A Backpacker's Dream logoA Backpacker's Dream
Download

Terms of use

Terms and conditions

Last updated: 28 October 2026

These terms are an agreement between you and PELICANGOLD PTY LTD (ABN 59 625 446 844, ACN 625 446 844), Sydney NSW, trading as A Backpacker's Dream (“we”, “us”).

They cover the A Backpacker's Dream app, the Backpacker Hire app, and the website at abackpackersdream.com.au. They replace any earlier terms for those services.

Please read this first. We run an online noticeboard. We are not your employer, a labour hire provider, a recruitment agent or an accommodation provider. We do not give visa, migration or employment advice. You must be 18 or over. Nothing in these terms takes away rights the Australian Consumer Law gives you.

Part 1 — Backpackers and all users

Part 1 applies to everyone who uses the website or either app. If you post a job or a room, or you use Backpacker Hire, Part 2 applies to you as well.

1. Who we are

The services are operated by PELICANGOLD PTY LTD (ABN 59 625 446 844, ACN 625 446 844), Sydney NSW, Australia. Contact us at admin@abackpackersdream.com.au.

Our privacy policy explains how we handle personal information. It is not a substitute for these terms.

2. Accepting these terms

By creating an account, downloading an app, or using the website, you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, do not use the services.

Before an account is created, you are asked to confirm two separate points. The marketing choice is unticked unless you tick it:

We send marketing email or SMS only if you tick that second box. Agreeing to these terms is not consent to marketing. How marketing and service messages work is set out in the privacy policy, including the Spam Act rules for unsubscribe and STOP.

3. Who can use the services

You must be 18 or over and able to enter a binding contract. The services are not for children.

If you use Backpacker Hire as an employer or host, you must be a business that is lawfully operating in Australia, and the ABN you give us must be accurate and yours to use.

4. What we are, and what we are not

We provide an online platform where backpackers can find information about jobs, places to stay and other backpackers, and where employers and hosts can publish listings.

We are an aggregator only. We are not:

Any job is a matter between the backpacker and the employer. Any stay is booked directly with the venue or host. We are not a party to those arrangements. We do not check, guarantee or supervise employers, venues, listings, work sites, rooms or users, and we do not promise that a search will produce a match.

5. No visa, migration or employment advice

Nothing in the apps or on the website is immigration advice, visa advice, legal advice, tax advice or employment advice. We are not a registered migration agent and we are not an Australian legal practitioner.

Only a registered migration agent, or an Australian legal practitioner, can give immigration assistance. Check your visa conditions with the Department of Home Affairs, including through VEVO, or with a registered migration agent. Check pay and workplace rights with the Fair Work Ombudsman at fairwork.gov.au.

6. Visa reminders

Visa reminders are a convenience tool. They are based only on the visa type and expiry date you enter. They are general information, not advice about your visa.

A reminder can be late, wrong or not delivered, for example if notifications are off, the date you entered is wrong, or a network fails. You remain responsible for knowing and complying with your visa conditions and dates. Check VEVO or ask a registered migration agent.

Visa reminders are service messages. They are not marketing, and they do not include promotions.

7. Jobs and applications

Job listings are published by employers. A listing can be incomplete or out of date. Check the important details with the employer before you rely on them, including pay, hours, location and duties.

When you tap to apply, we send that employer your application profile. That includes your name, email address, mobile number, visa type and expiry date if you entered them, and the other profile fields you have filled in. The employer handles that information under its own privacy obligations. Our privacy policy explains this disclosure in more detail.

We do not employ you, pay you, or decide whether you are hired. We do not check that an employer is paying lawful rates. That duty sits with the employer.

8. Stays

Stay listings are information only. Price, availability, house rules and facilities can change. Confirm them directly with the venue or host before you commit.

We do not take bookings for stays and we do not take payments for stays. You arrange the stay with the venue or host.

9. Ratings

Users can rate employers and venues. A rating is that user’s opinion, not ours, and not a promise about what you will experience.

A listing that has no user ratings is labelled “Not yet rated”. That label is not a score and it is not our recommendation. Once users leave ratings, we show the average of those ratings. Where the app shows a count, the count is the number of user ratings only.

