Genre: Forum

So, you want to spent several months in Australia on a working holiday visa . . . I've been there, done that, and I've noticed a lot of people wanting advice, so here's my FAQ. Please post any questions you have below What will I need before I go? - Flights -- STA (who often do good deals on flights, but are a rip-off for anything else) and AirAsia aren't bad bets for getting the cheapest flights. - A visa -- working holiday visas can be obtained from www.immi.gov.au and they cost $270. Don't go anywhere else -- they're going to rip you off. WHVs allow you to stay in Australia for up to a year, working for each employer for no more than six months. If you want to stay for another year, then you will have to do three months of 'designated work' (farm work -- often fruit picking -- in the middle of nowhere) whilst on your first WHV to be eligible. If you don't want to work there, then 3/6 month tourist visas are available. - Travel insurance -- yes, you may be covered by medicare (more about that later), but medicare doesn't cover you for things like ambulances, nor does it cover you for things like your baggage being lost or stolen. Make sure it covers you for working, and any activities that you think you might do e.g. scuba diving or skydiving. - A bank account -- it's necessary to have your wages paid into. You can set it up & transfer money before you go, and then activate when you get there (you'll need to show your passport and visa). Some of the most popular banks are Commonwealth, Westpac, ANZ and NAB, although the latter's card cannot be used online as it's not a Visa / Mastercard. - Luggage -- a wheelie case is entirely viable in Australia, but if you plan on going somewhere like SE Asia, then buy a backpack -- their pavements simply aren't up to wheelie cases. Try and pack light -- you will accumulate more stuff over there, and if you forget something then it's not the end of the world -- you can always replace it later. What will I need to do when I get there? - Medicare card -- essentially it's a bit like the Australian NHS, and we're covered under a reciprocal scheme. However, it doesn't cover everything, so you'll need travel insurance too. To get it, fill out an application form from http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/ and then take it to your nearest Medicare office once you get there. - Tax File Number -- necessary to stop you being taxed at 48%. You can get one from www.ato.gov.au , but you can only do it once you've entered Australia. You get a 30-day grace period in which you will not be taxed at 48%, which gives you time for the TFN to arrive. When you leave Australia, or at the end of the tax year on 30th June, you can claim back all your tax and 'super' (pension contributions). Where will I live? - Hostels are the biggest source of accommodation for backpackers. In them, you will share a dorm with anywhere between 3 and 31 other backpackers (the larger the better if you ask me, although opinions vary). You'll also share a bathroom and kitchen. - But won't my stuff get nicked? I found backpackers to be surprisingly honest when it comes to big ticket items e.g. laptops and iPods -- I was forever leaving my laptop unsecured but out of sight (sometimes in plain view though) and it was never stolen. Food, however, is a different matter. In the end, I resorted to buying a blue cool bag from Coles / Woolworths (the two big Australian supermarkets) and padlocking it, which did the trick. - Aren't they dirty? They're of varying standards. If you manage to go through your entire trip without seeing a cockroach, then I will be highly surprised. Most of the time they're alright though. However, if you're going to be returning to start uni and live in halls, then it will be good practice for living in places where people don't clean up after themselves And yes, someone is going to have sex in your room sooner or later. Just hope it's not in the bed above / below yours -- the shaking is rather annoying. - I want to stay in a hostel long-term! OK -- that can definitely be arranged. All hostels take on "work for accommodation" staff. As the name suggests, you work for around 15 hours a week in exchange for free accommodation in a staff / long-termers dorm. The work typically involves housekeeping, cleaning the communal kitchen and doing the laundry. It also comes with perks like getting all the goon and other personal belongings (e.g. I have an Abercrombie top from housekeeping; a room mate had iPod speakers) that guests leave behind. If you don't fancy that, then you should be able to negotiate a discount and a move to a long-termers dorm if you agree to stay for a set period of time (typically several weeks / months). - The best hostels tend to have no bar, but some organised social events. Hostels with a bar tend to be entirely focused on getting you into that bar to spend money, and they often have the noise coming into your room until 3am, whereas hostels without bars tend to organise things like goon pong (like beer pong!), free BBQs, trivia nights and bar crawls -- all good ways to meet people. Www.hostelbookers.com is a good way to find hostels, although I have typically found the reviews to be slightly pessimistic. - You'll find that laundry is expensive -- normally $4 per wash. Make friends with someone who has been