I would like to know the rate of personal income imposed on the individual in Australia. I just wondered how heavily taxed is the average indivdual. — Cherrie, USA

[Updated with the new tax rates and average earning figure.]

Australians probably don’t pay the highest tax rates in the world, but neither do we pay the lowest. In turn for handing over our hard-earned dollars, we have quite generous (by world standards) policies regarding social welfare and universal health cover, and various other things that are generally seen as good things but cost a bunch of money to maintain. All the same, you’ll find many Aussies (especially those with higher incomes, paying more tax) are more than happy to whinge to you about it.

Income tax for residents is:

• $1 to $6000 – no tax
• $6001 to $25,000 – 15% of each dollar over $6000
• $25,001 to $75,000 – $2,850 plus 30% of each dollar over $25,000
• $75,001 to $150,000 – $17,850 plus 40% of each dollar over $75,000
• $150,001 and above – $47,850 plus 45% of each dollar over $150,000

There’s an extra 1.5% tax for Medicare. Various deductions and offsets apply, depending on circumstances. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the average earnings is $1,162.20 per week, or $60,434.40 per year. Presumbly Mr or Ms Average is paying $13,480.32 in tax out of that, plus $906.52 Medicare tax.

And of course, this is all in Australian dollars. Sometimes it’s known as the Aussie Peso, but at the time of writing, the A$ is worth about US$0.93, close to the highest in years. (For Australians reading who don’t fully understand the international currency market, this does NOT mean you should avoid being paid one dollar coins because they’re worth less.)

• Australian Taxation Office: Individual income tax rates
• Australian Bureau of Statistics: Average weekly earnings

did pual hogan star in a mini series on the bbc in the 80s about the first world war anzacs if so what was it called — Brian

Some of us Aussies recall Paul Hogan before he peaked doing with the Croc Dundee films, sold out to Hollywood, dumped the missus and ran off with a blonde. The Paul Hogan show in the early-80s (or was it the late-70s, or both?) was a total kak-fest. I have particular fondness for the Rod Stewart impersonations and for dare-devil Leo Wanker.

Since then his career has gone a bit downhill, culminating in the 2004 film with Michael Caton, Stange Bedfellows, a movie so bad that it’s not linked from Hogan’s Wikipedia page. I only saw it because they filmed it in my girlfriend’s grandparents’ house. Mind you, the gaggle of old ladies sitting behind us seemed to enjoy it.

But you were asking about the mini-series about the ANZACs. Funnily enough, it was called Anzacs, and was released in 1985, released as Anzacs: The War Down Under in some areas, which is a pretty odd title given that none of the fighting took place on Australian soil. I bet it was given that title for American sales, back when Australia was “flavour of the month”.

If you want to catch it again, apparently it was put out on VHS in the US (available via Amazon.com), though reviewers on IMDB caution against this truncated movie version, which apparently chopped five movie-length episodes of material down to only about two hours. The original is available on DVD from the ABC Shop for A$79.95, or the DVDPlaza price comparison shows prices from A$68.30. (You’ll need a DVD setup that can play Region 4 PAL discs).

• Detailed review of the DVD release

(With assistance from Josh Parris)

Can I order large quan. of 0 carb., 0 sugar chocolate bars from Darrell Lea Chocolate Shops, for shipping to the U.S.? — Helen, USA

Frankly the prospect of this didn’t sound all that appealing to me. I wondered if it would actually taste like chocolate. Not that I’m doubting your choice, of course, but zero sugar…?!?

So I tried some, and you know what? It’s not half bad. No doubt the Splenda sweetner that’s in it helps the taste a bit. Darrell Lea’s web site actually says it’s low carb, by the way, not zero. At A$2.40 per 50 gram bar, it’s not the cheapest, and it’s not exactly fat-free, at 2110Kj (504 calories) per 100 grams.

