Pre-departure Information Australia - Inala Group Tours

Thank-you for choosing Inala Nature Tours to prepare your exciting adventure to Australia!  Below is information that will be useful to you in the planning and packing stage of your trip.  We wish you a wonderful tour and look forward to sharing this experience with you.

• This document has been built over the years in response to questions from guests and we hope it has become comprehensive, but please never hesitate to ask us further questions at any stage. 

Trip cancellation insurance

• Tours within Australia 
  We strongly recommend that you arrange travel insurance when booking any length of trip, to cover you for any financial losses incurred for cancellation due to unforeseen circumstances. 

• International Tours 
  Comprehensive Travel Insurance is a requirement for all international tour participants. 

Health

The following links contain information on health requirements. We advise all clients to seek advice on recommended vaccinations and precautions from a health professional - either a GP, practice nurse, a pharmacist or a travel health clinic - ideally at least eight weeks before departure. Further travel health advice can be found on Travel Health Pro and Fit for travel and the Australian government website

Inala Nature Tours acknowledges it has a duty of care for the health of guests and guides whilst on tour with us and takes every precaution to ensure guests’ safety while on tour. We also undertake to keep up to date with current health advice.

The Australian Government does not currently have any COVID-19 requirements in place for travellers entering and departing Australia, and within Australia there are currently no COVID-19 related requirements or restrictions.  

COVID-19 does, however, continue to pose a health risk in Australia and overseas. We strongly encourage being vaccinated, testing regularly, and following good cough and hand hygiene as well as physically distancing from others where possible. Whilst it is not compulsory to wear a mask, we recommend N95 masks as an effective measure to reduce the chances of transmission of COVID-19 and other airborne viruses. In particular, we recommend that guests and guides wear N95 masks during your plane travel leading up to the tour and whilst in Inala vehicles, especially in the first three days of a tour. These steps will help to keep all our guests and staff safe and well during their tours with Inala.   

To mitigate and manage the risks on tour, all Inala guides have first aid certification, tour vehicles have health supplies (masks, sanitiser) in the event someone does fall ill on tour, we minimise contact with large groups of people - we spend much of the touring time out in nature, we encourage physical distancing where possible, hygiene measures are in place such as frequent cleaning of vehicles and any shared items, we are mindful of ensuring ventilation when touring in vehicles by opening windows where practicable and having air conditioning set to external flow and we reduce the number of shared items to a minimum.

To assist us in the management of health and safety on tour please cooperate with the measures we have outlined above and communicate with your guide as soon as you feel unwell. Do the same things for us that you are doing to keep your own family and friends healthy and well. This includes frequent handwashing, covering your nose and mouth when you need to cough or sneeze with the crook of your arm or clean tissue and observing rules for physical distancing.

Visa and Entry Requirements

A valid passport is required and must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of travel. 

Visas: Are required for entry into Australia. 

For travelers from the UK: Please see the travel visa website 

For travellers from the USA: Please see the travel visa website

Climate

Australia is a huge country with a very varied climate. Please see the following links for average climate data (temperature, rainfall etc) in the areas you will be visiting.   Weather in Australia

What to bring?

Click here for a link to a suggested Packing Checklist

Pelagic
If you are taking a Pelagic Birding Trip in Tasmania while on tour with us, this separate page has all the information that you will need.

Photographers

Photography is always welcomed and encouraged on our group tours, but please bear in mind that unless specifically stated, these are foremost group nature tours and are not designed as specific photographic expeditions. Our focus is to obtain maximum bird and wildlife sightings, not to spend significant time photographing. Therefore, we respectfully ask photographers to abide by the instructions of the tour leader when they feel that it’s in the groups’ interests to leave a sighting and move on, even if the "ultimate" shot has not yet been obtained. More ardent photographers are welcome to discuss a private tour with us that can be designed specifically around photography.

Electricity

Power plugs and sockets in Australia are of type 1.  The standard voltage is 240V and the standard frequency is 50HZ.  A power adaptor will be required for those travelling from most international destinations including the USA and UK. Please note that an adapter will be required for any US equipment brought into Australia to cope with the large increase in voltage between the two countries (UK/Europe is similar so not such an issue). 

Communications

Mobile coverage is limited in remote areas.  You can purchase a SIM card at arrival at the airport in Australia  or an E-sim in advance of your arrival. 

