Travel Thoughts Archives - Caffeinated Excursions

An American In Brisbane: Australia Working Holiday Visa Month 7 Update

Kevin | Caffeinated Excursions — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 17:00:00 +0000

An American In Brisbane: Australia Working Holiday Visa Month 7 Update

Published June 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!

Hello, travel enthusiasts! I recently finished my seventh month in Australia on a year-long Working Holiday Visa (WHV), and in this blog post, I’ll be sharing what I’ve been up to and how things are going. Ever since I arrived in Australia, I’ve been based in Brisbane, so this post will highlight some of what the city has to offer in terms of attractions, food, and more.

Below are all the topics I’ll discuss in this post. Click or tap any link below to jump down to the corresponding section!

Recap of My First Six Months in Australia on a WHV
Life in Brisbane
Day Trips
Housing & Job Updates
A Few Restaurant Highlights This Month
Finances
My Plan Moving Forward

Recap of My First Six Months in Australia on a WHV

I flew to Australia in November of last year (2025). I spent a day or two in Sydney, where I relaxed and recuperated from the long flight. Then, I flew a few hours north to Brisbane, where I’ve been ever since! After getting settled in, I had to look for a job and a place to live. Both searches took about a month, and I started working after Christmas and New Year.

By mid-January of this year, I had a pretty regular weekly routine. I also had a good friend come and visit from overseas during Month 3. Since then, I’ve tried to do at least a few day trips each month, mostly to South East Queensland’s beautiful Pacific coast.

Life in Brisbane

Brisbane is one of the most comfortable and liveable cities I’ve ever been fortunate enough to call home. That’s largely because there is so much green space in and around the city center! I also love walking along the banks of the Brisbane River, which runs through the heart of the metro region.

On days when I’m not working, I often take trains, buses, and ferries to nearby destinations like the Gold Coast and North Stradbroke Island. When I stay in Brisbane, I spend a lot of my leisure time in the city’s lush public parks. I also like trying new restaurants, which I’ll discuss in more detail below!

Day Trips

This month, I did four day trips to the Gold Coast metro area and North Stradbroke Island. Read on to learn more about each place I visited!

Gold Coast

Location: Click or tap for Google Maps link

This was my fourth day trip down to the Gold Coast region since moving to Brisbane. On this trip, I enjoyed the beach in Surfers Paradise, a neighborhood that’s home to the Gold Coast’s tallest skyscrapers. I also got lunch at a delicious Brazilian restaurant, then went to a huge shopping mall in the city called Pacific Fair.

North Stradbroke Island

Location: Click or tap for Google Maps link

I first visited North Stradbroke Island during Month 6, but it’s such a beautiful spot that I had to come back twice in Month 7! On my first visit, I stayed on the island’s western (Moreton Bay) side. For my second and third visits, I made my way by bus over to the eastern (Pacific) side. The main town there is called Point Lookout, and it really does offer stunning views of the open ocean.

If I’m being completely honest, I think the beaches at Point Lookout are prettier than the beaches I’ve seen on the Gold Coast. If you’re visiting Brisbane on vacation, a day trip to North Stradbroke Island (and Point Lookout specifically) is an absolute must.

Coolangatta, QLD & Tweed Heads, NSW

Location: Click or tap for Google Maps link

Coolangatta (also called “Cooly”) is the southernmost tip of the Gold Coast, and it lies directly north the border between Queensland and New South Wales. The town on the NSW side is called Tweed Heads. I first visited this area in Month 6, and it was nice to return a second time in Month 7.

Coincidentally, I happened to visit Coolangatta this time during the Cooly Rocks On Festival. It’s a nostalgia-themed event with a focus on “motors, music, and lifestyle,” according to the festival’s website. The most impressive and prominent part of the festival was the vintage car show. I’m not into cars at all, but the collection was still incredible to see!

Housing & Job Updates

I’m still living in the same apartment I found at the end of December, and I think I’ll probably stay here until I leave Brisbane. It’s a great place to live near Kangaroo Point and Woolloongabba, two inner suburbs that are a short distance from Brisbane City.

The biggest update I have with regard to work is that I picked up a second job teaching classes at night. However, it was a short-term arrangement that only lasted for three weeks, so I’m already done with it and am back to my regular schedule of just teaching classes during the day.

A Few Restaurant Highlights This Month

In my last few WHV monthly update posts, I’ve featured some restaurants that stood out to me. Below are this month’s top picks! If you’re looking for additional food reviews in and around Brisbane, be sure to check out “Kev’s AUS Food Diary” on Instagram! On that account, I’ve written up a brief review of every restaurant I’ve tried since moving to Australia.

The first restaurant I’m mentioning is Burger Urge. I visited the location in Nundah, but there are lots of locations throughout Queensland. They serve creative and indulgent burgers like the “El Diablo” pictured below! In addition, this chain was originally founded in Brisbane, so it’s about as local as you can get!

Another restaurant worth trying is Casa Brasil on Chevron Island in Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast. The prato feito with picanha (combo plate with steak) I ordered here was a truly nostalgic meal for me! That’s because I lived in Brazil from 2020 to 2021. In Brisbane, O Brasileiro is my go-to Brazilian spot. On the Gold Coast, Casa Brasil was just as delicious.

I also eat a lot of Vietnamese food here in Australia because it’s authentic and affordable. This month, I tried a restaurant in Sunnybank, a suburb that’s home to a large Vietnamese diaspora community. The restaurant was called That Viet Place, where I got a satisfying, spicy bowl of bún bò Huế and a dumpling appetizer.

I also tried a Vietnamese spot in Wynnum called Viet Food. Here, I ordered rice paper rolls and a bowl of phở. This spot had delicious food, generous portions, and friendly service. Wynnum is sort of off the beaten path, so this restaurant felt like a nice local gem.

Finally, I want to give a shout-out to Six Beaches Fish Grill and Bar in Point Lookout on North Stradbroke Island. This slightly upscale restaurant was the perfect place to stop for lunch! I think it’s also named for Point Lookout’s six different beaches, all of which I’ll try to showcase in an upcoming blog post. The pork belly burger I ordered here was absolutely phenomenal! The meat was so tender and marinated in a delicious sauce. It was filling, but also very refreshing.

Finances

On each of my WHV monthly update posts, I’m including a monthly review of my finances and a rolling cumulative total of my earnings and expenses. Here is the breakdown for Month 7.

TAKE-HOME INCOME: 6,960 AUD AUD (4,870 USD)
Rent: 400 AUD (280 USD) per week, all utilities included; total rent for seventh month of my WHV: 1,770 AUD (1,240 USD)
Restaurants, bars, and cafes: 760 AUD (530 USD)
Groceries and household items: 840 AUD (585 USD)
Miscellaneous (clothes, appliances, transportation): 95 AUD (70 USD)
Bills: 135 AUD (95 USD)
Travel expenses for an upcoming trip: 1,950 AUD (1,365 USD)
TOTAL SEVENTH-MONTH COSTS: 5,550 AUD (3,885 USD)
MY MONTH 7 SURPLUS: 1,410 AUD (985 USD)

Below is a summary of my cumulative finances for Months 1 through 7.

Month 1 Income: 0; Month 1 Expenses: 4,295 AUD (2,835 USD); Month 1 Net: -4,295 AUD (-2,835 USD)
Month 2 Income: 1,400 AUD (940 USD); Month 2 Expenses: 3,565 AUD (2,390 USD); Month 2 Net: -2,165 AUD (-1,450 USD)
Month 3 Income: 3,930 AUD (2,790 USD); Month 3 Expenses: 4,380 AUD (3,110 USD); Month 3 Net: -450 AUD (-320 USD)
Month 4 Income: 4,195 AUD (2,980 USD); Month 4 Expenses: 3,595 AUD (2,555 USD); Month 4 Net: 600 AUD (425 USD)
Month 5 Income: 4,615 AUD (3,325 USD); Month 5 Expenses: 4,280 AUD (3,080 USD); Month 5 Net: 335 AUD (245 USD)
Month 6 Income: 3,930 AUD (2,790 USD); Month 6 Expenses: 3,415 AUD (2,425 USD); Month 6 Net: 515 AUD (365 USD)
Month 7 Income: 6,960 AUD (4,870 USD); Month 7 Expenses: 5,550 AUD (3,885 USD); Month 7 Net: 1,410 AUD (985 USD)

When you add it all up, my net earnings for Months 1 through 7 are -4,050 AUD (-2,835 USD). Note that conversion rates have fluctuated since I arrived (from 0.66 USD = 1 AUD in November 2025 to 0.70 USD = 1 AUD in June 2026). This accounts for a discrepancy between my AUD and USD summation.

As you can see, I’m still in the negative by a few thousand dollars. Even while working two jobs, breaking even has been a slow process. If I hadn’t booked a few international flights for an upcoming vacation scheduled for Month 10, I’d be closer to paying off all my expenses from the beginning of my Working Holiday.

With all this in mind, I would reiterate the importance of saving up as much as you can before coming to Australia on a WHV. I’ve generally been able to pay my expenses each month on the income I’ve made here, but I still haven’t made up the initial costs of Months 1 and 2.

My Plan Moving Forward

My plan is to stay in Brisbane until my one-year WHV expires in November. I love it here, and I still want to spend Months 8 through 12 living and working in Australia’s third-largest city.

The biggest change that will be coming in Month 8 is that I’ll have to leave the teaching job I started in January. That’s because many jobs are restricted to a maximum of six months for Working Holiday Makers (WHV holders). I need to find another day job to replace this one, which I’ll really miss! It’s been a great fit, and I’ve loved working as a teacher in the city. I’ll see if I can find another teaching job, but if not, I’m flexible to work in other industries.

I’ll also continue to do as many day trips from Brisbane as I can! I haven’t seen as much of North Stradbroke Island or the Gold Coast as I would like to, so I want to go back to both. Destinations like the Sunshine Coast to the north and Byron Bay to the south are also on my wish list, so I may eventually do some day or overnight trips to those seaside towns.

Thank you for checking out my Month 7 Australian WHV update! Be sure to read my other posts in this series if you haven’t already, and keep a lookout for my Month 8 post soon!

Share This Post With Fellow Travelers!

This post was published on June 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!

Hi, I’m Kevin! I’m a coffee addict from Seattle, and my life revolves around traveling! Caffeinated Excursions is a record of my trips over the past seven years. Since I started blogging, I’ve lived in Mexico, Vietnam, Brazil, and the US. I just moved to Australia and plan to be here a full year. Thanks for checking out my blog!

Bangkok (Sept)
Istanbul (Sept)

The post An American In Brisbane: Australia Working Holiday Visa Month 7 Update appeared first on Caffeinated Excursions.

An American In Brisbane: Australia Working Holiday Visa Month 6 Update

Kevin | Caffeinated Excursions — Mon, 18 May 2026 17:00:00 +0000

An American In Brisbane: Australia Working Holiday Visa Month 6 Update

Published May 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!

Can you believe my year in Australia is already half over? If you’re new to my travel blog, welcome! My name is Kevin, and I’m an American based in Brisbane on a Working Holiday Visa (WHV). If you’re curious what it’s like to spend a year in Australia on a WHV, you’ve come to the right place! I’ve written a monthly update blog post since I arrived, and this is my sixth post in the series.

Below are all the topics I’ll discuss in this post. Click or tap any link below to jump down to the corresponding section!

Recap of My First Five Months in Australia on a WHV
Life in Brisbane
Day Trips
Housing & Job Updates
A Few Restaurant Highlights This Month
Finances
My Plan Moving Forward

Recap of My First Five Months in Australia on a WHV

I came to Australia in mid-November of 2025. After settling in, I applied to quite a few jobs across multiple industries. The job search was tough, but I got a few callbacks and started working as a teacher right after New Year 2026. Since then, I’ve worked a regular teaching schedule during the week, and on weekends I’ve explored Brisbane and its surroundings.

Life in Brisbane

Because Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere, this time of year (April – May) is autumn, and winter is rapidly approaching. Luckily, Brisbane has a very mild winter characterized by cool mornings and evenings. Afternoons in wintertime are usually warm but not hot. I’ve loved not having to bundle up the way I did when I lived in Chicago!

I’m a big foodie, so my main hobby here is trying new restaurants. In addition, I’ve started to get back into running. A friend recommended a run club that offers complimentary beers after their weekly 5k, which has been a great motivator to stick with it!

Day Trips

Time flies when you’re having fun, and I know that six months left in Australia is not actually that long, especially since I’m working Mondays through Fridays. I want to make the most of my time here, so I’ve tried to do some day trips on the weekends to explore more of South East Queensland (and even a tiny bit of New South Wales).

Wynnum, Manly, and Lota

Location: Click or tap for Google Maps link

These areas form part of Brisbane’s Moreton Bay coast. They have a much calmer atmosphere than the city center, which is about 15 to 20 kilometers to the east. This entire coastline is easily accessible via the city’s Cleveland train line, making it an ideal day trip as long as the weather is sunny.

I’m hoping to spend more time out this way in the coming months, and hopefully I’ll explore Wynnum enough that I can write a blog post about the area before I leave Brisbane in November.

Dunwich & Amity, North Stradbroke Island

Location: Click or tap for Google Maps link

North Stradbroke Island is one of the most popular day trips from Brisbane, and after visiting, I can see why. You have to take a ferry from the mainland to North Stradbroke Island, but it only costs about 20 AUD for a round-trip ticket.

North Stradbroke has three main towns: Dunwich, Amity, and Point Lookout. On my day trip, I visited the first two. These two towns face inland towards Moreton Bay, so their beaches have calm and clear waters. I will absolutely be back soon to check out Point Lookout, which is located on the island’s Pacific side. The waves there are known to be rough, but also an incredibly vibrant shade of blue.

