Traveling to Australia on your own. Solo travel to Australia. Adelaide. Food in Australia. take away. Restaurants
Many have heard horror stories about giant grasshoppers, demonic ducks and killer birds that live in Australia. And they lie in wait around the corner for tourists who have gaped and strayed from the team. But no horror stories will scare away those who want to visit the very ends of the earth. How to inexpensively relax in Australia in 2020, we will tell in this article.
The trip will be ready on a turn-key basis, so vacationers will receive additional amenities. This applies to the transfer from the airport to the hotel. To apply for a ticket, you must contact a trusted travel agency, provide required documents, pick up a tour.
If a person goes on a trip on his own, then he needs to know the local language well, and first draw up a program for his own trip. This includes visiting attractions, planning excursions. Australia has a huge number of interesting places where you should definitely go and plunge into this atmosphere. This list should include visits to Kakadu National Park, Swan Bell, Sidney Harbour Bridge and many others.
If you use the services of intermediaries, then tourists are limited in the program. People who like spontaneous and drastic decisions are better off choosing independent travel.
Savings on the purchase of the tour
Travelers with limited financial means can save a significant amount of money on the purchase of a visa or tour. There are two proven methods:
- The travel agency should be contacted a few months before the expected date of travel.
- They come to the company when the plane leaves the country in a few days, and there are many empty seats.
If a traveler buys a tour to Australia in a year, he saves up to 35% of the total cost.
This rule also applies to the purchase of a ticket, when the departure is scheduled in 2-3 days. You can ask all your questions or consult with the operator of the travel company.
Subtleties of obtaining a visa
How else to save money on a trip to Australia?
The country is located on another hemisphere, so the summer period falls on the winter months in Russia. During the season, travel companies sell vouchers at high prices. To save on travel, you need to fly to Australia in the fall or spring. Between seasons, tourists are offered good discounts, and local residents do not overcharge for excursions, food and treats.
Australia has a huge number of advice centers that are ready to help tourists. There you can get a free catalog that contains a map of the city, useful coupons, discounts to popular establishments and tourist places. Thanks to coupons, you can dine at a 40-45% discount.
Before traveling, you need to take care of checking the validity of your passport.
Many tourists do not know that visitors will be able to return part of the money for buying souvenirs. If their cost exceeds 300 Australian dollars, then 12% of their price will be returned to the tourist. To receive compensation, you need to find a TRS branch, show the checks, coupon and passport to the specialist.
Attractions
There are several attractions in Australia that you can see for free. Tourists will be able to save on entertainment and diversify their vacation.
Hospital with pig statue
This architectural monument is located in Sydney near one of the hospitals. According to the generally accepted legend, every person who comes, throws a coin, rubs a piglet, will be able to become more successful and successful.
Monument to Charles La Trobe
This monument attracts a huge number of tourists due to its uniqueness. It was included in the list of the most original architectural monuments around the world. He is located in Melbourne.
The monument was dedicated to the first lieutenant - the governor of the colony of Victoria. The author of this masterpiece tried to demonstrate to everyone around him that it is not worth elevating people and making them your idols. The statue can serve as an ordinary monument. That is why it is inverted.
great ocean road
The Great Ocean Road is located in Australia. If you get on it, you will have a magnificent view of the ocean and rocky terrain. Every tourist who comes to Australia should visit this unique place.
During a hiking trip, you will have to walk a lot, so you need to take sports clothes with you in your suitcase. In this place you can take a huge number of unique pictures that will keep the memory for a lifetime.
To choose an inexpensive hotel, you need to choose cities with a small population. You can go on vacation when the influx of tourists and the season comes to an end. If you want to live in good hotel and save money, you can make a reservation 8-9 months in advance.
Many hotels and hotels offer tourists good discounts. It is important to remember that all of them require an advance payment to keep the place. If a person goes on a trip alone, you can consider options with accommodation in hostels.
And if you consider that tourism has been flourishing there for decades, then choosing an office for diving services or an excursion that you can afford will not be difficult. A huge number of Russian tourists arrive in the country, so you can ask them about their vacation. And they will tell you where you can save money without compromising on quality and comfort.
Australia is in demand all year round. There are not only luxurious beaches and the Great Barrier Reef. On this continent, you can engage not only in diving and surfing and take boat trips. Lovers feel great here too skiing and snowboarding. Buller, Buffalo, Hofamo will welcome you with open arms to their snowy slopes.
More Australia - in the video:
Probably, a trip to this green continent is the most desirable for both the young traveler and the older generation. But going to conquer the expanses australia, we face a number of problems, and first of all, these are problems of a financial nature. Where to get so much money for a dream trip? Yes it not the most budget friendly, but even here you can save a lot by planning your acquaintance with Australia wisely.
