Back in October the Australian government managed to not make that many enemies (or many new enemies rather) when they announced that the price of the Australian Working Holiday Visa would increase from AU$280 (£180) to AU$360 (£232).

Naturally, everyone involved with working holidays - from our clients through to the farmers employing them come harvest time - is disappointed with the changes, but what can you do?

• Apply now for your Australian working holiday visa!

The price change does not come into effect until the New Year, meaning if you're thinking about getting a Working Holiday Visa sometime in 2013, get it now and save yourself some money!

Australia's working holiday program is one of Australia, and even the world's, most popular immigration streams with thousands upon thousands of young Brits, Irish, Kiwis, French, Germans and plenty of other countries heading Down Under for a year or two they'll never forget.

That means the government stands to make a pretty penny from increasing the price and, as the governing Labour Party is so desperately trying to return its Budget to surplus within the next year, every penny will count.

Don't give them yours!

• Click here to apply now for your working holiday visa!

The latest you can get your Working Holiday Visa for the original price with the Australian Bureau is 6pm (GMT) on 28, December, 2012.

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- Dominic Ladden-Powell is the Online Editor with the Australian Visa Bureau, an independent migration consultancy specialising in helping people lodge applications for a Working Holiday Visa to Australia.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2013

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

December in the UK is cold, wet, busy, dark and plenty of other things to make you miserable - let's not forget the torture that is Christmas shopping.

In the UK, we need open fires, mulled wines and ludicrous sweaters to jar us into a jolly mood but in Australia, you get all the trimmings of a great Christmas season - carols, presents, trees and stockings - but presented in a glorious welcoming basket of blazing sunshine.

So if you're in Australia and missing the nostalgic Christmases of your childhood that never really happened - good news! Because Australia's sun-kissed December is so out of place for Christmas, the country goes ALL out to make it as festive as possible.

However, if you hate Christmas and are sourer than a lemon dipped in battery acid, there's still plenty to do to remind you have no friends to buy stuff for and a family on the other side of the world not missing your company.

Let's have a look at some great stuff to do this December!

Night Markets - Melbourne - 6th, 13th and 20th 

Let's face it, Christmas shopping is a nightmare, you either brave the throng, the heat, the frustration, the waiting times and out of stock notices or, you can do it in person. Even if you do choose to do it 'the easy way' - online - there's still three people left to buy for who have everything under the sun and pre-programmed eBay auctions set up to sell whatever you give them.

Well, here's your answer: the Kris Kringle Night Markets on Thursday 6, December as well as the 13th and 20th include over 50 stalls selling everything from hand carved hand carving kits to self immolating banana flambé makers.

(Probably).

Luna Park - Melbourne - until the 13th

While amusement parks in the US and Japan continue to try and set records for the biggest, highest and fastest death traps known to man, the golden oldies remain the best; rickety wooden rollercoasters sounding like they could splinter and collapse this time round even though they've been going for a million years, candy floss served from old timers in candy striped shirts and mascots that gave kids nightmares, what more could you want?

And where else could fulfil all these ideals then at Melbourne's Luna Park, one of the oldest continually operating theme parks in the world which celebrates its 100th birthday this month.

The iconic theme park is running all sorts of specials in the run up to the 13th so head on down there and party like it's 1912 when you could drink and drive 'without the law on your back' and money really did make you a better person!

More Markets - Brisbane - 14th

Outdoor markets are as much of a staple in the Christmas experience as pigs in blankets, family arguments and fire hazardous Christmas puddings - you can basically never have enough..

The BrisStyle indie Twilight Markets set in the heart of King George Square offers punters a relaxed Friday night where they can take in some of the soothing sounds of live jazz, feast on some festive foods and pick up a trinket or two for some people you don't really care about but need to have something to show for yourself.

Not-your-average-fairy lights - Perth - 14th

The true Christian meaning of Christmas got buried under generations of ungrateful kids and uncooked turkeys way before we came along so it's not our fault our associations of the festive season like in Coca-Cola trucks, half melted snowman, cheap plastic gismos and above all, lights.

Christmas lights line the streets of any decent size town in most countries but if you want to see a truly spectacular show and enjoy Illuminites Festival of Christmas at the Culture Centre in Perth where the extravagant displays and 6 metre walk in snow dome all lead the way to the bar.

Bliss.

