Okay, so the summer has been and gone, the night’s are getting longer and you’ve blown all your cash on goon and noodles.

But fear not, there’s no need to start serving beers or selling mobile phones door to door just yet. If you’ve got what it takes to join the numbers game then the rewards can be big.

Australia is crying out for qualified number crunchers willing to put travelling on the backburner for a while in order to work in accounting or banking.

That means even short-term jobs are plentiful and the money is great.

“There are a multitude of opportunities for travellers,” says Jane Donnelly, senior regional director of Hays Accountancy and Finance.

“Due to the buoyancy of the Australian market, employers constantly have new projects and opportunities for candidates looking for contract work.”

Plus right now, she adds, is about as busy as it gets as firms across Oz look to take on contractors to help them with the year end.

And once in a job the cash should be good enough to mean that saving for the next leg of your journey should be – in the words of a once-great monkey-loving nutcase – as easy as one, two, three.

Donnelly explains: “Typically a candidate who is part qualified with two to three years general accounting experience can expect rates from $35 per hour.

“Qualified candidates with three to four years experience can expect rates around $45 plus per hour.”

Yes dear reader, (I’m guessing that if you’re still with me then you can probably count) that means four bags of goon every hour… er that may sound like a challenge, but probably not agreat idea to try (in working hours).

Anyway, to secure that sort of wage packet the qualifications you’ll need are those that are internationally recognised, such as the ACA, ACCA, CPA and CIMA. If you’ve got one of them under your belt, then you’re in an enviable position and can demand the big bucks.

But even if you don’t then there’s still plenty on offer. “Candidates who are part qualified and currently studying for such exams are in demand too,” says Donnelly.

Besides, many roles will offer some form of on-the-job training to help bring you up to speed with local tax regulations etc.

And if you live up to expectations, your chances of staying on longer are as good as in the bank.
“Skilled workers are in high demand,” says Donnelly, meaning “many of the financial services instiutions are happy to look at sponsorship.”