What to pack for Australia - A survival list that doesn't include the kitchen sink!
What to pack for Australia - Bags The size of your bag will probably depend on how long you're visiting Australia for. Bear in mind, though, that you might have to carry it for more than a few metres, at which point the light bag you danced around the house with could turn into a dead weight!
Most travellers prefer rucksacks (hence the term backpackers!) but others prefer to wheel something along. Whatever you go for, make sure it looks reasonably robust and able to cope with any souvenirs you want to squash in.
What to pack for Australia - Documents
Small but oh so significant, your passport and visa deserve ultimate respect. Make at least three copies, and pack one copy in your hand luggage, one in your main luggage and leave one taped to the fridge. A waterproof case, such as a map case, is always a good idea to keep them in.
Driving is a fantastic way to explore the outback - don't forget your licence, you may need it for ID too.
All British travellers need a visa to visit Australia - check out Australia Visas - for more information or contact Real Gap.
What to pack for Australia - Clothes
The hot sunny weather is one of Australia's biggest attractions, and t-shirts and shorts, plus a sun hat of some sort, will probably be your staple wardrobe. However, temperatures can drop in the Australian winter (June to August) and at night so it's worth taking a couple of warmer things.
Up North, October to March is the wet season and waterproofs will be useful.
You'll also need longer trousers/skirts/tops if you want to visit churches.
What to pack for Australia - Shoes
Sandals are the obvious choice for Australia, but bear in mind that flimsy flip-flops might not fare well in the desert, or even walking round Sydney. Walking sandals, once known as Jesus sandals, look a lot better than they used to and could mean the difference between seeing Sydney Opera House in comfort and seeing it in agony.
What to pack for Australia - Towel
To pack a full-size towel or to pack a travel-size sort - that is the question. Some people would say travel versions are too thin, others that ‘proper' ones take up too much room and weigh too much when wet. It's up to you, although it's worth remembering that things will dry fast under the hot Aussie sun.
What to pack for Australia - Camera Digital or non-digital, your camera will become one of your most treasured possessions. Pack a charger, extra batteries and as much film and memory card as you can - you won't regret it.
What to pack for Australia- Toiletries
Most toiletries will be available to buy in Australia, although you probably don't want to spend your time hunting them out in supermarkets. Buying full-sized bottles is usually better than taking so-called travel sized versions, which are expensive and often run out half way through your trip. Sun cream is a must.
What to pack for Australia - First aid kit
Again, first aid supplies are regularly available but you might want to take a few basic items such as plasters, painkillers (often useful after the famous Australian pub crawls!) and after sun.
What to pack for Australia - Guide books
Guide books are a useful source of information, such as maps and opening times, and most travellers invest in them. Just remember they're by no means definitive and there's nothing to say you won't find a good restaurant simply by looking round. If you want to pack extra economically, tear out the pages for the places you plan to visit and throw them out when you've been.
What to pack for Australia - Notebook and pen
(and another pen for when that one disappears!)
Train times, hostel addresses, noughts and crosses - a pen and notebook has a million and one uses. Also good for when poetic inspiration hits and you want to record your impressions of Ayres Rock.
Book/iPod/pack of cards
A book or iPod can fill many an hour at an airport or on a bus. Some hostels have book exchanges so you can swap once you've finished, as long as you haven't packed a first edition.
Adapter Australia uses a three-pin plug, but not the British kind. Invest in one if you want to charge any electrical goods.
Other bits and bobs to pack for Australia
A padlock - Likely to save you money if you want to use hostel lockers - some places make you pay for the use of a padlock. If you can, get copies of the keys and distribute them around your luggage.
Safety pins - They take up minimal room but could save you a lot of hassle if a zip or strap goes.
A sheet - Sheet hire sometimes turns out to be a hidden cost, so one of your own can save you a few pennies. Folding it over and sewing up the sides (or buying a sheet sack) make it warmer. Also good if you're worried about who last slept in your bed!
Flip-flops - Not great for serious sightseeing but very useful for hostel bathrooms that have been used by 20 people before you!
36 trips have been found based on your filter/sort
This pass would be great for you if you want to start in Sydney and experience some of the best the East Coast of Australia has to offer before finishing in Cairns. With some excellent included activities like a Surf Lesson and Outback Cattle Station and the freedom to hop on and off whenever you want. Project Video Now Online
This pass would is perfect for you if want to start in Cairns and travel down the to Sydney at your own pace, while also experiencing some of the best the East Coast of Australia has to offer.
Project Video Now Online
A flexible programme for people wanting to help protect Australia’s amazing flora and fauna. You can choose from ten locations and stay for as little as two weeks – and you get to experience the Great Outdoors, Aussie-style.
Travel the east coast of Australia, learning to ride the waves and living the surfing lifestyle – that means barbies, beach parties and seeing a whole lot of wildlife. A highlight of any gap year!
A never-to-be forgotten cruise on a tall ship around the Great Barrier Reef, with the chance to snorkel, swim and discover the area. Learn the basics of sailing or just relax and soak up the sun.
Gain an in depth knowledge of koalas and other native species by helping with feeding, monitoring and more. Free time can be spent in nearby Brisbane or getting to know the animals better.