Coolangatta, QLD & Tweed Heads, NSW

Location: Click or tap for Google Maps link

The last day trip I took this month was down to the very southern edge of the Gold Coast known as Coolangatta. I also visited the neighboring town of Tweed Heads. The state border between Queensland and New South Wales separates Coolangatta and Tweed Heads, so I technically left Queensland for the first time since November to spend an hour or two on the NSW side!

Coolangatta and Tweed Heads have some stunning beaches and hills that overlook them, but the weather was somewhat overcast on the day that a friend and I visited. I plan to go back on a day with clearer weather to see these ocean waters in their best light.

Housing & Job Updates

Not much has changed in terms of my housing arrangement since last month. I’m still living in the Woolloongabba and Kangaroo Point area, which is absolutely beautiful. It’s right across the Brisbane River from the city center, so it’s about as close as you can be to downtown without actually being there.

In terms of work, I am still teaching at the same school I started working at in January. I also started a second job in the evenings, so my weekdays have been pretty busy. I haven’t gotten my first paycheck from my second job yet, but it should show up in next month’s finance update.

A Few Restaurant Highlights This Month

When I arrived in Australia, I set up “Kev’s AUS Food Diary” on Instagram to post a review of every restaurant I try here. Below are some of my favorite meals from Month 6! The first I’ll mention is the pizza I had at Straddie Brewing Company in Dunwich. You can purchase cans beer from Straddie Brewing at liquor stores throughout Brisbane, but it was cool to try some beers on tap right where they’re produced. The pizza was also delicious, and the meal came with an excellent view of the water from their rooftop balcony.

I’ve tried a lot of Vietnamese food in Brisbane, but HaNoi DnA deserves a special mention. They specialize in Hanoi-style cooking, and the bún chả was incredible! They also make delicious rice paper rolls (gỏi cuốn). I need to go back and see what their phở is like.

Another memorable meal was the Rinderroulade I had at German BierGarten Brisbane in Wooloowin. I hadn’t had German food since arriving in Australia, so this plate was incredibly satisfying! You can’t go wrong with spätzle and red cabbage, and the Rinderroulade was a rich wrapped meat roll in a brown sauce.

The last meal I’ll highlight was the combination rice bowl I had from Jia Ba Way (呷飽沒). Taiwanese food is a little hard to come by, but it’s worth seeking out! I went to Taiwan at the end of last year, and the savory flavors of the snacks and street food there are amazing. The combo bowl from Jia Ba Way includes fried chicken, Taiwanese sausage, and minced pork.

Finances

On each of my WHV monthly update posts, I’m including a monthly review of my finances and a rolling cumulative total of my earnings and expenses. Here is the breakdown for Month 6.

TAKE-HOME INCOME: 3,930 AUD (2,790 USD)
Rent: 400 AUD (280 USD) per week, all utilities included; total rent for sixth month of my WHV: 1,715 AUD (1,220 USD)
Restaurants, bars, and cafes: 630 AUD (450 USD)
Groceries and household items: 820 AUD (580 USD)
Miscellaneous (clothes, appliances, transportation): 185 AUD (130 USD)
Bills: 65 AUD (45 USD)
TOTAL SIXTH-MONTH COSTS: 3,415 AUD (2,425 USD)
MY MONTH 6 SURPLUS: 515 AUD (365 USD)

Below is a summary of my cumulative finances for Months 1 through 6.

Month 1 Income: 0; Month 1 Expenses: 4,295 AUD (2,835 USD); Month 1 Net: -4,295 AUD (-2,835 USD)
Month 2 Income: 1,400 AUD (940 USD); Month 2 Expenses: 3,565 AUD (2,390 USD); Month 2 Net: -2,165 AUD (-1,450 USD)
Month 3 Income: 3,930 AUD (2,790 USD); Month 3 Expenses: 4,380 AUD (3,110 USD); Month 3 Net: -450 AUD (-320 USD)
Month 4 Income: 4,195 AUD (2,980 USD); Month 4 Expenses: 3,595 AUD (2,555 USD); Month 4 Net: 600 AUD (425 USD)
Month 5 Income: 4,615 AUD (3,325 USD); Month 5 Expenses: 4,280 AUD (3,080 USD); Month 5 Net: 335 AUD (245 USD)
Month 6 Income: 3,930 AUD (2,790 USD); Month 6 Expenses: 3,415 AUD (2,425 USD); Month 6 Net: 515 AUD (365 USD)

When you add it all up, my net earnings for Months 1 through 6 are -5,460 AUD (-3,880 USD). Note that conversion rates have fluctuated slightly since I arrived. This accounts for a discrepancy between my AUD and USD summation.

As mentioned above, I just started working a second job to help pay for some upcoming travel expenses, so hopefully I’ll keep working towards breaking even in Months 7 and beyond. Given the high cost of living in Australia, I would recommend that anyone considering a WHV be realistic about how much you can earn and save here. I think I’ll break even before I move away, but probably not by much.

My Plan Moving Forward

At this point, I can say with some certainty that I’ll stay in Brisbane for the second half of my Working Holiday Visa. I feel pretty settled here, and I’m not interested in starting over from zero in another Australian city with less than six months left before I need to leave the country.

Another major update is that I’ll have to leave my morning teaching job in early July. This is due to a rule that Working Holiday Makers (WHMs, or WHV holders) can generally only work at one location for a maximum of six months. In June, I’ll have to apply to some new jobs and see if I can find another school to teach at. If I can’t, I may have to work at a restaurant, cafe, bar, or retail store instead.

By mid-November of this year, I’ll have to depart from Australia. Unfortunately, I’m not eligible for a second Australian WHV due to my age. With that in mind, my top choices right now are to move to either Vietnam or Taiwan to teach English as a Second Language (ESL). I actually spent most of 2019 teaching ESL in Vietnam, and I have really fond memories of my time there. I’ve never lived or worked in Taiwan, but I’ve been there twice on vacation. I could definitely see myself living there, in part because I speak some Chinese.

As soon as I finalize where I’m going next, I’ll be sure to post it here on my blog.

Stay Up to Date on My Working Holiday!

Thanks for checking out my WHV Month 6 update post! Remember to check out the other posts in this series if you haven’t already, and keep an eye out for my Month 7 post coming soon!

Share This Post With Fellow Travelers!

This post was published on May 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!

Bangkok (Sept)
Istanbul (Sept)

The post An American In Brisbane: Australia Working Holiday Visa Month 6 Update appeared first on Caffeinated Excursions.

An American In Brisbane: Australia Working Holiday Visa Month 5 Update

Kevin | Caffeinated Excursions — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 17:00:00 +0000

An American In Brisbane: Australia Working Holiday Visa Month 5
Update

An American In Brisbane: Australia Working Holiday Visa Month 5 Update

Published April 19, 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!

Living in Australia for a year on a Working Holiday Visa (WHV) is the adventure of a lifetime, and I’m here to tell you all about it! My name is Kevin, and I’m a US citizen currently living and working in Brisbane, Queensland on a WHV. I’ve written an update post every month since I arrived in Australia at the end of last year. This post will cover what I was up to during my fifth month on a WHV!

Below are all of the topics I’ll be discussing in this post. To skip down to any particular one, click or tap the corresponding link!

Recap of My First Four Months in Australia on a WHV
Life in Brisbane
Day Trips
Housing & Job Updates
A Few Restaurant Highlights This Month
Finances
My Plan Moving Forward

Recap of My First Four Months in Australia on a WHV

I first arrived in Australia in mid-November of last year (2025), so my Working Holiday Visa is valid until mid-November of this year. Unlike most other Working Holiday Makers (WHMs), I am ineligible to apply for a second-year WHV due to my age. I’ve been based in Brisbane since I arrived, and I started working at the beginning of January.

It took me a few months to feel truly settled here, but things have been going well since I started earning an income! Brisbane is gorgeous, with a river that winds its way through the heart of the city. Because of this geography, Brisbane has dozens of centrally-located riverfront neighborhoods, and all of them have their own unique personality. I’ve explored many of them, but I still have a long list of neighborhoods I want to visit.

Life in Brisbane

As mentioned above, life in Brisbane centers around the Brisbane River. I cross the river on a daily basis, and there’s nothing more relaxing than walking along its banks. I’ve also been riding the CityCats and river ferries more than ever! Taking a boat is such a scenic way to commute (although it is slightly slower than taking buses or trains). With that said, in some instances, it is the most direct route. They also run frequently from early in the morning until late in the evening, even on weekends.

Below are some individual attractions around Brisbane that I visited this month.

Return to Mount Coot-tha

Location: 1012 Sir Samuel Griffith Dr, Mount Coot-tha QLD 4066

I first visited Mount Coot-tha in Month 3 of my WHV, and it’s one of the best places to see the Brisbane city skyline! Mount Coot-that is on the western edge of the city, about a twenty-minute drive away from the downtown core.

Mount Coot-tha has an outdoor observation area, a restaurant and cafe, hiking trails, and a botanical garden. This time, I tried a full meal at the restaurant. It was alright, but not anything spectacular. On my next visit to Mount Coot-tha, I’ll make it a point to check out the botanic garden.

Museum of Brisbane Clock Tower Tour

Address: Level 3, Brisbane City Hall, 64 Adelaide St, Brisbane City QLD 4000
Website: https://www.museumofbrisbane.com.au/whats-on/clock-tower-tours/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MuseumofBrisbane/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/museumofbrisbane/

Did you know that you can tour the inside of Brisbane’s iconic clock tower? I actually got to do this on a work outing, and it was a lot of fun! Tours are done in small groups every fifteen minutes during opening hours, and they need to be booked in advance. You can do it in person at the Museum of Brisbane reception, but it’s probably more convenient to do it online and guarantee a time slot that works for you.

From inside the clock tower, you’ll get to look out over Brisbane City. You’ll also see the face of the clock from the inside, plus get a glimpse of the mechanism that keeps it running. Because I did this tour as part of my job, I had the chance to go up a few times, each with a different guide. They were all friendly and welcoming, and no two guides gave the exact same commentary. In other words, you’ll learn something new every time you go up, even if you’ve done this tour before!

Art Museums

QAG Address: Stanley Pl, South Brisbane QLD 4101
GOMA Address: Stanley Pl, South Brisbane QLD 4101
Website: https://www.qagoma.qld.gov.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QAGOMA/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qagoma/

This month, I visited two of Brisbane’s main art museums: the Queensland Art Gallery (QAG) and the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA). Together, they’re referred to as QAGOMA. Both galleries are at the northern edge of South Bank, a trendy arts and entertainment district on the riverfront. Aboriginal art is prominently featured at QAGOMA. Entrance to both museums is free, although certain exhibits may require an admission fee.

Day Trips

This month, I did a few day trips (on weekends with decent weather). Since I’m already approaching the halfway point for my year in Australia, I’ve tried to explore more of the Brisbane metro area, as well as the neighboring Gold Coast.

Caboolture

Location: Click or tap for Google Maps link

Caboolture sits at the northern edge of Brisbane. It’s far enough away from Brisbane City that it feels more like a separate town than a neighborhood within the city. Caboolture has a bit of a rural feeling to it. When I visited, I got lunch at a local restaurant and strolled through Centenary Lakes Park and the Caboolture Arboretum.

Gold Coast

Location: Click or tap for Google Maps link

This was my second time visiting the Gold Coast (my first was during Month 3). On my first visit to the area, a friend and I spent a morning and afternoon in Surfers Paradise, and we also ventured up north towards Main Beach for dinner. On this visit, I headed south towards Broadbeach and Mermaid Beach.

The Gold Coast south of Surfers Paradise is fairly quiet and residential. Broadbeach has beautiful green parklands right along the water, and I basically had a long stretch of Mermaid Beach all to myself. Next time I visit the Gold Coast, I’d love to go even further south to Burleigh, Currumbin, and Coolangatta.

Wellington Point

Location: Click or tap for Google Maps link

The Eastern part of Greater Brisbane is known as Redland City (or the Redlands). Unlike Brisbane’s city center, the Redlands have an actual coastline. However, the Redlands Coast isn’t on the open ocean, but rather Moreton Bay. As such, the water is shallower, calmer, and a lighter shade of blue. Moreton Bay waters are nothing like the often rough, dramatic waves on the Gold Coast.

Wellington Point is a narrow peninsula in the northernmost part of the Redlands Coast. There’s also a sand bridge that connects Wellington Point with nearby King Island, a conservation park. I’m not sure if the sand bridge (pictured above) gets submerged during high tide, but luckily it was easy to cross when I visited.

Cleveland

Location: Click or tap for Google Maps link

Within the Redlands, Cleveland is a large suburb not far from Wellington Point. Both are easily accessible on the Cleveland Line, a busy train route that connects the north Redlands to Brisbane City.

In addition to a beautiful coastline and numerous parks, Cleveland also has a picturesque lighthouse at the end of a long pier. I’m hoping to revisit Cleveland (and the Redlands in general) regularly in the coming months. It’s the closest portion of Moreton Bay to my home, and it’s also the jumping-off point for North Stradbroke Island, one of two large bay islands near Brisbane (the other being Morton Island). I’ll update my future WHV posts about any return trips to the Redlands!

Housing & Job Updates

I’m currently living in the same apartment I found right around the end of 2025, and things are all good in terms of accommodation. The rental market in Brisbane (and in Australia in general) is brutally competitive, so I don’t have plans to move for now. Things could always change, but I generally am very pleased with the living arrangement I found, located in the vicinity of Woolloongabba and Kangaroo Point.

When it comes to work, I’m still teaching at the same school I started working at back in January. I took on a few extra shifts this month that involved traveling around the city with my students. I enjoyed acting as a tour guide for a few weeks, and I found it amusing that I was showing them around a city that I myself am still getting to know! Nonetheless, I had a lot of fun on those outings, and my regular teaching hours were good as well.

