Traveling in Australia, Part 2

Language and Religion
• There is no official religion in Australia. Churches can be located in most towns for both the Catholic and Church of England faith. Other general religions are Methodist, Presbyterian and Uniting Church. Places of worship for Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and other religious denominations not frequent to Australia will only be found in the major towns and cities.
• Need an interpreter? The telecommunications provider Telstra offers a 24 hour translation and interpreter service for an extensive range of languages. Dial 13 14 50. The local white pages telephone book will give more information.

Medical
• Australian nationals and New Zealand visitors are covered by Medicare, the national health cover scheme. It does not apply to visitors from any other country.
• Visitors should always get medical cover insurance prior to departure from their home country.
• Visitors will only require specific vaccinations if they have traveled through an area infected with yellow fever. Visitors passing through other countries when entering or leaving Australia should check the vaccination needs of those countries.
• All cities and most towns offer 24 hour medical facilities by way of private practice clinics or government run hospital amenities. They will be listed in the telephone book of the area you are visiting.
• Chemists are located in all towns and cities all over Australia. The Australian chemist does not operate the "soda fountain" type of drug store found in the USA.

Telephone and Communications
• In an emergency dial 000. This will connect you to the ambulance, fire and police services.
• Phone cards are a popular way of accessing the public phone system. Cards are obtainable from selected newsagents and stores. Select public phones also accept credit cards. Public phone call assistance is available by dialing 013.

Tips
• Australians working in the tourist, hospitality and transport industries are paid a minimum salary. Tipping is not normal practice but is generally considered a suitable gesture of approval when the level of service has exceeded expectations. A tip of around 10% would be considered appropriate.

Customs, Quarantine and Visas
• To enter Australia you will need an up to date passport valid for the duration of your stay and a valid tourist visa issued in your own country and entered into the passport prior to the travel date. New Zealand visitors are exempt from these requirements and are granted an entry permit on arrival. Visa applications are made to the Australian Embassy, Consulate or High Commission, as applicable, in your home country. Make sure you apply for the correct visa type. For example, if you plan to work, you will need to apply for a work permit which is generally limited to singles under 25 and which only allows for casual work to be performed for up to 3 months. Tourist visas are usually valid for a stay of 3 or 6 months. At the time of making your visa application you will have to sign an undertaking that you have an outward bound ticket and sufficient funds for the period of your stay.
• No duty is payable on personal effects. Adults may carry up to 250 cigarettes and 1 liter of alcoholic liquor in their personal effects provided it is carried with them. Duty and sales tax is applied to dutiable goods exceeding $400AU. Strict regulations apply to narcotics and prohibited substances.
• When entering Australia you will have to surrender all fresh food, animal and plant products and any unprocessed foodstuffs. You will be required to sign a statement to this effect. This is a quarantine regulation to prevent the entry of foreign organisms that may have a harmful effect on Australia's native vegetation, wildlife and farming goods.
• Strict policies apply to the import and export of protected wildlife and items made from protected species. Any such items will be seized by customs officials upon arrival.

Money
• Major shopping centers do not open on Sundays. Tourism oriented outlets do have a 7 day trade as do convenience stores supplying essential needs.
• Banks are only open Mondays through Fridays and usually only between the hours of 9-4. Most towns have automatic teller machines to cater for after-hours transactions.
• Australian currency consists of 5c 10c 20c 50c $1 $2 as coins. Notes are $5 $10 $20 $50 and $100.

Electricity
Australian electricity supply is 220-240 volts. Most electronics stores stock adapters for 110v appliances as well as adapters for 220-240v appliances with different plug types.