Australian Travel and Living | Travel Guide | Travel Reviews

For Australia, culture is probably one of the most important aspects of its national identity. Indeed, the unique Australian culture is what sets it apart from other countries. One of perhaps the most defining aspect of Australian culture is its emphasis on the idea of multiculturalism. Being a perennial destination for many people around the globe, Australia has long been considered a hodgepodge of cultures. Ever since its early years, the county's predominantly English culture has seamlessly assimilated elements of the local Aboriginal way of life into its fold. And the major events of the 20th and early 21st centuries has since brought a multitude of other people and culture. Thus it is not surprising that the land down under is very welcoming of other cultures. In fact, it does put much emphasis on multiculturalism being an integral part of the Australian way of life. Here, multiculturalism runs into almost every aspect, from food, to clothes, to even the kinds of recreati

In Australia, skilled visa issues often take much of the limelight. But of course, there are still many things to talk about the land down under other than that. And you will likely find them even more interesting than talking about visas and passports.  One of these popular topics of discussion is sports. In fact, sports are very much a part of an Australian's way of life, much like kangaroos and barbecue (well not really that much, but you do get the drift). And if you are a foreigner on your first time in the country, a useful tip that you can keep in mind if you want to start a conversation with the locals: talk about sports first and you will likely get their attention. As a sports loving nation, there are are many kinds of events that people here love. One of the most popular is perhaps cricket. In fact, cricket is often considered as the country's national sport, as it enjoys a significant level of participation in the country. For those not familiar with the game,

One of the reasons why a lot of people would like to have Work visa Australia or Working visa Australia is because of the high wages in the country. Indeed, the land down down under has one of the highest wages available in the world today. And labor experts say that these are likely to increase more in the next few years. If you are still wondering about how much workers are paid in the country, here is a rundown of some of the current rates in Australia. Note that these are just averages and the actual rates may vary slightly. Also, the actual figures constantly change, though these are still very much close. In terms of regional wages, the Australian Capital Territory, primarily situated in the city of Canberra and outlying areas, offer the highest wages in the country. On average, a worker in the ACT can earn as much as $75,350 annually. This is closely followed, interestingly, by workers in Western Australia, who earn around $70,200 each year. At the other end of the spectrum,

For those planning on moving to Australia, immigration applications are the most important ones that you need to get through. Luckily there are many options that you can go through, especially if you are a family moving to the land down under. One of the visas that you can apply for is the family visa, which allow an entire family to move into the country at the same time. However, there are times when a family migration is not applicable. For instance, when finances limit the possibility of applying for a such a visa. Here, you might want to take alternative moves to migrate to Australia. One of the most common ways taken by a lot of families in this situation is by letting the parents  move in first before getting their children. This is where the child migration visa would come in handy. The visa is applicable for children of people living in Australia and New Zealand. In order to avail of a child migration visa, the petitioning parent or parents must be Australian citizens

In Work visa Australia applications have started to be on the rise once again. And this has got not only the Department of Immigration and Citizenship excited. As it turns out, the increase of people wanting to immigrate into the land down under means that there will be more people to fill in the country's needs. And there is still more to this increase. As it is, the number of countries from which these immigrants are coming from have also grown significantly in the last few years, and this means that there are indeed more and more people are starting to get interested in moving to the country. And this will also do great wonders for the country int the long. Britons are still very much the single largest nationality group that moves to Australia each year. This, of course, is not that surprising, since they are pretty much the ones who have moved into Australia ever since it was established more than a hundred years ago. In recent years, however, the land down under has seen

A lot of people know that getting an Australian visa is not that easy. This is more so true for those who are facing dire situations, such as refugees. Thus a lot of them would often brave even harder conditions just to be able to Australia. However, many people already know how strict Australia's border protection laws are. Under these laws, refugees who are caught by the Border Security Group entering the country without proper documentation will automatically be sent to to the various immigration centers around the country, where they will be detained, while they wait for their cases to be heard. Unfortunately for those detained in the centers, the processing is somewhat slow, mainly due to the number of asylum seekers that needs to be accounted for. And since more and more are coming in every month, the centers have started to get overcrowded. And this had led to uneasiness on the refugees' part. In fact, several incidents have marred the situation in the centers in

