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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Travel
Tom Gill

‘Everyone is so desperate’: backpackers grapple with Australia’s high costs

Australia Paul McGrath YHA Covid-19 Prada
Backpackers outside a Sydney hostel in 2019. Hostel closures and an uptick in travel have driven up accomodation costs.
Backpackers outside a Sydney hostel in 2019. Hostel closures during the pandemic and an uptick in travel have driven up accomodation costs. Photograph: Martin Berry/Alamy

“There’s literally nowhere available!” Michel von Düsterlho, a 26-year-old backpacker from Germany, says of searching for hostels.

Von Düsterlho, who arrived in Australia on a working holidaymaker (WHM) visa, is following a path trod over decades by young travellers in search of sunnier climes, golden beaches and the opportunity to work casually along the way.

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