Visiting Australia...from Canada!

[hang time]

hey all, i'm not sure where to post this so MOD's move me at will. I'm looking for some help. My girlfriend and I are considering coming over to Australia from Canada for an extended period of time. We are planning on staying probably for 3 months or so depending on how things go. We are also planning on working while we are there.

So why am i posting this? Well in the interest of saving money, etc I'm wondering if anyone knows anyone who would be willing to take us in for a few days or weeks or someone who knows where a decent place to stay would be. I'm also wondering if anyone knows where the best place for a couple of young Canadians would be able to find decent work so that we don't go into debt.

Any thoughts or suggestions are helpful!

we are pretty nervous about making the trip considering the cost of just getting there!!

 

[nathanblack]

Dunno mate. But avoid Adelaide (joke)

Most tourist visas dont allow work, with the exception of fruit picking or cash in hand jobs. If you like the outdoors then we are coming into warmer months and high demand for fruit picking. Perhaps Queensland would be nice place to start.

Not easy to find free accomodation. But plenty of backpacker hostels that are cheap or if you go fruit picking accomodation is often included.

Hope you decide to come to Oz and have a great time here.

 

[hang time]

Dunno mate. But avoid Adelaide (joke)

Most tourist visas dont allow work, with the exception of fruit picking or cash in hand jobs. If you like the outdoors then we are coming into warmer months and high demand for fruit picking. Perhaps Queensland would be nice place to start.

Not easy to find free accomodation. But plenty of backpacker hostels that are cheap or if you go fruit picking accomodation is often included.

Hope you decide to come to Oz and have a great time here.

Thanks for the help! Finding work is the only thing that i'm slightly concerned about but my understanding is that it's not that hard if you're under 30. I've been told that many places like to hire Canadians for some reason haha.

 

[Dangerskillz]

Good to hear you are deciding to come to Australia Mark!
Make sure you check out WA as it is quite far the best state in the country if not the entire universe and any corresponding parallel universes (totally unbias opinion of course )
My brother is doing exactyl what you are planning to do atm and is currently living in Toronto and is also searching for a job.
Good luck!

 

[tangent]

I have never tried to do this so don't know where to send you, but I would have thought there are back packer forums who can give you good advice about places to stay, where to find work, how to travel around etc

 

[Noark-99]

In the outback areas of north queensland you see alot of tourists working in bars and stuff.. They are real no where places.. Other than that.. My guess is you'll have to fruitpick.. Banana season is popular with tourists.

 

[sgt_pepper]

just depends what kind of visa you get. if youre under 30 you should apply for a working visa. then you can get a job anywhere all above board. you see the backpackers doing fruit picking because 3 months work in the harvest or fisheries industry allows them to extend their visa (for an extra year i think).
accomodation depends on how youre travelling. loads of backpacking hostels tho. you should also have a look at: couchsurfing.com
youll have a blast. one of my favorite trips out of anywhere in the world was a road-trip down the east coast from cairns to melbourne. did it over a couple of months stopping where we wanted for as long as we wanted.

 

[hang time]

Thanks everyone, it seems to be a general consensus that fruit picking is a common job for travellers. I kind of want to avoid hostels if possible. Especially if we are planning on staying for a few months. Seems we have a lot of work and planning to do before coming over.