Useful Australia Travel Information

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

Australia uses the metric system of weights and measures. Speed and distance are measured in kilometres; goods in kilograms and litres; temperature in Celsius (Centigrade).

ELECTRICITY

The electrical current in Australia is 220—240 volts, AC 50Hz. The Australian three pin power outlet is different from that in some countries so you will need an adaptor. If your appliances are 110V, check if there is a 110/240V switch. If not, you will need a voltage converter. Universal outlets for 240V or 110V shavers are usually found in leading hotels.

TIPPING

Tipping is not the general custom in Australia and service charges are not added to accounts by hotels and restaurants. Porters at airports, taxi drivers and hairdressers do not expect to be tipped although you may do so if you wish. Porters have set charges at railway terminals, but not at hotels. In better-class restaurants, it is usual to tip food and drink waiters up to 10 per cent of the bill for good service. At any time, tipping is your choice.

TIME ZONES

It all gets a bit confusing here as there are 3 time zones and some with daylight saving so we will simplify it for you.

As a rule for the East Coast Australia is 9 hours ahead of the UK and Perth and the West Coast is 7 hours ahead.

TAX

Tourists travelling overseas may be able to claim a refund of the Goods and Services Tax (GST — 10 per cent) and Wine Equalisation Tax (WET — 14.5 per cent) that they paid on goods bought in Australia. The refund only applies to goods travellers take with them as hand luggage when they leave the country. It does not apply to services or goods consumed or partly consumed in Australia.

However, unlike other tourist shopping schemes, the goods can be used before leaving Australia. The refund will be paid on goods costing $A300 (tax inclusive) or more, bought from the same store, no more than 30 days before departure. To claim a refund, travellers must get a tax invoice from the store where they buy the goods.

If travellers are leaving Australia by air, they should look for the TRS booth in the departures areas of international terminals at Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Cairns, Adelaide, Darwin, Coolangatta and Broome, after they have passed through passport control.

At the booth they need to produce:

• the goods
• the tax invoice from the retailer
• their passport
• their international boarding pass

They will then be paid a cash refund or assisted to complete their non-cash payment option.

More information is available from Customs on 1300 363 263 (within Australia) or +61 2 6275 6666.

DRIVING

To make life easier, Australians drive on the same side of the road as in the UK.

4WD ROUGH ROAD DRIVING

One of the best experiences you can have is to take a detour off the main highways and drive on the many, outback unsurfaced roads. We have plenty of ideas for you. However, you must be prepared properly for these trips and will often needs permits. Please go online and do your homework with the Royal Automobile Assoc of Australia www.raa.net

DRIVING THROUGH ABORIGINAL LAND

If driving on the many unsurfaced roads you may enter Aboriginal Land. You will need a permit for this. Check with the nearest large town before setting off to ensure you have the necessary paperwork.

BUSHWALKING

Be prepared is the order of the day. If you are planning to take off on one of the fabulous tracks, make sure you are well prepared and inform someone of your intentions and stop off points. Contact the local Park Rangers before setting off and get all the advice you can.

CREEPY CRAWLIES

Australia has many of these but in general you will be lucky to see one. You should be slightly more vigilant than you would be in the UK however. It is always worth checking the inside of your shoes or boots each time you put them on, a quick shake will do. If walking in the bush, keep to marked tracks for safety.

PERSONAL DETAILS

We recommend you give a copy of your itinerary to a friend or relative at home with contact telephone numbers. We also advise you to take a copy of your passport (last 2 pages with photo on it).

TRAVELLING WITH CHILDREN

1. If you are travelling outside of school holidays remember to get permission from the head teacher and fill in the correct forms. You could encourage your kids to keep a travel journal so that they can take it into school on their return and show that holidays can be a learning experience as well.
2. Get your children interested in the local language, currency and culture; it makes the simplest of excursions exciting and adventurous.
3. Limit the use of hand held computer games, they will get more out the holiday if they take part in it and so will you.
4. On board luggage rules do change so it worth checking what you can and cannot take in terms of food and drink nearer your travel date. You should be aiming to get onboard with lots of water (you can buy it airside) and snacks which you can all have. Almonds, carrots, sandwiches and sucky sweets for take-off are useful.
5. Remember to request bassinet seats for babies and children’s meals where necessary. Frequently the children’s meals are full of chocolate and junk so if your child is a good eater stick with the adult food and take whatever sweet stuff suits you.
6. Take extra underwear for the kids and spare socks. Remember ‘planes are often chilly on night flights so take a jumper. Layer the clothing and leave enough hand-luggage room to stash it if you are going to the tropics. Leave your flip-flops in an outer checked luggage pocket so you can retrieve them and change your footwear before you make your onward journey.
7. Onboard distractions should be noiseless and without lots of bits which will get lost. Also felt tips can be a pain for careless or younger kids because you lose the tops all the time and they leak all over your clothes. Most long-haul airlines have TV screens in the back of the seats which have gaming consuls on and a choice of entertainment.
8. Take your child to the loo regularly. Stops accidents and gets you to stretch your legs as well. Also your child can move around a bit which burns off a bit of energy.
9. The children’s hand luggage is best stored in their own bag and then put in your bag. Children under 8 and bags don’t seem to mix and their forgotten bag becomes a security risk. The easiest thing to do is count how many adult hands there are and have no more bags than that.
10. Check passport requirements – children must have their own and they expire after 5 years when you must update them. Many countries require your passport to have a minimum of 6 months validity left in them.