Exploring Weird Australia

While a lot of  Australia travel visa holders prefer the usual sights in the country, there are those who are more interested in finding strange places here. Luckily, there are actually tons of them in the country. Here are some of them that you might want to head out to for your next trip.

Nowhere Else, Tasmania

This quaint Tasmanian town is really not that different form other small towns in the country. However, what makes it different is the name of the town itself. The name Nowhere Else seems to imply that it is the only one of its kind in the country. Oddly enough, it is actually not the only one, as there is actually another town named Nowhere Else in the country, this time around located in South Australia..
 
Devil's Marbles, Northern Territory

This park in the Northern Territory is quite popular for its rugged terrain. Close to the famed Uluru, the park has also been a tourist destination in the country. However, aside from the trails and environment, many people visit the park to get a glimpse of the so called Devil's Marbles, large, almost perfectly rounded boulders that are scattered all over the place. They are formed from underground and were brought to the surface through erosion of the surrounding area. Many people are quite amazed as to how these rocks got there.

Principality of Hutt River, Western Australia

This little farm might look like, well, an ordinary farm. But do you know that this is in fact a separate country on its ow. Well, sort of. The territory was formed when Leonard George Casley was not able to settle a dispute with the Western Australian government in the 1970's. Since then, the farm has “declared” independence from Australia, with Casley crowning himself of Prince Leonard I. Though the claim is not recognized by the Australian government, this is enough to attract a lot of visitors to the area. If you are lucky enough, you might even get an honorary citizenship as a souvenir. 

Ozenkadnook, Victoria

As you read that name, you are likely not the only one having a hard time pronouncing it. You see, Australia is actually full of such odd sounding names. Many of these are derived from Aboriginal Australian languages. So what's the English translation? You might be Surprised, but it's actually “big, fat kangaroo.”

There are still a lot more interesting places in the country. And you will definitely enjoy finding all of them our during your trip. 

Is Australia Really A “Dumb Blonde”?

Because of all the things that have said about Australia, travel visa holders are often very excited to go to the country. Indeed, Australia is considered as one of the best travel destinations in the world today. However, not everything in Australia are what they seem.

As it turns out, there are actually a lot of things that Australia is currently facing. And according to some observers, these are the things that can not be easily handled through elaborate promotional campaigns and advertisements. Thus, they have urged the country's leaders to closely rethink the policies that they are coming up for the country.

One of the most scathing commentaries about Australia was given by British branding expert Simon Anholt during a talk organized by IDP education last month. IDP Education is one of the country's largest international student recruitment companies. In his talk, Anholt noted that the country is often referred to as a “dumb blonde”.

Anholt explained that this is mainly due to the observation of some groups that, while the country is indeed a beautiful one, it really doesn't offer anything much other than that. He cited the lack of materials that showcase more of what the country can offer. He added that the country's tourism agencies often focus more on creating fancy slogans instead of developing the areas that would showcase its cultural achievements more.

He also gave the current status of the Australian foreign student industry as another example. He noted that the number of international students enrolling in the country's schools have dropped significantly in the last few months. Anholt explained that this can be attributed to the negative image that the country has received because of the several incidents that a lot of international students encountered. Anholt argued that, instead of trying to solve the root cause of these situations, the Australian government instead tried to cover it up to elaborate campaigns. 

Anholt also noted that Australia is also severely lacking the means to promote its culture more.. he said that, while the country has indeed a lot of tourism campaigns, these are not enough to promote Australian culture. He said that the country need to work on the programs that will better establish Australia's presence in the international scene.

However, the expert said that these comments are not meant to put the country down. He said that Australia has lots to offer, only it needs to work on them a lot more. 

Why A Lot Of People Are Moving To Australia

For Australia, migration of people into the country is very important. After all, the country's growth actually depends heavily on immigrants. However, while it means a lot for Australia, it certainly means more for those wishing to move in here.

You have probably heard all of the reasons that people has for coming to Australia. Some of these rather simple, such as “because I want to see a kangaroo”. On the other hand, there are also those that have a more serious town to it, such as wanting to have a better life. Whichever reason it is, it seems that a lot of people do indeed consider the land down under as the place that they want to move into.

One of the interesting things into look into about the people wanting to move into Australia is their backgrounds. A large portion of the people immigrating into the country are composed of those coming from the western countries, such as the UK or the United States. Perhaps a lot of people are wandering why people coming from wealthy western nations are moving to Australia.

