Travel to Australia on your own. How much does it cost to travel to australia

Perhaps, you can start the development of your Australian community with a completely prosaic question - how much does it cost, a trip to Australia?

Since travelers interested in Australia often contacted me with a question about the cost of the trip, I decided to make an estimate and published such an article on our website.

The article is very popular with readers - and I decided to copy this material to this community as well. I tried to take into account all the most important expenses, but, of course, the "fork" of the travel budget can vary both up and down. For example, if you wait for special offers from a budget airline and grab the most cheap ticket, and in Australia itself to live in a motel and eat fast food - then the amount will be different. But I still tried to take some real values so that a traveler with an average income and above could calculate the budget for the trip.

So, How much does a trip to Australia cost?

You can talk about how amazing and unique the smallest continent is for an infinitely long time. However, due to the practicality of the vast majority of tourists and the quite natural desire to optimize travel costs, the most common and frequently asked question of travelers is “How much does a trip to Australia cost?”
Especially for those who dream of seeing the Sydney Opera House, getting infected with the "gold rush", discovering the Great Barrier Reef, seeing the koala with their own eyes and finally finding out what a wombat looks like, we publish the Price Guide.

Visa: nuances and subtleties

In search of civilized ways to save money on a trip, the best solution would be to apply for a visa yourself. It is no secret that when purchasing tours to Australia (however, as well as to all other countries that require a visa to visit), many of us are faced with the imposition of travel agency policies. But, if you relentlessly follow the Russian folk proverb “The eyes are afraid, but the hands are doing”, it is quite possible to apply for a visa on your own, while saving from US$ 150 (the minimum payment for the services of travel agencies for issuing a visa is US$ 250). For your information, if you apply for a visa yourself, it will cost US$ 100 (as of March 27, 2010, we recommend that you check the current visa fee on the page of the DIAC Department of Immigration). At the same time, the term self-registration visa will be equal to the period specified by the intermediary, namely from 10 days to 2 weeks. (Many of our clients receive their tourist visas in as little as 2-3 business days - by submitting a full package of documents to the Australian Embassy, this is quite achievable). And if there is no difference, why pay more? For urgent visa processing (3 days) tour. firms will charge twice as much (US$450 - 500).

Despite the rather impressive package of documents required for obtaining a visa, it is really and completely easy to collect it! Moreover, personal presence at the embassy when submitting an application is not required. Therefore, if you can’t escape from work, you can entrust the procedure to your agent (anyone can act as an agent: for example, your relative or acquaintance). A complete list of documents for obtaining a tourist visa can be found on the official website of the Australian Embassy in Russia: And remember: to apply for a tourist visa in Australia, you do NOT need to buy a tour to Australia, book flights and a hotel room. The main thing is to collect a complete package of documents that will confirm your intention to return back to your homeland.

*** Tip: Translate all submissions into English. This will positively affect the decision to issue a visa and speed up the process.

However, for those who are experiencing an acute shortage of time and prefer to entrust the issuance of visas to specialized companies, we recommend that you check with the representative of the company of your choice whether they are members of the Aussie Specialists program. The fact is that these companies are accredited at the Australian Embassy and have the ability to promptly (up to 48 hours) issue up to 80% of tourist visas.

So, the cost of an Australian tourist visa is: US$ 100.

Tickets: ride, swim or fly?

Of course, the best and fastest way to get to the mainland is by plane. Given the remoteness of Australia, the journey on the liner can take several weeks, and trains do not go there. Planes are good! But, returning to the purpose of the article, you need not just “good”, but “cheap and cheerful”.

Unfortunately, there are no non-stop flights to Australia yet. Flight changes take place in Asia (Bangkok, Dubai, Beijing, Seoul, Singapore, Tokyo, Abu Dhabi). In the range of US$ 1300 - US$ 1700 you can find tickets from Air China, China Eastern Airlines, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Thai Airways, Korean Air, Japan Airlines and Emirates Airlines. Flying with Singapore Airlines Singapore Airlines) will cost more (from US$ 2,000). The most convenient and fastest docking offer Thai Airways(Thai Airways) - with them a flight from Moscow to the East Coast of Australia (Melbourne, Sydney) will take about 19 hours. "The Chinese" (Air China, China Eastern) offer the cheapest tickets - if you're lucky, you can buy a ticket for 30,000 rubles. Perhaps the best option in terms of price-quality ratio is the offer of Arab airlines Etihad Airways: good service, affordable prices and convenient connections in Abu Dhabi.

