Tourist Attractions in Australia

This tip is also listed in the "Warnings and Dangers" section but I actually see it more of a tourist trap.

I flew out of Melbourne a few days before Sep 1st, 2012 and saw a notice posted in the airport mentioning that, starting on that date, the allowed quantity of tobacco products introduced into the country is being reduced from 250 grams to 50 grams, or 50 cigarettes. Reason for 50 is probably because local cigarette packs are 25 or 50 pieces, which doesn't anyway help with the typical foreign size packs of 20.
I perceive this new regulation as a tool for the Australian government to receive more tax money rather than being aimed at cutting on smoke. The price of tobacco products is very high in Australia, say 3-fold the price in Europe or north America and the reason why I had prevented being ripped off by bringing along my tobacco from home. Can't do it next time!

Alcohol is expensive too. If you're not a saint, be prepared!

The bridgeclimb of Sydney harbour bridge is the greatest tourist trap that I have been tricked to do. It is very expensive and not worth the money, the price needs to go down by 80% for the bridgeclimb in order for the experience of bridgeclimb being worth the money. By the way on the bridge there is a tower you can climb up for 11 Australian dollars and get more or less the same view. So I recommend you do that instead of the EXTREMLY over priced bridgeclimb.

Comparing Malaysia Money Exchange and Australia Money Exchange, Australia Money Exchange rates are way too expensive

www.wawasanmoneychanger.com.my

www.travelex.com.au

Unique Suggestions: You should change your Malaysian currency to Australia currency in Malaysia.

Just want to warn everyone about car-hire one-way in Western Australia. There is a one-way hire fee of anything from $550 to $1000 from Broome to Perth. We took the lower one, of course, but then found that there was a location fee of 11% charged in Broome. that is understandable because of the isolation and poeeible extra costs but we were not impressed when Europcar charged another 11% of the extra costs we paid in Perth. Car hire from Broome includes 100km per day which is laughable when you consider it is about 2500km from Broome to Perth. Every extra km is 25c. We looked at a few hire companies, but found that they all charged per km over the 100 per day as well as the location fees.

Unique Suggestions: Do your research and see if you can find a car-hire company that has lower fees. However it will still be expensive. Hire a campervan or motor home as accommodation is very difficult to find, due to the mining boom.

Fun Alternatives: Hire a car or motor home in Perth and do a round trip. However you need a four-wheel drive to see some of the places on the inland road. You also need to allow quite a lengthy stay to do this trip adequately. There is a lot to see, but a long distance between each attraction.

If you have the option, you might care to time your visit so that it does not coincide with school holidays. At these times, beaches and the roads to them can be busier; accommodation is more likely to be fully booked and possibly more expensive; and road policing penalties are higher. In other words, there is less hassle and expense if you can visit outside school holidays.

To complicate the issue, every State has its own education system with similar but often differing timing of holidays. Thankfully, the information on school terms and holidays is given in the following website.

http://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/SchoolingRelatedWebsites/Pages/SchoolTermDates.aspx

Digeridoos are available almost everywhere in Australia and the costs vary widely. You can find them in specialty shops, tourist junk shops and even some street vendors have them for sale at the public markets. If you want to buy one ask yourself truthfully if you are buying it to hang on the wall or are you actually going to play it. If you want a wall hanger go for a cheap one but please realize that these are most likely not made by Aboriginies. The vast majority of cheap didges are imported ones from Asia and the decoration probably has no cultural significance at all, just pretty patterns on the wood.

Unique Suggestions: If you want an inexpensive learner didge to see if you can play one, then I'd look into getting a PVC didge and one of the excellent instructional DVD's to go along with it. These plastic digeridoos are fairly inexpensive and easy to play. When I visited the Aboriginal Cultural Center at Tjapukai near Cairns, one of the guys demostrated a PVC Didge and I was impressed with how near in sound it was to a real gum tree wooden one. (Then again I may have a tin ear!)

Fun Alternatives: If you are looking for a didge to purchase as a real musical instrument or as a genuine piece of Aboriginal culture and art, find a reputable shop that supports the Aboriginal community fairly and has sales people that know the instrument. They will be able to guide you to the right didge for you. As with any quality musical instrument expect to pay a premium price for an authentic, handcrafted and correctly decorated Digeridoo.

This is a dangerous bay which took my friend away. There is no signpost to warn tourists and people who unaware of the danger might get into trouble once they enter the water!

Unique Suggestions: Moreton Island indeed is a beautiful island with a lot of wonderful and breathtaking bays. Nevertheless, there are certain dangerous part which do not suits people to get onto it. Beware of the undercurrents! Beware of the waves!

If traveling long distances eg Western Australia to South Australia, carry a hell of alot of water with you. While traveling from South Australia to Western Australia I was in shock of the price of a litre of bottle water. You can expect to pay up to $5.00 for a 1 litre of bottle water as the remoteness of the towns and also distances there is no shopping around at the supermarket. And don't be surprise at not being aloud to use the bathroom either if you don't buy a full tank of petrol as well. Fill up before you head off as water is like gold in the outback and also along National Highway One

Unique Suggestions: Fill up bottle before u go

Fun Alternatives: Invest in car esky that runs off the cigarette ligher. It will pay for it self during the trip