Meg
“After the initial excitement of buying my one-way plane ticket to OZ, I realized outside of my visa I was completely unprepared. My one year Holiday Working Visa allowed me to work, but I truly didn’t know what the next steps were outside of that. Enter Dan and Travel Hooligan. He was so accessible and helpful! In addition to sending me thorough step-by-step getting started notes, he added personal touches with suggestions on how to find work, and some good places to look. After my year in Oz, I’ll certainly reach out again as I make my way to New Zealand for more awesome tips. It made the immersion experience so much easier and took a lot of that pre-trip stress away!”
Laura
“My year in Australia was one of the best I’ve ever had! I started out a little nervous but as soon as I arrived at my hostel and met loads of new friends from all over the world I knew I had done the right thing. I spent nine months in St. Kilda in Melbourne where I got an apartment with friends and a fun job at cake shop next to the beach. My final month in Australia I rented a camper van with my new boyfriend (now husband!) and we drove all the way up the east coast from Melbourne to Cannes.
The national parks, beaches and people were absolutely unforgettable. Australia gave me the travel bug and I’m already planning my next long term trip abroad!”
Sule
“I love the working holiday visa because it makes traveling around Australia so much easier. Being able to work is the difference between being on holiday and actually experiencing a country. I live in the freaking jungle! Being over here for the working holiday visa also changes you from the American people dislike and expect to the american people wanna believe exists. I’ve been skydiving, bungy jumping, diving, spearfishing, mountain biking, hunting from a helicopter, experiencing amazing wine, experiencing amazing people, life is so good. All I have to do is be there.”
Matt
“Simply put, Australia changed my life. I met people from all over the world and learned from their cultures and experiences. Among some of the best beaches in the world, I can’t wait to get back there.”
Michael
“Australia’s working holiday visa gave me the opportunity to travel a country full of unique people, diverse cultures, and some of the greatest natural wonders in the world. While in Australia, I spent a year moving from city to city finding different jobs to pay for my living expenses and to fund my various adventures throughout the continent. By the end of that year I had passed through every major city in the country, spent time in Kakadu, Fraser Island, Shark Bay, Grampians National Park, and, of course, the Great Barrier Reef. I worked as a bar-back at the Opera House, a bus driver and night club promoter for a hostel, an agricultural machinist, and a laborer while I traveled—I majored in political science in undergrad. What’s more, there are thousands of other young people from around the world using the working holiday visa to travel Australia. I made long lasting relationships with people from Sweden, Canada, the United Kingdom and South America. Traveling to Australia on a working holiday visa is a once in a lifetime opportunity. It takes a peculiar individual to pack a bag, leave their friends and family at home, and enter the unknown—but those who do will have something unique to cherish for their entire lives. Travel Hooligan helped me take my first step out the door and into the unknown; their experiences helped me mold my own. I recommend anyone interested in traveling to Australia to contact them today.”
Lauren
“I absolutely loved having my Working Holiday Visa in both Australia and New Zealand. I spent a year in each, working hard and traveling. I went canyoning, scuba diving, sky diving, hiking, bungy jumping, and wine tasting. I lived in a hostel, where I met some amazing people who inspired me so much. I had some of my best adventures there, and you will to. What are you waiting for? You’ll love it!”
Matt
“The Australia Working Holiday Visa was one of the best experiences of my life. I am in disbelief that more young Americans do not take advantage of this incredible opportunity. Australia has so much to offer, and there is something to satisfy every type of personality and lifestyle. During my stay, I worked at a five star resort overlooking a pristine bay filled with humpback whales, drove 6,000 miles across the massive continent, and was able to work and get my PADI Divemaster certificate on the Great Barrier Reef. I even managed to leave the country with money saved! However, the best part about my year in Australia was all of the lifelong friends I made from all across the globe. I first landed in Australia with skepticism, no plans, and no job, but left a year later with memories of the best year of my life.”
