Skip to Content

Working Holiday Australia: Experiences And Things To Know

Are you thinking about getting a work and holiday visa in Australia but not sure where to start? You’re in luck!

This article will provide you with the essential information and tips to help you make the most of your year in Australia. Read about Victoria’s firsthand work and travel in Australia experiences.

We’ll be discussing the working holiday visa Australia rules, salary, the best working holiday jobs in Australia, general tips, and more. 

Let’s dive in!

Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, we may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you!). We're very grateful when you use our links to make a purchase:-).

Working holiday Australia experiences

(use the coupon code PHENOMENALGLOBE for a €100 discount) 

Australia travel and work: everything you need to know

Victoria spent a year in Australia working different jobs and kindly agreed to share her work travel Australia experience.

If you've secretly been dreaming about getting an Australia work and holiday visa but are unsure what to expect, read along as Victoria has loads of great tips and advice based on her personal experiences.

Meet Victoria

Victoria-working-holiday-australia-experiences-phenomenal-globe-travel-blog

My name is Victoria and I’m a travel blogger at Guide Your Travel as well as a freelance writer.

I’m originally from Germany but now travel full-time as a digital nomad. After finishing school in 2016 I spent a year working and traveling in Australia.

Why you should do a working holiday in Australia

I picked Australia because I didn't want cold weather and rather be in a warm place during my working holiday.

While New Zealand and Canada seemed like good options as well, they didn’t interest me quite as much as Australia did.

Before I even got there I was already fascinated with the incredible nature and beauty of this country. In Germany, it’s very common for students graduating from high school to take a gap year and go to Australia.

Therefore, I had a lot of friends and people I knew going to Australia as well. All this made Australia seem like the perfect country to choose.

australia-campervan-outback-phenomenal-globe-travel-blog

Is it difficult to get an Australian work and travel visa?

I did my application online and within a matter of days, I had the confirmation for my Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417). They say that the application process can take several weeks but for me, it was really quick.

I think the difficulty of getting a working holiday visa for Australia depends a lot on which country you're from. In my experience, it wasn’t difficult at all but there are some requirements you need to meet (read more below).

Alternatively, you can check out Global Work & Travel which offers step-by-step guidance and assistance as you embark on your working holiday to Australia (use the coupon code PHENOMENALGLOBE for a €100 discount)

Working holiday visa Australia requirements

Working holiday Australia age limit

In order to be eligible for the Australia travel and work visa you must be between 18 and 30 years old. That being said, people from Canada, France, and the Republic of Ireland can apply until the age of 35 (lucky them!).

Passport

Your passport should be valid for at least another 6 months, however, I'd highly recommend renewing your passport if it expires within a year.

Most people spend a whole year working and traveling in Australia, some even extend and stay two years!

Other requirements for a working holiday visa Australia

Some other visa requirements of the Australian government for working holiday visa holders are:

  • You must have enough money and sufficient proof of funds in your bank account to support yourself.
  • During the application process, you must be outside of Australia (until the visa gets accepted).
  • Health insurance for the duration of your stay is mandatory (check if your travel insurance covers medical costs as well).
  • This goes without saying but you shouldn't have any substantial criminal convictions.

Read more details on the Australian Immigration Website.

Looking for a complete work and holiday Australia visa package deal? Check out Global Work & Travel.

(you get a €100 discount with the coupon code PHENOMENALGLOBE)

How long is the working holiday visa in Australia?

The 417 visa (WHV Australia) to travel and work in Australia is valid for 12 months. My work and holiday in Australia lasted just under a year and during that time I had three different jobs.

Two proper jobs in which I worked for a little bit over four months each and another much shorter job that only lasted a few weeks.

I ended up coming back to Australia four years later on a student visa and briefly worked during this time too but unfortunately, COVID got in the way and I returned home earlier than planned.

Visit the Hill Inlet Lookout for the best view of the Whitsunday Islands

Working Holiday Visa jobs in Australia

There are plenty of work opportunities in Australia: seasonal work such as fruit picking, office jobs, customer service, and lots of other opportunities.

Finding work isn't hard, I actually had three working holiday Australia jobs so let me tell you a bit about each type of work.

Farmwork in Australia

The first (and worst) of my working holiday jobs in Australia was farm work in a little town called Gatton which lies close to Brisbane in Queensland.

I was working in an onion field and found this job online in one of the Facebook groups for backpackers in Australia. It only took sending a few texts to the employer and I was told I could start the next day.

A lot of farm jobs pay by piece and not by hour which is almost always a ripoff. This particular one paid you 45$ for a giant crate of onions.

I was there with my boyfriend and we ended up working for 10 hours in the sun on the onion field and only managed to fill up three crates together. This resulted in an hourly wage of only 6$ for manual labor which is incredibly unsustainable.

A lot of the workers on the onion field were other backpackers who were staying at a nearby campsite which cost so much per week that they barely made a profit with this job. We left the farm job very quickly and moved on to better work.

Hospitality work in Australia

My second job in Australia was in the hospitality industry and it was so much better. Australia is home to many beautiful beaches and as such, there are lots of fun beach bars.

I was working in one of those beach bars in the little town of Agnes Water. The hourly rates were minimum wage but for Australia, that means around 22$ per hour, 30$ on Sundays, and up to 50$ per hour on public holidays.

We were living in a beautiful 3-bedroom house right by the beach which was rented by our boss.

Occasionally other employees of the bar would stay with us but for the most part, we had the house to ourselves. There was even a pool and work was just a 10-minute drive away.

hospitality-working-holiday-job-australia

I also found this job online on a platform called Gumtree which is very helpful for finding backpacker jobs. I sent in my CV and after a trial day, I could start right away.

