Tourism Internships in Brisbane

I spent a total of 5 months in Australia and did an internship in an Australian hostel for about 3 months. I arrived in Australia at the end of November and started working on one of the Great Barrier Reef islands a few days later. I was an intern supporting the reception team and worked 2 days a week. My main tasks included checking guests in and out, sorting car and snorkel hires and answering calls and emails as well as helping out on the bar whenever needed. I’ve never worked a reception job before but everyone was super friendly and helped me whenever I had any questions. As I was living on site, I also quickly made friends among the other staff and spent most of my free time with them. After a few weeks I decided to pick up some paid shifts in housekeeping mostly to keep myself busy but also to get a little extra money for my travels after my internship. At the very beginning of my time in Australia, I was really overwhelmed by basically everything - it was too hot, too many people and everything seemed so exhausting. However I am really glad that regardless of how I felt, I still made an effort to go out with my roommates, I still made sure to spend lots of time with all the other staff and now, a few months later, they are like my family far from home and I couldn’t be happier to have met them. Apart from the social aspect, living and working on a tropical island feels unreal as well - waking up with a beach right in front of my room or spending my days off doing hikes where I see koalas is something I could’ve never imagined back home. I would definitely recommend doing an internship like that or working abroad for some time, because it not only teaches you what having a job in a different country is like, it also is a one in a lifetime experience of meeting people from all around the world, all in the same situation as oneself.

Taking part in this program was honestly one of the best decisions I made for my gap year. The team helped place me in a casual Guest Service/Reception role at a hostel in Byron Bay, and the whole process was smooth and supportive from start to finish. When I first arrived, I worked casual hours on the front desk—checking guests in, answering questions, helping with bookings, and making sure everyone felt welcome. It was a great way to ease into the job, settle into the area, and get comfortable with the hostel environment. After a some time, I was offered full-time hours, which meant more responsibility and more chances to really get involved in the day-to-day running of the hostel. I handled everything from guest check-ins and maintaining common areas and general customer service. It was busy, fun, and no two days were the same. One of the best parts was getting to live on-site with the other staff. It created an instant community—everyone was friendly, supportive, and always up for a surf, a sunset walk, or a spontaneous night out. Living where you work made life so easy, and it really felt like a little family away from home. And Byron Bay… what a place to spend a gap year. On my days off, I’d go to the beach, hike up to the lighthouse, try new cafés, explore the markets, or go for a surf. The town has such a relaxed, positive energy, and it’s impossible not to fall in love with the lifestyle. If you’re thinking about doing a working holiday in Australia, I can’t recommend this program enough. Having help with the placement, the support network, and the chance to step straight into a job and community made the whole experience stress-free and incredibly rewarding. It’s the perfect way to meet new people, gain work experience, and enjoy everything Australia has to offer. I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.