Travel

Many international students decide to leave Australia after completing their studies.

As per the recent information by Education Minister, Jason Clare, only 16% of international students stay back after completing their studies in Australia.

So in this article we are going to discuss 10 important things to do before leaving Australia as an international student.

1. File Your Tax Return 📄

The Australian financial year runs from the 1st of July to 30th of June, with the last day of filing the tax returns by the 31st of October each year.

There are chances that you might not be leaving Australia within this time frame.

We highly recommend that you do your tax return before leaving, even though it might not be within the timeframe for doing your tax return for the financial year.

You can do it with the help of a tax agents like Taxback.com, or you can do it yourself by using a tax form available on this website www.ato.gov.au

2. Claim Superannuation 💰

While working in Australia, your employer would have most likely paid you superannuation, which is currently 10.5% of your gross salary or wages.

Over the years, you might have accumulated a significant amount of money in your superannuation fund account. Usually, you are not allowed to use this money until you retire or leave the country permanently.

If you are leaving Australia for good, then you can certainly claim this money back.

You can only claim this money after you have left Australia, so we highly recommend that you collect all the documents that you need to lodge this application when you are overseas.

You can use the services of tax agents like Taxback.com for getting your superannuation as well.

If you want to know more about how superannuation works, then check out our YouTube video.

3. Get Your Rental Deposit Back 🏡

When you rent a property in Australia, you are required to pay a rental deposit, also known as a bond, which is claimable once your lease is over.

It is important to let your landlord know nice and early before leaving.

Also, when leaving the property, make sure it’s nice and tidy and there are no damages to the property, as your landlord can take money out of your bond if the property is damaged.

However, if everything is good, you are entitled to get a full refund of your bond money.

It is also important that you cancel or transfer your lease and make sure you pay off all the bills, like your utility bills and card bills.

4. Pick Up Your Certificates 📖

After you’ve completed your degree, it’s important to pick up your certificate and other relevant documents from your university or institution.

There have been cases where some international students forgot to pick up their certificate before leaving Australia.

In those cases, students had to contact their university to send it to them in their home country, which obviously costs them money due to shipping costs.

So it’s important you pick up your certificates from your school before leaving Australia.

5. Close Your Bank Accounts 🏦

While living and working in Australia, there are chances that you have opened a bank account or perhaps multiple bank accounts.

If you have multiple bank accounts, we certainly suggest you close a few before leaving      Australia and keep at least one open where you can get your money for your tax refund and superannuation as well.

We don’t suggest you close all your bank accounts at the time of leaving Australia, but we suggest you close them all after receiving your tax refund and superannuation.

It is much easier to get money directly into your bank account than to have a cheque sent to your overseas address.

It might be a good idea for you to drop by one of the bank branches or call your bank when you’re ready to close your account.

We also suggest you close your account because of the monthly fees you may have to pay after completing your studies.

If you’re no longer a student, the bank starts charging you a monthly fee to keep an account with them, so to avoid that sort of fee, we highly suggest you close the account, but wait until you get your tax refund and superannuation money back.

6. Transfer your money 💸

Before closing your bank accounts, you might like to transfer your money to overseas bank accounts. 

We don’t recommend that you carry all the money in cash when travelling back home, but rather find a way to send it before you arrive.

Most of the countries might have limits on how much cash you can bring into the country without declaring and paying custom duties.

So find better alternative services for transferring your money to your overseas bank account.

Usually banks have pretty poor exchange rates, so many students like to use other transfer services like Wise, etc.

7. Ask For References 😀

If you are working in Australia, we recommend you get a letter of reference or recommendation from your current employer, which can certainly help you a lot in getting a job in your home country.

If you have a good reputation with your teachers or trainers, we highly recommend that you get a letter of reference from them as well, as this will be great for your career.

8. Sell Your Unwanted Stuff 🛌

Even if you study in Australia for a couple of years, chances are that you will collect a lot of unwanted items.

We highly recommend you find things you don’t really need and start selling them ahead of time. You can sell them or give away for free on websites such as Facebook’s marketplace or Gumtree.

We strongly advise you to sell any unwanted or heavy items that you cannot take with you. If you are in a rush to leave, then you can arrange with your local council for furniture disposal. 

We don’t recommend you leave your furniture or other belongings in the property or on the nature strip outside your house, as you can get a fine from the council or the landlord can deduct money from the bond.

