To share any information on this journey,
go to AUSTRALIAN GIG Forum
| Not being Australian and never visiting this beautiful country yet, the information I'm collecting, come from tourist guides, etc. so, any correction or addiction is welcome at the forum or by mail. |
TOURIST INFORMATION:
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS AND VISA:
To enter Australia are required:
- a valid at least till the return date optical Passport
- an ETA Visa.
For further info, visit The Australian Government site, Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs HERE
Not allowed: carrying food, plants and alien seeds. So, we had better not to bring any delicious our own country dessert to Russell... let's buy there...
GEOGRAPHY:
Australia is divided into 6 states and 2 territories*
Administrative divisions:
Australian Capital Territory*, NEW SOUTH WALES, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia.
Australia is 7.686.850 kmq. as almost big as U.S.A. and 3/4 Europe, where only live 18 million people.
CLIMATE:
Australia belongs to Austral hemisphere. Season are reversed in comparison to the northern one. December 21st in Australia begins summer.
For dayly climate and temperature info in Sydney click HERE
LONG DISTANCE CALLS:
The cheapest way is to buy in Australia an international phone card.
Communication from and to Europe are quite easy, rather difficult from and to U.S... as we all know...
AUSTRALIAN CURRENCY:
Australian dollar (AUD)
Eather any international credit card or traveller chéques are accepted.
It's possible exchanging alien currency in banks and main hotels.
LANGUAGE:
In Australia and New Zeland the official language is English, spoken with accent, slangs, grammatical structures and terms pretty different in comparison to the English spoken in U.K and/or U.S.
ACCOMODATION:
In Australia there's an excellent accomodation level and many chances are offered:
International hotels: 5, 4 stars;
confortable 3 stars hotels
Motel;
Bed & breakfast, etc.
In Australian accomodations there's always a very high cleanness level.
Rooms must be left within 11:00 am. and are at the customer disposal since 02:00 pm (in some zones since 03:00 pm).
If you're going to Australia from Europe, pay attention at the fact that many flights from Europe arrive in Australia early in the morning so, if you want your room immediately, you had better make a reservarvation for one more night.
At the hotel check in, as the international procedure requires, the hotel makes your credit card "imprinting" for extra.
Some Hotels and B&B in Australia:
LILTING HOUSE - Newton - Sydney:
48 -50 Enmore Rd.
Phone: 0061(02) 9557 0414
e-mail address:info@liltinghouse.com.au
Single room with its own bathroom + breakfast: AUD 60 pn pp
THE CLARENDON GUEST HOUSE - Katoomba - Blue Mountains
68 Lurline St. Kattomba 2780 Blue Mountains
Phone: 0061 (02) 4782 1322
e-mail address: enquiries@clarendonguesthouse.com.au
Single room with its own bathroom + breakfast: AUD 94 pn pp
Single room without its own bathroom + breakfast: AUD 74 pn pp
NEWCOMEN B&B - Newcastle - NSW
70 Newcomen St - Newscastle - NSW
Phone: 0061 (02) 4929-7313
e-mail address: newcomen_bb@hotmail.com
Single room with its own bathroom + breakfast: AUD 85 pn pp
A PEACEFUL PLACE - Byron Bay - NSW
42 Ruskin St Byron Bay - 2481 NSW
Tel: 0061 (02) 6685 6560
e-mail address: zmichaels@bigpond.com
Single room with its own bathroom + breakfast: AUD 90 pn pp
CURRENT:
240/250 Volt.
In many hotels it is possible to find universal current taps 240 V e 110 V.
The sockets are tripolar ones.
Before leaving for Australia it is better to purchase in advance an AC Adaptor, even if you can find it in main Australian cities and airports.
Most of all: remind not as do as I did in NYC: the present 'fox' charged the mobile, the video-cam and the photo-cam, all at once... "How was that result?": I made a sort of AC Adaptor 'barbecue'...
Well, remind to charge only one device at a time!!!
Lap-top adaptors usually have a current transformer for any kind of voltage.
FOOD:
I'm already hungry... reading the tourist guide...
Australian food rises from the infinite resources nature puts at ones disposal in this country.
Vine and local beer are excellent, as shellfish and sea-food courses.
Typical are kangaroo and crocodile barbecue... nooo... poor kids...
There are also many cheap restaurants and pubs, where there's a very good food too.
TIPS:
Not compulsory but anyway welcome!!!
In restaurant: usually 10%.
DRIVING IN AUSTRALIA:
Required: international driving license.
Left driving as in U.K.
Compulsory:
- respect speed limits (60 Km/h in town e 100 Km/h on highway)
- Fasten seat belt, even in the back seats.
LeRoads are well manteined and usually there's no traffic jam.
TOURIST GUIDES :
Excellent are the tourist guides by
Lonely Planet, the one on Australia is very detailed and there're many itinerary, situations, hotels, B&B and restaurants for every budget. On line HERE
