Australia

SAFETY: excellent
Australia is generally a safe country. Crime is not a particular cause for concern, although in the big cities the usual precautions are advisable.

TRANSPORT SYSTEM: good
Domestic and international air links from all the country’s main airports are highly developed. Connections with Europe are provided by several European and Asian airlines, including British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Thai and Japan Airlines. Road and rail links are limited, especially inland. Flying is the most common way of getting from one side of the country to the other, but fares are relatively high. The road network is in good condition, but unsurfaced roads are common in the interior. Even in the most densely populated part of Australia, distances between towns are great and petrol stations and service centres are scarce.
Main airports: Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Canberra, Gold Coast, Perth
Ports: Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Fremantle, Geelong, Gladstone, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Port Adelaide, Port Kembla, Sydney.

ACCOMMODATION: excellent
The country offers a wide choice of accommodation of every kind, category and price.

COUNTRY FACTS: Full name: Commonwealth of Australia. – Borders: bounded by the Indian Ocean to the west, the Timor Sea and the Arafura Sea to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Coral Sea to the north-east, the Great Australian Bight to the south and the Tasman Sea to the south-east. – Time zone: relative to Italy, April-October, during Italian summer time: +6 (Western Australia), +7.30 (Northern Territory, South Australia), +8 (ACT, NSW, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria). November-March, during Australian daylight saving time (Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory do not observe daylight saving): +7 (Western Australia), +8.30 (Northern Territory), +9 (Queensland), +9.30 (South Australia), +10 (ACT, NSW, Tasmania, Victoria). – Area: 7,703,429 sq km. – Capital: Canberra. – Population: 23,400,000. – Religion: Anglican, Catholic and other Christian denominations. There are sizeable Muslim communities. – Languages: English. Units of measurement: the country uses the metric system.

CURRENCY: Australian dollar. Currency and customs formalities: health regulations on bringing in food, plants, animals and animal products are very strict. - Credit cards: credit and debit cards are widely accepted.

ELECTRICITY: Voltage: 240 V and 50 Hz. – Sockets: type I, bring an adaptor.

DOCUMENTS. A valid passport is required.
For any changes to the passport validity requirements, it is advisable to check in advance with the country’s Embassy or Consulate in Italy or with your travel agent. – Driving: international driving permit (1949 Geneva Convention or 1968 Vienna Convention model). To hire a car you must be at least 21 years old and have held a driving licence for at least 12 months. Drivers under 25 may be charged a surcharge. – Short-term insurance: visitors must take out third-party insurance in the state or territory where they land. No foreign insurance is accepted. Anyone importing a vehicle should ask their insurer to arrange a policy with a corresponding company in Australia. If this cannot be done, it is recommended to obtain from your insurer a certificate with the details of your policy, which will make it easier to obtain insurance cover in the country. There may be difficulties if the vehicle is of a make unknown in Australia.
Anyone driving a car abroad that is not their own is reminded that it is advisable to carry an authorisation to drive from the owner, with a certified signature.

COMMUNICATIONS AND TELEPHONES: International dialling code: 0061. – Telephones: excellent in urban areas, rarely usable inland (even the south-eastern regions of New South Wales and Victoria are only partly covered). The operators are: Telstra, Optus, Virgin, Vodafone. –  Web domain: .au. – Useful numbers: emergency number for police, ambulance and fire brigade: 000

RULES, LAWS AND CONDUCT:
Legislation on drug use and/or dealing: Australian federal law severely punishes the possession, use and dealing of drugs of any kind.
Legislation on sexual abuse or violence against minors: severe prison sentences apply.
Remember that under Italian law, anyone who commits offences against minors abroad (sexual abuse, exploitation, prostitution) is prosecuted on their return to Italy.
In the event of problems with the local police authorities (detention or arrest), it is advisable to inform the Italian Embassy in Canberra or the Italian Consulates in the country for the necessary assistance.

