Vacation Rentals in Australia
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Travel destination Australia.
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Destination
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Overview of Australia
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| Size |
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7,692,030 sq km (2,969,909 sq mi) |
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| Population |
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19,546,792 |
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| Language |
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The official language is English. Other languages like Italian, German, Greek, Vietnamese, Chinese
dialects and Aboriginal languages are retained by minorities. |
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| Time Zone |
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GMT+10 (Eastern Standard Time), GMT+9.5 (Central Time), GMT+8 (Western Time) |
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| Electricity |
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220/240 volts AC, 50Hz. Three-pin plugs are in use, however sockets are different from those
found in most countries and an adaptor socket may be needed. |
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| Clothing |
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Lightweight cottons and linens in summer, warmer mediumweights in winter. Waterproofing is
advisable throughout most of the year, particularly in winter. Sunglasses, sunhats and sunblock
lotion are recommended year round in the north and during the summer months in the south. |
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| Religion |
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75% Christian, 1% Muslim, 1% Buddhist, 0.5% Jewish |
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| Currency |
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Australian Dollar (AUD)
Currency Converter |
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Location of Australia
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Australia lies between the Pacific and Indian Oceans - a vast island continent situated south of Indonesia
and Papua New Guinea. The world's sixth-largest country, Australia measures some 4000 km (2500 mi)
east to west and 3200 km (2000 mi) north to south. Much of the interior of the country is flat, barren and
sparsely populated. The bulk of the population lives on the narrow, fertile eastern coastal plain and on
the southeastern coast. The continent-long Great Dividing Range runs north-south down the eastern seaboard,
separating the coastal plain from the drier inland areas. The Great Barrier Reef lies 50-300 km (30-185 mi)
offshore and extends 2000 km (1240 mi) from Torres Strait to Gladstone |
Climate in Australia
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Australia is in the southern hemisphere and the seasons are opposite to those in Europe and North America.
Summer starts in December, autumn in March, winter in June and spring in September. Seasonal variations
in temperature are not extreme except in the deserts, where scorching daytime temperatures can approach
freezing by night. Otherwise, it's rare for temperatures to drop below zero on the mainland except in
the mountains. As you head north, the seasonal variations become even less distinct except that summer
is much wetter and more humid. Darwin, in the far north, is in the monsoon belt, where there are just
two seasons: hot and wet (when floods can occur) and hot and dry. |
Best Time to Travel to Australia
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Any time is a good time to be in Australia. Summer (December to February) can get uncomfortably hot
but it's great beach weather. Up north, the summer wet season is very, very humid and the sea is
swarming with box jellyfish. Winter (June to August) offers skiing in NSW and Victoria. In spring
and autumn the weather is mild. |
Attractions in Australia
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Australia's arts festivals attract culture vultures from all over Australia to see mainstream and fringe
drama, dance, music and visual arts. The huge Festival of Sydney, which takes up most of January, is the
umbrella for a number of events from open air concerts, to street theatre and fireworks. The Adelaide Arts
Festival takes place at the beginning of March in even-numbered years. In odd-numbered years, Womadelaide,
Adelaide's outdoor festival of world music and dance, takes care of February. Melbourne has a Comedy Festival
in April, the world's biggest Writers' Festival in September and the fabulous Melbourne International
Festival in October. A couple of festivals to celebrate Aboriginal arts and culture include the Stompen
Ground Festival, which is held in Broome in October and the Barunga Wugularr Sports & Cultural Festival,
held near Katherine in June.
Sporty fun includes Darwin's Beer Can Regatta in August, when a series of boat races are held for craft
constructed entirely of beer cans; Alice Spings holds the Henley-on-Todd, a boat race 'run' on a dry river bed.
More mainstream events include the Sydney to Hobart yacht race (from Boxing Day); the Australian Open
tennis championship (Melbourne in January); the Australian Grand Prix (Melbourne in March); Australian Rules
Football (around the country from March to September); and the country-stopping Melbourne Cup on the
first Tuesday in November. |
Society in Australia
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A largely informal atmosphere prevails; shaking hands is the customary greeting. Casual wear is
worn everywhere except in the most exclusive restaurants, social gatherings and important business meetings.
Most restaurants forbid smoking.
Tipping: Not as common as it is in Europe and America nor is a service
charge added to the bill in restaurants. 10 per cent for food and drink waiters is usual in top-quality
restaurants, but is optional elsewhere. With taxis it is usual not to tip but round up the cost to the
next dollar. |
Food in Australia
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There are numerous speciality dishes and foods including Sydney rock oysters, barramundi (freshwater fish),
tiger prawns, macadamia nuts and yabbies (small freshwater lobsters). Beef is the most popular meat and
lamb is also of a high quality. There is a wide variety of excellent fruits and vegetables. Service is European-style
and varies from waitress and waiter service to self-service. Bistros, cafes, family-style restaurants and ’pub’
lunches at the counter offer good food at reasonable prices. Some restaurants will allow guests to bring their
own alcohol and are called ‘BYO’ restaurants. Australia also offers an enormous variety of cuisines, including
Italian, French, Greek, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Thai, Japanese, Indian, African, Lebanese and
Korean.
The major vineyards (wineries) are outside Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Canberra and Adelaide.
The largest single wine-growing region is in the Barossa Valley, South Australia, 2 hours’ drive from Adelaide,
where high-quality red and white wines are produced. Australian wines are good and inexpensive. Beer is served
chilled. Drinking age is 18 years or over. |
Visa for Australia
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Every nationality except New Zealanders need visas. Tourist visas and Electronic Travel Authority (ETA)
visas are valid for three months. ETAs are just under USD 11; standard visas cost USD 35. Longer-term visas
can be applied for. |
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