26 Jan 2022
Australia has recently opened its borders to Working Holiday Makers, allowing fully vaccinated UK travellers of up to 30 years old to stay in the country for up to 12 months and take on short-term employment and study. What's more, those who have held a Working Holiday visa in the past can have a second working holiday in Australia. Victoria, the country's events capital, is a firm favourite with young travellers.
As well as being easily accessible from the UK, working holiday makers travelling to Melbourne, Victoria, will only need to take a Covid-19 test and self-isolate for 72 hours when they arrive. After that, they will be free to travel and explore the region. From iconic trips such as the Great Ocean Road and Wilsons Prom, to keeping relaxed in Melbourne's trendy locations, here are the top 10 experiences working holiday makers can enjoy in Victoria right now.
- Experience Melbourne's vibrant city life
Victoria's vibrant capital, Melbourne, is the perfect place to start any working holiday adventure in Victoria. Elegant, edgy, cultured and sporty, Melbourne's like a hip older sister: plenty of subculture knowledge but lots of fun too. A highlight which attracts many to this perfect playground is the bustling, creative laneways which are never-ending and full of surprises. Welcome To Travel can help any youth traveller looking to start their unforgettable 'working holiday' in Victoria. Whether it's looking to meet new people, to experience the very best of the state through an exhilarating road trip or need work and travel advice, Welcome To Travel knows how to do it best.
https://www.visitmelbourne.com/regions/melbourne/
- Get to know Victoria's Aboriginal history
It is possible to learn a lot about Victoria's Aboriginal heritage and culture without leaving Melbourne. The city's Royal Botanic Gardens, for example, rest on a traditional meeting place of the area's custodians – the Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri people. The Gardens' Aboriginal Heritage Walk will take young people on a journey of the ancestral lands of the Kulin nation, including a traditional smoking (welcome) ceremony with an Aboriginal guide who also explains the traditional uses of plants for food, tools and medicine. After the walk, head to Indigenous restaurant, Big Esso, in Federation Square, created by Torres Strait islander chef, Nornie Bero. Bid Esso features a menu that is full of mouth-watering Indigenous flavours, as well as sustainably caught seafood from tropical painted crayfish, purple yams and Green Ant Gin.
https://www.mabumabu.com.au/dining
- Get involved in a good cause with some of our “Good Natured Victoria” heroes
Whether it's supporting little penguin from Phillip Island, planting trees to support koalas, or helping to save endangered species, young people can participate in Victoria's inspirational and sustainable tourism experiences. Good Natured Victoria introduces travellers to opportunities to collaborate with one of Victoria's purpose-driven tourism experiences. Working holiday makers, and future travellers who are eco-lovers and fans of nature and wildlife, can engage with five inspiring and beloved experiences from Victoria - each playing their part in protecting the state's environmental, marine and wildlife conservation and importance of Aboriginal culture. These companies are: Sea All Dolphin Swims, Echidna Walkabout and their Koala Clancy Foundation, Wildlife Wonders, Koorie Heritage Trust and Phillip Island Nature Parks.
https://www.visitmelbourne.com/goodnaturedvictoria
- Hike the new Grampians Peaks Trail
Victoria's Grampians National Park offers breath-taking landscapes, mountain lakes, rock faces and a recently put together new adventure for hiking enthusiasts. The Grampians Peaks Trail offers a once-in-a-lifetime 13-day hike that stretches the length of the Grampians, known as Gariwerd by local Indigenous people. The new 160-kilometre trail, located three hours west of Melbourne, features a wide array of tour experiences and camping options for young people to enjoy. From rock climbing, abseiling and hiking to being mesmerised by mountain peaks, rugged rocky outcrops and unforgettable panoramas. The trail also offers visitors a chance to immerse themselves in a living cultural experience by being able to witness ancient oven mounds, scatterings of stone left over from tool making, a wealth of Aboriginal rock art sites and creation stories handed down from one generation to the next. The trail can be hiked in full or explored on day trips to shorter multi-day trips.
