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Pre-Travel Considerations
Any time is a good time to be in Australia. Summer (December to February) can get uncomfortably hot but it is great beach weather. Up north, the summer wet season is very, very humid and the sea is swarming with box jellyfish. Winter (June to August) offers skiing in NSW, Victoria and sometimes Tasmania. In spring and autumn the weather is mild.

Summer (December to February) can get uncomfortably hot just about anywhere, even in Tasmania. If you are in the southern states during these months it is great beach weather and great melanoma weather. Up north, this is the wet season, and it is very, very humid (you will need to check for jellyfish before jumping into the water). On the upside, the Top End is beautifully green and free of tourists at this time.

From June until August things in the north have cooled down a little and dried up a lot. This is a good time to visit Queensland or the outback. If you are here for the skiing, now is the time to head for the snowfields of NSW and Victoria. Overall, spring and autumn are probably the safest bets - the weather is reasonably mild wherever you are, and spring brings out the wildflowers in the outback, while autumn is particularly beautiful around Canberra and in the Victorian Alps.

Visa Overview
Every nationality except New Zealanders need visas. Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) visas are valid for 12 months, allowing travelers to stay for up to three months at a time within this period. The processing of ETAs costs around 20.00. Tourist visas, which are valid for stays of up to three months but which can be extended, cost 75.00 . European Union nationals can apply for a tourist visa (three-month stay maximum) online for free at the Department of Immigration and Citizenship website.
Warning

Danger and Annoyances

• Australia's native creatures can pose some threat and while it is unlikely you will be attacked by one, it is wise to be aware of what you may be tangling with. Box jellyfish, generally found on the northern coast, have venomous tentacles that can grow up to 3m (10ft) long and can deliver a fatal sting. Saltwater crocodiles are also a real threat - observe safety signs or ask locals if rivers and waterholes are croc-free, as they can be found a long way inland as well as along the coast. Venomous snakes and spiders also call Australia home. Should you encounter a snake, do not interfere with it - leave it well alone. The funnel-web spider is deadly while the white-tail and the redback can deliver a painful bite.
• Bushfires occur all too regularly in Australia, so be extremely careful with any naked flame, especially on hot, dry, windy days and always respect the total fire ban days. Conversely, bushwalkers should be aware of the risk of hypothermia as even in summer, temperatures can drop below freezing at night in the mountains and weather can change very quickly.
• While Australia is a relatively safe place, exercise common sense in the cities by locking cars and hotel rooms, not displaying valuables and not accepting potentially spiked drinks in bars.
• Take care on unfamiliar roads - potential dangers on the open road include animals, such as kangaroos, leaping out in front of your vehicle, fatigue caused by travelling long distances without a break and tricky dirt roads.

Health

• Sunburn

Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. Monitor your exposure to direct sunlight closely. UV exposure is greatest between 10:00 and 16:00 so avoid skin exposure during these times. Always use 30+ sunscreen, apply 30 minutes before going into the sun and repeat regularly to minimize damage.

• Heat exhaustion

Heat exhaustion occurs when fluid intake does not keep up with fluid loss. Symptoms include dizziness, fainting, fatigue, nausea or vomiting and pale, clammy skin. Rest in a cool, shady area and fluid replacement with water or diluted sports drinks will usually correct the problem.

• Heatstroke

Heatstroke is a severe form of heat illness that occurs after fluid depletion or extreme exertion in high heat. This is a true medical emergency, with heating of the brain leading to disorientation, hallucinations and seizures. Prevention is by maintaining an adequate fluid intake to ensure the continued passage of clear and copious urine, especially during physical exertion.

General

Geography

• 7,682,300 (Area sq km)

Population

• 21,215,250

Timezone

• +8/+9.5/+10 (GMT)

Electrical plugs and voltage

• Australian-style plug with two flat angled blades and one vertical grounding blade
• 220V 240V
• 50Hz

Economy

Weight Measuring System

• Metric

Currency

• Currency code: AUD
• Currency name: Australian Dollar
• Currency symbol: A$
• Currency unit: Dollar

Cost

• Rooms
  • Low 20-80
  • Mid 80-150
  • High 150-300
  • Deluxe 300+
    
    
• Meals
  • Low 5-10
  • Mid 10-25
  • High 25-60
  • Deluxe 60+

Culture and Society

Language

• English

Australia is a multi-cultural country, so it is not unusual to walk down a city street and hear people speaking Italian, Greek, Lebanese, Vietnamese or Arabic as their first language. Aboriginal languages are also spoken. English-speaking Australians have a passion for abbreviations and are liable to use a hotchpotch of local slang that can take the first-time visitor a while to untangle.

