Travel Tips
Australia is one of the world’s most developed and urbanised countries. Famous for beautiful beaches, lush national parks, unique wildlife and vibrant cities, it’s a destination worthy of anyone’s travel list!
If you are one of the lucky travellers heading to Australia, here are 16 Australian travel tips you need to know before you go.
1.
You will need a visa or an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation)
No matter how long you are planning to travel in Australia, all visitors to Australia are required to obtain a visa. There are several different types of Australian visas available, such as work, study, tourism, and permanent residency visas. Needless to say, you will also need a valid passport to travel to Australia.
2.
Plan your trip — Australia is a big place
Think you’ll fly into Sydney, pop into Melbourne, have a look at the Great Ocean Road before checking out Uluru the next day, then snorkel the Great Barrier Reef? Wrong. This island-continent is huge, and this sometimes underestimated by travellers. Australia is the sixth largest country in the world, occupying a landmass of 7,692,024 sq km which is more than the size of ALL European Union countries, so you need to be prepared for long distances between places.
When planning your trip, give yourself plenty of time to explore the country. You simply can’t see all of Australia in just two or three weeks. If you want to see different cities, flying is your best bet (unless you’re planning an epic road trip). You can book tours that cover off some of the main Aussie icons – like going into the Outback to see Uluru – from major cities like Melbourne or Sydney, but there will still be a lot of travel time involved. Researching your trip with an idea of the distances between places will help you plan a smoother holiday and avoid disappointment.
If you try and see too many places in a short amount of time, you’ll feel rushed and won’t be able to slow down and enjoy what this beautiful country has to offer. If time is not your friend and you can’t travel around for more than a few weeks, consider spending more time in fewer places to really enjoy them.
Keep in mind that the majority of the Australia population lives along the coast, so unless you are travelling Australia by road trip along the East Coast, prepare to be en route for days on end without any interesting sites or towns to check out along the way. There are parts of Australia with a whole lot of nothingness.
A road trip from Cairns to Brisbane is practically impossible in less than 3 days. And even then it’s really rushed. Same goes for driving from Brisbane to Sydney.
It will take you over 10 hours to drive from Sydney to Melbourne.
If you want to city-hop, flying is the best option.
3.
Be prepared for the weather
It snows in parts of Tasmania, New South Wales, Victoria (and even Queensland occasionally!). It’s very hot and humid up north in The Top End for most of the year. Melbourne is known for four seasons in a day (think hot and sunny, then windy, then rain and storms, then sunshine again in less than 48 hours). Australian summers in general are hot and sometimes harsh, and the mercury rising above 40 degrees celsius is normal for most of the country several times a year. In short, be prepared and do a bit of research into the weather forecasts for the regions you’re visiting.
Sunburn, dehydration and heat stroke can all occur if you don’t prepare adequately for the weather. UV rays are especially strong in Australia, so it’s important to slop on sunscreen and reapply regularly (most sunscreen sold in Australia is SPF 50+), and keep hydrated with plenty of water throughout the day.
As an iconic SunSmart ad has told Australians for decades – remember to Slip, Slop, Slap; slip on a shirt, slop on a sunscreen and slap on a hat to protect yourself from the sun, even in cloudy weather. The beaches in Australia are gorgeous, but are not fun if you’re sporting a shade of lobster from sitting in the sun too long without sun protection.
4.
Swim between the flags
Visitors flock to Australia for the gorgeous beaches to swim or surf, and who can blame them? However the beaches here can have hidden dangers – rips, caused by strong currents that can sweep you out to sea. It’s important that when you visit an Australian beach, you find one that is patrolled by lifesavers. Always swim between the red and yellow safety flags. While most beaches are patrolled in the warmer summer months, popular beaches like Sydney’s Bondi are patrolled all year round.
5.
Take steps to stay connected
Internet in Australia has improved leaps and bounds over the last few years. Wi-Fi is now available in every hotel, hostel, Airbnb, and in almost every café, restaurant and shop. Some cities even have open free city wide Wi-Fi hotspot networks that allows you to stay connected while being outside.
However if you want to stay connected 24/7 while in Australia, you’ll want to unlock your phone and get a local SIM or invest in a Global Hotspot.
Unlock your phone before you arrive in Australia
One of the best ways to stay connected on the road is to unlock your mobile phone before you leave home and pick up a local SIM Card upon arrival. Telstra has the best coverage across the country and is our recommended telecommunications provider in Australia.
