Australia

jasz0729 asked:


I’m planning to visit Australia as tourist and I live in the Philippines, what are the steps in acquiring a visitor’s visa?

Raymond

Craig Elliott asked:


Australia has its seasons in reverse to the majority of the world. When it is winter in Europe and America, it is summer in Australia, and vice versa. While it may be difficult to imagine Australians sunbathing on the beach and swimming and surfing in the ocean in December, that is generally how they spend their Christmas holiday.

Australia is a huge country, around the size of the contiguous United States, and it has several distinct climactic zones. The different climates create different types of landscapes: desert, mountain, rain forest and sunny beaches. Also, to the surprise of some, it does snow in Australia, there are winter snowfields in several states; and one of the most popular skiing areas is the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales. Australian’s ski season runs from June to September.

Although Australia does receive some snowfall, it is one of the driest places in the world, second only to Antarctica. Mulka Bora in South Australia is one of the country’s driest places, averaging around 4 inches of rain per year. In some parts of the huge, dry interior of the country, known as the Outback, it has not rained in several years. On the other hand, sudden downpours in the Outback can cause flash flooding and fill huge salt flats with water.

Most visitors to Australia arrive in Sydney; and the best time to visit the city and the surrounding area is the summer. Airfare tends to be lowest however, from around mid-April to mid-August. It is important to keep in mind that Australians often take their main vacation somewhere between Christmas and the end of January. Similar to the UK, Australians consider Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, to be a holiday.

Much of the vast interior of Australia is hot, and some inhabitants have created inventive ways to deal with the heat. The small town of Coober Pedy in South Australia is famous not only for being the opal mining capital of the world, but for having most of its homes and businesses underground, in order to escape the fierce summer heat. The advantage of a home carved from the rock is that the temperature remains constant year round; it also saves on air conditioning bills.

A driving trip through the Outback is an unforgettable experience. It is a good idea to carry extra water with you as well as such essential items as spare fuel, towing ropes and perhaps a satellite phone. The town of Alice Springs makes a great base for exploring the Outback and nearby Uluru (Ayers Rock). Alice Springs experiences some of the country’s highest temperatures, often reaching 100F degrees. Keep in mind that even though it can be hot during the day, temperatures can plunge overnight.

Parts of Northern Australia enjoy a tropical climate; much of Australia is closer to the equator than many people think. Winters in this part of the country are generally mild and pleasant, around 70F degrees; while summer temperatures can easily reach 100F. In this part of the country, summer is the rainy season. If you are visiting during June, July and August, expect bigger crowds.

One of the biggest attractions in Northern Australia is the huge Kakadu National Park, a World Heritage Sight covering over 4 million acres. The dry season, which occurs May through October, is definitely the best time to go, although you should try to book your tours and accommodation about a year in advance, if possible. However, Kakadu is also a wonderful experience in the wet season, which is generally November through April. Crowds are fewer and the rains can cause waterfalls to swell and create spectacular lightning storms.

No visit to Australia is complete without seeing one of the wonders of nature, the Great Barrier Reef. It is impressive any time of the year, but July through November is considered to be the best time; there is less chance of rain and the temperatures are a little bit cooler. The waters around the Barrier Reef are some of the clearest and cleanest in the world. If you are diving to see the reef, as thousands of vacationers do, August through January is peak visibility time.

Also, if you are visiting the northern coast of Australia, especially the northern Queensland area, you should be prepared for possible cyclones. These strong winds are caused by warm sea temperatures and generally occur from November to April. If a cyclone is likely, the local TV stations will broadcast a warning. It is strongly suggested that you should take shelter immediately or evacuate the area in the case of a cyclone.

Australia is absolutely a land of extremes, and that includes the climate. However, regardless of the weather, a trip to the Land Down Under is an unforgettable experience.



Cecil

babybones asked:


My husband and I are planning on moving to Australia and were wondering if anyone knew any good moving companies to send our belongings from the U.S. to Melbourne, Australia. We’re not planning on bringing furniture…mostly clothes, books, dvds and other bits and pieces.

