What is the life cycle of a .au domain name?

When a .au domain name is registered, it can be transferred between registries immediately (unlike GTLD domains, which have a 60 day embargo period).

An .au domain can only be renewed when it is within 90 days of it's expiry date. When the domain is renewed, 1-5 years are added to the existing expiry date - if my domain expired on January 1 2030 and I renewed on October 1, my new expiry date would be January 1 2031.

You can change the registrant (ABN/ACN/business entity) of your .au domain name during it's lifespan. If you do so, a new licence is issued in the name of the new registrant for one year. This means that the if you were to transfer the ownership of a domain expiring (for example) March 1 2033 on January 1 2029, the new expiry date would be January 1 2030.

When an .au domain expires, it can be renewed for 30 days after expiry. There is no redemption phase on .au domains - after the 30 days the domain status changes from "Expired" to "Pending delete". This lasts 24-48 hours, after which the domain becomes available to be registered by the public again.

The full auDA policy on domain expiry can be read at auda.org.au.