After Charles and I graduated, the first thing we both decided was to explore the world (buying us some time before we turned into the dreaded adult). We found it hard to stay in one place for long and we definitely caught that ‘travel bug’! This was our decision to move to Australia!
We explored South East Asia, including Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam before returning home, England, and conformed to becoming ‘adults’.
I was offered an AMAZING career as a wedding coordinator and I loved every minute, however the thought of moving abroad, traveling and seeking an adventure was always at the back of my mind. I spent 40 hours a week planning and organising a couples most important day of their lives, but yet selflessly I was itching to start planning my escape.
After renting a home and working full time, Charles and I made the decision to move to the other side of the world.
We first started the initial planning by compiling a pro’s and con’s list (simple yet effective) and it was clear: Australia he we come!
The planning begins —my forte—
First thoughts –
When do we leave? Family birthdays, friends weddings, work commitments and lack of savings meant we had to plan carefully when considering which day, month and year to fly. Eventually we chose Tuesday 27th November 2018. !!THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS!!
Second – Flights
We booked our flights- STA travel offer amazing rates and a deposit of £50 per person to hold the flight price (the remaining balance to be paid 6 weeks before you fly, great with budget planning). Skyscanner.net also lets you see what month and day is the cheapest to fly if you have the flexibility. Read our full blog about flights – https://whenwandering.com/flights-surely-the-most-important-to-do
Third – Our Visas!
As we are traveling from the UK to Australia, we need a visa and there are ALOT of visas depending on what you intend to do. We applied for ‘Working Holiday Visa, sub 417’, this particular visa allows us to work in Australia for any company/business for a maximum of six months to fund our travels. Perfect! (include Australia gov link)
There are a few restrictions to this visa and how to apply- check out our full blog post explaining all you need to know. https://whenwandering.com/lets-talk-visas
This visa allows us to live in Australia up to a year, however if you LOVE every minute of your time in Australia, you can work in a regional area i.e farm work for EIGHTY EIGHT days in your first year. After you have completed a total of 88 days, you can apply for a second year visa to extend your stay. YAY!
Fourth – SAVE SAVE SAVE!
Charles and I had a total in mind on how much we would need to save to enjoy our time in Australia. We have to sacrifice our weekly dates, friends birthdays and nights out and become complete hermits to achieve this goal, its hard but eventually it will be worth it! Plus we are very lucky our family and friends support the decision to move and understand that we have had to switch our boozy weekends in the city for movie nights in with a cup of tea!
I know, just four easy steps. That’s it!
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