Overview
Sunny, friendly and charismatic, Australia beckons with long beaches, vibrant cities and expansive bushland. The most enchanting thing about this country is its vastness; Having a beach, a stretch of tropical rainforest or a patch of desert all to yourself becomes a reality here. The largest island in the world is a realm of awe-inspiring landscapes: barren deserts, tropical rainforests and rocky mountains. Australia is home to an abundance of unique animal species including the koala, kangaroo, wallaby, dingo and emus. The shape of the giant inselberg Uluru (Ayers Rock), blazing in the fiery red and yellow colors of the outback sun is Australia’s most important landmark. Chic Sydney and bohemian Melbourne have much to offer the big city slicker; Brisbane is the gateway to the Tropical Northeast and sandy beaches like Surfer’s Paradise. Tranquil Adelaide is a good place to unwind for a few days and Perth is young, bold and alluring. From Cairns you can discover one of Australia’s most famous attractions, the Great Barrier Reef. See other countries in Oceania on mathgeneral.
Getting there
Arriving by plane
Qantas (QF), Australia’s national airline, operates an extensive codeshare program with British Airways (BA) and Emirates (EK), which fly daily to Australia from Frankfurt/M., Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Munich, Vienna and Zurich. British Airways (BA) flies via London to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Perth. Lufthansa (LH) flies codeshare with Cathay Pacific Airways (CX) and its partners Swiss (LX) and Austrian (OS) from Frankfurt am Main, Munich, Vienna and Zurich via Hong Kong to Sydney, Melbourne and Cairns. Emirates (EK) flies daily from Frankfurt/M., Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Munich, Vienna or Zurich non-stop to Dubai and from there to the Australian metropolises. Most of these connections can also be booked through Qantas. From Frankfurt/M. From there, All Nippon Airways (NH) and Japan Airlines (JL) also fly to Sydney via Tokyo, Korean Air (KE) via Seoul, China Airlines (CI) via Taipei and Singapore Airlines (SQ) via Singapore. From Vienna, Austrian (OS) and Thai Airways (TG) fly via Bangkok and Singapore Airlines (SQ) via Singapore to Sydney with a stopover. Emirates (EK) via Dubai, Singapore Airlines (SQ) via Singapore, Swiss (LX) and Thai Airways (TG) via Bangkok operate from Zurich to Sydney with one stopover.
airpasses
With the Qantas Walkabout Pass, over 30 destinations in Australia and New Zealand can be booked at reduced prices. The individual flights are booked in advance together with the Qantas flight to Australia. With the Visit Australia Airpass from Singapore Airlines, you can fly to over 35 destinations in Australia at low cost together with the long-haul flight.
Arrival by car
Tolls: Some motorways, tunnels and bridges in and around Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne are subject to tolls. The toll is collected electronically via a transponder installed in the car. Documents: National driver’s license accepted for stays of up to 3 months; however, the English translation or a valid international driver’s license should also be carried.
Arrival by ship
International cruise ships call at the ports of Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Perth (Port of Fremantle), Adelaide and Brisbane. Most cruise ships head for the coasts of Australia during the local summer months, i.e. the European winter.
Cruise ships
International cruise lines serving Australia include P&O Cruises and Princess Cruises. The shipping companies Cunard and Phoenix start cruises in Hamburg and call at Sydney as part of their world voyages.
Transportation
Traveling by plane
Airplanes are as common in Australia as bus and train travel is in smaller countries. Domestic airlines Qantas/QantasLink (QF), Jetstar (JQ) and Rex (ZL) serve all major cities and major regional centres. Qantas/QantasLink (QF) flies to major resorts and major cities. REX (ZL) primarily serves destinations along the east coast as well as in Victoria and South Australia as well as Perth. AirNorth (TL) mainly flies to destinations in the Northern Territory from Darwin, but also to destinations in Queensland and Western Australia. Jetstar Airways (JQ) serves airports across Australia.
airpasses
With the Qantas Walkabout Pass, you can reach over 30 destinations in Australia and New Zealand at reduced prices. The individual flights can only be booked in conjunction with a Qantas flight to Australia. With the Singapore Airlines Visit Australia Pass, you can fly to over 35 destinations in Australia at low cost together with the long-haul flight.
Traveling by car/bus
Australia has a well-developed road network, especially in the east and south-east of the country, which covers about 810,000 kilometers across the country. The distances between the cities are sometimes enormous, so it is important that vehicles are absolutely roadworthy. Water, petrol and emergency equipment as well as any spare parts should be carried on long and remote journeys. Local automobile clubs provide information about road and weather conditions. Tolls: Some motorways, tunnels and bridges in and around Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne are subject to tolls. The toll is collected electronically via a transponder installed in the car.
