Traveling by road, you can experience the ever-changing landscape as you drive from the famous sandy beaches to the isolated interior, with fascinating Aboriginal sites, unique flora and fauna, and the colors of the countryside along the route. 
On top of all these natural wonders, there are many wine regions where you can savor internationally renowned New World wines; sophisticated, multi-cultural cities with excellent restaurants and lively and diverse art scenes; and the easy-going nature of the locals at every stop of your trip.
When to Go
The top half of the continent is tropical and has two seasons: “the Wet” and “the Dry.” The dry season (May–Sep) is the best time to visit because flooding has ceased and all roads are open. The wet season (Oct–Apr) is hot and humid, but it also offers spectacular wildlife and thundering waterfalls at places such as Kakadu National Park.
The southern half of Australia has seasons that are opposite to those of the US and Europe. The Outback is best explored in Winter (Jun–Aug), as summer (Dec–Feb) brings flash floods and high temperatures. Fall is temperate, and spring brings on stunning wildflowers, especially in South Australia and Western Australia. Summer means the time at the beach in Australia, and it appears that every Australian takes the latter half of December and all of the January off to watch cricket and work on their tans. Winter in New South Wales and Victoria sees snow in the mountains and wet weather almost everywhere else, although in some areas April brings the most rain, while in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, the most rain falls in January – often with amazing thunderstorms – the result of the sub-tropical conditions there.
Times to Avoid
Summer may be the best time to enjoy many of the coastal drives, but accommodation will be booked up well in advance.
Unlike in most of Europe, though, you can still find empty stretches of beach. Easter signals the end of the beach season and all of Australia heads to the surf for one last plunge. In the wet season, many roads are closed by flooding and landslides in the tropical north.
Australia Festivals
The Melbourne Cup, the famous horse race, does not quite bring the nation to a halt in early November as it used to, but it is still a big affair. All over the country, a plethora of spring flower festivals, sporting events, and art fairs take place and every region has its own annual agricultural show.
Getting to Australia
The vast majority of visitors to Australia arrive by air, although cruise ships do visit from as far away as North America and Europe. If you are flying from the US, Canada or Europe, be prepared to have a layover or endure jet lag for the first couple of days in Australia. Once you have arrived, domestic travel between state capitals is easily done by air, with flights usually not longer than a couple of hours. The exception being from the east coast to Perth, of course, which is around 6 hours from Sydney or Melbourne.
Arriving by Air
Flights to Australia can be very expensive, especially in December, the peak season. Off-peak or “shoulder” season fares are much more reasonable. If you can fly on short notice, check with discount travel agencies and online as the major airlines often release unsold tickets at the last minute. Australia is well served by dozens of international airlines, as well as Australia’s own Qantas, which has a strong worldwide network. Along with its low-cost offshoot, Jetstar, it operates the most flights in and out of Australia every week. Jetstar operates increasingly widely throughout Asia as well. Most flights from North America to Australia are offered by United Airlines, Qantas, Air New Zealand, and Virgin Australia, while flights from Canada with Air Canada stop at Los Angeles – virtually every airline’s last US stop before heading to Australia, although you can also stop over in Hawaii.
Key operators to and from the United Kingdom are Qantas, which stops over at Singapore, and British Airways, which stops over in Bangkok in Thailand, as well as Singapore. Emirates and Etihad Airways (based in Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively) have flights from London through Dubai to Asia and Australia. Virgin Atlantic stops in Hong Kong on the way to Australia, as does Hong Kong’s own airline, Cathay Pacific, while Malaysia Airlines stops in Kuala Lumpur from London. Most of the big airlines fly to Australia from major continental cities such as Paris, Berlin, and Rome. These include Qantas, British Airways, and KLM, along with the respective national airlines Air France, Lufthansa, and Alitalia. Several airlines “codeshare,” so if you book yourself on a Singapore Airlines flight you may actually find yourself flying on a Qantas jet, or vice versa. If traveling from Ireland, most flights will stop at London Heathrow before continuing on to Australia. From South Africa with South African Airways, Johannesburg is the main point of departure and Perth the most likely destination. One of the largest airline operators in Asia, Japan Airlines, also flies to Australia. Before arrival in Australia, you will be given customs documents to fill in. Foodstuffs and untreated wood are items that interest customs people, as they constitute a biological hazard. Officials will not hesitate to confiscate any food or banned items and issue you with a fine. Australia is a country with a large agriculture industry and it is vigilant on this issue, routinely using sniffer dogs around the baggage halls. Always fill out the customs form correctly and declare anything you are uncertain about rather than risk a fine, and discard uneaten travel snacks before landing.
