Located on the northeast coast of Australia in the state of Queensland, Cairns is a rapidly expanding tourism and business destination popular with nature lovers from around the world, as it is only an hour’s boat ride from the Great Barrier Reef.Plug TypeLanguageEnglishPopulation120,000Time ZoneGMT +10 hoursMeasuresMetric SystemVoltage240 voltsMobile PhonesGSM 900/1800/CDMA 800All visitors to Australia require a visa—only New Zealand nationals are exempt. Visa application forms are available from Australian embassies, travel agents or the website of the Department of Immigration & Multicultural & Indigenous Affairs. Please note that there are several different types of visas. Be sure to arrange for the one most relevant to your travel status and plans.
Visa Requirements from the Department of Immigration & Multicultural & Indigenous AffairsThe unit of money is the Australian Dollar (AU), made up of 100 cents. Credit cards are accepted in major hotels as well as shopping malls. 24-hour automated teller machines (ATMs) are widely available.Here are the most recent exchange rates for some common currencies.AUD 1.00 equals:
.96
US Dollar (USD)
.61
Euro (EUR)
.48
British Pound (GBP)
41.13
Indian Rupee (INR)
101.72
Japanese Yen (JPY)
1.26
New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
1.30
Singapore Dollar (SGD)
A 10% Goods and Services Tax applies to most purchases. This tax is refundable to visitors with purchases in excess of AU$300 per store made within 30 days before departing Australia and applies only to goods visitors take with them as hand luggage. Please call 1300 363 263 or visit www.customs.gov.au for further information.
Departing travellers may be able to claim a refund for GST and WET (Wine Equalization Tax) paid on goods purchased in Australia. The refund is applicable to goods worth AU $300 (GST inclusive) or more that are being taken out of Australia. The goods must have been purchased no earlier than 30 days before leaving Australia. Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS) facilities are located at international airports and cruise-liner terminals. To claim, travellers must show their passport, international boarding pass, retailer's tax invoice and the goods. Other conditions may apply.
A 10% service charge is added to hotel and restaurant bills. If this tip is not applied, then it is appropriate to leave a 10% tip.Bank Hours9am to 5pm, Mon-FriOffice Hours9am to 5pm, Mon-FriShop Hours9am to 9pm, Mon-Friday
10am to 5pm, Sat and Sun
Health care in Australia follows Western practices with advanced medical resources widely available. We do recommend, however, that all travellers be in good health prior to undertaking any strenuous travel.
From late October to early May, venomous box jellyfish, also called stingers or sea wasps, occur in the coastal waters of northern Australia and around many of the Queensland islands. They are rarely found on the Outer Barrier Reef.
Drinking water from the tap is safe throughout Australia. Bottled drinking water is also available in every hotel room.
Australia is known to be casual in its approach to living, although light suits and dresses are appropriate for business. A light raincoat may be useful throughout the year.Cairns has a tropical climate with even, warm temperatures throughout the year. Temperatures range from 21C to 32C (69F to 89F) during the Oct-Jan summer months and 16C to 28C (61F to 82F) during the Jun-Sep winters. Rainfall is distributed evenly throughout the year.