New to Australia? Start here.

Your TFN is your unique tax ID. Without it you pay much higher tax. Apply free at the ATO website once you have an Australian address. It takes up to 28 days but you can start work before it arrives — give your TFN to your employer when it comes.

Apply: ato.gov.au → "Apply for a TFN".

It is FREE. Anyone charging you for a TFN application is scamming you.

Most big banks (Commonwealth Bank, NAB, ANZ, Westpac) let you open an account online before you arrive. Bring your passport to a branch within 6 weeks of arriving in Australia to fully activate it.

You will need an Australian address (a hostel address often works) and your passport.

No fees and no minimum balance are normal — never accept "monthly fees" if you are under 30.

Every Australian employer is required to pay an extra ~11.5% on top of your wages into a "super" account in your name. This is yours.

On a temporary visa you can claim it back when you leave Australia for good (DASP — Departing Australia Superannuation Payment). Tax is high (~65%) but it is still your money.

Pick one super fund and give that account to every employer — otherwise you end up with multiple accounts and fees eat your savings.

Telstra, Optus and Vodafone are the three main networks. Telstra has best regional coverage — essential if you are working on farms.

Pre-paid SIMs are easy: $30/month gets you 30-50GB. Buy at the airport, Woolworths, Coles, or any 7-Eleven.

Save the Fair Work Ombudsman number: 13 13 94.

Medicare is Australia's public healthcare system. Working Holiday Makers from most countries (UK, NL, Ireland, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Italy, Malta, Slovenia, NZ) get reciprocal Medicare access — free GP visits and hospital.

Other visa holders need private Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC). Compare on iSelect or directly with insurers.

Always get a doctor's certificate if you're sick on a job — it protects your 88-day count.

MyGov links your government services: ATO (tax), Medicare, Centrelink, immigration.

Create your account at my.gov.au. You'll need it for tax returns, Medicare cards and lots more.

Set up two-factor authentication — your MyGov holds sensitive info.

Keep it to 1-2 pages. No photo. No date of birth. No marital status. These are Australian norms.

Lead with your work eligibility (visa type and expiry), location, then experience.

For farm/hospitality work, employers care about: reliability, fitness, transport, accommodation needs, start date and length of stay. Put those up top.

A hostel bed: $35-60/night in cities, $30-45 regional.

Shared house room: $200-400/week in cities, $150-300 regional.

Groceries for a frugal week: $80-120. Aldi is cheapest.

Public transport in cities: $30-50/week with a daily cap.

000 — Police, Fire, Ambulance (Australian 911).

13 11 14 — Lifeline (mental health, 24/7).

13 13 94 — Fair Work Ombudsman (wage/work issues).

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) — National sexual assault and domestic violence support.

131 444 — Police non-emergency.

You can usually drive in Australia on your overseas licence for the length of your stay, as long as the licence is in English (or you carry a certified translation).

Long distances are real. Sydney to Melbourne is 9 hours. Cairns to Brisbane is 21 hours. Plan accordingly.

A cheap second-hand car is often the difference between getting and not getting farm work. Budget $3,000-5,000 + insurance + rego.

Most farms provide on-site accommodation — check what you're paying (sometimes free, often $100-180/week deducted from pay).

Working hostels exist near big harvest areas (Bundaberg, Stanthorpe, Mildura, Shepparton) — they'll help find you work in exchange for staying there.

For long-term: gumtree.com.au and flatmates.com.au are the main share-house sites.

Never pay anyone to "secure" you a job. Legitimate employers and recruiters don't charge workers.

Be very wary of any job that wants payment for training, "uniform", or "registration".

If a job sounds too good ($50/hr fruit picking, free housing, no experience) it is almost always a scam or illegal.

Don't hand over your passport to an employer — they have no legal right to keep it.

Real wages get paid into your bank account with a payslip. Cash-in-hand is risky and may not count for 88 days.