{"id":1310389,"date":"2026-10-22T23:58:44","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T23:58:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/?page_id=1310389"},"modified":"2026-10-23T09:04:46","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T09:04:46","slug":"australia","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/oceania\/australia\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":200,"featured_media":0,"parent":1302041,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"hw-hub-country","meta":{"footnotes":"","hw_hub_hero_eyebrow":"","hw_hub_hero_h1":"","hw_hub_hero_intro":"","hw_hub_hero_image":"","hw_hub_hero_overlay":"","hw_hub_hero_cta":"","hw_hub_why_title":"","hw_hub_why_body":"","hw_hub_why_link_label":"","hw_hub_why_link_url":"","hw_hub_why_cards":"","hw_hub_stats":"","hw_hub_countries_title":"","hw_hub_countries_intro":"","hw_hub_featured":"","hw_hub_regions":"","hw_hub_hostels_title":"","hw_hub_hostels_intro":"","hw_hub_hostels_cta_label":"","hw_hub_hostels_cta_url":"","hw_hub_hostels_source":"","hw_hub_hostels_location_type":"","hw_hub_hostels_location_id":"","hw_hub_hostels_currency":"","hw_hub_hostels_count":"","hw_hub_hostels_cache":"","hw_hub_hostels":"","hw_hub_when_title":"","hw_hub_when_intro":"","hw_hub_seasons":"","hw_hub_costs_title":"","hw_hub_costs_body":"","hw_hub_cost_rows":"","hw_hub_cost_note":"","hw_hub_money_reads":"","hw_hub_rail_title":"","hw_hub_rail_body":"","hw_hub_rail_link_label":"","hw_hub_rail_link_url":"","hw_hub_rail_image":"","hw_hub_routes":"","hw_hub_events_title":"","hw_hub_events_intro":"","hw_hub_events_source":"","hw_hub_events_continent":"","hw_hub_events_count":"","hw_hub_events_cache":"","hw_hub_events_cta_label":"","hw_hub_events_cta_url":"","hw_hub_events":"","hw_hub_events_pills":"","hw_hub_reads_intro":"","hw_hub_article_rows":"","hw_hub_show_read_time":"","hw_hub_all_title":"","hw_hub_all_body":"","hw_hub_all_cta":"","hw_hub_trips_title":"","hw_hub_trips_note":"","hw_hub_trips":"","hw_hub_faq_title":"","hw_hub_faq_note":"","hw_hub_faqs":"","hw_hub_cta_title":"","hw_hub_cta_body":"","hw_hub_cta_buttons":"","hw_hub_newsletter_title":"","hw_hub_newsletter_body":"","hw_hub_newsletter_shortcode":"","hw_hub_hub_term":"","hw_hub_scope_rows":"","hw_hub_country_hero_eyebrow":"Australia country guide","hw_hub_country_hero_h1":"Australia Travel Guide","hw_hub_country_hero_intro":"A continent with 25 million people on the edges of it. Reefs, deserts, surf towns and the best working holiday scheme in the world: and distances that catch everyone out.","hw_hub_country_hero_image":"1310524","hw_hub_country_hero_overlay":"medium","hw_hub_country_hero_cta":"Pick a city | #cities\nWhat it costs | #money","hw_hub_country_stats":"AU$35 | Dorm bed, from\n2,300km | The Great Barrier Reef\n4h | Sydney to Perth by air\n12 | Months on a working holiday visa","hw_hub_country_intro_title":"Bigger than you have planned for","hw_hub_country_intro_body":"Australia is the size of Europe with the population of greater Cairo, and the single biggest mistake is underestimating the distances. Sydney to Perth is a four-hour flight: longer than London to Cairo. Cairns to Melbourne by road takes a week.\n\nMost trips take the east coast: Sydney, Byron Bay, Brisbane, the Whitsundays and Cairns, linked by the Greyhound bus or a camper van, with the Great Barrier Reef at the top. That route is the backpacker spine of the country and it works.\n\nThe west and centre are emptier and harder: Perth, Broome, Uluru and Darwin, with long driving days between them and far fewer people doing it.\n\nTwo weeks gets you one stretch of coast. A month does the east coast properly. A year on a working holiday visa is what a lot of people end up doing, and it is the reason Australia has the hostel infrastructure it does.","hw_hub_country_facts":"Language | English\nCurrency | Australian dollar (AUD)\nEmergency | 000\nTap water | Safe to drink\nTipping | Not expected. Wages are higher here\nSun | The UV is genuinely extreme. Burn times are measured in minutes\nHow long to stay | A month for the east coast, a year on a working holiday\nBest months | Depends on which half: see When to go","hw_hub_country_cities_title":"Where to go","hw_hub_country_cities_intro":"Domestic flights do the long legs. The east coast works by bus or camper van.","hw_hub_country_cities_live":"1","hw_hub_country_cities":"Sydney | The harbour, the bridge, Bondi and the coastal walks. Where