Right-hand traffic/left-hand traffic
Left
Condition of the roads
Country roads in the outback are rarely paved and are almost impassable from November to February after heavy rains.
Road classification
Australia’s road network consists of – Motorways: green signs with gold lettering; – Federal roads: white signs with black lettering; – State roads: blue signs.
Car rental
Cars can be rented at all major airports and in large hotels. The minimum age is 21 years. Drivers under the age of 25 may incur an additional charge.
Coach
Greyhound Australia, Australia’s largest bus company, serves over 1,100 locations. Greyhound’s bus network covers the entire east coast, westbound to Aidelaide in the south and Broome in the north, and through central Australia from Aidelaide via Alice Springs to Darwin. In addition, the daily bus companies Firefly Express connect Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney, Murrays Canberra with Sydney and the South Coast of New South Wales and Australia Wide Coaches Sydney with the South Coast of New South Wales. The Tasmania Redline Coaches operate buses in Tasmania.
Regulations
Traffic regulations: – left-hand traffic; – seatbelt obligation; – alcohol limit: 0.5 ‰; – Helmets are compulsory for cyclists throughout Australia. Speed limits: – within built-up areas: 50-60 km/h; – Country roads and motorways: 80-110 km/h.
Roadside Assistance
The ADAC foreign emergency call offers ADAC members and holders of ADAC foreign health and accident insurance comprehensive assistance in the event of vehicle breakdowns, traffic accidents, loss of documents and money, and medical emergencies. The emergency number is available around the clock; for vehicle damage: Tel. +49 (89) 22 22 22, for illnesses: +49 (89) 76 76 76. The Australian ADAC partner club is the Australian Automobile Association (AAA) in Canberra, Tel. + 61 (2) 62 47 73 11. In order to confirm that the ADAC membership card is valid, a “Membership Confirmation” must be carried along with the card, which is available from the ADAC offices in Germany.
Documentation
The national driver’s license is recognized for stays of up to 3 months; in addition, however, the English translation or the international driver’s license should be carried.
Traveling in the city
There is excellent public transport in all major cities. Suburban trains operate in all state capitals; The local transport network in Sydney and Melbourne is particularly well developed. Trams operate in Melbourne and Adelaide. Metered taxis are everywhere. The fare is calculated based on a base fee and distance. Taxi drivers do not expect tips. Sometimes extra fees are charged for luggage or pre-ordering by phone. See the individual state chapters for more information.
Locally on the way by train
Great Southern Rail connects Adelaide on the south coast via Alice Springs with Darwin on the north coast (line length: 2979 km, journey time: 2 days and 2 nights), Sydney on the east coast via Adelaide with Perth on the west coast (line length: 4352 km, journey time: 3 days and 3 nights) as well as Adelaide and Melbourne (route length: 828 km). QueenslandRail Travel offers rail travel on popular long-distance routes in Queensland, passing numerous attractions including the Southern Great Barrier Reef, the Fraser Coast and the Great Dividing Range. Cairns, Longreach, Rockhampton, Charleville, Mount Isa and Croyden can be reached several times a week from Brisbane. The Kuranda Scenic Railway connects Cairns to Kuranda on a 34km stretch through tropical rainforest. NSW Train Link operates train services in New South Wales and offers national services.
rail passes
The NSW TrainLink Discovery Pass allows unlimited rail travel on the NSW TrainLink Regional train and bus network. It is valid for 14 days or one, three or six months. The Queensland Explorer Pass offers unlimited train travel in Queensland. It is valid for one or two months and is available from QueenslandRail Travel. The Queensland Coastal Pass allows unlimited one-way stops between Brisbane and Cairns. It is valid for a month or two.
Traveling by ship
The coast has a total length of about 36,000 km. Boat trips can be taken on lakes, rivers and other waterways. Paddle steamers operate on the River Murray in South Australia. Deep-sea fishing boats on the Great Barrier Reef pick up passengers and can also be hired for excursions. Numerous tour operators offer cruises, for example to the Great Barrier Reef, to Cape York or to Australia’s northern coastline. Other cruise destinations include the Gippsland Lakes in Victoria, the dolphin cruises from Jervis Bay and Port Stephens in New South Wales, or the route between Tasmania and mainland Australia.
