Planning a trip to Australia? | Travel Insurance

Australia is a unique and diverse country in every way - in culture, population, climate, geography, and history - did you know that Australia was inhabited by indigenous people for roughly 50,000 years before the Brits arrived?

As with any travel or holiday destination it's recommended that you arrange travel insurance as near as possible to booking your trip, this could cover you in the event of unforeseen cancellations... for now, we'll explore interesting facts and features about Australia.

Australia facts

Currency: Australian dollar (AUD)
National Language: English
Time difference: Mainland Australia is typically 8 to 10 hours ahead of UK time
Flight time: Currently no direct flights are available.

Including stopover you're looking at an average 20hr flight time.

Did you know?

Reef visible from outer space

The Great Barrier Reef, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, off the coast of Queensland in northeastern Australia, is the largest living thing on Earth.

The 2,300 km long ecosystem comprises thousands of reefs, hundreds of islands and countless species of aquatic wildlife.

Australia has over 10,000 beaches. You could visit a new beach every day for over 27 years.

Learning new languages

Over 200 different languages and dialects are spoken in Australia including many Indigenous languages.

The most common non-English spoken languages are Italian, Greek, Cantonese, Arabic, Vietnamese and Mandarin.

English is dotted with words from Indigenous Australian languages, for example, kangaroo, dingo, wombat and boomerang.

Largest island continent

The continent of Australia is referred to as an island because it is surrounded by ocean.

However, Australia is actually made up of more than 8,000 islands, including the island state of Tasmania.

Anna Creek Station in South Australia is the world's largest cattle station, at over 34,000 square kilometres it's larger than Belgium!

Whether you're planning on diving the Great Barrier Reef, or making friends with a Koala, buying LV= travel insurance is quick and easy

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Australia has so much to offer

Many people don't realize that Australia is really large, it's actually about the same size as continental USA. For example, travelling from Sydney to Perth (East Coast to West Coast) is about the same as travelling from New York to Los Angeles, or travelling from Land's End to John o' Groats nearly 3 times. So if planning to visit Australia, make sure you’re realistic with the destinations you want to visit and the time you have available for your trip.

Queensland: Offers a wonderful tropical climate with amazing coastal beaches and lush rain forests. If you are looking for a warm climate or a tropical island on the Great Barrier Reef Queensland is top of the list.
New South Wales: Also has wonderful coastal holiday destinations and some famous outback towns that are well worth a visit. Sydney of course is the place for spectacular city night life and great shopping.
Victoria: Is the cultural capital with (arguably) Australia's best food and wine. Melbourne is a wonderful multicultural city and Victoria's scenic destinations are unique. South Australia is also famous for wine and a relaxed country lifestyle with a rich heritage.
Tasmania: Is a wonderful alternative to the city life with a rich heritage and some of Australia’s best wilderness areas. Cool and quiet "Tassie" is a great escape destination.
Western Australia: Is a visual feast with spectacular pristine beaches and rugged Australian outback destinations. Known for it's wildflowers and the Margaret River wine regions WA is a must on any explorers to do list
Northern Territory: For a real outback experience and a scenic wonderland don't miss the opportunity to explore the Northern Territory or Top End where you will see amazing landscapes such as Katherine Gorge, Kakadu, the Olgas and of course the iconic Uluru (Ayers Rock).

For further information about Australia visit australia.com

As a responsible travel insurer we always recommend you check for the latest Foreign Office advice before visiting any country, the latest FCO advice for Australia can be found here.