Your Complete Backpacker's Guide to DownUnder Australia
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Your Complete Backpacker's Guide to DownUnder Australia
Can't find what your looking for? Google Search:
► Accommodation in Australia All your accommodation options explained.
► Bank Accounts and Money Matters A few tips on opening an Aussie bank account and other financial matters.
► Getting Around A brief rundown on how to get around Oz.
Working
in OzIf you are looking for a job while you are backpacking Australia or looking for information about working in Australia, this section provides all the details.
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Wherever you’re coming from, Australia is geared for budget and independent travellers, offering plenty of accommodation and eating options, as well as discounts on travel, nightlife and entertainment.
Australia’s unit of currency is the Australian dollar (AUD$), which is divided into 100 cents. Coins have values of 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents, $1 and $2; notes have values of AUD$5, AUD$10, AUD$20, AUD$50 and AUD$100.
Basic costs
If you’re frugal, you’ll likely spend around $70 a day for basic meals, accommodation, transport and the odd drink. But if you intend to splash out a bit, staying in motels and B&Bs, going on tours, renting cars and clubbing etc, you’ll need a daily budget of at least $120. As a guide, expect to pay the following prices for standard items in Oz:
Prices (AUD) Items
Price Accommodation (Hostel) $18.00 - $25.00 Loaf of bread $2.25 Big Mac meal deal $5.75 Breakfast in a coffee shop $12.00 Glass of beer at a pub $3.75 Movie ticket $11.00 - $15.00 Petrol (1 litre) $1.20 Newspaper $1.00 - $1.20 Local phone calls $0.40 Bungy jump $180.00 Sydney harbour bridge climb $189.00 Gold Coast theme park entrance $60.00 Australia Zoo entrance (QLD Sunshine Coast) $54.00 Most museums Free Goods & Services Tax (GST)
Australia has a Goods and Services Tax (GST), a broad-based tax of 10% on most goods and services such as accommodation, food, transport and other tourism services within Australia. In some cases, you can claim this tax back through the Tourism Refund Scheme (TRS). Basically the goods must exceed $300 on one single receipt and be purchased within 30 days of leaving the country and, when you’re departing Australia, you have to carry goods as hand luggage. For more information, see the Australian Customs Service website.
Opening a Bank or Credit Union Account
If you want to open a bank or credit union account in Australia, you need to pass the '100 point' system to prove your identification. Documents that can be used include to prove the points include:
Your passport... 70 points
Banks & foreign exchange
In general, Australia’s banking hours are Monday to Thursday 9.30am–4pm and Friday 9.30am–5pm. All the major banks, such as Westpac, ANZ, Commonwealth and National, have offices throughout Australia. In smaller centres, some branches of the main banks have closed, so you’ll have to go to the local post office or newsagent for your banking needs. All the main banks are equipped to exchange foreign currency. You can also exchange foreign currency any day or night at the airport, but do remember that you will get a poor exchange rate there.
Useful Banking and Finance Links
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