Looking for a working break in Oz

[africka]

Hi everyone
My name is Andrea and my partner (Steve) and I are looking to do some work in Australia for 4-5 months or so over the winter period whilst our house in France is for sale. We also have a house in England but don't want to return there! My partner is an Engineer (electronics) and I am a teacher (IT and English) but I don't really want to teach formally anymore. We would consider any type of work and have just finished a complete renovation on our French property, I was trained in secretarial work and Steve has run his own plumbing and heating business in the UK. We would consider doing just about anything in these fields, but are quite happy with casual fruit picking, etc etc.

Any advice about whether we need visas, what sort, how to get one etc or do we just arrive as tourists and search for some work then?

Thanks for any replies!
Andrea and Steve from Torquay, UK/Cahors, France

[mark78]

If you’re between 18 – 30, this would be the best Visa for you:

Working Holiday Makers

The Working Holiday Program provides opportunities for people between 18 and 30 to holiday in Australia and to supplement their travel funds through incidental employment.
The visa allows a stay of up to 12 months from the date of first entry to Australia, regardless of whether or not you spend the whole time in Australia.
You are allowed to do any kind of work of a temporary or casual nature, but work for more than three months with any one employer is not permitted.
Australia has reciprocal Working Holiday maker arrangements in effect with the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, Japan, Republic of Ireland, Republic of Korea, Malta, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People's Republic of China, Finland, the Republic of Cyprus, France, and Italy, Belgium, Estonia and Taiwan.

For more info and the application procedure: http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/visiting_whm.htm

If you’re over 30, your options are very limited. Check out www.immi.gov.au to see if you fall into any of the categories.

P.s It's illegal to work in most countries, including Australia, without the correct visa.

[bob and ginnie]

British citizens have recently been allowed to gain an extra year's holiday visa, making it two years in total, by working for at least a three month period on agricultural work, such as fruit picking, grapevine pruning, cattle station work, etc.
Aussies are getting pretty lazy nowadays and don't want to do the work out in the sun too much, so if you are willing to do some work outside for a 3 months' spell, you get to work an extra year Down Under.
Check out New Zealand's working visa program for British citizens too. You can avail yourselves of a couple of years there, so if you lobbed up in the Antipodes in 2006, you needn't go back till 2010 if you play your cards right. By that time you will not want to go back to Britain and you could apply to migrate to Australia or NZ.