TRAVEL IN AUSTRALIA
Please note the information supplied on this page is for the benefit of Fulbright Scholars travelling in Australia. to assist with travel preparations and also to support Scholars in their transition to life in Australia. The information has been extracted from recent Fulbright Scholar Final Reports and does not necessarily reflect the views or recommendations of the Fulbright Commission. The information is from American Scholars who have travelled to Australia within the last four years .
Excess baggage charges are quite expensive.
Petrol or Fuel (Gas) is variant per State.
The most common problem that Fulbright Scholars seem to have is while making the original round-trip ticket from the States to Australia, since the duration of the stay is usually one year, and most travel agencies do not book that far in advance. I found that if one books through STA Travel, they can set your return date as late as possible, and then if you go back to an STA office once you’ve arrived in Australia they can push your return date further along. The cost is about $50, and I believe this is the best option. Male PGS, 2007
For my flights to and from Australia I used STA, mainly because it is cheap and easy to reschedule flight dates at any time. Within Australia, I used flightcentre.com for flights. Within Sydney, I was sure to get a concession sticker on my student ID. I had to fight for it, because the university administration was not familiar with this type of scholarship, but in the end they gave it to me. It takes 50% off the prices of bus, train, and ferry tickets. Male PGS 2007
To begin with, get an STA travel card. But, do not depend on it exclusively. Use the internet to source competitive prices travel and accommodations. Hostels are relatively inexpensive, but do not forget to check with university colleges (dorms) in the cities you choose to visit, especially if you have a research agenda at the university. Male PGS, 2007
Transportation: In Canberra, ride a bike. It is a very bicycle friendly city. Cars and the attendant maintenance, registration, and, of course, fuel prices will challenge a frugal budget. Australian public transportation is, however, quite dependable. Male PGS, 2007
In being away for a year, it was best to buy a one-way ticket to Australia. Ticket consolidators and travel specialists typically offer much better fares on one-way tickets than the airlines. Australia is a big country and internal air travel is not cheap. We had hoped to visit Uluru but found that the cheapest ticket we could find cost about $400 roundtrip. For a family of 5 this became prohibitive. Nonetheless, I would definitely budget for internal travel as the traveling we did do, to Brisbane, Lady Elliot Island (Great Barrier Reef), the Blue Mountains, and Melbourne was fantastic. The Great Barrier Reef is a true wonder and was one of the highlights of our time in Australia. I highly recommend Lady Elliot Island as an affordable way to stay on the Great Barrier Reef. We stayed 5 nights and wish we had stayed longer. Tiger Airline entered the domestic Australian market just as we were leaving and was offering very competitive fares. I also found that Zuji is a good site for international air travel and Agoda and Wotif are good sites for hotels. Male SS, 2007
I would recommend that you rent car when you arrive as it makes house hunting much easier. Bayswater car rental in Kings Cross had the best rates. Male SS, 2007
For our trip to Australia, my wife and I booked our tickets through the online site “Travelocity.” The ticket prices were as good as we could find anywhere at the time ($1500 US each, one way). If possible, I recommend people purchase round-trip tickets instead of one-way tickets as they are substantially cheaper ($1900 - $2200 US for a round-trip ticket). When we booked our tickets, the system would only allow us to book 8 months in advance and we were therefore unable to book round-trip tickets. However, if you intend to return to the U.S. at any time during your 1-year period, I recommend planning it up front and purchasing a round trip ticket which includes the trip back to the U.S. You can later book the next round-trip ticket back to Australia and then to the U.S. again. Contrary to what we were informed before we came, we found that it was cheaper to book domestic Australian travel from Australia. In particular we used the travel agency, “Student Flights.” Also, when we needed to book our tickets back to the U.S., we found that it was cheaper to use “Student Flights” than it was to use online American companies such as “Travelocity” or “Expedia.” Male PGS, 2007
The three discount carriers - Virgin Blue, Jet Star and Tiger Airways - make so many trips possible as a scholar. It is important to know that “Happy Hour,” which some of these carriers run from 12-1pm most days, is an opportunity for even more savings. Lastly, for anyone traveling to Tassie, I would highly recommend at least one trip on the Spirit of Tasmania. Getting a sense of the voyage over Bass Strait - and of the separation that we experience as the island state because of Bass Strait - is critical to understanding Tasmania. I reckon! Female PGS 2007
When booking plane tickets online, I would highly recommend the use of the BPAY option, which you can use as soon as you set up internet banking with your St. George account. It saves the complications and extra fees associated with paying with a credit card. I found public transportation to be excellent in Geelong, and there were very few instances where I wished I had a car. Female PGS 2007
In terms of local transportation in SE QLD, obtaining a 'GO card' has been helpful for getting around on all forms of transport. Male 2008 PGS
Social contacts are not generated through work environments, but I have been advised that to make social connections, one is best advised to join a church group. Male PS 2008
It is important to develop your own social network as the scholar is likely to find their endeavors very rewarding and consuming. As a mother, joining organizations for my children helped me establish my own support network. Also I recommend getting skype on your computer so that you can make video calls home. Male 2007 PGS
When you first arrive, arrange to stay in Melbourne University Graduate House or a university college for a few weeks while looking for a permanent home. Much better than a hostel. * Flatmatefinders.com.au is a great site for finding solid sharehousing. *Check with current scholars that may be leaving Australia as you arrive—you might be able to take advantage of the housing vacancy/furniture they will be leaving.Male 2008 PGS
I found it was cheaper to call Qantas directly and/or to look online for airfare than to use a travel agent. We saved quite a bit of money this way. When arriving in county, check with your host institution as they made have some sort of service that can pick you up at the airport. The university sent a car and driver to pick us up from the airport and drop us at our hotel in the city. This saved on cab fare. Female 2008 PGS
If one is careful about expenditures (e.g. not eating out all the time or finding low cost transportation options), the stipend was quite adequate. We came in just at budget for the four months we were in Australia. Male 2009 SS
There are heaps of cheap flights around Australia - Tiger Air, Virgin, etc. Make use of them! Getting to the airport and around the cities using public transport is generally easy and cheap. Hiring cars is reasonable. I advise asking people -- people you work or study with, friends, etc. Australians take their holidays very seriously, and you will get more advice than you can handle if you just ask for it! Female 2009 PGS
Public transport—online or by phone at 131 500—is really good here especially compared to my small city in the US. I didn’t have a car here, but trains and buses proved pretty efficient. Female 2009 PGS