Backpacker Jobs St Kilda

Jobs in St Kilda

As Melbourne's most popular beachside suburb, St Kilda is a favourite haunt of backpackers and working holidaymakers. It's a place of many sights and sounds; kids giggling and screaming at Luna Park, swimmers relaxing in sea baths, musicians strumming on grassy knolls and windsurfers riding the waves of Port Phillip Bay. St Kilda can be seen as a bit of a juxtaposition - peaceful yet vibrant, relaxed yet exciting, touristy yet distinctly local.

St Kilda is also just a short tram ride from the Melbourne CBD, granting you easy access to the city at large. Just don't be surprised if you find the coastal suburb a tricky place to leave!

But is St Kilda a must-see destination for a working holidaymaker? And what exactly might the suburb offer 417 and 462 visa holders?

Let's take a look.

Where is St Kilda, and how do I get there?

St Kilda is a suburb of Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city. It is located approximately seven kilometres south of the Melbourne CBD, or a simple 30 minute tram ride.

What is St Kilda famous for?

Unlike other Australian capitals like Sydney, Adelaide and Perth, Melbourne's sits on Port Phillip Bay rather than the open ocean, and so doesn't have similarly endless stretches of sand. St Kilda is one of the few central suburbs that has a traditional Australian beach, and has become a hotspot for watersports, swimming and sunbaking.But the beach is only part of the St Kilda story. Regular markets mean you'll find plenty of creatives, Luna Park has been attracting families for over a century, and the St Kilda Botanical Gardens are the perfect place to enjoy the outdoors in the company of a good book.

What are St Kilda's must see attractions?

1. St Kilda Beach: The centrepiece of the suburb, you won't find any big waves here - protected by Port Phillip Bay, St Kilda offers a far more relaxed swimming experience than Bondi Beach.
2. Luna Park Melbourne: While Sydney's Luna Park is arguably more famous, St Kilda is home to the original, and to many, the best. Luna Park Melbourne was established in 1912, and has been making kids and adults squeal with delight for a century.
3. St Kilda Esplanade Market: If you've only got one day to spend in St Kilda, make it a Sunday, when the Esplanade plays host to over 140 stallholders who sell wonderful arts, crafts and other handmade items.
4. St Kilda Botanical Gardens: The vibrancy of the St Kilda foreshore is perfectly offset by the tranquility of St Kilda Botanical Gardens, where gorgeous trees, exotic flowers, a beautiful old greenhouse combine to offer ultimate levels of relaxation.

What should I see in the St Kilda area?

1. Federation Square: The place where Melbourne comes together to celebrate. There's almost always a community event on here, held in the shadows of perfectly abstract architecture.
2. The MCG: The birthplace of Aussie rules football and test cricket, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG for short) is the largest stadium in the southern hemisphere, and is also the home of the National Sports Museum.
3. Eureka Skydeck: Enjoy the best view in all of Melbourne.. as long as you're OK with standing 88 floors above the ground, held up by nothing but a pane of glass. This protruding cube isn't for the faint of heart.
4. Healesville Sanctuary: Found at the very edge of greater Melbourne, Healesville is more than worth the trip, being home to many of Australia's cutest, cuddliest and rarest creatures.

Where should I stay in St Kilda?

For a discount dorm bed: As one of the best known and best loved hostels in the suburb, Base St Kilda is a safe bet for a comfy bed, a clean bathroom, and endless amounts of late night fun.

For something slightly fancier: The team at The Hamptons Apartments St Kilda have managed to pair quality with affordability, giving backpackers the opportunity to live it up at nice apart-hotel, without breaking the bank.

To treat yourself (at a sensible rate): For a night or two in the lap of luxury, head to Quest St Kilda Road.

Is there work for backpackers in St Kilda?

You have two options as a backpacker on a 417 or 462 visa - you can either make the most of 12 months in Australia, or you can undertake specified work in a regional location, and extend your visa into a second or third year.

If you're only looking to stay in Australia for 12 months, St Kilda is a terrific place to look for work - thanks to its healthy levels of tourism there is constant demand for workers in the hospitality industry. But if you're looking to extend your stay into a second or third year, St Kilda isn't the place - being a suburb of Australia's second-largest city, it doesn't qualify as a regional location.

So, is St Kilda worth a visit for a working holidaymaker? As a beautiful, exciting and eclectic part of Melbourne, it most certainly is. But whether or not you stay there to work will depend on what your long term plans for Australia are.

Our advice? Get to St Kilda first, and worry about the rest later!