10 Days in Australia

Australia has a reputation where everyone's your 'mate', and you'll feel that warm genuine welcome from the minute you arrive til the moment you leave. Australia has 26.5 million people, with 30% of the population born from overseas making it one of the most multi-cultural countries in the world.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Australia since 2017 and LGBTQ+ rights around Australia have advanced over the latter half of the 20th century and early 21st century making Australia one of the most LGBTQ-accepting countries in the world. With its long history of LGBT activism and annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras festival, Sydney has been named one of the most gay-friendly cities. While most people (78% according to a recent study) are welcoming of homosexuality, there may still be people, especially in rural areas, who may not be comfortable, and so out of respect we usually suggest keeping your excitement and affection for your partner to more private locations.

We could write a whole chapter on typical Aussie "tucker" (food), but instead we'll summarize some of the items you'll likely encounter (& should absolutlely try!) during your visit down under:

• Barbeque - When you think of Australia you think of surfing, nice weather, kangaroos and... the barbecue. “Throw another shrimp on the barbie” is a quote often said even though Australians call them prawns and not shrimp! In fact, many Aussies dislike this phrase and claim that it’s just another Australian stereotype. A typical Aussie barbecue will have snags (sausages), burgers, steak, fresh seafood, bread and tomato or barbecue sauce, they sometimes include salad but it’s mainly about the meat and fish (and of course a few stubbies – that’s beer to the non-Australians)
   
• Vegemite - don't knock it til you try it! It's a yeast extract, served with butter/margarine on toast/sandwiches.
   
• Fairy bread - funny name for a kids' treat, but also the perfect name for a gay bakery wouldn't you agree? This is buttered-bread with sprinkles (100's & 1000's) on it.
   
• Tim-tams - chocolate biscuits (cookies), that have become popular around the world now, best enjoyed as a tim-tam-slam!
   
• Meat pies - you'll find these everywhere, and they're not the same anywhere else in the world, crisp puffy pastry filled with loads of options inside (steak, chicken, veggie, etc.) Always topped with tomato sauce.
   
• Chicken parma - Loads of pubs have a parma night where you can grab a decently priced chicken parma with a beer. A chicken parma is a chicken schnitzel topped with a tomato sauce and melted cheese on top. 
   
• Kangaroo - While visitors usually take pictures of kangaroos bouncing around. Aussies actually eat Kanagroo meat. You’ll see them packed on supermarket shelves and on restaurant menus. Kangaroo is lean red meat, it’s healthy and you can prepare it in many ways – steaks, burgers, sausages, and much more
   
• Lamingtons - Made up of a deliciously, delicate soft, sponge cake, and topped with decadent chocolate topping and immersed in coconut flakes, the ole’ Lamington has been a fixture on the dessert table here for generations.
   

Detours doesn't believe in limiting your choices by including all of your meals at pre-decided restaurants as part of the trip package. Instead, we include all of your breakfasts to start your day off as well as select meals through the trip, then encourage you to explore all of the different restaurant options available to you for other lunches and dinners. This way you can eat when you want, where you want, with whomever you want, and spend what you want! Your trip leader definitely has their favorite spots so if you'd like some advice on the best in each location, just check with them.

Our advice is simple. Pack your bag, then take half of those things out and leave them back home. It’s common to hear people wishing they’d packed less stuff, but we’ve never heard anyone complain that they didn’t bring enough. Everywhere we visit on our itinerary is convenient for grabbing any last-minute things as you go, so if you realize you forgot to pack a crucial item you can just pick it up on the trip. We'll include some trip-specific packing advice based on expected weather as part of our update email to you, sent 10 days prior to your trip.

We would also strongly recommend you bring a fly net for your time in Uluru, as the flies can be a bit more intense in this part of Australia. There is also the option to purchase one on-site for about $10 AUD.

Australia uses the Australian Dollar (AUD). In an effort to avoid bank fees, we suggest arriving to Australia with some local currency (around 300 AUD) and ATMs are widely available, so your debit card from home will be the most economic way to withdraw local currency as/when you need more. Credit cards are widely accepted, and you should have no problems paying for your portion of the group meal with card or cash. AMEX isn't widely accepted in Australia, mostly just Mastercard and Visa.

