AUSTRALIA

Australia is the smallest continent in the world and also the sixth largest country. The biggest cities are Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and the capital city, Canberra. The land Down Under is considered to be one of the best places to live as in the last couple of years, Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide was in the top 10 most livable cities in the world!

Due to its vast size, the Australian landscape is very diverse. Deserts, white-sand beaches, lush rainforests, snowy mountains, you name it, Australia has it all! There are over 10.000 beaches across the country with famous surf spots and coral reefs. Then there are the tropical and subtropical rainforests, mountains with stunning lookouts and waterfalls, vineyards, gorges and islands. The Outback, the vast heartland of Australia covers more than 70% of the continent, yet the population density is low and 85% of the population live within 50 km of the coasts.

You'll find native Australian animal species that can’t be found anywhere else on the planet, such as kangaroos, koalas, wombats, dingo or the platypus. Moreover, the coastal areas are buzzling with marine life, especially the coral reefs. Australia is also infamous for its dangerous animals - but honesty, if you heed warning signs and seek information, you might not even know they are there.

Australia is a multicultural country, strongly influenced by the British colonizers, the immigrants and of course the Aboriginal people. The Indigenous people of Australia represent the world's oldest surviving civilization. The Aussies are laid back and irreverent and their "no worries" attitude is contagious. They go to the shop barefoot or in thongs (flip flops), obsessed with sports and gambling, swear a lot also super tolerant with other cultures and people. This cultural diversity is visible in their cuisine as well - they combine British and indigenous origins with Mediterranean and Asian influences. Fun fact, Aussies eat their national symbol (kangaroo) along with crocodiles and emus.

GOOD TO KNOW

Language: English

Money: The official currency is Australian Dollar. Credit cards are widely accepted and ATMs are abundant.

Plugs: Type I

Safety: Safe with low crime rate. Australia is infamous for deadly animals, but they are not as common as you would think and most of them fear humans. Big cities are safe, but be careful on the roads and while travelling in the outback. There are heaps of precautions, just head the warning signs and you'll be alright.

Tap Water: Generally safe to drink, if not (in some rural areas), signs are displayed

Visa and Passport: Passport and Visa is required for every visitor, travelers can apply for a tourist visa online for free which is valid for 3 months.

Transportation: Public transport is quite good in the big cities, but you need a car to get around outside the center areas. Rent a 4WD (four-wheel drive) or use domestic flights to travel across the country and the states.

Driving: On the left side

Tipping: Tipping is not obligatory in Australia, as the workers receive a livable wage, and the tax and service charges are included in the prices already. However if you would like to show your appreciation, round up the bill to a 5 or 10$.

Internet: Internet can be slow and expensive in Australia, but it's getting better and also there heaps of free wi-fi hotspots all around the city.

Must try: chicken parmigiana (or parmy), bangers and mash, BLAT sandwich, prawn cocktail, fairy bread, sticky date pudding, pavlova, lamingtons, Tim Tams and Vegemite. Don't miss the world-class Australian wines and the locally brewed beers either!

Weather & Climate: Don't forget as Australia lies on the Southern Hemisphere, summer is from December to February and winter is between June and August! Also, central heating is not common, therefore even the mild winter can seem quite cold. Also, wear lots of sunscreen and a hat if you can, because the sun is scorching and you can burn easily!

The northern tropical parts, such as Darwin and Cairns has the most summer-like weather but also the most rainfalls. The summer is also called wet season as it is hot and humid with downpours, thunderstorms. Tropical cyclones can also occur in the summer, bringing heavy wind and rainstorms to the coastal areas.

Winter is the dry season, when the weather is warm (18 °C), sunny and dry. In the southeastern parts (around Brisbane) the climate is sub-tropical, meaning that the winters are cooler and the seasons differing more.

The Outback has desert and semi-arid climate, the sun shines all year round, rainfall is scarce and the temperature can reach 50°C or more. The best time to visit is from May to August when the intense heat can be avoided, though the nights can get pretty cold.

The southeastern region includes Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Tasmania. The climate here is temperate, the rainfall is distributed over the seasons. Summers are not so warm (around 20°C), and winters are quite cold, even snowfall can occur. The weather is very changeable, heatwaves and strong wind can often occur and said to experience four seasons in one day. The weather is cooler in Tasmania and along the southernmost coast, as well as in the hilly and mountainous regions and the highest peaks are usually covered in snow all year round.

The southern parts, like Perth and Adelaide has a cooler Mediterranean climate. In Adelaide, summer is a bit cooler and the winter is less rainy than in Perth, but overall the summers are windy and nice warm, winters are mild (around 5-10 °C) and rainy. Sometimes sudden heatwaves can occur, that can increase the temperature up to 40 °C.