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[miffyanddougle]

So, inevitably, we are running out of money and the easiet option for us seems to be to get a Working Holiday visa and earn some dosh in Australia or NZ. Originally we wanted to go to NZ as it's so beautiful and a little cheaper I think, and we'd get to see lots of sheep and feel at home as if we were back in Scotland.

However flights to NZ would cost us so much more than going to Australia. Also, I know a few people in Sydney, so we could probably stay with some of them for a bit.

If we go to Australia where could we save the most money? I'd imagine in Sydney it's very expensive and we'd spend most of our money as we earnt it on rent and food etc. Would it also be harder to find work there, as it's probably where most people go on their working holiday right?

Then we could fly to Melbourne which sounds like a nice place to go. I've briefly looked on Gumtree and there's shared flats going from $50 to $600 a week. Also looked at work, and there's a few bar jobs going and I've also seen an advert for backpackers who can work for Aussie Farmers Direct for a good wage.

Also, we could fly to Perth. Don't really know much about it, except that's where Heath Ledger came from.

So where would be the best place to work, find a job, a shared flat, and be able to save the most money, but also have a good time? Or is it a hopeless cause, would it be so expensive that we'd have to spend the money we earnt anyway?

If anyone know of any work going, or any flats or anything, please let us know!

We plan on flying (oh crap we've failed!) in December/January.

[purplebuggy]

You haven't failed in flying Dec/ Jan unless you have work commitments (or similar) - flights are still available at decent prices.

If you're looking at the major cities (Sydney Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Darwin, Hobart, etc) prices aren't going to vary too much. You'll find there are cheaper suburbs in each of them. Sydney is still by far the most expensive though. A catch is that groceries may be more expensive as transport come into factor in remote towns.
Some general tips for all of them though -
* The further from the city, the cheaper accomodation will be. Check out www.realestate.com.au or www.domain.com.au for various prices of rental properties.
* Some job search sites in Australia are:
www.seek.com.au
www.mycareer.com.au
* You can have a good time anywhere, what sort of activities where you looking at? Party towns will be more the major cities but you'll find cheap/free activities in a lot of towns around the country.

And some info about WA (inc. Perth) for you - there's much more than just the Heath Ledger connection!
http://www.westernaustralia.com/au/Pages/W..._Australia.aspx

[teedee]

Hi!

If you want somewhere to get a job easly for a few months, try Alice Springs. Whilst accommodation can be expensive, you can consider staying in a backpackers over January/February time. They often do good deals for long stayers over this time.

Generally there are plenty of jobs available in hospitality, but the time of year you are travelling could make it a little less prolific.

Bar work is a good option to consider, however you need to have a Responsible Service of Alcohol qualification. You can do them in major cities for like $100 or something - check it out!