Budget Travel - Trying to plan a move to Australia?

Sorry about troubling people, I'm not a "frequent flyer"...to tell you the truth I've only travelled twice in my short life...I just thought this might be a good way to get some half decent information...didn't mean to take up anyones time with my babbling and questions....

I'm wanting to go Down Under for anywhere from 6 months to a full year, but thats not what I'm inquiring about. I am curious as to what the cheapest airlines MAY be to deal with, (flying out of Toronto, Canada) and if anybody has ever done this or knows somebody who has done it, I am curious as to how much money they took with them and if it was enough. I plan on taking a Visa with me instead of cash for spending money, and I will look for a job about a month into my trip. I just wonder how much money I should plan on spending on plane tickets and how much I should save for personal use. If anybody can help me out with this, I would appreciate it. You can email me at "owenpenstone@hotmail.com"....as it is alot easier for me to use Hotmail then this site that I am new to. Thanks anybody who can help.

im not sure if its wise to leave your email. i can understand being new to the board, but you may recieve some unwanted spam from programs that go through message boards looking for emails. go into your preferences and have a email notification of any PM's you may get. FYI.

grbflyer - mod

... I just wonder how much money I should plan on spending on plane tickets and how much I should save for personal use....
OwenPenstone,

welcome to FT.

While I appreciate that you may want the ease of having answers emailed to you directly, FlyerTalk is really more about sharing information with others, not just the original poster. It is a repository of information for everyone to be able to do a search for similiar information in the future, and very often posters will play off each other and think of way to compliment or correct previous posts.

I my own self have posted a reply about cheap one way fares to Australia, with the caviat that you may run into problems entering the country without an onward ticket.

And to be honest, it is kinda hard for anyone to suggest a budget without knowing what kind of traveler you are. While this is the Budget Travel forum, previous threads reveal that this means different things to different people. Some look to go on a shoestring, while others look for good value, and don't necessarily look for the cheapest option.

Just a few thoughts.

EmailKid
Budget Travel Moderator

Welcome to FT OwenPenstone :)

Australia immigration will be looking to see you have (1) a return ticket, and (2) means to support yourself for intended stay. I dont think they have a hard rule, x-day stay requires y amount of funds available, but rather see if it reasonably matches up with your intended stay - ie not looking to work on a tourist visa.

In addition, I think its a good idea when travelling (anywhere, not just Australia) to have a second way to access money - even if only for emergencies. While credit cards are widely accepted in Australia, getting cash out is generally limited to ATM machines and you dont want to get stranded if there are none in your vicinity, or they're broken or out of cash.

Hello emailkid :

Could you post the information that you have on cheap one-way tickets to Australia.

Thank you very much.

Sorry about troubling people, I'm not a "frequent flyer"...to tell you the truth I've only travelled twice in my short life...I just thought this might be a good way to get some half decent information...didn't mean to take up anyones time with my babbling and questions....

No need to apologise. It doesn't matter if you're a frequent flyer or not, we're here to help.

I have done exactly what you are planning so I hope I can help you. I lived and worked in Australia for 6 months last year. I had originally hoped to stay for a year but had to rush back home after receiving bad news (my father had passed away).

Anyway, I was in Australia on a 12 month Working Holiday Visa which permitted me to work for up to a maximum of 3 months at any time with an employer(s). I assume that is what you had in mind? I brought with me a mixture of credit and debit cards (you need at least AU$2,500 plus a return ticket or extra funds to purchase a ticket home). Make sure you have at least this much.

Once in Australia, you need to get in touch with the Austrailan Tax Office (www.ato.gov.au) to apply for a non-resident Tax File Number in order to take up employment. Also, I opened an Australian bank account which is what your employer also needs. I transferred some of my UK funds to it - to allow easier spending and mangaging. Do this as soon as you arrive (within one month) otherwise it might be more difficult to open a bank account.

It took me nearly 2 weeks to find what I considered a decent place to live in Sydney (I have high standards). I checked out lots of properties in the City and found that a room - sharing with others - is at least AU$150-200 per week. So i decided to venture out a little to one of the suburbs, only 10 mins away from the CBD by train. A nice, furnished room all to myself in a house with 2 flatmates cost me only AU$80 per week which was really cheap - expect to pay at least AU$100 per week in the suburbs. Check the classified in papers and boards in public places.

What kind of work are you looking for? I decided to work in hotels and hospitality. I also worked in a warehouse packing DVDs at the same time to earn even more cash. You need a RSA (Responsible Serving of Alcohol) Certificate if you want to work in pubs or serve alcohol in restaurants. They're quite strict on that. You have to pay superannuation (a kind of pension scheme), plus tax on your earnings so budget for that as well.

On the issue of air tickets from Toronto, I'm afraid I can't help with that. But one thing to consider when purchasing your airfare is flexibility. Paying that little bit extra to be able to change your ticket to return home whenever you want really is a must, as proved when I had to rush home literally at no notice. Or if you are planning on visiting different countries on the way to Australia or, indeed, after your stay there, you might like to consider a round-the-world ticket, which can be quite flexible to some degree. I hope my advice helps you, and that you really do have a great time down under. I certainly did.

What kind of work are you looking for? I decided to work in hotels and hospitality. I also worked in a warehouse packing DVDs at the same time to earn even more cash. You need a RSA (Responsible Serving of Alcohol) Certificate if you want to work in pubs or serve alcohol in restaurants. They're quite strict on that. You have to pay superannuation (a kind of pension scheme), plus tax on your earnings so budget for that as well.

first of all, i want to thank you for your help, this is exactly what i was looking for when i registered on this site. Thanks. Secondly, i am currenlty, as i have been for the previous 6 years, a cook in a local pub in my town, and occasionally i serve drinks as the bartender on slow nights. I have my "smartServe" as its called in ontario, and i know all about that line of work. I would assume it is the same type of traning in AU. but no doubt will I be checking into that as soon as possible upon arrival. but yes. once again, i would like to thank you for your oipinions and sharing your own experiences, and im sorry your trip was cut short, but 6 months still must have been a great time. Have a good one.

Owen, it was my pleasure. You're more than welcome. A few further tips. Make sure you have an up to date resume. You didn't say which city you were planning to go to - here are a few recruitment agencies you might want to register with for casual work:

http://www.pinnaclepeople.com.au
(Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth)

http://www.nosh.com.au/default.cfm
(Sydney)

Don't bring your whole wardrobe with you, the baggage allowance in Economy Class is normally 20-23kg but you can buy whatever you need pretty easily once in Oz. Compared to the UK, the cost of living in Australia is much lower.

If you've not joined an airline frequent flyer programme then do so. It's a long way down under and you'll earn a good chunk of miles - depending on which airline and fare you buy. Stick around a bit and you'll soon learn all about it. There's also an Australia and South Pacific forum here on FlyerTalk (under Travel and Dining) if you have any more questions to do with Australia in general. Good luck with your trip!

Edited: I think the baggage allowance from Canada is 2 pieces up to 32kg each = 64kg. If so you can definitely bring the whole of your wardrobe. :D