When to go to Australia. When is the best time to visit Australia? Public transport within cities

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How much does it cost to travel to Australia

And what to see in three weeks

My husband and I spent 600 thousand rubles on a three-week trip to Australia in March 2018.

Anna Denisova

blogger and traveler

We visited the Great Barrier Reef, Tasmania and three major cities: Sydney, Melbourne and Gold Coast.

Friends from Russia ask how it was possible to squander so much in just three weeks. And friends from Australia wonder how we survived.

I carefully planned the trip and recorded the expenses on the trip. I’ll tell you where we visited, how much and what we ended up spending.

Visas

We applied for visas ourselves. The application was submitted on the website of the Australian Embassy. Very convenient: no need to go and bring originals, everything is served through the site.

12 791 Р

cost two visas

We needed:

A copy of the passport - a photo from the phone came up.
Confirmation of previous trips - attached photos of old visas.
Bank statement in English.
List of previous places of work and study in English on a special form.
Certificate from the employer confirming income and vacation on the dates of travel.
Travel plan - attached a Word file with a list of cities and dates.

Air tickets and hotel reservations are not needed: the Australian embassy does not recommend paying for airfare and accommodation before obtaining a visa.

We paid a consular fee - $ 140 (6403 R) and $ 1.47 (67 R) commission for payment by card. This money cannot be returned, even if the visa is denied. The fee must be paid on the website of the embassy at the rate assigned to them. At the time of payment, it asked for 45.21 rubles for the Australian dollar, and the Central Bank - 44.99 rubles.

The national currency of Australia is the Australian dollar

The term for issuing an Australian visa depends on the workload of the consulate. The embassy website has a special section with the average waiting time. In my case, the application was promised to be considered in a maximum of 35 days, but the visa came in 40. I justify the delay by the New Year holidays.

Australian visa - electronic. It is not glued into the passport, instead, upon entry, they simply check in the database whether you have it or not. We received a modest email with a visa.

Tickets to Australia

You can fly to Australia from Russia only with a transfer. The journey takes almost a day. Air China had the cheapest tickets for our dates. We decided to overpay 10 thousand rubles and fly Etihad Airways: they have shorter transfers and you can fly through Abu Dhabi, where we have not been yet.

Etihad Airways and Emirates tickets include one piece of baggage, maximum 30 kg, and Air China two pieces of 23 kg per person. For many, this is convenient, but I travel with a minimum of things. The trunks that the Chinese carry with them on the plane annoy me.

125 491 Р

spent on two tickets Moscow - Sydney - Moscow with a transfer in Abu Dhabi

We bought tickets three weeks before departure and paid the same amount as if we paid for the flight for 4 months.

I travel a lot, but have never paid 62 745 R for one ticket. My hands trembled a little when I confirmed the purchase of non-refundable tickets for 125,491 R.

flights within australia

We decided to explore the country as much as possible in one trip, because we will not fly to such a distance again soon or never at all. Therefore, they decided to visit the Great Barrier Reef, the island of Tasmania and three major cities: Sydney, Melbourne and the Gold Coast. They put a week in Sydney, and 2-3 days for everything else.

We traveled around the country in a rented car and planes. You can also travel by trains and intercity buses, but we did not use them.

Traveling by plane in Australia is as easy as traveling in Russia by bus. Tickets are relatively inexpensive: we flew four times from city to city, and for two we paid 58,756 R.

My Australian friends advise planning even small trips 2-3 months in advance: Australians love to travel around the country and buy tickets quickly. I found out about this when I paid five times more than planned for the flight from Tasmania to Melbourne. Three weeks before departure, there were still cheap tickets, but a week later they were sold out.

You can take only hand luggage weighing up to 7 kg free of charge on the plane. Therefore, when booking tickets, we also paid for luggage. The price depends on the weight - for a 15-kilogram small suitcase we paid $ 15-20 (687 -916 R).

It happens that luggage and hand luggage are not weighed at the airport. But it's better not to count on it: once we decided to take a chance and took an extra bag with gifts. It was on this flight that luggage was counted and weighed. I had to pay extra $ 72 (3299 R). With this money it was almost possible to buy another ticket.

Flights within Australia - $ 1244.64 (57 032 R)

Sydney - Tasmania

$232.32 (R11,119)

Tasmania - Melbourne

$487.88 (R23,351)

Melbourne - Gold Coast

$230.3 (11,022 R)

Gold Coast - Sydney

$222.14 (R9952)

Unscheduled baggage

72 $ (3312 R)

Australian airports have a separate area for domestic flights. There are no queues: online check-in is available for all flights. You can check in and receive your luggage using the qar code - you need to show it to the airport employee or scan it at the self-service check-in counter. Baggage acceptance closes 20 minutes before departure.

