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| Travel Friendly and Easygoing Australians 
Australians are renowned for their friendliness and easygoing nature. Their deference for conventions, their sense of humour and attitude to officialdom are characteristic traits, which delight as much as surprise visitors from all around the world.
Australian’s are also a very hospitable lot. They enjoy getting together with family and friends at a barbecue as much as going out to dinner. A Great Place to Visit 
They are also a pretty diverse folk. The ancient custodians of our land are the Australian aborigines, who settled here over forty thousand years ago. Apart from minor trading with northern neighbours and the occasional visit from Dutch explorers Australia was left alone until the English explorer Captain James Cook arrived in 1770. He thrust his flagstaff into the sands off Botany Bay and claimed the land for King and Country.
Since then, Australia has welcomed to its shore people from every nation on earth. Australia now has a population of 19 million and is one of the most diverse and tolerant nations there is. Fresh ideas, new skills and a great cuisine are now seen as uniquely Australian attributes. Clothing 
Casual dress is the norm for Australia. You don’t need to bring a vast wardrobe to enjoy yourself. The first rule is to dress comfortably and for the climate (see weather). Australians enjoy dressing up as much as any one else but you don’t need to go overboard by any stretch of the imagination. With a light pair of slacks or trousers, shirt or blouse and a comfortable pair of shoes you can go almost anywhere, from the Opera to the finest restaurants, shopping to Stadium Australia (the Olympic Sports Stadium). Currency For the current Exchange Rates go to the Universal Currency Converter™ The currency in Australia is the Australian dollar. Notes come in $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 denominations. Coins in 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, $1 and $2. Purchases are rounded up or down to the nearest 5c. Banks and money exchanges readily exchange foreign currency in notes or Travellers cheques. Banks are usually open Monday to Thursday between 9.30am and 4.00pm, and 5.00pm on Fridays. Driving 
Australian’s drive on the left hand side of the road.
A valid driving licence or International Driving Licence is required for Australia. Australian authorities are very strict with the road rules. Speeding can incur high on the spot fines. Drink driving above 0.05 is classified as a crime and apart from a very hefty fine you will lose your licence. Highways connect all major cities and towns. Major roads within cities and some arterial routes are divided but the majority of roads are undivided. Nearly all major roads are sealed but in the outback you may still find many unsealed or‘ dirt’ roads as they are known. Medical Australia has one of the finest health systems in the world. A national health program is available at little or no charge for Australian’s and some visitors from other countries who have reciprocal health cover for Australian’s. You will need to check with your own health care system to find if you are covered for any assistance in Australia. All visitors are advised to take out travel insurance as the costs for emergency care can be very high. Dental charges and ambulance cover is not free in Australia. Vaccinations to visit Australia are not usually required. Power 
You will need an adapter if bringing electrical appliances from overseas. Australian’s use a 3 pin plug for power, which is supplied at 240v 50hz.
ShoppingAustralian’s enjoy shopping. It is almost a national pastime of equal status to sport!Many shops are now open 7 days a week particularly in major cities or tourist areas. Opening hours vary but the following is a good guide. Opening between 9.00am and 5.30 weekdays, closing at 9.00pm on Thursdays. On Saturdays shops open between 9.00am and 5.00 pm and Sunday hours are between 10.00am and 4.00 pm. GSTA 10% Goods and Service Tax (GST) is levied on most products and services including accommodation. All rates included in Inn.com.au include GST where applicable. (Some small businesses do not have to charge GST.)Telephones 
Most Australian’s now own a mobile phone. As a result you will see less and less public phones on the streets and in the towns than in the past. Your own GSM mobile phone should work in Australia so long as you have requested your service provider to enable the service for Australia.
Public telephone call boxes charge 40c a call (local untimed). Long distance is timed. You will need coins or a telephone card, available from newsagents or post offices. To make a call to Australia dial the country code 61. To call overseas from Australia dial the international access code 0011. For emergencies you should dial 000 and wait instructions Directory assistance: There is no charge for obtaining numbers. Dial 1223 for Local or National numbers Dial 1225 for International numbers Call Connect: There is a service charge (i.e. 40c) and you are connected straight through. Dial 12 456 for Local or National numbers Timezones 
Australia is a vast land with several time zones. To make matters more complicated for the visitor some states have daylight saving in the summer months and some do not. So at some times of the year you may find that there are 5 different time zones in Australia.
Generally on the eastern seaboard local time is 10 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Daylight saving usually commences on the last Saturday of October and finishes on the last Saturday in March. VisasAustralia requires all visitors who are not citizens of Australia to have a valid visa. Tourist visas are available from Australian Embassies, Consulates and High Commissions. Citizens of New Zealand are issued a visa on arrival in Australia.Water and HygieneYou can drink tap water with safety in Australia. However, most Australians prefer to drink liquids from bottles rather than taps, whether it is the fine beer, the wonderful wine or fresh mountain mineral water.Australia may be the driest continent on earth but you will never die of thirst here! You will find public toilets in most places and as a rule they are quite clean. Weather 
The weather! Yes we have some of the finest weather there is. But do not think we are only a sun-drenched island in the South Seas. As befits a land of a similar size to Europe or the United States we have very different climate from north to south and east to west. And that makes for a very attractive and enjoyable visit. You can be soaking up the sun on a palm fringed tropical Queensland beach one day and the following day be skiing on some of the finest slopes in The Snowy Mountains.
Don’t forget our seasons are the opposite from the Northern Hemisphere. For today’s weather click on Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology |