Australia

Australia: Various travel information

The national currency of Australia is the

Australian dollar (AUD) = 100 cents.

The Australian dollar is a fairly stable currency in which numerous people from Germany and Switzerland have invested their money.

Shop

Store opening times Store opening

times vary in the individual states and also in terms of whether you are in a large department store in a large city or in the country. But you will definitely find an open shop in the following time:

Monday - Friday: 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Cheap or country-specific goods, souvenirs

• Aboriginal handicrafts:
  • Boomerangs
  • Didgeridoos, wind instruments made from hollowed out tree trunks
• Wine
• Ugly Boots - chunky sheepskin boots that are currently in fashion.
• Kangaroo skins
• Rugby socks
• Merino clothing, Australia still has a successful textile industry. You can get very inexpensive merino woolen items here.

Melbourne, the shopping metropolis of Oceania

If you are looking for interesting fashion, Melbourne is recommended as the shopping metropolis in Oceania. Australians from Darwin, on the north coast of Australia, travel e.g. B. for sale to Melbourne, which is on the south coast of the continent.

Import and export of goods

The import and export of weapons, ammunition or explosives is strictly prohibited. In addition, the import and export of plants and animals protected under the Washington Species Protection Act is prohibited. Violation can result in severe penalties. In order to protect native plants and animals, great care is taken to ensure that no food, plants or even seeds can enter the country.

Duty-free

Travelers over 18 years of age are allowed to import the following quantities:

• 1,125 ml alcohol or equivalent
• 250 cigarettes or 250 g tobacco
• other merchandise worth AUD 400

Travelers under the age of 18 are allowed to bring in goods, excluding alcohol and tobacco, worth AUD 200.

Entry requirements

To enter Australia you need a passport, which must be valid for six months beyond the intended departure period, and a visa is required. The travel agency usually issues the visa. It is valid for twelve months and entitles you to stay for three months. When entering the country, it is essential to ensure that no food, plants, plant seeds, animals and even dirty shoes (remains of earth) are brought in!

It is responsible for issuing visas in Germany

Embassy of Australia

Wallstr. 76-79

10179 Berlin

Tel: 0049 (0) 30 - 880088-0

Fax: 0049 (0) 30 - 880088-210

Email: [email protected]

www.australian-embassy.de

Departure fee

In many countries, a fee must be paid when leaving the country. This fee is AU $ 38 when leaving Australia, but this fee is usually included in the flight ticket.

Since conditions can change quickly, you can follow current developments here:

www.customs.gov.au

Infectious Diseases

In Australia, the following infectious diseases, which are rarely or rarely widespread in Germany or Central and Northern Europe, are to be expected:

• Malaria: There is no risk of malaria in the country.
• Lyme disease from tick bites
• Dengue fever only in the north of Queensland, the Torres Strait Islands in the north of the country off Papua New Guinea (belongs to the state of Queensland) and in Cairns, a city in the north of Queensland.
• Intestinal infections from contaminated food or water, including amoeba, lamblia, salmonella, shigella, worm infestation and all kinds of viruses and bacteria.
• Hepatitis A and B
• Japanese encephalitis - but only on some Strait Islands
• Ross River virus infection - particularly in New South Wales, Tasmania and parts of Western Australia
• Rabies - only an occasional occurrence

Recommended vaccinations

when traveling to Australia are recommended vaccinations against the following diseases:

• Diphtheria - a vaccination against diphtheria should always exist, also in the home country.
• Hepatitis A and B
• Tetanus - a vaccination against tetanus should always exist, also in the home country.

Compulsory vaccination

For all persons older than one year and coming from a yellow fever infection area designated by the WHO, there is a compulsory vaccination against an illness with yellow fever.

Warning notices

According to the Federal Foreign Office, the WHO and other agencies, there are no risks in the country that go beyond the usual limits, but with the following exceptions:

UV radiation

The country is one of the countries in which there is strong UV radiation, firstly because of its geographical location, secondly because of the relatively dust-free air and thirdly because of the "ozone hole". It is therefore essential to ensure that direct sunlight is avoided and that sunscreen creams with a high protection factor (at least protection factor 20) are used. This is especially true for children for whom a sun block is appropriate (protection factor 30 and more).

