Emergency Contact Details.

Australian Ambulance, Fire or Police (Available 24 hours)

Telephone: 000

Cairns Police Station

Telephone: +61 7 4030 7000

What you can bring into Australia and take out of Australia.

It is extremely important when entering Australia that you are aware of quarantine rules. Quarantine applies to any living objects or items that are made from natural sources (eg. Wood, animal products and food products). There are also restrictions of the amount of alcohol, cash and cigarettes that can be brought into Australia. Please become aware of these rules by checking out the Australian customs website and Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service for items that can NOT be brought into Australia or taken out of Australia.

Australian Customs website www.customs.gov.au

Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service  www.aqis.gov.au

Transport services.

Please check out Sunbus website or contact Sunbus for a timetable on the contact

details below. Refer to the Marlin Coast – Cairns section of the website.

Sunbus

Website: www.sunbus.com.au

Telephone: +61 7 4057 7411

Black and White Taxis

Telephone: +61 7 4048 8333

Safety in Cairns

Cairns is generally a safe place to visit, however be aware of your personal belongings at all times and avoid walking around at nighttime alone. Use your common sense and be aware.

Money/Foreign Currency Exchanges

There are many banks, ATM’s and Foreign Currency Exchanges in Cairns. Most ATM machines are accessible 24 hours a day. Banks and Foreign Currency Exchanges are open during normal business hours with a few exceptions. Credit Cards are accepted for payment in most shops and restaurants; Visa and Mastercard are more widely accepted than American Express and Diners Club cards.

Smoking and Drinking

Queensland has very strict tobacco laws and it is important to be aware of this. Please

refer to the Queensland Health website for information on these rules.

Queensland Government Department of Health website.

www.health.qld.gov.au/atods/tobaccolaws/index.asp

Smoking is prohibited at in all restaurants, hotels, and public indoor areas. Where

smoking is prohibited please be aware of others around you and dispose of cigarette

butts thoughtfully and responsibly.

Drinking of alcohol is illegal in public areas (eg. parks, streets, outdoors areas) except

where sign posted. The legal drinking age is 18 years old and security guards monitor

the legal entry of patrons into pubs and clubs. Identification such as passports showing

your date of birth may be requested and the sale of alcohol will be refused until proof

of age has been provided. On the spot fines may be issued to people who fail to abide by these rules.

Liquor stores may also ask for identification prior to purchase.

Please note that it is illegal to provide liquor to any person under the age of 18 (minor).

Weather

The climate in Cairns is Tropical with the wet season from October to March and the

dry season from April to September. Daytime temperatures average 25 degrees

Celsius and nights cool down to about 15 degrees Celsius. Long sleeve layers such as

light jackets, jumpers and long pants are recommended for the evening.

Metric Conversion

Temperature:

To convert ºC to ºF multiply by 1.8 and add 32

To convert ºF to ºC subtract 32 and divide by 1.8

Distance:

To convert kilometers to miles multiply by 0.62

To convert miles to kilometers multiply by 1.61

Weight:

To convert pounds to kilograms multiply by 0.45

To convert kilograms to pounds multiply by 2.20

Volume:

To convert imperial gallons to litres multiply by 4.55

To convert litres to imperial gallons multiply by 0.22

To convert US gallons to litres multiply by 3.79

To convert litres to US gallons multiply by 0.26

Time

Tropical North Queensland operates on Eastern Standard Time (EST). Daylight saving is not observed in Queensland.  UTC/GMT + 10 hours

Claiming Back Tax

The Federal Government of Australia as implimented the Tourist Refind Scheme (TRS). The TRS enables you to claim a refund, subject to certain conditions, of the goods and services tax (GST) and wine equalisation tax (WET) that you pay on goods you buy in Australia.

To claim a refund you must:

• Spend $300 (GST inclusive) or more in the one store and get a single tax invoice

• Buy goods no more than 30 days before departure

• Wear or carry the goods on board the aircraft or ship and present them along with your original tax invoice, passport and international boarding pass to a Customs Officer at a TRS facility

• Claims at airports are only available up to 30 minutes prior to the scheduled departure of your flight.

• Claims at seaports should be made no earlier than 4 hours and no later than 1 hour prior to the scheduled departure time of the vessel.

• The refund only applies to goods you take with you as hand luggage or wear onto the aircraft or ship when you leave Australia. It does not apply to services or goods consumed or partly consumed in Australia, such as wine, chocolate or perfume. However, unlike other tourist shopping schemes, most of the goods, such as clothing and cameras, can be used in Australia before departure.

• The TRS is open to all overseas visitors and Australian residents, except operating air and sea crew.

The GST refund is calculated by dividing the total amount of the purchase by 11. The WET refund is 14.5 percent of the price paid for wine. For example, if you buy goods for a GST-inclusive price of $660 you will receive a refund of $60. If the $660 is made up of a camera ($460) and wine ($200), you will receive a total refund of $89 (total GST refund of $60 plus $29 WET refund on the wine).