AUSTRALIA PLANNER

Transcription

AUSTRALIA PLANNER

AUSTRALIA PLANNER
v1.2
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Australia Planner v1.2
Welcome
Contents
Hi there!
Thank you for downloading our Australia Planner and for using
gapyear.com. We hope that you find this planner useful to help sort
your trip to Australia either as a solo journey or as part of a round the
world trip. As a reminder, this planner interacts with sections on
gapyear.com and is part of a series of FREE downloadable planners
that we produce for you. The stuff we do can only be improved by
feedback from you – we’re listening – so drop me
an email to [email protected] if you have feedback (good or bad), or any suggestions
/ improvements to anything we do.
My very first big trip was to Australia as part of a round the world ticket. I’d wanted to go there
since I was 11 when my brother stuffed his worldly belongings into a backpack disappeared for
a few months and then came back with photos and tales of a country that sounded a whole
lot better than Suffolk!
And so, aged 18, I landed in Sydney and my dream came true. And what a dream! Australia is
just the most amazing country you could ever imagine. I went from Sydney up to Cairns, doing
bungy jumps, rafting, a tour of Fraser Island, sailing in the Whitsundays, diving on the Barrier Reef
… the list goes on! Then up to Darwin into Crocodile Dundee country, down to the Red Centre
to check out Alice Springs, Uluru (Ayers Rock), Kings Canyon (like the Grand Canyon) and the
Olgas and then over to Perth.
I had a wicked time and have so many amazing memories and photos. In hindsight my only
regret is not doing enough on the West coast – Perth all the way up to Darwin. Whilst the East
coast is great for adventure, parties and opportunities you’ll never see again, the West Coast, if
you take the time to see it, is what Australia is really about. The Coast Road, between
Melbourne and Sydney, is also another must-do if you have the time.
1-2 – Getting there
3 – Visas
4 – When to go
5 – Events
6 – Sightseeing
7 – Tours
9-10 – Travel
11-13 – Accommodation
14-15 – Working
16 – What things cost
17 – Adventure sports
18 – Kit
19 – Travelmates
20-25 – Route builder
26 – Money-off vouchers
Other Free gapyear.com Downloadable Planners
Round the World Planner
This is probably the first planner you’ll need; great for planning any overseas trip.
This Australia Planner is for those of you who’ve had a look through that and
decided you want to spend some, lots or all of your time in Australia. Our RTW
planner covers all the basics that you need to plan your RTW trip
Everything from buying a RTW flight, travel insurance, backpacks & travel kit,
guidebooks, work starter packs, your first few nights accommodation etc. etc.
What jabs / immunisations you need, roughly what things cost around the world
and an introduction to our global hostel network
To download this planner head to: www.gapyear.com/rtw
Money Planner
The money planner is a really useful set of printable charts, budget sheets and
check-lists created by travellers for other travellers to help you get your money in
order and sort out all your finances. Smokers beware – we’ll show you how many
nights accommodation, bungy jumps, rafting trips etc. you can buy if you give
up smoking now and stick the cash you might normally spend on ciggies in a
savings account for your trip. Daily chocolate bar / crisp munchers – we’ve also
got some news for you!
To download this planner head to: www.gapyear.com/money
Everyone should visit Australia once in their life. Many now do it two or three times. I bet you
can’t wait to get on with it – so I won’t hold you up any longer! Have a brilliant time there and
make sure you send us a postcard (details below) as we’d love to hear that you’ve got there
and are living your dream too.
Your Route Builder
Cheers
To download this planner head to: www.gapyear.com/rtw
The route builder is part of the Round The World Planner, but we know how hard
it is to decide on where you’re going so it’s available to download separately.
You can then make as many copies as you want and scribble all over them until
you’re happy with your route.
FREE Beer Vouchers
What better way to meet people than with free beer? We’ve got downloadable
vouchers for two free beers in top hostels around the world!
To download head to: www.gapyear.com/accommodation
Tom Griffiths
Founder of gapyear.com
Send us a postcard to:
Gapyear.com, 2 Chalfont Square, Ipswich, UK. IP4 2AJ
or email a photo and some words to [email protected]
Packing Checklist
Want to know what to take? Got far too much to fit in your pack and need
some help getting it down to the essentials? This packing checklist is invaluable if
you haven’t got much further than ‘don’t forget your toothbrush’.
To download this checklist head to: www.gapyear.com/travel
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How do I get there?
Well, the simple answer is ‘you fly there’, but in reality it’s a bit more complex than that. The sort of flight you
take will depend on your financial situation, the type of visa you’re applying for and the length of time you
intend to spend in Australia.
DARWIN
I just want to see as much of Australia as possible on a three month tourist visa
Your two basic options here are to buy a simple return ticket, or to include Australia as part of a round the
world trip. There’s actually surprisingly little difference in price between the two, depending on when you
want to go, so if you have the time and funding, it’s definitely worth looking into the latter and seeing some
equally amazing countries on your way back. Even if you’re on a simple return ticket, you’ll probably be able
to stop over for a few days in Singapore or somewhere similar. Look into flights via Seoul in South Korea if you
want something a bit different.
CAIRNS
I want to extend my round the world trip by working for a bit
It depends how much use you want to get out of your working holiday visa. The key problem is that round the
world tickets are valid for a maximum of 12 months and your working holiday visa also lasts for 12 months. If
you only want to work for six months or so, then this is not really a problem, however if you need to work for
much longer, then you will need to look for alternatives, or risk rushing the rest of your trip.
PERTH
If this is the case, then you will need to look for an extended round the world ticket. These are not widely
available, but there are a range of tickets available in our round the world section that enable you to travel
for anything up to 22 months. This will allow you to make the most of your working holiday visa (remember,
you’re only ever allowed one so make the most of it) and to do the rest of your trip at a leisurely pace.
BRISBANE
SYDNEY
I want to spend as much time in Australia as I possibly can
MAIN ARRIVAL AIRPORTS
Via
Osaka
Via
Los
Angeles
Via Dubai
Via Bangkok
Via
Hong
Kong
It has recently become possible to spend up to two years in Australia if you maximise your working holiday
visa. That’s all well and good, but you’re not going to find a return flight which allows you to do that.
Instead you’ll need to get yourself there on a one way ticket and have enough cash in reserve for a flight
home again.
There is a plus side to this; if you look around in January you can often find one-way flights to Sydney or
Perth for ridiculously cheap prices. Obviously there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to find the same price
going home, but the lowest we’ve seen is £99!
Via
Seoul
However, the drawback is that if you do not have an outbound flight, you are much more likely to need to
prove that you have the required £2,000 in your bank account. Backpackers that overstay their visas make
up a large proportion of Australia’s illegal immigrants, so they’re quite keen to stamp it out where possible.
Via
Kuala
Lumpur
Top 3 Routes
Here’s a quick idea of some of the most popular round the world routes that go via Australia:
1) London - Bangkok - Perth - Uluru - Cairns – over land to Sydney - Auckland - Fiji - New York – fr. £954
2) London - LA - Fiji - Auckland - over land to Christchurch - Sydney - over land to Cairns - Alice Springs - –
over land To Uluru - Perth - Bangkok – fr. £954
3) London - Singapore - Darwin - over land To Perth - Uluru - Sydney - Christchurch - over land to Auckland Fiji - LA – fr. £954
Via Bahrain
Via Auckland
FLYING IN FROM A STOP-OFF AIRPORT
FOR MORE INFO GO TO:
gapyear.com/rtw
Visas for Australia
Whatever you’re doing in Australia, you’re going to need a visa. There are lots of types of
visas, but you’re probably interested in one of these three…
1)
Tourist Visas
Up to Three Months
If you’re visiting purely as a tourist for three months or less, an Electronic Travel Authority or ETA
is the easy alternative to a visa. It will cost you less than a tenner. When you book your travel
to Australia, your travel agent or airline will be offer to sort one out for you. Unless it’s cheaper
than £10, don’t let them. Go online and do it yourself; it takes 10 minutes max.
If you decide once you’re there that you want to stay a bit longer, you should be able to
extend your ETA to last you an extra three months. To do this, go to an immigration office in
Australia.
Three to Six Months
If you already know that you want to go for longer than three months (up to six months), you’ll
need to apply for a long-term tourist visa. To do this, you’ll have to download and fill in a form,
and send it to your nearest Australian High Commission. You’ll also need to pay £30, and send
various documents, including proof that you can support yourself in Oz (for example, a bank
statement, letters from a bank concerning your financial position, air tickets that have been
purchased).
