Hey.

I am a first time poster here, just looking for some advice, hints, tips or suggestions on my travel plans

Myself and my girlfriend are planning to travel to Australia around April/May this year and are looking to gain as much useful information as possible.

Basically, we are open to any suggestions and advice, must see's, must do's... but also, as a first time traveller... what would, in your opinion, be areasonable amount of funds to undertake a 2 month trip (I'm aware that is quite a personal issue - as everyone spends their money differently) but I was just hoping for some ideas... as frankly I'm not sure.

We are more than willing to do some seasonal work whilst there, so any advice on that would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Hi Paul,

You don't say what you like to do when you travel?

Or how you travel, where you stay.

Now, me, I'm a camper.  I plan to rent a campervan.  BTW over in Oz 'van' often means some kind of wheels or travel body (like truck camper) without an engine.  Drives me snake that does.  To me a van has an engine.

A carvan is a trailer set up for living in on the road, ie. 'travel trailer' to  N. American, for all that in the UK caravan means the same thing to a UK resident as to an Aussie.

& do you like cities, tourist highlights?  Or small burgs and the places which really make Oz different ?

I'd visit your local bookshop and get your paws on a travel guide to Australia, like a Fodor's, Frommer's, Lonely Planet.  Here in Canada, the big bookstore chain, Chapters.Indigo has some kind of set up with Frommer's.  I've got a 2012 Frommer's on order for me and a 2004 Lonely Planet guide from a friend..

Also, I'd check out weather.  April and May are the fall of the year, getting cooler - not that parts of Oz ever get cool.  Some coastal sections never see frost.  

& how are you going to get to Oz.  Me, I'm travelling by airmiles.  I don't have all I need yet, but I'm getting there.

:-/

Hi Paul
Welcome to the forum.

That is a very broad question you asked.
In reply in ask the following to clarify.

What form of transport, accommodation?
How much do you want to see..2 months would probably get a good look at the east coast.
This will have an impact on distance travelled, fuel costs etc.
East coast starting in Melbourne and going to Cairns in April-May  is a good time of year.

regards

Aart

Like Aart said, a broad question and hard to answer in a few words, a few things to keep in mind, you'll only see a small bit in two months and the distances between places is huge so pre plan carefully to get the biggest "Bang for your Buck".
On the east coast it is touristy and busy, rural western NSW and Queensland are more the real Oz if that's what you're looking for, West Australia..... a long way between drinks.

pd

Hey Paul,
I agree with the other comments, depends what you are doing and where you are going, you need to consider
Fuel $1.50 a litre on average, 8-10 k's or 5-6 miles to the litre
Food roughly $35-$40 a day per person
Camping in a caravan park average $25 per night for 2 persons
Cabin around $60-$70 a night if you dont have a van or camper to crash (sleep) in
Motel around $100-$150 per night depnding where you are staying
Backpackers $30 per night
There are free camping sites all around OZ
All important is BEER 24 375ml bottles around $40, you can work out your consumption, I am not going there just in case the bride (wife) happens to read this
Mate, all in all you wont go wrong visiting our great country, just remmber, it is 800k's from Sydney to Melbourne and the same from Sydney to Brisbane, average of about 11-12 hours driving without stopping to go site seeing
Also, the price you see for anything is the price you pay, you dont need to add any sales tax, you only tip in OZ if you had great service off the person looking after you
All in all hope you enjoy your time here as I am sure you will :D

I would suggest you go here;

http://jobsearch.gov.au/harvesttrail/default.aspx

to plan for harvest work an travel.

HTH