Book Review: Make the best out of your Working Holiday Visa in Australia: The ultimate guide
Is this book really as ultimate as the name suggests?
Author: Marie Planchat, Agence Helpstage Price: £9.90 GBP Publisher: Independently published (via Amazon) Release date: 28/11/2022
With an increasing number of young British people seeking to leave the UK, one way out with lower entry requirements is via a working holiday visa. While there are many countries to choose from, Australia is among the most popular. Naturally, resources exist to fill this gap.
This book — pitched as an ultimate guide — serves to help aspiring backpackers and nomads navigate the process of entering Australia and making the most of their time there, including how to meet people.
The strengths
One aspect of this book that does live up to its name is the vast quantity of information it contains about the practical process. It serves as an encyclopaedia of information about moving and getting a job quickly in Australia.
There is also extensive information on each major city and state in Australia, including information on cost of living, transport costs and specific places to look for jobs. There’s also a really cool job application hack using MailChimp which I also recommend committing to memory even if you don’t plan to apply for hospitality jobs like it suggests.
Additionally, screenshots of the web pages for the visa application process are helpful for newcomers as well as being a vital accessibility aid. Having applied for visas myself in the past, I know how overwhelming and stressful it can be. Hence, I really appreciate this.
Another aspect to note is how much text is recycled in each city section. If you’ve already decided where you intend to go, you can skip straight to the relevant section for your destination. However, if you’re undecided and reading this book cover to cover, I recommend only reading the information for each city. I also suggest skimming all the detailed accommodation and job information for the new content.
There are some interviews with working holiday visa participants within these sections that I highly recommend reading (including from some non-English speakers). All this recycled text also means reading this book won’t take long — you could probably do it in a weekend.
The amount of contact details included for employers is extensive, serving as a starting point for those unsure where to turn. There are also bonus guides included for solar farms and fruit picking. Both are very popular, in-demand jobs with backpackers, which are detailed and are perfect for people who can and want to do them.
The drawbacks (and other things to bare in mind)
However, one thing I noticed is aside from these sectors (as well as hospitality), there isn’t much information for other sectors. What if you can’t or don’t want to work in hospitality, fruit picking or similar jobs for any reason — including disability? What if you could only do an admin role in these sectors that don’t involve directly going out onto the field? While there almost certainly are other ways forward, this book doesn’t go into them. There also isn’t a section for those who may want to find a way to permanently stay in Australia.
Another thing to remember — that doesn’t reflect on the book’s quality — is the information is only valid for the 2023–24 season. Some of the information will be out of date in future volumes. Most of this info will be minor like changes to contact details and cost of living. However, there will be some big changes as time goes on. For example, expect the 2024–25 edition to be updated with details regarding changes for British passport holders. Hence, if you get this book, always get the newest volume and ensure you cross-reference the information with your own research.
Final thought
The information contained within Planchat’s book is vast, making it an ideal reference guide to return to repeatedly if you commit to a working holiday in Australia. While I don’t believe it’s the ultimate guide, it’s still a great source to aid your research.
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