Australian backpacker travel information including visa requirements, working, camping and more

This page lists important travel information for people who plan to backpack Australia. Click on a link below to access the various sections on this page.

Arrival into Australia

There is some important information you should know before you arrive into Australia about visas and passports, working in Australia, quarantine and driving. Click on the following links to find out about these topics.

Visa and Passport Requirements

Working in Australia

Quarantine information for overseas visitors

Driving in Australia

Click here to find out contact and location details for foreign embassies in Australia.

Emergencies
For serious emergencies requiring, ambulance, police or fire brigade, dial 000.

Food & Restaurants
Australia has excellent restaurants, cafe’s and other eating places. You can find places to suit any type of budget. The quality of fresh food in Australia is very high and easily accessible.

General Safety
Australia is a very safe country in general. However, it is always a good idea to keep personal belongings in a secure place. If you are carrying important personal items, it is a good idea to carry them on you in a place that is secure from any pickpockets. Also, when getting about at night, it is a good idea to stay on main streets and avoid dark off street areas that may look suspicious.

Hitchhiking
This practice is strongly discouraged throughout Australia.

Language
The main language spoken in Australia is English.

Let someone know where you are
It is always a good idea to let someone know where you are and where you intend to be in case something happens and you need to be located. Liquor

Legal drinking age
The legal age to consume alcohol in Australia is 18 and over.

Medications
Visitors are permitted to bring reasonable quantities of prescribed (non-narcotic) medications. All should be clearly labelled. Large quantities should be accompanied by a Doctor’s Certificate. All medication must be carried as hand luggage and declared on arrival.

Sun Protection
Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. The sun is very strong and it is recommended that you wear sun protection whenever in the sun.

Surf and water safety

Many of Australia’s most popular beaches are patrolled by Life Savers or Life Guards. Whenever swimming at these beaches, always swim between the red and yellow flags that are set up as the safest areas for swimming.
Read and obey warning signs around swimming areas.
Don’t swim directly after a meal.
Never run and dive in the water.
If you have trouble in the water, don’t panic, raise your arm up for help and float and wait for assistance.
If you get caught in a rip, float with the current (don’t try and swim against it), signal for help and wait for assistance.
From late October to early May, coastal waters of northern Australia are subjected to venomous box jellyfish. Do not swim in unprotected open beaches during this time. Only swim in protective enclosures.

Telephones
Australia has a very modern telephone system. There are many payphones located throughout the entire country. Local calls are charged at an un-timed amount of 40 cents. Long distance and International calls vary. There are many specials available to travellers through use of phone cards.

Time Zones
There are three time zones in Australia:

Eastern Standard Time (EST) for News South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory.
Central Standard Time (CST) for South Australia and the Northern Territory. This is half an hour behind EST.
Western Standard Time (WST) for Western Australia. This is two hours behind EST.

New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and South Australia have daylight savings, which commences at the end of October and finishes at the end of March. Tasmania’s daylight savings starts from the beginning of October and goes through until the end of March. Note, Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia do not have daylight savings.

Tipping
Tipping is not a general custom in Australia, however if you believe the service was very good, tips are certainly appreciated.

Vaccinations
The only vaccination required is if you have come from, or visited a yellow fever infected country, or zone, within six days prior to arrival into Australia. Check with your local doctor if you are unsure.

Weights & Measures
Australia uses the metric system of weights and measures.

Click on the links below to access the websites for the Australian Tourism Commission or each state tourist bureau.

Australia.com

Australian Capital Territory (Canberra)

Health
You can experience a healthy lifestyle in Australia. Our standards of hygiene are very high and the health care system is one of the best in the world. It is strongly advised that all visitors take out comprehensive travel health insurance before coming to Australia, as medical expenses can be very high.

Visitors from New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Malta, Sweden, Italy, Finland, Ireland and the Netherlands are covered by Australia’s national health insurance scheme, Medicare. Please note that there are certain conditions with this arrangement and it is still recommended that tourist from these countries take out comprehensive health insurance. If you are from one of the countries that are eligible to join Medicare you can apply once you arrive in Australia. Check with your local health care scheme as to what documentation you will be required to show when you join. Click here to access the Governments website for more information about reciprocal healthcare arrangements.

Australia is a truly fantastic place to go camping. There are thousands of places where you can do this, ranging from National Parks, beaches, the Outback, Caravan Parks to name a few. If you intend to do this, there are probably a few tips you should take into consideration. The following information will highlight some of these tips and also give you some organisations who you can contact to obtain further information.

When to Visit
Australia is renowned for its climate. Because of the size of the country, in one area it can be below zero temperatures and snowing, in other areas it can be very hot and tropical. As a general guide summer is usually warm throughout Australia. In the northern parts of Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia it can get very hot. It is also the rainy season in these areas and can be subject to major flooding in parts. So from January to March you will need to be careful if you intend to visit the northern regions of Australia. Spring and autumn are fairly good times to visit most parts of the country. In winter, the southern regions of New South Wales, Victoria and all of Tasmania can be very cold (some places experience snow). In winter the northern regions of Australia usually have very good weather and a very moderate and comfortable climate. This is a good time to go to these places. For detailed information on climate visit the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.

Free Camping
This can be done in many parts of Australia. However, often there can be restrictions imposed. You need to get approval from the owners if it is private property and other public areas may have some regulations that need to be followed. So the best thing to do, is to check with the local council or police authorities if there are any doubts as to if free camping is allowed.

Fire Bans
Often in parts of Australia it can get very dry and total and partial fire bans are put in place. To check if fire bans are in place contact local councils, police or fire authorities, also listen to local radio or television stations, or read local newspapers. Also, often signs are placed on major roads indicating fire bans.

Outback travel
The Australian Outback can be spectacular to visit, it can also be extremely remote. If you intend to camp in the outback regions please take into consideration the following:

Thoroughly prepare the trip by checking with government agencies such as the ones listed below. Also, the Motoring associations such as; the National Roads & Motoring Association (NRMA), Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ), Automobile Association of the Northern Territory (AANT), Royal Automobile Association of South Australia (RAA), Royal Automobile Club of Tasmania (RACT), Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV), and the Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia (RAC), publish guides for travelling in Australia.
The best times are in the cooler months between April to October.
Road conditions must be confirmed with local authorities and weather forecast should be checked with the Bureau of Meteorology.
Ensure you have more than enough supplies to last in case of any unforeseen circumstances, such as water, first aid kit, spare parts, detailed maps, one weeks extra supply of food and water (at least 20 litres (5-6 gallons) of water per person).
Ensure you have spare tyres for the vehicle (at least two).
Take every opportunity to refuel, as there may not be another petrol station for a long distance.
Let someone know where you are going and when you expect to be back.
It is an excellent idea if you are able to take some sort of communication device that allows you to contact the necessary authorities if there is a problem (check with the motoring authorities for these).
Read guides on outback travel to obtain more information.

Caravan Parks
There are hundreds of caravan parks around the country. They can range from very large to small, and can vary considerably with the amount of facilities that they offer. Usually however, they offer a safe environment to camp and have at least the basic facilities of toilets, showers and electricity. Check with the Motoring associations for guides that locate various caravan parks around Australia.

National Parks
There are many National Parks in Australia, and they vary immensely in size and landscape. Refer to the National Park section below for more details.

Contacts
Refer to the tourist bureau section on this page to contact state tourist bureaus. Or refer to the national park section on this page to contact individual national parks.

Click on one of the links below to find out information about national parks in each state.