Hi all. I apologize if this is a long post but most of the information is germane to the topic.

I've made some major life changes lately and and planning on heading to Austrailia under the Work and Holiday Visa (462), hopefully around December of this year. For reference I am an American in my early 20s with no major health issues or criminal record.

I really would like to go to school here, in the field I want to go into Austrailia has several great universities and would allow me to complete a Bachelor's in three years rather than the American standard of four.

Before I take the leap and start applying to schools and/or accruing a bunch of debt, I want to see the country and travel around. As a lifelong motorcyclist I would like nothing better than to see the country by bike.

My vague plan involves working alot for a month or so, saving a good deal of the money I make, then using it to buy a bike a travel for a bit, then working hard for about a month again, and so on. I would also want to hit some universities on the way and talk to some students, professors, admin and so on to find out from the horses's mouth what I would be going to. Ideally I would be able to see all the major cities on the Eastern side in the course of a year, more if possible.

I have $13k USD in savings available to me, but that's a total budget without having booked a flight or submitted the visa application, so it will go down a bit before I even get there. I also don't want to drain my savings completely for when I get back to the states.

However, I have worked for five years (I graduated high school at 16) and have no fear of hard work. I can also drive anything up to a dually-size truck, operate forklifts, and do basic mechanical work easily.

I am a rube when it comes to international travel, about to get my passport on Thursday for the first time. Then I'll be taking the big leap and submitting the Visa application.

I have been looking at Travelers at Work (TAW). Is this a good service or am I better off with something else?

Has anyone else done something like this? Or am I just crazy?

I need some real advice from people on the ground, like how possible it is to get a job in "x" industry that I can put in plenty of work with, enabling me to buy a bike and coast on the funds while I travel for a few weeks. And also the basic stuff like establishing a bank account, switching SIM cards, getting a TFN, where to stay, etc.

Usually I'm pretty self-reliant with these things but there's so much to figure out at once it becomes overwhelming.

What I can't afford to do is fly over there, be unable find employment, drain my savings and then book a flight back with my last $1000.

PS- Last questions, I promise.

I love all bikes, big and small. But Oz is a big country with big distances between cities. If it's anything like the US, not only will traveling those distances on a 250 or smaller bike be harrowing enough since you're revving the piss out of the motor at 70mph, but other drivers will be constantly careening past you at 90+ on long rural stretches. If I'm wrong and other drivers are okay with a little Honda CM250 puttering at 55 down the motorway, I'll be happy to travel on that and save money. If not though, don't I need at least a 500cc bike to make it? How badly will a 500cc+ bike hurt my pocketbook to purchase, register and insure compared to a little 250?

Do my driver's license, motorcycle endorsement, and forklift operator's card apply here or will I need to take tests before driving? Also, my driving record is spotless here in the states, but I don't know if that would be considered when getting insurance over there.

Thanks all!

Could happen because Australia is regarded as a very expensive place to be in, but if you are there in the winter (Oz winter, not yours) there are plenty of opportunities up north in the hospitality and tourism sector. I've talked to Americans who were amazed to find that they could earn a standard wage of more than $16 an hour and more like $30 an hour on weekends as a drinks waiter. I've been in supermarkets in the north where the entire workforce were backpackers.

You will need to get a Tax Number from the Australian Tax Office as there aren't many employers willing to hire under the counter and risk major fines if they get caught.

Might be that it will be the cops taking the piss out of you if you insist on driving at 90mph - or you might come off second best with a kangaroo or cow or even a camel. In some states of Australia, novice riders can't ride a big bike for a year or two, but if you have a properly-endorsed license from back home, I imagine you would be OK. There are laws about how long you can drive with a foreign license (as there are in most countries) but I haven't heard of anyone coming up against that problem.

Have fun.

https://jobsearch.gov.au/ is an Australian Government job site that covers the whole of Australia and is fully searchable and also has a separate "Harvest Trail" section for farm work

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Tony
Click here for Travel Photos & Travel Map

Thanks Tony,

How is the job market in the summer, ie September to March? I have contacted several travel and work placement agencies for general knowledge and help, all have so far been noncomittal to the point of being useless regarding finding work.