Movies, on the roof - Perth - until the 16th

What is it about where you watch movies that influences the experience so much? The dark room, giant screen, sticky floors and more popcorn than you could ever wish to eat seems to have become the universally accepted model as the best film-absorbing experience but there are more and more emerging all the time: watching Avatar on an iPod nano on a train, lying in some twisted, wrangled position to keep the charger in the laptop and of course, the classic: the drive in movie theatre which only exists (ironically) in film.

However, a new trend is emerging: the rooftop cinema. For some reason sitting atop a few-storey building in a deck chair with the evening breeze teasing your popcorn is the new in thing and nowhere does it better this month that Rooftop Movies in downtown Perth, particularly because of their schedule, showing classics like Leon the Professional and the Goonies.

Just don't wander off the edge trying to find the toilets in the dark.

A life of Riley - Sydney - 7th to the 16th

Thanks to all pervading media prying into every 'celebrity' and the minutiae of their personal lives, we can get a glimpse of the high life on a regular basis. But it's almost always framed in a 'these people are scum, look how great their lives are, yours will never be this good' sort of way.

However, every once in a while us common folk get a genuine taste of the life of the upper classes; whether it's a ride in a Bentley at a motor show, an upgrade to first class on a flight or you simply decided that 'escort' isn't all that degrading of a profession if you go about it in a Pretty Woman sort of way.

If you've tasted the highs and now aren't satisfied with regular life, head along to Bondi Beach between the 7th and the 16th for the The Cool House: Pop-Up Boutique when the penthouse suite at the spankingly new Pacific Bondi Beach apartments will be turned into 'The Cool House'.

While you might not be able to afford anything on sale, let alone the penthouse, taking a few quick posey pictures to whack on Facebook will certainly assure all those jealous back home you can.

Christmas Carols - Sydney - 22nd

And lastly we have something truly Christmassy: Woolworths Carols in the Domain. What is now a 30-year-old tradition, Australia's largest free Christmas concert features some very respectable names singing all sorts of songs you hate at any other time of the year but might just strike a sentimental chord when sung by someone who can actually hold a tune just three days before the big day itself.

Head on down to the Domain on the Saturday for some truly festive cheer.

Ho ho ho!-ly hell there's only three weeks to go!

- Dominic Ladden-Powell is the Online Editor with the Australian Visa Bureau, an independent migration consultancy specialising in helping people lodge applications for a Working Holiday Visa to Australia.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2013

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

Working holidays are all about trying new things, living life on the edge and discovering your own limits. While the more depraved among you could take that to mean see how many never-before-tried drinks you can mix while lying on the beach waiting for the tide to come in.

OR, you could be truly daring with our all new partner: Skydive the Beach!

We at the Visa Bureau are delighted to announce our newly formed partnership with New South Wales’ biggest and best skydiving operator Skydive the Beach!

As part of our new partnership, all Visa Bureau Platinum Card holders will receive $30 off a 14,000 ft tandem skydive at three of Sky Dive the Beach’s locations across Australia PLUS a free Skydive the Beach t-shirt to remember your experience!

What is this ‘sky dive’ you speak of?

Basically it involves lots of guts, some very secure straps, a couple of very experienced instructors and about three bedsheets’ worth of material.

Oh, and a plane, which you jump out of, at 14,000 feet.

You can choose to jump over the stunning North Wollongong beach at the original Skydive the Beach Sydney or over the opalescent Byron Bay and Ballina at Skydive the Beach Byron Bay.

Skydive the Beach might be the biggest name in skydiving in NSW but the guys are so popular, they're making waves in Victoria too. Skydive the Beach Melbourne offers adrenaline seekers the chance to arrive on the Moran Reserve which is just east of the hideously cool St Kilda beach.

And why would I want to do this?

To find out what you’re made of! To do something you’ll never forget! To feel what it’s like to fly! To see if you can keep your breakfast down at a million miles per hour! To tell your mum what you’ve done and watch her reaction!

Why WOULDN’T you want to do this should be the question.

I am now officially convinced, where do I sign up and how do I get my discount (and free t-shirt)?

You can claim your discount at three of the five Skydive the Beach locations (we’re working on the other two):

Skydive the Beach Sydney Skydive the Beach Byron Bay Skydive the Beach Melbourne

Just show your Platinum Card on the day of your skydive or booking or, if you’re booking over the phone, mention you have a card and then scan or fax a copy over for confirmation – that’s it!

