[Origami Bullets]

(Original post by IRSP044)
Im seriously thinking about heading out in september or october. And iv a few questions.
- Do they check that you have the AUD5000 before or after you buy the visa and pay for a flight over there?
- Do you's know what the cheapest form of accomodation would be?
- What cities have a good balance between goo craic and good employment ops?

Thanks,

- They never actually check that you have the $5000 - whilst they could, in theory, I was never asked for proof and I don't know anyone else who was. In fact, I know one person who went there with £500 to his name.
- The cheapest form of accommodation depends on how long you're going to be in a location. If it's short term, then a hostel ($20 a night, give or take). If it's long term, then working for accommodation in a hostel gives free accommodation, or alternatively you might be able to find an existing house share with a spare room (one friend moved in with a group of Aussie students).
- For a balance between fun and employment opportunities, your best bets are the state capitals - Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Darwin, Perth and Adelaide. Other towns tend to be far, far smaller and either so far off the backpacker trail that there's nothing to do, or flooded with other backpackers who also want jobs.

[Koscielny]

Amazing thread, thank you for this.

Just a few questions though!

I found this on YouTube, VisaFirst.com, I know you said to only use the one you linked to, but VisaFirst provide:

Visas
A bank account
TFN
Airport pick up
accommodation
job assisstance
free interenet
travel discounts

They seem quite good, would you recommend them?

---

I'm thinking of going inbetween the second and third year of my university course. What is the weather there like in June-August time? I know it would be their winter, but is it as bad as we get here in the UK?

-----

Do I need $5000 on a work visa, even if i have work liked up through the likes of helpx.net or workaway.info


Thanks

[Origami Bullets]

I found this on YouTube, VisaFirst.com, I know you said to only use the one you linked to, but VisaFirst provide:

Visas Very easy to do yourself online, using the link in post #1
A bank account Also very easy to do, for free - you can even set one up before you leave the UK
TFN Also very easy to do yourself (for free), online, once you're in the country
Airport pick up Depending on which airport you're flying into - Sydney is the most common one, and the only one I've ever flown into internationally, then there are several ways to get into the town centre. In Sydney, you have the option of the tube ($15), taxi, or some hostels offer a free pick up service - Nomads Westend does for instance.
accommodation Very easy to sort it out yourself before you get there by going on hostelbookers / hostelworld
job assisstance Despite having come across several of these job assistance things, I've never found them to be much good. Look at some Australian sites for guidance on a CV, Aussie-style. Get a friend to proofread it, and then go out and be proactive. The two services that spring to mine - one did little more than check your CV ("it's fine" they said to me, and that was it), and the other only did farm-based jobs.
free interenet Useful, to some extent. However, if you take your own laptop then you can always use McDonald's wifi, and I'm willing to bet that you will only be able to get this free internet when you are inside their office during their opening hours. Not only will you not always be in the right city, but the office may very well be a pain to get to.
travel discounts Usually a pile of self-serving tosh that works out more expense for you.

They seem quite good, would you recommend them? How much are they charging you, and how many night's accommodation does it include?

---

I'm thinking of going inbetween the second and third year of my university course. What is the weather there like in June-August time? I know it would be their winter, but is it as bad as we get here in the UK?
If you're in the temperate southern half, then it will feel a lot like a UK summer. If you're in the tropical north, then it will be the wet season (don't go there in wet season!)

-----

Do I need $5000 on a work visa, even if i have work liked up through the likes of helpx.net or workaway.info
Theoretically they could put you on the next flight home if they discover you have <$5000, so it's always preferable to have it. In addition, the vast majority of jobs on helpx.net or workaway.info are just work for food & accommodation, rather than actual pay. That just means that it will help keep the wolf from the door a little longer, rather than increasing your bank account.

$5000 is enough to support you on a modest backpacker lifestyle for about 4 months, but after that you'd be penniless, wouldn't have gone anywhere and wouldn't have seen anything. General rule is to take as much money as you can, and always keep a close eye on your bank balance, making tough choices if need be.

