How to save money when travelling in Australia

Last Update: August 20, 2018

While Australia is a traveller’s dream come true, it can soon become expensive – especially if you’re travelling for a long period or travelling on a budget. So it’s important that you take a few steps to make your adventure in down under affordable.

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Plan your expenses carefully

First, plan your expenses and activities carefully. Budget what you need for food, transport and accommodation and look for deals like french restaurants deals available at groupon. Promo codes and deals are always a winner. Find out how much money you would need per day, per week and per month for those necessities during the time you stay. Certain activities like skydiving in Cairns, bridge walks in Sydney and surf camps are expensive. Luckily, Australia offers plenty of fun things to do for free. Try driving on the Great Ocean Road, visiting wild kangaroos and koalas or wine tasting in Hunter Valley as free alternatives! Remember that Melbourne is especially filled with free activities if you’re a budget traveller. You should and will need to find some short-term work if you’re on a Working Holiday Visa. Out of the options for short-term work, farm work is the best. Although it pays little and is physically demanding, you can save a lot of money by being in rural Australia. Farms also provide free or minimal-cost accommodation to hires. 3 months of farm work is also a requirement for applying for a second year working holiday visa.

Save money on food and accommodation

Food, accommodation and transport can be very expensive. Hostels are good for shorter stays, as long as they are not one of the more expensive ones. For longer stays, renting a room in a shared house with other travellers is a good idea. That can also help you find help with food. Takes turns in cooking and making packed meals with your new friends – it helps to save a lot. A sandwich and some fruit can set you back $15 in a cafe! Australia is a huge country, so travelling around in camper vans or buses can get costly. The best way to save on transport is to buy a car with friends and pack the vehicle as if you were going camping – with mattresses, cooking utensils and sleeping bags. Sleep in your vehicle and sell it to another backpacker at the end of your trip.

Consider which city you live in

Finally, move out of Sydney can save you money. It’s no lie that Sydney is expensive – rent could cost up to $400 as it’s not unusual to pay more than $300 per week in rent in a shared room! Consider moving up or down the East and West coast, so that you can make your earnings last longer and see more of the country. It’s most likely not something you’ll do again and you’ll be amazed at the job opportunities available around the country. It just might not be what you thought you would originally do and you might even learn something along the way.