I hate the phrase travel bug, but my god I have got it. I’ve always loved going on holiday (who doesn’t?) but when me and my best pal went to South East Asia last year for a few months I came back to England and felt pretty blergh.
Australia was never on my list really, it just seemed as easy option to get a job and earn money. What no one tells you is just HOW easy it is, how good the money is and how amazing it is – Melbourne, I’m looking at you.
I booked my flight to Australia a month before and I was completely unprepared. I read a load of travel blogs and bored people I know that have lived here to death with my questions, but really, there’s a few things I have picked up on the past few months living here that I wish I had known before I came out here.
Time your trip around seasons
The weather in Melbourne really really sucks in October. People told me it would be cold, but I thought they meant like 18 degrees cold…. It was fucking freezing. I stayed in a really depressing hostel for a few weeks and the heating sucked and it was generally a really depressing time, however, the sun soon came out and Melbourne suddenly became more appealing. I only had a month of the cold but my point is that if you’re not a complete psychopath and prefer Summer like most people, do your farm work up north where it’s always warm in the Australian winter months and live the high life in Melbourne/Sydney in Summer.
Sort the mundane stuff straight away
You can sort your bank account out before you leave (I recommend Commonwealth bank) and your tax file number as soon as you get here, but I left some stuff months into my trip here which I should have done straight away. For instance, I would have been more organised with my money had I added a savings account into my account (too easy to sort out) and Medicare; you literally just go into your nearest branch with your passport and visa and they do it for you there and then.
Do and see as much as you can
You can get caught up in the work scene here, I earned more money in two weeks than what I did in a month at home…but don’t let that stop you from EXPLORING. Melbourne has so much to offer, so don’t waste your time working and then being shattered in the evenings and weekends. Sites like The Urban List and Timeout are amazing for this. Rent a car for $50 a day and go explore the Great Ocean Road, Wilsons Prom & more.
Work is different (and easier to get) here
Even for a sucky job at home, the process takes bloody ages. Here, you can hand your CV in somewhere and have a job the same day. BE AWARE though, loads of companies have a habit of using and abusing, which means you won’t have such a steady and secure position as you do at home. I have heard horror stories of people doing work and not getting paid for it. Research companies before wasting your time. Google is pretty good for that.
Renting
It’s a lot different here than in the UK. If you plan on spending at least 6 months to a year here get a lease; it’s cheaper and you can choose your flatmates. If not, I found Flatmates.au or Facebook page Fairyfloss Real Estate really useful, and found my place on here. Also, don’t just panic and go for the first place you go to see (I nearly did this, after 3 weeks in a hostel you become desperate); have a real think about what area you want to live in before you commit and make sure you have access to a tram or train nearby.
Some other tips
Transferring all ya hard earned cash into Aussie dollars? Use Transferwise. It'll take 2 hours as opposed to 2 days.
Get your working holiday visa from https://www.border.gov.au as opposed to some dodgy third party. Mine was accepted within hours & it's only £250)
Open a superannuation account with your bank as it's easy to see what's going in. When you leave Australia you can keep around 40% which is great as it's basically an added bonus from your work every pay cheque, like a pension.
Don't get stuck - Australia is a big country, explore!
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