The pre-flight security check takes less than five minutes. There is no usual restriction on the amount of liquid carried, only piercing and dangerous objects are prohibited. In some cases, security officers may ask you to open the bag and show what is inside. Our quadrocopter aroused suspicion twice, but everything worked out.

All flights lasted an hour and a half: you just took off, and you are already landing. On the plane, food is served only for an additional fee; you need to order food when checking in online for the flight. I have never seen anyone use this service.

Car rental

We drove two thousand kilometers by car: 500 km - along the island of Tasmania and 1500 km - from the Gold Coast to Gladstone, the nearest eastern point Great Barrier Reef. 39,986 rubles were spent on rent and gasoline.

Opal cards are sold at the central station, newsstands and supermarkets. You can top up the card at the terminals at any station, a list of all points is also on the company's website.

We liked to travel from home to the city center by ferry, because it has a beautiful route: in ten minutes of the journey you have time to enjoy the view of the Opera House and the Harbor Bridge. You will not surprise the locals with this, they sit inside the ferry all the way, buried in their phones. One trip cost $5.88 (270 R) per person.

We bought two cards for $40 (1840 R) and used them three times to pay for the ferry fare.

In total, we spent about 28,600 R on public transport.

Entertainment

Almost all of our entertainment was connected with nature. There are also many animals in Australia that you will not find anywhere else in the world.

In Sydney. We liked the Taronga zoo for its combination of nature and urbanism: a giraffe against the backdrop of skyscrapers is an interesting sight. A ticket can be bought in advance on the zoo's website for $42.3 (1946 R) or at the entrance for $47 (2162 R).

We spent one day in Sydney walking around the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium. It is considered one of the best in the world because of the hundred-meter glass tunnels in which rare species fish, sharks and rays. We paid for tickets for $ 42 (1932 R) per person, but we could save money by buying for $ 33.6 (1546 R) in advance on the aquarium's website.

With a single ticket for $ 70 (3220 R) you can visit the oceanarium, museum wax figures, Sydney Tower and Wild life zoo. This is beneficial: tickets to each seat separately will cost $ 154 (7084 R). But we were only interested in the aquarium.

On the Great Barrier Reef we lived right on the reefs. We also wanted to look at the underwater world at great depths, so we took a tour at the hotel for $ 50 (2300 R) per person. We were taken on a boat away from the island. For an hour we swam in the ocean with snorkels and admired the fish and corals. I almost died of fear when a shark swam past me. It turned out that not all sharks eat people. The reefs that live there are safe.

Internet and communication

When traveling, we constantly need the Internet: read news in Telegram and check mail, post photos and stories on Instagram, call colleagues and relatives.

7026 R

spent on internet

For this, free Wi-Fi at airports, cafes and apartments is not enough, so we used a special tourist SIM card. In Australia, we paid 0.01 euros per 1 MB for it. The call quality was excellent. We did not limit ourselves on the Internet and were often too lazy to ask for the password for free Wi-Fi. As a result, we spent 6106 R for two for the entire trip.

The only place where there was no connection was Big barrier reef. There we bought wifi in the hotel. For two days they paid 920 rubles. In total, 7026 R were spent on the Internet.

shopping

All stores accept cards. Cash is not in use in Australia. You can pay with them, but no one does that. We also always used the map.

The prices for clothes are the same as in Russia, sometimes a little lower: I bought a swimsuit for $ 69 (3174 R). In a Moscow online store, the same one costs 3990 R.

73 920 Р

spent on shopping and gifts

From Australia, you need to bring rum from the well-known local company Bundaberg. We specifically visited the factory of the same name, where they can write anything on the label. A regular bottle costs $ 39.99 (1840 R), and with an inscription - $ 49.99 (2300 R).

We also brought home a kilo of traditional Australian macadamia nuts. We bought them in a regular supermarket for $ 50 (2300 R). I'm a passion fruit fanatic, so I bought 20 pieces for $1.5 (69 R) at the local market.

In Russia, Australia is associated with kangaroos, so we took jerky as gifts - dried kangaroo, emu and crocodile meat, at $ 4-10 (184 -460 R) per pack.

Many products and things of animal origin, more than 2.25 liters of alcohol and 25 cigarettes cannot be imported into Australia. There are no export restrictions. The current rules for the import of products are described

In total, 73,920 R were spent on shopping and gifts.

Results

Three weeks later, we became poorer by 605,501 R, but lived a whole life in another part of the world. This time was enough to cover the main cities, but not enough to rest. We were exhausted, constantly moving from place to place.

If you want to repeat our feat, remember:

The flight is long and expensive, if you decide to pay this money, fly for a long time.
Plan to visit several cities: domestic flights are inexpensive and convenient.
Plan your travels around the country: the closer to the date, the more likely it is that the Australians have already bought everything.
If you want to save on food, buy products in supermarkets and markets.
You can safely live in cheap places, even the rooms in other people's apartments are very comfortable.

