Travel to Australia
On One World 365 you can get ideas for the best things to do if you would like to travel to Australia.
Our Australia destination guide aims to give you all the information you need to have an amazing experience in this amazing country. Find affordable travel and backpacking ideas with advice for amazing things to do and how you can be more than just your average traveller. You can also get budget travel tips, advice for where to stay and how to stay safe.
Get inspired to travel Down Under today!
- Population: 27,000,000 (approx)
- Currency: Australian Dollar (A$) $1 =0.9A$ / £1 = 1.5A$
- Capital: Canberra (Population: 368,000 approx)
- Language: English
- Area: 740,000 sq km (approx)
- International Calling Code: +61
- Transport: There is a really excellent transport system in Australia including trains, buses, flights and trains
- Health & Safety: Australia is a very safe country to visit with a great modern health system and quite low crime. Buy a travel insurance policy to make sure you are totally covered.
Booking Essentials
Australia Travel Ideas & Inspiration
Get travel ideas and inspiration for what to do in Australia.
Top Reasons to Travel to Australia
There has never been a better time to visit Australia, here are just a few reasons to go:
- Famous cities like Sydney and Melbourne full of culture, museums, restaurants and entertainment
- Some of the best beaches in the world
- Friendly English speaking locals
- Outdoor lifestyle and a warm climate
- Spectacular sights like the Great Barrier Reef and Whitsunday Islands
- Amazing activities and adventures
How to Get to Australia
Multiple international flight routes link Australia with the rest of the world, making it a popular destination to visit on a round the world flight or as a destination in its own right. Prices vary depending on the company and time of year. To get the best deals you will need to book in advance and also travel out of the busy summer season. We recommend searching and comparing flights to Australia on Skyscanner.
Visa, Eligiblity & Entry Requirements
With a relaxed lifestyle and a favourable climate, the idea of a holiday in Australia sounds great. But what does it take to make all the arrangements beyond an airline ticket? Here’s what you need to know.
To travel in Australia you will need to apply for a visa, this applies even if you are just visiting as a tourist. Please don't expect to arrive without a visa and be let into the country.
Visas fall into a further tier of categories; short and long stay tourist visas or short and long validity business visas. The tourist visas are for those visiting the country for the purpose of sightseeing or to stay with relatives, the business visas are for people entering the country on business terms only.
An Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) can be applied for online and they are added to your passport instantly, meaning there isn’t a huge application process and hence they are the easiest of the Australian visas to obtain. Around 30,000 British citizens apply for a permanent visa every year, and many more for travel.
Whether you are venturing for a short, permanently or you are one of the many spending your time in the sun, Australia visas are essential when it comes to travelling Down Under.
Tourist visas permit you to stay in the country for up to three months and the only thing you need in order to be eligible for a travel visa is a valid passport from an eligible country.
Business visas are on a similar basis; short term business visas permit you to enter and conduct business within Australia for three months.
Weather & Best Time to Visit
Make no mistake, Australia is hot. Only falling below 20 degrees C in the winter, the summer months of December to February regularly go above and beyond that. This year-long sunshine makes Australia what it is; an outdoor country. As such, there is a huge onus on outdoor activities and live sporting events. You can visit Australia all year round and not be dissapointed.
Accommodation
You can find accommodation for all budgets in towns and cities throughout the country. Choose between hotels, hostels, resorts, apartments and AirBnB. If you are looking for somewhere cheap to stay, use comparison websites to search for budget accommodation and book well in advance to get the best prices.
What to Know Before You Go
Beach to Bush, Great Barrier Reef to Ayers Rock, Kangaroos and Koalas - Australia has so much to offer for a short or long visit.
Travellers are drawn to the extensive coastline 25,800km long and dusted by 7000 beaches many of which are picture postcard pristine white sand bays washed by turquoise surf. Australia is also home to 500 national parks including rainforests, empty outback, coastal dunes and rugged mountain ranges. Search Australia travel ideas today.
While many visitors will enjoy a traditional beach BBQ (or Barbie) of steak and prawns washed down with a beer or two during their stay, for the more active Australia is also home to some of the great waves on the planet, world class surf and some of the hottest surfers.
