Melbourne is going great! So amazing in fact that it has been voted the world’s most liveable city according to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Survey! OH YEAH. Spring has finally sprung, the sun is splitting the stones and the coffee drinkers are hitting the outdoor cafes!

With the Great Ocean Road and Phillip Island only a stones throw away, vineyards an hour up the road and a wealth of unique bars and shops Melbourne truly is the place to be. If it’s sport you’re into the AFL is in full swing with Grand Final day approaching as one of the cities most celebrated annual sporting events. The people are friendly, the transport efficient, the crime rate is low, jobs aplenty and the parties are EPIC….stop me now, I could go on for hours!

St Kilda is coming to life again after its winter hibernation, hurrah we say! Head to Acland St for a taste of all things sweet, hit the beach for a spot of city sunning and then head to Elephant and Wheelbarrow on Mondays nights for the infamous Neighbours Night! Doctor Karl will certainly help you get your fix of fun! Base St Kilda is always a winner on a Wednesday with an awesome bar and free BBQ it’s a great place to dance the night away. Taxback.com will be there every week answering your tax questions.

Melbourne CBD is pumping all nights of the week or if you like you can head to Chapel St and Fitzroy if you fancy some suburban party action. Keep you’re eye out for us, we’re here there and everywhere with Taco nights at the Home hostels, Pizza nights at Urban Central and Quiz nights at Nomads to name just a few!

For all things cultural the Australian Centre of Moving Image is a sure winner. Combine this with a trip to the National Gallery of Victoria, the Immigration Museum and the Tutankhamun exhibition at Melbourne Museum and you will be well on your way to becoming a fully fledged Australian culture vulture.

However you choose to spend your Melbourne days come and visit us for a cash injection to help you on your way. Tax time is still here and you will find us inside Backpacker World Travel shop 1, 250 Flinders St ready and willing to help you with all your tax needs.

Holly Paterson

Melbourne Taxbacker

Don’t let the crazy tropical rain showers fool you spring is in the air and Perth is still the place to be so get over to the Wicked Wild West for some adventures!

Head over to Rottnest, Perth’s island playground and spend the day exploring and snorkeling your way round this stunning little island, jump on the return ferry just before the sun goes down and hop off at Fremantle to make your way to the infamous Little Creatures brewery for a well earned pint.

The humpback whales will be back by September, all 30.000 of them migrating south, a day tour out to see these magnificent creatures is a must. To end what will be a day to remember I recommend once your back in the city head up to Kings Park and watch the sun go down over the city, there ain’t a better way to end the day.

If that’s not your thing and you need a little something more livelily, then head to the backpacker hub of Perth NORTHBRIDGE, here there is something for every one. Funky retro late night cafes like the Moon open 6pm till 4am a favorite of mine ; ) or get your dancing shoes on and hit one of the clubs around town: The Dean, The Hip-e Club and Paramount always have a great selection of DJ’s and there are cheap backpacker night’s Monday through to Thursday.

Keep your eye out for our taxback.com party nights coming up in the Old Swan Barracks hostel and Easy Perth backpackers hostel.

Just an FYI for you all: Easy Perth still have the best winter special running… book 3 nights accommodation and pay $5 for one of the nights : )

There’s so much more you can do in Perth so if your thinking I NEED CASH then come in and see me In Backpackers World Travel 236 William Street, Northbridge and lets get your tax refund sorted out IT IS NOT TOO LATE!

Pearl in Perth : )

We are just getting into August and the sun is still shining nicely here in Cairns. It was a bit chillier last week, if 24 degrees is what you want to call chilly! The city has got a touch quieter (but only a little!) there are still plenty of backpackers and holiday makers roaming the streets each day.