-32)
Working Holiday Visa
The UK, and many other countries (notably excluding the USA), have a reciprocal agreement
with Australia so any citizen aged 18-30 years old can get a Working Holiday Visa (they cost
around £75). This allows you to work for 12 months from the date you arrive in Australia (you
can now extend that to two years if you can provide evidence that you undertook three
months of harvest work in regional Australia during your first year). However, you can’t work
for the same employer for more than six months.
You can leave and re-enter Australia using this visa as many times as you like during your year.
However, if you permanently leave Australia without staying for the full 12 months you cannot
go back, say, a year later and use the remaining months of your visa.
You can apply for a Working Holiday Visa online. Handy, huh?
Apply for your Working Holiday Visa well in advance of your travel date. When you apply
online you need to have relevant travel details (return tickets), funds (usually you have to
prove you have about £2000 to travel with) and passport details at the ready.
Once you have been approved you will be told what you need to do after that. Basically,
you will eventually get a 'visa label' which is a piece of paper stuck into your passport so that
it can be easily accessed by potential employers or Immigration Officials.
If you fly into Sydney you can get your visa label printed before you leave the airport: after
having your passport stamped you will be directed to the visa label desk where you collect it.
If you fly into any other Australian airport you can get your label printed at the nearest DIMIA
office (Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs).
3)
Student Visas
For those who wish to study (where better to do Marine Biology than on the Barrier Reef?), the
Australian Government operates an overseas student program (OSP) that allows people who
are not Australian citizens or Australian permanent residents to study in Australia.
Anyone who is not an Australian resident may apply to study in Australia under the OSP.
If you want to study under this program, you’ll first need a student visa. You can only get one
of these if you wish to undertake a registered course or part of a registered course on a fulltime basis.
You can’t go out to Oz and then look around for courses. Before you apply for an Australian
student visa, you’ll need a letter of offer or electronic Confirmation of Enrolment from your
education provider.
Types and prices of student visa vary, but there are various requirements you’ll need to fill
(including being ‘of good character’ - gulp!)
gapyear.com/australia/visas_for_australia.html
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When to visit…
Weather Map
TROPICAL
Darwin
People are often shocked to
find that it’s not hot all the time
in all of Australia. Here’s a rough
guide to what to expect.
Remember that summer runs
from October to March, so
expect the hottest temperatures
in January and February.
VERY HOT
Cairns
TEMPERATE
Broome
Summer
Average Max: 28C
Average Min: 17C
Rainy days a month: 12
Don’t forget your: sun cream
Alice Springs
Winter
Average Max: 15C
Average Min: 8C
Don’t forget your: warm top
TROPICAL
Brisbane
Byron Bay
Perth
Adelaide
Sydney
Summer
Average Max: 30C
Average Min: 23C
Don’t forget your: waterproofs
Winter
Average Max: 25C
Average Min: 13C
Don’t forget your: tropical quilt
‘VERY HOT’
Melbourne
TEMPERATE
gapyear.com/australia/climate_advice.html
Summer
Average Max: 35C
Average Min: 24C
Don’t forget your: sun hat
Winter
Average Max: 27C
Average Min: 7C
Don’t forget your: sleeping bag
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What’s Happening?
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2
3
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5
8
11
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Mid-July – Voyages Camel Cup
An international camel race along a dry river bed in Alice
Springs. The 2nd Saturday in every July.
9
Late July – Darwin Beer Can Regatta
Held on Mindil Beach, it’s a great party atmosphere with plenty
of live music. Oh, and boats made entirely out of used ‘tinnies’.
10
12
13
4 –Australian Grand Prix
12 – Christmas Day
14
gapyear.com/australia/whats_on_where_when.html
Early March – Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras
One of the world’s biggest gay pride events, the centrepiece
of which is the huge street parade.
Mid-April – Melbourne Comedy Festival
This runs until May 6th and features some of the world’s finest
stand-up comedy.
11
3
14
7
March 2007 – Australian Grand Prix
March is the time to be in Melbourne if you like Formula One or
Formula One-related casual work.
7
3 13
5
14
Late Jan onwards – The Big Day Out
Australia’s eight-stage touring mega-festival takes place in
Sydney on or near Australia Day. You can also catch it in
Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and the Gold Coast over the next
few weeks.
Early April – Rip Curl Pro Surfing
One of the major events on the surfing calendar, this takes
place on Bell’s Beach in Victoria.
3
3
Jan 26th – Australia Day
Parties across the country to celebrate the founding of the
nation. Wear your Aussie gold with honorary pride.
6
10
3
Mid-Jan – Australian Tennis Open
Head to Melbourne from Jan 15th if you like tennis. Head there
a little earlier if you like tennis-related casual work.
Early August – Hervey Bay Whale Festival
A week of events celebrating the arrival of the migratory
humpback whales to the area around Fraser Island. Whale
season lasts until October.
Mid-September – The Henley-On-Todd Regatta
A boat race in Alice Springs? On dry land? A very popular and
slightly unusual event held every September for over 40 years
now.
December 25th – Christmas Day
Bondi Beach and Byron Bay are the most popular spots for a
festive barbie on the beach.
December 26th – Start of the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race
One of the most glamorous and exciting boat races in the
World sets off from Sydney Harbour every Boxing Day.
December 31st – New Year’s Eve fireworks
Sydney Harbour does one of the best New Year’s displays on
the planet. The Botanic Gardens are a great, free viewpoint
but arrive about 12 hours early and use your natural cunning if
you want to get some booze in.
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Sights to see
1
Uluru
aka Ayers Rock. It's big, it's red and it's the most obvious symbol
of Australia. Remember, it's about 350km away from Alice
Springs.
2
The Olgas
aka Kata Tjuta. Not too far away from Uluru, these are a
collection of big, red, stone domes - some of which are taller
than Uluru itself
3
King's Canyon
A stunning canyon in the Northern Territory, with rock walls over
250m tall in places. It's well worth seeing if you're heading to
Alice Springs to see Uluru anyway.
4
The Pinnacles
Crazy spiky rock formations in the desert in Western Australia.
You may have seen Billy Connolly running around them naked.
The nearest town is called Cervantes.
5
Fraser Island
The World's largest sand island. Full of lakes, dingoes and
natural beauty. Drive over it in a 4x4 and camp out under the
stars.
6
Coober Pedy
An old opal mining town. You should go here to see all the
underground buildings, sleep in an underground hostel and
'fossick' for opals.
7
The Devil's Marbles
These are huge, perfectly spherical red rocks that perform a
weird balancing act not far off the main road between Alice
and Darwin.
8
The Twelve Apostles
Highlight of the Great Ocean Road, these are 12(ish) towering
limestone pillars that stick out of the sea near Port Campbell.
Particularly stunning at dawn or dusk.
9
The Bungle Bungles
aka Purnululu National Park, this is part of the Kimberleys region
in North Western Australia and features huge black and orange
striped domes of rock.
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13
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11
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3
2 1
5
6
4
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8 – The Twelve Apostles
13 – The Daintree Rainforest
gapyear.com/australia/sightseeing.html
10
Kakadu National Park
'Crocodile Dundee Country'. A brilliant wilderness and a great
place to see crocodiles, waterfalls and spectacular scenery.
11
Great Barrier Reef
The largest living thing on Earth... Runs most of the way down
the East Coast and an extremely popular place to dive. Cairns
is a good base for this.
12
Ningaloo Reef
Not as big or as famous as the Great Barrier Reef, but it's
equally beautiful and much less busy. Coral Bay and Exmouth
are both good places to start.
13
The Daintree Rainforest
One of the oldest rainforests on the planet. Reassuringly full of
weird noises, weirder plants and the super-weird cassowary.
Head up to Cape Tribulation and stay in a jungle lodge.
14
The Whitsunday Islands
A group of breathtakingly gorgeous paradise islands off the
coast of Airlie Beach in Queensland. The best way to see them
is on a three day sailing trip.
-7-
Backpacker Tours
1
Sydney Harbour
Get great views of the harbour from one of the ferries, do the
bridge climb or go on a jet boat.
2
Blue Mountains
A stunningly beautiful range of mountains, turned blue by the
eucalyptus. Take a tour from Sydney and make sure you see
the Three Sisters.
3
Fraser Island
From your hostel in Hervey Bay or Rainbow Beach, arrange a
4x4 tour of the World's largest sand island.
4
Whitsunday Islands
From Airlie Beach you can arange to live aboard a sailing ship
for a few days and cruise around these amazing islands.
5
Reef diving
Go diving or snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef (East Coast)
or Ningaloo Reef (West Coast).
6
Australia Zoo
Most hostels between Brisbane and Noosa sell tickets and sort
transport to Steve Irwin's Zoo. Just hope that he's in!