As for ordering it online, alas no. While Darrell Lea does have a web site which details its product range and shop locations, they don’t do online ordering. A rather 20th century notion, certainly, but perhaps understandable for a relatively small company. Maybe one day they’ll join the modern age and let you order your choccies online, though to be fair, I can’t immediately think of any chocolate shops that let you order online. Most appear to rely on Real World retail.

The good news, however, is that Darrell Lea have international distributors, including in the USA. It’s a bit hard to tell from the distributor’s web site exactly what they sell though: if no luck there, try Darrell Lea’s Customer Service people.

And if you do get hold of lots of it, don’t eat it all at once. The packet warns that “Excess consumption may have a laxative effect.”

I have heard of a technique called “shotgunning a TimTam” could you explain how this is done? — Di, UK

Ah, Tim Tams – quite definitely the food of the gods, and probably the favourite chocolate biscuit of Australians.

Now, as for shotgunning a Tim Tam… some might not have heard the term before (it’s also known as the Tim Tam Slam), but I know precisely what you’re talking about, as I suspect do most Australians with Tim Tam experience.

I wasn’t quite sure if this Tim Tam secret could be revealed to people who aren’t Australian citizens, but I checked with the various interested government departments, and with Arnotts, and I have got the all clear to reveal all, provided you all find a packet and try it.

The original version of this article merely listed the steps, but a better way to demonstrate is using video:

The steps in detail:

1. Prepare a drink. It can be hot or cold, whatever your preference. Milk is my favourite, but coffee is good for those who like the stuff.
2. Take Tim Tam from the packet, and try to resist the temptation to just scarf it all down.
3. Take a small bite out of one corner. Let your tastebuds wallow in it for a moment, then take a small bite out of the opposite corner. Ditto.
4. Dip one end into your drink
5. Suck. Go on, SUCK!
6. Your drink will come slowly up into your mouth, along with little bits of Tim Tam. Mmmmm….
7. Keep going until the Tim Tam hull integrity is breached. You’ll know this is happening when the whole thing starts to collapse in your hand. Gobble it up pronto, and allow your tastebuds to enjoy what is best described as a tastebud orgasm.
8. Find the packet and return to step 2.

Links:

• Arnotts, makers of Tim Tams
• Wikipedia: Tim Tams
• Wikipedia: Tim Tam Slam
• More Tim Tam Slam videos

What’s the best way of getting around Australia? — Various people

Ah yes, this is something some tourists may not quite think to ask when first planning a visit. Australia is about the size of Continental Western Europe or the main bits of the USA. So assuming you’re not limiting yourself to one city while you’re here (and yeah, some do just come and visit the Sydney Opera House, climb the bridge, ride a ferry, go to the zoo and the Blue Mountains, and then go home), you’ll need to figure out how you’re getting around this big brown land.

Your basic choices are: Plane / train / bus / drive / boat. Or walk or bicycle, but we’ll skip that for this particular explanation. And yogic flying is generally not recommended due to the distances involved.

Flying used to be very expensive, but airline competition in the last few years means it’s no longer necessarily the most pricey way to travel. Qantas and particularly Virgin Blue and Jetstar are now fighting for your airfare dollar, and the cheapest plane tickets are often not much more than the cost of a bus. So if you’re not interested in seeing the scenery along the way (apart from clouds and nice views of the cities as you flew in and out), and especially if you’re flying between capital cities and in a hurry, this is the way to go. Smaller local airlines cover some of the regional cities.

Note however that the cheapest air tickets are generally non-refundable and non-changeable, so you need to be absolutely certain of when and where you intend to fly. Check all the terms and conditions carefully, like that doozy with Jetstar whereby if you’re not checked-in 30 minutes before takeoff, they won’t let you board, full stop. Ground transport can also add a bit to the cost (a taxi could be more expensive than a cheap airfare), though most cities have relatively inexpensive airport buses. (Sydney and Brisbane also have airport trains.) Oh, and expect to pay extra for food and drink on Jetstar and Virgin.

