The minimum legal 'drinking' age is 18. Young people going to bars and discos should carry photo identification to prove they are at least 18 years old. They will not be let in otherwise. No one may buy liquor from a bar or liquor store (bottle shop) unless they are at least 18 years old. Buying liquor for a 'minor' is illegal.
All banks have automated teller machines (ATMs) accessible 24-hours a day, generally outside the branch or in the foyer. Check with your card issuer that your charge or account-linked credit card can be used in this way, and at which bank as none accept every brand of card. Most tour operators and dining venues now accept a contactless payment system for credit cards.
The Australian dollar is divided into 100 cents. One and two cent coins are no longer in circulation, but many items in shops and supermarkets are priced in odd amounts, such as $1.97 or $9.99. The law provides that the TOTAL bill is rounded up or down to the nearest 5 cents. So $19.97 becomes $19.95, $19.98 becomes $20.00. Coin denominations are 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c $1 and $2. Notes are $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100, are colour coded and made from a plastic compound that will survive a wash or a swim. Check our currency converter for today's rates.
Australians drive on the left, which can be disconcerting for visitors used to driving on the right side of the road. Roads are generally in good condition and major routes well signposted. Speed limits and distances are expressed in kilometres (per hour) and vary substantially from 50 km/h in residential and heavy traffic areas to 110 km/h on freeways. Police use laser guns, radar and automatic cameras to detect speeding vehicles. Drink driving is a serious offence and is heavily policed. Drivers can be stopped anywhere at random and subjected to a breath analysis test. Offenders are arrested and fingerprinted, so it can be a bad end to a fine evening or a long lunch. The legal limit of .05% is quite low - roughly equivalent to two small glasses of wine in the first hour and one an hour thereafter for men, less for women.
Air: Jetstar and Virgin Australia operate flights daily to Whitsunday Coast Airport at Proserpine. Connections to Airlie Beach, Port of Airlie or Shute Harbour are available with Whitsunday Transit along with other transfer operators operating an airport shuttle coach service or a private car transfer. Jetstar and Virgin Australia offer daily services into Hamilton Island from airports throughout Australia. QantasLink operates from Cairns. Cruise Whitsundays also operates boat transfers to/from both Hamilton Island and Whitsundays Coast Airports, Daydream Island, Long Island, Port of Airlie, Airlie Beach and Shute Harbour.
Road: The highway to Proserpine and the road into Airlie Beach and Shute Harbour are suitable for all vehicles.
Brisbane to Airlie Beach: 1100km, 12 - 14 hours
Townsville to Airlie Beach: 275km, 3 - 4 hours
Cairns to Airlie Beach: 620km, 7 - 8 hours
Rail: is a great option for travel to the Whitsunday region. Tilt Train services, which offer a modern, comfortable travel experience, arrive and depart from Proserpine Station twice a week (north and south) with coach connections to major resorts and harbours.
Australian health care professionals are highly trained and medical services are among the best in the world. Visitors from the UK, New Zealand and Finland are entitled to free or heavily subsidised medical and hospital care under reciprocal national health care agreements with the taxpayer funded Medicare organisation. All other visitors should take out travel insurance when visiting Australia. Several Australian-based travel insurers have special cover for visitors which are very much less expensive than travel cover sold in the US, for instance. Major hotels have doctors on-call.
Visitors who have a medical condition requiring treatment should ensure they carry a letter from their doctor outlining their condition and the medication required. This is also important if the drug is uncommon or contains narcotics, which may be a restricted import. Most medication is available in Australia, but only on a doctor's prescription. Prescription drugs are dispensed by qualified pharmacist at 'pharmacies' or 'chemist' shops.
Travellers cheques, especially in foreign currencies, are generally NOT accepted EXCEPT by hotels and big stores and tourist shops. These display a 'travellers cheques welcome' sign. Cash your cheques at a bank or Bureau de Change to ensure you have enough spending money. The same holds true for foreign currency, which is not generally accepted by Australian businesses and shops.
No service charge applies in Australia. Tipping is not mandatory but a 10% tip in restaurants and hotel bars is normal for good service.
