Working Holiday in October, Any Advice?

[I Am Canadian]

Hello, im 18 and going to do a year of work and travel in Australia (Brisbane) starting in October and I have a few questions:

1. Whats the best option for shelter? Hostles, Hotels, Rent, Appartment, etc?

2. Any job ideas? do I need the job before I leave?

3. Any Hockey arenas/leagues?

4. Buy/rent a car, public transit, or bike?

5.What is Brisbane like?

6. What should I bring?

Thanks,
Colin

[heymikey]

(1) Hostel for a couple of days until you get readjusted to the time zone and the warm weather. Then, use the time to find an apartment/room to rent, and of course, a job.

(2) You don't need a job before you leave and I doubt people will hire you without meeting you in person. Jobs can range from bar/pub work to office temping.

(3) Yes, but ice hockey is not a big sport down under. Just use google to finde some arenas/leagues.

(4) Definitely public transit.

(5) I lived in Brisbane for just 3 months and it seemed like a typical North American city. It's not as cosmopolitan as Sydney or Melbourne, and surprisingly, unlike Sydney, there are no beaches within its city limits. There's a fake one though in South Bank. That being said, it is in a good location sandwiched between the Gold Coast to the south and the Sunshine Coast to the north. The Gold Coast with its amusement parks and beaches feels like Florida. The Sunshine Coast is more laidback. You can take the train to both areas from Brisbane. Surfers Paradise in the Gold Coast is pretty touristy with a great nightlife especially during Schoolies Week (what they call 'Spring Break' or 'Reading Week'). Byron Bay in NSW is close by (probably about 2 hours south) and has great beaches and hiking path. You can travel around Australia cheaply since they have budget airlines like Jetstar and Virgin Blue. Even Qantas offers cheap domestic flights if you time it right.

(6) You can buy most things in Australia that you can in Canada. Just bring your sense of humor, enthusiasm, and a desire for adventure. Oh, and lots of money since Australia can be quite expensive to travel around. Various activities like scuba diving (including certification), snorkeling, surfing lessons can all add up pretty fast. Plus, depending on how much money you save during your working holiday, you can fly to New Zealand or Southeast Asia on your way back to Canada.

Have fun! You're going to have the time of your life. I'll be going on a working holiday myself but to London, UK. Cheers!

[possums]

hey there, I met my Canadian husband while he was backpacking through Australia. He started out in Bondi Beach in Sydney staying in a hostel for a few days then he and 4 other backpackers all moved into a really nice apartment in a high rise. It worked out fairly cheap for them and they saved for 3 months. I then met him and we bought a Kombi camper van and we travelled up the East coast of Aus.

You will meet so many other travellers in your exact same situation and you'll make lots of great friends. Some of our backpacking friends grouped up with others who had the same plans and they all travelled together to cut costs.


1. Whats the best option for shelter? Hostles, Hotels, Rent, Appartment, etc?
Hostel to start with if that's what you feel like, then you can go from there.

2. Any job ideas? do I need the job before I leave?
Cafes are always looking for people as with temping agencies.

3. Any Hockey arenas/leagues?
There is an Australian league here, I'm on the Gold Coast and our team is the Blue Tongues.

4. Buy/rent a car, public transit, or bike?
Depending on where you land, public transport would be great until you get a feel for the city and roads, you could sit behind the driver to get used to driving on the other side of the road.

5.What is Brisbane like?
Brisbane is lovely but as heymikey has mentioned, there aren't any beaches close by if that is what you are wanting.

6. What should I bring?
Not much! If you are wanting to travel while here I would suggest packing lightly. If you are headed up North it is pretty warm all year round (North of Rockhampton). I would recommend a smaller backpack that you can take wherever you go so your valuables are on you all the time, you wouldn't want to leave them in the hostel room. My husband saw so many people reporting missing items in the short week he was in a hostel.

[mark2000]

I was also wondering about the hockey scene down there... I would be located in Sydney. It seems to me that hockey must be the weirdest thing to them, and equipment must be expensive. Does anyone know if when you show up to a hockey league down there...is it just a bunch of Canadian and American expats!?!?

[possums]

It's called the AIHL,

http://www.theaihl.com.au/leagues/homeA ... &link=AIHL


Sydney's team is the Ice dogs

http://www.icedogs.com.au/

[comet555]

Yes, hockey equipment is very expensive here. Make sure you bring everything you need, plus extra sticks, tape, etc. Sock tape alone is usually about $7 a roll!

There are leagues to play (other than their superleague). You just have to have a look around.
http://www.nswicehockey.com.au/

You will of course find lots of Canadians on the team. There seems be a higher percentage of Canadians as the level of play goes up.