roro1990

The way I plan on doing my WHV is more of like work hard first for 4 months and then travel as opposed to working and travelling simultaneously. Where then, makes the most sense to initially fly to? I have 2 friends in Melbourne so that makes there sound the easier option, but I'd also like to think in terms of how easily I can get a job, especially one in a relatively quiet town where my option to spend money will be limited. I really plan on the 4 months being composed of regional work that will enable me to come back for a second year. Speaking of which, does the second year visa have to be used consecutively from the first one or can you wait like a year between them? so, for example, my visa starts tomorrow, it will expire next year on april 20th. Can I wait til the following January to return to Australia or would I need to be using it on April 20th 2016. A lot of questions but if anyone can help at all that'd be nice

Good post, you haven't offended me as I know myself they are being slightly selfish but just for a bit of perspective - they have not got much else in the world. I come from a working class background and am an only child so money is not in my family, in fact it's quite amazing how I even have a chance to travel. Luckily I was blessed with being booksmart and hard working at school so I got a good job and scholarship for college. My mothers' mother is widowed and has just one child, both my fathers parents have passed away. So when you think about it, I am the only person they have in their lives who still has such a large chunk of my life left (fingers crossed). I'm a big part of their lives and I guess they're not looking forward to the prospect that I wouldn't be around for an entire year. I guess part of my fears about Australia comes from a previous experience. I went to USA on a J1 visa 2 years ago and was home after 6 weeks because I hated it. I hated the minimum wage jobs and hated how my shyness was holding me back. As much as I'd like to think differently, i'm still the same guy I was 2 years ago. To be honest the whole decision making process is wrecking my head - i'm ridiculously indecisive which is probably part of the nature of anxious people. Australia is available as a destination until i'm 30 I think so if I don't go now it's not like I never will. Although it'll probably become more difficult as time goes on.

Hey, cheers for the post - it made for some interesting reading and it's comforting to know there are people out there who can resonate with my struggles. I'm glad you overcame your shyness, fair play to you! I am still definitely getting on the plane, I've not cancelled anything yet. But i'm more thinking along the lines of a 3 month trip in Asia covering Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. All I have booked is a flight to Thailand so i'm not losing any money by not going to Oz. I'm just not sure if it's right for me at this moment. The 3 month trip will cost me more than my original plan which was to chill for a month in Thailand then head to Oz and look for work, but it won't cost that much more. I have parents and grandparents saying they wish I'd settle down, I've no guarantees of a job in Oz, and who's to say i'd enjoy things like working in a bar or on a farm. Them jobs might make me more depressed if I find them too much of a struggle in terms of the level of social interaction required. To be honest i'm not totally sure exactly what i'm gonna end up doing. My mind has changed about 12 times and that's just in the last 2 days. All I know is I've a flight to Thailand in 12 hours

Ugh it's two days before I leave and i've started to talk myself out of it. I'm thinking that if I can't go over with a positive mindset then is it really the right thing for me? I'm getting depressed about leaving my parents (i'm the only child). They've been supportive but point blank admitted they'd rather I didn't go. I'm feeling guilty for leaving my best friend, he has battled a drug addiction and said that hanging out with me has been what got him off the drugs. I'd hate to think he'd go back into that if I left, and as cheesy as it sounds I care about him a lot. I have my own routine at home, it's comfortable. What if I go over there and feel even worse about myself? Maybe I should just take a holiday to Thailand (which is where I have my ticket booked to), come home and get a bit of counselling to sort out my negative mindset, learn to drive and then go to Oz in 6-12 months in a better frame of mind. I really dunno what I'll end up doing but my head is melted trying to decide

Great post and thanks very much for taking the time out to write all that, it was very helpful to me. The closer I am getting to the date of leaving, the more worried I'm getting. I've been kinda looking back over how I was in college and in my first post-college job and I made nowhere near the amount of effort I should've to socialize with people and that's what i'm worried about reoeating itself. What a waste it would be to go to Oz and do the same thing and just stay in my comfortable zone of shyness and not interacting with people. I know I can change all this and it's really just about putting myself out there despite the shyness until it becomes second nature but I didn't change after college so i'm worried I'll stay the same again. Your very first paragraph interested me actually. About intentionally adopting a positive mindset. Is this possible for a pessimistic person? I say that because I've always wanted to be positive and I know it would help me but it's like i'm so used to being a pessimist that my brain automatically looks on the negative side of things. It's difficult to get out of.

cheers for your reply, did you go over there on your own though or could you rely on being with people who drove anyway?

