[elithrar]

> You can make $16/hr picking tomatoes or as a barista or $25 an hour shuffling stuff around at a building site.

These figures sound good compared to US min. wages, but given the (substantially) increased cost of living I'm not sure this is good advice.

[RandallBrown]

I think it is good advice. The guy is in a rut. Going to Australia will do two things. One, open his eyes to a new part of the world. It's something not many people do and it will be fascinating and exciting. The second thing it will do is get him a high paying job that requires no skill. I think the idea is to try and live on an American cost of living, but in Australia. I don't know if that's possible, but I'd bet it's possible.

[rdouble]

It's expensive but it's workable, and you can still save money. The minimum wage is federal, so you get paid the same as a barista in Sydney as you do in regional Australia. Also, I suggested it because the working holiday visa is available. I'm not sure if there any other countries which even offer such an option to Americans.

[edsrzf]

New Zealand offers a similar Visa, but you'll be better off in Australia if you want to make money.

[bwb]

Agreed, I'm in AU now with my brother and he makes $20 an hour working retail at a bookstore. Housing and the rest is expensive though, so count on finding a shared house and a commute. And living cheaply while you save + work on your coding abilities.

[prawn]

Go anywhere else. Hike somewhere. Getting out of the rut and mindset is one step of many.

I do second the concern that Australia is expensive though. But there's no language barrier, work around and lots to see.