Australia - travel tips

And finally, here are some useful tips for travelling in Australia.

1.) Reaching Oz is fairly easy, yet a bit on the expensive side (if from Europe). Emirate Airlines is your safe bet, while I flew with low-cost Jetstar from New Zealand. When going to Australia, take your time. 1 month. Or more. Fly to Sydney or Melbourne and start your journey there.
Check your visa requirements (Slovenians can apply online and print your visa in a day).
Don't bring in fresh fruits, veggies, meat, dirty camping equipment, etc. Australia has strict biosecurity rules that are implemented at the border (that is of course after Australia plagued NZ with half of their invasive species).
2.) When to go: any time. Australia is fairly warm throughout the year, but when planning your vacation make sure you know when the biggest events are happening. I was unfortunate enough to end up in Melly when Grand Prix took place, which means everything was super over-booked and prices skyrocketed. Check in advance, book in advance. Don't forget to get updates on all the summer festivals that are going on, for the same reasons as above or simply to catch up on the latest tunes yourself.
3.) Public transport. Huh.
In Melbourne you have a free tram zone, but this is virtually your walking zone, so it doesn't help a lot. For any other ventures you need to get a Myki card (yes, you actually pronounce it Mickey, disgusting), which costs $6 that you'll never see again.
In Sydney they will try to convince you that the cheapest way to get from the airport is to take a shuttle. WRONG! I found a cheaper way, you're welcome. Take a local bus 400 to Rockdale train station. Take a train to King's Cross (or any other station of your choice). This cost me $9.5 when buying tickets 'as you go' compared to $14 for the shuttle. But when you have a FREE Opal card (that you simply top up in kiosks) you pay a beautiful $6.5. $14 - $6.5 = $7.5 = your dinner. Again, you're welcome.
I did not use intercity transport anywhere else. Did lots of walking. Good for your legs, too.
4.) Must, must, must!
- Lentils as anything in Melbourne. Vegetarian, pay-as-you-want restaurant with yummy food. Also try Naked for Satan, heard great stuff about it.
- Great Ocean Road: cliffs, stunning scenery, koalas and pretty birds.
- Adelaide: chilled, relaxed, cute.
- Didgeridoo workshop at Sounds of Starlight in Alice Springs.
- The Rock Tour of Uluru. Incredible. Wild. Breathtaking. Spectacular. Worth every cent. Best experience in Australia. Would do again x 100.
- The Rocks and King's Cross in Sydney. Chilled, cozy, cosmopolitan.
- Great Barrier Reef with Rum Runner. How many times can I say 'colourful corals'? Colourful corals, colourful corals, colourful corals, colourful corals, colourful corals. And more.
- Cairns: beachy, easy-going, small but sassy.
- Uncle Brians's tour of Atherton Tablelands. 14 hours of laughter. And platypus, if you're behaving well.
5.) Budget: unlimited. Australia is freaking expensive and you can hardly get a tour for under a $100. Hostels generally cost between $25-$35, depending on the city, location and room size. Price doesn't always relate to quality. I can recommend Nate's Place in Sydney, The Guest House in Adelaide, and Njoy and Calypso in Cairns. Food is not too expensive and I highly recommend you to shop at central markets. Cheaper and yummier. Also it is often just as expensive to fly somewhere as it is to take a bus, so consider flying a lot. It will save you lots of precious time. I paid around $200 to fly from Ayers Rock to Sydney, which saved me 3 days on a train. Also I paid $260 for the Ghan, a train taking me from Adelaide to Alice Springs. This is a backpacker price which is available to anyone with ISIC, HI or YHA card. Worth the cost I would say.
6.) Internet is often a pricey affair so I suggest getting an Australian sim card. I got one at Vodafone and paid exactly $15 for 2GB data for 30 days. This was a special under-the-counter price, but often it is worth haggling a bit.
7.) Bring:
- sunblock
- sunglasses
- fly net
- sunblock
- big hat
- and sunblock
Seriously guys, Australian sun is freaking merciless and you don't want skin cancer, do you? Put that sunblock on, NOW! Also bring some super tropical mosquito repellent for Cairns and a fly net is a must for the Red Centre.
8.) Learn about Aboriginal culture. I mean truly learn. Try to understand this very special and soulful way of life. Read Dreamtime stories. Observe sacred places. And most importantly - respect!
9.) Learn about Aussie culture. Get that barbie going. Know what brekkie is. Wear thongs. Don't be hard on yourself. Go to the beach. Learn to surf. Eat vegemite (no, don't, really, avoid it at all cost).
10.) Don't just go hiking in the bush. Australia is indeed home to the most dangerous animals in the world, but there's no need to panic. Just be smart. As every tourist should be. Don't go poking things you shouldn't. There's that.
11.) Have fun. Australia is certainly about having fun and getting the most of your day. You'll see, once you go Oz... well everything else starts looking unnecessarily stressful. :)

Questions in the comments section, as always!

Cheers!