Australia has very strict customs controls.
Any food, plants, animals are prohibited from being imported into the country.
Before leaving the plane, check that your hand luggage no apples, bananas, sandwiches, flowers, honey, etc. left.
For violating the quarantine, you can be deported from the country within 24 hours.
money in australia
In Australia, only Australian dollars are in circulation.
Banknotes of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 dollars and metal 1 and 2 dollars, as well as cents.
You can exchange other currencies for Australian dollars at a predatory rate in the only exchange office at the airport or with great difficulty at the bank.
And not every bank will perform such an operation.
No, they change money, but only for their clients.
It is clear that a tourist, moreover, from the CIS, cannot be a client of an Australian bank.
Let's say you found a bank that agreed to exchange North American dollars (bucks) for Australian ones.
Paperwork will take you quite a long time, you will be charged a commission for the exchange and the exchange rate will be better than at the airport, but worse than, for example, in Bali.
But do not go to Bali for the sake of exchanging money.
Exit: plastic cards VISA, Master Card
Yes, it is most profitable to take with you not cash, but plastic money.
ATMs in Australia are in any village or farm.
Cash withdrawal limit at a time: 1000 Australian dollars.
Plastic can be used to pay for a hotel, motel, car rental, tickets for domestic flights, gasoline at gas stations, a hot dog in a diner.
When traveling in Australia, take plastic money with you - debit or credit cards.
When paying for services or at the checkout in a supermarket, you may be asked if you have a debit or credit card.
In any case, answer that credit. Even if you have a Visa classic debit card or a Master card.
If you say that it is debit, then you will be asked to enter a pin code from the terminal. Do you need it?
All this applies to full-fledged Visa Classic and Master Card.
I don’t know about Visa Electron or Maestro. I do not have. Did not use. Probably the same.
Car rental in Australia
Travel by car - The best way see Australia.
Australia is a continent, there is no need to open visas in order to get from the extreme north to the extreme south or from east to west.
You can also get to the islands of Tasmania, Kangaroo or Phillip by car, crossing with it on a ferry.
Australia is not Europe, the distances there are the same as in our homeland.
Roads are not always paved and not always in perfect condition.
Left hand drive, right hand drive vehicles. Gasoline is not cheap, but not super expensive as in Europe.
The price of a liter of gasoline depends on the state and on the place where the gas station is located.
The most expensive gasoline in the Center of Australia, in Outback, in the wilderness, where there may be only one pump per district.
Most cheap gasoline in Queensland (eastern Australia). On average, a regular liter (similar to our 93) costs 1.5 A$
Which car to choose depends on the route.
If the route involves driving only on paved roads (asphalt), then it makes no sense to take an SUV.
If you are traveling as a couple, it makes no sense to take a minivan. Believe that no one will pay attention to the brand of your car.
I choose a car based on gas economy and rent. Traffic outside the cities, and in the cities is calm, to drive a car with manual transmission comfortable and more economical than automatic.
Do you need full car insurance? I did not take.
I tried to take the car without insurance at all. But without the Australian OSAGO, they don’t give a car for rent.
The car is given for rent with a mandatory minimum insurance. The price of insurance is included in the rent.
Which company to rent a car?
The first question would be:
Do you have booked?
The fact is that Australians book motels in the direction of travel by phone, using directories, booklets from gas stations, etc. advertising material.
A very useful guide in Australia is called Cook's Tours.
If possible, immediately find it upon arrival at the airport or at Comfort Inn motels.
Released locally. For example, I have Amazing North - in the North of Australia.
If you don't have a motel booked, the clerk looks at his notes and offers a room and price.
You can (should) take the key and go see what it is.
After that, you can bargain (I always and everywhere bargain). At least 10 dollars can be dropped. In one place they threw off as much as 50A $
You can say that I am, say, a poor student, that I pay cash, that you, Ma'am, look good today despite the high price for a room ... Turn on your fantasy.
Check-out in motels is strictly at 12. We left an hour late - pay for the extra hour.
Leaving things at the motel, you can drive around the area, find restaurants or supermarkets in order to cook your own breakfast in the morning: everything you need for this will be in the room, except for international motels - it is offered to use the motel restaurant.
Please note that most motel receptions are open until 17:00. Especially in the north, in Outback, small towns.
It is possible that you arrive in the dark and see closed receptions in front of your nose.
It remains only to spend the night in the car, which is prohibited in Australia and fined in the city for this.
That is, you have to go to the forests ... So take care of the lodging for the night in advance.
I did this: I figured out a stopover place on the map, preferably with viewpoints in the area.
He used to come at 1 a.m., dropped his things and went to see the surroundings, it happened that 100 km from an already packed overnight stay.
