On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:37:38 +0100, Hiram wrote:

I've been thinking month long stay in Oz.

I've just inherited a small amount of cash, which hopefully I'm going to
use to visit Oz and NZ this year.

I quite enjoy roughing it to be honest, I don't want anything fancy, I'd
be happy to use a tent.

I'd quite like to, either hire a camper, or, hire a car and drive from
Perth to Brisbane. Driving the distance isn't an issues for me, I drive
a truck all day long.

Or, do the same road trip via bas or train.

Am I right in thinking I can get a visa waiver as I'm from the UK?

Do I need a place organised for my first night in Oz, as you do when you
fly to the US?

I'm going to mainly use credit cards to pay for things, I can draw cash
(maybe expensive) on my CC. I will take a small amount of A$, but I
don't like to have too much on me.

Any other suggestions, or something I've forgot?

TIA

Backpacking isn't my hting but a couple of observations. The train
across Australia takes several days, driving more so. look at the cost
of fuel (and the paucity of destinations) and you will see that flying
is the only way to get from Perth to damn near anywhere.

Get you Aussie dollars on arrival at the airport from an ATM, draw it
directly from your checking (Hey, I'm a Yank we spell things funny) to
save on the cc interest fees.

You get a ETA (electronic travel authority) for $20AUS on line.


The Electronic Travel Authority for Australian Tourist Visas is the
most advanced and streamlined visa authorisation system in the world.
The ETA replaces visa labels or stamps and removes the need for
application forms. The Australian ETA is an electronically stored
authorisation for travel to Australia, meaning you don't need paper
documentation or a stamp in your passport.
Click Here to Apply Online for your Australian ETA Tourist Visa
Tourist Visa Electronic Travel Authority (ETA)

An ETA Tourist Visa allows you to stay in Australia for up to 3 months
on each arrival within 12 months from the date the visa was granted.

* The ETA differs from traditional visas in that there are no
application forms to fill in and no visa label or stamp in the
passport.
* The ETA is available to passport holders from Australian
Government specified countries and regions. To apply for an ETA
(Visitor), you must be outside Australia and hold a passport issued by
an ETA-eligible country or region (see below for the full list).
* You must apply for your ETA with the passport and passport
number you will be travelling to Australia with; the visa is linked to
this number. If your passport is lost/stolen or replaced before you
travel to Australia, you will be required to re-apply for an ETA visa.

Click Here For Your ETA Tourist Visa
ETA Eligible Countries

The following passport holders are able to access Australia's
Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) issuing system online.

ETA Eligible Countries
The following passport holders can be issued an ETA Visa online:
Andorra Austria Belgium Brunei Canada
Denmark Finland France Germany Greece
Hong Kong (SAR) Iceland Ireland Italy Japan
Liechtenstein Luxembourg Malaysia Malta Monaco
The Netherlands Norway Portugal Republic of San Marino
Singapore
South Korea Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan*
United Kingdom (British Citizen) United Kingdom (Overseas)**
United States of America Vatican City
* Holders of Taiwan passports can only be processed for an ETA if
resident in and applying in Taiwan.
** Holders of UK passports which indicate their nationality to be
British National (Overseas) can only be processed for an ETA if
resident in and applying in Hong Kong.
Joseph Coulter
Joseph Coulter Cruises and Vacations
www.josephcoulter.com