[IRSP044]

(Original post by Origami Bullets)
How long is a piece of string? Ultimately, you will need to thing about how long you will work for (you should be able to earn significantly more than $300pw), where you will live, how much travel you want to do and what sort of activities you want to do along the way.

I generally spent $300pw, plus what I spent on 'big ticket' items such as my bus pass, skydiving and Fraser Island.

PS If you don't go home skint, you've not been doing it right

When you say that you can earn $300pw is that in a full time or PT job?

[IRSP044]

(Original post by Origami Bullets)
- They never actually check that you have the $5000 - whilst they could, in theory, I was never asked for proof and I don't know anyone else who was. In fact, I know one person who went there with £500 to his name.
- The cheapest form of accommodation depends on how long you're going to be in a location. If it's short term, then a hostel ($20 a night, give or take). If it's long term, then working for accommodation in a hostel gives free accommodation, or alternatively you might be able to find an existing house share with a spare room (one friend moved in with a group of Aussie students).
- For a balance between fun and employment opportunities, your best bets are the state capitals - Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Darwin, Perth and Adelaide. Other towns tend to be far, far smaller and either so far off the backpacker trail that there's nothing to do, or flooded with other backpackers who also want jobs.

That's the best news iv heard all day lol.
Do you think it would be possible to hold a paid job while working for free accommodation in a Hostel?
I have heard that Perth is quite expensive, do you think this is true.

[Origami Bullets]

(Original post by IRSP044)
When you say that you can earn $300pw is that in a full time or PT job?

$300pw is basic living costs, whereas you should be able to earn more than that, even working part time (I agree that it wasn't very clear in the previous post!).

I earned between $18.50 and $20ph + tips when working as a waitress, so I only needed 15 hours pw to cover basic living expenses - any hours / tips over and above that went into the 'fun stuff' pot of money!

[Origami Bullets]

(Original post by IRSP044)
That's the best news iv heard all day lol.
Do you think it would be possible to hold a paid job while working for free accommodation in a Hostel?
I have heard that Perth is quite expensive, do you think this is true.

I managed to hold down both - most of the shifts in the hostel were 10am-1pm, and they organised the rota around other jobs that we had. Because most of the work was done in the morning, and most of the work in the hospitality industry (where almost all of my experience to date is) is done in the evening, it worked quite well.

However, if you're doing the 9-5 five days a week, then it's not going to work so well.

I've never been to Perth, but I've also not really heard anything about the living expenses there. That said, it would make sense that it costs more to live there - it's the world's most isolated modern city, which makes getting supplies there more expensive.

[IRSP044]

(Original post by Origami Bullets)
I managed to hold down both - most of the shifts in the hostel were 10am-1pm, and they organised the rota around other jobs that we had. Because most of the work was done in the morning, and most of the work in the hospitality industry (where almost all of my experience to date is) is done in the evening, it worked quite well.

However, if you're doing the 9-5 five days a week, then it's not going to work so well.

I've never been to Perth, but I've also not really heard anything about the living expenses there. That said, it would make sense that it costs more to live there - it's the world's most isolated modern city, which makes getting supplies there more expensive.

Cheers for the info its a great help.
Though on last query. What city of those you mentioned above do you think was the best craic, in terms of night-life, meeting other back packers and so on?

[CherryCherryBoomBoom]

(Original post by Origami Bullets)
- They never actually check that you have the $5000 - whilst they could, in theory, I was never asked for proof and I don't know anyone else who was. In fact, I know one person who went there with £500 to his name.
- The cheapest form of accommodation depends on how long you're going to be in a location. If it's short term, then a hostel ($20 a night, give or take). If it's long term, then working for accommodation in a hostel gives free accommodation, or alternatively you might be able to find an existing house share with a spare room (one friend moved in with a group of Aussie students).
- For a balance between fun and employment opportunities, your best bets are the state capitals - Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Darwin, Perth and Adelaide. Other towns tend to be far, far smaller and either so far off the backpacker trail that there's nothing to do, or flooded with other backpackers who also want jobs.