Sam
“I had recently finished my Associates and been working the same job for over five years. It was a joint decision to go to Australia with a long time friend. We shared the same desire to travel and found it was a perfect time to take on the opportunity of working and living outside our privileged country and experience so much more. I visited a lot of UNESCO sights, from the Great Barrier Reef to the Great Pyramids and all of them are far better than any postcard or inspirational book, but most of my fond memories involve the people along the way. A month or so into working my first job in Australia a group of us employed backpackers rented two 4-wheel drives and blazed through the bumpiest, unpaved, red-dirt covered roads I’ve ever encountered to spend two crazy days camping at the beach. Do it! It was the best decision I’ve ever made!”
Chris
“I decided to go to Australia with my girlfriend to experience a different culture and country. I wanted to have a culture shock and to view how other parts of the world lived and worked. One of my favorite memories during my time in Australia was on the west coast , in Coral Beach. I swam with a whale shark! I also went scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef and saw the sunrise at Uluru. I also loved the laid back free spirit flow of Oz. The sun and the beaches didn’t hurt either!”
Amanda
“I was privileged with the opportunity to work with Dan from Travel Hooligan, and I have to say, he is one cool cat! He has a wealth of knowledge, and was a huge help planning my trip. I felt he really took the time to understand what I hoped to experience in my travels, and provided the best advice I could have hoped for. I knew I wanted to venture off the beaten path, but not miss anything important. I also knew I didn’t want to fall into any tourist traps. He guided me in sharing all the things I could do on my own without guides; saving money in the process. In the end I felt I had an authentic, and unique experience. It is evident that Dan is someone with a passion for travel, and I would highly recommend him to anyone looking to start an adventure of their own!”
Stacy
“Your adventures in Australia and New Zealand are not complete without a working holiday visa! It gave me the opportunity to get to know each country more closely. I went to school for business but worked abroad as a bartender and picked fruit. I gained a totally different perspective and went far beyond my comfort zone. When you go outside your comfort zone, that’s where the magic happens. Now go apply!”
Gwendolyn
“Travelling Oz with a working holiday visa was one of my greatest experiences. I had little money but wanted to go, and this worked perfectly for me. I had enough money for a one-way plane ticket and made my money back in a summer season, plus more to travel with, working cafes and restaurants while living with some of the most amazing people in a working hostel. I was nervous at first but ended up working my way up the west coast, down the east, around Tasmania and even on a prawn trawler up in the Gulf of Carpentaria. Got a few side trips to Indonesia too! I’ve had such an array of jobs from surf instructor to live in nanny to deck hand. It was great learning new skills, seeing new places, and meeting the most interesting people including life long friends. I had made a beer bet with a roommate before I left for Oz, he reckoned I’d come back broke, but because I had a working holiday visa and got an opportunity to work on a prawn trawler I came back not broke, but with enough to pay for my next school year. This way of travelling isn’t for everyone but if you have a sense of humor and adventure, and not afraid of living in a car or not knowing what tomorrow will bring its a great option.”
Susanne
“Initially I went to Australia for a holiday. But after my two month road trip along the west coast, experiencing one breathtaking natural phenomenon after another, I decided to do a full year working holiday. The best decision I have ever made. The people I met were from all around the world, travellers and locals, and after spending one year, completely independently and on the other side of the world, I can honestly say I’ve made friends for life and my experiences were unforgettable. Australia is an incredible country full of adventures and opportunities.”
Colin
“I landed in Australia having just done a 1 year working holiday visa in New Zealand, and I now call Australia home. It’s a great place with so much to do and see. The scale of the place is mind-blowing. The natural wonders here are truly spectacular, with beaches to die for. The life-style is amazing, with everything being based outdoors. The country is sport mad and has a pretty good music scene with all the big acts touring down here. The country is a back-packers dream with work easy enough to come by on the working-holiday visa and with so much to do and see…the only question is why are you still reading and not booking you flight already??? Well, start booking.”
Ingrid
“I spent one year in Australia on working holiday visa and it was probably the craziest time of my life – no responsibilities, no cares, no limitations! I was there with 20 of my friends and we all lived together in the same block of flats in Sydney – a whirlwind of working, partying and going to the beach. It was like one long episode of Friends, in and out of each other’s apartments except we tended to go to the pub rather than the coffee house!”
Shane
“I had been thinking about going to Australia for a few months and then one day I decided to apply for the visa. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made!
