South Australia is quieter and cheaper than the east coast: Adelaide with beaches and markets, Kangaroo Island with sea lions and koalas, wine regions like the Barossa Valley and the outback up to Coober Pedy. It's also where the Explorer's Way through the Centre begins. Here you'll find all 3 places with 28 checked spots, the climate, jobs and the matching road trips.
Adelaide is Australia's most relaxed big city: short distances, a city beach reached by tram, a big market hall and wine regions on the doorstep — with harvest jobs during vintage.
Kangaroo Island lies off the coast of South Australia and is one of Australia's best islands for wildlife: sea lions on the beach, fur seals under rock arches, kangaroos and koalas.
Coober Pedy is an opal town in the middle of the outback where many people live underground because of the heat — even churches, hotels and a campsite are dug into the rock.
All 28 spots at a glance: open the South Australia map.
Adelaide has a Mediterranean climate: summers (December to February) are hot and dry, with heatwaves above 40 degrees not unusual, and winters are mild and rainy. The coast and Kangaroo Island are more pleasant. The outback around Coober Pedy gets extremely hot in summer, so go between April and October.
A big plus: all of South Australia counts as regional, including Adelaide. The type of work has to qualify too though, for example farm or construction work. Vintage in the Barossa Valley and the Riverland runs from February to March, the Riverland around Renmark also has citrus (August) and stone fruit (November), and there are orchards in the Adelaide Hills. In Adelaide itself you'll find jobs in hospitality and at wineries. Check the postcode and type of work with Home Affairs before you start.
Minimum wage, tax, your rights and the harvest calendar for all of Australia are on Working in Australia.
Adelaide has a regional postcode, but only certain work counts, for example on farms or in construction. Café or bar jobs there don't count.
By ferry from Cape Jervis, about two hours' drive south of Adelaide. The crossing to Penneshaw takes about 45 minutes; book early if you're taking a car.
As a stop on the way to the Centre, definitely: underground accommodation, opal mines and a landscape like the moon. One or two nights is usually enough.
New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territory.
Updated October 2026. Checked against official sources. Whether a job counts towards your second visa is decided by Home Affairs alone, so check with them before you start.