Mail
Every town of any size will have a post office , and where there isn't one there'll be an Australia Post agency , usually at the general store. Post offices and agencies are officially open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. Agencies might have an hour off during the day for lunch or close early, and big city GPOs sometimes open late or on Saturday morning. Out in the country it's rare to see postboxes, so you'll usually have to take your mail to the nearest post office or agency. Domestically , the mail service has a poor reputation, at least for long distances: it can take a week for a letter to get from Wittenoom (WA) to Wagga Wagga (NSW), though major cities have a guaranteed express delivery service to other major cities - worth the expense for important packages. On the other hand international mail is extremely efficient, taking five to ten days to reach Europe, Asia and the US, depending on where it's posted. Stamps are sold at some newsagents and general stores, as well as post offices and agencies. A standard letter or postcard within Australia costs 45c; printed aerogrammes for international letters anywhere in the world cost 70c; postcards cost 95c to the US and Canada, $1 to Europe; regular letters start at $1.05 to the US and Canada, $1.20 to Europe. If you're sending anything bigger in or outside Australia, there are many different ways to do it, all at different prices; get some advice from the post office. Large parcels are reasonably cheap to send home by surface mail, but it will take up to three months for them to get there. You can receive mail at any post office or agency: address the letter to Poste Restante (add "GPO" or "Central Post Office" for cities, unless you have the address of a particular branch), followed by the town, state and post code. You need a passport or other ID to collect mail, which is kept for a month and then returned; it's possible to get mail redirected if you change your plans - ask for a form at any post office. Some smaller post offices will allow you to phone and check if you have any mail waiting. Most hostels and hotels will also hold mail for you if it's clearly marked, preferably with a date of arrival, or holders of Amex cards or travellers' cheques can have it sent to American Express offices.
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Your Tip for Australia
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