You will not be alone if you are considering an extended holiday in Australia. More than 50% of visitors to Australia are in the backpacker class. This type of travel is not considered a cheap market by any means. Backpackers on average, spend 3-4 times the amount of money in Australia compared with other tourists. They are considered those who wish to use their money well, and will spend more of their money on entertainment and other activities, instead of spending it on expensive accommodation. Sydney is the perfect place to start your holiday, and there are many great Sydney hostels to choose from. If you are planning to come to Australia, read this article on some tips to make the most out of your stay.

• Get Prepared. Social media is becoming useful in every area of our lives. Most of those who are on backpacking type holidays share their information with others online. This is an excellent place for you to see what others are doing, what they recommend, and join social groups of your interest. The best thing about all of this information sharing is we can establish relationships and get a lot of information before we go.

• Start in Sydney. Sydney is Australia’s biggest cities, and most flights in the world will end up here. Here you can meet the most amount of other travelers, and find the best backpacker accommodation. Many of those locations will have national partners, and so you can be sure of the standards of where you will be staying in the future. You will find others who are going where you want to, and others who have been. There is nothing like getting information you want from the horse’s mouth. You will have a lot of fun discussion what to do.

• Working. You cannot work in Australia as a tourist. Even unpaid work is considered work. Do not ever mention you are doing any form of work to the immigration officials when you arrive. This could lead to you being sent home on the very next flight. If you do want to earn, the best way would be to set up a blog, or look for paid travel writing and photography jobs before you leave. This will take some preparation, but if you love writing and taking photos, this is also potentially a new career for you.

• Make Sure you are Covered. Traveling without travel insurance is a very risky business. There are a number of online cheap travel insurance companies that can offer cheaper prices than your travel agent, because there is no middleman. If you do get into serious trouble in Australia, you will be helped immediately, but remember you probably cannot leave the country until you have paid your bill. Australian hospitals are not cheap by any stretch of the imagination.

• Remember the Seasons. Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere, and this means the seasons are the opposite to most countries in the world. Australian Summers are very hot, and many tourists have trouble with heat exhaustion and sunstroke each year. Read up on the need to ‘slip, slop, slap’. That is to put on a shirt, sunscreen, and wear a hat.