Poisonous animals

Australia is one of the countries with the most and most poisonous animals. Particular mention should be made of:

• Brown snake, a very venomous and common snake
• Taipan, one of the most venomous land snakes in the world
• Death otter
• Funnel-Web, a very venomous spider that lives on the ground
• Sea wasp, a jellyfish that belongs to the box jellyfish. In their meter-long tentacles in the stinging cells there is a very dangerous neurotoxic poison that can very quickly lead to death. The warning notices on the beaches must therefore be taken seriously and strictly observed.

Bush fires

Every year - especially during the summer there - there are numerous bush fires that can spread very quickly.

In February 2009, for example, over 1,200 km² were destroyed by fires - with over 170 dead. This huge bush fire was probably the most momentous since the continent was settled.

Australia: Transportation

How do you get to Australia?

The traveler from Europe will usually arrive by plane.

The political developments of the last few years have made the overland route a very dangerous alternative, and the time required would be considerable. A few are also taken by boat, e.g. B. a sailing yacht, or as part of a larger cruise.

Those who arrive by plane will usually fly to Australia via Asia or as part of an Around the World ticket. A non-stop flight is not possible with the current long-haul jets.

Quantas flies Australia e.g. B. with a stopover in Singapore.

Since the actual flight time is around 20 hours, you should consider a stopover lasting a few days, which is often offered free of charge by the respective airlines.

Travel in the country

There are many different ways to travel in Australia. It should be noted that when moving from one state to the other, no food may be taken across the borders. A somewhat strange rule for larger car tours.

Air connections

For those who do not want to limit themselves to just one state when visiting Australia, travel by air within Australia is ideal. The plane is the main means of transport to connect the widely spaced cities.

You can z. B. book inexpensive domestic flights prior to departure with the overseas flight.

Or you try to find something in the country. In Australia, the air travel market is highly competitive, resulting in low prices.

Bus

Buses are often a cheaper and faster alternative to the railroad. The traveler can either buy single routes or tickets that are valid for several months and entitle them to travel a certain number of kilometers.

Railroad

The Indian Pacific train travels from Perth to Sydney via Adelaide.

The Overland train runs from Adelaide to Melbourne.

The Ghan

A railroad runs north to south from Darwin to Adelaide.

The train that goes inland via Alice Springs is called "The Ghan". The name is reminiscent of the Afghans who brought the camels into the country that were used to build the railway line 150 years ago. With the help of camels, workers and materials were brought into the interior of the country. Alice Springs was created as a stopover. After the railway was built, the camels were simply released. These were used to the climate in the outback and have increased to around 700,000 today. In Adelaide today, before or after a train tour, you can ride a camel into the outback. A trip on this train over 3,000 km through almost the entire continent from north to south (or vice versa) is a unique pleasure. If you have a well-filled wallet, you should drive 1st class,

Roads

In Australia people drive on the left side of the road and overtake on the right. The major roads are in excellent condition. However, you have to be prepared for animals that are mainly outside the cities on the streets. The huge "road trains" trucks with several trailers and of dimensions unimagined for Europeans also require particularly careful driving behavior, especially when overtaking.

Maximum speeds:

The maximum speeds in built-up areas are 50 km/h or 60 km/h.

Outside of built-up areas, depending on the road, 100 km/h or 110 km/h apply.

Per mille limit: 0.5

Trips through the desert

Trips into the outback must be prepared particularly carefully. The car used should be completely reliable. Australian cars are usually equipped with reinforced bumpers and sometimes bars on the windows. Kangaroos, which can grow up to 2 m tall, can cause significant damage to the car in a collision.