TAW (travelers at work) seemed more promising but they of course charge money to sign up, I would still like someone's experienced opinion on whether they are worth it before spending the coin.

Honestly I wasn't even thinking of cash-only work since it seems Australia is very strict about tax enforcement for foreigners. I would rather not be kicked out of the country.

Also you may have misunderstood me with regards to bike size and driving.

I only want to be able to keep up with traffic- I have nothing against going slow and in fact prefer it when traveling. I have however been on highways here in the US with small bikes, where the choice was hitting the rev limiter and almost blowing the engine or being extremely unsafe and constantly being passed and harassed by others because the bike's limits are below the flow of traffic. The last thing I need is to be caught in that situation in an unfamiliar place and I definitely cannot travel that way.

I assume your reply means that a 250 riding at about 100km/h is okay on a freeway in Oz? I'm hoping that's the case.

The major higher speed limits here are 80, 100, 110 and 130 kmh.

110 only occurs on major motorways ... and there are other roads around these. They also have more than one lane .. so overtaking a slower vehicle should not be a problem.

130 only occurs in the Northern Territory. It used to be unlimited. But people would travel around 120 .. as that is the speed the road trains travel at and most don't want to over take or be overtaken by them. These roads are one lane in either direction and fairly straight... most people won't over take you unless they can see some miles into the distance! The other thing people learn here is that speed = fuel, fuel is not cheap and the fuel stops are a fair way apart. Unless someone else is paying for the fuel ... people slow down.

80 is the nominal speed of grey nomads (travelling retirees) .. they find this is a good economical speed (fuel, tyres etc) and they have no need to get somewhere fast. You may also find this a good speed, if your not in a hurry. And yes they travel at this speed in the 130 zones. The do have UHF CB radios and communication between them and the truckies occurs, both understand the position of each other. You might find picking one and sitting (say 500 meters, there is a lot of space in Australia - use it) behind it a good idea.

General 'rule' of speeding ... most people consider going 10 kmh over the speed limit is ok. Except in Victoria where 2 kmh over may get you a ticket, or at a fixed speed camera ... these have signs before them .. so if you are inattentive them you may get caught. If you want to be certain of not getting a speed award .. stick to the limit, or to the speed of the traffic.

Many would say that riding a motorbike at any speed on any road is never okay, but obviously most bike riders choose to ignore the statistics. Son rides a Triumph Daytona so I guess I hope the stats are wrong.

Seasonal work over the Australian Summer?? A lot of the northern part of Australia - say a line drawn not that far above Brisbane - tents to withdraw into suffering mode because it is the wet season - monsoon type - fairly hot and very humid with risk of hurricanes, flooded dirt roads and no tourists. The lower half is just plain bloody hot and dry. The red centre is boiling and some of the big desert parks are closed because it is too dangerous to be driving around then. Summer work available in the wheat belt and there it is hot and dusty. Been there and done that long ago when I was young and stupid. Fruit picking all along the Murray river irrigation system is available and been there and done that too. Also in the Margaret River region in South western Western Australia below Perth. They are always looking for pickers and you will get an idea of where and when from that harvest trail site. Tasmania also a possibility as they produce a lot of fruit but not sure of the timing.

Forklift ticket - controlled by a government department who authorise examiners who go around the country charging people $100 or so to conduct a micky-mouse proficiency test and knowledge exam so if you bring your ticket with you and maybe a copy of the US requirements, I would say you would be able to get one here. If you forget, they will give you a ticket anyway if you have the money. (been there and done that too)
As in the uS, each state issues their own driving licenses, but once you have one in one state, they just issue a new one in the next state. Licenses are graduated by number of axles and weight and whether auto or manual transmission and there is no dispensation to drive RVs on a car license as you have. Bring your license and an International Driving Permit and I would be surprised if you couldn't get a local license fairly easily. Probably have to pass a test on the road rules - all on the computer. Each state has a web site which should detail the procedures.

Will be a total waste of time trying to get any whorthwhile information out of job-search agencies because they will probably realise you are going to land in australia and hit the beach and then end up somewhere on the other side of the country in a clapped-out VW with 4 other backpackers.
All info you need to sort out some priorities is on-line and best you can do is research the options.

