Orientation

Climate

During your time here you will be sure to experience our notoriously changeable weather. A standing joke in Australia is that Melbourne can experience four seasons in a day. As Melbourne has such a varied climate it is necessary to bring a wide variety of clothing and footwear. Very light clothes are needed for summer, whilst warm and waterproof clothing will be required for the winter. As the temperature in winter can go near zero, you will need warm clothing, such as your winter woolies, a coat, a scarf, hat and gloves just to be sure. If however you do not come prepared there are plenty of outlets and markets that sell a huge variety of clothing.

Timezones

Melbourne is in the Eastern Standard Time (EST) Zone, the equivalent to UTC (GMT) +10 hours. Nearing the end of October daylight saving commences; meaning clocks are moved one hour forward at 2:00am EST. At 2:00am EST nearing the end of March, clocks are turned back an hour to mark the end of daylight savings.

Voltages

Domestic electricity in Australia is 240/250 volts/50 Hz. The Australian three pin outlet is different from most other countries, so you may need to purchase an adapter plug for any electrical appliances you bring with you. Transformers and adapters are easily obtained from an electrical appliance or travel goods store in Melbourne.