Finding Reason

Accommodation

Make sure you go check out my AirBnb guide. There is a huge variety of accommodation options through Airbnb in Australia, and you'd be silly not to check out the listings.

 

Hostels
Australia has a huge variety of hostels, and they are usually a great choice for accommodation. The hostel culture will enrichen your travels, and the prices are always cheap compared to the alternatives. For a bed, prices can range from $15 a night, up to $40 AUD. I personally enjoy staying with YHA because of the company's international reputation. Sometimes YHA can be more expensive than other hostels. If you want an even cheaper alternative, like a local hostel, google for hostels in the area of your desination. If you really want to snag a good deal on hostel accommodation, I'd suggest going over to HostelWorld to do some research. 

 

Hotels

Hotels encircle the $100 AUD mark. Depending on the location, budget accommodation can range from $40 to $120 AUD. If you're a person who values privacy, hotels might be the way for you.

 

Volunteering and Homestay

When my girlfriend came to Australia, she used a combination of HelpX and WWOOF to get free accommodation as she travelled up the coastline. From what I've learned about these homestay systems in Australia, you can volunteer work in exchange for free rent and food. Although she was experienced in the fields she chose to volunteer in, you do not have to be. Generally, the hosts are looking for people who can assist in simple roles, which can vary from feeding animals to labouring. As well as being a free source of accommodation, volunteer homestays will give you a raw cultural immersion.

 

Transport

Coach

Travelling interstate by coach is often cheaper and more flexible than flying or commuting by train. Along with renting a campervan from companies like Jucy or Wicked, coach transport is especially popular for backpackers. When you're researching transport, don't overlook Greyhound or Murray's. There is a variety of different Greyhound combo passess that allow you to hop on or off along different bus routes. If you're backpacking, Greyhound's 'hop-on hop-off' passes are a top method of transportation to get from city to city, but omit the ability to stop between the destination points. Check out the price, packages and info here. 

 

Campervan

There is a pretty big campervan culture in Australia. As I mentioned above, the two biggest companies are Jucy and Wicked. I've rented from both, but I prefer Wicked because of the cheaper prices. Both are reliable, and are owned by the same people. It's a fun and unique experience going with Wicked, and I'd totally recommend it. Funnily enough, you can get a discount through Wicked if you are naked or stoned when you come to pick up or reserve the van (If you don't believe me, click here). I usually get a bus or taxi out to the garage where the vans are rented from.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Efficient campervanning can save you quite a bit of money. Australia is home to many free or dirt cheap campsites, and you're free to drive into those that are accessible by vehicle. If you're planning to campervan in campsites, you can see some great info about rates and locations by clicking here. 

 

Plane 

Flying in Australia isn't too cheap. I always prefer to drive, especially if I'm going along the coast. There are so many beautiful hikes and national parks that you'll miss if you stick to flying between cities. The most popular (and pricey) airline in Australia is QANTAS. For cheaper tickets, you can check out Jetstar or Virgin. I've never flown with the airline Tiger, but it is notoriously cheap. I suppose you'll get what you pay for. 

Food 
This will probably be the biggest recurring cost on your budget. Food is expensive in Australia, but there are ways to reduce the financial burden. Although groceries are pricey, you can sus out cheap brands like 'Home Brand' or 'Black & Gold'. These brands are great for bread, rice, pasta, chips, sauces, beans, etc.. You'll still have to buy regularly priced fresh fruits and vegetables, but you'll get a nice little discount if you shop for the budget brands. These brands can also be inclusive of the franchise brands. For example, Woolworths have their own food brand, and the prices are made cheaper to undercut the other brands. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can't emphasise the importance of eating properly while you're on the road. I eat a ton of lemons, oranges, brocolli, bananas, garlic and apples. A huge financial saver I discovered while I was in the U.S was to avoid buying meat. That might sound like blasphemy to a lot of you -  but the reality is that meat is expensive, and there are so many cheaper ways to fill food, or to get the nutrition from other sources. I make curries nearly everyday, and I started to replace the meat with beans and vegetables to cater for my budget. 

 

Another cool way to get some cheap food is by staying in hostels that offer meals for free, or for a small extra price. You can use HostelWorld Australia to compare hostels, and see which offer the service

travel Culture 

Beaches

Australia is prized for it's beaches. They are often recognised by the sheer size, and scenery that surrounds them. Due to the gigantic size of a lot of Australia's beaches, it makes a fun day trip to walk from one side to the other. Beach hiking can sometimes take you from town to town. One of my favourites is the Merimbula - Pambula stretch in south-eastern New South Wales. You'd be mad to go to Australia and not see the variety of beaches that the different states have to offer. Click here to see some of my favourite beaches in Australia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In respect to Australia's beach culture, I have to let you know that beaches are not the be all, end-all of Australian tourism culture. You have to get inland and see some of the country. From the Hunter Valley to the Daintree Rainforest, Uluru (Ayers Rock) to Kings Canyon and Kakadu - make sure some of your trip involves seeing the epic inland national parks of Australia. Click here to see my top 5 inland parks of Australia. 