A SIM Card with a Telstra Plan will set you back by around $30/month, depending on how much data you want to have, but it might be well worth it in the end.
Unfortunately, some providers will not allow you to unlock your phone. In this case, we recommend that you check plans available in your home country before you travel. You may be able to upgrade your current plan to give you data overseas or buy increments of data to use as needed. This should be done before you leave your home country for Australia.
Invest in a hotspot Device
If unlocking your phone or upgrading is not an option or cost prohibitive, we recommend investing in a Wi-Fi hotspot device. The best part is that you can use it across multiple devices, so the whole family can stay connected while you are travelling to Australia!
6.
Quarantine laws are strict
Australia is a beautiful island with unique landscapes and is free from certain pests and diseases. To keep it that way and maintain a thriving agriculture industry, the Australian Government takes quarantine laws very, very seriously. When you arrive in Australia, you need to declare all food, plant material and animal products to ensure nothing nasty is being brought into the country by mistake. This includes seeds, fruits, feathers, leathers and skins and anything made of wood.
You’ll be given an Incoming Passenger Card (IPC) on your flight, which you’ll need to fill out and declare any goods you have on you. If the items are deemed low-risk, they’ll be returned to you. But if the biosecurity officers at the airport believe they present any sort of threat, they’ll be confiscated and you may need to pay a fee. If you are travelling with prohibited goods and don’t declare them, you can also be faced with hefty fines.
Note: Each Australian state and territory also has border quarantine laws, and certain food and plant products need to be declared before you enter another state or territory, or move around within each state. You can face on-the-spot fines for taking prohibited items across borders.
7.
Eat like a local: Australia is a foodie’s dream
Decades of migration combined with the re-emergence of native ingredients has brought Australian cuisine on to the radar of the world’s best chefs. You can buy a mouth-watering kangaroo steak complemented by indigenous greens at high-end restaurants, or take a bush tucker tour outside Alice Springs and learn first-hand which local plants to taste. No trip to Tasmania would be complete without planning exactly where you’ll slurp freshly shucked oysters, and don’t leave South Australia without a Barossa Valley taste tour. And a word for the brave…Darwinians love their spice!
8.
Drink local beer
When choosing drinks for the night, go local. Australia has a ton of great local brands and plenty of micro-breweries that are worth trying while you are in Australia.
9.
Time zones
In Australia, there are 3 standard time zones (AEST, ACST, AWST covering Apr-Sep) and 5 daylight saving time zones (AEDT, ACDT, AEST, ACST and AWST covering Oct-Mar). Make sure you know which time zone you’re in when checking flight and airport transfer times.
10.
Emergencies 000
For emergencies, dial 000 for police, fire or ambulance.
11.
Driving in Australia
Australians drive on the left-hand side of the road. Watch out for wildlife such as kangaroos and wallabies, especially around dawn and dusk when driving on country roads, as this is when they’re most active and at risk of being hit.
12.
Understanding the Aussie language
“Shaz nicked off to the milk bar for a sec, she’s spewin’ coz we ran out of dead horse this arvo, but it was a cracker of a barbie, had a few snags, would have put Bunnings to shame, aye!”
While not every Australian may say this to explain that their friend Sharon, who was cranky, went down to the shops to pick up more tomato sauce for their fantastic afternoon barbecue, there are a few colloquial words and phrases that are useful to know when you arrive in Australia:
Arvo = afternoon
G’day = hello
You ripper = how fantastic
Beauty = great!
Bush tucker = native, outback food
Brekkie = breakfast
Bikkie = biscuit (including crackers!)
Bogan = an uncouth Australian
Cozzie = bathers
Doona = duvet
Have a gander = have a look
Grog = alcohol
Lollies = sweets, candy
Mozzies = mosquitoes
Pav = pavlova, a sweet dessert made of meringue and usually topped with cream and fruit
Thongs = flip flops, jandals
Tea = dinner, an evening meal
Trackies = tracksuit pants
Youse = the plural of you
Zonked = really tired
Sunday Sesh = a day of drinking on a Sunday
Yeah nah = No
Nah yeah = Yes
Chips = crisps
Hot chips = fries
Scorcher = a hot day
13.
Don’t forget to visit the wine regions
Wine regions in Australia are plentiful and fantastic destinations to visit! The country is actually the fifth largest wine exporter in the world and sends 60% of its wines to other countries. If you want to go winery hopping or merely want to go to one, here are a few Australian wine regions to consider:
Barossa Valley, South Australia The region is about 70 km north of Adelaide.