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- Dominic Ladden-Powell is the Online Editor with the Australian Visa Bureau, an independent migration consultancy specialising in helping people lodge applications for a Working Holiday Visa to Australia.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2013

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

As the Christmas season approaches, hundreds of employers are on the lookout for temporary workers to cover the busy season - and none so more than the theme parks and tourist attractions of the Gold Coast.

The Gold Coast is home to five major theme parks but is facing a bit of a struggle in attracting the hundreds of retailers, maintenance workers, service staff and above all ride attendants needed to cover the busy Australian Christmas summer.

Village Roadshow, which operates Movie World, Sea World and Wet 'n' Wild is looking to boost its workforce by up to 25% - over 500 positions while Dreamworld and Whitewater World are also looking for at least 200 workers, and maybe not just on a temporary basis.

"We want happy, fun, energetic employees and often casual Christmas staff are offered permanent positions because we recruit internally," said Megan Reid, Dreamworld's people manager.

"The positions are for a variety of ages from school students to grandmothers and grandfathers looking for a couple of days' work."

It's not just in the adrenaline fuelled world of theme parks and water worlds though that the Gold Coast is looking for people, with plenty of other tourism opportunities on offer.

Leon Thomson, sales and marketing director for the recently refurbished five-star Sheraton Mirage hotel, says the resort is struggling to keep up with unprecedented levels of demand with a 20% jump in occupancy forcing the resort to hire more restaurant, bar and catering staff as well as housekeepers and other staff members.

"We already have 300 employees and to create another 40 positions is a significant expansion for our staffing numbers," said Mr Thompson.

You can find the Village Roadshow recruitment page here, and the Sheraton page here.

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- Dominic Ladden-Powell is the Online Editor with the Australian Visa Bureau, an independent migration consultancy specialising in helping people lodge applications for a Working Holiday Visa to Australia.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2013

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

While the dark and gloom of the UK gets a bit darker and gloomier as the clocks go back, things are just hotting up Down Under as summer peaks its head around the corner.

Summer for Brits means disappointment; summer for Australians means what it says on the tin - it gets hot.

While as a Brit abroad you will undoubtedly be ridiculously underprepared for the temperature gauge straining the 20 degree mark and are definitely about to be sun burnt and dehydrated and just generally looking like a microwaved tomato.

But, that's your own fault, let's look at some stuff you can do in November before you get too hot.

Sculpture by the Sea 2012 - Sydney - until the 4th

Bondi Beach is one of the most famous and iconic beaches in the world, probably only rivalled by Rio's Ipanema Beach and we're sure the locals would want it pointing out that the girls in Sydney rival their Brazilian counterparts too.

But what can you do to improve one of the world's best beaches? How about placing a few incredibly strange and incredibly massive sculptures all along the sea line for a couple of weeks each spring?

Sculpture is one of the most under rated art forms, right behind origami and one in front of 'playing the armpit' but the Sculpture by the Sea festival is a chance for some of the best known sculptors (presumably in the sculpting world) to show off their work.

You probably don't need an excuse to get down to Bondi but here's one anyway, so head on down there before the 4th and have a wander along the beach at the world's largest free sculpture exhibition.

Outdoor cinema and ice cream - Brisbane - until the 17th

Spring and summer are not the seasons to be sitting in dark rooms watching films so it's a surprise more companies don't have the required geniuses working for them to realise that simply bringing the screens outside and putting films on in the cool evening breezes.

However, if you’re in Brisbane before the 17th you stand to benefit from one such stroke of genius. The Ben & Jerry's Open Air Cinemas are exactly what they sound like: films - ice cream - outside.

What more could you want?

How about a cinema outside, on a roof?

Rooftop cinema - Perth - 4th to the 18th

In what could be one of Perth's best kept secrets, the top floor of the City of Perth Roe St car park has been converted into a cinema lover's paradise: Rooftop Movies.

The whole floor has been astro-turfed, bedecked with palm trees and rows upon rows of deck chairs to be served food and drinks in while you enjoy one of the widest varieties of film anywhere on offer, from golden Hollywood classics, to enthralling documentaries to modern day blockbusters.

