Byron Mason

Hi arriving the 11th with my boyfriend.. so excited!!! Just need to get some more currency and I'm sorted.. what about you?

How much money are you looking to take with you? I wasn't going to take that much cash and open a bank account when i get there but I know they charge you for transferring from UK bank ? I've got a few things left to do but nearly ready.. Just need to get there, hate waiting! Haha

Hey guy's! Just found out about this forum, exciting stuff! Me and my girlfriend are going next September, I think the 8th, booking it this weekend! Oh, and having a 3-day stop over in Kuala Lumpur Nothing is set in stone BUT, we're hoping that this plan goes something similar; Stay in Sydney from September until the New Year, local traveling and working in Sydney (staying for the NY fireworks) and the flying over to Cairns, renting/buying a camper van and travelling down on a really, really long road trip...looking to get a 3-5 person camper so open for more travellers to create memorable experiences! ABSOLUTELY BUZZING!!!

Hi Parry,

This forum is great to start meeting people and get ideas etc.. I will be arriving into Sydney 22nd Sept with similar plans work / travel locally until New Years, would be great to meet some people with plans for camper van up the east coast!

I will be completing the RSA course when i arrive so i can look for work in pubs etc, I know its hard to discover the real Australia given it is the backpackers paradise but i am hoping to see snipets of the 'real Australia'

I have you got a copy of your itinerary would love to see it and get some ideas of places to go etc?

WHV allows you to work and travel, you can only work for an employer a maximum of 6 months, do you know much about a full visa or sponsorship?

I was tempted to have a couple of weeks in London, but ive seen all of that before just want to get to Australia!

B

Hi,

I am also planning to go on a WHV end of September/beginning of October and am thinking of starting in Sydney but not 100% sure yet. I plan to only be there around 2 months so I'm back home for Christmas but I'm only buying a 1 way ticket incase either I run out of money and can't afford to live for 2 months out there or I'm doing well and enjoying it so much I want to stay longer. I really want to try and organise work before I go as I'm likely to only take around $3000 (not including flight home) how long do you reckon your be there for?

Hi,

I am also starting out in Sydney, landing on the 22nd Sept, Im pretty certain you will not want to come back for Christmas! whats better than Santa hat with a cocktail on the beach in beautiful sunshine

Ive been looking at jobs recently seems so difficult to organise enquire about work without being there, how are you finding it?

Byron

My plan is to finish off next year with the NY celebrations in Sydney and fly back from there . Not yet, I'm booking at the end of the month theres still a lot available around that time as everyone is leaving sydney around then lol

I think the NY celebrations in Sydney is a MUST SEE! I say all of this but things could change when i get there! Yeh i think you should be fine for accommodation its only Christmas / new year period when places fill up quick!

B

I''m not sure if my early experiences in OZ can be termed 'backpacking', though I did stay at a few hostels in Perth, Adelaide and Sydney, travelling by Greyhound, but we are talking 'ancient history!'

 

I'm sure you will be OK in the YHA and you will almost certainly make friends there. Apart from the hostels themselves, there are other services catering to backpackers, travel agents for instance, based around them. Do the RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) certificate soon after you arrive, as you will need that for bar work. There always seem to be some sort of work around. I spoke to some English girls who are working for an ANZ call centre (I think) and I was served by a young Irish guy in Officeworks (big stationery chain.) The only drawback to being a part of the backpacking community is that you won't meet so many 'real' Aussies there.

Maybe it wasn't specifically backpacking however travelling throughout Australia is one of life must do activities! yes i was planning on doing the RSA asap, are there a lot of bar works jobs in or around Sydney?

I want to see the real Australia which is why i want to secure a job first and have more money at my disposal when backpacking.

B

Eh up pal, me and my mate will be in Sydney from September 15th. If you want a meet and a few beers. Give me a shout.

Definitely sounds like a good plan!! Have you got your accom booked yet?

Yes I've got 4 weeks booked in at a YHA hostel, I know it will be a little cooler I'm looking to get a job for a few months to have more pennies to backpack the east coast. Have you ever backpacked Oz?

Im heading there at the beginning of January around about the 4th. I'm so excited too!!! You staying in Sydney or travelling around?

I am beginning in Sydney but I'm looking to get a job for a few months first then travel with more pennies in my pocket, Shame your going to miss the New Years celebration in Sydney!! Have you booked your accom yet? I know they get filled up pretty quickly

You might be better off travelling alone!I left Oz when I was 18 (Im a female)and went off travelling alone and this was way back in the late 70's!:wink:I've also travelled between Oz and the UK alone several times over the years.I actually prefer it alone!I can do my own thing without checking first with someone else,do what I want when I want.Are you nervous about going alone?

I will be travelling alone but it would be nice to know a couple of faces when i get there and to get some ideas of things to do etc, I cant wait to get there meet a load of people and get the adventure started. Im not nervous, impatient maybe haha!

B

Hello.

 

The gray italic text is just a bit more about it, nothing too interesting so if you want to skip past it you won't miss anything important!

 

Firstly, let me introduce myself. My name is Christopher, however most people either call me CJ or Coxy, so call me as you please. I'm 20 years old and currently living within the Greater Manchester borough of England, and I was born in December '94.

