An American In Brisbane: Australia Working Holiday Visa Month 3 Update
An American In Brisbane: Australia Working Holiday Visa Month 3 Update
Published February 18, 2026
This blog post was proudly created without the use of generative AI. It was 100% written and edited by a human, for humans. Enjoy, and thanks for your support!
If you’re curious what it’s like to move to Australia on a Working Holiday Visa (WHV), I’m here to tell you all about it! My name is Kevin, and I recently finished my third month living in Brisbane on a WHV after moving here from Chicago in November of 2025. My visa is valid for a year, which means I have nine months left to live and work in Australia. I can’t believe my time here is already 25% complete!
This month’s highlight was having my friend Ismael visit from overseas! We spent most of our time in Brisbane, but we also left the city a few times to visit other parts of Queensland’s coast. This post will include all the details of where we went and what we did.
Below are all of the things that happened during my third month in Australia, which ran from January 16, 2026 to February 15, 2026. To skip down to any particular topic, click or tap the corresponding link below!
Recap of My First Two Months in Australia on a WHV
To make a long story short, I spent my first two months in Brisbane getting to know the city and settling into a routine. I found a place to live and a job, but having to look for both at the same time was kind of chaotic. If you want to know more about my job and apartment hunts, check out my update posts for Months 1 and 2!
Housing & Job Updates
In terms of housing, I’m still living in the same shared apartment near Woolloongabba that I moved into between Christmas and New Year. It’s been a great fit for me, and I’m hoping to stay here for at least the next few months. In terms of work, I’m still in the teaching position I started after New Year! I’ve worked as an educator for many years now, so I’m really grateful that I was able to find a job within my field.
My First Visitor in Brisbane
The best part of my third month here in Brisbane was having a friend visit! Ismael and I have known each other since middle school, and we’ve hung out all over the world together since I started my blog back in 2018.
Things We Did in Brisbane
During Ismael’s visit, we toured some of my favorite spots around the city, but we also explored a lot of places I hadn’t been before. Read on to learn more!
Streets Beach in South Bank
Location: Stanley St Plaza, South Brisbane QLD 4101
This man-made beach is one of Brisbane’s most popular tourist destinations because it offers beautiful blue waters, real sand, and a great view of the city skyline! It’s also completely free and open to the public.
The Wheel of Brisbane
Location: Russell St, South Brisbane QLD 4101
Website: https://thewheelofbrisbane.com.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrisbaneWheel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channel7wheelofbrisbane/
A short walk north from Streets Beach is the Wheel of Brisbane. We visited the wheel on a weekday, so we didn’t have to wait in line to get on. This Ferris wheel offers unobstructed, elevated views of Brisbane’s skyline as well as a recorded narration pointing out important landmarks.
Mount Coot-tha
Location: 1012 Sir Samuel Griffith Dr, Mount Coot-tha QLD 4066
Mount Coot-tha overlooks Brisbane from the west and is a popular spot to watch the sunset. I had never seen the city from this vantage point, so I really enjoyed coming out this way. Mount Coot-tha also has a botanic garden and numerous hiking trails, but we took an Uber straight to the summit lookout. I’ll have to go back sometime soon to explore more of Mount Coot-tha.
Restaurants
Ismael and I are both enthusiastic foodies, so we tried as many restaurants in Brisbane as we could! We ate at some casual spots, but I think the culinary highlights were two of Brisbane’s best-rated restaurants: Rogue Bistro and Agnes.
Both Rogue Bistro and Agnes were delectable fine dining restaurants with pretty distinct atmospheres. I’d say Rogue Bistro offered classic courses that felt very balanced overall, while Agnes offered a more adventurous meat-heavy menu.
If you want to know more details about both of these restaurants, be sure to follow “Kev’s AUS Food Diary” on Instagram! I’m writing reviews there of every restaurant I try in Australia during my Working Holiday!
Day Trip to the Gold Coast
Queensland’s Gold Coast is famous for its waves, surfing, and stunning skyline right next to the beach. The Gold Coast takes about two hours to get to from Brisbane on public transit, and the route involves both a train and a light rail/tram. It is possible to do as a day trip, but prepare to be gone from morning until night (especially if you plan to eat dinner on the Gold Coast).
We spent most of our day on the Gold Coast in Surfers Paradise, one of the main tourist and commercial hubs along the beach. The waves here were pretty powerful, so the lifeguards only allowed people to swim in a specific area. The water was nice and warm, but not calm enough to really relax in.
