1. Ear plugs and Eye Mask

Late night out? Ten hour train ride to endure with a hangover? No problem! Just whip on that glorious eye mask and fall happily into darkness. And that screaming baby a few seats away? You won’t hear a peep with those ear plugs. They are also a lifesaver when trying to sleep in a hostel located above a bar!

2. Hand Sanitizer and Wet Wipes

For the germ conscious traveller and the traveller who should maybe be more germ conscious, hand sanitizer is your best friend. Even in the most developed countries, there will always be bathrooms without soap, or even without water. You may also develop a nice layer of scudge because you haven’t had access to a shower in a few days. A pack of wet wipes that are face friendly will refresh you immediately! I also had these double as dirty dish scrubbers when I was in Iceland! (Be sure to rinse with water – they really don’t taste very good!)

3. Pillow case

No one wants to see your dirty undies spread across the hostel floor. Do us all a favour, you know who you are, and put them in that handy pillow case you were so smart to bring! A cotton pillow case will also breathe unlike a plastic bag so your clothes won’t get musty and moldy.

4. Sarong

Oh sarong, how can I use thee? Let me count the ways! An impromptu beach bag, a modesty protecting head scarf, the second-to-last resort towel (the last being a t-shirt) and let’s not forget, as a sarong! I would like to add, this is equally useful for the gents as for the ladies. Just find a sarong in your particular flavour and rock it how you will my friends!

5. Flip Flops

Do you really want to spend those precious minutes tying up shoe laces when you could be on a beach? Even if your in northern Sweden instead of Bermuda, there’s still going to be time in your temporary home when you want to kick back and relax. Flip flops, or thongs for all the Aussies out there, are brilliantly easy to slide on for that thirty second stroll to whatever you need. Also, hostel showers – let’s avoid random foot fungi, shall we?

6. Sheet

A sheet is a practical item that tends to be more useful in less developed countries. You can use it for privacy when changing or sleeping. It also makes a good mosquito net in regions that malaria is common. Important: Make sure your sheet has a fun pattern or design. TOGA PARTY!

7. Perfume or Cologne

Some people may think this is an indulgence. But remember those few days we talked about when you didn’t have access to a shower? The stench that emanated from your body? Splash some perfume on there and you’re good as new! (Well… Almost.)

8. First Aid Kit

Take one! You can easily get a first aid kit in a pharmacy or any outdoor adventure type store. Throw in a few extra band aids and maybe some polysporin and you’re set for anything short of needing a hospital. We all fall down stairs and trip over our own feet (or is that just me?). Having a first aid kit just makes it a whole lot easier to give yourself some TLC when needed :)

What are your favourite items you never go abroad without? Let me know in the comments section below! If you like this post, follow me here on Sheila’s Compass to keep up with this series! Up next: How to Survive 28 Hours on a Plane

The decision to GO is the biggest hurdle, so congrats! But there are many questions and fears that can arise in planning or when you get on the road. The hardest are questions that are more subjective, like what to expect from certain experiences when there’s no definitive answer. In this series, I’m going to do my best to answer those questions. I’ll discuss things that come up frequently when I talk with people who are new to travelling. The goal is to help you feel as comfortable and knowledgable as possible when embarking on your journey!

Here’s a list of the topics I’ll be covering:

– 8 Items You Should NEVER Forget When You Travel
– How to survive 28 hours on a plane
– The ultimate overnight train or bus survival pack
– A Hostel Guide: Everything You Need to Know if You’ve Never Stayed in One
– How to choose the BEST hostel every time!
– How to beat jet lag
– Staying Safe on the Road
– Where to find cheap food on the road
– How to break in a new place

If you have any topics you’d like to see covered, please feel free to write it below in the comments section. Make sure to follow me here on Sheila’s Compass so you won’t miss a post!

I emailed and texted perhaps a dozen farmers, which was all very informal. I suppose when the job requires only two hands and stamina for a broken back all that’s needed is a name and a start date. Not being used to texting someone for a job, I assumed the email communications were more legit. I only heard back from a few. Some only had part time hours and many no longer had space. So when I heard back from Christopher Rossi (name NOT changed), I thought “Yes! This is perfect!”

Here’s the original email he sent:

I received this as well as two friends of mine. Paid hourly for six days a week is fantastic, not to mention low rent compared to many others. I replied right away saying yes, June 9th sounds fantastic, hoping I’d get a spot in a seemingly competitive position. I heard back with the following email; my friends did not. This is the email (with account numbers not shown):

Securing my place in the accommodation with a deposit didn’t seem unreasonable, backpackers bail all the time so it seemed logical to ensure they’d actually show up. Plus, why would my friends not have heard if this was a scam? And how could he have an address to give the money in person if it didn’t actually exist?

Apparently no one goes to Dalby.

