Quick answer: KoalaGuide has two free things beyond this website: a downloadable guide (with a short email series that follows your timeline from visa to first pay) and chat groups in English, Italian, Spanish and Traditional Chinese where backpackers who are already here answer questions from those about to arrive. Join at /en/guide/. The rules are simple: be useful, be honest, no spam, no scams.
What the free guide is
The KoalaGuide e-book is a compact version of this site for reading on the plane and in places with no signal: the visa in plain words, the first-week checklist, the first-month budget, how TFN and super work, the 88 days explained, and a page of the deals we used.
When you download it you can also opt in to a short email series. It follows the timeline of a real working holiday: what to do two months out, two weeks out, the day you land, the first pay cheque, tax time and the second visa. Each email is short and you can unsubscribe with one click. We only send it if you tick the box; the consent text on the form explains what we do with your address, and our privacy policy covers the rest.
What the chat groups are
Chat groups run on the messaging apps backpackers already use. As of launch they are organised by language, and by city where there are enough people:
- English — general group plus Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.
- Italiano — for 417 holders from Italy.
- Español — for 462 holders from Spain, Chile, Argentina, Peru and the rest of Latin America, where the cap and ballot questions are different.
- 繁體中文 — for Taiwan and Hong Kong (417) and mainland China (462).
What they are good for:
- “Has anyone done the 88 days near Bundaberg recently — which hostel?”
- “Is this room listing in Melbourne a scam?”
- “Which RSA do I need for a job in Perth?”
- “Selling a van in Cairns, rego till March.”
- Meeting people who arrive the same week as you.
What they are not: a replacement for the Department of Home Affairs. Visa questions get answered with links to official sources, because the person answering is a backpacker, not a migration agent.
How to join
- Go to /en/guide/ and download the guide. The confirmation page and the first email contain the invitation links for the groups in your language.
- Choose your language group and, if you know your city, the city group.
- Introduce yourself in one line: passport, visa subclass, arrival month, city. It helps people answer you properly.
The links are shared this way, rather than posted publicly, to keep spammers and scammers out.
House rules
The groups are moderated by KoalaGuide staff and volunteer backpackers. The rules are short:
- Be useful. Answer what you know from experience. Say when you are not sure.
- Be honest about money. If you recommend something you earn from, say so. We hold ourselves to the same rule: KoalaGuide is owned by the same people as CBD College (RTO 91399), which earns the fee on its course bookings and pays us a commission on those made through our links, and we also earn commissions on disclosed affiliate links. See /en/about/#disclosure.
- Jobs and rooms: real, with numbers. Post only if you are the employer or the actual person renting the room. Include the hourly rate or weekly rent and the location. No agencies, no reposts, no “message me for details”.
- No scams, no cash-in-hand advertising, no visa “fixers”. Anyone offering to sell you an 88-day sign-off, a fake certificate or a paid “job guarantee” gets removed and reported.
- No selling of medicines, drugs, or anything illegal.
- Respect. No harassment, no discrimination, no arguments about someone’s country. Backpackers from every passport group are in these groups.
- Privacy. Do not post other people’s phone numbers, passports or addresses. Do not share the group links publicly.
- Language. Each group has one language; English is fine anywhere if you need help.
Break the rules once and a moderator will message you. Twice and you are out.
What KoalaGuide gets out of it
Being open about this matters. The community sends CBD College, which is owned by the same people as KoalaGuide, some course enrolments (on which CBD College pays us a commission) for RSA, White Card and barista courses, and we earn commissions on some third-party partner links. That funds the free guide, the moderation and the translations. Where CBD College does not operate, we list the alternatives; where another provider is better for your situation, we say so.
What to do next
- Download the free guide.
- Join your language group and your city group.
- Introduce yourself and ask your first question.
- Once you have been here a month, answer someone else’s.
- Check the deals page before you buy insurance, a SIM or a van.
Frequently asked questions
Is the KoalaGuide free?
Yes. The guide, the email series and the chat groups are free. KoalaGuide is funded by the commission CBD College pays us on course bookings made through our links (CBD College is owned by the same people as KoalaGuide) and by affiliate commissions on some partner links, which we disclose on every page that has them.
Which languages do the chat groups run in?
English, Italian, Spanish and Traditional Chinese, with city-based groups where there are enough members. You can join more than one.
Can I post job ads or rooms in the groups?
Yes, if you are the employer or the person actually renting the room, and you include the pay rate or the rent. No agencies, no reposting other people's ads, no 'DM for details'.
Who is behind KoalaGuide?
KoalaGuide is owned by the same people as CBD College (RTO 91399). CBD College and its Australian Barista School, a training organisation delivering RSA, White Card, First Aid and barista courses in five Australian cities, are owned by the same people as KoalaGuide, so we are not neutral about them. CBD College pays KoalaGuide a commission when you book through our links. Our About page explains how we make money.
