no work here mate just a bit of wind over summer

and to a Canadian being called a kn yank will be worse than being punched

I completely understand the value of talking to the locals and your "poor opinion" of americans. I grew up and currently live in a ski town close to the US board and almost every single backcountry rescue or dangerous avalanche release I have seen or been a part of in our area has been american tourists who choose not to talk to or listen to locals.

Talkig with locals is very important with everything you do no matter where you go or who you are with. I will definately be talking with you guys before i even set foot into the water because i know next to nothing about the ocean, your conditions and all the gnarly sea creatures that want to take a bit out of me.

What is the employment market like over there right now anyway. Here in Canada we have a major shortage of everything so you can't even walk down the street without getting offered a job. Is Australia in a similar boom, or not so much???

if you really aren't co-ordinated to use any tools, a lot of english backpackers tend to work as fruit pickers, or stick picker-upers for fruit farmers. Pay is absolutely crap, but i think they give you accomodation, ... and water.

However, sounds as if you can kite so the above shouldnt apply.

As far as working in a kite shop, I can think of less kite shops than i have fingers around Perth. There may be more, but I have seen any advertising for jobs in any of them lately.

Like Wal269 said, if you can use a trowel or put two bricks together with some mortar, the building industry IS booming and those bastards are earning as much as lawyers these days, and its on an upward spiral due to shortage of brickies, sparkies, whatever else theyre called.

Funny thing is, as soon as you meet the doctor, you wont want to work anymore 8).

robbo.

As a Backpacker the best way to save money is fruitpicking.
U get accomodation und sometimes food for free and u work all day for a few weeks, so u dont spend any money while u stay on the farm.
But you can also do normal labouring Jobs in Perth, like Gardening, Cleaning, Car Washing, Kitchenhand, Removel, Construction....stuff like that.
Pay is arond 15-19 $ per hour.