Being located in the Regional Tourist Information Centre (RTIC) on 36 Aplin Street three days a week, I have been overhearing from the guys here that the Great Barrier Reef is still the main site of interest. Many backpackers are also making their way up to the tropical forest region of Cape Tribulation hoping to catch a glimpse at the multitude of salt water crocodiles who habitat there. Atherton Tablelands, where you can take a dip in the volcanic crater lakes and reenact Peter Andres ‘Mysterious Girl’ video where it was filmed at Milla Milla Falls on the Waterfall Circuit has also been a hit. So, if there is any information you need on any of the likes or your are interested in applying for a tax refund, pop into the centre for a quick chat! (Don’t forget we also provide free internet and WI-FI to all visitors)

The Cairns Show was on the other week which allowed Cairns to give itself yet another public holiday which needless to say, not a single person complained about! Many backpackers worked at the 3-day event getting the opportunity to work at something different as well as entertaining.

Many of the backpackers in Cairns at the minute are either finishing up their East Coast trip or starting it, so there’s no better time to apply for your tax refund. It will give you an extra bit of cash for your trip or even for when you get home. It’s a win-win situation! So come in and see us at Backpackers World Travel (BWT) on Shields Street on Mondays and Tuesdays or the Regional Tourist Information Centre (RTIC) on Aplin Street on Wednesday, Thursdays and Fridays and let us get you on your way to a spending spree at home or taking your travels that little bit further!

Matthew Moloney

Cairns Taxbacker

It is tax season in Australia which means that if you have worked in Australia in the last 12 months you need to submit a tax return. Filing and getting a tax refund is a lot simpler than you might think. Below we will answer the common tax questions we get asked and will hopefully bust a few Oz tax myths along the way!

One question we often hear from backpackers & students is ‘How do I get the biggest possible tax refund in Australia?’ The answer is simple use taxback.com! Unlike other companies taxback.com can guarantee you will receive the biggest possible legal refund! This is due to our 15 years’ experience in international tax refunds. We will take care of everything to ensure you get the largest refund legally possible.

Another question that keeps cropping up is ‘what is superannuation and can it be claimed back?’ Superannuation is a compulsory pension scheme in Australia. If you are earning over $450 per month while in Australia your employer is legally obliged to pay 9% of your salary/wages into a super fund. The good news is as soon as you leave Australia we can help you claim this back!

A question there seems to be a lot of confusion around is ‘do I have to file an Australian tax return? The answer is…YES! Australian tax law requires all non-residents who earn any income from Australian sources to file a tax return – even if you were just working there temporarily.

Already this year we have delivered thousands of 2011 refunds to our customers. The only question they seem to have now is how to spend it…….Holiday? Shopping spree? Road trip? It’s a tough life! If you have any questions please pop into your nearest taxback.com office or ask our live chat team!

Guys, the end of the Oz tax year has come and where better place to get your tax refund than in the lovely tropical Queensland city of Cairns. All I can say to the people down south who are freezing their little butts off is….. I’m sorry about that! The sun is splitting the stones in Cairns; backpackers are here in their thousands, the lagoon is constantly packed to the rafters, and there is a great buzzing atmosphere every day of the week.

If you need some extra cash to allow you to do some of the amazing activities up here like snorkelling in the magnificent Great Barrier Reef, doing a 14,000 foot skydive landing on the lovely Mission Beach or relaxing for a day at the amazing Tablelands Waterfalls, then let us make this a reality for you! If that’s not enough for you, then to top it all off, you could have a crazy night in one of Australia’s most infamous bars and nightclubs, the tabletop dancing Woolshed!

Come see us at Backpackers World Travel (BWT) at Shop 4, 9-13 Shields Street on Mondays and Tuesdays from 11am – 4pm and then at the Regional Tourist Information Centre (RTIC) at 36 Aplin Street on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 11am – 5pm. We’ll get your forms filled out in a jiffy and you’ll be on your way to get that extra bit of cash to continue living the dream!

Matthew Maloney, Cairns Taxbacker

With tax season ending, refund applications are soaring, so we have set up a new helpdesk in Sydney at Bondi Junction to help even more customers get their tax refunds.

Set in a prime location next to the Westfield complex and beside the hustle and bustle of both the train and bus stations we plan to be run off our feet with tax refund applications!