In Australia, migration has been one of the most pressing issues that has debated in the past few months. Even during the elections last August, this has been one of the central issues of concern. And in here, immigration cuts has been a major topic. It is interesting to note that both the contending Labor and Liberal Parties are actually opting for immigration cuts. The main difference between would be the way to implement the cuts. While the Liberals want an immediate decrease in immigration numbers, the Labor Party want it implemented on a gradual basis. Nevertheless, it seems that the immigration cut seems inevitable. However, with all the things that has happened in the last few months, many groups are wondering whether immigration cuts are indeed the right thing to implement at this time. As it is, the country is now experiencing a shortage of workers, as its labor force is not able to cope up with the rapid growth of the Australian economy. And this is where groups say that

One of the things that many Australian travel visa holders would want to get their hands on is food. Indeed, the Land Down Under is often considered as one of the best places to be in for food lovers. And with a wide variety of dishes available, you will definitely have a lot of options here. So what are the the food that are a must eat for visitors coming here? Here is a quick list of dishes and food items that you definitely must try out. Note that these are only some of the most popular, as there are still other that, while not as well known, you will probably want to have a taste of. Kangaroo meat The kangaroo has been an iconic animal for Australia. Indeed, the country has long been identified with the jumping animal. And thus, it is not surprising to find out that the kangaroo is also a favorite staple in the dinner tables in the country. However, before animal lovers fret out, it should be noted that there are actually millions of kangaroo in the land down under, which m

One of the biggest reasons why a lot of people embark on an Australian immigration is because the country is very welcoming of immigrants. Indeed, even with the spate of immigration changes that were implemented by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, the country has still been generally open to people coming from all over the world. And an even more attractive aspect of this openness is the fact that the country is willing to take in people coming from different cultures. Indeed, multiculturalism has been one of the defining aspects of Australian lifestyle. And this one has made Australia as one of the most livable However, it seems that there is a threat to the multiculturalism that is present in Australia. As it is there are groups that are arguing that the very concept of multiculturalism has actually failed in Australia. Thus, they are clamoring for a stricter control in the immigration policies in order to protect Australian values. One of the biggest c

One of the things that many Australian travel visa holders like about the country is that it has lots of water. Indeed, the continent is surrounded by a vast ocean and there are several large river systems that criss cross it. And these are quite ideal for the multitude of water activities that are waiting for tourists. Going to the beach is probably one of the most popular of all water related activities here. In fact, a lot of foreign and local tourists alike have come to associate Australia with the beach. And this, of course is not that surprising, with the country having more than 2000 kilometers of coastline. Here, one of the most popular beaches in the country would be Bondi (pronounced as “Bond-Eye”) Beach located in Sydney. Situated neatly at the east of the the city, the beach has been a popular destination for foreign tourists arriving here, so expect meet a lot here. Near Bondi is another popular (and oddly named) beach, Manly, which is also frequented by visi

As the country's economy continues to improve in Australia, business visa holders are now slowly returning to the country. Indeed, with the Land Down Under being one of the first countries to recover from the 2007 financial crisis, it is not surprising that investors are now coming in once again. And economic experts are saying that this trend will likely continue for a while. It can be recalled that Australia was one of the first countries that were able to bounce back after the crisis. This quick return was attributed to Australia's great handling of the crisis. While a lot of other countries were still in the dark as to how to deal with it, Australia was able to set up a comprehensive mitigation plan. This is what it used to survive during the period. Now that the crisis is slowly dying down, Australia is once again opening its economic doors to investors from all over the world. And this is definitely a good time, as the industries within the country are also aching t

At the recently concluded federal elections in Australia, immigration has been one of the key issues tackled by the contending parties. And with this one finally over, it is time to look back and see what the points that have been raised are. And it is also time to look at how the new administration will handle the issue. Here, one of the biggest issues that has made the rounds of panel discussions and debates is that of immigration cuts. It is interesting to note that both the Labor Party's Julia Gillard (the current Prime Minister) and Liberal's Tony Abbott agreed that the country's immigration intake must be lowered. They argued that this one is necessary to ensure that the country would still be able to sustain its growing population. However, the two greatly differ on in the manner at which they believe that this cuts are to be implemented. Abbott sees that an immigration cut must be implemented immediately. He also argues that significant numbers must be s

Australian business visa holders have always been keen in getting the latest business news from the country. After all, these would certainly affect their own transactions in some way or another. And with the many things that has been happening in the country's business scene, For those in the telecommunications industry, one of the biggest buzz in the past few months was the transactions made by Telstra. If you are not familiar with the company, Telstra is the single largest telecommunications company in the country. In recent years, the company has undergone significant efforts to get into the international market. With that, it has acquired several foreign companies and expanded its operations. One of these foreign companies is the internet service SouFun. SouFun is a Chines online company specializing in property advertisements. Telstra acquired the company in the early 2000's and has since operated it under Sensis, its wholly owned subsidiary. Just recently, T