most trips start. |  | 1310527 | Loveee sydney! Definitely so much free stuff to do as a backpacker! | \nMelbourne | Laneways, coffee, live music and the best food city in the country. |  | 1310525 | Lots of places to go, the city is always alive, lots of parks. I loved the public transport. | \nByron Bay | Surf, sunrise at the lighthouse and the busiest backpacker town on the coast. |  | 1310522 | byron bay is one of my new favourite places. it\u2019s so welcoming, everyone is nice and friendly and wants to get to know each other. if you like connecting with nature, doing water sports, and socialising you\u2019ll love byron bay. beach bbqs, sunrises and sunsets, live music, cafe culture, hiking in nature parks, swimming with wild dolphins etc. super easy to get around on foot and never needed any other transport. cheap food for cooking and dining out. great dietary provisions here too | \nCairns | The gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree rainforest. |  | 1310523 | Cairns has it all, nightlife, beautiful waterfalls and restaurants, so many things to do. | \nPerth | The most isolated major city on earth, with beaches and the Margaret River south of it. |  | 1310526 | Perth is really nice. Good clubs, bars, restaurants, and nice parks. A few trails around as well if you like walking | ","hw_hub_country_trips_title":"What kind of trip is this?","hw_hub_country_trips_intro":"Australia is a road trip and a beach trip, and for a lot of people it is also a job.","hw_hub_country_trip_types":"Beach | sunset | sunglasses | Ten thousand beaches, and surf culture built around them. | Learn to surf at Byron; Sail the Whitsundays; Bondi to Coogee coastal walk | Whitsundays; Byron Bay; Bondi | Byron Bay; Cairns; Sydney | beach\nAdventure | green | backpack | Reef, rainforest and desert, often in the same week. | Dive the Great Barrier Reef; Drive the Great Ocean Road; Sunrise at Uluru | Great Barrier Reef; Great Ocean Road; Uluru | Cairns | adventure\nCity break | blue | city | Sydney and Melbourne, and they are nothing alike. | A harbour ferry to Manly; Melbourne laneway coffee; Free rooftop views in both | Sydney Harbour; Melbourne laneways; Fitzroy | Sydney; Melbourne | city-break\nNightlife | pink | nightclub | Expensive, and the hostel bars do a lot of the work. | Melbourne live music; A Sydney rooftop; Backpacker bars in Byron and Cairns | Fitzroy; Newtown; Byron Bay | Melbourne; Sydney; Byron Bay | nightlife\nBudget | teal | coin | Not cheap, and working is how most people manage it. | Cook in hostel kitchens; Free coastal walks and beaches; Work on a WHV | Sydney; Melbourne; Byron Bay | Sydney; Melbourne | budget-travel\nCulture | purple | culture | 65,000 years of Aboriginal culture, and the newest cities. | An Aboriginal-guided walk at Uluru; The Melbourne galleries; Daintree with a local guide | Uluru; Daintree; Melbourne galleries | Melbourne | culture","hw_hub_country_do_title":"Things to do in Australia","hw_hub_country_do_body":"The Great Barrier Reef from Cairns or Airlie Beach is the headline, and day boats, liveaboards and snorkelling trips all run daily. Choose operators with reef-safe credentials: the reef has been through repeated bleaching events and the better operators are open about it.\n\nThe east coast route is the backbone: Sydney's coastal walks and harbour, Byron Bay's surf and lighthouse sunrise, the Whitsundays sailed on a two or three day trip, and Cairns for the reef and the Daintree.\n\nIn the centre, Uluru is best understood on a walk with an Anangu guide rather than just photographed at sunset, and Kata Tjuta nearby gets far fewer people.\n\nMelbourne is the city to spend unplanned days in: laneways, galleries, live music and coffee that Australians will argue about at length.","hw_hub_country_do_points":"Great Barrier Reef | Day boats and liveaboards from Cairns and Airlie Beach\nEast coast route | Sydney to Cairns by bus or camper. The backpacker spine\nUluru | Walk it with an Anangu guide. Climbing has been banned since 2019\nGreat Ocean Road | Best over two days from Melbourne, not one","hw_hub_country_do_tag":"things-to-do","hw_hub_country_do_more":"All things to do in Australia","hw_hub_country_food_title":"Eating in Australia","hw_hub_country_food_body":"Australia eats well and charges for it. A cafe breakfast is AU$18 to AU$28, a pub meal AU$22 to AU$35, and the quality is generally high: this is a country where brunch is a serious cultural undertaking.