Travelers tips and information about Australia for visitors, including climate,
currency, credit cards, trading hours, hazards, medical services and public holidays.

General Information
about Australia for Visitors

Official Language:
Australian English

Location

Bounded by the Indian Ocean to the west and Pacific Ocean in the east, Australia, the Island Continent, occupies the cool temperate to tropical climates from 10° south to 43° south latitude and from 112° east to 153° east longitude, to the south of the countries of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, and west of New Zealand.

From the Coral Sea and South Pacific Ocean in the north, ocean currents sweep south along the east coast from the Great Barrier Reef, into Tasman Sea, past the island of Tasmania and into the Roaring Forties.

In the southwest, the Great Southern Ocean receives the barest hint of the warm currents swept across the Indian Ocean from the equatorial waters of the Timor and Arafura Seas, which separates the northern Australian mainland from Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.

Our Location in Australia (40k jpg)

Seasons

The seasons are reversed to the northern hemisphere, and dress is mostly informal and casual, with lightweight clothing suitable for most of the year, although southern states, highlands and desert regions can get below zero at night and during the cooler months. See the climate and dress for our region.

Summer: December - Febuary
Autumn (Fall): March - May
Winter: June - August
Spring: September - November

Australian States and Territories

The national capital of Australia is Canberra. There are six (6) states; Queensland (QLD), New South Wales (NSW), Victoria (VIC), Tasmania (TAS), South Australia (SA) and Western Australia (WA). The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is now self administrating with it's own legislature. The Northern Territory (NT), despite being self administering, can still have it's state laws overturned by the Federal Government.

While NSW, VIC and QLD are rarely referred to in the abbreviated form in daily speech, you'll often hear references to "the Aay See Tee" (ACT), "Ess-Ay" (South Australia), "Double-yew Ay" (Western Australia) and "Tas-ee" (spelled Tassie, for Tasmania). The state capital of QLD, Brisbane, will similarly be abbreviated to "Bris-ee".

Although they have local government elections, Lord Howe Island off the east coast of Australia in the Tasman Sea, is administered by NSW. Norfolk Island in the Pacific Ocean, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Christmas Island and the Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands in the Indian Ocean, and the Coral Sea Islands Territory are administered from Canberra.

Australia's most southerly territories, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, along with Macquarie Island, are conservation zones, while the Australian Antarctic Territory covers more than 30% of that continent, (which comprises 9.6% of the world's land surface area).

Australian Time Zones

The Eastern seaboard of Australia is ten hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time from late March to late September (Autumn, Winter and Early Spring months), and from Late September to late March (Spring and Summer), the eastern seaboard states use Daylight Saving and are eleven hours ahead.

Trading Hours

Banks: Are open Monday to Thursday from 9:am or 9:30am to 4:00pm and on Friday to 5:00pm. Some banks (St George in New South Wales), are also open from 9:am to 12 noon on Saturdays.

Local Administration: (councils, libraries etc.) Open from 8:30am to 4:30pm or 4:45pm Monday to Friday.

Post Office: Monday to Friday 9:am-5:pm (Some branches may also open on Saturday 9:am-11:30am

Retailers: 9:am to 5:pm or 5:30pm Monday-Friday, 9:am-9:pm Thursday, whilst Shopping Centres often open 9:am to 12 noon or 5:pm on Saturdays and 10:am to 4:pm on Sundays, as well.

In most towns in the Wollumbin Caldera, some grocery stores are open 24 hours or to midnight Monday to Saturday, and from 10am to 4pm on Sunday.

Visitor and tourist orientated attractions and outlets such as arts, crafts, cafes and restaurants, especially in villages, maybe closed on weekdays e.g. Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday, to accommodate weekend vistitors, so check local guides.