The 20-year-old told Yahoo Finance that she jumped on the lengthy flight from Banff, a popular Canadian ski hotspot, with excited expectations, but they fell a little short. She initially moved to Melbourne in December last year before going north to Noosa.
But she was only able to survive for a little more than three months before she pulled the pin on her jaunt.
"I was able to save $20,000 in Banff and that was an insane amount of money to me," she said.
"But the second I went to Australia, I was out of pocket. I lost $10,000 in like three months and I didn't even feel like I got the full experience. I only saw a small fraction of Australia and had to leave."
Kidd said she wasn't expecting to struggle financially as much as she did.
"I'm sure there are people that can relate to me, I just don't think a lot of people are open about it," she said.
"You see the Australian dream, especially on social media, it's so like, oh my god, it's perfect here."
Huge price difference to keep yourself healthy
Kidd hoped her trip to Australia would be the perfect thing to get her mental health on the right track. But she was shocked at how much that would cost her.
"It might not be comparable to America or something. But I come from Canada, everything's free. You walk into the hospital, you don't have to worry about it."
Kidd said this came to a head when she tried to get an appointment for an ADHD diagnosis. She said that process would have knocked her back around $2,000.
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"It's a drug, I get it. But for people that are really struggling and don't have the money for that, I don't know how some people afford it," the 20-year-old said.
She added that another appointment to check her heart cost her $100.
"Which I don't think is awful, but with somebody that's trying to pay rent, a phone, my scooter... it was like, 'Oh, I'm not used to this'," she said.
Grocery prices gave her a rude shock
While she loved swapping -30C degree nights in Canada for beautiful blue skies and warm days in Australia, daily life was fairly expensive.
Kidd was paying between $280 to $500 per week in rent when she was living in Melbourne and Noosa.
While she thought that was a good deal, fruit and vegetables were far more expensive than she was anticipating.
Brook said she absolutely adored her time in Australia but she couldn't keep up with the cost of goods and services. (Source: Supplied)
"I think everything in Australia is a lot more... granted, you guys are making more, though, so I think, in a way, it kind of balances out.
"But for a pack of strawberries, $7 is not normal for a little teeny pack of strawberries.
"In Canada, you get double that for the same price."
According to Numbero, grocery prices are 6 per cent lower in Canada than in Australia.
Hospitality life had its ups and downs
While she was living in Melbourne and Noosa, she worked in a few hospitality venues, and even as a bartender on a boat - which she loved.
But she said the infrequent shifts made it difficult to keep up with everyday costs.
Kidd had made $200 a night in tips while working in Banff. This dropped dramatically in Australian cafes and bars.
The young traveller admitted the minimum wage was better here, however, she found it was hard to make ends meet overall.
Eventually, she realised that she would be better off financially heading back to Winnipeg, which she said left her "so upset".
The 20-year-old hasn't fully given up on her Australian dream and might come out again soon now that she knows the lay of the land.
"Anyone moving to Australia, make sure you have a decent amount of savings before you head off on your adventure," she warned.
"Australia is nowhere near cheap and if you’re wanting to live comfortably you have to be willing to work quite a bit.
"Working holidays can be so glamorised online but there are a lot of people that hide the reality of how stressful it can be."
But she urged people who are already here and are struggling to not be discouraged.
"You will find your people with time, don’t be too hard on yourself if it takes awhile," she added.
"I would say to follow what your heart is telling you to do. Only you know what’s best for you."
Brook's story is one of many
Plenty of expats have flown to Australia with big dreams of sipping beautiful coffees and going for a swim every morning.
But the cost of living, rent prices and difficult job market leave many packing their bags after a few months.
Northern Irishman Jordan Morris had to bail shortly after arriving after realising what the reality of living in Australia was like.
"I think we underestimated just how difficult it is to get set up here in Sydney, and after only three weeks, we are leaving the country," he said.
Jordan and Shannon have both been shocked at how difficult it was to get a job and accommodation after landing in Australia. (Source: TikTok/Supplied)
"It's going to be cheaper to go to Bali for two weeks than live in Sydney for two weeks, which honestly blows my mind."
Shannon Sulliman got a similar shock after landing in Perth from Ireland.
“In Ireland, we’re sold this dream that we’re going to make so much money over here and that life is so easy,” she said to Yahoo Finance.
“I don’t know what land we were living in but we literally thought that we’d come out here and we’d be able to socialise as much as we want and still have savings and still travel. But you have to make more of a sacrifice to move over here.
“I think before you come over, you need to be a bit more realistic about things."
