Australia Travel Tips

It’s great that you’re planning a trip down under to one of the most magnificent places on earth. But before you head off to Australia here’s some travel tips to make your visit more enjoyable.

Australia’s currency is different than ours. You’ll want to take travelers checks and a small amount of cash in the Australian currency. There are plenty of currency converter sites online that can help you determine the current exchange rate.

Depending on where you are traveling from and how long you plan to stay will depend on what visas you will need. It’s a good idea to contact your nearest Australian Embassy to find out those requirements and of course you’ll also need a valid passport.

There are three different visas. The tourist visa is free, valid for a 12 month period, and it allows you to stay in Australia for 3 months. If you plan to stay longer or return you can apply for an extension with the Australian embassy. You cannot work or study in Australia with a tourist visa.

If you are planning a working holiday and you are from Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, UK, or Ireland you can apply for a working holiday visa. You must be between the ages of 18 and 26. Once you are granted this visa you can stay in Australia for one year and you are allowed to work but only for three months at any one place.

If you want to study in Australia then you will need to apply for a student visa. This will allow you to study full time and work part time.

Travel insurance should be an important consideration no matter where you are going. Your travel insurance should include medical insurance, cancellation insurance, and luggage and personal property insurance. The medical portion is the most important as you never know when an accident might occur or you could get sick.

If you live in Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, Italy, New Zealand, Malta, or the UK you can obtain free basic healthcare for your trip to Australia. Other countries do not offer out of country coverage and you’ll need to purchase the appropriate travel insurance.

Packing can be a bit of a hassle since you are limited to 2 pieces of luggage weighing no more than 20 kgs. If you go over this you are going to pay dearly! If you are packing a backpack it shouldn’t weigh more than one third of your body weight. Don’t forget you are also allowed a carry on bag which must weigh less than 5 kg.

Put your important stuff in your carry on like your paperwork, visas, and passports. You should also have your traveler’s checks, keys, or any other important stuff in your carry on. Carry a change of clothes just incase your luggage gets lost. This is also a good place to keep your toothbrush and other essentials which will allow you to freshen up on your long journey.

Pack only the essential. Remember if you need something you can always buy it in Australia. If you are going to be traveling to Australia during the winter months be sure to pack warm clothing and rain gear.

If you are going to be working in Australia you’ll need your office attire, as well as some casual clothing for an evening out to the pub or a day at the beach. You can get more in your suitcase if you roll your items.

Set up a plan to keep in touch with your family. With today’s technology there’s no reason to leave them worrying and wondering at home. You can easily send an email from a public access site. Set up a free email account before you live. Or you can make a phone call for around 5 cents a minute using phone cards. And don’t forget that good old snail mail is still an option.

Your trip to Australia should be fun, memorable, and a trip of a lifetime. By following these simple tips you’ll be prepared to enjoy your vacation to Australia from start to finish!

Deon Melchior is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit ArticleClick.com. Article Click is a free content article directory. This means that as a publisher you may reprint the articles that are included in our site, as long as the article is unedited and the author box is included with it's live hyperlinks.