Travel
Taking In Australia On Your Round The World Travels
It?s a fact: the most travelled to country on round-the-world trips from the UK is Australia. And why not? If you?re taking off and wanting to travel to the farthest reaches, why not make one of your stops on the other side of the world ? literally?
So, with that in mind, we?ve compiled a few things that might be worth knowing about this fair country if you happen to be stopping by.
Weather
If you?re leaving the UK in the winter and travelling straight to Australia, you?ll arrive during their summertime. Australia?s climate is the exact opposite of ours in the northern hemisphere. The hottest and most humid weather is between December and February, so you need to bear this in mind. Southern Australia has a particularly harsh climate during the summer season. It?s a temperate region too, so take a jacket for the cooler evenings.
Accommodation
Hostels are particularly good in Australia, so check them out before you decide on more expensive options. It?s not unheard of for an Australian hostel to have a swimming pool, to give you an idea of the standard we?re talking about. Hostels usually send you out with a breakfast in your stomach too, so that?s a great way to start the day.
If you?re looking to rent somewhere for a longer period of time, you should think about getting references before you leave the UK.
Travelling
It might seem we?re stating the obvious, but Australia is a big country. So, when it comes to getting between cities you need to make a rough plan. There are trains, backpacker buses, or you could even hire a car or campervan. You might also want to think seriously about internal flights ? you can get some good deals if you shop around.
Money
Money for travel is probably the major expense, so you?ll want to budget particularly carefully here. Food is fairly cheap ? especially in comparison with Europe. It?s not usually expected that you tip either.
If you?re staying in the country for longer, you could always think about setting up a bank account. The four nationwide banks are ANZ, Commonwealth, National and Westpac, and each welcomes temporary residents ? although they will require ID such as your passport.
Making phonecalls
The main phone operators in Australia are Telstra and Optus. Local calls and calls to mobiles are quite expensive, but you can get great deals on international calling which is great news for keeping in contact with the UK.
When it comes to your mobile, you can buy a pre-pay pack if your handset isn?t pay-as-you-go or chipped. This is a cheap way of running your phone, giving you an Australian number with credit dollars assigned to it ? it is usually valid for up to a year. The companies you might want to check out are Telstra Mobile Net, Optus, Vodafore, Dingo Blue, Orange and Virgin Mobile.
Using the email and the internet
You?re never too far from an internet caf?, so this is another great way of keeping in contact with people back home. The cheapest places to use the internet are usually in the big cities ? mainly because of the competition.
Haydn Wrath is the owner at Travel nation specialising in round the world flights and adventure travel. Travel Nation have a wealth of experience in putting together round the world itineries. For more information visit Travel Nation. |
Haydn Wrath
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