TIPS FOR TRAVELING TO AUSTRALIA (AND DON'T FALL IT)

Are you looking for tips for traveling to Australia and not screw it up? You are in the right place: we just returned after a 3-month trip in which we kicked half of Australia's most populous (in some cases that's saying a lot). We left Perth and arrived in Melbourne on our first roadtrip, did a housesitting on the Mornington Peninsula, flew to Tasmania and started a new roadtrip from Melbourne to Cape Tribulation. We do not stop still and still ... we need to know the other half of the country!

So the first advice can not be other than ...

And when we say huge, we say enoooorme (it is the sixth largest country in the world). To get an idea of ​​how immense it is, think that flying from one coast to another will take you about 6 hours. And it is thatAustralia is bigger than Europe!

If you have for example 3 weeks of time, it is unfeasible to know it whole, so you will have to decide on a specific area. We personally loved the West Coast, but for a first trip we recommend this itinerary, which touches part of the South Coast and the East Coast:

• One-way flight to Melbourne
• Great ocean road
• Flight to Cairns
• Road trip to Cape Tribulation
• Roadtrip to Sydney
• Departure flight from Sydney

We were not there, but we believe that It is very worthwhile, although perhaps better on a second trip. On this occasion we decided to focus on the South and East Coast, and we left the outback for our return to Australia. If your idea is to make a single great trip to Australia, do not hesitate! They all speak wonders of Uluru and the outback most authentic in the country.

In this case, if you have 3 weeks, an itinerary could be:

• One-way flight to Melbourne
• Great ocean road
• Flight to Alice Springs (yes, you know it's expensive!)
• Road trip Uluru
• Flight to Cairns
• Road trip to Sydney
• Departure flight from Sydney

Yes, there may be areas where you get cold, but in general (and with a good coat) you should not have problems. So you know: if you want to save a few euros, traveling in low season is the best.

Spending the New Year in Sydney is the traveling dream of many: the fame of their party and their fireworks have crossed borders and it would surely be an unforgettable way to welcome the new year. Of course, if you plan to live this event, remember to book months in advance as prices can become exorbitant.

Before going we had read a lot about all the threats stalking travelers in Australia: the snakes The world's most poisonous are found here (including the taipan, the deadliest), and those that are not poisonous can swallow an entire kangaroo. There are hundreds of species of spiders and tarantulas They can give you a serious dislike. Not to mention the scare when you find yourself facing a crocodile huge (even on the northern beaches of the country), or a fin of shark that follows you at sea while you surf ...

Although finishing with a shark bite is not the most dangerous of the Australian coast, if while snorkeling you find yourself jellyfish (write this name: irukandji jellyfish, which despite its small size, has enough poison to kill a man), octopus blue or pretty hoops conch shells... escape! They can also kill you. Avoid bathing between October and May in this area:

On the beaches with the risk of jellyfish they put a kind of net in the water where, supposedly, it is safe to bathe, but considering that the irukandji jellyfish are the size of a nail and that could pass quietly through the net, well ... I don't I would bathe in the sea in jellyfish season. Better the pools.

However, the really dangerous are the sea currents, the famous rips, who take the lives of dozens of bathers every year. From 2004 to 2016, shark deaths were 26, due to 230 drowning. So always try to bathe in guarded beaches and do it between the red and yellow flags. And of course, don't get away from the beach.

And after grieving you a little, we tell you our experience: except for a spider bite on Lety's face, which after a month and a half is still giving her problems, the rest of the threats were not such. We saw some snake, but it is enough not to leave the marked roads and be attentive, crocodiles only found when we went looking for them on a tour, we did not have unexpected visits of sharks and, although we were not caught between sea currents, we did know about cases on beaches near us. In theory in Australia almost everything can kill you, in practice you don't have to worry too much.

There is much talk about how dangerous Australian wildlife is, but one of the biggest risks has neither legs nor hairs. Australia is just below the ozone hole and is the country with the most cases of skin cancer in the world. The good thing is that it is an irrigation that can be avoided with a simple gesture: do not skimp on sunscreen. And since you are, try this cream to be responsible for the environment.

Remember at all times that the Australian sun is super intense, so in addition to putting on cream every day, wear a cap and do not expose yourself to very long periods under the sun.

You have to keep certain things in mind before embarking on a road trip in Australia:

• If you don't know, we tell you: in Australia drive on the left!
• Remember to take the international driving license, without this document you will not be able to rent or of course drive a vehicle in Australia. You can get it out quickly in traffic (€ 10 approx).
• Eye to the roads: on several occasions (especially on the West Coast and in Tasmania) we find secondary roads in quite bad condition. Or rather, directly from the ground. If you plan to deviate from the main routes, perhaps the best idea is to rent a 4WD car.
• Don't drive first / last minute: It is when kangaroos and other wild animals come out to jump around and in “out there” the road is included.
• If you have thought spend the night in the car / van, not all sites are allowed. It is best to find sites prepared for it in apps like Campermate or Wikicamps.

Soon an article will come out with the tips to rent a campervan in Australia, attentive to the news!

Yes, thanks to relocation. You can search for offers on the Imoova website, although beware: it is practically impossible to find bargains (from $ 1 per day) for long periods. Normally the cheapest relocations are for 3-7 days at most. One trick is to try to match several and divide the trip into small stages. The good thing is obviously saving. The bad, the little flexibility and the collection and return procedures. We personally recommend renting a van the entire trip.

We are preparing an article where we are going to tell you several ways to travel cheaply in Australia (coming soon). But for now go pointing this website: www.thehappiesthour.com

We always recommend using a card when traveling. Both for payments and to get money. It is not very cool to carry large amounts of cash on top, let alone having to change it in destinations whose currency is not €. But watch out for the commissions! Here we tell you the solutions to have money abroad.

Our solution for all trips is to carry a Bnext card each, to extend the limits, which we complement with two other N26 cards, which we usually use for payments. Both are free and we are well covered to save a paste in commissions.

Do not count on free and good quality wifi in Australia. It is best to get a SIM with a data package for your day to day, both on the road (indispensable) and in the cities. After inquiring a little we recommend a company that uses the Telstra network, especially if you are traveling in somewhat remote places: it has the best coverage.

We got a Boost SIM (We caught a 50% offer on the Woolworths). It cost $ 20 instead of $ 40 with 8 GB of data and unlimited calls in Australia, plus 100 minutes to certain foreign countries (including Spain and Italy). They are a prepaid card, the bonus expires every 28 days, although at certain rates you can roll-on, that is, keep the surplus of data for the following month. We will make a post dedicated to this.

The travel apps They are becoming our best ally when it comes to moving in a country, here we leave you the 3 most used in Australia:

• Oanda: to check the current exchange rate.
• Wikicamps: to search for free campsites and interesting places.
• Maps.me: to download map of areas / cities and be able to use them offline.

The jellyfish could not reach us, but the spiders could, and one day Lety woke up with what looked like a sting, which gradually became more serious. He ended up with his face like a balloon, super pretty come on. It was the first time we used travel insurance, and the truth is that the management was great. It is always good to travel with insurance and more when the health of the destination country is expensive (and only the consultation cost $ 70).

In this post we leave you more info about the insurance with which we travel.

Hey? We already imagine your face. Yes, they speak in English, but their slang is quite peculiar and there are some little words that it is better to learn before going to avoid being stoned.

But you'll see how there are lots of words that have been australianized and they are the sea of ​​horny! Cool bananas!

So far our tips for traveling to Australia And don't screw it up. We will continue to update it with your opinions and your advice, so… don't be shy! Leave us a comment!

* Main Photocredit: Shutterstock