# Sydney or Brisbane as a start point??



## ilmighel (Sep 22, 2013)

Hi there, I'm Emanuel from Italy and in one month I'll fly to Australia on a working holiday Visa!!

I still need to book the flight and I'm not sure wether to go to Sydney or Brisbane...

My aim is not to stay in cities but to find a job in agriculture or even better, by the ocean! the great barrier reef inspires me a lot but I'm also concernd about finding something related to biodynamic or organic farming and I was wondering if someone can tell me which is the best region for all of this, Queensland or NEw South Wales??

Thank you!
Emanuel


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## Johnny H (Sep 24, 2013)

Hey Emanuel,

I've just got back from a working holiday in Oz (going back for 2nd year in January) and had a great time. You'll have heaps of fun working and travelling around. 

I arrived into Sydney but kind of wish I went to Brisbane or Cairns instead as Sydney is so full of travellers looking for work. It's a beautiful city but like you I enjoy the countryside better and wanted to do some work on farms to get my second visa. 

If you want to live by the ocean and work on organic farms then have a look at places around Byron Bay in NSW. It's closer to Brisbane (about 2 hours I think) than Sydney so I'd fly to Brisbane to start with. Byron Bay itself is a cool little surfer town with heaps of artists and hippies and really laid back. In the hills around Byron there's heaps of farms that employ backpackers for fruit picking and things like that. 
When I first got to Sydney I bought a working package with Stayatbase Backpackers which had all my bank account, tax stuff included plus they found jobs for me for the whole year. It was pretty cheap and easier than doing it all myself. They also sorted out my second visa stuff for me. 

If you wanted to be near the Great Barrier Reef then you would have to go further north into Queensland. Maybe somewhere like Airlie Beach or Bowen would be good as there's heaps of farms around there too plus the reef is less crowded that far south. 

Hope you have a good time. Maybe see you on the road when I get back I January!


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## megancpc (Aug 11, 2013)

Johnny's advice is right on the money, I'd like to +
You are ITALIAN!!! go to north Queensland in particular Ingham Queensland,Ayr (the Burdekin) Tully or Innisfail. There is a large population of Italian and Spanish families here (2nd or 3rd generation) that own the farms in this area. They would love you there. My family is from this area,and used to have a mango farm our second language we learn at school in this part of Aus is ITALIAN!! In one months time it is Mango Season in North Queensland, there is good money to be made here, so I would suggest going there first. As far as biodynamic or organic farming this is a difficult for farms to get this status, however many farms do strive for using as close to organic farming practices as possible. Any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask.


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