A Guide to Long Term Travel in Australia

Travel Tips for Long-Term Travel in Australia

Long-term travel in Australia may sound daunting, unrealistic and overly expensive. Being Land Down Under a costly destination, travelling to Australia longer than the usual three or four weeks can become exorbitant and significantly drain your budget. That’s why going long-term in Australia is only possible with a well-thought-out and sustainable plan that allows you to explore Australia on a budget.

A trip over three or more months in Australia is doable for a long time. In first place a sustainable way of doing it that works well for you. After over ten 8-10 weeks trips, I ventured on my first long-term adventure around Australia for five months.

Pre-planning a long-term trip to Australia

Before considering a long-term travel adventure in Australia, you need to have this in place. What type of trip do you have in mind? As a traveller, you can spend up to three months on a tourist visa to Australia, which means you have to leave the country every three months if you wish to stay on a long-term.

I did this. I had to go to Australia at the end of July because my first three months’ stay had expired. So, I went on a short Bali Escape to extend my stay for three more months. This was the only viable option for me as I am on the eVisitor visa, the most current Australian travel visa for EU citizens travelling to Australia.

However, there are ways to stay longer without leaving the country, which I wasn’t aware of before going. I only learned about more options on Australia Tourist Vssue with the Ash issue Cloud in Bali, which started and was looming over my plans. If I had to research how to solve the problem, I wouldn’t have been able to leave the country.

Choosing the right type of  visa for your long-term adventures

• If you are aged 30 or younger, you can opt for the Working Holiday Visa to Australia. This type of Australia Visa allows you to travel and work (if you wish) for an Australian company for six months on one leg and stay in Australia for 12 months. This is the best option if you are aged 18-30. I highly recommend applying for this visa even if you haven’t planned to work in Australia.
• If you are over 30, the Travel Visa Australia Subclass 600 could be for you. This visa allows you to stay in Australia for 12 months without having to leave the country every three months. You cannot work, though. You can attend business conferences, meetings, and exhibitions and travel around Australia for 12 months. This type of Travel Visa is not free, and conditions apply.
• Teach and Travel English as a second language. This is a great opportunity if you are retired, plan to spend a long time abroad, and want to fund your travels when you travel solo at 50.

Pick a suitable long-term travel insurance for Australia.

If you intend to travel for extended periods, you need travel insurance for Australia. You may not need it for the entire time, but you will need it when you are on the go. There is also basic medical coverage called Medicare Card that you can get through your health insurance if you are a citizen of some EU countries like Italy, France, the UK, and Germany. You must get affordable health and travel insurance in Australia to have full coverage, including medical evacuation.

It’s essential to have good coverage when travelling in rural and remote Australia areas. If you need to see a doctor get medical treatment in a hospital, or require medical evacuation, it will cost you thousands of Australian dollars to pay immediately if you have no travel insurance.

Suitable accommodation options when travelling long-term

If you travel solo around Australia, the only viable way is to keep accommodation costs to a minimum. Even staying in YHA hostels in Australia will cost you money. Consider that a bed in a six-female dorm will cost you around 30-35 Australian dollars per night; you quickly come to 900-1000 Dollars per month. And this is a lot of money just for sleep.

While I recommend staying in hostels, I would also suggest doing your research into other viable ways. For instance, use all your social contacts and networks, from friends to travel forums and networks.

Here are my recommendations for cheap accommodation in Australia:

• Staying with friends in Australia

  Staying with friends is another great way of getting free accommodation. If you have friends or know someone who could host you in Australia, that’s the second-best option. In exchange, you can offer to contribute to the necessary expenses like water, electricity, internet and whatever you use. You can also do some work for them, like cooking, cleaning the house, walking the dog, etc.

• Staying with Airbnb Hosts

  Using Airbnb is an excellent option if you cannot afford expensive hotels and are looking for more privacy than a hostel. I love Airbnb, and I have had fantastic experiences with it. I use Airbnb very often in Australia, not only to save money on accommodation but also to meet the fantastic Aussie locals. On this page, you can read my tips for having a great stay with Airbnb.

• Housesitting in Australia

  Housesitting is the best sustainable way to fund and travel long-term in Australia. I first house-sat in Sydney and loved it. This year, I house-sat twice in Perth and look forward to more house-sit assignments in new corners of Australia. Housesitting is my favourite way of staying on long-term travels because it gives me complete freedom to have a comfortable home while looking after it and enjoying the company of one or two pets. Having plenty of time to focus on myself and do solid work without distractions is gold.

• Connecting through Travel Networks

  A travel network can be helpful for short stays of one to three days. There are women-only travel networks where fellow solo travellers meet up and exchange experiences. I have used broads abroad for over five years in Australia, met lovely women, and made long-lasting friendships. This travel network stopped existing, though. On Facebook, there are plenty of Women’s Travel Forums, and if you prefer, Couchsurfing is also a good option.

• Considering volunteer work in Australia.

  Volunteer work may not be for everyone, but if you are open to considering it, it can be the right way to long-term travel in Australia in exchange for food and accommodation. Woofing is one of the organisations that offer volunteering projects on organic farms throughout Australia against a yearly subscription of about 60 Australian Dollars. One more organisation is helping, and it is worth checking out if you think of volunteering in Australia and staying in the long term.

• Travelling and Working in Australia

  Depending on your travel visa type, you may be allowed to work while you travel to Australia and fund your travels on the go. If you are a resident of Australia or have Australian citizenship, are visiting on an Australian working holiday visa or a student gap year, you may want to consider location-independent work like babysitting or pet sitting jobs as a flexible option to help sustain your long-term travels. Looking after children in Australian homes is a fantastic way to connect and engage with the locals and participate in the community.

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How to plan your long-term trips in Australia

If you need a complete guide for planning your solo travels in Australia, Rocky Travel has more than 200 destination articles and guides.

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