BSAC TRAVEL CLUB - Australia

TRAVEL CLUB

Australia

Australia: the land of plenty - A diver's paradise. How do you begin to describe the diving to be found on this huge continent? From the Tropics in the north to the more temperate waters of the south, Australia has lots to offer the diver and indeed the traveller. There are restaurants and accommodations to suit every pocket and the food is renowned for its quality. Internal travel is easy as long as you allow yourself enough time to acclimatise sensibly. Australia is a destination that offers innumerable holiday variations and can appeal to every type of traveller from the eco enthusiast, the adventurer, families, wine lovers, luxury lovers. The options are limitless.
Ayers Rock

To the diver, Australia is famed for its Great Barrier Reef which is a site of remarkable variety and beauty on the north-east coast of Australia. It contains the world's largest collection of coral reefs, with 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish and 4,000 types of mollusc. It also holds great scientific interest as the habitat of species such as the dugong ('sea cow') and the large green turtle, which are threatened with extinction.
However, there is much more to Australia than the Great Barrier Reef – it’s a huge continent just waiting for you to discover. Read on….

Climate

Being such a vast continent you can expect different climates depending on where you are. The Australian winter is certainly the best time to visit the Northern territory as it dips to a pleasant 28-30°C by day. At the same time, Tasmania, Sydney and Perth will be shivering in 9-12°C and below. Check individual states for a more detailed temperature description.

Vaccinations & other precautions

Generally no special vaccinations or precautions are necessary for Australia, except perhaps the sun. Australia is on skin-cancer alert and you will be bombarded with messages about covering up and slapping on the factor 30+, all with good reason. All good diver operators will have complimentary sun cream on board but be warned Australian sun cream is about as thick as Zinc cream, impossible to rub-in properly and you will end up with a greasy white coating that you can never quite lose!

Australia has bugs galore, some quite harmless, others not so friendly. Mosquitoes are plentiful but not Malaria carrying. Insect repellant is definitely a must-carry though, if only to preserve your sanity, the flies are the most persistent in the world - bar none!

Getting there from the UK

There are numerous airlines and tour operators offering holidays, even diving packages in Australia. If you are travelling independently it is worth scouring the Sunday papers for special deals to Australia. Bear in mind that their seasons are reversed so the most cost effective time to fly is during the British summer, but this can mean the temperatures are relatively cool in Australia.

It's a real slog to do the trip in one go, if you can, try to break your journey with a stop over, which are generally included at no extra cost. It helps to tame the jet lag as well, but the down side is that you lose precious days from your stay in Australia. Hint: Singapore's Changi Airport has a swimming pool and a sun deck, you can rent towels (and costumes), even if you have a couple of hours to kill, it is a great way to get the blood flowing again, enjoy some sunshine, and pass the time before you have to get back on your plane for the next leg.

Getting around in Australia

Distances in Australia should not be underestimated, it's not like a quick trip on the motorway from London to Birmingham, trips are measured in days not hours there! Internal flights are by far the best way to get around if time is short but they can be expensive if purchased in Australia. If you can, get a deal incorporating domestic flights with your international ticket, it will save you money. The 2 main carriers are Qantas and Virgin Blue, both offer travel passes, giving you a number of internal flights as add-ons to your international ticket. These travel passes are completely flexible giving you time and date changes for free and if you need to change your route, it can be done for a nominal fee.

Interstate Buses

There are several companies offering bus trips linking the larger towns and cities along the coast (and the interior). Aimed more towards the back-packer end of the market, they are punctual and safe and more importantly a cost effective way to get around. So stock up on supplies, sit back and enjoy the scenery, there's a lot of it!

Hire Cars

Hiring a vehicle is the most flexible way to get around, its relatively cheap and best news of all, they drive on the left! A camper van is a great way to see the country and visit different spots but count on weeks rather than days to even cover a single state. The roads are good, well sign posted and relatively empty, (except for kangaroos with a death wish!) Driving is easy and pleasurable until twilight falls, when Australia's wildlife seems to migrate to the roadside and wait for an unsuspecting Brit to drive up. The roads are sadly littered with dead animals but most pertinent to you as a hire car driver, is the damage that they can and do cause, to cars/camper vans. It is well worth considering paying the excess to cover for 'roo-damage' as it is a common occurrence with expensive consequences. Petrol is slightly cheaper than the UK but with distances being so great, you'll be filling up constantly. 600km per day is about the average distance you can cover in a day in daylight.

Trains

With the exception of the Sydney metropolis, Australia does not have an extensive network of trains. Brisbane to Cairns has several trains running but other than that the only 2 trains of interest to tourists are the 'Indian Pacific' which runs from Sydney to Perth (via Adelaide or Melbourne), and 'The Ghan' from Adelaide to Darwin (via Alice Springs). There is a choice of sleeper cabins or reclining seats and both take about 3 and a half days to traverse the continent. Prices are quite expensive at approx Ł240 (A$590) one way per adult.

Real Budget Travel

If you have time to spare and are tight on cash, it is possible to share the cost and the driving with other travellers. Backpacker bars, and accommodation and camp sites have notice boards used by travellers looking for a lift or a companion to share the journey. It's generally easy to find someone going in your direction, certainly as far as the next town. Make sure you let someone know where you are going and with whom, and agree the time scale/finances before you set out.

Worldwise:

Worldwise Take note of our hints in the location descriptions. It is often possible to get really good flight deals to Australia - survey a range of airlines or use an Australian Travel Specialist agent. It's a long flight - consider stopping over in both directions, also consider a round the world ticket as it may offer better value. Qantas which allows 29,000 miles with 6 stops on the way with a maximum of 3 in Australia. This would allow, for example, to fly via the USA into Sydney, go to Cairns and then go to Perth and fly back via Asia.

If you are taking your own dive gear look at flying via North America rather than Asia. This will give you a baggage allowance in economy class of 2 pieces of 32Kg each rather than the allowance of 20Kg via Asia.

Remember that the seasons are the reverse of the UK - December is the height of summer. However, the northern half of Australia is tropical and hot year round. Check the weather in all areas to be visited. Distances within the country are huge. Don't try and cram too much in. Do try and drag yourself away from the water and see some of the wonderful inland areas that show native Australia in all its glory. This is a place that needs either a long visit or repeat visits.

Useful Links:

Australia Website

Holidayoz Website

Diving Australia Website

Rail Australia Website