But the real hunters for the cheapest tickets go ... to Bangkok! Tickets from Moscow to Bangkok and back today can be purchased from many airlines and under a special offer you can fly for US$ 500. by Air Asia flight to Melbourne will cost approximately US$ 350. Of course, this way of saving is not the easiest, but the best for those who are not looking for easy ways in pursuit of adventure.

***Tip - to find the best option for international flights, use online booking services. For example, www.pososhok.ru or www.skyscanner.ru

In addition, speaking about the cost of flights, based on a standard two-week vacation on the mainland, it would not be superfluous to mention domestic flights. Estimated price of air tickets in the direction "Melbourne - Sydney", "Sydney - Gold Coast" - US$ 50 - 70 for each flight. However, the “bird of happiness” awaits the lucky ones in the form of tickets from Tiger Airways for only AU$ 1. Yes, yes! For just 1 Australian dollar, you can make an exciting trip, while saving a lot. By the way, the same airline also offers 15 dollar tickets. The main thing is to "catch" them!

*** Tip - to find the best option for flights within Australia, use online service www.webject.com.au

So, the average cost of an air ticket "Moscow - Melbourne/Sydney/Brisbane" will be US$ 1500

The cost of domestic flights within the country is around US$ 50 depending on the route.

Accommodation and meals

The cost of accommodation and meals is the most important component of any trip.

The largest cities in Australia boast a huge selection of hotels, and, consequently, a wide price range. The average bill in a 3* hotel is US$ 100/day. Accordingly, four-star hotels will cost a little more - US$ 140. Estimated cost of daily accommodation in 5* hotels - US$ 210 (double standard DBL room as a calculation base).

So, the average cost for staying in a 4-star hotel (in a good location in the city center) will be about US$ 70 per night - subject to double occupancy.

As a rule, the cost of accommodation does not include the cost of meals (or includes only breakfast). The average bill for a lunch in a cafe is US$25, while a hearty dinner (which includes an appetizer, main course, dessert and a glass of wine) in an upscale restaurant will cost approximately US$75.

*** Tip - one of the nice features of Australian restaurants is that many of them have the "BYO" (Bring Your Own) option, i.e. the opportunity to bring your own alcohol and pay relatively little money to open a bottle (about US$ 3) - speaking of savings…

So, the average cost of food will be US$ 100 per day. Of course, you can eat much more modestly (and not necessarily fast food) - it all depends on your appetite, tastes and capabilities.

Excursions: "ourselves with a mustache" or we trust professionals

Returning to the purpose of our trip - to visit the "Red Center of Australia", see the rocks of the 12 Apostles with your own eyes or watch the Penguin Parade - we cannot fail to mention the cost of the most popular excursion tours. There are 3 options to choose from here:

Option 1. Rent a car. It's great to rent a car and go on an adventure. The undoubted plus of autotravel is the freedom of choice and freedom of movement! The disadvantage of this type of tourism: unusual left-hand traffic, large fines for the slightest speeding. Also, if you don’t really like to drive a car yourself or want to completely relax on vacation, and at the same time listen to interesting stories about the country from a professional guide - perhaps the second or third option is more suitable for you. For your information, car rental in Australia - from US$ 60 / day, the longer the rental period - the lower the price.

Option 2.: Order excursions directly from local tour operators. You choose which excursions you are interested in - and book directly with local, Australian host tour operators. The advantages are obvious: you get a qualified guide, comfortable transport, a rich and interesting program. You can choose the excursions you are interested in. Cons: as a rule, excursions are carried out along some standard route, and mobility is often lost in a large tour group of 20 to 40 people. As a rule, such excursions last from 4 hours (small sightseeing tours) to two or three days in several cities at once. The cost varies from US$ 65 (per sightseeing tour around the city for half a day in large buses) up to several hundred dollars (for multi-day excursions, or for VIP service). Our company "Guide-Tour Australia" is just the host tour operator - we offer excursion services and individual tours Australia for small tours. groups up to 10 people. A one-day full-bodied all-inclusive excursion in a small group of 6 to 10 travelers will cost about US$ 200 per person.

Option 3. Buying a tour to Australia. Perhaps the easiest option is to buy a tour in your own country, usually including accommodation and airfare, as well as a few standard excursions.

