Travelling to Australia.

[Now there's a right un.]

These for some may be a Noobish questions but I am considering visiting my cousin for the first time in Perth Western Australia early in 2017 and need some advice.

This trip would be only my second out of the UK in my life.

 

1. As a UK citizen do I need a Visa to enter Australia and where do I get one?

2. As I will be staying at my Cousins and not need accommodation can anyone recommend a good Airline and route?

3. Having never traveled to Australia before is there anything I need be specifically aware of?

4. Do I need my own medical insurance? [My friend told me UK nationals don't but again I cannot confirm this.]

5. Is Australia expensive in comparison to the UK?

 

I have tried contacting the Australian Embassy directly but it proved fruitless as my call remained unanswered on hold for 40 minutes...

 

Any help, tips or advice would be welcome.

 

Thank you in advance.

 

 

[Clifftop]

 

Hi you will love it.

 

Found the following on line.

 

(1) https://www.migrationexpert.com.au/travel_visa/online_application/?&mxid=06DFC55DC2634157/%2Bvisiting%20%2Bvisa%20%2Bto%20%2Baustralia/73267656852/0//b/24374110452/c/kwd-25544748732/1t2/1000422//&gclid=CInEjt3ekMwCFRWTvQodumYORg

 

(3) January will be hot. lookout for spiders, snakes and hot young women in bikinis

 

(4) https://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/medicare/reciprocal-health-care-agreements

 

(5) beers cheaper, meat is cheaper fishing is great.

 

(6) you will not what to go back to UK hahahaha

 

 

Hope this helps

[JV44]

Long time since I last went but we have flown there with both Emirates and Singapore Airlines both were excellent try to get flights with minimum stopovers if you are tight for time both the above fly Dubia and Singapore stops for 3 hrs in total then onto destination in Australia

We used a firm called Travelbag but my mate has used one called Travel mood with good results

Take some swan vesta matches and they will think you re a magician when you light them on a mirror etc ,tell them they drink beer in women's measures and they tip half of that away claiming its cold....always helps with the Anglo /Ausie relations

[Vagabond]

We have visited Oz on fourteen occasions - the bad part is the flight - especially the return flight.

 

Oz to Singapore (or Hong Kong or wherever) they give you a meal, turn the lights out and expect you to go to sleep.

Singapore (or wherever) to UK the new staff give you a meal, turn the lights out, and expect you to go to sleep

 

...trouble is, you have already had eight hours sleep on the previous flight.

 

It was a bit better when they installed computer games in each seat, except most of the games are repetitive, and the programme for chess is flawed (move your Queen's rook early, or on about move 12 it just disappears !) The skill level is also rather low and thrashing a computer at chess gets boring - the computer cannot learn anything during a flight.

 

However, its all worth it to be in OZ, which is why we have been so many times. If I were in my twenties/thirties, I would have moved there long ago. Fishing and birdwatching is superb. Aussie folk are bonzer. Mind you , I can only speak for country folk, our only experience of their towns was how to get from airport to car or van hire as quickly as possible.

 

Whereabouts are you gonna be ? One tip - don't try to cover too much ground, its a BIG country and each three to four week trip we try to confine to one area.

[Bobj]

G'day mate, Perth is not the best place for a fishing holiday...Very few rivers down the Sarf West hold freshwater fish, although there are several estuarine fish in these waterways, such as bream, flathead, skippy trevally, etc. Trout and redfin are in the Warren Area (Tone River), some 200 km south of Perth.

 

Perth prices are generally more expensive than in the Eastern States by about 5-10% which is about on a par with the UK. Sadly, most people who visit only do a straight comparison and that reflects on the "expensive" side, but take in wages at virtually double the UK wage, it evens out.

Early 2017...Jan/Feb it will be hot with a few temps exceeding 39 C (100F), which, from a freezing UK winter, will knock you a bit.

 

Can't help re flights...Last time I flew from the UK was before you were born...

[Ken L]

Most is covered above. Emirates is usually good for service and value. If you are new to long haul travel and not constrained by time, give serious thought to a few days stopover in Bangkok, KL or Singapore, on the way out on the way back or both. City/temple tours are well worth while and if you have longer than a few days available, there is some great fishing to be had in Thailand.

 

Always have insurance....

[John S]

Watch out for the drop bears!

[Bobj]

Watch out for the drop bears!

 

Didja know that they are not native to WA? A colony was set up at Yanchep, north of Perth.

[Norm B]

These for some may be a Noobish questions but I am considering visiting my cousin for the first time in Perth Western Australia early in 2017 and need some advice.

This trip would be only my second out of the UK in my life.

 

1. As a UK citizen do I need a Visa to enter Australia and where do I get one?

2. As I will be staying at my Cousins and not need accommodation can anyone recommend a good Airline and route?

3. Having never traveled to Australia before is there anything I need be specifically aware of?

4. Do I need my own medical insurance? [My friend told me UK nationals don't but again I cannot confirm this.]

5. Is Australia expensive in comparison to the UK?

 

I have tried contacting the Australian Embassy directly but it proved fruitless as my call remained unanswered on hold for 40 minutes...

 

Any help, tips or advice would be welcome.

 

Thank you in advance.

Went to NZ using Travelbag, top company. Suggest stop overs to break up the flight, 1 half way in each direction minimum.

[Ken L]

Didja know that they are not native to WA? A colony was set up at Yanchep, north of Perth.

Didja know they were real?