Sally

Staci asked:


What’s the highest temperature in Australia during the summer in Sydney and Melbourne? What about New Zealand?
I just want to know what’s the usual temperature in Sydney and Melbourne during the summer. I also want to know the usual temperature in New Zealand during the summer.

Melanie

Katie B asked:


My husband has got a job in Sydney, Australia so me, my husband and two children are planning to move there sometime next year!!!!

Could you please tell me what sorts of insects and bugs you get in Sydney?
How common they are?
Are they are dangerous?
and
Do they come into the house?

Also I have heard that you get lodes of cockroaches is this true?
If so is there any way to get rid or prevent them?
And Do you get them in your house??

Thank You xxxxx

Carolyn

rosaro24 asked:


If the Earth’s orbit around the sun were a perfect circle then Australia and the US would still have opposite seasons at any given time of the year, true or false?

Francisco

Karen Waller asked:


Australia is an ideal holiday destination for everyone. It’s a vast country that’s brimming with beauty, nature, diverse yet amazing landscapes, and boasts an impressive mix of beaches, tropical rainforests, deserts and mountains.

It’s not surprising that there’s so much to see and do in Australia. Ideally, you need to allow plenty of time for your visit, so that you get the opportunity to see the sights and get the most out of your holiday.

What’s more, Australia is perfect for a property rental, as there are many self-catering properties available to suit all tastes and budgets. If time allows, you could take advantage of the range of accommodation on offer here and rent different properties as you tour around this huge country and its stunning scenery.

There are a number of states and territories in Australia which are worth a visit. They include South Australia, Western Australia, Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania, Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory.

Queensland, which is known as Australia’s Sunshine State, has plenty to offer its visitors of all ages. Here, you will find Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, the Whitsundays, Australia’s famous Great Barrier Reef and so much more.

If you enjoy the great outdoors, then head to South Australia. It is home to the amazing Flinders Ranges (mountain range), Kangaroo Island and the wineries in Clare Valley. The city of Adelaide is also located in South Australia and is well worth a visit.

Western Australia, meanwhile, is another great place you will want to discover during your holiday. Perth is the capital of Western Australia and boasts some fantastic nightlife and good beaches, too. While you are in Western Australia, you might also like to visit Australia’s Golden Outback and Australia’s Coral Coast.

Sydney, in New South Wales, is an amazing city to explore during your travels in Australia. It boasts some fantastic shopping opportunities (for all those shopaholics out there!) and a wealth of tourist attractions, such as Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House, Darling Harbour, Bondi Beach and much more!

In the state of Victoria is Melbourne. Be sure to check out this fantastic city, which is brimming with food and wine, shops and a whole lot more. Victoria also includes a number of other regions which are rich in history and stunning scenery.

If you are keen to find out about Australia’s history, make sure that you visit the country’s Northern Territory. Here you can learn all about the aboriginal culture. One must-see while you are in this area is Uluru/Ayers Rock, which is an amazing large sandstone rock formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory.

There’s also the Australian Capital Territory, where you will find Canberra – the capital of Australia! Canberra has so much to see and do and visitors of all ages will appreciate what’s on offer. What’s more, it’s a great family destination and there are many excellent restaurants, cafes and bars to sample during your property rental in Australia.

Tasmania, Australia’s only island state, is also worth a visit if your holiday schedule allows. Here you can explore many beautiful unspoilt areas and enjoy the natural surroundings on this beautiful island.

Why not take your next holiday in Australia and make it a holiday to remember? You might even love it so much that you want to stay longer than you planned or you may even end up relocating there! But whatever you decide to do, a property rental in Australia will help to make your stay in this amazing country an enjoyable one!



Bertha

Australian asked:


As many as 15,865 Indians sought permanent residence in Australia under the skilled migration programme in 2006-2007, making them the second largest group in the category after Britons. The figure seems to belie fears that freed terror suspect Muhammad Haneef’s case would deter prospective Indians from making Australia their home.

Partha Mukherjee, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, and Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, came to Australia three years ago with his wife under the skilled migrant programme.

He says, “I had power, position and wealth in Mumbai, but chose to migrate to Sydney for the quality of life this country offers. I wanted a balanced work and family life.” Mukherjee works as an engineering consultant and teaches international business at the university.

