Hotels in Australia

The name Australia is originated from Latin language which means Southern land. It was named Terra Australis when the Europeans first began mapping in the 17th century. Dutch explorer, Abel Tasman called Australia as New Holland in 1644 until early 19th century. After that, another explorer named Matthew Flinders refer the name Australia is more pleasant and means parts of Earth. Australia was officially used in April 1817 when Governor Lachlan Macquarie acknowledged the receipt of Flinders' charts of Australia from Lord Bathurst. In 1824, the Admiralty agreed that the continent should be known officially by that name. The first official published using Australia came with the publication in 1830 of The Australia Directory by the Hydrographic Office.

Australia is also known as Oz, the Land Down Under, the Great Southern Land, the Lucky Country and the Sunburnt Country. Human habitation of the Australian continent is estimated to have begun around 65,000 to 70,000 years ago. The first inhabitants were the ancestors of modern Indigenous Australians. In the late 18th century, most Indigenous Australians have cultures with spiritual values based on reverence for the land and a belief in the Dreamtime. The northern coasts and waters of Australia also were visited by Makassan fishermen from South Peninsula, Sulawesi.

Australia has six states which are New South Wales (NSW), Queensland (QLD), South Australia (SA), Tasmania (TAS), Victoria (VIC) and Western Australia (WA) and two major mainland territories which are the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and the Northern Territory (NT). Among the main areas of Australia are Sydney, Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane. These areas consist of popular attractions and attract  many travellers at one time. Among the main attractions in Australia is the Sydney Opera house, Bondi Beach and the Great Barrier Reef.

Besides that, Australia has no official language. This country uses English as the national language and the difference is the distinctive accent as well as in grammar and spelling. According to the statistics, English is the only language spoken in the home for close to 72.7% of the population. The next most common languages spoken at home are Mandarin (2.5%), Arabic (1.4%), Cantonese (1.2%), Vietnamese (1.2%) and Italian (1.2%).

As for Australian cuisines, the first settlers in Australia is mostly tribal groups which practice a simple diet of flora and fauna. As more people settle down in Australia, there is an influence from British food to the continent and introduce the Sunday roast. Sunday roast is a traditional British meal that is served on Sunday and comprised of roasted meat and vegetables. Australia is also a multicultural country which composed of International students, immigrants and workers which inspired many types of food to transform Australian cuisines. Mediterranean and Asian culture has led to various food such as Chinese dim sum, meat pies, pavlova, kebab and many more. Australia is also known for its cafe and coffee culture in urban centres, which has influenced coffee culture abroad, including New York City. The most popular coffee in Australia is the flat white coffee.

Australia is known to have endless beaches, hence the climate of Australia is significantly influenced by ocean currents, including the Indian Ocean Dipole and the El Niño–Southern Oscillation, which is correlated with periodic drought and the seasonal tropical low-pressure system that produces cyclones in northern Australia. The northern part of the country like Perth has a tropical and summer-rainfall or monsoon whereas the south-west corner of the country has a Mediterranean climate. The South-East part of Australia like Tasmania and coastal Victoria has humid subtropical and more exposure to beaches.

Australia is one of the countries in the world that requires a visa in advance to travel except the citizens of New Zealand. If you are visiting for a holiday of fewer than three months, there are three types of visas you may apply for, depending on your nationality.

eVisitor visa is for citizens of the 31 EEA countries as well as citizens of Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, Switzerland and Vatican City. These visas are free, but otherwise effectively identical to the ETA. Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) (subclass 601) is available on-line to nationals of Brunei, Canada, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea (ROK) and the United States. Tourist Visas is required for people who wish to come to Australia to travel or visit friends and family. Travellers from non-ETA eligible countries and those wishing to stay in Australia for more than three months or tourists already in Australia wishing to extend their stay are required to make a paper-based tourist visa application.

Online Visitor visa (subclass e600) and travellers from 27 eligible countries such as Algeria, Argentina, Bahrain, Belarus, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Micronesia, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Nauru, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Sudan, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE and Ukraine can make visa applications online. The fee for this is AUD130. E600 Visa is by default issued for a three-month stay. Unlike the other options, however, a 600 visa can be issued for longer stay of up to one year. Besides that, work and holiday visa (subclass 462) and Working Holiday visa (Subclass 417)  are two temporary visas which will allow you to stay and work in Australia for up to a year. These visas have age restrictions and are available to citizens of 40 different countries. If you are visiting Australia to work, study or for medical treatment you will need to obtain the appropriate visa. If you are staying longer than 3 months continuously, automatically, you are ineligible for an ETA or eVisitor. For that reason, you should apply for a Visitor Visa (subclass 600).

