Prepwork and Paperwork

International travel requires a tremendous amount of paperwork.  This is doubly true for those wishing to make an extended stay abroad.  In my case, this amounts to:

• Applying for an Australian 462 Work and Holiday Visa via the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship
• Securing passage to Australia via Maris Freighter Cruises
• Purchasing travel insurance for the boat via Travelex
• Applying for BUNAC
• Purchasing travel insurance for time in-country (also BUNAC)
• Getting a personal reference
• Bank statement of funds (basically to prove you aren't going to starve the minute you land)
• Round-trip travel itinerary

These all take time, and each one has its own deadline which must be met.  I'm trying to get an early start; in some cases I didn't start early enough, but in others I appear to be too early.  For example, the freighter had to be booked a year in advance, but I haven't found an airline or travel agency which will book a flight more than about 10 months ahead-of-time, so I can only show an itinerary for one part of my trip.