Not the Muppets - Melbourne - 7th to the 25th

If you grew up counting along with the Count on Sesame St or accusing Miss Piggy of having the same voice as Yoda, you might be interested in one of the world's most acclaimed ventriloquists and his little array of puppets on show in Melbourne.

However, going along and expecting nostalgic memories of the Cookie Monster is a bad idea; David Strassman's routines rely on foul mouthed, narcissistic characters like Chuck Wood and the perpetually bullied Ted E Bare.

It's not all just clever talk without moving your mouth action though either as Strassman's act descends down the rabbit hole of delusional insanity with massive screens, strobe lighting and booming sound effects adding much more to the expected image of a guy with no mates and his hand up a puppet's arse.

Posh nosh in the park - Melbourne - 15th to the 18th

The Taste of Melbourne food festival has moved outside for the first time this year and what could be better than chilling in Australia's coolest city with some of the finest food money can buy.

Spread over four days, Taste of Melbourne features a huge number of individual events demonstrating the virtues of a vast array of culinary styles for you to taste and even try your hand at cooking.

You may want to fast for a few days before going.

BIFF, no pun needed - Brisbane - 12th to the 25th

The Brisbane International Film Festival, or BIFF for short, returns this month for 12 days of some of the biggest names in cinema.

Films such as The Sweeney and Anna Karenina will have premieres at BIFF while countless other independent films desperately battle it out for various prizes and the recognition as the next big things in cinema.

Roller Derby - Sydney - 21st - Melbourne - 23rd - Brisbane - 25th

Sport is one of the few arenas of the 21st century that is still ridiculously dominated by men. While the London Olympics proved that women can produce just as much sporting drama and tension as the fellas, it's a sad fact that tennis remains practically the only sport where some level or parity is achieved.

So if you agree that the fairer sex should have the chance to go at each other in a truly un-gentlemanly fashion, head on down to Roller Derby Xtreme at the Sydney Olympic Park, the Hisense Arena in Melbourne or the Brisbane Exhibition Centre to see some armour clad warrior-esses go head to head on roller skates.

If you have any lingering doubts about the attraction of roller derby, perhaps it's not quite brutal enough for you, check out this video to see the lovely ladies who'll be smashing each other up on the 21st.

Colour me in - Melbourne - 25th

And lastly, a true world event takes place next month, and one you won't want to miss: the Color Run 2012.

Inspired by the Hindu festival Holi, the Color Run is a 5km race unlike no other. As the pristinely white-clad runners set off round the track, they are bombarded with different colour paints at different points around the track, meaning that win or lose, everyone crosses the line looking like a rainbow threw up on you.

Even if 5km might be a bit far for you and the site of a bag of skittles makes you go cross eyed, head on down to the course anyway and join in with the hurling of paint.

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- Dominic Ladden-Powell is the Online Editor with the Australian Visa Bureau, an independent migration consultancy specialising in helping people lodge applications for a Working Holiday Visa to Australia.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2013

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

The Australian government announced this week its intention to increase visa prices almost across the board - including the Working Holiday Visa!

As of 1, January, 2013, the cost of processing a working holiday visa will increase from AU$280 (£180) to AU$360 (£232). The increase in price might not be as significant or severe as certain other visa streams (almost AU$1,000 for partner visas!) but nevertheless, price hikes are rarely welcome.

Why is the Australian government being so mean?

One of the keys to Australia's success has been its budgeting. While the UK and the rest of the world rode the boom time waves high, throwing money around at free services for all and turning the NHS into a labyrinth of bureaucracy, Australia played it cool.

During the boom times, most economies - the US, the UK and the majority of Europe - ran deficit budgets; Australia ran surpluses. So, now that the bubble has burst and most countries are left trying to balance gossamer budgets with a sledgehammer, Australia is in a much comfier position.

Comfier doesn't mean easy though, and Australia did in fact run a deficit of AU$55 billion in last year's budget but, with even more economic uncertainty looming, Australia wants to return to a winning formula again and plans to return to a AU$1 billion surplus this year.

In order to do this, among other things, they've increased Australia visa costs.

What have you got to say about that then?

Well, as you might expect, there has been outrage and uproar, welcome and thanking, all in equal measures, but not necessarily all from where you might expect.

Transport and Tourism Forum chief executive John Lee said the price will deter backpackers from visiting Australia.