Religion

• Christian 67.4% (Catholic 26.4%, Anglican 20.5%, other Christian 20.5%), Buddhist 1.9%, Muslim 1.5%, other 1.2%, unspecified 12.7, none 15.3%

Government

• Government Type: Independent member of the Commonwealth of Nations

History

• Pre-20 Century
  Australia's original inhabitants, known as Australian Aborigines, have the longest continuous cultural history in the world, with origins dating back to the last Ice Age. Although mystery and debate shroud many aspects of Australian prehistory, it is generally accepted that the first humans travelled across the sea from Indonesia about 70,000 years ago. The first visitors, called 'Robust' by archaeologists because of their heavy-boned physique, were followed 20,000 years later by the more slender 'Gracile' people, the ancestors of Australian Aborigines.
  
  Europeans began to encroach on Australia in the 16th century: Portuguese navigators were followed by Dutch explorers and the enterprising English pirate William Dampier. Captain James Cook sailed the entire length of the eastern coast in 1770, stopping at Botany Bay on the way. After rounding Cape York, he claimed the continent for the British and named it New South Wales.
  
  In 1779, Joseph Banks (a naturalist on Cook's voyage) suggested that Britain could solve overcrowding problems in its prisons by transporting convicts to New South Wales. In 1787, the First Fleet set sail for Botany Bay under the command of Captain Arthur Philip, who was to become the colony's first governor. The fleet comprised 11 ships, 750 male and female convicts, four companies of marines and supplies for two years. Philip arrived in Botany Bay on 26 January 1788, but soon moved north to Sydney Cove, where there was better land and water. For the new arrivals, New South Wales was a harsh and horrible place, and the threat of starvation hung over the colony for at least 16 years.
  
  Australia never experienced the systematic push westward that characterised the European settlement of America. Early exploration and expansion took place for one of three reasons: to find suitable places of secondary punishment, like the barbaric penal settlements at Port Arthur in Van Diemen's Land and on Norfolk Island; to occupy land before anyone else arrived; or in later years, because of the quest for gold.
  
  Free settlers began to be attracted to Australia over the next decades, but it was the discovery of gold in the 1850s that changed the face of the colony. The huge influx of migrants and several large finds boosted the economy and irrevocably changed the colonial social structures. Aborigines were ruthlessly pushed off their tribal lands as new settlers took up land for farming or mining. The Industrial Revolution in England required plenty of raw materials, and Australia's agricultural and mineral resources expanded to meet the demand.
  
  
• Modern
  Australia became a nation when federation of the separate colonies took place on 1 January 1901 (although many of the legal and cultural ties with England remained). Australian troops fought alongside the British in the Boer War and WWI. Interestingly, while Australians rallied to the aid of Britain during WWI, the majority of voters were prepared to support voluntary military service only. Efforts to introduce conscription during the war led to bitter debate, both in parliament and in the streets, and in referenda compulsory national service was rejected.
  
  Australia was hard hit by the Depression; prices for wool and wheat - two mainstays of the economy - plunged. In 1931 almost a third of breadwinners were unemployed and poverty was widespread. Swagmen became a familiar sight, as they had been in the 1890s depression, as thousands of men took to the 'wallaby track' in search of work in the countryside. By 1933, however, Australia's economy was starting to recover, a result of rises in wool prices and a rapid revival of manufacturing.
  
  When WWII broke out, Australian troops fought alongside the British in Europe but after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Australia's own national security finally began to take priority. Singapore fell, the northern Australian towns of Darwin and Broome and the New Guinean town of Port Moresby were bombed, the Japanese advanced southward. In appalling conditions, Australian soldiers confronted and defeated the Japanese at Milne Bay, east of Port Moresby, and began the long struggle to push them from the Pacific. Ultimately it was the USA that helped protect Australia from the Japanese, defeating them in the Battle of the Coral Sea. This event was to mark the beginning of a profound shift in Australia's allegiance away from Britain and towards the USA.
  