9. Shipping Things Back Home 🚢

After selling your unwanted items, it’s time for you to start thinking of how you can send the things you need or want to bring with you to your home country.

If you have many things that you have to take back to your home, then it’s a good idea to look for the cheapest freight company.

You can send those items by sea or air, but shipping by sea is usually much cheaper. It takes much longer for items to arrive in your home country if you are using the sea freight option.

So do your research and look for a freight company you can trust to deliver your items safely to your home country. We suggest you ask for recommendations in the facebook groups.

10. Travel Around Australia 🛫

Before you return home, make sure you visit the Australian destinations on your bucket list that you were unable to visit earlier.

Australia is a beautiful country and it has its own special landscape, so we highly recommend you travel around Australia and tick off items on your bucket list before leaving.

Most students drive around the east coast or west coast of Australia, and if you would like to explore both places, that would be great.

You can check our special article on Australia’s most popular pink lakes that you should visit.

11. Say Goodbye To Friends 👋

It is important to acknowledge the contributions that people have made to your life in Australia.

We know it’s very heartbreaking to leave your friends, but make sure you say a proper goodbye to your friends before leaving Australia.

You can organize a barbecue and have your friends come over to your place or eat out with them. 

So these are the 10 things we suggest you do before leaving Australia. There are many other things that you need to do before leaving Australia, so we suggest you download this checklist. This checklist will help you check more things you need to do before leaving Australia.

One of the most commonly asked questions by many international students is “What should I pack in my bags when coming to Australia for my studies?”

So, in this article, we are covering a comprehensive packing checklist for international students for the things they must bring and things they should avoid when coming to Australia. 

Before talking about a comprehensive packing list for international students, there are few factors you need to consider.

Let’s discuss them first.

Factors that can affect your packing list

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1. City

Depending on the city you are coming in, your packing might vary. For example, if you are coming to cities like Melbourne, Hobart, Canberra, Perth, Sydney etc. that gets really cold in winters, then you might need to pack more winter clothes than if you are coming to warmer cities like Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Darwin etc.

2. Accommodation

There are different types of accommodation that students usually live in Australia. Some of the popular accommodation type include:

• University campus accommodation,
• Purpose-built student accommodation 
• Hostels
• Sharing with friends or family.

Facilities available in your chosen accommodation type will determine if you will have to pack less or more of certain items. 

3. Personal Choice

Although we can give you a general recommendation, in the end, it is your final choice to decide whether you want to bring certain items or not.

Essential packing list for international students

Now, let’s discuss your packing checklist. To make it easier, we categorised your packing checklist into different categories. 

1. Luggage bags

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Luggage bags are one of the most important things you need because you’re going to pack everything in these bags. 

Before buying any bag, make sure you look at the airline’s recommendations to know what type of bag dimensions are allowed on your flights.

We highly recommend that you buy a high-quality bag because you might need to move a few times while living in Australia.

American Tourister is one brand that has high quality bags. There are many brands that you can choose from depending on your budget and your choice, but spending some extra money on good luggage is a must.

Here are types of bags you might consider getting for your packing:

• Backpack
• Hand bag
• Luggage bags
• Laptop bag
• School bag

Quick Tip: Get bags with wheels as they are easy when moving around the airports.

2. Electronics 

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You can bring your existing electronics like your laptop, phone, and camera.

We do not suggest you buy electronics from your home country before coming here, (exception applies for those students who can buy cheaper electronics from their home countries).

So, if you are planning to buy a brand-new laptop or a brand-new phone, we suggest that you buy them in Australia itself.

It will be much easier to get replacements or warranties, and they will have Australian charging plugs and other features.

Make sure you also bring your chargers for your electronic devices/

Other electronic items that you may have to bring along are your personal grooming equipment like your hair dryers, hair straighteners, electronic trimmers, electric shavers, or any other grooming kits. 

Also, very importantly, if you can get a couple of universal plugs that are like your travel adapters, that can be really handy while travelling and after arriving in Australia. 

Here is our suggestion for packing your electronic items:

• Laptop
• Phone
• Tablet
• Chargers
• Powerbank
• Headphones
• Travel adapters
• Memory cards
• Hair dryers/straighteners
• Electronic trimmers and shavers
• Other grooming kits

3. Clothing 

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When it comes to clothing, it has a lot to do with personal decisions.

We recommend that you do some shopping in your home country but keep some of your budget for shopping in Australia as well, because you want to get clothes as per Australian style too.