backpacking for a while, and ask them to show you how to operate them with cotton buds instead - In the end, hostels are the worst living arrangement you could possibly have (on paper) - but you'll also strangely miss it when you leave - You can also stay in a campervan , but you will need to consider - It's illegal to sleep in a campervan by the side of the road, so make sure you don't get caught - You still need to shower somewhere. Whilst the showers at Bondi might be an attractive proposition in January, you'll probably die if you try it in July. - Campervans are expensive and have a horrible tendency to break down in the middle of the Outback, where no car will pass for the next three days. - Unless you're renting, you'll need find someone to sell it to at the end of your trip. - Campsites for tent owners are also occasionally available, but IMHO it's not really worth it -- there are relatively few of them, and if you buy a tent from another backpacker, you'll probably find it's going to leak (mine flooded ). - If you're going to be staying in the same place for a couple of months, then getting a room in a houseshare is also often possible. Whilst I never tried this, my friend stayed with a group of Aussie students, and a ragtag bunch of backpackers who lived with a nice couple. Try gumtree if you're interested. I don't have any friends to go with -- won't I be lonely for my entire trip? - No -- most people are travelling by themselves, and they want to make friends too. Typically you'll meet friends in hostels, but also on organised trips. The kitchen, and over a cup of goon in the evening, are typical places to meet people. The friendships you make are strangely intense, but often short lived. Even so, I've kept in contact with a few of them to this day. - Wait -- what's this goon stuff you speak of? It's the only alcohol you'll be able to afford. It's 4 or 5 litres in a bag-in-box, and it costs around $14 for a box. Fruity Lexia is the most palatable, but it's still an acquired taste. If you're struggling with the taste, try adding lemonade, juice or squash for "magic goon". Thinking of buying vodka instead? Ok, but it's $40 for a 750ml bottle . . . How will I get around Australia? There are a two main options: - Campervan (as discussed previously) -- it's one main advantage being that it gives you the ability to get off the beaten track more. - Bus - OzExperience offer a hop-on-hop-off backpacker bus up the East Coast and across a few other routes. However, I went with them from Byron Bay to Cairns and found that it didn't quite live up to all the marketing hype -- certainly I never made any friends on the bus, I made them all in hostels. There's also only one bus a day which is surprisingly annoying if you're pushed for time, and it's more expensive. - Greyhound also offer hop-on-hop-off bus passes. They are cheaper, and contain a lot of locals (with whom I had many interesting conversations -- I don't think I'll ever forget the aboriginal lady asking me if I'd heard about the riots in England ) The buses are more comfortable, there are several a day and there are night buses. Night buses = not having to pay for a night's accommodation! What about an organised tour of Australia? - Well, if you want a sub-standard trip for twice the price then go ahead . . . typically they offer some very rushed group transport & accommodation up the east coast at an inflated price, and you have to fork out more if you actually want to see anything. Companies such as Contiki are particularly bad for this. - The only tour that I've come across that I think is any good is OzIntro's seven day trip ( www.ozintro.com ). Essentially it's a week in Sydney aimed at people who've just arrived in Australia and you get a variety of organised activities, and you do all the admin stuff like medicare cards and TFNs. If you add up the cost of everything they give you, you couldn't really do it any cheaper anyway, and it's a great way to make friends, but don't be fooled into thinking that you can't get all the admin stuff done yourself. How much is it going to cost me? - Not gonna lie, the exchange rate is currently punishing, so a lot. - The visa states that you need $5000 to support you until you can find work, but in reality they never actually check, and that's rather pessimistic anyway. - I found that it generally cost me about $300pw for survival i.e. a hostel, food, goon, a couple of nights out and a small luxury. - You also need to budget for things like a 4WD trip around Fraser Island, Whitsundays, skydiving, seeing the Great Barrier Reef etc. - There are numerous travel agents (Adventure Travel Bugs, Peter Pans, Wicked Travel, Tribal Travel etc.), all of whom will offer you discounts / freebies if you book multiple things at once with them. They also all have a price-beat guarantee. Hence, I walked around about four of them, getting each to beat the offer of the one before. I got a really good deal in the end, just through haggling. How easy is it to find work out there? How much can I earn? - Australia never went into recession like most of the Western world did, so relatively easy. However , you can't afford to be too picky about what kind of work you take -- bar, restaurant, cleaning. Door-to-door selling and fruit picking are the most common occupations for backpackers. Your