Australia is a country filled with varied and natural excellence, the land of down under goes from empty hot desserts to lush rain forests all the way to the cold southern beach areas. Mainly situated around the costs of the country, the towns of Australia offer a variety of art food and sport for any traveler taking a holiday to the country.

Be warned though that Australia is big, very big. You can’t do everything in one trip, so if you want to visit the great opera house in Sydney then a crocodile hunting trip will have to be canceled. It is this size and variety in entertainment that makes Australia one of my favorite places to visit.

When to go:

Winter (June to August) offers skiing in NSW, Victoria and sometimes Tasmania. In spring and autumn the weather is mild.

Australia is a all year round country, always hosting great weather. The summer months are hot all around the country, and if you visit Australia during these months you might want to consider sticking to the cooler southern beaches which are brilliant for this kind of weather. If you can handle the heat and humidity of this time of year the north of the country might be the place to stay since the tropics bloom up in green in the summer and you get some privacy has the tourists generally avoid this area.

After the summer heat the country cools down making the outbacks a good place to spend your travels if you want to meet crocodile Dundee. Or if you fancy snow, skiing and snowboarding you can check out the mountain ranges of Victoria and NSW. Its also during these cooler periods that the spring time flowers bloom, making the entire of Australia alive with color.

What to do on your trip:

Again like I said above, Australia is Huge. If you are used to being able to take a buss from one town to the next, then the immense size of the country is going to be a shock. Towns can be hours apart, and unless you are having a month long vacation, or are willing to only spend your entire holiday traveling, seeing all the great sights in one holiday is going to be impossible. When planning your traveling trip, make sure you group things together, going from one side of the country to the next is the same as traveling from LA to NY (And a lot more troublesome and expensive.)

holidays and events.

Like a lot of the world Christmas is a big deal for Australians, and is the hardest time to get hotel bookings or flights around the country. Everyone in the country goes on holiday, making all the tourist destinations backed with native people enjoying their own spectacular country.

The other big event down under is the art festivals which attract people from all around the world, showcasing Australia’s Drama, dance and music. The best event could be the rock bands, or the Big Day Out, generally in January where both local and international rock bands shred some metal. Also on at the same time in the capital is the great Sydney festival, make up of open air concerts and great fireworks shows all through out the month.

Adelaide Festival of Arts starts in March every second year, every other year the Womadelaide, an outside event of food and dance. You can tickle your funny bone with the International Comedy Festival on April, the greatest international writers festival in on in August, and October hosts the Melbourne International Arts, a not to miss event. The few events that show the culture of the Aboriginal culture are held around September and June.

for people who prefer sport there are several events including the Darwin’s Beer Can Regatta hosted in July, boat racing with a difference, where the boats are made entirely out of beer cans. there is also the Alice Springs Henley-on-Todd Regatta in September, a boat race that is run on the dry bed of a river. Then there is the yacht race hosted in Sydney on Boxing Day, the open tennis championship in January, the grand Prix in March Football in the summer season, and finally the Melbourne Cup on the first Tuesday in November, which stops the entire country every year.

Money and economy.

The best way to send money in Australia is plastic. Australia is a country that as truly accepted the modern way of paying and cash is nowadays seen as a oddity, if you queue at any line, whether you are paying for petrol or a night in a hotel, you will be lucky if you see anyone using cash to pay for the goods. All major credit cards are accepted, Visa and MasterCard being the most accepted, and are necessary for hiring a car. Be informed that cards such as American Express are a lot less accepted.

debit cards are also widely used, highlighting that Australians love convenience. you can gain access to your cash from all over the world in any of the ATM’s around Australia as long as your card is connected to the international bank. Be aware that fees for using your card abroad varies from bank to bank

There is also the third option of buying travelers cheques. this has the advantage of a better exchange rate and can be replaced if lost or stolen. The charge for buying the cheques can be quite high (up to 1% of the total amount) and can also include additional commission. You will also need proof of identity when cashing them out.

General Money guide:

Currency: Australian Dollar
Money Tips

For people who are used to European and USA the amount of cash needed to spend down under will seem cheap, in particular food is very easy on the wallet. Include this with the fairly priced accommodation and if you don’t go excessive with the luxuries you can manage on $45.00 USD a day. If you decide to do a lot of traveling then you might want to budget for up to 150 USD if you are flying around the country.

Tipping in Australia is generally not expected, but it is slowly becoming a courtesy to tip in the upmarket dining areas of Australia if the service given to you grants it (Generally 10-15% is a normal tipping charge) Taxi drivers will always be extremely grateful for any spare change.

Traveling around Australia.

the best way to travel the great distances between the towns in Australia is air travel. International ports can be found in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney, all giving a great many connections to major Asian, European and American contacts. Even though this is convenient, due to Australian geography being remote the flights are often long and expensive. Also be aware that the flights are often fully booked, so booking early is a must and by booking early you can get cheap flights.

Has for internal flights these are often cheaper, discounts random and extensive.

Buses are a second best way to travel around, with the Greyhound Australia bus company giving travel all around Australia. all though the prices are cheaper then by air, if you are traveling long distances be prepared for a large amount of, scenic, travel time.

Groups of travelers to Australia will often group together and hire a car, and this can be a efficient way to get around if you are lucky enough not to suffer any mechanical difficulties. In some parts of Australia driving with out car insurance is not considered legal. The main road is highway 1, which sticks to the coast line of the country. Be careful for the super trucks that drive around; general rule of driving around Australia is to let anything bigger then you have right of way.

Trains are the worst way to travel, and are hardly used, with very few places of transport and often the slowest and most expensive way to travel. Avoid unless you really need the small amount of extra comfort.

Security restrictions: on flight baggage.

All travelers to the country of Australia must be aware that there are restrictions on the amounts of liquids gels and aerosols allowed in on the passengers area of the air flight. Small containers of the items listed above (small is classed as below 100ml) are allowed if clearly visible inside a clear bag.

Luckily general country travel is not affected by these limitations.

This is a travel guide from international travel guides