Is that not a bit dodgy, arriving with just £500? Was he so sure that he was going to get a job straight away and not struggle with money at any point?

Also, I think you mentioned before that it's vital to have experience for jobs like waitressing and bartending - is this true? I have no experience in those fields, although I do have some retail experience so would that translate in the same way?

[insignificant]

I have a question, where do you get the confidence, and self-assurance to do something like this?

[Koscielny]

(Original post by Origami Bullets)
X

Thanks for the reply, very helpful. I'll go through the Australian government. I'm going to try and do something in Sydney, so it sounds like it will be good to go in July time. Thanks!

[Origami Bullets]

(Original post by CherryCherryBoomBoom)
Is that not a bit dodgy, arriving with just £500? Was he so sure that he was going to get a job straight away and not struggle with money at any point?

Also, I think you mentioned before that it's vital to have experience for jobs like waitressing and bartending - is this true? I have no experience in those fields, although I do have some retail experience so would that translate in the same way?

Very dodgy! He did find a job, but he came home after three months. I'm not sure why he came home after three months though - it could have been money (although I doubt it because he had a job), but it could have been that he just wanted to go home.

The hospitality industry is bizarrely keen on people having experience - goodness only knows why, because people pick it up all the basics in a day anyway. If you want to get some hospitality experience, then I'd suggest going to an agency (I know Off to Work operates in London, for instance), as they're invariably willing to take on people with no experience, and you let them know when you are available to work, so it doesn't interfere with anything else. Plus, because you might not work for them for a couple of weeks (or months) at a time, it allows you to give off the impression that you've got a lot more experience than you really have - you might only have done two shifts with them, but if they're six months apart then it looks like you have six month's experience on your CV! However, as you've got retail experience, then retail may be a better option for you.

(Original post by insignificant)
I have a question, where do you get the confidence, and self-assurance to do something like this?

I think it came from a combination of
- knowing a couple of people (through work) who had already been there, done that
- originally planning to go with friends, but then they pulled out so I went 'sod it' and did it alone
- a firm belief that most things go alright in the end, and that if they didn't then travel insurance would sort me out (in the end, the worst thing that happened all trip was what happened back home, and that would have happened whether I was in Australia, Timbuktu, or the same house - a bereavement) and it was never necessary to claim off travel insurance, or call the High Commission!)

I have to admit that I got really very nervous in the weeks leading up to my departure - but I'm a stubborn sort who won't admit that sort of thing to anyone, so I had no option but to get on the plane!

I'm a pretty normal person, but I think the key is to make the decision, and ideally then make some irreparable and expensive purchase (flight tickets and a visa, for instance) that makes it impossible to back out, and then you have to stick to that decision!

[CherryCherryBoomBoom]

(Original post by Origami Bullets)
Very dodgy! He did find a job, but he came home after three months. I'm not sure why he came home after three months though - it could have been money (although I doubt it because he had a job), but it could have been that he just wanted to go home.

The hospitality industry is bizarrely keen on people having experience - goodness only knows why, because people pick it up all the basics in a day anyway. If you want to get some hospitality experience, then I'd suggest going to an agency (I know Off to Work operates in London, for instance), as they're invariably willing to take on people with no experience, and you let them know when you are available to work, so it doesn't interfere with anything else. Plus, because you might not work for them for a couple of weeks (or months) at a time, it allows you to give off the impression that you've got a lot more experience than you really have - you might only have done two shifts with them, but if they're six months apart then it looks like you have six month's experience on your CV! However, as you've got retail experience, then retail may be a better option for you.

I might be wrong (I can't check now because I've deleted a load of my private messages) I think it was you who private messaged me some hospitality agencies some months ago, and I did end up joining all of them. Don't recall getting any contact from them though . I think the job market in the UK is pretty ****ed no matter what I try

[Origami Bullets]

(Original post by CherryCherryBoomBoom)
I might be wrong (I can't check now because I've deleted a load of my private messages) I think it was you who private messaged me some hospitality agencies some months ago, and I did end up joining all of them. Don't recall getting any contact from them though . I think the job market in the UK is pretty ****ed no matter what I try

It might have been me - I have a vague memory of sending someone the details of a few agencies, but I can't remember who to, so it probably was you.

