72 votes

How to politely ask people from East Asia to give way?

I found, when in Europe, that going "beep beep" when trying to get through would instantly get both a way through and a smile from the former obstructors.
  • 761
54 votes

What's the right answer to "Check, Savings or Credit" for an overseas card in Australia?

At point-of-sale terminals, cheque and savings transactions are processed through the domestic EFTPOS debit card system. As far as I know they only accept locally issued debit cards. Credit ...
  • 7,055
52 votes

How to post a picture card?

A picture is worth a thousand words: If sending within the same country, you can omit the country name in the address. When sending to a different country, you can write the address (except the "...
  • 791
51 votes

How to politely ask people from East Asia to give way?

Well I think in case they are polite Asian people, you should say more than just 'excuse me'. Because in Asian language, 'excuse me' does not mean anything rather than just an opening of a ...
50 votes

Is it legal to bring board games (made of wood) to Australia?

From personal experience, I have brought in many wooden items from Papua New Guinea (PNG), which is somewhere they are very strict about checking imports from. The last time I did this two of the ...
  • 551
49 votes
Accepted

Does my wife, who is accompanying me to a conference in Australia, need a separate visa application?

The relevant page for the visitor (subclass 600) visa on the Department's website (once you have provided your details) provides the following under the Visa applicants tab: Including family in ...
  • 7,055
45 votes
Accepted

Why do some hostels only allow international visitors?

Don't take it personally, that happens in other countries as well. It's not common, but there are hostels in the US, Canada, and Europe that don't allow people from their own country to stay there. ...
  • 1,647
45 votes

How to politely ask people from East Asia to give way?

I live in Sydney. When you say "Asian", I think you mean mostly Chinese people since Chinese people are our largest immigrant group by far. In Australia, we currently have over 200,000 international ...
  • 451
40 votes

When is the best time to visit the Australian outback?

The only time you'll find Central Australia in the low 30's or below is May to September. The rest of the year it'll be in the high 30's or the 40s. It's not impossible for it to hit the high 40's ...
39 votes

Forced to pay a customs fee for importing a used wedding dress into the Netherlands. Is there a way to avoid paying?

Regulation in this area can be rigid or feel unfair but neither the fact that the dress is used nor the fact you paid GST are relevant as such. As a resident of the Netherlands, you are definitely ...
  • 101k
38 votes
Accepted

How to politely ask people from East Asia to give way?

To deal with the situations you faced, I will share some tips. If all she does is nod or say something like "Ah~~~", then it is likely that she either doesn't understand English, or is so obsessed ...
  • 14.7k
38 votes

Are electronic visas not acceptable for boarding a plane?

Your travel agent is very confused. Australia has not issued physical visas for several years - everything is electronic. Whilst it was previously possible to request a physical visa in your ...
  • 114k
38 votes
Accepted

Early arrival in Australia, early hotel check in not available

A number of hotels near major Australian airports offer heavily discounted day use rooms. For example, here's the Ibis Sydney Airport with a room you can use from 9 AM to 5 PM. If simply "freshening ...
  • 98.5k
36 votes

Forced to pay a customs fee for importing a used wedding dress into the Netherlands. Is there a way to avoid paying?

Disclaimer: I'm not a lawyer. In The Netherlands, you can virtually always object ('in beroep gaan' / 'bezwaar aantekenen') against decisions made by government agencies. You need to make sure of the ...
  • 506
36 votes
Accepted

Can I wait airside at Melbourne (MEL) until midnight before passing immigration?

There's a few different potential issues here, so lets address them separately. Firstly, the airport arrivals area. Australian airports have dedicated international arrival areas. These areas have ...
  • 114k
35 votes

Should I hide my travel history to the UK when I apply for an Australian visa?

No one here can predict how the Australian visa office will act in a particular case. Your UK immigration record attaches to you as an individual, not to your passport. Thus, holding a passport ...
35 votes

Do pedestrians imitate automotive traffic?

In Australia, people are encouraged to keep to the left in busy pedestrian areas. For example, here is a sign posted in a railway station in Sydney: In addition, doors, walkways and other structures ...
  • 7,055
34 votes
Accepted

How to book a ticket for an unborn infant?

I called a cousin who works for an airline at an airport, he explained how to do this in a very safe and efficient way. Infants do not need a seat, airline require a fraction of the price paid by the ...
34 votes

Why is the Australian ETA application fee cheaper on a 3rd party website?

There are 2 ways that an ETA application can be lodged - via the official Australian Government website, or via a travel agents GDS system (basically, the same system they use to book flights/etc). ...
  • 114k
32 votes

How can I travel to America from Australia with my dog in the cabin or else be with him in cargo?

I'd suggest not going by plane then, but rather by ship. It might take longer, but your dog will not have even remotely as much stress. Some cruises allow at least smaller dogs. What Peter M wrote ...
  • 321
30 votes
Accepted

Do I need a visa for Japan as a New Zealand Citizen?

As a New Zealand citizen you won’t need a visa for Australia as you don’t plan to leave the airport and will only be there for a few hours. If you do choose to take a longer layover (8+ hours) or ...
  • 9,686
29 votes
Accepted

Walking across Australia?

Now that you've clarified in the comments, yes, it's entirely 'possible', but not easy, by any means. As mentioned by @Relaxed, only 37 people have been recorded successfully completing this ...
  • 158k
28 votes

Is it possible to climb Uluru (Ayers Rock)?

As of October 26th 2019, it will not be possible to climb Uluru: In line with the agreed process in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Management Plan 2010-2020 and the wishes of traditional owners,...
  • 1,111
28 votes
Accepted

What path do flights across Australia take?

FlightAware has a handy IFR Route Analyzer that will supply some of the most common routes from flight plans between two airports. We can use it for Sydney to Perth. The most common route as of this ...
  • 85.6k
28 votes

We are on WHV, my boyfriend was in a small collision, we are leaving in 2 weeks what happens if we don’t pay the damages?

It'll depend on first, whether or not they raise an issue. If not, all good. If they do, however... Some countries work with each other if you've broken the law, so leaving may not help you avoid it,...
  • 158k
26 votes
Accepted

Where can I take a selfie with kangaroos in Australia?

Kangaroos are wild animals. While you will come across them if you are driving in rural areas, do not approach them. While most will simply run away, some may enter a more defensive posture especially ...
  • 15.9k

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