Here are some general recommendations you should consider:

• T-shirts -. You don’t necessarily need to buy new ones, but we suggest that you bring some plain black and plain white t-shirts because sometimes you might need them for work purposes.

• Pants – Bring few pants and jeans and few shorts as well
• Jackets – If you are coming into colder cities like Melbourne, Hobart, or Canberra, then definitely bring along some hoodies, sweatshirts, sweaters, and jackets. Puffer jackets are very popular in Australia.
• Formal dresses – Bring at least one set of formal attire, preferably in black, because this colour can be worn for work as well as for more casual occasions such as going to parties and other events.
• Traditional Clothes – Bring at least one pair of traditional clothes from your home country. As you know, Australia is a multicultural country. There may be a chance that you might be going to some events related to your home country in Australia, so you definitely want to wear those traditional clothes at those sorts of events.
• Undergarments – When it comes to undergarments, the more, the merrier. So for your undershirts, your underwear, or even socks, we recommend you bring at least 14 pairs of all these items. The reason being that you might not be able to wash your clothes every single day, especially if you’re going to study, work, and do everything by yourself. You might be doing it on a weekly basis, or if things get busy, you might be doing it every two weeks.
• Sleepwear – At least two pairs of your sleepwear. 
• Masks – Don’t forget to pack some face masks. 

4. Footwear

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When it comes to footwear, bring one formal shoe (plain black is the best option to go with), as well as one or two casual shoes.

You can also bring along one pair of semi-casual shoes.

Lastly, you must bring at least one pair of flip-flops or sliders, or thongs (as we say in Australia).

Quick packing list for footwear include:

• Casual shoes
• Formal shoes
• Semi-casual shoes
• Flipflops/Sliders

5. Kitchen Items

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Your kitchen items packing will depend on what facilities are already available in your accommodation for cooking.

But we will suggest that you bring a couple each of plates, cups, and cutlery such as spoons, knives, and forks.

When it comes to cooking, everyone has their own different preferences, so it might be worthwhile for you to pack some specific cooking equipment that you may not get in Australia.

Your cooking packing checklist could look like:

• Plates
• Cups
• Bowls
• Cutlery
• Special cooking equipment’s (eg special pans, cookers, etc)

Quick Tip: It  is recommended to get microwave safe kitchenware.

6. Bedding

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We recommend you bring at least one to two bedsheets from your home country.

You can ask the accommodation provider if they are going to provide pillows and quilts. 

As quilt and the pillows can take up lots of space so make sure you to get compressed for bringing them along with you to Australia

Bedding checklist:

• Bedsheets
• Pillow covers
• Pillow
• Quilt 

7. Medicines

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You can bring some basic medicines without any prescriptions, but you would need to declare any medicines you are bringing in on your incoming passenger card. 

Incoming passenger card will be given to you during your flight to Australia. You will need to complete this form correctly and truthfully.

If you want to know more about what to declare and what not to declare, we highly recommend watching this video on how to complete your incoming passenger card. 

If you are going to bring some specific medicines that are only prescribed for you, then you definitely need a prescription for that.

If you can’t bring a prescription for some of the basic medications like cold and flu tablets, then we suggest that you get an invoice from your local pharmacy for those medications.

Again, all the medicines must be declared regardless of whether they’re with the prescription or without prescription.

We also definitely recommend you also bring a little first aid kit in your package. 

Medicine packing list:

• General cold and flu tablets like Panadol
• Prescription medicines
• Prescription glasses (if wearing)
• Small First-Aid kit

8. Bathroom items

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We recommend that you bring at least two bath and face towels and at least one each of the toiletry items as well.

If you’re using any specific type of toiletry products, it might be worthwhile to get some additional packages for those items. 

Quick Tip: Look up on websites like Coles, Woolworths, Chemist Warehouses for comparing prices for toiletries.

Here is a list of toiletries you can bring along with you:

• Bath Towels
• Face Towels
• Handkerchiefs
• Soap
• Shampoo
• Toothpaste
• Toothbrush
• Face wash
• Hand and body creams
• Lip care
• Cosmetics 
• Deodorants
• Perfumes
• Nail Cutter
• Comb
• Razor
• Female hygiene products

9. Stationery

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As you’re coming to Australia for your studies, it is recommended to pack up some stationery which includes:

• Few notebooks 
• Pens
• Pencils
• Calculator
• University backpack

10. Food and Snacks 

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When it comes to food, there are some items you are allowed to bring and many others you’re not allowed to bring or you have to declare it on your incoming passenger card. 

