First Things to Do After Making It to Australia

It’s never easy moving away from the comforts of the country you call home, and being Australia you’re guaranteed to be a long way from home wherever in the world you’re from. Hats off for making it this far!

You’ve touched down in Australia, the first concern might be where to lay your head the first night and then you have to contend with the inevitable jet lag. If you’re lucky enough to have any friends or relatives that you can call upon, that’s great, a familiar face can make this daunting experience feel a little more comfortable. It’s best to make arrangements prior to getting to Australia to save ‘dropping in’ on someone and putting them in an awkward situation!

The same goes if you’re free soloing, do a little research into local hostels, hotels, Airbnbs or whatever you fancy prior to your arrival and book yourself in for a night or two, this at least gives you a destination to aim for when you leave the airport, preventing you from feeling completely lost. All the major cities in Australia have numerous hostels to accommodate a traveller like yourself, so it’s often a good place to start and meet new people, most likely in a similar position to yourself.

Once you’ve had a little time to gather yourself together after the long flight, and feel on top of the jet lag, it’s time to go about setting up your new life in Australia. Two key essentials to living a life in the 21st century (unfortunately) are money and phones. You may have travelled across the world, but the basics are the same!

First things first, get an Australian bank account set up. Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank (NAB), Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ), and Westpac Bank are the big four and you can’t go too wrong with any one of them, they all offer competitive rates and prices, do a little research to see which one suits you best, or pick the one with the prettiest bank card. Personally I chose NAB, they had zero fees for their current account and a stunning pink card, they have treated me well and I have no complaints. Head into a local branch with all the essentials (passport and visa) and go about getting an account set up (you may have to make an appointment and go back another time). You don’t need a Tax File Number (TFN) to open the account, but give your bank one once you have it, or tax is taken from your interest at the top rate. Working holiday makers apply for a TFN online with the ATO, and your employer will need it too. Almost certainly you will need an address to register an account (same applies for a TFN), if you haven’t got the benefit of friends or family in the area then best use the address of your temporary accommodation (can be changed at a later date) and ask for the bank cards to be delivered to the branch. This will normally take at least a few days, but when it’s done you can spend your hard-earned savings without the need to carry wads of cash or incur extra international bank charges.

Now you have an Aussie bank, you can go about getting a phone plan sorted! Telstra, Optus and Vodafone are the main networks, and all of them offer prepaid and monthly plans with calls, texts and mobile data. If you want less commitment, a prepaid SIM from a supermarket or a 7-Eleven will get you going on your first day. Check coverage before you choose: out in the regional areas where you’ll do your farm work, Telstra usually has the widest coverage.

One other thing worth considering when you first arrive in Australia (especially if you went for some cheap travel insurance) is Medicare, Australia’s publicly funded health care system. Only people from countries with a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement can enrol: Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden and the UK. Cover and conditions vary by country (Ireland and New Zealand, for example, cover public hospital care only), so check Services Australia before you rely on it, and take all your official travel documents and your passport when you enrol. Everyone else should make sure their travel insurance covers health care.

Now you have the essentials you can begin your life in Australia, you can now work, travel or do both to your heart’s (or bank account) desire.