Welcome

Hi there!

Thank you for downloading our Australia Planner and for using gapyear.com. We hope that you find this planner useful to help sort your trip to Australia either as a solo journey or as part of a round the world trip. As a reminder, this planner interacts with sections on gapyear.com and is part of a series of FREE downloadable planners that we produce for you. The stuff we do can only be improved by feedback from you - we're listening - so drop me an email to tomgriffiths@gapyear.com if you have feedback (good or bad), or any suggestions / improvements to anything we do. My very first big trip was to Australia as part of a round the world ticket. I'd wanted to go there since I was 11 when my brother stuffed his worldly belongings into a backpack disappeared for a few months and then came back with photos and tales of a country that sounded a whole lot better than Suffolk!

And so, aged 18, I landed in Sydney and my dream came true. And what a dream! Australia is just the most amazing country you could ever imagine. I went from Sydney up to Cairns, doing bungy jumps, rafting, a tour of Fraser Island, sailing in the Whitsundays, diving on the Barrier Reef ... the list goes on! Then up to Darwin into Crocodile Dundee country, down to the Red Centre to check out Alice Springs, Uluru (Ayers Rock), Kings Canyon (like the Grand Canyon) and the Olgas and then over to Perth.

I had a wicked time and have so many amazing memories and photos. In hindsight my only regret is not doing enough on the West coast - Perth all the way up to Darwin. Whilst the East coast is great for adventure, parties and opportunities you'll never see again, the West Coast, if you take the time to see it, is what Australia is really about. The Coast Road, between Melbourne and Sydney, is also another must-do if you have the time. Everyone should visit Australia once in their life. Many now do it two or three times. I bet you can't wait to get on with it - so I won't hold you up any longer! Have a brilliant time there and make sure you send us a postcard (details below) as we'd love to hear that you've got there and are living your dream too.

Cheers

Tom Griffiths

Founder of gapyear.com

Send us a postcard to:

Gapyear.com, 2 Chalfont Square, Ipswich, UK. IP4 2AJ

or email a photo and some words to community@gapyear.com

Contents

Introductions and Pre-Arrival Information

Welcome ............................................................................................................ 1

Contents ............................................................................................................. 1

How Do I Get There? ...................................................................................... 2

Visas for Australia ............................................................................................ 3

Weather Map .................................................................................................... 4

Life, Work and Travel in Australia

What's Happening? ........................................................................................ 5

Sights To See ..................................................................................................... 6

Backpacker Tours ............................................................................................ 7

Tom's Trip Around Oz ..................................................................................... 8

The Northern Territory .................................................................................... 9

Kakadu National Park ...................................................................................... 9

Tours & Transport ............................................................................................ 10

Recommended Hostels ................................................................................ 11-12

Money Saving Vouchers ............................................................................... 13

Working in Australia ....................................................................................... 14

Harvest Trails ..................................................................................................... 15

What Things Cost... ......................................................................................... 16

Adventurous Activities ................................................................................. 17

Useful Information

Travelmates ....................................................................................................... 18

Keeping in Touch ............................................................................................ 18

Plan Your Trip

Journey Time Planners .................................................................................. 19-21

Route Builder Maps ........................................................................................ 22-23

Full Route Builders .......................................................................................... 24-25

Notes ................................................................................................................... 26

"Build Your Own" Around the World Trip! ............................................... 27

How Do I Get There?

Well, the simple answer is 'you fly there', but in reality it's a bit more complex than that. The sort of flight you take will depend on your financial situation, the type of visa you're applying for and the length of time you intend to spend in Australia.

I just want to see as much of Australia as possible on a three month tourist visa

Your two basic options here are to buy a simple return ticket, or to include Australia as part of a round the world trip. There's actually surprisingly little difference in price between the two, depending on when you want to go, so if you have the time and funding, it's definitely worth looking into the latter and seeing some equally amazing countries on your way back. Even if you're on a simple return ticket, you'll probably be able to stop over for a few days in Singapore or somewhere similar. Look into flights via Seoul in South Korea if you want something a bit different.

I want to extend my round the world trip by working for a bit

It depends how much use you want to get out of your working holiday visa. The key problem is that round the world tickets are valid for a maximum of 12 months and your working holiday visa also lasts for 12 months. If you only want to work for six months or so, then this is not really a problem, however if you need to work for much longer, then you will need to look for alternatives, or risk rushing the rest of your trip.

If this is the case, then you will need to look for an extended round the world ticket. These are not widely available, but there are a range of tickets available in our round the world section that enable you to travel for anything up to 22 months. This will allow you to make the most of your working holiday visa (remember, you're only ever allowed one so make the most of it) and to do the rest of your trip at a leisurely pace.

I want to spend as much time in Australia as I possibly can

It has recently become possible to spend up to two years in Australia if you maximise your working holiday visa. That's all well and good, but you're not going to find a return flight which allows you to do that. Instead you'll need to get yourself there on a one way ticket and have enough cash in reserve for a flight home again.

There is a plus side to this; if you look around in January you can often find one-way flights to Sydney or Perth for ridiculously cheap prices. Obviously there's no guarantee you'll be able to find the same price going home, but the lowest we've seen is £99!

However, the drawback is that if you do not have an outbound flight, you are much more likely to need to prove that you have the required £2,000 in your bank account. Backpackers that overstay their visas make up a large proportion of Australia's illegal immigrants, so they're quite keen to stamp it out where possible.

Top 3 Routes

Here's a quick idea of some of the most popular round the world routes that go via Australia:

1. London - Bangkok - Perth - Uluru - Cairns - over land to Sydney - Auckland - Fiji - New York

2. London - LA - Fiji - Auckland - over land to Christchurch - Sydney - over land to Cairns - Alice Springs - - over land To Uluru - Perth - Bangkok

3. London - Singapore - Darwin - over land To Perth - Uluru - Sydney - Christchurch - over land to Auckland - Fiji - LA

Visas for Australia

Whatever you're doing in Australia, you're going to need a visa. There are lots of types of visas, but you're probably interested in one of these three...

1. Tourist Visas

Up to Three Months

If you're visiting purely as a tourist for three months or less, an Electronic Travel Authority or ETA is the easy alternative to a visa. It doesn't cost much - your travel agent or airline can sort one out for you, or you can go online and do it yourself; it takes 10 minutes max.

