FAQs

ABOUT AUSTRALIA
Australia is a continent of diverse and breathtaking landscape-from dry and deserts to rainforests, from mountains where you can ski in winter to pristine sandy beaches. The Great Barrier Reef stretches from the tip of Australia down the East Coast and is considered one of the world’s most natural wonders-a fantastic playground for diving and snorkeling activities. It is the world’s smallest continent but sixth largest country.

Australia has a population of about 21 million, concentrated in the major cities along the coast; Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. Each city has its own personality with a mix of late 19th Century European architecture and modern high-rise buildings.

Australia is a truly multicultural country and Australians are welcoming, friendly and energetic – particularly when it comes to supporting the local teams. Australians enjoy a high standard of living and a relatively low cost of living. It is a relaxed culture and climate encouraging an outdoor lifestyle.

VISITING SYDNEY
Sydney is home to people from over 180 countries, and at least one in five Australians was born overseas. Cultural diversity is part of the national identify. Sydney has world class shopping facilities and the hours are usually 9 am to 5:30 pm with late night shopping until 9 pm on Thursday.

Bursting with character, Sydney is a vibrant city with spectacular landmarks including the Harbour and its Harbour bridge, the Opera House, the historic Rocks area, Circular Quay, Darling Harbour and popular Bondi Beach - one of the many fabulous beaches that Sydney is famous for. Be daring and climb the Sydney Bridge!

Take a cruise on Sydney Harbour. Go on a sightseeing cruise, a dinner cruise, or dance cruise, or simply catch a ferry to whatever destination you choose on the ferry routes. Find your choice of Sydney cruises at Circular Quay. You can also take a tour to the Hunter Valley wine region or the beautiful Blue Mountains.

Tipping is not customary in Australia and service charges are not added to accounts by hotels and restaurants. At any time, tipping is matter of choice in recognition of good service. You can tip food and drink waiters up to 10 per cent of the bill for good service. You are not required to tip taxi drivers.

CLIMATE
The area around Sydney tends to be sub-tropical and temperate. Most rainfall is around the coast. As Australia is in the southern hemisphere, the winter is June-August while December-February is summer.

Expect warm to hot weather conditions. The average temperature should range from around 19°C (66°F) at night to 26°C (79°F) in the daytime in midsummer. These are averages and temperatures can rise above 30°C (86°F).

LANGUAGE
Australia’s official language is English, by common usage rather than law. Australian English does not differ significantly from other forms of English, although some colloquial and slang expressions are unique.

TIME DIFFERENCE
The time zone corresponds to GMT -11

BANKS, CURRENCY, CREDIT CARDS AND GST
Normal trading hours for banks are 9:30 am to 4 pm Monday through Thursday and 9:30 to 5 pm on Friday. Some banks are open Saturday mornings, but all are closed on Sundays and public holidays. ATMS are readily available for withdrawals 24 hours a day. Most stores and supermarkets also have Electronic Funds Transfer at Point of Sale (EFTPOS) terminals where you can pay for goods directly from your bank account and make cash withdrawals.

Australia uses a dollars and cents system of decimal currency with 100 cents in a dollar. The bank notes in use are $5 (purple), $10 (blue), $20 (orange), $50 (yellow) and $100 (green). Coins used are silver 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents and 50 cents, and gold $1 and $2 coins. Australian currency is the only legal tender in Australia. Money from other countries can be changed at exchange facilities located in international airports, banks and major hotels. Travelers’’ checks are easier to use if they are already in Australian dollars, but banks will cash travelers’’ checks in al most any currency.

A goods and services tax (GST) of 10 per cent is added to most goods and services in Australia. The GST is added to the cost of the item on the shelf, so the ticket price is the amount you will pay at the cash register.

ELECTRICAL POWER
Electric power in Australia is 230V/50Hz (plug Type I)

MAKING PHONE CALLS
Australia has a modern telecommunications system. Public telephones are widely available and accept coins and prepaid phone calls. Mobile phones are very popular and are available from a variety of service providers.GPRS and 3G wireless internet connections are available through all cellular phone networks. If you h ave a 3G/UMTS-enabled phone, make sure it supports the appropriate frequencies: 850/2100 MHz for Telstra and Three and 900/2100 MHz for Optus and Vodaphone. Check with your home carrier regarding data roaming fees.

You can buy a cheap prepaid mobile phone in Australia with a SIM for about $40 in most retail outlets. You can then top it off with credit using recharge cards you can purchase most everywhere including some ATMS.

There are no restrictions on overseas residents getting an Australian prepaid SIM card.

The country code for international calls to Australia is +61. When dialing from overseas, omit any leading ‘0’ in the area code. The outgoing international dialing access code (from within Australia) is 0011 (note “00” and “011”, common elsewhere in the world, will not work in Australia)