How to Get In

All foreigners except New Zealanders require visas for all visits to Australia . The citizens of some countries, however, can obtain an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA), which is a tourist or business visa valid for up to three month stays, at one time, up to one year in duration, online [2]. These are often also available through travel agents at the time of booking your flight to Australia : apply for the ETA through your agent if possible, as the fee for applying directly is usually waived. By air

Australia is completely surrounded by ocean: there is no way to travel overland to Australia . Hence, all international visitors arrive by plane or by boat. Almost all travellers will first travel to one of the state capitals, as these have all the major airports and many of the major ports.

By plane

Approximately half of all international travellers arrive first in Australia in Sydney , the largest city, via Kingsford-Smith International Airport . 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 15 hour flight from the west of the United States of America, an 18 hour flight from Johannesburg, South Africa, if flying direct, and up to a 24+ hour flight from western Europe. On account of long journey times from some destinations, many travellers opt to book a stop-over in their flight in order to minimise the impact of jet lag and flight discomfort, most commonly Singapore or Dubai .

After Sydney , significant numbers of travellers also arrive first in Australia in Melbourne ( Tullamarine Airport ), Brisbane and Perth . Much smaller numbers arrive at international airports in Cairns, Adelaide, Darwin, the Gold Coast (Coolangatta), Norfolk Island, Newcastle and Broome.

Get around

Australia drives 'on the left'. Overseas visitors who are used to driving on the 'right' should exercise great caution until they get used to this. Car hire companies and local (generally friendly) police will give advice on whether your car licence 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, "the car is king". The vast majority of Australian adults own cars and would not seriously contemplate being without one. Most of the state capitals are linked to each other by dual carriage highway systems. 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, often with 'nothing much' in between--here are some indicative travel times:

* Melbourne to Sydney : 9-12 hours (approximately 900 kilometres / 560 miles)

* Brisbane to Sydney : 12-15 hours (approximately 1000 kilometres / 620 miles)

* Perth to Sydney : 50 hours (approximately 4100 kilometers / 2550 miles)

* Sydney to Canberra : 3-4 hours (approximately 300 kilometres / 185 miles)

* Adelaide to Melbourne : 8-10 hours (approximately 750 kilometres / 465 miles)

* Brisbane to Melbourne : 22 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)

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). Local police stations would prefer that you call in and say hello and give them your itinerary. It is also a good 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.

By plane

Due to the extremely large distances involved, flying is a well-patronised form of travel in Australia . Fares are generally low, due to the amount of competition, and flights depart regularly. 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 major domestic airlines in Australia are:

* Qantas [3], the only nation-wide full service airline, flying to major cities and some larger regional towns;

* Virgin Blue [4], a nation-wide budget airline with limited service, flying to major cities and a few larger regional towns;

* Jetstar [5], Qantas's budget arm with limited service and assigned seating (previously seating were unassigned), currently serving major cities in the eastern states;

* Regional Express [6], covering larger towns in New South Wales , Victoria and South Australia .

Regional areas are served by several small state-based airlines.

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, and the sheer distances involved, 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.

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 . 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, demolished theirs more than 20 years ago and the ACT has never had one. The Northern Territory has the rail line linking Darwin to Adelaide through Alice Springs only, apart from several minor freight lines.

* Great Southern Railways - The Ghan, The Overland and Indian Pacific

* CountryLink - XPT, Xplorer. 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

By bus

A nation-wide (except Tasmania ) interstate bus service is provided by Greyhound Australia . There are a number of other interstate and state-wide bus services as well.

By boat

While Sydney has a fleet of extremely fun ferries that serve the population living around the harbour and boat sports are popular in many regional locations, there are very few inter-city boat services other than cruise ships. Some exceptions are the ferries between Palm Beach on Sydney 's Northern Beaches and the New South Wales Central Coast ; and the more famous car ferry services to Devonport in Tasmania departing from Melbourne .

By tour operators

Organised tours by bus are popular, especially for young people. You can visit the famous tourist spots (e.g. Ayers Rock, Kakadu NP) without the hassle of organising the trip. A variety of accommodation from camping to 5 star hotels is available. Competition among operators is strong, so check for discounts or special offers.

Tour operators:

1. AAT Kings Coach tours in style

2. Adventure Tours Mini bus and 4WD tours all over Australia

3. Wayward Bus Mini bus tours in in SA, NT and Vic, "Let the others rush"

4. Groovy Grape Mini bus tours in SA, NT and Vic

5. Contiki Tours

6. Down Under Tours

7. Down Under Coach Tours

By thumb

The great distances between towns in the Outback (or inner desert regions) can make hitchhiking difficult, but many travelers have made the coast-to-coast trek. Hitchhiking is more popular along the coastal regions (between Melbourne and Sydney, for example). During the 1990s several travellers went missing after hitchhiking along this route and were found to have been murdered by a serial killer. The perpetrator of these crimes has now been imprisoned; however, if you choose to hitchhike, you should use great caution.

The very lightly populated outback regions in Australia can provide the 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.

Scuba Diving

The east coast of Queensland , particularly to the north, has Australia 's busiest dive industry and most famous dive sites. Most of the diving is tropical reef diving. The bread and butter of many dive operations is teaching tourists to dive, but experienced divers will find some shops that cater to them with longer and more challenging dive trips.

Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef , a long tropical reef system off Far North Queensland, is Australia 's biggest dive attraction. Most divers will dive with shops in the Cairns and Port Douglas region or from the Whitsunday Islands . The reefs to the far north are generally visited by extended liveaboards rather than day trips. You can dive on the shallow Inner Reef or do shore dives from some of the islands in a day trip. Operators usually visit the Outer Reef on liveaboards, but some day trips are available. Week long liveaboards will take you to the ribbon reefs and the Coral Sea ; huge tame potato cod and maori wrasse can be seen at nearby Cod Hole. Some liveaboard packages to the northern reefs include a flight to Lizard Island at the north of the reef system so that you don't spend so much of the trip getting to your destination.