Gapyear.com/visas for links if you want to do it yourself or let someone else do it for you.

If you decide once you're there that you want to stay a bit longer, you should be able to extend your ETA to last you an extra three months. To do this, go to an immigration office in Australia.

Three to Six Months

If you already know that you want to go for longer than three months (up to six months), you'll need to apply for a long-term tourist visa. To do this, you'll have to download and fill in a form, and send it to your nearest Australian High Commission. You'll also need to pay £30, and send various documents, including proof that you can support yourself in Oz (for example, a bank statement, letters from a bank concerning your financial position, air tickets that have been purchased).

Visas for Australia

2. Working Holiday Visa

The UK, and many other countries, have a reciprocal agreement with Australia so any citizen aged 18-30 years old can get a Working Holiday Visa (they cost around £75). This allows you to work for 12 months from the date you arrive in Australia (you can now extend that to two years if you can provide evidence that you undertook three months of harvest work in regional Australia during your first year). However, you can't work for the same employer for more than six months.

You can leave and re-enter Australia using this visa as many times as you like during your year. However, if you permanently leave Australia without staying for the full 12 months you cannot go back, say, a year later and use the remaining months of your visa.

You can apply for a Working Holiday Visa online. Handy, huh?

Apply for your Working Holiday Visa well in advance of your travel date. When you apply online you need to have relevant travel details (return tickets), funds (usually you have to prove you have about £2000 to travel with) and passport details at the ready. Once you have been approved you will be told what you need to do after that. Basically, you will eventually get a 'visa label' which is a piece of paper stuck into your passport so that it can be easily accessed by potential employers or Immigration Officials.

If you fly into Sydney you can get your visa label printed before you leave the airport: after having your passport stamped you will be directed to the visa label desk where you collect it.

If you fly into any other Australian airport you can get your label printed at the nearest DIMIA office (Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs).

3. Student Visas

For those who wish to study (where better to do Marine Biology than on the Barrier Reef?), the Australian Government operates an overseas student program (OSP) that allows people who are not Australian citizens or Australian permanent residents to study in Australia.

Anyone who is not an Australian resident may apply to study in Australia under the OSP.

If you want to study under this program, you'll first need a student visa. You can only get one of these if you wish to undertake a registered course or part of a registered course on a full-time basis.

You can't go out to Oz and then look around for courses. Before you apply for an Australian student visa, you'll need a letter of offer or electronic Confirmation of Enrolment from your education provider.

Types and prices of student visa vary, but there are various requirements you'll need to fill (including being 'of good character' - gulp!)

Weather Map

When to visit...

People are often shocked to find that it's not hot all the time in all of Australia. Here's a rough guide to what to expect.

Remember that summer runs from October to March, so expect the hottest temperatures in January and February.

TEMPERATE

Summer

Average Max: 28C

Average Min: 17C

Rainy days a month: 12

Don't forget your: sun cream

Winter

Average Max: 15C

Average Min: 8C

Rainy days a month: 11

Don't forget your: warm top

TROPICAL

Summer

Average Max: 30C

Average Min: 23C

Rainy days a month: 17

Don't forget your: waterproofs

Winter

Average Max: 25C

Average Min: 13C

Rainy days a month: 9

Don't forget your: tropical quilt

'VERY HOT'

Summer

Average Max: 35C

Average Min: 24C

Rainy days a month: 6

Don't forget your: sun hat

Winter

Average Max: 27C

Average Min: 7C

Rainy days a month: 2

Don't forget your: sleeping bag

What's Happening?

1. Mid-Jan - Australian Tennis Open

Head to Melbourne from Jan 15th if you like tennis. Head there a little earlier if you like tennis-related casual work.

2. Jan 26th - Australia Day

Parties across the country to celebrate the founding of the nation. Wear your Aussie gold with honorary pride.

3. Late Jan onwards - The Big Day Out

Australia's eight-stage touring mega-festival takes place in Sydney on or near Australia Day. You can also catch it in Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and the Gold Coast over the next few weeks.

4. March - Australian Grand Prix

March is the time to be in Melbourne if you like Formula One or Formula One-related casual work.

5. Early March - Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras

One of the world's biggest gay pride events, the centrepiece of which is the huge street parade.

6. Early April - Rip Curl Pro Surfing

One of the major events on the surfing calendar, this takes place on Bell's Beach in Victoria.

7. Mid-April - Melbourne Comedy Festival

This runs until May 6th and features some of the world's finest stand-up comedy.

8. Mid-July - Voyages Camel Cup

An international camel race along a dry river bed in Alice Springs. The 2nd Saturday in every July.

9. Late July - Darwin Beer Can Regatta

Held on Mindil Beach, it's a great party atmosphere with plenty of live music. Oh, and boats made entirely out of used 'tinnies'.

10. Early August - Hervey Bay Whale Festival

A week of events celebrating the arrival of the migratory humpback whales to the area around Fraser Island. Whale season lasts until October.

11. Mid-September - The Henley-On-Todd Regatta

A boat race in Alice Springs? On dry land? A very popular and slightly unusual event held every September for over 40 years now.

12. December 25th - Christmas Day

Bondi Beach and Byron Bay are the most popular spots for a festive barbie on the beach.

13. December 26th - Start of the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

One of the most glamorous and exciting boat races in the World sets off from Sydney Harbour every Boxing Day.

14. December 31st - New Year's Eve fireworks

Sydney Harbour does one of the best New Year's displays on the planet. The Botanic Gardens are a great, free viewpoint but arrive about 12 hours early and use your natural cunning if you want to get some booze in.

Sights To See

1. Uluru

aka Ayers Rock. It's big, it's red and it's the most obvious symbol of Australia. Remember, it's about 350km away from Alice Springs.

2. The Olgas

aka Kata Tjuta. Not too far away from Uluru, these are a collection of big, red, stone domes - some of which are taller than Uluru itself

3. King's Canyon

A stunning canyon in the Northern Territory, with rock walls over 250m tall in places. It's well worth seeing if you're heading to Alice Springs to see Uluru anyway.

4. The Pinnacles

Crazy spiky rock formations in the desert in Western Australia. You may have seen Billy Connolly running around them naked.

5. Fraser Island

The World's largest sand island. Full of lakes, dingoes and natural beauty. Drive over it in a 4x4 and camp out under the stars.

6. Coober Pedy

An old opal mining town. You should go here to see all the underground buildings, sleep in an underground hostel and 'fossick' for opals.