The spacious BWT office is hosted by lovely Brazilian travel agents to help you with all your travel needs. Plus we’ve made sure there is fast cheap internet access for all our customers. We located at Bondi Junction as it’s the perfect place to help the plethora of working holiday makers living locally claim their tax refunds.

To make sure you all know where to find us we have a brand spanking new sign outside the train station. On top of this we have our new promo man Ciaran out and about flyering around the Junction. Ciaran’s biggest problem has been holding onto his flyers given the recent surge in demand for tax refund info.

At present we are in talks with our partners in the area to get some more goodies to give out at the Bondi helpdesk. Some of our prospected goodies include jugs of beer, special promo offers and vouchers! The goodies will be given to anyone who sees Ciaran on the streets and pops into the Bondi office and mentions his name when applying for their tax refund!

So start spreading the news…The Bondi helpdesk is open and we can’t wait to share the tax refund love with everyone!

In true British fashion I will begin with telling you the weather! In Melbourne it’s FREEZING! We are shivering our socks off and all heaters are on full blast…Hello winter!!! So whilst Victoria has been breaking national records, it’s for all the wrong reasons, the coldest May ever recorded!

We here at the taxback.com office have been throwing our scarves and caution to the wind though, and are bracing the big chill to help backpackers with their tax refunds before they all head north or go into hibernation!

The shop has somewhat quietened down (on the travel side) so were bringing tax refunds to the masses now. And we’re having a great time doing it… quiz nights, tax talks, free bbqs and heart warming taco and sangria evenings are part of our ever growing repertoire of events we are putting on or sponsoring. Hostels and backpackers alike are joining in the fun and repeat dates are being lined up as we speak. Hurrah we say!

Moving on…Did anyone see the Royal Wedding? Down here we got very excited about it! To celebrate we decked the shop out in red, white and blue balloons and bunting, played classic wedding tunes and gave anyone from the UK free internet, along with a great refund promo offer on Facebook!

Taxback.com recently decided to start sponsoring the famous Neighbours Nights here in Melbourne. Each and every Monday, Elephant and Wheelbarrow in St Kilda is packed to the rafters with working holiday makers, hoping to meet and greet the stars of Neighbours. Even if you are not a big fan of Neighbours it is a night not to be missed!

The Taxback.com team have been in attendance for the last few Mondays hosting the night and briefing you on what stars will be appearing.  The night is a great laugh with fun competitions and some X-rated questions from all of you directed to the Neighbours stars!  We love the wacky questions so keep them coming and who doesn’t love a hug from Dr Karl? Certainly not us!

Well, I think that’s enough about us for now, I’m off to find my gloves!  :)

Holly

Melbourne Helpdesk Taxback Agent

This time of year is perfect for spending a few lazy weeks in Cairns, sunning yourself by the lagoon during the day and dancing on the table tops of some fairly crazy backpacker bars by night!

In recent months Queensland has been struck by some appalling weather,  however Cairns has not been directly affected and is open for business! There has been no flooding or cyclone damage to report. We can assure you the sun has been shining every single day with low humidity keeping it cool and breezy.

When visiting Cairns make sure to take a day trip to help find Nemo in the Great Barrier Reef! Scuba Diving courses come highly recommended, just don’t forget to ask your instructor to introduce you to Wally, the giant Maori Wrasse fish who likes to pose for photos! Daintree rainforest is another must see Cairns attraction and caps off a few days basking in the Reef perfectly.

Daintree Rainforest is just North of Cairns and is the only place in the world where 2 World Heritage listed sites meet. From the Cape of Tribulation you can see where the oldest living rainforest in the world meets the Reef, it’s the perfect spot to throw up a hammock and get a true taste of life in the Tropics.

Another great way to spend a few days is visiting the beautiful Atherton Tablelands, here you can take a dip in the volcanic crater lakes and re-enact Peter Andres’ ‘Mysterious Girl’ video where it was filmed at Milla Milla Falls on the Waterfall Circuit.

Cairns has so many trips and activities to offer you can end up spending a big chunk of your cash. So it’s a good idea while in the rainforest to check in with Giulia at Happy Travels Job Shop and find out about getting a job in the tranquil surrounding area or back in the city.