time in Australia is unlikely to be hugely career-enhancing in terms of experience. You also need to actually quit moaning that you don't have a job, print off some CVs, and get out there pounding the pavements looking for work. Jobs are not going to come and find you. - Work is so much easier to find if you actually have experience in a related area, so try and get some before you go. If you can't, you may find yourself doing a bit of CV-puffery. You'll also need to tell a couple of porkies and tell them that you will be working there for the next six months, else they won't take you on. - Don't sit around in your hostel, moaning that you need a job. It won't help. The best way to find work is to dress smartly (shirt + smart black jeans will do), and walk around with your CV, going into every bar / restaurant / shop etc. along the way, asking to speak to the manager and asking if they have any work available. Gumtree and Seek are also sources of work. If you want to do harvest work (i.e. fruit picking), then check out the Harvest Trail website. If you want to do more general farm work in return for bed and board, then check out www.helpx.net and www.workaway.info Most backpackers check out the central areas, near to their hostel initially. This is fine, but don't forget to try some more out of the way shopping malls (e.g. the Westfield chain). - After that bit of doom-and-gloom, there is some good news -- the wages are fantastic. You can expect to earn $18-20ph plus tips in jobs such as waitressing, which is more than twice what you would earn in the UK at the current exchange rates (2011). How will I keep in contact with my mum / dad / friends / pet budgie? - Internet in hostels is strangely expensive -- usually $4ph. If you can, take your laptop and go to McDonalds and use their free wifi. - Unlock your phone before you go, and then insert an Australian sim when you get there. Avoid Vodafone and go for a network that piggybacks off of the Optus or Telstra networks, such as Virgin. - If you forget to do that, then the cheapest option is to buy a cheap backpacker phone out there -- typically a Nokia 1800. They cost around $30, and include $30 worth of credit anyway Anyway, these are a the answers to a selection of the most commonly asked questions on TSR about Aussie WHVs. If you have a question that I haven't answered above, then ask away below and I'll answer I've only just started thinking about spending a year working in Australia, so I only have a rough idea of what I am going to do. First week with Oz Intro, week or so in a hostel looking for work in Sydney. Probably work for around 3 or so months until I do some East Coast exploring, before heading to Western Australia for some fruit picking or something like that. Anyway, I was thinking if I got a job in Sydney for a few months, what's your opinion on flat sharing? I'd much rather have my own little space than living in a dorm with strangers all the time (Something I want to experience, but not long term). I've been looking on gumtree to get a general idea of price, and there's not a massive difference between what you'd pay per week. I've only just started thinking about spending a year working in Australia, so I only have a rough idea of what I am going to do. First week with Oz Intro, week or so in a hostel looking for work in Sydney. Probably work for around 3 or so months until I do some East Coast exploring, before heading to Western Australia for some fruit picking or something like that. Anyway, I was thinking if I got a job in Sydney for a few months, what's your opinion on flat sharing? I'd much rather have my own little space than living in a dorm with strangers all the time (Something I want to experience, but not long term). I've been looking on gumtree to get a general idea of price, and there's not a massive difference between what you'd pay per week. Cheers. Sounds like you've got a good plan there. I forgot to mention one thing about OzIntro - don't book other things like Fraser Island & Whitsundays through them - their prices are rather overinflated. If you're going to be in Sydney for a few months, then flatsharing isn't a bad option. I'm pretty sure hostels drive everyone to the brink of insanity at one point or other - it took me about three or four months to have a wobble! Jean Paul Sartre's quote about hell being other people springs to mind! I still miss hostel life though If you want a hostel with a good long-termer community, Nomads Westend on Pitt Street is good. They have dorms and rates that are specifically for long termers, and it's a really friendly hostel. With regards to flatsharing, it has to be noted that Sydney is very expensive for rent compared to other Aussie cities. I don't have a lot of experience in flatsharing, but there are flatsharing websites other than gumtree - I think www.flatmates.com.au and www.roomshare.com.au are examples. The main advantage of hostels is that you get a lot of flexibility in terms of how long you stay, and you get to meet lots of people go on nights out, drink goon etc. etc., they're usually pretty central, and you can always work for free accommodation. However, you lose the privacy aspect. Flatshares are good if you are a suitable distance away from work (Sydney is MASSIVE), your flatmates are good, the rent reasonable, contract length