• 🇳🇿 🇲🇲 🇯🇵 🇨🇳 🇦🇺 🇦🇶 🇮🇳
    Australian & Asian
    Drug Discussion

    Welcome Guest!
    Posting Rules Bluelight Rules
  • AADD Moderators: Tronica

Possibly moving to Australia

PerfectoPLease

PerfectoPLease

Bluelighter
Joined
Sep 5, 2005
Messages
97
Hey Guys!

I very well may be moving to Australia in about two years on a Working Holiday visa. I qualify for the program as a chef. I guess Im just looking for some general knowledge about Aussie culture.

The visa allows one to stay for one year, and either work or go to school. The catch is that if you work you may only work up to six months at an establishment. Thats not necessarily a bad thing. I love my job already but it could also be really awesome to cook for six months in a large city and then find some type of work that would get me outdoors and away from alot of people, I dont mind a little hard work.

So what would be a good city from which to start the first part of that year? Currently I live in Austin, Texas but Im from a much smaller town so Im used to both the grind of the city and the more relaxed pace of a smaller town. But of course I need to find a restaurant where I will continue to learn and develop as a chef and I will be proud to put on my resume, So I cant start out in too small of a town. While I dont plan to be doing too much crazy partying the option would be nice, but I have NO idea how you guys get down over there. I just dont want to be in the most conservative city in the country.

Thanks to anyone who took the time to read, and for any advice I may receive!
 
There's no conservative cities here. Melbourne's the go. Sydney is great , unless you want to meet any actual Australians.
 
You cant really go wrong no matter which city you pick. Although the East coast is defs where its at ;)
Sydney would be a good option because then you are kinda halfway between Victoria and Queensland, more central (not geographically, but in terms of states).
 
Bourke in NSW would be a rewarding experience. Work in the 'real' Australia. They need people to work out there and in many ways you would be giving back at the same time.

Likewise for Wilcania, Alice Springs, Broome, Esperance, Karratha etc. You will be for ever changed.
 
eggman said:
Likewise Alice Springs, Broome, Esperance, Karratha etc. You will be for ever changed.
Click to expand...

I have lived/worked at all the above places and it's great! Probably only if you like the outdoors though.
 
Well it seems everyone votes Melbourne. From what Ive looked at online they have a pretty decent restaurant scene. Also eggman I have heard of Alice Springs before, what kind of work do you think I could find away from the city? I only have experience as a cook but some kind of back breaking entry level work that would keep me outside is more what im looking for.
 
Melbourne is pretty awesome, it's the unofficial food capital of Australia!

You could also try Queensland, it's fantastic here, glorious weather and lots of resorts look for hospitality staff, same with Ayers Rock Resort (in the middle of Australia), they are always hiring, I worked the bar there for six months a couple years ago, amazing place!
 
cssss said:
Melbourneeeeeee ftw!
You wont get lost in Melbourne, Sydneys roads are fucked in the dick
Click to expand...

I visited Australia 4 years ago; Sydney was one of the places I stayed at and rember geting lost a few times.
 
For a different experience, try researching hospitality/chef roles on one of the islands off the coast of QLD - Hamilton, Daydream, Herron, etc. They always look for staff and you'd have a blast on a tropical island with the Great Barrier Reef at your doorstep :)
 
on reading this thread, it made me realise that I came to Australia 21 years ago, Thursday just gone by, on a working holiday visa.
Ended up in Melbourne and I still believe that Melbourne is the best city in Australia, for so many reasons!

Hmmmm, must look into the working holiday visa thing and make sure I haven't overstayed=D
 
If Melbourne had Townsville weather it would be perfect. Or even Brisbane weather would be good!
 
PerfectoPLease said:
Also eggman I have heard of Alice Springs before, what kind of work do you think I could find away from the city? I only have experience as a cook but some kind of back breaking entry level work that would keep me outside is more what im looking for.
Click to expand...

My recommendation to you would be to use your core skills and experience set in cooking and hospitality. Those skills should help you gain work easily enough in the city/metro areas but may even be better assets in the rural or remote places. Many of those areas have high levels of transient workers (i.e. transport, mining and manufacturing) who work in a place but don't live there, as such any dining establishment is bound to have everyone in town stopping by at dinner time. They tend to always be really busy and always hiring.

Samadhi gave you some good ideas earlier and I think you should take those on, Samadhi knows what she is talking about and I agree that you would have the right skills to work in those places and have a fucking great time also.

Lastly, if you also want that outdoors back breaking type work then I recommend that you get yourself organised with clothing and footwear suitable to that type of work and then get up by 7am each day and then walk the streets looking for teams building or running any kind of construction. Tell them you are experienced as a Labourer and assuming that they have the work available then they may offer you work on a day-by-day basis.

You are not always going to be lucky but its a numbers game, just keep asking and moving between construction sites until you get lucky.

Prior to getting here though you should look into the work requirements here, for example many of the jobs you are considering may need you to have either a Tax File Number (TFN) or an Australian Business Number (ABN)
 
Don't think it has been mentioned yet, but fruit picking is a very worthwile and popular temporary work choice for international and domestic travellers. As someone mention earlier bourke (I have family there - nice place :) ) and basically most towns along the murray-darling basin have a solid seasonal fruit and vegetable industry - along with many other basic labourer jobs.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top