A default of three stars is not a user’s opinion. If a default sits behind a listing before anyone has rated it, it is not a review and it is not presented as one. The listing is still labelled “Not yet rated” until user ratings exist.

Employers and hosts can ask us to review a rating by emailing admin@abackpackersdream.com.au. Tell us the listing, the rating and why you believe it breaches these terms. We will respond within 10 business days. We may remove a rating that is unlawful, abusive, fake, or not based on a real experience with that employer or venue. We will not remove a rating only because it is unfavourable.

10. Hangouts, comments, messages and your content

Hangouts let you post, comment, and message other users. You are responsible for your content, including listings, photos, ratings, comments and messages.

There is no tolerance for objectionable content or abusive users. Do not post or send anything that is:

You keep ownership of your content. You give us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to host, store, display and adapt it (for example to resize a photo) so we can operate the services, including to show posts, comments and messages to the people who should see them, and to show listings and posts when we promote the services on the website or in the app. We will not sell your content to a third party as a standalone product. You agree that we may make those display changes without naming you each time the content appears in the app.

The licence ends when you delete the content, except for copies another user has already received or shared, backups that we overwrite in the ordinary course, and records we must keep by law.

We filter objectionable content by reviewing reports and by removing content that breaks these terms. We may also block it from being posted. We may remove or limit content, eject a user, and suspend or close an account, where content is objectionable, the user is abusive, there is a risk of harm, or the law requires it. Our staff may review reported content, and the context needed to deal with the report, for that purpose. Where it is reasonable we will tell you why. We may act first if we need to stop harm or follow the law.

You can report content or a user in the app, and you can block a user in the app so they cannot keep contacting you there. You can also report content, or ask us to block someone, by emailing admin@abackpackersdream.com.au. We aim to review reports within one business day, act on them, and remove objectionable content. For serious online harm you can also contact the eSafety Commissioner at esafety.gov.au. Our published contact for these reports is admin@abackpackersdream.com.au.

11. Your account

Keep your phone and your sign-in details secure. Tell us if you think someone else has used your account. Give accurate information, and keep it up to date. One person, one account. An employer or host may hold one account for the business.

Do not scrape the services, probe or reverse-engineer them except to the extent a law says we cannot stop you, misuse them, interfere with them, or use them to harm another person. Do not open a new account for someone whose account we have closed for a serious breach, and do not open a new account yourself in that case, unless we agree by email.

12. Subscriptions and payments

Some features are free. Some are paid. Current plans and prices are shown on the website or in the app before you purchase. The price, the billing period, what is included, and whether the plan renews, as shown at that point, are what apply. These terms do not list dollar amounts.

Nothing in this clause limits a refund the Australian Consumer Law requires, including a refund for a major failure.

In the apps: Apple App Store and Google Play

Subscriptions and in-app purchases in the iOS app are billed by Apple under App Store rules. Subscriptions and in-app purchases in the Android app are billed by Google under Google Play rules. We do not store your full card number for those purchases.

A renewing subscription continues for the period shown before you buy and renews automatically for the same period unless you turn off auto-renew at least 24 hours before the current period ends. You cancel an App Store subscription in your Apple account settings (Settings, then your name, then Subscriptions). You cancel a Google Play subscription in the Play Store, under Payments and subscriptions, then Subscriptions. You do not cancel those store subscriptions inside our apps.

Cancelling stops the next renewal. You keep access until the end of the period you have already paid for. A cancellation does not, by itself, refund the current period. Apple or Google handles refunds of store purchases under their own refund rules. Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law still apply on top of those rules.

On the website: Stripe

Subscriptions bought on the website are handled by Stripe. We do not store your full card number. Stripe does.

A website subscription renews automatically for the period shown at checkout unless you cancel before that renewal. You can cancel by emailing admin@abackpackersdream.com.au. If the website shows a cancel control in your account at the time, you can use that instead. Cancel before the renewal if you do not want the next charge. Cancelling stops the next renewal. You keep access until the end of the period you have paid for.

