International Visitors

Travellers to Australia need a valid passport. Visas are required by all visitors traveling to Australia except for New Zealand passport holders.

If you are planning a holiday visit or a short business trip to Australia, you will need to apply for either a visa or an ETA (Electronic Travel Authority). An ETA will let you spend up to three months in Australia.

Australia is one of the most diverse countries on the planet, home to more than one million species of plants and animals, many of which are not found anywhere else in the world. To preserve the unique habitat, and to ensure the protection of all who live and travel here, Australia employs strict quarantine regulations.

Items of an organic nature such as  plants, food items, furs, timber and anything contaminated with dirt or sand will be carefully scrutinised and restricted or possibly prohibited.

A passenger movement charge of departure tax is included in the price of airline tickets. The charge is A$38 per person.
Exemptions apply to children under 12 years, 24-hour transit passengers or transit passengers who stay longer than a day if departure is delayed by circumstances beyond their control.

The Tourist Refund Scheme enables visitors to claim a refund of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Wine Equalisation Tax (WET) paid on goods while visiting Australia.

To claim a refund you must:

Spend $300 or more (GST inclusive), in the one store and get a single tax invoice.
Buy goods no more than 30 days before departure.
Wear or carry the goods on board the aircraft of ship and present them along with your tax invoice, passport and international boarding pass to a Customs Officer at a TRS facility.

Claims at airports are only available up to 30 minutes prior to the scheduled departure flight.

Claims at seaports should be made no earlier than 4 hours and no later than 1 hour before scheduled department time of the vessel.

International driving licenses are recognised, provided the information contained on it clearly indicates the types of vehicles you are licensed to drive in your home country.

For those from non-English speaking countries, it is probably best to obtain an International Driving Permit - this will be a translation of what is on your license. This enables Australian Police and rental companies to compare the license with the permit, and see what types of vehicles the person is allowed to drive.

Australians drive on the left hand side of the road. Routes are generally well signposted and the majority of roads are well maintained.

Speed limits and distances are expressed in kilometres and a speed limit of 50 kph is enforced in residential and commercial traffic areas, unless otherwise indicated. On highways and freeways the speed limit is usually 100 kph, unless otherwise indicated.

Drink driving is heavily policed and considered a serious offence. The legal blood alcohol limit of .05% is quite low, and can be easily reached by consuming  two small drinks over an hour and one per hour thereafter. Women may reach the limit more quickly as they metabolise alcohol differently.

Any driver may be directed by the Police to provide a breath specimen to measure intoxication. Refusal to provide a breath sample may result in arrest.

The minimum legal 'drinking' age in Australia is 18. It is recommended that you carry identification if you are going to a licensed  venue, bar or nightclubs.
 
If you cannot prove that you 18 years or older, you may be refused entry. Liquor stores may also ask for identification prior to purchase.

Please note that it is illegal to provide liquor to any person under the age of 18 (minor). 

Credit Cards are accepted at the majority of  retail outlets, restaurants and hotels.

The most commonly accepted are Mastercard and Visa and the Australian and New Zealand Bankcard.

Major hotels will also accept American Express and Diners' Club but these are less likely to be accepted by smaller retailers.

Please note that when booking or hailing a taxi it is advisable to discuss methods of payment as not all taxi companies accept credit cards.

Tipping is rarely expected in Australia. Exceptional service may be rewarded in restaurants, by rounding up by around 5 – 10%. It is also acceptable to round up a dollar or two for taxi service.

Byron Bay operates on Eastern Standard Time (EST).
Daylight saving is observed in New South Wales during the warmer months.
GMT + 10 hours in Australian winter
GMT + 11 hours in Australian summer

Australia operates with a triple pronged 240/250 volts AC 50HZ system.
 
Universal outlets for 110 volts (shavers only) are standard in hotels, apartments and motels.

Telstra payphones are common all over the country. Some accept credit cards, though these are usually only found in metropolitan areas. All other phones will accept coins or a Telstra prepaid phone card. Phone cards are available at post offices, newsagents and convenience stores.

Mobile phones with GSM capabilities can be used in Australia. The most common GSM standard used is 900 MHz, but 1800 is also used. 1900 MHz (used in the USA) is not used in Australia.

Internet access is very common with most built up areas having internet cafes.

Temperature:
To convert ºC to ºF multiply by 1.8 and add 32
To convert ºF to ºC subtract 32 and divide by 1.8

Distance:
To convert kilometers to miles multiply by 0.62
To convert miles to kilometers multiply by 1.61

Weight:
To convert pounds to kilograms multiply by 0.45
To convert kilograms to pounds multiply by 2.20

Volume:
To convert imperial gallons to litres multiply by 4.55
To convert litres to imperial gallons multiply by 0.22
To convert US gallons to litres multiply by 3.79
To convert litres to US gallons multiply by 0.26