After I sent him the money I assumed I’d hear back that day. I didn’t hear back, that day or the next. And now I still haven’t heard and sadly know I won’t. There goes $200 dollars my friends.

Did I mention this is part of the reason my diet is much closer to ramen noodles?

So what did we learn from this? NEVER send money to anyone claiming a fruit picking job before you are actually there!!!

And so it began.

At that moment I didn’t know how ridiculous my name sounds to Australians. I had grown up in a country where a girl is a girl, without further implications. I had never heard of Neighbours and the tv show’s infamous Ramsay Street. Little did I know my name, Sheila Ramsay, sounds like something between a hooker and a cartoon character (perhaps a cartoon hooker?) to Aussies everywhere.

I am always highly entertained by people’s reaction to my name. There’s the polite half smile, punctuated with hugely smiling eyes, as someone attempting to be courteous follows with the preordained, “Nice to meet you!” Or it could be more subtle, with the calmly stated question, “Did your parents know?” (The answer, by the way, is no…) Occasionally I’ll get riotous bursts of laughter, followed by an apology, and then more laughter. Sadly, all these reactions are to only my first name. When they hear my last name, it inevitably induces a seismic fit, complete with stomach clutching and rolling on the floor, unable to control their hearty, insane laughter.

I still don’t know what my reaction should be.

After the laughter comes to a controlled giggle, the interaction then usually continues with the person explaining that it just means girl… Really? Reaallly? After all that? After my (thus far) eight months in Australia, I beg to differ. And tell me, who would know better than an actual Sheila?

I’ve noticed the strictly “girl” definition of a Sheila tends to be given in the cities. But the further out you go and the more “bogan” the people are (a.k.a. country, an Aussie variation on redneck), the less PG my name sounds.

So does it ever really just mean girl? Because even in cities, there’s evidence to the contrary. Say you decide to go into a stag shop for some items for a bachelorette party. You will find tiaras, sashes, giant martini glasses, all with SHEILA plastered all over them. If it simply meant girl, it’d kind of take out the hilarity of making fun of the bachelorette all night, wouldn’t it? It’s much more fun to imply she’s a floozy! Here’s an example of Aussie souvenir coaster, with partial explanation:

Of course there’s been many Sheila comments underscoring this same idea:

“Ahhhhh yea, check out those Sheilas!”
“Yea, I slept with this Sheila last night.”
“I’ll be going home with that Sheila tonight.”

It doesn’t help that any Sheila song seems to be about a prostitute. For example, Tequila Sheila by Bobby Bare or Sheila by Jamie T.

Now I’m sure there are some that would argue that yes, Sheila does really just mean girl. But as you can tell, my own experiences beg to differ. I may be a Canadian Sheila, but here in Australia I am a Sheila, the punch line of many a joke and promoter of riotous laughter. And I’m totally happy with that! It’s definitely a good conversation starter if nothing else!

1. West End is the coolest area.

Walking in this area you’ll see hippies and fortune tellers, business people in coffee shops and hipsters with a very strong fashion sense. This is my favourite suburb because it really seems to have it all. It’s the kind of place that accepts people as they come and not as society thinks they should be. There are great hangout spots with live music and good beer. Some cheap and divey, others more expensive and slightly less divey. Definitely a good area to come for a night out where you want to sit and chill or dance the night away!

2. Fortitude Valley is the definition of a club district.

One part dancing, one part douche, and three parts clubs, clubs, clubs! This is the nightlife area. Over the course of the evening you can hop from venue to venue, most of which play top forty and trance type music. A hidden gem I fully appreciated was the German Bierhaus, aptly named, serving German beer and sausages! Ironically, I met a great group of Germans here.

3. The good beer hides in Newstead.

I have a strong affinity for craft beer and this is the place to get it! So very delicious and worth the trek! Learn more about it in this post.

4. Walking between locations takes a deceptively long time.

That trek I mentioned above? From where I’m staying in St. Lucia close to the University of Queensland, to Newstead where the breweries are, would take a minimum of two hours, probably more! Don’t get me wrong, I love walking, especially in a new place. I recently walked an hour and a half to get to West End from St. Lucia. That being said, it’s not always practical to walk everywhere, and Brisbane really makes sure of that!

5. The City Cat is the best way to cover long distances fast.

What’s the best way to get around having to walk for five hours to get anywhere? As I explained here, the city cat! It goes very fast and gives some great views of the city!

6. South Bank may have the good restaurants but they’re VERY expensive.

I’m on the fence about this area. Although most of the restaurants are privately owned, the area has a strange sameness about it. It clearly has some high quality food, which was confirmed by Darryl, a resident of the area for ten years. He recently moved though, South Bank was just too expensive! My delicious thirteen dollar beer went on to prove this…

7. The public transit is extremely confusing!

I wish this was a grand remedy to the crazy distances situation here in Brisbane, but I hate to say, it may not be. There are a ton of buses and they do come frequently, but it’s trial and error. The bus doesn’t announce the stops and usually you’re past it by the time you realize it’s your stop. I also had an unfortunate circumstance where a grumpy driver told me to get off way too early. It was not a misunderstanding.