However, his three children are doing their schooling and college in India. He says, “I feel if you really want to achieve high, India and the United States offer more opportunities for success.”

India ranks second amongst the top five countries of origin for skilled stream entrants. Britain leads the way with 24,800 skilled migrants coming Down Under, followed by India (15,865), China (14,688), South Africa (4,293) and Malaysia (3,838).

Despite steady economic growth for the last decade or so, Australia is facing a serious skills shortage with the ageing workforce retiring in greater numbers.

The top occupation for skilled stream entrants is accountancy (10,688), followed by computing professionals (4,044) and registered nurses (2,088). Other top professions included mechanical engineers, civil engineers, marketing specialists and general managers.

A growing number of people also want to bring their spouses back to Australia and form a family and live here. A total of 50,079 family stream visas were granted for the year, representing 33 percent of the total migration programme.

For instance, Mamta, 29, came to Australia last year on a spouse visa, which she got six months after getting married. Her husband, an electrical engineer, had come to Sydney four years ago under the skilled migrant programme.

India ranks third with 3,634 migrants coming here under the family stream. Britain once again leads with 6,540 family stream entrants followed by China (6,037), Philippines (3,098) and Vietnam (3,040).

Joe Hockey, the federal minister for employment and workplace relations noted, “The inclusion of architects and quantity surveyors among Migration Occupations in the Demand List (MODL) will be welcomed by employers, particularly those in the resources and construction industries.

“Changes to the MODL will also benefit Australia’s international competitiveness as a provider of high quality aircraft maintenance and servicing.”

The MODL includes 38 managerial and professional occupations, one associate professional occupation, 10 computing specializations and 46 trade occupations. Occupations and specializations identified on the MODL gain extra points for people applying for a points-tested General Skilled Migration visa.

The average age of skilled stream entrants (primary) is 31 years. Out of a total of 148,200 permanent visas granted during 2006-07, 97,920 were permanent skilled visas, representing 66 percent of the total migration programme.

Australia is competing for skilled workers with other developed countries in Europe, the US, Canada and New Zealand.

Visa for Australia and Australia Visa Application made easy!

Australian Working Visa made possible to be easily have one!

Visit Australia Immigration for further details!



Esther

John Anderson asked:


Australia hotels are numerous and splendid. Visitors flocking to experience the essence of the beautiful regions of the island continent, are spoilt with the modern luxuries and comforts embodying Australia hotels. If you are looking for a superb holiday experience with modern facilities and amenities, Australia Hotels will offer the perfect solutions for you. We bring to you some of the best category hotels in Australia-ranging from luxury hotels to cheap hotels.

The sixth largest country of the world, Australia is replete with magnificent beaches, breathtaking islands, colorful corals, verdant forests and enigmatic deserts. A cosmopolitan skyline harmoniously blends with nature’s bounties. With a population of 17.5 million and biggest island nation of the world, Australia encompasses an area of 2.97 million square miles, which equals to that of the United States.

Some of the finest hotels in Australia are located in its capital Canberra and in other cities such as Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Sydney. Whether you want to soak up the beauty of the island nation or spend endless hours at the sun-drenches beaches, the ideally located Australia hotels will always bring you close to the magnificent attractions. Dotting the coastline mostly, the cosmopolitan cities of Australia evoke an old world charm of Europe and share a love for food and sports. Check into one of the top-notch Australia hotels and take guided tours from your address of stay. Explore the vast number of Australia hotels below.

The capital of Australia, Canberra is situated to the southwest of Sydney. With a highly planned urban layout, Canberra offers a lot to its tourists by way of natural and modern attractions. With tens of thousands of business travelers and vacationers thronging the city every year, Canberra boasts an umpteenth number of luxury hotels, business hotels, boutique hotels and budget hotels. Get the most authentic information about Canberra attractions and hotels right here.

The best names amongst the choicest Canberra hotels in Australia are Novotel Canberra hotel, Best Western, The Parklands hotel Canberra, Crowne Plaza Canberra hotel and many others. Most of these hotels enjoy a close access to the Parliament House, National Gallery of Australia, Old Bus Depot Markets, National Museum of Australia, Canberra Railway Museum, National Aquarium Australian Wildlife Sanctuary, Questacon and many more! Executive guests are entitled to state-of the-art business centers, conference and catering services and audio-visual aids. Leisure tourists enjoy a pampering experience with health and recreation facilities including swimming pool, gymnasium, sauna, dining facilities at the swanky restaurants and bars and Jacuzzi.