Depending on what goals and interests of traveling to Australia you are pursuing, plan your trip correctly. In this article, we want to give you some good tips that will help you get comfortable in the country of kangaroos, and at the same time spend almost nothing on the trip (of course, we are not talking about a visa and a flight). And let the Australian dollar grow, the country has a lot free and accessible places for acquaintance.
Visa and flight
Travel to Australia is an unforgettable adventure. But for its implementation it is necessary visa. Fortunately, Australians are very loyal to the citizens of Ukraine, so there are no problems when opening a visa. This is confirmed by thousands of Ukrainians who visited Australia without any problems. To open a visa, you do not even need to come to the Embassy: send all the necessary documents and a copy of your passport to the email of the Australian Embassy in Moscow. The cost of a tourist visa is $130. And they will open it for two weeks (sometimes in 24 hours).
Flight to Australia long and tiring, with transfers. But if your goal is to walk around the continent, you must accept this fact. As for airlines, their choice is large. You can find good air carriers, on board of which there will be something to do. If you use a search engine skyscanner, then you can find cheap tickets to Australia. It is best to book an air flight 4-12 months in advance. Save a lot of money. So a flight Kyiv-Sydney-Kyiv for one person in both directions will cost you a little more than $ 1,700. Traveling to Australia in the off-season is cheaper than going there by New Year holidays or Christmas. The most "budget" months are from March to May and October-November. Perhaps the flight and visa are the biggest costs for such a trip.
How to save money on domestic flights
For flights between cities in Australia it is best to stay on flights of local airlines - Tiger Airways, Jetstar and Virgin Blue. They are even somewhat similar to air buses. And such a regional company as rex is the most suitable option for foreigners: you can make unlimited trips for one or two months to Kangaroo Island or King's Island, as well as Coober Pedy. The cheapest tickets are sold on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. If you are going from the airport to the city, it is best to take a taxi (if you are more than 3 people in the company).
We travel from $1 per day
Australia has many wild places. And the cheapest way to get there is to use Campervaning. And if you are also unpretentious, then you will be paid extra for it. Campervaninig is a way to travel around Australia in a home car. You will get a vehicle, a specific route, and some companies will even fill you up with gas. Renting such a car for 6 people is $ 1 per day. Paying for petrol is a great publicity stunt by these companies, with which you can travel around Australia, paying only a few dollars for extra miles of road. So fill the fridge with groceries and go. The only caveat is that you have international rights.
Where to stay in Australia
If you have money, it is best to choose a standard hotel room with breakfast. But if you decide to save on accommodation, we advise you to pay attention to renting an apartment, a room in a private house or a hostel. As for the latter, they are worse than European ones. So find out all about them when you book your hostel. Accommodation in apartments or in a hostel will cost you three times cheaper than a three-star room. In addition, you will get the opportunity to meet the owners of apartments and local residents, so to speak, plunge into the identity and culture of the country (renting a 2-room apartment - about $ 500 per week, a two-bedroom house - $ 650-700 per week).
Many online deals can be found on the Mystery Hotel website. True, you first pay money, and then you find out where you will settle. There were cases when tourists got 4* and 5* hotels. Of course, you can also turn to the couchsurfing site, where people rent free housing for almost nothing. If you have something to offer in return, take advantage of the “housing exchange” deal: you are visiting an Australian, and he is with you at this time. You may be lucky and get a two-week stay in the heart of Sydney or in such a popular place as the Great Ocean Road.
Where to eat cheap in Australia
eat in Australian restaurants, pleasure is not cheap. Therefore, you should buy products in the markets or in supermarkets and cook on your own. They are always fresh and locally produced. To use the kitchen, the easiest way is to rent an apartment or a room in a cottage. You can also stay in a hostel, but find out in advance if there is a kitchen there. But there are catering establishments in Australia where lunch will cost less than a hamburger. By the way, tipping is welcome, but not required. Where are they located?
- - there is a restaurant in the old shipyard in Sydney "Doyle's". Lunch outdoors will cost you $13. Once you are full, you can go to the Sydney National Park - Sydney Harbour.
- - in the cafe Cutler & Co., in Melbourne, you can order seafood, chorizo and aioli for only $14.
- - at the Central Market in Adelaide, you can haggle to buy the best meat products and freshly baked bread
- - there is a restaurant in Brisbane The Crosstown Eating House in 20s style where you can have a great meal. If you order lamb cutlets, mint yogurt and gin from the menu, you will shell out up to $20 for everything.
- - in the city of Darwin in the market Parap Village you can buy tropical fruits - mango, papaya, coconuts, lime. Again, how to negotiate with merchants. But not expensive.
Where can you go for free in Australia
How about without a cultural program! There are a number of galleries and museums in Australia that are completely free to enter (unless they are traveling exhibitions). There you are top 10 free museums and exhibition halls countries that are perfect for cultural holidays
- - National Gallery of Victoria, International Art, Melbourne
- - National Gallery of Victoria at the Ian Potter Centre, showcasing Australian art, Melbourne.
