The One-Way Ticket

I originally went to Australia mainly to attend my friend’s wedding. At least, that’s what my friends and family thought. They all expected me to come home after two weeks.

What they didn’t know was that I had only bought a one-way flight.

Australia Was Always There

Looking back, I think Australia had been quietly making its way into my life long before I ever considered coming here.

My Dad’s work sometimes took him offshore in Australia, and I remember him coming home and telling me how great it was there. Even though I was too young to really understand what that meant, Australia was already somewhere I associated with adventure and somewhere worth seeing.

But the person I probably have to thank most for my aspiration to be in Australia is my Mum. She definitely doesn’t think she is — and I’m not sure she even realises she is.

Growing up, watching Home and Away was part of our after-school routine. My Mum loved the show, and without knowing it, she was slowly planting the idea of Australia in my head. It wasn’t just Home and Away, either. Other Australian shows became a huge part of my childhood too: Hi-5, H2O: Just Add Water, Mortified and The Saddle Club.

I think those shows did something quite special. Before I had ever been to Australia, they made it feel familiar to me. I grew up watching people live their lives in this place on the other side of the world, and somewhere along the way, that turned into a yearning to one day experience Australia for myself and create my own memories there.

My First Taste of Australia

My first taste of actually being in Australia came in 2018, when I chose to complete my second year of film school here as a study-abroad student.

To be fair, I had made a deal with my Mum. If I chose to study at a UK university close to my hometown, I could apply for the study-abroad programme if my course allowed it. Luckily, it did — and I am very grateful that she let me take that opportunity.

This year abroad shaped me in many ways. It gave me my first taste of ‘proper’ independence and my first taste of solo travelling. But unfortunately, it also gave me my first taste of isolation.

I was thousands of miles away from my family and friends, and eight hours ahead of them. The time difference meant that sometimes I could only spend an hour talking to them over the phone. I’d catch glimpses of their mornings as I was getting ready for bed, or their nights as I was waking up. It made the distance between us feel even greater.

At the time, I don’t think I fully understood how much that experience would shape me. I had fallen in love with Australia, but I had also learnt that being far from the people you love comes with its own challenges.

There Isn’t One Way to Do Australia

One thing I’ve come to realise during my time in Australia is just how differently everyone chooses to experience it.

I’ve met so many people along the way, and hearing their plans has made me realise that there really isn’t one way to do Australia. Some people head out into the outback to work, rather than staying in the cities, so they can save money quickly and use it to fund more travelling. Others use their three years simply to experience what it’s like to live in a completely different country. Some are constantly moving, chasing the next place, while others find somewhere they love and stay for a while.

I actually wish I had known about this way of travelling much earlier. For a long time, I thought working in the outback was mainly for people who needed to complete their 88 days. I also assumed I would find living somewhere remote and working for weeks on end pretty boring, so I never really considered it for myself. I didn’t want to take jobs away from people who needed them to complete their specified work.

It wasn’t until I met people who had deliberately chosen the outback simply as a way of life — working hard for a few months, saving a decent amount of money and then heading off to travel again — that I realised it could actually be an amazing way to experience Australia.

It made me wonder how different my own experience might have been if I had known from the beginning that living in the outback was an option too.

For me, my experience has looked a little different. The two places I’ve chosen to stay for longer periods have been Melbourne and Noosa. Both are places I’ve loved for very different reasons, but they are also expensive places to live.

I’ve definitely struggled to save money while living in them. Part of that is probably because I’m a sucker for a good sale, but a much bigger part is simply the cost of living and how much there is to spend when you’re living in places where there is always something to do. Sydney is another obvious example of an expensive Australian city, although I haven’t lived there long-term.

Looking back, I sometimes wonder what my savings would look like if I had spent more of my time working in remote areas rather than choosing to settle for longer in places like Melbourne and Noosa. But at the same time, I don’t think I would change it.

I came to Australia to experience it, not just to make as much money as possible. And while I’ve met people who have been incredibly clever with their money by working remotely and then using their savings to travel, I’ve also realised that there is something to be said for choosing a place because you genuinely want to live there.

Australia and Me