Trains and buses continue to be a good option for some trips. Apart from Darwin by train, they generally serve the city centres, which may mean no extra time or money for ground transport. Booking ahead will often get discounts, and passes can be bought for extended bouts of travelling. They also serve the smaller towns, whereas you can generally only get to the bigger cities by plane.

The scenery can be terrific, indeed the (fairly expensive) tourist trains such as The Overland, Ghan and Indian Pacific use this as the drawcard. Sipping champagne while watching the countryside rolling past outside the window sounds pretty civilised to me (as long as the company is good), though they’re not known for their speed.

The Melbourne to Sydney and Brisbane XPT trains are a little less salubrious, but still reasonably comfortable, and a little faster. If you’re looking for TGV-style very fast trains in Australia though, you’ll be disappointed.

Bumping around in a bus (major operators: Greyhound, Firefly) making quick stops for meals at road houses may be a little less comfortable than a train, but you’ll get where you’re going on the cheap, and buses go to plenty of the smaller towns where planes and trains don’t stop.

Driving is also an option. Many overseas backpackers either buy an old car (colloquially known as a “shitbox”) for the length of their holiday, or rent cars for particular trips. Obviously this is the way to go if no public transport serves where you’re going, and a taxi isn’t do-able, or you just want to do things at precisely your own pace.

Visitors from overseas should make sure they have a licence in English or an International Driving Permit. And for gawd sake don’t forget we drive on the left, and read up on the fiddly rules for where you’re going. (Hook turn, anybody?) If heading out into the bush from a big city, you may want to plan to make the first part of the trip by other means if heavy traffic freaks you out, and if going into the remote areas, take appropriate precautions: food, drink, comms.

The main candidate for travelling by boat is to from the mainland to the northern side of Tasmania. There are various classes of fare (the trip is overnight) and they can take cars on the boat. Avoid of seasick, natch.

So in summary, weigh up your options according to the priorities: destination vs money (some services have travel passes) vs time vs comfort.

PS. Please note: No, there is no bridge to New Zealand. And Uluru is not a day trip from Sydney.

My fiancé and I are going to visit my son in February and I remember that on past visits, we needed some sort of special adaptor in order to use our US appliances (shaver, hair dryer, etc.) I also remember that the electricity in Australia is different from Europe, thus the “regular” adaptors don’t work. Do you know what we might need and where we could get it? — Jo, USA

What you don’t want to do is what an American visitor of mine once did — just come over with your hair-dryer, plug it in and discover it doesn’t work. Thankfully on that occasion it didn’t explode or melt or short out the whole neighbourhood, but if she’d only asked first, she’d have avoided carrying it all that way.

So anyway, the quick facts on Australian electricity are these: It’s 230 volts at 50 hertz*, which is broadly the same as the European standard. But it uses a different plug.

Thus people from Europe, most of Asia and Africa and any others who use appliances taking 220-240 volts can bring their appliances to Australia, and all they’ll need is a plug adapter, which is available widely in Australia at electronics or travel shops for about A$10.

Those people in 110-120 volt countries, which includes most of North and South America, will need to either make sure their appliance can accept the higher 230 volts (which is common in devices such as laptop computers, shavers and cameras), or spend up big on a transformer to convert the mains voltage down. Such a transformer can be quite pricey, even a low-capacity one costing around A$60 (for a measley 25 watts), so it’s not normally cost-efficient for visitors. I mean, you’d have to really like your hairdryer to go and spent a bunch of money on a transformer to be able to use it for a few weeks’ visit.

The exception is hotels, many of which will have 110 volt power points specifically designed for our American friends to plug their favourite gear into. If most or all of your stay is in such establishments, it’s worth asking if they have such points.