7
Nimbin
Have a look around this famous hippy commune near Byron
Bay. Jim's Alternative Tours are very good.
8
4x Factory
If you like beer you'll love a tour of the Castlemaine factory in
Brisbane. Mainly for all the free booze they chuck in at the
end...
9
Tasmania
Easilly accessible by budget flight these days, Tassie is a
stunning natural wilderness and well worth some of your time
downunder.
10
Neighbours Tour
Love it or hate it, you know you wanna go! Don't look for
Erinsborough on a map, just head for Melbourne and ask for
Bouncer...
11
Monkey Mia
Near the town of Denham in Western Australia, dolphins come
right up to the beach every day. If you're lucky, the rangers
might let you feed one!
12
Red Centre
From Darwin or Alice Springs take a tour of the Red Centre's
highlights; Uluru, the Olgas, King's Canyon and the Devil's
Marbles.
13
Kakadu
A stunning national park in the Northern Territory full of
crocodiles of Crocodile Dundee fame. You can tour on land or
by helicopter.
14
Daintree River
Usually combined as part of a 2-3 day trip from Cairns to Cape
Tribulation, this jungle river promises crocs to those of you not
going to Kakadu.
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5
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6
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2 1
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7 - Nimbin
9 - Tasmania
gapyear.com/australia/backpacker_tours.html
-8-
Backpacker Tours
Oz Experience Examples
Ox Experience
Knobs & Bells Full Circle
Oz Experience runs a fleet of backpacker buses which travel
between Australia’s most gorgeous places. Just choose your
route, buy your pass, then hop on and off the buses as you
fancy. There are some amazing activities included, like surf
lessons, rainforest hikes and city tours..
The Knobs & Bells pass takes you to all of Australia’s hottest
spots, so you won’t miss a thing! Travel in an enormous circle,
spending as long as you like in 26 amazing places from
Sydney to Byron Bay, Cairns to Uluru. This is the tour for you if
you want to experience all the crazy, cool experiences
Australia has to offer.
Let’s Trek Australia
Let’s Trek Australia runs small group adventure tours all around
Oz. You stick with the same group throughout, and there’s a
highly-trained leader on hand to make sure your trek is safe,
interesting and - most importantly - fun! Let’s Trek knows where
all of the coolest and most unusual sights are found!
Rail passes and tickets
Australia has some truly epic train journeys. Perhaps the best is
the Ghan train, which takes you all the way from Sydney (on
the East Coast), across the Nullabor Desert to Perth (on the
West Coast). Trains are perhaps the most comfortable way to
cross large distances - and large distances are something
Australia has plenty of!
Virgin Blue
In case you hadn’t noticed, Australia is enormous. The trip from
Sydney to Perth, for instance, takes three days by train. Flying is
sometimes the only way to cross these kinds of distances, and
with Virgin Blue it’s surprisingly affordable. Virgin Blue provides
comfy budget flights around Australia and New Zealand check it out!
Jetstar
Jetstar is Australia’s other main budget airline. It’s great if you
want to explore both the East Coast and the West Coast
without spending weeks travelling between the two.
Fish Hook (Melbourne To/From Darwin)
A belter of a route that works right through the centre of this
whacking great country! This one is for you if you fancy
scrabbling around for opals in Coober Pedy, base walking
Uluru at sunrise, exploring the picturesque landscapes of
Adelaide, doing your best Crocodile Dundee impression in
Kakadu National Park and partying it up in Sydney. There’s
something for everyone on this route!
Cobber (Cairnes To Sydney)
If you want to begin your east coast adventures with in
Cairns, then either one of the Cobber passes are your best
bet. Take in all the highlights as you work your way south
through top stops like Airlie Beach, Hervey Bay and Brisbane.
Your final drop-off point in Sydney means you’re then free to
fly on to your next destination, get a job or simply explore the
city at your own pace.
Cape Tribulation
How can you turn down a trip to the eight wonder of the
World? Cape Tribulation is where the rainforest meets the
reef - spend your time sunning yourself on the beach, trying a
spot of jungle surfing or chilling out at the jungle bar. Perfect
for those who want to explore a truly spectacular rainforest
whilst learning more about local wildlife and culture.
Surf (Combo Route) (Sydney To Byron)
Travellers Auto Barn
A car gives you a huge amount of freedom to explore Australia
at your own pace. And if you share with other travellers it’s
dead cheap! With branches all over Oz, Travellers Auto Barn
has a huge range of cars available to buy or rent at
backpacker-friendly prices.
gapyear.com/transport
There are currently xx pages of advice here
OR CALL OUR SPECIALIST TEAM ON:
0845 3 447 667
Monday –Friday 9am – 6pm (calls charged at local rates)
A shortie, but a goodie... Hook up with some of Australia’s
top surf instructors for two days worth of lessons on a
secluded surf camp. Perfect for those who want to get a
taste of the famous Aussie outdoor lifestyle! Then round off
your trip with a visit to the lush rainforests of Barrington.
gapyear.com/oz_experience
There are currently xx pages of advice here
0845 3 447 667
-9-
5 - Cairns AJ Hackett bungy – I had waited just over four years to do my first bungy and ended
up doing four in one day (forwards, two backwards and the last one which made me crap
myself - feet first!). It was better than I imagined. To give myself a buzz I can still close my eyes
and remember how I felt
Tom’s Trip Around Oz
Red Centre
6 - Sleeping out overnight under the stars having just eaten bread we cooked
in a bucket under the fire (“damper”)…accompanied by some cold beer…as
we watched the sun go down behind Ayers Rock. Need I say any more?
7 - Climbing Ayers Rock in the dark at 5.30am (didn’t enjoy that bit – it’s
massive!) to be at the top when the sun came up. Amazing – literally nothing
as far as the eye can see
8 - Kings Canyon – have never been to the Grand Canyon, didn’t know this
existed – amazing place
9 - Alice Springs – a town literally in the ass end of nowhere. Awesome place
7 - Uluru
(Ayers Rock)
West coast
10 - Perth is a really cool city with loads going on and loads of great beaches /
good surf close by
(as we only really did around Perth, the next four are the best bits that
everyone else says)
11 - The Ningaloo Reef – as good as the Great Barrier Reef, but with hardly any
people on it (no flippers in the face and rushed timeslot reef visits)
12 - Bungle Bungles – Helen Daniels on Neighbours always talked about them.
Amazing!
13 - Pinnacles – bizarre rock formations on a massive beach that Billy Connolly
famously danced naked around
14 - Monkey Mia – bit of a tourist trap, but the dolphins come up to the beach
daily so you can paddle amongst them
11 - Snorkelling
Ningaloo Reef
Northern Territory
15 - Darwin – loads of cool aboriginal stuff around and maybe a croc in the
high street!
16 - Kakadu and Lichfield National Parks – to see Crocodile Dundee country
from ground level and to see crocs bigger than buses (well, not quite) from
pant-wetting distance
17 - Katherine Gorge – it’s got more bats than an over-stocked cricket
warehouse and river trips from where you will take photos that will bore people
for years
My best bits
East Coast
1 - Byron Bay – seeing dolphins, camping by the beach, surfing, cool
place to hang out
2 - Whitsunday Islands – we moored in the lagoon behind
Whitehaven Beach for two nights, catching our own fish and
cooking them on a fire on the beach
3 - Fraser Island – the largest sand island in the world, saw real
dingos and drove along the Beach Highway
4 - Tully River (near Cairns) – did an awesome rafting trip and I still
have the photos on my wall!
18 - Eating crocodile – the one that annoyed someone – great with plum
sauce, tastes like chicken (everything does!)
19 - Finally mastering the didgeridoo from my aboriginal teacher, Barry
19 - Me and
my digeridoo
3 - Shipwreck of the Maheno
Fraser Island
gapyear.com/australia/recommended_routes.html
Tours & Transport
- 10 Hire a car or camper van
Another good option. Campervans are a bit
more expensive, but they do include your
accommodation (but don’t include a shower).
Here are a few examples from Wicked
Campers:
Standard model; off peak (May & June) – AU$40 a night
Standard model; peak season (15th Dec – 14th Jan) – AU$85 a night
Deluxe model; off peak (May & June) – AU$50 a night
Deluxe model; peak season (15th Dec – 14th Jan) – AU$105 a night
Fly
There are two main budget flight companies that serve most of Australia’s major
cities; Virgin Blue and Jet Star. They’re affordable and a much better experience
than their European counterparts. Here’s a rough idea of times and prices:
Sydney to Cairns – 12/09/06 – Jet Star – AU$149 (£60ish) – 3 ½ hours
Sydney to Melbourne – 12/09/06 – Jet Star/Virgin Blue - AU$79 (£32ish) – 90 mins
Sydney to Perth – 12/09/06 – Virgin Blue – AU$199 (£80ish) – 5 ½ hours
Get the bus/train
Tours & Transport
As we may have mentioned before, Australia
is massive. If you’re British, it’s almost
incomprehensibly large. You need to put some
serious thought into how you’re going to get
around the place.