Ultimately, my negative impressions of Brisbane have been softened, but I wouldn’t say dissolved. It has most things a city needs, but in my two weeks here I couldn’t find any real vibrancy. I do know people who love this place, so I know there’s definitely something here. Perhaps just not for me. So what now? I go North! (Beyond the wall, if you will ;))

So Sunday morning, after a night out in the very hipster West End of Brisbane, we awoke to a beautiful sunny morning! Anyone want to go camping? Yes, yes I do.

Within an hour we were packed and headed south through the Gold Coast to a spot my friends had previously found. On a peninsula just beside Pottsville, we drove down Tweed Coast Road, with a mangrove filled river (ugh) to our right and the ocean hidden behind some trees to our left. All along this stretch are campsites that you can stay in for free! Without difficulty we found a vacant one and pulled in.

Exhilarated, I stepped out of the car and took a deep breath of that beautiful, salty ocean air. This was my first time at a beach since arriving in Australia and it did not disappoint! Through just a few trees stretched a vast white beach without a person in site! I ran through the path left by previous visitors out onto the beach and was rewarded with soft, fine sand squishing between my toes. The few pieces of coral scattered around had little shells attached with sea creature appendages oozing out of them. I even found a few crabs! The water was cool, but there’s a soothing quality to the ocean nothing else can compete with. I was completely and utterly content.

After I had my moment with Mother Nature, it was time to set up camp and get right back in the car. WHAT? Back in the car?! I know, I know. But for good reason! We heard about a hippie-esque, community gathering in a town merely twenty minutes away, Burleigh Heads. How could we pass up a chance to hang out with a bunch of fire twirlers?

* * *

I came across the parking lot to the immediate and pulsing beat of many drums. A man in front of a set of three thrust his body back and forth into the beat, an extension of what he was playing. As I walked behind them, I saw the groups van. What could only be described as a shaggin’ wagon, it was a typically seventies vehicle, complete with tiger print velvet and beaded curtains. A man with dreads and fisherman pants sat in front of it.

We found a spot to sit in the ring that had formed in front of the drum circle. The crowd was eclectic having families with small children, senior couples and groups of teens and twenty-somethings. A common themed seemed to be picnics, with or without alcohol. So, we did as the locals clearly were doing and cracked open a beer.

The night progressed with fire twirlers throwing their flaming batons into the air. Hula hoopers swirled their glowing hoops around their hips right beside us. All manner of gyrations went down in the middle of the circle, hula hoops optional. A sixty-something man mastered the step-and-bounce and a group of kids mimicked a drunken elephant (or at least a man pretending to be one, arm extended from nose). At one point in the evening I thought I was in a Goddess Moon gathering, as numerous women spun around in a circle.

I apologize for the blurr!

The night passed timelessly by until we left in a happy haze. I only met Australians at this gathering. It is clearly a local event enjoyed weekly by the people of Burleigh Heads, plus a few randoms. I found it a really wonderful way to celebrate people and our connection to each other. It was simple and without pretense. Just people enjoying company, music and movement.

At the end of the night we sat around a bonfire in the sand. Drinking a beer, I leaned back and soaked in the full moonlight.

When I left you last, John and I had been walking for hours and hours. Where else to seek replenishment but a pub? This was a perfect opportunity to get to know Brisbane’s finest breweries, which apparently are in the suburb of Newstead. This is an industrial suburb with a disproportionately high concentration of car dealerships. Why are the breweries here?!

With a little help from a gas station clerk, we found Helen Street and did our best to avoid the construction vehicles and materials strewn across the road. An industrially sized, open garage door with a small chalk sign pointing the way welcomed us as we headed into The Green Beacon and pulled up a stool.

You always know a good brewery when you are encouraged to sample as many of their beers as you’d like before choosing. This is what we were offered as soon as we sat down. Over the course of the next few hours, John and I tried all the beers between us, certainly with a few favourites. We agreed that the best was the Windjammer IPA. At 5.8%, this golden-copper beer was hoppy and very bitter. Delicious! The brew pub became significantly more busy as evening rolled in, a clear sign of its popularity for a chill, good quality beer amongst friends.

