Australia travel checklist: what to do before you go

The long-lead items are documents and money. Check your passport expiry date against the whole length of your stay, not just your arrival date, and renew early if it is close. Then work out which visa route fits your passport: many nationalities can apply online for an ETA or eVisitor, while others need a visitor visa with more paperwork and a longer wait. Apply before you book anything non-refundable.

Set a budget at the same time. Australia is an expensive destination for most visitors, and the biggest single lever is how many internal flights you add. Two bases on the east coast is the pattern that works for a first two-week trip; a coast-to-coast road trip in the same fortnight is the one that fails.

If you plan to drive, check whether your licence is accepted on its own or needs an International Driving Permit alongside it. If you will work remotely, look at the digital nomad visa rules separately.

Book long-haul flights and the first few nights of accommodation. December to January and the school holiday windows are the tight periods, so lock those in earlier; outside them, a month is usually enough for good fares and rooms. Book any internal flights now too, because domestic fares rise as seats sell.

Buy travel insurance. Visitors are not covered by Australia's public health system, and a hospital visit or a medical evacuation is the cost that ruins a trip. Check that your policy covers the activities you actually plan: reef diving, surfing, bushwalking, 4WD tours and any remote-area travel.

Check vaccination and health requirements for the regions you are visiting, and refill any prescriptions. If you take regular medication, bring enough for the whole trip in original packaging with a copy of the prescription.

Confirm every booking and download the confirmations so they work offline. Tell your bank you are travelling if it still needs that, and check which cards charge foreign transaction fees. Cards and phones are accepted almost everywhere in Australia, so you need very little cash, but a small amount helps at markets and rural roadhouses.

Pack for the climate you will actually get, not the postcard version. The south-east is warm from October to April and cool the rest of the year; the tropical north and the Red Centre are best from May to October, and the far north has a wet season. Sun protection, a refillable water bottle and layers matter more than formal clothes. Tipping is not expected.

Save your documents offline: passport scan, visa grant, insurance policy and emergency numbers. Australia's emergency number is 000, or 112 from a mobile.

Carry your passport, visa grant notice and insurance details in your hand luggage, not the checked bag. Have the address of your first night written down for the arrival card and for any driver. If you land on a long-haul flight into Sydney or Melbourne, plan the first day light: jet lag from Europe or North America runs the wrong way and takes a couple of days to settle.

Check your phone plan covers Australia or buy a local SIM or eSIM at the airport. Set your watch to local time and, if you are driving straight from the airport, remember traffic is on the left.

Your passport must be valid for the whole period you intend to stay, and the visa or ETA must be granted before you fly. Most applications are online and linked electronically to your passport, so there is no stamp or sticker to carry, but keep the grant notice. Rules differ by nationality, so check the current requirement for your passport rather than assuming.

If you are driving, bring your licence and, where required, an International Driving Permit. If you are travelling with children, check whether the other parent's consent is needed for the border. Keep digital and paper copies of everything.

The currency is the Australian dollar (AUD, A$). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere, including taxis, markets and small cafés, so you can travel with very little cash. Carry a card with no foreign transaction fee and a backup card from a different network.

Budget for the big items rather than the daily ones: long-haul flights, internal flights, car hire and tours such as the reef or Uluru. Tipping is not expected because wages are high; round up if service was good. Check current costs against the trip-cost pages before you commit to an itinerary.

Visitors are not covered by Australia's public health system, so travel insurance with medical cover is the item that matters most. Check it covers hospital treatment, evacuation from remote areas and the activities you plan. Sun exposure is a real risk: UV levels are high, and sun protection is needed even on mild days.

Check routine vaccinations are up to date and any region-specific advice for the places you are visiting. Bring enough of any regular medication for the whole trip, in original packaging, with a copy of the prescription. Distances between towns are long, so plan where you would get care if something went wrong in a remote area.

Pack for the season and the region, not for one idea of Australia. The south-east is warm from October to April and cool from May to September; the tropical north and the Red Centre are best from May to October, and the far north has a wet season with heavy rain. Layers, sun protection and a refillable water bottle cover most trips.

Plugs are Type I with angled flat pins at 230 V 50 Hz, so bring an adapter. Comfortable shoes matter more than formal wear, and a light rain shell is useful in the tropics and in Tasmania at any time of year.