Information
on banking,
currency,
postage,
time, weather
& more
for the
international
visitor
to Australia
& Byron
bay.
Time
Byron Bay is
10 hours ahead
of GMT (GMT/UTC
+10 hours).
Byron Bay has
daylight savings
time from 2am
on the last
Sunday in October
until 3am on
the last Sunday
in March. All
clocks are
turned forward
one hour for
the duration
of daylight
savings time.
Postage
Byron Bay
has a General
Post Office
(Post Code
2481) located
in the CBD
. A local
postage stamp
is 50c which
will get
a normal
letter to
anywhere
within the
country.
Overseas
mail generally
goes via
air unless
specified
otherwise
and it takes
around 4
to 5 days
to get to
most international
destinations.
As a general
guide you
can send
a postcard
to the UK
or the USA
for around
$1.50
Banking
There are
branches
of almost
all the Australian
"National"
banks throught
the town.
All banks
provide electronic
banking facilities
including
ATMs outside
almost all
branches.
Currency
There is
a decimal
currency
in Australia,
with bank
notes for
five, ten,
twenty, fifty
and one hundrend
dollars.
You can use
this currency
converter
to get a
more accurate
conversion
from 180
different
currencies.
Changing
foreign currency
can be done
quickly and
efficiently
at most banks.
Tipping
As a rule,
tipping is
not expected
in Byron
Bay, however,
it is customary
so if you
are happy
with someone
who has tried
that little
bit harder
and gone
the extra
mile, then
a tip is
in order
and always
appreciated.
Giving a
small tip
(10% of the
bill) in
a restaurant
is in order
if the service
is good.
Getting
Around
Taxi services
are usually
plentiful
within the
CBD.
Cars drive
on the left
hand side
of the road.
If you're
not used
to it, take
care when
crossing
the road
- you should
always use
a "zebra
crossing"
to cross
safely.
Seasonal
Information
The temperature
in Byron Bay,
on average,
ranges from
23 ° C (72°
F) in summer
to 13° C (55°
F) in winter.
The seasons
in Australia
are :
Spring
: September
1 through
November
30
Summer
: December
1 through
February
28 or 29
Autum
: March
1 through
May 31
Winter
: June
1 through
August
31
Smoking
Smoking is
not permitted
in government
buildings and
on most public
transport,
including domestic
flights.
Emergency
In a life
threatening
emergency
dial 000
for Fire,
Ambulance
& Police.
AUSTRALIAN,
QUICK FACTS
Population:
20,485,000
(2006 est.)
Total area:
7,682,300 sq
km (2,966,200
sq miles)
Capital: Canberra
Chief of state:
Queen Elizabeth
II, represented
by Governor-general
Sir William
Deane
Head of government:
Prime Minister
John Howard
Australia
Official name:
Commonwealth
of Australia.
Form of government:
federal parliamentary
state (formally
a constitutional
monarchy) with
two legislative
houses (Senate
[76]; House
of Representatives
[148]).
Official language:
English.
Official religion:
none.
Currency: 1
Australian
dollar ($A)
= 100 cents.
Time zones:
3, Sydney is
10 hrs ahead
of GMT
Population
density: 6.3
people per
sq mile, 2.4
people per
sq kilometre.
Largest Australian
City: Sydney
( Pop: 3,900,000)
Australia also
has a Territory
in the Antarctic
called "Australian
Antarctic Territory")
Urban-rural
Pop (1996):
urban 85.0%;
rural 15.0%.
Population
projection:
(2000) 19,117,000;
(2010) 21,018,000.
Ethnic composition
(1996): white
95.2%; aboriginal
2.0%; Asian
1.3%; other
1.5%.
Religious affiliation
(1991): Christian
74.0%, of which
Roman Catholic
27.3%, Anglican
Church of Australia
23.9%, other
Protestant
19.2% (Uniting
Church and
Methodist 8.2%,
Presbyterian
4.3%), Orthodox
2.8%, other
Christian 0.8%;
Muslim 0.9%;
Buddhist 0.8%;
Jewish 0.4%;
no religion
12.9%; other
11.0%.
