a pie or a sausage roll. Some, like the Beechworth bakery, or the bakery in historic Gundagai offer an experience as well.
• Fast food restarants. McDonalds, Subway and KFC are common. Red Rooster is a Australian chain, offering barbecued chicken and other mostly chicken-based items.
• Take-away. Milk bars or take away stores usually sell pies, barbecued (rotisserie) chicken, hamburgers, fish and chips, gyros, kebabs. Ubiquitous in every town and suburb.
• Food Courts. Most shopping malls have a food court, even in country towns.
• Picnic. The Australian climate is usually amenable to getting whatever food you can, and heading to the nearest park, river, lake or beach.
• Barbecue is a popular Australian pastime and many parks in Australia provide free barbecues for public use. Contrary to the stereotype, Australians rarely "Throw a shrimp on the barbie" (also, in Australia a shrimp is more commonly referred to as a prawn). Steaks, chops, chicken fillets, fish, kebabs are popularly barbecued.

[edit] Native Foods

• Kangaroo. You can buy Kangaroo steak in most supermarkets, and occasionally it makes it onto the menu in a restaurant. It is a very low fat strongly flavoured game-like red meat, often marinated. Contrary to the concerns of some visitors who know that many Australian marsupials are endangered, the kangaroo species from which the meat comes are far from being endangered or threatened species.

• Crocodile meat from farms in the Northern Territory is widely available around the top end, and occasionally elsewhere.

• Coat of Arms Pie. The Australian coat of arms consists of an Emu and a Kangaroo holding the Australian crest. Both animals can't walk backwards, and this represents the fact that Australian people also progress forward. They have now progressed as far as to season their national animals and wrap them up in pastry. Keep a look out for a coat of arms pie.

• Bush Tucker. Many tours may give you an opportunity to try some bush tucker, the berries, nuts, roots, ants, and grubs from Australia's native bush. Macadamia nuts are the only native plant to Australia that is grown for food commercially. Taste some of the other bush foods, and see if you can see why that is.

[edit] Beyond cuisine

Vegemite, a salty yeast-based spread similar to the British product Marmite, or the Swiss product Cenovis. Famously unpalatable to those unfamiliar with it, novice samplers should start with a very thin spread of Vegemite on hot buttered toast. Any coffee shop will give serve you vegemite toast and coffee for breakfast - usually even if it isn't on the menu.

A popular biscuit is the Tim Tam. A chocolate fudge-filled sandwich of two chocolate biscuits, all wrapped in chocolate, this decadent biscuit gave rise to the "Tim Tam Slam". This decidedly messy maneuver requires nibbling the chocolate off both ends of a Tim Tam, then using the biscuit as a straw to suck up your favourite hot beverage, typically coffee. The hot drink melts the fudge centre and creates an experience hard to describe, but finesse is needed to suck the whole biscuit into your mouth in the microseconds between being fully saturated and dissolving into your cuppa.

The lamington, a small sponge cake covered in a thin layer of chocolate and then dipped in desiccated coconut.

The pavlova, a meringue cake with a cream topping usually covered with fresh fruit. Don't believe any New Zealand traveler who says they invented it over there. A popular alternative to Christmas pudding during the holiday season

ANZAC biscuits are a mix of coconut, oats, flour, sugar and Golden Syrup which are sometimes, but erroneously, reported as having been baked and sent to soldiers by anxious First World War wives and mothers.

Damper is a traditional type of bread that was baked by stockmen during colonial times in the Outback. It is made with the most basic of ingredients and usually cooked in the embers of a fire. Do not expect to find this bread in urban bakeries - it is only commonly served to tourists on camping trips in the Outback. Best eaten with as much butter and jam as possible.

A 'pie floater' is a South Australian dish which is available around Adelaide. It consists of an upside down pie in a bowl of thick mushy pea soup.

[edit] Other cuisines

Cuisines widely available in Australia, often prepared by members of the relevant culture, include:

• Thai, especially in Sydney. Suburban Thai restaurants of indifferent quality are starting to replace the previous generation of Chinese restaurants of indifferent quality, but Australia also has excellent and authentic Thai restaurants.
• Indian, especially South Indian
• Chinese. As above, many Chinese restaurants cater to takeaway addicts, but major cities have small "Chinatowns" with excellent restaurants
• Asian Fusion refers generally to Asian-inspired dishes

[edit] Vegetarian

Eating vegetarian is quite common in Australia and many restaurants offer at least one or two vegetarian dishes. Some will have an entire vegetarian menu section. Vegans may have more difficulty but any restaurant with a large vegetarian menu should offer some flexibility. In large cities you will find a number of vegetarian and vegan restaurants, as well as in the coastal backpacker friendly towns along the east coast. The market town of Kuranda or the seaside towns of Byron Bay are a vegetarian's paradise. In other country towns and regional areas be prepared to shop in supermarkets or to carry extra food with you, as vegetarianism is often poorly catered in such areas. Most towns will have a Chinese restaurant that can provide steamed rice and vegetables.

[edit] Religious diets

People observing kosher or halal will be able to find specialist butchers in the capital cities, and will also find a number of restaurants with appropriate menus and cooking styles. Outside the capital cities, it will be much more difficult to find food prepared in the correct way.

[edit] Markets

All of the capital cities and many regional towns in Australia host a "farmer's market", which is generally held each week in a designated area on a Saturday or Sunday. These markets mostly sell fresh fruits and vegetables, as hygiene standards in Australia forbid the selling of meat from market stalls. The attraction of markets is the lower prices and freshness of the produce. The attraction for the traveller will be the cheap and excellent fruits on offer - depending on the region and season. In regional areas the market is usually held outside the town itself in an empty paddock; markets in capital cities are easier to reach but the prices are typically more in line with those you would find in supermarkets. It’s best to ask a local as in most cases they will be able to direct you.