Australian Airports
The main airports for international travelers are Sydney Airport (often called Kingsford Smith Airport), which is always busy, and Melbourne (also called Tullamarine Airport), which is much less frenetic than Sydney. Most overseas flights land at these two airports. Brisbane Airport and Darwin Airport increasingly receive Asian airline traffic, while Perth Airport handles flights from the UK, Asia, and South Africa. Adelaide Airport has direct flights from Asia, but for flights from Europe and North America you will be stopping in Melbourne or Sydney first. Hobart in Tasmania only handles domestic flights. Domestic flights are very frequent in Australia, and it is easy to add a domestic connection to your flight plans. It only takes an hour to fly between Sydney and Melbourne and Sydney and Brisbane, for instance. However, the costs are pretty high compared to traveling by road. Before booking, check what the luggage allowance is, as this can be lower on domestic flights and excess baggage costs are expensive. Always take into account the distance between domestic and international terminals if you are taking a domestic flight to your final departure point from Australia, and make sure you leave enough time. Check-in lines, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne, can be a problem.
International Flight Times
From North America, most direct flights from Los Angeles last around 14 hours. With Hawaii only around 5 hours from Los Angeles, a layover there is more of a luxury than a necessity, but can be worthwhile in one direction on your trip. Flights between Australia and Europe can take at least 24 hours with a minimum of one stop. A layover is an excellent idea, however, especially for those traveling with children. Asia is the most common stop, which leaves a much shorter flight of around 8 hours to Australia and ensures you arrive reasonably fresh.
It is also possible to stop over in Dubai, the most popular hub in the Middle East, then fly direct to Australia. Two or three nights is usually enough time to refresh and explore a little. Also, you might consider arranging flights so that they account for international time differences. Arriving at your destination in the afternoon, spending the rest of the day awake and then going to sleep at night will help to counteract jet lag by getting your body clock in sync with local time.
Arriving by Sea
Obviously, being an island, Australia can be reached by sea. However, most of the ships arriving are on around-the-world cruises or cruises taking in Australia and New Zealand. Companies such as Cunard, P&O, Princess Cruises, Holland America, and others do complete South Pacific cruises. While the cruises are limited and quite expensive, there are few more glamorous ways to arrive in Sydney than cruising into one of the most beautiful harbors in the world.
If you wish to take in Tasmania, Australia’s island state, on your trip, you can take a ferry, the Spirit of Tasmania. This journey south takes 14 hours to sail across the choppy Bass Strait from Melbourne. The ship has plenty of different classes to suit all kinds of travelers. There is also a frequent Sealink ferry to Kangaroo Island in South Australia.
Practical Information
Australia is a major tourist destination and has all the facilities you would expect to cater for international travelers. It is a relatively safe, friendly, and relaxed destination, and visitors should encounter few problems once past the customs counter at the airport. The standard of accommodation is relatively high, the quality of the cuisine is fine, and the major roads and public transport can cope with the number of visitors. The only caveat is that Australia’s Outback and coastal waters are wild and sometimes inhospitable places where those unused to the conditions can get into trouble if they do not stay alert and use sound judgement.Passports and Visas
Visitors to Australia must have a passport valid for longer than the intended duration of their visit. All visitors, other than New Zealand passport holders, need a pre-arranged visa to enter the country. For visitors from most countries, this will be in the form of an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA), which can be obtained through a travel agent, airline, or applied for online. This electronically stored authority is for short-term visits to Australia of up to three months. Another electronic visa that can be issued over the Internet is eVisitor, available to the European Union and some other European countries. No paperwork or special passport stamps are required for entry – the visa is stored electronically.
