Australian Inventions

One of the many reasons that many of those getting a visa for Australia say made them decide to move into the country is because it is very modern. And of course, this modernity is not possible without the inventions that change the lives of Australians. And so, here are some of these that have led to Australia's, and the world's for that matter, modern lifestyle.

Aeronautics and Aviation
Australian inventors have contributed greatly in the development of equipment that have made airplanes one of the safest modes of travel nowadays.
Black Box-the flight data and voice recorder, popularly known as the black box, was developed by David Warren in 1958 in Melbourne
Distance Measuring Equipment (DME)-the system that many planes used today to determine their distance to the airport was developed by Edward George Bowen of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO)
Inflatable Escape Slide-the inflatable escape slide common in many airliners today was designed by Jack Grant, an employee of Qantas, in 1965

Health and Medicine
Many Australian medical practitioners and scientists also help in the development of various procedures and equipment being used in today's hospitals.
Electronic Pacemaker-the first heart pacemaker with fully adjustable electric controls was developed by the staff of the Crown Street Hospital in Sydney in 1926.
Ear Implants-cochlear implants were first developed for the hearing impaired by Professor Graeme Clark and his team at the University of Melbourne in 1978.
Plastic Lenses-on the other hand, the Scientific Optical Laboratories in Adelaide was the first one to introduce plastic spectacles lenses in 1960, which made eyeglasses a lot lighter.
Ultrasound-the team of David Robinson and George Kossoff was the one to develop the first practical ultrasound scanner in 1961.
Spray on skin-in 1999, Dr. Fiona Woods of the Royal Perth Hospital developed the spray on synthetic skin, which made treatment of burn victims much easier.

Everyday Items
Australians also made a wide variety of inventions that has now become commonplace household items.
Notepad-the humble notepad traces its origin from the idea of J.A. Birchall in 1902 to stick sheets of paper together to make them easier to carry/
Electric Drill-the electric drill was patented by Arthur James Arnot in 1889 for use in boring through rock.
Staysharp Knife- the popular knife that doesn't need further sharpening was devised by Wiltshire in 1970.
Dual Flush Toilet-Bruce Thompson developed the water saving toilet in the 1980's.

Great Queensland Beaches That You Can Visit

Queensland is often referred to by many people as the Sunshine State. And as it is, the monicker is definitely an apt one. With a climate that's sunny almost all year round, a lot of Australia tourist visa holders travel to the state to relax and enjoy the sun.

And since this is Queensland that is being talked about, one thing that many people come here for are the beaches. In fact, you really can't talk about the state without mentioning the many beaches scattered across its coast. And so, here are some of them that you definitely must visit.

Surfers' Paradise
One of the most visited regions in Queensland, Surfers' Paradise is actually a string of beaches, instead of a single one, that line up the Gold Coast suburb of the same name. The Main Beach is the most popular spot here, with a lot of people in the water on a daily basis. And true to its name, the place is definitely a haven for surfers. Though the waves are really not that spectacular, they still give a pretty good challenge for those who want to ride them.

Burleigh Heads
if you are really a surfing fanatic, then Burleigh Heads is definitely a place that you must visit. Just a few minutes drive from the nearby Surfers' Paradise, the area's waves are practically rideable all year round. Another plus factor to those who visit here is that the beach is much less crowded than other surf spots in the country. Aside from surfing, the beach also offers an overall relaxing experience in its shores.

Whitsundays
The Whitsunday Islands, or simply Whitsundays, are definitely great for those who want to have a more exciting beach escape. The islands are located off the central coast of Queensland and offers a relaxing getaway from all the going-ons in the mainland. All the islands have fine sand beaches, which makes them very ideal fro simply strolling around. And since the islands are surrounded by the Great Barrier Reef, they offer a good jump off point for scuba divers who want to explore the region. There are also tons of other activities that one can try out here, like boating, island hopping, and trekking.

Nudey Beach
A beach with a rather interesting name, Nudey Beach is located on Fitzroy Island, just off the eastern coast of Cairns. Getting to the island is relatively easy, as there are several ferries that go there from Cairns on a regular basis. However, you might be a bit disappointed when you arrive here. Though the name indeed suggests it, there are actually only a few beachgoers that do go all the way off their clothes here (though it is not prohibited). Nevertheless, Nudey Beach offers a great shoreline where you can enjoy wading in the water all day long.

Australian Government To Stop Property Price Rise

In Australia, business visa holders are often on the search to find some good properties to buy. As it is, the Australian real estate market is teaming with so many properties that could easily turn out to be something more than their current price. Thus, even foreigners are on the rush to get a piece of land here.

However, while this one might sound good and all, the government is now trying hard to regulate the entry of foreign buyers into the Australian real estate market. In fact, they have already passed a law pushing for stricter requirements on foreigners staying here and wanting to purchase land. The move has actually attracted the attention of not only foreign buyers but also of local ones.