Self-organization of recreation “for yourself” will allow you to move away from standard offers, choosing only what you are really interested in.

Deciding to go to Australia on your own - sightseeing will remain at your discretion. Perhaps in Melbourne you will be interested in an independent leisurely walk through Chinatown or an exciting one-day wine tour- with a tasting of boutique wines and strawberries on the Mornington Peninsula? And on the Gold Coast passive beach holiday Do you prefer visiting theme parks - attractions?

The decision on whether to take the organization of the trip completely into their own hands or trust the tour operators, everyone makes for himself. In fairness, it is worth noting that both the first and second options have their advantages. Do you want a trip that meets all your needs and at the same time does not hit your pocket too hard? Then, do not be afraid to act independently! Would you like to entrust the solution of all organizational tasks to the tour operator? Be prepared to relax and pay for the tour.

So, let's calculate how much a trip to Australia will cost.

Let's take as a basis a fairly standard trip - 10 days for east coast Australia, with double occupancy in a 4* hotel. Calculation - for one traveler.

Prices are in US dollars.

Domestic flights

Melbourne - Sydney - 60

Sydney - Gold Coast 60

Transfer

3 transfers (Melbourne, Sydney, Gold Coast) round trip by private taxi: - 210 (70 * 3 transfers)

Accommodation

Four-star hotel - 630 (70 * 9 nights)

Visa application- 100

International air travel - 1500

Nutrition - 1000

Insurance - 20 (US$ 2 * 10 days)

TOTAL: 3580

Australia and the countries of Oceania are one of the most inaccessible and expensive regions for travelers from the CIS. However, it is very interesting. The material below will discuss how to make your trip to these parts as cheap as possible.

Geography and entry point

When you are looking for tickets to distant regions, you should not look at tickets immediately to the final destination or any particular city where you want to go, but to large entry points. In this case, there are only two of them - Sydney (Australia) and Auckland (New Zealand). From these cities it will be convenient to travel to all districts.

I would like to say right away that the IATA code of Sydney (needed to search for air tickets) is SYD, Auckland is AKL.

There are several search options:

From your city directly to Sydney. If you are flying from Kyiv, then with 1 or 2 transfers in the UAE and Singapore. From Moscow, then most likely it will be a flight with 1 stopover in China or the UAE. In general, it is advantageous for Russian residents to fly to Sydney through Moscow. From Minsk - 2 transfers: the first - somewhere in Europe, and the second - in the United Arab Emirates or Singapore. There are also routes with 1 change in the UAE. It is worth noting that such a search algorithm will give you not the cheapest tickets.
Through Kuala Lumpur. Kuala Lumpur can be reached from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan with 1 or 2 transfers. AirAsia (http://www.airasia.com/) flies from Kuala Lumpur to Sydney. It offers very cheap flights to the specified destination.
Through Beijing and Kuala Lumpur. This is a universal way from any city. If you did not find a profitable flight to Kuala Lumpur, then first head to Beijing, from there to Kuala Lumpur, and only then to Singapore. This option may turn out to be the cheapest, because already from Beijing you can fly with AirAsia flights.

Algorithm for finding tickets to Auckland

There are also different options here:

From your city directly to Auckland. It is beneficial for residents of Russia to fly to Auckland via Moscow; from other cities, prices will be much more expensive. Even from Kyiv and Minsk, it is also more profitable to fly through Moscow. A flight from Moscow often happens with 1 or 2 transfers in China or the UAE. This is the most expensive option.
Through Beijing. So you can fly from any city. Chinese Airlines fly from Beijing to Auckland at reasonable prices.
Through Sydney. If the second option turned out to be too expensive for you, then fly to Sydney, and from there by the flights of the Australian low-cost JetStar (http://www.jetstar.com/) to Auckland. By the way, JetStar is a good opportunity to travel cheaply within Australia itself and between Australia and New Zealand.

Transit through New Zealand and Australia

Australia and New Zealand are countries where CIS citizens need a visa in any case, even if you do not plan to leave the airport during the connecting flights. There is one nuance. Suppose you are flying to New Zealand Emirates Airlines with one change in Dubai. Such a flight lasts 16 hours and in fact during this time the plane makes a refueling landing in Sydney. Even in this case, you need a visa to Australia. In general, when you see that the flight lasts more than 12 hours, then go to the website of the carrier airline and see if there are any stops for refueling.

