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« Reply #1 on: 06 September, 2009, 06:48 PM » |
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G'day Pavlina and welcome to Backpacker Tours Forums. 
If you speak with an English accent in Perth, you will be accepted and treated by most as a local as there are many, many English immigrants in Perth! This could be advantageous or to your detriment in various ways. The advantage of being fluent in English will help you tremendously; the possible disadvantage is that, if people think you are a local, they may not go out of their way to get to know you and/or help you as much as someone who is struggling a bit with English. However, either way, I think you'll find that the bulk of Australian residents and/or citizens are very helpful and friendly.
Although about Brisbane rather than Perth, I think you may find that this post will answer some of your questions.
December in Perth will be hot, however Perth is not as humid as the eastern states, so it's more likely to be a dryer heat. You'll find being there (or anywhere in Australia, if you are from Europe) at Christmas and New Year's Eve rather strange, I'm sure, especially if you've grown up with thoughts of 'white Christmases' and the accompanying cold weather! Our main school (summer) holidays are held over Christmas time and many people flock to the various beaches around the coast ... and there's plenty of them!  However, this often makes things such as travel costs (flights particularly) and accommodation quite a bit more expensive as it is peak season. Many folks celebrate Christmas at the beachside or in nearby parks, with barbecues and/or cold meats and salads. It really is quite topsy-turvy from what you'd probably be used to! 
As for what to bring with you other than money and camera; well, passport of course  and probably not much else is really needed as you can buy everything here. My advice is to pack light and, if you find that you need a certain something, buy it! Australia is a very casual, laid-back sort of place and, in your situation, I doubt you'll need any formal clothing unless you're planning on attending a wedding or other formal occasion.
For clothing, my list (for December) would be:- A couple of pairs of shorts.
- One pair of long pants/trousers/jeans.
- 2-3 skirts/dresses if you're so inclined.
- 4-6 tops/t-shirts/shirts.
- Underwear for a week (don't forget cotton socks!)
- A light sweater/jumper/cardigan.
- A very light rain coat (can buy a very cheap plastic poncho here if preferred.)
- A pair of good walking shoes/boots/sneakers.
- A pair of sandals/flip-flops (we call them thongs!) but not the rubber variety as you can buy them cheaply enough here.
- One pair of 'good' shoes (optional) for that evening out somewhere special.
For your personal hygiene, don't pack things like shampoo and conditioner. They are heavy, likely to leak and readily available here. Perhaps just bring a sachet or tiny bottle of each if you are stopping over on the way. DO bring a small deodorant/antiperspirant, toothbrush and tiny tube of toothpaste, a face cloth/flannel (micro-fibre ones are light and pack small ), a towel that you can use at beach or bathroom OR buy one of them here, a brush/comb, minimal make-up, NO moisturisers, sun creams, etc. - buy here. You will find that sun lotions and moisturisers are made for the climate and those which suit Europe often aren't as effective as locally bought ones, as well as the weight and possible leakage problems.
If you choose to bring anything in a tube or bottle (liquids, creams, pastes, etc.) be aware that most airlines require the bottle/tube sizes to be no more than 100ml and they must all be available to view in one sealed (zip-lock) plastic bag IF you intend to take them in your carry-on luggage. If you pack anything sharp, such as scissors, nail clippers, metal nail files, razors or razor blades, etc., make sure that they are packed into your checked-in luggage not your carry-on luggage. For these types of items, do check with your airline before you pack to leave!
If you are travelling for the first time, I'd HIGHLY recommend reading all of the boring small print on your travel documentation as you can only learn from it. 
Travel insurance is strongly recommended, even though your country may have a reciprocal health programme with Australia. These reciprocal programmes do not usually cover things like repatriation to your home in the event of death or even serious health problems. In other words, if you end up in hospital with, for example, a broken leg just before you are due to leave and so miss your flight home, you can run into all sorts of trouble - new flight ticket expenses, ongoing medical expenses (not everything is free under reciprocal health programmes) and all sorts of other possible scenarios including possible 'illegal immigrant' issues if you outstay your visa. This is not a definitive list and you should take responsibility for your own research and insurance in this regard.
Now, boring bit done, what else to bring? A laptop is handy if you wish to keep in touch regularly with friends and family at home, although there are loads of Internet cafés and public libraries with access to the Internet. It is also good to be able to quickly research places to go and things to do, but is purely optional.
As I said, there's really nothing else that I can think of offhand. Everything is available here, even if it's not the brands you are used to, however most 'big' manufacturers' products are here.
My experiences with hostels in Australia have all been very positive. To date, I have not come across a 'bad' one, but I'm sure they exist, as they would everywhere.  You will meet plenty of friendly people in and around hostels, so don't be shy, get in there and make friends and ask them loads of questions! You're sure to learn heaps this way.  As a general rule, hostels will hire linen (sheets, pillowcases, towels, etc.) but this can be expensive if you did it all of the time. It's definitely worth bringing your own pillowcase and a light-weight sleeping bag is a good idea although, once again, you could buy one more suited to the climate here. A tea towel and a plastic mug/cup would be very handy too, although, again, buy cheap ones here if you prefer.
Regarding carrying money, I'd say keep it to a minimum. ATMs are plentiful throughout Australia and you can draw from your own debit account directly, although fees do apply. It is probably a good idea to carry some cash (amount varies according to your needs and expectations), some travellers cheques which you can cash at many outlets, and/or a Mastercard or Visa credit or debit card - all widely accepted throughout Australia.
I think the above should get you under way! However, do feel free to ask any questions, no matter how 'daft' you might think they sound. If you need to know something about Australia, we are here to help as much as we can.
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