7. The Devil's Marbles

These are huge, perfectly spherical red rocks that perform a weird balancing act not far off the main road between Alice and Darwin.

8. The Twelve Apostles

Highlight of the Great Ocean Road, these are 12(ish) towering limestone pillars that stick out of the sea near Port Campbell. Particularly stunning at dawn or dusk.

9. The Bungle Bungles

aka Purnululu National Park, this is part of the Kimberleys region in North Western Australia and features huge black and orange striped domes of rock.

10. Kakadu National Park

'Crocodile Dundee Country'. A brilliant wilderness and a great place to see crocodiles, waterfalls and spectacular scenery.

11. Great Barrier Reef

The largest living thing on Earth... Runs most of the way down the East Coast & Cairns are extremely popular places to dive.

12. Ningaloo Reef

Not as big or as famous as the Great Barrier Reef, but it's equally beautiful and much less busy. Coral Bay and Exmouth are both good places to start.

13. The Daintree Rainforest

One of the oldest rainforests on the planet. Reassuringly full of weird noises, weirder plants and the super-weird cassowary. Head up to Cape Tribulation and stay in a jungle lodge.

14. The Whitsunday Islands

A group of breathtakingly gorgeous paradise islands off the coast of Airlie Beach in Queensland. See them on a three day sailing trip!

Backpacker Tours

1. Sydney Harbour

Get great views of the harbour from one of the ferries, do the bridge climb or go on a jet boat.

2. Blue Mountains

A stunningly beautiful range of mountains, turned blue by the eucalyptus. Take a tour from Sydney and make sure you see the Three Sisters.

3. Fraser Island

From your hostel in Hervey Bay or Rainbow Beach, arrange a 4x4 tour of the World's largest sand island.

4. Whitsunday Islands

From Airlie Beach you can arange to live aboard a sailing ship for a few days and cruise around these amazing islands.

5. Reef diving

Go diving or snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef (East Coast) or Ningaloo Reef (West Coast).

6. Australia Zoo

Most hostels between Brisbane and Noosa sell tickets and sort transport to Steve Irwin's Zoo.

7. Nimbin

Have a look around this famous hippy commune near Byron Bay. Jim's Alternative Tours are very good.

8. 4x Factory

If you like beer you'll love a tour of the Castlemaine factory in Brisbane. Mainly for all the free booze they chuck in at the end...

9. Tasmania

Easilly accessible by budget flight these days, Tassie is a stunning natural wilderness and well worth some of your time downunder.

10. Neighbours Tour

Love it or hate it, you know you wanna go! Don't look for Erinsborough on a map, just head for Melbourne and ask for Harold...

11. Monkey Mia

Near the town of Denham in Western Australia, dolphins come right up to the beach every day. If you're lucky, the rangers might let you feed one!

12. Red Centre

From Darwin or Alice Springs take a tour of the Red Centre's highlights; Uluru, the Olgas, King's Canyon and the Devil's Marbles.

13. Kakadu

A stunning national park in the Northern Territory full of crocodiles of Crocodile Dundee fame. You can tour on land or by helicopter.

14. Daintree River

Usually combined as part of a 2-3 day trip from Cairns to Cape Tribulation, this jungle river promises crocs to those of you not going to Kakadu.

Tom's Trip Around Oz

East Coast

1 - Byron Bay - seeing dolphins, camping by the beach, surfing, cool place to hang out

2 - Whitsunday Islands - we moored in the lagoon behind Whitehaven Beach for two nights, catching our own fish and cooking them on a fire on the beach

3 - Fraser Island - the largest sand island in the world, saw real dingos and drove along the Beach Highway

4 - Tully River (near Cairns) - did an awesome rafting trip and I still have the photos on my wall!

5 - Cairns AJ Hackett bungy - I had waited just over four years to do my first bungy and ended up doing four in one day (forwards, two backwards and the last one which made me crap myself - feet first!). It was better than I imagined. To give myself a buzz I can still close my eyes and remember how I felt

Red Centre

6 - Sleeping out overnight under the stars having just eaten bread we cooked in a bucket under the fire ("damper")...accompanied by some cold beer...as we watched the sun go down behind Ayers Rock. Need I say any more?

7 - Climbing Ayers Rock in the dark at 5.30am (didn't enjoy that bit - it's massive!) to be at the top when the sun came up. Amazing - literally nothing as far as the eye can see

8 - Kings Canyon - have never been to the Grand Canyon, didn't know this existed - amazing place

9 - Alice Springs - a town literally in the ass end of nowhere. Awesome place

West coast

10 - Perth is a really cool city with loads going on and loads of great beaches / good surf close by (as we only really did around Perth, the next four are the best bits that everyone else says)

11 - The Ningaloo Reef - as good as the Great Barrier Reef, but with hardly any people on it (no flippers in the face and rushed timeslot reef visits)

12 - Bungle Bungles - Helen Daniels on Neighbours always talked about them. Amazing!

13 - Pinnacles - bizarre rock formations on a massive beach that Billy Connolly famously danced naked around

14 - Monkey Mia - bit of a tourist trap, but the dolphins come up to the beach daily so you can paddle amongst them

Northern Territory

15 - Darwin - loads of cool aboriginal stuff around and maybe a croc in the high street!

16 - Kakadu and Lichfield National Parks - to see Crocodile Dundee country from ground level and to see crocs bigger than buses (well, not quite) from pant-wetting distance

17 - Katherine Gorge - it's got more bats than an over-stocked cricket warehouse and river trips from where you will take photos that will bore people for years

18 - Eating crocodile - the one that annoyed someone - great with plum sauce, tastes like chicken (everything does!)

19 - Finally mastering the didgeridoo from my aboriginal teacher, Barry

The Northern Territory

About the Northern Territory

The Northern Territory is arguably the most beautiful and most impressive part of Australia. You'll hear talk of 'The Outback', of the amazing colours, smells, sheer vastness and the incredible stunning beauty of Australia. But if you want to experience it for real when you get to Australia, this is where it's at.

The Northern Territory houses Uluru (Ayers Rock), Kata Tjuta (The Olgas), Kings Canyon, Karlu Karlu (The Devils Marbles), Arnhem Land, Katherine Gorge and Kakadu National Park, all the stuff you go to Australia to see. The area is tens of thousands of years old and the direct descendants of the native Aboriginal inhabitants are still around today to show you their backyard, which has remained pretty much the same since time began. Rock art looks amazing in photos, but is breath-taking from ten feet. The Aboriginal culture is abundant so it's easy to immerse yourself in it and experience it as it should be experienced - up close.