\n\nThe value is in the multicultural food: Vietnamese in Melbourne's Footscray, Chinese in Sydney's Haymarket, Lebanese, Greek and Thai everywhere, mostly AU$12 to AU$20.\n\nCoffee is genuinely excellent and Australians are insufferable about it, with flat whites and long blacks rather than anything syrupy. Supermarkets (Coles and Woolworths) are how most backpackers actually eat, and hostel kitchens are well equipped for that reason. Meat pies, barbecues and pub parmas are the national comfort foods.","hw_hub_country_food_points":"Cafe breakfast | AU$18\u201328, and brunch is taken seriously\nMulticultural food | AU$12\u201320 and the best value eating\nCoffee | Genuinely excellent. Flat white is the default\nSupermarkets | Coles and Woolworths. How most backpackers eat","hw_hub_country_food_tag":"food","hw_hub_country_food_more":"All food guides for Australia","hw_hub_country_nightlife_title":"Going out in Australia","hw_hub_country_nightlife_body":"Melbourne has the best live music scene in the country, spread across Fitzroy, Collingwood and the CBD laneways. Sydney's nightlife took a hit from lockout laws that have since been rolled back, and Newtown and Surry Hills are the places to look.\n\nBackpacker towns run their own economy: Byron Bay, Airlie Beach and Cairns have hostel bars with cheap meal deals and organised nights, which is where a lot of the social life happens.\n\nDrinks are expensive: AU$10 to AU$14 for a beer in a bar, AU$18 to AU$25 for cocktails. Bottle shops are much cheaper, and pre-drinking at the hostel is standard practice rather than a student habit here.","hw_hub_country_nightlife_points":"Melbourne | The best live music in the country, around Fitzroy and the laneways\nA beer | AU$10\u201314 in a bar. Bottle shops are far cheaper\nHostel bars | Where a lot of the backpacker social life happens\nID | Carry photo ID always. Venues check regardless of age","hw_hub_country_nightlife_tag":"nightlife","hw_hub_country_nightlife_more":"All nightlife guides for Australia","hw_hub_country_transport_title":"Getting around Australia","hw_hub_country_transport_body":"Fly the long legs. Jetstar, Virgin and Qantas connect the cities, and Sydney to Cairns or Perth is three to five hours: the alternative is days of driving.\n\nThe east coast works by Greyhound bus with hop-on hop-off passes, or by camper van, which is the classic version: buy or rent one, sleep in it, and drive Sydney to Cairns over a few weeks. Check what counts as legal free camping in each state, because the rules differ and fines are real.\n\nCities have decent public transport with tap-on cards: Opal in Sydney, Myki in Melbourne. Melbourne's central tram zone is free.\n\nIf you drive: distances between fuel stops in the outback are enormous, kangaroos make dusk and dawn genuinely dangerous, and road trains take a long time to overtake.","hw_hub_country_transport_points":"Fly the long legs | Sydney to Perth is 4 hours by air, days by road\nEast coast | Greyhound passes or a camper van. Both standard\nFree camping | Rules differ by state and fines are real. Check before parking up\nDriving at dusk | Kangaroos are a genuine hazard. Avoid dawn and dusk in rural areas","hw_hub_country_transport_tag":"transport","hw_hub_country_transport_more":"All transport guides for Australia","hw_hub_country_money_title":"What Australia costs","hw_hub_country_money_body":"Australia is expensive and the working holiday visa is the reason so many people can stay. Dorms start around AU$35 and run to AU$50 in Sydney, a pub meal is AU$22 to AU$35, and a beer in a bar is AU$10 to AU$14.\n\nA day without working comes to AU$90 to AU$140. Cooking in hostel kitchens, buying at Coles or Woolworths, and using free beaches and coastal walks is how people bring that down.\n\nThe working holiday visa for under-30s, or under-35s for some nationalities, allows twelve months of work, extendable with regional work. The minimum wage is high by international standards, which is why hospitality and farm jobs fund so many trips here.","hw_hub_country_money_points":"Dorm bed | From AU$35, and up to AU$50 in Sydney\nA day, all in | AU$90\u2013140 without working\nWorking holiday visa | Twelve months, extendable with regional work\nSelf-catering | The main lever. Hostel kitchens are well set up for it","hw_hub_country_money_tag":"budget","hw_hub_country_money_more":"All budget guides for Australia","hw_hub_country_safety_title":"Staying safe in Australia","hw_hub_country_safety_body":"Australia is a safe country with low crime, and the risks are environmental rather than human: though not the ones people expect.