Sandy,

Some of us are learning to do so when away from home. I went around West Coast US and Canada earlier this year like 'lady bountiful' dropping tips to all and sundry for fear of doing the wrong thing and missing an obligatory 'tipping' occasion.
It all started when I staggered off the flight at LAX and found that the "free" shuttle to the tour hotel had a sign at the front saying "please tip the driver $2" - it was then I knew I had arrived !!!

(I had a BALL though - loved the trip !!)

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Originally posted by SandyS:

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Well Colleen, at least we have been able to give our friends from North America a free "tip" to stay away from Australia between November and April. Big Grin

I thought that Aussies never tipped!!!

Not true, we give lots of tips - the winner of the Melbourne cup, stay away from gambling, drinking, swearing and loose men/women, don't take any brass razoos.......

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Originally posted by Expom:

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Originally posted by SandyS:

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Well Colleen, at least we have been able to give our friends from North America a free "tip" to stay away from Australia between November and April. Big Grin

I thought that Aussies never tipped!!!

Not true, we give lots of tips - the winner of the Melbourne cup, stay away from gambling, drinking, swearing and loose men/women, don't take any brass razoos.......

.................& last but by no means least be kind to your mother.

Expom & Dimpz. I much prefer your type of tips.

I really wish that we could get away from tipping in the USA and on tours by making sure that everyone was paid fair wages - and took pride in their jobs.

On our tour to Australia, we were encouraged to tip as we would in any other country, which we did (except for smaller tips in restaurants) - despite Missie's admonishment about keeping our mouths shut so that our American accents wouldn't be recognized.

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Originally posted by SandyS:
Expom & Dimpz. I much prefer your type of tips.

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Originally posted by SandyS:
Expom & Dimpz. I much prefer your type of tips.

I really wish that we could get away from tipping in the USA and on tours by making sure that everyone was paid fair wages - and took pride in their jobs.

On our tour to Australia, we were encouraged to tip as we would in any other country, which we did (except for smaller tips in restaurants) - despite Missie's admonishment about keeping our mouths shut so that our American accents wouldn't be recognized.

Sandy, I do have a little giggle everytime I think about what my husband said to you both in the restaurant.

Tour companies make my blood boil when they come to our country where there is a "NO TIPPING CUSTOM" and expect their customers to tip. The only custom apparent in all of this is the custom of tour companies not to adequately pay their contracted employees.

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Tour companies make my blood boil when they come to our country where there is a "NO TIPPING CUSTOM" and expect their customers to tip. The only custom apparent in all of this is the custom of tour companies not to adequately pay their contracted employees. Mad

Missie.

Dinner with you and your husband was one of the highlights of our trip to Australia.

It would be interesting to find out if tour guides in Australia are adequately paid or not - by tour companies based in other countries.

Are there any Australian tour guides out there who can answer this question?

The suggested tip for our tour guide was extremely high, since we had traveled with another tour company with a group size of only fifteen (maximum was 16). We did tip our TD slightly more than the high amount of the suggested range, since she was absolutely fantastic. She took us on walks and hikes, and even took those who wanted to restaurants on the nights that dinner was not included. She even took a few people in the group to a nightclub, so that they could go dancing in the evening after dinner.

Someone from the US mentioned on this BB a couple of years ago that they had visited Oz on a tour (think it was TT) and were pushed for tips much more rigourously than even they were used to at home. I remember this post well because I was SO embarrassed !!!!

Unfortunately there are some unscrupulous people out there (maybe O/S tour companies as well as opportunist individuals??) who see American's coming and take advantage of the 'tipping' culture. I apologise for these people who give our country a bad name.

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Originally posted by SandyS:

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Well Colleen, at least we have been able to give our friends from North America a free "tip" to stay away from Australia between November and April. Big Grin

I thought that Aussies never tipped!!!

Shame!!!! We always tip when it is warranted!