HEALTH CARE:
Health care is of an excellent standard in urban areas. In rural and more remote areas, however, medical staff are in short supply and hospital facilities are unreliable. Note also that Italy and Australia have a reciprocal health care agreement that allows Italian tourists to receive the basic health care guaranteed to Australian citizens by the public “Medicare” system, for a period of up to 180 days from entry into the country.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS: 1 January, New Year’s Day; 26 January, Australia Day; 14 February, Regatta Day (Tasmania); last Wednesday: Launceston Cup Day (Tasmania); March, Easter; second Monday, Canberra Day (ACT only), Labour Day (Victoria); first Monday: Eight Hours Day (Tasmania), Labour Day (Western Australia); first Tuesday: King Island Show (Tasmania); 25 April, Anzac Day; first Monday in May, May Day and Labour Day (Queensland); third Monday: Adelaide Cup Day (South Australia); second Monday in June, Queen’s Birthday (not celebrated in Western Australia); first Monday: Foundation Day (Western Australia); first Monday in August, Bank Holiday (ACT and New South Wales) and Picnic Day (New South Wales); last Monday in September, Queen’s Birthday in Western Australia; first Monday in October, Labour Day (ACT– New South Wales– South Australia); second Thursday: Launceston Show Day (Tasmania); first Tuesday in November: Melbourne Cup Day (Victoria); 25 December, Christmas Day; 26 December, Boxing Day; Easter; last Monday or Tuesday in December: Proclamation Day.

CLIMATE: The sheer size of the country, greater than the whole of western Europe, produces a remarkable variety of climates: the centre of the country is desert, while the north (Queensland and the Northern Territory) is subtropical.
The temperate zone is the south-eastern coast. Canberra has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons; temperatures are relatively high in the summer months (December-February), reaching as much as 35 degrees, while in winter (June-September) they average around 5 degrees.
Sydney has a mild climate, very hot and humid in summer (highs of 26-27 degrees) and cool in winter (lows of 8-10 degrees). Adelaide is similar to Sydney, with average lows of 7-8 degrees in winter and 28-29 degrees in summer.
Melbourne is relatively colder, with lows of around 4-5 degrees in winter and 26-27 degrees in summer.
In the north of Australia (Brisbane) the climate is subtropical, with very high temperatures and high humidity in the summer months and relatively cooler temperatures in the winter months, between 15 and 26 degrees.
Perth is very hot in summer, with highs easily exceeding 40 degrees, and has mild winters.

Monthly min/max temperatures (in °C)

Rainy days (at least 1 mm of rain) /monthly rainfall in mm

USEFUL ADDRESSES
Italian Embassy in Canberra
12 Grey Street
Deakin ACT 2600
Tel. + 61 2 62733333
Fax +61 2 62734223
Emergency mobile 0061 (0418) 266349
Email: ambasciata.canberra@esteri.it
Website: ambcanberra.esteri.it

Consulates
Italian Consulate General - MELBOURNE
509 St. Kilda Road
Melbourne VIC 3004
Tel: (03) 9867 5744
Fax: (03) 9866 3932
Emergency mobile 0061 (0418) 396123
Email: consolatogenerale.melbourne@esteri.it
Home Page: http://www.consmelbourne.esteri.it

Italian Consulate General - SYDNEY
Level 19 - 44 Market Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: (02) 9392 7900
Fax: (02) 93927980
Emergency mobile 0061 (0417) 228211
Email: info.sydney@esteri.it
Home Page: www.conssydney.esteri.it

Italian Consulate – ADELAIDE
398 Payneham Road
Glynde SA 5070
Tel: (08) 8337 0777
Fax: (08) 8365 1540
Emergency mobile: 0061 (0407) 618885
Email: consolato.adelaide@esteri.it
Home Page: www.consadelaide.esteri.it

Italian Consulate – BRISBANE
199, George Street - 8th Level
Brisbane 4000
Tel: (07) 3229 8944
Fax: (07) 3229 8643
Emergency mobile: 0061 (0417) 600441
Email: consolato.brisbane@esteri.it
Web: www.consbrisbane.esteri.it

Italian Consulate - PERTH
Level 2, 1292 Hay Street
West Perth WA 6005
Tel: (08) 9322 4500
Fax: (08) 9322 9911
Emergency mobile: 0061 (0408) 899466
Email: info.perth@esteri.it
Home Page: www.consperth.esteri.it