This year approximately 29,000 students from across the UK are expected to defer their university places and who knows, maybe head Down-Under?

Tourism Australia is calling on these school-leavers to consider a working holiday gap year Down Under to help fund their travels and gain valuable life experience.

Last year, 7%1 of accepted applicants deferred their university place for a year and, judging from the statistics from the past five years, this number of ‘gappers' is expected to continue.

For those who deferred their university place or who didn't quite get the grades they expected this year, a 12-month gap year Down Under on a Working Holiday Visa gives school-leavers over 18 the opportunity to work and play in Australia.

Until June 30th this year, almost 11% of Australian Working Holiday Visa applicants from the UK were aged between 18 and 19, a figure that has remained constant for the past three years.

Tourism Australia is looking to build on this and has recently launched www.myspace.com/workinoz which is a dedicated site explaining how to apply for the visa, including tips on living the Aussie lifestyle.

The website also gives information on Australia's Second Working Holiday Visa where Brits and Irish can extend their visa for a second year provided they spend at least three months doing ‘specified work' (such as fruit-picking or construction) in a regional area.

Tourism Australia General Manager (UK and Europe), Rodney Harrex said the 12-month gap year to Australia is a popular choice because it offers the chance to live abroad before embarking on a career or starting university.

"The Australian Working Holiday Visa allows travellers to stay for up to 12 months and work in any job," he said.

"Provided you've got a return airfare and some savings to prove you can support yourself when you arrive in Australia, anyone between the ages of 18-30 from the UK and Ireland can apply.

"I know a lot of parents worry that their children will run out of money on their gap years, but the reality is on a Working Holiday Visa you can begin employment from the first day you arrive on Australian soil."

1 UCAS data – www.ucas.com/about_us/stat_services/stats_online/data_tables/ab usdefer/ 28,863 students deferred their places out of a total 413,430 accepted applicants.