Going to Australia means, of course, gaining a visa in order to enter the country. Australia is great in that it encourages young people to experience the Australian lifestyle – being between the age of 18-31 and from the UK, I am entitled to a working holiday visa. (Note: there is a limited number of countries this visa is available to – visa options can vary depending on which country you are from).
The visa cost me £281. The price can seem a bit steep, but at the end of the day, with the opportunity to work it is possible to make that money back in no time (which I know I will as I have a job set up for when I arrive). This visa lasts 1 year, and can be extended if you meet the requirements.
The visa was no hassle to obtain. I got mine through the Australia government website. You simply sign up for an account, and complete the simple visa questions (honestly it takes about 15 minutes). After submitting the form, I expected to wait at least a day to hear back, however, 45 minutes later, voilà, my working holiday visa had been granted. However, it can take up to 48 hours to process, and longer if for some reason there are any problems – so I wouldn’t leave it totally last minute.
Visa or flights first? I chose to get my visa before flights out of fear that for some bizarre reason it wouldn’t be granted, and then I’d be down loads of money for no reason. But I wouldn’t stress, it’s probably pretty unlikely you’re going to be denied entry to Oz so if you see a cheap flight and want to secure it first, I’d say go for it. Or even just apply for the visa the same day.
Website for flights? I’m a big fan of the likes of Skyscanner, however on this occasion (and I’d recommend for most long-haul flights) I opted for STA Travel. In providing cheaper flights for students/under 26 year olds, this was my best option – if you compare the flight prices to those of a full priced flight on the websites of the airlines offered, you can see the significant difference in price (more travel money YAY).
SO, I will be flying with Etihad Airways from Edinburgh -> Abu Dhabi -> Perth -> Adelaide. A 27.5 hour solo journey – this could be interesting.. (fingers crossed for some good films/company/travel planning/sleep!).