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If you want to plan a vacation in the cold season, pay attention to the distant, but amazing australia. This is a country where you can have fun in winter and summer. Therefore, the question of when it is better to relax in Australia can be easily answered - all year round.

This continent has long remained inaccessible to most tourists. Therefore, today Europeans, including our compatriots, want to admire the nature and wildlife of this mysterious corner of the Earth. Tourists come here from all countries to relax and experience the exotic of this country. Let's take a look at some of the main destinations that attract travelers the most.

Beach season open

Many people travel to distant lands to soak up the golden beaches and plunge into the waters of the powerful ocean. Winter is the most popular season in Australia when it is better not to snowy mountains and on the shore under the rays gentle sun. The ocean, golden sands, exotic nature are the main advantages of a distant continent.

When planning to go on vacation, you can not think where it is better to relax in Australia. Any city on the coast is a resort area where you can find not only a suitable hotel, but also pleasant entertainment. Among the beaches of world importance, Australian resorts occupy the first positions in the ranking. More than 40 kilometers stretches the golden coast, which welcomes tourists from all over the world. The most popular tourist destinations are:

Broad Beach;
Main Beach;
Cairns and many others.

On the coast of the ocean or the Coral Sea, you can find not only a secluded corner for a pleasant pastime with your soulmate, but also for a comfortable family vacation.

Original entertainment for real men

Many tourists believe that it is better to have an active holiday in Australia. For lovers of extreme entertainment, many exciting routes have also been created. For example, you can go to Surfes Paradise. This is a combination of a beach holiday and the opportunity to become a conqueror of the waves. Only on this coast you can get acquainted with the real water element, climb the ridge and feel all the unbridled power wildlife.

The alternative is diving. Immersed in sea depths, you can not only test your endurance and character, but also get to know the amazing underwater world. This trip will be a real find not only for inexperienced tourists, but also for experienced divers. The Great Barrier Reef holds many amazing discoveries even for experienced divers.

No less exciting adventures await tourists on land. lovers active rest can appreciate all the greatness of wildlife on one of the hunts. For example, from September to October you can go on a crocodile. This is not an easy journey, where the tourist will be accompanied by several professionals:

aboriginal, versed in the habits of the animal;
a real hunter teaching weapons handling skills;
an interpreter (if necessary), who will be able to convey the whole flavor of communication into an understandable language.

Kangaroo hunting is considered no less exciting, but safer. There are about 50 million of them in the country, so at least 5 million are shot annually. Anyone can join one of these events.

Of course, you can choose a more relaxing holiday. For example, take a tour of Sydney or visit a local nature reserve to pet a koala or take a picture with a kangaroo. As they say, for every product there is a buyer. What attracted you to amazing Australia?

It is no coincidence that a European person calls Australia the end of the world, because those who dare to buy a ticket here only in the sky will have to spend at least 20 hours, excluding transfers. The cost of tours to the "green continent" can quite significantly lighten your bank account, and obtaining a visa can turn into a difficult quest, the passage of which does not guarantee even a solid consular fee. Nevertheless, the number of people who want to see kangaroos in the wild only increases every year, and the query "when is the best time to relax in Australia" is becoming more and more popular among fans of exotic travel.

Let's take a look at the map

The remoteness of the continent from the "high roads" had a special effect on its development. In Australia, there are hundreds and thousands of species of plants and animals found nowhere else on the planet. Bordered by two oceans at once, Australia is a paradise for lovers of endless beaches and for surfers who find the best waves in the Southern Hemisphere off its coast. Divers idolize the green continent for what nature has created unique miracle- The Great Barrier Reef, and fans of land hiking trails do not miss the opportunity to circle around the sacred red rock of Uluru in the heart of Australian desert.
The climatic conditions of the mainland are very diverse, because it stretches for almost 4000 kilometers from north to south, and from east to west. The weather is not only influenced by geographical latitudes, but also ocean currents, and in general there are six different climatic zones: Equatorial to temperate.
Climate features allow you to correctly determine the time when it is best to relax in Australia:

On the continent located in the Southern Hemisphere, winter starts in June, spring in September, and New Year and Christmas happen at the height of summer. Please keep this in mind when planning your tour.
The hottest period of the year starts in November. average temperature air until the end of January can reach + 32 ° C, but in the desert regions in the center of the mainland, thermometers do not hesitate to cross the 40-degree mark.
Desert regions are characterized by a significant difference between day and night temperatures, and therefore, when going to such areas, do not forget to take warm clothes in your luggage.
The Great Barrier Reef is an area where it is comfortable throughout the year. You can dive here both in summer and in winter.
Sydney and its sights are the most pleasant to see in the off-season. In autumn and spring, the temperature indicators are the most optimal for long walks - about + 25 ° С.

