Australia has at least three different landscapes in three different regions due to the climatic differences across them.

Northern Australia has a sub tropical climate and the weather largely follows a pattern. There are simply two seasons - wet and dry. The wet season lasts from October to April - the rainfall is heavy and this explains the presence of lush tropical forests here. In winter, there is almost no rainfall and the temperature during the day is anywhere between 20° C and 24° C. This, incidentally, is the most pleasant time to visit the Great Barrier Reef and the beaches and tropical islands of Queensland. The dry season lasts from May to September.  

Central Australia is hot, dry and arid. It is the desert region of Australia, and inhabitation here is very, very sparse. Half the population in Central Australia is made up of the indigenous Australians or the Aboriginals.

The first rains in the North are preceded by some awesome thunder and lightning, a spectacle that is best enjoyed at sunset along the beach.

Down South, the weather is temperate and less predictable. The South receives its winter rains from May to September, and the temperature ranges from 13° C to 24° C. In summer the temperatures could soar up to 41° C but generally remain within the moderate and manageable range of 25° C to 33° C.

It is paradoxical that while it snows very rarely in the South - maybe once in ten years - there are finely equipped ski fields in the Australian Alps, in the Great Dividing Range, just a few hours away by road from the Southern States of Melbourne and Hobart! August is the best season to ski, but it is often so crowded in Australia that many skiers prefer to go to New Zealand where there is more snow and the cost of skiing is more reasonable.

To view the current conditions in Australia, click on this Weather link, and select the relevant city/region.

The currency of Australia is the Australian Dollar. Check today's Australian Exchange Rate from OANDA.com, The Currency Site. One Australian Dollar (A$) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of A$100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of A$2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10 and 5 cents.

Exchange facilities for currency and travellers cheques are available at all International Airports and Banks. Though hotels do exchange money for guests, it is advisable to exchange currency at authorized counters at the airports or at banks. It is also advisable to carry travellers' cheques in major currencies, as this eliminates the additional charge that some banks levy.

Remember, however, that while entering or leaving the country, if you plan to export currency, be it local or foreign, and its value is more than A$10,000 then it is mandatory to declare the amount at Customs at your departure or arrival destination. To export currency more than A$2000, you need the approval of the Reserve Bank.

Establishments and hotels accept MasterCard, Visa American Express and Diners Club Cards. However, their acceptability is limited in the interiors and the outback. It is advisable to check with the Credit Card companies about the list of establishments that accept cards.

Banking Hours: Mon-Thurs 09:30-16:00, Fri 09:30-17:00. These hours may vary throughout the country.

Health regulations
The Australian Immigration Authorities enforce strict health controls on people entering and leaving Australia. For instance, travellers coming from or passing through yellow fever-infected areas are required to produce a certificate within six days of leaving the area. All visitors who arrive without the requisite vaccination and other certificates are isolated at the cost of the airlines carrying them, and penalties are imposed. 

Health hazards and health care facilities
Australia occasionally witnesses outbreaks of tropical fevers and virus attacks like dengue fever, Murray Valley encephalitis, and Ross fever. Insectivorous fruit eating bats are known to carry a virus similar to that of rabies. There is also a health hazard from poisonous snakes and spiders, some types of corals jellyfish and fresh water crocodiles. Heat waves are common and can prove fairly dangerous if those affected are not attended to immediately.

Hospitals in Australia are manned by highly qualified and trained doctors. All health care is charged and visitors are advised to have medical insurance cover. Formalities regarding health insurance are processed at all Medicare offices. Australia has a health agreement with the United Kingdom on a reciprocal basis. This enables residents of Great Britain to avail of free medical care in state hospitals. They are, however, required to furnish proof of their residence in the United Kingdom to enjoy this benefit. This agreement is not binding on private doctors with independent practices, who can charge British citizens for health care.

It is estimated that 1 out of every 4 Australians is born outside Australia.

The first inhabitants of Australia were the aboriginals who were said to have crossed over from South East Asia.  But with the penal colonies and other civilian settlements came a sizeable immigrant population. Most Australians are said to be of English or Irish descent, coming from families that settled there in the early 19^th century. 

In the 1800s, gold was discovered in Australia. This led to a huge influx of migrants not only from Great Britain, but China as well. Soon it seemed that Australia became a very popular place to run away to! When the German Silesians were tortured on religious grounds, they sought refuge in the Barossa valley in South Australia. The Second World War saw a sizeable influx of Europeans fleeing to Australia and soon Australia became their new home. Waves of immigration over the years, spurred by various socio-political developments, have made Australia home to myriad cultures.

