Australia is a perfectly friendly and safe country. However, no matter we go, we will always find specific risks during a travel. There are factors that can threaten our safety and they may harm us if we don’t take the necessary precautions. Just like when travelling in other areas, it is highly advisable for travellers to notify their families, close friends, neighbours and relatives. We should designate contact person who will notify authorities when we don’t make contact regularly at pre-determined time. We should discuss our plan thoroughly with these people before we leave the country.
However, Australia is a big land mass and we should determine a margin of time, because we could be delayed due to poor weather and mechanical breakdowns. This will prevent any kind of false alarm. Distances between towns and settlements in Australia can be very far, so it is important to make sure that our car is very reliable and we have enough fuel. When travelling through the vast territory, we should stop occasionally at gas station, public toilet and restaurant to prevent fatigue. Although Australia is a developed country, there are still petty criminals, so we should still be careful when dealing with strangers.
Travellers in Australia shouldn’t leave expensive things open on display. Handbag, DSLR camera, laptop, smartphones should be kept out of visual range. This also applies to jewelry, cash, cheques and important documents. We should withdraw money from ATM when there are many people around and unless we will go to a rural area with no way to withdraw money, we should obtain a small amount of cash. When driving on the road, we should be cautious. In several states in Australia, hitchhiking is illegal, so we shouldn’t pick any of them. Keep doors locked and windows partially opened when someone flags us down on the road.
These precautionary steps may sound rather harsh, but it is more important for us to avoid danger, whenever possible. Much of Australia is quite dry and the northern part has tropical climate. In this case, getting sunstroke and sunburn in Australia is actually quite easy. In this case, we should apply SPF30+ sunscreen whenever possible. There are thousands of beaches in Australia and many of them are not patrolled by authorities. Australia is known for its hazardous animals and it is important for travellers to avoid them.
From October to May, travellers should be aware of some species of jellyfish in Northern Territory. Their sting could be fatal to people. Stinger jellyfish could be found around Exmouth and Rockhampton. It is important to check with locals whether it is safe to enter the water. Stonefish is another hazardous resident of Australia and it is known for its highly poisonous stings. In this case, we should always wear sandshoes when travelling in the water. It is also important not to overturn coral and rocks. By understanding these hazards, we should be quite safe when travelling in Australia.