  Post-WWII immigration brought a flood of European immigrants, many of them non-British. The immigrants have since made an enormous contribution to the country, enlivening its culture and broadening its vision. The post-war era was a boom time in Australia as its raw materials were once again in great demand.
  
  In the 1950s Australia came to accept the American view that it was not so much Asia but communism in Asia that threatened the increasingly Americanised Australian way of life. Accordingly, Australia followed the USA into the Korean War, and in 1965, Australia committed troops to assist the USA in the Vietnam War, though support for involvement was far from absolute. Still more troubling for many young Australian men was the fact that conscription was introduced in 1964, and those undertaking national service could now be sent overseas. By 1967 as many as 40 percent of Australians serving in Vietnam were conscripts.
  
  The civil unrest aroused by conscription was one factor that contributed to the 1972 rise to power of the Australian Labor Party, under the leadership of Gough Whitlam. The Whitlam government withdrew Australian troops from Vietnam, abolished national service and higher-education fees, instituted a system of free and universally available health care, and supported land rights for Aboriginal people.
  
  The government, however, was hampered by a hostile Senate and by much talk of mismanagement. On 11 November 1975, the governor general (the British monarch's representative in Australia) took the unprecedented step of dismissing the parliament and installing a caretaker government led by the leader of the opposition Liberal Party, Malcolm Fraser. Labor supporters were appalled - the powers that the governor general had been able to invoke had long been regarded by many as an anachronistic vestige of Australia's now remote British past. Nevertheless, it was a conservative Liberal and National Country Party coalition that won the ensuing election. A Labor government was not returned until 1983, when a former trade union leader, Bob Hawke, led the party to victory.
  
  
• Recent
  After a period of recession and high unemployment in the early 1990s, the electorate eventually lost faith in the Labor government, and in early 1996, Labor leader Paul Keating was defeated in a landslide victory to the conservative coalition, led by John Howard. Howard has since become the country's second-longest serving prime minister, serving until November 2007, when he was defeated by Labor's Kevin Rudd. Under Howard's government, the prominent, divisive issues of refugees (and refugee camps) saw the majority of Australians hardening their hearts to asylum seekers. At the same time, Howard's stance on Aboriginal issues has been marked more by confrontation than by sympathy.
  
  On 13 February 2008, Prime Minister Rudd gave a historic apology speech to Australia's indigenous population for the discrimination and mistreatment they have suffered since white settlement. He also proposed practical strategies to overcome the longstanding inequality between Aboriginal and other Australians. Only time will tell if his stirring words translate into action, but the general feeling is optimistic.
  
  Australia maintains a strong alliance with the USA, but its involvement in the war against Iraq (2003- ) looks to be on the decline under the Rudd government.
  
  The issue of republicanism - replacing Britain's queen with an Australian president as head of state - which dominated Australian politics in the late 1990s, remains on the agenda, but the Rudd government has not yet made any definitive statements on the matter.

Public Transport and Communications

Dialing code

• 61

Getting there and away

• Air travel is Australia's best friend, with most visitors taking a long haul flight to get here.

Getting around

• With distances between cities so great, flying is the most favored and speedy option, although buses and trains provide a more scenic, if lengthy alternative. Within the major cities, you will find thorough and convenient rail and bus systems.

Points of interest

Eat

Est.

• Contact
  L1, Establishment Hotel, 252 George St, Sydney
  Tel: 9240 3010
  Website: www.merivale.com
  
  
• Operating Hours
  Mondays to Fridays: Noon to 2.30pm and 6pm to 10pm
  Saturdays: 6pm to 10pm
  
  
• Reviews
  Pressed-tin ceilings, huge columns, oversize windows and modern furniture make Est. a must-see for the interior design as much as the food. Menu stunners include scallops with sauternes and carrot emulsion, and baked baby barramundi. Zealous wine attendants will fetch your desired champagne from the cellar.
  