I doubt that paying any organisation to look for a job for you is worthwhile.
There have been a couple of similar threads here in the last couple of weeks.

__________________
Tony
Click here for Travel Photos & Travel Map

No worries on the first part. I've been riding my whole life and (knock on wood) have never had any street accidents. I was taught how to ride like an old man who knows his stuff.

I really appreciate the advice on finding work. This has been a difficult process since as I posted before a couple of the travel agencies actually recommended heading out between september and march to find work, which is precisely the opposite of when you're saying to head out.

Do you think there would be any possibility of finding work around Adelaide during november-december-january? A couple of the unis there were on my list to look at. I could stay in the south and save some money up until the weather turned, then travel to the northern side when work became available, and fly home out of Sydney or Brisbane after a year had passed.

Never considered the western side for some reason. Perth seems pretty isolated. But if it's the only way to find work I could start thinking about it.

I shouldn't have trouble with any car or bike driving test, I've been driving stick since I've been driving cars. The forklift test would hopefully be easy since I simply drive one for work, I have not had formal training.

Not really - although they are really telling you nothing since coming in September is nice to get set for the southern harvest and coming in March is just about right to head north for their tourist season.. Australia has a split personality as far as climate goes. Northern half is perfect during the winter. We have travelled through the deserts and up in the Kimberlies and had no rain for 4 months and rarely any cloud either and temperatures are relatively mild. It isn't winter, but is called the dry season. Plenty of work up there then. That is when we meet the backpackers moving around across the northern third of Australia
At the same time, the lower half is experiencing a Mediterranean winter - cold wet and miserable relatively, but still possibilities for farm work as crop sowing happens early winter
In summer the northern half and the centre are not pleasant places to be - wet season in the north and scorching hot in the middle - and while a fair bit of the bottom is hot and dry it is tolerable because it is dry - and because over christmas is when the wheat is harvested and a lot of stone fruit and grapes are harvested so there is work to be had.

The middle third of Oz on the east coast is neither Monsoon Climate (two seasons, wet and dry) nor Mediterranean climate (4 seasons winter, spring, summer and autumn (fall to you) so itn't too bad all year around. That area is pretty much limited to the east coastal band between Sydney and Brisbane.

I'm sure that Harvest Trail site will explain it better than this. See https://jobsearch.gov.au/harvesttrail/help_harvest.aspx for hints for figuring out the timing of certain crops.

Also major fruit growing areas up north - Queensland and northern Western Australia but I'm not sure when major harvesting time would be.
Tasmania can be very cold in winter and really nice in the summer.
Like the US , Australia covers a couple of major climatic zones so there is no perfect time to visit the whole country. You are intending a long trip so just as we do in our RV in the US, you can just move to wherever suits you at the time.

BTW have you done any research into how Australian degrees are regarded in the US. I know your system of education (and politics ) are a constant source of bewilderment and amusement for us so it is very likely that the opposite is true, or more likely it is totally unknown.

The other consideration is that external students pay pretty high tuition fees in Australian Universities and while we can get very generous government loans to pay them, nothing similar would be available to you. I imagine their fees would be on the various websites - as would their entry qualifications

__________________
Tony
Click here for Travel Photos & Travel Map

That is so true, you can save a heap of cash just by dropping your speed down a cog, i ride at 80k & enjoy the view, more time to react to a suicidal roo appearing from the bush.

I wrote this a few days ago on here (speaking as an ex-uro backpacker now living in OZ) this is how you do things.

When you land in whatever main city check in to a backpacker hostel, meet & greet the locals (mainly euro backpackers) and the next day go to the tax office with your passport & apply for your TFN, you will need an address (hostel is fine) once you have that (given in half hour) walk to the bank (Commonwealth is popular amongst travellers) and open an account, you need your passport, an address (hostel again) & your newly acquired TFN.

Then go to the local Medicare centre & apply for your Medicare card (free) but almost certain you will need this at some point if you get crook or have an accident.

Do the above in the order i have written it, then your good to go travelling.

Mezo.