 

I'm not new around these forums, as such. I've been browsing them for several years, because the amount of knowledge on here is just too good to miss out on. I used to have an account, but it was a long time ago so I've no idea on the username or email address I used to sign up. It's also that long ago I've moved so it's not like the Admin Team could find my account that way too through an IP lookup or something. It only had around 5 posts so I've not lost anything special. I do want to give a big thanks to all the amazing people on this forum, majority of you are what have persuaded me to follow my dreams and not to hold back from doing so.

 

Going to Australia... where do I start? I've wanted to go for several years and had the money to do so, but for one reason or another I haven't been able to. I wanted to go in 2012 but due to my Mum having some serious illnesses and multiple operations I just couldn't leave and felt it would be wrong to leave my Mum behind at a time when she needed me. It started to pick up again in 2013 and she started being fine, but unfortunately again she became quite ill where she needed a lot of care, so once again I just felt I couldn't leave as it wasn't the right time to go.

 

In 2014 I wanted to go even more, as you can imagine from the last two years really wanting to and being held back for one reason or another, however another family member then became quite ill and unfortunately passed away Christmas Eve. I can tell you now being in Hospital on Christmas Eve sat by someones bed side all night in the last place you'd want to be, but I have massive respect and praise for the wonderful doctors and nurses out there, they're amazing.

 

Now it's 2015, and we're half way through the year. Everything is going good, as good as it can get for my family I would say. My Mum is now living with my Nan as she promised the family member who passed away Christmas Eve she would go and live there to look after her. My Dad is happy and in his prime of his life with his new girlfriend, and my sister is happy with her partner of several years and that's who I'm living with currently since I pretty much had no where else to live. As for the rest of my family, I don't even know who they are really, so they're out of the picture.

I really feel like now is the time to go, make something of my life and explore the endless possibilities involved with that. I applied for my Visa and got it granted last month (May 2015). I am looking to fly out anytime from the end of this month to July or August, no later than mid-August though. I'm already having restless nights due to excitement! Where I want to go, I'm not too sure just yet. I've watched countless hours of videos and read so much online and the majority of people have advised to just go with the flow mostly once you get there, and those that did try and plan it out never stuck to their plans.

 

I've got pretty much everything already sorted. Visa already done as mentioned. I've made a bank account (Highly recommend Commonwealth, http://commbank.com.au - easy to set up) and deposited $1500 in it, will be putting another grand or two in it closer to departure date, and taking rest in cash. My plan anyhow, who knows? It would be stupid to put more money in there though until I have a confirmed leave date.

 

Is there anyone else planning to go within this time frame, with as crazy ideas as me? I'm sort of interested in just going there and finding some sort of farm work or something. As it's approaching Winter there, I feel it would be harder to find that sort of work but a better time for me, especially due to no wasps and such. Nothing bothers me except those little bas..... you get the hint. That way I have 21 months to explore and do as I wish, because at least doing this I would get the work needed for a second year Visa out the way, should I plan to do that, and it gives me extra money to do a bit of touring.

 

I would love to meet up and go with someone, preferably between the ages of 18 - 25 with the same crazy ideas as me. I don't care whether you're male, female, white, black, pink, blue... it makes no odds to me. I've had days with friends where we've decided to just jump on a plane and go to random places, and we've done that. Admittingly, we've had brighter ideas. Though I am completely fine and confident in going on my own, it would still be nice to get to know someone before I go, book plane tickets with someone and leave at the same, to make the trip a bit more interesting than me just sitting there on a plane listening to music the entire journey.

 

If there is anyone who fancies it, preferably leaving from Manchester or Liverpool Airport within this time period who is alone going alone, then feel free to message me and who knows where we could go from there, and would be even better if you fancied doing the farm work or similar first before anything else then enjoying Australias Summer during the end of the year without anything to mainstream, though I'm not completely sure if I want to do this as soon as I get there, just an idea, but yeah... If you have any questions, tips, anything, feel free to post in this thread.

 

Thank you all.

Hi mate,

I will be arriving in Sydney in Sept and have exactly the same plan.. get there and get a farm job and the 88 days nailed down straight away! Have you got any plans in place after youve completed the 88 days? if your going near Sept time give me a shout and be nice to know a face when i get there!

Cheers

B

Thanks guys, I think I'm going to fly to Sydney, spend a few weeks, then go to Melbourne for a few months. Then head to Brisbane or Adelaide for winter. Definitely flying into Sydney first though :-)

Im absolutely buzzing for my WHV from Sept! when you arriving in Sydney?

B

Hi - i'm going in September and starting off in Sydney for 10 nights, using that as a 'base' to look for work and then going wherever the work seems to be (or if we have a job travel there) .. like Bungo said it's easier for flights!! x

hey

Im starting in Sydney too!! when are you arriving??

B

Hi.

I will be arriving into Sydney for Sept 2015.. you got any plans for Sydney area yet??

B

Heyy Everyone,

I am about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.. WHV Australia!! would love to get to know a few faces before I arrive in Sydney, any advise / recommendations would be greatly appreciated!!

let me know your plans?

Thanks

B