Hello everyone! My name is Jesko, I'm 24 years old and I'm currently in an airplane high above the clouds. Beautiful Australia is moving away at an incredible speed. But don't worry, I won't be gone for long. I'm just making a quick trip to Fiji for a few weeks. It's practically around the corner from here.
I was in Australia for the first time four and a half years ago. I was there for almost nine months and drove around Australia in a van and absolutely fell in love with it.
When I look back, the experiences and memories are the best ever. My life has changed completely, I have gained a different perspective on life, I have learned a lot about myself, what is important to me in life, what matters to me and in doing so I have created memories that will last a lifetime.
After 9 months, I returned to my hometown of Cologne in the summer of 2020 and did a dual business studies course for 3 years. Simply because I didn't know what to do with myself before Australia. I'll tell you one thing: after 9 months of absolute freedom, it was a very hard culture shock to suddenly have to cope with the Cologne Covid lockdown. But somehow this time passed too. After not too long, I realized that my commercial job in a large corporation was not the right one for me. So I successfully completed my dual studies course after 3 years, did not renew my contract and, with endless luck, got the working holiday visa in Australia again. I have now been back in Australia since November 2023 and realize that it was the best decision for me to make the "cut" again and start a new adventure.
But before I get too far off topic, I'd rather get back to the actual topic. Because today I want to give you a few tips and tricks for backpacking in Australia, so that you can maybe save a few thousand euros on some travel organization, because you can do it all on your own!
First of all, congratulations! If you're reading this post, then you don't seem to be too averse to the topic of travel, work & holiday and backpacking. And here too, I can only say one thing: if you're still unsure and are having a hard time making a decision, just do it! Go for it! It's the most exciting, thrilling and coolest thing you can do. No matter how young or old you are. Whether you've just got your high school diploma or your job is just not that fun anymore... No matter what and why - do it! Traveling will create the craziest and greatest memories. Memories for life.
As I said, it all started for me almost 5 years ago. I had just finished high school, had a bit of a job and then flew to Australia. At that point, I didn't know what to expect. I had no idea how life and experiences in Australia would change me. Nor did I have any idea that flying to Australia would be the first time I would really leave my "bubble" and comfort zone. Before that, I had only gone on a holiday further away once a year, but I always knew that I would be back to the same everyday life in 2-3 weeks. And this time everything was uncertain. And I won't lie, the uncertainty was also kind of scary. But that's exactly what makes it so exciting.
So: I flew to Brisbane with my girlfriend. From Germany we did some research into what we had to do. For the first four weeks we looked for an Airbnb in a small part of Brisbane. And that's where I'll start with the first tip.
Checklist
Now that all the organizational stuff is done, the big question arises: should I travel straight away or work first? Buy a car or take Greyhound from A to B?
This also depends entirely on your personal preferences. To the question “car - yes, no?” I definitely say yes. You will quickly notice that the dimensions of distances in Australia are different. You can drive a car all day, look at the map of Australia at the end and have perhaps moved one centimeter. In Germany you would have 
country from north to south. That's why I say that a car gives you an incredible amount of freedom. You can get to places that you simply can't get to with the Greyhound. Of course, a car is a more expensive purchase than a monthly Greyhound pass and there is always the risk that something is wrong with the car. However, you have to consider that in the best case scenario you can sleep in your car and thus save a lot of money on hostels.
If you are interested in the topic of buying a car, I would be happy to write a separate post about it.
BOXIO - WASH PLUS | Mobile washbasin with camping shower
Summary of Australia to-dos for your start!
Finally, here is a summary of the first to-dos (after you have arrived at your accommodation):
- Australian mobile number (Aldi Mobile)
- Apply for Tax File Number
- Open an Australian account (Westpac)
- Open an Australian Super Fund (Australian Super)
I hope this post helps you! And don't forget, even if you're faced with a mountain of uncertainty at the beginning, somehow everything will work out and in Australia the words "no worries" really are the motto. Find out for yourself and throw yourself into the adventure!
Cheers, your Jesko from Boxio
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