Australia travel essentials

• PlugsType I
• Power230 V · 50 Hz
• CurrencyAUD · Australian Dollar
• TippingOptional, up to 10%
• Time5 standard offsets, UTC+8 to UTC+10:30 · DST observed in some zones

Plugs and power

Australia uses Type I (flat angled pins). Mains power is 230 V at 50 Hz. Phone, tablet and laptop chargers are usually rated 100–240 V, so they need at most a plug adapter; check the label on hair dryers, straighteners and kettles.

Plugs and voltage in Australia · Plug adapter vs voltage converter

Money: currency, cash and cards

The currency of Australia is the Australian Dollar (AUD, $). Convert from your home currency below; the rate is a daily mid-market reference rate, so a card, ATM or exchange counter will usually give you a little less.

Daily mid-market rates, fetched in your browser (loading…). Rates By Exchange Rate API

• 1 NZD = … AUD
• 1 USD = … AUD
• 1 GBP = … AUD
• 1 EUR = … AUD
• 1 CAD = … AUD

GBP → AUD · NZD → AUD · USD → AUD · Pay in local or home currency? Checker · Paying abroad: cards, cash and ATMs

Tipping

In Australia, tipping is optional, up to 10% (Aorista tipping data: “Optional”, appreciated but not required). Rates for taxis, hotels and tours are on the country page.

Tipping in Australia · Tipping around the world

Time difference

Australia is covered by 11 zones in the IANA tz database, with 5 standard UTC offsets; daylight saving time is observed in some zones. The table compares Sydney (now 22:00, UTC+11) with common home cities, using the 2026e rules.

• UTC+10:30, with daylight saving time: Australia/Lord_Howe (Lord Howe Island)
• UTC+10, with daylight saving time: Australia/Hobart (Tasmania); Australia/Melbourne (Victoria); Australia/Sydney (New South Wales (most areas))
• UTC+10, no daylight saving time: Australia/Brisbane (Queensland (most areas)); Australia/Lindeman (Queensland (Whitsunday Islands))
• UTC+9:30, with daylight saving time: Australia/Broken_Hill (New South Wales (Yancowinna)); Australia/Adelaide (South Australia)
• UTC+9:30, no daylight saving time: Australia/Darwin (Northern Territory)
• UTC+8:45, no daylight saving time: Australia/Eucla (Western Australia (Eucla))
• UTC+8, no daylight saving time: Australia/Perth (Western Australia (most areas))

Time in Brisbane · Time in Melbourne · Time in Perth · Time in Sydney · Auckland and Sydney time difference · Sydney and London time difference · Sydney and New York time difference · Sydney and Los Angeles time difference · Clock changes 2026–2027

Weather

Current conditions and 7-day forecasts (Open-Meteo) for Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney in Australia.

Weather in Adelaide · Weather in Brisbane · Weather in Canberra · Weather in Melbourne · Weather in Perth · Weather in Sydney

Getting there: flight times

Typical non-stop flight times and local arrival times for 12 routes into Australia:

Auckland → Brisbane · Auckland → Melbourne · Auckland → Perth · Auckland → Sydney · Christchurch → Melbourne · Christchurch → Sydney · Dubai → Sydney · Los Angeles → Sydney · San Francisco → Sydney · Wellington → Brisbane · Wellington → Melbourne · Wellington → Sydney

Packing

Packing lists you can tick off and save in your browser:

Beach holiday · City break · Hiking trip · Build your own list

Nearby and also popular

New Zealand travel essentials · Japan travel essentials · Indonesia travel essentials · All countries

Questions

What plug do I need for Australia?

Australia uses Type I plugs at 230 V, 50 Hz. From the US or Canada: adapter needed. From the UK or Ireland: adapter needed. From Australia or New Zealand: adapter not needed (same plugs).

What currency is used in Australia?

The Australian Dollar (AUD).

Do you tip in Australia?

Tipping is optional, up to 10% in Australia, according to our tipping data (appreciated but not required).

What is the time difference between Australia and the UK, US, Australia and New Zealand?

Right now (Sun 1 Nov 2026), compared with Sydney: Auckland 2 hours ahead, London 11 hours behind, New York 16 hours behind, Los Angeles 19 hours behind. Differences change when either side starts or ends daylight saving time.

Does Australia have daylight saving time?

In some areas only. No daylight saving in: Australia/Brisbane (Queensland (most areas)); Australia/Lindeman (Queensland (Whitsunday Islands)); Australia/Darwin (Northern Territory); Australia/Perth (Western Australia (most areas)); Australia/Eucla (Western Australia (Eucla)). All other zones observe it (IANA tz database 2026e).

Sources and last checked

• Plug types and voltage: Aorista voltage checker data. Checked 18 Oct 2026.
• Tipping norms: Aorista tipping data. Checked 18 Oct 2026.
• Time zones and daylight saving: IANA tz database 2026e. Checked 18 Oct 2026.
• Exchange rates: Rates By Exchange Rate API. Checked 18 Oct 2026.
• Weather: Open-Meteo forecasts, on the linked weather pages. Checked 18 Oct 2026.