Travel Tips to Australia

The first tip for those travelling to Australia for the first time, is that you don't need to worry about anything except a Visa and to bring your credit card. The rest usually works pretty well due the excellent tourist infra structure Australia has. Even if English is not you first language, Australians are keen to help tourists with information and directions. We listed below some tips we think are important, for the first time visitor to get along very well in Australia.

In the Plane before the arrival, the crew will give to you a form for Immigration and customs purpose. These forms ask you name, country, passport number, if you are bringing any food, seeds, plants, animal skin of parts of dead animals etc... If you don't know the answer, mark "YES" and tell the officer at the Immigration/quarantine, you marked it because you don't know for sure. In this case nothing will happen to you. But instead, if you marked that you are bringing no food and you are, if found, you can pay a fine that can reach thousands of dollars. Bring also a pen in you pocket because it is difficult sometimes to find someone with an extra pen in the plane.

Many types of foods and animals are prohibited to enter Australia. The Australian Quarantine (and consulate/Embassies) in your country are able to provide a list of these prohibited products. Even food from the plane cannot be brought into Australia. Things like cheese, Ham, Bananas, fruits, butter, honey, and some seasoning seeds can not enter. They will be confiscated if you declare it or if you don't a fine will be applied. Biscuits, chocolates, Industrial food in cans, usually enter with no problems. Doesn't matter which food, the best thing is to declare and choose the red corridor to pass Customs. To check the products allowed or not check them at http://www.daff.gov.au/aqis/travel

Any Drug is not allowed to enter Australia and dogs ate the airport will follow the passenger from the arrival till the immigration. X ray machines also will search for drugs in the luggage. Any medicine you are taking may be accepted but bring you doctor's prescription.

Computers, Lap-Tops, Phot cameras, surfboards and all personal use objects enter without problems if you have only one of each. Cigarettes have a limit of 200 per passenger above 18 years old and Liquor is 1 litre per head. More than that, you will have to pay some customs tax.

Attention in Sydney Airport for domestic connections:  If you have an air ticket or a connection to other city in Australia and are arriving in Sydney International Airport, Remember that the domestic Airport is not the same and you will need to catch a bus or train to the domestic airport. The buses in front of the terminals charge less than 5 dollars and it takes around 20 minutes to get from one airport to another. Allow plenty of time to move. Manny people looses the time of the connection because Customs and this translation take much more than you think. I would allow at least one hour between connections.

Domestic air companies have an inferior limit for luggage weigh than International planes. so if you are doing a connection from an International flight to a Domestic flight you are going to have to transform 30 or 40 Kg of luggage into 20 Kg. Usually the extra kilo in the domestic companies is charged at A$ 7 per extra kilo. Also the maximum size for the cabin luggage can not be bigger than 48 x 34 x 23 cm. You'd better read the conditions of you flights not to be disappointed.

Shuttle Service is the name given to Vans or mini buses that do transport to and from the airport  to the accommodation. They cost a little more than public buses but it is much better because of the luggage. The cost is between a public bus and a taxi, and they take you at the door of your accommodation.

There is no obligation in reserving your accommodation before you travel. You can do that anyway for peace of mind. The Tourist Information Centres in every town will help you for free to find what you want or need. They have zillions of leaflets about things to do in every town.

Detailed map of streets can be foud in bookshops, petrol stations and newsagencies (convenience shops) They cost around A$ 7. The Yellow pages for every city has at the beginning a complete set of maps of the tow you are.(free)

Smoke Cigarettes in prohibited in most indoor places in Australia and also in some outdoor areas such as beaches. No smoking in airports, public transports, some government buildings, and places that serves food, including outdoor restaurants and shopping centres.

Despite Australia be a very safe place don't left your belonging unattended. There is almost no robberies with guns or knifes to private person but there are some drug addicts who need money to buy more drugs and if you leave your camera exposed inside the car, you may com back and find it gone.

Petrol Stations in Australia are today mostly self service, meaning you have to get out of the car, and put fuel by yourself and than go inside and pay according with the number of your pump. The types of fuel available in Australia are: Premium unleaded; Unleaded, E10 Unleaded with 10% Ethanol, Diesel and LPG (gas). When travelling long distances keep you tank full if you find a petrol station. The next one can be 400 away.

Passes are available for almost everything for buses, Natinal parks, trains, travel, ferries etc..For example, in Brisbane, the ferry boat that runs public transport on the river have a ful day Sunday pass for only A$ 3,80 or half of the price. So, you can visit and stop at many places along the river with this pass. Theme parks on the Gold Coast also have passes for different parks. If you go to two parks you pay less for each one.

In Buses you enter and exit by the front door and pay directly to the driver. Parts of the cities are divided into zones, example, A,B,C or 1,2,3 the ticket of pass for one sector usually don't serve for the other sector.

Táxis charges around A$ 1,20 per Kilometre and only in Sydney or melbourne you can hire them on the street. The better way is to have a phone of taxi companies in your town and call them telling where you are. Some taxi stands can be found near shopping centres. pubs or places with lots of people.

Tips are not usual in Australia and nobody expect it. But pizza delivery guys, and restaurant waitresses will enjoy and they depend on tips to make the living.

You don't need to take your passport anywhere you go in town. A copy just as an identification document will be enough and you don't risk to loose your passport.

In ncase of emergencies, Police, Ambulance and Fire, the number is  "000"  in any phone for free.

Have a great trip !

Wow! what a fart! The bus is impregnated!