Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
PRACTICALITIES
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Key newspapers are the
West Australian
or the
Australian
, a national broadsheet, from Monday to Saturday,
and the
Sunday Times
on Sunday.
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TV networks include the ad-free ABC, multicultural SBS, and commercial TV stations Seven, Nine and Ten.
»
Tune in to the ABC on the radio - pick a program and frequency from
www.abc.net.au/radio.
»
DVDs sold in Australia can be watched on players accepting region 4 DVDs (the same as Mexico, South
America, Central America, New Zealand, the Pacific and the Caribbean). The USA and Canada are region 1
countries, and Europe and Japan are region 2.
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The metric system is used for weights and measures.
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Smoking is banned on public transport and airplanes, in cars carrying children, between the flags at patrolled
beaches, within 10m of a playground and in government buildings. It's also banned within bars and clubs but per-
mitted in al-fresco or courtyard areas.
Money
All prices in this topics are in Australian dollars, unless otherwise stated.
ATMs
Bank branches with 24-hour ATMs attached can be found state-wide. In the smallest towns there's usually an ATM in
the local pub. Most ATMs accept cards from other banks and are linked to international networks.
Cash
The Australian dollar is made up of 100 cents; there are 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, $1 and $2 coins, and $5, $10, $20, $50 and
$100 notes.
Cash amounts equal to or in excess of the equivalent of A$10,000 (in any currency) must be declared on arrival or de-
parture.
Changing foreign currency or travellers cheques is usually no problem at banks throughout WA.
Credit & Debit Cards
Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted and a credit card is essential (in lieu of a large deposit) for car hire. Any debit
cards connected to the international banking network (Cirrus, Maestro, Plus and Eurocard) will work. Diners Club and
Amex are not as widely accepted.
Photography
Purchase memory cards, batteries and DV tape in larger cities and towns as they're cheaper than in the remote areas.
Most photo labs have self-service machines to make your own prints and burn CDs and DVDs.
