Social ConventionsA largely informal atmosphere prevails; shaking hands is the customary greeting. Casual wear is worn everywhere except in the most exclusive restaurants, social gatherings and important business meetings. Most restaurants forbid smoking.
International Travel:Getting There by AirThe national airline is
Qantas (QF) (website:
www.qantas.com.au). About 25 international airlines fly to Australia.
Departure TaxNone.
Main AirportsSydney Airport (SYD) (Kingsford
Smith) (website:
www.sydneyairport.com) is 8km (5 miles) south of the city (journey time - 30 minutes).
To/from the airport: Airport Link trains connect the airport to Sydney Central Station (journey time - 13 minutes). Coaches meet all incoming international and domestic flights, departing every 20 to 30 minutes. There are many courtesy guest shuttles; enquire at hotel when booking is made. The international terminal is separate from the domestic terminal. There are also buses and taxis.
Adelaide Airport (ADL) (website:
www.aal.com.au) is 6km (4 miles) west of the city (journey time - 30 minutes).
To/from the airport: Coaches meet all international and domestic flights. Buses and taxis are available.
Melbourne Airport (MEL) (Tullamarine) (website:
www.melbourne-airport.com.au) is 25km (16 miles) northwest of the city (journey time - 25 minutes).
To/from the airport: Skybus shuttle buses (24 hours) or taxis are available to the city center.
Brisbane Airport (BNE) (website:
www.bne.com.au) is 13km (8 miles) northeast of the city (journey time - 35 minutes).
To/from the airport: Airtrain service connects the airport to Roma Street (journey time - 22 minutes). Coach services are available to the city, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and major hotels. Taxis are also available.
Facilities: All airports have a duty-free shop, bank/bureau de change, restaurant/bar, tourist information kiosk, car hire and taxi stand; these will almost always be available on arrival and departure of international flights.
Getting There by WaterMain ports: Cruise liners dock at
Sydney (website:
www.sydneyports.com.au),
Melbourne (website:
www.portofmelbourne.com),
Hobart (website:
www.tasports.com.au),
Perth (Port of Fremantle) (website:
www.fremantleports.com.au),
Adelaide (website:
www.flindersports.com.au) and
Brisbane (website:
www.portbris.com.au).
OverviewThe following items may be imported into Australia by persons over 18 years of age without incurring customs duty:
• 250 cigarettes or 250g of tobacco or cigars.
• 2.25l of any alcoholic liquor.
• Articles for personal hygiene and clothing, not including perfume or fur apparel.
• Other goods to a value of A$900 (A$450 if under 18).
Note: The Australian government has introduced limits on the amount of liquids, aerosols and gels that can be taken through the screening point for people flying to and from Australia. You may carry these on board in your hand-luggage only if they are no more than 100ml and in a sealed plastic bag. Larger amounts may be taken in your checked-in luggage. Check with your airline before traveling. More details are available from the Australian Customs Service (website:
www.customs.gov.au).
Prohibited ImportsThere are very strict regulations against the import of non-prescribed drugs, weapons, firearms, wildlife, domestic animals and foodstuffs (including meat, poultry and dairy; plants or parts of plants [including fruit, nuts and seeds]; animal products [including wool, skins and eggs] and any equipment used with domestic animals) and other potential sources of disease and pestilence (such as vaccines or viruses). There are severe penalties for drug trafficking.
For further details on customs regulations, contact the Australian Customs Service (see above). Customs information booklets can be obtained from the Australian High Commission or Embassy.
Internal Travel:Getting Around By AirAustralians rely on aviation to get from place to place as inhabitants of smaller countries rely on trains and buses. The network of scheduled services extends to more than 150,000km (95,000 miles) and covers the whole continent. Major domestic routes operate between all capital cities. Aircraft can be chartered by pilots who pass a written examination on Australian air regulations and have their licenses validated for private operations within Australia.
The major domestic airlines are
Jetstar Airways (website:
www.jetstar.com.au),
Qantas/Qantas Link (website:
www.qantas.com.au),
Virgin Blue (website:
www.virginblue.com.au) and budget airline
Tiger Airways (website: www.tigerairways.com), which serve the major resorts and cities throughout Australia. In addition,
Rex Regional Express (website:
www.rex.com.au) operates throughout New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria;
Air North (website:
www.airnorth.com.au) operates throughout the Northern Territory and also flies to Broome in Western Australia;
Macair Airlines (website:
www.macair.com.au) operates throughout Queensland;
Skywest (website:
www.skywest.com.au) operates throughout Western Australia; and several small airlines operate to the islands off Tasmania (see
Tasmania section). Nearly all domestic airlines operate special deals at greatly reduced prices.