This applies to roadside motels.
Now in Australia, a network of private mini-motels, ranches, or whatever they are called here is booming. Bed&Breakfast.
As a rule, this is a farm, a ranch or a piece of private land of tens of acres, on which there are at least 2 houses: one for guests and the other for the owner. B&B are designed for 1-2 families.
If it is designed for 2 families, then be sure of your comfort: you will not encounter neighbors. For reasonable money (about the same as in motels), you will be offered more exclusive living conditions: in terms of size, furniture, linen and plumbing.
The price also includes breakfast. ABOUT! These Australian breakfasts…
Although the Australians are in many ways outwardly similar to the British, they prefer to cook, serve, eat like Americans - a lot.
I highly recommend paying attention to this type of accommodation.
Since there is no reception here: what time you arrived - at the same time they will settle and will be glad to see you.
There is no shabbiness and the feeling that a million people before you have already slept on this bed and sat on this toilet (I don't want to say anything - all accommodation in Australia is EXCEPTIONALLY clean, tidy and comfortable).
I'm not talking about Asian eateries in large cities, since cities were not interesting to me and if I stayed there, then only in good hotels.
Informal atmosphere, communication with the owners. You can roam around the ranch area or barbecue (very highly developed in Australia)
The only inconvenience of such placement is the difficulty of finding.
When you drive along the road at speed and see the B&B sign aside, there is not always room for maneuver, and even if it is in a village, you are tormented to look for it: there are no signboards, like in motels.
This is the only inconvenience. But things are changing, B&B is getting bigger.
An even more exotic kind can be attributed to the same type of accommodation for the night: accommodation at wineries and accommodation at pubs.
In southern Australia, Victoria, New Wales, Western Australia... grapes are grown and wine is made.
As a rule, wineries have a restaurant where they cook excellent food and a small hotel for 2-4 families. Well-known wineries organize wine tasting tours, and since drunk driving can put you in jail, there will be a hotel.
Imagine: after a long journey, drop into a shady oasis, take a bottle of cold wine, order meat, pies, cheese ...
Then stroll through the picturesque surroundings and relax in normal conditions.
But it's not cheap.
Pub rooms are less comfortable.
I would say that they are mostly viper, with creaking floors, antique furniture and nightly crackles in the hallway.
As a rule, the pub has 2-3 rooms on the second floor. Since the days of spree-walkers shooting at the ceiling are gone, it is safe to stay in the rooms.
This property is VERY popular with Australian and English tourists and booked a week in advance.
Other, youth and family accommodation in Australia is Caravan parks, campsites.
In Australia, traveling in motorhomes or as they are also called campers is very popular.
I had the experience of such a journey from Darwin to the center of Australia.
This is the cheapest type of accommodation for the night. Parking spaces for motorhomes cost $15-20A, including an electrical outlet, a water faucet to connect the camper, and a public shower and toilet.
Everything is very clean and in order.
In the parking lot, you can pitch a tent, or you can sleep in a camper if it is air-conditioned, powered by external electricity (there is an outlet for this).
At caravan parks there are units or wagons for those who are fed up with spending the night in a car or tent.
The trailer costs from 40 to 60A$. It has a shower/toilet, a fully equipped kitchen and a sleeping place(s).
As a rule, Caravan parks are located at the entrance / exit from the city, they have visible signs and a reception, which closes at 17-00.
That is, if you are late, then you do not have the right to stand on the site, although the entrance to the territory is free.
You can call in, connect and even go behind someone's back to the toilet or shower with a laundry machine.
But it will be necessary to slip away before 7 in the morning, as the clerk who comes to inspect the territory and catch freeloaders, calling the police.
In some places it is impossible to find other housing. Especially in the national parks in the North and in the Center.
Usually in picturesque places, near water bodies, in the north of Australia, the Caravan Park is a real opportunity to get comfortable in nature. I can also recommend this type of accommodation to independent tourists.
Hotels in large cities, I will ignore, I will only note that I wrote above about parking at hotels.
You should not worry in advance and book something: you will find everything on the spot. Especially the motel down the road. And believe me, in Australia, hotels are not the main thing. The main thing is the country itself, its people, and nature (flora and fauna).
Food in Australia. take away. Restaurants
Australia is a country of immigrants, like the USA. But here the Asian presence and influence is more noticeable. Especially in cities. At the same time, the majority of the white population of Australia is English and Irish, and food influences have formed in this way: Fish and Chips can be seen in every city, in every restaurant. It is common to eat from cardboard boxes, with your hands ... in general, as in the time of Charles Dickens.
