**Posted in collaboration with Mary Johnson**

Australia is a great place to visit, especially with kids thanks to the diverse climate and wildlife. Now is a great time to visit Australia and contribute to their economy, as the recent wildfires took a lot of time to contain and money. As the crisis is over, it is a good time to go and the local community could really use the support. However, there are many things you need to know before visiting Australia. 

Here are 7 things to know before your family vacation to Australia: 

Visa’s for Everyone

If you are coming from the UK, in order to visit you must apply for a visa to visit Australia from the UK, through visa guidance websites such as auvisa.org. A couple of conditions for the visa include: being located outside of Australia when you apply and only staying up for up to 90 days each time you enter. It is recommended to apply at least a couple weeks before you intend to visit Australia, as your visa application can take between 1 and 10 days to process. The last thing you want, especially on a family trip with a long-haul flight, is to not be allowed entry into the country you are trying to visit. 

Be prepared for diverse climates as you travel through Australia

As you travel through Australia, you will probably experience at least a couple different climates and you want to prepare accordingly. Be sure to check the weather ahead of time and pack accordingly. This could very well mean that you are bringing sunscreen, a sun hat and a rain jacket on the same trip. 

Swim between the flags on the beach

The waters are marked with flags on the beach, and you must swim between them. This is for your safety, as there are sharks and rip curls off the coast of Australia. Be sure everyone fully understands that the flags are there for safety measures so you all feel more confident during your family time at the beach. 

Make sure you plan before you go

Australia is huge and with so much to see and do in each state, it takes some proper planning before you go so that you can have a game plan for your trip. Depending on where you want to visit, try to fly into the closest possible airport and go from there. 

Learn a few local words

Aussies speak English, but the accent is rather different from the UK English accent. There are also a number of ‘slang’ words that you’ll want to know before you go. For example: arvo = afternoon, g’day = hello, beauty = great! 

Respect the Aboriginals you may see

The Aboriginals you may see in Australia are traditional owners of the Australian land. Australians today show proper respect to the Aboriginal people and it is important that you do, as well. 

Not all the animals are deadly or dangerous

Many people imagine wild animals when they think of Australia, and while there are certainly wild animals here, that doesn’t mean that all of them are deadly or dangerous. If you want to see wildlife, your best bet is to visit a national park where they are protected and roaming free. 

Australia is a very diverse country and there is something for everyone here, but you must be prepared before you take your family there. 

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