A transit visa to Australia is done free of charge and remotely, besides it is electronic. The main thing is to take care of this for 3 weeks before departure. As for New Zealand, you do not need a visa here, only if you have a regular tourist visa to Australia. The New Zealand transit visa is paid and it is pasted into the passport.

You can read about the peculiarities of obtaining visas on the websites of their embassies in your country:

for Ukraine: http://www.oceania.com.ua/ , http://embassy.net.ua/ ;
for Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus: http://www.nzembassy.com/ , http://www.russia.embassy.gov.au/ .

For a transit visa, you only need tickets and a visa to the destination country.

Car rental in Australia and New Zealand

In general, the countries in question are very expensive. Here you should not hope for cheap accommodation, transport or food. For example, getting from Sydney Airport to the city center by train costs about $20. The cheapest way to move around these states is by renting a car. This service costs about $25 per day. If you are traveling 2-4 people, then it turns out very profitable.

If you are flying to one city, then the car is not very relevant - parking is paid everywhere, but if you want to travel around the country, then don’t even think about it - take it. Australia and New Zealand require international driving licenses. Read about how to arrange them in the material " international law: Necessity or waste of money. The car rental system is similar to the European one - a separate series of articles is devoted to this topic.

Train travel in Australia and New Zealand

Traveling by rail is an expensive form of travel, but more comfortable. Trains in Australia are very comfortable and sometimes even resemble a small hotel room.

When you travel by train across the country, you will have stunning views that will make a lasting impression. Website railways Australia - http://passes.railaustralia.com.au/. In total, there are 4 trains in the country with very good service:

TheGhan - goes from the northern city of Darwin to the south;
IndianPacific - from indian ocean to the Pacific;
TheOverland - in the southeastern part of the country;
XPT - in the southeastern part of the country.

Tickets for such trains cost from $1,500 to $10,000 per person one way. If you want to travel within the state of New South Wales, where Sydney is located, then use the NSW TrainLinkCoachNetwork.

New Zealand Railways website - http://www.railnewzealand.com/. And here are the bus routes. On the indicated Internet resource, you can choose from where and where you would like to go and immediately book tickets.

Where to fly in Oceania

You can travel around Australia for a whole month and that will not seem enough. And where to fly in Oceania? There are many luxurious and exotic islands here, but there are some especially noteworthy ones.

Where to fly from Sydney:

New Caledonia - here you need a visa, which is issued at the French Embassy. Only those who have a French multivisa for more than a year are exempted from a visa. New Caledonia is a unique region with a European level of service, while large resorts border on the impenetrable jungle, where the natives still live.

Vanuatu - visa-free islands for Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians. Here you will find not only paradise vacation, but also its own special atmosphere, thanks to which you will get an unforgettable, with cultural point vision, pastime.

Where to fly from Auckland (in Oceania it is better to fly from New Zealand):

Tonga is a visa-free state for Russians and Ukrainians.

Samoa - Russians, Kazakhs, Ukrainians and Belarusians do not need a visa.

Cook Islands - visa-free for Russians, Ukrainians, Kazakhs and Belarusians. This is one of the most beautiful places on the ground. It is really very picturesque here.

Niue has a visa regime similar to Samoa. It will be especially good for divers and snorkelers to relax here.

French Polynesia - a French visa is required here. This place rivals the Cook Islands in its luxury and uniqueness. This includes famous islands Tahiti and Bora Bora.

If you are going to this part of the world, then of course you should spend a week in Australia, and then visit some of the listed islands.

Memorable travels! Read about entry points and ways to travel around America and Africa in the following articles.

Many have heard horror stories about giant grasshoppers, demonic ducks and killer birds that live in Australia. And they lie in wait around the corner for tourists who have gaped and strayed from the team. But no horror stories will scare away those who want to visit the very ends of the earth. How to inexpensively relax in Australia in 2020, we will tell in this article.

The trip will be ready on a turn-key basis, so vacationers will receive additional amenities. This applies to the transfer from the airport to the hotel. To apply for a ticket, you must contact a trusted travel agency, provide required documents, pick up a tour.

If a person goes on a trip on his own, then he needs to know the local language well, and first draw up a program for his own trip. This includes visiting attractions, planning excursions. Australia has a huge number interesting places where you should definitely go and plunge into this atmosphere. This list should include a visit national park Kakadu, Swan Bells, Sidney Harbor Bridge and many more.

