I'm not from Australia, but for living costs why don't you have a look at craigslist and find out how much apartments are listed at?

And I've applied for jobs in foreign countries before. Often, they want people already living there. But it's better to contact all the potential companies you're interested in before going out there. Make contact, send them your CV, chat with them through email. You might get lucky and get an interview through Skype and a job offer before you head out.

@babypanda Well, none of the companies did react to my letters, the only thing left to do is to call each one of them. Thanks for the tip with craigslist!

@IronFilm I have been also looking at New Zealand! I do really not mind which country to work, as long as I get a lot of experiences with new people and with filmmaking. That's what is important to me. I do not really mind the nature, althaugh my mother has been in Australia and New Zealand last november, and she really felt in love with New Zealands landscape. About the Aussies, I dont know, I have only heart positive things about them! If you really have a job offer or at least a position, it would be crazy! Where do you live and in which kind of field do you work in? (Corporate, Music video, Image video??) Any showreels?

Ok this is the seroius bit >Check out ABC Open, you could make many contacts here and contribute to the many projects they run. Browse thru the menu and read what it's about. I know of people who have been part of projects offered full time and part time work thru this network. https://open.abc.net.au/home

Don't let the wild life put you off, get yourself a big knife aka "Crocodile Dundee". Just watch yourself with the locals though .. Mick Taylor's a mate of mine, so give me nod when coming 'n I'll put you in the good books .... see below.

New Zealand's looking good ..hey? Hahahah hahahah....

@Bara: I'm just a film student, hoping to perhaps forge ahead my own business somehow in this.

As for my comment about Australians, it was just a bit of friendly joking :-) There is quite a bit of rivalry between the two countries.

If you're coming to NZ then really the only two cities worthwhile considering seriously for your purposes is Auckland and Wellington.

As for the cost of living in Australia, sure in Sydney I think it is quite ridiculous, but Sydney is super expensive compared to anywhere else in Australia, it isn't as if all of Australia is like that. (this is like this all over the world that one city in a country costs waay more than the rest, for instance London vs the rest of the UK)

Is a bit like that in New Zealand too, Auckland is regarded as super expensive to live in compared to anywhere else in New Zealand (this is mainly/entirely due to house prices in Auckland, similar reason for Sydney). But as an Aucklander I don't think it is bad at all, I can live quite cheaply, and we're still a heck of a lot cheaper to buy a house than Sydney is.

Melbourne is not cheap either!

Check out Townsville! The women are always looking for some foreigners there ;)

@Rambo Yeah, that was the joke! I went there for 90 days, years ago for a training exercise with the Airborne cats. Got my Royal Australian Airborne Wings there...........also got piss ass drunk, met some girl in a bar, stole her from her boyfriend, ended up in some motel, passed out, had my whole command look for me in the city because they thought I was attacked and left in an alley somewhere and then was fucked for the next 45 days there!!! Still a good first few weeks ;)

Hey guys, Thanks for your feedback so far! I can imagine that it super expensive living down there. I would rent just a room, I would also share apartments with students. @babypanda The suggestion looking up for an apartment in craigslist really made me sick. There is just one page, and everyone has listed that they have a room, AS LONG AS YOU ARE A WOMAN AND DONT MIND SLEEPING WITH THEM. What's wrong with them :O

@Phils Well, I have to admit that I might be one of those students too. As the same situation is happening right now in germany too. We have an increasing number of grads which end up working as an intern for a long period. At least they got paid internships. It's enough to pay rent, but thats it. The educational system is drowning the market by letting too many people enter university too earlier or by increasing the numbers of students each year.

@Rambo Thanks for your feedback. But I might now have understood fully this website. So there are projects where everyone is welcomed to work on, for their own, and then post the results on this website. This seems like an online workshop to improve your skills. It is really interesting, but by no means I would travel half the world if I could do the same here. So where do people work together, or where are the possibilities to get a job? If people now write an interesting story, does ABC send guys there to capture them? Or do you deliver a finished product and get money from them?

@Ironfilm I see. Well, it kind of sounds like I might be either getting a sponsorship or you might see me fruitpicking 3 months, to be able to do at least an internship for 1 month.

@BaraBara , for NZ do not bother with Craigslist. Is almost completely empty. Instead check out TradeMe.co.nz, is like NZ's version of eBay, which has absolutely dominated the market and a lot of other related areas too (such as real estate). TradeMe swallows up a HUGE chunk of NZ internet traffic!

I'm not sure what site is best in Australia to find flatmates, but I assume they're got their own one too to check out other than Craigslist.