 

People

You should feel comfortable to approach an Australian. A lot of the populace can comprehend what it's like to be a backpacker in a new country. I've never felt uncomfortable talking to people while backpacking in Australia, but keep in mind that some Australian's aren't overly open to strangers. That's not to say they aren't friendly - there is just a subtle cautiousness that people have towards others. You'll find most public engagements in Australian cities happen because somebody was seeking assistance. It's rare that strangers will stop their day to talk to each other (like in the United States). Drinking out in the town is a bit different though. You'll find a lot more people interacting with you.

 

Pubs & Clubs 

A lot of Australian's love to drink. Out of my own experiences, I would rank Australia's alcohol culture as being the third strongest that I've seen, after England and Ireland. Whether you're a pub-goer, or a clubber, every major city in Australia has a place for your day drink or nocturnal side. It is surprisingly common for Australian people to be confrontationally obnoxious when they've had a few too many. Never take it to heart, just laugh it off. 

 

Finance Management

In Australia, the cost of living is relatively high, and workers get good wages to compensate. Consider some of the information I presented above to construct an economic method of travel. I think a lack of comfort or privacy is worth saving money to put towards having a longer trip. I toured the United States for a year (off of 7 months of casual-award work in AUS), and the combination of selective grocery shopping and AirBnb / road accommodation has definitely helped me to stay longer, inclusive of month-long excursions to Jamaica and Hawaii.  

 

Banks
There are a number of reasons why a travller would be interested in opening a bank account in Australia. I think the most common would be for those who choose to work, or need an Australian card to avoid ATM withdrawal fees. It is a relatively simple process to open an account. You just need to go to a bank storefront, and bring along your ID's, Visa forms and some money to deposit into the account. The big banks I would recommend opening an account with are (in order); 
 

Westpac (ATM partnership with St George)
St. George (ATM partnership with Westpac)
Commonwealth Bank
ANZ
NAB

 

Mobile Services - Optus, Telstra or Vodafone

There is a variety of options for mobile coverage in Australia. Similar to most travellers, I strongly advise against switching 'data roaming' on, because of the ridiculous usage cost. Avoid these costs by getting an Australian sim card. Telstra is a comany that offers the best coverage and quickest data speeds, but charges the most for them. Optus is only 2% behind Telstra in national coverage, have virtually the same data speeds, and charge less for the service. Vodafone is the cheapest, and, when I last checked, had poorer mobile coverage than the aforementioned. Still, if you're here to travel, you can't really go wrong with Vodafone. It's not like you'd need the high range of quality, and the prices are a lot cheaper. There are storefronts virtually everywhere for each company, and they are as easy to find as a bank.

 

Security

Australia is a safe place to travel in. Although I'm casual in Australia with money, it is important to exercise routine practices to ensure your money is secure. While backpacking, don't keep much cash on your body. ATMs are everywhere, and aside from cafes and bakeries, nearly every storefront has card facilities. I've never heard of ATM scams happening in Australia, but I generally avoid using ATMs that don't belong to a reputable bank. Nowadays, the big bank ATMs have far more advanced interfaces and security systems to prevent theft. Avoid accessing your financial services or information on public computers. 

 

THings to do and see

As you can probably imagine, Australia is full of culture and spectacular scenery. There is literally too much to see and do over a short period of time. If you're a city lover, you can't go past the cosy atmosphere of Melbourne, or the virbant buzz of Sydney's CBD. Make sure you do your own research by checking out the top attractions in Australia, according to sites like TripAdvisor and Lonely Planet. Listed below are a few of my favourite attractions in Australia. 

 

Queesland

Great Barrier Reef

Whitsunday Islands 

Daintree Rainforest

Fraser Island 

Byron Bay

Airlie Beach

the Gold Coast

 

Victoria

Drive the Great Ocean Road

Hike in the Great Otway National Park

Explore Melbourne

Marvel at the Dandenong Ranges

Wilsons Promontory National Park 

 

New South Wales

Merimbula & Surronds

The Hunter Valley

Explore Sydney

Jenolan Caves

Jervis Bay

Port Stevens

Lord Howe Island

Crowdy Bay
Murramarang National Park

 

(I haven't been to Tasmania yet. throw some suggestions into the comments section, and i'll add them. :)