A Few Restaurant Highlights This Month

As a foodie, one of my favorite things to do is try different restaurants in Brisbane and on my day trips! This month, I had a standout meal from Shiraz Restaurant + Bar. It’s a fabulous Persian restaurant in the southern part of Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast. I ordered a lamb shank that was so juicy and tender! This restaurant was a bit pricey, but it was a worthwhile splurge.

I also really loved the massive slab of fried fish I got when I ordered fish and chips at Oxley’s On The Bay in Wellington Point. It was flaky, crispy, and freshly deep-fried, while the white fish inside was tender and juicy.

I also tried two memorable Vietnamese restaurants this month: Quan Thanh in West End and Phở Phố Cổ in Brisbane City. At the former, I ordered a delicious vermicelli salad bowl with mixed meat, and at the latter, I ordered a bowl of phở. Some sources online indicate that Phở Phố Cổ specializes in Hanoi-style Vietnamese food. As much as I love Vietnamese food, I’m not an expert enough to be able to tell the difference. Nonetheless, the broth had rich, bold flavors that I really appreciated.

For those who don’t know, I’ve been writing in-depth restaurant reviews of every place I try over on my “Kev’s AUS Food Diary” Instagram account. Follow me there to stay up to date on all my restaurant reviews!

Finances

On each of my WHV monthly update posts, I’m providing a monthly review of my finances and a rolling cumulative total of my earnings and expenses. Here is the breakdown for Month 5.

TAKE-HOME INCOME: 4,615 AUD (3,325 USD)
Rent: 400 AUD (285 USD) per week, all utilities included; total rent for fifth month of my WHV: 1,770 AUD (1,275 USD)
Restaurants, bars, and cafes: 685 AUD (495 USD)
Groceries and household items: 1,025 AUD (740 USD)
Miscellaneous (clothes, appliances, transportation): 70 AUD (50 USD)
Bills: 155 AUD (110 USD)
Travel expenses: 575 AUD (410 USD)
TOTAL FIFTH-MONTH COSTS: 4,280 AUD (3,080 USD)
MY MONTH 5 SURPLUS: 335 AUD (245 USD)

Below is a summary of my cumulative finances for Months 1 through 5.

Month 1 Income: 0; Month 1 Expenses: 4,295 AUD (2,835 USD); Month 1 Net: -4,295 AUD (-2,835 USD)
Month 2 Income: 1,400 AUD (940 USD); Month 2 Expenses: 3,565 AUD (2,390 USD); Month 2 Net: -2,165 AUD (-1,450 USD)
Month 3 Income: 3,930 AUD (2,790 USD); Month 3 Expenses: 4,380 AUD (3,110 USD); Month 3 Net: -450 AUD (-320 USD)
Month 4 Income: 4,195 AUD (2,980 USD); Month 4 Expenses: 3,595 AUD (2,555 USD); Month 4 Net: 600 AUD (425 USD)
Month 5 Income: 4,615 AUD (3,325 USD); Month 5 Expenses: 4,280 AUD (3,080 USD); Month 5 Net: 335 AUD (245 USD)

When you add it all up, my net earnings for Months 1 through 5 are -5,975 AUD (-4,300 USD). Note that conversion rates have shifted since I arrived (from 0.66 USD = 1 AUD in November 2025 to 0.72 USD = 1 AUD in April 2026). This accounts for a discrepancy between my AUD and USD summation.

I’m glad I had another month of modest savings, but as you can see, I still haven’t broken even from my initial costs of settling in. I am probably going to have to find a second job in Month 6 to start saving up a bit more. As long as that happens, I’m hopeful I’ll break even sooner than later. Since I need to leave Australia by November, it’s already time for me to start preparing for moving expenses.

My Plan Moving Forward

As mentioned above, my biggest goal for Month 6 is to find an evening and/or weekend job to supplement my current income. Although the cost of living in Australia is a slightly lower than in the US, it’s still pretty high overall. I’m also nervous that flights out of the country are going to be pretty expensive by November due to the war in Iran, so I’m trying to budget more than I otherwise would for that airfare.

If you’re wondering what my plans are for the end of this year and 2027, I’m still not sure! I’m most likely to move directly from Australia to a country in Asia to start a new job teaching English, but nothing is set in stone yet. Vietnam is my most likely destination at the moment, and Taiwan is probably second on my list. Thailand and Japan are also countries I’m considering moving to.

Stay Up to Date on My Working Holiday!

Thanks for reading the fifth installment of my Working Holiday Visa blog series! If you’re curious about how the other months of my year-long stay in Australia went, be sure to check out the full list of posts here. Wish me luck, and check back regularly for updates!

Share This Post With Fellow Travelers!

This post was published on Apr 19, 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!

Bangkok (Sept)
Istanbul (Sept)

The post An American In Brisbane: Australia Working Holiday Visa Month 5 Update appeared first on Caffeinated Excursions.

An American In Brisbane: Australia Working Holiday Visa Month 4 Update

Kevin | Caffeinated Excursions — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 17:00:00 +0000

An American In Brisbane: Australia Working Holiday Visa Month 4
Update

An American In Brisbane: Australia Working Holiday Visa Month 4 Update

Published March 19, 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!

My name is Kevin, and I recently finished up my fourth month in Australia on a year-long Working Holiday Visa (WHV). I’m originally from the US, and in November of 2025, I moved from Chicago to Brisbane, where I plan to live and work until late 2026. I’ve been writing monthly update blog posts of my experience here, and this is my fourth installment in the series!

Below are all the details of my fourth month in Australia, which went from February 16, 2026 to March 15, 2026. To skip down to any particular topic, click or tap the corresponding link below!

Recap of My First Three Months in Australia on a WHV
Enjoying Brisbane
Housing & Job Updates
A Few Restaurant Highlights This Month
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
A Smashed Phone Screen
Finances
My Plan Moving Forward

Recap of My First Three Months in Australia on a WHV

Immediately after moving from Chicago to Brisbane, I had to start looking for a job and a place to live. My first six weeks here really felt like a whirlwind, especially since they coincided with Christmas and New Year. With that said, I started working as a teacher in Brisbane at the beginning of 2026, and that allowed me to establish a routine around work.

Throughout my first few months in Brisbane, I also got to know my new home city. I tried lots of restaurants, walked around various neighborhoods, and did a couple of day trips to the nearby Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.

To learn more about what it was like to move to Brisbane on a Working Holiday Visa, be sure to check out my first three posts in this blog series!

Enjoying Brisbane

During my fourth month in Australia, I continued to explore my home base city of Brisbane. I love to walk, and my favorite way to explore is to wander on foot. I sometimes combine that with a bus or train ride, but most of my walks so far have still been in the heart of the city. In the coming months, I’ll try to branch out a bit more to explore some suburbs that are farther away.

As you can see in these pictures, Brisbane has a lot of waterfront. That’s because the Brisbane River runs right through the center of the city. I cross bridges on a daily basis to commute to work, and they offer some of the most impressive views and photo ops of the city skyline.

Housing & Job Updates

I’m happy to report that I’m still living in the same apartment and working the same job I was last month! Finding a suitable place to live and a good job were the biggest challenges of my first few months in Australia, so I’m glad to be past those initial hurdles. In terms of accommodation, I’m living near Kangaroo Point and Woolloongabba, which are directly southeast of the city center. These neighborhoods are beautiful, convenient, and safe, so I’m happy with where I ended up!

In terms of work, I was hired as a teacher in January. I’m lucky to have found a job in my field here (I’ve worked in education for about seven years now). Under most circumstances, WHV holders are only allowed to work for one employer for a maximum of six months, so because I started in January, I’ll hit that deadline in July. At that point, I’ll probably have to look for another job, but I’m hoping to remain in the classroom in some capacity for my full year here.

A Few Restaurant Highlights This Month

I’ve long considered myself a foodie, and one of my favorite things to do in Brisbane is try new restaurants! My favorite cuisine here is Vietnamese. It’s authentic, affordable, and delicious! This month, I tried Vietnamese Garden Restaurant in Yeronga, AJ Vietnamese Noodle House in Brisbane City (I’ve become a regular there), and Viet Rolls Corner in Greenslopes. To read complete reviews of all of these and more, take a look at Kev’s AUS Food Diary on Instagram!

In addition to those sit-down restaurants, I’ve also ordered a fair amount of takeaway food in the city center, especially for breakfast and midmorning snacks. I really like the pastries and sandwiches at Goldfinch, and I highly recommend the mixed filling rice paper rolls at Saigon Alley Cafe.

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

Address: 708 Jesmond Rd, Fig Tree Pocket QLD 4069
Website: https://lonepinekoalasanctuary.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lonepine.koala.sanctuary/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lonepinekoala/

My favorite outing this month was to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, which is about a twenty-minute drive west from the center of Brisbane. I had seen koalas briefly on a previous visit to Australia, but this was my first time seeing so many of them up close! They are adorable, and the way they move while eating eucalyptus leaves is mesmerizing to watch.

In addition to koalas, Lone Pine also has kangaroos and other Australian animals. Understandably, most of the reptiles are kept behind glass. However, adventurous visitors can pet the kangaroos or purchase food pellets for a few dollars and feed them.

A Smashed Phone Screen

My low point this month was accidentally smashing my phone screen. I had gone for a jog, tripped on an uneven sidewalk, and completely fell on my hands and knees while holding the phone. Even with a case, the screen couldn’t handle my body weight landing on it. I brought my broken phone to a repair shop authorized by the manufacturer, but they were sort of disorganized. Getting it repaired took multiple days. I spent a few hundred AUD on repairing it, and I also bought a cheap backup phone in case something like this ever happens again.

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 4.

TAKE-HOME INCOME: 4,195 AUD (2,980 USD)
Rent: 400 AUD (285 USD) per week, all utilities included; total rent for fourth month of my WHV: 1,600 AUD (1,135 USD)
Restaurants, bars, and cafes: 370 AUD (265 USD)
Groceries and household items: 820 AUD (580 USD)
Miscellaneous (clothes, appliances, transportation): 85 AUD (60 USD)
Bills: 60 AUD (45 USD)
Phone repair and backup phone purchase: 660 AUD (470 USD)
TOTAL FOURTH-MONTH COSTS: 3,595 AUD (2,555 USD)
MY MONTH 4 SURPLUS: 600 AUD (425 USD)

Below is a summary of my cumulative finances for Months 1 through 4.

Month 1 Income: 0; Month 1 Expenses: 4,295 AUD (2,835 USD); Month 1 Net: -4,295 AUD (-2,835 USD)
Month 2 Income: 1,400 AUD (940 USD); Month 2 Expenses: 3,565 AUD (2,390 USD); Month 2 Net: -2,165 AUD (-1,450 USD)
Month 3 Income: 3,930 AUD (2,790 USD); Month 3 Expenses: 4,380 AUD (3,110 USD); Month 3 Net: -450 AUD (-320 USD)
Month 4 Income: 4,195 AUD (2,980 USD); Month 4 Expenses: 3,595 AUD (2,555 USD); Month 4 Net: 600 AUD (425 USD)

When you add it all up, my net earnings for Months 1 through 4 are -6,310 AUD (-4,480 USD). Note that conversion rates have shifted since I arrived (from 0.66 USD = 1 AUD in November 2025 to 0.71 USD = 1 AUD in March 2026). This accounts for a discrepancy between my AUD and USD summation.

On the one hand, I’m happy to finally have a month where I was not in the red. On the other hand, my surplus would’ve been a lot bigger if I hadn’t broken my phone. I’m hoping that in Month 5, I’ll be able to save even more and continue working towards breaking even.

My Plan Moving Forward

My plan for the second half of March and April is to continue living in the same place and working at the same job. I’ve been meaning to do more day trips, but it’s rained a lot the past few weekends. Locals have told me that Brisbane’s winter is sunny and dry with moderate temperatures, so hopefully I’ll be able to go back to the Gold Coast and explore more of South East Queensland in the coming months.

Stay Up to Date on My Working Holiday!

Overall, my fourth month in Australia on a WHV went really well! Thanks for checking out my fourth monthly update post. I hope this blog series serves as a resource for travelers considering applying for an Australian Working Holiday Visa. If that’s you, or if you are already in Australia on a WHV, leave a comment below and let me know how things are going! Be sure to check back next month to see how things are going!

Share This Post With Fellow Travelers!

This post was published on Mar 19, 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!

Bangkok (Sept)
Istanbul (Sept)

The post An American In Brisbane: Australia Working Holiday Visa Month 4 Update appeared first on Caffeinated Excursions.

An American In Brisbane: Australia Working Holiday Visa Month 3 Update

Kevin | Caffeinated Excursions — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000

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
Housing & Job Updates
My First Visitor in Brisbane
Finances
My Plan Moving Forward

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 (2,790 USD)
Rent: 400 AUD (285 USD) per week, all utilities included; total rent for third month of my WHV: 1,770 AUD (1,255 USD)
Restaurants, bars, and cafes: 1,925 AUD (1,370 USD)
Groceries and household items: 600 AUD (425 USD)
Miscellaneous (clothes, appliances, transportation, misc. bills, etc): 85 AUD (60 USD)
TOTAL THIRD-MONTH COSTS: 4,380 AUD (3,110 USD)
MY MONTH 3 SURPLUS: -450 AUD (-320 USD)

Below is a summary of my cumulative finances for Months 1 through 3.

