Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Perth has the state's only gay and lesbian venues and its small scene is centred on Northbridge. It's very unlikely
you'll experience any problems, although the further away from the main centres, the more likely you are to experience
overt homophobia.
Useful resources:
Gay & Lesbian Community Service of WA
(
08-9420 7201;
www.glcs.org.au
; 2 Delhi St) Information and coun-
selling line.
Gay & Lesbian Tourism Australia
(GALTA;
www.galta.com.au
)
Has a handful of WA members offering accommoda-
tion and tours.
Q Pages
(
www.qpages.com.au
)
Gay and lesbian business directory and what's-on listings.
Health
Australia is a healthy country for travellers. Malaria and yellow fever are unknown, cholera and typhoid are unheard of,
and animal diseases such as rabies and foot-and-mouth disease have yet to be recorded. The standard of hospitals and
health care is high.
Few travellers should experience anything worse than an upset stomach or a bad hangover.
Before You Go
Bring medications in their original, clearly labelled, containers. A signed and dated letter from your physician describ-
ing your medical conditions and medications, including generic names, is also a good idea. If carrying syringes or
needles, be sure to have a physician's letter documenting their medical necessity.
REQUIRED VACCINATIONS
Proof of yellow-fever vaccination is required from travellers entering Australia within six days of having stayed
overnight or longer in a yellow-fever-infected country. For a full list of these countries, see the
World Health
Organization
(
www.who.int/ith
) or the
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
(
www.cdc.gov/travel
) .
Insurance
If your health insurance doesn't cover you for medical expenses abroad, consider getting extra insurance - check
www.lonelyplanet.com
for more information. Find out in advance if your insurance plan will make payments directly to
providers or reimburse you later for overseas health expenditures.
Availability & Cost of Health Care
Health insurance is essential for all travellers. While health care in Australia is of a high standard and not overly expens-
ive by international standards, considerable costs can build up and repatriation is extremely expensive.
Australia's health-care system is a mixture of privately run medical clinics and hospitals alongside a government-fun-
ded system of public hospitals. The Medicare system covers Australian residents for some health-care costs. Visitors
from countries with which Australia has a reciprocal health-care agreement (New Zealand, the UK, the Netherlands,
