• Email your questions to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Australia is the destination that bounds energetically to mind whenever anyone toting a backpack utters the words 'gap year'. The land down under receives more British backpackers than anywhere else on the planet – and for obvious reasons. There's loads to see, from rainforest to desert and mountain to ocean; it's English-speaking; and it has what is arguably the best developed backpacker network in the world with hostels, buses and bars all set up with budget travellers in mind. However it is also overwhelmingly huge and home to enough attractions and sights to keep you occupied from now until retirement. If you're dazzled by its sheer size and stature ask our experts for their tips on the backpacker capital here.

Readers' questions

Jill Champion: As part of a longer gap year holiday us two oldies (aged 60 and 70) have booked a flight to Oz for February 2010. We are flying into Sydney on 3 February and out of Cairns on the 3 March. We're looking for something more than a beach holiday! We have a maximum budget of £500 per week. We are happy to stay in self-catering apartments (unless there are hostels for oldies) and happy to go by Greyhound or use cheap flights. I have a hankering to get to Alice Springs. Can it be done on this budget?

Steve Gill, STA Travel Cambridge: Travelling is definitely not just for the 18-30s – there are lots of activities out there for everyone! But travelling overland from Sydney to Cairns in a month may be a bit of a push. I would advise spending a few days in Sydney before taking an internal flight to Alice Springs to do a three- or four-day safari in the Red Centre and then fly from Alice Springs to Brisbane to get the Greyhound from there to Cairns. The stretch from Brisbane to Cairns covers a few of Australia's gems such as Fraser Island (the world's largest sand island, which you can explore in a 4x4), the Whitsunday Islands, which include Whitehaven Beach (one of the top beaches in the world) and of course the Great Barrier Reef. If you want all of this sorted out for you before you go then there's a 12-day trip from Brisbane to Cairns, which includes the chance to do all of the activities mentioned above between Brisbane and Cairns as well as including all of your accommodation and transport. If you'd prefer to do it independently then you can get a pass with Greyhound which is valid for six weeks and will let you hop on and off between Brisbane and Cairns at your own speed. Another option is hiring a car, which you can do from £18 per day and with some companies there's no fee for picking up in one place and dropping off in another. Either way, the budget of £500 per week is more than sufficient and should allow you to experience all the highlights along the way, so you should be confident of having a brilliant trip. If you visit or call STA Travel, they'll be able to talk through the options in more detail with you. You can find your nearest branch at statravel.co.uk/branches.

Colin Jeffrey: I was considering taking a gap year in Australia towards the end of this year. Having looked at a series of GAP programmes, "guaranteeing" work placements, is the recession having a big factor on the available possibilities of work for travellers? My Aunt is currently living in Brisbane, and says that work is few and far between at the moment for natives, let alone travellers. Is it simply a bad time to consider these "paid" placements, or is volunteer work a safer bet?

Dylan Clements, STA Travel Covent Garden: Office jobs and the like can be a little bit tougher to get in Australia at the moment than they were previously. However it's not impossible. Also, I have a lot of customers over there who are finding it easy to pick up work such as fruit picking, farm work etc. Before you go why not pick up one of the STA Travel Aussie Starter packs that specalise in finding work for Brits coming to Australia to work. Alternatively, a lot of the volunteers organisations in Australia have some great specials on at the moment, so that is another option too.

I've got about six weeks in Australia (as part of a bigger trip later this year). Where do you suggest I go?

Helen Ochyra: Australia could swallow Europe whole so my main advice is, don't plan to do too much. Assuming you're flying into Sydney (most people do) plan to spend at least three days in the city before heading up the east coast. Stop for a night or two in Byron Bay before heading further north to the main attractions – Fraser Island, the Whitsundays and the Great Barrier Reef. Cairns is a fun town and a great base for trips to Cape Tribulation and into the Atherton Tablelands, so plan on a week or so there. If you still have time head out into the Outback – you could fly to Uluru from Cairns for a couple of nights in the desert.

