5 Travel Tips for Au Pairs Travelling to Australia for the First Time

The beautiful beaches, laid-back locals, and cute koalas are some of the many things you’ll love about Australia. If you’re traveling to the Land Down Under for the first time as an Au Pair, then you must keep this list of travel tips for Au Pairs in mind for a smooth and exciting journey.

1. Get Your Visa Ready

As you may already know by now, you need a Working Holiday Visa to enter the country and become an Au Pair. To know about the list of requirements for the type of visa you need to get, visit our information page here.

Remember to carry multiple photocopies of your most important documents such as your passport and visa before you begin your trip to Australia. When you have photocopies, you can get replacement papers sooner in case of loss or theft. Place your documents in a safe bag or pocket and hand-carry them, if possible. Keeping your documents safe is one of the most important travel tips for Au Pairs that you must never forget.

2. Be Aware of the Quarantine Laws

Australia takes their quarantine laws very seriously, so when you arrive make sure you declare all food, plant material, and animal products to ensure they are legal, safe and do not carry any type of disease. On your flight, you will be asked to fill out an Incoming Passenger Card to declare any of these goods you are carrying. Don’t worry, they will be returned to you if they’re safe to carry. However, you might face an expensive penalty if you are traveling with prohibited goods and don’t declare them. Every travel guide will remind you of this.

3. Prepare Yourself for the Weather

The weather in Australia can be very unpredictable, which means it can get really hot in the morning and then really cold in the afternoon. Melbourne, for example, is famous for having four seasons in a day – it can be sunny now but later in the day, it can get windy, rainy and sunny again just within 48 hours. This is why preparing yourself for the weather is one of the best travel tips for Au Pairs we can ever give you. If you love snow, you’d probably like living with a host family from Tasmania, New South Wales, or Victoria because some parts of these areas get to see snow. During summer, it can get really hot in Australia so be sure to bring sunscreen for sun protection and keep yourself hydrated when you’re out and about with your host family.

4. Plan Your Trip and Ask Your Host Family for Advice

Next on our list of travel tips for Au Pairs is to set out a plan. Your Host Family could be the first one who will tell you what to expect and what the best places to visit are when you get to Australia. If you have Au Pair friends, they can help you out with the planning too. There are so many places you can visit during your day off, like the Great Ocean Road and maybe snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef.

Each state in Australia has its own public transport system that can take you to literally anywhere you want to go. You can use a Myki card if you wish to take the train, bus, and tram in Melbourne. Remember that you won’t be able to slow down and enjoy the beauty of the country if you try to see too many places in a short amount of time because Australia is a huge island-continent. Planning your trip is much better if you want to get the most out of your Au Pair adventure.

5. Save All Important Information for your Arrival

Once you arrive at any airport in Australia, you will need to contact your host family and they need to be able to contact you so they can pick you up.

Give the following information to your Host Family before you travel:

Your Phone number
Your Home address
Your parent’s home address

And then ask the following information from your Host Family:

Host Family’s phone number
Host Family’s home address

We understand that traveling to another country you have never been to can be nerve-wracking. But it doesn’t really have to! As long as you’re prepared and you keep these travel tips for Au Pairs in mind, you’ll surely arrive in Australia safe and sound.

If you haven’t found your Host Family yet and you need help in finding the perfect match, let us know by sending us an email at support@99aupairs.com. We’d love to help you finally start your adventure of a lifetime!