Sometimes the problem of eating can become very acute. Especially when you fall into the time period from 2 to 6 pm, when lunch is over and dinner has not yet arrived. You can wander from restaurant to restaurant for a long time, bumping into closed doors. This is possible even in tourist places. There is only one way out: go to the Take Away eatery or to the supermarket. Takeaway is takeaway food.
Sausages in dough are common - hot dogs, and salads in pita bread - like "our" shurma. A lot of bread, little of everything else ... A kick to the stomach so that it does not growl. In the supermarket you can buy ready-made food: chicken, ham and boiled pork, salads, aspic ... In general, as we have in large supermarkets. You can buy ready-to-eat food and cook at a motel or campsite.
I came across good restaurants and restaurants where they served absolutely tasteless meat, which had to be peppered, salted and still did not differ in piquancy after that. How about a steak with shrimp piled on top with 1000 island sauce?
In large cities, the problem of eating is solved by a large number of national restaurants, but another arises: in Australia, it is customary to book a table in a restaurant in advance. That is, walk past a beautiful, half-empty restaurant with a view. Come in and they ask you:
Have you ordered? No? Sit, wait at the bar.
But half the hall is empty! No, you have to sit for 15 minutes drinking beer in a bar until the time limit passes in order to cancel someone's order. There are no problems with food only in very highly promoted tourist places such as the Gold Coast or Harvey Bay - there are just a lot of restaurants and cafes there.
Tipping in Australia
Not accepted.
Surrender is given in full. If you wish, you can leave something if you really liked it, but you will be welcome if you rake all the little things in your pocket.
There are restaurants that do not have a license to sell alcohol. Therefore, you can come to these restaurants with your booze, bought in a nearby bottleshop, put it on the table and you will be served, putting a bottle in a bucket of ice and giving out glasses. For free.
There are a lot of Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Indonesian restaurants in the cities. In general, Asiatics cluster in the cities, but in the provinces they are rare birds. The province is mostly white and aboriginal, so the food is simpler.
The most affordable eater in the cities is food courts: a common self-service hall with tables and several distributions: some are for chicken, others for seafood, others for veggie eaters, etc. Food good quality, but as in any place of mass service without outstanding taste of dishes, plus plastic tables without tablecloths, some crowding ... It looks like food courts in Auchan stores. To be honest, I am not a fan of such establishments. For me, it's better to buy food at the supermarket and cook it at the motel. On average, food in Australia is spent less than in Europe and the US, but more than in Asia.
Alcohol. Beer. Wine
There is no problem with alcohol in Australia. Neither with their own, nor with imported ones. It makes no sense to take something from duty free with you: Bottle Shops sell hundreds of types of strong and liqueurs low prices.
Alcohol is sold only in licensed, special stores: Bottle Shop. It looks like a gas station. The entrance, as a rule, is located under an arch so that minors do not accidentally see how their parents load boxes of beer and vodka into the car. There is a rich assortment inside: vodka, rum, tequila, cachaca, gin, cognac, brandy, whiskey… liqueurs, wine, nutmegs, beer, cocktails… Everything is available. For example, whiskey is around $15-20A, a beer basket of 6 bottles is $10-15A, wine is $12-20A… 30% of all shelves are occupied by wine. Australia - major producer guilt. Australian wine is my favorite. In Australia, the cult of wine, so they drink and drink a lot of wine. Usually ordered in bottles. Served under an ice bucket. Wonderful white Chardonnay, chilled in ice, perfectly quenches thirst.
If you want to enjoy and taste, go to the winery. There are many of them in the south, west of Australia, in Victoria, in New Wells, in Queensland. Many wineries have excellent restaurants where you can have a good lunch / dinner, ordering a bottle of the wine you like. Beer is Australia's second favorite drink. Especially among Asians and young people. Beer in Australia is very good. The choice is huge. I can recommend the varieties of Tasmanian Cascade that I liked, the Queensland XXXX Bitter, the good Hahn beer, and the very popular Crown Lager. Each state has its own signature beer, for example in the West: Emu. The store can have 20-30 varieties of different beers. Fosters beer, famous for our advertising, is not popular in Australia. Didn't see anyone drinking it. Apparently quoted as the Baltic. Pubs always have excellent draft beer, dark Guinness is widely represented, but there are few fans of it.
National parks. Beaches
Australia has many national parks. Entrance to the park may be paid, for example Uluru in the center or Pinnacles in western Australia, or free and free, such as Devis Marbles in the center, Badgingarra, Lesueur, stockyard in the West, Port Campbell in the south, in the state of Victoria. On average, the fee to visit the park is $10A. In some places, the collection of taxes is entrusted to the machine and the consciousness of people, for example wave rock in the West. If your conscience allows you to save 10 bucks, slip away for free ... well, that's your right.
