LINKS
Travel and Transport:
Greyhound Pioneer Coaches www.greyhound.com.au
Learn to Dive:
Pro Dive www.prodive.com.au
Scuba Diving Medical Examinations are mandatory and must be completed prior commencing the course the Open Water Dive Course. We recommend doing this at The Park Medical Centre www.parkmedical.com.au
Air
QANTAS www.qantas.com.au
VirginBlue Airlines www.virginblue.com.au
Rail, Ferry, Bus
NSW Ministry of Transport www.transport.nsw.gov.au/
TRAVEL TIPS
VISA
All visitors to Australia need a passport and a visa. Those from New Zealand are issued a visa on arrival; all other visitors must obtain one in advance. There are several different types of visa depending on the reason for visiting, but most holiday visitors will need a standard tourist visa. To apply for a visa you’ll need an application form, available from Australian diplomatic missions overseas and many travel agents. There’s a US$33 fee for a three-month stay and you’ll have to provide your passport and a passport photo with your application. Visitors between the ages of 18 and 26 from Britain, Ireland, Canada, Holland, Malta, South Korea and Japan may be eligible for a working holiday visa. You can work either full-time or part-time for as much of the year that you want, but you can’t work for the same employer for more than 3 months. Those aged between 26 and 30 can also apply for a working visa, but the conditions are much stricter. You have to prove that you working there will be ‘mutually beneficial’ to Australia and your own country.
CURRENCY
The currency used is the Australian dollar (AUD) which is made up of 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 and coins are 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, $1 and $2.
Changing both foreign currency or traveller’s cheques is not a problem in Sydney and can be carried out in any one of the city’s number of banks or Foreign Exchange booths. Normal opening hours are between 9.30am and 4.00pm from Monday to Thursday and they open until 5.00pm on Fridays. You will also find foreign exchange bureaus at the airport and scattered throughout the city centre. These usually have more extensive opening hours but their commission is higher and the rates they offer are usually not as impressive. All major credit cards are also widely accepted and if you have the PIN you can also use these to receive cash in compatible bank machines. The same applies to bankcards which are members of any of the international banking networks including Cirrus and Plus.
WORLD TIME
SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES is 11 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.
There is daylight saving time in New South Wales
January 21 2008 08:10 am