Optus, Telstra and Vodafone are the three largest providers

To call Australia from overseas dial: + 61 - area code - telephone number

For calls to international destinations from Australia dial: 0011 – country code (1 for USA and 44 for UK) - area code – telephone number

Wifi - While it is possible that the majority of your accommodations will have complimentary wifi, please do not expect this to be the case in remote areas.  If the remote locations do have wifi, it can also be weather dependent and they may have restrictions on data use/speed. 

Safety & Emergencies

Australia is a reasonably safe country. However, visitors should take customary steps to safeguard their valuables.  Leave your passport in the hotel's safety deposit box and carry a copy of it with you.  

You will be issued with an emergency contact information sheet that will be specific for your travel arrangements. Please note that the first point of contact should always be the Inala office. 

Inala Nature Tours - phone number + 61 3 6293 1217 becomes 03 6293 1217 within Australia.   

Money 

Australia’s currency is the Australian Dollar (AUD$) which is divided into cents. As a guide, here is a link to the current exchange rate for USD and GBP.  Australian cash can be acquired at the banks of most international ports of departure to Australia or at Travelex booths in Australian airports. 

You may also like to consider obtaining a travel card which is pre-loaded with AUD$ before departure. 

Visa and MasterCard are the favourites, with Amex and Diners Club not so widely accepted. Credit card payments often incur an additional charge.  It is always worthwhile to check with your bank to determine whether your card will work in Australia.  ATMs are available in most major urban centres where you can withdraw cash from a credit or debit card although some rural or remote locations won’t have these.

Tipping  “Always appreciated, never expected”

Tipping is not required or expected in Australia and prices usually already include goods and services tax (GST) which is equivalent to VAT.  However, if you feel that your guide/s, a staff member or any service provider, has done an outstanding job or gone above your expectations, it is appropriate to give them a tip in appreciation, a recommended amount is approx. 10% of a meal/service charge, and AU$10-20 per day for a tour guide.

General Etiquette whilst on a Group Tour:

At Inala Nature Tours we are constantly striving to provide tours of the highest quality.  These tours require an immense amount of preparation and are carefully designed to provide an unforgettable tour experience.  Many of our travellers are avid birders and often have similar goals to other group participants, but we are also aware that specific interests, personalities and behaviours can differ greatly from person to person. Healthy group dynamics ensures that each tour can be enjoyed to its full potential, and the following points provide a general guideline of etiquette that should be considered whilst on tour.  If you have any questions or concerns about these points, please ask the Inala tour leader.

