Australia Holidays, Flights & Travel Guide
The complete Australia travel guide - Australia
holidays & Australia flights.
Top destination guides for Australia
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Australia Holidays
and Travel Overview
Australia is the sixth largest
country in the world - more or less the same size as mainland USA.
This vast land however also has the lowest population density in
the world, with only two people per square kilometre.
Australia is politically divided into six states and two
territories, each one offering a different experience for the
traveller. There is the drama of the remote 'Outback', the
colourful spectacle of the Great Barrier Reef and its coral
islands, the excitement of the cosmopolitan cities, the sun and
surf at some of the best beaches in the world, and the tropical
rainforests of Western Australia. The list is endless in this
diverse land of adventure, which boasts 2,000 national parks and 14
World Heritage-listed areas, along with more than 7,000
beaches. Australia is a land of character too,
with its melting pot of cultures. For more than 50,000 years the
Aboriginal people lived and thrived in the continent's unique
environment. It is believed the Aboriginals are the world's oldest
civilisation, and in recent years there has been a resurgence of
interest in keeping the Aboriginal culture alive and
flourishing. The vast continent at the bottom of
the world was the last landmass to be discovered by European
explorers. Captain James Cook arrived in Botany Bay in 1770 and
sparked off generations of emigration to Australia, which for some
time served as a penal colony. It was not until 1860 that two
explorers - Robert Burke and William Wills - became the first
Europeans to cross Australia from south to north. The country
remains a magnet for modern explorers and adventurers and has a
great deal to offer tourists and
holidaymakers.
Tourist Offices - Australian Tourist Commission, Sydney: +61
(0)2 9360 1111 or www.australia.com
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Entry Requirements
for Australia Holidays & Australia Travel
Visitors must hold sufficient funds and all
documents required for further travel. An ETA is an electronically
issued and verified visa, not visible in a passport. ETAs are
issued to passengers travelling for tourist or business purposes.
Tourist ETAs are valid for 12 months or the validity of the
passport (whichever is shorter) for multiple stays of up to three
months each and business ETAs are also available for multiple
entries of up to three months each. ETAs are obtainable online at:
www.eta.immi.gov.au or
through most travel agents.
- For Australians -
- New Zealanders require a valid passport to enter
Australia. Although a visa is not a requirement, New Zealanders
have to apply for a Special Category Visa on arrival by completing
a passenger card.
- US nationals must have a valid passport for intended
period of stay, or an identity document showing a photograph. A
visa or an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) is
required.
- US nationals must have a valid passport for intended
period of stay, or an identity document showing a photograph. A
visa or an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) is
required.
- UK nationals must have a passport valid for intended
period of stay, or an identity document showing a photograph. A
visa or an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) is required for
British passport holders endorsed British Citizen or British
National (Overseas) if residing in Hong Kong. Other British
passport holders are not eligible for an ETA and require a
visa.
Currency of Australia
The Australian Dollar (AUD) is divided into 100
cents. Notes come in denominations of AU$5, 10, 20, 50 and 100.
Banks and bureaux de change exchange most foreign currencies.
Travellers cheques are also welcome everywhere, but banks take a
small commission and it is better to take cheques in major
currencies (e.g. US dollars or Euros) to avoid additional charges.
Credit cards are widely accepted and ATMs are freely available
throughout the country. Banking hours are generally 9.30am to 4pm
Monday to Thursday, and 9.30am to 5pm on Friday, but some banks
offer extended hours and some are open on Saturday
mornings.
Australia
Telephone Access Codes and Communications
The international access code for
Australia is +61. The outgoing code is 0011 followed by the
relevant country code (e.g. 001144 for the United Kingdom). The
area code for both Canberra and Sydney is (0)2. Local calls from
public payphones are unlimited and cost a standard rate, while
international and long distance calls are charged according to the
time spent on the phone. Mobile phone operators use GSM and CDMA
networks (area code (0)4); mobile phones are available for rent.
Internet cafes are widely available.
Australia
Duty Free Allowances & Restrictions
Travellers to Australia over 18 years do not
have to pay customs duty on 2.25 litres of alcohol; 250 cigarettes
or 250g cigars or other tobacco products. Gifts are included in the
AU$900 duty-free allowance. Fresh produce and animal/plant products
are prohibited.
Australia
Holidays - Tipping Information
A gratuity of between 5 to 15% is usually
expected in cafes and restaurants in the larger cities, though
tipping is a relatively new phenomenon in Australia. Taxi drivers
are happy to be left with the change.
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