1. Searching and booking the flight to Australia.
2. Choosing the right travel destinations.
3. Outlining the travel itinerary across Australia.
4. Choosing cost-effective transportation around Australia,
5. Booking domestic flights, car rental etc.
6. Researching and booking your accommodation in Australia.

Now it’s time for you to step forward and make all arrangements for your trip to Australia.

Let’s have a look at the second row of things to sort out before travelling to Australia.

All Steps for Planning a Trip to Australia

• Passport and Australia Travel Visa Issues
  As you know you need a valid passport to enter as a tourist Australia. Check your passport’s expiry date and make sure it is valid for at least 6 months after your planned departure. You will also need travel or a tourist visa to enter Australia unless you are from New Zeland, everyone needs one.The best way to get a tourist visa is to apply for a Travel Visa also called ETA. If you are from Europe, you can apply for the e-visitors visa, a free visa granted to all European citizens.You can apply for ETA Visa to Australia or your e-visitors at least a couple of weeks before leaving, and all applications are usually processed within 48hours. Save a copy of your Australia Visa with a copy of your passport on a USB flash drive.

• International Driving License for hiring a car in Australia
  If you plan to hire a can in Australia, you need an international driving license, unless you have an English driving license. You need to apply for it at your local car registration office. Do not forget to bring your own local driving license too.Here are some great tips for driving in Australia.

• How to pay in Australia – Cash or Credit Cards
  Credit and debit cards are the best way to pay in Australia. Visa and Mastercard are the most common credit cards. A prepaid credit card can save you money on exchange commissions. You’d better check out with your own bank before going to Australila.For your daily cash, the best tip is to withdraw money from the ATMs, you can use either credit card or prepaid cards, but beware that commissions on credit cards can be expensive. On this post, you can read about currency exchange tips and also check out with your local bank how they will charge your card when using it in Australia.

• Australia Travel Insurance
  When it comes to Travel Insurance, this is probably the less exciting aspect of the whole trip preparation. Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered it here. I have been using different travel insurance types and have a bit of experience with it. The first thing you need to check is1) whether your health insurance covers you in Australia. Most local health insurances don’t.
  
  What you want to have covered? Major issues are Health Insurance and MedEvac Insurance.
  Flight Cancellation. Thefts of personal belongings. Personal liability.For a deeper insight into choosing the right travel insurance, I’ve put together a detailed page with all things about travel insurance for Australia.

• Packing for Australia – what kind of luggage
  If you have not made up your mind yet with what kind of baggage you will choose for Australia check out this post with great packing trips and how to choose between a backpack and suitcase for your travel in Australia.If you have made up your decision, check out this useful packing tips for Australia.

To learn more about how to get your Australia Trip organized, check out these other pages:

Packing Tips for Australia

Baggage Allowances Australia

What to Wear in Australia

Your Australia Itinerary Guide Book

Australia Travel Tips

The post How To Plan A Solo Adventure in Australia appeared first on Solo Travel Junkie.

On this page I want to share with you what I have learnt from my wildlife volunteer experience. You will read bout the threats Koalas are undergoing and what can be done to help save them. You will read about the ways of protecting koalas from accidents and injuries as well as supporting the conservation of their natural habitat.

8 Koalas Facts

1. Koalas from Queensland are different from southern Koalas, in Victoria and South Australia. Northern Koalas are grey short haired and only eat special types of Gum Trees Leaves.
2. Koalas from southern australia have thick brown hair, here below you can see two koala spictures on the left hand side a koala from Queensland and on the right hand side a koala from the Great Ocean Road, so that you can see the difference.
3. Southern and Northern Koalas are not allowed to breeding together, since they are different.
   
4. Some Koalas only eat Blue Gum Tree Leaves or from specific Gums, Koalas also eat Malaleuca or Casuarina Gum Trees when they are sick.
   
5. Koalas from Queensland are endangered because of many threats such as:
   car accidents
   dog attacks
   habitat changes
   diseases like chlamydia, conjunctivitis, cystitis and more diseases
6. In 8-10 years it is estimated that the number of Koalas will drop dramatically, this will lead to the koala extinction. 47% of koalas died between 2002-2008 in the Beerwah area.
7. At present 43,000 koalas are estimated to be in Australia.
   
8. The Koala is a faunal emblem and can be regarded as a flagship species, i.e. if we can save the habitat for koalas, we can automatically save the habitat for the rest of many more australian animals and insects.