But there is really a valid reason behind the move. According to some experts, it is actually the influx of foreign buyers that is causing the upsurge in prices. They explained that the prices were driven up due to the price speculation that these buyers often get into.

One example of this was the recent purchase of a 900-square meter apartment complex in Melbourne by a Chinese businessman. The buyer, through her holdings company, paid more than $19 million for the whole complex, which was a record high. The actual money was provided for by the Bank of China via a loan.

The sale didn't go unnoticed by the public, as they have pointed that it was this kind of purchases that are causing the real estate market to shoot up to astronomically high prices. Some experts have also shown that this kind of buying was what have actually caused the financial crisis that the country and the rest of the world experienced in 2009. They said that when the prices went up so high, the financial institutions were not able to follow suit, leading to the crash.

Experts argue that, since the Australian economy is still pretty much on a recovery stage, this one would surely have a grave effect. They warned that if left unchecked, the situation can potentially put the country back to crisis levels. Thus, they have urged that the government take action on this one.

The Australian government has responded to all these clamors by issuing a set of new rules for foreign property buyers. One of the restrictions that they are planning to set up is a cap on the number of purchases that a foreign individual can make. They are also considering putting strict regulations on the prices set by property agents.

Issues In The Australian Health Care System

For those applying for a visa, Australia is often one of the top choices for them to move into. There are actually a lot of opportunities available in the country in terms of jobs. Aside from this, the country's support for its residents is very extensive.

One of the more important of these supports is health care. And in this part, Australia doesn't disappoint incoming immigrants. The country has an extensive health care system that cover a wide range of medical needs, from simple check ups to major operations. It is also this set up that allow Australians to purchase medicine that is comparatively lower than that sold I other developed counties.

The system has been in operation in the country for many decades, now, with the current setup being established in the 1980's. However, while the medicare system, as referred to by the people here, is indeed very beneficial to citizens, it is still far from prefect. In fact, there are a lot of things that needed to be resolved in order to bring the service to more people.

One of the major issues that surrounds Australian health care is that of getting sufficient health care services to indigenous people in remote areas. Australian Aboriginals make up roughly under three percent of the country's population, which should have allowed health officials to handle them easily. However, as most Aborigines actually live in settlements that are well out of reach of government aid, it is quite difficult for help to get to these people.

Another thing that needs to be addressed with regards to giving health assistance to indigenous populations is education. Since a large portion of the entire population is below the average literacy rates, getting information to them with regards to proper health practices has proven to be very tough. However, the government is currently making a large headway with regards to these issues and reaching out to more Aboriginal communities.

On the other hand, health officials also need to contend with bigger issues that affect the entire Australian population. One of these is the eradication of such preventable diseases, such as obesity. It should be noted that Australia actually has one of the highest proportions of obesity cases in the world today. Another major problem here is the large number of smokers, which is one of the leading causes of death in the country.

Along with these health issues, the country also needs to contend with the shortage of health professionals. This is mainly due to the small number of local residents taking in medical professions. To combat this, the country is currently in an effort to encourage more foreign personnel to come to the country.

Australia On A Travel Boom

With the world economy slumping in 2009, Australian immigration was also greatly affected. Travel into the country went down to a significantly low level, both for temporary stay and long term residency. Travel out of the country was also greatly affected, as many Australians fear the uncertainty of the countries that they would go into.

However, as the country starts to recover from the crisis, travel in and out of it also starts to pick up significantly. In fact, according to the latest statistics, the number of student travelers into the country has increased significantly in the first quarter of the year compared to the numbers posted last year. Also, long term and permanent stay immigrant numbers have registered positive growth since last year.

Not surprisingly, one of the countries that have contributed greatly to the recent increase in travel to Australia is New Zealand. Indeed, the two countries actually have close ties together. Thus, travel to Australia by New Zealanders account for significant portion of the number of people coming into the country each year.

And according to the latest figures, New Zealanders are again coming in large numbers. The number of long term stay travelers coming into Australia, for instance, rose to about 3000 arrivals a month on average, compared to just 2100 in 2009. However, authorities say that this is still much lower compared to to the pre-crisis level of more than 4200 arrivals a month. But they are quick to agree that this one is indeed a welcome news.

One of the things that many experts see as the main reason for the new increase in travel from New Zealand stems from Australia own recovering economy. As the country posted high net growth early this yeah, it served as a good signal for many immigrants that a lot of opportunities are once again available for them in the country. Thus, a lot of people have decided to once more move into Australia.

And it would be interesting to note that it is not only New Zealanders who are currently returning to Australia. Travel from India also saw a significant increase, as more and more students move into the country to enroll in the many educational institutions here. This is despite the issues caused by the recent attacks on several Indian students in the city of Melbourne.

And as always, travel from the western countries are also very much on a high level. British travelers are still the most common ones to arrive in Australia, followed by Americans. Other European countries, including Germany and Ireland, also boast of a large number of travelers to Australia.