All things not to do when visiting Australia
Bron Rocky Travel http://www.rockytravel.net/de/
Australia is one of the most stunning holiday destinations of the world and everyone wants to travel to Australia. It has been written and re-written hundreds of times in different ways. On all major web travel publication, and on Rocky Travel too, you can find tons of articles packed with top destinations, from travel-planner help to what-to-do and how-to-do things.
Why sacrifice adventures, tours and activities that were on your Australian bucket list for a long time? Check out how these things not to do when visiting Australia will help you not make common mistakes and maximize your overall travel experience in Australia.
All things not to do when visiting Australia
Do not travel without travel insurance in Australia
This is often underestimate by international travellers. It does not matter what plan you have, when you travel Australia you first need to make sure you have unexpected expenses like medical coverage and cancellations of bookings covered. In addition if you ever need to interrupt your trip for an important reason like illness or family issues, a good travel insurance policy will cover this expense too. Medical coverage can cost you thousands of dollars in Australia if you travel without travel insurance. Worldnomads is the travel insurance for Australia that I use all the times and can recommend to everyone on a short or long-term travel.
Do not book your flight to Australia too early
Most people tend to believe that the earlier you book the better. This travel rule applies only when you plan to travel to Australia on peak season. At Christmas or Easter you need to book at least 6 months ahead but for low season you do not need to book so early. 3-4 months are enough and 2 months may be just the perfect time to find the cheapest flight deals to Australia.
Do not stay in expensive hotels in Australia
It’s not easy to find good value hotels in Australia. If you are want to try out something different why not consider other options like private stay with Airbnb and why not staying in YHA hostels they are all great ways of staying on a budget trip to Australia without sacrificing comfort.
Do not take travellers cheques to Australia
Do not exchange money at the airport either. While in the past travellers cheques were used as a way to save money on commissions, nowadays there are high commissions hidden when exchanging in any bank. So the best thing to do is to whitdraw money from ATMs at the airport and possibly use a credit or debit card with low commissions or free credit cards with zero commissions. In Europe it’s almost impossible to get get a zero-commission credit card. But in the US there are many of these credit cards you can apply for. Furthermore do not rely on just one pre-paid or debit card. Take at least two of them, as debit cards are not accepted everywhere in Australia.
Do not eat in restaurants everyday
They are expensive. Instead eat genuine local food at street market or at major fresh markets halls for a real Aussie Food Experience. Prefer cooking your own food, when you can, and shop at the local market to maintain healthy eating habits when travelling Australia.
Do not fly too much within Australia
Domestic flights in Australia are not expensive if you book early, do not fly if distance are below 800 km. If you are planning a two week-trip in Australia do not plan more than two flights and book a rental car to experience the real Australia. There is nothing more rewarding like road tripping Australia at your own pace.
Do not drive at night
This may sound silly or unusal, but for Australia is not. It truly is important for your own safety not to drive at dark, because of wildlife crossing the roads in rural and Outback areas and due to bad weather and road conditions. While driving in Australia is certainly fun you must know about the do’s and dont’s. I drove 70 km one night in North Western Australia and this served me as a lesson not to do it again.
Do not take fruits and vegetables with you
When crossing interstate borders within Australia. Quarantine law is strict in Australia not only when arriving in Australia from abroad but also within Australian states and to/from New Zealand. Especially when travelling by car from Northern Territory into Western Australia and from Victoria into South Australia you shall not take food with you or you will have to place it into disposal bins along your way. The fine for getting caught with fruits & vegetable is about 2.500 AUD. So please beware and do not pack any fresh food when crossing Australian states. You can get more info about Quarantine Law in Australia here.
Do not rent a car with a different drop off location
As long as you can plan your road trip in a loop back to your destination, this will save you lots of money on your road trips in Australia. Usually it’s about 300 AUD for returning your rental car to a different location. This happens in remote locations like the road trip to Uluru, however it is becoming common to have this extra expense added on top of the rental car booking, whenever the drop off is different from the pick up. For more info check out this page here.
Do not use your mobile phone Sim card in Australia
Because this is going to cost you a fortune. Instead buy for 2 dollars an Australian Sim Card that allows you to call landline and mobile numbers in Oz at reasonable rates. Plan start from 30 AUD for 250 minutes. For international calls you can use Skype for free. Or any international phone card for 10 AUD which can be used with any landline for 6-8 hours calls. Telstra is the only provider in Oz that can guarantee a decent coverage in rural areas of Australia.
Do not use your own internet when you can use the free-wifi
from public places, libraries or friend’s flat internet connection! Internet is very expensive in Australia. Tourist Information offices will tell you about free-wifi places in town and and give you a map with hot-wifi-spots. There are also appls that can identify the next free-wifi near your location.
Do not buy any electronics in Australia or camera spare parts
like digital cards, memory cards for your camera, everything is very expensive. Pack all your electronic devices and extra spare memory cards with you, as these can cost you up to 40 AUD. Make sure you have a spare compact camera just in case something happens to your good camera.
Do not underestimate the Australian sun
and get your skin sun smart and hydrated all the time. Drink plenty of water and try to maintain healthy eating habits when visiting Australia. Do not buy water from the local convenient shop round the corner, it will cost you at least 3-3,50 AUD/bottle. Buy 10-liter water canister or from supermarkets like Woolworth or Coles, or discount chains like Aldi, this way you can save at least 2 dollar a day on a bottle of water!