- - Queensland Gallery of Contemporary Art, Brisbane
Where can you meet a kangaroo
Of course, visit Australia and not see kangaroo, this is nonsense. But don't think they just jump around Sydney. You can also get acquainted with the inhabitants of the country at the Taronga Central Zoo. But it's best to go on an adventure with wildlife into their natural habitat. In addition, no money is required to get acquainted with them. Where can one see local residents» Australia?
(Wilsons Promontory). These animals are not at all afraid of people. The park is located 225 km southeast of Melbourne.
Mobile communications in Australia
It will be the cheapest purchase a local SIM card and insert it into your smartphone ( about $30 per month). Small companies have the cheapest rates, but you can use the services Telstra or optus. For travelers, it is better to use the services of a mobile communication company Three. It is the cheapest, and even if it disappears, it automatically connects Telstra. The latter is caught in the most remote corners of Australia. In addition, this company offers high-speed Internet services, which is so necessary when traveling ($60 per month).
HAVE A GREAT HOLIDAY ON THE GREEN CONTINENT!
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Adelaide is the capital of the southern agricultural state of Australia.
First day in Australia. Adelaide.
Customs. Dead city.
December 28, 2009
It was one of the most memorable days of my life.
The sun appeared in the porthole, and it was the dawn of my happiness. Dawn on the other side of the planet and in the world to which my soul was so eager.
After 20 European countries, at some point I began to think that it was hard to surprise me. But Australia was the country that beckoned me as an impeccable and passionate lover, for which I experienced sincere, endless, but so far unrequited love.
Departing from Kyiv with big weather problems: minus twenty and ice, we landed on the other side of the globe at plus 40 and (in the literal sense of the word) in the future, because. The time difference between Kyiv and Adelaide is 6 hours.
Infinitely turquoise ocean with a bright scarlet stripe from the dawn and the emerging feeling of a dream come true! What could be more beautiful!
Adelaide - customs.
It seemed that the plane was landing almost clinging to the roofs of houses.
On an absolutely burnt out runway under the scorching sun, an inflatable Santa Claus was bored.
It looked very unusual and funny. 3 days before the New Year, and you are in shorts and a T-shirt under the scorching sun of +40 on the other side of the globe. 
The airport of Adelaide, the capital of the state of South Australia, in comparison with the previous airports of our residence: Changi in Singapore and Charles de Gaulle in Paris, looked microscopic and without much glamor, but very clean and tidy.
But what was our surprise when, near the table with immigration cards, we found samples of filling in many languages of the world, including Russian and Ukrainian. It was the first culture shock.
The second culture shock is the customs of Australia. At all international airports in Australia, ALL things from ALL non-residents are reviewed at customs control.
We were asked several times like: “Did you remember when you were packing your things?” After a positive response, the contents of all luggage, cosmetic bags and even a purse were completely revised.
In fact, it was a natural shmon, but Australian customs officers work so politely, culturally and psychologically subtly that you don’t get the feeling of a shmon for a second. My mind in horror rejects the option of imagining how it could look at Russian or Ukrainian airports if it were legally obligated to our customs officers to conduct a full inspection of things.
We had a bit of a problem communicating with the Australian customs officers. Because none of us knew English. Nevertheless, in the blink of an eye, to the mutual laughter, we went through customs.
It should be noted that the list of prohibited things and thorough inspection at Australian airports includes a lot: from the inadmissibility of bringing any products into the country to the absence of earth on your tourist boots. This is due to the fact that the land and climate contribute to the rapid reproduction of anything, which in turn causes Australians to have regular problems with the newly brought to the island and bred bipod-seed or animal (from camels to cacti).
Such thorough searches of things only on international flights. On domestic flights, security checks are very fast. And they can check when landing only in rare cases (if you are nervous or just selectively) for the presence of gunpowder and drug residues on your things (looking ahead, I will say that we were checked twice on domestic flights). Customs officers work very quickly, and there are almost no queues. A couple of minutes of pleasant shmona, and welcome to Australia!
First of all, we exchanged currency at the airport. 1000 USD we had enough cash (for 2 people) for the entire trip (18 days). Food, gifts, car rentals, hotels in major cities And flights we partially paid by cards.
To the city center, where I previously booked a hotel, the taxi driver drove very quickly and for 20 USD.
Dead city.
Having left our things in the hotel, we decided to "kill the worm."
Imagine our surprise when, after wandering around the city center for 15 minutes, at two o'clock in the afternoon we did not see a single person, a single car, not a single open cafe or shop!
On the central square, at +40, stood alone Christmas tree, and the city completely died out like a horror movie. We started to think: “Wasn’t the entire population annihilated? And didn’t the four of us stay on the “planet Adelaide”: me, my husband, the taxi driver who brought us from the airport and the administrator at the hotel!?”
