A working holiday in Australia is a great way to live like a local while making money to fund your travels around the country. Going on a working holiday is a lot simpler than most people realize and it provides the opportunity for an amazing long-term travel experience. There are tons of different, entry-level jobs available that allow working holiday VISA holders to work in Australia for up to 12 months. To get an idea of what it’s like on a working holiday, I interviewed my friend Raven, who spent five months working at a cafe in Perth, Australia.

What it’s Like on a Working Holiday in Australia: An Interview

Why did you decide to do a working holiday in Australia?

A: It was very spur of the moment. I was working at a guest ranch in Montana and I wanted to leave due to new management. A girl I was working with was like, “Hey, I’ve always wanted to go to Australia, do you want to come?” and I said yeah. The next day we went online and applied for VISAs. That’s how I ended up in Australia.

How did you get a working holiday VISA?

A:It was pretty simple, I just did the online application. It only took a couple weeks [to be approved]. 

How did you find a job in Australia?

A: I went to Australia before I had a job. We flew into Sydney and when we got there we realized we did not like it. It felt like every other city. So we bought tickets again, basically spent all of our money, and went to Perth.

I got a job at a coffee shop cafe as a busser and I did that for 5 months. I went into a cafe, went up to the counter and I said, “Hi, I am looking for a job.” Then I had an interview and I got the job. I did not even need to turn in my resume because I was literally just bussing tables. It was one of the easiest jobs.

My friend that I went with got a real job. She was an events coordinator. I can’t remember how she got that job, but she was so much more stressed than I was… I was just chillin’. I would go to work, to the beach, eat food… so I think my way to go about it was the best way.

Did you need any experience to get a working holiday job in Australia?

A: Nope! You do not need experience. My training was like, “Hey, you see that dish? Go get that dish and bring it back to the dishwasher.” I knew nothing, I literally just wondered around all day collecting dishes.

What was a day in the life like while working in Australia?

A: It was usually 6:00am to 2:00pm. An 8 hour shift, 5 days a week with a lunch break. It was very easy, especially since I lived across the street. I would wake up and walk across the street and all day I would buss tables and sometimes I would make a drink for myself. [My only responsibility] was clearing tables. It was one of the easiest jobs I’ve ever had. 

What were the pros and cons of working in Australia?

A: The best parts were the free coffee, time and a half on weekends, and that it was right across from my house. I actually don’t think there were any cons [with the job], it was an amazing experience. It was one of the highest paying jobs I’ve had.

Compared to the USA, how different was the Australian work environment?

A: It was a very chill environment. I walked in and got the job, basically had no training, and I had no one watching me the entire day I worked. They hire people and they just expect that they will actually do the job. It’s much different than America. 

How much money did you make and save while on a working holiday in Australia?

A: I made 20 AU$ an hour and time and a half on weekends. The first time they came to me and said, “Hey someone can’t work this weekend can you cover their shift, and it is a weekend so you get time and a half.” And I was like, “Can I work every weekend?” Because in America [especially with seasonal work] they don’t give you that choice. So that was weird but it was wonderful. 

I basically saved nothing. Me and my friend saved about five grand before we got to Australia. By the time we got to Perth… between the flight to Australia, the flight from Sydney to Perth, and the Airbnb we rented… we had no money.

[During the] five months working there, we saved up money and then for a full month after we rented a car and did a drive around the whole country. On that trip, we had basically spent [everything we made.]

How did taxes work when you got back to the USA?

A: When I came back to America I paid for someone to do my taxes that year so that I did not have to think about it. The weird thing is that when you are living out of country and you are a US citizen you still have to do your state taxes even if you did not make any money.

What did you do for housing while on a working holiday?

A: We actually staid in the Airbnb with [another traveler] named Ryan. [We did not know Ryan beforehand.] The girl I was with was with met him at a cafe. We found [the house] before we flew to Perth so we had a place to land.

It was about 150AU$ a week per two people. My friend and I shared a room the entire time we were in Australia. We had a deal with the owner where we had the house for a month. After that month was up he was like, “You guys are really chill, I like you guys.” So we ended up living there for the whole 5 months. 

What were some misconceptions you had about working and living in Australia?

A:I think a lot of time, when people think of Australia, they tend to think of the outback or Steve Irwin type of people and thats not the majority… Especially if you are in a city, it is not that much different than a city in America. I do think it feels safer than in America.

Also, I don’t know if they still have this law, but when I was there, in the cities, you had to stop ordering shots after midnight… as much as they say Australians drink I actually felt Americans drink more.

Are the the bugs and animals as bad as people say?

A: Where I lived, in a suburb, there were not many experiences with bugs. When my friend and I were traveling we went to the blue mountains and we found this accommodation; It was this trailer in the back of someones yard in the middle of nowhere. There were so many spiders! Some of them were tennis ball size. 

The one thing I will say about kangaroos is we went to this park where kangaroos are known to be and I was so excited… and they are just deer. They are the deer of Australia. They jump out in front of cars and ruin people lives. I think the outback kangaroos are different but the ones in cities are just tiny little guys that just jump around and are basically deer on two feet. 

How was the food in Australia?

A: During the five months in Perth we were trying to save as much money as we could because we knew we wanted to do a month long of traveling and needed spending money. So a couple times a week we would go out and eat good food, but most of the time we would eat a lot of canned tuna, bread, and tomatoes… they had these tuna packets that were really good and it was cheap.

Every single place you go to restaurant wise is amazing. In America you have to pick and choose the best place. In Australia, every place you go is going to be wonderful.

What were the best parts about living in Australia?

A: I loved Australia. Perth is still one of my favorite places I’ve lived in. I lived in a neighborhood called Leederville and everything was pretty much in walking distance. They had amazing public transportation; there was a whole bus and train system that was completely free so it was really easy to get around without a car.

What were the worst parts about living in Australia?

A: Australian people can sometimes be a little more harsh. Especially Australian men. You know when you are in fifth grade and boys pick on you and they say that means that they like you? They never grew out of that phase in Australia. Men are just mean to you.

The one experience I will never forget… I was at a bar one time and this guy whistled at me and did the little ‘come here’ finger. And I flipped him off because I was like, [heck no]. And then he did it to another girl and she just walks right up to him, and I was like… what??? That was the weirdest thing for me and the hardest thing to get used to. 

Any advice for someone who wants to go on a working holiday in Australia?

A: Australia is huge and every place has a different vibe, so do you research. Try and figure out where you think you would best fit in, so you don’t waste money.

Don’t work in the outback, there is nothing in the outback. The entire middle section of the country is nothing… But if you are driving through the outback make sure you have an extra tank of gas with you. Before you go to Australia you should probably look at all the different animals and what to do… everything can kill you in Australia. 

Conclusion

A working holiday in Australia is a great way to travel long-term and really experience the country. Thank you so much to Raven for sitting down with me and sharing her Australian working holiday experience. While your experience won’t be exactly the same, hopefully she was able to provide some insight and give you an idea of what your experience could be.

Have you done a working holiday in Australia? Please share your experience in the comments below!