"It's wrong to assume people will keep coming [to Australia] regardless of cost - instead of coming to Australia as a working holidaymaker they will go somewhere else."

Maurene Horder, CEO of the Migration Institute of Australia, says it's 'pretty lazy and pretty greedy' to increase costs:

"The fact you can get away with charging a bit more doesn't it is reasonable or fair that you have to do it."

Acting Immigration Minister Kate Lundy says Australia's popularity is such that a price increase will not deter people from coming:

"The government has made a targeted increase in the cost of visas where there are high levels of demand, and therefore areas that are less likely to be significantly impacted by the added costs."

It's not that bad

The price increase really isn't all that bad, and that seems to be the attitude reflected in both Australian businesses that rely on backpackers and the backpackers themselves.

Carl Walker of the Bowen Gumlu District Growers Association in north Queensland says backpackers account for up to 80% of the workforce and earn a very healthy wage.

"A lot of the pickers are earning now anything from AU$20 [£13] to AU$50 [£32] per hour there on contract, the ones that get in and work hard," said Mr Walker.

"I don't think that 80 bucks is going to change their view on Australia because Australia has got a damn good reputation amongst the backpackers for a great place to come."

"I think I would pay it," said one friend on our Facebook page. "I have enjoyed my nine months so far and still have three more to go. Australia is amazing and you learn so much about yourself by taking a year off from normal life.

"It’s worth every penny. Not many people can say they have done this. Just go for it! :-) Happiest time of my life!"

They're not in the minority either, with another friend claiming it's 'worth every penny and more!' as '£50 or $80 is a night out back home'.

Is it still worth it?

The short answer is, of course it is!

Can I get round it?

Yes! The price increase does not come into effect until the New Year, so you’ve still got plenty of time to get your visa under the current price.

Since the terms of any working holiday visa state that you have a whole year after your visa is granted to enter Australia to make your first entry into the country and ‘activate’ it, that means even if you were to apply and be granted your visa now, you’d have until October 2013 to enter Australia and then you’d be able to stay out there until October 2014!

Therefore, even if you don’t intend to set off on your year out Down Under until 2013, we advise that you get your visa sorted out now so you can save yourself some money and still have loads of time to get things sorted.

 Click Here to Apply Online for Your Australian Working Holiday Visa Now!

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- Dominic Ladden-Powell is the Online Editor with the Australian Visa Bureau, an independent migration consultancy specialising in helping people lodge applications for a Working Holiday Visa to Australia.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2013

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

As Britain slowly gets more and soggier, turning the entire country and population into a puddle, that can mean only one thing: it's hotting up Down Under!

Summer is well on its way in Sydney, Barbies are being fired up in Brisbane, Mojitos are being made in Melbourne and some stuff beginning with A is going down in Adelaide.

So if you're in Australia this October, there's plenty of stuff to look forward to, most of which will come along with a risk of getting sunburn.

Here's a look at some of the top things to do in Australia this month.

Melbourne Fringe - Melbourne - 26th September - 14th October

The Melbourne Fringe Festival is now in its third decade and more than 50,000 performers have entertained over 2 million people (although the odd one probably bombed).

This year's festival is spread across the city and features some of the best comedy, dance, performance music and all sorts of other weird stuff throughout the week.

I wanna have ahem...breakfast on the beach - Sydney 14th October

Breakfast on the beach probably ranks pretty highly on most people's ridiculous lists of stuff they'd do if they won the lottery but it's also one you can actually do even if you're not super rich.

However, picking the wasps off your stale sandwiches while the wind blows wet sand in your eyes on Morecambe beach probably doesn't quite live up to the fantasy.

If you're in Australia this month however, how's about ticking something straight off your lottery list when thousands of people will head down for Breakfast on Bondi - one of the world's best remember (no broken bottles or soiled nappies) - for some hearty breakfast.

Melbourne Festival - Melbourne - 11 - 27th

The Melbourne Festival of the Creative and Performing Arts is a two week festival which does exactly what it says on the tin: that means there'll be plenty of shows to see, music to listen and just plenty of excuse to get drunk in general.

Brazilian Dance - Brisbane - 5th to the 7th

Brazilians like a few simple pleasures: beaches, bikinis, football and dancing. They also like to do as many of these things in as few clothes as possible.