At the 20th minute, we already began to carefully examine the signs on shops, cafes and restaurants, where we found a “wonderful inscription” “we are closed from December 25 to January 4.” The prospect of starving to death (another 8 days without food at all!!!) was not encouraging: my husband last “ate” on the plane 6 hours ago, and I, due to poor health, 20 hours ago. The last apple was selected at customs!
Went 40 minutes of our mindless wandering through the streets in search of food. The stomach began to give piercing cries: let's eat! And not a single open institution was found. The sun mercilessly burned in my head, my stomach screamed, the flip flops melted from the hot asphalt, and thoughts began to creep into my head: “Is this the Australia that I dreamed of?” 🙂
But there, in heaven, they decided to take pity on me and sent down three living Chinese, who purposefully went somewhere. We decided to follow them! These were the few "living organisms" on this hot "planet Adelaide" from the heat. “Three living organisms” brought us to a “cool Chinese canteen”, from one kind of unsanitary conditions I almost vomited. But as the stomach screamed louder and louder, the brain, after weighing all the pros and cons, decided that this “may be our last meal before January 4th”, silenced the screams and obeyed.
We must pay tribute to the Chinese, all "this horror" turned out to be quite a pleasant meal. And upon arrival in Ukraine, I learned and often cook different Chinese dishes.
With a "full stomach" we have already begun to get used to the idea of an empty city and have already begun to calmly consider Adelaide.
Adelaide.
Capital of the southern agricultural state of Australia, the Australians themselves consider it a village or a settlement of pensioners because of the calm and measured lifestyle. So it is, because everything is known in comparison, but they compare Adelaide with one of the most youth-driven cities in the world (and they are also representatives of this continent) Melbourne and Sydney.
I really liked Adelaide. The city stretched over a vast territory (mostly 90% are one-story houses). As my husband said, looking out of the porthole window: "This is some kind of endless tent city."
The state capital of South Australia is Australia's fifth largest city, with a population of over 1.1 million and an area of 1,827 km².
For comparison:
Dnepropetrovsk (Ukraine) - 1 million people, area 405 km², i.e. 4.5 times smaller than the area of Adelaide.
This is due to the fact that Australians do not live in multi-storey anthills, but in 95% of cases in private houses, add more adjacent territory, and you will get 4.5 times the area of the city.
Adelaide is named after Queen Adelaide, wife of King William IV. Approximately 70.3% of the total population of the state of South Australia is within the city limits of Adelaide.
After wandering through the parks and the beautiful embankment, we went to the room, because. the 6 hour time difference also affected, and at 5 pm the body insistently demanded a pillow.
Customs in Australia
Australia has very strict customs controls.
Any food, plants, animals are prohibited from being imported into the country.
Before leaving the plane, check that your hand luggage no apples, bananas, sandwiches, flowers, honey, etc. left.
For violating the quarantine, you can be deported from the country within 24 hours.
money in australia
In Australia, only Australian dollars are in circulation.
Banknotes of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 dollars and metal 1 and 2 dollars, as well as cents.
You can exchange other currencies for Australian dollars at a predatory rate in the only exchange office at the airport or with great difficulty at the bank.
And not every bank will perform such an operation.
No, they change money, but only for their clients.
It is clear that a tourist, moreover, from the CIS, cannot be a client of an Australian bank.
Let's say you found a bank that agreed to exchange North American dollars (bucks) for Australian ones.
Paperwork will take you quite a long time, you will be charged a commission for the exchange and the exchange rate will be better than at the airport, but worse than, for example, in Bali.
But do not go to Bali for the sake of exchanging money.
Exit: plastic cards VISA, Master Card
Yes, it is most profitable to take with you not cash, but plastic money.
ATMs in Australia are in any village or farm.
Cash withdrawal limit at a time: 1000 Australian dollars.
Plastic can be used to pay for a hotel, motel, car rental, tickets for domestic flights, gasoline at gas stations, a hot dog in a diner.
When traveling in Australia, take plastic money with you - debit or credit cards.
When paying for services or at the checkout in a supermarket, you may be asked if you have a debit or credit card.
In any case, answer that credit. Even if you have a Visa classic debit card or a Master card.
If you say that it is debit, then you will be asked to enter a pin code from the terminal. Do you need it?
All this applies to full-fledged Visa Classic and Master Card.
I don’t know about Visa Electron or Maestro. I have not. Did not use. Probably the same.
Car rental in Australia
Traveling by car is the best way to see Australia.
Australia is a continent, there is no need to open visas in order to get from the extreme north to the extreme south or from east to west.
You can also get to the islands of Tasmania, Kangaroo or Phillip by car, crossing with it on a ferry.
Australia is not Europe, the distances there are the same as in our homeland.
Roads are not always paved and not always in perfect condition.
