Travel Specials > Travel Tips and Info > Australia
Australia is the only country that has a whole continent to itself. World famous for its natural wonders and wide open spaces (beaches, deserts and "the bush" or "the Outback"), Australia is ironically one of the world's most highly urbanized countries and is well known for the cosmopolitan attractions of its globally significant cities, such as Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and the Australian capital city Canberra. Australia is also a major tourist destination, and is one of the world's wealthiest countries. The country is renowned worldwide for its vast, untouched landscape and its unique culture.
Country Name
Conventional short form: Australia
Conventional long form: Commonwealth of Australia
Quick Facts
Capital: Canberra, ACT
Government: Parliamentary Democracy and Constitutional Monarchy; Commonwealth and Federation of States
Currency: Australian dollar (AUD); $1 USD is roughly equal to $1.31 AUD
Area: 7,686,850 sq km
Population: 20,406, 800 (Sept. 2005 estimate)
Language: English
Calling Code: +61
Internet TLD: .au
Weather and Climate
Australia is mostly arid and semi-arid: the center is desert and much agricultural land is poor quality by the standards of continents with richer soil. The southeast is temperate and the north is tropical. Australia was massively deforested for agricultural purposes: forest areas survive in extensive national parks and some other areas.
A common misperception of Australia is that it is always hot and sunny. Rather, both Sydney and Melbourne can experience days or even weeks of almost continual rainfall, while Tasmania has a climate that closely resembles that of England.
Passports and Visas
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) online. An ETA is a tourist or business visa valid for up to three month stays, at one time, up to one year in duration. 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.
Regions
The Australian mainland comprises six states and two territories. Ranked in order of population:
- New South Wales (NSW)
- Victoria (VIC)
- Queensland (QLD)
- Western Australia (WA)
- South Australia (SA)
- Tasmania (TAS)
- Australian Capital Territory
- Northern Territory
Major cities
The major cities of Australia also serve as the state capitals:
- Sydney - Australia's first and largest city, the capital of New South Wales
- Melbourne - Australia's second largest city, the nations sporting and cultural capital, the capital of Victoria
- Brisbane - the sun-drenched capital of Queensland
- Canberra - the national capital of Australia
- Adelaide - the City of Churches, capital of South Australia, a relaxed alternative to the big eastern cities
- Perth - the most remote continental capital city on earth, on the south-western edge of Western Australia
- Hobart - small, but fascinating capital of Tasmania
- Darwin - Australia's smallest and northern-most capital, at the top of the Northern Territory
Popular sightseeing destinations
Public holidays
- 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 (not celebrated in Western Australia, which observes Foundation Day a week earlier)
- December 25: Christmas Day
- December 26: Boxing Day
Time difference
- 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).
Money Matters
The smallest unit of currency that prices will be quoted in is the cent, which is worth $0.01. However Australia no longer has physical units of currency that allow for bills to be paid to the nearest cent. If the total of a transaction is not a multiple of 5 cents you pay to the nearest five cents, unless you are paying by credit or debit card, in which case you will pay the exact total. Yes, that does mean that when buying small quantities of very cheap items, it is possible to buy them for free, or get an extra 50ml of fuel in a tank. This tends to even out though, as half the time your total will be rounded up rather than down.
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.
Cash dispensing Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) are available in almost every Australian town. You are likely to pay a surcharge for international cash withdrawals, and holders of Australian debit cards will also pay a surcharge if they use an ATM that is not operated by their own bank. Most ATMs only dispense $20 and $50 notes.
Credit cards are widely accepted in Australia. Almost all large vendors, such as supermarkets accept cards, as do many, but not all, small stores.
Taxes
Australia has a more or less universal sales tax known as the Goods and Services Tax, or GST. Only basic items, such as certain foods, are exempt. GST is quoted as part of the price of any item you will purchase, rather than added at the time of payment. If you are planning to buy items over $300, you might be interested in the Tourist Refund Scheme, 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 minutes before departure. The refund payment can be made by either check, credit to an Australian bank account, or payment to a credit card.
Tipping
Tipping is not compulsory and is usually not expected in Australia. Many Aussies don't tip, as such, but leave some change. Most people think it is okay to pay the amount stated on the bill. 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.
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