  

Bondi Icebergs Contact 1 Notts Ave, Bondi Tel: 9365 9000 Website: www.idrb.com Operating Hours Tuesdays to Saturdays: Noon to Midnight Sundays: Noon to 10pm Reviews Poised above the famous swimming pool, Icebergsviews sweep across the Bondi Beach arc to the sea. Jacketed, bow-tied waiters deliver fresh seafood and steaks cooked with an. The wine list is superb, and the bar, overlooking the Campbell Pde lights, is never a boring place for a beer. Bow down and feign humility before the mighty Pacific Ocean (don spill your beer).

Bel Mondo

• Contact
  L3, Argyle Stores, Gloucester Walk, The Rocks
  Tel: 9241 3700
  Website: www.belmondo.com.au
  
  
• Operating Hours
  Mondays to Saturdays: 6pm to 10pm
  
  
• Reviews
  Expect northern Italian cuisine perfectly executed by chef Grant Lawrence in dramatic surrounds space, views, elegance and pizzazz; very Sydney. For a more relaxed meal, the cool and casual bar is perfect for an after-work bite or a late-night supper.
  
  

Night

Arthouse

• Contact
  275 Pitt St, Sydney
  Tel: 9284 1200
  Website: www.thearthousehotel.com.au
  
  
• Operating Hours
  Mondays to Wednesdays: 11am to Midnight
  Thursdays: 11am to 1am
  Fridays: 11am to 3am
  Saturdays: 5pm to 6am
  
  
• Reviews
  It is easy to lose your way in here, pinballing between three cool bars and Dome restaurant, staggering through doorways into live jazz performances, dance parties or life-drawing sessions. Afterwork punters seem to know their way around follow someone good-looking. Admission is free.
  
  

Bangarra Dance Theatre

• Contact
  Pier 4 & 5, Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay, The Rocks
  Tel: 9251 5333
  Website: www.bangarra.com.au
  
  
• Reviews
  Bangarra is hailed as Australia finest Aboriginal dance company. Artistic director Stephen Page conjures a fusion of contemporary themes and indigenous traditions, blendingTorres Strait Islander dance with Western technique. It often performs at the Sydney Opera House. Advanced booking is essential. Ticket price ranges from $20 to $50.
  
  

The Basement

• Contact
  29 Reiby Pl, Circular Quay
  Tel: 9251 2797
  Website: www.thebasement.com.au
  
  
• Operating Hours
  Mondays to Thursdays: Noon to 1.30am
  Fridays: Noon to 2.30am
  Saturdays: 7.30pm to 3am
  Sundays: 7pm to 1am
  
  
• Reviews
  Sydney premier jazz venue presents big touring acts (Taj Mahal, Richard Buckner) and big local talent (Vince Jones, Mia Dyson). A broad musical mandate also sees funk, blues andsoul bands performing plus the odd spoken-word gig. Avoid the standing room-only bar; book a table by the stage. Tickets from $15.
  

See

Great Barrier Reef

• Contact
  Approx 300km (186mi) off the Capricorn Coast OR 368km (228mi) north of Brisbane Queensland
  Tel: 07 4750 0700
  Website: www.gbrmpa.gov.au
  
  
• Transport Mode
  Air (Cairns), Boat, Plane (to one of the islands)
  
  
• Reviews
  Larger than the Great Wall of China and the only living thing visible from space, the Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven wonders of the natural world. The 2000km (1240mi) conglomeration of colorful coral stretches along the Queensland seaboard and makes for some of the most spectacular diving landscape imaginable.
  
  

Margaret River

• Contact
  Western Australia - 10km (6.2mi) from Busselton, 290km (180mi) south of Perth
  Tel: 08 9757 2911
  Website: www.margaret-river-online.com.au
  
  
• Transport Mode
  Air (to Perth), Car (via the Coast Road). Car (via the South Western Highway), Train (to Bunbury)
  
  
• Reviews
  Bronzed surfers and wine-quaffing city slickers rub shoulders in this buzzing tourist hub that offers some of the best surfing in Australia and some of its most delicious wines. Wild coastal scenery, sophisticated restaurants, internationally acclaimed vineyards and a string of fascinating limestone caves are real crowd-pleasers.
  
