Travel Permits and Passes

For International Residents
Australian Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs.

This site is the Governmental site for Visas into Australia. Whether you are a student, or a long term traveller, this is the site for you. Simply go to www.immi.gov.au to find out more.

The following site would be good for the Aussie traveller as it has a lot of information for the avid traveller: www.smartraveller.gov.au.

Travelling within WA
If you're travelling independently, you may need special permits to pass through or visit Aboriginal land or to camp in conservation areas or National Parks.

Significant portions of the north and central areas of WA are Aboriginal land. Generally, the land has either a Government-administered reserve status or is held under freehold title, vested in an Aboriginal trust and managed by a council or corporation.

In either case, the laws of trespass' apply just as with any other private land; but the fines attached can be somewhat larger.

In some cases, permits won't be necessary if you stay on public roads but as soon as you are 50 metres off the main road you may need a permit. This will be the case even if you only want to go into the Aboriginal settlement to buy fuel or supplies.

If you are on a tour the tour leader will probably get the permits, but you should ask before you leave.

You should allow plenty of time to get the permits as sometimes the application needs to go to the community itself for approval. Be aware that the permit applications will not always be approved for a number of reasons; including the risk of interference with sacred sites or disruption of ceremonial business.

Some communities simply may not want to be bothered by visitors.

The Aboriginal Affairs Department (AAD) is responsible for all Aboriginal land trusts. For permission to visit Aboriginal freehold land you must apply directly to the owners. For detailed information please contact the Permits Officer 08-9235 8000, fax 9235 8093, website www.dia.wa.gov.au or PO Box 7770, Cloisters Square, WA 6850.

Australia has more than 500 national parks, which are protected wilderness areas of environmental or natural importance.

Public access is encouraged, but safety and conservation regulations must be observed.

The codes of behaviour may vary slightly from place to place and park to park; essentially all plants and animals are protected and you're asked to do nothing to damage or alter the natural environment.

Among other things, this means driving only on established tracks, camping only in designated areas, disposing of rubbish properly, and taking care with fire.

Some outback parks and reserves are so isolated, rugged, and harsh that they aren't recommended unless you're an experienced bushwalker, or 4WD motorist.

However, others are among Australia's major attractions. Some of the most beautiful have been included on the World Heritage Register - a UNESCO list of natural or cultural places of world significance that would present an irreplaceable loss to the planet if they were altered.

The National Park in Western Australia's Hamersley Ranges offers some of the Australian arid zone's most dramatic landscapes; which support a surprising variety of plant species.

The Kimberley region's Pumuluhi (Bungle Bungle) National Park is best-known for its sandstone 'bee-hive' formations and deep narrow gorges.

For a place with no trees, hills, or rivers, try the Nullarbor National Park and adjoining regional reserve on the Nullarbor Plain. Nullarbor is bad Latin for 'no tree', and that's no exaggeration. The plain seems endlessly flat and bare. There's a mind-blowing sense of space and isolation, some interesting caves and cliffs. The scenes from the cliffs overlooking the ocean, around the Great Australian Bight, are magnificent!

For all of these beautiful National Parks that Western Australia has to offer, you must purchase a National Park Permit from the local DEC (formerly CALM) Office. Passes are available from offices of the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC), NatureBase Bookshop, and more than 40 local tourist centres throughout the State. They are also available at entry points to parks, or rangers within the parks.