Hi gang!!! We’re thinking about hopping over to Australia from Asia this December and wanted to know about the public transportation there. If I land sits in either Melbourne or Sydney, will public transportation be good enough or will I need to rent a car. It would be great if the sits came with a car but I know not all of them do.
Also, I’ve never been to Australia before. Can anyone recommend areas to concentrate on for petsit applications?
Thx a bunch!!
Public transportation in both Melbourne and Sydney is excellent, so you likely won’t need a car. For petsitting, focus on suburban areas like Melbourne’s Inner East or Sydney’s North Shore, where petsitting opportunities are common. Having a car is useful but not essential in those cities.
Thanks a bunch for your advice.
I recommend you join aussiehousesitters also which will give you more choices of sits
Go on YouTube, bound to be Vloggers showing life in Melbourne and Sydney, you’ll learn a lot for sure.
In Sydney you can pay with your credit card tapping on and off. You have to use the same card so that the best fare applies. You can also buy a transport card (opal) but you have a minimum amount of money every time you top it up so you may have some money left in the card that you won’t use.
In Melbourne, the most central area has free tram service, for the rest you can get the myki card.
In both areas public transport is very good.
@CRU thanks a bunch
@Newpetlover very good to know. Thank you
@Smiley I took a look and you’re right, lots of listings. I sent an application last night for a listing in Melbourne and woke up to a “You’ve been chosen” email. I’m trying to get my normal presit questions answered first before confirming the sit but if this moves forward, then I’ll add aussiehousesitters to add onto the date. Thx a bunch
You will probably be inundated with sits in Oz at that time of year, too many sits not enough sitters. Agree Aussie Housesitters is probably best option as is MindaHome. It will be VERY very hot at that time, sometimes in the 40’s, so be prepared 
Shame to miss Queensland, it’s the best lol But of course it is, it’s home 
But the beaches and lifestyle are far better than Sydney or Melbourne IMO.
@ziggy would Brisbane be considered in your beautiful Queensland list? I just saw a listing pop up for that area.
@IHeartAnimals oh definitely, I come from Brisbane. It is way more casual, lay back, not near as hectic or busy as Sydney or Melbourne, transport is far easier as the city isn’t near as big as the others. The famous Gold Coast is only an hours drive from Brisbane with beaches like you’ve never seen before and where the Warner Bros Movie world is as well as Wet’n’Wild and Dreamworld which your kids would absolutely love! Also Steve Irwin’s zoo which is fabulous (the crocodile Hunter). It’s a much easier place to get around in by far. Sydney and Melbourne are VERY vast, you can’t or wouldn’t drive there whereas in Brisbane it’s easier. Just overall a better experience IMO. I think Sydney and Melbourne are more city experiences where Brisbane is more outdoor and casual experiences. Any further north than Noosa and it would just be too hot at that time of year. I don’t think you would be disappointed.
Well done!
@ziggy thank you for the detailed info. We’re doing our Asia 2.0 trip now and all of the sudden, we were stuck on where to go and then I started window shopping on THS and thought “Australia looks mighty fine”
Hope my info helped but definitely look on Aussie Housesitters and MindaHome as well as THS, you’ll be surprised. Maybe not even now but in a month or so the sits will be coming in thick and fast. Good luck and enjoy wherever you choose 
But please don’t discount Melbourne and Sydney, they are both lovely cities in my opinion and loads to do. The Northern beaches area of Sydney is great. Transport is very easy and cheap. Of course, where you go may well depend on the sits that crop up!
Definitely, Melbourne and Sydney are a must. If you’re into diving or snorkeling, you may try Cairns area.
I enjoyed Brisbane, too. It was my best sit. Great generous owners, great neighbours and great pets. I was more impressed by Sydney and Melbourne but I enjoyed the atmosphere in Brisbane and there are quite a few things to do. You can even take a free boat trip in the river with Kitty Cat cityhopper
With this link you can plan your stops and things to see on both sides.
I hope it helps
Thanks for the tip @Newpetlover
And all public transport is capped at 50 cents!
@ziggy you know the saying… Queensland, beautiful one day, perfect the next! We live in an amazing place!