Currency:  There are 100 cents to one Australian dollar (A$).  For the current rate of exchange visit the Olson and Anderson web site.

Time Zones:  Click on a city for current local time:  Sydney and Melbourne, Adelaide and Darwin, Brisbane (Queensland) and Perth (Western Australia)  

Language:  English and aboriginal languages.  Other languages are spoken in immigrant communities.

Visit the CIA World Fact Book for a large variety of particulars regarding Australia.

Travel Advisories:  Travelers should check the web sites listed on our international pages that provide advice of possible security and health risks when visiting this region.

There is a large selection of web sites that will be of interest to visitors to Australia.  Sites dealing with national topics are listed on this page.  Regional and city web sites can be accessed by using the navigation bar to the left and choosing a city or state.

The web site for the Australian Embassy in Washington, DC has information of interest to travelers including passport and visa particulars and a list of consular offices.  There is also an extensive range of information about Australia and government agencies on this web site.  For other Australian diplomatic and consular and missions around the world, go to the list provided by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade web site.

The Australian Tourist Commission web site is a good starting place for tourist information. Parts of this site are aimed at travel professionals, but links on this site will be of interest to many visitors. The commission's web site for tourists is a multi-lingual web site and has an abundance of travel planning information.  

The National Library of Australia and Picture Australia web sites are excellent resources for learning about many aspects of the country and its people.

The Australian Commonwealth Government Information and Services web site is a source for a wide variety of official information.  The Australian Customs Service has important information about importing products into the country.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation is an excellent source for news and articles on a variety of Australian topics.

The Environment Australia heritage page and the Australian Heritage web site have links to information that will be of interest to many visitors interested in this subject.  Aboriginal Tourism is a primary resource for visitors to discover something of the heritage and history of the people that inhabited the land before the arrival of Europeans.

There are 22 sites that have been listed as National Heritage Sites in Australia.  Most are located in the southeastern part of the country.

Several sites in Australia have been designated as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

The National Trust of Australia is an independent organization promoting and conserving many properties important to Australia's indigenous, natural and historic heritage.  This web site has links to state chapters that list and describe properties under their jurisdiction.

The Environment Portal provides many links to other sites concerned with environmental themes (including heritage), resources and services.

The National Museum of Australia web site is another source of historical information.

The National Library of Australia is an excellent resource for information about the literature and related topics of interest in Australia.

The Bureau of Meteorology is a primary source of information regarding weather conditions in and around Australia.

The ocean waters around Australia have been organized into marine protected areas.

Australian embassies in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, the United Kingdom and other countries have web sites that should be checked by visitors planning to travel to Australia.

The web site for the US Embassy in Canberra has information and links to other sources that will be of interest to visitors from the United States.

The Youth Hostel Association in Australia offers low-cost accommodations.

Recommended Reading:  The Fatal Shore by Robert Hughes is an epic account of the founding of Australia and a delightful way to learn of Australia's early years of European immigration.

Guides:  Baedeker - Australia; The Blue Guide to Australia; Eyewitness Travel Guide to Australia | Sydney; Let's Go - Australia; Lonely Planet - Australia | Australia Road Atlas | Australian phrasebook | Bushwalking in Australia | Islands of Australia's Great Barrier Reef | Outback Australia; Moon Handbooks - Australia; Rough Guide - Australia | Gay and Lesbian Australia