Month 1 Income: 0; Month 1 Expenses: 4,295 AUD (2,835 USD); Month 1 Net: -4,295 AUD (-2,835 USD)
Month 2 Income: 1,400 AUD (940 USD); Month 2 Expenses: 3,565 AUD (2,390 USD); Month 2 Net: -2,165 AUD (-1,450 USD)
Month 3 Income: 3,930 AUD (2,790 USD); Month 3 Expenses: 4,380 AUD (3,110 USD); Month 3 Net: -450 AUD (-320 USD)

When you add it all up, my net earnings for Month 1, 2, and 3 are -6,910 AUD (-4905 USD). Fluctuations in the conversion rate account for a slight discrepancy between my AUD and USD summation.

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!

Share This Post With Fellow Travelers!

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!

Bangkok (Sept)
Istanbul (Sept)

The post An American In Brisbane: Australia Working Holiday Visa Month 3 Update appeared first on Caffeinated Excursions.

An American In Brisbane: Australia Working Holiday Visa Month 2 Update

Kevin | Caffeinated Excursions — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 18:00:00 +0000

An American In Brisbane: Australia Working Holiday Visa Month 2 Update

Published January 19, 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!

Welcome to the second installment of my newest blogging project! My name is Kevin, and I’m an American living in Australia for a year on a Working Holiday Visa (WHV). I’ve chosen Brisbane as my home base, which is the sunny capital city of the state of Queensland. My first two months here have had their ups and downs, but overall, things are going very well!

In this blog post, I’ll discuss all of the following things relating to my time in Australia so far. To skip down to any particular topic, click or tap the corresponding link below!

Recap of My First Month in Australia on a WHV
How I Celebrated the Holidays in Brisbane
Housing Update
Job Update
Finances
My Plan Moving Forward

Recap of My First Month in Australia on a WHV

My first month in Australia as a Working Holiday Maker (WHM) was an absolute whirlwind! If you want to know all the details about it, check out the first post in this series! I also wrote up an in-depth review of the visa process I went through as part of that post.

Getting to Know Brisbane

Before coming to Australia on a WHV, I had been here a couple of times as a tourist. I had visited Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, and Tasmania on those previous visits, but I had never been to Brisbane, Australia’s third-largest city. That’s why I chose to move here! I knew generally what to expect in the country, but Brisbane would still offer lots of new experiences.

My favorite thing about Brisbane so far is its mix of modern architecture and ample green space. It’s a hot, sun-drenched city, which is exactly what I was looking for when I decided to move to Australia!

Exploring Brisbane's Food Scene

Right from the start, I was excited to explore Brisbane’s restaurant scene. The best meals I’ve had so far have been Vietnamese, Brazilian, and Malaysian, but there are lots of international options. The one cuisine I miss most is Mexican! It’s just not as good, as common, or as affordable here as it was back in Chicago.

On a side note, I recently started a food Instagram page to document my restaurant visits during my WHV. Be sure to follow Kev’s AUS Food Diary if you’re also an enthusiastic foodie!

Finding a Room to Rent

Figuring out housing during my first month was admittedly sort of chaotic. I stayed in two Airbnbs, crashed on a friend’s air mattress for a few nights, then finally secured a more permanent place to stay. Keep reading to see an update on my housing situation for my second month.

Receiving a Job Offer

Many hours during my first month in Brisbane were spent applying for jobs. This was my least favorite part of getting settled here, especially since I didn’t hear back from most places I applied to. Nonetheless, I got a job offer as a teacher within my first month, and I started working within my second month! I’ll discuss how it’s going in the corresponding section below.

How I Celebrated the Holidays in Brisbane

My second month in Australia on my WHV ran from December 16, 2025 to January 15, 2026, so this included Christmas and New Year! (For those wondering about Thanksgiving, I didn’t do anything special to celebrate it in Brisbane.) On Christmas, I had a festive lunch with a few new friends I met here.

For New Year’s Eve, I saw Brisbane’s early firework display, which happened around 8:00 in the evening on December 31st. I actually really like this idea, and I think more cities should do something similar. I appreciated being able to watch fireworks without having to stay up until midnight.

Housing Update

By the end of my first month in Brisbane, I had found a promising room for rent in the Newstead area. This felt like a win at the time; it meant that I no longer had to hop between weekly Airbnb rentals (which was very expensive). However, I only ended up staying at that apartment for a total of three weeks. Between Christmas and New Year, I moved once again, this time to the Woolloongabba area.

There were a couple of issues with the room I rented in Newstead. For one, it was a sublease, so I never actually communicated with the property owner. If I had stayed there long-term, this could’ve presented some headaches that I wasn’t interested in dealing with.

Beyond that, the biggest issue was that the apartment had almost no furniture, as you can see in the pictures above. To be fair, I was made aware of this during the in-person inspection, but I didn’t realize how impractical and uncomfortable it would be to live in such a barren living space until I moved in.

Since I only plan to live in Australia for a year, I have no interest in buying furniture that I would have to sell upon my departure. Many rooms for rent in Brisbane come fully furnished, so I figured it was worth the trouble to move again. Luckily, I was able to leave amicably with two weeks’ notice because the sublease in Newstead was casual without a fixed end date.

In contrast, my current place near Woolloongabba is a much better fit, and it is indeed fully furnished! My new apartment is in a very convenient location with a reasonable commute to my job, so I think I made the right decision to leave the sublease in Newstead. Hopefully, this is the last move I’ll have to do for a while! Finding a suitable room to rent in Brisbane involved lots of twists and turns, but I’m finally settling in to a place that feels like home.

Job Update

I’ve officially started working, and I’m so thankful for that! I left my job in Chicago at the beginning of November 2025 right before flying overseas, so I went a little over two months without working. That extended break was relaxing (when I wasn’t filling out job applications), but I was getting antsy to start working and earning money again.

I began my new job as a teacher a few days after New Year; my first week at work was a lot of fun! I’ve loved being back in the classroom, and I even got my first paycheck! Which is a great segue to…

Finances

Every month, I’ll provide an update on my finances in Australia to let my readers know if I’m able to save anything. I just started working here, so I’m unfortunately still in the red. Hopefully that’ll change soon!

TAKE-HOME INCOME: 1,400 AUD (940 USD)
Rent: 400 AUD (270 USD) per week, all utilities included; total rent for second month of my WHV: 1,770 AUD (1,185 USD)
Restaurants, bars, and cafes: 550 AUD (370 USD)
Groceries and household items: 880 AUD (590 USD)
Miscellaneous (clothes, appliances, transportation, etc): 365 AUD (245 USD)
TOTAL SECOND-MONTH COSTS: 3,565 AUD (2,390 USD)
MY MONTH 2 SURPLUS: -2,165 AUD (-1,450 USD)

With regard to my cumulative total, I spent 4,295 AUD (2,835 USD) in my first month in Australia, and I didn’t earn any income then. Therefore, my net earnings for my first two months in the country are -6,460 AUD (-4,330 USD). Fluctuations in the conversion rate account for a slight discrepancy between my AUD and USD summation.

After crunching these numbers, I can understand why many WHMs online recommend coming here with 10,000 USD or more saved up. The job search on a WHV can be a long, grueling process! It’s a relief to finally be earning money in Australia, but it’ll probably take me a long time to break even. Rent here is no joke, and the overall cost of living is pretty high. Brisbane is a desirable destination, so competition for housing and employment can be pretty stiff.

My Plan Moving Forward

Now that I’ve started working and finally have a stable, comfortable housing arrangement, I’m hoping there aren’t any major changes within the next few months. I still have a lot of Brisbane left to explore! The metropolitan area has beaches, offshore islands, beautiful parklands, and much more.

My friend Ismael is also visiting during the third month of my Working Holiday, and we plan to do a few day trips north to the Sunshine Coast and south to the Gold Coast. Be sure to check out my upcoming Month 3 Update to see what those nearby destinations are like!

Stay Up to Date on My Working Holiday!

Thanks for checking out this post! I hope that it reaches readers who are also considering applying for an Australian WHV. If that’s you, or if you’re currently in Australia on a WHV, feel free to leave a comment below. I’d love to know how things are going for you!

Share This Post With Fellow Travelers!

This post was published on Jan 19, 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!

Bangkok (Sept)
Istanbul (Sept)

The post An American In Brisbane: Australia Working Holiday Visa Month 2 Update appeared first on Caffeinated Excursions.

2025 End-Of-Year Summary & Sneak Peek 2026

Kevin | Caffeinated Excursions — Sat, 27 Dec 2025 18:00:00 +0000

2025 End-Of-Year Summary & Sneak Peek 2026

Published December 27, 2025

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!

Welcome to my 2025 wrap-up blog post! This is the post where I summarize all the places I’ve been over the last twelve months and preview what my plans are for the upcoming year. My 2025 was filled with travel, in no small part because I moved from Chicago to Brisbane, Australia last month! I lived in Chicago from 2021 to 2025, and I will always cherish my memories of the Windy City!

I hit the ground running this year with an extended trip to Southeast Asia and Oceania in January and February. In the spring and summer, I traveled mainly within North America. In the fall, I stayed near Chicago to prepare for my move to Brisbane in November.

Every year since 2020, I’ve written an annual end-of-year wrap up and sneak peek of the following year. If you’re curious where I went the past few years (or where I predicted I would be), check out those posts using the links below!

To skip down to any of the main sections of this blog post, click the corresponding link below.

2025 Review
Looking Forward to 2026
Plans for 2027 and Beyond

2025 Review

2025 Stats

Countries Visited This Year: 9
(United States, Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Canada, Sweden, Taiwan)
New Countries Visited: 4
(Philippines, Indonesia, New Zealand, Sweden)
US States Visited This Year: 5
(Washington, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan)
New States Visited: 0
Flight Segments: 27
Train Segments: 11

1. Seattle, WA (Jan)

I celebrated New Year 2025 in Seattle because that’s where my immediate family is, plus many of my friends from high school and college. I don’t always spend the holidays there, but Seattle is definitely my “home base” no matter how far I may roam.

2. Philippines (Jan-Feb)

Less than a week after New Year, my friend Ismael and I flew from Seattle to the Philippines! We spent about a week and a half traveling throughout the country together, then I stayed for a few more weeks on my own.

This Philippines trip was an island hopping adventure. I got to visit Manila, Coron, Cebu City, Bohol, and Panglao, all of which are pretty popular tourist destinations. However, I think the highlight of my month there was exploring two islands that don’t see a lot of international tourists: Culion and Catanduanes. Despite being right next to each other, Coron and Culion are polar opposites. The former is a bustling tourist destination, while the latter is a sleepy island with a complex history and a tight-knit local community.

3. Bali, Indonesia (Feb)

The next stop on my Southeast Asia and Oceania trip was Bali. I know, this Indonesian island is about as on-the-beaten-path as you can get in Asia. Nonetheless, I generally had a good time here. Bali’s best feature was its lush, green rice fields. The worst part about Bali was the totally insane traffic. After a few days, I tried to minimize my time on the roads. This helped me make the most of my ten days there.

4. Sydney, Australia (Feb)

After nearly a month of solo travel, I was so excited to meet up with my family in Sydney! The second half of my extended trip centered around a cruise from Sydney to Auckland. We spent a few days admiring Sydney’s most famous landmarks before boarding our ship.

5. Princess Cruise from Australia to New Zealand (Feb)

Over the past few years, my family has used cruises as a venue for family reunions, and I’m a fan after two of them. My extended family did a cruise in Europe in 2022; this cruise aboard the Royal Princess was just me, my parents, my brother, and his wife.

Sydney to Auckland was an intense itinerary. Some intermediary stops included Melbourne, Tasmania, and Christchurch. We had a few relaxing sea days, most notably while crossing from Tasmania to New Zealand, but Princess Cruises packed a ton of activities and excursions in over the course of about two weeks.

6. Auckland, New Zealand (Feb)

At the conclusion of our cruise, my family and I explored New Zealand’s biggest city for a few days. Auckland felt quieter and smaller than Sydney or Melbourne. I wouldn’t say Auckland Central had a lot of charm, but I found the nearby seaside neighborhood of Devonport to be very quaint.

If you read my 2024 recap, then you’ll know that even by the end of last year, I planned to move away from Chicago in late 2025, albeit to Asia. In all honesty, visiting Sydney in February convinced me to apply for an Australian Working Holiday Visa (WHV). This trip was my third visit to Australia, and each time, I always left with a very favorable impression. I want to blog more about the process of applying for my visa and making the move, so keep an eye out for that in 2026!

7. Return to Chicago, IL (Mar)

After spending the first two months of 2025 abroad, I was thankful to be back in Chicago just in time for the weather to start warming up! I was based there from March until the end of October, so I got to enjoy all of Chicago’s seasonal activities from spring until late fall. The following pictures are from St. Patrick’s Day, the first holiday that happened after I returned from my extended trip!

8. Mexico City, Mexico (Mar)

For about a week in March, I went to Mexico City to become reacquainted with La Condesa, the neighborhood I called home for much of 2018. Returning to Mexico City seven years later was very nostalgic! Going back to some of the restaurants I used to eat at regularly made me very happy.

9. Minneapolis, MN (Apr)

My next short trip was in April, a weekend getaway to Minneapolis from Chicago by Amtrak. I had never taken a long Amtrak trip before this (more than an hour or two), but I found it to be pretty comfortable.

I visited Minneapolis in 2024 as well, so it was nice to go back and “fill in the gaps” a bit. Even with two visits in two years, I’ve only scratched the surface of what Minneapolis has to offer. It’s a surprisingly big city with attractions spread out across its many diverse neighborhoods.

10. Madison, WI (Apr)

Close friends know that I’ve become a bit of a Wisconsin enthusiast over the last few years! After a bunch of visits to Milwaukee in 2023 and 2024, I figured it was finally time to see what Madison was all about. And let me tell you… it was great! Madison is a lot smaller than Milwaukee, but because it’s a college town and the state capital, there is always a lot going on. In fact, I liked Madison so much that I went back at the end of summer!