All the little sights in Australia are marked in guidebooks, brochures and accompanied by brown road signs.
It is impossible to embrace the immensity, Australia is very large, but there are places that must be visited. And it will be the calling card of the state. For example, the Northern Territories are Kakadu Park and Uluru, Victoria is the Great Ocean Road, etc. At the airport, hotels, motels, there will definitely be a stand with brochures for the main attractions of the state. Easy to use, do not neglect them.
Beaches in Australia
Swimming in the sea, in Australia, is a whole problem. Only in one place the coastline of the continent is protected from ocean waves - the Great Barrier Reef. Elsewhere, the coastline trembles with ocean surf. The water is cold even in the Australian summer due to the influence of cold Antarctic currents. Plus a list of troubles in the form of poisonous "sea wasp" jellyfish - a seasonal phenomenon, when thousands of these jelly-like creatures with long tentacles swim up to the shores of eastern and northern Australia and man-eating sharks.
The picture is bleak, and so it is. Australians are forced to sit at this time in paddling pens, protected from open water buoys with nets hanging on them. Maybe that's why it seemed to me that most Australians can't swim. I didn't mention the surfers. Surfing - Mass culture and sports in Australia. People of all ages are constantly sitting in the water, in wetsuits, waiting for "their" wave.
The bulk of vacationers stand waist-deep in water, sometimes crouching to cool off. An interesting contrast: cold water below, at the top it is so hot, as if blowing on you from a giant hair dryer.
Nevertheless, Australians are very fond of water. They bathe in pools, lakes, streams and rivers. By the way, in the lakes of the North and Queensland there is another danger - crocodiles. The danger is so serious that before entering the water, in an unfamiliar place, we intently looked around the water area of the lake for the presence of reptiles: they can be mistaken for a floating snag.
On the surface of the water, only the eyes, nose and partially back comb are visible.
There are very frequent cases when crocodiles dragged tourists under water, especially in places overgrown with reeds or backwaters near the sea. Dangerous places are marked with appropriate posters, but if there are no posters, still be careful, as crocodiles migrate and if yesterday everything was calm in the reservoir, today it may not be very good.
Trouble in Australia
Flies.
Flies are the scourge of Australia. They are especially annoying in the Center and Outback. No, they don't bite. They simply climb into the eyes, mouth, nose, buzz in the ears, in the hair, tickle, crawling over open areas of the skin. As soon as you leave the air-conditioned room and the skin warms up, you are covered with dozens of flies. The Australians are already used to them and just brush them off the face, and it annoyed the hell out of us, especially when you climb some viewpoint or eat outdoors. A hat with a mosquito net helps against flies, special fly creams (sold in supermarkets), and flies also sit less on light and love dark. Wear light-colored shirts and pants - you will be like a snow maiden.
Before the trip, I read a lot about various poisonous reptiles and spiders. To be honest, I saw a snake only once, on Kangaroo Island, and even then, the snake hastily fled from me into the bush. However, in many places there are signs about the danger of being bitten by poisonous snakes. But I think that if you don’t climb crevices, hollows with your hands, don’t lift fallen, rotten tree trunks (that is, those places where snakes usually hide from the heat of the day), then a snake bite will not threaten you. Snakes are good at picking up the vibration of the ground from a walking person and reel off before you stumble upon them.
Mobile communication and Internet
I didn't buy an Australian sim card. I left my Beeline and communicated on business via sms. When I needed to call my homeland or the USA, I used the Day break IP telephony card (there are many different cards in Australia, it’s just that this one suited me for these countries in terms of tariffs), dialing the free number 800-…, entering the PIN code and the number of the called subscriber from ordinary payphones. GSM is available, almost everywhere, except for perfect deserts, I know that calls from mobile to mobile in Australia are very expensive.
Internet, as well as mobile connection very expensive (relative to neighboring Asia). There are not everywhere. The hotel may offer to use a telephone socket, that is, to communicate via modem. Wi-Fi is rare, Ethernet is available only in expensive hotels in large cities. Australia lags behind the USA in this, but it seems like they are developing their own Internet. In large tourist areas there will be public Internet access such as Internet cafes. Small ones are empty. Modem only. Where to buy a card for communication via modem - x.z. It should be noted that the connection via a landline phone in motels is paid.
Safety and health
As I already wrote, there are unpleasant moments in the fauna of Australia. When visiting the beach, pay attention to the warning posters. Keep in mind that even a “sea wasp” torn apart by the surf can be dangerous. The consequences of being stung by the tentacles of this jellyfish can be severe burns, followed by scarring and even death (in the sea, just discard the skates due to cardiac arrest) When swimming in the lakes and creeks (gorge) of Australia, pay attention not only to the presence / absence of crocodiles, but also the fact that you can’t dive or quickly enter the water - there is a very high probability of running into a heated tree trunk or boulder. Try not to climb the bush in sandals, with bare feet.