Make sure you take enough water with you on your trip. In the event of a breakdown, it is advisable to stay with the car and wait for help. However, there are now rest areas around every 100 km on a number of large highways - often with overnight accommodation

Car rental

Australia can be easily explored with a rental car or camper van. However, when planning the trip, one should consider that the radius with one tank of fuel is only small in relation to the size of the country. You can usually pick up your car hire at the airport, which can already be booked in Europe. If you want to stay longer, you should buy a car that you can sell again when you leave.

Corresponding offers, also for smaller buses, can be found in the relevant backpacker accommodations or in the newspapers.

Attention

You should definitely remember that you need an international driver's license that includes all information in English, which is a prerequisite for recognition there.

Ferry connections

There are larger ferry connections between Melbourne and Hobart (Tasmania) and between Sydney and Hobart.

Bicycle

The states of Victoria and Tasmania have recently started to cater more and more to bicycle tourists. The short distances compared to the rest of Australia make cycling an attractive way of getting around here.

International license plate

According to Abbreviationfinder, Australia's international license plate is:

Australia: Diplomatic missions

Visit Countryaah for a full list of Australia embassies and consulates in each country around the world.

Representations of Australia in Germany

The Australian embassy building is located on the Spree Canal across from Fischerinsel in Berlin-Mitte. The old building ensemble from 1912/1913 was completely renovated by the Berlin architects Braun, Schlockermann & Partner in cooperation with the Australian architect Bates Smart. At the end of January 2003 the embassy was officially opened. If you want to visit the embassy by public transport, you can use the underground line 2 - Bahnhof "Märkisches Museum" or the bus line 265. Both stops are less than 50 meters from the embassy.

Australian Embassy

Wallstr. 76-79

10179 Berlin

Tel: 0049 - (0) 30 - 8800 880

Email: [email protected]

www.germany.embassy.gov.au

Australian Consulate General in Frankfurt

Neue Mainzer Straße 52-58 (Main Tower)

60311 Frankfurt am Main

Tel: 0049 - (0) 69 - 9055 80

German Embassy in Australia

Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Canberra

119 Empire Circuit

Yarralumla, ACT 2600

Tel: 0061 - (0) 2 - 6270 1911

Email: [email protected]

http://www.canberra.diplo.de

In addition to Australia, the German embassy in Canberra is also responsible for:

• Nauru
• Papua New Guinea
• Solomon Islands
• Vanuatu

German consulates in Australia

For the individual regions:

Austrian Embassy in Australia

Embassy in Canberra

12 Talbot Street

Forrest, ACT 2603

Tel: 0061 - 2 - 6295 1533

Email: [email protected]

www.aussenministerium.at/canberra

www.austria.org.au

In addition to Australia, the Austrian embassy in Canberra is also responsible for:

• Fiji Islands
• Kiribati
• Marshall Islands
• Federated States of Micronesia
• Nauru
• New Zealand
• Papua New Guinea
• Solomon Islands
• Samoa
• Tonga
• Tuvalu
• Vanuatu

Austrian consulates in Australia

For the individual regions

Representations of Australia in Austria

Australian Embassy in Vienna

Mattiellistrasse 2-4

1040 Wien

Tel: 0043 - 1-506740

Email: [email protected]

www.austria.embassy.gov.au

Swiss Embassy in Australia

Embassy of Switzerland in Canberra

7, Melbourne Avenue

Canberra, Forrest, ACT 2603

Tel: 0061 - 2 - 6162 8400

[email protected]

http://www.eda.admin.ch/australia

In addition to Australia, the Swiss embassy in Canberra is also responsible for:

• Kiribati
• Marshall Islands
• Nauru
• Papua New Guinea
• Solomon Islands
• Tuvalu
• Vanuatu

Swiss consulates in Australia

Representations of Australia in Switzerland

Consulate

Consulat général d'Australie

Chemin des Fins 2, Case postale 172

1211 Genève 19

Tel: 0041 - 022 - 799 9100

Email: [email protected]

Tourist offices

Neue Mainzer Str. 22

60311 Frankfurt

Tel: 0049 - (0) 69 - 95096173

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