Dylan Clements, STA Travel Covent Garden: There so much to see and do in Australia, there is something for everyone. Along the east coast you will find sunny beaches, tropical rainforests and a tonne of wildlife. The two main cities, Sydney and Melbourne, will offer you anything from world-class shopping to 24-hour nightlife. Why not go to the red centre and experience the real Australian outback and sleep under the stars and walk the base of Ayers Rock? The west coast can offer you anything from whale watching to some stunning bush walks in snake-infested forests!

I've only got two weeks off in October but really want to go to Australia. Is this enough time – or should I save it for when I've got more time?

HO: If this is a now or never sort of decision then go now and just do Sydney and Cairns (flying between the two). You could just about fit in the sights and beaches of Sydney along with the Great Barrier Reef, Cape Tribulation and maybe the Whitsundays. However, if you can wait you would get so much more out of spending a month or two there (or even six or 12 months). The east coast alone takes a good month to six weeks to see properly and you should really try to fit in Western Australia if you can – it's a ruggedly beautiful place with so many attractions of its own. And that's before we even mention the Outback…

Dylan Clements, STA Travel Covent Garden: Australia is a massive country but you can still see a lot in two weeks. Doing one of our two-week tours from Cairns to Sydney (from £990) will allow you to encounter a lot of different Australia experiences. These tours cover anything from feeding crocodiles, sunning on beaches, drinking with locals at small town pubs, sailing the Whitsundays to doing a 4WD safari on Fraser Island.

I've heard a lot of people say Melbourne is a really cool place to go in Australia. Do you agree?

HO: I certainly do. Although Sydney has all the glamour and the good looks, Melbourne wins hands down when it comes to culture. The arts are really strong here so you'll find lots of great nightlife, from music gigs to comedy nights, as well as numerous exhibitions and a whole host of street theatre. Sport is the city's other obsession and there's probably no better place (except Lords of course!) than the MCG to catch a cricket match. You could easily spend a week exploring the sights of Melbourne, and with such a thriving café culture, you'll need to plan for lots of coffee stops as well.

Ryan Pearson, STA Travel Cambridge: Definitely. Melbourne feels a little more laid back than Sydney but it offers just as much (if not more) culturally. It has good beaches such as St Kilda, lots of lively suburbs and a great music scene, not to mention amazing sports venues and a big nightlife/entertainment hub on the south bank of the river Yarra. Within a day's travel are the Grampian Mountains, the spectacular scenery and surf of the Great Ocean Road, the Yarra Valley Vineyards and the penguins on Phillip Island.

How much money will I need to travel in Australia? I'll be staying in hostels and eating pretty cheaply but also want to have a bit of fun!

HO: Australia is cheaper than Europe and the US but more expensive than many other backpacker destinations. Costs vary depending on where you're staying – Sydney of course being pricier than most other towns and cities, but the Outback also packing a weighty, wallet-stretching punch as everything has to be brought in. Accommodation in hostels starts from around A$20 (just under a tenner) for a dorm bed and if you're fairly frugal with food and drink you'll be able to get by on a further A$50 (about £24) a day. Transport, activities and excursions (plus any big nights out) will add to this though so be realistic about how much you think you'll need for your plans, and budget to spend far more than you set out to.

How easy is it to get a working visa for Australia?

HO: Providing you're aged between 18 and 30 you can get a working holiday visa for Australia almost as easily as ordering next week's supermarket delivery online. Just go to www.immi.gov.au or ask an STA Travel adviser to sort it out for you. You'll need all your passport information to hand and will also have to pay a fee – currently A$230 (about £112). If your application is successful you can stay for up to 12 months and work for any one employer for six. If you want to stay longer though you'll need to do three months 'specified work' in regional Australia, which includes things like plant and animal cultivation and mining – possibly not the sort of work you had in mind!