Yarra Valley, Victoria
Located just an hour outside of Melbourne, the Yarra Valley is another great wine region to visit. The area boasts over 80 wineries, and there are varieties to suit any taste.
Hunter Valley, New South Wales
Located northwest of Sydney. This area has smaller, more boutique wineries that offer free tastings. Semillon and Shiraz are the specialties of this region.
Margaret River, Western Australia
With over 200 wineries, the romantic region of Margaret River is idyllic and quaint getaway for couples . This area is famous for many varieties of wine including Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Moscato, Sauvignon Blanc, and Rose. The climate for growing grapes is also very influenced by the ocean, and the region has lower temperatures.
14.
Wildlife in Australia may be hard to find
It is possible to spot kangaroos and koalas in the wild while travelling in Australia, but you’d have to venture out to a national park/reserve or further inland, away from the city buzz to find them. Occasionally, you may be lucky enough to spot them in the suburbs or on a golf course.
If seeing wildlife is one of the reasons you are travelling Australia, then there are a few specific regions we recommend that you visit.
Wilsons Promontory
Wilsons Promontory is a refuge for an array of native wildlife including kangaroos, emus, wombats, echidnas and vividly plumed birds like rosellas. Visit in spring to experience spectacular displays of wildflowers including orchids, wattle, heath and other species.
Great Ocean Road See some of Australia's best rainforest scenery in the Great Otway National Park. Spot koalas, kangaroos and emus along your trip on the Great Ocean Road. Traverse the Surf Coast Walk, from Torquay to Lorne, and take in the rich ochre of the Bells Beach cliffs and forests of leafy green eucalypts .
Ku Ring Gai Chase national park The park's temperate rainforest, eucalypts, rocky cliffs, plateaus and mangroves contain over 1000 native plant species and scores of species of native moths and butterflies. Native animals such as the spotted-tailed quoll, the southern brown bandicoot, the koala and the eastern bent-wing bat also inhabit the place. Over 160 bird species have been recorded in the park so bring those binoculars to see wood ducks, crimson rosellas, wedge-tailed eagles, kookaburras and pelicans.
Blue Mountains The Blue Mountains are home to an amazing array of birds, mammals, frogs, reptiles and fish. A total of 455 different species have been recorded in the Blue Mountains local government area, including a number of endangered and threatened species. You may be able to see some tiger quoll, yellow-bellied glider, green and golden bell Frog, Blue Mountain water skink, dingo, koalas, kangaroos, bats and lot of birds.
Philip Island There are over 40 different native wildlife species living on the island including different mammal and marsupial species such as koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, dingoes, possums, and Australian fur seals. Phillip Island is also a paradise for bird watchers and bird lovers Without forgetting little penguins. More than 32,000 little penguins live on Phillip Island.
15.
There are some destinations in Australia you should not miss
The diversity within Australia is great. Some of the best places to see in Australia are stunning beaches, beautiful rainforests, metropolitan areas, and fantastic wine regions. The variety of the landscapes also makes travel in Australia enjoyable for every kind of traveller as there are so many different things to do in this beautiful country. There are one hundred and one possible way to spend 2–3 weeks in Australia, depending on your travel interests and your ideal Australia holiday dream.
But if your are planning your very first trip to Australia, there are some destinations that you should not miss.
Sydney – Tour the Opera House or see the sights by boat
Melbourne and the beautiful Great Ocean Road, one of the best road trips in Australia.
Great Barrier Reef – Visit the largest reef in the world for a chance to snorkel or dive with some of its curious inhabitants.
Uluru – Experience a small group, sunrise walk around the base.
Adelaide – Take a ferry to explore Kangaroo Island.
Gold Coast – Learn to surf on the Gold Coast.
Brisbane – Head out on a day tour to the rainforest and glow worm caves
16.
Take advantage of unique activities in Australia
One of our best Australia travel tips is to experience as much as you can during your time Down Under. There are several unique activities and things that you can do in Australia, so it’s worth considering adding these to you Australia bucket list.
In Melbourne, immerse yourself in the world of street art and leave your mark just like the great artists.
Soak up the aboriginal culture of the country by going to meet representatives of the first people.
Go back in time and conquer gold
While in Sydney tour the Opera House. Learn the history of this UNESCO World Heritage Site during a 1-hour guided tour.
Enjoy a drink with the locals so that they will share their secrets with you and show you the country through their eyes and their history just for a boat ride on a magnificent river.