Australia, the land down under. A paradise for sun, sea, beach, road trips & that stereotypical laid back Aussie lifestyle. It is a haven for every aspiring or already doing it backpackers alike. & it is no secret that Australia has been attracting backpackers for decades, all looking for a new adventure, a new start & a whole lot of fun along the way.
We too have been those backpackers. In 2019, we decided to buy one way tickets to Australia, to leave the UK & live the Aussie dream. We travelled & worked our way through the country for 2 whole years (even during coronavirus). & it’s safe to say that this country will forever be a part of us & our identity. It changed our lives, for the better.
But the road wasn’t entirely smooth leading up to our departure & during our stay. There is a lot to know about making this move & we are going to tell you everything you should & need to know, before embarking on your own adventure, to the land down under.
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Pre departure steps to take
So, you’ve decided you’re doing it, biting the bullet & committing to this potentially life changing decision. Now, whilst you could just book your flight for tomorrow & be on your way. There is a little more preparation that needs to be taken into consideration, this is a big move of course. How do you get the ball rolling? Ask yourself these questions…
What do I want from my experience in Australia?
You may want to spend your time just travelling, or just working. Maybe, you fancy a mix of the two, we opted for a mix of work & travel. Our primary aim was to explore as much of Australia as we could, in the time that we had.
But realistically we couldn’t do that without stopping to work every now & then, to top up our bank accounts & try new things. Australia isn’t a super budget friendly country, so this was a necessary part of our adventure!
What visa do I need?
(We are not professional visa agents, the information we will provide below is based upon personal experience & research. Always do your own research & consult a visa agent where necessary).
The next logical question you’ll have to ask, is what visa you’ll need, for whatever you plan on doing out there. If you plan to only travel, then a standard tourist visa or Visitor Visa (subclass 600) will likely suffice. These can be granted for up to 12 months, giving you a year to explore Australia! They are also the cheapest visa option.
If you plan to work, there are multiple variations of visa available, depending on your needs, profession & length of stay. The best source to find out your eligibility is via the Australian Home Affairs. Here you can check which visa you will require & how to apply for it.
For those of you looking for a mix of work & travel, look no further than the Working Holiday visa. Of which there are two subclasses: Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) & Work and Holiday (subclass 462). The one that you will require will be dependent on the country you hold a passport for & other eligibility criteria. You can follow the steps on the website to find out which you will require. Both subclasses cost 635 AUD (£330) to apply.
Most backpackers that you will meet in Australia will be visiting on the Working Holiday visa scheme. All of whom will be between the ages of 18-30 (35 for UK citizens). The visa will allow you to stay in Australia for 12 months from the date of entry & work during your time there.
*Note that there are some restrictions on being employed, such as length of employment & professions you can work in. Make sure you double check this information, to avoid becoming in breach of your visa*
Before that first year has run out, you will have the opportunity to extend for another year. Most nationalities will be required to complete 3 months of specified subclass work (rural regional work). Before being eligible for a Second Working Holiday visa. The same goes for a third year, you will be required to complete 6 months of specified subclass work (rural regional work). Before being eligible for the Third Working Holiday visa.
Since the UK & Australia began negotiating a trade deal. It was agreed ‘in principle’ that UK citizens would no longer be required to complete rural regional work, in order to obtain a second & third year visa. This new rule has not yet been written into legislation, but will come into effect sometime in the future (the date of which we are unsure).
We highly recommend that you begin the process of applying for your visa well before you intend to depart. Visa processing times are difficult to predict & the last thing you want is an approval delaying your adventure. We began the process around 3 months prior to our departure.
However, some visa’s will require much more time to process & eventually be approved, you may also be subject to medical examinations, which can add time onto the process.
How much money do I need?
So, you know what visa you need. Now you’ve got to work out the cost of getting yourself over there & how much money you’ll require once you arrive. Most Australian visas will ask you to prove that you possess a certain amount of funds in your bank account before being granted the visa.
It is also not uncommon for border officials to ask to see proof of sufficient funds on arrival into Australia. The reason they do this, is because they want to make sure that you have the means to support yourself during your stay, without relying on government benefits.
Back in 2019, when we applied, the rough figure we had to provide proof for. Was approximately 6,000 AUD (£3,122) each. This figure may be subject to change, so again check your eligibility criteria.
if possible, it is a good idea to make sure you have more than enough money available to you, for in case you run into any trouble. A classic example is, we got stuck in Australia during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, the borders swiftly shut & flights out were near impossible to get. At the time, we were living in an apartment in Perth & paying rent. We also both lost our jobs during this time & ended up having to rely on our savings to cover each months rent throughout the lockdown.