Sorry, I should've been more specific - i'm going solo so I won't have that cushion of having a mate who does drive with me!

Just curious on how important this is. I only started to think of it recently, but with Australia being such a large country, will I be missing out on a lot by not knowing how to drive? I plan on going to Sydney first and probably won't need a car then but for travelling around later on i'm worried not having one will ruin it a bit. Did anyone here go over on a working holiday not knowing how to drive? How did it go?

The replies on here have been very positive and got my psyched up about going but I was brought crashing down earlier when I read a reply to a post of mine on a different website. I was basically told I'm an idiot for wanting to go to Thailand for a month wasting a chunk of my savings doing nothing useful. And apparently I'm even more stupid for contemplating going to oz with no idea of what job I want. I'm apparently just throwing my money away. I didn't take the stupid jibes personally but it has made me reconsider. Am I just blowing my money with this plan?

I suppose but like you've already proved you can build up a social life so in some respects it's easier for you to do. You're clearly naturally more sociable than myself, in fact you seem like the stereotupical person I compare myself to to on the likes of Facebook. Going to oz will be fine for you socially. I'm coming from an introverted background where my friendships for the last 2 or 3 years have revolved around alcohol. You clearly have lots of confidence already from your successful lifestyle. I've travelled before BTW, I've been to Thailand twice on my own but I suppose moving somewhere for a year is a completely bigger step.

You're right I am quite pessimistic like that. I think it's just natural though to be doubting it. Fair enough it could be amazing but if I'm having issues over here who's to say they won't follow me to Oz? Then again, maybe I'll turn into a different person and kinda force myself to interact more as the alternative would be being over the other side of the world on my own not talking to anybody. I really don't know.

Well I left the chance of a potentially good job in terms of pay, but it would've been similar to what I done for the last few months and I hated that. I figure if i'm going into work miserable everyday there's no point continuing to do it, regardless of the pay. It's tough not knowing what career you really want buy maybe going to Oz can help. I'll probably try jobs that I'd never even think of at home!

You make good points in favour of leaving. In fairness, deep down I know it's something I want to do but there's so many doubts creeping into my mind that are preventing me from booking it.Ranging from feeling like i'm abandoning my parents (i'm an only child) to thinking I won't make any friends cause i'm shy. My friends wouldn't really be a big part of my life anymore, we were all much closer up until about 2 years ago. I should really just book the tickets but it's a tough call.

So the issue is that i'm 24 and unemployed with savings of 8k in the bank and I've been thinking of heading to Australia for a year (or two) on a working holiday. I'm just wondering though is it really a good idea? See the way things are at home is not ideal. I've never lived out of my own home, my social life has stagnated to the point I only have 3 friends (2 of whom I'd only see about once every 2 months) and I've not been in a relationship since I was 21. So loneliness is a big problem for me. I also don't really know what I want career-wise. I've worked for 9 months in a job related to my college degree and hated it. But i'm just wondering is it wise to run away from my problems like this? If I go off for a year or 2 fair enough I might have a great time but the same loneliness issues could hit me as soon as I come back. And also there's a good chance I'll still be in a position where I don't know what career I really want. On the one hand I feel like i'm at an ideal age to do something like this and it could be an incredible experience but on the other I feel like i'm running from my problems? And who's to say I won't be lonely in Australia? If anyone has some advice that would be nice.

Hey, Real happy to have found this forum, there's a surprising lack of in-depth info on Australia working holiday visa's beyond how to apply for one. Anyway, I've decided that when my contract ends at work in December i'm gonna head to Australia (after 1 month in Thailand). Just looking for some advice. Firstly, do many people go solo? And is it easy to meet people as a solo traveller in Oz? I've been to Thailand twice solo and found it very good for meeting people. What are the best places to visit in Oz? Secondly, i'm gonna want to start regional work straight away. Has anyone got good suggestions for really good working hostels? I was thinking of going to a town called Berri (the hostel there sounds amazing). But the issue is that Berri is a 17 hour bus from Melbourne which is where I plan on flying to (although nothing is booked yet). Thirdly, I'll have about $8500 AUD in my bank when I arrive. Is this enough to get me started? Ideally I would not like to eat into my savings to much, but i'm wondering is this a reasonable amount. Finally and most importantly, is it worth it this whole year in Oz thing? I'm worried that takinga year or 2 off will damage my savings and my job prospects when I return home, but I have my heart set on it so I hope it is worth it. Apologies for all the questions and thanks a mill to anyone who can even answer some of them. Cheers