Please check the Australian Border Force website before packing food items to know which ones you are allowed to bring.

But you can bring some ready-to-eat snacks like

• Biscuits, cookies
• Chocolate and confectionary
• Chips
• Commercially packed noodles and pasta
• Tea

We also suggest you check our video on the items you can and can’t bring into Australia:

11. Documents

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We have a very comprehensive guide on what to pack in regards to your documents. You can check the complete document guide here.

In short, you should bring these documents:

• Passport
• COE
• Travel documents like Flight tickets etc.
• Visa related documents
• Educational documents
• Insurance document
• Overseas Driving License
• Job related documents
• Other relevant documents

Items you should not pack for travel to Australia

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Here are the items that you should not be packing at all when travelling to Australia:

• Fresh fruits and vegetable/ perishable items
• Food from the plane
• Firearms, weapons, explosive material
• Soil/mud/clay attached to the shoes
• Illegal pornography including any child pornography
• Illicit drugs
• Animal products
• Plant materials and live plants
• Fake designer goods
• Pirated CDs/DVDs

Final words

To sum up, the packing list for international students will vary based on multiple factors but it is important to remember to bring along essential items you need as an individual.

A quick final tip will be that as there are limits on the weight from the airlines, you will need to figure out which items are more important for you and which items you can leave behind.

To make it easier for you, we have created a comprehensive checklist on what you should pack when you’re coming to Australia for your studies.

Download the complete packing checklist here.

International Students and other temporary visa holders are allowed to return back to Australia from 15th December 2021 without needing to apply for travel exemption.

Finally! Yay!!

But there are many requirements you need to meet in order to arrive in Australia. In this article, we are going to talk about requirements for entering Australia and other states and territories as well.

Let’s go!

Basic requirements for entering Australia as an international student

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In order to enter Australia, you will need to meet these basic requirements. Here are the requirements you must meet:

• hold a valid visa to enter Australia
• be a visa holder that is eligible to arrive in Australia without needing to apply for travel exemption
• have a negative report of COVID-19 PCR test 72 hours before flight
• be fully vaccinated with TGA approved vaccine
• carry an International COVID-19 vaccine certificate
• complete Australian Travel Declaration (ATD) 72 hours before flight time but no earlier than 7 days

Requirements for entering each state and territory in Australia

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Each state and territories has different requirements for entry, quarantine and testing.

You will need to make sure that you have sufficient arrangement for your isolation or quarantine before leaving your home country. It is important you complete any specific border permits for the state or territory you are entering.

In the document below, we are sharing all the requirements for each state and territory you need to meet. (Scroll through to get all the information).

Please note that this document gets updated regularly but as the situation regarding COVID-19 changes quickly we suggest you to click on the link for each state and territory to get up to date information.

We would love to hear from you which state or territory are you studying in 2022?

Australia is certainly a lucky country when it comes to Pink Lakes.

There are not one or two but more than 10 pink lakes that can be found here in Australia.

While, some of these lakes are very well known, others are not so much.

So in this article, we are revealing our Top 11 Pink Lakes in Australia.

Why is the Pink Lakes Pink?

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Some of you might wonder why these lakes are pink in colour?

A genuine question.

To explain it simply, this natural phenomenon occurs due to the type of algae (Dunaliella salina) and the type of bacteria (Salinibacter ruber) living in the saltwater.

When these three things (saltwater, algae and bacteria) combine, it gives a various shades of pink (from pastel to bubblegum).

If you want to have the best experience for your pink lake visit, then plan to visit it on clear sky day during 10 am to 3 pm while the sun is high in the sky.

Also, it is a very important to check the local conditions and other restrictions in place before visiting any pink lake. We suggest you check the local Parks website in the area you are planning to visit for more information.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, we also suggest you check the local travel restrictions in each state and territory before deciding to travel to visit these pink lakes.

Pink lakes in Western Australia

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1. Lake Hillier

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Lake Hillier is without a doubt the most popular and world-famous Pink lake. It stays pink throughout the year, so you can visit this lake throughout the year.

Unfortunately, it is also one of the most difficult pink lakes to access as well as it is located off the Western Australian coast, around 150 kms from the nearest town, Esperance.