The Gold Coast’s skyline is incredible, but the city honestly had an unusual vibe that was hard to pinpoint. Maybe it felt quieter than we expected? There’s also no real downtown, which is sort of odd. Don’t get me wrong, I had a great time there, and I plan to go back very soon! Nevertheless, something about this city sets it apart from other famous oceanfront cities like Miami and Rio de Janeiro.
Weekend Trip to Noosa
Noosa is a popular resort area north of Brisbane. Noosa is part of the Sunshine Coast, which to me felt less built-up and more tropical than the Gold Coast. Technically a train line does connect the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane, but most locals will tell you that it’s not very convenient. The main issue seems to be that the train runs parallel to the coastline, but about 15 kilometers inland. With that in mind, Ismael rented a car for a few days and we drove up.
Noosa has undeniably beautiful beaches and cute little neighborhoods. We swam, hiked a little bit, tried a few local restaurants, and generally had a great time! The only issue we ran into here was traffic and parking. I suspect that a lot of people from Brisbane drive up to Noosa each weekend (like we did) and clog up the town’s roads.
In Noosa, we stayed for one night at South Pacific Resort. I loved all the lush palm trees in the central courtyard here! The pools here also looked very inviting, but we were so busy exploring the beaches that we didn’t have time to swim at the resort.
Between Noosa and the Gold Coast, I’d have to say that I liked Noosa just a bit more. The only thing is that I don’t have a car here, so it’s a lot easier for me to visit the Gold Coast than the Sunshine Coast. Regardless, I’ll return to both areas as soon as I can! Brisbane is a beautiful city, but the one thing it’s missing is an oceanfront beach.
Finances
On each of my WHV monthly update posts, I’ll provide a monthly review of my finances and a rolling cumulative total of my earnings and expenses. Here is the breakdown for Month 3.
- TAKE-HOME INCOME: 3,930 AUD (2,780 USD)
- Rent: 400 AUD (280 USD) per week, all utilities included; total rent for third month of my WHV: 1,715 AUD (1,215 USD)
- Restaurants, bars, and cafes: 1,925 AUD (1,360 USD)
- Groceries and household items: 600 AUD (425 USD)
- Miscellaneous (clothes, appliances, transportation, misc. bills, etc): 85 AUD (60 USD)
- TOTAL THIRD-MONTH COSTS: 4,325 AUD (3,060 USD)
- MY MONTH 3 SURPLUS: -395 AUD (-280 USD)
Below is a summary of my cumulative finances for Months 1 through 3.
- Month 1 Income: 0; Month 1 Expenses: 4,010 AUD (2,835 USD); Month 1 Net: -4,010 AUD (-2,835 USD)
- Month 2 Income: 1,400 AUD (985 USD); Month 2 Expenses: 3,510 AUD (2,480 USD); Month 2 Net: -2,110 AUD (-1,495 USD)
- Month 3 Income: 3,930 AUD (2,780 USD); Month 3 Expenses: 4,325 AUD (3,060 USD); Month 3 Net: -395 AUD (-280 USD)
When you add it all up, my net earnings for Month 1, 2, and 3 are -6,515 AUD (-4,610 USD).
I spent a little bit more than I earned this month, but I came decently close to breaking even, as you can see in the data above. Since Ismael and I tried some fancy restaurants in Brisbane, that portion of my budget was higher than it would normally be. In Month 4, I’ll try to save more and come out with my first surplus!
My Plan Moving Forward
My plan for Month 4 is to just keep doing what I’m doing! If I’m being honest, I feel like finding genuine stability in Brisbane on a WHV (with regards to the job search and housing) took about a month and a half to two months. As such, I want to enjoy my time here now that I’m truly settled in!
The trips Ismael and I took to the Gold Coast and Noosa inspired me to do at least a few weekend trips per month moving forward. I’ll provide an update on how that’s going in my Month 4 blog post. I’m also determined to start saving more of my earnings now that I’m fully settled here.
Stay Up to Date on My Working Holiday! 🇦🇺
I hope this blog post provided lots of insights for all of you out there curious about living in Australia on a WHV! If you’re also on a Working Holiday or preparing to embark on one, leave a comment below and let me know how the process is going! I’ve definitely had my ups and downs here, but overall it’s been a great experience! Keep an eye out for my Month 4 update in mid-March!
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This post was published on Feb 18, 2026
This blog post was proudly created without the use of generative AI. It was 100% written and edited by a human, for humans. Enjoy, and thanks for your support!
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