Timescales

Australia is a country that spans 3 time zones

Surfers Paradise, Qld.  Photo credit:  Tourism and Events Queensland

Timescales

You’re not in Kansas (or King’s Lynn, Kendal or Kettering) any more.

Be realistic. This is a country that spans 3 time zones. Unless you’re staying for a lifetime, you won’t come close to seeing it all.

Because distances are so vast, if you come for two weeks and want to travel from state to state you’ll find you’re travelling most of the time. Our advice? Unless you’re here for a couple of months at least, don’t expect to go coast to coast. You’ll spend so much time travelling that you’ll have precious little time to really explore and get under the skin of this fantastic country.

Short visit?
You’ll have an amazing time, but limit the travel and concentrate on one or two areas.

Working holiday?
Working your way around Oz is the perfect way to see the country, provided you stick to the plan and balance the working with the sightseeing.

A Working Holiday Visa allows you to stay with the same employer for no longer than 6 months, with a maximum stay in Australia of 12 months. You can find more on our visas page.

Visiting Australia on a Working Holiday Visa allows you a much more leisurely pace of travel. Buses, trains and even car share become more practical, and cheaper, forms of travel when you don’t need to rush around like a mad thing trying to cram everything in.

Fitting the travel around the job commitments can be a bit tricky, so it’s a good idea to set yourself an itinerary and stick to it – otherwise you’ll find six months has shot past and you’ve suddenly got to find a new base and a new employer.

Timing Is Everything...

Daylight saving
Not all 8 states have daylight saving time. Northern Territory, Western Australia and Queensland don’t bother. Factor in the 3 time zones and hours can easily be gained, lost or curiously mislaid.

Fly by night
Not only are evening flights often cheaper; they also allow you a whole day’s sightseeing, rather than losing a day travelling and hanging around in airports.

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