🚗 How to get here: You can visit this lake by catching cruise boat (take around 2 hours) or scenic flight (take 1 hour 30 mins) altogether. Costs for boats starts from $300 and $425 for scenic flight.

📌 Nearest capital city: Perth

🕛 Best time to visit: Anytime during the year

🚦 Access to the lake: Very difficult

2.Hutt Lagoon

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The next most popular lake is also in Western Australia. It is located on Australia’s coral coast in Port Gregory and known as Hutt Lagoon.

🚗 How to get here: You can get here by driving around 5 to 6 hours from Perth. You can also take a scenic flight from Geraldton.

📌 Nearest capital city: Perth

🕛 Best time to visit: Anytime during the year but on a clear day (During middle of the day)

🚦 Access to the lake: Medium

3. Lake Warden

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Lake Warden is another lake around Esperance area in Western Australia. It is located five mins away from other Pink Lake (Lake Spencer), which is no longer a Pink lake.

🚗 How to get here: Around 10 mins drive from the town centre of Esperance in Western Australia. To reach Esperance, it takes around 7 to 8 hours drive from Perth or 40 minutes flight from Perth Airport.

📌 Nearest capital city: Perth

🕛 Best time to visit: All year round

🚦 Access to the lake: Medium

4. Rottnest Island Salt Lake

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Rottnest Island Pink Lake is located just off the coast of Perth and in the middle of the island itself. It’s not as glamorous as other lakes in Western Australia, but it certainly has its own vibe for sure.

🚗 How to get here: Once you are in Rottnest Island, you can cycle right close to the lake in Oliver Hill Battery.

📌 Nearest capital city: Perth

🕛 Best time to visit: Summer months

🚦 Access to the lake: Easy

5. Pink Lake in Quairading

Well, one more pink lake in Western Australia. But this one is not all pink throughout the year. The road divides this lake in the middle and, to the surprise of many, one side of the lake turns light pink while the other remain dark.

🚗 How to get here: It is around 2 hours drive from Perth.

📌 Nearest capital city: Perth

🕛 Best time to visit: Summer

🚦 Access to the lake: Medium

Pink lakes in Victoria

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6. Westgate Park, Port Melbourne

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The easiest Pink Lake to access in Australia is only 15 mins from Melbourne CBD. Westgate Park lake in Port Melbourne has been turning pink since 2012-13 during the warmer months.

Please note during the colder months, this lake is not pink in colour.

🚗 How to get here: 15 to 20 mins drive from the downtown Melbourne. You can also catch a bus 235 or 606 to get to the Entrance of the park.

📌 Nearest capital city: Melbourne

🕛 Best time to visit: Summer Months (between December to March)

🚦 Access to the lake: Very Easy

7. Pink Lake, Dimboola

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Victoria’s another popular lake is around 340 km north west of Melbourne. It is in Dimboola and the lake is known as Pink Lake. Interesting fact about this lake is that salt is still harvested by the company names Mount Zero Olive.

🚗 How to get here: It takes around 4 hours to get there from Melbourne by car.

📌 Nearest capital city: Melbourne

🕛 Best time to visit: Summer Months (During the day time)

🚦 Access to the lake: Medium

8. Lake Tyrell

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Lake Tyrell is the largest Salt Lake in Victoria. It covers more than 20,800 hectares and has history of more than 120,000 years old. Impressive! This light pink lake provides an amazing views of the sky reflections during sunsrise and sunset.

🚗 How to get here: The lake is in the Mallee region and takes 5 hours to get there from Melbourne.

📌 Nearest capital city: Melbourne

🕛 Best time to visit: Sunrise and Sunset (preferable during summer months)

🚦 Access to the lake: Difficult

9 to 12. Murray-Sunset National Park Lakes

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50 kms from Mildura, Murray-Sunset National Park have got not 1 but 4 pink lakes. These are:

• Lake Crosbie
• Lake Kenyon
• Lake Becking
• Lake Hardy

You can also camp at Lake Crosbie or Lake Becking. Although Murray-Sunset National Park is located in Victoria, it is actually closer to South Australian capital, Adelaide than Melbourne.

You can get further information and updates about these lakes on Parks Victoria’s website.

🚗 How to get here: You can get here driving from Adelaide for 4 hours or 5 and half hours from Melbourne.

