Australia travel guide

Sydney Opera House

Sydney

Take a tour or catch a performance

Great Barrier Reef

Queensland

Snorkel or dive from Cairns, Port Douglas or the Whitsundays

Uluru

Northern Territory

Sacred Anangu site — climbing is banned; walk the base instead

Great Ocean Road

Victoria

Coastal drive past the Twelve Apostles

Bondi to Coogee Walk

Sydney

Clifftop coastal walk between beaches

Daintree Rainforest

Queensland

Ancient rainforest meeting the reef

Blue Mountains

New South Wales

Eucalyptus valleys and the Three Sisters, a day trip from Sydney

Kakadu National Park

Northern Territory

Wetlands, rock art and crocodiles

Sydney

Opera House, Harbour Bridge and Bondi Beach

Guides in Sydney →

Melbourne

Laneway cafes, street art, food and sport

Guides in Melbourne →

Brisbane

Sunny riverside city near the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast

Guides in Brisbane →

Perth

Relaxed west-coast city with beaches and Rottnest Island nearby

Guides in Perth →

Cairns

Tropical gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest

Guides in Cairns →

Hobart

Tasmanian harbour city with MONA and Salamanca Market

Guides in Hobart →

✈️ Sydney — Kingsford Smith (SYD)

• Airport Link train to Central and the CBD in about 15 minutes (station access fee applies)
• Tap on with a contactless card or Opal card
• Taxis and rideshare from marked zones

✈️ Melbourne — Tullamarine (MEL)

• SkyBus express to Southern Cross Station
• There is no train link yet
• Taxis and rideshare from the marked areas

✈️ Brisbane — Brisbane Airport (BNE)

• Airtrain to the CBD and on to the Gold Coast
• Taxis and rideshare

🚆 Getting around

• Distances are huge — fly between major cities (Qantas, Virgin Australia, Jetstar)
• City trains, trams and buses accept contactless bank cards in Sydney, Brisbane and many other cities; Melbourne uses a myki card (contactless being introduced)
• Hire a car or campervan for road trips; drive on the left and watch for wildlife at dawn and dusk
• Long-distance trains like the Indian Pacific and The Ghan are scenic experiences rather than quick transport

🙏 Culture & etiquette

• Swim between the red-and-yellow flags at patrolled beaches — rips are dangerous
• Respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sacred sites and follow signs
• Don’t feed wildlife
• Buy rounds (“shouts”) in turn when drinking with a group

📍 Places, scams & seasons

• Heat, bushfires and floods occur — follow state emergency alerts
• Crocodiles live in northern rivers and coasts; never swim where warnings are posted
• Box jellyfish (stingers) are present in tropical waters roughly November–May — use stinger nets or suits
• Check the UK Foreign Office or your government’s advisory for current warnings

⚖️ Laws & restrictions

• You need a visa or an ETA/eVisitor before travelling — apply only through official government channels
• Strict biosecurity: declare all food, plant and animal products on arrival or face heavy fines
• Drink-driving limits are strict and random breath tests are common
• Smoking is banned in many outdoor public places; vaping products are tightly restricted

💬 Words & topics to avoid

• Avoid racist or stereotyping comments about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
• Don’t climb or photograph restricted parts of sacred sites such as Uluru
• Don’t mock Australian accents or confuse Australia with Austria — common traveller jokes wear thin

Sydney

The Rocks or Circular Quay (sights), Surry Hills (food), Bondi or Manly (beaches)

Ferries make harbour suburbs easy to reach

Melbourne

CBD, Southbank, Fitzroy or St Kilda

The CBD free tram zone is handy

Cairns

Cairns Esplanade or Port Douglas

Book reef trips a day or two ahead

Budget idea

Hostels in all major cities and backpacker towns

Great for meeting other travellers and booking tours

Queen Victoria Market

Melbourne

Historic market with food stalls and a summer night market

Sydney Fish Market

Sydney

Fresh seafood by the harbour

Eat Street Northshore

Brisbane

Container-village street-food market on weekend evenings

Salamanca Market

Hobart

Saturday market of Tasmanian produce

Meat pie

Hand-held pie, often with tomato sauce

Barramundi

Native fish, grilled or battered

Pavlova

Meringue dessert with cream and fruit

Tim Tam

Iconic chocolate biscuit

Vegemite on toast

Yeast spread — use a thin layer with butter

Flat white

Australia’s café coffee staple

Sydney New Year’s Eve fireworks

31 December

Sydney Harbour

Australia Day

26 January

Nationwide (a day of mourning for many Indigenous Australians)

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras

February/March

Sydney

Australian Open

January

Melbourne

Vivid Sydney

May–June

Sydney

Melbourne Cup

First Tuesday of November

Melbourne

Dark Mofo

June

Hobart

📱 SIM & eSIM

• Main networks: Telstra (best regional coverage), Optus, Vodafone
• Prepaid SIMs at airports, supermarkets and convenience stores (ID needed); eSIMs also work

📶 Coverage & Wi-Fi

• Good 4G/5G in cities, but large outback areas have no signal
• Free Wi-Fi in many cafes, libraries and city centres

🔌 Power plugs

230V, 50Hz — plug type I