The sun
The thing visitors most underestimate. Australia has the highest skin cancer rates in the world and the summer UV index routinely hits 11 or above — unprotected skin burns in about fifteen minutes.
Hat, sunscreen, a shirt, sunglasses, and shade between eleven and three. Reapply after swimming. Cloud does not stop it.
The water
Swim between the red and yellow flags. Rip currents cause the large majority of Australian coastal drownings — more than sharks, snakes, bushfires and floods combined.
If caught in one: float, do not swim against it, raise an arm, and swim parallel to the beach. The full article is here and it is the most useful page on this site.
Biosecurity
Australian border controls on food, plant and animal material are strict and are enforced. You must declare all food, wooden items, plant products, and anything that has touched soil or fresh water — including boots and camping gear.
Declaring is free. Not declaring carries fines starting in the hundreds of dollars. Detector dogs work the baggage hall.
If in doubt, tick the box.
Money
The Australian dollar. Australia is close to cashless — cards and contactless work everywhere including buses, markets and taxis. You can visit for a fortnight without withdrawing notes.
Card surcharges of 1 to 2 per cent are common and must be disclosed.
Tipping
Not expected. Hospitality staff are paid a legal minimum wage that is high by international standards. Rounding up for exceptional service is welcome and entirely optional.
Surcharges of 10 per cent on Sundays and 15 per cent on public holidays are standard at restaurants and cafés, cover penalty wage rates, and are not tips.
Alcohol
Sold in bottle shops, not supermarkets. High excise makes it expensive. The legal drinking age is 18 and ID is asked for routinely — carry a passport or a photo card, as many venues will not accept a foreign driving licence.
Random breath testing is constant and the limit is 0.05.
Safety
Sydney is a very safe city. The genuine hazards are the sun, the surf and the roads.
Wildlife is much less of a risk than the reputation suggests. Sydney has funnel-web spiders and red-bellied black snakes, and nobody has died of a funnel-web bite since antivenom was introduced in 1981. Shake out shoes left outside, do not put hands into holes, and leave snakes alone.
Emergency numbers
000 for police, fire and ambulance. 112 works from mobiles.
Surf Life Saving patrols beaches; the flags mark where.
Odds and ends
Smoking is banned in all enclosed public places and most outdoor dining areas, and vaping is heavily restricted — nicotine vapes require a prescription.
Driving is on the left.
Plugs are the Australian three-pin flat type, 230V.
Public transport requires tapping on and off — see getting around.