Australia

More than a desert full of dangerous animals, Australia is a vibrant island with stunning mountains, incredible beaches, and some of the best cities in the world. Let’s get to know the land down under.

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Australia Travel Info

Language

Of course, being a former British colony, Australia speaks English. Perhaps the most famous part of Australia is the distinct accent and “strine”, or Aussie slang. Additionally here are many native languages in Australia, which have been continually under threat of extinction. Due to the multi cultural nature of the country, nearly a quarter of families speak a language other than English at home.

Demographics

The first people of Australia are Aborigines, having settled the continent from Asia at least 60,000 years ago. This makes them the oldest continually living culture in the world. Like much of the world, Australia owes it’s current state of affairs largely to the British. Originally arriving to settle penal colonies, the majority of Australia’s first colonists were of British decent. In the modern era, Australia has seen a wide range of immigration from all over Asia, making it much more ethnically diverse.

Weather

You may imagine Australia as a desert wasteland baking in the sun, and while much of the country can fit that description, there are a very wide variety of climates. From the tropical beaches of Christmas Island just south of Indonesia, to the frigid Snowy Mountains in the south, and the impossibly thick rainforests of Tasmania. Summers in the outback see blistering highs of 45°C (113°F), and winter highs of 20°C (68°F). The eastern and southern coasts with Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, and Adelaide see much more moderate summer highs of about 28°C (83°F), and winter highs of 15°C (60°F).

Public Transit

Australia is a big country, so getting from city to city can be challenging, with flights usually the only option. Once you’re in the city, most of Australia has robust systems of busses, trains, subways, ferries, and light rail. All of Sydney and the surrounding suburbs are easily accessible by the metro, ferries, and street cars. Trains go in all directions, making many day trips possible. If you do plan on renting a car and driving into the outback, make sure to take plenty of precautions. Australia is one of the hottest, sparsely populated countries in the world, making even simple road trips dangerous if you’re not prepared.

Australia FAQ

Being a post-industrial western society, Australia is not cheap. Compared to the many nearby southeast Asian countries, Australia is much more expensive. With one of the highest costs of living in the world, you’ll find expensive food, transportation, and hotels across the country. Given the massive distances between many cities, transportation can be especially expensive, even on the cheapest trains, although thankfully there is a daily cap on train fares.

Australia is an overwhelmingly safe country. The country ranks safer than all European countries on violent crime, and 20th on the global peace index. Additionally, Australia is voted as one of the safest countries for female solo travelers in the world. Across violent crime, petty crime, international conflict, and domestic terrorism, Australia is one of the best places to go if safety is a concern.

The main trope about Australia it’s immense heat. Like we’ve mentioned on this page, the continent has a wide variety of climates and temperature ranges. Winter can be quite chilly in many places, but during the Aussie summer in December and January the sun is no joke. Australia has one of the hottest, most brutal summers in the world, with temperatures commonly spiking up to 35°C (95°F). In the interior desert, the situation is much more severe, and unprepared travelers can easily be caught out. We recommend taking the sun seriously. Wear sunscreen and reapply often, bring a hat or UV rash guards for prolonged outdoor activity, and stay inside during the middle of the day.

Due to the large interior desert, many people assume Australia is hot all year round. Of course, that’s not the case. During most people’s summer in the northern hemisphere, Australia sees chilly winters with highs of 15°C on the east coast, and even below freezing with snow on many mountain peaks. If you’re looking to visit one of the biggest cities, a time during their winter can often give you decent temperatures, less crowds, and great views. Australian winter is definitely the best time to avoid crowds, but shoulder seasons certainly offer the best weather. Australian summer in December and January are much busier, with brutally hot temperatures.

Australia is a very modern country. Therefore, you can tap to pay everywhere in the country. During our entire trip, there was not a single place we couldn’t use card. You can skip the currency exchange unless you really want to see their beautiful bills like we did.

Despite the massive size of the country, getting around cities is quite easy. Sydney has a metro and ferries, and all major cities have light rail, trams, commuter trains, and extensive bus networks. Each state manages transportation separately, so there isn’t a single card you can use across the country. You can get a local transit card, or use any credit or debit card with tap pay. We found the price of public transit to be quite high, especially compared to nearby countries in Asia where subways often cost a few USD at most per ride. Make sure you tap on and off of public transit with the same card, as some metros have daily caps, which keeps you from breaking the bank if you’re bouncing around from station to station.

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