Oh and here's another tip for Justducky ~ Be aware that there is a stinger season in the North of Australia. You can't swim in beaches during certain months (I think April - October in North QLD).I am not sure whether this appies to swimming on the Reef as I have always visited
during winter.So if you are considering a trip the reef, please do some research.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: jewel,

The non swimming months are October thru to April for waters north of Rockhampton. However stingers are now being found in waters south to about Fraser Island during these months also.


Recently Kate Hudson was filming off Hervey Bay and filming was cancelled due to a box jelly fish find...tragic news for that area and tourism. It is thought that the warmer weather is causing the jelly fish to be found so far south.

It is generally safe to swim on the reefs, however follow the guidelines set out by your reef tour company. Listen carefully to their advice and follow their instructions. Just the same as you would do in you home country.

The weather conditions, wind and tide, will often determine what is possible on the reef.

The reef is a fantastic experience, go and enjoy it. As for swimming in the ocean on the coastline, I doubt that you would have time during a bus tour anyway. However if you do, there are swimming enclosures all along the North Queensland Coast where it is possible to swim. They are netted and enclosed to assist in the prevention of stingers.... note I said assist, not prevent.

It beats me why you would bother though, as the water is often in excess of 30 degrees C...a hot, sticky, salty bath would go close as an apt description.

Use the Hotel pools and you will neither have to worry about jelly fish nor crocodiles.

Be not afraid of our weather nor creepy crawlies. Every country has their own heat/cold/killer animals, but we seem to enjoy beating ours up to a frenzy of fear.

PS I live in Queensland...... so I think I can safely say that this is the real deal on the swimming situation.

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Originally posted by Penny1:
PS I live in Queensland...... so I think I can safely say that this is the real deal on the swimming situation.

Totally agree about swimming on the reef, its is absolutely stunning!

Not an Australian tour guide, but I have spoken to the driver of our recent tour in Australia. No talk of tipping from them, and while he wouldn't be drawn into a discussion about pay rates, I get the impression that they are paid quite adequately for what they do. That said, we did give a small tip to him and the Td as they were excellent and loads of fun.

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Originally posted by SandyS:

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Tour companies make my blood boil when they come to our country where there is a "NO TIPPING CUSTOM" and expect their customers to tip. The only custom apparent in all of this is the custom of tour companies not to adequately pay their contracted employees. Mad

Missie.

Dinner with you and your husband was one of the highlights of our trip to Australia.

It would be interesting to find out if tour guides in Australia are adequately paid or not - by tour companies based in other countries.

Are there any Australian tour guides out there who can answer this question?

The suggested tip for our tour guide was extremely high, since we had traveled with another tour company with a group size of only fifteen (maximum was 16). We did tip our TD slightly more than the high amount of the suggested range, since she was absolutely fantastic. She took us on walks and hikes, and even took those who wanted to restaurants on the nights that dinner was not included. She even took a few people in the group to a nightclub, so that they could go dancing in the evening after dinner.

Now I am even more confused. It looks like I will either have to tip even more than in Europe,or not at all if I have a tour company like "travel freak".

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Originally posted by joe d:
Now I am even more confused. It looks like I will either have to tip even more than in Europe,or not at all if I have a tour company like "travel freak".

joe ~ I suspect it will come down to the "tipping policy" of the company you choose to use for your Australian tour.

joe, as we have all said before there is no tipping custom here in Australia, except for maybe rounding up to the nearest dollar which I find is more for convenience than anything else.

I would suggest you speak to the tour company that you are considering using, and ask them what their policy is for Australian tours. I doubt that there would be a wage award for tour directors in Australia, and I further suspect that most coach tours involving overseas visitors incorporate tipping as part of the wage package for tour directors, not sure about drivers.

AATKings (which is Trafalgar in Australia) operate many day tours and longer tours for overseas and Australian tourists, I have been on one of these day tours and there was no mention of tipping, mind you most of the people taking the tour were Australian, which is why I suspect tipping is only promoted for overseas visitors.