On this site, we have collected some information about the country, its people and some important rules and regulations.

• History
• Population
• States
• Visa
• Traffic
• Time difference
• Climate
• Currency
• Language

Some details of above mentioned points are as follows:

History

It is understood that Australia’s settlement started thousands of years ago from the area of South East Asia. The ancestors of today’s Aborigines lived as hunters and gatherers, mostly along the north and east coasts. Since the European occupation of the land, this indigenous population has declined markedly from an estimated 750,000 to approximately 70,000 today.

Some European explorers landed in Australia prior to Captain James Cook, who was first to discover the east coast of Australia in 1770. He claimed the continent for the British Empire shortly afterwards. The first settlers, convicts and their guards arrived 1788 at Botany Bay, the harbour that is now the heart of the cosmopolitan city Sydney. Up until 1868 approximately 160,000 prisoners were deported to Australia.

The six(6) states New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania were founded and the Federation of States declared the “Commonwealth of Australia” in 1901.

As part of the British Empire, Australia participated in both world wars. Each year on ANZAC day (25th of April), Australia honours the soldiers who served their country with parades and memorial services. After World War II, Australia’s immigration rate escalated for a number of years. The current population is approximately 19 million.

Population

Nearly 11 million people are living in the following 5 cities: (figures are approximate)

• Sydney ( 4 Mio.)
• Melbourne ( 3.5 Mio.)
• Brisbane ( 1.5 Mio.)
• Perth ( 1.3 Mio.)
• Adelaide ( 1 Mio.).

The majority of the remaining 8 million people inhabit the East Coast, with the remaining areas being very sparsely populated.

VISA

It is necessary for almost every nationality to obtain an entry visa to Australia. Information should be obtained prior to your departure at the Australian Embassy in your country.

With your Individual Travel Plan you will receive the contact details for the Australian Embassy in your country.

Traffic

Be Careful, the Australian Police are very strict!

Australia drives on the left side of the road and the blood alcohol limit is 0.05 ‰. The speed limits vary from state to state in accordance with road conditions and traffic rates. For the safety of travellers, roads are well signposted in this regard, and the Australian police are very strict. For your increased safety and to avoid the high fines that could dent your holiday budget, it is recommended you do not exceed the Speed Limits set. On some days (e.g. start and end of the holidays, Christmas and Easter), the police charge double the usual fines for speeding. Take care – and enjoy your drive.

• the Eastern Standard Time (EST)
  in New South Wales, Queensland, Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania
• the Central Time
  in South Australia and Northern Territory
• the Western Time
  in Western Australia

The following table shows the times in different cities from end of October until end of March:

There are five (5) Australian Time Zones in the period from the end of October to the end of March, as Queensland (Brisbane), the Northern Territory (Darwin) and Western Australia (Perth) do not have daylight saving.
The following table shows the times in different cities from end of October until end of March:

Australia can be divided into four (4) different climatic zones:

• The tropical North has two (2) main seasons:
• The Dry season, May until October, is the best time for tours to Cape York, Litchfield & Kakadu National Park and to the Kimberly’s. The roads are in dry condition and the temperatures are pleasant.
  Recommended travel time: Autumn/Winter (May– October)
• The Wet season, November until April, makes waterfalls and rivers very impressive at this time of the year. However, you should take into account the following conditions which prevail at this time
• High temperatures combined with high humidity and heavy rainfalls
• Roads may be flooded and impossible to pass
• The extremely poisonous Box Jelly Fish appears in the seas around northern Australia at this time of the year – so no swimming in the ocean at this time
• The Subtropical “middle” part of the coast (north of Sydney and Perth up to the Tropic of Capricorn) can record very high temperatures and high humidity, combined with the occasional tropical rainfall during summer time (December until February). Temperatures in winter can get cold at night.
  Recommended travel time: Spring and Autumn (March – May and September – November)
• The arid centre of Australia is generally always warm to hot. The temperatures in summer time
  (December – February) can reach up to 50°C.
  Recommended travel time: Spring, Winter and Autumn (March – October)
• The more moderate area is south of Sydney and Perth, which includes the South Coast and Tasmania. The temperatures within this region are comparable with central and southern Europe.
  Recommended travel time: Late spring until Autumn (October – March)

You will find more detailed climate tables with average temperatures of different areas on each state information.

Cash and credit cards are widely accepted and you can withdraw cash from the Australian Banks ATM’s (Automatic Teller Machines) with every Mastercard, Visacard and Maestrocard.

However many English words are shortened and you will also find some completely new “Aussie” creations. The following is a short selection of some very common Australian abbreviations and exclusively Australian words.