If you're spending some time in Australia - say a month or so - and plan to move around, and especially if you plan to work, it makes life a great deal easier if you open a bank account. To open an account in Australia, you'll need to take every piece of ID documentation you own; a passport may not be enough. Having said this, it's a surprisingly easy process, and can usually be done on the spot. A Commonwealth Bank passbook account is one of the best bets, as virtually all post office agencies double as Commonwealth Bank agents, which means you can be fairly sure to find one at the general store in even the smallest outback settlement.

International money transfers can be made from any bank in Australia to a nominated bank abroad and cost approximately AU$ 25. Transfers can take anywhere from a few days to several months. For moneygrams, you can make arrangements with either American Express moneygram (within Sydney TEL 02 9886 0666; elsewhere free call TEL 1800 230 100) or Western Union (within Brisbane TEL 07 3229 8610).

Australian currency is Australian Dollars, There are 100 cents to the dollar.

Money denominations are:-

Notes: $A5, $A10, $A15, $A20, $A50 and $A100

Coins: 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents, $A1 and $A2

1 and 2 cent coins are being phased out.