Left hand drive, right hand drive vehicles. Gasoline is not cheap, but not super expensive as in Europe.
The price of a liter of gasoline depends on the state and on the place where the gas station is located.
The most expensive gasoline in the Center of Australia, in Outback, in the wilderness, where there may be only one pump per district.
The cheapest gasoline in the state of Queensland (eastern Australia). On average, a regular liter (similar to our 93) costs 1.5 A$
Which car to choose depends on the route.
If the route involves driving only on paved roads (asphalt), then it makes no sense to take an SUV.
If you are traveling as a couple, it makes no sense to take a minivan. Believe that no one will pay attention to the brand of your car.
I choose a car based on gas savings and rent. Traffic outside the cities, and even in cities, is calm, driving a car with a manual transmission is comfortable and more economical than an automatic one.
Do you need full car insurance? I did not take.
I tried to take the car without insurance at all. But without the Australian OSAGO, they don’t give a car for rent.
The car is given for rent with a mandatory minimum insurance. The price of insurance is included in the rent.
Which company to rent a car?
The first question would be:
Do you have booked?
The fact is that Australians book motels in the direction of travel by phone, using directories, booklets from gas stations, etc. advertising material.
A very useful guide in Australia is called Cook's Tours.
If possible, immediately find it upon arrival at the airport or at Comfort Inn motels.
Released locally. For example, I have Amazing North - in the North of Australia.
If you don't have a motel booked, the clerk looks at his notes and offers a room and price.
You can (should) take the key and go see what it is.
After that, you can bargain (I always and everywhere bargain). At least 10 dollars can be dropped. In one place they threw off as much as 50A $
You can say that I am, say, a poor student, that I pay cash, that you, Ma'am, look good today despite the high price for a room ... Turn on your fantasy.
Check-out in motels is strictly at 12. We left an hour late - pay for the extra hour.
Leaving things at the motel, you can drive around the area, find restaurants or supermarkets in order to cook your own breakfast in the morning: everything you need for this will be in the room, except for international motels - it is offered to use the motel restaurant.
Please note that most motel receptions are open until 17:00. Especially in the north, in Outback, small towns.
It is possible that you arrive in the dark and see closed receptions in front of your nose.
It remains only to spend the night in the car, which is prohibited in Australia and fined in the city for this.
That is, you have to go to the forests ... So take care of the lodging for the night in advance.
I did this: I figured out a stopover place on the map, preferably with viewpoints in the area.
He used to come at 1 a.m., dropped his things and went to see the surroundings, it happened that 100 km from an already packed overnight stay.
This applies to roadside motels.
Now in Australia, a network of private mini-motels, ranches, or whatever they are called here is booming. Bed&Breakfast.
As a rule, this is a farm, a ranch or a piece of private land of tens of acres, on which there are at least 2 houses: one for guests and the other for the owner. B&B are designed for 1-2 families.
If it is designed for 2 families, then be sure of your comfort: you will not encounter neighbors. For reasonable money (about the same as in motels), you will be offered more exclusive living conditions: in terms of size, furniture, linen and plumbing.
The price also includes breakfast. O! These Australian breakfasts…
Although the Australians are in many ways outwardly similar to the British, they prefer to cook, serve, eat like Americans - a lot.
I highly recommend paying attention to this type of accommodation.
Since there is no reception here: what time you arrived - at the same time they will settle and will be glad to see you.
There is no shabbiness and the feeling that a million people before you have already slept on this bed and sat on this toilet (I don't want to say anything - all accommodation in Australia is EXCEPTIONALLY clean, tidy and comfortable).
I'm not talking about Asian eateries in large cities, since cities were not interesting to me and if I stayed there, then only in good hotels.
Informal atmosphere, communication with the owners. You can roam around the ranch area or barbecue (very highly developed in Australia)
The only inconvenience of such placement is the difficulty of finding.
When you drive along the road at speed and see the B&B sign aside, there is not always room for maneuver, and even if it is in a village, you are tormented to look for it: there are no signboards, like in motels.
This is the only inconvenience. But things are changing, B&B is getting bigger.
An even more exotic kind can be attributed to the same type of accommodation for the night: accommodation at wineries and accommodation at pubs.
In southern Australia, Victoria, New Wales, Western Australia... grapes are grown and wine is made.
As a rule, wineries have a restaurant where they cook excellent food and a small hotel for 2-4 families. Well-known wineries organize wine tasting tours, and since drunk driving can put you in jail, there will be a hotel.
Imagine: after a long journey, drop into a shady oasis, take a bottle of cold wine, order meat, pies, cheese ...
Then stroll through the picturesque surroundings and relax in normal conditions.
But it's not cheap.
Pub rooms are less comfortable.
I would say that they are mostly viper, with creaking floors, antique furniture and nightly crackles in the hallway.