If you use the services of intermediaries, then tourists are limited in the program. People who like spontaneous and drastic decisions are better off choosing independent travel.

Savings on the purchase of the tour

Travelers with limited financial means can save a significant amount of money on the purchase of a visa or tour. There are two proven methods:

The travel agency should be contacted a few months before the expected date of travel.
They come to the company when the plane leaves the country in a few days, and there are many empty seats.

If a traveler buys a tour to Australia in a year, he saves up to 35% of the total cost.

This rule also applies to the purchase of a ticket, when the departure is scheduled in 2-3 days. You can ask all your questions or consult with the operator of the travel company.

Subtleties of obtaining a visa

How else to save money on a trip to Australia?

The country is located on another hemisphere, so the summer period falls on the winter months in Russia. During the season, travel companies sell vouchers for high prices. To save on travel, you need to fly to Australia in the fall or spring. Between seasons, tourists are offered good discounts, and locals do not overcharge for excursions, food and treats.

Australia has a huge number of advice centers that are ready to help tourists. There you can get a free catalog, which contains a map of the city, useful coupons, discounts in popular establishments and tourist places. Thanks to coupons, you can dine at a 40-45% discount.

Before traveling, you need to take care of checking the validity of your passport.

Many tourists do not know that visitors will be able to return part of the money for buying souvenirs. If their cost exceeds 300 Australian dollars, then 12% of their price will be returned to the tourist. To receive compensation, you need to find a TRS branch, show the checks, coupon and passport to the specialist.

Attractions

There are several attractions in Australia that you can see for free. Tourists will be able to save on entertainment and diversify their vacation.

Hospital with pig statue

This architectural monument is located in Sydney near one of the hospitals. According to the generally accepted legend, every person who comes, throws a coin, rubs a piglet, will be able to become more successful and successful.

Monument to Charles La Trobe

This monument attracts a huge number of tourists due to its uniqueness. It was included in the list of the most original architectural monuments around the world. He is located in Melbourne.

The monument was dedicated to the first lieutenant - the governor of the colony of Victoria. The author of this masterpiece tried to demonstrate to everyone around him that it is not worth elevating people and making them your idols. The statue can serve as an ordinary monument. That is why it is inverted.

great ocean road

The Great Ocean Road is located in Australia. If you get on it, it opens great view to the ocean and rocky terrain. Every tourist who comes to Australia should visit this unique place.

During a hiking trip, you will have to walk a lot, so you need to take sports clothes with you in your suitcase. In this place you can take a huge number of unique pictures that will keep the memory for a lifetime.

To choose an inexpensive hotel, you need to choose cities with a small population. You can go on vacation when the influx of tourists and the season comes to an end. If you want to live in good hotel and save money, you can make a reservation 8-9 months in advance.

Many hotels and hotels offer tourists good discounts. It is important to remember that all of them require an advance payment to keep the place. If a person goes on a trip alone, you can consider options with accommodation in hostels.

And if you consider that tourism has been flourishing there for decades, then choosing an office for diving services or an excursion that you can afford will not be difficult. A huge number of Russian tourists arrive in the country, so you can ask them about their vacation. And they will tell you where you can save money without compromising on quality and comfort.

Australia in demand all year round. Here there is not only luxurious beaches and the Great Barrier Reef. On this continent, you can engage not only in diving and surfing and take boat trips. Lovers feel great here too skiing and snowboarding. Buller, Buffalo, Hofamo will welcome you with open arms to their snowy slopes.

How much does it cost to travel to Australia

And what to see in three weeks

My husband and I spent 600 thousand rubles on a three-week trip to Australia in March 2018.

Anna Denisova

blogger and traveler

We visited the Great Barrier Reef, Tasmania and three major cities: Sydney, Melbourne and Gold Coast.

Friends from Russia ask how it was possible to squander so much in just three weeks. And friends from Australia wonder how we survived.

I carefully planned the trip and recorded the expenses on the trip. I’ll tell you where we visited, how much and what we ended up spending.

Visas

We applied for visas ourselves. The application was submitted on the website of the Australian Embassy. Very convenient: no need to go and bring originals, everything is served through the site.

12 791 Р

cost two visas

We needed:

A copy of the passport - a photo from the phone came up.
Confirmation of previous trips - attached photos of old visas.
Bank statement for English language.
List of previous places of work and study in English on a special form.
Certificate from the employer confirming income and vacation on the dates of travel.
Travel plan - attached a Word file with a list of cities and dates.

