East Coast Working Holiday Itinerary For Nurses

Australia's East Coast is the classic working holiday route - and for registered nurses, nearly every stop along it has aged care facilities that need agency shifts covered. The smartest way to travel it is to base yourself in a town for a few weeks, pick up aged care shifts through an agency like E4 People to top up your funds, then move on to the next stop. This guide maps the journey from Tropical North Queensland down to the New South Wales–Victoria border, with the sights at each stop and where the shifts are.

Key takeaways

• Almost every East Coast hub - from Cairns to Wollongong - has aged care facilities that rely on agency nurses.
• Regional towns often have the strongest demand, so the best shifts aren't always in the big cities.
• Basing yourself for a few weeks per stop lets you bank shifts, then travel on the earnings.
• Aged care work in eligible regional areas can count toward your second-year visa.
• E4 People can line up shifts ahead of your arrival in each region, so you're earning soon after you unpack.

How to plan a "work as you go" route

The trick to a self-funding working holiday is rhythm: arrive, work, explore, move on. Pick a base with a decent cluster of aged care facilities, commit to a few weeks of shifts, then use the time between bookings - and the money you've banked - to see the region before heading to the next stop.

Two planning tips make this far smoother:

• Line up shifts before you arrive. Tell your agency your route and dates so compliance is sorted and bookings are waiting when you land in each town.
• Lean into the regional stops. Metro areas are competitive; smaller coastal and inland towns frequently have higher demand and more consistent work for travelling nurses.

Here's the classic north-to-south run.

Tropical North Queensland - Cairns & Port Douglas

Most East Coast trips start here, and it's a spectacular launch point: the Great Barrier Reef, the Daintree Rainforest, and Port Douglas all within reach. Cairns is a genuine regional centre with a solid base of aged care and residential facilities, and the surrounding Far North has ongoing demand for agency nurses. Base yourself in Cairns for a few weeks of shifts, dive or snorkel on your days off, then head south.

Townsville & the Whitsundays

Rolling south, Townsville is one of North Queensland's largest cities and a reliable source of aged care and hospital work, while the Whitsundays (Airlie Beach) are your gateway to sailing the islands and Whitehaven Beach. Regional demand here is strong, and the mix of a working base (Townsville or Mackay) near a bucket-list playground (the Whitsundays) is ideal for the work-then-explore rhythm.

Sunshine Coast

The Sunshine Coast pairs beach towns like Noosa and Mooloolaba with a large and growing older population - which means plenty of aged care facilities and steady agency demand. It's an easy, comfortable base with great weather, hinterland hikes and surf beaches. Many travelling nurses find the Sunshine Coast one of the easiest places to string together consistent shifts.

Brisbane

Queensland's capital is a natural resupply point: a big city with the full range of facilities, good transport, and easy connections onward. Brisbane suits nurses who want a stretch of city living and higher shift volume before the next leg. It's also a handy place to sort any admin, catch up on training, or take a breather.

Gold Coast

Surfers Paradise, theme parks, and the hinterland waterfalls make the Gold Coast a favourite stop - and its sizeable retirement population keeps aged care demand high. It's a strong base for a few weeks of shifts with plenty to do after hours, from the beach to Lamington National Park.

Byron Bay & the Northern Rivers (NSW)

Crossing into New South Wales, Byron Bay is the East Coast's iconic bohemian stop, with the Northern Rivers region (Ballina, Lismore) around it. These are eligible regional areas with real aged care need, so you can enjoy Byron's beaches and markets while picking up shifts nearby - and potentially count the work toward a second-year visa.

Coffs Harbour & Port Macquarie

This stretch of the Mid North Coast is quieter, greener and often overlooked by backpackers - which works in a nurse's favour. Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie are regional centres with aged care facilities and steady demand, set among beaches, national parks and the famous Coffs coastline. Excellent territory for consistent regional shifts.

Newcastle & the Hunter

Newcastle is a relaxed coastal city with great surf, a lively food scene, and the Hunter Valley wine country on its doorstep. It has a substantial aged care sector and makes a comfortable, well-connected base before the Sydney leg.

Sydney

Australia's largest city needs no introduction - harbour, beaches, and the biggest concentration of healthcare facilities in the country. Sydney offers the highest volume of shifts, ideal for banking funds, though competition is greater than in the regions. Many nurses split their time between a Sydney earning stint and quieter regional stops either side.

The South Coast & Wollongong

South of Sydney, Wollongong and the NSW South Coast deliver stunning beaches, the Sea Cliff Bridge and Jervis Bay's white sands, with aged care demand across the regional towns. It's a scenic, less-crowded finish to the coastal run - and a strong place to pick up your final Australian shifts before crossing into Victoria or looping back.

Onward to Melbourne

Many working holidays finish in Melbourne. While it's technically past the coast, it's a common endpoint with a large healthcare sector - and since aged care is exempt from the six-month rule, you can keep working with the same agency all the way there.

Making it work with E4 People

E4 People has supported healthcare workers across Australia since 2012, with 7,000+ placements and a 4.9-star rating from 300+ reviews. For a travelling nurse, the practical support is what keeps the trip moving:

• Shifts lined up ahead. Share your route and we'll organise compliance and bookings so you're earning soon after arrival in each town.
• Coverage the length of the coast. We staff aged care, hospital and remote roles across NSW, QLD, VIC and beyond — one agency for the whole journey.
• Travel and accommodation help for regional and remote contracts, including flights for placements of eight weeks or longer.
• 24/7 support from a personal consultant, wherever you are.
• Free and discounted training through Ausmed and CRANAplus to keep your skills sharp on the road.

Plot your route, tell us your dates, and let the East Coast pay for itself. Get in touch with E4 People to start planning your working holiday.

Sources

• Australian Government Department of Home Affairs - Working Holiday (417) and Work and Holiday (462) visas; specified work and second-year eligibility
• Department of Home Affairs - critical sector exemptions to condition 8547 (effective 1 January 2024)
• E4 People - service coverage across NSW, QLD, VIC and remote/regional Australia

Visa and registration rules change. Confirm current requirements with the Department of Home Affairs and AHPRA before making plans.