Thinking of Australia trip

ultrak3wl

Has anyone here been to Australia? I'm thinking of a short holiday there but I was wondering if it's a big pain getting in at the airport.

To be honest I've stopped going to some countries because of the hostile way they treat you in the passport queue it just sets you off on the wrong foot for your entire trip after they've bossed you about for an hour.

tanith

Its called Border Controls and done for very good reasons... it might be a pain/annoying but is very necessary in most countries...

olias

TBH if you are the sort of person to avoid a country because you might get an hour of hassle at the airport on entering then you might think about staying at home, locking the doors, closing the curtains and giving up!!!!!!!!!!

Olias

ultrak3wl

Not really very helpful comments so far!

Moonchild

ultrak3wl wrote: »

Not really very helpful comments so far!

Probably because we don't come across many people that worry more about the 5 minutes at Customs than the 20 hour flight.

Ozzie Customs staff are famous for being rude, hostile and unfriendly, however, they have always been corteous when I have been (once).

conradmum

It's a very long way to go for a short holiday! It's a long time since I've been there (though going back this summer :j) but from memory they aren't any better or worse than anywhere else. They're extremely strict about bringing in any animal or vegetable matter, though, so expect to be hung, drawn and quartered over this.

It may seem over-sensitive to be concerned about immigration control at airports, but this is actually one thing that's currently putting me off going to the US. There have been lots of stories about appalling treatment of visitors there.

Bob_the_Saver

Went to Australia this year. Very long queue at imigration, bags X-rayed, had to dump all food (sweets and everything)
the list of things you can't take in is endless.

Loved the place, going again next year.

eamon

You can't just go to Oz. You will need an electronic visa (if you are not already Australian or Kiwi). These can be arranged via a travel agent or by yourself via the Australian federal gov web site.
As other posters have said you are stuck with the intensive security arrangements and the strict immigration controls in Oz. On the other hand if you have the time, money, don't mind flying for 26hrs then you should go as its a great country with loads to see & do.

ultrak3wl

Thanks to those with positive replies. It's a three-day dance event I've got my eye on but obviously I'd have to allow for a week or so with the long flights and a day or two to get body clock straight.

I don't mind obeying their immigration rules and so on but I just refuse to spend the money if they want to be deliberately nasty as well (like the US.)

Incapuppy

ultrak3wl wrote: »

Thanks to those with positive replies.

Aaaah - another person who only likes people that say what they want to hear :rolleyes:

Safiya_2

There are extremely good reasons why customs are so careful in Australia - as a country isolated from a lot of plant/animal diseases, we like to keep it that way. Just as I am not allowed to bring anything that is not processed into the UK, or had to miss some rural events one visit due to BSE so as to not further spread the disease.

In Australia we also have some state border controls where any fruit you have has to be thrown out and left behind to minimise certain pests/disease spread.

As to whether Australian Custom Officers are particularly rude or not, have never struck any on numerous overseas trips, and would hope that people's ideas are not formed solely on reality TV shows!

Good and bad everywhere - it's called being alive.

Saff