1 USD = approx. 1.5 AUD 

It can sometimes be challenging to use large-denomination bills at shops and restaurants, so we encourage you to request small denomination bills when getting cash prior to your trip.

If possible, it's always a good idea to travel internationally with a credit card that doesn't charge foreign transaction fees.  The savings will add up over the course of your trip and may end up being worth the work of getting a new card prior to your trip.  Once you're overseas, if presented with the option to pay in the local currency or your home currency, we suggest always choosing the local currency to further avoid fees.

While tipping isn't a native custom in this destination, those working in the tourism industry all over the world have come to expect gratuities when providing good service.  This extends to local guides, restaurant wait staff, bus drivers, taxis and your Detours trip leader.  Of course the actual amount is left up to your discretion, if you've been provided excellent service we suggest leaving around 15% for restaurant/wait staff as well as the local equivalent of a few dollars to bus drivers and luggage porters, as well as around $10-15 USD per day for local guides and your Detours trip leader.

We have pretty high standards when it comes to choosing our accommodations, and trust us, we’ve done plenty of room-sniffing, pillow-patting, and bathroom inspections to make sure we stay at quality spots. To be approved as a Detours accommodations provider, a guesthouse must preferably be locally owned (to support the local community), be in an amazing location (close to the beach or other hot spots), AND be gay-owned or gay-friendly. We won't be staying in 5-star Ritz-Carltons but we also won't subject you to anything we wouldn't want to stay in ourselves. Clean, comfortable, well-located spots that'll put a smile on your face, you can count on that!  Click on the "accommodations" tab to get a better idea of what accommodation we use on this trip.

Your Detours trip leader will be there with you every day to help ensure that this is your trip of a lifetime by taking the hassle out of your trip and enabling you to experience everything you came to Australia for. Consider them like a friendly concierge that's traveling along with you.  All of our trip leaders are gay and all are well-traveled and experienced in the destination they're leading in, so they'll be a great part of your experience!

We do absolutely everything possible to avoid needing such a mundane awakening. A world without alarm clocks is one we want to be part of! Our travel days might start a bit earlier (due to flight schedules) but for the majority of your adventure you'll be welcome to start each morning at your leisure, come on down to breakfast when you wake up and are ready to start the day. In most places your natural alarm clock will be the sound of a laughing kookaburra or magpie outside your window encouraging you to seize the day. Don't worry these are peaceful sounds and very Australian!

Our trips operate with a maximum group size of 16 plus your Detours trip leader (with the exception of Mardi Gras departures which have a maximum group size of 30 plus two trip leaders). Ages of group members vary but the average travelers are in their 40's to 60's.  Whatever the age of the guys on our trips though, everyone's got something in common, an exciting new experience in a new country! The Australia trip will be led by your Detours trip leader(s) who are there to ensure everything goes off without a hitch, allowing you to focus on having the time of your life!

Traveling solo? No problem! About 60% of our travelers come solo and our trip will provide plenty of chances to meet great people both inside and outside of our group, including other solos. As far as your accommodations go, you’ve got two choices. We can either pair you up with another solo group member in a two-bed room, or you can have your own room for a reasonable surcharge.

Australia uses only one plug shape so it's important to bring a "Type I" plug shape on your trip here. Australian electricity runs on 220-240 V and 50 Hz. Please make sure your electronics accept 220 – 240 volts (V). If your device uses 110 – 120V, common in North America, you will need a step down transformer. However, these days, the majority of items that are plugged into an outlet are built to handle varying voltage and frequency levels, but just to be sure, we suggest checking your item for its accetable range.

To ensure you don't lose connection along the way, your cell phone provider likely has several roaming options available.  We suggest reaching out to them prior to the trip to find out which package is right for you as it will depend on how much you intend to use your phone while traveling.  Keep in mind that all accommodation and most restaurants have free WiFi available as well.