However, this is unlikely, since the only way to get through the bush is with a machete or a bulldozer. When swimming in the open ocean, do not swim far from the coast - strong currents pass along the coast of Australia and you can simply be carried away into the open ocean, where a great white shark will bite you.
Australia has a very active Sun and is kind of like an ozone hole. I don’t know - I didn’t see it, but the fact remains: Australia has a high mortality rate from skin cancer. This does not threaten you, who have come for a month, but you can easily get burned. Available sunstroke, so a hat is required (sold locally, cheap, straw). In addition, sunglasses and sunscreen on exposed skin are required. Australia is not the place to sunbathe. There is a lot of sun there, so protect yourself.
I did not notice crime and theft in Australia. Therefore, I will confine myself to this statement. But in any case, it is not recommended to click on the eblom (this applies to any country).
Cloth. Australian people
The local people dress very simply. Especially in the outback: a washed T-shirt or T-shirt, shorts, boots or slates on your feet, a hat or a baseball cap on your head. When collecting proceed from the same. Every motel has a laundromat, so you don't have to pack a lot of clothes. This applies to the Australian summer, in winter (June-August) it can be cold at night and in the evenings, sometimes the thermometer drops to 0, especially in the depths of the continent. Therefore, a warm sweater, jacket - will not be superfluous. By the way, I didn’t say anything about pants - Australians prefer shorts even in cold weather: sometimes my grandfather wears a down jacket and shorts with flip flops - it looks interesting.
The people liked it. Normal, without Anglo-Saxon snobbery, they speak funny, so if you don’t know the language well, you’ll understand, they are responsive - they will listen to your problem without really understanding what they want from them. When they get drunk they have noisy fun, especially the Irish - these are still those drunks, but they don’t hooligan and don’t pester
Literature
I advise you not to save money and buy Lonely Planet for each state.
For example, I have 4 guides: West, Queensland, Northern Territories and East Coast.
Plus, this is a DK for Australia, but this is a bad guide, very superficial, although there are a lot of photos in Russian.
Useful links for traveling to Australia
Momondo flight designer. If there is a lot of time and little money, it is better to fly through Southeast Asia or China.
– A car is required in Australia. There are no trains or buses in Australia. If you are only interested in Sydney, then it is better to go to any Europe - it is more beautiful.
Booking hotels and motels in Australia - without a roof over your head in Australia is bad. In addition, a hotel reservation is needed for a visa, and at passport control in Australia.
. - Better to have, although it's not required condition trips.
No vaccinations are required to visit Australia.
Experienced travelers are hard to surprise. They have already traveled far and wide across Europe, visited both coasts of the United States, took surfing lessons on Indonesian beaches and rafted down the turbulent rivers of Karelia. When it seems that all directions are explored, go to Australia - a distant and still exotic continent, the "melting pot" of the Southern Hemisphere. It is there that huge deserts coexist with green oases, and man-made wonders of the world are harmoniously built into a unique landscape. For an unforgettable trip, rent a car and arrange for yourself a road trip from east to west of the country with stops in the main coastal cities of Australia. Along the way, you will be able to see everything that is usually hidden from the tourist, as well as master Left side traffic. How best to plan a route, in which cities to stay and what to see, HELLO.RU learned from Airbnb experts - online platforms for travel and short-term rental housing.
Brisbane is one of the most dynamic and modern cities in Australia. The business center, which has grown over several blocks, with skyscrapers ready to measure their height with New York comrades, turns into one big noisy party in the evening. However, despite the title of the fastest growing city in the country, there are activities in Brisbane for travelers who prefer a relaxing holiday. One way to get away from the noisy life of the metropolis is to visit one of the main attractions of all of Australia - the oldest and largest koala reserve on the continent, Lone Pine Koala. It is home to 130 marsupials, as well as other representatives of the unique fauna of Australia - kangaroos, wallabies, Tasmanian devils, wombats, echidnas and many birds.
Reserve "Lone Pine Koala"
Today Sydney is a prosperous metropolis, but its history did not begin so rosy at all. After the start of the American War of Independence, the Americans refused to accept convicts from Great Britain, and the mother country had to look for a new place for exile. This place became Sydney. Almost 230 years later, only the architecture and the historical legacy left by the descendants of the first settlers remind of the old days. In general, Sydney is a city that "breathes" with innovation. Many advances were made in Sydney faster than in other cities across the country.
