Many of Australia's key attractions provide access for those with limited mobility and a number of sites have also begun to address the needs of visitors with visual or aural impairments.

'Easy Access Australia' (www.easyaccessaustralia.com.au) guidebook provides useful information about accessible travel in Australia.

With a land area of 7.7million square kms, Australia is the 6th largest nation in the world – only marginally smaller than mainland USA, measuring some 4000kms (2500 miles) east to west and 3200km (2000miles) north to south.

A large part of Australia’s appeal is its geographic diversity and wide open spaces. This in turn means that travelling between attractions can also span large distances. Perth to Sydney for example is approximately 5 hours flight, 5 days in a car or 3 nights on a train. The Great Barrier Reef is the same area as the UK and Ireland, and the state of Western Australia is the same size as Western Europe. For this reason, internal flights are often the best means of travelling between attractions and regional centres to maximise time at the destination.

For maps and further information on distances between attractions visit https://maps.google.com.au and http://au.distancescalc.com

Hiring a car is a great way to enjoy the flexibility of getting to know a particular region at your own pace. Australians drive on the left-hand side of the road. Speeds and distances are given in kilometres.

International visitors can drive in Australia using their valid overseas licence. If the licence is not written in English, an International Driving Permit or official English translation must also be carried with the licence when driving.

Drivers must carry their licence with them at all times and should be aware that Australia strictly controls drink driving, the use of seatbelts and speed limits with random checks and cameras.

When designing your itinerary, visitors planning to self-drive should note that rental cars are restricted to roads which are properly formed and constructed as sealed, metalled or gravel roads. Additionally, restrictions apply with regards taking hire cars on car ferries and driving beyond the city limits in Western Australia and the Northern Territory between dusk and dawn.

The following websites may be of further assistance for route planning and information on local petrol prices: www.mynrma.com.au/holidays/holiday-finder and www.travelmate.com.au.

We suggest you also check with your local motoring association for reciprocal roadside assistance and other touring benefits with Australian affiliates.

Metered taxis are available in all major cities and towns. You can book a taxi by phone, hail a taxi in the street or get one from a taxi rank which can usually be found at transport terminals, major hotels or shopping centres. A light and sign on the roof shows when a cab is available. There is a minimum “flagfall” charge, then a charge for the distance travelled.

Small additional charges are made for luggage, telephone reservations and, where applicable, tolls; otherwise, the amount payable is shown on the meter.

Australia's decimal currency is divided into 5, 10, 20, 50 cent and $1 and $2 coins; notes are in denominations of $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100.

The safest way to carry larger amounts of money is in the form of a credit or debit card. "Plastic" payment is widely accepted across the nation in shops, restaurants, hotels, petrol stations and a wide network of ATMs. Any card connected to the international banking network (Cirrus, Maestro, Plus and Eurocard) should work with your regular PIN. Visa and Mastercard are accepted almost everywhere, whilst Diners Club and American Express are not as widely accepted. A minimum purchase may be required to use your credit card in some shops.

Foreign currency and travellers cheques can be exchanged at banks, travel exchanges and hotels in the major centres. Most banks across Australia are open Monday to Friday 9.30am-4pm. Check www.xe.com/currencyconverter/ for current exchange rates.

Amounts of $AUD10,000 or more (or foreign currency equivalent) must be declared on arrival and departure.

Tipping is entirely discretionary in appreciation of good service. Employees do not depend on gratuities for their income nor are service charges routinely added to accounts by hotels and restaurants; however a tip of up to 10% in recognition of excellent service has become the custom in cafes and restaurants.

You should not feel obliged to tip tour guides or concierge, it is however appropriate where service has been exceptional.

Taxi drivers and hotel porters also appreciate a small change tip for their services

Shops in most major centres are open 7 days a week: 9.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday (with late opening one night a week – usually Thursday or Friday) and 10am to 4pm on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays. Some supermarkets and petrol stations are open 24/7. Almost all shops close on Good Friday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day.

Wondering what to buy as a memento of your stay in Australia?

• Australian opals in all different colours, Broome pearls and Argyle diamonds all make stunning souvenirs.
• Wear a slice of Australia back home with contemporary designs by Ginger and Smart, Zimmermann, Alannah Hill, Leona Edimston, Alex Perry, Marcs, Saba, Akira Isogawa or Sass and Bide; or more authentic Australian items from RM Williams, Drizabone or Akubra.

