Backpacking in Australia: Yoga & Finding Work at Selina

Thinking about backpacking through Australia?

Backpacking in Australia, especially while on a working holiday visa, is a very popular way to spend a year abroad in your 20’s. Melbourne, specifically, is a popular starting or ending point in any backpacker’s journey before or after traveling through the beautiful east coast.

Known for its vibrant young culture, art, and world famous sporting events, it is a hub for creatives, baristas, wellness enthusiasts, and those seeking work in the customer service industry to travel to and settle for a while.

As highlighted in my blog, Australian Working Holiday Visa: A Guide for Pilates Instructors, finding temporary work in Melbourne and in Australia nationwide is totally achievable, especially the more you plan!

Upon landing in Melbourne, I stumbled upon a yoga and pilates residency with a hostel that has completely transformed my experience in Australia: Selina Australia.

Here’s my guide for how I navigated this yoga and pilates residency down under.

Blog Guide:

• Backpacker Hostel in Melbourne: Selina St Kilda
• Which Melbourne Suburbs are best for backpackers?
• Yoga and Wellness at Selina Australia- Sooth your nomadic soul
• Other Jobs for Backpackers
• Meet People to Hang Out With
• Conclusion: Backpacking in Selina Australia: Yoga & Finding Work

Backpacker Hostel in Melbourne: Selina St. Kilda

When you google backpacker hostels in Melbourne, a slew of options come up! Selina Australia ranks as one of the first, and for good reason. While it is one of the more expensive options, the opportunities for employment, community building and development are invaluable! Selina is a worldwide hostel community with four branches located in Australia.

I originally booked my stay with HostelWorld. Soon after arriving, and meeting the team, I was asked to be their yoga and pilates resident. Learn more about my residency with Selina below.

Which Melbourne Suburbs are best for backpackers?

As the most southern point of the Australian coastline, Melbourne is known as the first or last stop in a backpackers journey across the east coast. The following suburbs are well known for housing backpackers making their way through Australia.

I stayed in St. Kilda for about a month and a half on a yoga and pilates residency with Selina. I found this particular location to be nice as it is on the outskirts of “the CBD,” near the ocean, and a few tram stops away from some of Melbourne’s most beautiful beaches and hotsprings, on the Mornington Peninsula.

I have heard great things about the following neighborhoods outside of the St. Kilda area.

• Chapel Street- Largely known for its trending and International cuisine, Chapel Street is the hub for the neighborhoods of Prahran, South Yarra, Richmond, Windsor.
• Brunswick- Brunswick is a multicultural suburb popular with a young, alternative crowd, and known for live music, upbeat pubs and beer gardens. 
• The CBD/Southbank- The CBD is easily the most urban area Melbourne has to offer. Hostels located in the CBD are steps from various Melbourne museums, night clubs and British inspired train stations.
• Fitzroy- Trendy and hustling with fantastic coffee and op (thift) shops, this area of town ended up being my favorite area to visit and work, outside of my area in St. Kilda.

Yoga, Pilates and Wellness at Selina Australia- Sooth your nomadic soul

If you are yoga and pilates enthusiast like me, Selina Worldwide offers a fantastic opportunity to get involved as a wellness resident! In exchange for 1 hour of teaching a day, Selina St. Kilda offered me a free bunk bed, and 2 meals a day from their restuarant .

This residency not only helped me to save money, but also provided a beautiful way for me to connect with other travelers, and network with similar Selina hostels across Australia.

Other Jobs for Backpackers

Outside of the yoga and pilates world, backpackers on a working holiday visa often apply for temporary work within hostels to help them afford their travels.

Common work available at Selina and other nearby hostels includes barista work, bartending, house keeping, and working as a receptionist. To learn more about applying for this type of work at Selina Australia visit their website.

Meet People to Hang Out With

Feeling at home in a foreign country is so dependent on bonding with who you meet! I immediately felt a rich sense of community upon first arriving at Selina. Selina offers daily community events that range from graffiti tours to community dinners, game nights, karaoke, volleyball and now, regular yoga and pilates!

Being a yoga and pilates instructor in the small group setting provided by Selina has given me the opportunity to meet people from all over the world! From Japan to the Netherlands to Canada and several places in between.

Conclusion: Backpacking in Selina Australia: Yoga & Finding Work

In conclusion, backpacking through Australia, whether that be for a few months or an entire year or more is an enriching experience worth exploring. Getting plugged into Selina Australia in particular has completely changed my experience and opened doors I wouldn’t have dreamt of before boarding my plane to Melbourne!

I highly recommend booking Selina and getting involved with all that their vibrant community has to offer.