Australia

Australia is the most popular destination for career breakers. Almost all round-the-world flight routes go through Australia and New Zealand, which is one reason a lot of people go there. Also, the ease of getting a working holiday visa for the under-31s means it's popular with career breakers looking to do paid work on their travels.

What?

Australia is the smallest continent in the world, and the sixth largest country. To give you an idea of how big it is, the largest state (Western Australia) is about the same size as Western Europe!

Australia's 20 million people live mainly in the coastal areas and cities. A third of the country is desert, and it is home to plants and animals that can't be found anywhere in the world. The population is largely descended from European immigrants, with 2.4% being indigenous Australians (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander).

Why?

• The ease of obtaining a working holiday visa if you're 30 or younger means you can work in temporary paid jobs in Australia for up to a year. See the paid work abroad page for more information on the working holiday visa.
• Because Australia is popular with backpackers and working holiday makers (career breakers and gappers alike), it is easy to travel around, find hostels and make friends. Of course, because the country is so vast, it's also easy to go off on your own if you like!
• Australia is a relatively safe country, and its people are known for their friendliness.
• Australia's diversity means you'll always find something that interests you - whether that's bungy-jumping, surfing, watching wildlife, drinking wine or looking at art.
• The weather!

How?

If you have a round-the-world ticket, you'll usually get a choice of cities to fly into. Before you confirm your ticket, do your research on Australia to decide what you want to see and how long you want to spend there. Career breakers tend to travel overland and fly out of a different airport, although if you're going from the west coast to the east coast (or vice versa), you may choose to fly, as it's such a long way. You can also fly into and out of Alice Springs, in the middle of Australia, if you want to go to Urulu (Ayer's Rock).

When booking your ticket, make sure you leave enough time to do everything you want. It's easy to forget just how vast Australia is when you look at a map, so check overland travel times between places.

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Facts for the career breaker

• You can only get a working holiday visa once in your life - even if you never use it. The exception is if you do seasonal work in 'regional Australia' (see this page of the Australian goverment immigration site for more details). This allows you to get a second working visa for another 12 months.
• British citizens need a visa to visit Australia - even if they're just travelling. You must apply here before you leave, and your visa is done electronically - you don't get a thing in your passport. Ensure you leave plenty of time, as your application can get held up for a number of reasons (eg if you've been in the army, have changed your name, are a dual national etc).
• If you can't get a working holiday visa, there are other temporary work permits available, particularly if you have a skill that's in high demand (eg nursing). More information is available here: www.immi.gov.au
• Lots of career breakers and gappers (both British and from other countries) spend Christmas in Sydney. If you plan to do this, book your accommodation as early as possible.

Top Australia tip

• Make the most of being in an English-speaking country by reading the newspapers. It'll give you a real insight into Australian culture and society.

Now where?