Australia advice

avb

Hey,

Myself and a couple of mates from college are going to go to Australia (Melbourne) in and around the end of September of next year (i know a while away). I just wanted to ask around about people's opinions on a couple of things. Would be grateful if i got some helpful replies from as many people as possible.

Being a college student, i will be working for most of next Summer to save money, although i am currently putting a tiny bit aside every now and again so i am safe in case of no work at home before i go etc.

1. When would you apply for your visa? i know it does not start until you arrive in Aus, so when would you apply for it? would it be worth applying for in February/March so just to have it? a friend of mine said that visafirst is probably the best and cheapest place to get the visa...

2. When would you book your flights? and where from?....as in the website, SkyScanner seems good and brings up some good cheap options.

3. After paying for your Visa/Flights, is there much else expense before you get there?

4. How would you go about getting a place to stay? would you try and organise it before you go, or would you book into a hostel until you find a place?

5. In and around how much money would you bring with you? i know you need at least €3000, so considering il be just out of college and so will my friends, partying will be on the cards for a bit, what would you suggest funds wise?

6. Also, on travelling to Australia, im not sure, but my friends may want to stop off in a couple of places along the way for a few days like Hong Kong, would you recommend this?

You can just copy and paste what i have type and write in bold underneath each question if you want.

Again, thankful for each reply

gaoife

1. When would you apply for your visa? i know it does not start until you arrive in Aus, so when would you apply for it? would it be worth applying for in February/March so just to have it? a friend of mine said that visafirst is probably the best and cheapest place to get the visa...

Hey, the visa takes about 6 hours tops online so i wouldn't bother getting it until just before you go in case your plans change. Its about €220 on the oz official immigration website and it's very easy to get so i wouldn't bother using an agency if i were you

2. When would you book your flights? and where from?....as in the website, SkyScanner seems good and brings up some good cheap options.
I kept trying skyscanner but when i clicked on the links there was no flights available. I check ebookers and then went to the official site of the airline which was cheapest. in the end it was singapore airlines. Otherwise check airasia but i've heard it's like the long haul ryanair ie not very comfy

3. After paying for your Visa/Flights, is there much else expense before you get there?
Just travel insurance

4. How would you go about getting a place to stay? would you try and organise it before you go, or would you book into a hostel until you find a place?
hostel world.com or gumtree for house shares

5. In and around how much money would you bring with you? i know you need at least €3000, so considering il be just out of college and so will my friends, partying will be on the cards for a bit, what would you suggest funds wise?
You'll need €3500 to got into the country, sometimes they dont check but its better to be safe than sorry. Also need enough to cover flights home if you dont book a return

6. Also, on travelling to Australia, im not sure, but my friends may want to stop off in a couple of places along the way for a few days like Hong Kong, would you recommend this?
Yep it's be great for a holiday before you go but if you don't think you'll have more than €3000 you wont have enough money

conor_ire

Applied for the visa back in Feb. Applied online with the Oz Embassy about 11 at night and had confirmation through by the next morning.

Cheapest place to get the visa is through the Oz Embassy, have two friends got it off one of the third party companies thinking it was the embassy paid an extra €100 for a sim card when they arrive and a bank account set up for them. Bank account is free and figure a sim can't be much over $10.

Would just go straight though the embassy it is pure easy to, the page is http://www.immi.gov.au/e_visa/working-holiday.htm. It outlines all the different visa types for you so just pick the one you are looking for follow the links.

Bansai

1. When would you apply for your visa? i know it does not start until you arrive in Aus, so when would you apply for it? would it be worth applying for in February/March so just to have it? a friend of mine said that visafirst is probably the best and cheapest place to get the visa...

Im going this September with a few friends. We booked our visa's back in April with Visa First for €190 and we got a deal on broadband over in Oz.

2. When would you book your flights? and where from?....as in the website, SkyScanner seems good and brings up some good cheap options.

We searched online through the various websites, however the cheapest we found was Abbey Travel. We booked everything through them. (However we are spending 3 weeks in Thailand before we got to Oz, if we weren't, prob would have got a cheaper flight online)

3. After paying for your Visa/Flights, is there much else expense before you get there?

- Health Insurance, Summer Clothes, Back-pack/suitcase.

4. How would you go about getting a place to stay? would you try and organise it before you go, or would you book into a hostel until you find a place?

We booked into a hostel for 3 days. So when we get over there we will start looking. We will probably end up staying in the hostel for longer than 3 days though.

5. In and around how much money would you bring with you? i know you need at least €3000, so considering il be just out of college and so will my friends, partying will be on the cards for a bit, what would you suggest funds wise?

Everyone Im going with is bringing different amounts from about €4,000 to €7,000 (but we are travelling through Thailand first)

6. Also, on travelling to Australia, im not sure, but my friends may want to stop off in a couple of places along the way for a few days like Hong Kong, would you recommend this?

Definately, if you have the money do it!