Sunsail – Australia

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Australia - Essential Holiday Information

Sunsail Whitsundays
Hamilton Marina
PO Box 65
Hamilton Island
Queensland 4803
Australia
Base Manager: Brett Childs
Tel: 00 61 749 469 900
Fax: 00 61 749 48 9514

Please note this number is NOT staffed full time.

TIME
• Time difference between the UK and Australia + 10 hours

LANGUAGE
• English

PASSPORT & VISAS
• Please ensure your passport is valid for the period of travel and for six months after you return.
• Your passport name must match the name on the flight ticket otherwise you may not be able to travel and insurance may be invalid.
• If your child is not already included on a valid British Passport they are required to hold their own passport.
• A Visa or an Electronic Travel Authority (for tourists travelling to Australia for less than 3 months) is required by all persons entering the country (except residents of New Zealand) and must be obtained before departure.
The ETA costing £15 can be issued by Sunsail. Please contact your booking office for more details.
• Non-British passport holders should check with their local Consulate direct.

VACCINATIONS
• Immunisation against Yellow Fever is essential if arriving within 6 days of having visited an infected country.
• Please refer to the Department of Health's 'EHIC and health advice for travellers' web page at www.dh.gov.uk or consult your family GP for further details.

FLIGHTS
• Gatwick Information 0870 000 2468
• Heathrow Information 0870 000 0123
• Manchester Information 0161 489 3000
• Luton Information 0158 240 5100
• Glasgow Information 0141 887 1111
• Luggage allowance is 20kg per person. Only one item of hand luggage per person is allowed and this must not weigh more than 5kg. For storage aboard we recommend traveling light and using folding luggage.
• Lost or damaged luggage whilst flying is the responsibility of the airline and is not covered by your travel insurance, however First Choice Airways has no liability for loss or damage to valuable or fragile items packed in hold baggage however caused. You must not include in Checked Baggage money, jewellery, precious metals, computers, personal electronic devices, negotiable papers, securities or other valuables, business documents, passports and other identification documents or samples.
• If an incident occurs, immediately report it to airport officials and ensure Property Irregularity Reports (PIR) are completed. Claims will not be considered once you have left the airport.
• If you are taking our First Choice Charter flights and wish to enquire about pre booking seats please call the airline direct on 0870 757 2757. Group seats are available for pre booking through Sunsail. Call the team for more details.
• SAVE UPTO 30% when you book your airport parking with BCP through Sunsail. Call the team for more details quoting Sunsail reference BN545

AIRPORTS
• Clients chartering in the Whitsundays will clear customs at Sydney before going on to board a connecting flight to Hamilton Island Airport or Proserpine Airport at Airlie Beach.

CURRENCY
• The currency throughout Australia is the Australian dollar (AUS$).
• All major credit cards are widely accepted and there is currently no purchase tax.
• Tipping is purely discretionary.
• Currency can be exchanged commission free at any high street First Choice Retail travel agent on production of your Sunsail invoice. You can pre-order your currency from a First Choice travel agent by telephoning them in advance on 0870 9005154 to find your nearest branch.

TRANSFERS
• Hamilton Island - clients will be transferred to our base by courtesy bus, which takes about 5 minutes.
• Hayman Island - clients will be met at Hamilton Island Airport and transferred to the marina, approximately 45 minutes away, by luxury launch.
• Airlie Beach - clients can take a taxi or a bus which meets all flights at Proserpine Airport. The transfer to Abel Point Marina will take just 30 minutes and costs between AUS$38 and AUS$55.
• PLEASE NOTE: Guests arriving separately should bring a copy of the charter contract.

CUSTOMS & IMMIGRATION
• You will need to clear Customs and Immigration before leaving the airport.
• A landing card will be issued on the plane.
• Airlines will assume no liability for perishable articles, e.g. food, which may also be confiscated by Customs.

BRIEFINGS
• The personalised chart briefing given on your arrival describes the cruising area and any potential hazards.
• The yacht briefing introduces you to your yacht, it’s systems and rigging. It is carried out individually for each yacht. It is important that all systems and equipment are fully understood. Briefings are mandatory.

SAFETY
• All yachts are equipped with life jackets and a harness for everyone on board. We leave it up to you to decide when personal safety equipment should be worn.
• We suggest that children who are not strong swimmers should not be allowed in a dinghy without a life jacket or buoyancy aid and that they should wear a buoyancy aid or harness when on deck.
• Children under the age of 16yrs should not operate an outboard engine.

Illness or injury
• Contact a member of Sunsail staff as soon as possible on either a lead boat or at Sunsail base or Club.
• If you need to make a claim for curtailment due to illness, ask the base manager for assistance and contact your insurer’s emergency medical service immediately.
• Your insurance company will assist with travel arrangements, advice and payment of bills.
• Obtain receipts for any medication, treatment or transport you have to pay for and submit with your claim.

