Australia is an amazing place to go on a savage journey, the very center of beautiful nature, rare plants and simply beautiful places. While vacationing in Australia, you can not only enjoy the vacation itself, but also learn a lot of interesting things, get acquainted with the local culture and traditions.
Preparing for the trip
So, you decided to go wild to Australia, purchased plane tickets to this wonderful place, went through the difficult operation of obtaining a visa, perhaps you even managed to book a hotel or inn, although this is absolutely not necessary, because the main thing is to have a route along which you will follow.
Customs
In Australia, things are incredibly complicated with customs control. A ban has been imposed on the import of plants, animals and even food into the country. So, before leaving the plane, we strongly recommend that you check your hand luggage to see if there are any oranges or pears or sandwiches left in it that you grabbed at the snack bar before boarding the plane. If you try to import prohibited items, your pets, or a bouquet of flowers into the country, you may be deported from the country within one day, but this is not very pleasant.
Local currency
Throughout the entire continent of Australia, only its own currency, the Australian dollar, is allowed for circulation. There are banknotes of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 dollars, metal coins of 1 and 2 dollars, as well as cent coins. A savage who comes to Australia on vacation can exchange the currencies of any other countries at the exchange office at the airport (however, it is worth noting that the exchange rate is greatly inflated), or in banks (although this is a very long and difficult solution).
Currency exchange
In no bank in Australia can you simply exchange, for example, rubles for Australian dollars. Of course, there is a money exchange service in banks, but the exchange is carried out only for bank clients; it goes without saying that the likelihood that a tourist (especially from the CIS) is incredibly small. Let's assume that you managed to find a bank whose employees agreed to exchange your currency for Australian currency. Don’t rush to rejoice, firstly: you will have to fill out a huge amount of paperwork, secondly: there will be a commission for currency exchange, and thirdly: the rate will be more profitable than in an exchange office, but still not as profitable as, say, in Bali .
The best solution
What to do, you ask, but the answer is extremely simple: take a plastic card with you. ATMs are present almost everywhere in Australia, which means that it will not be a problem for you to withdraw cash from your card in local currency. By the way, the maximum amount you can withdraw at a time is 1000 Australian dollars.
Locals
Each nation has its own traditions, while staying on their territory, you need to honor and respect these customs. Australians are friendly people; when communicating, they can talk about completely different topics. There is no specific boundary for them; during communication there may be jokes, humorous stories and much more. Australians do not get personal when communicating. Representatives of this nation should be addressed only by name; such an address as “Mrs.” is associated with disrespect, and Australians greet only their closest people with hugs.
Australian cuisine
Australian cuisine is very diverse. Locals love meat dishes. This can be beef, chicken, pork, as well as unusual types of meat such as crocodile and kangaroo. The meat is usually fried, steamed or grilled. Due to the large number of spices, the meat is juicy and tasty. Pasta or assorted vegetables are served as a side dish. Seafood has also found its place in the hearts of Australians. Dishes using oysters, crayfish, and salmon are popular. These dishes, prepared according to special recipes, are not only very tasty, but also healthy for the body.
Australia landmarks
Sydney Opera House included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The theater is located on the harbor shore. The building was built in the style of expressionism, the roof has an unusual shape, it is made of more than 1000 Swedish tiles. Since the building itself is surrounded by the sea, the roof is designed to be shaped like several sails. The theater looks very beautiful at night, when thousands of small light bulbs light up overhead. There are more than 10 different halls inside the theater. Its walls are made of pink granite. There is a restaurant on the upper tier where you can sample several local delicacies after the performance.
Royal Botanic Gardens located on the coast. It is a popular destination among tourists. In addition to the unique plants and beautiful landscape, guests are attracted by the opportunity to walk around the large garden area, enjoy the air, as well as retire to a secluded corner and simply enjoy the singing of birds.
Australia will give you many positive moments during your stay in this country rich in amazing places.
For lovers of sea adventures
It is possible to travel by paddle steamer or high-speed ferry down the river and visit villages such as Bulimba and New Farm, which are located within the city.
All culture lovers are invited to see the exquisite art galleries and museums, as well as the opera house. In addition, the South Bank is home to the Queensland Cultural Centre, which welcomes all forms of artistic creativity in addition to world-class exhibitions.
You can relax after an active tourist day in the cozy harbor of Moreton Bay, where everyone can choose what they like: charter a sailing ship, explore the coral reefs using a snorkel, swim surrounded by turtles and sea devils. Tourists are also advised to visit the world-famous Capricorn Cave and ride a sleigh from the world's highest sand dune.
All rock climbing enthusiasts are invited to conquer the peak of Kangaroo Mountain and enjoy the magnificent views that open from it.
You can also enjoy the sounds of live music in Fortitude Valley.
Quite interesting is the fact that the northern coast of the river is saturated with all kinds of household and digital equipment stores, clothing stores, as well as car services, and the southern coast is filled with places for recreation.
Tourists can take a break and have a snack in numerous cozy eateries, taste the local cuisine, and also enjoy the taste of light homemade wine.
Troubles awaiting travelers in Australia
The main inconvenience of Australia is the huge number of flies. They are a nuisance in absolutely all parts of the country. At the same time, they do not bite, but only curl around, getting into the eyes, mouth, nose, getting tangled in the hair, ticklingly crawling along the uncovered skin and creating a terrible ringing in the ears. As soon as you leave a cool room and warm up a little, a swarm of flies will attack you. Local residents are accustomed to this and do not pay much attention, only brushing them off. And this is terribly annoying for a person new to these places, especially when eating in the open air.
Flies in Australia
You can get rid of flies by purchasing a sloop with a mosquito net or a special cream; it is not advisable to wear dark clothes. Like our Russian mosquitoes, flies are drawn to dark things, so it is better to dress in white or light-colored clothing. There is an opinion that this country is full of poisonous reptiles, but in fact this is not so, they are found, of course, but very rarely, and they are afraid of humans. Although you can find signs everywhere saying that snakes are poisonous, if you don’t touch their habitats, you can hardly find them, since they sense the approach of a person.
On the beaches of Australia
There are posters on Australian beaches warning of the danger. The fauna here is quite aggressive, and even a dead jellyfish can cause serious burns, which leave scars, and sometimes it can even end in death. When entering a pond, you should definitely check if there are crocodiles nearby, and you need to enter the water gradually, since at the bottom you can find obstacles in the form of tree trunks or stones. Diving, accordingly, is also not recommended. You cannot sail from the coast, because there are strong currents off the coast of Australia and you risk going into the endless ocean.
Australia is a climate zone with extremely active sun and even an ozone hole. This is why there is a very high mortality rate due to skin cancer here. Of course, this only applies to local residents
y, but for visitors there is a high risk of getting burned. For a new person in such a climate, sunstroke is also a great danger, which is why sloops, Panama hats and caps are sold everywhere here. You will also need sunglasses and sunscreen. You won't be able to sunbathe in Australia - you'll get sunburned in an instant, and what's even worse, you'll get sunstroke. On the contrary, you need to protect yourself from the sun with all your might.
With regard to the human factor – there is little crime and fraud here, but, as in any country, you need to take precautions and be careful.
