Australia (coming soon)

Australia

Australia. Home to beautiful beaches, lush rain forests, and never-ending deserts. But what about the side of this big beautiful country that you don’t often see? The vast open roads that stretch out before you as you traverse this great continent give a sense of complete freedom. The Australian Outback is like nowhere else on earth with its red soil and swaying gum trees and is home to unique wildlife like kangaroos and emus. Most of all for us, Australia is home to some of the most weird and wonderful places in the world, like the underground towns of Coober Pedy and White Cliffs and natural wonders like the pink lakes of Western and South Australia. Whatever your interest, we’re sure you’ll find something amazing and unique on one of our trips in Australia.

Destination Highlights

Litchfield Park, NT

Australia’s Northern Territory has some top sights! Our favorite has got to be the waterfalls of Litchfield Park. Often called the Northern Territory’s best kept secret and overlooked in favor of the more famous Kakadu, the waterfalls provide an oasis in the bush and depending the on the time of year, the perfect place for swimming. Many of these waterfalls are the only places in Australia’s Top End which are Croc free – including the beaches! The Top End maintains a temperature of between 30-45 degrees year-round which makes floating in these misty waterfalls, set in the dramatic landscape of Litchfield Park a must do when traveling through this area of Australia.

White Cliffs, NSW

Driving into White Cliffs, you could be forgiven for thinking you’d slipped through a wormhole in space and time and somehow ended up on the moon. Here like many towns in this part of Australia, the locals mine the elusive opal. In the harsh summers, temperatures in this part of the world can reach into the 50’s Celsius, which prompted the locals to move underground with the stones they mine. Explore the rich moonscape of this frontier opal mining town, check out Australia’s first solar farm and if you’ve got the cash, buy up some opal jewelry from one of the interesting, dusty characters you’re likely to meet out here. Remember in Australia, opals, rather than diamonds are a girl’s best friend!

Wildlife

Australia has the most unique wildlife in the world – so this definitely rates as a highlight for us and best of all many of the animals aren’t shy! You will see Emu’s running along fences while driving through Outback New South Wales, kangaroos down by the billabong at sunset and even Australia’s very own endemic tiny penguins on the beaches and in the harbours. Contrary to popular belief, not all wildlife in Australia wants to kill you – although if you did want to see some pre-historic monsters look no further than Darwin and Kakadu where crocodiles out number people roughly seven to one. Funny story about Darwin, “So a Croc walks into a bar….” No, seriously.

Frequently asked questions about trips to Australia

Australia has strict entry requirements and you should check with your local embassy whether a visa is required.

You can also check with the Visalink service to check the requirements.

No, tipping is not generally part of the culture of Australia.

While tipping is included in the price of your trip for included items, if you wish to tip for a meal you have during your free time people will certainly be appreciative.

The currency of Australia is the Australian dollar and from where ever you are visiting, it should be widely available at money exchanges should you wish to bring some cash with you.

You could elect to bring US dollars, Euros or Pounds Stirling and change these once in Australia. You will get the best rate if you exchange at a bank. Do not exchange on arrival at any Australian airport – the rates are terrible.

ATM’s are widely available in Australia; however, you should check with your bank locally regarding fees and charges associated with using ATM’s in Australia.

All major credit cards are widely accepted. Vendors prefer VISA and MasterCard and will often charge a fee for American Express. Diners Club is less widely accepted.

Check with your provider locally as to whether usage is supported in Australia and if it is, make sure you check your international roaming charges.

The best thing to do is to make sure your phone is unlocked and then purchase a tourist SIM on arrival at the airport. This is by far the most economical option.

In major cities internet access is very good and all larger hotels have good WiFi. In more remote areas WiFi may be slow or even non-existent, your trip leader will let you know in advance when you are likely to be without internet access.

If you are visiting from the US, Europe, or the UK you may find Australia’s WiFi and internet access a little slower than what you’re used to.

Toilets – Upright, western style ceramic toilets. Facilities are mostly very clean – with the exception of petrol stations which can be a bit on the nose.

Pharmacies – Easily accessible in major cities to small towns. Australia allows you to buy much less with out a prescription than most countries around the world. What you are seeking may be kept behind the counter so don’t be afraid to ask. Your trip leader will let you know of any places on the itinerary where a pharmacy may not be available.

Hospitals – Available in major cities and towns. Hospitals in Australia are costly for non-residents. Please ensure you travel with adequate travel insurance and let your trip leader know if you are feeling unwell so they can assist as soon as possible.

Australia has strict laws on what you can bring into the country. Prior to landing you will be handed a customs declaration form; it is always best to declare any medications you may be carrying. For any prescription medication please ensure you bring a note from your GP detailing your medications.

On trips to Australia Water is generally ok to drink unless otherwise specified. In some mining or outback towns we may recommend you drink bottled water. If this is the case, your trip leader will let you know.

Australia is a multi-cultural wonderland. Want pancakes for breakfast? No problem. Want Turkish kebabs for lunch? Sure? Want Thai food for dinner and Indian sweets for dessert? Why not?

If there’s a cuisine you can’t get in Australia, we haven’t heard of it.

Absolutely. As long as you let Inverted Atlas know at the time of booking what those requirements are there should be no problem.

Please note our ability to cater to dietary requirements may be impacted if the first person you inform is the trip leader on arrival. In this instance, the trip leader will do their best to accommodate but we can make no guarantees.