Besides Canberra, Sydney or the ‘Harbour City’ is the urbane center in Australia. The Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House, Sydney Olympic Park, Luna Park, Sydney Tower and other attractions lure tourists from far and near. Exotic museums, galleries, historical attractions, and wild life sanctuaries have become tourist hotspots. Tourists visiting Sydney to catch a glimpse of these glorious landmarks can avail of luxurious and comfortable amenities at the variety of hotels. From luxury to cheap hotels, Sydney offers you a vast category of accommodation options. Park Hyatt Hotel, Grand Mercure Apartments, Shangri-La Hotel, Ibis Sydney Airport Hotel sit alongside Aarons Hotel Sydney and other cheap hotels in Sydney in Australia.

You will get discounts on your accommodation by booking online. Avail of online discount hotel booking and reserve your accommodation right away!



Emily

Russell Shortt asked:


Australia – bizarre when you think that until the early seventeenth century, the world knew nothing of this vast country. It simply slumbered away at the bottom of the world, staying out of the world’s great and terrible endeavours. Indeed, its inhabitants were unaware of anybody’s existence except their own and as it turned out they were much better off in their isolation and their ignorance. They were an ancient people, at least forty thousand years old, estimates reckon that there were between three hundred thousand to one million people scattered in around two hundred and fifty tribes many of which co-existed in peaceful alliance with one another. Amazingly, each had their own distinct language, meaning that there were over two hundred and fifty distinct languages! Alas, the vast, vast majority of these tongues have vanished off the face of the world, without a trace remaining. These people had originally made their way onto Australia by means of a land bridge which was connected to New Guinea. Similarly, some made their way onto the present day island of Tasmania which was also connected to the land mass during the last ice age. The seas later rose, cutting off the land bridge and isolating Tasmania’s inhabitants from the mainland. The collective name for these tribes was Aborigine, because of the harsh environment that they lived in they were rarely able to cultivate the land nor were they able to herd animals. Instead, they lived by hunting and gathering food, both of which were arduous and difficult tasks, often taking up most of the tribe’s day.

Aboriginal women armed with digging sticks and dilly bags dug for yams and edible roots and collected fruits, berries, seeds, vegetables and insects. They also used their digging sticks to kill small lizards and other small creatures. The men from the tribe did the hunting, tracking and killing larger animals such as kangaroos and emus with throwing clubs, boomerangs and stones. They also built traps, laid snares and dug pits to capture animals with. The first definite sighting of Australia by European explorers was in 1606 when a Dutch expedition, captained by Willem Janszoon, made landfall on Cape York, believing it to be part of New Guniea. It was the first contact between Europeans and the ancient Aboriginal peoples, it didn’t go well however, with the latter attacking the former and the latter hot tailing it out of there rapidly. Not the most ideal of beginnings but completely understandable, the Aborigines had lived in complete isolation, believing themselves alone on the planet, then seventeenth century ship arrives loaded with white skinned men, wearing strange garments and speaking gobbledygook. It would be akin to a spaceship landing in Times Square with Martians alighting from it. Contact however had been made and life was no longer going to be the same for the hitherto isolated Aboriginal tribes, Dutch ships began making tentative explorations of the north Australian coast over the following decades. In 1642, Abel Tasman discovered Tasmania and New Zealand. Over the subsequent decades Dutch explorers such as Francois Tyssen and Willem de Vlamingh mapped much of the Australian coast.

