Living the Australian Dream – Take Me There
- Georgie Routledge
- Jan 19
- 8 min read
Updated: May 3
This is my guide for aspiring travelling winemakers wanting to make the move to Australia. Don't worry! I'm here to help you navigate the confusion that comes with relocating and make your transition to Australia as smooth as possible.
Guide for How To: Get a Visa
First things first, you need a visa. I don’t know about you, but my Instagram and TikTok have been flooded with young internationals flaunting their newfound freedom in Australia.
How are they doing this?
They’re using either a Working Holiday Visa (WHV) 417 or a WHV 462, depending on their country of origin. These are the most common and easiest temporary work visas you can snag.
Eligibility Criteria
If you’re from the UK like me, you can apply for a 417 visa if you meet certain criteria:
You must be aged 18–35 (30 for some other 417 visas).
You need a passport from an eligible country (see the country list below).
You haven’t entered Australia on a 417 or 462 before.
You must apply by yourself, with no family dependents.
You need to apply from outside Australia.
You can also apply for a 417 visa from these countries:
Belgium, Canada, Republic of Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan.
Didn’t see your country there? You might need the 467 visa, which applies to:
Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Chile, People’s Republic of China, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Türkiye, Uruguay, United States of America, Vietnam.
Application Process
There’s not much difference between the 417 and 462 visas once you’re in Australia. However, 462 visa holders have a few extra hoops to jump through:
Proof of a functional level of English.
Meeting education requirements.
A letter of support (for some countries).
This varies by country, so check out the Australian visa website for more details.
Additional Visa Requirements
You need to provide financial proof that you can support yourself (around AUD 5,000), which includes enough for your airfare to leave Australia.
You must meet health and character requirements.
Do I Need a Job Already?
Nope! That’s the beauty of WHVs. They grant you working rights within Australia to help fund your ‘extended holiday’. You can do short-term work in hospitality or wineries, allowing you to explore this beautiful country. You can leave and enter as many times as you want.
Duration and Cost
The visa lasts for 12 months and costs AUD 670.
Can I Stay Longer?
Absolutely! You can stay in Australia for up to three years. You can apply for second and third WHVs as long as you complete the specified work (88 days for your second-year visa, 6 months for your third). Unfortunately, winery work doesn’t count, but working in wine tourism and vineyards does, as long as it’s within the specified rural regions.
Notice for UK Passport Holders: Lucky for us, the rules changed in 2024, meaning we no longer have to complete specified work to get our second and third-year visas.
How Long Does the Visa Take?
Mine was immediate, but it varies. Most (90%) of 417 visas are issued within 52 days. It may take longer due to demand, so check the visa processing times.
Now that the essential stuff is out of the way, let’s follow the money…
Guide for How To: Get a Job
Australia boasts 65 wine regions. Some regions are larger or more popular with international travelling winemakers, making it easier to find work. These include:
Barossa Valley
McLaren Vale
Yarra Valley
Adelaide Hills
Hunter Valley
Margaret River
Tasmania
Job Search Tips
If you want to work in smaller regions or wineries, check job adverts thoroughly. I found a few in McLaren Vale that I was keen to apply for, only to discover they required unlimited working rights or Australian citizenship.
When Should I Start Applying?
You need to start looking for jobs in August/September the year before the next vintage (which starts around January/February). Otherwise, you’ll miss out. Jobs are highly desirable, and competition is fierce.
What Experience Will I Need?
There’s strong competition out there. Most jobs will require at least a couple of years of vintage experience as a cellar hand. Some even specify that you need a degree in a wine production-related field. I was applying for vintage cellar hand jobs with a degree in Viticulture & Oenology and two vintages in the UK, while my partner had three (including Canada). We struggled to get responses.
Where Can You Find Job Posts?
Wine Industry Jobs – The best for vintage job adverts.
Wine Jobs Australia – A mix of vintage work and longer-term gigs.
Top Tip: Include a cover letter. It’s necessary and will help you stand out from the competition.
If you’re in the industry, you’ve probably heard of the Facebook group ‘Travelling Winemakers - Living the Dream!!’. Last-minute job adverts are posted here, along with occasional tips from other winemakers. However, I find some contributors to be frosty, pushing you towards the search button. You need an invitation to join and must work in the industry to be accepted. You can’t post about looking for a job either, or your comments will be deleted. This cold-shoulder behaviour is part of why I started this blog. I want to offer free information and stories for people in the industry or those looking to get involved.
Guide for How To: Find Accommodation
Accommodation shortages are an issue everywhere in Australia right now, especially for travelling winemakers, particularly in Margaret River (where I did my vintage).
