september 2012

[CHRISPORTER88]

Is there anybody travelling to oz in september this year? and by any chance to cairns? Im a first time traveller and i cant wait to get out there so im trying to research as much as possible! if theres anyone who wants to share info or is travelling to the same place please get in touch.

anyone is welcome to get in contact! if its easier my facebook is chris porter and im from durham in the uk.

[nathwils]

Hi mate,
I plan on heading out September too. Was thinking of heading to Sydney first and try find some work. If I can't find any in the first week or two I plan to move on. Are you going it alone or with an organisation like Real Gap? I'm undecided!
Tried searching for you on Facebook but can't find you.
cheers.

[CHRISPORTER88]

Ahh sorry mate think I just realised I havnt put my hometown down on facey so I'll have to sort that out lol.
I'm going on my own, I was thinking about using an organisation but I've been told it's just a waste of money really because you don't get that much support. There's vacancies advertised all over and at hostels for nearby jobs so you wouldn't need an org for that and it's meant to w so easy to meet ppl because everybody's in the same boat so you don't really need an org to get you on a meet an greet type thing when you can make friends for free!
My plans to start up at cairns from sept until new year, go fruit picking in one of the areas nearby so I can extend my visa and then for the next 18 months work my way down stopping at brisbane Melbourne and sydney and probably Adelaide.

You doing any fruit picking or planning an stopping an extra year? Know any websites for cheap flights? I'm waiting on my visa finishing getting processed then I'm gonna Book everything up.

[nathwils]

I've decided i'm not going to use Real Gap and do it myself. Save about £200 that way and as you said i'll meet people with out an organisation. What's the reason you're starting in Cairns? Ideally i'd want to start in Syndey but think it would be hard to find work. I quite fancy the idea of fruit picking, just think it would be a better experience than doing office or bar work which you can do here anyway! I'll probably do fruit picking so i can get my second year visa but not sure i'd stay 2 years, think i'd come back for a bit possibly and then do another year a different time.
No idea about cheap flights, not really looked at that yet. Are you going to get an open return or just a one way ticket? I dunno how long i'd be out there yet, and the advanced dates aren't out yet anyway so no matter what i'd have to decide on a return date whilst over there. Did you get your visa through the Australia gov website? Think i'll do it through that. Gotta wait til my new passport comes though!
Try find me on facebook cos still can't find you, it's nathan wilson and the location filter is Cottingham, cheers mate!

[CHRISPORTER88]

I only use facey on iPhone and for some reason it wouldn't let me enter my hometown, kept coming up with an error and I don't think I can filter my search when finding people but I'll try and sort it out soon and get on a proper comp and add you lol. Ermm I jut thought If I start at cairns then I can work my way down the east coast over the 2 years instead of starting in the middle like sydney then going up then back down but it jut depends where you want to go really, I'm keen on travelling down the east coast so I can see the great barrier reef then I've heard there's load of lush beaches in Queensland, theres a name for it but I can't remember.

Get your visa through the Australian government! Www.immi.gov.au I made the mistake of accidentally paying for another visa on another website which was twice as expensive and a proper rip off and I've just had to get a refund. But yeah the government is the best place to get one because theres loads of sites that try to get you to buy one off them and they charge twice as much because try say they will get an immigration officer to sort out your details when you can just do it yourself in half an hour through the website I just gave you.

I'm just getting a one way ticket because I have no idea when I'll be coming back, hopefully never haha but there is a website I got prices from, I'll find the link because apparently its he only site which caters it's prices for people under the age of 26 which must make it a bit cheaper I'm guessing.

Can you get an extended visa and go home then use up rest of the visa whenever you want? Personally I would use it all in one go because the flights are quite expensive if you planned coming back home for a bit then went out again.

What's your plans when you go over? Doing Sydney then whatever? You planning on working over there a lot? Nice one with nor using an org to meet ppl! Cheaper to do it yourself haha I can't wait for september to come around!

[nathwils]

No worries I'll just keep checking this! I deffo wanna do the east coast too, just think Sydney is a good starting point as its a main city and most people start there. But unsure about the amount of work that is available there. I've been checking on job sites just to get a general idea and there seems to be more work elsewhere but I guess I'll see when I get there!