Moral of the story is, always prepare for the worst & hopefully another pandemic doesn’t happen any time soon!
If you are a bit of a planner, it may even be wise to calculate a daily budget for yourself & work out how long your money will last before you will need to find work. We aren’t this organised, but hats off to those that are, you are the clever ones.
In conclusion, budgets are unique to the individual & the circumstance in which you are travelling to Australia. If you’d like to learn a little more about the amount of money we took to Australia, then just read ‘How to Start Travelling Full Time with as Little as £3,000‘.
Where should I book flights to?
Australia is huge, in fact it is the planet’s sixth largest country. There is a lot of ground to cover & many destinations to choose from. The vast majority of fresh backpackers will fly into a city on the East Coast. Melbourne & Sydney being the most popular. Likelihood is, you’ve already heard of these places & are somewhat familiar with them, which makes them great choices.
We chose to fly into Melbourne, you can usually get some pretty good one way deals on the London – Melbourne route & we wanted to start with an East Coast road trip, so it made sense for us.
We think that the East Coast is a really great place to start in Australia, it is teeming with fellow backpackers, has many vibrant cities, cute coastal towns, world class beaches & is perfect for an introductory Aussie road trip. Wherever you choose to start your adventure, will be totally based on personal preference.
If I want to work how do I get a bank account?
You have your visa, your flights are booked, the next step is to sort out some admin. Before you can even go about opening a bank account (which you can do before you arrive), you’ll first need to apply for a Tax File Number (TFN). If you’re from the UK this has the same purpose as a National Insurance number.
You can apply here for a Tax File Number.
Once you have received your TFN, you’ll then be able to start opening a bank account. Whilst you can do this once you arrive, we found it quite convenient to get it set up before hand. So we could spend less time worrying about it when we arrived.
Not all banks will offer to open your bank account before you arrive. But Commonwealth Bank (CBA) who we decided to go with, most definitely will! So, it’ll be ready to go as soon as you land. When you do land, you’ll need to go into the branch that you registered with to provide identification documents & then you’re pretty much good to go.
Should I book accommodation before I arrive?
It isn’t essential to have accommodation booked prior to your arrival. However, it would be wise to at least have your first few days to a week organised, to eliminate stress. Moving to a new country can be quite an ordeal, you’ll want to spend some time settling in, getting over jet lag & familiarising yourself with the city you’re in. It took us 2 whole weeks to fully adjust to the time difference!
If you are travelling solo or want to meet other backpackers, then a hostel is a great place to start. You’ll be able to meet others doing the same thing as you, make friends & likely head out on some fun activities together, if you wish. Plus hostels are usually budget friendly!
You don’t have to have it all figured out, a detailed itinerary with where you’re going to be staying for the next 6 months. You’ll work that out as you go. But knowing you have somewhere to sleep on the other end, is a comfort you’ll welcome after making the long journey to Australia.
Arriving in Australia: What now?
You’re finally here! All that preparation has paid off & it’s time to start living the life you’ve always dreamed of in Australia. We remember that first day as though it was yesterday. We know you’ll be full of excitement, nerves & ready to get stuck in, so let’s do it…
I need a SIM card, where can I get one?
Firstly, another mundane task, but a necessary one. Australia has multiple network providers, much like you will do in your own country. The three biggest being: Telstra, Optus & Vodafone. We’ve used them all, so we can give you an honest review.
They will all offer you a pay monthly or SIM only contract. It’s up to you on what you decide & what suits your needs & budget most. Optus are user friendly & we found their customer service to be pretty good.
Telstra annoyingly have the best coverage in Australia, even in rural areas. However, their customer service is appalling & we experienced many problems with their SIM cards not working properly.
Vodafone was our favourite, maybe because they’re a worldwide brand. They still had pretty decent coverage & decent prices. It took us almost 2 years to finally convert to them, we wish we had much sooner.
How do I travel around Australia?
If you are on the East Coast, you have a few options. You could jump on an organised tour, many hostels will provide information on these kind of trips. You could utilise the Greyhound bus & jump city to city or town to town. Or you could do what we did & get yourself a camper van to start an epic road trip up the East Coast.
Whilst catching buses could work out more cost efficient. In the grand scheme of things. If you have a camper van this will cover all your transport & accommodation. & you’ll have the freedom to go wherever you want to go, including off the beaten track.