Let your tastebuds reminisce with some local wines, Haighs fine chocolates or the quintessential jar of Vegemite.

• An original Aboriginal artwork will make a stunning talking piece on your walls back home.

Australia’s many colourful local markets are also a great place to pick up a unique souvenir, often with the opportunity of ‘meeting the maker’.

Shoppers should be aware that Australian clothing and shoe sizes are different to the US and European sizes. Check www.onlineconversion.com for a guide to local sizes.

All goods and services are subject to a 10% Goods and Services Tax (GST) which is included in the displayed price. However international visitors may be entitled to a refund under the Tourist Refund Scheme. The refund applies to goods with a total value of $AUD300 or more in one transaction (substantiated by a tax invoice) that travellers carry with them as hand luggage when leaving the country.

The refund can be processed by credit card, cheque or EFT to Australian bank accounts at Tourist Refund Scheme booths after passport control on departure. Check www.border.gov.au for further details.

The country dialling code for Australia is +61.

The outgoing international code is 0011.

To look up local phone numbers visit www.whitepages.com.au or www.yellowpages.com.au

There are three mobile phone networks in Australia (Optus, Telstra and Vodafone). All three offer 4G services and most visitors from Europe and Asia will be able to use and Australian SIM in their existing handset. A number of smaller Mobile Virtual Network Operators also provide competitively priced pre-paid plans operating on one of the above networks. Most major providers have stores or stands at Australia's international airports; and more also offer phone and SIM packages for visitors without a compatible / unlocked handset. US visitors should check with their local provider with regards their phone's compatibility.

Mobile coverage is generally good around the major population centres, however some remote outback locations and islands do not have mobile coverage.

Ambulance, fire brigade or police can be called free of charge from any phone by dialling ‘000’. Newer model digital phones can connect to the service using the international standard emergency number ‘112’.

Australian ethernet connections use an RJ45 plug, for which your laptop may need an adaptor. You should also check your laptop’s voltage range. If it is unable to be switched to “240v”, you will also need a voltage converter. An Australian three-pin plug is required to connect to local power supplies.

Additionally, there is a good network of wireless hotspots in regional centres around Australia.

A selection of local aircards is also available.

Australia operates on the PAL television and video system, and is in DVD zone 4: South America and Australia

Australia is a vast island continent, divided into 6 states and 2 territories. It is a land of contrasts: the narrow coastal strip to the east of the country is bounded by the Great Dividing Range, west of the range lies the dry inland heart of the country, where the rainfall is slight, the vegetation is sparse and the lakes are usually dry. In the south west, there is a fertile coastal plain, while further north along the west coast, the dry country runs right down to the sea. In the north of the country, a tropical region is home to some of the oldest rainforests on Earth.

Sparsely populated and geographically isolated, Australia showcases some of the world's most pristine natural environments including 16 World Heritage Listed Sites from Uluru to Kakadu, the Great Barrier Reef to the Tasmanian Wilderness.

Australian food and drink are a large part of the visitor experience, whether it be fresh seafood on the barbeque, a schooner of cold beer at an outback pub, fine dining overlooking Sydney Harbour or a glass of chardonnay at the cellar door. Thanks to a multicultural population of food lovers, an abundance of fresh ingredients from both the land and the sea, and a new generation of internationally acclaimed and highly innovative chefs, Australia has no shortage of dining options to tantalise any visitor’s tastebuds.

Some of the culinary highlights on offer include:

• Seafood: In addition to all of the perennial favourites, try Barramundi (freshwater fish), Balmain and Moreton Bay Bugs (small crustaceans), Yabbies (freshwater lobsters), Pacific Oysters and Tasmanian Salmon.
• Meat: Australian beef and lamb have an excellent reputation and are exported around the globe. For the more adventurous, there is also kangaroo, emu and crocodile to sample.
• An unlimited selection of tropical and cool climate fruits and nuts.
• Countless Australian wines of all varieties and numerous mainstream and boutique beers to quench the thirst.

Most special dietary requirements can be widely catered for. Please advise us in advance of any specific dietary requirements so that we may inform the accommodation and tour operators accordingly.

