Australia travel

Shops and services are generally open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and until lunchtime on Saturday. In remote country areas, roadhouses provide all the essential services for the traveller and, on the major highways, are generally open 24 hours a day.

Service varies from waitress and waiter service to self-service. Bistros, cafes, family-style restaurants and pub lunches offer good food at reasonable prices... There are numerous speciality dishes and foods. Australia also offers an enormous variety of cuisines, including Italian, French, Greek, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Thai, Japanese, Indian, African, Lebanese and Korean.

Licensing hours in public bars are Mon-Sat 10:00-22:00, however most pubs are open until 24:00; Sunday hours vary. Restaurants, clubs and hotel lounges have more flexible hours.

Tourist attractions such as museums, galleries and attended historic monuments are often open daily, though those in rural communities may have erratic opening hours. Specific opening hours are given throughout the Guide.

Australia's arts festivals attract culture vultures from all over Australia to see mainstream and fringe drama, dance, music and visual arts. The jewel in Australia's touring rock festival crown is the annual Big Day Out, day-long showcase of major local and international bands, which hits most major cities in late January.