11. Muskegon & New Buffalo, MI (May)

Michigan had been on my travel wish list ever since I moved to Chicago, and by summer, I knew I was leaving for Australia at the end of the year. With my time in the Midwest running out, I prioritized two trips to Michigan: one long weekend trip to Muskegon via the Lake Express Ferry that leaves from Milwaukee, and one day trip to New Buffalo, Michigan’s closest town to Chicago that’s accessible by Amtrak.

Both Muskegon and New Buffalo are picturesque small towns on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, and taking the Lake Express Ferry was a really unique experience. Being out in the middle of Lake Michigan and not being able to see land on either side felt surreal! Unfortunately, the ferry tickets are not very affordable.

12. Montréal & Québec, Canada (Jul)

This summer, I traveled abroad twice. The first trip was to Montréal, a city that two friends and I have wanted to visit together for years now. The second trip was a solo venture to Sweden (read more about that directly below). The summertime energy of Montréal was incredibly festive. I think cities with cold winters like Montréal and Chicago know how to make the most of their summer months and really live it up!

As part of this trip, we spent a few days traveling from Montreal to Trois-Rivières and Québec City. I’m glad we dedicated a few days of this trip to seeing these smaller cities. A highlight of Québec City was the idyllic Île d’Orléans, an easy day trip as long as you have a car.

13. Gothenburg, Sweden (Jul)

This was my first real impromptu trip in a long time, and I chose Gothenburg mainly because last-minute flights were relatively cheap. Gothenburg is a two-for-one deal because you can see the city and the nearby Gothenburg Archipelago, a rocky island chain that’s home to colorful fishing villages and dramatic ocean views. Sweden was incredibly expensive, but I was only there for about five days and did my best to avoid overspending.

14. Return to Madison, WI (Aug-Sept)

That’s right, I loved Madison so much that I went twice this year! On this second visit, my friend Ismael joined me. By pure luck, we happened to be there during Taste of Madison, an annual food festival that featured lots of international cuisines.

15. Milwaukee, WI (Sept)

I’m sad that I only made it up to Milwaukee once this year (twice if you count my trip up to catch the ferry to and from Muskegon, MI). On this last trip, I made sure to see the Mitchell Park Domes and go back to a few favorite spots, including the Milwaukee Public Market and Lakefront Brewery.

16. Bloomington, IL (Oct)

My only real weekend trip this fall was to Bloomington, which is in Central Illinois. I went for my aunt’s wedding, which ended up being a beautiful ceremony amidst the early fall foliage. In all my years of living in Chicago, this was the only trip I ever made to Central Illinois! I never owned a car in Chicago, but I’m sure I would’ve explored the rest of Illinois in more depth if I did.

17. Kenosha, WI (Summer & Fall)

Remember when I mentioned that I’m kind of obsessed with Wisconsin? Well, that includes Kenosha, the first town you encounter after crossing the Illinois border headed north! Kenosha is a lakefront town, just like Chicago and Milwaukee, but it’s obviously a lot smaller than both cities. The downtown area is walkable and has no shortage of parks, restaurants, breweries, and a gorgeous public waterfront.

18. Seattle, WA (Nov)

I packed up all my belongings in Chicago on Halloween and flew to Seattle the next day. I spent only two or three nights there, but it was good to see family and a few friends before making my way across the Pacific to establish myself in Australia!

19. Taipei, Taiwan (Nov)

In order to break up what would be a very long flight from Seattle to Australia, I stopped in Taiwan along the way. Granted, I used this as a convenient excuse to spend almost two weeks exploring Taipei (and I technically may have had fewer hours flying if I booked Seattle to Sydney with a stop in SFO or LAX).

Taipei was an absolute gem. The city’s public transit was phenomenal, and the food scene there did not disappoint. I could see myself setting up shop in Taipei someday (to learn more about that, check out the last section of this blog post).

20. Kaohsiung, Taiwan (Nov)

As part of my Taipei trip, I went down to Kaohsiung by train for a few days. This was a city I visited in 2019, so being back was such a joy! I loved revisiting specific attractions, such as the historic railcars on display at Hamasen, pictured below.

21. Sydney, Australia (Nov)

After a fabulous stay in Taiwan and a very groggy layover in Singapore, I finally made it to Australia! I was absolutely exhausted, so I’m glad I scheduled a few days in Sydney to recuperate. Since this was my second visit to Sydney in 2025, I was able to take it a little slower and just enjoy the city’s ambiance.

22. Move to Brisbane, Australia (Nov)

At long last, I flew from Sydney to Brisbane in mid-November. This move was basically an entire year in the making! I’ve been in the sunny capital of Queensland ever since, exploring my new home, trying some local restaurants, and walking all over town. I also got a job offer for a position that starts after New Year, so hopefully I’m set for 2026!

US States Visited by End-of-Year 2025

34/50 States (68%)

Countries Visited by End-of-Year 2025

47/~200 (24%)

Looking Forward to 2026

1. Brisbane, Australia (Jan - Nov)

Now that I’ve settled down in Brisbane, I’m hoping to stay here until November of 2026. Different job opportunities could potentially take me elsewhere, but when I applied for my one-year Working Holiday Visa, I intended to live in one city for the entire time. I love getting to know places in depth, and that’s exactly my plan for Brisbane and the rest of South East Queensland for most of next year!

During my time in Australia, I’ll be writing up monthly review posts of what life is like on a Working Holiday Visa (WHV). I’ve already published my first one, and new updates will be posted around the middle of each month throughout most of 2026!

2. Australia Travel Ideas

While based in Brisbane, I would love to do some weekend or otherwise short trips to some other parts of Australia or maybe a nearby island or two. Below are some options I’ve been considering.

Gold Coast, Queensland

The Gold Coast boasts one of Australia’s most recognizable skylines right on the Pacific Ocean. Since the Gold Coast is only about a two-hour train ride away from Brisbane, I’m sure I’ll visit multiple times.

Adelaide, South Australia

At this point, I’ve been to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth, which are the four largest cities in Australia. Adelaide is the country’s fifth-largest metro, so I’d love to fly down there next year if I can find the time to.

I don’t know much about South Australia’s capital city yet, but the layout is absolutely fascinating, with a giant green belt surrounding the urban core, separating it from all the nearby suburbs. I’ve never seen a similar design anywhere else in the world, and I’d love to explore the Adelaide Park Lands in person.

Northern Territory

If I make it to Adelaide, then the last major Australian state/territory I have to visit will be the Northern Territory. I could visit Darwin, the capital, or Alice Springs, the biggest inland town in the NT. Perhaps the most famous landmark in this territory is Uluru, shown below. It’s on my bucket list, even if I don’t make it there within the next year.

3. Nearby Islands

The following two islands are only about a two-hour flight east of Brisbane, so I’d love to visit them in 2026 if I can!

Norfolk Island

Norfolk Island is a tiny Australian external territory with only about 2,000 residents. It looks like it has unparalleled natural beauty, in part due to the Norfolk Island pine, a distinctive tree that’s featured on the island’s flag.

I absolutely love visiting small islands. Many of my favorite trips have been to islands such as Grand Turk (Turks and Caicos Islands), Bimini (The Bahamas), San Andrés (Colombia), Côn Đảo (Vietnam), Bermuda, etc. I think Norfolk Island would offer a similar experience, so this is a destination I really want to prioritize.

New Caledonia

I’ve had this island on my travel wish list since at least 2020. It’s a French territory, and photos online showcase its gorgeous beaches. However, New Caledonia experienced political turmoil in 2024, so I would definitely keep an eye on that before booking a trip…

4. Albania (Sept)

My only trip for 2026 that’s 100% confirmed is Albania in September. That’s because a friend from college is getting married there! I can’t wait to celebrate her wedding day there, and I’d love to extend this trip into a two-week stay in Europe if I can.

6. Possibly Seattle, WA for the holidays (Dec)

Unless I’m granted another Australian visa, I have to leave by November 2026. If you’re curious where I plan to move after that, check out the section below about my plans for 2027! Given the timeframe, I don’t know where I’ll be for the holiday season of 2026. I could either move directly to my next country, or I could go back to Seattle for Christmas and New Year. It’ll all depend on how things shake out in the second half of next year.

US States Planned by End-of-Year 2026

34/50 States (68%)

Countries Planned by End-of-Year 2026

48/~200 (24%)

Plans for 2027 and Beyond

As I mentioned above, my current plan is to stay in Australia for one year, which means I need to move somewhere else at the end of 2026 or beginning of 2027! I want to remain abroad through at least the first half of my thirties, so I probably won’t move back to the US in 2027. I’ve had Asia on my mind for a while now (I last lived in Vietnam in 2019); below are four countries I could try to move to after my time in Australia comes to an end.

Option 1: Japan

Regardless of where I go in Asia, I would likely work as a teacher. Japan is enticing for me because I’m half Japanese, and I would love to immerse myself in the culture there. I have only been to Japan once in my early teens, and I need to go back as an adult. Even if I don’t move to Japan, I will make sure to visit within the next few years.

Option 2: Thailand

I’ve visited Thailand once in 2016 and three times in 2019 (back when I was based in Vietnam, so flights were short and affordable). All four visits were to the Bangkok metro area, so I still haven’t been to the islands down south or the mountains up north. With that said, I clearly found Bangkok to be worth multiple return trips, and I could definitely picture myself living there.

Option 3: Taiwan

I’ve done two decently long trips to Taiwan, one in 2019 and one this year. I’ve gotten to see Taipei, Kaohsiung on the southern end of the island, and a few other nonurban areas (namely Kenting and Penghu). I think living in Taiwan would be an amazing experience! I speak Mandarin Chinese at an intermediate level, so the language barrier would be lower than if I moved to the other countries in Asia I’m considering.

Option 4: Vietnam

I’ve already lived and taught in Vietnam, but it was such a positive experience that I am thinking about going back. In addition to being a fun place to live, I already have experience working there and would know what to expect. I loved Ho Chi Minh City, and would probably move back there if I decided that Vietnam was the way to go.

Cheers to Another Year of Travel

In many ways, 2025 was a really tough year, and unfortunately I don’t think 2026 will be any easier. However, I found that traveling, meeting people from around the world, and building connections helped me remain hopeful and optimistic about the state of the world.

Leaving everything behind in Chicago last month was not easy, but I’m ready for new adventures in Australia in 2026 and hopefully in Asia in 2027! Thank you for following Caffeinated Excursions, and be sure to check back regularly for new blog posts!

Share This Post With Fellow Travelers!

This post was published on Dec 27, 2025

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!

Bangkok (Sept)
Istanbul (Sept)

The post 2025 End-Of-Year Summary & Sneak Peek 2026 appeared first on Caffeinated Excursions.

An American In Brisbane: Australia Working Holiday Visa Month 1 Update

Kevin | Caffeinated Excursions — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 18:00:00 +0000

An American In Brisbane: Australia Working Holiday Visa Month 1 Update

Published December 15, 2025

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!

Are you an American interested in applying for an Australian Working Holiday Visa (WHV)? Or are you simply curious what the Australian Working Holiday experience is like? If that’s the case, you’ve come to the right place! My name is Kevin, and I’m an American in Australia on a WHV. My newest blogging project is to share a monthly update on living and working in Brisbane!

I’ll try to include as much information as possible in this blog post about the process I went through to get here. I’ll also describe how this first month has been as a “Working Holiday Maker” (WHM). To skip down to any section of this post, click or tap the corresponding link below!

Why I applied for an Australian WHV
Overall Timeline
Visa Application Process
Health Check
Arrival in Australia
My Plan
Living Arrangements
Job Search
Finances

Important Disclaimer This blog post should be regarded as a record of my personal experience only. This blog post does not constitute advice or serve as a substitute for information provided on official government websites. Although I have made every effort to provide accurate information here, this post may contain factual errors or out-of-date information. Visa requirements and immigration conditions could change at any point without prior notice.

Why I Applied for an Australian WHV

By the end of 2024, I had lived in Chicago for almost four years, and I knew I wanted to move abroad again. I studied engineering in college, but I’ve worked as an educator for most of my adult life. Being a teacher opens many doors for living and working abroad (I’ve lived in the US, China, Mexico, Vietnam, and Brazil). At the beginning of 2025, I was considering moving to either Japan or Thailand to work as an English teacher.

So why did I change my mind and ultimately pick Australia over Asia? Well, my first two visits Down Under were back in 2019. Those trips got the ball rolling for me to move to Australia six years later! I went to Perth in August and Melbourne in December of 2019. Both cities impressed me quite a bit, and I remember thinking that Australia might be a place I’d like to move to someday.

In February of 2025, I came back to Australia as part of an extended two-month getaway to Southeast Asia and Oceania. And to be honest, this return trip inspired me to apply for a WHV. Australia was just as amazing in 2025 as it was in 2019! After I got home from my extended trip, I kept daydreaming about spending a full year in this beautiful, sunny country. I first learned about Australian WHV in 2020, but pursuing one at that time was impossible due to the COVID-19 pandemic and international travel restrictions.

My age was another reason I came to Australia in November of 2025. Americans applying for a WHV must be between the ages of 18 and 30. I was approaching the end of that age range last year, so I knew I wouldn’t have an opportunity to apply for this visa again later in life. I decided to go for it, and (at least for now) I have no regrets!

As a side note, New Zealand also offers a Working Holiday Visa for American citizens. A friend of mine from Seattle went to NZ on a WHV, and she spoke very highly of her one-year stay there. So in early spring of 2025, I briefly considered applying for a New Zealand Working Holiday Visa. However, news reports indicate that in recent years, many Kiwis have left New Zealand for Australia in search of higher wages and better work opportunities. Given that situation, I figured Australia’s job market would be easier to navigate than New Zealand’s.

