Backpacking & Student Info

Why backpack in South Australia? 

OK, you’ve climbed the bridge, circled the rock and snorkelled the reef. Now it’s time to meet the real Australia.

We’re talking about a wild night in an Outback pub with the townsfolk of Parachilna (population four).

We’re talking about a week of hiking around Kangaroo Island, the wildlife haven they’re calling the ‘Galapagos of Australia’.

We’re talking about a month’s work during the crazy ‘Vintage’ season, harvesting grapes in the beautiful Barossa Valley – doing hard yakka, earning good coin and kicking back with the locals.

It’s time to do the stuff that other people are only just beginning to discover … diving with Australia’s fearsome Great White Sharks off Port Lincoln, looking for opals in Coober Pedy, cycling through valleys and vineyards, swimming with sea lions and dolphins in Baird Bay, exploring unrivalled collections of art in Adelaide, driving cattle for a day in the Flinders Ranges, relaxing with a beer on the deck of your own houseboat as you drift down the Murray River, and doing the massive Adelaide Fringe Festival when the entire city becomes the butt of its own jokes …

South Australians are renowned for being the friendliest, most polite people in the country. We reckon this is because we’ve got one of the world’s biggest and richest backyards and only a tiny population to fill it up. Visitors are left gasping when they discover the diversity of our landscapes, the luxury of our spaces and above all, the lifestyles we lead.

Why are we telling you this?

Simple. In South Australia you’re not following a backpacker trail. You’re mixing with the rest of us, doing what we like to do – eating well, living large and immersing in what we call ‘good country’.

Find a beach to call your own (it’s easier than you think in South Australia), catch some whiting and fire up a barbecue under the stars. Sit out on the wooden verandah of a country pub, drinking Shiraz while kangaroos gather at dusk. Dive wrecks, kayak in wetlands, surf sand-dunes, camp in the desert, play nine holes over a 1,300 kilometre golf course – blaze trails, get lost, discover yourself.

And one other thing. We don’t pay big-city prices, and neither will you. Our hostels, our B&Bs, our cafes and restaurants are friendly, affordable and all part of living it up in South Australia. Which means you’ll pay less, go further and do more.

Whether you chose to join some of our award-winning tour operators or head out armed only with a hire car and a spirit of adventure, be sure of one thing. You’ll be experiencing the greatest icon of them all. The Aussie way of life.

Download Lonely Planet guide
Lonely Planet has published a handy pocket-sized guide to authentic Australia highlighting top backpacking experiences in South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Download a copy of Authentic Journeys.

General Backpacker Information
The South Australian Backpacker Industry Association provide information on great hostels, tours, assistance for finding work and much more. Regional Express (REX) has an International Backpackers Airpass with unlimited travel for either one or two months.


Student Information
Settling into a new city to study can be a difficult task for many international students. Sure, the educational facilities provide students with some help with the crucial tasks like finding accommodation and visa issues. However, when it comes to actually enjoying the city and making the most of the experience, it becomes a little more challenging.

In Adelaide, a group of local students realised this problem and created a guide called The Insider - International Student Guide to Adelaide. It is the ultimate resource for international students looking to make the most of their experience in South Australia. Written by students, for students, it recommends the best of the best of nightlife, cafés,  eating out, adventure and events. Also, it includes information such as public transport, how to avoid trouble with landlords, how to find a doctor, how to save money when calling home and how to find help at university.
 
This free, 100 page guide, is available all throughout Adelaide through educational facilities, tourism offices, accommodation facilities and in other businesses where international students go for help. View an online version of the guide at http://www.insider.net.au/.

Short Language Courses
Please visit the Study Adelaide website for information about language courses.

Working and Volunteering Holidays
Popular work for backpackers includes fruit picking in the Riverland, pruning vines in the Adelaide Hills and pouring beers in Adelaide. There are dozens of ways you can work your way around the state. Most hostels in Adelaide have notice boards displaying jobs and will offer some assistance but travellers must be prepared to do most of the leg-work themselves.

Working Holiday Visa
Under Australia's working holiday program, visitors aged 18-30 (from eligible countries) can supplement their travel funds through temporary employment. Further details are at The Department of Immigration website.

Other working opportunities include:

Harvest Trail
Willing Workers on Organic Farms (WWOOF)
Nature Volunteers

Permanent Visa Options
For information on how to make South Australia more than just a holiday destination, visit the South Australia Government "Make the Move" website.