As the title suggestions, I\'m travelling to Australia alone (it will be the first time abroad alone too) in August and I have no idea what to expect! I am hoping to make friends whilst travelling too as I will be staying in hostels, and I\'m a bit of a shy person but I know I need to put myself out there - how easy will it be? Are people as friendly as people say they are? Any advice and general help would be greatly appreciated! It would also be cool to talk to people doing the same thing 😊
Reply to this Hi Stacy and welcome to Travelblog - yes we are as friendly as people say 😊
Theres always lots of people backpacking around and doing the hostels thing all over Aus - there are quite a few travelbloggers in Aus at the moment who post here.
You wont have any trouble buying anything (Im assuming you are from either UK or US?) that you would buy at home, no language barriers (other than a bit of slang which you will get used to quickly) and just follow the same set of "'rules'' you would at home as far as personal safety.
Which coast are you planning on starting from? Im sure you will meet other people in hostels just like yourself who feel a little bit shy but a smile is a universal language and the best way to meet people.
Reply to this Hi! Thanks for the reply. I'm from the UK 😊
I'm starting off in Perth, would like to work for a few months to gain that 2nd whv :D then maybe after new year start my travels. I have a route planned but whether I'll stick to it or not is another thing! I won't be driving so I'll probably get to miss out on a few sites that only drivers can see but I can live with that 😊. Thank you for the tips. I've actually been on here reading for over a year as a guest! It's very inspiring reading about other peoples adventures, has also given me a lot of tips on where to go and what to see! I hope to start documenting my travels when I go.
Reply to this Hey Stacy
I live in Perth - great place and the heatwave and endless summer looks to be finally drawing to its well overdue death thankfully. Working in Perth - unless you have a specific skill thats in a skills shortage area you can find lots of work in hospitality and retail etc. If you do decide to work in pubs/bars you will need to do a responsible service of alcohol short course but you shouldnt have any troubles at all obtaining that - most TAFES/polytechs/technical colleges offer them a couple of times a week. Perths probably a good place to start because its very mellow compared to say Sydney. Look around Fremantle for good vibes, close to beach and lots of cafes and interesting people and travellers. Even if your not going to be driving, not all is lost - you may be lucky enough to get a job working at a roadhouse up in the northwest and see the kimberleys or at a pub out in the goldfields, long distances buses arent that expensive. If you want to head into the southwest, think about picking fruit or grapes - seasonal but there is often work around with a bunk thrown in. If you know anything about/can ride a horse pm me when you are closer to arriving
Reply to this Hello Stacy and Cindy! Thank you both for your info.
I've had my permanent resident visa (in WA) recently and I'm going to Western Australia soon.
I'm coming alone also and I feel a bit nervous because it's the first time to travel outside my country Egypt and generally middle east 😞
What I'm doing now is sending a lot of applications to WA pharmacies and once one of them accepts me, I will go there. I hope this happens soon 😊
I'd like to chat with both of you about WA
It's nice to write to you, hope to hear from you soon 😊
Reply to this In response to: Msg #133281
hiya cindy, i know these posts are quite some time ago i actually joined only there now as i read your post regarding horses. i have a good bit of experience working with and riding horses and id love to do something like this when i come over to Oz in january. maybe you could privately email me if you ever see or find this post little wing. my name is chloe, im 23 and from northern ireland. id love if you could mail me.
thank you
chloe 😊
Reply to this Hi Chloe,
Welcome to TravelBlog.
Which 'discipline' have you been working in with horses?
(I was in racing for a few years - that might be an option if relevant to what you've done previously.)
Reply to this Hi Chloe - If you intend to hit the west coast and visit sleepy Perth theres usually jobs available in the racing industry from stable hand to track rider - January is a quite month for breeding horses for racing but if you are into another discipline I have lots of horsey contacts who may know of something. Jo what did you do in racing?
Reply to this Hi Jo, in Northern Ireland we mainly horse ride for enjoyment but I have participated in quite a few jumping contests and cross country tracks etc Im not quite sure where I my exact destination is yet, although I plan ontravelling hopefully for the first two months so I am thinking it may be March April by the time i get to Perth. Whats it like there Cindy? Have you always lived there? I know I am going to need work but its just finding it... thanks. 😊
Reply to this Welcome to Travel Blog.
Stacey, you will be embraced by the Australians. They are wonderfully friendly people and it is an easy country to navigate. I feel certain, even though you are shy, that you will meet many people in the hostels to make friends with. I admire you for putting yourself out there. Good job.
We hope you will blog about your experiences.
Have fun and happy travels.
Reply to this Hey Guys, just thought i'd say hello as i'm in Perth too 😊 I think the hospitatility industry is always in demand for staff and some friends of mine who live in qld managing a hotel go through all the overseas resumes every year and employ backpackers. Perth unlike the rest of Aust (or the world) is not in a recession and there are massive skills shortages from waiters, secretaries through to professionals such as IT or sales staff....so i would doubt you'll have issues finding a job here! There is some seasonal work for backpackers too like picking fruit or grapes...
My biggest tip for travelling alone would be to dont wander down a dark alley in the middle of the night!!! Seems fairly obvious but for some reason tourists seem to do this and get mugged all over the world. So just stick to well lit places with heaps of people...and you'll be fine 😊
Reply to this There are thousands who start off traveling alone and soon make friends with fellow travellors and get safety from numbers. Met 4 young German backpackers yesterday - they had bought a reasonable car between them and tents etc, travelling outback Queensland working in a variety of jobs from fruit picking, car wash etc.
A personal safety issue on our coasts is do not swim after dark and after consuming alcohol. Too many tradgedies each year from this simple mistake.
Perth is a popular starting place and certainly the city most likely to provide employment at the moment. Good luck with your travels.
Reply to this Hi!
I'm new to the site and the idea of travelling.
Right now I don't have anything concrete, but I think Australia would be a good start as I hear it's popular for travel.
I always hear stories of people going to Australia for travel and casual work on a working visa (I think that's what it's called), but I'm wandering, where do I start?
Which part of Australia do I choose to go? Do I need to sort out a job first in the UK (that's where I live) and then apply for a working visa, or do I search for a job once I get there?
Just lost in terms of how I would get the ball rolling, and so any advice/tips would be appreciated.
Thanks!
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