Wed 7 Jan

Health & Safety

Australia is a low risk western country with a very modern healthcare system.

The phone number for any emergency including ambulance, police and fire is ‘000’.

Drinking water

You should use your common sense but generally in Australia you can drink water from the tap and also use this water to wash any perishable foods. This is also the case with respect to eating at restaurants and food outlets.

Health Requirements

You may be asked to undergo a medical and/or x-ray examination if you are likely to enter a hospital, health care area or Australian childcare centre.

Travellers intending to be involved in medical procedures such as doctors, nurses and dentists are required to undergo a medical examination including HIV/Hepatitis B and C blood tests.

For more information please download the following pdf file:

http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/1163i.pdf

Vaccinations

Travellers to Australia do not require any vaccinations unless you have come from a yellow fever infected country within six days before arrival. You will then need to produce a vaccination certificate upon arrival in Australia.

If, however, you are travelling to Australia via Asia, please speak to your doctor at least two months prior to your departure in order to discuss any vaccinations that you may require.

Insurance

It is strongly recommended that every visitor to Australia takes out travel and comprehensive medical insurance policy prior to departure.

Many credit card and airline companies include travel insurance as part of their service. Please be aware that there are many restrictions with these insurances. If you plan to stay in Australia for more than a few weeks, a specialised travel and health insurance is a must. This is THE one area where you don’t want to save money on. Find out more in our Insurance Section.

Medicare

Medicare is Australia’s public health care system and is usually only available to permanent residents of Australia.

Australia does have reciprocal health care agreements with the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Italy and Malta.

For more information please download the following information sheets:
Healthcare for visitors from the UK, Sweden, Finland, Norway, the Netherlands and Malta:

http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/resources/services_for_travellers/ma_0700_health_care_visitors_to_australia_uk_sweden_finland_norway_netherlands_malta_italy.pdf

Healthcare for visitors from New Zealand and the Republic of Ireland:

http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/resources/services_for_travellers/ma_0699_health_care_visitors_to_australia_info_sheet_ireland_nz.pdf

Medical Centres & Hospitals

Australia has many medical centres and hospitals throughout the country.
Medical centres are usually staffed by general practitioners and nurses.
For urgent and life threatening conditions most hospitals have emergency departments.

Emergency Phone Number

Sun Protection

On average, most of Australia enjoys 3,000 sunny hours annually – that’s about 70% of the time! In order to minimize your exposure to our sunny climate we strongly recommend that you wear a broad-brimmed hat, long sleeves and apply plenty of water-resistant sunscreen SPF30+ on a regular basis. Please remember that you can also get burnt during cloudy days.

Also remember to keep yourself well hydrated by drinking lots of water on hot days.

Water Safety

Australia has more than 10,000 beaches for you to enjoy. During our warmer months from October to April most popular beaches are patrolled by volunteer surf lifesavers.

Here below we have listed some golden rules to follow when visiting the beach:

  • Always swim between the red and yellow flags at patrolled beaches.
  • Swim with a friend so that you look out for each other’s safety and get help if needed.
  • If you get into trouble in the water, stay calm, raise your arm to signal for help. Float with a strong current, called a rip, and never swim against it.
  • Never swim at unpatrolled beaches.
  • Never swim at night.
  • Never run and dive into the water.
  • Never swim under the influence of alcohol.
  • Never swim directly after eating a meal.

Wildlife

Australia has an abundance of wildlife and there are definitely some precautions that are recommended:

  • Do not feed or play with wild animals.
  • Northern Australia is home to freshwater and saltwater crocodiles. Observe all warning signs on inland waters and tidal reaches of rivers. Do not swim where crocodiles live. Camp at least 50 metres from the water’s edge. Never leave food scraps near the water’s edge.
  • The coastal waters of northern Australia including Northern Queensland, many Queensland islands, the West Australian Kimberely coastline and The Northern Territory are home to the venomous box jelly fish (also called stingers or sea wasps). From late October to early May visitors are advised to swim only where protective enclosures are provided. Please observe all warning signs when visiting the beaches in these areas.

Australia is home to more than 300 species of mosquitos. There are four main diseases that are transmitted to humans and they include Dengue fever, Australian encephalitis, Ross River virus and Barmah Forest virus. In order to miminise the risk of being bitten it is recommended to take extra precautions including:

  • Avoiding outdoor exposure during periods of high mosquito activity around dawn and dusk.
  • Wearing long and loose fitting clothing when outdoors.
  • Using personal insect repellents (either lotions or gels) containing diethyl toluamide (DEET) or picaridin.
  • Avoid camping near stagnant water.
  • Avoid using perfume and aftershave as this may attract the mosquitoes.
  • Using mosquito nets and mosquito-proof tents when camping.
  • Checking that mosquito screens on windows are properly fitted and completely mosquito-proof.

For more information please visit our “danger zone” link

Natural Disasters

Australia experiences many natural disasters including bush fires, floods, hail and cyclones due to its diverse landscape and climatic conditions. It is therefore very important when you are camping or engaging in prolonged outdoor activities that you check weather conditions prior to departure and during your trip.

The following pdf file contains phone numbers for all national and state severe weather warnings:

http://www.bom.gov.au/other/tws/twspocket.pdf

Bushfires

Every year Australia experiences many bushfires during the spring/summer season. In order to prevent bushfires it is wise to take the following precautions including:
Using a fuel stove for cooking.
Never leaving fires unattended or unconfined.
Not starting fires when fire bans or restrictions are in place.