The wreck of the SS Yongala lies towards the south of the reef in open water. The SS Yongala sank in a cyclone in 1911 and by the time the wreck was properly identified in 1958 it had become a haven for sealife. Thanks to the currents, the wreck is populated by oversized reef species. Other commonly seen sealife includes sharks, turtles, Queensland groupers as large as small cars, rays and sea snakes. The coast at Townsville is further away from the reef than the coast at Cairns , but some operators leave from Townsville, and Townsville is the obvious point of departure if you want to dive on the Yongala. Another operator leaves from Ayr , which is closer to the wreck.

The Southern Reef Islands have good diving on Heron Island and Lady Elliot Island .

Coffs Harbour

The Solitary Islands Marine Park off Coffs Harbour has both tropical and subtropical marine life. Notables are grey nurse sharks, hard and soft coral, anemone fish, and colourful wrasse. Seeing large rays is unusual but not unheard of. Visibility is between 10 and 20 metres, and most of the interesting diving is shallower than 20 metres. Water temperature may be up to 25? in summer. What to do more

Purchasing customs

Bargaining is uncommon in Australian stores, though they 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-margin goods or purchases involving several items. Note that often the person with whom you are dealing will not have the authority to sell items at anything other than the marked price.

Tipping is not compulsory and is usually not expected in Australia . Most people think it is okay to pay the amount stated on the bill. When Aussies do tip, it will often be in the form of leaving the change from a cash payment, 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 good service, in which case it will typically be appreciated.

What to eat

Australian cuisine reflects the culture and region of Australia .

First, it should be recognised that Australian chefs are regarded around the world for their creativity and skillful mixing of Asian, Western and local dishes. One could argue that 'Asian Fusion' originated in Australia . Melbourne is a 'foodies' paradise and Sydney has many wonderful restaurants for locals and visitors alike.

There are four aspects to Australian cuisine for a visitor to look out for:

1. First, BYO. That means Bring your own/buy your own (alcohol). In many of the urban communities of Australia you will find very small restaurants where the menu and food is of the highest quality for an affordable price. And you can save money by picking up a nice bottle of local wine from a bottle shop around the corner. This includes beer as well. Expect to pay a small corkage fee.

2. Asian Fusion. From the Rockpool in Sydney , to many other restaurants around the country, Australia 's geographical and cultural relationship with South East Asia has resulted in some of the best Asian-inspired dishes in the world.

3. Counter lunch. If you were raised in an English household, you will know what it is to have a roast beef or lamb, potatoes and peas. Most traditional pubs in Australia offer what is called a counter lunch. For around five dollars, you can sit at the bar at lunch time and have a very hearty English meal of meat, potatoes, gravy and veggies. With a nice cold beer of course. This English influence is prevalent in a whole range of grocery store items like pasties and sausage rolls.

4. The BBQ (barbecue). Some restaurants and pubs have sort of buffets of raw steaks and sausages, lamb chops and kangaroo that you select, pay for, and then head over to a large communal grill and cook to your own perfection. BBQs are also a staple of Australian social culture. Due to the climate, many locals have a 'barbie' at least once a week. These social affairs are for families and friends to sit around in a garden, grilling everything from sausages ("Snags") to steaks and anything else that will fit on the grill. Contrary to the stereotypical belief of foreigners, Australians rarely "Throw a shrimp on the barbie" (also, in Australia a shrimp is more commonly refered to as a prawn).

What to drink

Varieties

The Australian staple drink is 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. Young Australians are increasingly fond of mixed drinks , particularly vodka, bourbon and whiskey mixers, which are often sold pre-mixed in bottles and cans. Spirits are served in pubs, but not in all restaurants..

Stay Healthy

Skin

Sunny Australia has one simple message for the traveller (and for its own citizens!): "Slip, slop, slap!" [16] In other words, "Slip on a shirt, slop on some sunscreen and slap on a hat!" Over-exposure to the sun at Australian latitudes is responsible for many cases of sunburn, sunstroke and heat exhaustion every year. In the long term, premature aging and skin cancer are also a risk. Even in cooler southern areas, proximity to the hole in the ozone layer means that the risk of sunburn is much higher than in the northern hemisphere. Fair-skinned people are especially at risk, and it is advisable to use a sunscreen with a SPF of 30+.

Snakes

Australia is home to six of the top ten deadliest snakes in the world. Never try to pick up any snake, even if you believe it to be a non-poisonous species, while travelling down under. Most people bitten by snakes were trying to pick up the snake, kill the creature, or inadvetantly step on one whilst out walking. Snakes will generally try to put as much distance between themselves and you as possible, so if you see a snake while out walking, simply go around it or walk the other way.

Spiders

The world's deadliest spider is the Sydney Funnel Web spider, found in and around Sydney and eastern New South Wales . Until the late 1970s a bite from this spider could result in death, but anti-venom is now available.

The Red Back spider (easily identified by a red mark on its abdomen), is more common but not life threatening. Both are likely to be found under rocks or leaf litter, although Funnel Webs have the unfortunate tendency to seek shelter indoors when there is a lot of rain.

Stay

Hostel, motel and hotel accommodation is readily available in most Australian cities and tourist destinations. Smaller towns usually have a selection of motel rooms available at a number of venues. Accommodation rates are broadly comparable, if perhaps slightly less expensive than their equivalents in Europe or North America . often Pubs in small towns will offer an amount of rooms available