- Drive along the iconic Great Ocean Road
The Great Ocean Road is one of Australia's (and the world's) most scenic drives – from surf capital Torquay to the famous Twelve Apostles, ending at the town of Allansford – a total of 151 picturesque miles. The Great Ocean Road is a permanent memorial to those who died while fighting in WW1 carved in rock. Built by returned servicemen, it winds around the rugged southern coast and was a huge engineering feat ending decades of isolation for Lorne and other coastal communities in Victoria. The wildlife that can be seen along this trip ranges from kangaroos to koalas as well as echidnas, platypus and even the leafy seadragon.
- Practise your surf skills in Bells Beach, Torquay
Dose up on surf culture at Torquay, the home of Bells Beach and birthplace of iconic brands Rip Curl and Quicksilver. The official start point of the Great Ocean Road, Torquay is Victoria's surfing and beach worship capital – especially over Easter, when the world's best surfers compete in the mighty Rip Curl Pro. A vatiety of companies organise surf lessons for all abilities. Torquay is also home to the Australian National Surfing Museum, with pictures and hands-on displays, and the Point Danger Marine Sanctuary, a great place for snorkelling and to see some of the diversity of the area's underwater inhabitants.
https://www.visitmelbourne.com/regions/great-ocean-road/destinations/torquay
- Eco adventures on Melbourne's doorstep
Melbourne-based working holiday makers can experience a wide variety of adventures on Melbourne's doorstep. Wild Adventures Melbourne (WAM!) is a fun-loving eco adventure company offering a mixture of sunrise, all day and/or sunset adventure tours for small groups – these include stand up paddle boarding, biking and bushwalking, wildlife spotting and indulgence at sustainably conscious cafes, wineries and hot springs. All these activities are carried out in the middle of nature and less than an hour from Melbourne. WAM! also runs as a social enterprise and donates to inspirational Australian charities and not-for-profit organisations that support the protection and conservation of the local lands, waters, and seas. They also run with sustainability at the forefront by practising sub-zero waste in all experiences, actively leaving destinations in better and cleaner conditions than before.
https://wildadventuresmelbourne.com/
- Go “wild” at 'The Prom'
Wilsons Promontory National Park, affectionately known as 'The Prom', is one of Victoria's best loved parks. This 50,000 hectare reserve sits at the southernmost tip of the Australian mainland and is a refuge for an array of native wildlife including kangaroos, emus, wombats, echidnas and vividly plumed birds like rosellas. Young people can also spot sea life at Lakes Entrance, where dolphins and seals often swim beside boats and kayaks. For a “wild” retreat, stay at one of the tiny homes from unyoked, a company offering unique off the grid experiences. There are several in Central Gippsland, where Wilsons Promontory is located, including Louka and Anant. While guests may have to hike a bit to get there, the spectacular views and sense of wild seclusion are worth it.
https://unyoked.co/results/Melbourne
- Gin hopping
Those fond of the classic afternoon G&T, will find plenty of distilled delights in Victoria, which is hitting its straps as a genuine gin destination. From unique creations of small batch producers and artisanal distillers to 'distillery doors' and masterclasses, those gintellectually inclined will easily find their way in the state. Melbourne: Urban Gin Trail is the ultimate tour for gin lovers and comprises 10 distilleries or stops. The gin journey starts at Brogan's Way Distillery in Richmond and ends at Patient Wolf Distilling Co, just outside Melbourne's CBD. How many gin stops will you able to do?
https://www.visitmelbourne.com/regions/melbourne/see-and-do/itineraries/melbourne-urban-gin-trail
- Relax on the beach
The beaches of Melbourne offer a fine way to relax in the sun. There are the popular swimming spots and eateries at St Kilda, a wide, sandy beach where you can take in the gorgeous view of Melbourne's city skyline as the sun sets. For a more reserved time, head to Brighton Beach, famous for quaint colourful bathing boxes along the beach. Here, the sea favours yachting and boating, or windsurfing for the more adventurous.
