We've given each of our tours a comfort rating and a tour pace, walking or cycling grade to give you a general idea about the level of activity on each tour and the standard of accommodation you will be staying in at the end of your day's adventure.
Often you'll stay in different styles of accommodation during your tour; so we make an average rating across the entire tour. For more information on where you'll stay each night, please refer to the day by day tour itinerary.
The following excursions and/or activities are usually available and may be arranged locally. Estimated costs are provided below for guidance only, are on a per person basis unless shown otherwise, and may depend on the number of participants. Prices quoted are correct as of the date these trip notes were originally issued but may change at any time due to currency fluctuations.
The optional activities from Cairns will need to be checked on arrival as they are not guaranteed to be operating as many of the coaches used to provide these excursions may be used for alternative services during the Eclipse
Local Costs
| |
UK |
Australia |
| Tea/Coffee |
£1.50 |
£2.00 |
| Soft Drink |
£1.50 |
£1.50 |
| Bottled Water |
£1.50 |
£1.50 |
| Bottle of Beer |
£3.50 |
£3.00 |
| 2 Course Meal* |
£15.00 |
£25.00 |
| 3 Course Meal** |
£20.00 |
£35.00 |
| Bottle of Wine |
£14.50 |
£6.00 |
| Breakfast |
£5.00 |
|
*Cheap local fare in a small cafe or restaurant.
**Typical food in a simple, reasonably comfortable mid-range restaurant.
Important Information
Travel Insurance
It is a condition of joining any of our tours that you must have valid travel insurance. It must indicate that you have cover for (at least) medical expenses and emergency repatriation in the event of illness or injury. We also strongly recommend your policy includes cancellation protection as all deposit paid are non-refundable.
If you require travel insurance for your tour, Explore Worldwide is an appointed representative of Campbell Irvine Limited, who is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services authority. Our travel insurance policy is specially tailored to the needs of the adventure traveller and will cover you for any included activity on any Explore trip. You can either purchase this at the time of booking or call us 0844 499 0901 after you have booked.
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Visa Requirements
All visa information is subject to change. You should confirm all visa related issues with the relevant Embassy prior to departure.
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A tourist visa is required by UK, USA, CAN and EIRE citizens. Explore will need a copy of your passport and flight details to obtain this for you however if you wish to do this directly you can apply at - http;//www.immi.gov.au/ NZ citizens do not require a visa. Other nationalities should consult the relevant consulate.
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Vaccinations & Protection
The above is not an exhaustive list. Further information regarding vaccinations and travel health advice can be found by following the NHS and NaTHNaC links at http://www.explore.co.uk/Travelhealth/ and from your local healthcare provider.
Visa and vaccination requirements are subject to change and should be confirmed before departure.
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Nothing compulsory, but we recommend protection against Tetanus, Infectious hepatitis, yyphoid and polio. Consult your travel clinic for latest advice on different prophylaxis available against malaria (eg. Paludrine, Chloroquine, Mefloquine etc).
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Know before you go
We strongly recommend that you check your government’s travel advisory for up-to-date information and advice about your destination: safety and security, entry requirements, health, local laws and customs, including advice re: the legality of and local attitudes towards same-sex relationships. For UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office Advice follow the link at http://www.explore.co.uk/Traveladvice/
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Preparing for your tour
Climate
Australia is a vast continent and there are considerable variations in climate in the places covered by our tour. The Australian winter is from June to August and spring starts in September. Winter temperatures average around 15°C in the southern cities, rising to the early 20’s in the spring with occasional rainfall. Alice Springs is dry year round with pleasant daytime temperatures of around 20°C in winter and 30°C in spring but temperatures can drop dramatically, particularly at night so be prepared for the contrast. Cairns enjoys temperatures of 25-33°C year round with high humidity.
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Seasonal weather patterns can be unpredictable. For up-to-date information on the weather worldwide please visit www.bbc.co.uk/weather.
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Packing for your tour
To assist with packing for your tour, we have detailed some of the essential items you should take with you.
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Luggage
Unfortunately it does occasionally happen that luggage does not always reach its destination on the same flight as its owner, or possibly it may be damaged in transit. If you are unlucky enough for this to occur, it is important that you file a PIR (Property Irregularity Report) with the airline before leaving the airport. This is essential when you come to make a claim either against the airline or from your travel insurance company
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One main piece of baggage and a daysac. Total allowance: 20kg. Please remember, you are expected to carry your own luggage so don’t overload yourself.
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Trek Kit Bag
For an exclusively designed Explore Trek Bag, follow the relevant link at www.nomadtravel.co.uk/explore
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Clothing
Pack essentially for ‘All Tours’. Daytime temperatures can vary so layers of light loose clothing are useful. Light rainwear and a warm fleece jacket are useful for cooler evenings and a sunhat is an essential accessory for the hot days.
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Footwear
Comfortable shoes/trainers plus sandals for relaxing.
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Equipment
A torch, water bottle, good quality sunglasses, insect repellent and high factor sun block are all essential. Due to increased exposure risk in Australia, we recommend a minimum of SPF 30+. Due to lack of O-zone, burn times are drastically reduced and adequate protection is a vital part of your holiday. You may also wish to invest in a ‘head net’ for the flies at Uluru/Ayers Rock and Alice Springs, which can be a nuisance.
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Personal First Aid Kit
For an exclusively designed Explore Medical Kit, visit www.nomadtravel.co.uk/explore
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Need help on Clothing or Equipment?
Then we suggest you contact Nomad Travel, our equipment partner, who specialise in kitting people out for adventurous travel. You receive a special 10% discount in-store or online. Visit one of their stores, phone 0845 260 0044, or visit their website www.nomadtravel.co.uk/explore for further information.
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General Information
Country info
Area: 7,686,850 sq km.
Population: 20.4 million.
Language: English, plus other ethnic and regional languages.
Religion: Catholic 26%, Anglican 21%, Other Christian 20%, Buddhist 2%, Muslim 1.5%, Others 14%.
Local Time: Australia is divided into three time zones: Eastern Standard, Central and Western. EST is GMT +10, CST is GMT +9.30.
Electric Supply & Plugs: 20/240v 50Hz. Australian style three pin plug.
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Electric Supply & Plugs
For comprehensive information regarding voltages and plug types in use in the countries visited, follow the relevant link at http://www.explore.co.uk/Traveladvice/
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Maps & Books
Recommended Maps: Nelles, GeoCentre, Bartholomew and Globetrotter all do good maps of the country.
Recommended Books: Bruce Chatwin: Songlines, Mark McCrumm: No Worries, Michael Cannon: Black Land White Land, David Day: Claiming a Continent, Tim Flannery: The Explorers, Robert Hughes: The Fatal Shore, Geoffrey Blainey: Triumph of the Nomads.
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Toll Free USA - 1 800 715 1746 
Toll Free Canada – 1 888 216 3401
This is the North American website
