Visas & Travelling in Australia
Visas for Australia
There are a number of visas available for people wanting to visit Australia as a tourist. A temporary visa is generally granted for a stay of 3 months or 6 months, (In certain circumstances a stay of 12 months may be granted). For people seeking to visit family in Australia, formal sponsorship by an Australian citizen or permanent resident is required. An electronically stored authority for short-term visits to Australia of up to 3 months is also available to passport holders from 32 countries and regions. Applications must be made from outside Australia. Visit the Department of Immigration & Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs. We also advise you to check with your embassy before traveling.
Driving in Australia
If you hold a valid driver's licence (in English) from your own country, you are permitted to drive throughout all of Australia. If your driver's licence is not in English, a translation may be necessary and you may also require an international licence. See our time & distances table for help while driving around Australia.
Australian Time Zones & Daylight Saving
There are three time zones in Australia: Eastern Standard Time (EST), includes New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory; Central Standard Time (CST), which includes South Australia and the Northern Territory; and Western Standard Time (WST) - Western Australia. CST is one half hour behind EST, while WST is two hours behind EST. Daylight savings runs from the last Sunday in October (Tasmania on the first Sunday) to the last Sunday in March in all states except Northern Territory & Queensland.
Accommodation - Hotels, Motels, Resorts in Australia
Accommodation rages from Luxurious international hotels to backpackers, fully self contained apartments & guest houses. In the high season, between December – January, it is advisable to book in advance in the tourist areas.
- Tax is included in the room price.
- Checkout time is typically 10am. Late checkout can usually be arranged upon request.
- Reservations can be made by telephone, fax or by the internet. A credit card is usually required. Tourist information offices throughout Australia often have a reservation service.
- Tips for luggage handling are at the discretion of the client. A small tip of ($2-$4) is usually appreciated.
- Breakfast is often not included in the price of the room, however most hotels offer the possibility to have a continental breakfast. Breakfast is served between 7am-10am.
See more in our Australian Accommodation, Hotels, Motels & Resorts Guide
Restaurants, Cafes & Dining in Australia
Cultural Influences
Restaurants in Australia are as diverse as they are plentiful. With a restaurant scene rich with cultural influences from Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, America and Polynesia, Australia has become a destination for restaurant buffs from around the world. While a blossoming food culture exists right throughout the country, Sydney and Melbourne are at the forefront Australia's fine dining scene. "Modern Australian" is the term used to describe our cuisine; a mix of east meets west, somewhat French, somewhat Italian, somewhat Asian. Our own unique style, but unclassifiable.
Australian Cuisine
There is no real discernable difference in cuisine from region to another, but influences such as italian and greek in Melbourne and asian in Darwin are noticeable. Australians love their seafood: Sydney rock oysters, Queensland sea scallops, rock lobsters and mud crabs, giant king prawns and Balmain bugs (the Balmain gug or Moreton Bay gug is a type of slipper lobster and is closely related to the rock lobsters. It is a popular crustacean commonly found in restaurants, fish markets and local fish shops), blue eye cod and Barramundi are all delicacies regularly found on menus throughout the country.
Indigenous foods are also becoming widely recognized and available, enabling the creation of dishes such as: calamari seasoned with lemon myrtle, aniseed myrtle linguine tossed with South Australian scallops, native spinach fettuccine with crocodile, creamy bush tomato and macadamia sauce, kangaroo fillet crusted with mountain pepper, served with a pepper berry dressing and rosella flower salad. And of course there are witchetty grubs, a delicacy usually reserved for those who venture into the outback.
Restaurant Opening Times & Reservations
From relaxed water front cafes to internationally renowned award winning restaurants, whatever the style, Australia serves up an infinite range of culinary delights that will satisfy the most discerning palate. Every restaurant operates on their own opening & closing time but as a guide:
- Breakfast: 7am - 10am
- Lunch: 12noon - 2pm
- Dinner: 6pm - 9.30pm
Reservations are usually made by phone, fax or via the Internet. It is advisable to book award winning restaurants several days – in some instances weeks – in advance. The bill (check/cheque) includes service and tax. Tipping is optional but appreciated. If you are pleased with the service it is customary to add a tip of 5-10%.
See more in our Australian Restaurants, Dining & Cafes Guide
Australian Wine & Beer
Beer
Beer is still the most popular drink. Among the premium brands are Hahn, Cascade, James Squire, James Boags & Crown. There are several other popular beers which include VB, Tooheys New, XXXX, Carlton Draught , Tooheys Extra Dry, Coopers and Fosters.
Wine
Over the past 20 years however Australia has established itself internationally as a significant wine producing nation. There are around 60 wine regions located across the country. Most wineries have small cellar doors where they conduct tastings at no charge or for a nominal fee. Touring the wine growing regions of Australia ranks among the great attractions of the country. The world's classic premium red grape varieties are all found in abundance: Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Franc. Australia's white wines have a story to tell that's all their own: Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Verdelho are all popular varieties.
See more in our Australian Wine & Wineries Guide
History of Australia
50,000 years before the arrival of European settlers, groups of Southeast Asians immigrated to the continent. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people lived and thrived in Australia's unique and challenging natural environment. Their complex social systems and highly developed traditions reflect a deep connection with the land and environment. Today it is believed the Aboriginals are the world's oldest civilisation.
The first recorded European contact with Australia was in March 1606, when Dutch explorer Willem Janszoon (c.1570 - 1630) charted the west coast of Cape York Peninsula, (Queensland). Later that year, the Spanish explorer Luis Vaez de Torres sailed through the strait separating Australia and Papua New Guinea. However It wasn't until Englishman Captain James Cook arrived in Botany Bay in 1770 that Australia was officially claimed for the British Crown.