When we arrived in Melbourne we decided to rent a camper van for 6 weeks to travel along the East Coast from Spaceships. Their camper vans are great because they are compact & drive like a car. Yet still have all the comforts (fridge, comfortable bedding, table, chairs etc.) that you’d need from a van.
In hindsight, had we have known how much we would love van life. We would have just bought a van in Melbourne & kept it for the entirety of our stay in Australia. However, we rented to test out whether we liked it & eventually when we moved to Perth we did buy a camper van for further travels.
Where & how should I look for jobs?
The absolute best way to land yourself a job in Australia, is by putting yourself in front of the employer. What we mean by that is by printing off your Resume/CV, walking around town & handing it to every potential venue you would like to work at.
The reason why we believe this to be the best method is because, by turning up in person you are showing willingness & proactiveness to that potential employer. Which in turn, will likely put you ahead of someone who may have emailed or applied online. We landed every single job we had in Australia, by using this method.
There is no need to worry about not being able to find a job in Australia. It is really easy to land a job here & thankfully there are many going, due to the high turnover in the backpacker community. Unless you are in a sought after area for example Byron Bay (we had personal experience with lack of jobs here).
You’ll find it easier to land a job in the cities of Australia where jobs are plentiful & in rural areas where they are usually desperate for staff. You could also consider joining Facebook groups such as ‘Australia Backpacker Jobs’, jobs are posted daily in there for across the country.
Where & how should I look for a place to rent?
So, you’ve got the job, that’s brilliant news! & now you need a place to stay whilst you work there for a while. We rented 3 places in both Brisbane & Perth, so we know a few things about bagging yourself a rental, as a backpacker.
The first place you want to be looking is Facebook Marketplace, this is the holy grail of rentals in Australia & yes they are legit. We found all of our apartments this way. Marketplace makes it super easy & convenient for backpackers to find accomodation. A lot of the people advertising on their may be backpackers themselves, advertising a room for rent.
You’ll be able to find everything from rooms to rent in shared apartments to full apartments to yourself. We have done both through Facebook Marketplace & had good experiences.
If you don’t fancy renting a place, then there is always the option to stay in a hostel long term. You may be able to get some good long term deals, just negotiate with the hostel & see if they’re open to it. The benefit of this option, is there is always people to hang out with. We just prefer our own space & comforts, especially when making roots for a while.
Another option is to look into long term rentals on Airbnb, many hosts these days will offer their rentals out on a monthly basis. Some of them may even be willing to negotiate on the price, if you don’t ask you don’t get.
Finally, if you are looking to get your regional work under your belt early, or just fancy working in a rural environment, many employers in these areas will offer accomodation as part of the contract. We worked on a dairy farm in South Australia for 3 weeks & our accomodation was included.
It may not always be the most glamorous of set ups, but it’s free accomodation & a roof over your head. Some employers may even include meals with the job offer.
Be aware that when you sign contracts with renters or employers that you read it very carefully to avoid being taken advantage of or mislead. It is common knowledge that some (not all) rural workplaces such as farms are known for taking advantage of backpackers. By under paying them, or going back on their word in regards to accomodation that is provided. Be careful, read reviews, join Facebook groups & talk to other backpackers to know what you’re getting yourself into.
What if I want to stay in Australia for longer than 3 years?
You may fall in love with Australia, it’s hard not to. Especially if you come from Northern Europe & have grown sick of the constantly depressing weather. The good news is, you could be eligible to stay, heck maybe even become a resident, or citizen!
So, your Working Holiday is coming to an end, but you’re not ready to leave, what do you do? There are some visa avenues you could take towards residency & ultimately citizenship. The most common being a sponsor from your employer.
Australia offers longer term visas to people who can gain a sponsorship from their employer, which can then lead to residency. We haven’t gone down this route ourselves, but know many people who have.
Your best source of information for this route is to again check out the Australia Home Affairs, for all visa requirements & eligibility criteria.
Australia is a wonderful country, one that left it’s imprint on our hearts. If you ever get the opportunity to start a new adventure there, we urge you to take it. It may turn out to be the best damn decision you ever make, just like it was for us.
We hope that this guide has answered the unanswered questions you may have had & has prepared you for what’s to come. If there is anything you believe we have missed off, or would like to know more about then drop your comments in the section below. Or shoot us a message over on Instagram, we are always happy to help in whatever way we can.
We wish you all the best on your Australian adventure, let us know where you’re heading! & if you enjoyed reading this post or found it helpful, did you know that we also lived & worked in New Zealand? Just head to our ‘Ultimate Guide to Living & Working in Queenstown, as a Backpacker‘ to learn more about the process over there.
Happy exploring 🙂
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