Refunds of website payments are subject to the Australian Consumer Law. A cancellation does not, by itself, refund the current period, unless that law requires a refund, including for a major failure.

13. Australian Consumer Law

Our services come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law. Nothing in these terms excludes, restricts or modifies those guarantees, or any other right that a law says we cannot limit.

For a major failure with a service, you are entitled to cancel the service and to a refund of the unused portion, or to compensation for its reduced value. You are also entitled to be compensated for any other reasonably foreseeable loss or damage. If the failure is not a major failure, you are entitled to have the problem rectified in a reasonable time and, if that is not done, to cancel and obtain a refund of the unused portion.

Where a consumer guarantee is not met, the services are not of a kind ordinarily acquired for personal, domestic or household use, and it is fair and reasonable to limit liability, our liability for that failure is limited to supplying the services again or paying the cost of having them supplied again.

14. Limits on our liability

To the extent the law allows, and without limiting clause 13:

These limits do not apply to liability for our fraud or wilful misconduct, or for personal injury caused by our negligence, where the law does not allow that limit. They also do not apply where the Australian Consumer Law does not allow them.

15. Availability and changes to the services

We aim to keep the apps and the website available, but we do not promise uninterrupted access and we do not offer uptime credits. Maintenance, faults, app-store outages and causes outside our control can interrupt the services.

We may change features. If a change materially reduces a paid feature you have already paid us for directly, we will give you reasonable notice. You may close your account before that change takes effect and we will refund the unused portion of the fee we received directly. Store subscriptions are refunded by Apple or Google, and your Australian Consumer Law rights still apply.

16. Closing or suspending an account

You can close your account at any time in the app, or by using the deletion pages:

We may suspend or close an account if you breach these terms, if the account creates a risk of harm to someone, or if the law requires it. Where it is reasonable we will tell you why and give you a chance to respond before we close the account. We may act first if we need to prevent harm or follow the law. If you think we got it wrong, email us and we will look again.

If we close a paid account and you have not breached these terms, we will refund the unused portion of any fee we received directly. Fees paid to Apple or Google are refunded under their policies and the Australian Consumer Law.

If we close an account for a serious breach, you must not create another one unless we agree by email.

17. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms for legal, safety or genuine operational reasons. The date at the top shows when the latest version took effect.

For a material change, we will give you at least 30 days’ notice in the app or by email before it applies. If you do not agree, you can close your account before the change applies. If you close for that reason, we will refund the unused portion of any fee we received directly.

If we must change the terms sooner to meet a legal obligation or to deal with a safety issue, we will tell you as soon as we reasonably can. The same right to close your account, and the same refund of unused direct fees, still applies.

A change that only clarifies these terms or fixes a mistake, and does not reduce your rights or add a fee, may be posted with an updated date. We will not label a change as minor if it reduces your rights or adds a cost.

18. Complaints and disputes

If something goes wrong, email admin@abackpackersdream.com.au first and put “Complaint” in the subject. We will acknowledge it within 2 business days and aim to resolve it within 20 business days.

If we cannot resolve it, either of us may refer the dispute to mediation in Sydney, including by video, before starting court proceedings. We will suggest a mediator. If we cannot agree on one within 10 business days, either of us may ask the Resolution Institute to appoint a mediator. Each of us pays our own costs. The mediator’s fee is shared equally unless we agree otherwise.

This does not stop either of us from seeking urgent orders from a court. It does not stop you from using a consumer tribunal, such as the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal, or from complaining to a regulator. Regulators include NSW Fair Trading, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner and the Fair Work Ombudsman.

Privacy complaints are handled under the privacy policy. Please contact us before you go to the OAIC.

19. Intellectual property

The apps, the website, our software, our text, and our names and logos belong to us or our licensors. You receive a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to use them for their intended purpose while you follow these terms. You must not copy our brand, resell access, or scrape the services.

Your content is covered by clause 10. You promise that you have the rights you need to post it and to give us the licence in that clause.

20. App store terms

If you use the iOS app, these extra terms apply, as Apple requires:

You must also follow the usage rules of the app store you downloaded from. For Google Play, billing of a Play purchase is handled by Google, and these terms remain between you and us.