Getting Around by WaterThere are 59,736km (37,119 miles) of coastline, including islands, and many rivers, lakes, inland waterways and inlets, all of which can be used for touring by boat. From paddle steamers along the Murray River to deep-sea fishing cruisers along the vast Barrier Reef, all are available for charter or passenger booking. Most tour operators also handle shipping cruises. The
Spirit of Tasmania (tel: (3) 6421 7209; website:
www.spiritoftasmania.com.au) is an overnight car-ferry service linking Melbourne with Tasmania daily.
Getting Around by RailOver 40,000km (24,850 miles) of track cover Australia. Rail travel can be slow and relatively expensive. For further information on rail transport within the different states, see the individual state entries or contact
Rail Australia (tel: (8) 8213 4592; website:
www.railaustralia.com.au).
Two services span the continent from coast to coast. The twice-weekly
Indian Pacific travels 4,350km (2,704 miles) from Sydney on the east coast to Perth on the west coast, via Adelaide. The journey takes three days and three nights, crossing the famous Nullarbor Plain. The
Ghan travels 2,979km (1,891 miles) between Adelaide and Darwin, via Alice Springs. The service runs twice weekly in each direction and takes two nights. Both trains are fully air conditioned, with first- and second-class sleeping cars, a lounge car, bars and good restaurant facilities.
Other express service links (not always daily) from the state capitals are as follows:
A
CountryLink service links Canberra with Sydney (4 to 5 hours). The
XPT Express runs from Melbourne to Brisbane via Sydney. The
Sunlander and the
Tilt Train link Brisbane with Cairns (32 and 25 hours respectively). The
Prospector links Perth with Kalgoorlie (6.5 hours). The
Spirit of the Outback runs Brisbane to Longreach via Rockhampton.
Rail PassesAustrailpass: valid for 14, 21 and 30 days, with seven-day extensions available. Must be purchased outside Australia, and can only be used by non-Australian passport holders. Only economy-class passes are available. Each state operator offers its own
Austrailpass scheme.
Austrail Flexi-Pass: valid for 15 or 22 days within a six-month period, and includes use on the
Ghan or the
Indian Pacific. The pass only offers economy-class accommodation. Must be purchased outside of Australia.
East Coast Discovery Pass: offers six-months’ travel in one direction on the eastern coast.
There is also a
Backtracker Pass and a
Rail Explorer Pass available.
Getting Around by RoadTraffic drives on the left. Road signs are international. Road quality in the populated areas of the country is excellent. There are few multilane highways - major arteries are generally sealed two-lane roads. Driving off major highways in the outback becomes more difficult between November and February because of summer rain, as many roads are little more than dirt tracks. Distances between towns can be considerable, it is advisable to carry spare water, petrol and equipment in the outback.
Coach: Major towns and cities are linked by an excellent national coach system, run by
Greyhound (tel: 1 300 473 946; website:
www.greyhound.com.au). Tasmania also has its own coach service,
Tasmanian Redline Coaches (tel: 1 300 360 000; website:
www.redlinecoaches.com.au). There are numerous other companies operating state and interstate services.
Coach passes are available for travel on a variety of routes for between seven days and one year, such as the
All Australian, the
Aussie Reef & Rock, the
Best of the Outback etc. The
Aussie Kilometer Pass allows you to purchase your travel in kilometers and then travel in any direction on the national network.
Car hire: Major international and some local car hire companies are available at all major airports and big hotels to those over 21 years old.
Regulations: Minimum driving age is 17 years. The speed limit is 50kph (31mph) in built up areas of cities and towns, unless otherwise signed and 80-110kph (50-68mph) on country roads and highways. Seat belts must be worn at all times and driving licenses must be in the driver’s possession when driving.
Documentation: An International Driving Permit is required by nationals of countries whose official language is not English. International, foreign or national driving permits are generally valid for three months. An International Driving Permit is only valid in conjunction with a valid national license. Permits must be carried at all times while driving.
Getting Around Towns and CitiesComprehensive public transport systems are provided in all the main towns. The state capitals have
suburban rail networks, those in Sydney and Melbourne being particularly extensive;
trams run in Melbourne and, to a lesser degree, in Adelaide. Meter-operated
taxis can be found in all major cities and towns. There is a minimum ‘flagfall charge’ and then a charge for the distance traveled. An extra airport charge is sometimes levied. Taxi drivers do not expect to be tipped. A small additional payment may be required for luggage and telephone bookings. Some taxis accept payment by credit card. For further details, see individual state entries.
Journey TimesThe following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from
Sydney to other major cities in Australia.
| | Air | Rail | Coach |
| Adelaide | 2.10 | 24.00 | 23.00 |
| Brisbane | 1.30 | 15.00 | 15.00 |
| Melbourne | 1.30 | 11.00 | 14.00 |
| Perth | 4.00 | 66.00 | - |
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