Buy a car or campervan
A car gives you a huge amount of freedom to
explore Australia at your own pace. If you’re
clever and/or lucky you can buy one when
you arrive and sell it again before you leave without spending much more than your
fuel and insurance.
Common backpacker car choices are the Holden Commodore and the Ford Falcon.
They’re affordable, have got plenty of space for luggage and are cheap to service.
You should be able to pick up a relatively reliable one of these for under AU$4,500.
Buying privately is nearly always the cheapest option, but if you’re short of time,
companies such as Travellers Autobarn offer a guaranteed buy-back scheme
(although you’ll be guaranteed a lower price than you paid and beware of any
loopholes).
Buses are a good, affordable way to get yourself from place to place in Australia.
Train-wise, you’ll probably only want to look at ‘The Ghan’ which runs north to south
and ‘The Indian-Pacific’ which runs east-west. Greyhound is the main long distance
bus company and they offer a number of backpacker passes. Be prepared for
some very long journeys:
Sydney to Cairns (via Brisbane) – 12/09/06 – AU$343 (£138ish) – 2 ½ days
Sydney to Melbourne – 12/09/06 – AU$73 (£30ish) – 13 hours
It makes more sense to look at passes if you are travelling long distances, so you
can break up the journey by stopping off wherever you like. A 10,000km pass,
enough for a complete loop of the east, north and centre, costs AU$1,150 (£460).
Take a tour
Backpacker tour buses, the main one being Oz Experience, are extremely popular.
They cost a little more than a simple bus trip, but you get to see more of Australia,
it’s easy to meet likeminded backpackers and there are free activities, discounts,
help with accommodation and so forth. This is a popular Oz Experience pass:
Bruce (Sydney to Cairns) - AU$795 (£320ish) – min. 20 days, max six months
Includes: surf camp, sea kayaking, outback ranch stay, koala spotting.
gapyear.com/australia/getting_around.html
- 11 -
1 - Sydney, Australia: Wake Up! Sydney Central
Recommended Hostels
Address: 509 Pitt Street, Sydney, Australia
About Wake Up! Sydney Central
Wake Up! is budget accommodation, without the budget smells, sounds
or grime! Conveniently located right next to Sydney’s Central Railway
Station, Wake Up! has four, six, eight and 10 bed spacious dorms; some
mixed, some female-only. It also offers twin and double rooms for a little
bit more moolah.
Wake Up! Sydney Central boasts...
- Free beer on arrival!
- Free linen
- Help finding a job
- Orientation to Sydney - including tax and job info
- 24 hour reception
- 24 hour internet access
- Personal lockers in every room
- Side bar - with parties every night and frequent cocktail
promotions
- Cafe
- Colour-coded levels so it's easy to find your bed after a night
out (they've met your sort before!)
- Discounted postage service - send your unwanted stuff home
on the cheap!
- Heavily discounted boat trips and sightseeing tours
Rates
Expect to pay around £10 a bed for a 10 bed dorm, £12 for an eight bed, £13 for six beds
and £14 for four.
What gapyear.com members say...
"This is the most popular hostel in Sydney because it’s brand new and very modern... They
have a massive bar in the basement which is a great place to meet people." - ChrisCookies
"We stayed in the Wake Up Hostel... it was within easy walking distance of everywhere and it
was a really friendly place, the rooms were nice and it was just good all round!" - Sam
Hostels & Accommodation
Australia has a mixture of unusual, bizarre, breath-taking and ‘I’ll never stay in a place like that
again’ accommodation. Most of the accommodation for independent travellers are hostels (or
“Backpackers”). There is a massive choice of hostels so you’ll find it very difficult to turn up
somewhere and not find a place to stay. The choice you’ll have is whether to choose the one in
the rainforest with the hammocks, the one on the beach, the one that used to be a train station
(the dorms are old carriages), the one in the middle of Sydney’s red light district or the one that
takes you on free trips to see stuff. Quite often you’ll just go to the one that offers you the free
breakfast or one of the ones that we recommend where you get free beer on arrival!
GOOD FOR THE GIRLIES
GET 2 FREE BEERS
FREE NIGHTLY MEAL
Gapyear.com says...
Wake Up! Sydney Central is backpacker heaven - wicked
location, clean comfortable dorms and chill-out areas,
loads of promotions and a massive downstairs bar
crammed with other travellers night after night. Plus they
take personal safety seriously and are dedicated to
ensuring you see the best that Sydney has to offer. Add
on the free linen, 24 hour internet, multiple TVs and cheap
backpacker deals and you're onto a winner!
Wake Up! Sydney Central says...
Finally a hostel which lives up to the hype, wake up! Sydney's best budget accommodation
is where any fun loving backpacker should be bedding down. So now that you've found us,
relax, chill out, have some fun and wake up! with someone new...
2 - Melbourne, Australia: Nomads Industry
- 12 8 - Magnetic Island: base Backpackers
Gapyear.com says...
We say...
If you are heading to Melbourne, you need to book a bed in Nomads Industry. We love it
because it's new, it's trendy, it's clean and they know how to make it a favourite amongst
gapyear.com members - by giving you guys free food and beer! Plus it's in a great
location, makes security a top priority and has huge variety of room types to choose
from…
Fantastic location, with a bar, swimming pool and sun deck that opens out right onto the
beach (it claims to be the only beachfront hostel in Oz). The dorms are clean and cool and
there are a range of activities and things to hire on site. The bar is one of the liveliest
around, with DJs most nights.
9 - Mission Beach: Scotty’s Beach House
3 - Cairns: Gilligan’s Backpackers
We say...
We say...
Mission Beach is where you'll stay if you fancy white-water rafting or skydiving. Scotty's is
friendly, three seconds from the beach and has one of the best layouts of any hostel in Oz.
It's basically a load of little self-contained cabins clustered around a swimming pool. If you
get bored, which you won't, you can even hire a TV and video for a quiet night in. Oh, and
the bar does excellent kangaroo.
Ideal location, top facilities, a great pool and helpful staff have all helped make
Gilligan's Backpackers one of the top hostels in Cairns. Plus their philosophy is to provide
a little luxury to the budget traveller - which is fine with us (especially the spa and
massage bit!) Enjoy a lively, friendly atmosphere in a comfortable and popular hostel...
4 - Brisbane: Tinbilly Travellers
We say...
Brand spanking new and literally just across the road from the main Brisbane Transit
Centre (where all your buses arrive and leave from), this is easily your best choice in
Brisbane. It's huge and all very clean, modern, spangly and friendly and just a few
minutes walk from the centre of town and from the South Bank…
5 - Airlie Beach: Beaches Backpackers
We say...
10 - Alice Springs: Annie’s Place
We say...
If you've been travelling through the Outback for days, it's great to see a friendly face - and
the folks at Annie's Place will really look after you. There's something here to suit all budgets,
from cheap dorms to swanky, en suite doubles. And if you want to cool down after a hot
and dusty day, the swimming pool is a treat...
11 - Darwin: The Cavenagh
We say...
There are three main aspects to Beaches. Accommodation is spacious and features ensuite dorms, some with balconies and all with air-con, TVs and fridges. The bookings office
is large and professional and will sort you out for everything you need in the Whitsundays
and well beyond. Finally, the bar is the most popular in town (with both backpackers and
locals, which is always a good sign)…
We like this place because it caters for everyone - from the backpacker keen on saving
pennies and sleeping in dorms to the traveller who would rather splash out on a little bit
more luxury. Their separate motel and backpacker-style rooms mean that you get a wide
variety of people staying and enjoying the great facillities at The Cavenagh. Their pool is
huge, the bar has a great vibe and it's close to the shopping and clubbing districts too.
What more could you want..?
6 - Byron Bay: The Arts Factory Lodge
12 - Perth: Underground Backpackers
We say...
We say…
We love The Arts Factory because of its lively atmosphere, great selection of rooms, funky
activities, amazing facilities and top location. Plus with lockers in every room and femaleonly dorms, they are safety-conscious too and we like that a lot. It's all you could ever
look for in a hostel and more...
There's nothing we love better than a great hostel in a cracking location with a buzzing bar.
Well that's not strictly true... there is something we love better. A great hostel in a cracking
location with a buzzing bar, free linen, free breakfast, a 24 hour reception and swimming
pool! With its party vibe and super-friendly atmosphere, Underground Backpackers is the
place to stay in Perth.