Work was actually really fun because I was working with young people and fellow backpackers. We quickly made new friends and had the best time together.

Work in the Outback of Australia

After traveling for a bit I ended up having a third job in the Outback of Australia. The town where I worked only had 70 people living there and was incredibly remote.

Everything you needed had to come by truck and there were only two pubs, one of which I worked at. The place also doubled as a hotel, post office, and bar.

Accommodation and all meals were included and I made around 450$ per week. This might not seem like much but I was able to save all of it since there was nowhere to spend money in the Outback.

I met some of my favorite people in Australia in the Outback and had the time of my life here. Our boss was incredibly nice and always took us on plane rides around the desert.

This was the most adventurous part of my time in Australia and I wouldn't miss it for the world.

outback-australia-plane

What's the best thing about a working holiday in Australia? And the hardest?

The best thing was definitely the freedom. You can literally do whatever you want. We bought a campervan at the beginning of the trip and it gave us so much freedom and flexibility.

Most days we had no plan at all and just drove in a general direction, stopping when we found something interesting.

The hardest part was saying goodbye by the end, knowing that I’ll never be able to get a working holiday visa again. I’ve been back to Australia since then but it wasn’t the same.

Is it worth doing a working holiday in Australia?

A 100% yes! If you’re still unsure about the Australia working holiday visa: just do it! I’ve literally never met anyone who didn’t enjoy it and had the time of their life.

It may be out of your comfort zone, but the Australian working holiday visa is the best way and a once-in-a-lifetime chance to try something new without worrying about your responsibilities.

No matter if you're going with your partner, a friend, or solo, it’ll be an incredible international experience…

car-in-the-sand-australia-outback

Top tips to make the most of your Australia work and travel experience

Get your RSA certificate as soon as possible

Chances are you’ll be working in a bar or restaurant at least once during your trip. In Australia, you’re legally required to have training if you’ll be serving alcohol. That’s what the RSA certificate is and employers require it.

The course takes a while to complete and you can do a lot of it online before you even go to Australia. The earlier you start the better.

Buy a car or campervan

You absolutely need to buy a car when you go to Australia. The public transport system here isn’t the best so if you want to make the most of your trip you’ll need a ride.

Even just 2000$ can get you a decent car and you’ll easily be able to sell it again at the end of your trip. You really don’t want to have to rely on others to take you from place to place.

If the thought of buying a car really freaks you out: renting a car or campervan is an option too.

However, if you're staying in Australia for an extended period of time, renting a vehicle is much more expensive than buying one.

buy-a-campervan-in-australia

Don’t plan too much

Traveling in Australia should be fun and spontaneous. If you’ve already got your route picked out there won’t be room for adventures that will cross your path along the way.

I said no to so many great job opportunities just because I had already committed to doing something else. Go with your gut and let the trip take you from one great place to another.

Plan your trip like a pro with these tools:
✈️ Find the best flight deals on Kiwi.com.
? Get the best car rental deal for your road trip on Rentalcars.com.
?️ Find your dream accommodation on Booking.com or Agoda.
? Book the best tours via Get Your Guide, Viator or Klook.
? Plan your journey with the Lonely Planet.
?️ Travel safely and get reliable travel insurance from Safety Wing.

Working holiday Australia experience and tips: conclusion

I hope this post has answered your questions about the work and holiday visa Australia has made available to young travelers and adventures.

Also check my Australia page for more Down Under travel inspiration, an East Coast road trip itinerary, Australia budget information, and things to do in Daylesford and Sydney.

Check this page for more info about work and travel. Read about teaching in South Korea or doing a work and travel holiday in Canada or New Zealand.

This post was updated in February 2023.

Adam

Monday 11th of March 2024

Thank you for the information. I am planning on applying for the work and holiday visa this coming fall. Hopefully my processing times will be as quick as they were for you. Do you have any recommendations for job boards for full-time positions?

Alexander Erazo

Tuesday 13th of September 2022

Hey ...!! thanks for the information I going to apply the next month ,I want to know if you had problems paying for the visa ??

Lotte

Thursday 22nd of September 2022

Hey Alexander,

Thank you for reading and so cool you'll be going to Australia for a work and travel adventure! I didn't personally work in Australia (did make a 5-week road trip), but Victoria from Guide Your Travel (who wrote this guest post) may be able to help you out.

Otherwise, if you run into any troubles regarding the visa my advice would be to contact Global Work & Travel (https://www.phenomenalglobe.com/link/gwt-australia-working-holiday/) as they are the experts on this topic. Have a great time Down Under!

Lotte

Nóra Huber

Saturday 5th of February 2022

Hey Lotte!

Loved to read your detailed post about the WHA, I am planning to do it this year, already applied for it and I am looking for some info. How did you find the job in Outback? Could you maybe give me their contact? Would be a dream of mine to live with and help locals!! As well the one in Agnes Water soundg fun! Could you give me that contact as well? Would be nice to have some contacts beforehand. Another question (sorry if I have too much :D) where did you buy your car? Is it easy to find a good one?

Thank you fin advance for all!!!

Have a lovely day,

Nóra

Lotte

Monday 7th of February 2022

Hey Nora,

So happy to hear you like the post! It's actually a guest post (and an excellent one indeed) by Victoria, you can find her at https://guideyourtravel.com/. I'm sure she'll be more than happy to help you out with your very valid WHA and related questions:-)

Have a wonderful time there and good luck with the preparations. Lotte