Intro to Aussie life
Are you dreaming of an everyday life of surfing, road trips and sunsets? No one does it better than the Australians, with their garages full of surfboards, tents and 4WDs ready for weekend adventures. And with all the camp sites, barbeque areas and picturesque scenery you will have no trouble finding new places to see and explore while you are roaming around.
It is not an exaggeration when I say that Australia is truly a magical place! It’s not just the nature, the exotic animals and the good food, but the whole lifestyle and attitude towards everyday life just makes you want to never wear shoes again, stay barefoot in the sand and feel free to move as you want. And with several hundred thousand annual backpackers, it is a perfect place to meet other like-minded people, go on long road trips together and see places and animals that can only be experienced on this island.
After spending close to a year here, I have some amazing memories and stories to share moving from Melbourne, to the Great Ocean Road, and up and down the East coast.
The electronic document that made it all possible
I went there on a Work and Holiday Visa, which allowed me to stay in the country for up to 12 months. With the visa came the rights to take temporary work in areas such as: hospitality (restaurant, bar, cafe), construction work, farm work and others. This was a fantastic opportunity to explore the country for a longer period, work along the way when you needed money, also travel until you needed money again. The visa also gives the opportunity to qualify for a "second-year visa" if you wish, by doing farm work for 3 months. Doing this is very popular and most of the people I met were collecting the 88 days of farm work to be able to stay for a second year. I recommend doing this IF you are considering staying for a second year, but not if you are certain that you won’t apply for another visa, cause this is heavy work and it is not so easy to find jobs where the conditions (and pay) is good.
Practicing those tractor skills
On a limefarm in Dimbulah (Queensland)
I knew minimally about Australia, and the only research I had done beforehand was to figure out how the visa worked, booked myself on a Welcome To Travel tour (a fantastic experience btw, to be continued) and to find the cheapest possible plane tickets to get from Kristiansand to Melbourne. In January 2020 (corona year) I set course for Melbourne, Victora. Without a particular plan about anything or knowing what this year would bring.
But what a year it was! I can already reveal that I am left with wonderful memories and a big desire to go back to see the parts I didn't get to visit. And as for the 417 Visa, it is something I want to shine some light on because throughout my stay I did not meet a single Norwegian, and only one Swedish traveller. So I hope that for those of you who are reading this, and think that a year in Australia is right up your alley, will follow along for more aussie stories 🌼