As a rule, the pub has 2-3 rooms on the second floor. Since the days of spree-walkers shooting at the ceiling are gone, it is safe to stay in the rooms.
This property is VERY popular with Australian and English tourists and booked a week in advance.
Other, youth and family accommodation in Australia is Caravan parks, campsites.
In Australia, traveling in motorhomes or as they are also called campers is very popular.
I had the experience of such a journey from Darwin to the center of Australia.
This is the cheapest type of accommodation for the night. Parking spaces for motorhomes cost $15-20A, including an electrical outlet, a water faucet to connect the camper, and a public shower and toilet.
Everything is very clean and in order.
In the parking lot, you can pitch a tent, or you can sleep in a camper if it is air-conditioned, powered by external electricity (there is an outlet for this).
At caravan parks there are units or wagons for those who are fed up with spending the night in a car or tent.
The trailer costs from 40 to 60A$. It has a shower/toilet, a fully equipped kitchen and a sleeping place(s).
As a rule, Caravan parks are located at the entrance / exit from the city, they have visible signs and a reception, which closes at 17-00.
That is, if you are late, then you do not have the right to stand on the site, although the entrance to the territory is free.
You can call in, connect and even go behind someone's back to the toilet or shower with a laundry machine.
But it will be necessary to slip away before 7 in the morning, as the clerk who comes to inspect the territory and catch freeloaders, calling the police.
In some places it is impossible to find other housing. Especially in the national parks in the North and in the Center.
Usually in picturesque places, near water bodies, in the north of Australia, the Caravan Park is a real opportunity to get comfortable in nature. I can also recommend this type of accommodation to independent tourists.
Hotels in large cities, I will ignore, I will only note that I wrote above about parking at hotels.
You should not worry in advance and book something: you will find everything on the spot. Especially the motel down the road. And believe me, in Australia, hotels are not the main thing. The main thing is the country itself, its people, and nature (flora and fauna).
Food in Australia. take away. Restaurants
Australia is a country of immigrants, like the USA. But here the Asian presence and influence is more noticeable. Especially in cities. At the same time, the majority of the white population of Australia is English and Irish, and food influences have formed in this way: Fish and Chips can be seen in every city, in every restaurant. It is common to eat from cardboard boxes, with your hands ... in general, as in the time of Charles Dickens.
Sometimes the problem of eating can become very acute. Especially when you fall into the time period from 2 to 6 pm, when lunch is over and dinner has not yet arrived. You can wander from restaurant to restaurant for a long time, bumping into closed doors. This is possible even in tourist places. There is only one way out: go to the Take Away eatery or to the supermarket. Takeaway is takeaway food.
Sausages in dough are common - hot dogs, and salads in pita bread - like "our" shurma. A lot of bread, little of everything else ... A kick to the stomach so that it does not growl. In the supermarket you can buy ready-made food: chicken, ham and boiled pork, salads, aspic ... In general, as we have in large supermarkets. You can buy ready-to-eat food and cook at a motel or campsite.
I came across good restaurants and restaurants where they served absolutely tasteless meat, which had to be peppered, salted and still did not differ in piquancy after that. How about a steak with shrimp piled on top with 1000 island sauce?
In large cities, the problem of eating is solved by a large number of national restaurants, but another arises: in Australia, it is customary to book a table in a restaurant in advance. That is, walk past a beautiful, half-empty restaurant with a view. Come in and they ask you:
Have you ordered? Not? Sit, wait at the bar.
But half the hall is empty! No, you have to sit for 15 minutes drinking beer in a bar until the time limit passes in order to cancel someone's order. There are no problems with food only in very highly promoted tourist places such as the Gold Coast or Harvey Bay - there are just a lot of restaurants and cafes there.
Tipping in Australia
Not nice.
Surrender is given in full. If you wish, you can leave something if you really liked it, but you will be welcome if you rake all the little things in your pocket.
There are restaurants that do not have a license to sell alcohol. Therefore, you can come to these restaurants with your booze, bought in a nearby bottleshop, put it on the table and you will be served, putting a bottle in a bucket of ice and giving out glasses. Is free.
There are a lot of Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Indonesian restaurants in the cities. In general, Asiatics cluster in the cities, but in the provinces they are rare birds. The province is mostly white and aboriginal, so the food is simpler.
The most affordable eater in the cities is food courts: a common self-service hall with tables and several distributions: some are for chicken, others for seafood, others for veggie eaters, etc. The food is of good quality, but like in any place of mass service without outstanding taste of dishes, plus plastic tables without tablecloths, some crowding ... It looks like food courts in Auchan stores. To be honest, I am not a fan of such establishments. For me, it's better to buy food at the supermarket and cook it at the motel. On average, food in Australia is spent less than in Europe and the US, but more than in Asia.