The Sydney Opera House, Aquarium and Observatory are three must-see places, but Sydney's main "attraction" is the nature that surrounds it. Golden beaches, harbors and numerous parks where locals love to gather for picnics ... Another Sydney natural wonder that is definitely worth a visit is located nearby. They were named so because of the smog caused by the fumes of eucalyptus trees and enveloping the mountains in a blue haze.
Melbourne is the Australian record holder for several indicators at once. The southernmost millionaire city in the world, the most sporting city in the country and the most comfortable city for living on the planet according to The Economist magazine (Melbourne holds the last "title" for the sixth year in a row). You won't have to go far for evidence. Rather, it’s like this: it will take a long time to walk, but you can do it while having fun.
Melbourne is planned in such a way that the main attractions are not scattered throughout the city, but are located nearby - just follow the same route. On the road, which is indicated in any guidebook, you will meet majestic monuments of colonial architecture adjacent to glass business centers, as well as many cathedrals, temples, museums, parks. With cultural life in Melbourne, too, everything is in order. In this it is similar to its official sister city - St. Petersburg. No wonder it is also called the "Cultural Capital" of Australia.
Port Campbell National Park The next destination - Adelaide - from Melbourne is best to go along the Great Ocean Road, which runs along the Pacific coast of Victoria, and also look into Port Campbell National Park, where you can see the unique group of limestone rocks "The Twelve Apostles".
Adelaide
The fifth largest city in Australia got its romantic name in honor of the wife of King William IV of Great Britain. Adelaide was founded in 1836 and received the status of the only free British settlement in Australia. The progressive and tolerant city at that time stood out favorably against the backdrop of Sydney populated by convicts. Today Adelaide is the capital of Australian gastronomy, festival life and... wine. Widely developed wine culture makes Adelaide related to Italy, in addition, during the construction of the city, the landscape of the Sicilian city of Catania was taken as a basis.
The main city of the west coast of Australia is a real treasure of Her Majesty Elizabeth II. Thanks to "isolation" from the largest cities of Australia, located mainly in the east and southeast of the country, Perth managed to preserve its originality and originality. Being one of the main industrial and business centers of the country, as well as the fourth most populated city on the continent, Perth nevertheless remains a cozy place where life flows in a measured way, and the locals are in a permanent state - slow motion.
The frantic rhythm of the metropolis, locals prefer walking along the endless beaches washed by the Indian Ocean, surfing, picnics in the parks and family trips to the countryside island of Rottnest, home to quokkas, cute animals and relatives of kangaroos. In Australia, they are treated with great care, and not so long ago, all the attention of the Australian media was riveted on a quokka that escaped from Rottnest to Perth on a ferry. Perth is the last point of our road trip.
From Sydney to Brisbane through beautiful beaches, subtropical forests, national parks and wineries. We invite you to an exciting tour of Australia - the only country-continent on the planet. The extraordinary nature of the distant and mysterious state, no doubt, will make a deep impression on you. You can visit its easternmost point - the town of Byron Bay, raft down a mountain river and appreciate the taste and aroma of famous Australian wines.
Australian road trip
Tour duration: 7 days/6 nights*.
Tour itinerary : Sydney - Wine Valley - Port Macquarie - Coffs Harbor - Byron Bay - Gold Coast - Brisbane*.
*The duration of the trip and the route can be adjusted according to your desire.
Tour dates: upon request.
Tour program
Day 1. Sydney - Wine Valley (175 kilometers)
Arrival at the airport of one of the largest cities in Australia - Sydney, where a car will be waiting for you. Departure to the Winemaking Valley via Cessnock. You will visit vineyards and wineries that produce famous Australian wines and enjoy their taste and aroma. Accommodation at Hunter Resort Hunter Valley.
Day 2. Valley of Winemaking - Port Makvori (269 km)
Today you will turn towards the coast and pass through the towns of Foster and Tankarry, which are located next to the Booty Booty National Park. Then the road will pass through Tari, and in the afternoon you will arrive at Port Makvori - a real paradise with blue water, golden beaches and subtropical forests. Accommodation at Quality Resort Sails.
Day 3. Port Macquarie - Coffs Harbor (175 kilometers)
Continue on to Coffs Harbor. It is a popular holiday destination with many beaches, rainforests and banana plantations. An hour's drive away is the Dorrigo National Park, where you can ride horses, walk through the forest and raft down a mountain river. Accommodation at the Opal Cove Resort.
Wine Valley, Australia
Day 4. Coffs Harbor
Free day. Visit the Big Banana Park, ride a toboggan, explore the macadamia plantations.
