Australia Travel

Sydney
Sydney has an excellent transport system. You can go to www.131500.com.au for loads of resources on buses, ferries and trains. Information includes maps and timetables etc and for more detailed information on the Metro Light Rail & Monorail go to www.metrotransport.com.au.

Melbourne
For maps, timetables and fairs for the city’s transport go to www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au Remember that Melbourne’s transport system is synchronised so that a ticket which you can buy in Newsagents, 7/11’s and post office’s can be used for all forms of transport previously mentioned.

Brisbane
At www.transinfo.qld.gov.au you can find information on Brisbane’s different modes of transport and the maps that cover their routes.

Perth
Transperth manages buses, trains and ferries.
One ticket means that you can ride on all available modes of transport. Go to www.transperth.wa.gov.au.

Adelaide
The Adelaide Metro Information Centre has schedules and tickets
for city buses, trains and the Glenelg tram. Go to
www.adelaidemetro.com.au.

Darwin
The City Bus Interchange, Harry Chan Ave does a
service from its transit centre. The Tour Tub minibus goes around Darwin’s attractions all day and you can get off along the way. Go to www.tourtub.com.au.

Hobart
Bus—Metro manages the city and outer suburb bus system. At the city ‘Australian Post’ in the Elizabeth Street bus mall, you can get free pamphlets of maps and timetables. You can also access information on costs. Go to www.metrotas.com.au.

Canberra
The major Civic Bus Interchange is on Alinga St, East Row and Mort St in the CBD. Go to the information centre (East Row) or the website for free transport information.
www.action.act.gov.au.

Travelling interstate
Australia is a vast land so travelling between major cities usually means travelling for a long time. Bus rides can also be expensive. Always check to see if you can get a cheap flight, you may save yourself a lot of time.

Airlines
Australia’s two biggest airlines are Qantas and Virgin Blue. Qantas and Virgin Blue fly around all capital cities and many regional areas. You can buy tickets at a
travel agent, on the telephone or through the Internet. www.flightcentre.com.au compares the prices of each airline for your destination so that you can find the cheaper flight.

Your own transport
A good second-hand bicycle can be bought for about a few hundred dollars and a quality second-hand car can be purchased under $10,000. It’s worth considering having your second-hand car checked by a mechanic so that you know its worth buying. These checks cost around a $100 and are very important especially if you are spending quite a bit of money.

If you buy a car, you will be paying for registration, repairs, fuel and insurance. It is mandatory to buy third party insurance
which will cover the damage done to other cars if there is an accident. You can also get comprehensive insurance which costs more but covers your own car as well.

If you are in Australia for just three months or less you can drive with an international driver’s licence or a current overseas driver’s licence. It must be in English. If you are staying more than three months, you will have to get an Australian driver’s licence by taking a test on traffic laws and regulations.