Tourist Refund Scheme If you purchase goods from an Australian business totalling AUD 300 or more, you may be eligible to claim a refund of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) when you take the goods out of Australia with you. This refund scheme is open to both overseas visitors and Australian residents.
Taxes are always included in the price displayed.
Tipping is entirely voluntary. You may wish to leave a tip of up to 10% as a token of appreciation for exceptional service rendered by your taxi driver, hairdresser, or restaurant waiting staff. But they generally do not expect it.
Most restaurants will not split bills. Card payment has become the default these days, although many cheaper (usually Asian) places will impose a surcharge (1 percent or so) if you pay with a card. For these reasons you may want to carry some cash.
Sunday/public holiday surcharges of typically 10% to 20% on your restaurant bill has become quite common in the swankier neighbourhoods in Sydney. Businesses that impose a surcharge are obliged to state so upfront.
The closest supermarket to the conference venue is Coles on Belmore Road (open 06:00-23:00 daily). If you can't be bothered walking up the hill, there's also an IGA mini market on campus (open 07:00-22:00 on weekdays; 09:00-22:00 weekend).
To ride on public transport (trains, buses, ferries, and light rail), you can either use with an Opal Card, or pay with a credit/debit card via contactless payments. See details under Venue and Transportation. Official timetables can be found on the Transport Info website. But Google Maps also does a very decent job.
Emergency call service number is 000.