\n\nThe sun is the genuine daily hazard. UV levels are extreme, burn times in summer can be under fifteen minutes, and Australia has among the highest skin cancer rates in the world. Sunscreen, a hat and shade between 10am and 3pm are not optional advice here.\n\nThe sea kills more people than anything else. Rip currents drown swimmers every year; swim between the red and yellow flags on patrolled beaches and nowhere else. In the tropical north, box jellyfish and irukandji make the water dangerous from roughly November to May, and stinger nets and vinegar stations exist for that reason. Saltwater crocodiles inhabit northern rivers and estuaries: obey the signs absolutely.\n\nSnakes and spiders worry visitors and rarely hurt anyone. Bushfire season is a real consideration in summer.","hw_hub_country_safety_points":"Emergency | 000\nSwim between the flags | Rips drown people yearly. Patrolled beaches only\nUV | Extreme. Burn times under 15 minutes in summer\nTropical north | Stingers Nov\u2013May, and crocodiles in northern waterways. Obey signs","hw_hub_country_safety_tag":"safety","hw_hub_country_safety_more":"All safety guides for Australia","hw_hub_country_entry_title":"Entry and documents","hw_hub_country_entry_body":"Everyone needs a visa, including visitors from countries that usually travel visa-free elsewhere. The eVisitor or Electronic Travel Authority is free or cheap, applied for online and usually granted quickly, and covers stays of up to three months.\n\nThe working holiday visa (subclass 417 or 462) is the one that shapes long trips: available to people generally aged 18 to 30, or up to 35 for some nationalities, allowing twelve months of work and study, and extendable to a second and third year with specified regional work.\n\nBiosecurity at the border is the strictest in this guide. Food, seeds, wooden items, dirty hiking boots and anything organic must be declared: fines are substantial and the checks are thorough. Declare it and let them decide.","hw_hub_country_entry_points":"Everyone needs a visa | eVisitor or ETA, applied for online before travel\nWorking holiday | Subclass 417 or 462. Twelve months, extendable with regional work\nBiosecurity | Declare all food, seeds, wood and dirty boots. Fines are substantial\nPassport validity | Valid for the stay","hw_hub_country_entry_tag":"travel-tips","hw_hub_country_entry_more":"All travel tips for Australia","hw_hub_country_season_title":"When to go","hw_hub_country_season_intro":"Southern hemisphere seasons, and the country is too big for one answer. The south is best in summer; the tropical north is best in winter, when it is dry.","hw_hub_country_season_note":"Average highs for Sydney. Cairns and Darwin run hot and humid year-round with a wet season from November to April; Melbourne is genuinely cold in winter; and the centre swings from 40\u00b0C days to freezing nights.","hw_hub_country_season_rows":"January | 26 | 4 | Peak summer. Hot, busy and expensive in the south\nFebruary | 26 | 4 | Still summer. Wet season in the tropical north\nMarch | 25 | 4 | Excellent in the south. North still wet\nApril | 23 | 5 | Superb everywhere. Shoulder prices\nMay | 20 | 5 | The north dries out. Best month for Uluru and Darwin\nJune | 17 | 4 | Winter in the south, dry season up north. Whale season starts\nJuly | 17 | 4 | Peak dry season in the tropics. Cold in Melbourne\nAugust | 18 | 4 | Still excellent in the north and centre\nSeptember | 20 | 5 | Spring. Good everywhere, and the north is still dry\nOctober | 22 | 5 | Excellent. Warm south, dry north, fewer crowds\nNovember | 24 | 4 | Warming. Stinger season begins in the tropics\nDecember | 25 | 4 | Summer and school holidays. Book ahead and pay more","hw_hub_country_budget_title":"What your trip will cost","hw_hub_country_budget_intro":"Pick how you travel and how long for. Per night, for one person, in Australian dollars.","hw_hub_country_budget_note":"Domestic flights, reef trips and Whitsundays sailing sit outside these figures. A working holiday visa is how most long trips are funded.","hw_hub_country_budget_rows":"Shoestring | 35 | 25 | 15 | 10\nMiddle of the road | 50 | 55 | 30 | 40\nComfortable | 90 | 95 | 50 | 80","hw_hub_country_budget_currency":"AU$","hw_hub_country_events_title":"What is on while you are