Place of birth
(1996): 73.9%
native-born;
26.1% foreign-born,
of which Europe
12.4% (United
Kingdom 6.3,
Italy 1.3%,
Greece 0.7%,
Germany 0.6%,
The Netherlands
0.5%, other
Europe 3.0%),
Asia and Middle
East 5.6%,
New Zealand
1.6%, Africa,
the Americas,
and other 6.5%.
Immigration
(1996): permanent
immigrants
admitted 96,970,
from United
Kingdom and
Ireland 12.8%,
New Zealand
11.8%, China
7.6%, Vietnam
4.8%, Hong
Kong 4.6%,
India 4.4%,
Philippines
3.9%, South
Africa 3.2%,
Bosnia and
Herzegovina
3.2%, Yugoslavia
3.1%, Sri Lanka
2.2%. Refugee
arrivals (1994-95):
13,600.
Birth rate
per 1,000 population
(1996): 14.1
(world avg.
25.0); (1993)
legitimate
75.0%; illegitimate
25.0%.
Death rate
per 1,000 population
(1996): 6.9
(world avg.
9.3).
Total fertility
rate (avg.
births per
childbearing
woman; 1996):
1.82.
Marriage rate
per 1,000 population
(1996): 6.0,
Median age
for brides
and bridegrooms
is 26.8 years
and 29.2 years
respectfully.
Divorce rate
per 1,000 population
(1996): 2.7.
Life
expectancy
at birth (1996):
male 75.4 years;
female 81.1
years.
Major causes
of death per
100,000 population
(1995): diseases
of the circulatory
system 296.0;
cancers 190.0;
respiratory
diseases 52.0;
accidents,
poisoning,
and violence
41.0; endocrine,
nutritional,
and metabolic
diseases 23.0;
digestive system
diseases 21.0;
nervous system
diseases 17.0.
Educational
attainment
(1995). Percentage
of population
age 15 to 64
having: no
formal schooling
0.3%; incomplete
secondary education
36.3%; completed
secondary 17.8%;
post secondary,
technical,
or other certificate/diploma
33.7%; university
11.9%.
Average workweek
(1995): 40.5
hours (16.8%
overtime).
Criminal offenses(1996).
Offense rate
per 100,000
population
for: murder
3.8; sexual
assault 78.7;
assault 620.8;
auto theft
672.2; unarmed
robbery, burglary,
and housebreaking
4,608.2; armed
robbery 34.0.
Households
possessing
(1995): automobile
85%; telephone
95%; refrigerator
99.7%; air
conditioner
32.3%; personal
computers 23.0%;
washing machine
90.0%; central
heating 3.9%;
swimming pool
10.1%.
National economy
Gross national
product (1996):
US$367,802,000,000
(US$20,090
per capita).
Agriculture,
forestry, fishing
(1995-96):
livestock slaughtered
6,066,400 (cattle
3,474,300,
sheep and lambs
1,005,000,
poultry 964,600,
pigs 589,200);
wheat 4,602,000,
wool 2,686,800,
barley 1,347,000,
sugarcane 1,319,700,
cotton 851,000,
grapes 680,600,
potatoes 378,000,
oats 311,000,
apples 269,800,
bananas 254,700,
sorghum 242,000,
oranges 214,800,
rice 216,000,
tomatoes 166,000,
carrots 133,000,
pears 73,400,
onions 54,100,
peaches 50,000,
pineapples
43,300, corn
(maize) 41,000,
tobacco 40,000,
cauliflower
33,700; livestock
(number of
live animals;
1997) 121,900,000
sheep, 26,250,000
cattle, 2,410,000
pigs, 73,509,000
poultry; roundwood
(1995) 22,458,000
cu m; fish
catch (1995)
219,499 metric
tons.