  

Kakadu National Park

• Contact
  246km (153mi) east of Darwin, Northern Territory, Jabiru
  Tel: 08 8938 1121
  E-mail: Kakadunationalpark@deh.gov.au
  Website: www.ea.gov.au/parks/kakadu/
  
  
• Transport Mode
  Air (to Darwin), Bus (to Kakadu)
  
  
• Reviews
  Kakadu National Park is a natural marvel encompassing a variety of habitats, a mass of wildlife and some of Australia's best Aboriginal rock art. It stretches more than 200km (124mi) south from the coast and 100km (62mi) from east to west. It is World Heritage-listed for both its natural and cultural importance (a rare distinction).
  
  

Shop

Australian Wine Centre Contact Shop 3, Goldfields House, 1 Alfred St, Circular Quay Tel: 9247 2755 Website: www.australianwinecentre.com Operating Hours Mondays to Wednesdays, Saturdays: 9.30am to 7pm Thursdays and Fridays: 9.30am to 8pm Sundays: 9.30am to 6.30pm Reviews This multilingual basement store is packed full with quality Australian wine, beer and spirits. Pick up some Yellowglen for a bubbly night or organize a shipment of Ninth Island Pinot Noir back home. Healthy wallets can access Cuban cigars and a swaggering range of Penfolds Grange wines.

Ariel

• Contact
  42 Oxford St, Paddington
  Tel: 9332 4581
  Website: www.arielbooks.com.au
  
  
• Operating Hours
  9am to Midnight
  
  
• Reviews
  Furtive artists, photographers, architects and students roam Ariel aisles late into the night. ndercultureis the thrust here glossy art, film, fashion and design books, along with kidsbooks, travel guides and a queer literature section. Browse before a movie at the Academy Twin Cinema across the road.
  
  

Dinosaur Designs

• Contact
  339 Oxford St, Paddington
  Tel: 9361 3776
  Website: www.dinosaurdesigns.com.au
  
  
• Operating Hours
  Mondays to Saturdays: 10am to 6pm
  Sundays: Noon to 5pm
  
  
• Reviews
  If Fred and Barney opened a jewelry store, this is what it would look like. Oversized, jewel-colored, translucent-resin bangles and baubles sit among technicolored vases and bowls and chunky sterling-silver rings and necklaces.
  

Sleep

Observatory Hotel

• Contact
  89-113 Kent St, The Rocks
  Tel: 9256 2222
  Website: www.observatoryhotel.com.au
  
  
• Rates
  Deluxe $429-554, Suite $679-754
  
  
• Reviews
  When the ownersother properties include the Orient Express, you expect opulence. That said, the Observatory is remarkably restrained, eschewing excessive gilt in favour of an elegant antique ambience. The building is only 15 years old but in keeping with the surrounding terraced houses in this astoundingly quiet central city nook. The rooms are large with equally spacious marble bathrooms. Some have views and four-poster beds, and bowls of goldfish are available on request for children or lonely executives.
  
  

Establishment Hotel

• Contact
  5 Bridge Lane, Sydney
  Tel: 9240 3100
  Website: www.establishmenthotel.com
  
  
• Rates
  Deluxe $350-415, Suite $970-1,150
  
  
• Reviews
  Hardcore glamour does not need to be flashy. In fact, it can lurk behind an inconspicuous entrance off a dark, dank alley allowing secretive celebrities to slink in, peel back the black shades and head straight to the luxury of the split-level deluxe penthouse. One of Australia best boutique hotels, Establishment offers 33 beautifully designed rooms sporting fine cotton linen and elegant bathrooms.
  
  

Blacket

• Contact
  70 King St, Sydney
  Tel: 9279 3030
  Website: www.theblacket.com
  
  
• Rates
  Deluxe $190-260, Suite $260-360
  
  
• Reviews
  You will feel very Sex & the City, swishing home after cocktails to a loft suite in the heritage-listed Blacket, right at the very center of Sydney Central Business District. The sleek, modern studio rooms are spacious, as are the reasonably priced two-bedroom apartments, which come equipped with CD players and kitchenettes.