Once hunger set in, we changed locations and headed to Tippler’s Tap, two streets west on Masters Street. Tippler’s Tap is not itself a brewery, but identifies as a “craft beer bar”. With 12 beers on tap and dozens more by the bottle we were spoiled for choice! We went with the Holgate ESB on tap, an award winning beer made in Victoria. This is made like a traditional English ESB. It’s big on hops but has a blend of malts to offset the bitterness. Balanced to throw you off balance! ;) Best of all were the beer battered fries with aioli. Need I say more? Mmmmm…

To round out our pub crawl, we gathered our newfound mish-mash of friends and headed around the corner onto Doggett Street to visit the Newstead Brewing Company. Made in an old bus depot, the building is huge and bare bones. It had plenty of room for us and our gang for the evening. I don’t know what beer I drank… I do know I thoroughly enjoyed it. And how could you not when the ultimate pub crawl is acheived? New (great) beer, new friends and a night that ends with this:

Perfect end to the night!

I’m living with some friends in St. Lucia, which is a suburb of Brisbane south west of the CBD (central business district). It’s an affluent neighbourhood where large houses have perfect Stepford gardens and children attend gated private schools. It’s beautiful with tall flowering trees everywhere, but it has an eerie perfection to it. A woman menacingly told my friend John he needed to have the property management company fix the garden. He laughed. A stoney face stared threateningly back at him. I swear we are living in Hot Fuzz. The town is plotting our murder.

Shame of the neighbourhood.

Trying to forget about our impending deaths, I spent most of yesterday walking around. With John as my guide, we managed to get out of St.Lucia. Zig-zagging our way down the hill, we turned back on ourselves multiple times. Welcome to Brisbane. A city where no road will ever be straight because a massive river serpentines directly through the middle of it.

So how do you get around in a city that cuts itself off at every turn by a river? Use it of course! The CityCat is Brisbane’s public transit ferry, and oh what a way to get around! Standing at the front I felt like Rose on the Titanic, my hair flying and earrings acting like wind chimes. It’s a great way to cover long distances in Brisbane directly, rather than having to go out of your way in a car. Just purchase a Go card at any convenient store for $10 and load it with however much money you’d like. Then you tap as you get on and off and it will deduct the appropriate amount. Too easy, mate!

We ended up continuing our walk for a VERY long time. We meandered along the river and through the Brisbane Botanical Gardens before reaching the CBD. Here’s the highlights:

– Horrible DISGUSTING mangroves all along the rivers edge. I really don’t like those plants, they freak me out.
– Seven shirtless Aussie men tanning in the Brisbane Botanical Gardens ;)
– Very large, low-branched trees, perfect for climbing!
– A bamboo forest, also in the gardens, straight out of Mulan!

Once our feet were aching and we could walk no longer, we sought to replenish our worn out souls. To the pub! Three pubs in fact, in exploration of Brisbane’s finest breweries! (Stay tuned – more on this in my next post!)

For now I leave you with the words of wisdom Brisbane bestowed upon me as I made my way home last night:

The last few trips I’ve been on have been short in duration. The longest was 2 months, and I had a return date each time. My last extended voyage was 4 years ago, ironically, also in Australia. So it seems I have come full circle! With no return ticket and no plans really, I have a lot of freedom on this trip to do whatever I want. I expect most decisions will be impromptu and possibly impulsive, but in every case it’ll be for the experience!

So farewell Canada! My late-night poutine stops will soon be replaced by delicious Pie-Face meat pies. My favourite beer, Mill St. Tankhouse, will be replaced by Goon because I can’t afford anything else! (Goon is essentially boxed “wine” in Australia. I use that term loosely…) I love my home but it’s time to answer the siren call of wanderlust and adventure into the unknown once more!

So tonight I leave and I will arrive in Brisbane after 28 hours. I hope you have a lovely 13th of May. I will not get one this year so live it up doubly for me! See you on the other side folks!

I am not a pack-rat. I actually pride myself on being a light packer. That being said, I do really like my shoes. When collecting my things to pack, I usually end up with at least 6 pairs. I then need to cut it down to a maximum of four to have any hope of fitting them in. I know there are many people who are fine with three, or even two! But what can I say, it’s my Achilles heel!

Shoes can be a problem when it comes to packing. Why is it we have this innate tendency to pack our shoes last? (Or is that just me?) They are hard, vacuous objects; they will not squish and conform to a useful shape. Pack them last and good luck getting your bag shut! Sitting on top of your suitcase, leaning into the edge, you’ll struggle to get that zipper closed! If a backpack’s more your style, you’ll end up with points sticking out in strange directions and you will never be balanced again!

There is an answer!

Don’t pack your shoes last.

So simple! Oh, but how it changed my life! Here’s the very brief how-to:

– Don’t pack your shoes first or last, pack them in the middle!
– Shove clothes inside your shoes as well, it’s so much extra space! Okay, probably not your undies, I go with shirts or shorts. It’s entirely up to you.

Like so:

Notice the precisely rolled under layer of garments? My shoes in the middle of my case? Follow this step with your bathroom bag and other soft things and BAM! You’re done, with everything you want in your bag!