Overall Timeline

Early April 2025: WHV application submitted
Mid-April 2025: Health check complete
Mid-May 2025: WHV granted
Mid-November 2025: Fly to Australia
Mid-December 2025: Job offer
Early January 2026: First day of work
Early July 2026: Projected last day of work with current employer
Mid-November 2026: Current WHV expires

Visa Application Process

Applying for a WHV is pretty straightforward. I did it on the “Australian Government Department of Home Affairs” website. The visa application portal was called “ImmiAccount,” where I created an account to enter all of my relevant details. As of December 2025, this visa application costs 670 AUD (approx. 450 USD).

If I remember correctly, it only took me about a day to fill out and submit this visa application. Some folks online mention that their visa is approved almost immediately. As you can see in my overall timeline above, mine took about a month. (That was due in part to my required health check, which I’ll describe in more detail below.) Some people on social media groups mention wait times of multiple months. However, I believe applicants who haven’t received an answer within 90 days can contact the Department of Home Affairs to inquire about the long processing time. I can’t speak to that situation as it did not apply to me.

Once a WHV visa is granted, WHMs are given one year to enter Australia. Doing so begins the countdown on the one year WHV holders have to live and work in the country. So based on my overall timeline, when my visa was granted in mid-May 2025, I was given until mid-May 2026 to enter Australia for the first time on my visa. If I had waited until May 2026 to enter, I would’ve been allowed to stay until May 2027. Because I chose to fly to Australia in mid-November 2025, my visa and permission to work will last until mid-November 2026.

Health Check

Immediately after submitting my WHV application, I received an email informing me that I was required to undergo an in-person health inspection within 28 days. Depending on your personal medical and travel history, you may or may not be required to do this. I believe I was asked to do a health check because I had spent significant time in a country where tuberculosis (TB) is relatively common within the last five years.

In order to do my health check, I had to schedule an appointment at a clinic specifically licensed to perform immigration-related physicals and lab work. Unfortunately, the number of approved “panel physicians” is somewhat limited. From what I can see online, it looks like there are less than two dozen in the United States. A regular GP or family doctor cannot perform the health check for an Australian WHV application.

At first, I figured I would book an appointment with the only approved panel physician in Illinois (who happened to have an office in a suburb of Chicago). I hesitated though when I found overwhelmingly negative reviews online. Panel physicians are required to submit health results directly to the Australian government. In other words, applicants cannot upload copies of documentation on their ImmiAccounts to fulfill this requirement. With that in mind, I didn’t want to risk having my visa being denied because a disorganized clinic didn’t submit the required test results by the applicable deadline.

Luckily, Applicants for a WHV are not required to visit the panel physician closest to their place of residence. I looked up the next-nearest panel physician, which happened to be in Minneapolis. It had excellent reviews on Google Maps, and I’m happy to report that I also had a very positive experience there. Traveling from Chicago to Minnesota was undoubtedly a hassle, but I think it was worth the extra effort (I also made the most of it and enjoyed a weekend in the Twin Cities before returning home).

In terms of price, my health check cost 440 USD for a physical and blood work, and an extra 75 USD for an X-ray. These costs had to be paid out of pocket at the time of the appointment and were not eligible for reimbursement from insurance. Prices could vary between panel physicians. The total cost of my visa application and health check was a little less than 1000 USD in total.

Arrival in Australia

A few days after completing my health check, I received a notification on my ImmiAccount that the clinic in Minneapolis had uploaded my results for the Australian government to view. At that point, everything I needed to do was done, and I just had to wait. I’ll admit that I was pretty antsy and impatient, especially since I didn’t know how long the visa processing might take. Luckily, I got the much-anticipated email the following month in May and was overjoyed to be approved!

At this point, I started booking my flights. On the visa application, there is an instruction not to purchase flights to Australia until an approval email has been sent. I booked my airline tickets for November so that I could enjoy one last summer in Chicago! This also gave me about five months to start packing up my belongings and save up a bit of cash.

Speaking of savings, the Australian government requires applicants to have at least 5,000 AUD in savings (approximately 3,350 USD as of December 2025) plus the cost of airfare home. They asked for evidence of this in the application process, but I was never asked to show proof of this upon arrival. In addition, many people online recommend that WHMs save even more than this before coming to Australia. Finding a job here, especially one with consistent hours, could take weeks or months. To read more about that, skip down to the section on my job search.

When I landed in Australia last month at Sydney Airport, I went through an automated customs and immigration process. I printed off my visa approval letter before flying just to be safe, but I was never asked to show it to any airport staff or immigration officer. My actual Working Holiday Visa is completely virtual, so there is no sticker or page in my passport that has a paper visa.

Because my flight here was long, I stayed in an Airbnb in Sydney for two nights to rest and recuperate. While there, I relaxed, walked around the city, and tried a few restaurants. After two leisurely days in Sydney, it was finally time to fly to Brisbane and get settled in my new home city!

My Plan

Off the bat, I knew that coming to Australia on a WHV would involve some level of uncertainty. Most Working Holiday Makers do not secure employment before arriving onshore, and that was the case for me. Employment is not guaranteed, and Australia’s job market is competitive.

Similarly, it’s not easy to secure long-term housing here before arriving in the country, as most landlords require an in-person viewing (often called an “inspection”) before agreeing to move forward with a potential tenant. Australian online rental platforms strongly advise against signing a contract or sending a security deposit (which locals refer to as a “bond”) before seeing a house or apartment in person.

Many people on WHVs travel around Australia, spending a few weeks or months in one city before moving on. As someone in my thirties who has already been to Australia three times as a tourist, I didn’t feel a need to do this. My plan was (and is) to spend my year on WHV based in Brisbane, the third-largest metro area in Australia and the state capital of Queensland.

Some Working Holiday Makers in Australia have the opportunity to renew their visa for a second and third year if they work in certain high-demand industries for certain lengths of time. Generally, these industries are based in rural or remote areas. Information for specific requirements can be found on the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs website. Eligibility for a second or third Working Holiday visa is also a perpetual hot topic on social media groups for WHMs.

I am not eligible to renew my WHV due to my age. Even if I had come here on a WHV a few years ago, I probably would not have pursued a second or third year in Australia on this visa subclass. The types of jobs that fulfill the requirement generally seem arduous and grueling, and there are stories about certain employers in these industries underpaying or otherwise mistreating temporary foreign employees on WHVs. I’m sure some WHMs find rewarding, fair, and safe work that makes them eligible for WHV renewal, but I would personally have significant reservations about these types of jobs far from the big cities.

Living Arrangements

When I first arrived in Brisbane, I stayed at an Airbnb for a week. In hindsight, I should’ve booked this initial accommodation for two weeks. One week simply wasn’t enough time to familiarize myself with the Brisbane metro area, organize apartment viewings, and finalize a housing arrangement.

At the end of my first week, I moved into another Airbnb. This wasn’t ideal, but I figured it would give me more time to find an apartment to rent. During this second Airbnb stay, I did start viewing apartments after booking appointments using the website Flatmates, but I still didn’t finalize anything.

When my second Airbnb stay concluded and I still hadn’t found a room to rent, I stayed with a few new friends in the city who graciously offered me an air mattress for a few days. By this time, I was finalizing arrangements to move into an apartment a few train stops away from the city center, which was such a relief. It took exactly three weeks from the day I arrived in Brisbane (and almost a dozen in-person inspection appointments) to finalize a permanent place to live.

Job Search

I think the toughest part of my first month in Australia on a WHV was the job hunt. In all honesty, I didn’t hear back from the vast majority of employers I applied to. I filled out applications online, emailed directly when possible, and dropped off dozens of paper copies of my resume around the city.

In my opinion, a few major factors made my job search difficult. The first is that in most industries, employers can only keep WHMs on staff for a maximum of six months. Depending on how long it takes them to onboard and train, many employers might not find it worthwhile to train a WHV holder who will have to leave half a year later. The other big factor I noticed is that many food service and retail jobs prefer to hire local high school students. I believe that they can legally be paid a percentage of the minimum wage that adults earn, which gives businesses a financial incentive to hire youth workers over adults.

Beyond that, I get the sense that Brisbane is a rapidly growing city. This makes the search for good jobs (and housing) more competitive. WHV holders who move to smaller Australian towns might find employment more easily, but the job market can ebb and flow seasonally in more remote resort towns.

In total, I applied to 71 positions, mostly in the education, restaurant, and hospitality sectors. A little less than a month after arriving in Brisbane, I received my first job offer! It was for a teaching role, which was exactly what I was hoping for. In hindsight, given the factors mentioned above, it makes sense that I found a job in my field (as an educator) faster than a job as a barista or bartender.

In order to receive this offer, I went through a short phone interview followed by an in-person interview. I am in the midst of onboarding, and will begin working a few days after New Year. From the time I arrived in Australia in mid-November, it will have taken me about one month and twenty days to start working.

Finances

As part of this blog series, I want to document how much I’m able to save during my time in Australia on a Working Holiday Visa. Since I haven’t worked at all yet, I’m obviously in the negative right now. Below are some of the costs I’ve incurred this month:

Lodging in Sydney for two nights: 275 AUD (180 USD)
Airfare from Sydney to Brisbane: 130 AUD (85 USD)
First Airbnb, 8 nights: 985 AUD (650 USD)
Second Airbnb, 7 nights: 575 AUD (380 USD)
Apartment security deposit, refundable upon move-out: 800 AUD (530 USD)
Weekly rent for one room in a two-bedroom condo a few train stops away from the city center: 400 AUD (approx. 265 USD)
Restaurants, bars, and cafes: 865 AUD (570 USD)
Groceries: 305 AUD (200 USD)
Miscellaneous (clothes, appliances, transportation, etc): 760 AUD (500 USD)
TOTAL FIRST-MONTH COSTS: 4,295 AUD (2,835 USD) not including my refundable apartment deposit; 5,095 AUD (3,365 USD) including the deposit

I am looking forward to working and earning money again starting in January! Hopefully next month, I’ll be on the way towards breaking even!

Stay Up to Date on My Working Holiday!

Whether you’re curious about what I’ve been up to the last month or considering applying for an Australian WHV yourself, thank you for checking out my blog! I can’t wait to write my next installment in this series and let you all know how my first few weeks of work are!

Share This Post With Fellow Travelers!

This post was published on Dec 15, 2025

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!

Bangkok (Sept)
Istanbul (Sept)

The post An American In Brisbane: Australia Working Holiday Visa Month 1 Update appeared first on Caffeinated Excursions.

2024 End-Of-Year Summary & Sneak Peek 2025

Kevin | Caffeinated Excursions — Sun, 29 Dec 2024 18:00:00 +0000

2024 End-Of-Year Summary & Sneak Peek 2025

Published December 29, 2024

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!

Another year of travel has come and gone. That means it’s time for my annual review blog post! This year was honestly a little rough, especially towards the end. I got to embark on some amazing journeys through the spring and summer, but I was pretty bogged down with work through the fall and winter. Nonetheless, I powered through, and I am very grateful to finally have a holiday break!

With that said, I have some exciting plans for 2025, including some big changes in store for the second half of next year. Long story short, I’m planning on moving abroad again. The “Sneak Peak 2025” portion of this post will go into more detail about when, where, and why!

This is my fifth annual end-of-year reflection post. If you’re curious what I did in previous years, be sure to check out some of my older posts in this yearly wrap-up series!

Below are some shortcuts to the sections of this post. Click or tap any of them to jump down to the corresponding section!

2024 Review
Looking Forward to 2025
Plans for 2026 and Beyond

2024 Review

2024 Stats

Countries Visited This Year: 3
(Mexico, United States, The Bahamas)
New Countries Visited: 0
US States Visited This Year: 12
(Illinois, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Florida, Minnesota, Maine, Indiana, Washington, Oregon, Virginia, Washington D.C., Maryland)
New States Visited: 1
(Minnesota)
Flight Segments: 20
Train Segments: 2

1. Guadalajara, Mexico (Jan)

The beginning of 2024 was a blast because I rang in the New Year in Guadalajara! I lived in Mexico City in 2018, but I never traveled to Guadalajara when I was based in Mexico’s capital. This was my first return trip to the country since then, and it was a joy to be back!

Guadalajara is not necessarily known for international tourism, but that’s partly why I chose this city over so many other enticing spots in Mexico. There were so many cathedrals, museums, markets, and other attractions to explore! Guadalajara is great for experienced travelers who have already been to some of Mexico’s more popular destinations such as Mexico City, Cancún, and Puerto Vallarta.

2. Charlotte, NC (Jan)

For MLK Jr. weekend this year, I ventured over to Charlotte. This was a very nostalgic trip for me because the “Queen City” is a destination I got to know pretty well while I was living in South Carolina from 2017 to 2018. Charlotte was only about a 90-minute drive to the north.

On this 2024 trip, I went back to all my favorite restaurants, breweries, and neighborhoods. Charlotte’s craft beer scene is a major reason to visit, but the city also offers a wide variety of attractions, from the NASCAR Hall of Fame to the street murals in NoDa and the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art in Uptown.

3. Kenosha, WI (Spring)

This small town right across the Illinois border in Southeast Wisconsin is the perfect day trip from Chicago. It’s so pretty and quaint, especially because of its prime location on the shore of Lake Michigan between Chicago and Milwaukee. I visited a number of times in 2024, and plan to visit as much as possible in 2025!

4. Virgin Voyages Cruise out of Miami, FL (Apr)

My friend Ismael (who I travel with every year) and I embarked on this cruise during spring break season, and it was definitely the centerpiece of my travels in 2024. We flew down to Miami, where we boarded the Scarlet Lady. I had done one cruise before this (a Viking River Cruise in Europe), so I was incredibly excited to see how a Caribbean ocean cruise would compare!