One of the worlds natural wonders, the diversity of Queensland's Great Barrier Reef is legendary and a boat ride out to the reef from Cairns or Port Douglas is an unforgettable experience. The reef which comprises thousands of individual reef systems, coral cays and literally hundreds of picturesque tropical islands is home to a spectacular abundance of marine life including colourful coral gardens, sponges, rays, dolphins and a mind boggling array of tropical fish.
Australia has such extensive coastline that 112,600 surf lifesavers are employed to keep watch!
Away from the coast many people head out on an Outback Odyssey or Bush Walkabout to explore Australia's vast empty interior bush landscapes of burnt, bare and beautiful ochre.
The most famous sites of all is Uluru (Ayers Rock) - a celebrated icon of Australia. No matter how many times you've seen it in postcards nothing prepares you for seeing the solitary and impressive landmark yourself - it appears as an ochre brown colour and at sunset becomes illuminated a burnished orange and burnt red.
Wildlife lovers will delight at meeting wallabies, wombats, possums and of course the famous kangaroo. Another well know antipodean animal unique to this part of the world is the Tasmanian devil which is actually type of hyena. Hiring a car which is a popular way to get around - the surf and sun run from Sydney to Cairns takes in 2864km of beaches, national parks, theme parks and surfing and can be completed in a few weeks.
Another popular run the Great Ocean road in Victoria loops and curls along Victoria's coastline with surf beaches and golden sands on one side and dense rainforests on the other.
Sydney offers great nightlife and culture including concerts at the iconic Opera House and a fireworks spectacular centred on the landmark harbour bridge. Perth is know for its great pubs, bars and restaurants and foodies will love getting stuck in at the Melbourne's internationally renowned food and wine festival held each Feb and March.
Wine is one of Australia's great exports and vineyards can be found in a number of regions. In New South Wales for example the Hunter Valley is the oldest wine region in Australia where Shiraz, Semillon and Cabernet Sauvignon vines have been grown since the early 1800's.
Australia Travel Tips & Advice
- The Outback is spectacular, think desert and a few remote outposts and towns. You can experience this for yourself and join thousands of other gappers to visit places like Ayers Rock near Alice Springs and Darwin.
- The legendary East Coast is amazing, this will be a wild and crazy experience seeing some stunning locations along the way. You could start in Sydney and travel north or head to Cairns and go south - both ways are epic.
- If you would like to explore the country at your own pace another great way to travel is by renting a campervan. This is a good idea especially if you are planning on travelling long distances between major cities, or if you are staying in one place for a period of time and wish to explore the surrounding area in greater depth than you would be able to on public transport.
- If you are looking for a city to base yourself or settle we recommend Sydney or Melbourne - both have a lively atmosphere and lots to do. Both cities have great nightlife and cafes, most backpackers stay here the longest. In Melbourne you have to do the Neighbours experience and pub night, you might even get to meet Dr Karl or Toadfish.
- Perth is small but relaxing city, a great alternative to Sydney and Melbourne. Adelaide is also a nice city but don't expect much to do, its probably best to visit if you know someone who lives there as they will be able to show you around, popular things to do include visiting the local museums and also climbing Mount Lofty.
- The Great Ocean Road is one of the most spectacular routes in the world
- Going scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef is incredible, you can set this up through our website before departing. If you are looking to learn to surf you can choose from almost any coastal place like Byron Bay or Surfers Paradise.
- If you would like to visit Tasmania, flights are cheap but taking the ferry from Melbourne to Devonport is more scenic and a much better option. You can hire a car, we recommend visiting the Bay of Fires, the Freycinet National Park, the Tasman Peninsula, the Central Plateau Conservation Area, Mole Creek Karst National Park and the remote Lake Mackenzie.
- Ayers Rock is a long way in the middle of nowhere but it really is spectacular especially if you see it at sunrise or sunset - the rock changes colour it looks really magical. Book your flights or train tickets way in advance though as spaces can fill up quick.
