Tips For Backpacking Australia

Tips for Backpacking Australia on a Budget

Planning a backpacking trip can be daunting, especially in a country as big and varied as Australia it's easy to feel like you're missing out on things and can't see it all. Whether you're heading over on a Working Holiday Visa or just an extended holiday, doing it on a budget is definitely doable. We share our tips for seeing as much as possible, as cheap as possible!

1. Campervan Relocations

If you can drive, then it's going to make your time in Australia a lot easier and allow you to cram more in. Of course you can take domestic flights with airlines like Jetstar, but a roadtrip will allow you to see so much more of the country and get off the beaten path.

You could rent a campervan, or you could relocate the same one for only $1 per day! You read that right, $1 😱 Imoova works with trusted rental companies such as Jucy, Britz, and Avis to help relocate their campervans, RV's & motorhomes after one way trips. Instead of putting them on a truck, customers can get access to a campervan for a nominal fee. A degree of flexibility is involved as the rental company decide how many days you get, where it needs picked up and dropped off, and when it needs picked up by. You can even get up to $800 fuel reimbursed on select deals when you keep your receipts - it's a no brainer!

You could visit Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Cairns, Darwin, Melbourne & more regional areas such as Rockhampton, Alice Springs, Newcastle, Airlie Beach, Broome, Exmouth, & even Tasmania. It means you can drive the famous Great Ocean Road, Nullarbor, Red Centre Way, or Grand Pacific Drive without breaking the bank!

New relocations are added daily and you can also sign up to the waitlist if you have a specific route in mind.

2. Greyhound Buses

If driving isn't an option for you then using Greyhound buses is a good alternative. They mostly serve the East Coast which is the main backpacker route. You can buy a single ticket or if you plan to make a few journeys then it might be worth investing in one of their hop on hop off passes which start at $309.

3. Work For Accomodation

If you're on a working holiday 417 visa or you're planning to stay for a while then working in return for accommodation is a popular way to cut costs, especially when there's an accomodation shortage in most cities. Many hostels offer arrangements where you can work for a set amount of hours per week in exchange for a free room. There's also the option of house or pet sitting which has grown in popularity, with many people advertising opportunities in dedicated Facebook groups.

4. Use an Esim

Gone are the days of buying a SIM card at the airport when you land. With websites like Airalo you can buy e-sims for relatively cheap, depending on your planned usage. You can be connected before you even get to baggage reclaim!

5. Use Eatclub

Eatclub is an app where bars, restaurants and cafes list daily discounts and deals. If you see somewhere you like the look of activate the offer and head to the venue within the specified timeframe and you can get up to 50% off food and drink! It's a great way to eat out without breaking the bank.

6. Grocery Rewards

The major supermarkets like Woolies and Coles offer loyalty programs which are definitely worth signing up to if you'll be in Australia for a while. You'll usually get $10 off your total every so often when you hit the points threshold.

7. Flights

If you can't drive and don't fancy overnight buses then intercity flights can be reasonably cheap when booked in advance. It's worth signing up to Jetstar, Quantas or Virgin's mailing lists as they have sales quite frequently and you can clock up the air miles!

8. Excursions

When you come all the way to Australia you're obviously going to want to tick off the big attractions - snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef, visiting Uluru, climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge, visiting Australia Zoo etc. Before booking direct it's worth checking 3rd party sites like GetYourGuide, Klook, and Viator who sometimes offer discounts of around 10/15%.

9. Public Transport

When you're in the major cities then public transport is a great option for getting around and is really simple to use. For example, in Melbourne they have a free tram zone in the CBD, in Western Australia you can get free public transport on Sunday's, and in Queensland each fare only costs 50 cents! Meaning you can travel from Brisbane to the Gold Coast for less than $1 😱

Australia does have a reputation for being a very expensive country but it can definitely be done on a budget if you make the right choices. Cook as much as possible, stay in hostels, limit your partying, use public transport where you can and relocate campervans instead of hiring them! Happy travels ✈️🌏