7 - Hervey Bay: Palace Backpackers
We say...
The accommodation here is pretty unique. You'll get a bed within an apartment, each of
which features several dorm rooms, a couple of bathrooms and a fully fitted self-catering
kitchen. The main thing about choosing your hostel in Hervey Bay though, is the activities
they organise. Palace do great self-drive trips to Fraser Island and whale watching trips.
Trust us, with a 6.30am start, you'll be glad you booked through the place you're staying.
13 - Coral Bay: Ningaloo Club
We say…
This is a fun and friendly place to stay in a truly stunning location. If you're going to Australia,
we urge you to get off that beaten track and head west... And if you want to meet fellow
backpackers who share your love of wonderful wildlife and empty beaches, stay at The
Ningaloo Club!
gapyear.com/australia/recommended_hostels.html
- 13 -
GET FREE BEER/GRUB AT OUR
RECOMMENDED HOSTELS
TWO FREE BEERS!
For gapyear.com members who stay at
As gapyear.com knows, there's nothing like a cold, cold beer
when you've arrived in a new place. For this reason, we've
decided to offer all gapyear.com members not one, but two
free beers when they check in at our selected
recommended hostels.
Just present your voucher at the reception and you'll be
entitled to two beers - that's one for you and another to help
break the ice with a fellow backpacker.
What better way to make friends in a new country?
Wake Up! Sydney Central, Sydney
Enjoy two free beers courtesy of your good friends at gapyear.com. As you’re
sipping your complimentary drinks, please spare us a thought!
Remember we always want to hear from you guys, so why not email us a
photo of you and your beers to [email protected]? We'll then put you up
on gapyear.com for all to see.
Have fun and travel safely... …
Authorisation: This voucher has been authorised by Victor Pastuszak at Wake Up! Sydney.
Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer – one voucher per person, per hostel only.
TWO FREE BEERS!
FREE NIGHTLY MEAL!
Nomads Industry, Melbourne
Nomads Industry, Melbourne
Enjoy two free beers courtesy of your good friends at gapyear.com. As you’re
sipping your complimentary drinks, please spare us a thought!
Enjoy a free nightly meal courtesy of your good friends at gapyear.com. As
you’re eating your complimentary meal, please spare us a thought!
photo of you and your beers to [email protected]? We'll then put you up
photo of you and your meal to [email protected]? We'll then put you up
Have fun and travel safely…
Have fun and travel safely…
Authorisation: This voucher has been authorised by Penny Brand of Nomad’s World
Authorisation: This voucher has been authorised by Penny Brand of Nomad’s World
Working In Australia
So long as you stick to the conditions of your visa (see page 3), you can do any job you like in
Australia. One gapyear.com member worked as an extra on a film; another took people horseriding on Cable Beach for a living. However, most backpackers work in one of the following
areas…
Harvest work
When a fruit or vegetable crop is ready to be harvested, farmers need plenty
of temporary workers, willing to slog hard for a few weeks to get the harvest in.
This is where backpackers come in. Most backpackers with working holiday
visas spend some time picking bananas, grapes, beans, asparagus or other
crops. It’s hard, physical work, but there can be a great sense of community as
you’ll be working in a team with other backpackers and locals. If you want to
extend your visa to two years, you’ll need to do a minimum of three months
harvest work.
Jobs are advertised through word of mouth, on backpacker notice boards
or specialist websites. For an idea of what’s ripe, where and when, see the map on the
following page. Contracts are often casual, so make sure you confirm your working hours and
wages in advance with your employer. You’ll usually be paid by the weight of what you’ve
picked, rather than by the hour.
"The best thing about working in Australia is the people you meet. I
did a few agricultural jobs, in particular fruit-picking and had an
amazing time living and working with some brilliant gappers from all
over the world including Canada, USA and Europe. Plus the social life
was brilliant!"
Justin Hurn
Work for bed and board
If you plan to stay in one place for a bit, a great way to cut down on your costs is to do a few
hours work a day in exchange for somewhere to sleep and something to eat. Tasks can involve
anything from manning the front desk to making the beds, but it’s nearly always a key to a
pretty easy life. You won’t make yourself rich this way, but it’s a good way of extending your trip
without doing anything silly, like working hard or getting stressed and stuff like that.
Not every hostel will be up for this of course, but chances are that in any given town there will
be somewhere that offers its longer term residents some sort of deal of this nature. All you need
to do is find yourself somewhere to stay, then ask around a bit; starting at the front desk of your
hostel.
"Working in hostels is great because you can get free lodging and
food and meet the guests and locals. The people working there were
really cool and I learnt a lot more than I thought I would. I think work is
a must though. It gets you inside a place rather than floating over it as
a tourist."
Tom Garrett
- 14 Bar work or waiter/ess
From hip bars in Sydney to tiny pubs in the Outback, there are plenty of jobs available for bar
and waiting staff across Australia. Most will require you to have some experience – why not
get a job in a UK pub before you go, to learn the tricks of the trade? You’ll be much more
employable if you know a Castlemaine from a Cosmopolitan.
You’ll also need a Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) certificate, which you can only get
once you’ve arrived in Oz. This involves taking a one-day course, which will teach you not to
serve alcohol to toddlers or unconscious people, and sitting a written exam. The course will
set you back around AU$100 (£40). No-one ever fails.
Office temping
In towns and cities, your best bet for finding work might be to sign
up for a temping agency. Businesses approach these agencies
looking for temporary staff, to work in call centres or offices, often in
data entry positions. The agency then picks the most relevant
people from its books and offers them the work. Make sure you ring
your agency or pop in regularly – if you’re fresh in their minds and
seem keen, you’re more likely to get work. You’ll know whether
work like this suits you or not: the pay isn’t bad, and the hours are
generally sociable (Monday to Friday, 9 to 5:30), but you might feel
that you didn’t go travelling to sit behind a desk!
Construction work
If you’re a dependable, hard worker with some construction experience, why not work on a
building site? You’ll need a health and safety ‘Green Card’, for which you’ll need to do a
one-day course costing around AU$100 (£40). Green Card holders can generally find wellpaid work lasting anything from one day to several months – it’ll help if you have your own
work boots. Approach labour hire companies or enquire at building sites or Irish bars.
Factory work
This is another popular choice for backpackers – it’s not hard to find short-term, casual work
on a production line or in a packing room. The work itself won’t be very stimulating, but you
don’t need any experience or qualifications, and if you’re working with a good bunch of
people it can be a laugh. You’ll find work through word of mouth, agencies, local
newspapers or backpacker notice boards.
Ranch work
Ranch work is a little bit niche and not all that easy to sort out for
yourself. There is a demand for ‘jackeroos and jillaroos’ as they’re known,
but it’s hard, skilled work and not for the absolute beginner. Companies
such as Changing Worlds do offer supported work placements if you are
not completely confident of finding a position by yourself. Otherwise, lots
of cattle stations have diversified and offer backpackers the opportunity
to get a taste of the real ‘Outback’ experience.
gapyear.com/australia/jobs.html
- 15 -
Harvest Trails
Darwin
(Mangos)
(September to November)
This map is here to give you a good
idea of how to plan your trip around
Australia if you want to be able to
follow the harvest work around and
earn yourself another year in the sun!
Tully
(Bananas)
(November To February)
Ayr
(Vegetables)
(June to August)
Bowen
(Tomatoes)
(April to June)
Coffs Harbour
(Blueberries)
(August to October)
Moree
(Cotton)
(April to July)
Dubbo
(Cotton / Grain)
(February to April)
Adelaide Hills
(Apples / Pears / Grapes)
(February to March)
Mount Barker
(Strawberrys / Cherrys)
(December to January)
Chasing the sun
around Australia
Limestone Coast
(Grapes / Citrus)
(February to April)
Adelaide To Cairns
By Bus
Bendigo
(Apples)
(February to April)
Work starter packs
What is a work starter pack?
Work starter packs have been designed specifically for backpackers wishing to work whilst they
are in Australia or New Zealand. Purchasing one means that you'll receive personalised
assistance with your job hunt and help with the reams of paperwork. You'll also get your airport
transfer and your accommodation sorted too. These packs allow you to find a job the easy way.
What does a work starter pack include?
- 16 -
Get a work starter pack for…
Australia: OzIntro
OzIntro is a great way to start your gap year in
Australia. Not only does it include your working holiday
visa, but it also comes complete with a number of
fantastic tours and trips that will not only make your first
week hassle-free, it'll make it one of the best weeks
ever!