Alcohol. Beer. Wine
There is no problem with alcohol in Australia. Neither with their own, nor with imported ones. Taking something from duty free with you does not make any sense: Bottle Shops sell hundreds of types of strong and liqueurs at low prices.
Alcohol is sold only in licensed, special stores: Bottle Shop. It looks like a gas station. The entrance, as a rule, is located under an arch so that minors do not accidentally see how their parents load boxes of beer and vodka into the car. There is a rich assortment inside: vodka, rum, tequila, cachaca, gin, cognac, brandy, whiskey… liqueurs, wine, nutmegs, beer, cocktails… Everything is available. For example, whiskey is around $15-20A, a beer basket of 6 bottles is $10-15A, wine is $12-20A… 30% of all shelves are occupied by wine. Australia is a major wine producer. Australian wine is my favorite. In Australia, the cult of wine, so they drink and drink a lot of wine. Usually ordered in bottles. Served under an ice bucket. Wonderful white Chardonnay, chilled in ice, perfectly quenches thirst.
If you want to enjoy and taste, go to the winery. There are many of them in the south, west of Australia, in Victoria, in New Wells, in Queensland. Many wineries have excellent restaurants where you can have a good lunch / dinner, ordering a bottle of the wine you like. Beer is Australia's second favorite drink. Especially among Asians and young people. Beer in Australia is very good. The choice is huge. I can recommend the varieties of Tasmanian Cascade that I liked, the Queensland XXXX Bitter, the good Hahn beer, and the very popular Crown Lager. Each state has its own signature beer, for example in the West: Emu. The store can have 20-30 varieties of different beers. Fosters beer, famous for our advertising, is not popular in Australia. Didn't see anyone drinking it. Apparently quoted as the Baltic. Pubs always have excellent draft beer, dark Guinness is widely represented, but there are few fans of it.
National parks. Beaches
Australia has many national parks. Entrance to the park may be paid, for example Uluru in the center or Pinnacles in western Australia, or free and free, such as Devis Marbles in the center, Badgingarra, Lesueur, stockyard in the West, Port Campbell in the south, in the state of Victoria. On average, the fee to visit the park is $10A. In some places, the collection of taxes is entrusted to the machine and the consciousness of people, for example wave rock in the West. If your conscience allows you to save 10 bucks, slip away for free ... well, that's your right.
All the little sights in Australia are marked in guidebooks, brochures and accompanied by brown road signs.
It is impossible to embrace the immensity, Australia is very large, but there are places that must be visited. And it will be the calling card of the state. For example, the Northern Territories are Kakadu Park and Uluru, Victoria is the Great Ocean Road, etc. At the airport, hotels, motels, there will definitely be a stand with brochures for the main attractions of the state. Easy to use, do not neglect them.
Beaches in Australia
Swimming in the sea, in Australia, is a whole problem. Only in one place the coastline of the continent is protected from ocean waves - the Great Barrier Reef. Elsewhere, the coastline trembles with ocean surf. The water is cold even in the Australian summer due to the influence of cold Antarctic currents. Plus a list of troubles in the form of poisonous "sea wasp" jellyfish - a seasonal phenomenon, when thousands of these jelly-like creatures with long tentacles swim up to the shores of eastern and northern Australia and man-eating sharks.
The picture is bleak, and so it is. The Australians are forced to sit at this time in paddling pools, corrals, protected from open water by buoys with nets hanging on them. Maybe that's why it seemed to me that most Australians can't swim. I didn't mention the surfers. Surfing is a popular culture and sport in Australia. People of all ages are constantly sitting in the water, in wetsuits, waiting for "their" wave.
The bulk of vacationers stand waist-deep in water, sometimes crouching to cool off. An interesting contrast: cold water below, at the top it is so hot, as if blowing on you from a giant hair dryer.
Nevertheless, Australians are very fond of water. They bathe in pools, lakes, streams and rivers. By the way, in the lakes of the North and Queensland there is another danger - crocodiles. The danger is so serious that before entering the water, in an unfamiliar place, we intently looked around the water area of the lake for the presence of reptiles: they can be mistaken for a floating snag.
On the surface of the water, only the eyes, nose and partially back comb are visible.
There are very frequent cases when crocodiles dragged tourists under water, especially in places overgrown with reeds or backwaters near the sea. Dangerous places are marked with appropriate posters, but if there are no posters, still be careful, as crocodiles migrate and if yesterday everything was calm in the reservoir, today it may not be very good.
Trouble in Australia
Flies.
Flies are the scourge of Australia. They are especially annoying in the Center and Outback. No, they don't bite. They simply climb into the eyes, mouth, nose, buzz in the ears, in the hair, tickle, crawling over open areas of the skin. As soon as you leave the air-conditioned room and the skin warms up, you are covered with dozens of flies. The Australians are already used to them and just brush them off the face, and it annoyed the hell out of us, especially when you climb some viewpoint or eat outdoors. A hat with a mosquito net helps against flies, special fly creams (sold in supermarkets), and flies also sit less on light and love dark. Wear light-colored shirts and pants - you will be like a snow maiden.
