Backpackers to Australia, Rejoice!
Americans backpacking in Australia can now earn enough there to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Photo: Courtesy of the BridgeClimb Sydney
If you or someone you know is hoping to pick up some casual work while backpacking around Australia, there's good news: A new agreement between Australia and the U.S. will let Americans do just that. When I backpacked around Oz back in 2001, I ran into hundreds of Brits, Canadians, and Kiwis who were working their way around the continent. Americans who wanted to do the same had to pay more and work less. Now, the same rights that have been granted to British Commonwealth citizens are being extended to us Americans. Fair dinkum!
The visa will be available, starting October 31, to Americans between the ages of 18 and 30. It will allow holders to travel in Australia for up to a year and work for one employer for up to six months. If you're thinking of taking advantage of this new option, here's some advice from a "Sheila" who backpacked around Australia for three months:
Wherever your itinerary takes you, make time for Byron Bay. It's a laid-back hippie town and a surfer's paradise (and a far cry from the tacky city of Surfers Paradise, up the coast). Make the walk out to the Cape Byron Lighthouse -- the easternmost point on the continent -- for sunset, and bring a flashlight to guide you on your way back.
Another one of my favorite memories is the Grampians YHA Hostel. This place was eco-friendly long before green was the new black. Homegrown organic herbs are available in the kitchen, and solar panels power the TV, which is probably still tuned to The Simpsons.
If you're not afraid of heights, sign up for the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb. Though I got to see the bridge from another angle last year, there's nothing like walking up to the top of the Coathanger, as Sydneysiders call it.
When you've had enough of the city, escape to the Pittwater YHA Hostel in Ku-ring-gai National Park. It's so well integrated into the landscape that the birds will try to share your breakfast.
If you want to meet some real locals, hang out at Pebbly Beach, in Murramarang National Park on the southern end of the New South Wales coast. The kangaroos, though wild, are happy to let you scratch them behind the ears.
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Whether you hated it or loved it all youve been hearing about is Australia.
However, you may not know that this movie is merely a rip off of the classic, Tasmania: The Movie. We encourage you to skip Baz Luhrmanns saturated interpretation of the arid Outback for the more colorful and scenic landscapes of Tasmania. Baz cant come close to capturing the heart and soul of my favorite island.
Posted by: DCICaroline | December 04, 2008 at 03:47 PM