21. Assignment

We may transfer this agreement to a related company, or to someone who buys the business. We will tell you. The transfer will not reduce your rights under these terms or under the Australian Consumer Law.

You may not transfer your account, or your rights under these terms, to someone else unless we agree by email. That keeps each account with the person who accepted these terms.

22. Governing law

The laws of New South Wales, Australia, govern these terms. The courts of New South Wales and the courts of the Commonwealth have jurisdiction. This does not stop you from bringing a claim in a tribunal that the Australian Consumer Law allows you to use.

23. General

If a part of these terms is unlawful or unfair, it is read down to the extent needed to make it valid, and the rest continues. If it cannot be read down, it is severed. A failure to enforce a term once is not a waiver. A business day is a day other than a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday in New South Wales.

These terms and the privacy policy are the whole agreement about the use of the services. They do not limit any representation or guarantee that the Australian Consumer Law says cannot be excluded.

Part 2 — Employers and hosts

This part applies if you post a job, a room or another listing, or if you use Backpacker Hire to receive applications. Part 1 applies to you as well. If Part 1 and Part 2 both deal with the same point, Part 2 applies to your listings and to the way you treat applicants.

If you post, comment or message, clause 10 applies to you, including the ban on objectionable content and the report and block tools. If you buy a subscription on the website or in the Backpacker Hire app, clause 12 applies to you. Marketing email or SMS is sent only if you separately opt in, as clause 2 describes.

24. What you promise

If you post a job or a room, you promise that:

  1. The listing is accurate. It is lawful and not misleading. For a job, that includes pay, hours, location, duties and conditions. For a room, that includes the price, what is included, the conditions of the stay, and a fair description of the place.
  2. You pay lawfully. You pay at least the applicable award or the national minimum wage, and the entitlements that apply. You keep the records and issue the pay slips required by the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth).
  3. You do not undercut the minimums. You will not offer piece rates below the legal minimum, require an unpaid trial beyond what the law allows, or treat an employee as a contractor to avoid employment obligations (sham contracting).
  4. You check work rights. You engage only people who have the right to do the work. You check visa conditions where you need to, for example with VEVO, and you respect working holiday visa limits.
  5. You meet safety and licensing duties. You hold the licences and insurance the law requires for what you are doing, including workers compensation where it applies. You meet your work health and safety duties for the work and, where relevant, for the premises.
  6. Accommodation you list is lawful and matches the listing. Stays are agreed directly between you and the backpacker. We do not take the booking or the payment, and we are not the accommodation provider.
  7. You look after applicant information. You use an applicant’s information only to assess and manage that application. You keep it secure. You do not use it for unrelated marketing. You delete it when you no longer need it for the application, unless a law requires you to keep it. Where the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) applies to you, you comply with it.

We may remove a listing or an account that breaches this part or Part 1. Where it is reasonable we will tell you why, consistent with clause 16.

Asking us to publish a listing does not make us your agent, your employer of record, or a party to the job or the stay.

25. Indemnity from employers and hosts

If you are an employer or host, you indemnify us against reasonable loss and reasonable legal costs we suffer because of a claim by a third party, including a worker, a guest or a regulator, that is caused by your breach of Part 2 or by your breach of the law in connection with a listing, a job, a stay, pay, safety, work rights, or an applicant’s personal information.

You do not have to indemnify us to the extent the claim was caused or contributed to by our negligence, fraud or wilful misconduct. This indemnity does not limit any right the Australian Consumer Law gives you, and it does not require you to cover loss that was not a reasonable consequence of the breach.

We will tell you about a claim that this indemnity may cover, and we will not settle it in a way that admits fault on your behalf without your agreement, which you will not unreasonably withhold. You will give us the information we reasonably need to respond.

Contact

PELICANGOLD PTY LTD
Trading as A Backpacker's Dream
ABN 59 625 446 844 · ACN 625 446 844
Sydney NSW, Australia
Email: admin@abackpackersdream.com.au

Backpackers: these terms start at Part 1. Employers and hosts: read Part 2 as well. Personal information is covered in the privacy policy.