All kinds of magic! They vary from pack to pack and according to price, but generally include a
selection of the following:
Airport pick up and transfer
Hostel accommodation
SIM card and contact number
Job search assistance
Guaranteed job offer
Bank account
Tax assistance
Visa assistance
City tour / orientation
Mail forwarding / holding
Email and internet access
Social ‘mixers’ where you can meet others in your situation
Do I have to have a work starter pack?
No, don’t be silly. You don’t need to buy one at all. They just enable you to sort out all the little
fiddly tasks involved with working legally in Australia or New Zealand in one easy go.
Apart from working holiday visa, which is generally sorted out separately anyway, none of this is
required by law. However, you will find it very difficult to get a job without a local bank account
and an address where people can send your mail. You will also pay most of your wages in tax if
you don’t register yourself properly before you start work.
The expert local job assistance is also very useful, particularly in Australia where all sorts of
regulations apply to the sorts of jobs you might be looking for. You have to take an exam just to
get a bar job.
Basically, you can do everything yourself, sort it all out directly, but it’s a lot of hassle and moving
to the other side of the world and trying to find a job can be stressful enough as it is.
Australia: Sydney - Work Starter Pack
This work starter pack includes airport pick up, two nights'
accommodation, your own recruitment consultant, mail
holding/forwarding service, taxback service, internet
access and expert advice.
Australia: Sydney - Kickstart Work Arrival Pack
This work arrival pack includes airport pick up, social
drinks evening, two nights' accommodation with
breakfast, an expert recruitment service, mail
holding/forwarding service, orientation session and
expert advice
Melbourne - Kickstart Work Arrival Pack
This work arrival pack includes airport pick up, social
drinks evening, two nights' accommodation with
breakfast, an expert recruitment service, mail
holding/forwarding service, orientation session and
expert advice.
gapyear.com/accommodation
gapyear.com/visas
There are currently 8 pages of advice here
0845
084533447
447667
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- 17 -
ROUGH COSTS CHART
What Things Cost…
Product / Item to buy
Costs
Loaf of sliced, white bread
While there's never a firm answer to the question 'how much money will I need?' it is possible to work out a
budget for yourself. Australia represents many and varied opportunities for lightening your wallet, but here's a
rough idea of what to expect.
Big Mac
Accommodation
In Australia, 99% of backpackers spend 99% of their nights in a hostel dorm. Prices fluctuate both seasonally and
from one town or city to the next, but most hostels in the same place will have comparable rates. Nobody wants
to get undercut. AU$15-22 is what you'd usually expect to pay for a decent bed in a decent hostel, but
particularly new, flash ones may be anything up to AU$30-35. The highest accommodation prices are generally
from December through to February, which is the peak of the Aussie summer.
Campsites are not as widely available or as accessible as hostels, but they are there. If you're happy under
canvas, you're still looking at around $20 a night for a pitch on a campsite with facilities, but obviously you can
split that between more people.
Food and drink
Our conversion rate was £1 (GBP) to $2.45 (AUD)
Price in Pounds Sterling
Price in Australian Dollars
£1
$2.45
£1.30
$3.25
A ’glass’ of beer (in a bar)
£1.20
$3
A crate or ‘slab’ of beer (from a bottle shop)
£14.15
$35
1 litre of bottled water
£0.60
$1.50
1 litre bottle of milk
£0.60
$1.50
£2
$4.99
Bag of pasta (500g)
£0.27
$0.66
Chocolate (150g Dairy Milk)
£1.40
$3.50
Shampoo (Pantene ‘classic’ 400ml)
£3.75
$9.30
£15
$37
6 pack of Coca Cola (375ml cans)
Bus ticket for a 4 hour journey
(eg Brisbane to Byron Bay)
As far as survival goes, Australia is very easy on the budgeting backpacker. You should easily be able to get by
on around AU$25-35 a week, as food and drink are surprisingly cheap, although British chocaholics will be
horrified by the price of confectionary - a mere Mars bar can cost AU$2! On the other hand, backpackerfriendly groceries are generally less than the price of similar items in the UK. The key to food shopping when
travelling is to think nutritious - fresh fruit and vegetables are surprisingly cheap and make great snack food, and
pasta and rice are as cheap in Oz as anywhere else in the world. Look for the Black & Gold brand for decent
quality economy groceries. Tap water is generally safe to drink, but keep a bottle or two to hand for
emergencies, as it is very easy to get dehydrated quickly.
Bus ticket for an 18 hour journey
(eg Sydney to Byron Bay)
£46.30
$114
One day’s car hire
(if you’re hiring for over a month)
£13.80
$34
One day’s car hire
(if you’re hiring for under a month)
£17.45
$43
One day’s camper van hire (low season)
£16.20
$40
Nightlife
One day’s camper van hire (peak season)
£34.50
$85
The Australian nightlife is just as hectic as back in Britain, so be prepared to spend a lot if you’re a clubbing fan clubs charge similar entry prices to UK nightspots - up to AU$10, depending on where you go. You can always
do that back home though, so don't feel bad if you'd rather have an early night and see something else
amazing instead. There is always something else to do anyway - Cairns, for example, holds fire poi nights during
the summer, where people gather to twirl flaming balls on chains - quite a sight. It’s often a lot of fun to simply
explore your surroundings at night. The neon glow of Surfers Paradise, whilst being a miserably commercial resort
city, looks particularly spectacular from the beach in the dark. Failing that, there’s always the pub. Australia has
a big drinking culture, and you should never find yourself too far from a local bar. Alcohol works slightly
differently in Oz - pints don’t really exist in a lot of places. Instead, depending on the state, you get half-pints,
‘glasses’ (around seven fluid ounces) and ‘schooners’, which hold three-quarters of a pint. Unless you're British or
Scandinavian, booze is going to seem expensive. Beer is probably 10-20% cheaper than UK prices.
One litre of petrol
£0.57
$1.40
Single flight
Sydney to Cairns
£60.45
$149
Single flight
Sydney to Perth
£80.80
$199
Oz Experience Pass
Sydney to Cairns
£322
$795
Single train ticket
Sydney Airport to Central Station
£5.08
$12.50
Tours and activities
Entrance to a nightclub
£4.05
$10
A night in a hostel dorm
Three day surf camp
(with dorm accommodation)
Bungy jump
(AJ Hackett, Cairns)
One day reef diving trip
£8.10
$20
£57
$140
£40.40
$99
£48.95
$120
Obviously, the quickest way of losing money when travelling is by doing every activity and tour on offer, from
abseiling to zorbing. It’s a great idea to plan what you want to do before you get there. It’s probably a given
that you’ll want to see the Barrier Reef and the rainforest if you’re in the Tropical North, and you’ll find yourself
bombarded by different tour posters in every hostel you stay at. If you stay in Cairns, a must-do activity is a tour
of the surrounding rainforest and waterfalls. Reef tours leave from anywhere and everywhere, but hostels can
often get you a bit of money off if you ask nicely at their information desk. Generally, expect them to cost
between AU$80-120. If you are touring further south, check out the Julian Rocks marine reserve at Byron Bay - it’s
got a lot more wildlife than most of the Reef dive sites and it is a truly spectacular day out. The Blue Mountains at
Sydney are also superb - you can get a train from Sydney to Katoomba for around AU$12, and a bus pass
around Katoomba and the Mountains for another $12.
gapyear.com/australia/ideas_of_cost.html
1 day Cape Tribulation tour
Whitsunday sailing trip
(3 day, 2 night)
Uluru, Olgas, King’s Canyon tour (3 ½ days)
£57
$140
£138.75
$340
£138.75
$340
‘Neighbours’ tour
£12.25
$30
* All price conversions are approximate and prices were correct on 11/7/06 *
- 18 -
on lots of peace and tranquillity, but it does get you to the best spots quickly, and is
great fun to snorkel off.
Adventurous Activities
3. White-water rafting – Mission Beach
The Tully is Australia’s best white-water rafting river. (and they use actual rafts). It’s a
full day activity, but you don’t need to stay in Mission Beach if you don’t want to. It’s
very easy to book from Cairns and the company will provide transport both ways.
Mission Beach is small and very chilled, but well worth a couple of nights.
4. Zorbing – Gold Coast
Surfer’s Paradise is as good a place as any to organise your zorbing. Get into a giant
hamster ball and roll down a hill. Simple really. Can’t believe it took so long for
someone to come up with the idea.
5. Surfing – Byron Bay
You can’t say you’ve been to the East Coast of Australia if you haven’t at least had a
go at surfing. There plenty of great spots between Sydney and Brisbane, but Byron
Bay are a great spot for beginners. Plenty of surf schools about, so the prices are
pretty reasonable. Don’t be shy, it’s not as hard as it looks and you’ll probably be
standing up within two or three hours.
