3 digital tips for Down Under travelers

Australia’s an awesome place to visit – its inspirational indigenous culture, unique wildlife and outstanding natural beauty make it a magnet of millions of travellers from across the globe.

And if it’s a long haul from your location and you’ve got some spare time for an extended sabbatical, you might be planning to explore as much as possible over an extended period of a few months or longer.

But between modern, cosmopolitan cities like Perth and Sydney, the environment is rugged and prior planning is necessary to ensure you remain safe and your plans unfold smoothly.

Enter tech to save the day once again – being aware of the right apps and websites will keep you right, so here are three digital tips for Down Under travellers.

  • Chart your course

Australia is a vast nation – it’s 7.692 km squared to be precise.

So if you’re planning your Aussie adventure from scratch, one of your best first moves is charting your course by consulting this map on Australia.com – zoom in on areas of interest and the savvy sidebar serves up terrific suggestions for every excursion imaginable, from a Sydney Harbour Bridge climb to diving at the Great Barrier Reef.

Elsewhere on the site, you’ll find vital info on visas, customs and quarantine FAQ’s – it’s essential reading!

  • Stay safe on the beach

As an island nation, albeit an enormous one, Australia has more than its fair share of brilliant beaches which are world-famous for their marine life and swimming and surfing cultures.

So you’ll naturally want to make the most of the sun, sea and sand on offer, but you also need the latest information on amenities, weather conditions, currents and tides and possible dangers.

Downloading the Beachsafe app for android or iPhone arms you with all of this info and also allows you to locate any beach by GPS, search or map – pop it on your phone and you’ll be perfectly prepped.

  • Cruise in a cheap car

If you’re spending time in Australia with a group of friends and are staying for the medium to long-term, it can be worthwhile chipping in for a cheap but reliable car to take on treks to the Outback and bus you between cities. 

If this sounds like a plan, you can ask locals for advice on trustworthy garages in the city you’re based to begin with, or plan ahead by seeing what’s on offer on a rated site like carsales.com.au.

And if you want to stow your car safely while you jet off on an internal flight elsewhere in Aus, don’t stress, because finding airport parking on Looking4.com for Mackay, Melbourne and practically any other airport across the nation is easy. 

These three digital tips for Down Under are the tip of the travel iceberg – but following them can provide a firm foundation for your trip of a lifetime. 

That’s our list! Share your own Aussie travel and tech tips in the comments section.

Adam Hansen
 

Adam is a part time journalist, entrepreneur, investor and father.