correct and you value your privacy and peace. It's a very personal decision, and TBH I can see both sides of the argument. Nice thread, I like the idea of a working holiday on my gap year and I have loads of money saved up anyway. I'm 18 at the moment and want to take a year out after my A-Levels. I haven't had a full time job yet so something like this seems pretty daunting. Hopefully I'll have a job doing some bar work soon in the UK. ( Originally Posted by bhoyjd ) Nice thread, I like the idea of a working holiday on my gap year and I have loads of money saved up anyway. I'm 18 at the moment and want to take a year out after my A-Levels. I haven't had a full time job yet so something like this seems pretty daunting. Hopefully I'll have a job doing some bar work soon in the UK. It seems pretty daunting for most of us But once you get out there and sleep off the jet lag, it's great (but don't even give yourself the mental option of going home!). In all honesty though, if you've got enough money saved up to go out already, then I'd suggest going out asap after you have your results (and therefore know that you don't need to resit). That way, you can probably get a good 11 months (and possibly extend it for another 12 months that you can use post-uni) out of your visa rather than the ~6 that many do. Leaving home + emigrating all at once is daunting and a fairly steep learning curve, but it definitely prepares you uni in many ways - for instance, you learn that it's not possible to just live off a combination of Mi Goreng noodles and cheap alcohol! With regards to never having had a full time job - how are future employers going to know? If you've had part time work, just put down the dates, company name, job title and job description e.g. July 2011 - October 2012, The Ship and Anchor, waiter, [description]. Don't mention it was part time unless they ask I also ought to note that you can survive without doing too many hours in Australia - 15 hours work on $20 will give you $300pw, which is enough to live off ( Originally Posted by Origami Bullets ) It seems pretty daunting for most of us But once you get out there and sleep off the jet lag, it's great (but don't even give yourself the mental option of going home!). In all honesty though, if you've got enough money saved up to go out already, then I'd suggest going out asap after you have your results (and therefore know that you don't need to resit). That way, you can probably get a good 11 months ( and possibly extend it for another 12 months that you can use post-uni ) out of your visa rather than the ~6 that many do. Leaving home + emigrating all at once is daunting and a fairly steep learning curve, but it definitely prepares you uni in many ways - for instance, you learn that it's not possible to just live off a combination of Mi Goreng noodles and cheap alcohol! With regards to never having had a full time job - how are future employers going to know? If you've had part time work, just put down the dates, company name, job title and job description e.g. July 2011 - October 2012, The Ship and Anchor, waiter, [description]. Don't mention it was part time unless they ask I also ought to note that you can survive without doing too many hours in Australia - 15 hours work on $20 will give you $300pw, which is enough to live off Someone told me this the second time I went out there - so it's definitely right you can extend it for a future year then? When I had my visa you could extend for 1 consecutive year but other than that, that's it for life. If I've just missed out on this I will be so annoyed! And I don't know about the noodles/cheap alcohol. We lasted a pretty decent stretch on Coles Smart Buy noodles and large amounts of $8 goon! EDIT: It seems you're right, I am incredibly angry now! I didn't bother doing the 3 months work because a consecutive 12 month extension would have been pointless at the time due to starting university. Though now they've made it easier to get the second, hopefully in the near future they let anyone get a second one (or I make some farming contacts in rural Australia...). Whatever you do. Do not bring anything such as drugs weapons or anything that is questionable to customs. This includes pornography. I have watched countless episodes of "Nothing to Declare" thanks to my mum getting me hooked to it. They don't mess about in Australia. They will likely check your laptop so get rid of those "files". ( Originally Posted by PierceBrosnan ) Whatever you do. Do not bring anything such as drugs weapons or anything that is questionable to customs. This includes pornography. I have watched countless episodes of "Nothing to Declare" thanks to my mum getting me hooked to it. They don't mess about in Australia. They will likely check your laptop so get rid of those "files". They won't check your laptop but yes, don't take drugs or weapons (though the same advice applies to any country - they are all strict). It also doesn't include pornography, it's something along the lines of "indecent" pornography like beastiality, under age etc. And definitely don't bring fruit etc. I always get chased by one of the sniffer dogs in the airport - just from having the scent of fruit on my clothes from on the plane! ( Originally Posted by callum9999 ) They won't check your laptop but yes, don't take drugs or