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| Transport - Getting About in Australia |
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| Scroll down for information about Air Travel, Coach Travel, Train Travel, Ferries, Driving in Australia |
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| There are also separate pages with more specific details for 'Getting About' in each of the states: Getting About NSW+ACT, Getting About VIC, Getting About TAS, Getting About SA, Getting About WA, Getting About NT, Getting About QLD |
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| Nearly all visitors to Australia arrive by air (although a few people do arrive by sea). Around 20 international airlines fly into Australia from a variety of countries. Within Australia the three nationwide domestic airlines are Qantas www.qantas.com.au, Virgin Blue www.virginblue.com.au and Jetstar (owned by Qantas) www.jetstar.com.au. The Asian carrier Tiger Airways www.tigerairways.com has established a hub in Melbourne and is expanding its network within Australia. There are also a number of regional domestic airlines such as Regional Express (Rex) www.regionalairlines.com.au, Skywest www.skywest.com.au and Air North www.airnorth.com.au. On routes where airlines compete, fares are very competitive but less so on routes where there is just one carrier. Overall, air fares within Australia are reasonable value for money considering the vastness of the country and the small population base from which potential passengers are drawn. |
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| Coaches are normally called buses in Australia. Greyhound www.greyhound.com.au is the only remaining national bus operator, travelling primarily between the major centres. Regional bus lines service country areas. Bus fares are relatively low and remain the cheapest method of transport within Australia. Long journeys can however be tedious and increasingly uncomfortable. |
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| The rail network within Australia is understandably not comprehensive but does connect all the major cities between Cairns in northern Queensland and Perth in WA (the section between Brisbane and Sydney is partly by bus although the track still exists). There are also several tracks which travel deep into the QLD outback and which were developed due to the needs of industry. Like in Britain, a number of minor country tracks were short-sightedly closed down in the 1960s. Contrary to this trend, the opening of the new track between Alice Springs and Darwin in early 2004 was a major step forward; (conversely, in May 2004, the passenger rail service between Sydney and Brisbane was terminated with part of the journey now being by coach). Although train travel is more expensive than air travel it is comfortable transportation and more romantic form of travel. Three of the world’s great rail journeys are in Australia – the Indian Pacific, The Ghan and the Sunlander. |
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| Barges and ferries carry vehicles and people around some city bays and rivers and a few regional waterways. The ferry services that operate around Sydney Harbour are world famous and a great way to get about. There are also water taxi services on the Brisbane River in Brisbane and shuttle ferry services on the Yarra River in Melbourne and the Swan River in Perth. |
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 Like Great Britain, driving in Australia is on the left hand side of the road. Driving in a new country can be intimidating at first, so do familiarise yourself with basic Australian road rules. Also be aware that, as a broad
generalisation, the Australian mentality towards driving can be different from other parts of the western world. Often children are encouraged to use tiny motorised scooters at a very early age and later graduate to more powerful conveyances such as trail bikes. By the time they come to legally drive a car they can be conditioned into thinking that vehicles are largely for recreational use. The inherent dangers of such an attitude are obvious. Some Australians do tend to drive too fast for the actual road conditions and too close to the vehicle immediately in front of them, and to view the designated speed limits as the minimum rather than the maximum. |
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| Once behind the wheel in Australia, it is important to stay alert, to stick to the designated speed limits (even if you are pressured from behind), to be aware of weather conditions and to take regular breaks when driving long distances. In Australia the majority of goods are transported by road by large trucks and lorries. These transport vehicles can be intimidating, particularly on major roads, and their presence should be treated with caution by all drivers. From about 5 pm until about 6 am can be a particularly stressful time to be on major highways in southern and eastern Australia (between Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Cairns) with a proliferation of transport vehicles on the road. |
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| Notable differences from driving in Europe include, on multi-lane roads, overtaking in all lanes including the inside lane, and when the number of lanes are reduced it is invariably the inside lane which ceases rather than the outside lane. You may also find at some roundabouts, that over-enthusiastic local council gardeners have planted huge trees and shrubs in the middle which dangerously obscure a driver's vision of oncoming vehicles. Also keep your eyes out for variations in the presentation of roundabouts which are not always to a standard format. |
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| Vehicle Hire Driving Regulations: The minimum rental age is 21 years (although for some premium vehicles it can be 25 years or 30 years). All drivers aged 21 to 24 years will be surcharged daily, payable at the rental counter. There is no set maximum driving age, however, a medical certificate is recommended from drivers over 75. Ultimately it is the rental firms decision if they will hire a vehicle to a driver over the age of 75. Renters must present a valid overseas driver's licence which has been held for at least one year. Drivers must present either: 1) A foreign drivers licence in English; 2) A foreign driver's licence in a language other than English accompanied by a certified English translation of the licence or a current International Drivers Permit. Minimum rental age and other requirements (including young driver surcharge) for additional drivers will be the same as for the renter. Additional authorised drivers must be registered on an Additional Drivers Application which forms part of the Rental Agreement. There may be an extra charge for additional authorised drivers. |
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| Hitchhiking is strongly discouraged throughout Australia. Don't drink and drive: Australian drink-driving regulations are very strict and we recommend that you never drink and drive. |
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| Truly Australia have attempted to give an honest and objective description of the topics covered on this page and have deliberately avoided regurgitating tourist office media releases. The information shown has been compiled from a variety of reputable sources and our own experiences. We check and review this information from time to time, but we assume no responsibility for the absolute accuracy of the details given. |