New South Wales, for the obvious reason of being the first settlement, continues to be the most populated state in Australia with a population of about 6.5 million out of the 21 million. It is followed by Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia, in that order. The Northern Territory of Australia has the lowest population of around 2 million people.

Interestingly, despite a thriving aboriginal culture, Australia's population is predominantly urban. Almost 11 million people of a total population of 21 million are settled in the cities. Sydney is the most populated city, with 4 million people, followed by Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

75 percent of people follow Christianity, but Australia is home to various other faiths like Judaism, Islam and even Buddhism. So Australia celebrates not only Christmas but also Ramzan. The Jewish festivals of lights, Hannukah, and the Passover, are celebrated with the same fervour as Easter.  The Australian people have accepted and absorbed not only the people of different nationalities but their cultures as well.

Australia is the oldest continent in the world. It is believed to have been inhabited almost 55,000 years back by Aboriginals who crossed over from South East Asia. The actual discovery of Australia, in terms of the first officially recorded landfall on Australian soil, can be traced back to the Dutch explorer Willem Janszoon who dropped anchor on the Western Coast in 1609. Other European voyagers followed suit and by the beginning of the 18^th century, all of Australia except its Eastern Coast had been sighted.

In 1770, Lieutenant James Cook landed in Botany Bay and formally laid claim to the East Coast of Australia, on behalf of the Queen of England. He established the first settlement there, and named it New South Wales. It was around the same time that Britain, having lost its American colonies was facing the problem of housing prisoners and convicts. New South Wales provided the answer and soon a penal colony of the Crown was set up here in 1788, thus setting the ball rolling for Australia's colonization. Five more colonies, both penal and civilian, were set up.

1901 was a landmark year for Australia, when a federal Constitution was adopted and the Commonwealth of Australia came into being. Australia has been a self-governing Dominion of the British Empire since then. In 1999, a referendum was held to decide if a republic could be established, but it was defeated and so even today Australia remains a constitutional monarchy with Queen Elizabeth II as its Head of State.

Australia is the oldest, flattest and smallest continent in the world. It is surrounded by the Indian, Southern and Pacific oceans and is the largest island in the world!  Australia is also sometimes referred to as "Gwandana", as it broke away from the continent Gwandanaland and formed a new continent called Sahul, along with New Guinea and Tasmania.

About 8000 years ago Australia broke away from Tasmania and New Guinea as well, to form the world's first continent in the Southern Hemisphere. The name Australia is derived from the Latin word Australis which means "Of the South". 

Any description of Australia remains incomplete without a mention of its outback. The remote interior land of Australia, which is too hot and barren for any significant habitation, is commonly referred to as the outback. However, there are some regions of the Northern territory where there are vast grasslands in the outback and these regions have sheep and cattle stations.

The outback has been responsible for another significant service that is typical of Australia - the Royal Flying Doctors Service. Since people in the outback do not have access to medical treatment and hospitals, doctors are flown into these areas and it is not unusual to see consultations being carried out under the wing of the plane!

Australia has a very long coastline of 37,000 km and has some very beautiful beaches. It is estimated that almost 70% of its population lives along the coastal regions.

Australia is indeed a land of great and diverse natural beauty - chilly mountains, tropical forests and beautiful beaches, all in the same country!

75 percent of people follow Christianity, but Australia is home to various other faiths like Judaism, Islam and even Buddhism. So Australia celebrates not only Christmas but also Ramzan. The Jewish festivals of lights, Hannukah, and the Passover, are celebrated with the same fervour as Easter.  The Australian people have accepted and absorbed not only the people of different nationalities but their cultures as well. 

The Dreaming
The Aboriginals of Australia have a central belief system based on a concept called "The Dreaming". The Dreaming" is a faith which believes that the dead are interconnected with the living by value systems and spirituality.

English is the only official language, but there are communities who speak a wide variety of other languages, from Arabic to Vietnamese, as well as various Aboriginal communities speaking various indigenous dialects. People who do not speak some English will find it difficult to get by.

Most post offices are open Mon-Fri 8:30am-4pm (larger ones until 8pm). You can also buy stamps from newsagents and corner stores, though often only for domestic mail.

Poste restante services are available in major towns.

The majority of public phones only take phone cards. Local calls cost 40 cents, and phone cards can be in amounts of $2, $5, $10, $20 and $50. They are available from most post offices and newsagents.

Internet cafes are everywhere in Australia, where you'll pay anything from $2-$7/hr.

The emergency number for police, ambulance or fire in Australia is 000 and is free from all phones.

The dial into Australia, dial the relevant number to call out of the country, followed by (61 + Area Code + Phone Number). Please note that all area codes are 2 numbers strarting with 0, of which the 0 does not need to be dialled.