Virgin Voyages was an incredible cruise line that I’m officially obsessed with. On this voyage, we made two stops: one in Cozumel, Mexico, and one in Bimini, The Bahamas. Cozumel was honestly a little underwhelming, but we did have overcast weather that day. In contrast, Bimini was absolutely gorgeous.

Regardless of Cozumel being a little grey when we were there, I enthusiastically recommend Virgin Voyages to adventurous travelers, first-time ocean cruisers, and folks who love amazing food! The culinary experience was the highlight of the entire trip. Virgin steers clear of standard buffets, instead offering some premium dining experiences that don’t cost extra.

5. Milwaukee, WI (Apr)

I visited Milwaukee for the first time in 2023, but I went back in 2024 with a friend because it’s such a fun city for eating, drinking, and exploring on foot! This is another destination in Wisconsin I plan to revisit in 2025.

6. Minneapolis, MN (May)

For Memorial Day weekend, I booked a trip to Minneapolis. It had a familiar Midwestern vibe, but still felt pretty culturally distinct from Chicago. This relaxing, late-spring trip left me feeling like there’s a lot more to see in the Twin Cities than I originally anticipated.

7. Portland, ME (Jun)

Ismael and I kicked off summer by spending a week in Portland, Maine. The last time I was in Maine, I was in elementary school, and I don’t remember much. Portland’s geography fascinated me, with the city’s historic downtown located on a peninsula surrounded by small islands and rocky bays.

During this visit, we took a few ferry rides to some of Portland’s outlying islands. The boat offered excellent views! My major complaint about Portland is that it was so expensive. I sort of assumed that since it’s a small city, Portland would be relatively cheap. I think with lots of seasonal visitors from New York and Boston, that just isn’t the case.

8. Indiana for Independence Day (Jul)

Visiting extended family in Indiana for the 4th of July has been a tradition of mine ever since I moved to Chicago, so that’s what I did this year. The fireworks show that the city put on was one of the best in recent memory!

9. Washington State & Oregon (Jul)

I have a summer birthday, so I did two trips this summer that were loosely “birthday adjacent.” The first of those was a Washington and Oregon road trip with my parents. We drove from Seattle down to Tillamook along Oregon’s Pacific coast. The dramatic coastline here was a perfect birthday treat, and I loved walking around some of the towns in the region, especially Astoria!

10. Washington, D.C. & Virginia (Jul)

After visiting the West Coast for my first birthday trip, I flew to the East Coast for round two! I met up with Ismael, who lives in the Washington metro area. We explored some neighborhoods, ate a ton of amazing cuisines from all over the world, and walked around the city’s most famous monuments.

11. Two More Seattle Trips for Weddings (Jul & Aug)

I know, I was constantly back and forth between Chicago and Seattle all summer. I did it a total of three times, but it was worth it! That’s because I went to two weddings: one for my friend Stephanie from college, and one for my brother Michael and his wife Niki! I loved every moment of both magical wedding days!

12. Chicago, IL (Fall)

Once fall rolled around, I really stopped traveling and started working a ton. I played tourist in my own city of Chicago a bit by trying a few new restaurants, but even this was pretty minimal. I didn’t really travel this fall and winter because I had to save up for an extended trip I’m planning for the first few months of 2025! Read on to see where I’m headed.

13. Indiana for Thanksgiving (Nov)

My one trip in the fall of 2024 was a drive down to Indiana to spend Thanksgiving with my extended family. I’m so glad I got to see my cousins, aunts, and grandpa! I also ran my very first organized event in many years. It was a good way to offset the delicious but heavy meal we enjoyed later that day.

14. Seattle, WA for Christmas (Dec)

I’m finishing up this year in Seattle, where my parents live! Even though I didn’t technically spend all of my childhood in Seattle, I generally consider it my hometown. Last year I spent Christmas with my extended relatives in Indiana, so I’m glad I got to spend it with my immediate family this year.

During the break, I’m catching up with old friends from high school and college, returning to some of my favorite restaurants and bars, and trying some new spots around town as well. Of the many fun activities we did, seeing a live play was definitely one of the most memorable!

US States Visited by End-of-Year 2024

34/50 States (68%)

Countries Visited by End-of-Year 2024

43/~200 (22%)

Looking Forward to 2025

1. Philippines (Jan)

My new year is starting off with a bang: I’m headed to the Philippines directly from Seattle! I’ve never been there before, so this will be the 44th country I step foot in. I am beyond excited to spend almost a full month in this tropical paradise, especially at this time of year.

My friend Ismael is joining me for the first half of this trip, and the second half will be me on my own. We’re going to spend some time in famous destinations such as Manila, Cebu, and Palawan. We also booked a few days on some off-the-beaten-path islands.

2. Bali, Indonesia (Jan & Feb)

After spending most of January in the Philippines, I’m heading over to Bali for a week or so. Along with the Philippines, Indonesia is a country I’ve not yet visited, so it will be my 45th. I know Bali is an extremely popular tourist destination, but I have a friend who lives there. I’m hoping he’s able to provide some itineraries for lesser-known spots on the island, not to mention truly local cuisine.

3. Australia & New Zealand Cruise (Feb)

Just like in 2024, I have one big cruise planned for 2025. This will be my third, and I’m so excited to see what Princess Cruises is like, especially in this part of the world! This cruise will also be the longest one I’ve been on, at well over ten days.

My family and I are embarking on this trip to spend some quality time together now that we’re all grown and my brother is married. I have personally been to Australia twice, but none of us have been to New Zealand before. I’m so excited to explore a country for the first time with my loved ones!

4. Mexico City, Mexico (Mar)

For my spring break trip this year, I’m planning to head to Mexico City. As mentioned above, I used to live there, so I’m aiming to stay in my old neighborhood. When I lived in CDMX (as it’s often abbreviated), I never really blogged about it! Instead, I blogged about other cities in Mexico. That’s why I want to visit this time! I really want to feature this incredible city and my old neighborhood a little more prominently on Caffeinated Excursions.

5. Montreal, Canada (Summer)

If you happen to go back and read my “2024 Sneak Peek” I wrote last December, you’ll see that this was a trip I hoped to do in the summer of 2024 with my high school friend group. We ended up postponing it a year, so we are committed to making it happen in 2025!

I hear that Montreal is absolutely magical in the summertime. We’ll almost certainly base our trip around the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal and/or the Festival International Nuits d’Afrique, two long-standing music festivals that put on weeks of performances and parties.

6. Big Changes Coming...

Ok, so here’s the big news. I plan to move to Asia in fall of 2025. This isn’t that surprising; I’ve lived in five different countries (the US, Brazil, Vietnam, Mexico, and China) since my college days, and I’m about ready to move to a new one. I’ve been based in Chicago for about four years now, and I want to move to either Japan or Thailand. (I’m really leaning towards Thailand.)

I’ve worked in the field of education and/or English as a second language (ESL) since 2019. It’s work that I love, and although pay is not always phenomenal, teaching does give ample time off to travel. I’m ready to bring my skills back to Asia after last living in Vietnam in 2019, where travel is more affordable than it is in the US. I’ve loved living in Chicago, but found that I can’t afford to travel nearly as much as I’d like to. I want to be able to do at least one weekend trip per month, and I think Thailand would be an ideal home base for that.

US States Planned by End-of-Year 2025

34/50 States (68%)

Countries Planned by End-of-Year 2025

46/~200 (23%)

Plans for 2026 and Beyond

By the beginning of 2026, I want to be settling down in a new city in Asia. From the time I graduated college in 2017 until 2021, I moved almost on a yearly basis across multiple states and countries. It was exhilarating but also exhausting. Chicago was the first city I’ve actually spent multiple years in, and I’m glad I did. Chicago has its ups and downs, but it is a city that you could explore for a lifetime and still have things left to see and do.

I’m saying all of that to emphasize that wherever I end up next fall, I want to stay there for a while. I know that Bangkok and Tokyo both offer endless cultural and culinary experiences, neighborhoods to explore, regional transit to the rest of their respective countries, etc. I am very much looking forward to immersing myself in a new city and becoming a local expert.

Over the next few years, Caffeinated Excursions will become an Asia-focused blog. And if I end up in Thailand or Japan, this blog will also become a niche travel resource for one of those two countries. It’s bittersweet to be leaving the US next year, but I definitely feel like it’s time. I miss the hustle and bustle of Asia and the relative affordability of travel over there.

Thank You for Supporting My Travel Blog!

If you’ve read this entire post, I want to thank you for being a part of my travel blogging journey! Whether you’ve supported Caffeinated Excursions since its inception in January of 2018 or you’ve just come across this blog for the first time, it means so much to me to have a community of people who click my links to see what I’m up to! I can’t wait to bring you all some top-notch travel content over the next two years and beyond!

Share This Post With Fellow Travelers!

This post was published on Dec 29, 2024

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!

Bangkok (Sept)
Istanbul (Sept)

The post 2024 End-Of-Year Summary & Sneak Peek 2025 appeared first on Caffeinated Excursions.

2023 End-Of-Year Summary & Sneak Peek 2024

Kevin | Caffeinated Excursions — Sat, 16 Dec 2023 18:00:00 +0000

2023 End-Of-Year Summary & Sneak Peek 2024

Published December 16, 2023

We’ve made it to the end of 2023, which means it’s time for my annual post looking back and looking forward! In all honesty, I feel like 2023 was quieter in terms of travel than the last few years. Nonetheless, I got to go on some truly amazing trips that I’ll remember fondly for years to come!

This is the fourth year in a row I’ve written an end-of-year review and sneak preview for next year. You can check out my previous ones below! Since 2020, I’ve enjoyed documenting my travel plans, including those that never materialized. In general, I feel like writing about my travel goals helps me follow through on them.

Below you’ll find the following topics covered in this post. Click or tap any link to skip directly down to the corresponding section!

2023 Review
Looking Forward to 2024
Plans for 2025 and Beyond

2023 Review

1. Seattle, WA (Jan)

I began this year as I often do in Seattle, enjoying the holidays with family and friends! It was a long, relaxing stay that gave me a chance to reconnect with the city I called home from 2008 to 2017.

During this visit, I wrote my first seasonal travel guide about Seattle during the winter months. I’m overjoyed to finally have this rainy destination featured on Caffeinated Excursions. After all, my blog’s name partly pays homage to Seattle’s vibrant coffee culture!

2. Fort Worth, TX (Jan)

For MLK Day weekend, Ismael (a friend of the blog since its beginning) and I met up in Fort Worth, TX. We’ve also met up for long weekend trips to cities such as Dallas, Nashville, and Charleston, SC. Heading south for a few days in search of warmer weather is an unofficial winter tradition of ours!

Fort Worth exceeded my expectations. It had an awesome food scene, cool architecture downtown, and lots of local charm. It honestly just felt a little more “Texas” to me than neighboring Dallas, which I also blogged about back in 2019.

3. San Diego, CA (Feb)

In February, I took advantage of the Presidents’ Day three-day weekend to get away to San Diego. I had been to this sunny destination once before on a family vacation back in 2014. I was a college student at the time, so it was fun to reacquaint myself with “America’s Finest City” almost a decade later on a short solo trip.

During my time in SoCal, I soaked up the sun as much as I could, walked miles and miles, and explored neighborhoods including Little Italy and North Park. I also spent a day out in Torrey Pines, which was the highlight of the trip. It was such a gorgeous stretch of Pacific coastline!

4. Aruba & Curaçao (Apr)

My first big trip of 2023 was a week-long stay in Aruba and Curaçao. Both countries are part of the Dutch Caribbean. In fact, Aruba is the “A” and Curaçao is the “C” in the ABC Islands, an archipelago not far from the coast of Venezuela. (For those who are curious, the “B” stands for Bonaire, the least touristy of the trio. That one remains on my travel wish list!)

Dorian and Ismael are two friends who joined me on this trip. Both of them appear frequently on my blog. This vacation was a blast, and I was especially glad to visit Aruba with a small group. That’s because I had been to Aruba once before in 2017 on a whirlwind solo trip. This visit to “One Happy Island” was a little longer and more laid-back. We also covered more ground this time thanks to our rental car.

In the middle of our trip, we boarded a little propeller plane and flew over to Curaçao. We stayed there for three nights. Despite only being there for a little while, I was fascinated by what Curaçao had to offer. It’s a lot bigger than Aruba, it feels more industrial, and I’d say it has closer cultural ties to Europe than Aruba. The beaches are also less touristy. If you’re looking for a new vacation spot in the Southern Caribbean, Curaçao is a great option to look into!

5. Milwaukee, WI (May & June)

Most people I’ve met in Chicago have great things to say about our neighbor to the north, Milwaukee! “Brew City” shares a lot in common with Chicago in terms of geography, but the two have distinct cultural elements. I spent a few weekends in late spring and early summer up in Milwaukee: one with Ismael and one on my own.

On both trips, I explored the lakefront, ate as much as I could, and sampled local beers. I honestly wished that I had gone up to “MKE” (as it’s often abbreviated) a few more times in 2023. Amtrak makes it pretty easy to get from downtown Chicago to Milwaukee in a little over an hour. In general, Wisconsin is a state I want to keep exploring as we get into 2024.

6. Chicago (Summer)

Other than my trips to Milwaukee, I spent most of this summer in Chicago. I did a little bit of local exploring, but not as much as I would’ve liked because of my work schedule. I’m hoping to do something a little different next summer, so keep reading to see what I have planned in terms of blogging about Chicago and the surrounding region!

7. Crater Lake, OR (Aug)

At the end of summer, I met up with three friends from Seattle to do a road trip to Crater Lake, Oregon! Dorian, Ismael, Matthew, and I have done about half a dozen different Pacific Northwest trips since we graduated high school, and I’ve blogged about the ones we’ve embarked on post-COVID.

