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Off to Aus? Want some pointers as to what to do and how to get around?
Thing to remember about Aus is that it is big. Australians think nothing of a round trip of 500 km to go to a party, or 800km to the supermarket. The nearest to Ayres Rock is 400km away in Alice Springs. The other thing is that the vast majority of Australia is desert. Equally don’t think that Australia is a land of constant sunshine because it isn’t - and if you want it's possible to ski in Victoria during the winter season and in the top end they get monsoon type rain, and it's very humid and hot.
For those of you who have watched Steve Irwin on the TV you will know that 9 of the world's 10 most poisonous things are from Australia so if you are a bit worried about this sort of thing should you be going?
Personally, I would say yes because there are so many wonderful things to see and do that I would need a whole travel book to get everything down. If you’re looking for travel books most people seem to use either lonely planet or the rough guide. Of the two lonely planet seems to have the better maps and public transport information whereas the rough guide has better information about what to do and where to go. You pays yer money takes yer choice.
To go to Australia you will need a visa that you can get from the High Commission in London, if you are reading this outside the UK then contact the Australian Embassy or High Commission in your country. If you’re under 30 and want to combine a trip to Aus with some work then you will need a working holiday visa. If you're looking for work then the Australian Government have a job search website click to go. On the home page there is a harvest link which points you in the direction of all the fruit picking etc available across the country, the site includes locations and the contact details of agencies that employ labour for the farms. The big cities all have hundreds of restaurants and cafes and if you have the experience they are often looking for waiting staff etc. Many of the backpackers hostels have boards offering work of various kinds so keep your eyes peeled.
If you’re going to work in Aus you will need to register for tax go here for the tax office website.
As mentioned earlier Australia is a huge country and there are long distances between the larger towns and cities, especially in Western Australia and the Northern Territories. Most Australians would usually fly when travelling between say Sydney and Melbourne but the costs can be high unless you are able to book ahead and fly at odd times. Check with Virgin Blue and Qantas who appear to be the only people who fly domestically in Australia, but if you know better let us know.
For information about getting around in Aus try www.bugaustralia.com who have an amazing amount of info about getting around, hostels, jobs etc. What many long-term backpackers are doing is buying a car or campervan for between £500 and £1,000 getting it serviced and then driving around Aus in the car. This can be quite cheap as you may be able meet up with a couple of other travellers and share the cost of the car. A campervan is even better as you can use it to sleep in and save money on accommodation. Added to this you will be able to sell the car/campervan at the end of your stay. I have even heard of people selling the campervan for more than they paid for it. When buying your vehicle make sure that it has a long warrant of fitness (MOT) and don’t forget you will need to pay for insurance and taxes.
As to what to see you’ll know as well as I do but when you get to Sydney - and your sure to get there! - don’t bother with a harbour cruise, just take the ferry across to Manly and you will see everything you’d see on the harbour cruises. And if you’re a Newcastle fan try the pub by the beach at Manly. When you get to Melbourne try to find what must be the scariest loo in the world. I won’t say any more than that but ask in the tourist information about it!
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Take the ferry
Ayres Rock
Wave Rock
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