Before the trip, I read a lot about various poisonous reptiles and spiders. To be honest, I saw a snake only once, on Kangaroo Island, and even then, the snake hastily fled from me into the bush. However, in many places there are signs about the danger of being bitten by poisonous snakes. But I think that if you don’t climb crevices, hollows with your hands, don’t lift fallen, rotten tree trunks (that is, those places where snakes usually hide from the heat of the day), then a snake bite will not threaten you. Snakes are good at picking up the vibration of the ground from a walking person and reel off before you stumble upon them.
Mobile communication and Internet
I didn't buy an Australian sim card. I left my Beeline and communicated on business via sms. When I needed to call my homeland or the USA, I used the Day break IP telephony card (there are many different cards in Australia, it’s just that this one suited me for these countries in terms of tariffs), dialing the free number 800-…, entering the PIN code and the number of the called subscriber from ordinary payphones. GSM is available, almost everywhere, except for perfect deserts, I know that calls from mobile to mobile in Australia are very expensive.
The Internet, as well as mobile communications, is very expensive (relative to neighboring Asia). There are not everywhere. The hotel may offer to use a telephone socket, that is, to communicate via modem. Wi-Fi is rare, Ethernet is available only in expensive hotels in large cities. Australia lags behind the USA in this, but it seems like they are developing their own Internet. In large tourist areas there will be public Internet access such as Internet cafes. Small ones are empty. Modem only. Where to buy a card for communication via modem - x.z. It should be noted that the connection via a landline phone in motels is paid.
Safety and Health
As I already wrote, there are unpleasant moments in the fauna of Australia. When visiting the beach, pay attention to the warning posters. Keep in mind that even a “sea wasp” torn apart by the surf can be dangerous. The consequences of being stung by the tentacles of this jellyfish can be severe burns, followed by scarring and even death (in the sea, just discard the skates due to cardiac arrest) When swimming in the lakes and creeks (gorge) of Australia, pay attention not only to the presence / absence of crocodiles, but also the fact that you can’t dive or quickly enter the water - there is a very high probability of running into a heated tree trunk or boulder. Try not to climb the bush in sandals, with bare feet.
However, this is unlikely, since the only way to get through the bush is with a machete or a bulldozer. When swimming in the open ocean, do not swim far from the coast - strong currents pass along the coast of Australia and you can simply be carried away into the open ocean, where a great white shark will bite you.
Australia has a very active Sun and is kind of like an ozone hole. I don’t know - I didn’t see it, but the fact remains: Australia has a high mortality rate from skin cancer. This does not threaten you, who have come for a month, but you can easily get burned. You can get sunstroke, so a hat is a must (sold locally, cheap, straw). In addition, sunglasses and sunscreen on exposed skin are required. Australia is not the place to sunbathe. There is a lot of sun there, so protect yourself.
I did not notice crime and theft in Australia. Therefore, I will confine myself to this statement. But in any case, it is not recommended to click on the eblom (this applies to any country).
Clothing. Australian people
The local people dress very simply. Especially in the outback: a washed T-shirt or T-shirt, shorts, boots or slates on your feet, a hat or a baseball cap on your head. When collecting proceed from the same. Every motel has a laundromat, so you don't have to pack a lot of clothes. This applies to the Australian summer, in winter (June-August) it can be cold at night and in the evenings, sometimes the thermometer drops to 0, especially in the depths of the continent. Therefore, a warm sweater, jacket - will not be superfluous. By the way, I didn’t say anything about pants - Australians prefer shorts even in cold weather: sometimes my grandfather wears a down jacket and shorts with flip flops - it looks interesting.
The people liked it. Normal, without Anglo-Saxon snobbery, they speak funny, so if you don’t know the language well, you’ll understand, they are responsive - they will listen to your problem without really understanding what they want from them. When they get drunk they have noisy fun, especially the Irish - these are still those drunks, but they don’t hooligan and don’t pester
Literature
I advise you not to save money and buy Lonely Planet for each state.
For example, I have 4 guides: West, Queensland, Northern Territories and East Coast.
Plus, this is a DK for Australia, but this is a bad guide, very superficial, although there are a lot of photos in Russian.
Useful links for traveling to Australia
Momondo flight designer. If there is a lot of time and little money, it is better to fly through Southeast Asia or China.
– A car is required in Australia. There are no trains or buses in Australia. If you are only interested in Sydney, then it is better to go to any Europe - it is more beautiful.
Booking hotels and motels in Australia - without a roof over your head in Australia is bad. In addition, a hotel reservation is needed for a visa, and at passport control in Australia.
. - It is better to have, although this is not a prerequisite for the trip.
No vaccinations are required to visit Australia.