OzTravel

This section is recommended for our overseas visitors before they come to visit Oz. Be prepare for Australia's dangerous creatures and make sure you avoid the school holidays. Do the quiz later to see how well you are prepared.

[Business Hours] - [Currency] - [Custom Regulations] - [Dangerous Creatures]
[Driving in Australia] - [Electric Current] - [Passports & Visas]
[Postal Services] - [Public Holidays] - [School Holidays] [Telephone & Time]
[Tipping] - [Frames]

Monday-Thursday: 9:30am to 4:00pm

Friday: 9:30am to 5:00pm

Saturday: 9:00am to 12:00pm

Public Service office hours are:

Monday-Friday: 9:00am to 4:30pm

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The Aussie currency falls into the following denominations:

• $100 note
• $50 note
• $20 note
• $10 note
• $5 note
• $2 coin
• $1 coin
• 50 cent coin
• 20 cent coin
• 10 cent coin
• 5 cent coin

The 1 and 2 cent coins have been abandoned and all prices that are not in 5 cent denominations are usually rounded up or down to the nearest 5 cents.

Australia has recently finished upgrading its bank notes to newer and stronger notes with plastic see-through windows.

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Any protected wildlife or items made from them are forbidden in Australia, and will be taken by Customs upon arrival. Items made from protected species may include clothing, bags, shoes, jewellery, ornaments and trophies. Foreign certificates stating that their products have been made from protected animals specifically bred for such purposes are not recognised in Australia. If you do have any such items, an import permit is required from the Australian Nature Conservation Agency. Consideration are only given to applications with written approval for export by the relevant wildlife authorities in the country of purchase.

If you want to bring live animals into the country you need to obtain a permit from:

Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service
Executive Director
CANBERRA ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA

If you are required to take prescription medicines, you should first contact an Australian embassy or consulate to make sure that they type of medicine and quantities are allowed in Australia. It is advisable to carry a letter from your doctor with the prescription when travelling.

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Box Jellyfish/Sea Wasp
Where: Along the coastal waters of Queensland and northern Australia
When: Summer (November-April)
Description: A sting from their long tentacles can be deadly.
Prevention: Swimming along the beaches north of Rockhampton during summer is prohibited. Avoid walking barefoot along the water's edge at this time.

Blue-ringed Octopus
Where: In coastal waters
When: All year
Description: Its bite can paralyse in 15 minutes.
Prevention: It should not be touched or handles under any circumstances.

Crocodile
Where: North and north-western Australia
When: All year
Description: The saltwater crocodile may be found in both salt and fresh water and is dangerous. The freshwater crocodile will attack if disturbed. When in water neither species is easy to see.
Prevention: Do not ignore local warning signs. Do not swim or paddle in natural waterways. Keep children and dogs away from water's edge.

The Three Common S's
Sharks: These are common in Australian waters. Swimming in deep water should be avoided.
Snakes: There are several highly venomous species of snakes in Australia. However, snakes have a shy and timid nature, so they will only attack if threatened
Spiders: The redback and funnel-web spiders and the two most dangerous spiders. The funnel-web is found in and around Sydney. The redback is found throughout Australia.

Insects
There are many biting and stinging insects in Australia. These included wasps, bees, ticks and ants. Their bite or sting is not commonly lethal but they may cause pain and discomfort to those people who are allergy-prone.

Stinging Fish
Australia has a few species of poisonous stinging fish. Among them is the stonefish which can be found all around the northern coastline.

When visiting a new area check with local authorities and learn to identify the dangerous species found there.

Availability of anti-venoms aren't a problem in Australian hospitals. If you think you have been bitten or stung by a venomous insect, the best thing to do is to take the creature with you to hospital so that the doctor can easily give you the right anti-venom. And remember DON"T PANIC.

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Down in Oz, strict drink-driving laws apply and random breath-testing are carried out. 0.05 is the highest legal blood-alchohol limit, which allows you to have 2 alcoholic drinks in the first hour and 1 drink every hour after that.

Seat belts are to be worn by drivers and passengers at all times.

Accidents must be reported to the police within 24 hours, especially if any person has been injured of killed.

As tourists, you are must have a current overseas driver's licence for the same class vehicle and carry an International Driver's Permit. You must be over 21 years old.

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A fee is charged if you wish to stay longer than three months or if you wish to extend your visa after arriving in Australia.

For Australian and New Zealand passport holders, a visa is not required. New Zealand citizens must apply for an entry permit on arrival.

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Holiday	Date	State
New Year's Day	1st January	Australia-wide
Australia Day	27 January	Australia-wide
Labour Day	3 March	WA
Eight Hour Day	3 March	TAS
Labour Day	10 March	VIC
Canberra Day	17 March	ACT
Good Friday	28 March	Australia-wide
Easter Saturday	29 March	All except WA and VIC
Easter Monday	31 March	Australia-wide
Anzac Day	25 April	Australia-wide
May Day	6 May	NT
Labour Day	5 May	QLD
Adelaide Cup Day	19 May	SA
Foundation Day	2 June	WA
Queen's Birthday	9 June	All except WA
Picnic Day	4 August	NT
Queen's Birthday	29 September	WA
Labour Day	6 October	ACT/NSW/SA/NT
Melbourne Cup Day	4 November	VIC (Melbourne metro only)
Christmas Day	25 December	Australia-wide
Boxing Day	26 December	All except SA
Proclamation Day	26 December	SA

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Australia has three time zones:

• Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the east coast
• Western Standard Time (WST) on the west coast
• Central Standard Time (CST) in the middle.

EST is 30 minutes ahead of CST and 2 hours ahead of WST. Be sure to check the time differences when calling, nobody likes to be woken up by the phone at 12:00 am!

Important Telephone Numbers:

• Emergency: 000 (Life threatening emergency - Fire, Police, Ambulance)
• Translation & Interpreting Service: 13 1450
• RAA Emergency Road Service: 13 111
• Poisons Information Centre: 13 1126
• Alcohol & Drug Information & Counselling: 1800 177 833

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