The Sunday Times November 28, 2021 17
ABI28L, BRADLEY BLACKBURN, WILLIAM WEST, ADRIAN AGYLAR/GETTY IMAGES
RETURN TO OZ Byron Bay,
left; street art in Melbourne’s
Hosier Lane, above; Yarra
Valley, below; surfing at
Bondi Beach, rightand Hosier Lane under your
own steam if you like, but
Melbourne Street Tours
zooms in on the easy-to-miss
stencils and stickering. Tours
are run by street artists, and
finish with a bevy in their
West Melbourne studio (£38;
melbournestreettours.com).
Work it Help fuel that
laneway energy by serving
coffee in the cafés. The
Australian Barista School
runs accredited five-hour
barista-training courses
(£108; australianbaristaschool.
com.au).GET A WINE EDUCATION
Where Yarra Valley, Victoria
If your wine knowledge
equates to finding the
cheapest price tag in Tesco
Express, Australian wine
regions will bring merciful,VISITING AUSTRALIA WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
On December 1 overseas students
and those with job offers are
welcome back down under.
Crucially, though, so are those
with working holiday visas. This
visa is for 18 to 30-year-olds
who want to work and travel in
Australia, and with it you can stay
for up to a year – although you
can extend it for another year if
you work in rural areas. Apply viaimmi.homeaffairs.gov.au (hunt for
subclass 417); the cost is £267. Be
wary of processing times, though- the site warns that only 75 per
cent are processed within 85
days. New South Wales, Victoria
and the Australian Capital
Territory have now opened up
without quarantine. Other states
have said that they will follow
when they hit vaccination targets.
delicious enlightenment.
Winery tasting sessions
are friendly, educational
and — crucially — often free
of charge. Easily accessible
regions include the
Hunter Valley and
Southern Highlands
near Sydney, plus the
Mornington Peninsula
and Yarra Valley near
Melbourne. A day
tour from Melbourne
that includes three
winery sampling
sessions, gin tasting and
a restaurant lunch costs £81
(yarravalleywinetastingtours.
com.au).
Work it Those grapes need
picking, while the Yarra
Valley’s farms and orchards
are almost always in need
of casual labour. Find loads
of gap-year friendly job
opportunities in the area at
au.jora.com.FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE
ALONG THE BEACH
Where Fraser Island,
Queensland
Queensland fully reopens to
interstate visitors when it hits
the 80 per cent vaccination
target — predicted to be
December 17. To avoid
quarantine before then,
spend 14 days enjoying
New South Wales or Victoriafirst. Then throw yourself
into the classic Australian
backpacker adventure —
four-wheel driving on Fraser
Island. Your main road is 75
Mile Beach; wild dingoes
roam the conical sand blows,
and pristine freshwater
lakes such as Lake
McKenzie are irresistibly
swimmable. A two-day
tag-along tour — 4WD
beginners’ drive behind
a guide vehicle — costs
£227 (fraserdingo4wdhire.
com.au).
Work it The Kingfisher Bay
Resort is crying out for front-
of-house agents, chefs, beauty
therapists and housekeepers
— and provides on-island
staff accommodation
(kingfisherbay.com).SAIL THE WHITSUNDAYS
Where Airlie Beach,
Queensland
Flitting from island to island,
mooring a yacht near a top
snorkelling spot or stopping
for a game of beach cricket —
it’s not a bad way to spend
a couple of days. Sleeping on
the yacht and learning sailing
basics is part of the adventure.
Two-night cruises from £194
(sailing-whitsundays.com).
Work it You can get a second
year on your visa if you do
88 days’ work in remote areas.
Making drinks in one of Airlie’s
bars beats breaking your
back in the fields. You’ll need
a Responsible Service of
Alcohol Certificate first —
a one-day course costs £97
(sydneybarschool.com.au).