[edit][add listing] Drink

[edit] Varieties

Drinking beer is ingrained in Australian culture. Although Fosters is promoted as an Australian beer overseas, it is rarely consumed by Australians in Australia. There are the mass produced Australian beers available everywhere and widely consumed, produced by the two primary brewers, Lion Nathan, and Carlton United. There are smaller brewers, whose products are widely distributed, such as Coopers and Boags. There are also local microbrew choices, which can be harder to find, but often worth seeking out. There are also usually a wide range of imported European and American beers available, in all but the most basic pub.

Light (Lite) beer refers to lower alcoholic content, and not lower calories. It around half the alcohol of full strength beer, and is taxed at a lower rate, meaning it is also cheaper than full strength beer.

Australia also has a very active wine industry and local consumption of wine is increasing. Drinking imported wine is a novelty; you will find that most wines for sale both in bottle shops and restaurants will be Australian wines.

Mixed drinks are also served, particularly vodka, bourbon and whiskey mixers. These are sometimes sold pre-mixed in bottles and cans. Spirits are served in pubs, but not in all restaurants.

See also: Grape grazing in Australia

[edit] Legal and cultural aspects

The legal drinking age throughout Australia is 18 years. It is illegal either to purchase alcohol for yourself if you are under 18 years of age or to purchase alcohol on behalf of someone who is under 18 years of age. The only legally acceptable proof-of-age is an Australian drivers licence or a passport, and it would be wise to carry one if you want to purchase alchohol and look under 25. It is illegal to go into a gambling area of a pub or club when under 18.

Often there is a lounge, restaurant or bistro area in a pub or club that permits under-age people provided they are accompanied by a responsible adult over 18 and don't approach the bar or wander around.

In general, you can take alcohol (say a bottle of wine or beer) to consume in a park. Alcohol consumption is banned in some public places. These is indicated by signs and is particularly the case in parks and footpaths where public drunkenness has been a problem. However, if you are a family with your picnic basket and blanket out at lunchtime with a bottle of wine, you are unlikely to encounter any problems.

Alcohol can be purchased for consumption on premises only in licensed venues: pubs, clubs and many restaurants. You can purchase alcohol for private consumption in bottle shops, which are separate stores selling bottled alcohol. In some but not all states you can buy alcohol in supermarkets. In those states where you can't, bottle shops and major supermarkets are often found in very close proximity.

Public drunkenness varies in acceptability. You will certainly find a great deal of it in close proximity to pubs and clubs at night time but much less so during the day. Public drunkenness is an offence but you would only likely ever be picked up by the police if you were causing a nuisance. You may spend the night sobering up in a holding cell or be charged.

Driving while affected by alcohol is both stigmatized and heavily policed (by random breath testing police patrols) in Australia, as well as being inherently dangerous. The acceptable maximum blood alcohol concentration is 0.05% in all states, often lower or not allowed for operators of heavy vehicles and young or novice drivers. In Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia police officers are also empowered to randomly test drivers for the recent use of prohibited drugs. The operation of a motor vehicle while under the influence of prohibited drugs is also a serious offence.

[edit] Learn

If you are intending to study in Australia, you may need to be on a visa class that allows this, rather than a tourist visa. Students and academics invited to visit Australian universities will generally also need an appropriate visa, even if their visit is of a short enough period to be covered by a tourist electronic visa. For extremely short term or part time courses, check with your Australian consulate or embassy.

Australian students attend a high school program of approximately six years, and enter university (also called "uni") at seventeen or eighteen years of age. (In Australia, neither "school" nor "college" are used to refer to tertiary institutions; they are referred to only as "universities".) Australian undergraduate programs are usually three to four years in length. A fifth year is compulsory in some professional undergraduate programs such as engineering, law, medicine and dentistry. Medicine at the undergraduate level is either five or six years. Students in three-year degree programs can take an optional fourth year known as honours if they want to proceed into a postgraduate research program, whereas student enrolled in four year programs typically can incorporate their honours thesis into their fourth year.

Australia does not have universities whose prestige competes with Harvard or MIT in the US or Oxford or Cambridge in the UK. However many are ranked in the top 200 in the world (Times Higher Education Supplement). Its most prestigious research universities are equivalent to the next tier of universities. However, these universities are very competitive on tuition compared to other Western universities.

All tuition at university level is in English, save for courses that specifically focus on other languages. Students who have not previously earned a qualification in an English speaking program will have to take one of a number of English competency tests before being allowed to enrol.

Postgraduate studies in Australia fall into two classes: coursework and research. Coursework degrees are generally at the Masters level and are terminal: they do not proceed into a research degree. Research degrees are at the Masters and Doctoral level.

[edit] Admission

Undergraduate admission to university is centralized at the state level. You make a single application for admission to the state admissions body stating your course preferences. The universities select students from this common applicant pool based upon their ranking and preferences. Unless you are applying for a creative arts degree, your ranking will be based solely on previous academic performance at both high school and previous university studies.

Postgraduate admission is managed by individual universities and you will need to apply separately to each institution you are considering.

[edit] Tuition fees

The full fees are very competitive compared to many Western universities. Australian citizens have the option of substantially reduced fees and also have the option of deferring payment and having the money taken from their income tax after graduation. Other students will generally be required to pay full tuition on enrolment each semester.

Scholarships are rarely awarded for undergraduate or postgraduate coursework degrees. A comparatively large number of scholarships are available for postgraduate research usually covering both tuition, where required, and living costs. These are awarded by individual universities.

[