there","hw_hub_country_events_intro":"The sporting calendar runs the year here, and two of these fill their cities completely.","hw_hub_country_events_source":"api","hw_hub_country_events_country":"australia","hw_hub_country_events_count":"8","hw_hub_country_events_cache":"24","hw_hub_country_events_cta_label":"All events in Australia","hw_hub_country_events_cta_url":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/events\/oceania\/australia\/","hw_hub_country_events":"Australian Open | January | Melbourne | Two weeks of tennis, with ground passes cheap and the city at full volume. |  | \nSydney Mardi Gras | February or March | Sydney | One of the largest Pride parades in the world, running since 1978. |  | \nMelbourne Cup | First Tuesday in November | Melbourne | A horse race that stops the nation and is a public holiday in Victoria. |  | \nVivid Sydney | May and June | Sydney | Light installations across the harbour and the Opera House. |  | \nWhale season | May to November | East and west coasts | Humpbacks migrating along both coastlines. |  | \nNew Year on the harbour | 31 December | Sydney | Fireworks over the bridge, and beds booked months ahead. |  | ","hw_hub_country_hostels_title":"Where to stay in Australia","hw_hub_country_hostels_intro":"The highest-rated hostels in the country, live from Hostelworld. Sydney, Melbourne and the east coast towns have the most, and many cater to working holiday stays.","hw_hub_country_hostels_cta_label":"All hostels in Australia","hw_hub_country_hostels_cta_url":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/hostels\/oceania\/australia\/","hw_hub_country_hostels_source":"api","hw_hub_country_hostels_location_type":"country","hw_hub_country_hostels_location_id":"13","hw_hub_country_hostels_currency":"AUD","hw_hub_country_hostels_count":"12","hw_hub_country_hostels_cache":"12","hw_hub_country_hostels":"","hw_hub_country_team_title":"","hw_hub_country_team_intro":"","hw_hub_country_team":"","hw_hub_country_faq_title":"Australia travel questions","hw_hub_country_faq_note":"The ones we get asked most.","hw_hub_country_faqs":"How long do you need in Australia? | A month for the east coast between Sydney and Cairns. Two weeks covers one stretch. The distances are the thing people underestimate: Sydney to Perth is a four-hour flight, longer than London to Cairo.\nWhat is the working holiday visa? | Subclass 417 or 462, available to people generally aged 18 to 30 (up to 35 for some nationalities) allowing twelve months of work and study, extendable to a second and third year with specified regional work. It is why so many people stay a year.\nIs Australia expensive? | Yes. Dorms from AU$35 and up to AU$50 in Sydney, pub meals AU$22 to AU$35, beer AU$10 to AU$14. A day is AU$90 to AU$140 without working, and cooking in hostel kitchens is the main way people manage it.\nWhen should I go? | It depends which half. The south is best from October to April; the tropical north is best from May to October, when it is dry and the stingers have gone. April, May, September and October work almost everywhere.\nDo I need a visa? | Yes, everyone does, including nationalities that travel visa-free almost everywhere else. The eVisitor or ETA is applied for online, is free or cheap, and usually comes through quickly.\nWhat should I actually be careful of? | The sun and the sea, not the snakes. UV is extreme with burn times under fifteen minutes, and rip currents drown people every year: swim between the red and yellow flags on patrolled beaches. In the tropical north, respect stinger season and crocodile signage.\nCamper van or bus? | A camper van gives you the coast on your own schedule and doubles as accommodation. The Greyhound hop-on hop-off passes are simpler and cheaper if you are solo. Check state rules on free camping either way, because fines are real.","hw_hub_country_cta_title":"Say yes to hostels, meet the world","hw_hub_country_cta_body":"Compare hostels across Australia: live prices, real reviews and free cancellation on most bookings. Then meet the people already there in the app.","hw_hub_country_cta_buttons":"Find hostels in Australia | https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/hostels\/oceania\/australia\/\nGet the app | https:\/\/hostelworld.onelink.me\/IdiK\/f5a50nhd","hw_hub_country_newsletter_title":"Get the good stuff monthly","hw_hub_country_newsletter_body":"New city guides, deals and route ideas. 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