6. Skydiving – Byron Bay
There are lots of places to skydive in Australia and nearly all of them offer something
spectacular to look at while you’re merrily plummeting earthwards. The views at
Byron are amongst the best though, which is why we recommend doing it here.
Australia is a thrill seeker’s paradise! You’d worry about a nation that’s put this much
thought it scaring the crap out of visitors if they weren’t just so damn nice about it.
What’s there to do though? Where can you do it? Can you fit it into your trip?
1. Bungy jump – Cairns
The most famous extreme sport of them all. Attach yourself to a giant rubber band
and throw yourself off somewhere inadvisably high. AJ Hackett is the original bungy
company and still up there with the best in the World. The spectacular tropical setting
just adds to the mind-blowing rush. You can also try some other activities up here,
including swinging through the jungle at break-neck speed!
2. Ocean rafting – Airlie Beach
The traditional way to see the Whitsunday Islands is over three days on a sailing boat,
but if you’re short on time (or patience) you can whizz around them on half metal /
half inflatable boat. It’s not actually a raft, more of a very light boat with a very large
engine. Imagine the offspring of a military landing craft and a banana… You miss out
gapyear.com/australia/adventure.html
7. Jet boating – Sydney Harbour
You can jet boat here, or up in Cairns, it just depends what you’d rather turn into a
stomach churning blur… The basic premise is that you get into a VERY high-powered
boat and hoon around the place with a driver who lives to scare the hell out of
backpackers.
8. Scuba diving – Cape Tribulation
The Great Barrier Reef is enormous and stretches most of the way down the East
Coast. Cape Trib is a great spot to learn to dive though, as the water is less
contaminated by the run-off from the sugar cane plantations further south, so the
visibility is that much better.
9. 4x4ing – Fraser Island
Organise your trip from Hervey Bay or Rainbow Beach. The standard self-drive trip is 3
days, 2 nights and you’ll generally be in a vehicle with seven other backpackers. Just
hope they’re nice… Fraser Island is probably the highlight of most people’s East
Coast trip. Camp on the campsites if you want facilities, camp on the beach if you
want to stay up late and enjoy yourself, but whatever you do, don’t feed the bloody
dingoes mate.
10. Camel Rides – Broome
Nothing like taking a camel safari along a seemingly endless, pristine beach as the
sun sets over the Indian Ocean. Okay, it’s only going to get the adrenaline going if
you’ve a fear of camels, but it’s a nice way to end the day…
Recommended Kit
Australia is a long way away, but by-andlarge it’s not going to be a particularly
tough place for you. Most of your time is
going to spent in an environment you’re
more or less used to.
The most obvious thing to consider is the
heat. Check the weather map at the
back of this planner for an idea of the
temperatures you’re likely to experience.
A lot of the time it will be hot though, so
don’t weigh yourself down with warm
clothes. Flip flops or ‘thongs’ as they’re
known over there, are fine for daily wear, but some of the posher bars and clubs
won’t let you in wearing them. If you’re short of warm weather gear, don’t be afraid
to turn up with the bare minimum and buy it all over there. Clothing, particularly
Aussie brands such as Rip Curl And Quiksilver, is noticeably cheaper than in the UK
and Europe.
You will need some more specialised kit to make life more comfortable. We’ve had
a word with our travel kit experts at the gapyearshop.com and here are the
Australian essentials that they recommend:
Aloe Up sunscreen, factor 25: £9.99
If you love the sun and the outdoors, Australia is a great place to be.
But you need to be careful. Thanks to the sunny climate and the
thinning of the ozone layer over Oz, the country has the highest rate of
skin cancer in the World. We reckon this sunscreen is the best out there.
It lasts all day with no need to re-apply, and you can even spend 80
minutes in the water with it on, which is plenty of time to catch some
waves (or fall off a surfboard several times). What’s more, it’s nonsticky, so you won’t get coated with sand. Don’t go to Oz without it!
Lifesystems mosquito head net: £5.99
You’ll need one of these if you’re planning a trip to Australia’s ‘Red
Centre’ (Alice Springs, Uluru etc), where flies are a major problem. Put
it over your hat so it hangs down from the brim a bit like a beekeeper’s
garb. You’ll feel silly at first, until you see all the other people wearing
one. And when you see the people not wearing one, with flies landing
on their eyes, nose and mouth in search of water, you’ll feel positively
smug (see the pic at the top of the page). Yuk.
- 19 -
Gelert XPlorer 65-litre backpack: £49.99
You’ll probably be travelling from hostel to hostel, using backpacker
buses or public transport, so a serious trekking backpack won’t be
necessary. Instead, go for a good travel pack like this one, which is
comfy and great value for money. It’s got an adjustable back system,
which allows you to adjust your load to suit your size and
shape: just put it on, slide it up and down ‘til it feels right and then lock
it in place. Sixty-five litres is the right size in our opinion: plenty of room
for what you need, and not so big that you’ll fill it with junk and not be
able to lift it!
Teva Hurricane II walking sandals: £29.99
Flip flops are ideal for slopping from hostel to beach and back again,
but if you’re going to get a bit more active, we recommend walking
sandals. They offer much more grip and support, while still keeping
you cool. And if you’re doing any light trekking or pounding the streets
with your backpack, you’ll be glad they’re so comfy: blisters are the
bane of a backpacker’s life! These Teva walking sandals are a
backpacker favourite… largely because they’re cheap. Hoorah!
One-litre Platypus water bottle: £5.99
Whether you’re sunbathing, sightseeing or swimming with dolphins, it’s
important to stay hydrated, especially in a hot country like Australia. If
you’re heading into the Outback you need to think seriously about
carrying enough water. But for day-to-day use, this Platypus water
bottle is ideal. It’s dead tough, so it won’t leak in your bag, but it’s also
squashy, meaning it doesn’t take up more room than is necessary – as
it empties, it gets smaller. It weighs 80 per cent less than an ordinary
hard-plastic bottle and won’t make your water taste of plastic. Which
is nice.
Eagle Creek pack-it cubes: £9.99
Are you going to be working in Australia? Want to keep your smart
office clothes separate from your skanky fruit-picking clothes? These
pack-it cubes help to keep your gear compact, clean and tidy inside
your backpack. Not actually cubes… more like fairly flat cuboids…
you can use as many of these as you like, slotting them into the gaps
in your pack. They hold around two tops and two pairs of trousers
each and come highly-recommended for people who don’t like
chaos!
Mens
Womens
- 20 -
Travelmates
Keeping In Touch
The trouble with Australia is that, no matter how
appealing it sounds, it’s a bloody long way away and it
does take a lot of effort to get yourself there. Although
you may start with a few of you who are dead set on
taking a gap year in Australia, lots of less committed
souls will fall by the wayside. It’s very common for one
person from a group to be left thinking their travel plans
are in ruins because all their mates have pulled out with
not long to go.
Mobile phones
As with most things, apart from maybe decent tea and cheddar cheese, they have mobile
phones in Australia too. If you just want to make calls within Australia, then you can take your
phone from home (make sure it’s unlocked) and buy an Australian SIM card when you get
there. Telstra Mobile seems to have the best network coverage on the East Coast, but
Vodafone is almost as good.
If that sounds like you and despite everyone saying ‘it’s really easy to meet people out there’,
don’t panic. For the last four years we’ve been running a very successful find a travelmate service
for the many, many people in your situation.
Here are a few simple tips to help you find the perfect travelmate:
1. Post a message
Travelmates works on the messageboard system. You post a message telling people who you are
and where you’re going. While there are loads of people on there for you to choose from, the
chances are that your new best friend is just browsing the boards too and hasn’t posted already.
Don’t be shy!
2. Upload a photo
Uploading a photo to your profile means you’ll have a much better chance of being contacted
by an ideal travelmate. Our statistics show you’ll improve your chances by, oh, let’s say about a
billion per cent. It’s so much easier to send a message to someone if you know what they look like.
Once you’re a member of the site you can do this easily from your profile.
3. Be clear about where you’re going and what you want to do
Whatever you do, don’t post vaguely looking for a travelmate when you haven’t even decided
where you’re going. It just looks like you’re lazy as hell and are looking for someone to organise
your whole trip and drag you around Australia by the ear. In essence, you’ll sound like a complete
nightmare. Work out where you want to go and be clear about the sort of things you’ll want to be
doing. It all gives you a better chance of finding the sort of travelmate who’ll help to make it a trip
of a lifetime.
