Where to go , where to work , what to see

Oh Yeah and beaches ..I assume gold coast / surfers paradise will have great beaches ..is there an affordable place to live around or near a good beach ....and what are some of the better beaches ?

c7015 G'day

I live in victoria so i may not be of much help to you but well see what happens. There arnt any banana benders (Queenslanders) on this forum to the best of my knowledge.

Canucks are very welcome, we like Canadians here but keep in mind you will probably be mistaken for an American. My apologies in advance for that.

best places to live and travel ...what is the cost of living in surfers paradise ... is it fairly expensive?

in a word. YES- But the smaller towns are less expensive

Oh Yeah and beaches?
The entire east coast of Australia is beatifull beaches dont worry about finding a nice beach they are everywhere.

Jobs: try this web site http://jobsearch.gov.au/harvesttrail/default.aspx?State=QLD
look at harvest trail for casual fruit picking type work.
I would expect around $12-$15 per hour for most casual positions. with the right skills and experience you will get more.
Bar work or wait staff may also suit.

At the top of this site you will find wagenet for info on wages

Surfing and kite boarding? This is something you should arrange when you get here. Most surf shops will be able to direct you to a suitable program.

Car is a must as much as you can afford. public transport may as well be nonexistant outside the major metro areas cabs etc are not a feature of Australia. Of course you can get one most anywhere if you wish but they just arn't a big feature.

May is late autumn, August is late winter so you will be here for most of the winter if you stay in Queensland this will not affect you in the least. My experience of queensland in winter is limited but you could compare it to Canadain summers i think, a touch cooler perhaps but still T shirt and shorts most of the time.
Do not wear ROOTS clothing that is branded on the outside...... oh wait your older and it may pay to advertise.

What is he on about here you ask? AHHH that is one of the great mysteries which we aussies will introduce you too when you arrive.

I know there are some nice young ladies at uni in Brisbane on the forum below.
scroll to the Australia and Africa board and start a new post. They will be able to assist better than me.

http://cultures-shocked.net/forum/index.php

Thanks For all the info dadpad it was very informative ..I have decided on Surfers Paradise ...as from all accounts it is a great spot to party and live and that the purpose of this trip ... I still am unsure as to what I will do for employment ..but I think the first 2 weeks we will be staying in a hostel and just vacationing then finding jobs/housing ...I booked my tickets last night so now I just get to wait and think about the trip

CC