Those planning a working holiday in Australia must first obtain a working holiday visa before they enter Australia.
Working Holiday visas are available to young people aged between 18 and 30 years of age from selected countries.
To take part in the program you must hold a visa for one of the countries listed below:
The working holiday visa currently costs AU$230 and is usually issued within 48 hours. You must enter the country with 12 months of issue. This visa allows you to live and work in Australia for upto 12 months and you can leave and re-enter Australia any number of times while the visa is valid.
You can apply for a working holiday Visa at the Australian Department of immigration’s website www.immi.gov.au
Seriously consider taking travel insurance out. The essential components of good travel insurance fall into three groups - medical insurance, cover for your luggage and personal property, and cancellation insurance.
All travel insurance policies include some activities (or hazardous pursuits) as standard. Check this list and make sure the activities you want to do on your trip are covered.
Be vigilant and take care of your property – particularly when you are drawing out money or taking photos with an expensive camera. Treat your passport like gold dust. If you are camping or in a youth hostel, don't leave anything behind.
If you are taking 2 different kinds of "money" (i.e. traveller's checks and a Visa card) - put them in different places. For example, keep the visa card in your wallet and your traveller's checks in your hand luggage. This ensures that if the worse thing happens and you are the victim of theft or lose an item - you still have access to limited cash.
Remember that it might take you sometime to find work so you should make sure you have plenty of funds with you or accessible back home to keep you going between jobs. Also don't think that you will earn AU$1,000's which will pay for your holiday in style.
Most work will get you about AU$80 - AU$120 per day and if it's not paid "cash-in-hand" then 30% tax will be deducted. It is possible to later claim back some of the tax/deductions but the process is bureaucratically complicated and is usually only practical upon leaving Australia.
You will need to set up a bank account in Australia for your employer to pay your salary into as they wont be able to use your home account. You can set up your Australian account before you leave home and transfer some funds into it for when you arrive. When you arrive in Australia you will receive your ATM Debit card allowing you to access your cash 24 hours a day.
Citizens of the UK, New Zealand, Italy, Malta, Finland, Netherlands and Sweden are able to obtain free essential healthcare in Australia, however this does not cover ambulance trips, dental treatment etc which should be covered by your travel insurance
If you are from the above countries and are staying in Australia for some time, apply for a Medicare card at any Medicare Centre. Medicare is the national healthcare scheme and you will need to show this card when obtaining medical treatment.
Try to pack as light as you can. The smaller the bag the less likely you are to have to check it in on flights and wait around the luggage area. Your bag will also become cumbersome when taking public transport or taxis. You also need to consider that you’ll want to be able to walk comfortably with it on your back - sometimes in hot weather.
If you aren’t 100% sure you need something - leave it out. You can always buy it in Australia. You might want to take a jumper or two if you are travelling in Australia’s winter - remember it does rain and it does get cold!
If you are planning on working during your stay, particularly if you will be hoping for some office work, pack some suitable business attire. Whilst casual might be great for the pub and the beach, most Australian offices still have a smart business dress code and you are also expected to dress smartly for interviews.
Rolling your clothes takes up takes up less space and creates less wrinkles.
Many Hostels and Hotels in Australia offer online booking enabling you to make firm plans for the first few days of your trip.
Invest in a backpacker card wherever possible if you intend to stay in lots of hostels during your trip. The savings won’t be huge per night but it all adds up! Also see if your hostel offers free pickups from the airport, train or bus station and you’ll save here on your transport costs.
http://www.hostelaustralia.com/
Australia is a huge country and travelling between states and cities you will probably wish to take a train or Flight.
The two major internal airlines in Australia are Virgin Blue and Jetstar.
The website Flight Centre allows you to search, compare and book thousands of cheap flights across Australia.
www.flightcentre.com.auAustralia's Great Train Journeys operate long distance passenger trains across Australia at www.gsr.com.au.
They offer three fantastic long distance routes including:
During each journey you’ll get chance to take in Australia’s outback in all its glory seeing so many things you would miss out on during a flight.
With a working holiday visa you are allowed to work for an employer for upto 6 months.
Temporary opportunities exist right across Australia in the Tourism and hospitality industry particularly in regional Australia for those with working holiday visas.
The working holiday visa can be extended to 24 months if the individual is employed in a primary industry in Regional Australia for 3 months or longer.
There are several primary industries including plant/animal cultivation, fishing, tree farming, mining and construction work.
There is always plenty of work all year round in the primary industries – particularly in agricultural work.
We have listed below places with the highest demand.
Broome is located in Western Australia around 2,227km north of Perth and is a popular tourist destination.They require workers for lemon and grapefruit picking and citrus pruning in the February and March months, Melon picking in the period June to September and Mango picking between October and December.
Kununurra is located in Western Australia 830 kms south west of Darwin. They have a large demand for labour between April and November to pick melons, pumpkins, corn, citrus and mangoes
The Bundaberg and Childers regions sit 3.5 – 4hrs north of Brisbane close the great barrierreef. Labour is required year round to pick tomatoes, Zucchinis, Capsicums, sweet potatoes, snow peas, Avocados, Melons, Mangos and Pineapples.
Cairns is situated in tropical North Queensland and offers easy access to the Rainforest, reef fantastic beaches and the outback. Opportunities exist year round in this region for Crop picking, prawn trawling and construction.
Toowoomba, Australia’s 2nd Largest Inland City is only 90 minutes from Brisbane is home to the Oakey Abattoir. Opportunities exist year round at the abattoir.
Darwin in the Northern Territory is home to one of the most beautiful natural harbours on the north Australian Coast. Darwin’s weather is perfect between may and September. Cyclone season is from October to April. Temporary employment opportunities exist year round in construction and in melon picking between June and September.
Katherine is located 320km south of Darwin in the Northern Territory. They require workers for lemon and grapefruit picking and citrus pruning in the February and March months, Melon picking in the period June to September and Mango picking between October and December. Station work opportunities also exist in this region.
There are fantastic opportunities for qualified nurses to work out in Australia on working holiday visas. At the moment the pay is above reward rates plus many agencies offer a weekly bonus scheme and many agencies also provide free trips and tours for you to make the most of your time in Australia.
If you take on nursing work in the Aussie bush or remote coastal regions free accommodation is often provided too as an added incentive!
People who have worked in a specified industry in regional Australia for a minimum of three months (88 days) while on their first Working Holiday visa, may be eligible to apply for a second Working Holiday visa.
You may return to work for a previous Australian employer for a further 6 months once you are issued a second working holiday visa. You may wish to bear this in mind when seeking employment.
The working Holiday Visa also allows you to Study in Australia for upto 4 months.
Whilst you are in Australia you might like to consider improving or learning your English language with an accredited English language institution.