The most famous towns are Darwin and Alice Springs, from where you can access backpacker tours to all these famous places. However, some of the most popular places to visit are the small outback towns where you'll feel just what's it's like to live in the Great Outdoors.

It's one thing being able to hop on a bus into town on a night out. It's another having to drive for six hours straight just to get to your nearest neighbour to borrow some sugar!

This country is vast and the Northern Territory is just that too. So it has everything. From the dryness of the central deserts to the wetlands of the North, you'll see everything from kangaroos the size of houses to crocs the size of buses (well, not quite, but you get the idea!) to barramundi (that's a 'big fish' to you), the odd lizard, birds you never knew existed and all the other extras from Crocodile Dundee (in fact one museum has the buffalo Mick Dundee tamed, stuffed and in it's bar - so you really can meet a few of them!).

Where else would host a 'Camel Cup' and a boating regatta on a river bed that dried up a few thousand years ago? The Northern Territory sounds exciting ... well - because it is. As a backpacker you'll come home with photos of the Opera House and countless golden beaches. But this is where the lifelong memories and the stories you'll tell your mates are all formed. This is why the Northern Territory is one of the most visited Australian States on the backpacker trail. Just make sure you put enough time aside to see it properly.

Thinking of visiting the Northern Territory?

You should really check out our guide to the Northern Territory! The guide contains tons of useful information on all aspects of travel in the Northern Territory, including its wildlife, terrain, climate, culture, language, art and National Parks. Download our guide to the Northern Territory:

Kakadu National Park

About Kakadu National Park

If you're going to Australia you have to visit the Northern Territory and Kakadu National Park. It's one of the most popular backpacker 'Things to do' and the biggest reason most people visit Darwin, from where the backpacker tours to Kakadu depart.

If you've seen the film Crocodile Dundee and always dreamed of seeing 'that' outback side of Australia, this is where it was filmed. You thought it looked great on film? You wait until you're standing there, breathing in the air, experiencing the colours and living it for real!

No where on Earth looks, feels or sounds like this place. Apart from seeing the odd croc the size of a bus (ok, a little exaggerated, but you might pee a little when you see your first one), you can see Aboriginal rock art, waterfalls, beaches and a landscape that hasn't changed much for thousands of years. Suffice to say that the memories, photos and stories from Kakadu are some of the main ones from your trip that will stay with you forever.

Kakadu? Gapyear.com says: "You'll love it, so don't miss it!"

Best way to see Kakadu

As a backpacker there are two ways to see Kakadu, either 'self-drive' or with a tour. The tours that run from Darwin are the most popular because they are easy (you get picked up, fed, taken places, shown stuff and dropped off), you're with other backpackers, they're geared towards backpackers as opposed to older holidaymakers, most include some great deals and above all, they're a great laugh!

If you 'self-drive' or sort out your own trip you generally get a more relaxed, 'back to nature' experience and quite often you'll spend longer in the area as time is your own. The camping, bush walks and your ability to tune in to the Great Outdoors are limited only by your time and your imagination. Our only advice would be to team up with someone who has done a bit of this before if you are a novice, and also someone with a car helps! To find room in a car put messages up at the hostels in Darwin, although the usual safety checks on the driver and the other passengers need to apply here as you can be a little remote.

Thinking of visiting Kakadu National Park?

We've got the perfect guide for you! Our guide to Kakadu National Park contains just about everything you need to know, including how to get there, where to stay and what to see & do when you're there. Download the gapyear.com guide to Kakadu National Park:

Tours & Transport

Tours & Transport

As we may have mentioned before, Australia is massive. If you're British, it's almost incomprehensibly large. You need to put some serious thought into how you're going to get around the place.

Bus passes

Most backpackers in Australia use bus passes enabling them to see as much, or as little, of Australia as they want. Backpacker tour buses are extremely popular. They cost a little more than a simple bus trip, but you get to see more of Australia, it's easy to meet likeminded backpackers and there are free activities, discounts, help with accommodation and so forth.

Get the train

Buses are a good, affordable way to get yourself from place to place in Australia. Train-wise, you'll probably only want to look at 'The Ghan' which runs north to south and 'The Indian-Pacific' which runs east-west.

Fly

There are two main budget flight companies that serve most of Australia's major cities; Virgin Blue and Jet Star. They're affordable and a much better experience than their European counterparts.

• Sydney to Cairns - 3 ½ hours
• Sydney to Melbourne - 90 mins
• Sydney to Perth - 5 ½ hours

Hire a car or camper van

Another good option. Campervans are a bit more expensive, but they do include your accommodation (but don't include a shower).

• Off peak (May & June)
• Peak season (December –January)

Tours & Transport

As we may have mentioned before, Australia is massive. If you're British, it's almost incomprehensibly large. You need to put some serious thought into how you're going to get around the place.

Buy a car or campervan

A car gives you a huge amount of freedom to explore Australia at your own pace. If you're clever and/or lucky you can buy one when you arrive and sell it again before you leave without spending much more than your fuel and insurance.

Common backpacker car choices are the Holden Commodore and the Ford Falcon. They're affordable, have got plenty of space for luggage and are cheap to service. You should be able to pick up a relatively reliable one of these for around AU$4,500.

Buying privately is nearly always the cheapest option, but if you're short of time, some companies offer a guaranteed buy-back scheme (although you'll be guaranteed a lower price than you paid and beware of any loopholes).

Recommended Hostels

Hostels & Accommodation

Australia has a mixture of unusual, bizarre, breath-taking and 'I'll never stay in a place like that again' accommodation. Most of the accommodation for independent travellers are hostels (or "Backpackers"). There is a massive choice of hostels so you'll find it very difficult to turn up somewhere and not find a place to stay. The choice you'll have is whether to choose the one in the rainforest with the hammocks, the one on the beach, the one that used to be a train station (the dorms are old carriages), the one in the middle of Sydney's red light district or the one that takes you on free trips to see stuff. Quite often you'll just go to the one that offers you the free breakfast or one of the ones that we recommend where you get free beer on arrival!

