Travelling around Australia

[Barrett]

I'm thinking of travelling around Australia sometime towards the end of 2010 (Sept/Oct) or in 2011 but I haven't got a clue where to start looking for what I need to do, prepare etc...

Has anyone ever done this before or is planning on doing it?

I understand that I'll need a few grand saved up beforehand to fall back on if needed and I'm looking to work as I travel around.

Is the Working Holiday Visa for Australia hard to get?

Are there any forums on the net for people who are looking to do the same?

Any help will be greatly appreciated!

[Senior82]

Be careful if travelling end of 2010/Start of 2011 - Flights will cost a lot more as thousands will be heading over for the Ashes cricket. England Rugby League team playing down under in October/Nov 2010 too. Might just be worth keeping an eye on, you could save yourself hundreds

[dookie]

I'm currently travelling around Australia, and am in Perth at the moment. What i would say is that it is quite expensive out here and that you should definitely over budget. I haven't got a working visa, but they aren't hard to get.. i think you can do it all online. You could be called in for an interview or a medical check if you have any bad medical history, but otherwise it's pretty straight forward. If you do 3 months fruit picking or harvest work then you can extend your visa for a second year. As for available work, there will be more around christmas time, as all the temp jobs are starting to pop up already, especially in Sydney. Other good placed to find work are Surfers Paradise and a small town called Childers.. not the most exciting town, but there's a fair bit of work there and you wouldn't spend much whilst staying there.. which means more money to travel around with! Do you have any idea where in Australia you want to go, or how you want to get around? We went on a tour of the east coast with a company called Contiki, which was really good.. expensive but definitely worth the money.
As for saving money on flights, if you are a student or under 26 then go in to your local STA shop, and book your flights 11 months in advance (this is when the fare prices come out and it's cheaper that way.) Chances are you won't find a flight cheaper than with STA, and if you do i think they match it. All the flights with them are protected and the date can be moved for 20 pounds if you needed to move it.

If you need any more help or advice then feel free to message me!

[pompeypete]

If I remember to get a working visa there is an application form from the embassy.
They check your finance (was £2,000) a few years ago.
Once the visa runs out (maybe a year) its difficult to obtain another, you may have to wait another couple of years.

For travelling if you have no transport contact;-

www.ozexperience.com

Enjoy

You will, great place to visit.
pete
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[dookie]

Now you have to have $5000 in the bank and a return flight. Also, the only way you can get a second working visa is by extending, which is usually possible if you have done the 3 months seasonal work. Otherwise you can never have another working visa, so use them wisely! HTH.

[Auchinleckian]

You've got your priorities arse about face. What about your team?

[ForestMick]

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