Queensland Islands Visitor Information

Alcohol Climate Credit Cards Currency Driving Information

Getting to the Islands Medical Services Prescription Drugs Travellers Cheques Tipping

Alcohol

The minimum legal 'drinking' age is 18. Young people going to bars and discos should carry identification to prove they are at least 18 years old. They will not be let in otherwise. No one may buy liquor from a bar or liquor store (bottle shop) unless they are at least 18. Buying liquor for a 'minor' is illegal.

Climate

The climate in Tropical North Queensland has an average year round temperature of approximately 29°C (85°F). The variation in temperature between summer and winter is much less than you experience in Europe, North America, and northern Asia.

Tropical North Queensland Daytime Temperature:

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Celsius	32	31	31	30	27	26	25	27	28	30	31	32
Fahrenheit	90	88	88	86	80	79	77	80	82	86	88	90

The Whitsundays has a tropical climate but with less average rainfall than measured on the mainland in nearby Proserpine. The summer months are warm and sultry. July is the coolest month, January the warmest.

Whitsundays Daytime Temperature:

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Celsius	31	30	29	28	26	24	23	25	26	28	31	31
Fahrenheit	88	86	84	82	79	75	73	77	79	82	88	88

Southern Queensland has bright, sunny days and some balmy nights as it is a subtropical area. It's quite warm in summer and mild in winter and there is really no 'bad' time to visit. Seasons in Australia are the reverse of North America and Europe. Summer is December to February, autumn (fall) March to May, winter June to August, and spring September to November.

Average Temperatures: Summer: 35C maximum (102F), 21C minimum (70F); Winter: 22C maximum (72F), 10C minimum (50F). Water Temperature: Summer 25C (77F), Winter 19C (66F)

Credit Cards

All banks have automated teller machines (ATMs) accessible 24-hours a day, generally outside the branch or in the foyer. Check with your card issuer that your charge or account-linked credit card can be used in this way, and at which bank as none accept every brand of card.

Currency

The Australian dollar is divided into 100 cents. One and two cent coins are no longer in circulation, but many items in shops and supermarkets are priced in odd amounts, such as $1.97 or $9.99. The law provides that the TOTAL bill is rounded up or down to the nearest 5 cents. So $19.97 becomes $19.95, $19.98 becomes $20.00. Coin denominations are 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c $1 and $2. Notes are $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100, are colour coded and made from a plastic compound that will survive a wash or a swim.

Driving Information

Australians drive on the left, which can be disconcerting for visitors used to driving on the right side of the road. Roads are generally good and major routes well signposted. Speed limits and distances are expressed in kilometres and vary substantially from 50 kph in residential and heavy traffic areas to 110 kph on freeways. Police use laser guns, radar and automatic cameras and speeding. Drink driving is a serious offence and heavily policed. Drivers can be stopped anywhere at random and subjected to a breath analysis test. Offenders are arrested and fingerprinted, so it can be a bad end to a fine evening or a long lunch. The legal limit of .05% is quite low - roughly equivalent to two small glasses of wine in the first hour and one an hour thereafter for men, less for women.

Getting to the Islands

Many of the Queensland Island are accessible from the mainland with connecting launch transfers or flights from major cities. Car rental companies do have depots at most gateways. Virgin Blue, Qantas and Alliance Airlines fly daily to the gateways. For more detailed information on getting to the islands please refer to the Getting There section of each island resorts website. Queensland Island Hotels & Resorts.

Medical Services

Australian health care professionals are highly trained and medical services are among the best in the world. Visitors from the UK, New Zealand and Finland are entitled to free or heavily subsidised medical and hospital care under reciprocal national health care agreements with the taxpayer funded Medicare organisation. All other visitors should take out travel insurance when visiting Australia. Several Australian-based travel insurers have special cover for visitors which are very much less expensive than travel cover sold in the US, for instance. Major hotels have doctors on-call.

Prescription Drugs

Visitors who have a medical condition requiring treatment should ensure they carry a letter from their doctor outlining their condition and the medication required. This is also important if the drug is uncommon or contains narcotics, which may be a restricted import. Most medication is available in Australia, but only on a doctor's prescription. Prescription drugs are dispensed by qualified pharmacist at `pharmacies' or `chemist' shops.

Travellers Cheques

Travellers cheques, especially in foreign currencies, are generally NOT accepted EXCEPT by hotels and big stores and tourist shops. These display a 'travellers cheques welcome' sign. Cash your cheques at a bank or Bureau de Change to ensure you have enough spending money. The same holds true for foreign currency, which is not generally accepted by Australian businesses and shops.

Tipping

No service charge applies in Australia. Tipping is not mandatory but a 10% tip in restaurants and hotel bars is normal for good service.