 Captain James Cook is often incorrectly credited with the discovery of Australia but he did not sight it until 1770, almost two hundred years after Janszoon but he still claimed the east coast for Britain naming it New South Wales. Following the loss of their American colonies after the American War of Independence, Britain required somewhere to put their glut of convicts which their overcrowded prisons could no longer accommodate. Sydney Cove was chosen as a suitable place, when a fleet loaded with convicts landed there on 26 January 1788, a date now celebrated as Australia Day. And so European settlement of Australia began with a bunch of convicts who were guarded by second rate soldiers. One in three of the convicts were Irish, many who were transported because of political and agrarian disturbances which they had become involved in against the British Empire. The early years of the colony were treacherous with all methods of farming failing and the population almost starving. However, by 1790, some farming methods were successful and the colony began to move out of the arena of near famine and started to become self sufficient. As the colony began to prosper, some Europeans were confident enough to begin to explore further into the interior. From 1815, the colony began to grow rapidly as more and more free settlers arrived and new lands were opened up for farming. A proper society was beginning to be formed, and the settlers protested successfully against the further transportation of convicts to Australia, the practice ceasing in the early 1840s with the exception of the Swan River settlement (now Western Australia) where the practice remained until 1868 due to labour shortages.

By 1846 there were four separate colonies – New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia, five if you include New Zealand. Each colony was governed by a British Governor which was appointed by the British monarch with most of the administration been controlled by the military. The burgeoning colonies of course clashed with the existing Aboriginal people, now rivals for land and resources. As a result of these clashes, the Aborigines were decimated, been driven of their lands led to mass starvation and European diseases decimated their populations. Tragically by the end of the nineteenth century, their numbers had dwindled massively and those that remained were forced onto land reserves. In 1851, the fortunes of the colonies were to change beyond all recognition with the discovery of gold, firstly in the newly founded colony of Victoria. Huge numbers of settlers left the shores of Ireland and Britain to share in the new found prosperity, they were joined by considerable numbers of immigrants from North America, China and continental Europe. The large number of settlers, now supremely confident, began to call for trial by jury, representative government, a free press and so the rumblings of a breakaway from Britain began. In 1855, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania were all granted parliaments in which the lower houses were fully elected. For the following four decades, Australia boomed, cities sprang up, for example Melbourne grew out of the dust to become the second largest city in the Empire. Times were good, equally working conditions were much better than back in Europe as the unions were very strong. Employers attempted to circumnavigate the unions by bringing in Chinese labour, all colonies immediately placed restrictions on Asian labour leading to the foundation of the White Australian Policy.

The boom time came to an abrupt halt with the Great Crash of 1891 with all the colonies subsequnelty entering a decade long depression. The unions and the parliaments entered into a caustic battle leading the unions to form their own political parties which were the forerunners of the Australian Labor Party. These developments led to a increasing radicalism and nationalism with escalating calls for Australian independence. In addition, there began the rumblings of a ****** attitudes towards Asian immigrants. The Depression led the colonies to seek a federation, realising that for the colonies to go it alone was simply too risky, it came into effect on 1 January 1901. Melbourne was nominated as the temporary seat of government while Canberra was constructed as a purpose-designed capital city. The first major struggle that the Federation faced was World War One, sending tens of thousands of young men to fight at Gallipoli and in France. Tragically over sixty thousand men were killed with over one hundred and fifty thousand wounded. During the 1920s, Australia depended massively on the export of wool and wheat, too much so in fact as the subsequent crash and depression of the 1930s which economically destroyed the country was to prove. Australian troops again played an important role in World War Two and it’s borders were breached when Japanese planes bombed Darwin and Japanese submarines shelled Sydney. After World War Two, Australia realised that it needed a larger population to be sustainable and so they embarked on a massive immigration programme, encouraging hundreds of thousands of displaced Europeans to resettle down under. During the 1950s they also began relaxing their White Australia Policy. The Cold War saw Australia developing closer links with America, sending troops to fight both in Korea and Vietnam. Melbourne hosted the Olympics in 1958, beginning what many regarded as a flourishing of Australian culture which lasted throughout the 1960s and 1970s. However, once again in the 1980s the economy collapsed but the government reacted well, introducing wide ranging reforms which stabilised the situation. The 1990s and the early twenty-first century have once again being prosperous for Australia although at the beginning of 2009 evidence started to appear that the country may once again enter recession. During the 1990s, the issue of Australian Republicanism was once again brought to the forefront of the national debate with polls consistently reported that a majority of citizens were in favour of a republic and a complete breakaway form Britain. However, a referendum held in 1999 swung in favour of remaining in the Commonwealth.



 



Ricardo