📌 Nearest capital city: Adelaide

🕛 Best time to visit: Autumn and Winter Months (between April to August)

🚦 Access to the lakes: Medium

Pink lakes in South Australia

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13. Lake Macdonnell

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Lake Macdonnell is a very unique lake as one side of the causeway is pink in colour and the other side is green. It is close to the Nullarbor Plain and around 15 km south of Penong on the Eyre Peninsula.

🚗 How to get here: The lake is located around 850 kms from Adelaide and takes around good 9 to 10 hours drive. You can also fly into

📌 Nearest capital city: Adelaide

🕛 Best time to visit: May to September

🚦 Access to the lake: Medium

14. Lake Bumbunga

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Located 130 kms from Adelaide city, Lake Bumbunga is one of the easiest pink lakes to get to (can’t beat Westgate Park Lake though). Lake Bumbunga is famous for its changing colour throughout the year from pink to white to blue depending on the time of the year.

🚗 How to get here: It is only around couple of hours drive from Adelaide

📌 Nearest capital city: Adelaide

🕛 Best time to visit: Summer Months

🚦 Access to the lake: Easy

15. Lake Hart

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Lake Hart is perfect lake to see during the day and night with pastel pink reflections. It might be further out with more than 500km drive from Adelaide but it is certainly worth the effort.

You can also see the glimpse of this pink beauty from The Ghan (Luxury train travel between Adelaide to Darwin).

🚗 How to get here: To reach here by car from Adelaide, it will take around 5 to 6 hours.

📌 Nearest capital city: Adelaide

🕛 Best time to visit: All year round

🚦 Access to the lake: Medium

16. Lake Eyre

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Lake Eyre is the Australia’s largest salt lake. It is located 650 kms north of Adelaide. It is interesting to know that the lakes gets filled with 1.5 metre flood every 3 years and 4 metres floods every 10 years.

It costs around $11 for your vehicle entry fee in the Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park.

It is also important to note that there is no mobile phone coverage in the park.

🚗 How to get here: It is around 8 hour drive from the nearest capital city, Adelaide. You can also take a plan ride from Adelaide to outback town Coober Pedy and then take another tour over the lake with local flight tour operators.

📌 Nearest capital city: Adelaide

🕛 Best time to visit: April to October

🚦 Access to the lake: Very difficult

17. Lake Albert

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Lake Albert is a freshwater lake near Murray river in South Australia. The area serves as the gateway to the Coorong National Park.

🚗 How to get here: It is around 2 hours drive south east from Adelaide.

📌 Nearest capital city: Adelaide

🕛 Best time to visit: Varies based on rainfall during the year

🚦 Access to the lake: Easy

Let us know which pink lake would you like to visit in the comment section below.

Travelling Australia – or anywhere in the world – with a good quality camera is one of the best ways to appreciate your surroundings and capture some special memories to share with family and friends for years to come. But what are the best travel cameras in 2019 for capturing the land down under in all its glory? Compact? Mirrorless? DSLR? When you factor this in with how much budget you have to spend on a new camera or lens, things can get tricky.

Generally speaking, we all want the same thing from a travel camera. We want a compact and lightweight digital camera that can quickly and easily capture the variety of landscapes, wildlife, buildings, and people that we encounter on our travels – and all within budget.

To help you determine the best travel camera for your price range, the travel-loving team at Ted’s Cameras have put together a handy guide of their top 4 recommended travel cameras, each tailored to a different budget, starting from under $500 to over $1,500.

Here are their picks for the best travel cameras, for all levels of budget, in 2019:

Under $500: Panasonic Lumix TZ90

In terms of compact cameras, the Panasonic TZ range could make its claim as the undisputed king. For years, this range of cameras has been overwhelmingly popular thanks to their standard features of a long-ranging zoom and portable pocket-size.

The Panasonic Lumix TZ90 has all of this, with a Zeiss branded 30x optical zoom lens and 20.3MP CMOS sensor to help you capture stunning travel images near and far. It combines all this with built-in 5-Axis image stabilisation, 4K resolution video and a 3-inch touch-sensitive, tilting LCD screen for excellent usability. With such a long list of functionality, the Panasonic Lumix TZ90 is the best compact camera for travel under $500.

Under $1000: Canon EOS M100

If you have a little more to spend, you can start exploring the mirrorless territory, which is where you will find the Canon EOS M100. We love the EOS M100 due to its perfect blend of still image and video functionalities, which has made it a huge success amongst content creators and will ensure your Aussie adventures look as crisp, clear and colourful as a Sydney Harbour morning.

