Choosing the right city is one of the most important choices you have to make to start your adventure. In fact, this is probably your first big trip and you will always remember it. After such a long flight, the only thing you’d like is to feel comfortable… And what’s better than feeling at ease in a place that fits you?

Depending on your budget, your desires, and your personality, there will be a city that will stand out for you. To help you make the right choice, I created a test called “Which Australian City is Right for You?”. Take the test!

Obviously, I’d recommend you to complete your research by browsing forums and FB groups of backpackers in Australia.

Australia welcomes a large number of backpackers. Therefore, the country is perfectly ready and offers housing solutions that suit all types of people. To start an Australian journey, youth hostels are often chosen. The perfect meeting point for travelers from all over the world. This is, from my point of view, the type of accommodation to book when you arrive. You will meet travelers, have fun, and be surrounded from the beginning.

If the “hostel” type doesn’t appeal to you, you can opt for an AirBnB or an actual hotel room.

To finish, you might want to share an apartment and have “flatmates”. This is the more intimate version of the hostel. You can find your accommodation on Gumtree, Flatmates.com, but also on Facebook Market Place. However, I strongly recommend that you wait until you are in Australia to visit the places you might like. Be aware of (bad) surprises!

If you want to live with an Australian family and you love children, you can become an Au Pair. This job will allow you to live with a host family and have your private bedroom in exchange for some pocket money. You can find host families from offshore so you have a place to stay as soon as you arrive. But again, this is not what I recommend because you can also have nasty surprises. On the other hand, I know some people who were super happy that they went with this solution, so I would say “Good luck!”

The first step is to make your CV the Australian way. Then, you will have to revise and polish your English. You don’t have to be bilingual to find a job in Australia, but you will still need to learn a few “standard phrases”.

Expect a lot of negative responses, but don’t give up. The key to success lies in the way you prospect and approach businesses. It is also super important to do a “follow-up”, which means relaunching the business to show your motivation.

In fact, I strongly advise you to go there rather than sending emails that will remain unread.

You can start from the city center but if you see that it’s too complicated, don’t hesitate to move away and aim for the surrounding neighborhoods. You will have less competition!

I’ve written an article that talks about the day I got laid off, and another that gives advice on the events industry in Australia.

To apply for a Working Holiday Visa in Australia, you will need to prove that you have at least AUD 5,000 in your bank account, which is the equivalent of € 3,000.

On the other hand, I advise you to plan an additional € 3000 to be more peaceful if the search for work is not successful or if the projects do not go as planned.

Getting an health insurance cover when traveling to Australia is not compulsory, but highly recommended. For just € 300 for a year, you’ll have the peace of mind of being covered in case something goes wrong. If you want to know more, I invite you to read this article.

Of course! Besides, this is the perfect opportunity to learn English if you haven’t mastered it yet, or to practice it if you already speak it. I advise everyone to start their adventure with a few weeks of English lessons. This is an opportunity to get back on track, and get off to a good start. In addition, there are English schools in every big city in Australia that offer a weekly intake (every Monday), with day or evening classes.

Depending on your level (beginner, intermediate, or advanced), and in order to develop at your ease, you will be placed in a class that suits you.

If you want advice on how to improve your English, I invite you to read this article on my Australia blog.

You can also test your current level with this tool.

Do you want to take English lessons? Send me an email and I can give you more information.