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Public Holidays
When travelling in Australia, avoid
school holidays if you can. The Christmas season from mid December to late January sees
summer school vacations. The rest of the school holidays are roughly in mid-April, late
June to mid-July and late September to early October depending on the state.
National holidays apply to all states but other public holidays vary from
state to state so you'll have to check locally or look up the specific state.
Date 2003
Occasion
January
1
New
Year's Day
January
27
Australia
Day
April
18
Good
Friday
April 19
Easter Saturday
April
20
Easter
April 21
Easter Monday
April 25
ANZAC
Day
June
2nd Monday
Queen's
Birthday (Except Western Australia)
December
25
Christmas
Day
December
26
Boxing
Day (except Southern Australia)
State Holidays
Australian Capital Territory (Canberra)
March 3rd Monday Canberra Day
August 1st Monday Bank Holiday
October 1st Monday Labour Day
New South Wales
August 1st Monday Bank Holiday
October 1st Monday Labour Day
Northern Territory
May 1st Monday May Day
July 1st Friday Alice Springs Show (Alice Springs only)
July 2nd Friday Tennant Creek Show (Tennant Creek only)
July 3rd Friday Katherine Show (Katherine only)
July 4th Friday Darwin Show (Darwin only)
August 1st Monday Picnic Day
Queensland
May 1st Monday Labour Day
You should know : The Royal National (RNA) Show takes place in Brisbane around the middle
of the 2nd week of August and is a holiday in Brisbane only.
South Australia
May 18
Adelaide Cup Day (Adelaide only)
October 1st Monday Labour Day
December 26 Proclamation Day
Tasmania
February 2nd
Tuesday Regatta Day (South only)
February last Wednesday Launceston Cup Day (North only)
March 1st Monday Eight
Hours Day
April 14
Bank Holiday
Thursday after October 17 Hobart Show Day (South only)
November 2nd
Recreation Day (North only)
You should know : The Launceston show takes place in early October and is a holiday in
Launceston only.
Victoria
March 2nd Monday Labour Day
November 1st Tuesday Melbourne Cup Day (Melbourne metro area only)
Note :
Where New Year's Day and Boxing Day fall on Sunday the following Monday is observed as the
holiday. Other days are not moved.
Western Australia
March 1st Monday Labour Day
June 1st Monday Foundation Day
September Monday nearest 30th Queen's Birthday
Note:
Some non-metropolitan government areas choose to clelebrate the Queen's Birthday on a day
of local significance in lieu of the official date. Common dates appear to be the 1st
Monday in August or the 1st Monday in October.
Non-Holiday observances
May 2nd Sunday Mother's Day
September 1st Sunday Father's Day
Note: There is a Gay/Lesbian Mardi Gras in Sydney annually in February/March
Weekend Saturday, Sunday
Special Events
Some of the most enjoyable Australian festivals are surf life-saving
competitions, outback race meetings, which bring together communities all over the
country. Check out a list of all Australian festivals (and there are many) and there's
bound to be at least two or three while you're visiting. Look up
state/territories for area specific special events.
Health & Safety
Australia is a remarkably healthy
destination, considering most of it is in the tropics. Malaria, yellow fever, rabies,
cholera and typhoid are unheard of. If you come from a country where Yellow Fever
infections are common, then you need to be immunized. You'll need to carry proof of it.
It's also a good idea to keep vaccinations up to date. As a precaution, take a more than
adequate supply of any medicines that you need; carry the prescription as well. Visit a
dentist and carry a pair of extra glasses, if you use them, in case of a long trip.
Skin Cancer Alert! The
Australian government recommends the "slip, slop, slap" rule to avoid the
sometimes lethal effect of the intense Aussie sun - slip on a t-shirt, slop on adequate
quantities of sun protection cream and slap on a hat! Its a good rule to follow, mate!
Health Risks
Though Australia is relatively risk free, there are a few risks that travellers need to be
wary of.
Asthma tends to get severely aggravated in Australia. The main danger
periods are winter in the south, and April/May and October in the north. Inhalers are
available at all pharmacies, even without a prescription.
Heat exhaustion and heat strokes can be avoided by taking salt tablets,
extra salt and lots of liquids. Carry a hat and use a sunscreen at all times. Avoid
staying outdoors in the sun for long periods of time. Avoid strenuous physical activity
and take time to acclimatise to high altitudes and temperatures.
Prickly heat can be avoided by using talcum powder. Sunburn - by wearing
hats and sunscreens. In Australia, always use a sun block. Hypothermia and motion sickness
can also occur, so keep warm clothes and blankets and avoid smoking. Carry peppermints or
flavoured sweets to prevent motion sickness.
Dengue Fever and Ross River Fever are two insect-borne diseases. There
is no treatment for either. Though dengue goes away in a few weeks, with Ross River Fever,
people have been known to suffer after effects like fatigue for years altogether. It
usually occurs in eastern Australia. Just avoid mosquito infested areas and being bitten
by mosquitoes.
