Australian Package Deals

When visiting Australia, one should be aware that there are three time zones on the continent. They are the Australian Eastern Standard Time Zone in the Australian Capital Territory, Queensland, and Tasmania; the Central Standard Time Zone in South Australia and the Northern Territory; and the Western Standard Time Zone in Western Australia. The Central Standard Time is 30 minutes behind Eastern Standard Time, and Western Standard Time is two hours behind Eastern Standard Time. In addition, some areas of the continent observe daylight savings time and others do not.

A visa is required to visit Australia, unless one is from New Zealand. Obtaining an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) visa from a travel agency before one's visit would suffice.

Of note is that Australian money (the dollar being the monetary unit) is made of plastic instead of paper. Coins range from five-cent pieces to 20, 50, $1, and $2.
Australia is such a diverse country that options for tour packages are varied and abundant.

One interesting package option is the Bed and Breakfast Farm stay.

A Penlan Cottage Luxury Farm stay offers mountain views and farm fresh provisions. To further capture the nature of this authentic Australian experience, these accommodations are located on an acre-and-a-half of land, complete with a water lily strewn dam and groves of trees. Cost is around $395 for two nights. Dinner is included.

The Mid-North coast of New South Wales offers more "structured" accommodations at Benbellen Bed and Breakfast. From there, tours can be taken to the Koala Sanctuary, Timbertown, and a local vineyard. A formal evening meal is part of this package, and one may want to try out the local eating establishments - for instance, the Udder Cow Cafe.
Meals served at these bed and breakfasts include Baked Greek Lamb, French Creme Caramel, Mother's Christmas Cake, Grandad Wildblood's Cookies, Mum's Bar Cakes, Melon and Lemon Jam, Melon and Ginger Jam, Greek Fish Soup, Carrot Cake, Grapefruit Marmalade, and Glenna's Lumberjack Cake.

All-Travel.com is run by an award-winning "Aussie" specialist and offers unique vacation packages. For instance, one such package is called The Outback Opal Trail. For $2050 per person, this four-day tour includes the Australian Outback and the Opal fields of Coober Pedy and Andamooka. Included in this package is air transfer from Adelaide to Pt. Augusta, a driver’s guide, three nights at a bed and breakfast, all lunches, all morning tea, a half-day tour of Coober Pedy, all park fees, and drop-off in Adelaide at the end of the tour. The itinerary from all-travel.com is as follows:

Day 1
Scenic flight to Port Augusta -- Meet your 4WD driver/guide -- Travel to Woomera, Australia's 'rocket range' town -- See Island Lagoon and Lake Hart -- Travel to Coober Pedy -- Stay at the 'Desert Cave', the only 5-star accommodation built completely underground

Day 2
Tour the town and opal mines of Coober Pedy -- Travel along the Oodnadatta Track -- Visit the quirky town of William Creek -- See Lake Eyre -- Drive past the 'dog fence' -- Overnight stay at Roxby Downs

Day 3
Explore the 'Wild West' opal town of Andamooka -- Real 4WD driving through sand dunes -- Travel through an Outback Cattle Station -- Arrive at the Flinders Ranges -- Stay overnight at a quaint Outback Pub

Day 4
Explore the Flinders Ranges -- Discover the natural habitats of native animals -- Travel through the spectacular gorges -- Visit the charming Clare Valley wine region -- Find historic towns and villages -- return to Adelaide for the completion of 'The Opal Trail.'

Globus Tours, in addition to scheduled package tours, offers more independent travel (excluding airfare) in the following price range

Budget - from $45 to $130 per person, per day

First Class - from $80 to $275 per person, per day

Deluxe - from $100 to $400 per person, per day

Luxury - from $400 to $600 per person, per day

Globus Tours' nine-day Australian Highlights tour includes a stay in Sydney and visits to Bondi Beach, Kings Cross, the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, and Taronga Zoo. Excursions are available to Canberra and Hunter Valley's famous wine-making area. The tour also includes a visit to Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef and offers travel to Kuranda abroad the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, with visits to the tropical islands of the Barrier Reef. Tours available in the area include sightseeing aboard a glass-bottom boat and a trip to Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park.