ACCOMMODATION & EXCURSIONS
• There are tourism offices and information centres in all major towns.
• Accommodation and activities can also be arranged through your booking office, e.g. a luxury room in a resort in the Whitsundays, a trip to the Great Barrier Reef and scuba diving.

PROVISIONING
• You can provision online before you depart. The provisioning pages will confirm the latest order date for your chosen destination.
• Self provisioning in the Whitsunday islands can be expensive therefore we recommend using the online provisioning service.

THE MARINA
Facilities adjacent to the base include:
• Overnight accommodation
• Restaurants
• Bars
• Selection of shops
• Bank
• Laundry
• Showers
• Toilets
• Water
• Electricity

BOARDING/DEPARTURE
• Your yacht will be ready at 1200 hrs for boarding, but we recommend you call the base prior to arrival as your yacht may be available to board earlier. At the end of your charter your yacht will need to be vacated by 1000hrs so we would ask that you return to the base the day before.

EQUIPMENT ON THE YACHTS
Sunsail yachts are equipped with just about everything you will need for a safe and enjoyable holiday.
• A deposit is required for dinghy, outboard engine, windsurfer, ocean kayak, cruising chute and GP.
• A refundable security deposit of £300 (regardless of number of items booked) is payable by credit card or Travellers Cheques at the Sunsail base against the loss or damage of these items, whether included in the basic holiday price or as an extra.
• You will be given a checklist on arrival to make sure you have all the items listed on the inventory.
• Please inform the base manager before you leave the base if anything is missing as it is not always possible to replace or exchange items once you have departed on your cruise. Stolen items must be immediately reported to Sunsail management and the local police. An incident report will be completed for insurance purposes
• Any problems with, or damage to, your yacht must be reported to the local staff immediately. If not we cannot be held responsible.
• Each yacht is equipped with two pairs of snorkelling equipment, linen and bath towels and navigation equipment. Please bring beach towels with you. We advise you not to bring self-inflating life jackets or buoyancy aids fitted with gas-cylinders as they may not be allowed on the aircraft.
• Clothing – In Sunsail locations dress is informal, but we ask you to respect local etiquette. Wet weather gear and fleeces are advisable for early and late season.
• Sting suits are available to buy or hire from the base and may be required for swimming.
• Dinghies in the Whitsundays have a 3hp engine

MOORING FEES
• Marina mooring and fees vary from around £10 per night for a 35 ft yacht.
• Water and electricity are available on the berths at our bases and there are shower and toilet facilities in the marinas. Your yacht will be provided with a full tank of fuel at the start of your charter and you will be required to pre-pay for your fuel (Option1) with your holiday balance. If extra fuel is required you will need to return to Hamilton Island.

CHARTS AND PILOT BOOK
• All the charts and pilot books you will need for the sailing area are on board the yacht. Charts and pilot books can be purchased in advance from www.imray.com or www.kelvinhughes.com

EATING OUT
• There is an extensive choice of restaurants available throughout the sailing area.

COST OF LIVING
Prices vary between areas and from restaurant to restaurant; however, the following is a guide for your reference:
• A bottle of wine costs about £6 in a supermarket and from £10 in a restaurant.
• A bottle of beer costs about £1.50.
• A cheap snack can be bought for about £3.
• A three-course meal is likely to cost over £20 per head.

LOST PROPERTY
• If any valuables are left behind in your base, please contact the relevant base as soon as possible after the loss.
• Our base staff will endeavour to locate your property and will contact you with the result of their search.
• Return of property to you will normally be by DHL. The cost of the courier service plus a £15 charge will have to be taken by credit/debit card.
• If goods are left on the plane you will need to contact the airline direct. For First Choice Airways this number is 01293 507160. The office is open between 10am and 4pm. If there is no reply leave and message and they will return your call.
PLEASE NOTE SUNSAIL DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY GOODS THAT SUBSEQUENTLY GO MISSING DURING TRANSIT TO THE UK

PLEASE NOTE
• If you feel that a problem may adversely affect your holiday, you must give our staff the opportunity to resolve it for you. If the problem is not resolved to your satisfaction, please ensure that you inform the base manager and it is essential that you complete a holiday report form.
• Unfortunately, claims made for problems not reported first to the base staff and then to the manager locally, cannot be considered.
TO REITERATE THE HOLIDAY BOOKING CONDITIONS, ANY COMPLAINTS OR CLAIMS MUST BE RECEIVED IN WRITING WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THE END OF YOUR HOLIDAY.

SUNSAIL – RESPECTING DESTINATIONS
Sunsail remain committed to looking after the environment and supporting the cultures where we operate and over many years you have helped us to ensure that our presence does not negatively impact these areas. Please continue to assist us to leave these areas ‘As good or better than we found them’

PLEASE NOTE: Times and prices are correct at the time of publication, but are subject to change without prior notice.
Australia Information Sheet last updated 02.07.07