Weather

Sydney weather
Sydney lies within the temperate region and has a moderate climate that, unlike other parts of Australia, doesn’t get too hot or too cold.

Seasons
The seasons in the southern hemisphere are the reverse of the seasons in the northern hemisphere. Being in a temperate zone, the seasons are neither as pronounced nor as prolonged as many other parts of the world.

  • Summer ................. December, January & February - (Avg. 24 °C / 75 °F )
  • Autumn (Fall) .......... March, April & May
  • Winter .................... June, July & August - (Avg. 12 °C / 53 °F)
  • Spring .................... September, October & November

Average Sydney Temperature and Rainfall

Average Low & High 
(in Celsius & Fahrenheit)		 Days of Rain
Summer
December 17°C (63°F) 25°C (78°F) 7
January 18°C >(65°F) 26°C >(79°F) 8
February 19°C (66°F) 25°C (79°F) 8
Autumn (Fall)
March 17°C (63°F) 25°C (77°F) 12
April 14°C (57°F) 22°C (73°F) 13
May 10°C (51°F) 19°C (68°F) 12
Winter
June 8°C (47°F) 17°C 63°F) 11
July 6°C (44°F) 16°C (62°F) 11
August 7°C (46°F) 17°C (64°F) 8
Spring
September 10°C (50°F) 20°C (68°F) 8
October 12°C (55°F) 22°C (72°F) 7
November 15°C (59°F) 24°C (75°F) 7


Rainfall
Rainfall is lowest during Spring with 74 millimetres (3 inches) per month, and highest during Autumn (Fall) with 126 millimetres (5 inches) per month. Average annual rainfall is 1200mm per year.

Sun Protection
The Australian sun is very strong and can quickly cause skin damage. Health authorities recommend avoiding excessive exposure to the sun and using a hat and high-protection sun creams on unprotected parts of the body when out and about. UV-protection sunglasses are also recommended.


Money Matters

Australian currency
Australian note denominations come in $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 dollar bills while our coinage consists of 5¢, 10¢, 20¢, 50¢, $1.00 and $2.00 pieces. (Note: the $2.00 coin is smaller than the $1.00 coin)

The notes are made of a plastic compound which, with several imbedded security technologies, makes them extremely difficult to forge. They also last much longer than paper notes and they don't disintegrate when accidentally washed. This Australian technology is now being incorporated in to other global currencies.

Note: One and two cent coins are no longer in circulation. Shops still charge odd amounts (e.g. $2.99) but the law requires the TOTAL bill to be rounded to the nearest 5 cents. For example: $1.97 is rounded down to $1.95 and $1.98 is rounded up to $2.00

Travellers Cheques and Foreign Currency
Traveller's cheques are usually only accepted in major hotels and large stores and even more difficult to exchange if the cheques are in a foreign currency.

You’ll find it easier (and possibly far less expensive) to cash your cheques at a bank or Bureau de Change. Note: rates may vary from bank to bank.

Foreign notes and coins should also be exchanged at banks or bureaus for similar reasons.

Taxes
 Taxes are included in the price of goods and services purchased.

Some receipts will show the amount of tax paid while others won’t. If the amount of tax isn’t shown, simply divide the total by 11 to find out how much tax has been included in the price.

NB: Generally speaking, there’s no tax on fresh foods, education or health care.

Credit and Debit/Charge Cards
Visa and MasterCard are perhaps the most widely accepted cards in Australia. Apart from the usual merchants, many doctors, dentists and service stations accept Visa and MasterCard also.

American Express and Diners Club are also well received particularly in restaurants, department stores and specialty shops.

JBC cards are primarily used in hotels and restaurants where there’s a high Japanese customer base. Note: The American Discover Card is not accepted in Australia. It's therefore advisable not to rely on the lesser-accepted cards alone. Note: Most retailers prefer you to pay cash for small purchases and some may have a minimum purchase limit (e.g. $5 or $10) before they’ll accept a credit card as payment.

Tax refund when leaving Australia
You may be eligible to claim all or part of the GST that you paid on goods bought 30 days or less of your departure date. In a nutshell, you need to have spent at least $300 in the one store on the same day, and the date on the receipt needs to be less than 30 days when you depart. You can find out all the details on the Australian Governments Tax website here.


Voltage

240V at 50Hz


Driving

Australia uses the British system of driving on the left hand side of the road.

Wearing seat belts is mandatory at all times for drivers and passengers -- including taxis passengers.

The general speed limit in cities and towns is 60 km/h (37 mph) but many local and suburban roads have a 50 km/h (31 mph) speed limit. The maximum speed on highways in New South Wales is 100 km/h. (110 km/h on motorways and freeways) The alcohol limit is 0.05 g/100ml and police perform regular roadside "Random Breath Testing" (RBT) of drivers in metropolitan and rural areas to enforce this limit.

Heavy penalties apply to drivers exceeding speed or alcohol limits.

If you’re a cyclist, you must wear approved headwear when on the roads

For those considering driving when in New South Wales (NSW), you’ll find excellent information for visitors on the state's Roads and Traffic Authority web site.


Time

In Australia, the keeping of standard time is divided into three time zones: Australian Eastern Standard Time, Australian Central Standard Time and Australian Western Standard Time. These correspond to UTC+10, UTC+9:30 and UTC+8 respectively.

Put simply, as an approximate guide (not taking in to account day light savings), South Australia & the Northern Territory are 30 minutes behind New South Wales (Sydney) and Victoria (Melbourne). While Western Australia (Perth) is 2 hours behind Sydney.


Etiquette

Tipping
Tipping is not as established in Australia as it is in many other Western countries.

Most hotel and restaurant staff do not expect to be tipped by everyone (though they may hope for one). Only in the more expensive establishments is a 10-15% tip expected ($2.00 for bell boys/girls).

In most day-to-day dealings, you’ll find pub staff are content with loose change while it’s common to “round-up” the charge to the nearest dollar or two with taxi drivers depending on their helpfulness.

Smoking
Smoking is increasingly becoming unacceptable in Australia and is banned in most closed public spaces, on government transport (bus, rail and ferry) and in government and corporate buildings. Restaurants, bars and pubs often have smoking and non-smoking areas.

If you smoke -- look around for signs or ask the staff about their smoking policy before you light up to avoid embarrassment.


Business and Retail Trading hours

Business Hours
Business hours (generally) from 9am until 5pm Monday to Friday.

Retail Hours

  • Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday .... 9am to 5pm
  • Thursday (late night shopping city & suburbs) .... 9am to 9pm
  • Saturday .... 9am to 12pm (noon) generally but possibly 9am to 5pm in certain areas

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