In an emergency, look up the
emergency and hospital numbers in the city you’re in.
Safety for Women
Women are pretty safe in Australia, though obviously one should avoid walking alone at
night, especially in cities and towns. Australian men are pretty respectful towards women
but this respect decreases as you go into the country. So watch your step. Avoid
hitchhiking alone at any cost. There have been many assaults on women hitchhikers in
Australia, so do be careful.
Weights & Measures
Australians use the metric system so things are sold by the litre or
kilogram and measured by metres and kilometres.
Electricity
Power is supplied at 220-240V. Although you can bend US plugs to make them fit into
Australian fittings, both British type two and three pin and American two pin plugs will
fit. Converters can be found in most hardware shops, but if your appliances are not of
compatible settings, then carry an adaptor in your baggage.
Customs & Duties
You can bring in anything into
Australia provided it’s for your personal use. Australian authorities are only
concerned about two things - drugs and quarantine. If you get caught with drugs, which
you definitely will if you have any, get ready to explore the inside of an Australian
jail for a long time. Australians are incredibly efficient in finding and prosecuting
criminals. A hang-over from their past maybe....
The other things you need to be careful about are plant and animal
products. Australia, by virtue of its isolation, has been relatively free of plant and
animal diseases common to the rest of the world. So to avoid any pests, weeds or diseases
from coming into the country, you have to declare all goods made from animals and all
foodstuff. In fact, there are restrictions on carrying food within Australian states as
well. There are also restrictions on goods (ivory etc) made from protected wildlife
species. Live animals are also not allowed, as are unapproved telecommunications devices.
Weapons and firearms are prohibited or need to be licensed.
Post & Communications
The postal systems are very efficient in Australia. Sending and receiving mail is not a
problem. City General Post Offices will even hold your mail for you in their poste
restante facility. Some private companies also hold mail for a fee. Up to 20kg parcels by
sea to the US and Europe and by air to the rest of world can also be sent at reasonable
rates.
The telephone network covers Australia
extensively. Many types of phone-cards are available if you're traveling all over and need
to use phones often. They're cheaper in the long run. Check out a newsagent or other shops
for booklets on the different cards and to buy a card. Long distance calls and
international calls are cheaper off peak hours basically - outside 9 am to 5 pm. The rates
depend on which provider you use. Most providers often offer specials, which bring the
rates down further. International calls are amongst the cheapest in the world.
Tipping
Tipping isn't the norm. Australia is
an egalitarian society, but nobody says no either! If you really liked the service or
you're in a very expensive restaurant, then leave a tip, generally 10% of the bill. From
July 2000, a Government Service Tax (GST) of 10% is automatically added to all bills,
irrespective of services provided.
English
Language Media
Australia has a whole gamut of
newspapers and magazines to choose from. Major cities have at least one big newspaper and
tabloid. The Sydney Morning Herald and Melbourne's Age are the two main
dailies. Australian - a Rupert Murdoch owned paper is the country's only national
daily. The Australian Financial Review is the country’s national business
paper.
Good outdoor magazines like Wild, Rock and Outdoor Australia are
available monthly. The Australian edition of the Time and Newsweek and the Australian
Financial Review Weekly and the Guardian Weekly are weeklies that are widely
available and good reading for current affairs as magazines from the US and UK arrive a
month late.
Radio and TV stations are well established. The Government has the ABC
channels both on radio and on TV. Triple J is the ABC's youth channel. It has great music
and is the pulse of the Australian youth. Imparja is an Aborigine channel broadcast all
over the country from Alice Springs.
Special Travellers
Student Travel
For student travellers, Australia offers many low – medium budget options.
Backpackers and student hostels, student discounts in trains and airlines and working
holidays. Check them out.
Gay & Lesbian Travellers
Australia is a blast for Gay and Lesbian travellers. The Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras
Festival in Sydney attracts many gay and lesbian travellers. Their numbers have increased
significantly over the years. Now there are special tour operators, travel agents, resorts
and motels exclusively for the gays and lesbians. These can be contacted at Gay and
Lesbian communities around Australia. Cairns and Noose in Queensland, Sydney, the Blue
Mountains and the south coast in NSW, Melbourne, Daylesford and Hepburn Springs in
Victoria are the regular haunts.
Gays and Lesbians are well accepted in major cities but homophobia
tends to raise its ugly little head as you go further into the country. In case of a
problem you can contact or call one of the counselling services in the city you're in.
Recommended
Reading
- Australia: The Unique Continent.
- Australia 2000.
- Australian Colours : Images of the Outback.
- Australia’s Wonderful Wildlife.
- Surfing and Sailboard Guide to Australia – Nat Young.
- Sydney - Geoffrey Moorhouse.
- A Short History of Australia.
- In the Land of Oz – Howard Johnson.
- The Reader’s Digest Book of the Great Barrier Reef.
- The Australian Aborigines – Kenneth Maddock.
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