Hi,
AUD $5000 would see you a long way (staying in small dorm rooms in good quality hostels, buying supermarket food to cook your own meals, travelling by public transport). Transport is the biggest cost to look out for; the more places you want to go, the more that will rise. Also activities can be very expensive, so if you want to do a lot of guided tours or sailing trips and so on, tack on another AUD $1000 or so.
If you do things really frugally, you could get the cost down to AUD $4500, but you'd really have to be paying attention to what you're spending.
Oh, I see in another thread that you're going in January/February. Things will probably be a bit cheaper up north, due to it being low (rainy) season - so there you can probably find some good deals on hostels and save some money - but it's also high season down around Sydney, so I guess that'll balance out overall.
[ 19-Nov-2013, at 11:07 by Sander ]
Thanks for the reply I've got £4000ish for 2months in Australia and a month in NZ. Do you think that'll be ok? Worried it's not enough. mahoooosive thanks interesting about the seasons tho, hadn't taken that into account.
£4000 works out to almost exactly AUD $5000 and NZD $2000, and luckily New Zealand is a bit cheaper than Australia, so that NZD $2000 should just about cover your month in New Zealand. You'll definitely have to keep an eye on what you're actually spending, and might have to tone down things if you're noticing your average creeping up (and if you can, it wouldn't hurt at all to save a couple hundred pounds more) - but mostly and probably you should be just fine.
The Australian season are a bummer, yeah - January really isn't that great a month to go there - either too hot (with out of control bush fires becoming a yearly event lately), or too wet (idem for flooding), but luckily it's a big country, so you can generally route around the worst of it.
(If you haven't booked your flights yet, though, look into doing New Zealand first, maybe. The wet season ends around March, so if you can save the north of Australia for last, that might be good.)
I think that should be just enough, but as Sander says you'll have to keep an eye on what you're spending.
If you go to NZ in January, make sure you book your accommodation in advance as it's the big summer holidays over there and peak tourist season too.
There are still lots of ways to make your holiday money go further in Australia.
I always recommend staying at a few peoples homes doing odd jobs for them in exchange for accommodation and food. The jobs can range from baby sitting, to cooking, to gardening. Some people are more interested in hosting travelers just for the fun of it, or returning a favor for generous hosts when they were traveling. Its a great way to really meet local people and experience local life. is one of the best sites out there and have some amazing properties to stay at.
Hostels will often offer free accommodation in return for house keeping work. They will usually only talk to you once you are there, so don't plan on staying for free, but it can be a nice bonus if you don't mind doing a couple of hours work to make your budget stretch. Just ask at the reception, or shoot them an email to let them know you are on the way and looking to work.
Travel in Australia is expensive, and in response to this the rideshare section of is loaded with backpackers looking for people to ride with, or offering transportation in return for sharing costs. Its a great way to save money and meet other travelers to have adventures with.
As far as you plans for traveling up the east coast. I'd maybe re think it. Its 1,500km from Brisbane to Cairns and from between jan to April it is usually stinking hot and very wet. You can't even get in the ocean safely as there are deadly jellyfish up most of the northern part of the coast. Unless you have a specific reason to head up to Cairns you might want to think about maybe going as far as Fraser Island or the Whitsundays, then hitting Byron Bay down south, and carrying on all the way round to Melbourne and doing the Great Ocean Rd to Adelaide. I think there are some good flights on at the moment from Adelaide to NZ with Jetstar, and Brisbane or Gold Coast are often a cheap airport to fly into than Melbourne or Sydney.
hi sorry just popping in on this post and would just like to say thanks to dodger for some great tips and advise! and good luck cazg im in the same boat with money but doing new Zealand first then to oz... first time and am a bit nervous tbh!!
Thanks everyone for your advice and suggestions. Billyboy33 you going for the same amount if time with a similar budget? Unfortunately I can't do NZ first as meeting my boyfriend there. Although if it's cheaper I may spend longer in NZ and shorter in Australia...hmmm.
Dodger will defo look into your suggestions, thanks!
Thanks everyone! x
0 Response to "How much money for 2 months in Australia??"
Post a Comment