• Track rotation – when walking on a narrow track, rotating the person order at regular intervals allows everyone to be at the front of the group for a period of time.  In smaller groups the tour leader will always be at the front, and in larger groups, there will also be a guide stationed at the back of the group.  Please take direction from the tour leader when asked.  Once a bird (or plant, animal, or something else for your viewing pleasure) is viewable, the tour leader will step out of the way as much as possible so all participants have a good view.
• Vehicle seat rotation – each tour will have slightly different modes of transport, so it is important to take direction from the tour leader who will explain the vehicle rotation system to you at the start of the tour.  Rotating seats gives everyone different viewing opportunities and also allows for greater group conversation.
• Viewing through the spotting scope – the main thing to remember is that when it is the first time that the group has seen something new, everyone has a brief view so that as many of the group can see the object before it moves off.  Five seconds or less is a good standard.  Once all the participants have had a good look through the scope then it is entirely appropriate to have a longer second view.  Please remain patient whilst it is your turn to wait for a view through the scope, and if it is raining, please shield the eyepiece of the scope with either the scope cover or your hand from the time you stop looking to when the next participant arrives.  If you feel that any individual is not sharing the scope in a fair manner, please raise this privately with the tour leader.
• Talking – please keep noise levels to moderate levels whilst out in the field looking for birds and other animals.  High noise levels make it difficult for the tour leader to listen for critical calls, and in general, you are more likely to see more wildlife if noise levels remain low.  Please use your discretion on when it is appropriate to engage in conversation with your tour leader or fellow participants.
• Call playback – it is very important to maintain complete silence if the tour leader is playing back a bird call.  Not only can repeated playback cause distress to a bird, extra noise can have a detrimental impact on the group’s ability to see the bird as it may not appear.  We use playback as little as possible so as to minimally impact the bird.  Please never use your own playback apps during the tour.
• Wide-brimmed hats – we welcome you wearing wide-brimmed hats for their many benefits, but it is great if they have a chin/neck-string so you can easily remove the hat when waiting to look through the spotting scope or if you feel your hat may be reducing the viewing ability of other group participants standing behind you!
• Appropriate clothing - as a general rule, dark, neutral colors such as browns, greys, blacks, dark blue, dark green and khaki are preferable. Bright colors such as yellows, white, pale blues, pale greens, pinks, red and oranges are not recommended, especially while birding in forested zones. We find that the combination of wearing the appropriate clothing while taking careful measures to not talk and not move too abruptly helps significantly when searching for forest skulkers. Other items of clothing such as rain pants that crinkle while walking through a forest are also detrimental to the group’s success of finding birds close to the trail, especially some of the shier forest species. The same goes for squeaky rain boots and rain jackets, which can make loud noises while walking through a quiet forest or make it harder for the guides to hear the bird calls.
• Laser pointers – only to be used by the tour leader, and then only rarely and where appropriate.  If you have a visual on the target bird and the tour leader does not, then it can be appropriate to ask to use the leader’s laser pointer.  If this occurs, please do not shine the pointer directly on the bird, rather position the beam to the side, sufficiently away so not to startle, frighten or harm  it in any way
• Photography – there are a couple of ground rules for group tour photography, especially when the tour is not primarily a photography tour but rather a general nature and wildlife tour
  • Please listen carefully to the tour leader, and it is only appropriate to move closer to photograph a bird/animal if the leader has given the go ahead 
  • Do not deliberately step in front of another participant to get a photo
  • We understand some photography equipment is large, so please try not to inadvertently knock other participants with your camera
  • Please do not use flash photography unless the tour leader has OK’d its use
  • Inala Nature Tours does not condone disturbing a bird/animal just for a better photograph
  • The tour leader will have the final say when it comes to moving on after a sighting based on the group as a whole
• Punctuality – being punctual is important for the general flow of the tour as everything will run smoothly and on time
• Fitness – Unless we have mentioned it specifically in a tour itinerary, our tours do not require a high level of fitness but participants should be in good general health as there will always be some walking involved and it is very likely you will be occasionally walking on  forest trails, beaches or other similar unstable ground.  Please let us know of any physical limitations on the Inala Tour Booking form that we will send out for your completion.

Rooming

• When you book a double room - the bedroom may come with one double, queen or king bed, it is variable between suppliers.
• When you book a twin room - the bedroom may come with 2 x single beds OR more often 1 x single bed and 1 x double/queen/king bed , it is rather variable between suppliers.
  Most double and twin rooms are en-suite ( with a bathroom privately adjoined to your bedroom) however very occasionally at a few locations, there may be a separate bathroom you share with one other bedroom; for example in a large cottage where there is a shared living area, kitchen and bathroom with two private bedrooms)
• When you book a single supplement you will always have your own private bedroom and we do our best to ensure you will have your own en-suite bathroom, however very occasionally at a few locations, there may be a separate bathroom you share with one other bedroom.
• Note for international guests, a bathroom in Australia only rarely has an actual bathtub in it and usually contains a shower, wash sink and toilet. (The term bathroom is also often used to refer to a ‘toilet only’ when out in public)

General notes

• Many accommodations will have laundry facilities (Including if you are staying at an Inala cottage)
• Most accommodations have an iron if you wish to press any clothes, but it cannot be relied upon.
• On guided tours, your guide will have sunscreen, insect repellant, hand sanitiser etc. if you do not wish to bring large containers with you.
• In all our tours we are doing our very best to minimise any waste, we greatly appreciate any reusable items you can bring with you such as water bottles to prevent plastic bottle use.  The water in Tasmania is clean and delicious.  On guided tours, your guide will always have a large container of water to help you refill during the day.

RESPONSIBILITY

The above information is intended as a guide only. In no way do Inala Nature Tours claim to be the final word on medical matters, travel documents or other tour related subjects mentioned above.  You are responsible for checking and verifying any and all passport, visa, vaccination, or other entry requirements of your destination(s) and all conditions regarding health, safety, security, political stability, and labor or civil unrest at such destination(s).  You hereby release Inala-Bruny Island Pty Ltd trading as Inala Nature Tours from all claims arising out of any problem covered in this paragraph.   Further information in our terms and conditions

Suggested Reading

Below is a list of books and apps that you may enjoy reading in advance or taking on tour.  
Australia/Tasmania Books and Apps.

Further FAQ's about Small group tours

Terms and Conditions