1 - Sydney, Australia: Wake Up! Sydney Central

Address: 509 Pitt Street, Sydney, Australia

About Wake Up! Sydney Central

Wake Up! is budget accommodation, without the budget smells, sounds or grime! Conveniently located right next to Sydney's Central Railway Station, Wake Up! has four, six, eight and 10 bed spacious dorms; some mixed, some female-only. It also offers twin and double rooms for a little bit more moolah.

Wake Up! Sydney Central boasts...

• Free beer on arrival!
• Free linen
• Help finding a job
• Orientation to Sydney - including tax and job info
• 24 hour reception
• 24 hour internet access
• Personal lockers in every room??
• Side bar - with parties every night & frequent cocktail promotions
• Cafe
• Colour-coded levels so it's easy to find your bed after a night out (they've met your sort before!)

Discounted postage service - send your unwanted stuff home on the cheap!

• Heavily discounted boat trips and sightseeing tours

Rates

Expect to pay around £10 a bed for a 10 bed dorm, £12 for an eight bed, £13 for six beds and £14 for four.

What gapyear.com members say...

"This is the most popular hostel in Sydney because it's brand new and very modern... They have a massive bar in the basement which is a great place to meet people." - ChrisCookies

"We stayed in the Wake Up Hostel... it was within easy walking distance of everywhere and it was a really friendly place, the rooms were nice and it was just good all round!" - Sam

Gapyear.com says...

Wake Up! Sydney Central is backpacker heaven - wicked location, clean comfortable dorms and chill-out areas, loads of promotions and a massive downstairs bar crammed with other travellers night after night. Plus they take personal safety seriously and are dedicated to ensuring you see the best that Sydney has to offer. Add on the free linen, 24 hour internet, multiple TVs and cheap backpacker deals and you're onto a winner!

Wake Up! Sydney Central says...

Finally a hostel which lives up to the hype, wake up! Sydney's best budget accommodation is where any fun loving backpacker should be bedding down. So now that you've found us, relax, chill out, have some fun and wake up! with someone new...

2 - Melbourne, Australia: Nomads Industry

Gapyear.com says...

If you are heading to Melbourne, you need to book a bed in Nomads Industry. We love it because it's new, it's trendy, it's clean and they know how to make it a favourite amongst gapyear.com members - by giving you guys free food and beer! Plus it's in a great location, makes security a top priority and has huge variety of room types to choose from...

3 - Cairns: Gilligan's Backpackers

We say...

Ideal location, top facilities, a great pool and helpful staff have all helped make Gilligan's Backpackers one of the top hostels in Cairns. Plus their philosophy is to provide a little luxury to the budget traveller - which is fine with us (especially the spa and massage bit!) Enjoy a lively, friendly atmosphere in a comfortable and popular hostel...

4 - Brisbane: Tinbilly Travellers

We say...

Brand spanking new and literally just across the road from the main Brisbane Transit Centre (where all your buses arrive and leave from), this is easily your best choice in Brisbane. It's huge and all very clean, modern, spangly and friendly and just a few minutes walk from the centre of town and from the South Bank...

5 - Airlie Beach: Beaches Backpackers

We say...

There are three main aspects to Beaches. Accommodation is spacious and features en-suite dorms, some with balconies and all with air-con, TVs and fridges. The bookings office is large and professional and will sort you out for everything you need in the Whitsundays and well beyond. Finally, the bar is the most popular in town (with both backpackers and locals, which is always a good sign)...

6 - Byron Bay: The Arts Factory Lodge

We say...

We love The Arts Factory because of its lively atmosphere, great selection of rooms, funky activities, amazing facilities and top location. Plus with lockers in every room and female-only dorms, they are safety-conscious too and we like that a lot. It's all you could ever look for in a hostel and more...

7 - Hervey Bay: Palace Backpackers

We say...

The accommodation here is pretty unique. You'll get a bed within an apartment, each of which features several dorm rooms, a couple of bathrooms and a fully fitted self-catering kitchen. The main thing about choosing your hostel in Hervey Bay though, is the activities they organise. Palace do great self-drive trips to Fraser Island and whale watching trips. Trust us, with a 6.30am start, you'll be glad you booked through the place you're staying.

8 - Magnetic Island: base Backpackers

We say...

Fantastic location, with a bar, swimming pool and sun deck that opens out right onto the beach (it claims to be the only beachfront hostel in Oz). The dorms are clean and cool and there are a range of activities and things to hire on site. The bar is one of the liveliest around, with DJs most nights.

9 - Mission Beach: Scotty's Beach House

We say...

Mission Beach is where you'll stay if you fancy white-water rafting or skydiving. Scotty's is friendly, three seconds from the beach and has one of the best layouts of any hostel in Oz. It's basically a load of little self-contained cabins clustered around a swimming pool. If you get bored, which you won't, you can even hire a TV and video for a quiet night in. Oh, and the bar does excellent kangaroo.

10 - Alice Springs: Annie's Place

We say...

If you've been travelling through the Outback for days, it's great to see a friendly face - and the folks at Annie's Place will really look after you. There's something here to suit all budgets, from cheap dorms to swanky, en suite doubles. And if you want to cool down after a hot and dusty day, the swimming pool is a treat...

11 - Darwin: The Cavenagh

We say...

We like this place because it caters for everyone - from the backpacker keen on saving pennies and sleeping in dorms to the traveller who would rather splash out on a little bit more luxury. Their separate motel and backpacker-style rooms mean that you get a wide variety of people staying and enjoying the great facillities at The Cavenagh. Their pool is huge, the bar has a great vibe and it's close to the shopping and clubbing districts too. What more could you want..?

12 - Perth: Underground Backpackers

We say...

There's nothing we love better than a great hostel in a cracking location with a buzzing bar. Well that's not strictly true... there is something we love better. A great hostel in a cracking location with a buzzing bar, free linen, free breakfast, a 24 hour reception and swimming pool! With its party vibe and super-friendly atmosphere, Underground Backpackers is the place to stay in Perth.

13 - Coral Bay: Ningaloo Club

We say...

This is a fun and friendly place to stay in a truly stunning location. If you're going to Australia, we urge you to get off that beaten track and head west... And if you want to meet fellow backpackers who share your love of wonderful wildlife and empty beaches, stay at The Ningaloo Club!