Probably one of the biggest reasons that many of these people are pointing out is that they would want to experience a different lifestyle. This is rather interesting enough, since much of the country's people are actually from the western countries themselves. However, the land down under has evolved differently in the last hundred years or so to make it distinct from the Western hemisphere. Also, it has assimilated the cultures of the people coming from the other parts of the world, which makes it even more unique. This has made even more attractive for people from the western part of the world.

On the other hand, many people see Australia as a land of opportunity. This can be seen at the number of foreign students in the country, many of which came from the Asian regions, such as India. According to them, Australia's education system is ideal for their needs as it gives them better chances of landing a well paying job, either here or in their home countries.

On the other hand, the land down under have also been considered as a haven for those wishing to get free from troubled countries and establish a new life. Despite the country tightening its borders against asylum seeker, many still brave the dangers that they have to go through in order to establish themselves here.

Immigration Minister Gives Pointers Against Fraud

With the number of people going through the Australian immigration department, one can definitely say that many are interested in heading to the land down under. However, while this one is definitely a good sight, such a large amount of people can also easily become prey to unscrupulous individuals. And being a victim of immigration scams is certainly not going to be a good experience.

According to new Immigration and Citizenship Minister Chris Bowen, immigration fraud is still one of the major problems that his department have to deal with. He said that, while the government has instituted tougher campaigns against them, there are still groups that manage to elude the authorities and victimize immigrant hopefuls. He added that despite some setbacks, this will still be a continuing battle against such unlawful elements.

Bowen also added that they will still continue to provide immigration applicants with tools and countermeasures to protect themselves against scammers. One of the new tools that he gave out as an example is the new online manual that the Department of Immigration and Citizenship has launched. Dubbed the Protect Yourself From Immigration Fraud information kit, the manual aims to provide the user with basic information and tips in detecting fraud. The kit also gives out important guides on reporting immigration scammers, as well as the departments to contact.

Bowen also gave some tips on how to avoid fraud. He said that one of the most common ways con men trick visa applicants into falling to their trap is by purporting to be immigration agents. He said that even putting a simple “registered migration agent” note on a scam website can easily lure a lot of people.

Thus, Bowen advised the public to be wary of such bogus agents. He said that the first thing that people should always do when looking for immigration agents is to search the list provided by the Migration Agent Registration Authority (MARA). He said that these are the only ones accredited by MARA and qualified to provide immigration assistance. He also urged the public to report any groups that are using fake MARA certificates to operate.

Lastly, Bowen reiterated that people who fall victim of these scammers must immediately coordinate with the DIAC's operatives. He said that all of the department's hotlines are open 24/7 to receive complaints. He added that complainants can also lodge their concerns online and the DIAC will immediately act on it.

Australian Travel The Thrifty Way

One of the biggest hassles that a lot of Australia travel visa holders often face is the shortage of money for going around the country. Indeed, while there are a lot of places to explore in the country, this is often the most common thing that prevents you from seeing them. And this will definitely be a disappointing experience.

However, having only a small travel budget doesn't always mean that you won't have much fun out of your Australian vacation, In fact, you can actually make the most out of a small budget if you just know how. Here are some useful tips that you can keep in mind when traveling.

Know where you want to go
one of the most common thing that can easily strip out both a big and a small budget out is visiting too many places at any game time. Often a lot of tourists get too excited that they would visit too many places at once. While your purpose here is to, of course, explore and enjoy, this would not be a good idea, as it can cost you a lot of money.

Instead, it would be a good idea if you set up your itinerary before you actually head out to Australia. Consider only the places that you want to head to the most and add them to your list. Also, you can go and avail of the various travel packages that are available. Again, remember that you need to choose the ones that you really want to go for.

Use discounts

If you are a frequent traveler, it is likely that you have racked up a lot of frequent flier miles. If you are on a vacation, then it is definitely the time to make use of these. While most airlines offer ticket discounts in exchange for these flier miles, there are also others that give away other privileges, so you definitely would want to collect them also.

Discount cards and coupons would also be useful when traveling. If you are a member of a travelers' club then it is likely that you are already familiar with all the promos that they give away. Make sure that you regularly avail these and look out for others. There are also discount coupons that you can collect from products that you use.

Try alternatives for your travel

As has always been said, there are many ways to explore Australia,. And you will be surprised to find out that a lot of these, such as biking, will definitely save you a lot. So be sure to learn more about them for you trip.