What is the best way to deal with your money when travelling in Oz?

Question

If a person was travelling there for a year on a working holiday visa what is the best way of dealing with it.

Would it be a good idea to open a bank account in OZ when you get there then transfer all of your saved money from your UK bank account to the AUS bank account?

How easy is it to open a bank account in OZ if you are a UK citizen just travelling there?

Anyone else done this and if so how did you deal with the money side of things?

Answer 1

Definitely open a bank account you get an atm card and can just use it like you do at home with a pin number etc. Dead easy to open account and the safest way to go. Happy travelling.

Answer 2

You are better off doing a little research beforehand. For starters don't go to expensive countries. Negotiate a deal with the travel agent. Last minute deals are by far cheaper. I've been to about 90 countries so far. All on a budget. I'm not rich so it is possible. I've also found jobs along the way. You will find it easy to get work within the EU (if you're British). Just pack your bags and passport and go. If you spend your life thinking you can't afford it then you will never do it. My only advice would be to have enough saved to cover initial expenses and a return ticket should things go wrong. Youth hostels are good value, especially if you are alone.

Answer 3

When I went backpacking around Oz for a year, I just opened a bnk account. I could put in my pay cheques into the account and transfer money into the account from the UK as required.

I forgot to say that my travel to Oz was in the mid-1990's. Opening a bank account was easy as I all did was show them my passport with visa, my airline ticket, where I was staying that night, and my £1000 worth of traveller's cheques

Answer 4

Problem with AUS bank accounts is the card they give you does not have a visa symbol on it (I mean debit card not credit card here)


as a reuslt you can use it for internet or phone transaction for things like tickets.


ie you fked


however it is useful to have an account there fore your oz work.


Now here really good advice.


open at least 3 accounts in your uk bank each with a visa debit card (nationwide is good) where you have internet banking and can transfer money.

Keep the cards separate... ie one in wallet, one with passport in safe, one in your post box you set up in oz.


if your car gets eaten by a machine from the uk you are talking a month to replace it and if you are travelling can get stuck in hostels you vistied a while back menaing you get stuck in one spot.


give parents joint account status with at least one back home so they can sort stuff out and ideally do this with more then one bank incase one gets internet compromised.

And build up overdrafts with all accounts so start now.


Also make sure your travel insurance inc the excess waver as a £40 excess just happens to be what medical treatment usually costs about $100 note rent of hostel is about $120-$140 a week

And you will go to the docs.

Also have lots of travellers cheques as back up.

So OZ bank.

Multiple bank and accounts with each bank in uk each bank having one account at least that parents can sort out back home.


Lots of debit cards kept in different places.

And dont get stuck in sydneys Kings Cross its ucks and only loosers stay ther longer then they have to


Also get a fork lift licence, waiter and barman experience, five star hotel housekeeping (clean a room in 30mins inc the bed). Building site skills very good as well

Answer 5

I was staying with family so I just kept the travellers chequeswas a lot easier and when needed money went into the bank and changed what i needed att the time.

Answer 6

To open a bank account you need to pass the 100points test. Look here
http://www.australia-migration.com/page/Opening_a_Bank_Account_in_Australia/190