GET FREE BEER / GRUB AT OUR RECOMMENDED HOSTELS

As gapyear.com knows, there's nothing like a cold, cold beer when you've arrived in a new place. For this reason, we've decided to offer all gapyear.com members not one, but two free beers when they check in at our selected recommended hostels.

Just present your voucher at the reception and you'll be entitled to two beers - that's one for you and another to help break the ice with a fellow backpacker.

What better way to make friends in a new country?

TWO FREE BEERS!

For gapyear.com members who stay at

Nomads Industry, Melbourne

Enjoy two free beers courtesy of your good friends at gapyear.com. As you're sipping your complimentary drinks, please spare us a thought! Remember we always want to hear from you guys, so why not email us a photo of you and your beers to cheers@gapyear.com? We'll then put you up on gapyear.com for all to see.

Have fun and travel safely...

TWO FREE BEERS!

For gapyear.com members who stay at

Wake Up! Sydney Central, Sydney

Enjoy two free beers courtesy of your good friends at gapyear.com. As you're sipping your complimentary drinks, please spare us a thought! Remember we always want to hear from you guys, so why not email us a photo of you and your beers to cheers@gapyear.com? We'll then put you up on gapyear.com for all to see.

Have fun and travel safely...

Authorisation: This voucher has been authorised by Penny Brand of Nomad's World

Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer - one voucher per person, per hostel only.

Working In Australia

So long as you stick to the conditions of your visa, you can do any job you like in Australia. One gapyear.com member worked as an extra on a film; another took people horse-riding on Cable Beach for a living. However, most backpackers work in one of the following areas...

Harvest work

When a fruit or vegetable crop is ready to be harvested, farmers need plenty of temporary workers, willing to slog hard for a few weeks to get the harvest in. This is where backpackers come in. Most backpackers with working holiday visas spend some time picking bananas, grapes, beans, asparagus or other crops. It's hard, physical work, but there can be a great sense of community as you'll be working in a team with other backpackers and locals. If you want to extend your visa to two years, you'll need to do a minimum of three months harvest work.

Jobs are advertised through word of mouth, on backpacker notice boards or specialist websites. For an idea of what's ripe, where and when, see the map on the following page. Contracts are often casual, so make sure you confirm your working hours and wages in advance with your employer. You'll usually be paid by the weight of what you've picked, rather than by the hour.

"The best thing about working in Australia is the people you meet. I did a few agricultural jobs, in particular fruit-picking and had an amazing time living and working with some brilliant gappers from all over the world including Canada, USA and Europe. Plus the social life was brilliant!"

Justin Hurn

Work for bed and board

If you plan to stay in one place for a bit, a great way to cut down on your costs is to do a few hours work a day in exchange for somewhere to sleep and something to eat. Tasks can involve anything from manning the front desk to making the beds, but it's nearly always a key to a pretty easy life.

You won't make yourself rich this way, but it's a good way of extending your trip without doing anything silly, like working hard or getting stressed and stuff like that.

Not every hostel will be up for this of course, but chances are that in any given town there will be somewhere that offers its longer term residents some sort of deal of this nature. All you need to do is find yourself somewhere to stay, then ask around a bit; starting at the front desk of your hostel.

"Working in hostels is great because you can get free lodging and food and meet the guests and locals. The people working there were really cool and I learnt a lot more than I thought I would. I think work is a must though. It gets you inside a place rather than floating over it as a tourist."

Tom Garrett

Bar work or waiter/ess

From hip bars in Sydney to tiny pubs in the Outback, there are plenty of jobs available for bar and waiting staff across Australia. Most will require you to have some experience - why not get a job in a UK pub before you go, to learn the tricks of the trade? You'll be much more employable if you know a Castlemaine from a Cosmopolitan.

You'll also need a Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) certificate, which you can only get once you've arrived in Oz. This involves taking a one-day course, which will teach you not to serve alcohol to toddlers or unconscious people, and sitting a written exam. The course will set you back around AU$100 (£40). No-one ever fails.

Office temping

In towns and cities, your best bet for finding work might be to sign up for a temping agency. Businesses approach these agencies looking for temporary staff, to work in call centres or offices, often in data entry positions. The agency then picks the most relevant people from its books and offers them the work. Make sure you ring your agency or pop in regularly - if you're fresh in their minds and seem keen, you're more likely to get work. You'll know whether work like this suits you or not: the pay isn't bad, and the hours are generally sociable (Monday to Friday, 9 to 5:30), but you might feel that you didn't go travelling to sit behind a desk!

Construction work

If you're a dependable, hard worker with some construction experience, why not work on a building site? You'll need a health and safety 'Green Card', for which you'll need to do a one-day course costing around AU$100 (£40). Green Card holders can generally find well-paid work lasting anything from one day to several months - it'll help if you have your own work boots. Approach labour hire companies or enquire at building sites or Irish bars.

Factory work

This is another popular choice for backpackers - it's not hard to find short-term, casual work on a production line or in a packing room. The work itself won't be very stimulating, but you don't need any experience or qualifications, and if you're working with a good bunch of people it can be a laugh. You'll find work through word of mouth, agencies, local newspapers or backpacker notice boards.

Ranch work

Ranch work is a little bit niche and not all that easy to sort out for yourself. There is a demand for 'jackeroos and jillaroos' as they're known, but it's hard, skilled work and not for the absolute beginner. Companies such as Changing Worlds do offer supported work placements if you are not completely confident of finding a position by yourself. Otherwise, lots of cattle stations have diversified and offer backpackers the opportunity to get a taste of the real 'Outback' experience.

Harvest Trails

This map is here to give you a good idea of how to plan your trip around Australia if you want to be able to follow the harvest work around and earn yourself another year in the sun!

What Things Cost...

Costs

While there's never a firm answer to the question 'how much money will I need?' it is possible to work out a budget for yourself. Australia represents many and varied opportunities for lightening your wallet, but here's a rough idea of what to expect.

Accommodation

In Australia, 99% of backpackers spend 99% of their nights in a hostel dorm. Prices fluctuate both seasonally and from one town or city to the next, but most hostels in the same place will have comparable rates. Nobody wants to get undercut. AU$15-22 is what you'd usually expect to pay for a decent bed in a decent hostel, but particularly new, flash ones may be anything up to AU$30-35. The highest accommodation prices are generally from December through to February, which is the peak of the Aussie summer. Campsites are not as widely available or as accessible as hostels, but they are there. If you're happy under canvas, you're still looking at around $20 a night for a pitch on a campsite with facilities, but obviously you can split that between more people.