Yeah good work on the visa haha. I'll use that site just gotta wait for my new passport to com which will be ages! How much was it? I'm trying to get a rough idea but you can't look at the cost on the gov website without doing the application, which I can't til I get my passport haha.

Think the site you're on about is STA Travel? I think I'll book my flights with them too. Found a cheap return with them, then I'd probably get the option ti change the return date up to 3 times for free! Just makes more sense than paying like £300 extra for two singles. Which airport would you fly from? I found Manchester to be cheapest on STA.

Don't really have any plans for when I go over. Probably will hit Sydney first and try find work. If not then I'll find out where there is work and head there! Then just get as much money as poss and do all the tourist traveling spots but then go off the track a bit ha. Like just get a train to anywhere and stay there for a bit ha.

[CHRISPORTER88]

Right I've had a go on facey and my hometown is listed as Chester -le - street so you should be able to find me now haha. Yeah Sydney sounds like a good place to start, I was thinking about starting there meself when I started planning. There was a website that had videos on but I can't remember it's name, one of the vids was about jobs and on it some people were saying it's a bit more difficult to find jobs in the major cities because there's so Many people, specifically travellers who are trying to get all the little part time jobs and that. I've been told it's worth doing a course of some sort over here so your trained to work in a bar before you go over so there's more options for work when your over there.

Think it was sta travel actually! I havnt shopped around for flights that much yet but I'm gonna start to soon so I can get it booked and out the way.

The visa cost 180 quid, I think it says 250 or something on the website but that's in Australian dollars. It's a lot easier than I'd thought, about half an hour actually. Some funny questions on it like, they ask if you've commited any war crimes and acts against human rights which I can imagine nobody will say yes to!

I havnt researched anything on getting a job over there, do you have any tips or websites you can recommend? I think in just about sorted for what I need to know except looking for a job an stuff really.

[nathwils]

Searched for you and still can't find you haha! I'll post on the Australia Backpackers facebook page that I've 'liked' so try and add me there haha! Yeah think I know the course you're talking about, can you do it over here too? Thought you could only do it there. I fancy bar work over there cos I do it here so have experience, but as you said you need qualifications. Think it's a 6 hour course one day so not too bad.

Where you flying from? I find Manchester is generally cheaper to fly from, and closer to me too cos i'm from Hull so not too far!

Cheers for the visa info, gonna apply as soon as I have my new passport, got the forms today so will be sending them off asap! There's a website that you can sign up to for 12 months which is Travellers at Work and apparently they're really good. I think it costs like $100 but if it's gonna find you a job it's a good deal! I also looked at the Aus gumtree website just to get an idea and that had loads on!

Can't wait now haha!

[mikeinoz]

I'm planning on going back to Oz in July and I would I recommend that you go alone and plan everything once you are there because you meet so many people staying in backpackers hotels and everynight is backpacker night in one of the bars.

Also try to get to Perth, in fact start your trip there and see a little of the west coast, there are some superb beaches and the weather is always good. Another reason for this is that you can then travel over to the east coast via the centre, once you hit Sydney you will get drawn into the night life and your money will go fast especially if you make some good friends there. You will then be faced with the choice of working in Sydney just to stay in Oz or coming home. Try this website for some good prices on flights from Perth to Sydney.

http://www.jetstar.com/au/en/home

Or you could do what I did on my first visit to Oz and catch a coach for a two day non-stop journey from the west to east coast for the real cheap option.

As for entering Oz on a one way ticket, unless things have changed I don't think you can do that, I think a return ticket is a must for a holiday visa.

My top tips would be, take as much money as you can, the exchange rate is rubbish right now so your pounds won't go as far. Do your touring round first and make Sydney your last destination because that is where the work is. So spend your money having fun and then hit Sydney to work and build up your finances again. Sign on with temp agencies, they are the best for finding work. When you get to Oz, get a bank account opened and a tax file number sorted. Also don't take a sleeping bag, they attract bed bugs and you DON'T want that!

If you wanna know anything else just ask.