Australia is a dream destination for millions of people and so it should be! Rolling hills, stunning beaches and more wildlife than you could shake a stick at (don’t be shaking things at snakes or sharks though). So here are a few helpful tips to follow when planning your working holiday in the land down under!
Of course, the first point of call before you come rushing full pelt to Australia, you need to check to see whether you are eligible for the appropriate a working holiday visa. The following requirements currently apply (correct on 22nd January 2014)
· Must be aged 18-30 (inclusively) when entering Australia
· Must have no dependent children accompanying you on the trip
· Must be resident in a country which is eligible
So… they are going to give you a visa? Excellent! Then the hard part is over. Now you just need to apply!
This is so super easy a monkey with the brain of a chicken could do it! All you need to do is go online (click here), fill in your details, pay your money and you are done! Then, just wait for an email confirmation (which should come through pretty quickly, mine came through in just over 24hours) and HAZZAR! You got away with it! They’re letting you in!
**When you apply for your WHV they will ask for an arrival date so you may want to book your flight beforehand or pick a date and make sure you book afterwards.
Flights:
Here is where the exciting part comes in. Booking your flight confirms your trip even more than the visa. Mainly because of the price if nothing else but also because you will have a date, which means we can all grab our smartphones and download a tacky Countdown App!
There are some great places to hunt for cheap flights, my personal favourite is SkyScanner however, as I am under 26 and was a student at the time of booking, I went through STA Travel who guarantee to beat any price! Compare all cheap flights with Skyscanner first!
I suppose you will be considering which airline to pick, because there are A LOT. Think of it like this: If someone said that you were to be jammed into a steel tube and asked to sit there for around 24hours, how would you feel? Let’s break it down. If I asked the same question but said that there would be a few films to watch and you get a bit of leg room. How would you feel now? Before you jump at the offer, I shall ask you again, this time I am offering you the most recent blockbusters to watch, great food and lots of leg room. Of course all these different options come with different prices and each representing a flight company. The first should never be an airline company, the second a company like Malaysia Airlines (Very good but not the best) and the latter is your top dogs, like Emirates or Singapore Airlines. If you have never been on a long haul flight and you’re coming from a country in Europe or America then 24hours in the air (then add on top your lay over and waiting times) can be hell. Saying this, you don’t need to fly business class to be comfortable and have a pleasant flight as these days most companies supply all the things you need.
When it comes to when to book your flight, there can be months which are better to book, where companies have a “sale” but the golden rule I can give you is to be flexible with your dates which then means you can snap a great deal on a mid-week offer!
Some other useful tips:
Unlock your mobile phone: A lot of people forget to unlock their phones before they travel abroad and soon realise that their phone rejects new Sim cards. It is really quick and easy to unlock your phone, just head down to your nearest phone shop hand over your phone and around £15-20 and come back in an hour and voila! Your phone will then be opened up to all networks. (Please note that opening your phone will void any warranty from the phones manufacturer).
Get together some travel documents such as:
· Visa confirmation (they will email you this once your visa has been approved)
· CV/Resume
· Travel Insurance details
So get excited because you are coming out to an amazing country and you will have the time of your life!!
