Australia is an expensive place to live… that’s why every backpacker sooner or later needs a job in order to pay for food, rent and the car. But even if Australia is an expensive place to live, it’s easy to make here some money. There are heaps of jobs all over the country and if u r a bit lucky you find a good and well paid job.
When we came to Darwin on the 24th of January all four of us were pretty short on money. Some of us spent their last money to pay the rent for the apartment. As we found out a bit later we were really lucky with our apartment. An Italian guy in Adelaide told us about the YMCA and encouraged us to go there. So when we arrived in Darwin our first stop was the YMCA. And because the luck was on our side the guy provided us with a big nice and spacious apartment and this for only 100 Dollar per week. We also have a nice pool and bbq area. AND we live in the CBD. Pretty good deal, ay… ;) For the first couple of weeks there was just the four of us. But as there are six beds in the apartment the owner wanted to fill these beds too. So we kept looking for friends who want to move in and that’s why we share our flat now with Guglielmo, a geologist from Naples, and Brad our friend from New Zealand who recently moved to Darwin. But back again to the job hunt! We all needed money… as soon as possible. So on our first day in Darwin we went from restaurant to restaurant and from bar to bar and left them our CV’s. And it looked quite promising as everybody told us they are looking for staff and they will contact us. In the end we realized this is just the Australian way to tell u they don’t need u. At least not right now. In the end Shenannigans Irish Pub called us the same day and told us to start immediately. And that’s what Monika and I did. However, we don’t earn that well in the Irish Pub. 23.40 before tax and 16.40 after tax (however, u get ur tax back as soon as u leave OZ) and we can only make about 30 hours per week, which is simply not enough. That’s why we kept on looking for a second job. We contacted all the job agencies in Darwin and they provided us with some casual waitstaffing jobs at the Parliament or the Convention Center. Another event agency calls us, whenever they need people and that’s why we hop from one job to another. 
Darwin is a wonderful place to live. It’s a town with a population of about 70,000 people. However, characterizing for Darwin is its small-town atmosphere. There are basically two main streets, Smith Street and Mitchell Street. On Smith Street u have The Mall which is good for shopping, while Mitchell Street has heaps of bars, restaurants and clubs. Darwin Waterfront is a must-see just like Mindl Beach, Funny Bay and Cullen Bay. Another reason to spend a bit more time in Darwin is because of the people. Many Australians agree that the nicest people live in Darwin. We met some great people from Italy, Estonia, France, Germany and Australia. However, there are a lot of Aborigines in Darwin and that’s why it is also considered to be unsafe at night. However, we never had any problems and to be honest I don’t have the feeling that Darwin is not a safe place. As we want to stay in Darwin until the beginning of June we will keep on working for Shenannigans unless we find another, better paid job. Wish us luck…!!!! ;)))
When we came to Darwin on the 24th of January all four of us were pretty short on money. Some of us spent their last money to pay the rent for the apartment. As we found out a bit later we were really lucky with our apartment. An Italian guy in Adelaide told us about the YMCA and encouraged us to go there. So when we arrived in Darwin our first stop was the YMCA. And because the luck was on our side the guy provided us with a big nice and spacious apartment and this for only 100 Dollar per week. We also have a nice pool and bbq area. AND we live in the CBD. Pretty good deal, ay… ;) For the first couple of weeks there was just the four of us. But as there are six beds in the apartment the owner wanted to fill these beds too. So we kept looking for friends who want to move in and that’s why we share our flat now with Guglielmo, a geologist from Naples, and Brad our friend from New Zealand who recently moved to Darwin. But back again to the job hunt! We all needed money… as soon as possible. So on our first day in Darwin we went from restaurant to restaurant and from bar to bar and left them our CV’s. And it looked quite promising as everybody told us they are looking for staff and they will contact us. In the end we realized this is just the Australian way to tell u they don’t need u. At least not right now. In the end Shenannigans Irish Pub called us the same day and told us to start immediately. And that’s what Monika and I did. However, we don’t earn that well in the Irish Pub. 23.40 before tax and 16.40 after tax (however, u get ur tax back as soon as u leave OZ) and we can only make about 30 hours per week, which is simply not enough. That’s why we kept on looking for a second job. We contacted all the job agencies in Darwin and they provided us with some casual waitstaffing jobs at the Parliament or the Convention Center. Another event agency calls us, whenever they need people and that’s why we hop from one job to another. 
However, Australia is a great place to make heaps of money. If u r willing to work hard u easily can make 1000 $ and more per week. These jobs, however, are very popular and u have to be at the right place at the right time. What u also need is patience and luck. And that’s why Monika and I are constantly looking for something else. Gardening, construction, mining and traffic control, there is no job we didn’t apply for… All we have to do now is contacting them over and over again and hope they are looking for people.
Daniel and Max on the other hand started working for Red Rooster – a fast food chain which basically concentrates on chicken. Daniel got a promotion the second day he worked there and he is now a supervisor – basically supervising Max. ;)
Darwin is a wonderful place to live. It’s a town with a population of about 70,000 people. However, characterizing for Darwin is its small-town atmosphere. There are basically two main streets, Smith Street and Mitchell Street. On Smith Street u have The Mall which is good for shopping, while Mitchell Street has heaps of bars, restaurants and clubs. Darwin Waterfront is a must-see just like Mindl Beach, Funny Bay and Cullen Bay. Another reason to spend a bit more time in Darwin is because of the people. Many Australians agree that the nicest people live in Darwin. We met some great people from Italy, Estonia, France, Germany and Australia. However, there are a lot of Aborigines in Darwin and that’s why it is also considered to be unsafe at night. However, we never had any problems and to be honest I don’t have the feeling that Darwin is not a safe place. As we want to stay in Darwin until the beginning of June we will keep on working for Shenannigans unless we find another, better paid job. Wish us luck…!!!! ;))) 