weapons (though the same advice applies to any country - they are all strict). It also doesn't include pornography, it's something along the lines of "indecent" pornography like beastiality, under age etc. And definitely don't bring fruit etc. I always get chased by one of the sniffer dogs in the airport - just from having the scent of fruit on my clothes from on the plane! Ahh, damn that was my mistake in regards to porn (I didn't bring porn) However I've given false information on TSR I do apologise. ( Originally Posted by callum9999 ) And definitely don't bring fruit etc. I always get chased by one of the sniffer dogs in the airport - just from having the scent of fruit on my clothes from on the plane! Very, very true - I've heard of people being fined hundreds of dollars because they didn't declare fresh fruit / veg. You are, however, fine so long as you declare it - so long as you tell them about it, the worst they will do is confiscate it. You'd be surprised at what they let in though - I was allowed my marmite and teabags. On the other hand, I was interrogated about whether or not I had any farm boots with me, which might have carried diseases in any muck on them (clean your boots people!) ( Originally Posted by callum9999 ) Someone told me this the second time I went out there - so it's definitely right you can extend it for a future year then? When I had my visa you could extend for 1 consecutive year but other than that, that's it for life. If I've just missed out on this I will be so annoyed! Certainly when I was out there (2011), if you did 3 months of farm work then you were entitled to a second year-long working holiday visa. However, you could choose to leave Australia after your first WHV, and then come back and use the second year visa at any point before your 30th (31st?) birthday. Some people find corrupt farmers (one girl I know blackmailed a farmer!) who would take a payment in return for signing the form to say that you were there working. However, (a) this is highly illegal, and (b) you need to make sure that you don't show up on government records that would indicate that you were elsewhere at the point. Hence, working elsewhere during that three month period is a no-no, as is leaving the country. ( Originally Posted by PierceBrosnan ) Ahh, damn that was my mistake in regards to porn (I didn't bring porn) However I've given false information on TSR I do apologise. Easy mistake to make - it is one of their more silly requirements! ( Originally Posted by Origami Bullets ) Very, very true - I've heard of people being fined hundreds of dollars because they didn't declare fresh fruit / veg. You are, however, fine so long as you declare it - so long as you tell them about it, the worst they will do is confiscate it. You'd be surprised at what they let in though - I was allowed my marmite and teabags. On the other hand, I was interrogated about whether or not I had any farm boots with me, which might have carried diseases in any muck on them (clean your boots people!) Certainly when I was out there (2011), if you did 3 months of farm work then you were entitled to a second year-long working holiday visa. However, you could choose to leave Australia after your first WHV, and then come back and use the second year visa at any point before your 30th (31st?) birthday. [SIZE=&quot;1&quot;] Some people find corrupt farmers (one girl I know blackmailed a farmer!) who would take a payment in return for signing the form to say that you were there working. However, (a) this is highly illegal, and (b) you need to make sure that you don't show up on government records that would indicate that you were elsewhere at the point. Hence, working elsewhere during that three month period is a no-no, as is leaving the country. [/SIZE] Yeah it's mainly just stuff that bacteria and pests can live in that they have the problem with. I have actually discovered real UK marmite in Coles in the international section though if you ever go back (it was called "our mate" where the marmite logo would be - I rarely eat it at home but being surrounded by vegemite made me crave the real thing!). I was out there in 2010 and the rule then was you had to do it straight away - i.e. stay there for 24 months, so I just didn't bother to do it at all. I severely regret that now! I was out there again in 2011 (but only on a tourist visa - got called aside by a "supervisor" at customs who for some reason had the impression I had the intention of working illegally!) and the people then were talking about this - some even mentioned being given the 2 years right at the start. I didn't do a lot of working (read 2 weeks in 9 months...) so I'd be good with that. I know a few people who negotiated with farmers saying they would stay and do the 3 months work during their second year as they had run out of time - a few were successful. You're right that it's highly illegal though - I wouldn't even consider it personally as I am aiming to get a skilled migrant visa in a few years time - getting caught doing that wouldn't but me in the best position! How hard is it to get a job there? The job that seems most appealing to me is hospitality work since I've had experience from it as a pot washer and its a decent way to make friends since your always working as a group. ( Originally Posted by bhoyjd ) How hard