Mining and
quarrying (metric
tons [tons
of contained
metal]; 1995-96):
iron ore 142,936,000;
bauxite 42,655,000;
zinc 930,000;
lead 455,000;
copper 437,000;
tin 8,175;
gold 253,504
kg; diamonds
40,693,000
carats.
Land use (1995):
agricultural
and under permanent
cultivation
6.3%; other
93.7% (of which,
meadows and
pastures [1994]
54.2%).
Foreign trade
Imports (1995-96):
$A 77,819,000,000
(machinery
33.4%, of which
office machines
and automatic
data-processing
equipment 7.7%;
basic manufactures
14.2%, of which
textile yarn
and fabrics
3.0%, paper
and paper products
2.5%, iron
and steel 1.8%;
transport equipment
13.5%, of which
road motor
vehicles 10.2%;
chemicals and
related products
11.4%; mineral
fuels and lubricants
5.5%; food
and live animals
3.7%; crude
materials [inedible]
excluding fuels
2.0%; beverages
and tobacco
0.6%).
Major import
sources: US
22.6%; Japan
13.9%; UK 6.3%;
Germany 6.2%;
China 5.1%.
Exports (1995-96):
$A 75,999,000,000
(food and live
animals 20.1%,
of which cereals
and cereal
preparations
6.5%, meat
and meat preparations
4.3%, sugar,
sugar preparations,
and honey 2.3%,
dairy products
2.2%, crude
materials excluding
fuels 19.4%,
of which metalliferous
ores and metal
scrap 11.4%,
textile fibres
and their waste
5.3%; mineral
fuels and lubricants
16.6%, of which
coal, coke,
and briquettes
10.3%, petroleum,
petroleum products,
and natural
gas 4.2%; basic
manufactures
12.9%).
Major export
destinations:
Japan 21.6%;
South Korea
8.7%; New Zealand
7.4%; US 6.0%;
China 5.0%,
Singapore 4.7%;
Taiwan 4.5%;
Hong Kong 4.0%.
Education and
health Literacy
(1996): total
population
literate, virtually
100%.
Health: physicians
(1995-96) 45,800
(1 per 400
persons)
The largest
National park
in Australia
is Kakadu,
in The Northern
Territory,
covering 19,000sq
km.
Australia is
the 6th largest
country in
the world at
7,686,848 sq
km (2,967,909
sq miles) The
largest is
Russia, 17,070,289
sq km (6,590,867
sq miles).
To help put
this in perspective,
consider this
Australia is
almost the
size of the
USA, excluding
Alaska, it
is four fifths
the size of
Canada, nearly
three quarters
the size of
the whole of
Europe,or 25
times larger
than Britain
and Ireland
put together.
The Royal Flying
Doctor Service,
services 80%
of the country,
handling 153,000
consultations
each year and
flying more
than 8,810,000km
(5,471,010
miles) to do
so.
Australia is
regarded as
a continental
land mass rather
than an Island.
If it were
an Island it
would come
in at number
6 of the most
highly populated
countries in
the world.
The highest
mountain in
Australia is
MT Kosciusko
at 2,228 m
(7,312")
The Australian
Desert is the
2nd largest
in the world,
covering 3,800,000aq
km (1,470,000sq
miles). The
world's largest
is The Sahara
Desert in North
Africa at 9,000,000
sq km (3,500,000
sq miles).
The Great Barrier
Reef is Australia's
largest world
heritage area
at 34,870,000
hectares (86,163,770
acres). It
is the largest
complex of
coral reefs
and islands
in the world.
There are 2600
individual
reefs and 300
islands extending
1250 nautical
miles from
south to north
off Queensland's
coast.
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Did
you know...
'Accommodation'
is one of
the most
misspelt
words in
the English
language?
Here are
some variations:
Accom, Accomadation,
Accomidation,
Accomodation,
Accomodations,
Accommadation,
Accommidation,