Beach holidays and its features

All major beach resorts mainland are located on the east coast. The most popular of them are the Barrier Reef and Gold Coast.
The reef is a unique formation built by corals, and its islands annually attract not only fans of diving, but also lovers of fashionable beach holidays. The climate on the Great Barrier Reef belongs to the subequatorial type, and therefore the air temperature there changes little during the year. In December, thermometers usually show + 31 ° С, and in July - about + 28 ° С, but the air humidity is the lowest in winter and early spring, which in Australia corresponds to the period from May to the second half of October.
On the Gold Coast, by contrast, the peak season is from October to April. At this time of the year, the air warms up to + 25 ° С - + 28 ° С, and the water in pacific ocean becomes comfortable for swimming. Thermometers show in coastal waves not less than +23°С - +25°С. In winter, although the water does not cool down much, strong waves begin, and therefore swimming becomes unsafe. At this time, it is especially important to pay attention to the signs of rescue services. If you're not an experienced swimmer, you'd be better off visiting Australia when the sea is at its calmest.

Seasons and their features

Australian seasons follow each other in full accordance with the calendar southern hemisphere, and each of them has its own unique charm and beauty. If you prefer a contemplative vacation or are fond of photography, you better relax in Australia in the fall, when the local forests and parks are full of amazing colors. In addition to pleasant visual impressions, gastronomic pleasures are also guaranteed. Autumn is the time for wine festivals held in the regions where grapes are grown. One of the most interesting and famous takes place in Orange.
In winter, it is worth flying to the Great Barrier Reef and enjoying a beach holiday on tropical coral islands. And you can go in for winter sports, because in the states of New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania are quite adequately equipped ski resorts Australia. Modern snow cannons, and the season quite successfully lasts from July to September, and even longer in the highest mountain resorts.
Spring comes to a distant continent in September and its main sign is the blooming nature. At this time of the year, it is still comfortable on the northern beaches, but by mid-October, sunbathers begin to actively move closer to the Gold Coast. For fans of horse racing, spring is notable for the fact that an international cup starts in Melbourne, and even people who are far from it in the rest of the year make bets on the hippodrome.
In summer, vacationing Australians move closer to the south, where the thermometers prudently do not exceed + 30 ° С. AT central regions countries and east coast daily temperatures are too solid to rest comfortably.

On a tour of the national parks

The most famous and popular national parks can be found on the map in the north of the country. The climate in this region is tropical and almost does not depend on the season. The average air temperature during the day in the Kakadu, Katherine Gorge and Lichfield parks is + 30 ° С, a little hotter in November - up to + 33 ° С. The water off the coast of the Darwin resort, the northern coast closest to the national parks, is warmest in January - up to + 29 ° С, and cooler in June - no more than + 25 ° С.
The most comfortable time for walking in Kakadu National Park is the second half of the Australian winter. In July and August, lotuses and lilies bloom in the lakes of the park. During this period in natural environment habitats can be seen a huge number tropical birds.

Visiting the natives

The main Australian attraction, which is located in the habitats of local aborigines, is called Uluru. The huge red rock becomes a place of pilgrimage for thousands of tourists every year. Geographically, Uluru is located almost in the center of the continent in a semi-arid desert zone.
If you are planning a trip to the rock, which the natives consider a place of power, be sure to check the weather forecast. In summer it is too hot here and the mercury columns can get up to the 40-degree mark during the day. In winter, thermometer readings fluctuate around +20°C, but at night it can be very cold, and the temperature often drops to zero.
When going to Uluru, do not forget about warm clothes if you fly to Australia in winter. Be sure to take the tour to the desert Sunglasses, creams and clothes at any time of the year, since the activity of ultraviolet rays in these latitudes is especially strong.

Useful Observations

When choosing the north coast for a beach holiday, avoid summer time. At the end of October in coastal waters multiply poisonous jellyfish, which disappear only at the beginning of May. Rescuers allow water procedures only in special suits.
The sun on the "green continent" is very active and the means with the highest protection factor should be present in your luggage in without fail, regardless of the season when you arrived.
If you want to completely exclude the possibility of precipitation, do not book tickets to Australia for June-August. Winter is the time when rain is most likely on the east coast.
Winter on the Gold Coast is a real paradise for surfers. At this time, the longest and highest wave occurs here. If you have a wetsuit, you can fish it all day without the risk of hypothermia.

If you prefer active sports in the warm sea, fly to the beach resorts of Australia in the summer. In the period from November to February, the wave temperature reaches +25°С - +28°С, and therefore you will get incomparably more pleasure from your vacation than in winter.