If you are thinking of immigration, Australia will most likely be one of the top places that you would want to move in. As it is, Australia is often imagined by a lot of people to be a picturesque country, with lush landscapes and great rivers. However, this one is actually far from being perfect. The truth is, Australia, just like any other developed nation, is also suffering from serious environmental problems. And this one has greatly alarmed many authorities, such that they have started to move and deal with these problems. The issues have also reached a higher level, as these have now become a forefront in policymakers' decisions. One of the biggest of these issues is climate change. In fact, this one has become a highly contended issue in the recent campaigns for the 2010 Federal Elections in the country. However, not a few environmental groups are concerned that the attention being given by politicians to the issue might not be enough. According to them, the i

If you are observing Australia, current events will probably be one of the areas that you will be interested in. And nothing is more current here than the upcoming national elections coming this August. And this one will certainly be a very important for a lot of immigrants as this will determine the future course of migration into the country. For those not aware, the elections are to be held on August 21, where about 16 million people will head out to vote in the polling precincts. It should be noted that Australia is one of several countries that enforce compulsory voting to all eligible residents. The elections was called for by current Prime Minister Julia Gillard last July 17. For the ruling Labor Party, it will be Gillard again, running in order to capitalize on her current popularity after ousting Kevin Rudd from the Prime Minister position. On the other hand, it will be Tony Abbott who will be seeking to return the Liberal Party to power. Between the two of them, there were s

As you might have already known, in Australia, immigration has always been a hot topic for discussions. And this one is even so as the general elections draw near. Thus, a lot of people are closely following the debates that are being conducted. And one of the biggest points that have been contested here is whether or not Australia should allow in more immigrants. In fact, this one is actually the most important issue on the matter, as it would determine how the other concerns with regards to immigration goes. Thus, this one has become the focusing point on the arguments made by both the Liberal and the Labor Party (the two contending groups in this year's election). Probably the most heard side of the matter is that of the effects of a bigger immigration number, and consequently, a larger population to the country. Here, you might have already saw the importance of immigration to Australia, as it is one of the major factors that contribute greatly to the growth of the country

With the country now finally on the way to recovery after the financial crisis of 2007, Australian Immigration officials are now on the rush to accommodate the number of people moving in. indeed, with Australia's economy now poised to grow even more, more and more people are convinced that the continent is the place to be in right now. And one of the biggest groups that are arriving in to the country comes from the nearby islands of New Zealand. In fact, according to the statistics provided by the New Zealand immigration department, more than 15,000 New Zealanders moved to Australia permanently last year. According to experts, the figures are expected to steadily rise in the years to come. This one is actually not that surprising. Both Australia and New Zealand have a close immigration relationship with each other. Having shared a common history together, the two countries have provided easy travel for their citizens traveling to each other. And one of the perks given by both coun

Because of the country being a favorite travel destination, a lot of people are now filing Australian temporary visa applications. And it is actually not only travel for pleasure as the reason why many people are going to the country. Students and temporary workers, as well as businessmen, regularly enter the country for a short stay. However, it seems that there would be a bit of a headache on their way. Recently, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) announced the ongoing plans to make large changes to the current temporary migrant visa program. The department said that these changes are intended to streamline the whole process of getting a temporary visa. One off the biggest changes that the DIAC is planning to implement is the reduction of the number of visa subclasses that it offers. Currently, there are about 149 visa subclasses that the department facilitates under the temporary visa program. Under the new scheme that it proposes, the DIAC plans to cut down this

One of the many ways why Australia is still in part of the economy is the businesses cycle associated within the country. Australia business visa is now getting in demand with the purpose of building a business and contribute their growth in the countries economy. Importing workforce from other country is one of the issue which the country is tackling. While setting aside of the Aboriginal talents to be part of the economies workforce is attach with the issue. Which have been lead to some of the peoples coming to the country to call them such an 'economically stupid'. It has been exclaimed by Bob Geldof an Anti-poverty campaigner that Australia was an economically stupid because they intend to set aside the thousands of Aboriginal talents within the workforce, while taking priority of importing of skilled worker in other country. Businesses was also being urged by the rock star to stop ignoring the talents of nations indigenous which has been exiled in their own land. The iss