Travel Insurance
Most travel insurance policies will cover you for loss or theft of luggage and other property, as well as personal accident and repatriation in case of a serious medical condition. Delayed or canceled flights are generally covered, as are the expenses incurred because of this. Policies also cover lost luggage, allowing you to replace missing items (such as clothes and toiletries) immediately.
Note that if you do wish to undertake activities and sports considered dangerous by the insurer, this will generally require a different insurance policy or an extra premium to the normal policy. Read the terms and conditions carefully because coverage, excess amounts, exclusions, and deductibles vary widely. Also, check to see what kind of coverage, if any, is offered under your home insurance policy. Some credit card companies also offer limited travel insurance benefits if you use your card to book your trip or to rent a car.
Health
Australia’s medical services are generally world-class. Under reciprocal arrangements, visitors from the UK, New Zealand, Malta, Italy, Finland, Sweden and the Netherlands are entitled to free hospital and medical treatment, provided by Australia’s National Insurance scheme, Medicare. Note that dental emergencies are not covered under this arrangement, nor with standard travel insurance, so make sure your insurance policy covers this. Visitors not covered by these arrangements can face hefty bills for medical treatment, so ensure that you have adequate travel insurance. Dial “000” nation-wide for ambulance assistance. Most public hospitals have a casualty ward for accidents and emergencies but note that if your case is not urgent, waiting times can be very long. There are 24-hour medical centers in the larger cities that have shorter waiting times for non-urgent care, and most smaller country towns always have a doctor on call. The state capitals also have emergency dental centers.
Pharmacies are known as chemist shops in Australia, and they are generously scattered throughout the cities, suburbs, and small towns – often with competing “discount” chemist shops on opposite sides of the road. There is a good range of over-the-counter medicines, although the brand names of items you are familiar with may be different. A pharmacist will always be on duty and can assist with minor ailments. Foreign prescriptions will not be filled unless endorsed by a local General Practitioner (GP). Hotel staff, hospital, and medical practitioners’ staff will direct you to after-hours pharmacies as required. If you have medicines that you need to take regularly, always take the prescription with you.
Personal Security
Few areas within Australia are “no-go” for visitors. While a big city’s red-light district can be seedy, the constant police presence makes it safer than poorly lit suburban streets. Things can get very lively late at night on weekends. As with any country, take the usual precautions, however, and avoid poorly lit areas and parks late at night. Public transport is relatively safe, but hitchhiking, particularly for women or even couples, is not recommended. Taxis are generally a safe way to travel. Also, note that country areas are “early to bed and early to rise” – restaurants can have their last sittings at 8pm – so it is advisable always to have a hotel or RV park booking at your destination and arrive before dark to avoid wandering around in poorly lit places. In rural areas, note that if you need police assistance at night, most police stations will be closed, but dial “000” and an officer will handle any important problems.Disabled Travellers
Disabled travellers are very well catered for in Australia, and the facilities are usually excellent. Hotels, restaurants, most tourist sights, cinemas, theaters, airports, and shopping centers all have wheelchair access, and most nature park trails have wheelchair routes. While public transport can occasionally be a problem, there are radio taxis that have wheelchair-accessible vehicles in a surprising number of places, even smaller rural centers.
Tourist Information Centers, or Visitor Centers as they are sometimes called, are a great source of information regarding wheelchair access and facilities. The National Information Communication Awareness Network has comprehensive information for travellers, including a database of accommodation and services that have disabled facilities.
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