Before we could embark on this trip there were a lot of aspect to arrange before even booking the trip. Like everybody else who decides to travel we invested in a Lonely planet guide. But when you try to read them there is so much to try to take in so hopefully this will condense a chunk of it into how we did it ourselves.
The Visa application:
This is without doubt the first thing you must do. There is no point in carrying on with the whole trip if you are declined and without this you will not be allowed into the country. you can go to travel companies who will walk you through it but you'll find yourself paying a lot of money unnecessarily when it's so simple. We went direct to the Australian government site
http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/working-holiday/417
Tax code:
The tax code is a must do. Without it you will be automatically added to the high earner tax code which is 48% That is something you want to avoid. We had a little trouble with this because the web site was updating so we couldn't do this before we arrived, we did it all on paper and handed it in. We was told it would take a month, this was not good for either of us especially if we wasn't earning much and then having nearly half taken away was not an option. Fortunately the web was working at the tax office and mine was completed and sent back within a week. http://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/content.
Insurance:
When we was looking at travel insurance we didn't see a great difference in between them all, without spending a fortune there is not much for contents cover, but if you get a car most will be out of view and less likely to go walkabout. The most important part of the insurance is the medical aspect and the repatriation since a clothes are relatively inexpensive compared to what a medical bill could be.
Medicare:
Medicare is a part of Australian medical system. It covers you from big bills but you are still charged a certain amount which is where the insurance comes in to cover that part.
http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/medicare
Most insurance companies won't cover an entire medical bill without the Medicare card.
Bank:
Setting up a bank account is pretty simple. Putting money into the account on the other hand is a nightmare. We decided to open an account with ANZ purely because they are also in New Zealand so if were to go there we would have a bank account too. Putting money into the account isn't simply a bank transfer unless you was sending £50,000. what you need to do is send your money to a third part who will take a small percentage and deposit it into your account. We used Torfx it only took about three days to enter the account, it's a strange way to do it but unfortunately the only way.
Getting about:
We priced up different ways to get about and we decided that getting a car would be the cheapest way to get about. Parking could pose a few problems but its easier than hauling a big heavy bag up a hill to the train station then to a bus station and across town to the Hostel. Having a car you don't need to be as organised with logistics and you can access areas you couldn't without an expensive bus tour or taxi ride. There is a problem with driving and something crucial that the Lonely Planet people forgot to mention Your licence no matter where it is from it is only valid for three months. After that you will need to take an Australian driving test.
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