So while you might not really be all up for learning how to dislocate your hips like Shakira, heading down to the Old Museum in Brisbane for Brazil Central Zouk lessons should be worth it for the view alone.

Noodle doodle - Sydney - 3rd - 5th

While you might be disappointed to find that you won't be able to live entirely off beer and the odd tequila slammer (for the vitamins in the lime) for the duration of your working holiday in Australia, don't be too disheartened.

Just because it won't get you drunk, it doesn't mean it won't be delicious and nowhere will you be able to find such a good selection of the time-tested, student, budget-traveller favourite: noodles than the Night Noodle Markets in Sydney's Hyde Park.

Beer in the buff - Sydney - 22nd

Most people won't admit it, but the hope of getting to see someone naked at some point in the night is usually niggling its way at the back of their mind when their glamming themselves up for a night out.

For girls, that usually means picking up your friend out of a pile of her own sick and rearranging her skirts at about 2am and for lads...well if you thought that was gross.

So, why not achieve beer and nudity in one civilised swoop? The Beer Meets (Life) Art at The Local Taphouse in Darlinghurst promises just that. They provide the nude model and the beer, all you have to do is draw them without being insulting and colouring outside the lines.

Harry Potter, possibly - Perth - 2nd to the 7th

Potted Potter is a two man show starring Jefferson Turner as the eponymous specky kid and Daniel Clarkson as everyone else in the book. The aim is to get through all 7 books, in 70 minutes.

We debated whether to include this in the month's review but given Ms Rowling's first venture into the world of publishing not armed with Scooby Doo or whatever we thought it worth the risk.

Going to see Potted Potter is most certainly a risk, the reviews are good but who knows? Do let us know won't you.

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- Dominic Ladden-Powell is the Online Editor with the Australian Visa Bureau, an independent migration consultancy specialising in helping people lodge applications for a Working Holiday Visa to Australia.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2013

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

The Western Australian government has said enough is enough. After five fatal shark attacks in the past 10 months, great white sharks caught near the beach will be caught and killed.

We wrote a few weeks ago about the state government considering its options when it comes to allowing people, working holiday visa holders included, indulge in a spot of shark tourism, which basically equates to chucking some blood and guts in the water and waiting for the sharks to come get you AND THEN expecting them to leave you alone once you've had your fun.

But now five people have lost their lives in many people's literal nightmares and the WA government has decided to act.

As part of an almost AU$7 million (£4.5 million) package of strategies aimed at tackling the problems, the newly-created Department of Fisheries will be given AU$2 million (£1.2 million) to track down and kill great white sharks.

"Previously the orders were used in response to an attack, but now proactive action will be taken if a large white shark presents imminent threat to people," said Fisheries Minister Norman Moore, who was quick to add there was "not going to be a shark hunt".

What's the point?

Swimming with sharks would be alright if you were wearing some diamond clad, shark repelling, machine gun armed gear but you're not, you're in the same thing your mum does stepsercise or whatever in in the gym.

Not only that, but you're in their environment. A beached shark or one with a fishbowl full of water on its head would probably still present a bit of a challenge but no, you're in the sea, where they've been hunting for a few hundred million years now without much of a challenge.

Get real

There's plenty of stuff you can do on the beaches and in the seas of WA without resorting to trying to wind up a 5 metre shredding machine with a taste for human flesh.

Try Rockingham Wild Encounters to chill with some penguins and maybe even slap a seal (they won't hit back).

Alternatively, if you want to be on the water, Werner's Hot Spot offers plenty of chance to learn a bit of wind surfing or even kite boarding. Sharks don't like kites.

Above all, if a shark does come looming out of the darkness at you while you're bobbing for apples or whatever, remember, they don't like peanuts, so have some on you.

- Dominic Ladden-Powell is the Online Editor with the Australian Visa Bureau, an independent migration consultancy specialising in helping people lodge applications for a Working Holiday Visa to Australia.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2013

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

Well as some of you will know we at the Visa Bureau teamed up with our friends over at STA Travel a couple of months ago to offer one lucky working holiday goer a full refund on their flights to Australia up to the cost of £1,000!

We received plenty of entries but there could only be one winner so.......

Step forward Kara Lyons!

We finally caught up with Kara this week, she's already in Australia putting her Australian working holiday visa to good use.

Entering the competition

The Visa Bureau and STA competition had been running for a while when Kara processed her and booked her flights but was in a such a rush, she says it wasn't the chance of winning that made her choose Visa Bureau and STA.

