Travelling in Australia or New Zealand
Australia and New Zealand are perennial favourites for backpackers and independent travellers. For good reasons - they have a huge range of experiences available, including living in the great cities of Sydney or Auckland, exploring the mountains of New Zealand or the tropics of Northern Australia. You can hike in desert outback, ski in beautiful mountains, dive in crystal clear waters - you get the idea.
Then there are the brilliant backpacker networks and well established hostels, bars and working outposts where you can meet like-minded people, as well as the world famously friendly Aussies and Kiwis. The working holiday visa is another reason why these are such popular destinations. Not only can you stay there for one or maybe even two years, but you can work legally and earn a decent wage too. The companies below can help with tours, visas, job placements, accommodation and job hunting, so take a good look and start planning your trip now.
Australia & New Zealand
Flying Fish
At Flying Fish you can become a Yachtmaster, conquer the ski slopes, surf Sydney's best breaks or win at windsurfing. Learn the basics of sailing, dive the Barrier Reef or crew on a superyacht. With over 19 years' experience in the UK, Australia, Canada and Greece, Flying Fish promises you expert coaching and real adventure.
Find out more Visit their website
Intrax
Volunteering in Belize, Brazil, Ghana, India, Mexico, Peru, Thailand and more. Projects with children, education, health and the environment. Internships and Jobs in the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Find out more Visit their website
Travellers Auto Barn
Choose from a wide variety of self-drive options in Australia.
Find out more Visit their website
Kaya Responsible Travel
Over 250 projects across 26 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Choose to work with wildlife and environmental conservation or community projects from teaching, sports and medical to building, childcare and other development initiatives. Skilled and unskilled positions from 2 weeks to 6 months. Travel and make a world of difference today.
Find out more Visit their website
RSA Now
Online Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) training that will save you time and money! On course completion, immediately print your certificate.
Jobs 4 Travellers - OZ Essentials Sorted FREE
FREE - Australian Bank Account set up before you land in Oz. FREE - Tax file number arranged hassle free anywhere in Oz. FREE - International money transfers & DIY arrival guide.
Quality Hospitality International
Quality Hospitality International is a online training company offering hospitality courses such as Responsible service of Alcohol, Responsible service of Gambling and Food Hygiene. These courses are mandatory in Most Australian states.
OzXposure
Choose from over 30 tours from 1 to 69 days in length, from the small group adventure specialists.
Find out more Visit their website
BUNAC
Established work and travel organisation - Offering volunteer work & travel experience worldwide.
Find Out More Visit their website
Wesser Limited
The Ultimate Gap Year – Let Wesser Pay For Your Gap Year!
Find out more Visit their website
Planning a Gap Year in Australia and New Zealand
At Gapwork.com, we love Oz and New Zealand. The inspiration for our website in the first place came from one of Gapwork's co-founders taking a year out on a working holiday visa to Australia, way back in 1999! Since then family members and friends have made the long haul flight downunder on a working holiday visa too, and we've been able to help them plan their year out in Australia and New Zealand. These are some of their top tips and advice for anyone else planning a gap year downunder:
- Sort out the essentials, such as insurance and visas well in advance of booking your flights. If in doubt, use an expert to help you with the visa application and insurance policy. Make sure you understand what your visa entitles you to do, and what your insurance covers you for.
- Don't expect to walk into a job. Take a CV and smart clothes, and keep an open mind about the type of work you are looking for. Take enough cash so that you are not dependent on getting a job straightaway. Finding a working holiday job in Australia or New Zealand isn't any harder than finding a temporary job in the UK, but you still need to be realistic.
- Get involved. Don't just hang out in Sydney or Melbourne, travel the country and use your working holiday visa to live and work in unusual places to really make the most of your year out. Use your gap year as an opportunity to tick off a few "bucket list" activities - things that you want to do before you get too old, too boring or too dead! Whether it's white water rafting, bungee jumping or cage diving with sharks, Australia and New Zealand are great places to try all these things out as part of your adventure. There are also lots of great backpacker tours and treks available to help you discover the country.
- Be sociable. There is really no point in travelling across the world if you are too shy to speak to new people. This is especially true if you are backpacking and staying in shared accommodation like hostels. A smile is the best form of communication in any language, and whether you are hanging out in a hostel with other backpackers, picking fruit with other working holidaymakers, or hanging out with Aussies or Kiwis, having a smile on your face and a positive attitude will get you far.
- Think about how you are going to get around, what you are going to do while you are there, and how much it is going to cost. How are you planning on travelling around the country? In both Australia and New Zealand a car or campervan can help you make the most of your trip. If driving isn't your thing, flights between cities are good value for money, and public transport such as buses or trains run efficiently. If you really want to throw yourself in at the deep end you can buy ticket on a backpacker tour bus that means you go to the most popular places with lots of other like minded travellers.
Australia and New Zealand both offer travellers a fantastic combination of adventure and the exotic, with the familiar and friendly. Use the organisations on this page to really get the most out of a trip downunder to Oz or New Zealand.