Food and drink

As far as survival goes, Australia is very easy on the budgeting backpacker. You should easily be able to get by on around AU$25-35 a week, as food and drink are surprisingly cheap, although British chocaholics will be horrified by the price of confectionary - a mere Mars bar can cost AU$2! On the other hand, backpacker-friendly groceries are generally less than the price of similar items in the UK. The key to food shopping when travelling is to think nutritious - fresh fruit and vegetables are surprisingly cheap and make great snack food, and pasta and rice are as cheap in Oz as anywhere else in the world. Look for the Black & Gold brand for decent quality economy groceries. Tap water is generally safe to drink, but keep a bottle or two to hand for emergencies, as it is very easy to get dehydrated quickly.

Nightlife

The Australian nightlife is just as hectic as back in Britain, so be prepared to spend a lot if you're a clubbing fan - clubs charge similar entry prices to UK nightspots - up to AU$10, depending on where you go. You can always do that back home though, so don't feel bad if you'd rather have an early night and see something else amazing instead. There is always something else to do anyway - Cairns, for example, holds fire poi nights during the summer, where people gather to twirl flaming balls on chains - quite a sight. It's often a lot of fun to simply explore your surroundings at night. The neon glow of Surfers Paradise, whilst being a miserably commercial resort city, looks particularly spectacular from the beach in the dark. Failing that, there's always the pub. Australia has a big drinking culture, and you should never find yourself too far from a local bar. Alcohol works slightly differently in Oz - pints don't really exist in a lot of places. Instead, depending on the state, you get half-pints, 'glasses' (around seven fluid ounces) and 'schooners', which hold three-quarters of a pint. Unless you're British or Scandinavian, booze is going to seem expensive. Beer is probably 10-20% cheaper than UK prices.

Tours and activities

Obviously, the quickest way of losing money when travelling is by doing every activity and tour on offer, from abseiling to zorbing. It's a great idea to plan what you want to do before you get there. It's probably a given that you'll want to see the Barrier Reef and the rainforest if you're in the Tropical North, and you'll find yourself bombarded by different tour posters in every hostel you stay at. If you stay in Cairns, a must-do activity is a tour of the surrounding rainforest and waterfalls. Reef tours leave from anywhere and everywhere, but hostels can often get you a bit of money off if you ask nicely at their information desk. Generally, expect them to cost between AU$80-120. If you are touring further south, check out the Julian Rocks marine reserve at Byron Bay - it's got a lot more wildlife than most of the Reef dive sites and it is a truly spectacular day out. The Blue Mountains at Sydney are also superb - you can get a train from Sydney to Katoomba for around AU$12, and a bus pass around Katoomba and the Mountains for another $12.

ROUGH COSTS CHART

Our conversion rate was £1 (GBP) to $2.45 (AUD)

* All price conversions are approximate for GUIDE ONLY (don't blame us if slightly wrong!)

Adventurous Activities

Australia is a thrill seeker's paradise! You'd worry about a nation that's put this much thought it scaring the crap out of visitors if they weren't just so damn nice about it. What's there to do though? Where can you do it? Can you fit it into your trip?

1. Bungy jump - Cairns

The most famous extreme sport of them all. Attach yourself to a giant rubber band and throw yourself off somewhere inadvisably high. AJ Hackett is the original bungy company and still up there with the best in the World. The spectacular tropical setting just adds to the mind-blowing rush. You can also try some other activities up here, including swinging through the jungle at break-neck speed!

2. Ocean rafting - Airlie Beach

The traditional way to see the Whitsunday Islands is over three days on a sailing boat, but if you're short on time (or patience) you can whizz around them on half metal / half inflatable boat. It's not actually a raft, more of a very light boat with a very large engine. Imagine the offspring of a military landing craft and a banana... You miss out on lots of peace and tranquillity, but it does get you to the best spots quickly, and is great fun to snorkel off.

3. White-water rafting - Mission Beach

The Tully is Australia's best white-water rafting river. (and they use actual rafts). It's a full day activity, but you don't need to stay in Mission Beach if you don't want to. It's very easy to book from Cairns and the company will provide transport both ways. Mission Beach is small and very chilled, but well worth a couple of nights.

4. Zorbing - Gold Coast

Surfer's P aradise is as good a place as any to organise your zorbing. Get into a giant hamster ball and roll down a hill. Simple really. Can't believe it took so long for someone to come up with the idea.

5. Surfing - Byron Bay

You can't say you've been to the East Coast of Australia if you haven't at least had a go at surfing. There plenty of great spots between Sydney and Brisbane, but Byron Bay are a great spot for beginners. Plenty of surf schools about, so the prices are pretty reasonable. Don't be shy, it's not as hard as it looks and you'll probably be standing up within two or three hours.

6. Skydiving - Byron Bay

There are lots of places to skydive in Australia and nearly all of them offer something spectacular to look at while you're merrily plummeting earthwards. The views at Byron are amongst the best though, which is why we recommend doing it here.

7. Jet boating - Sydney Harbour

You can jet boat here, or up in Cairns, it just depends what you'd rather turn into a stomach churning blur... The basic premise is that you get into a VERY high-powered boat and hoon around the place with a driver who lives to scare the hell out of backpackers.

8. Scuba diving - Cape Tribulation

The Great Barrier Reef is enormous and stretches most of the way down the East Coast. Cape Trib is a great spot to learn to dive though, as the water is less contaminated by the run-off from the sugar cane plantations further south, so the visibility is that much better.

9. 4x4ing - Fraser Island

Organise your trip from Hervey Bay or Rainbow Beach. The standard self-drive trip is 3 days, 2 nights and you'll generally be in a vehicle with seven other backpackers. Just hope they're nice... Fraser Island is probably the highlight of most people's East Coast trip. Camp on the campsites if you want facilities, camp on the beach if you want to stay up late and enjoy yourself, but whatever you do, don't feed the bloody dingoes mate.

10. Camel Rides - Broome

Nothing like taking a camel safari along a seemingly endless, pristine beach as the sun sets over the Indian Ocean. Okay, it's only going to get the adrenaline going if you've a fear of camels, but it's a nice way to end the day...