Although not exactly pocketable, this mirrorless model from Canon is decidedly portable, being light enough to carry for long periods of time without ever being cumbersome. In terms of quality and usability, this camera excels, with a 24.2MP APS-C sized image sensor, Full HD 1080P video and 3-inch tilting, touch-sensitive LCD screen to compose your stills and videos. When you factor-in compatibility to a growing list of Canon EOS M lenses, this is a capable travel photography tool for beginners and enthusiasts alike.

Under $1500: Olympus E-M5 Mark II

Another Mirrorless entry on our list, the Olympus E-M5 Mark II is a retro-styled camera that produces images that are even more attractive than its classic design. Although lightweight, the E-M5 Mark II is no push-over, featuring dust and splash-proof construction. It’s compatible with a wide-range of MFT lenses, which are a perfect match for the camera with their impressive size to performance ratio.

As well as being touch-sensitive, the LCD screen at the rear of this camera can be flipped and tilted at will, which is great for taking some selfie travel photos – especially if you’ve come across an adorable quokka in Western Australia! There’s also a high-quality EVF for those that prefer a more traditional approach to their image composition.

With built-in WiFi making it easy to share your travel photography results from almost anywhere in the world, this is a stunning camera that is fuss-free, dependable and versatile – just what you want from a travel partner!

Over $1500: Sony A6500

With the A6500, Sony has ticked all of the necessary boxes in order to make this Mirrorless model the best camera for travel photography over $1500. The camera has functionality that can compete with high-quality DSLR cameras but in a much more portable package. Image quality from the 24.4MP Exmor CMOS sensor is spectacular – a quality which is extended over to the 4K resolution videos that this camera can record.

The built-in Image Stabilisation and class-leading Autofocus performance really allow the camera to make the most of its capturing abilities, so if you put quality first, this is the right camera for you. From sailing around Far North Queensland to bushwalking in Tasmania, you can feel confident you’re capturing every adventure at its best – plus, with its lightweight magnesium alloy construction and dust and moisture-resistance, the A6500 is easy-to-carry and tough as nails. This camera is packed and ready to go, wherever you are.

A travel souvenir like no other

So there you have it! Any of these four cameras will be a great addition to your next Aussie adventure, giving you a stunning photographic collection of travel souvenirs you’ll cherish forever.

For more information, check out Ted’s Guide to The Best Digital Cameras for Photography in 2019, or get in touch with the expert team at your local Ted’s Cameras today!

As an overseas student, you must be travelling via planes to come from and to Australia. Here are 8 airport hacks that will make your life much more easier when travelling.

 

1. Be Kind –

If you ask nicely, most airline personnel will respond accordingly. And you may be lucky to get an upgrade! You just never know this one.

 

2. Early Bird –

Avoid delays by travelling early in the day. If you are catching an international flight, depending on how busy your local airport gets, try to be at the airport at least 2-3 hours early. If you are catching a local flight in Australia, 1 hour would be sufficient.

 

3. In Last, Out First –

This hack is pretty obvious. The later you check your bags, the less time you have to wait when picking them back on the arrival at your destination! We know, right!

 

4. Special Status –

If you want to enjoy the special perks or collect points for your travel then join an airplane credit card or frequent flyer plan. It will help you to collect those points if your always fly with the same airlines which later can be used for the free flights or upgrades or extra luggage.

 

5. Go Left –

Pick checkpoint to your left, most people tend to go right! As the research shows that most of the people usually turn right when it comes to queuing up for the security check, you do the opposite to save yourself time for a long queues.

 

6. Bring empty water bottle –

No one is not allowed to carry liquids more than 100ml in the airplane cabin baggage. And if you have to stay at the airport for more than couple of hours, chances are you are going to need water to drink. Buying water at the airports, don’t make sense at all as they are usually ridiculously expensive. Instead bring empty water bottle, once you cleared the security check, you can refill the water.

 

7. Wi-Fi –

Always check for free wi-fi at the airport. Now, most of the airports will only allow limited amount of Wi- Fi data for use but if you keep setting your time back on your laptop and phone, it will extend your time for the Wi-Fi usage. Simple, yet effective trick.

 

8. Extra luggage –

In case you are having excess luggage and the check-in person won’t allow you to bring that without paying for it, then, wear the heavy clothing and put on some extra clothes while checking–in. As soon as you pass through the security, you can do a quick outfit change.

Images via Giphy.com