Shopping in Australia is a laid back experience as you'd expect from a country whose unofficial motto is 'no worries'. Except for markets and some smaller shops, prices in Australia are fixed so there's no need to bargain. You'll find most items labeled with a price tag. A 10% Goods and Services Tax applies to any purchase made in Australia.
Shopping In Sydney
Sydney's shopping outlets run the gamut from international icons such as Tiffany's to street markets and homegrown, uniquely-Australian entities such as those showcasing Aboriginal arts and crafts.
Most downtown department stores, arcades, malls and boutiques lie on George Street and around Pitt Street Mall, Castlereagh Street and King Street. Especially noteworthy is the huge, historic Queen Victoria Building (QVB) which offers many floors of shopping delights.
The suburbs have their own shopping enclaves such as Warringah Mall. Meanwhile in Newtown and Glebe you'll find intriguing shops selling an amazing range of knick knacks.
One pointer, if you're buying Aussie knick knacks, check the label. You may well find that your stuffed koala is imported from China and your authentic didgeridoo was made in Taiwan.
Shopping In Melbourne
Melbourne is now firmly ensconced as Australia's capital of fashion. Boutiques on High Street and Toorak Road among others showcase the latest collections from up and coming Aussie designers. But for that unique experience, you should head for the markets.
Melbourne offers a host of markets, the most prestigious being the Queen Victoria Market on Victoria Street. Once reserved for sales of foodstuffs, nowadays you can get almost anything there.
Shopping In Perth
With its pedestrian-friendly center, traffic-free malls, and many quaint arcades, Perth is a real shopper's delight.
Downtown Perth is home to the chain stores. They're mainly in the malls located on the parallel Hay and Murray Streets and in the labyrinth of arcades that link them. For the latest offerings by young Aussie designers, visit the Colonnade shopping center on Hay Street. If you're looking for the more main stream designer brands, head to nearby King Street.
For a more 'boutique' experience, spend some time at Subiaco, affectionately known as Subi. Here you can spend a pleasant time browsing the chic boutiques, antiques shops, art galleries, cafes and markets.
Perth's jewelers showcase creations crafted from opals, Argyle diamonds, and pearls farmed from Broome.
Perth is also a great place to pick up Aboriginal arts and crafts. King Street and Subiaco are home to some fine crafts shops such as Creative Native and Indegenart.
People who travel frequently in Australia and internationally are talking more about airfare deals and about receiving the best prices at the best time to travel. It's possible to fly to many places inside Australia and around the World for considerably less than the full standard fare, although ticket prices seem to fluctuate significantly in various locations; with some research and given you've gotten the assistance of a capable travel agent or one of Australia's low cost airlines such as Virgin Blue.
The key factor related to getting good deal from the airline carriers is how adaptable the traveler is. If you're flexible and willing to compromise on the day and time of year you travel, there's a great possibility that you will get a cheap seat. Airlines want to save money by slotting people into empty seats, and you can capitalize off this if you are able to modify your dates to suit theirs. However, with most airlines, if you decide to switch your travel date after you have booked a flight, you will incur a hefty cancellation of amendment penalty. Another point about being flexible in looking at flights is that if you want to cancel or change your flight without an additional charge, then you might have to pay for the full fare.
Frequent flyers usually win in the ?dog eat dog' world of airlines and airfare deals. The frequent flyer program is designed as a thank you for good customers because of their loyalty. Regular airline passengers can be awarded benefits each and every time they utilize certain carriers and then redeem for free tickets or for other compensations. Intense competition has led to many airlines' adoption of this devise or to their linking with other airlines; many hotels are doing the same. In Australia, QANTAS probably has one of the better frequent flier programs though other lower cost airlines are joining the game as well.
The internet is the best-known source to find airfare deals. Watch out for online sites specializing in the sales of airline tickets at a discount, the business could be totally legitimate, but it is wiser to book flights with more known discount agents. Often the problem is that travelers cannot verify the authenticity of these sites until after they have made the purchase. Never expect email contact as the only avenue for assessing an agent's knowledge of the airline industry, visit the office and if that's not possible, make a call and talk directly with the agent. Query with as many questions as you can, to learn of any likely snags related to their ticket deals, such as stopovers in unattractive parts of the world. The importance of knowing exactly which airline you are flying with cannot be stressed enough; make sure you have the information. You can get around that problem by buying directly from the airline own site, though other discount flight websites also exist for the Australian market.
Airfare deals and options involving new destinations with more flexible tariffs are opening up and increasing daily. If you are careful, flexible and well-researched, you should find little in the way of getting to the destination you desire.
Now is the time to travel in Australia as with fuel costs going up, airlines are starting to think about increasing their prices. Get in now before things get more expensive!
Both Alistair White & Tony Maddison are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Alistair White has sinced written about articles on various topics from Argentina Travel, Touring Italy and Recreation and Sports. Alistair White has been in the travel industry for over 20 years and is the founder and CEO of Cheaper Than Hotels. Cheaper Than Hotels offers cheap. Alistair White's top article generates over 201000 views. to your Favourites.
Tony Maddison has sinced written about articles on various topics from Christmas Gifts, Car Rental and Gardening. If you are passing through Sydney on your Australian holiday, why not consider staying close to your transport at one of the . They're close. Tony Maddison's top article generates over 246000 views. to your Favourites.