When I arrived I had no clue what I was going to do for work until I discovered a little gem called Dunsborough. I got a job in a resort working as a waiter and had the pleasure of working with some of the nicest outgoing people I have met to date. Everyone was so like minded and had such a positive and inspiring outlook on life and the importance of travel. After spending 6 months in one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, I decided to go the far north Queensland where I also worked as a waiter in a resort. Once again discovering another breathtaking place called Palm Cove. I didn’t think I could top the beauty of Dunsborough but I was wrong. Palm Cove really was paradise for me! Pristine beaches lined with palm trees that continued for miles and miles. Australia has given me some of the fondest memories and also life long friends. I stopped working 2 months ago and since then I have been to New Zealand, Ibiza and France and tomorrow I head home. If you are thinking of going on a working holiday, don’t think about it, just do it and like me you will have no regrets and a lifetime of memories.”
Natalie
“I wanted the opportunity to explore somewhere with sun, sea, sand and surf and Australia had it all! Going over there on the Working Holiday Visa was the start of all my adventures and I wouldn’t change it for the world! I met heaps of amazing people, saw some beautiful places and had some incredible experiences including diving the barrier reef, cruising the Whitsundays, working on a cattle station, bungee jumping and skydiving to name a few! As you can tell the Working Holiday Visa changed my life and has enabled me to meet some of the best people I know! Would definitely recommend it!”
Aisha
“I started my trip in Australia and to be honest I thought I’d stay about three months and just travel the coast – almost a year later I’m still here and absolutely loving it! I’ve made friends that I’ll have forever and would recommend a working holiday visa in Australia to anyone! A beautiful country with so much to see where you’re guaranteed to meet beautiful people from all over the world.”
Laura
“I was lucky enough to get a Working Holiday Visa in both Australia and New Zealand and spent about a year in each. Travelling these two magnificent countries was the most fun and exciting time of my life. I met some fantastic people, pushed myself to do things I never thought I’d do, saw spectacular scenery and learned so much about myself. I can’t recommend the Southern Hemisphere enough!”
Mark
“I had dreamt of going to Australia long before planning the trip and it didn’t disappoint. After spending 6 months travelling through Asia I landed in Sydney and walked straight into an interview but after doing some more travelling I decided Melbourne was the place for me. I quickly found a position in my profession as a recruitment consultant and had a great 5 months where I fell in love with both the city and my newly met girlfriend (now my wife!). We then spent an incredible 4 weeks (and 2500 miles) in a camper van driving from Melbourne to Cairns, a month that felt like a year and one that we still recall 5 years later. Australia has so much to offer from the bustling metropolitan Sydney, to the European café, hip bars and arts & culture feel of Melbourne and from the sub-tropical idyllic beaches and hidden waterfalls to the lush green national parks such as Noosa. For me, the year couldn’t have changed my life much more and still dream of one day returning to see the lifelong friends I’ve made and to once again try to stand up on that bloody surf board!!”
Sian – Haverfordwest, Wales
“Travelling Australia had been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember. It is made so easy by the Working holiday visa and means that you don’t just see the ‘one-stop tourist’ stuff but you can actually experience REAL Australia. I found work in a small town in SW WA and it was here I made lifelong friends (and met my boyfriend). After travelling on my own to this little town I found myself leaving 5 months later with 9 new friends to embark on a 5-week road trip along the coast from Perth to Sydney in time for new years. I cant try to explain how much fun this was, 10 people, 3 cars, shed loads of goon, laughs, dirt and sunburn! When I left Australia I had done more than I ever expected. I had road-tripped the west, south and east coast, swam with whale sharks, cage dived with great whites, touched giant sea turtles on the great barrier reef and made more true friends than anyone could ever ask for. Australia changed my life and I cannot recommend the WHV enough.”
Adam
“I implore EVERYONE to spend some time living in both NZ and Australia. Personally speaking, the benefits of doing so have been immeasurable. Having personal experience of the people behind Travel Hooligan, I can only endorse fully the company you’ll be dealing with. They have been there, done that, done it again and loved it. Their experience is invaluable. You really are in the perfect pair of hands.”