Day 5. Coffs Harbor - Byron Bay (240 kilometers)
Departure via South Grafton and McLean. Near McLean, turn onto Yamba, an interesting and beautiful coastal town. Continuation of the road along the highway to the north to the city of Ballina. Get off the road near it and follow to the easternmost point of Australia - Byron Bay. This town is known as a favorite place for hippies and true gourmets. It is very popular among surfers. Accommodation at Lord Byron Resort.
Day 6. Byron Bay - Gold Coast (105 kilometers)
Continue north through the beautiful forests of northern New South Wales. You will cross the state line and enter the state of Queensland. The Gold Coast is 70 kilometers of incomparable beaches with turquoise water, bordered by a green subtropical forest. Accommodation at the Australis Soverigh hotel.
Day 7. Gold Coast - Brisbane (80 kilometers)
Spend a day at the Gold Coast theme parks. Continue to Brisbane via the Central Highway. Arrival in Brisbane and the end of a great holiday in Australia. Drop off the car at the central office of the rental company or at the airport.
Gold Coast, Australia
The cost of the tour per person in 2017-2018: from $1250.
The tour price includes:
- double accommodation in hotels according to the program (single and triple accommodation - on request);
- basic insurance;
- car rental of the Medium sedan category (in Ayers Rock and Darwin - Suzuki Vitara / Toyota Rav4 jeep). Car pick up - 09.00 am on the first day, return - second half last day programs.
You can also take this journey in traditional Australian style - in a motorhome.
Additionally paid:
- international flight;
- visa;
- personal and other expenses not provided for by the tour program.
Note: The price does not include the age of the driver and additional fees for holidays or special events and must be confirmed at the time of booking. The tour price does not include insurance, taxes, one way fee, refundable deposit, and other fees payable locally.
44. On local roads there is no designation of a pedestrian crossing - "zebra", adopted in a number of countries. Instead, bright yellow signs depicting legs in motion. This is one of those types of road signs, the meaning of which is clear without words to both motorists and pedestrians.
46. Country roads in most cases are two-lane, but they are rarely congested. There are special pockets along each lane that drivers can use to overtake or stop briefly in the event of a breakdown or other emergency.
47. Busy trails are well-lit, so you can travel comfortably even at night. Enforcement of traffic rules at night is as strict as during the day, so you should not relax on deserted roads and neglect the established norms.
48. All filling stations have special electronic scoreboards, on which the cost of a liter of fuel of each type is indicated. Many foreign guests are frightened by the three-digit prices indicated on the scoreboard, the fact is that in Australia the cost of a liter of fuel is usually indicated in cents.
49. If within the city the cost of fuel for different gas stations differs insignificantly, then on country roads prices usually differ very much. At any gas station, drivers are provided with a number of additional services. You can pump up the wheels on them completely free of charge or wash the windows with special brushes with soapy water.
If there is a need for a car with an automatic transmission, it is worth reserving it in advance. Cars with an automatic are in short supply, and auto confirmation can take a long time.When choosing a model for trips in Australia, be guided by practical considerations: for routes predominantly in the city, take a car with small dimensions, while for long trips(and for the mountains) it is worth taking a more comfortable large car.
When handing over the car, ask the employees of the point visual inspection car for defects and the official signature of the acceptance certificate. Keep the invoice and acceptance certificate with you for a few more months.
Before returning the car, clean the cabin of debris, and do not forget to take all your belongings from the cabin.
You can always check our car rental offers in Australia using the search form at the top of the page. We assure you - you will not find cheaper!
50. For those who visit Australia for the first time, it will not be superfluous to install a navigator in the car. In the early days, for drivers who are not familiar with left-hand traffic, it can be difficult to keep an eye on the road and control the route at the same time.51. Intersections dominate in major cities across the country. roundabout. Local drivers moving in a circle and having an advantage always slow down and give way to motorists who are about to enter the circle.
52. Melbourne has a special rule regarding the streets on which trams run. You can only turn right on such streets from the extreme left lane. Before making a maneuver, you should wait until all cars moving straight ahead have passed.
53. Among the distinctive features of Australian roads is the presence of a huge number of road trains. Tractors with 3 - 4 huge trailers can be found both in large cities and on country roads. Overtake such a "solid" participant traffic is not an easy task.
54. All paid sections roads are located on the territory of large cities, between settlements All trails are absolutely free. Motorists always have the opportunity to use a duplicate free road.
55. On the map, paid sections of roads are marked in red or lilac, and free sections are green. A trip on a free road usually takes a little longer than a trip on toll roads.
56. If the arrival on the toll road happened by accident, then you should leave it as soon as possible. Such an action will certainly be regarded as a violation, however, the fine for it will be relatively small (for a couple of minutes of driving, about 10 - 15 dollars instead of 77 provided for unpaid travel along the entire section of the road).
