Be offered the chance to au pair in Australia during your gap year and you are in for a fantastic adventure! One of the top destinations for gap year travel; au pair in Australia and experience a once in a lifetime chance to really discover its culture. We explore what opportunities an au pair placement in Australia offers, whilst you are there and going forward when you return.
add valuable experience to your C.V., get paid and have time off to travel and discover your surroundings. Becoming an au pair during your gap year in Australia delivers on every level! Enjoying all of these benefits has now become a rare occurrence, so don’t miss this opportunity! Apply now to become an au pair during your gap year in Australia.
During this time full board is covered with your local family, an allowance is paid, and you can enjoy a minimum of 2 days off each week.
Where you are located is your choice. Au pairs in Australia have three types of placement to choose from; city, rural or in the outback; each with their own distinct opportunities.
A city placement
Looking for an urban experience for your au pair gap year placement?
Choose to work as an au pair during your gap year in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or one of the other main Australian cities and enjoy a cosmopolitan start to your experience.
A busy lifestyle with plenty to do
Take an au pair gap year placement in the city and life will be busy with early starts, school runs and chores to do around the house, but this fast pace of life means you will quickly settle in and become a core member of the family.
Iconic attractions to explore during your gap year
Sydney
If you have chosen an au pair gap year placement in Sydney, a visit to the iconic Sydney Opera House is a must, or perhaps take the opportunity to climb the majestic Sydney Harbour Bridge and gain spectacular views across the bay. Bondi Beach attracts surfers from miles around and with an average water temperature of 21 °C, the ocean is an inviting way to spend a relaxing afternoon.
Melbourne
Choose to au pair during your gap year in Australia in Melbourne and you will not be short of things to do. A culturally vibrant city; Melbourne is consistently recognised as being one of the world’s most liveable cities, Melbourne offers excellent shopping opportunities, alongside a bustling restaurant and bar scene. Time your working hours right on your au pair gap year placement and you could also have the opportunity to watch a world-class sporting event, with Melbourne hosting the Australian Grand Prix, the Australian Open Tennis Final and the AFL Grand Final.
Brisbane
Brisbane is notorious for being warm and sunny for most of the year. Take your au pair gap year placement in this part of Australia and enjoy outdoor city living at its fullest! BBQs and picnics, take river cruises and hike up Mount Coot-tha for breath-taking views of the city, all alongside city festivals, night markets and a vibrant café and bar scene.
Benefits of a city au pair gap year placement
- Always plenty to do
- Family lifestyle will be busy – no time for homesickness here!
- Amazing city sights
- Great transport links to meet up with friends
A rural placement
Take an au pair gap year placement in a small rural city or town for a slower pace of life.
A real community feel
A rural au pair gap year placement will give you the opportunity to experience the heart of the country, where community spirit thrives. Enjoy the laid-back culture for which Australians are famous. With plenty of opportunities to get involved in local social events, you will quickly feel at ease.
Jaw-dropping scenery
Whether you are located on the coast, in the mountains or in one of Australia’s mining towns, use your time off to discover the surrounding scenery and you will be utterly rewarded; creating lifelong memories during your au pair gap year placement. Explore beautiful beaches, undiscovered by the mainstream tourists, quirky towns filled with real Australian history and incredible views on winding mountain hikes.
Benefits of a rural au pair gap year placement
- A more laid-back family lifestyle
- Plenty of chance to get involved with the local community
- Close to beautiful scenery offering huge scope for outdoor activity
A placement in the outback
Go adventurous and discover the outback!
For an experience so far-removed from everyday life back at home, take an au pair gap year placement in the remote outback and be prepared for a potentially life changing experience.
Close connections
On an au pair gap year placement in the outback, you will quickly make friends; friendships that will last for life. Small communities mean that everyone knows everyone. Strong connections are made quickly, as you help one another out.
On the wild side
If you have a love of wildlife, the outback delivers on more levels than you can imagine. Consider kangaroos and dingos being a part of your everyday encounters during your gap year in Australia, farms as big as countries and remote small villages that are situated an hour’s plane ride away from the nearest urban location.
If you are looking for a break from the metropolitan lifestyle, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to consider for your gap year in Australia.
Benefits of an outback au pair gap year placement
- Strong communities with a warm welcome
- Amazing wildlife as your neighbours
- A chance to escape a busy lifestyle
Making new friends on your gap year in Australia
The social coordinators for au pair gap year placements in Australia arrange plenty of social activities, so you can meet up with your fellow au pairs and make new friends.
The exclusive Facebook group enables you to exchange experiences, meet up prior to travelling to Australia and, of course, stay in contact afterwards too.
You host family will also help you integrate into the community, meet new people and make friends with the locals.
Settling in with a new host family, getting to know the neighbourhood and making new friends along the way will all develop your communication skills whilst on your au pair gap year placement. Employers like to see that you are confident in communicating in different scenarios.
Being able to move to a whole new country, adapt to a new pace of life and work for a previously unknown family shows you can adjust to new challenges. Great for the workplace!
Taking care of a host family’s children, looking after their home and dealing with a new environment on your gap year in Australia demonstrates an excellent sense of responsibility.
There will be challenges during your au pair gap year placement in Australia; times when you will need to put your problem-solving skills to the test in unfamiliar circumstances. Showing resourcefulness by developing these skills and finding solutions is an attribute sought after by all employers.
Getting the children ready for school, organising meals, doing the school run and completing the household chores may quickly become a part of your everyday routine that you take for granted how organised you need to be to ensure everything runs smoothly. These organisational skills will be highly beneficial in any career.
Travel opportunities after your au pair gap year placement in Australia
Once your au pair gap year program in Australia comes to an end, you will be faced with the enviable decision of how to spend your remaining time and money in the country.
Colourful, astonishing landscapes
A country of brimming with fascinating diversity; Australia delivers for travel addicts on every level. From the dramatic vista of the Blue Mountains and beautiful Wentworth Falls, just 1.5 hours’ drive from Sydney, to wide open beaches stretching along the Great Ocean Road, where not another person is in sight, nature does not disappoint. Your gap year in Australia will be filled with these unforgettable sights.
Unique wildlife
Come face to face with wildlife exclusive to this country: kangaroos, koalas, platypus, wombats and so many more unique and curious animals, whose memory will stay with you long after your gap year travel in Australia is over.
A diverse culture
The diversity permeates into the Australia culture too, where modern, buzzing cities offering everything to keep you entertained contrast distinctly with the indigenous aboriginal culture, ancient in their practices and beliefs. Having extensive time in the country during your au pair gap year placement, you will really gain an understanding of the true Aussie culture.
Au pair gap year deals
After you have completed your au pair gap year placement in Australia, you will gain access to exclusive travel deals that help you to make the most of your time remaining in the country.
With so much to see, planning is vital. Don’t underestimate the size of the country and the amount of time and cost involved in travel; it’s close to impossible to see it all! However, after an au pair gap year placement in Australia to remember, it is highly likely you will be returning.
Summary
An au pair gap year placement in Australia will deliver a once in a lifetime opportunity and long-term benefits for your future career.
If you are interested in spending your gap year in Australia, look at getting some childcare experience first before applying and then take time to consider what type of au pair gap year placement would suit you best during your gap year in Australia.
Check out the FAQ section of the Au Pair in Australia website to help answer any questions you may have. You can also request further information here from one of the au pair consultants.
Ready to start your gap year? Click here
The application process takes a minimum of 6 weeks, but it is normally advisable to apply 6 months in advance to get prepared.