Travelmates

The trouble with Australia is that, no matter how appealing it sounds, it's a bloody long way away and it does take a lot of effort to get yourself there. Although you may start with a few of you who are dead set on taking a gap year in Australia, lots of less committed souls will fall by the wayside. It's very common for one person from a group to be left thinking their travel plans are in ruins because all their mates have pulled out with not long to go.

If that sounds like you and despite everyone saying 'it's really easy to meet people out there', don't panic. For the last four years we've been running a very successful find a travelmate service for the many, many people in your situation.

Here are a few simple tips to help you find the perfect travelmate:

1. Post a message

Travelmates works on the messageboard system. You post a message telling people who you are and where you're going. While there are loads of people on there for you to choose from, the chances are that your new best friend is just browsing the boards too and hasn't posted already. Don't be shy!

2. Upload a photo

Uploading a photo to your profile means you'll have a much better chance of being contacted by an ideal travelmate. Our statistics show you'll improve your chances by, oh, let's say about a billion per cent. It's so much easier to send a message to someone if you know what they look like. Once you're a member of the site you can do this easily from your profile.

3. Be clear about where you're going and what you want to do

Whatever you do, don't post vaguely looking for a travelmate when you haven't even decided where you're going. It just looks like you're lazy as hell and are looking for someone to organise your whole trip and drag you around Australia by the ear. In essence, you'll sound like a complete nightmare. Work out where you want to go and be clear about the sort of things you'll want to be doing. It all gives you a better chance of finding the sort of travelmate who'll help to make it a trip of a lifetime.

4. Be sensible

All gapyear.com members are wonderful people, we want to hold your collective hands and skip carefree along the beach. However, you should always exercise a bit of caution when meeting up with somebody off a website, however wonderful/invaluable/genius that website may be. It's all quite simple, just make sure somebody knows where you're going, who you're meeting and when you expect to be back. Oh, and if you do have a lot of fun and decide to stay a bit later, let that person know...

FOR MORE INFO GO TO: gapyear.com/travelmates

Keeping In Touch

Mobile phones

As with most things, apart from maybe decent tea and cheddar cheese, they have mobile phones in Australia too. If you just want to make calls within Australia, then you can take your phone from home (make sure it's unlocked) and buy an Australian SIM card when you get there. Telstra Mobile seems to have the best network coverage on the East Coast, but Vodafone is almost as good.

If you want to use your mobile to call home, or if you want a mobile you can use everywhere on your round the world trip, then you should look into buying a backpacker's SIM card. We think that generally the best one is from go-sim, but obviously you should shop around to see what suits you best.

Cheap international calls

How these work is that you / your parents / your friends set up an account which you can access through your home phone. Using Planet Talk as an example again - when you sign up you have to put a minimum of £10 in the account. You are then issued with a prefix number that you dial from your home phone before you dial the international number e.g. 1833. Calls are then charged at a cheap rate e.g. calls to Australia at about 5p per minute. You may be charged a small connection fee on each call, so read the small print.

Email

We are assuming that you all have email addresses. All we would suggest is that you change your name to a sensible one if you're worried that your granny might be offended by the public display of your sexual prowess hidden in your Hotmail name! Web-based accounts like Hotmail and gmail are obviously essential.

Useful tips

• Send yourself emails full of useful info, such as addresses, dates, phone numbers, insurance details, details of valuable stuff that might get damaged / stolen e.g. camera etc.
• Take time to set up your email address book properly with birthdays, addresses etc.
• Clear space now whilst you're not paying internet café rates. Save important stuff on your home PC

Instant Messenger

Nothing better than speaking live to mates who are working or studying whilst you are in an internet café near an Australian beach!

Microsoft MSN Passport

This is the most popular Instant Messenger. Remember to get it set up properly now whilst you have the time. Get all your mates on it and personalise it as you want.

Yahoo! Messenger

If your mates all Yahoo, probably best to go with this. Remember to get it set up properly now whilst you have the time. Get all your mates on it and personalise it as you want.

...now plan your route...

Journey Time Planner (Over Land)

Use this part of the planner to work out your overland travel around Australia. Here we are trying to give you a rough idea of the costs and times involved in traveling between the major cities using a bus or a train. Australia is so huge that it's surprisingly hard to get your head around the distances involved. Use this in conjunction with the flight times / prices map on the next page. When you have decided which bits you'll be traveling by bus, which bits by train, where you'll drive and where you'll fly move on to the blank map on page 23 and plot out your route.

Notes:

Route Builder Map (example)

"Build Your Own" Around the World Trip!

Plan your travels in 3 easy steps...

1. Head onto gapyear.com

• Click on 'Around the world flights"
• Read the advice
• See what others say
• Start to plan

2. Find out more about the region / countries you are planning to visit

gapyear.com 'First Time' Series

We know how difficult it can be to work out how you can get around the countries you're going to, where to stay etc. - so our 'First Time' series covers exactly that.

• How to get around
• Where to stay
• Cool stuff to do

Not reams and reams of endless drivel.

Just the stuff you need!

3. Call or email our team to get it sorted!

Gapyear.com Travel Team at STA Travel

Our team is on hand waiting for you. If you know what you want to do, where you want to go and when they'll help you find the best prices and get it booked.

If you're unsure, nervous, completely stumped and have no idea and desperately need some help - you're similar to thousands of others we have spoken to before - so get in contact.

The gapyear.com team can:

• Find the perfect Round the World ticket that works for you
• Sort our transport like Oz, Kiwi & Feejee Experience and Greyhound
• Even help with travel insurance quotes

Most of them have been backpackers like you, so they know a thing or two about travel!

SAVE MONEY!

1. "MATE'S RATES"

If you are travelling with a partner, friend or a group then you qualify for 'gapyear.com MATE'S RATES' - which is essentially a 'bulk buy discount. It's worth having, as every penny counts right?

Remember to inform the team when you get in contact.

2. "BUY MORE...PAY LESS"

Our Travel Team can sell you most of the things you'll need for your full Around the World package. So if you buy everything in one hit - RTW Ticket, insurance, transport e.g. Oz Experience, visas etc. etc. they can give you a discount.

Simply ask about our multi-buy options.

FOR EXCLUSIVE GAPYEAR.COM TEAM OFFERS & ADVICE CALL 0845 3 447 667

0845 3 447 667

MONDAY - FRIDAY: 9AM - 6PM | SATURDAY: 10AM - 4PM

gapyear.com TEAM AT STA TRAVEL