Did you ever ring them up afterwards to chase the applications?

[CherryCherryBoomBoom]

(Original post by Origami Bullets)
It might have been me - I have a vague memory of sending someone the details of a few agencies, but I can't remember who to, so it probably was you.

Did you ever ring them up afterwards to chase the applications?

I can't really remember, as I've been trying a lot of places in the past so many months. I might give it go again soon then.

Are you absolutely sure though that every hospitality job in Australia requires direct experience? That's quite absurd to hear, considering the fact that how is one supposed to get experience if they've not even been given the chance in the first place? Especially coming from a country like the UK, which isn't doing too well in the recession, which is of no fault of its citizens. Surely there must be some places that give newbies a chance?

[Origami Bullets]

(Original post by CherryCherryBoomBoom)
I can't really remember, as I've been trying a lot of places in the past so many months. I might give it go again soon then.

Are you absolutely sure though that every hospitality job in Australia requires direct experience? That's quite absurd to hear, considering the fact that how is one supposed to get experience if they've not even been given the chance in the first place? Especially coming from a country like the UK, which isn't doing too well in the recession, which is of no fault of its citizens. Surely there must be some places that give newbies a chance?

Well no, it's just that experience is a great help in finding a job - especially because they realise that backpackers will be moving on sooner rather than later, and so they don't want to invest a lot of time and effort in training you, and then discover that you're leaving all of a sudden.

They're not going to be worried about the UK's economy / fairness - all they want is the best outcome for their business (harsh, but true).

[CherryCherryBoomBoom]

(Original post by Origami Bullets)
Well no, it's just that experience is a great help in finding a job - especially because they realise that backpackers will be moving on sooner rather than later, and so they don't want to invest a lot of time and effort in training you, and then discover that you're leaving all of a sudden.

They're not going to be worried about the UK's economy / fairness - all they want is the best outcome for their business (harsh, but true).

OK. What if I were to pretend on my CV that I did have hospitality experience? Would they bother ringing up companies in the UK to find out?

[Origami Bullets]

(Original post by CherryCherryBoomBoom)
OK. What if I were to pretend on my CV that I did have hospitality experience? Would they bother ringing up companies in the UK to find out?

Highly unlikely that they are actually going to check out any UK references - they certainly never did for me.

However, it'll show if you don' know how to carry three plates at once or pour a pint - find a friend who has worked in the industry to show you how to carry three plates (and practice, with frozen peas on the plates, so you can see they're not wobbling!), and find a friend who's a barmaid who can talk you through pouring a pint whilst you watch. Don't claim to have coffee / cocktail / silver service experience if you don't though!

[CherryCherryBoomBoom]

(Original post by Origami Bullets)
Highly unlikely that they are actually going to check out any UK references - they certainly never did for me.

However, it'll show if you don' know how to carry three plates at once or pour a pint - find a friend who has worked in the industry to show you how to carry three plates (and practice, with frozen peas on the plates, so you can see they're not wobbling!), and find a friend who's a barmaid who can talk you through pouring a pint whilst you watch. Don't claim to have coffee / cocktail / silver service experience if you don't though!

Aha, good points. Thanks for the tips . Well, if I never manage to get any hospitality experience before I go, then maybe I can still easily get a job in a different field?

[Origami Bullets]

(Original post by CherryCherryBoomBoom)
Aha, good points. Thanks for the tips . Well, if I never manage to get any hospitality experience before I go, then maybe I can still easily get a job in a different field?

Well exactly - you mentioned that you have retail experience, so that would be a good starting point.

The only reason I talked about hospitality in the OP was that that's the area I worked in. Although it is a fairly common job for backpackers to work in, there's no reason that think that everyone can or should do it.