• *Traditionally it was 240 volts, but this standard was changed in 2000 to be 230 volts with an allowed variance of +10% and -6%.
• Wikipedia’s list of countries and their voltages, frequencies and plug types

I’ve a mate who’s just got back from Australia. While there he visited your big rock & insists that there’s a McDonalds on top of it! Please tell me he’s yankin’ my chain. – Anonymous, Netherlands

As ghastly as it may sound, yes, I’m afraid there now is a McDonald’s on top of Uluru:

You can even get a McOz – the (probably unique) Australian burger with beetroot on it. Also available are the McRooBurger and the McWitchety-Grub. Yum!

Thankfully no more fast food outlets will be going up there. No KFC or Pizza Hut. Maccas have exclusive rights.

Okay okay, so I made most of that up. Except for the McOz burger, that’s real.

In truth, there is nothing like that on the top, and Uluru is considered a sacred place by the local tribes, and they ask tourists not to climb up. Not even for French Fries.

(Updated December 2006; originally posted July 2000)

Hi, i’m from the Bahamas and plan to travel to Australia. I hate when i get the question “Do you guys live in huts in the Bahamas”, but i will ask if there is any black people there at all. I heard there is alot of racism there and i dont want to listen to hear say so i’d rather ask someone that lives there. — Denika, Bahamas

Australia was founded on immigrants supplanting (and alas, in many cases replacing) the indigenous population. People from all over the world have settled here, and come to visit, and by-and-large I think we’ve all managed to get along fairly well together.

That said, there are some people, especially outside the big cities, who are rather less used to encountering people who don’t look just like them. And while in the past few decades there have been influxes of people from Europe, Asia and the Middle East, there have been rather less from Africa and the Caribbean, and these less common ethnic groups may stand out more from the rest at times. So to answer your question, it’s not like there are no black people, but they’re not particularly common in some areas.

As in any country of roughly 20 million people, you may find a small minority who show racist traits. A minority. You may never encounter these people, and you may never have any problems with it.

I don’t think racism is a common problem, or that it’s entrenched in society, but it would be untruthful to say it doesn’t exist. And someone who draws more of that kind of attention than I do might certainly have a differing view.

I work in a casino as a dealer here in the Bahamas, and was wondering if you had casinos there. — Denika, Bahamas

Is there anything more garish than a casino? The bright flashing lights… the beeping of machines… the well-worn carpet… the crisply dressed attendants… and the smell of cash being spent by the bucket-load by gullible gamblers, many of whom appear to be under the delusion that it’s a way to make money, rather than being for entertainment purposes.

Gambling is legal, but heavily regulated in Australia. While there are poker machines in many pubs and clubs around the country, casinos are pretty much limited to one or two in each capital city of Australia, plus a few more in such tourist areas as the Gold Coast (Queensland). See Casinos in Australia (Wikipedia).

(Denika also asked about racism in Australia, which I’ll cover in a separate answer.)

Spiders scare the bejeezers out of me. Just how common and how big are spiders in Australia? — James, probably UK

Despite the fears (particularly among the English, it seems) of Australia being overrun with gigantic spiders, snakes and other such deadly creatures, they’re not actually that common. At least, not in plague proportions or anything.

In urban areas, snakes are pretty rare. You’d almost certainly have to go looking hard to find any, and if you’re foolish enough to stomping about in long grass with no foot or leg protection, then you might get into some trouble.

Spiders are less rare, but most of the really scary big ones (eg huntsman) are relatively harmless, at least physically. (I’m not going to argue that psychologically they might scare the crap out of you… they certainly have that affect on me.) The few dangerous spiders tend to be the smaller ones such as the redback and the Sydney funnelweb.

A survey by the ABS showed a mere 1.2% of the population noted bite or sting in the previous four weeks. The figures included bites from snakes, spiders, dogs, but not insects such as mosquitos. It doesn’t comment on whether bites from small children or other humans were included.

Under 15% of those bitten resulted in poisoning.

While it always pays to be aware of your surroundings, and not to place yourself in danger of bites from snakes or spiders or man-eating tigers, none of them are common, and shouldn’t hold you back having a good time visiting. And carry a big stick if it makes you feel safer.

PS. Spiders scare the bejeezers out of me too.