is it to get a job there? The job that seems most appealing to me is hospitality work since I've had experience from it as a pot washer and its a decent way to make friends since your always working as a group. Easier than it is in the UK! Australia has a relatively buoyant economy. Flexibility is the name of the game here. If you're willing to go and work in a pub in the country (read: middle of bloody nowhere) for a few weeks, bed, board & pay included, then that sort of work can be found v. easily, whether or not you have experience (the same goes for fruit picking). Hostel work (housekeeping) for free accommodation is v. easy to find - I just asked at the desk at the hostel where I was staying, and they told me to start on Monday - without having asked about experience, or even my name! If you want to work in a city (and not in a hostel), then you will have to pound the streets fairly relentlessly to find work. There's definitely a knack to it - I took my job-finding time from 1 week to 1.5 hours! I know a few people who went home because they "couldn't find work". However, the mistakes that they made were typically - only accepting work the same sort of work that they had done at home - the one I'm thinking of wouldn't accept anything less than an FT job as a graphic designer - sitting around moaning that they didn't have a job, and doing very little about it - quitting jobs because they didn't like them, whilst having nothing else to go to. - passing up job offers because they were imperfect (e.g. PT instead of FT), whilst ignoring the fact that they could take that job and then look for something better whilst they were doing that job. PS Sydney during Dec / Jan / Feb is full of backpackers trying to find work. You'll have more luck elsewhere at that time of year. I'm from the US and I'm only turning 18 in May and thinking of doing a gap year. I'm REALLY scared that I won't get hired at any place.. like I'm either too young to work at a bar, no experience, American accent?, etc. even if I hand out hundreds of resumes.. I'm not picky with jobs or anything though. Are there any ways that I can secure a job from the States? or should I really just wait to find a job there? My parents are really skeptical that I can find a job in a different continent. Hi, response will have to be short and sweet because I'm on an itouch, but - You're not too young to work in an aussie bar - 18 is the drinking age down under. - very few people get a job before they go, and in those cases they are usually au pair jobs. Most employers won't employ anyone for casual work unless they're there stood in front of them - after all, their need for new staff tends to arise in a matter of a few days - they don't know who will leave within the next month generally. - I ( and loads of others) have been hired with british accents, so I don't see why your American accent would hinder you. Indeed, I held 5 different jobs in 7 weeks (long story) and was offered more; the Aussie economy is far, far better than tge USA / UK's. - the visa for Americans is subtlety different - it's called a Work And Holiday visa, and you can check out the differences at immi.gov.au - the biggest thing you can do to help yourself is to get some experience before you go. Whilst it's not vital (as there are always fruit picking / country pub / hostel jobs available to anyone with a pulse) it will help you a LOT if you want nicer jobs. Perhaps you could work as a waiter in the us before you leave? Don't forget it's an adventure, and adventures involve uncertainty, and that you have to take a few risks in life. This is one of them (but a small one) but even if it all goes Pear shaped and you end up back in the USA, at least you'll know that you tried Hi, I'd love to go out to Australia (possibly longer term), but have already applied to uni and am not sure whether i feel 'ready' yet... Does the same process apply if you take a 'gap year' or even move out there for a few years after uni, I've heard mention of 'skilled migrant' visa above... what does that involve? I'm actually Taiwanese, but I live in the US! I checked that Taiwan passports are eligible. And I thought the British and Australian accent were more similar than the US, that's why I was worried. It's quite hard to find a job here in the US, especially since I'm only 17 now But I'll see what I can do! ( Originally Posted by Hearty_Beast ) Hi, I'd love to go out to Australia (possibly longer term), but have already applied to uni and am not sure whether i feel 'ready' yet... Does the same process apply if you take a 'gap year' or even move out there for a few years after uni, I've heard mention of 'skilled migrant' visa above... what does that involve? You need to be a professional or tradesman in a skill that Australia needs to get a skilled migrant visa (hence the name!). For most professions and trades, you are also required to have 1 years work in that field before you apply. Your reasoning for going there (i.e. gap year, summer holiday, winter break, just feel like randomly going there for a year!) doesn't really matter for the visas you are eligible for. You can either get a 3/6/12 month tourist visa/travel authorisation and literally just be a tourist, or get a 12/24 month working holiday visa which basically lets you live there (with a few job restrictions).