By size, English-speaking Australia is the 6th largest country in the world and it extends on to include a group of islands - one of which you might be familiar: Tasmania! Other countries close by include New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Zealand, and a few more. So, if you're thinking about traveling to Australia, you might appreciate knowing a few answers to some questions that people usually ask before making a trip to 'The Land Down Under' based either on rumours they've heard or the experience of others.
Answers About Appliance
Compatibility
For instance, you
might appreciate knowing what personal appliances of yours will work in this
country, like a blow dryer or some other appliance that you need to 'plug in
somewhere'. You should note that although the country is closer to American
culture than most of the others, the outlets in Australia are not the same as
the outlets in the U.S.
If you're an
American traveling to Australia, you're going to need to get some socket
adapters and you might also need to get some voltage adapters so that you can
get some of your electronic appliances from back home to work. This is of
course assuming that these adapters are not already in place at the hotel that
you stay at (like if you were to visit with a relative or stay with a friend).
If you want to
bring along some VHS videos (like home videos) with you on your trip however,
you won't have a problem displaying these because all VHS videos play on
Australian VCRs. And if you can manage to get your hands on a DVD player that
works in any location of the world, then you'll certainly have no problem with
displaying these disks either.
Other things like
CD players and personal computers should work fine too, but your current
telephone won't work at all unless it can operate on a GSM-900 frequency.
Should you decide to stay at a hotel, these accommodations should already be
put in place. They're really only relevant if again, you decide to visit with a
relative or stay with a friend - or anywhere that might not support or use
American-based electronics.
Answers About Tipping
Tipping in a
foreign country is always a concern, as we're often not too sure how much to
tip or if even tipping is part of the custom. Although it's customary in the
United States, it's actually an insult to tip a serviceman in other parts of
the world. And what makes the issue even more confusing is that the rules about
when to tip, who to tip, and how much to tip change all the time. Fortunately,
the tipping rules in Australia are pretty simple. If you want to tip, feel free
but note that most service charges are already included in any bill that you
pay.
Answers About Touring the Land
Because of its
immense size, touring about Australia is nothing short of extreme temptation-
so you may appreciate a little lesson in its geography. For instance, if you
plan to rent a car and create your own personal excavation, understand that
most cities are situated around its coast. As you travel inward, toward the centre
of this continent, you enter areas that are less populated and the more inward
you go - the more remote things become.
Although this
certainly presents a circumstance of uncharted adventure for you, you're
strongly advised to stick to the cities along the outer limits unless you bring
along an experienced guide. As long as you stick to the populated areas, you'll
be fine and you may come to enjoy some of the most attractive sights in the
world like:
The Great Barrier
Reef - located off the north-eastern coast of Australia, it's the largest coral
reef in the world.
The Red Centre -
home to the largest monolith in the world; otherwise known as the Ayers Rock.
Sydney - a popular
city that offers Opera House entertainment plus the Bondi, Chinaman, and Manly
beaches.
Melbourne - another
city known for its stylish architecture, dining, and shopping
Canberra – one of the
most modernized centres of the world that serves as Australia's own capital as
well.
Of course, you
wouldn't want to miss Australia's own unique plant life either - a sight that
you simply won't find anywhere else in the world. And because Australia is rich
with distinctive plant life, you're bound to catch sight of some unusual
animals that you've probably only seen in books.
This certainly
isn't an extensive list of all your concerns, but hopefully it answered some of
your thoughts about traveling to this great land.
Travel by Bus
Australia's main
cities can be well travelled by buses, as they frequently tour these areas on a
regular basis. Moving about within urban and rural cities (up to 30 miles from
city limits), you can visit some of the popular tourist attractions with
discount tickets or ticket purchased directly from the bus driver.
Travel in Australia by Taxi
Traveling by taxi
provides an extremely convenient way to move about when traveling short
distances to important centres and residential districts. Like traveling by taxi in the United States,
you can flag down a taxi anywhere in Australia including airports, train and
bus stations, or even on the street.
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