Some useful tips and terminology before heading out to dine:

• Schooners, Pots, Pints and Middies – all refer to the bewildering variety of beer glass sizes which vary from state to state. Furthermore, a “stubby” refers to a 375ml bottle of beer.
• BYO – Many restaurants are “BYO” which means you can ‘bring your own’ bottled wine to drink with the meal. A small corkage fee may be charged by the restaurant.
• The legal drinking age in Australia is 18 years.

Check out www.bestrestaurants.com.au for a good selection of restaurants in each of Australia’s main centres or ask for a copy of Southern Crossings’ dining guides.

50 million years of isolation has led to a unique evolutionary sanctuary of plants and animals. Australia has an exceptional range of species with more than 80% of the native mammals, frogs, reptiles and flowering plants found nowhere else in the world.

Endemic mammals include the kangaroo, koala, platypus, echidna, possum, wombat and dingo. There are also a number of interesting birds, such as emus, brightly coloured parrots, cockatoos and the laughing kookaburra.

Distinctive plants include the ubiquitous gum tree or eucalypt, of which there are some 700 species. Other common plants are wattle, banksia, waratahs, bottlebrushes, paperbarks and tea trees. Australia is also home to some of the oldest flora on the planet – from the tropical rainforests of the Daintree National Park to ancient pine forests towering over Tasmania, and the recent discovery of the Wollemi Pine in the Blue Mountains, thought to have been extinct since the Jurassic Era.

Aboriginal history in Australia dates back to around 70,000 years ago, when the first humans came across the sea from Asia. Conditions were favourable throughout the country and the population was widespread. However, at the end of the last Ice Age, inland lakes dried up and the Aboriginal population became more clustered around the coastal areas.

The Dutch were the first European to set eyes on Australia in the early 1600s but it was not until Englishman Captain James Cook led a scientific voyage in search of the ‘Great South Land’ in 1770, that the newly-discovered land was claimed for Britain.

Running out of prison space, Britain proposed to begin transportation of convicts to Australia. In 1788 the first fleet of convicts arrived in Sydney. Conditions in the new colony were extremely harsh and transportation was finally abandoned to the eastern states in 1852 and in 1868 to the west.

Meanwhile, the Aboriginal population was devastated both by European diseases and by conflict with white people. Within 100 years of white settlement, all that remained of Aboriginal society were relatively small groups in central and northern Australia.

Free settlers began to be attracted to Australia over the next decades, but it was the discovery of gold in the 1850s that really changed the face of the colony. The huge influx of migrants in search of their fortune, and several large finds, boosted the economy and irrevocably changed the country’s social structure.

In 1901, the separate states became a federation. Australia and its capital, Canberra, were born, but links to Britain were still strong and Australia remains a member of the British Commonwealth today.

Post-WWII immigration brought a flood of European immigrants to “the Lucky Country”, many of them non-British. The immigrants have since made an enormous contribution to the country, enlivening its culture and broadening its vision, the foundations of Australia as we know it today.

Australia has a population of approximately 26 million, most of whom live on or near the coast. The Eastern states and their capitals are home to the majority of the population, whilst regions such as the Kimberley are among the most sparsely populated areas on Earth.

Australia’s colourful history has bred a very multicultural population, with most Australians still either born elsewhere, or the children of people who emigrated to Australia – most commonly from the UK, Europe and South East Asia.

Whilst only 1% of the population today is Aboriginal, their culture may be observed in various museums, galleries and regions across Australia. “Dreamtime” legends told through dance, art and storytelling keep the essence of their culture alive.

The official language in Australia is English – though some visitors may require the assistance of a dictionary (www.aussie-slang.com) to decipher some of the “local lingo”.

Arty, cultural, sporting and musical, Australia celebrates all year round with a full calendar of colourful events and festivals. For entertainment details in each of Australia’s capital cities during your stay visit the Australian State and Territory tourism websites.

New South Wales (incl Sydney) www.sydney.com

Victoria (incl Melbourne) www.visitvictoria.com

ACT (incl Canberra) www.visitcanberra.com.au

South Australia (incl Adelaide) www.southaustralia.com

Western Australia (incl Perth) www.westernaustralia.com

Northern Territory (incl the Top End and Red Centre) www.travelnt.com

Queensland (incl Brisbane, Cairns and Great Barrier Reef) www.queensland.com

Tasmania www.discovertasmania.com.au