If you have been working while in Australia and need some extra cash before you go, visit Zoë at the Taxback.Com Cairns Help Desk. Here Zoë will explain how easy it is to get a tax refund. We have 2 great locations for our Cairns helpdesks; inside the Backpacker World Travel Centre and at the Regional Tourist Information Centre.

With your extra refund cash you can then swim, snorkel, dive, raft, skydive, sunbathe, bungee jump or anything else you can think of, to your hearts content in Far North Queensland and go home with no regrets about what you couldn’t afford to do, just great memories.

Zoë – Cairns Helpdesk Taxback Agent

Brisbane is known for its buzzing night-life, from partying it up at the Down Under Bar in the city during the week, to getting crazy at Birdee Num Nums in the Valley (where the much publicised DeadMau5 was allegedly involved in a mêlée with a Brisbane DJ).  One thing’s for sure, neither of these hotspots should be missed out on a visit to Brisbane!

At present, though, there is a slight lull of big events in Brisbane, but with the Brisbane Festival coming up in September there is a lot to look forward to! There is also still a ton to do in the meantime. You must make sure to visit Australia Zoo – home of the late great crocodile hunter Steve Irwin. Other must see Brisbane attractions are Fraser Island and the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary!

If you are heading to Brisbane to look for work and a bit of fun, a good place to start is by joining a job club. A lot of the hostels in Brisbane have their own job clubs that will help you with this. One of these hostels is Base Central, where Jeremy runs the job club desk. If you end up staying here, definitely pay him a visit and pre-register your details with taxback.com. If you are new to Australia and don’t know what the deal is with tax, this is the perfect opportunity to get in the know!

Taxback.com is teaming up with a few great hostels and bars in Brisbane, and hope to have special event nights at these locations up and running soon, so stay tuned as we’ll be publishing all the details both on our blog and on our Facebook page.

You can definitely tell winter is on its way as Mother Nature has been unleashing some of her coldest temperatures in history for this time of the year; with average minimum temperatures just 8 degrees and maximum temperatures only reaching 23 degrees. If you haven’t already done it, I’d recommend investing in a good hoodie to get you through the colder months! Haven’t got the cash for a good hoodie? Then, come in and see us at 131 Elizabeth Street, and we’ll see what we can do to get you the biggest tax refund possible!!!

Reports have been hitting headlines all over the world about the severe flooding and even “instant, inland tsunamis” that are causing destruction and devastation throughout Queensland. The most recent reports show see nearly three quarters of the State being declared a disaster zone, including the capital, Brisbane.

State and private agencies alike have set up information and help points throughout the area.

If you are currently in Queensland, please take a moment to check the latest information available in relation to flood warnings, building flood risk assessment, and also details on sand-bag collection and evacuation points.

International Visitors and Temporary Workers

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) is aware that there is a significant number of temporary visa holders, including those on work and travel visas, in flood-affected areas.

If you are in an affected area, and your visa is due to expire (or you have any other concerns about your visa or immigration status), you should contact DIAC as soon as possible on 131 881. (Please note that those on a WHV and are volunteering with the flood relief will not be granted a visa extension unless they have already been working in this sector).

Useful links:

The Dept. of Immigration and Citizenship: http://www.immi.gov.au/

The Red Cross Australia: http://www.redcross.org.au/ourservices_acrossaustralia_disasteremergencyservices_Queensland-floods-2010.htm

Floodwise Property Report: http://web.brisbane.qld.gov.au/community-support/emergency-management/flooding/floodwise-property-report/BCC_5004

Brisbane City Council: http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/#evac and their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/BrisbaneCityCouncil (includes updates with emergency phone numbers and information on volunteering, as well as a means to post on the message board for those looking to make contact with those in the affected area).
Google flood maps & resources: http://www.google.com/crisisresponse/queensland_floods.html

Important Numbers:

The disaster recovery hotline: 1800 173 349
State Emergency Service: 132 500