The 8 Best Travel Jobs In Australia
Want to find your dream career in travel? It's possible with Evocca College.
Imagine a Monday morning where you happily bypass the snooze button and jump out of bed, ready for work. Sounds crazy, I know, but for some people this is a thing. While many of us dread that sound that heralds the start of the working week, some jobs offer an escape from the daily grind and involve roughly one million times more frolicking and fun than your average 9-to-5er.
Oh yes, you can be paid actual money for splashing around in the Great Barrier Reef, skiing down slopes on fresh powder or riding camels through the outback. It sounds way too good to be true, but someone’s gotta do it – why not you? Here are our top eight Australian jobs in the travel industry.
#1 Surf instructor on the Great Ocean Road
Running alongside the rugged coastline from Torquay to Warrnambool, it’s a pretty undeniable fact that the Great Ocean Road is just about the most beautiful thing, well…ever. Famed for its awesome surf, the Great Ocean Road is just the place to turn your weekend hobby into your money earner. Surf schools like the Great Ocean Road Surf Tours will let you while away your days teaching adorable kids (and kind of adorable adults) the way of the waves. Also – beach hair. ALL. THE. TIME.
#2 Uluru tour guide
It’s not easy to become an Uluru tour guide – it has its own accreditation and everything. You have to know that rock inside out, upside down and back to front, and rightly so. But teaching people about one of the most amazing natural phenomena the world has to offer while ambling around Uluru’s stunning surrounds all day sounds pretty ideal, really. Plenty of operators offer tours to Uluru and the surrounding region, so check out job listings with these companies and get yourself an A+ on the Uluru test!
#3 Ski instructor at the NSW snow fields
I mean sure, the work will dry up in the summer but switch it up with a surfing job and you’ve got yourself a year-long work (and bonus health) plan. Swish and slide your way down the snow teaching tourists, school groups and clumsy fools (definitely not me, oh no) how to tackle the slopes like pros. Thredbo has arguably the best slopes for learning in Australia, with core employment values of respect, safety and most importantly, 10/10 good times.
#4 Wine connoisseur in the Barossa Valley
Wine is always a reason. Pick (eat) fruit in the sun, help to oversee the bottling of the nectar of the gods and explore the stunning Barossa Valley while you do it. Companies like Barossa Backpackers will help get you started – providing a place to stay and sending you off to interview for jobs in the wine region they think you’ll be a superstar at. Your palate will be so très chic you’ll never look at another box of Fruity Lexia again – proper culture and stuff.
#5 Camel hand in Broome
Fancy yourself a bit of a camel enthusiast? Niche, sure, but still cool. Broome Camel Safaris employ Alison Bird, Broome’s true camel lady, who will put you to work leading camel rides and helping with care and maintenance of the slightly bizarre but brilliant animals. Your ‘chores’ are essentially walking the camel along a trail to the foreshore of Broome’s stunning Cable Beach, watching a magical WA sunset and then feeding the camels once you’re back. I’ve definitely heard of more horrendous ways to spend time.
#6 Abseiling instructor at Tasmania’s Gordon Dam
Nearly forgot Tasmania, didn’t you? Don’t fret, there’s plenty of cool work there – it just might not be for the faint of heart. At 140 metres, the Gordon Dam is the world’s tallest commercial abseil. Aardvark Adventures organise the abseiling as well as extreme rafting through Tassie, and their employees obviously have quite an important job in ensuring that everyone knows exactly how to stay safe as their adrenaline climbs. Plus, imagine all the giggles you’d get watching people lose their mind over the massive drop down the dam wall which is holding back 30 times the amount of water as is in the whole of Sydney Harbour.
#7 Ecotourism ranger at Phillip Island
Penguins, koalas and an island fringed by beautiful beaches and rugged coastline? Phillip Island has always been the place to be in Victoria for family holidays and Schoolies alike, but have you ever considered a job with Phillip Island Nature Reserves? I definitely wouldn’t complain about coordinating the Penguin Parade, giving some koalas a bit of TLC from time to time, or leading the nighttime (insert space) torchlit rock pool tours around the island. Then in your downtime you’ve got beaches, amazing hikes and the world’s best fish and chips to keep you occupied.
#8 Diving instructor on the Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is quite literally another world – seeing it in the flesh still looks like a glossy postcard. Update your First Aid certificate, zip up your wetsuit and spend idyllic days lounging on the beautiful north Queensland beaches or diving with tourists in the underwater coral-y haven, looking for Nemo and his mates. There’s even a Great Barrier Reef job collective on Facebook to help you land that elusive position. If you have a second language up your sleeve, you’re even better placed to score a role.
Want to find your dream career in travel? It’s possible. With a Diploma from Evocca College, you’ll develop the skills and knowledge you need to embark upon an exciting career in the travel and tourism industry. Find out more at evocca.edu.au.