"I found Visa Bureau online and used them because the process was so easy and efficient, the only issue I had which slowed down my application was I needed to have chest scans. Visa Bureau found a clinic for me in London and I got everything sorted in less than two weeks as I had to leave for Canada. My mum booked my flight to Australia for me while I was in Canada. STA Travel got me a great deal on a top airline with lots of baggage allowance. I was happy enough with that, she didn't even tell me I had been entered into a competition."

Winning the competition

Flights to Australia aren't likely to be the cheapest part of anyone's trip so Kara was understandably shocked and overjoyed to find she wouldn't be paying for hers, especially as she didn't even know she was in a competition:

"It was a complete surprise! I didn't believe it at first, I had to get my boyfriend to check. He had just woken up for his 5am shift so I turned to check my phone and there was the email. I made him check it because I thought it was a scam! Then I called my mum and asked her to read it too."

Kara says now she knows she's definitely won and doesn't have to give a stranger her bank details over email her working holiday plans have changed.

"I have credit card and overdraft debt back home thanks to my previous travels that I hope to pay off now while I'm working out here. Plus it now means I can enjoy more of my hard earned dollars on my future travels!"

Kara's trip 

While winning so much money is enough to make anyone's day, winning is just the icing on the cake for Kara in a long term adventure she's been planning for years, and her working holiday in Australia isn't her first trip.

"I first decided to go travelling when I was at University, that I would go when I graduated. It seemed like the best time to, after all that hard work and before I settle down and start my career. My dear friend Alex was also losing his battle with cancer at the time and as I'd already lost my dad as a teenager, I was reminded of how quickly life can be taken away. 

"But Alex's fight and zest for life was so admirable that he inspired me not to waste time and begin my own life changing journey.

"In January 2011, me and two of my best friends travelled the east coast of Australia as well as New Zealand, Singapore and Thailand before we went our separate ways. I stayed in Thailand for a year teaching Kindergarten kids English. Teaching completely brought me to life; the energy and enthusiasm of those kids was truly infectious.

"While I was in Thailand I also had the opportunity to travel through Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos before heading home to the UK for a quick visit, a family holiday to Florida, a trip to Canada and then finally back out to Australia on a working holiday, phew!"

However, it's not just the prospect of seeing the world, living on beaches, experiencing a different culture or even just getting to wear sandals every day that persuaded Kara to head Down Under. 

"Like all perfect travel stories - I fell in love. I first met my boyfriend on his travels through Cambodia and Thailand. He was going to Australia on a working holiday visa so when my time in Thailand was up it seemed like the perfect opportunity to work and travel together and see everything I missed the first time around!"

Despite winning a competition and falling in love and lots of other good stuff, Kara says there's still plenty of practical aspects to her trip and has one piece of sage advice she says no traveller should be unaware of.

"Take a travel towel! I wouldn't travel with an ordinary one ever again. They're so easy and when you're on the move daily you need something that can dry quickly before it's shoved back in your bag. They are so thin and light they hardly take up any room too which is a bonus, especially seeing as my boyfriend Dan and I are both working in the Outback of Western Australia in a town called Laverton - it's remote to say the least!"

What next? 

Kara has already done so much on her trip but still has plenty of things planned for the rest.

"It's all been amazing but I would have to say sky diving and scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef are in my top 10.

"I've surprised myself many times! I certainly never thought I would jump out of a plane or that I would be even the slightest bit capable of surfing!" 

"I really want to go whale watching off the west coast of Australia and I'm dying to go see Ayers Rock. I also can't wait to spend Christmas and New Year in Sydney - it's such a great city!"

Well we were happy we could manage to get hold of Kara during what sounds like the trip of a lifetime but she had a few last thoughts about the travelling experience.

"Every day is a new experience when you're travelling and you never know what's around the corner. It's definitely not all about where you're going but who you are going with and I feel like I've made some lifelong friends this past year and a half.

"I just hope to keep having fun with great company while seeing a bit of the world too!"

We expect Kara doesn't need telling to enjoy the rest of her working holiday!

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- Dominic Ladden-Powell is the Online Editor with the Australian Visa Bureau, an independent migration consultancy specialising in helping people lodge applications for a Working Holiday Visa to Australia.

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