Air tickets and hotel reservations are not needed: the Australian embassy does not recommend paying for airfare and accommodation before obtaining a visa.

We paid a consular fee - $ 140 (6403 R) and $ 1.47 (67 R) commission for payment by card. This money cannot be returned, even if the visa is denied. The fee must be paid on the website of the embassy at the rate assigned to them. At the time of payment, it asked for 45.21 rubles for the Australian dollar, and the Central Bank - 44.99 rubles.

The national currency of Australia is the Australian dollar

The term for issuing an Australian visa depends on the workload of the consulate. The embassy website has a special section with the average waiting time. In my case, the application was promised to be considered in a maximum of 35 days, but the visa came in 40. I justify the delay by the New Year holidays.

Australian visa - electronic. It is not glued into the passport, instead, upon entry, they simply check in the database whether you have it or not. We received a modest email with a visa.

Tickets to Australia

You can fly to Australia from Russia only with a transfer. The journey takes almost a day. Air China had the cheapest tickets for our dates. We decided to overpay 10 thousand rubles and fly Etihad Airways: they have shorter transfers and you can fly through Abu Dhabi, where we have not been yet.

Etihad Airways and Emirates tickets include one piece of baggage, maximum 30 kg, and Air China two pieces of 23 kg per person. For many, this is convenient, but I travel with a minimum of things. The trunks that the Chinese carry with them on the plane annoy me.

125 491 R

spent on two tickets Moscow - Sydney - Moscow with a transfer in Abu Dhabi

We bought tickets three weeks before departure and paid the same amount as if we paid for the flight for 4 months.

I travel a lot, but have never paid 62 745 R for one ticket. My hands were shaking a little when I confirmed the purchase. non-refundable tickets for 125 491 R.

flights within australia

We decided to explore the country as much as possible in one trip, because we will not fly to such a distance again soon or never at all. Therefore, they decided to visit the Great Barrier Reef, the island of Tasmania and three major cities: Sydney, Melbourne and the Gold Coast. They put a week in Sydney, and 2-3 days for everything else.

We traveled around the country in a rented car and planes. You can also travel by trains and intercity buses, but we did not use them.

Traveling by plane in Australia is as easy as traveling in Russia by bus. Tickets are relatively inexpensive: we flew four times from city to city, and for two we paid 58,756 R.

My Australian friends advise planning even small trips 2-3 months in advance: Australians love to travel around the country and buy tickets quickly. I found out about this when I paid five times more than planned for the flight from Tasmania to Melbourne. Three weeks before departure, there were still cheap tickets, but a week later they were sold out.

You can take it on the plane for free only hand luggage weighing up to 7 kg. Therefore, when booking tickets, we also paid for luggage. The price depends on the weight - for a 15-kilogram small suitcase we paid $ 15-20 (687 -916 R).

It happens that luggage and hand luggage are not weighed at the airport. But it's better not to count on it: once we decided to take a chance and took an extra bag with gifts. It was on this flight that luggage was counted and weighed. I had to pay extra $ 72 (3299 R). With this money it was almost possible to buy another ticket.

Flights within Australia - $ 1244.64 (57 032 R)

Sydney - Tasmania

$232.32 (R11,119)

Tasmania - Melbourne

$487.88 (R23,351)

Melbourne - Gold Coast

$230.3 (11,022 R)

Gold Coast - Sydney

$222.14 (R9952)

Unscheduled baggage

72 $ (3312 R)

Australian airports have a separate area for domestic flights. There are no queues: online check-in is available for all flights. You can check in and receive luggage using the qar code - you need to show it to the airport employee or scan it at the counter self-registration. Baggage acceptance closes 20 minutes before departure.

Pre-flight screening takes less than five minutes. There is no usual restriction on the amount of liquid carried, only piercing and dangerous objects are prohibited. In some cases, security officers may ask you to open the bag and show what is inside. Our quadcopter aroused suspicion twice, but everything worked out.

All flights lasted an hour and a half: you just took off, and you are already landing. On the plane, food is served only for an additional fee; you need to order food when checking in online for the flight. I have never seen anyone use this service.

Car rental

We drove two thousand kilometers by car: 500 km - along the island of Tasmania and 1,500 km - from the Gold Coast to Gladstone, the nearest eastern point of the Great Barrier Reef. 39,986 rubles were spent on rent and gasoline.

