If you’re going on holiday to Australia, you’re guaranteed to have a good time! Urban hubs like Sydney boast plenty of fun activities you can try, like catching a movie at an outdoor cinema, taking refreshing dips in the Bondi Icebergs Pool, and even savouring high tea at luxurious hotels like the Langham. But why stop there? There’s still plenty to explore beyond the country’s east coast, especially in the Outback.
In fact, adventure tourism in Australia is soaring. It’s expected to hit a value of over USD 96.53 billion (AUD 143.55 billion) by the 2030s—because travellers can’t get enough of the hiking, mountaineering, and water sports available across the country’s diverse landscape. If that sounds like something you want to try, add these activities to your itinerary!
To make the most out of a more daring Australian holiday, though, you need to safeguard your health by prioritising sun protection. The country’s ‘slip, slop, slap’ campaign is a great way to remember to shield your skin with clothes, sunscreen, and hats. However, don’t neglect your eyes in the process. With Australia’s high UV exposure and the potential hazards of your adventure travel activities, they’ll be more vulnerable to injury. To protect them, slide on some sunglasses that have the following features.
100% UV protection
Australia receives some of the most UV exposure in the world. Because it’s in the southern hemisphere, the earth’s tilt positions it closer to the sun, especially in the summer months of December to February. Its air is also less polluted—which, though healthier for the lungs, means more of the sun’s UV rays reach the ground. Overexposure to these rays can gradually damage your eyes, increasing your risk of developing blindness-causing conditions like cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, and even eye cancer as you age. That’s the main reason why you need sunglasses on your holiday, especially since adventure travel activities mean you’ll be spending more time outdoors.
Unfortunately, not all kinds will block UV rays. They may just have dark lenses—which, rather than protecting your eyes, will dilate your pupils to let even more sunlight in. Ensure the pair you use is labelled ‘100% protection against UVA and UVB rays’ or ‘UV400.’ However, it may be more effective to get your sunglasses in Australia. These will comply with the country’s AS/NZS 1067.1 UV protection standards for sunglasses. According to ARPANSA, these are more effective than international standards because they’re specifically designed for the higher-than-average UV levels in Australia. Consider getting a pair from local brands like QUAY for the best effect.
Polarised lens coatings
The sun can do more than just cause long-term eye damage. Its glare can bounce off reflective surfaces like water and snow and into your eyes. Those bright conditions can obscure your vision and make it harder for you to see where you’re going when trying activities like kayaking and skiing, ultimately increasing the likelihood of accidents. More importantly, excess glare can cause photokeratitis (snow blindness), a painful condition that can cause temporary vision loss. To prevent these outcomes from marring your holiday experiences, get sunglasses with special polarised lens coatings. These work by imposing vertical filters onto your vision, which helps block out horizontal rays of sunlight.
The right pair can even improve your eyesight in the process. That’s illustrated by the sunglasses from Oakley. Polarised models like the Holbrook and Sphaera, which are specifically designed for outdoor use, also leverage the brand’s unique PRIZM lens technology to boost certain wavelengths of colour over others and improve the contrast and detail of what you see. These can be especially crucial for your safety — an American fisherman reported that polarised sunglasses helped him avoid an alligator resting in murky water, and Australian experts now recommend people don this eyewear to prevent similar incidents with the country’s many crocodiles.
Durable wraparound frames
Adventure travel activities are rough in nature, so your sunglasses frames need to be able to withstand multiple falls and impacts from foreign objects. Opt for plastic materials like nylon and acetate. These will be more durable yet flexible and lightweight, so they won’t break—and they’ll still be comfortable to wear, even after hours of exploring the Australian countryside. You’ll also want to look at how big your sunglasses frames are. Given the more adventurous nature of your holiday, they need to do more than just cover the eye area for UV protection. They also need to enhance your peripheral vision and protect your eyes from dirt—which, during high-speed activities like mountain biking, can enter your eyes, scratch them, and cause infections.
As such, go for wraparound models that reach all the way back to your temples. You can get a good idea of what that looks like through the sunglasses Eyesports designed for AFL forward-ruck Mason Cox. Cox previously underwent six eye surgeries to address sports injuries and cataracts, which is why he needed customised prescription sunglasses to play safely. The personalised pair from Eyesports thus integrated all the same features you need for your Australian adventure travels. That includes 100% UV protection, polarised lens coatings—and a wraparound design that fully protects Cox’s eyes from debris while helping him see everything happening on the football field.
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