57. If there is no urgent need to go to the center of a big city for private car, it is best to use the services public transport. This will save not only money (parking in the center is always quite expensive), but also time, which will definitely have to be spent looking for a free parking space.
58. Drivers who plan to use parking lots equipped with ticket machines should stock up in advance with a sufficient amount of small denomination coins, machines do not give change. It is also worth considering that maximum time parking is limited in many parking lots, so it is important to keep track of the time.
59. It is not uncommon for parking machines at local parking lots to fail and it is simply impossible to pay for parking services with their help. In such a situation, you should park the car and immediately call the number indicated on the sign to inform the operator about the breakdown. In such situations, the rights of drivers are never violated, if there is a free space in the parking lot, then you can leave the car in it.
60. Often in such situations, parking attendants are not aware of the breakdown of the machine. If one of the operators presents a receipt with a fine, then you need to calmly explain the situation to him and say that the telephone line operator has already been notified of the breakdown. No penalties can be imposed on the driver in this situation.
61. Motorists who like to ride in the countryside should take into account that there are quite a lot of protected areas in Australia. Entry into their territory is often paid, in addition, motorists are forbidden to stop the car on the side of the road and park it in the first place that comes across. It is best to check in advance for the rules in force in a particular area regarding driving in the countryside.
62. Special service zones are equipped along major highways, where you can park your car for free for an unlimited time. Service areas certainly have a toilet and a shop; drivers often stop in such places for the night to rest.
63. For those who like to ride through the scenic area, a trip along the Great Ocean Road will give a lot of impressions. It originates in the suburban area of Geelong and follows to Portland, along the road there is an incredible number of natural and historical attractions, interesting cities and villages.
64. One of the most beautiful roads in the world is Uluru, which runs in the northern part of the country. It got its name in honor of the incredibly beautiful red-orange rock. The track passes in close proximity to this world-famous attraction.
So our journey begins. There are no events planned for the first day. In your free time, you will go to the famous Bondi Beach, lie on the golden sand and catch a wave. Take a stroll along Malni Beach for an incredible sunset.
We will visit the most famous Opera House and the Sydney Tower. We will surprise how fish will swim overhead in a wonderful oceanarium. We will climb onto the largest Harbor Bridge, from where we will open beautiful view for the whole city. We will observe whales, bats, possums, ibises and parrots.
Day 3 Hunter Valley
Today we are tasting real Australian wines and at the same time enjoying a panoramic view of the city, in the Queens Whart Tower. Visit the wineries and gardens of the Hunter Valley.
Day 4 Port Macquarie
We're moving along the east coast. On the way you will have a great opportunity to visit the Koala Hospital where you will hug and pet the kuala. You will visit the white lighthouse on the Macquarie coast, from where you will watch whales and dolphins.
Day 5-6. byron bay
You are at the easternmost point of Byron Bay, the capital of surfing. Walk around the town, visit hippie markets and even see a street performance. For those who want parties and barefoot musicians, head to Nimbin town.
Day 7-8. Gold Coast
On the Gold Coast, there is something for everyone. Go surfing, rope jumping or simply laze on the golden beaches. For nature lovers, there will be the opportunity to visit the Big Pineapple tropical fruit plantation park, the fantastic Fraser Island or the real jungle.
Day 9 Brisbane
You are in the "City of the New World" or Brisbane - a city of skyscrapers, bars and restaurants. We will watch a beautiful panoramic view from Mount Kut-ta. We will visit the botanical garden and planetarium. For the rest of the time we will ride on the CityFerry and CityCat ferries.
Day 10 Rainbow Beach
Rainbow Beach is not only a beach, but also a city, albeit a very small one. Here everyone will find something for themselves. You can learn how to play the didjiridoo, learn how to surf, fish with your hands, or just take a break and sunbathe on your exciting journey.
Day 11 Hervey Bay
We stop at the small town of Rainbow Beach. Here you will have time to catch fish with your hands or skydive, as well as go through the Cooloola Wilderness Trail.
Day 12-13. Airlie Beach
We ride with the breeze along the Pacific coast. On the way, we will stop by Yungella Park, a land where clouds cling to mountains. On the Broken River, we will watch the platypuses.
We will end up in Airlie Beach, where you will have the opportunity to go diving or go on a helicopter tour of the coral reefs.
Day 14-16. cairns
Today you are on the Great Barrier Reef, in the small town of Cairns. Where you have a unique opportunity to visit the Russell River National Park, find yourself in the village-reserve of Kuranda, where you can watch tropical butterflies.