Interview Stage Questions
When you reach the interview stage, expect questions like, "Do you already have accommodation?" and "Do you have a car?" Some wineries can and will offer you accommodation during vintage (mine did). If you can find a job that offers this, definitely write it in the pros section of your list. Otherwise, it can be tough.
You often need to sign longer leases than the 2/3 month contracts the wineries will offer. Many accommodations have live-in landlords who rent out a room. Make sure to meet them first, as some can be quite overbearing. Others will be in-house shares with other Aussies and internationals.
Beware of Scammers
I know I sound like a millennial hopped up on mid-day mimosas raving about Facebook pages, but they can be helpful. Just be cautious of scammers. I know people who have been scammed through these accommodation groups. Don’t hand over any money before verifying everything and ensuring you have financial protection.
Here are some helpful groups for major regions:
Margaret River – For accommodation near Margaret River. For places closer to Busselton, try this page.
Barossa Valley – Often has accommodation listings and is a great way to connect with others doing a Barossa vintage.
NSW/Tasmania – A backpackers page to help with work, car, and accommodation.
Backpackers tend to get involved in grape picking to help towards their 88 days. Sign up for a few backpacker pages and see if you can connect with others doing harvests in your region. Another helpful website is Flatmates. I found a room in a share house through this site, with plenty of regions and territories to choose from.
Guide for How To: Get Around
Australia is a massive continent. Unlike in Europe, you can rarely walk to work. So unless you win the vintage lottery and get a car included with the job, you’ll need to buy one. Although the hours are lengthy, you’ll still need to grab groceries and enjoy that one day off.
Buying a Car
Here’s another millennial suggestion: Facebook Marketplace. It’s a great place to search for cheaper backpacker cars, especially from people trying to sell them quickly. We sold our car through Facebook Marketplace without a hitch. Just remember to be cautious of scammers. Ensure you’ve given the vehicle a test drive and have conducted the necessary ownership checks for your territory. I found this website extremely helpful.
Top Tip: Buy and sell your car within the same state. Selling your car in a different state from your rego (car registration) can be tricky. You’ll have to pay to change the rego over. I learned this the hard way when I had to transfer a QLD to WA plate.
My partner and I used Autotrader to buy our car. We purchased it from a second-hand garage because we wanted a great warranty for our drive from Brisbane to Perth (what a journey!).
You’re required to have compulsory third-party (CTP or green slip) insurance with your rego. However, I recommend going fully comprehensive. If you’re spending a significant portion of your money on a vehicle, you want to ensure you can at least buy a new car if you hit something.
And by something, I mean kangaroos. They seem to take great joy in playing chicken with your moving vehicle and will most likely write your car off.
Guide for How To: Set Yourself Up
Alright, let’s tackle some dry but essential content about getting yourself set up once you arrive in Australia. First up: tax.
Tax File Number (TFN)
You must ensure you’re working legally. The working holiday visa allows you to work, but you won’t be able to without a TFN. It’s your personal identifier number for tax purposes. Once you get it, you’ll keep it for life for any subsequent visas. Applying is free.
When I wrote this post, I discovered that the system has become much more streamlined than when I did it. I had to haul myself down to Centrelink and fill out forms while trying to scan them using the hostel scanner.
Lucky for you, it’s all easily done online now here using Individual Auto Registration (IAR).
Bank Account
If you’re going to work in Australia, you’ll need an Australian bank account.
NAB, Commbank, ANZ, and Westpac are the four major banks to consider. You’ll need your passport, TFN number, visa, and an address. If you’re staying in a hostel, you can use that address and change it when you move somewhere more permanent. I used NAB and had no issues. There were no charges for a current account, and you can easily open a savings account too.
Phone Number
Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone are your three main network providers. Other companies use their network maps and act as third parties. If you go straight to the networks, it’s often more costly, and they’ll lock you into contracts.
The first time I was in Australia, I got a Vodafone SIM card with a one-year contract. I left early and ended up having to pay what was left on the contract.
The second time around, I did my research and found you can buy pre-paid SIMs from most petrol stations (servos) and supermarkets (Woolworths or Coles). They don’t lock you into a contract, you get unlimited calls and texts, and you can choose your data based on price. I got a Woolworths SIM, which is a one-month SIM unless you choose to renew it each month (which I did). Currently, you can get a Woolworths SIM (using a Telstra network) for $25 for 22GB.
Thank you for sticking around until the end! I hope you found this useful. In a future post, I will discuss my time working in Margaret River and the individuality of this noteworthy region
Until then, G.
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