The year that changes everything, sorted.
Housing, jobs, the 88 days, tax, and road trips. Your whole working holiday in Australia in one guide, written by a Canadian who lived it.
Instant PDF download · Updates straight to your inbox · Priced in CAD
I did it the hard way so you don’t have to.
When I landed in Sydney, I had an overstuffed suitcase and a million questions. What’s a TFN? Where do I sleep next week? When should I start my 88 days? The answers were scattered and outdated, and none of it was written for Canadians.
So I figured it out along the way, mostly through trial and error. I lived in a van, served flat whites, and watched the sun rise with kangaroos in Esperance. This guide is everything I learned, in the order you’ll need it, so your time in Australia can be about the adventure instead of the admin.
— Zoë
Five sections. Zero panic.
The guide follows your working holiday in the order you’ll live it. Tap a section to see what’s covered, and open a couple of real pages.
61 pages28 chapters5 sections
Before You Go
The adventure starts before take-off — a little prep goes a long way.
Everything to sort from home before you fly: visa basics, booking flights and your first nights, health coverage in Canada and Australia, and what to pack.
- 01The Visa
- 02Flights & First Nights
- 03Health Coverage
- 04Packing & Prep
Arrival in Australia
Your first weeks, sorted — from landing to lease.
Getting through the border, setting up your phone, bank, and tax file number, finding somewhere to live, getting around, and settling into everyday life.
- 05Landing in Australia
- 06Life Admin
- 07Housing
- 08Getting Around
- 09Everyday Life
Working in Australia
Earning your keep — early starts, long shifts, and cash in your pocket.
Finding work and getting paid properly. Job hunting, wages and work rights, super, the 88 days of regional work, what counts beyond the farm, qualifying for a second or third year, and tax time.
- 10Job Hunting
- 11Pay & Work Rights
- 12Your Super
- 13The 88 Days
- 14Beyond the Farm
- 15Year Two & Three
- 16Tax Time
Living in Australia
Making the most of it — open roads, sunny days, and nights under the stars.
The part you came for. Driving on the left and getting your own wheels, road trips and nearby getaways, staying safe in the sun and surf, looking after your health, Aussie slang, and the food and bucket-list moments worth chasing.
- 17Transport & Driving
- 18Road Trips & Getaways
- 19Hazards & Emergencies
- 20Body & Mind
- 21Living Like a Local
- 22Must-Tries
Heading Home
Closing things out cleanly — and bringing the best of it home with you.
Wrapping up properly. Your visa’s end date, claiming your super back, the leaving checklist, and landing back in Canada, reverse culture shock and all.
- 23Before Your Visa Ends
- 24Your Super Refund
- 25Before You Fly Home
- 26Settling Back In
- 27What Comes Next
Plus checklists you can tick off right in the guide, and a Resources page with the apps, links, and numbers worth keeping handy.
Is this guide for you?
Made for you if…
- You’re a Canadian citizen or permanent resident heading to Australia on a Working Holiday visa, or seriously thinking about it.
- You’ve been granted the visa, or you’re applying for it yourself.
- You want everything in one place, in the order you’ll need it.
- You’d rather spend your first weeks at the beach than on hold with the bank.
What it isn’t
- A visa application walkthrough. The guide covers who’s eligible and what you’ll need, but it doesn’t walk you through the application itself. The Department of Home Affairs website is the place for that.
- Legal, tax, or immigration advice. It explains how things work so you can make your own calls.
- Set in stone. Rules change, so when something important does, you’ll get the update straight to your inbox.
Sunnier days ahead.
Freezing Canadian winters
Endless Australian sunshine
you decide
Pick your send-off.
Just the guide, or the guide plus people in your corner from take-off to touchdown back home.
Launch price $39 after launch
- The full 61-page guide (PDF)
- Checklists you can tick off right in the guide
- Updates straight to your inbox
The guide and the group chat
- Everything in The Guide
- A spot in the Sunbound Crew, a private WhatsApp group with other Sunbound travellers
- Ask questions, swap tips, and find travel buddies and roomies
Founding crew: the first 10 get this for $29 with code FOUNDINGCREW
Join the crewGuide, crew, and a call with me
- Everything in Guide + Crew
- A 45-minute 1:1 video call with Zoë
- Tailored advice for your plans, solo, as a couple, or with friends
- Insider tips that didn’t make it into the guide
- Travelling with someone? A second Crew spot for them, too
All prices in Canadian dollars, plus applicable tax.
Good to know.
Does the guide help me apply for the visa?
Not with the application itself. The guide covers who’s eligible and what you’ll need, so you know where you stand. The Department of Home Affairs website walks you through the application. The guide is for people who’ve been granted the visa or are applying for it themselves.
What format is it, and can I read it on my phone?
It’s a 61-page PDF you can read on your phone, tablet, or laptop, and print if you like. You can tick off the checklists right in the guide using PDF apps like Adobe Acrobat Reader or Apple’s Preview.
How do updates work?
When something important changes, like visa rules or pay rates, I’ll email you what’s changed and what it means for you, wherever you are in your working holiday. The guide itself is kept current, so it’s up to date whenever you buy it.
Is it only for Canadians?
It’s written for anyone who calls Canada home, citizens and permanent residents alike, so health coverage, banking, taxes, and coming home are all from a Canadian point of view. Whether you can get the visa depends on your passport, so if yours isn’t Canadian, check the Department of Home Affairs website first. Plenty of the guide is useful to anyone, but some details won’t apply.
What’s the Sunbound Crew?
The Sunbound Crew is a private WhatsApp group for Sunbound travellers to ask questions, swap tips, and meet people on the same adventure, whether that’s a travel buddy or a roomie for your first place. You’ll get your invite by email after checkout, and your spot never expires. Groups are kept to a set size so the chat stays useful. Full Send includes a second spot, so your travel buddy can join too.
How does the 1:1 call work?
After checkout you’ll book a 45-minute video call at a time that suits you. We’ll talk through your plans and the questions that are specific to you, whether you’re going solo, as a couple, or with friends. Travelling with someone? Bring them along to the call. I’ll also share the tips that didn’t make it into the guide. I can’t help with your visa application or do your taxes for you.