According to vaoltedwatches, Australia (English: Australia) is a country in Oceania that has been independent from the United Kingdom since 1901. Australia is considered the largest island and also one of the largest countries in the world. The capital of Australia is Canberra. A number of major cities in Australia are: Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Darwin and Perth.
Australia is known for its vast deserts, impressive “red” mountains, waterfalls, rainforests and beautiful beaches that mainly attract surfers. Divers also love to visit Australia to dive for the many species of fish and coral reefs. The animal world is very extensive. Koala bears, kangaroos, the Tasmanian devil, the emu (large flightless bird), crocodiles and snakes still live here in the wild. There are also many animal species in the water, including 20 different shark species such as the great white shark, the tiger shark and the whale shark. Australia is known among adventurers as a perfect destination for backpacking.
States of Australia:
New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia.
Australia’s territory also includes the following territories and islands:
Australian Capital Territory (federal territory), Northern Territory, Jervis Bay Territory, Christmas Island, Norfolk Islands, Cocos Islands, Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Coral Sea Islands, and the Heard and McDonald Islands.
Where is Australia?
Travel information of Australia
Official name: Commonwealth of Australia
Continent: Oceania
Area: 7,741,220 km²
Capital: Canberra
Country code: AU, AUS
Population: 25,466,459 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Parliamentary monarchy
Highest point: 2,228 m (Mount Kosciuszko)
Distance (Amsterdam – Canberra): 16,626 km
Flight time: approximately 19 hours
Travel advice
Current status: No special security risks.
Current color code: Green.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), there may be (temporary) measures in place in Australia that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs in Australia, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to Australia. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, walking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Australia?
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay in Australia at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Weather and climate
When it is summer in the Netherlands, it is winter in Australia. Australia is large and therefore there are different climate zones. The interior has a desert climate. It is very hot there during the day but very cold at night. The south has a more temperate climate with warm summers and fairly cold winters. In the north is a tropical climate.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Australia can be found on our extensive weather page.
See bridgat for other cities and countries as well as climate and weather in Australia and Oceania.
Best time
April, May, August, September and October are the best months to travel to Central Australia. This way you avoid the hottest and coldest months. June, July, August, September, October and November are the best months to travel to Northern Australia. This way you avoid the rainy season. January, February, March, April, October, November and December are the best months to travel to South Australia and Tasmania. In these months you have the least chance of precipitation and the temperatures are the most pleasant.
Language
English is the official language in Australia.
Would you like to translate from or into English for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a passport that is valid for at least 1 day upon your return to the Netherlands.
A visa is required. You can apply for this via eta.immi.gov.au (credit card) or at the Australian Embassy in Berlin. This visa is valid for 3 months within a 12 month period from date of issue.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Australia: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Dutch consulate in Australia: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Australian Embassy in the Netherlands: netherlands.embassy.gov.au.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
You do not need any vaccinations to visit Australia.
Yellow fever vaccination is mandatory for Australia if you have visited a yellow fever country in the seven days before you visit Australia.
Money and Currency
In Australia, payment is made with the Australian dollar (AUD).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs in Australia can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
Prices in Australia are slightly higher than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is +15% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (2% cheaper), food (44% more expensive), imported beer in catering (65% more expensive), cigarettes (187% more expensive) and public transport (1% more expensive). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
In Australia it is not customary to tip. Only in the more expensive restaurants is a tip of about 10% expected, provided the service was good.
Time difference
– New South Wales: 10 hours later (winter time), 8 hours later (summer time).
– Australian Capital Territory: 10 hours later (winter time), 8 hours later (summer time).
– Victoria: 10 hours later (winter time), 8 hours later (summer time).
– Tasmania: 10 hours later (winter time), 8 hours later (summer time).
– Queensland: 9 hours later (winter time), 8 hours later (summer time).
– South Australia: 9.5 hours later (winter time), 7.5 hours later (summer time).
– Northern Territory: 8.5 hours later (winter time), 7.5 hours later (summer time).
– Western Australia: 7 hours later (winter time), 6 hours later (summer time).
We are talking about our winter and summer time here, because summer and winter time in Australia are opposite to those in the Netherlands.
Australia’s local times, dates, time zones, time zone map and exceptions can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
You must drive on the left in Australia.
To drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in Australia, you must have an international driving license or a legalized English translation of the Dutch driving licence. An international driver’s license is available at an ANWB shop.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Australia.
Electricity
In Australia you need a travel plug.
More information about common plugs and sockets in Australia can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 000 or 112
– Fire Department: 000 or 112
– Ambulance: 000 or 112
Tap water
Tap water is safe to drink.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to Australia can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Australia can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Australia end in.au.
Australia Official Websites: australia.gov.au and australia.com.
Telephony
The country code (international prefix) to call someone in Australia is 0061 or +61.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Australia? Then use the Dutch country code 001131.
(If you use a country code, you must omit the first 0 of the number to be called.)
You can find all area codes for Australia on Wikipedia.
Phone numbers can be found in the Australia Telephone Directory.
Company details can be found in Australia’s Yellow Pages.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos from Australia.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Australia.
Holidays
Australia’s national holiday falls on January 26 (Australia Day).
An overview of all other public holidays in Australia can be found on Beleven.org.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in Australia, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about Australia?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Australia. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in Australia can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites in Australia can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Places of interest
A number of well-known and frequently visited places of interest in Australia are as follows:
– Uluru red rock
– Great Barrier Reef
– Daintree rainforest
– Blue Mountains National Park
– Purnululu National Park
– Fraser Island
– Whitsunday Islands
– Kakadu National Park
– Great Ocean Road
– Crocodylus Park crocodile farm
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Australia? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, electronics, money and perfume. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. In addition, on this website you will find the laws and regulations regarding the import of pets and a list of everything that is not allowed to be imported and/or exported to Australia.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you intend to do business in or do business with Australia, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about Australia, including: opportunities, import and export regulations, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, business partners and subsidies.
Studying and internship
Are you considering a study, internship or gap year in Australia? You are by no means the only one and certainly not the first. To help you on your way, Nuffic (the Dutch organization for internationalization in education) has set up the WilWeg.nl website. On this website you will find all the information that can help you on your way, such as admission requirements, forms of education, housing, scholarship, internships, health insurance, study costs and of course experiences.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Australia.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.5.
– Tobacco: Buy from the age of 18, smoke from the age of 16.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Allowed
Did you know that…
…The 10 most deadly animals in the world all live in Australia?
…There are more kangaroos than people living in Australia?
…Australia has the largest population of Greeks outside Europe?
…Australia is surrounded by 3 oceans (Indian, Pacific and Southern Oceans)?
…Australians celebrate Christmas in the summer?
…The Boomerang was originally used for hunting by the Aborigines?