4. Be sensible
All gapyear.com members are wonderful people, we want to hold your collective hands and skip
carefree along the beach. However, you should always exercise a bit of caution when meeting
up with somebody off a website, however wonderful/invaluable/genius that website may be. It’s
all quite simple, just make sure somebody knows where you’re going, who you’re meeting and
when you expect to be back. Oh, and if you do have a lot of fun and decide to stay a bit later, let
that person know…
gapyear.com/travelmates
If you want to use your mobile to call home, or if you want a mobile you can use everywhere on
your round the world trip, then you should look into buying a backpacker’s SIM card. We think
that generally the best one is from go-sim, but obviously you should shop around to see what
suits you best.
Cheap international calls
How these work is that you / your parents / your friends set up an account which you can
access through your home phone. Using Planet Talk as an example again - when you sign up
you have to put a minimum of £10 in the account. You are then issued with a prefix number that
you dial from your home phone before you dial the international number e.g. 1833. Calls are
then charged at a cheap rate e.g. calls to Australia at about 5p per minute. You may be
charged a small connection fee on each call, so read the small print.
Email
We are assuming that you all have email addresses. All we would suggest is that you change
your name to a sensible one if you’re worried that your granny might be offended by the public
display of your sexual prowess hidden in your Hotmail name! Web-based accounts like Hotmail
and gmail are obviously essential.
Useful tips
- Send yourself emails full of useful info, such as addresses, dates, phone numbers, insurance
details, details of valuable stuff that might get damaged / stolen e.g. camera etc.
- Take time to set up your email address book properly with birthdays, addresses etc.
- Clear space now whilst you’re not paying internet café rates. Save important stuff on your
home PC
Instant Messenger
Nothing better than speaking live to mates who are working or studying whilst you are in an
internet café near an Australian beach!
Microsoft MSN Passport
This is the most popular Instant Messenger. Remember to get it set up properly now whilst you
have the time. Get all your mates on it and personalise it as you want.
Yahoo! Messenger
If your mates all Yahoo, probably best to go with this. Remember to get it set up properly now
whilst you have the time. Get all your mates on it and personalise it as you want.
Keep in touch with gapyear.com!
Our MSN email is [email protected]. We’re obviously extremely busy working all the
hours under the sun creating and maintaining this beautiful site that you and I know as
gapyear.com... but sure, why not add us to your list and give us a buzz? If you want to let us
know what you’re up to, organise a meet-up or tell us something really cool - then buzz us.
- 21 -
…now plan your route…
- 22 -
Journey Time Planner (Over Land)
Use this part of the planner to work out your overland travel around Australia. Here we are
trying to give you a rough idea of the costs and times involved in traveling between the
major cities using a bus or a train. Australia is so huge that it’s surprisingly hard to get your
head around the distances involved. Use this in conjunction with the flight times/prices
map on the next page. When you have decided which bits you’ll be traveling by bus,
which bits by train, where you’ll drive and where you’ll fly move on to the blank map on
page 23 and plot out your route.
Darwin
1 Day
$346
(£142)
Broome
Notes:
Cairns
21 hours
$272
(£112)
Alice Springs
1.5 Days
$359
(£148)
20 hours
$243
(£100)
1.5 Days
$235
(£97)
2 Days
$490
(£220)
(via Mount Isa and
Tennant Creek)
1.5 Days
$229
(£94)
2 Days
$525
(£216)
Brisbane
Byron Bay
3 Days
$560
(£230)
14 hours
$105
(£43)
Perth
Adelaide
By Rail
9 hours
$58
(£24)
15 hours
$73
(£30)
Melbourne
By Road
Due to exchange rate fluctuations UK Sterling (£) prices may vary
considerably. UK prices were correct on 18th July 2006 when $1 = £0.411177
Tasmania
Sydney
- 23 -
Journey Time Planner (By Air)
This map is just like the page before, except those are all flight routes, prices and times
over there. Don’t worry if a direct route isn’t shown between two cities, you’ll probably
just have to make a quick transfer en route. Don’t be sucked into flying everywhere just
because it looks quicker and cheaper on paper. There’s a lot of fun to be had in
between the dots on the map
Darwin
4 hours
$189
(£78)
2 hours
$234
(£96)
Broome
Notes:
Cairns
Alice Springs
6 hours
$335
(£138)
2.5 hours
$219
(£90)
2.5 hours
$370
(£152)
(via Uluru)
3 hours
$159
(£65)
4.5 hours
$179
(£74)
Brisbane
3 hours
$278
(£114)
1.5 hours
$95
(£39)
2.5 hours
$129
(£53)
Perth
Adelaide
6 hours
$229
(£94)
Sydney
1.5 hours
Melbourne $129
(£53)
7.5 hours
$189
(£78)
2 hours
$95
(£39)
Tasmania
Due to exchange rate fluctuations UK Sterling (£) prices may vary
considerably. UK prices were correct on 18th July 2006 when $1 = £0.411177
Route Builder Map (example)
- 24 -
- 25 -
Cape York
Route Builder Map
Darwin
Cape Tribulation
Broome
Cairns
Mission Beach
Airlie Beach
Exmouth
Coral Bay
Alice Springs
Fraser Island
Hervey Bay
Brisbane
Byron Bay
Coober Pedy
Perth
Sydney
Adelaide
Kangaroo Island
Blue Mountains
Melbourne
Hobart
- 26 -
Full Route Builder
Date
Location
Must Do
9th January
Cairnes
Jungle Swing
For How Long
Costs
Notes
$100
Dad to buy as a gift
November
M
T
W
1
8
15
22
29
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
M
1
8
15
22
29
T
2
9
16
23
30
W
3
10
17
24
31
M
T
W
5
12
19
26
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
T
2
9
16
23
30
December
F
3
10
17
24
S
4
11
18
25
S
5
12
19
26
F
5
12
19
26
S
6
13
20
27
S
7
14
21
28
F
2
9
16
23
30
S
3
10
17
24
31
S
4
11
18
25
T
W
T
4
11
18
25
5
12
19
26
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
M
T
W
5
12
19
26
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
M
T
W
2
9
16
23
30
3
10
17
24
4
11
18
25
2007
January
T
4
11
18
25
M
7
14
21
28
T
1
8
15
22
29
W
2
9
16
23
30
M
T
W
2
9
16
23
30
3
10
17
24
31
4
11
18
25
T
3
10
17
24
31
F
2
9
16
23
S
3
10
17
24
S
4
11
18
25
T
F
S
5
12
19
26
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
S
1
8
15
22
29
F
1
8
15
22
29
S
2
9
16
23
30
S
3
10
17
24
F
3
10
17
24
31
S
4
11
18
25
S
5
12
19
26
S
6
13
20
27
S
7
14
21
28
S
1
8
15
22
29
S
2
9
16
23
30
T
1
8
15
22
June
F
4
11
18
25
S
5
12
19
26
S
6
13
20
27
T
F
S
5
12
19
26
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
S
1
8
15
22
29
M
T
W
T
4
11
18
25
5
12
19
26
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
M
T
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
W
1
8
15
22
29
July
August
September
M
T
W
T
F
3
10
17
24
4
11
18
25
5
12
19
26
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
M
T
W
5
12
19
26
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
F
2
9
16
23
30
T
2
9
16
23
30
October
S
1
8
15
22
29
S
2
9
16
23
30
M
1
8
15
22
29
T
2
9
16
23
30
S
3
10
17
24
S
4
11
18
25
M
T
W
T
F
3
10
17
24
31
4
11
18
25
5
12
19
26
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
November
T
1
8
15
22
29
S
3
10
17
24
31
April
May
M
S
2
9
16
23
30
February
March
T
1
8
15
22
29
F
1
8
15
22
29
W
3
10
17
24
31
T
4
11
18
25
F
5
12
19
26
December
- 27 -
10% off*
gapyearshop.com is run by Itchy Feet Travel Store who have
shops in London and Bath, if you’d prefer to buy in-store.
London
162 Wardour St,
London W1F 8ZX
Phone: 020 7292 9750
Bath
4 Bartlett Street,
Bath BA1 2QZ
Phone: 01225 337 987
* This voucher entitles you or a friend to 10% off all purchases over £50. Why not print more off and hand them out?
quote “GAPYEAR10” when purchasing to recieve your discount
10% off*
London
162 Wardour St,
London W1F 8ZX
Phone: 020 7292 9750
Bath
4 Bartlett Street,
Bath BA1 2QZ
Phone: 01225 337 987
10% off*
London
162 Wardour St,
London W1F 8ZX
Phone: 020 7292 9750
Bath
4 Bartlett Street,
Bath BA1 2QZ
Phone: 01225 337 987
10% off*
London
162 Wardour St,
London W1F 8ZX
Phone: 020 7292 9750
Bath
4 Bartlett Street,
Bath BA1 2QZ
Phone: 01225 337 987

AUSTRALIA PLANNER

Transcription

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