How to save endangered Koalas

At the Wildlife Hospital I met Kylie, a volunteer coordinator and Vanda, the first volunteer of the Wildlife Hospital in Beerwah. Let’s see what Kylie and Vanda suggest for help saving endangered koalas.

Kylie has been working at the Wildlife Hospital for over a year as a volunteer coordinator. She works together with 95 volunteers and in cooperation with the medical staff, nursers and vets. When I asked Kylie what’s the most challenging part of working as a wildlife volunteer she says: “once koalas are rescued and treated they have to be brought back to the same place where they have come from, this is what the law says, this means that after a while the same koala is coming back again injured by a car or by a dog attack”. And when I asked her, what is the most rewarding aspect of her work as a volunteer at the Wildlife Hospital, she replied: “seeing the animals recovering and being released to the wild”.

Vanda is a veteran volunteer who has been working as a koala rescuer for over 20 years, since 2004 is being working as a regular volunteer at the Wildlife Hospital. Vanda furthermore belongs to several environmental organizations with the goal of increasing awareness about the koalas. Apparently only 10% of Australians are involved with wildlife conservation. To my question: what is the main reason for this poor response, she says: “This is due to lack of education and lack of information, many people simply do not know anything about the dangers koalas are exposed to“.

Vanda highlights again what can be done to help save the koalas, here a list of effective ways:

• retain bushland, no more clearing of forests to preserve the natural habitat for koalas
• do more planting to build tunnels for koalas to move and prevent being injured
• reduce speed at night near koalas areas to prevent car accidents
• restrain dogs and cats to attack koalas
• increase people’s awareness and response to the koalas conservation by donating or by joining the wildlife adoptation program.

If you want to learn more about the Wildlife Warrior Volunteer Program you can read my interview with Leisa Bright who heads the volunteers coordination at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, in Beerwah north of Brisbane.

“Save one koala, save the species”

The post How to help save endangered Koalas in Australia appeared first on Solo Travel Junkie.

I have made a simple list for each australian state, to give you basic information about how the Australian weather zones look like in the different australian seasons. This list gives you an overview of the australia climate zones at a glance thus allows better planning a trip to Australia.

Check this information out so as to identify when is the most appropriate time of the year for visiting a specific australia destination:

• New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania
  spring time: October, November
  Summer time: December, January, February
  Autumn time: March, April, Mai
  Winter Time: June, July, August

• Victoria coastal area and Tasmania
  The ideal time for visiting the Great Ocean Road and Tasmania is the summer (December-February). I would not recommend Tasmania between March-October, because of the cold and rainy weather
• Queensland
  Queensland has pleasant weather almost the all year through. In winter time (June-August) temperature drop a little.
• North tropical Queensland
  Almost tropical weather all year through with rain season in the upper north during some months, generally from October-February. For visiting the Great Barrier Reef the ideal period is July-August.
• Western Australia, south
  In Western Australia the weather is almost permanently pleasant with summer heat peaks from December-February. In northern Western Australia temperatures are tropical,
  and during the wet season from Nov-Feb it is hot and steamy

• Western Australia, north
  Tropical weather with rainy season (November-April) and dry seasons (May-October).
  Recommended time for visiting Broome, Kimberley area is the dry season but careful this time of the year is the busiest time, therefore if you wish some peaceful holiday you’d better pick an off beaten time of the year.
• Northern Territory, Top End
  Tropical weather with rainy season from (End October-End May). Better time for visiting is the dry season, but rainy season also has its charming effects, such as lush vegetation, beautiful colours and stunning sunsets scenarios.

The Australian wet season usually starts in November and last until March-April but it does vary depending on region and also the atmospherical condition. It does not mean that it rains all the time, but sometimes it hits the extremes i.e. either it rains heavily for an entire week with no stop or it can be pleasent and sunny for longer period with just little bit of drizzle rain now and then.

But even if you know by heart all Australia’s climate zones, It is very difficult if not impossible to know how how long the wet season will last every year, so what to do ?

The best thing is to check out the daily Australia’s weather conditions and get an update from the rainfall forecast in Australia

This can help you planning your trip day by day and eventually amend in time your itinerary according to the australian local weather conditions. Beware that by heavy rainfalls roads may be also closed ! In this case you will not be able to access your destination area either by car nor by any other tranportatin means and you will have to reschedule your visit or change your plan and
or head to some other places.

for more information about what is the best time for visiting Australia

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