Travels Information

Australia is an amazing country, and the mainland itself comprises most of the continent of Australia. Due to the country’s beauty and popularity, many people like to go there for holidays and business purposes alike. Since Australia is a foreign country, one must apply for a visa to go there. There are many requirements for acquiring a visa, and depending on why you want to visit Australia, a different kind of visa will be necessary.

For those who want to move permanently to Australia and become a worker of some sort, a skilled immigration visa is appropriate. To apply for this visa, you should be forty five years of age or less, be proficient in English, know what occupation you are going to apply for, and be able to prove that you are competent in that profession. To do this, you must pass an exam and show documentation of experience in the field. Also, if English is a secondary language of an applicant, they must pass an additional test showing they are fluent in the language.

If you have an Australian family member who is willing to sponsor your visit to Australia, and usually allow you to take residence with them, then obtaining a visa can be somewhat simpler. The sponsor guarantees that the visitor will leave Australia before the visa expires, and if they fail to ensure this, stiff penalties apply. This visa should be used for anyone visiting family, and if there is no business or medical activity occurring. The family member pays the application fee (upon which the visitor can reimburse their family upon arrival), and may also need to cover a security bond. The terms of this visa allows the holder to visit once, but stay between three and twelve months. Only under special circumstances are people allowed to stay for a full year on this visa.

The Electronic Travel Application has made getting a visa to Australia easier than ever, as the process can be done on the Internet. There are three kinds of ETAs, known as holiday and visiting, short stay business, and long stay business. Holiday ETAs allow people to enter the country multiple times over a period of a year. However, each visit is supposed to be limited to three months or shorter.

Short stay business visas are for businesspeople that come to Australia occasionally for meetings or other things of that nature. Those who travel frequently would not be suited to this type of ETA, as it only permits one visit every three months. Long stay ETAs are actually quite similar to short term ETAs, except you are allowed to stay for at most three months on your trip.

Since ETAs can be obtained online, many people take this route, as it is the simplest. Several websites offer ETA processing, and all they require is a valid passport, credit card, and some other identifying information. After completion of an application, a reference number is provided so the user can go back to the website later to check their status, as well as print materials.

A basic visa application, for most types except sponsored family, is around $55. If you go through a website and utilize ETA, there may be additional fees that are contingent on the site itself. Most people are willing to pay these fees in exchange for the convenience of being able to get a visa online.

Article by Daniel Millions
Traveling to Australia? Get your Australia Visa here, you can also purchase Australian Visas for your entire family.

The very idea of exerting yourself on a package holiday to Tenerife may sound appalling to some, but for those of a less sedentary lifestyle, the Tenerife’s sports may offer the perfect way to spend the day ahead of alcohol filled club nights. Activity holidays in Tenerife are quite popular, and there’s a wide range of sports on the island. Here are some of the most notable - either for their quality or for their, erm, uniqueness!

Lucha Canaria

This Tenerife sport is straight from the more unusual end - Lurcha Canaria is a variant of a game played by hundreds of pub goers unofficially at closing time! Basically this is a fight between two men in a ring, where the winner is the one who manages to make the other touch the floor with any part of their body (feet excluded!) Typically Lucha Canaria is fought between two teams of 12, with the winners being declared after defeating all the other players on the opposite team. It’s unlikely you’ll be partaking in this, but it’s good to know not to try to break up what seems to be a beach brawl on your package holiday in Tenerife!

Golf

Tenerife is enjoying a growing reputation as a golf haven, due in no small part to its wonderful climate allowing the sport to be played all year round. If golf courses always seemed a bit too formal, but you were looking for a chance to fall in love with the game, then learning the sport in Tenerife could be the answer. There’s no membership required at ay of the clubs, you can hire all the equipment locally for a small few and each club promotes a very casual atmosphere. Finding a course nearby shouldn’t be a problem, with several clubs on the island: Playa Las Americas, Golf Del Sur, Los Palos Golf, Golf Adeje, Amarilla Golf and Golf Club Real.

Surfing

Surfing and wind surfing enthusiasts will find a natural home here. With the warm weather and crisp blue waters, it’s hard to imagine a better place to windsurf on Earth than in Tenerife. My pick of places to try this is El Medano - an open and very flat beach. It’s windy without being choppy, making it the perfect place for the sport in Tenerife.

Scuba and Snorkelling

The underwater volcanic rock formations, the sea’s temperature and the interesting range of sea life make Tenerife a great place to go diving - and it’s also a great place to learn for first timers. Newcomers to the Tenerife sport will be able to get the internationally recognised PADI Scuba Divers’ Certificate quickly and safely and enjoy the waters around the island in no time. The best places to head for scuba diving and snorkelling in Tenerife include Puerto de Santiago, Playa San Juan, La Caletta and Buena Vista.

Hiking

If hiking sounds like your idea of a good time, then Tenerife will be paradise! The scenery is simply outstanding, and it’s very easy to find one to match your stamina and ability. The National Park de las Canadas has 21 marked trails, and the Anaya mountain region and Valle de la Orotava regions have plenty of options as well.

With so many diverse sports to try, it’s no wonder so many people pick Tenerife for an activity holiday. Others will think exercise on vacation misses the point, but for those with the energy, these activities can be an unbeatable part of a package holiday to Tenerife.

Article by Daniel Eyre
Daniel Eyre is the Product Manager of Search Travel Online. Search Travel Online is part of the Co-operative Group, specialising in package holidays to Tenerife the Algarve, Costa Brava, Majorca, Costa Dorada, Costa del Sol, Andorra, Egypt, and Malta.