I’m a Brit who travelled to Australia – here’s five things I wish I knew before going

A British woman who quit her job to travel the world has revealed the five things she wished she knew before heading to Australia.

Katie Scollan, 21, who goes by @simplyyykatie on TikTok, sold her house and left her old life behind to travel full-time.

She regularly makes videos about her experiences and gives advice to other young people who want to do the same.

The TikToker has visited Thailand, volunteered in Africa and traveled through Europe – she is currently in Australia.

In a recent video seen by 100,000 people, she shared the five things that surprised her during her time Down Under – read on to find out what she would recommend.

A solo British female traveler who quit her job to see the world has revealed the five things she wished she knew before she went down.

'You won't see any spiders or snakes'

When you think of Australia, as well as its beautiful beaches and crystal clear waters, dangerous snakes and insects certainly come to mind.

However, Katie has revealed that coming into contact with terrifying spiders or pythons may not be as common as feared.

She explained, “First of all, you won't see any spiders or snakes. I don't know what everyone is talking about, but I was here for two months and visited the entire east coast.

“I haven't seen any snakes, only at the zoo and once while camping on a remote island, so don't worry.”

Katie explained: 'She explained: 'First of all you won't see any spiders or snakes, I don't know what everyone is talking about but I've been here for two months and done the whole east coast'

'It's very expensive'

Secondly, Katie advised that Australia can be a lot more expensive than other popular backpacking destinations.

She warned: 'Then you will spend much more money than you originally planned and budgeted for.

'It's very expensive here, so keep this in mind when saving for your trip.'

In another video she revealed that six weeks on the east coast earned her £4,177, including the price of flights of £600.

However, commenters wrote 'this isn't actually that bad of a price' and 'How is it possible that your flight is only £600? I'm jealous'.

'The drinking culture is different'

The travel professional then explained that Australia's drinking culture is very different to Britain's – something she didn't expect.

She told viewers: “Third is that the drinking culture here is so different.

“Most places you can't get shots or doubles and you can't get in anywhere if you look drunk at all.

“Besides, most bars close at midnight and I had no idea about this before I came here and haven't seen anyone talking about this anywhere.”

'You have to book things well in advance'

Katie said that unlike South East Asian countries, which are particularly popular with backpackers, traveling around Australia requires more planning.

She said: 'Then we have the fact that you have to book your accommodation and tours well in advance.

'It's nothing like South East Asia, where you can just book as you go. All popular places get booked up quickly, especially in high season.

'So to avoid disappointment, make sure you have planned your trip well before you come.'

One commenter asked: 'How far in advance should you book the hostels?', to which Katie replied: 'For Pentecost definitely a good 3/4 months if you want the popular boats, hostels I would say at least two months in high season!

'But in the low season you can book everything a few weeks in advance!'

'The weather is not always warm'

Finally, Katie tells her followers to be prepared for any weather in Australia to avoid having to buy new clothes while on the road.

She said: “Finally, the weather varies hugely across the East Coast.

“Don't just pack for warm weather, like I did, thinking, 'Oh, it's Australia, that's going to happen.'[sic] be cooking' – take it from me, you'll definitely need warmer clothes too.'

“I wish I had packed more, especially if you're going to Melbourne.”

Viewers wrote 'thank god no spiders!' and 'okay, so now I really want to move to Australia [sic]'.

Others added “Very informative video” and “good to know.”