Many travelers come to Australia for the sun, surf and the beach. However, to make your stay an enjoyable one, please note the following hints for your health and safety:

• Plan enough Time in your itinerary to visit all places of interest in Australia. Many visitors are unaware of or underestimate the vast amount of distances to be traversed – remember, the country is a whole continent approximately the size of the combined 48 states of America, so factor this in to your schedule.

• Travel insurance, including maximum health care coverage, is highly recommended. Although by world standards Australia is a safe country with first-class medical services on offer, low-cost health care is only offered to Australian citizens, residents and those few travelers who belong to countries with reciprocal health agreements with Australia (New Zealand, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland).

• Prolonged exposure to the Australian sun can be harmful: so please enjoy your outdoor activities, but cover up and wear plenty of sunscreen to protect your skin.

• For your safety, on many Australian beaches lifeguards are posted during daylight hours in the Summer. However, much of Australia’s vast coastline remains unpatrolled, therefore, at all times observe the signs at the beaches and always, always, swim between the flags at public beaches.