Crater Lake was amazing, mainly because the color of the water is so unique! I didn’t know before visiting that Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the US. There are also no rivers that feed into it, which is probably why it’s so clear and glassy.

8. Kansas City, MO (Sept)

Ever since I moved to Chicago, I’ve wanted to cover more ground in the Midwest. Labor Day weekend was the perfect time to check out a new destination: Kansas City! Like Milwaukee, this was another mid-sized city that really impressed me. Of course, a major focus of my visit was to try the local barbecue! But I also found many of the city’s historic neighborhoods to be charming.

9. Brown County, IN (Oct)

October was a month when I got to celebrate a major milestone: finally publishing a post featuring a destination in Indiana! As I mentioned above, I spent the second half of my childhood and college years living in Washington State. But I spent my early childhood in Indiana, so I consider both places to be home. Ever since I started Caffeinated Excursions, I’ve wanted to write about both states. 2023 was the year that finally happened!

I didn’t live in Brown County when I was growing up, so why did this end up being my first Indiana blog post? Well, my cousin Kailyn lives in this area right now. She has her own travel blog, which you should definitely check out! Brown County is known for its gently rolling hills, forests and parks, and natural beauty. Peak tourist season is fall when the leaves turn golden and red.

10. Central Indiana for a Wedding (Nov)

In the last few months, I did two Indiana trips in a row. After visiting Kailyn in Brown County, I headed back to celebrate my aunt’s wedding! It was just a one day trip, but I’m so glad I got to be there because the ceremony and the weather were absolutely perfect! Congratulations to Amy and Ari!

11. Geneva & Lausanne, Switzerland (Nov)

The day after my aunt’s wedding, I boarded a plane from Chicago to Geneva. This year, I got the entire week of Thanksgiving off, and I decided to travel. Since I had just seen my extended family, I don’t feel like I missed out on a lot by being abroad for Thanksgiving.

My main reason to visit Switzerland in November was to visit Abbey and Wyatt, two friends who moved here from the United States about a year ago. I spent a day or two in Geneva, but the majority of this trip was spent in Lausanne, a truly lovely town that’s about an hour away by train. It was a phenomenal trip, and I’m still working on my blog posts about these towns in the French-speaking part of the country.

12. Indiana Again for Christmas (Dec)

Since I have family in both Seattle and Indianapolis, I try to spend Christmas in one of those two cities. This year, I will be headed back to Indy for a few days of holiday cheer.

13. Guadalajara, Mexico for New Year (Dec)

My final trip of 2023 will be to Guadalajara! I’m flying there in between Christmas and New Year. I can’t wait for this trip! It’ll be my first time back in Mexico since 2018, when I lived in Mexico City. I’m familiar with the country overall and have been to about a dozen major cities, but Guadalajara will be a new one for me. I’m excited to see what it’s all about!

US States Visited by End-of-Year 2023

33/50 States (66%)

Countries Visited by End-of-Year 2023

43/~200 (22%)

LOOKING FORWARD TO 2024

1. Guadalajara, Mexico for New Year (Jan)

Since I plan to celebrate New Year in Mexico, I’ll begin my 2024 abroad! I have a total of nine days scheduled for this trip, which I hope will give me enough time to really do a deep dive into this famous city in the state of Jalisco. I may also do a day trip or two to nearby towns such as Tequila or Chapala.

2. Charlotte, NC (Jan)

This is my second trip planned for next year. I used to live in South Carolina (from 2017 to 2018), and I spent quite a few weekends up in Charlotte right across the state border. Even though I had started my blog by then, I never managed to organize a post about the “Queen City.” Nonetheless, I always really liked Charlotte and am excited to have it featured on Caffeinated Excursions soon!

3. Somewhere Warm for Presidents' Day Weekend (Feb)

I know that by February of 2024, I’ll be craving an escape from the wind and snow in Chicago. With that in mind, I plan to spend Presidents’ Day somewhere warm, just like I did in 2023! I haven’t decided where yet, so check back in a few weeks to see what I decide on! A smaller, historic city like Charleson, SC would be perfect.

4. Miami to Mexico to Bahamas Cruise (Mar)

I’m already looking forward to April of next year because Ismael and I are planning on doing a classic Florida-based cruise! After taking my first cruise in the summer of 2022 (a Viking Rhine River cruise), I’m eager to compare how that was to a voyage on a larger ocean-faring vessel.

I also have fingers crossed that my review of this upcoming cruise will become one of my top-viewed posts. That’s because my Viking Cruise review was my most popular post in 2023! If cruise reviews consistently drive traffic, I’ll probably pivot to writing more of them in the coming years.

5. Somewhere Close to Home for Memorial Day Weekend (May)

This holiday weekend in May is an awesome time to travel as spring turns to summer. However, tickets are never cheap, and things can be a little crazy. That’s why I want to do a local trip, preferably one that doesn’t involve flying. If I rent a car, there are countless possibilities in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, or Michigan.

One option is to take the ferry from Milwaukee across Lake Michigan to Muskegon, MI. Millions of people live on the shores of Lake Michigan, but I don’t think many have actually crossed this massive body of water by boat. It would be a fun, random thing to cross off my Midwest bucket list!

7. Local Midwest Trips From Chicago (Summer)

Okay, so this is where I want to do something totally different for next year. As you may be able to tell from my travel schedule, I work in education. The great thing about that is all of the time off compared to most American corporate jobs. However, the problem (at least in the district where I work) is that we don’t get paid over the summer.

For the summer of 2024, I will probably need to work part-time. However, I’d love to cap that at two days a week and travel the other five. I don’t know if that’s realistic; I could easily end up needing to work more than that. But if I can make it work, I’d love to go on a bunch of Midwest trips in June, July, and August! Below are some of the places I have in mind.

St. Louis, MO

After visiting Kansas City this year, I’d love to go back to Missouri next year to see the state’s other major metro. I remember reading somewhere that KC is known for its barbecue, while St. Louis is known for its beer. That’s reason enough for me to go! There’s also a direct Amtrak line from Chicago to St. Louis, so I won’t need to fly to see the famous arch.

Hyde Park, Chicago, IL

I’m not done exploring Chicago’s neighborhoods, and Hyde Park is one I really want to blog about next summer! Unfortunately, the CTA (Chicago’s urban rail system) doesn’t really serve Hyde Park, which makes it a little harder to get to. However, I can still get there from the Loop on Metra (the suburban train network); it just takes a little more time. Luckily, that shouldn’t be an issue next summer. I’m looking forward to writing about this historic South Side community!

Madison, WI

I’ve heard from numerous people that Madison, the capital of Wisconsin, is a fun college town with lots of outdoor offerings. The city center is situated on an isthmus in between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona, and I’m a fan of unusual geography! As of right now, there’s no train line from Chicago (or even Milwaukee) to Madison, so I’d have to take a Greyhound-style bus or rent a car to get there.

Indiana Dunes National Park, IN

Indiana Dunes is the closest national park to Chicago, and the two are connected by the South Shore Line (SSL) train. I don’t know how convenient it is, but I kind of want to find out! I’m hoping that this will be my second Indiana blog post after publishing my Brown County guide this fall.

New Buffalo, MI

If you keep heading east along the lake from Indiana Dunes, you’ll eventually find yourself in Michigan. The first little town after you cross the state border is New Buffalo. A former colleague recommended I take the Amtrak out this way and spend a weekend in this little lakefront town. In particular, she said I have to try Beer Church Brewing, which I definitely plan to do when I’m there!

8. Montreal, Canada (Summer)

My biggest trip planned for mid or late summer is Montreal! Ismael suggested we get together as a group to explore the city’s food scene and summer activities. Chicago is a quick flight to many of Canada’s largest cities including Montreal, so it should be pretty easy for me to get over there. On a more basic level, 2024 will be my sixth year of travel blogging. It’s definitely time to get a Canadian destination up on Caffeinated Excursions!

9. Seattle for a Wedding or Two (Aug)

At the end of summer, I’ll be spending some time in Seattle to attend at least one wedding. My brother Michael and his fiancée Niki are going to get married! After a summer of mostly solo travel, it’ll be awesome to get together with family and celebrate this joyous occasion!

10. Additional Trips in Fall

My plans for the final few months of 2024 are very much still up in the air. I will be honest: traveling for the entire week of Thanksgiving (and essentially skipping the holiday) is something I could get used to. I’m tempted to do it again next November, but we’ll have to see. If I do, here are some places I might go.

Costa Rica?

Whether I visit in 2024 or not, Costa Rica is likely the next country I’ll visit in Central America. It’s widely regarded as the safest destination in the region, and a trip in the fall as the weather is getting colder sounds heavenly.

Spain?

I’d love to book a trip to Spain in October or November of next year if I can fit it in. I spent some time in Lisbon in October 2022, and found autumn to be an ideal time to go. The weather was generally still good, but the tourist crowds weren’t overwhelming. I’ve already been to France, Germany, and Italy, so Spain is a logical next destination in terms of major countries in Europe.

US States Planned by End-of-Year 2024

34/50 States (68%)

Countries Planned by End-of-Year 2024

44/~200 (22%)

Plans for 2025 and Beyond

1. Australia & New Zealand Cruise (early 2025)

At the beginning of 2025, my family and I are planning on doing an Australia and New Zealand cruise! I’m really excited for that, since it’ll be the third cruise review on my blog. I also want to spend a few days in both countries before and after the journey. I want to get to know some of the major cities in Oceania I haven’t explored yet such as Auckland and Sydney.

2. Extended International Trip (2026? 2027?)

For those who didn’t already know, I’m just going to come out and say it: I don’t plan on living in Chicago forever. I’ve been thinking about when I might leave, and it’s looking like that’ll probably be around 2026 or 2027. If you go back to my previous “year-end review and sneak preview” posts, you’ll see that I originally planned to live in Chicago for less than a year. Two and a half years later, I’m still here! The biggest reason for that is arguably Chicago’s phenomenal food scene, but that’s a story for a different blog post!

When I do eventually leave, I plan on embarking on an extended international trip. I want to do a minimum of six months of nonstop international travel. I’m aiming to travel longer though, perhaps more than a year. I’m going to center this long trip on Central Asia and Southeast Asia, although I may spend time in other regions. I’m also aiming to elevate my blog during this time and bring it to the next level.

I’ll be posting more information about my plans within the next few years. In the meantime, I’ll continue to blog about Chicago, the Midwest, and other amazing destinations!

3. Move to Japan (~2028)

After my extended international trip, my goal is to move to Japan to teach ESL. That’s how I originally got into education back in 2019! Ever since then, travel and education have gone hand-in-hand for me. Just like I plan to live in Chicago for a total of five or six years, I plan to stay in Japan for an extended period of time. I want to get to know the country inside and out! I also want to become a leading voice on traveling within Japan while I’m there.

Thanks for Reading & Supporting Caffeinated Excursions!

Whether you’ve been clicking links on Caffeinated Excursions since it began in 2018 or you’ve just discovered my blog, thank you for your support! It’s been awesome to see more and more people find my work each passing year and take the time to read what I have to say about destinations on six continents in over three dozen countries. Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season and a fabulous New Year!

Share This Post With Fellow Travelers!

This post was published on Dec 16, 2023

Bangkok (Sept)
Istanbul (Sept)

The post 2023 End-Of-Year Summary & Sneak Peek 2024 appeared first on Caffeinated Excursions.

Travel Thoughts Archives - Caffeinated Excursions

An American In Brisbane: Australia Working Holiday Visa Month 7 Update

Recap of My First Six Months in Australia on a WHV

Life in Brisbane

Day Trips

Gold Coast

North Stradbroke Island

Coolangatta, QLD & Tweed Heads, NSW

Housing & Job Updates

A Few Restaurant Highlights This Month

Finances

My Plan Moving Forward

Share This Post With Fellow Travelers!

Recent Posts

Meet Your Caffeinated Blogger: Kevin!

Where I Am Now

Categories

Where I’ve Been

Upcoming Trips

Archives

Click To Follow!

Support the Blog!

Subscribe Via Email

Meta

An American In Brisbane: Australia Working Holiday Visa Month 6 Update

Recap of My First Five Months in Australia on a WHV

Life in Brisbane

Day Trips

Wynnum, Manly, and Lota

Dunwich & Amity, North Stradbroke Island

Coolangatta, QLD & Tweed Heads, NSW

Housing & Job Updates

A Few Restaurant Highlights This Month

Finances

My Plan Moving Forward

Stay Up to Date on My Working Holiday!

Share This Post With Fellow Travelers!

Recent Posts

Meet Your Caffeinated Blogger: Kevin!

Where I Am Now

Categories

Where I’ve Been

Upcoming Trips

Archives

Click To Follow!

Support the Blog!

Subscribe Via Email

Meta

An American In Brisbane: Australia Working Holiday Visa Month 5 Update

Recap of My First Four Months in Australia on a WHV

Life in Brisbane

Return to Mount Coot-tha

Museum of Brisbane Clock Tower Tour

Art Museums

Day Trips

Caboolture

Gold Coast

Wellington Point

Cleveland

Housing & Job Updates

A Few Restaurant Highlights This Month

Finances

My Plan Moving Forward

Stay Up to Date on My Working Holiday!

Share This Post With Fellow Travelers!

Recent Posts

Meet Your Caffeinated Blogger: Kevin!

Where I Am Now

Categories

Where I’ve Been

Upcoming Trips

Archives

Click To Follow!

Support the Blog!

Subscribe Via Email

Meta

An American In Brisbane: Australia Working Holiday Visa Month 4 Update

Recap of My First Three Months in Australia on a WHV

Enjoying Brisbane

Housing & Job Updates