If you are transiting through Australia, you do not need to apply for any advance visa as per conditions to remain airside for a maximum of 8 hours, have a confirmed onward booking, have the correct entry documentation for the onward destination and comes from selected countries only such as Malaysia, United Kingdom, United States, Singapore. All fees are payable in Australian dollars, converted to local currency at the current rate of exchange and visas can be purchased online at trusted websites and approved by custom.

How To Get There?

By Plane

The most popular and practical way to reach Australia is by plane. Australia is a big city and consists of many airports. Most international travellers and tourists arrive in Sydney which is the largest city in Australia. Sydney International Airport also offers a domestic flight to other cities in Australia such as Brisbane, Perth and many more. Besides that, there is a remarkable number of travellers arrive in Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. There are also domestic flights at Brisbane and Perth Airport if visitors want to travel to other destinations. The journey to Australia is approximately 3 hours from New Zealand, 7 to 11-hour flight from countries in Asia, 14 hours from west of the United States and Canada and a maximum of 24 hours from Europe. Visitors also can transit or stop by Singapore, Dubai, or Kuala Lumpur to take another flight to Australia. There are many international flights fly to Australia such as Air Asia X, Malaysian Airlines, Emirates, Singapore Airlines and many more.

By Ship

Visitors can reach Australia by cruising from selected countries. Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean provide cruises to Australia across the Pacific. If visitors have their own yacht, they also can sail to Australia. The cruising season is between November to February and there are over 10 ships from other countries arrive in Australia. Visitors are reminded to beware of customs regulations and terms and conditions.

What To Do There?

Bondi

Australia has endless sandy beaches where they are popular among local and international tourist to swim, surf and relax. Among the famous beaches are Bondi Beach in Sydney and Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast. Bondi beach is popular for surfing and swimming activities as the waves and weather are perfect. Besides that, you also can enjoy swimming in tropical oceans like at Cable Beach in Broome which has a beautiful bed of sand and warm water. South Darwin, specifically at Berry Springs & Mataranka is known for thermal pools surrounded by amazing ambience and palms and tropical plants. In addition, lakes and rivers are also among places to swim in Australia. There are freshwater lakes such as inland of Cairns at the Atherton Tablelands and Currawinya National Park.

Great Barrier Reef

Snorkelling and diving are some of the recreational activities you can experience in Australia. There are many popular spots for these activities such as the Great Barrier Reef and Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia. You also can a trip to Julian rocks off Byron Bay and Bundaberg. Visitors can experience watching many types of tropical fish, colourful corals and other sea creatures.

Snowy Mountain

Australia is also famous for mountain biking as there are numerous mountain trails. There are trails at the Snowy Mountains, black- mountain in Canberra and Munda Biddi mountain bike trail in Western Australia. Visitors are reminded to check your mountain bicycle and make sure it is in good condition before mountain biking and bring important things like water, extra clothes and a first-aid kit.

Where To Stay?

Arrow on Swanston

Situated around 5 minutes away from Lygon Street and Queen Victoria Market, Arrow on Swanston offers well-appointed accommodation in the middle of Melbourne city. It is a great place to stay as it is located nearby restaurants, sporting venues and public transport. The concept of accommodation is apartments ranging from studio, one and two bedrooms and family. Every apartment is equipped with air conditioning, heater, kitchen and dining areas. Besides that, there are also internet access, fridge and coffee and tea making facilities. Guests also can access to self- service laundry area, beauty salon and convenience store. This serviced apartments also are fitted with 24-hour security systems, electronic card access and onsite secure undercover parking. For recreational activities, guests can work out at the gymnasium, an outdoor 25-meter swimming pool and relax at the sauna.

Song Hotel Sydney

Song Hotel is located nearby famous attractions such as Hyde Park and Oxford Street. With its convenient location, this hotel makes a perfect accommodation for travellers. Song Hotel offers affordable accommodation in the Sydney Central Business District and features well-appointed guestrooms. All rooms are equipped with air conditioner, television, desk and wardrobe. Safety deposit box and tea and coffee making facilities are also available. Besides that, there are an outdoor café, laundry facilities and complimentary WiFi access throughout the property. Tour and airport transfers also can be arranged upon request. For guests who drive, there are a discounted car park tickets at a nearby public car park.

The Ultimo

The Ultimo features a modern accommodation in the middle of Sydney city, specifically at Chinatown district. This hotel is fitted with 95 guestrooms with basic amenities such as television, air conditioner, wardrobe and desk. Besides that, it is conveniently located nearby public transportation like bus, light rail stop and central train station. For comfort and convenience of guests, there are facilities and services that guests can fully access like complimentary WiFi access, a barista coffee station and an Astrology library at the lobby.