In 1779 Britain decided to use its new outpost as a penal colony; the First Fleet of 11 ships carried about 1500 people—half of them convicts. The fleet arrived in Sydney Harbour on 26 January 1788, and it is on this day every year that Australia Day is celebrated. In all, about 160 000 men and women were brought to Australia as convicts from 1788 to 1868. The convicts were joined by free immigrants from the early 1790s.
Australia became a federated nation on 1 January 1901. Bound by one parliament, one constitution and one flag, Australia celebrated its Centenary of Federation in 2001. Today Australia is home to people from more than 200 countries.
Australia's defence force has a long and proud tradition dating back to the original ANZACS (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps). Australian soldiers fought in both World Wars and numerous allied conflicts. All Australian troops are remembered each year on Anzac Day, 25 April, the anniversary of the first landing of Australian 'Diggers' at Gallipoli Turkey, in 1915, during the First World War.
The First World War had a devastating impact on Australia. In 1914 the male population of Australia was less than 3 million. As many as 60,000 died and tens of thousands more were wounded. The period between the two world wars was marked by instability. Social and economic divisions widened during the Depression years when many Australian financial institutions failed. During the Second World War Australian forces made a significant contribution to the Allied victory in Europe and in Asia and the Pacific.
After the war Australia entered a boom period. Millions of refugees and migrants arrived in Australia. The economy developed strongly in the 1950s. Melbourne hosted the Olympic Games of 1956, shining the international spotlight on Australia.
Today Australia is one of the most cosmopolitan and dynamic societies in the world. The nation has thriving ethnic media, an international business reputation, an innovative artistic community, diverse religious and cultural activities and variety in foods, restaurants, fashion and architecture.
The Australian People & Culture
| Language |
English |
| Government |
Constitutional Parliamentary Monarchy (since 26 Jan 1901), bound by one Federal Parliament, one constitution and one flag. |
| National Anthem |
Advance Australia Fair |
Australians enjoy a high standard of living on par with that of most major cities of Europe and the U.S. An informal and pioneering spirit strikes some people as being somewhat like the Americans while our social and economic preoccupations and attitude seem more like the British.
Australian Geography & Climate
| Area |
7,682,300 square km OR 2.97 million square miles |
| Population |
Approximately 21,000,500 |
| Highest Mountain |
Mt. Kosciuszko NSW at 2228 metres |
Location & Population
Australia (sometimes referred to as the Land Downunder) is located southeast of Asia in the southern hemisphere. It is the world's largest island (about 50 per cent larger than mainland Europe) and is the only nation to occupy an entire continent. Australia consists of 6 states and 2 territories.
With the worlds lowest population density (only two people per square kilometre), over 70% of Australia's population live along the eastern and southern coasts, and around Perth in the West. Approximately 40% of Australians reside in & around Sydney and Melbourne.
The Australian Environment
Australia's environment is unique and supports some very dramatic landscapes. From un-spoilt beaches, tropical rainforest, rugged mountain ranges and vast tracts of desert, it is a country of contrast. The desert "outback" covers most of the interior. It is too hot, dry and barren to support many people. Eastern Australia has large areas of grasslands, used primarily for sheep and cattle ranches. Australia also has some mountainous areas and plateaus scattered throughout the country. The Blue Mountains, on the south-eastern end of Australia, get their name from the blue haze caused by oil droplets given off from the eucalyptus trees, and a large mountain chain called the Great Dividing Range extends along the eastern coast of Australia. Along the north eastern coast of Australia is the Great Barrier Reef, the largest known coral formation in the world. This chain of reefs extends for 2,012 kilometers along the coast forming a natural breakwater for ships along the coast.
Capital City & Major Australian Cities
Canberra is located in the Australian Capital Territory, which is surrounded by New South Wales. The city is 150 kilometres inland and 571 metres above the Pacific Ocean, 281 kilometres from Sydney and 660 kilometres from Melbourne. The major cities of Australia are Brisbane (Queensland or Qld), Sydney (New South Wales or NSW), Melbourne (Victoria or VIC), Hobart (Tasmania or TAS), Adelaide (South Australia or SA), Perth (Western Australia or WA) and Darwin (Northern Territory or NT)
Australian Climate
For the most part Australians enjoy a largely temperate climate. Most of Australia receives more than 3,000 hours of sunshine a year, or 70 per cent of the total daylight hours. More information about the Australian climate including up to date statistics can be found at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology
Australian Flora & Fauna
The Australian landmass separated from the other continents over 50 million years ago. The result is a wealth of wildlife not found anywhere else in the world.
Take a drive through the Australian countryside and don't be surprised to see a hopping kangaroo or running emu (a large flightless bird). Look up into the Eucalypt trees and you're likely to see Koala, and be sure to take care on country roads as wombats have a tendency to amble into your path. Australia's very distinctive flora and fauna also includes over 230 species of native mammal, 300 species of lizard, 140 species of snake, two species of crocodile, our own native dog (the Dingo), 400 unique bird species and 20,000 species of plants, including living fossils such as the Wollemi pine and the grass tree.
Australia's oceans also contain one of the greatest arrays of marine biodiversity on earth. Australia's marine environments contain more than 4,000 fish varieties and tens of thousands of species of invertebrates, plants and micro-organisms. Currently scientists estimate about 80% of Australia's southern marine species are found nowhere else in the world.