If you’re planning a visit to Australia, you’ll want to go prepared. The destination is a little different from most places in the western world, thanks to its temperatures, arid climate, and unique culture.
Get Off The Beaten Track
While visiting all the busy tourist highlights can be a lot of fun, you don’t want to make it the mainstay of your travel itinerary. Australia is best experienced as the vast wilderness that it actually is.
Find A Quiet Spot
While there are some big cities in Australia — Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney and so on — most of the best places to travel are actually a little further afield. For instance, Hamilton Island accommodation sits a few miles out in the Coral Sea, and it provides a chance for tourists to get away from it all and discover what the country is really about. Close by are large nature reserves that preserve the natural beauty of the region.
Don’t Travel In A Campervan
While touring Australia in a campervan might sound tempting, it’s challenging. Unfortunately, Oz isn’t well-known for its vast network of roads and refueling stations. Once you get away from the strip of civilization on the east coast, you’re pretty much on your own.
If you do want to head into the bush, do so as part of a tour. Take a tent and all your camping supplies with you so that you can stay well-stocked, even if you are a long way from civilization.
Learn The Local Lingo
People in Australia speak a unique form of English. You’ll regularly hear words that aren’t spoken in American English. These include:
- Sanger – which means sandwich
- Tinny – which means a picnic or sitting around a fire, enjoying good conversation and a bottle of beer
- Going walkabout – meaning getting a little bit lost in the bush, and exploring nature
- Straya – which means “welcome to Australia”
- Billy – which is a teapot you hang over your campfire
- Swag bag – which is a bag for all your belongings, such as your sleeping bag
- Thongs – nothing to do with underwear. These are flip-flops in Australia
- Gumboots – this is a reference to wet weather wear, called wellington boots in the UK
- Dacks – these refer to pants (for American English speakers) or trousers (for British English speakers)
Plan A Trip To New Zealand
It would be a pity to travel all the way to Australia to miss out on a trip to neighboring New Zealand. It’s only a couple of hours away, and unlike the large continent of Australia, offers some very impressive mountain ranges and skiing in the winter months.
Let Yourself Be At Home
Australia is a laid-back place. Pretty much anything goes, so long as you’re not harming someone else. If you don’t feel like going out for dinner, or you’d like to stay in your accommodation for a little longer, you can. Don’t force yourself to jam-pack your itinerary if that’s not what you want to do. If you can afford it, stay for longer. The more you’re away, the better you’ll feel.
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