Australia is the Land Down Under. Popular for its culture, diverse regions, climates, animals, and of course amazing surf beaches. Visiting Australia is always a fun and interesting experience; irrespective of the time of the year.
Here are a few travel tips to help make your Australia travel easy and comfortable.
Get Your Visa In Order
Before travelling to Australia you need to apply for a visa irrespective of the duration of your stay. For tourists, there are the Electronic Travel Authority visa, Visitor visa or eVisitor visa. Of course, you would need different visas if you are planning to work or study there. You can get all the details about getting the visa on the website of the Department of Home Affairs, Australia.
Quarantine Items
You may want to take some of your favourite fruits or snacks for your vacation in Australia in case you do not find them there. However, before packing, you should be aware of the Australian Quarantine laws.
The Australian Government is very strict about keeping the country free of certain diseases and pests to protect the agriculture industry. Several fruits, seeds, leathers, feathers, anything made of skin or wood are confiscated at the airport. Additionally, there are also quarantine laws at the state and territory borders. So read up before packing for your Australia travel!
Weather
On your Australia travel, you need to be prepared for a range of weather. Melbourne is famous for its ever-changing weather. It ranges from hot and Sunny to windy to rain and storms and then back to the sunshine in a matter of hours.
One of the most important travel tips is to carry a good quality of sunscreen (SPF 50+) with you at all times and remain hydrated. While travelling to Australia you should also remember that the seasons in the south of Australia are reversed from that of the northern hemisphere but not in the north of the country. So if it is summer in Europe, it is summer in North Australia and winter in South Australia.
It’s Huge!!
Travelling to Australia is not a matter of days. If you intend to visit a large part of the country, be prepared to spend quite a few weeks in Australia. If your plan is to spend 2-3 weeks, it is better to focus on just a part of the region. For less than a week, stick to a couple of cities.
Tipping is Optional
Many tourists get confused about whether or not to tip while travelling to Australia. It is not compulsory to tip your service provider. But if you enjoyed their hospitality you may tip them. The general standard is to tip 10 to 15%.
Visit the Nature Parks
Australia has many national and local nature parks. No travel tips regarding Australia can be without mentioning the indigenous animals. During your Australia travel, you should definitely take the time to visit nature parks where you would find kangaroos, koalas, and wombats depending on the region you are in.
Finally…
The most important of all travel tips, the plug sockets in Australia are different from their British, European or American counterparts. So you definitely need to purchase a plug converter before your visit!