Looking for the right immigration information for Australia is definitely an important task if you are planning to move into the country. After all, it wouldn't be easy to settle down here if you don't know a single bit about the country. However, as much as this one is very important, it can also be quite a difficult one to accomplish. One of the biggest problems that you have here is sorting out all the information that you can get. Since there are many sources where you can get information about migrating, finding the right ones will be rather hard. So here are some tips you can use to find the right kind of information. The very first place that you need to head to when looking for immigration information is the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) itself. Aside from providing necessary information for those who are actually applying for a visa, the DIAC also entertains inquiries from those who are still on the planning stage of immigrating in the country. This

Sure, you have probably read all the immigration information for Australia that you can get your hands on. And you might have even memorized them down to the last word. However, these are not the only pieces of information that you will get to know when you get to the land down under. In fact, there are a lot of other things that you won't find written in tour books. Some of these are very amusing and some are downright funny that you will surely have a great time knowing about them. Here are some of these things that you can expect to read about when you get here. You probably have read in the history books that the country was once used by the British as a penal colony, transporting a host of convicts to the continent during the early part of the 19th century. Well, get this. According to census reports, more than 22 percent of the current Australian populations actually trace out the history back to these prisoners. And you have probably known through the data sheets that Austr

One of the best ways that you can make use of your Australian travel visa is to go out and visit the the outback. Here, camping will be the best way that you can go, as it will let you enjoy the Australian wilderness more. And if you are looking for a good place, then you must go and see Western Australia for this one. Being the country's largest state, there are actually a lot of interesting places here that you can explore. And also, there are a lot of interesting camping grounds in the state. Here are some that you might want to visit during your camping tour here. The Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort some 800 kilometers to the north of Perth would certainly be a good start for you entire trip. And if you think that the distance is very long, you will soon find that this one is actually worth the effort. As the name says, the main attractions here are the many bottle-nose dolphins that come to the shore regularly. Here, you will actually be able to get the chance to hand feed these f

When on a holiday visa to Australia , travelers would often want to get around the country at their own pace. Thus, many would often rent or even buy a car and drive themselves to their destinations. This one is good if your really want to see all the sights the country has to offer. However, as you will find out soon enough that driving within Australia will be no easy cruise. Though driving within the cities will be no different than, say going around London, heading to other places in the country will be an entirely different story. You see, much of cities and towns are actually spread out such that you will be traveling long distances in between them. And since such a long drive can be quite hard, you need to be familiar of the ways of how you can manage it. The very first key to going through a long distance drive around Australia is planning it. This one is important if you want to get to your destination in one piece. Make sure that you get the latest road map from travel agenci

For those planning to set up a company in Australia, business visa application will be the first step that they will need to accomplish. However, just like any other visa application, this one is definitely not going to be easy. And it seems to be getting a bit harder, with the new changes to the visa visa program being announced by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC). One of the biggest changes that were announced was the revised set of general requirements needed to be granted a business visa. Here, the necessary funds for establishing a business have been increased. Previously, the minimum amount required to be presented as proof you have the capabilities to set up a business was around $250,000. This time around, the amount has been doubled and pegged to around $500,000. The department explained that the increase was due mainly to increased business setup costs in the country. For those who are part of a partnership or a corporation, note that you will be required

One of things that those getting a visa for Australia like a lot about the country is that it has very good communication facilities. In fact, despite the country being largely a desert, Australia's telecommunication system is actually top notched among developed countries. And it is set to get even better with the expected establishment of the National Broadband Network (NBN), by the Australian government. The NBN started out as a proposal put forth by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd during the National Elections of 2007. When Rudd won the said elections, he immediately set to get the project running. There were several companies vying for the privilege of setting up the network, including the former national carrier Telstra, Terria and Canadian company Axia NetMedia. There was also a state sponsored bid made by the Tasmanian government. On the other hand, Canberra based TransACT also put forward its own proposals. According to the requirements that were placed by the Australian gover

Once you get your Australian tourist visa , you will probably be thinking already of some ways that you can have a great vacation. Well then, why not hop on two wheels and go around the country on a bike tour? This one will not only be healthy trip, but it will also be an exciting adventure. Bike touring has, in fact, become very popular in the country in recent years, such that a large number of trails have been laid out across the continent for this purpose. This in turn, have attracted a large number of, of not only local but also foreign, cyclists to take on these trails yearly. Also, the stopover points on these tours have since been bustling with activities so you won't really get bored when you are here. One of the best trails that you can try out for your bike tour is Munda Biddi. The bike trail runs for more than 900 kilometers from the town of Mundaring to Nannup in Western Australia, making it the longest bike track in the country. There are construction projects being c