A backpacker travelled around Australia for FREE by petsitting - and saved $15k.
Hailey Learmonth, 27, headed to Australia in January 2023 after googling "how to travel for free".
From then until she left the country in May 2024, Heather stayed in other people's homes for free in exchange for looking after their pets and homes for between six days and three months.
She's looked after dogs, cats, chickens and cows in Brisbane, The Hinterland and the Gold Coast, living rent free, saving $15k she would have otherwise spent on accommodation.
The opportunity has given her the chance to explore all the “underrated” places in Australia - while saving thousands on rent, nights out and booze.
Hailey is currently back in Canada but is planning to dog sit again when she travels during the summer.
Hailey's top budget travel tips:
1. Find house/dog sitting opportunities via TrustedHousesitters to live for free in exchange for service
Pro tip: do it at the beginning of your visa, paired with a job, so you can save, settle in a bit, to plan what’s next
2. Travel to new areas with Campervan Relocations - for $1 per day, you could relocate a van for a company from point A to B. Be flexible with timelines and open to a new destination - plus, in some cases, they reimburse receipts for petrol (I was able to travel from Sydney to Hobart in Tasmania for $5 plus a free ferry)
3. Find work that provides accommodation with the role - save on housing while working can be found in remote / tourist areas such as Hamilton Island (mostly for those who need regional work)
Hailey Learmonth, 27, headed to Australia in January 2023 after googling "how to travel for free".
From then until she left the country in May 2024, Heather stayed in other people's homes for free in exchange for looking after their pets and homes for between six days and three months.
She's looked after dogs, cats, chickens and cows in Brisbane, The Hinterland and the Gold Coast, living rent free, saving $15k she would have otherwise spent on accommodation.
The opportunity has given her the chance to explore all the “underrated” places in Australia - while saving thousands on rent, nights out and booze.
Hailey is currently back in Canada but is planning to dog sit again when she travels during the summer.
Hailey's top budget travel tips:
1. Find house/dog sitting opportunities via TrustedHousesitters to live for free in exchange for service
Pro tip: do it at the beginning of your visa, paired with a job, so you can save, settle in a bit, to plan what’s next
2. Travel to new areas with Campervan Relocations - for $1 per day, you could relocate a van for a company from point A to B. Be flexible with timelines and open to a new destination - plus, in some cases, they reimburse receipts for petrol (I was able to travel from Sydney to Hobart in Tasmania for $5 plus a free ferry)
3. Find work that provides accommodation with the role - save on housing while working can be found in remote / tourist areas such as Hamilton Island (mostly for those who need regional work)
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FunTranscript
00:00This is just a PSA to any of the backpacking people out there in Australia, New Zealand, wherever you are.
00:07I'm currently in my camper van for the next five days that I am relocating from Sydney to Tasmania for a dollar a day.
00:16Please excuse all of my stuff, but like, you get a full kitchen, you get a high top and the bed, all this stuff for a dollar a day.
00:26So just, just PSA, just look for different ways to travel for cheap because this is my new home for the next five days.