Opal cards are sold at the central station, newsstands and supermarkets. You can top up the card at the terminals at any station, a list of all points is also on the company's website.

We liked to travel from home to the city center by ferry, because it has beautiful route: in ten minutes of the road you have time to enjoy the view of the Opera House and the Harbor Bridge. You will not surprise the locals with this, they sit inside the ferry all the way, buried in their phones. One trip cost $5.88 (270 R) per person.

We bought two cards for $40 (1840 R) and used them three times to pay for the ferry fare.

Total for public transport we spent about 28 600 R.

Entertainment

Almost all of our entertainment was connected with nature. There are also many animals in Australia that you will not find anywhere else in the world.

In Sydney. We liked the Taronga zoo for its combination of nature and urbanism: a giraffe against the backdrop of skyscrapers is an interesting sight. A ticket can be bought in advance on the zoo's website for $42.3 (1946 R) or at the entrance for $47 (2162 R).

We spent one day in Sydney walking around the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium. It is considered one of the best in the world because of the hundred-meter glass tunnels in which rare species fish, sharks and rays. We paid for tickets for $ 42 (1932 R) per person, but we could save money by buying for $ 33.6 (1546 R) in advance on the aquarium's website.

By single ticket for $ 70 (3220 R) you can visit the aquarium, the wax museum, the Sydney Tower and the Wild life zoo. This is beneficial: tickets to each seat separately will cost $ 154 (7084 R). But we were only interested in the aquarium.

On the Great Barrier Reef we lived right on the reefs. We also wanted to look at the underwater world at great depths, so we took a tour at the hotel for $ 50 (2300 R) per person. We were taken on a boat away from the island. For an hour we swam in the ocean with snorkels and admired the fish and corals. I almost died of fear when a shark swam past me. It turned out that not all sharks eat people. The reefs that live there are safe.

Internet and communication

When traveling, we constantly need the Internet: read the news in Telegram and check mail, post photos and stories on Instagram, call colleagues and relatives.

7026 R

spent on internet

For this, free Wi-Fi at airports, cafes and apartments is not enough, so we used a special tourist SIM card. In Australia, we paid 0.01 euros per 1 MB for it. The call quality was excellent. We did not limit ourselves on the Internet and were often too lazy to ask for the password for free Wi-Fi. As a result, we spent 6106 R for two for the entire trip.

The only place where there was no connection was Big barrier reef. There we bought wifi in the hotel. For two days they paid 920 rubles. In total, 7026 R were spent on the Internet.

shopping

All stores accept cards. Cash is not in use in Australia. You can pay with them, but no one does that. We also always used the map.

The prices for clothes are the same as in Russia, sometimes a little lower: I bought a swimsuit for $ 69 (3174 R). In a Moscow online store, the same one costs 3990 R.

73 920 Р

spent on shopping and gifts

From Australia, you need to bring rum from the well-known local company Bundaberg. We specifically visited the factory of the same name, where they can write anything on the label. A regular bottle costs $ 39.99 (1840 R), and with an inscription - $ 49.99 (2300 R).

We also brought home a kilo of traditional Australian macadamia nuts. We bought them in a regular supermarket for $ 50 (2300 R). I'm a passion fruit fanatic, so I bought 20 pieces for $1.5 (69 R) at the local market.

In Russia, Australia is associated with kangaroos, so we took jerky as gifts - dried kangaroo, emu and crocodile meat, at $ 4-10 (184 -460 R) per pack.

Many products and things of animal origin, more than 2.25 liters of alcohol and 25 cigarettes cannot be imported into Australia. There are no export restrictions. The current rules for the import of products are described

In total, 73,920 R were spent on shopping and gifts.

Results

Three weeks later, we became poorer by 605,501 R, but lived a whole life in another part of the world. This time was enough to cover the main cities, but not enough to rest. We were exhausted, constantly moving from place to place.

If you want to repeat our feat, remember:

The flight is long and expensive, if you decide to pay this money, fly for a long time.
Plan to visit several cities: domestic flights are inexpensive and convenient.
Plan your travels around the country: the closer to the date, the more likely it is that the Australians have already bought everything.
If you want to save on food, buy products in supermarkets and markets.
You can safely live in cheap places, even the rooms in other people's apartments are very comfortable.