Australia

Some Basic Information

Travel | October 2025

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

You will need a visa waiver authority before you travel to Australia. It can be applied for online electronically, for some nationals. Check the visa websites to establish whether your nationality can apply electronically. There are various visas that can be applied for depending on the nature of your trip. Australian visitor E-Visa is only valid for 90 days. There are numerous websites out there that offer the service but I always think it’s best to use the official government sites. Besides, the Australian site is free.

This link will direct you to the Australian go vernment visa waiver website

The government website will send you an email confirmation of application and will additionally send an email once the visa has been ‘granted’.

ℹ️ CURRENCY: The Australian Dollar AU$ comes in brightly coloured polymer notes and the $2, $1, 50c, 20c, 10c and 5c coins.

NOTE: there are no 1c coins. Everything is rounded up/down to the nearest 5c.

ℹ️ Credit Cards and Banks: ATMs are common place in almost every shopping street, with several ‘bureau de change’ around the main city centres, with almost every retailer accepting Mastercard and Visa. There is no fear of an establishment declining card payments.

ℹ️ Weather: Remember, Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere so the seasons are the opposite to that of the Northern Hemisphere. Summertime is between December – February, with average temperatures range from 18-25°C (65 – 78°F). Wintertime is between June –August, with average temperatures between 8-17°C (47- 62°F). On South Island, however, during Winter season the Alpine regions can drop as cold as -10°C (14°F).

ℹ️ Time Zone: Australia has 3 time zones. Eastern (Sydney/Melbourne), Central (Adelaide), Western (Perth). Sydney is 11 hours ahead of London. When it is 12pm Monday in Sydney it is 1am Monday in London, 8pm Sunday In New York City.

SOME USEFUL WEBSITES

AUSTRALIA/TAZMANIA FERRY: www.spiritoftasmania.com.au/ There is only one ferry service that leaves Melbourne for Tazmania that takes roughly 9hrs 30mins.

GREYHOUND AUSTRALIA BUSES: https://www.greyhound.com.au/