Everything you need to help you start earning Australian dollars. You’ll get access to a job centre with hundreds of jobs suitable for working travellers, advice on tax and setting up a bank account, plus temporary accommodation.
Project Video Now Online
Perfect for first-time travellers, this package includes advice and practical help with everything from visas to airport transfer, accommodation to finding a job. Stay and work in Sydney or explore the country with newfound friends.
Project Video Now Online
Riders of all abilities are taught to farm the Australian way with lessons in Jackaroo and Jillaroo. Learn about cattle mustering, horse shoeing and lassoing before sitting down to a camp fire at night.
Project Video Now Online
Take a trip down Ramsay Street, have a few beers with the Neighbours and see the Great Ocean Road. Explore the best bits of Melbourne and its surrounding area and make some great friends!
Gain a basic diving qualification that allows you to dive all over the world. The course combines theory, dives and a three-day trip around the Great Barrier Reef. Look out for turtles, coral, tropical fish and more!
This programme allows you to ease into Aussie life with your fellow like-minded travellers You can meet people to party with, to continue your Aussie adventure with and to make some friends for life Perfect if you are travelling alone, or for the first time to make your first week that little bit easier.
The chance to volunteer at a wildlife sanctuary on Kangaroo Island is a truly unique opportunity to learn about the amazing Australian wildlife in a simply stunning location.
The best of both worlds in Oz. Relax and enjoy activities with other travellers before making use of job centre access and all the advice you need to find a paid job Down Under.
A real hands-on experience on board a yacht. Learn or improve your sailing skills on land before living as part of a crew as you cruise around the Whitsunday Islands, with opportunities to snorkel and swim, too.
Family Friendly!
The Nullarbor Desert Experience is a once in a lifetime trip; it expertly combines the outback, the desert, whale-watching, ranges, wildlife, art, wineries, national parks, and the saltbush together with experiencing the true Aussie way of life.
Experience the great outdoors by learning the skills to work on an Australian outback farm. You’ll earn money doing anything from cattle mustering to fruit picking, making it an enjoyable way of funding more travelling.
Project Video Now Online
Hands-on involvement with conservation projects that will give you in depth insight into Australia’s fauna. Help out with fun days and present pythons, lizards and other animals to the public.
Learn more than you thought possible about Australia’s wildlife. Your tasks might include feeding and caring for the animals, maintaining the sanctuary and helping out with animal shows and night walks.
Starting in Darwin in the far north of Australia and finishing in Adelaide in the south, this adventure tour travels straight through the heart of this amazing and vast country, taking you off the beaten track to some of the most remote and beautiful places in Australia – places you will never get to driving yourself or on a bus pass.
Perfect your swing on Australia’s Gold Coast, where you’ll be taught by professionally accredited instructors on top courses, in unBritish weather! Golfers of any standard are welcome and there are ample opportunities to try other outdoor sports.
A blockbuster of a trip that brings together a week of fun activities in Sydney, five days of surfing lessons around Byron Bay and a bus pass so you can create your own route to Cairns.
Starting in cosmopolitan Sydney and finishing in tropical Cairns, this adventure tour travels up the east coast, taking you to some of the most popular and beautiful places in Australia and getting you to places you will never get to driving yourself or on a bus pass.
This is your opportunity to try some of the amazing hikes available in Southern Australia and Tasmania. You will get to hike through the Blue Mountains, Grampians National Park, Cradle Mountain, Mount Atmos and Wine Glass Bay.
All the fun of Sydney followed by all the fun of the East Coast! A hop on, hop off bus takes you from Sydney to Cairns, where you can take part in one of several conservation projects.
Starting in Perth in the west of Australia and finishing in Darwin in the far north, this adventure tour travels straight through the heart of this amazing and vast country.
A ten-week course in Australia’s Byron Bay that allows total beginners to achieve internationally recognised diving qualifications. Among the bay’s many attractions are leopard sharks, manta rays and turtles.
This is the ultimate trek of Eastern and Central Australia, which takes you along the coast from Sydney to Adelaide along the Great Ocean Road before heading north through the centre of this massive country.
Spend up to 3 months on an amazing Mini Gap in Australia. This programme provides structure, lots of included activities and help when you need it. There are also lots of opportunities for you to “do your own thing”. You choose when and where you travel and what sort of activities you experience.
Spend up to 12 months in one of our favourite destinations. You’ll get a year-long bus pass, a conservation placement, help with finding paid work, time at a jackaroo school, surfing lessons and more!
See the best of these two amazing countries with flights, a job-finding service, Aussie and Kiwi bus passes, a surfing school session and working holiday visas. All the help you need and all the independence you want.
Earn some money, help out others and experience three very beautiful countries. Get everything you need to find work in Oz and NZ and discover the real Thailand through volunteer placements, trips – and time on the beach!
How many people have you met that can tell you they have seen an entire country? Well this is your chance to see the whole of this amazing country, taking in sights as diverse as the Sydney Opera House, Uluru, the Great Barrier Reef and so much more.
Combine paid work, volunteering and travelling into one fantastic gap year. Everything from flights to job offers is included – that means less hassle, and more chances to get the best out of Africa, Australia and Thailand!
Project Video Now Online
Project Video Now Online
