Hints and Tips

Business Hours
Business hours in Western Australia are 9.00am to 5.00pm. Most shops will stay open to 6.00pm and also open on Saturday.

 

In Perth City shops also open 12.00pm to 5.00pm on Sundays and stay open until 9.00pm on Friday nights. In Perth suburban areas shops will stay open to 9.00pm on Thursday nights.

Telephones and Internet
Public telephones are available in most towns and cost 50 cents for a local call, charges for STD and IDD long distance calls vary. Public phones accept coins, prepaid phone cards or credit cards.

 

Mobile phones can be hired from most mobile retailers or the international airport. Fax services are available in Australia Post Offices and most hotels.

 

Internet cafes are growing in popularity and can generally be found in major towns. Some accommodation will also offer internet access to guests.

 

Snail Mail
Stamps can be bought at any Post Offices, many newsagents, and front desk at hotels.

In some country towns the post office may be located within a newsagent or a similar business. Most towns have a red mail box to post you mail.

Perth’s Climate
Perth has temperate climate with long dry summers with temperatures on average ranging between 20 and 35 degrees Celsius and low humidity. Winters are short, mild and wet. Remember, if you are from the Northern Hemisphere, the summer is December to March and winter is May to September.

 

It is important to remember in summer to slip slop slap – slip on a shirt, slop on some sunscreen, and slap on a hat. Try to stay out of the sun during 11am – 3pm. The Western Australian sun is very intense and it is important to cover up or keep out of the sun in summer to avoid sunburn and skin cancer.

 

Swimming Safety
Western Australia is home to kilometres upon kilometres of coastline and some superb beaches; however, it is important to remember a few things when at the beach. If lifeguards are on duty – swim between the flags to increase your visibility.

 

In the North look out for venomous box jelly fish that occur in tropical waters from October to May.

 

Medical Services
Major towns throughout WA have world-class medical and health services. The Royal Flying Doctor Service operates throughout the state especially in the remote areas.
Remember the emergency number for Australia 000.

 

We strongly recommend you take out travel insurance, as the cost of medical attention can be quite high.

Accredited Businesses
When you see a yellow tick on a green circle it means the business is an Accredited Tourism Business.

This means you can expect:
• Professional customer service
• Accuracy in advertising
• Sound environmental practices
• Compliance with health and safety standards
• An appropriately licensed and qualified operator

Look for the tick when choosing your accommodation, attraction or tour operator.

World Time
Western Australia is on Western Standard Time (WST) or GMT + 8 hours. Which means when it is 12 noon in WA it is:
4.00am in London
1.00pm in Tokyo
11.00pm in New York
6.00pm in Los Angeles
12.00pm in Hong Kong
5.00pm in Auckland
5.00am in Paris
2.00pm in Sydney

Tipping
In Australia, tipping is not customary and therefore not necessary. However if you feel that you have received outstanding service then you can tip, usually 10% of the bill.

 

Electricity
Supply in Australia is 240v AC, frequency is 50Hz. Australian outlets are three pinned. You may require an adaptor to use electrical products.

Smoking
Smoking is prohibited in restaurants, public buildings, office buildings, public transport, tourist coaches, planes, airports, pubs and clubs. Some accommodation prohibits smoking while others have designated smoking and non-smoking rooms.

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