A Travel Around The World

Australia backpacker tips - Selling the van (second part)

2010-02-08T04:33:00.001-08:00

where we were ..... right we placed the ad on Melbourne Gumtree and left Sydney for a long 990 miles drive. In a day and a half we were exhausted but in Melbourne and, although we had just few energy left, we saved the last bit for our sales speech.

In fact, luckily, during this anxious rush, not only once but so much as 8 times our phone rang, all madly in love for "Manuschka" (our van).

Things got even better. We arranged all viewings for the same day and 7 out of 8 possible buyers wanted to take her straight away home if... it wasn't for two small details: a big truck the previous night kicked up a stone on our windscreen (which didn't worry us since we were covered by the insurance) but, mainly, they were all after the legendary RWC, roadworthy certificate. We needed it to sort this asap.

The day after, with no hassle, we replaced the windshield and set on a search of a trustworthy mechanic. This was the tricky part: though we hoped there are honest mechanics out there, they surely know that at this stage all backpackers are desperate to get that piece of paper to sell their van, so some of them MIGHT try to take advantage.

"Luckily", a friend of us, suggested an Italian mechanic, friend-of-a-friend, and, as we also are Italians, after a bit chit-chat, we hoped to have an honest evaluation. Unfortunately, that was not the case AT ALL. He meticulously analyzed all the van upside-down, in 'n out, as result advising us on an endless list of little parts to be changed (including a stupid attachment of the seatbelt that, since you couldn't find it on the market, we would had to change the whole piece). Total estimate damage: $800/1000. What?

We were not convinced, not even 1%.
We are not mechanics but comparing the itemised bill of the previous RWC, which was made only 6 months ago, many parts were the same. Something smelled fishy, it was just ridiculous! We then visited another garage but same story.

We wouldn't pay for something that our van didn't need it. As last hope, we thought of pay a visit to that garage where Manuschka got her previous, very expensive remake. We crossed all Melbourne till the northern outside suburbs.

Desperation, anxiety, frustration were only few of our feelings in that moment. The van was checked through once again.

Result: only the back wheels weren't matching. Phew!! Maybe was the mercy of the mechanic or, perhaps, it was just the right thing but with only $190 (including a pair of wheels obtained from the nearby car wrecker) we got all the paperwork sorted. HURRAY!

No need to haggle and with the RWC on hand the deal was done! The fate wanted a lovely Irish couple as Manuschka's new owner and she were now ready to take them on their big loop.

Even if now we had to take that atrocious 12hours bus ride back to Sydney, we were smiling again! Now it's on to the USA!

Our final tally: $4350 spent for purchasing the van, $368 for 6-months fully comprehensive insurance, $190 RWC check, $490 for previous mechanic issues and touch-up, $4500 the selling price = we ended up paying out from our own pockets $898. Having covered 11,000 km in OZ over almost 4 months this is equal to less than $10 a day plus of course the petrol's costs, not bad!

Australia Backpacker tips - Selling the van (first part)

2010-02-05T02:10:00.000-08:00

Our time in Australia is coming to an end. We really enjoyed driving along the East Coast from Melbourne to Cairns through this huge continent but we have to move on and the last thing to do it’s one of our most unpredictable challenges: selling our van.

We bought “Manuschka”, our backpacker-style ford econovan, in Melbourne with a Victoria REGO and originally planned to sell it in Sydney, from where we would have jumped on our next flight RTW.

We thought Manuschka was in pretty good shape considering her age (’94), quite well accessorised and were pretty confident she would have find a new owner among Sydney Gumtree’s ads within a blink of an eye. Just to play save, we made quickly our way back in Sydney to give her enough time to find a new house but one week had gone and no one called. We invested a big chunk of our budget in her ($4350) and want it back for founding our next part of the journey.
What it’s wrong with her?? There was something not quite appealing to buyers but what could it be? We scanned other ads and Manuschka seems even better than many other backpackers’ vans out there but we realised the problem was the REGO.
No one was willing to get her just because she came from another state.

We then changed sales technique: placed more ads this time but with no rego details, got few calls but when explained we could sell it either with the current long-expiring VIC rego or alternative unregistered they all lost suddenly interest. That’s because in order to get all the paperwork done for the sale of a VIC registered vehicle it has to be checked by a licensed garage in Victoria so either the seller (us) or the new buyer has 30 days to do so.

Worryingly, no one was interested to take Manuschka for a romantic drive on the Great Ocean Road. We couldn’t let our van get smashed from a car wrecker losing our investment.

Fearing failure, we decided to get back on the road to Melbourne, our best bet to have a chance to strike a quick sale....

Tale from the road. Australia 4x4 warning

2010-01-28T05:03:00.000-08:00

You might have seen it before driving around Australia’s roads, especially in the Outback, that strange sign “4x4 only” but did you wonder (like us) what will happen to your backpacker-style van if you would have taken that track? I can only tell you now, you are better not :- )

Along our conquest of Australian East Coast, we came across many national parks with that annoying sign that forced us unwillingly to reverse. But that was until we reached Inskip Point near Rainbow Beach. We couldn’t give up to such beautiful place but the only problem was getting to that pretty sandy spot to set camp. It looks just fine, compact sand and my driver (chris) was confidently smiling. So here we went, set the first gear, all good, we were moving slowly, yes we were almost ....stuck, nooo!! Dammit! We got bogged. No panic. My boyscout had already a solution. We started digging away the sand from the wheels, grabbed some wood sticks to put under it and it worked just fine.... after a good half hour of attempts. Lesson learnt???

240km north of Rockhampton and 100 km south of Mackay, in the middle of nowhere, exhausted we had no choice than stop in Carmila beach, a resting area next to a long beach accessible by 1km of dirty road and last few meters of soft sand, OMG, but this time no warning sign... In the same situation was Jacqui, a lovely Aussie woman, on a nomadic journey around Australia with her kid and a huge campervan. She too (at first) was hesitant but, after tested a bit the sand, off she went on second gear. Incredible Jacqui made it to a nice spot just in front of the beach, too sandy for our taste. However between us we thought “she is Australian and has been on the road for a while, she must know surely what she is doing” so we followed her and parked our beloved van to a nearby spot next to some trees, where the sand was harder. We spent a lovely night chatting under the stars but next morning... when the time was up for all to leave, this time it wasn't us but Jacqui's camper got bogged. We tried pushing, digging, towing with a rope stuck to a passing fisherman's 4X4, used the jack to stuck under the wheel whatever we found around to give some grip but after few hours of useless efforts we realized the camper was actually burying itself deeper and deeper. She need rescue.

Likely, the local fisherman, knew exactly who to call and, after few hours of waiting, an enormous 4x4 tractor arrived, engaged the four wheel drive and pulled the car out the sandy bog with no difficulty.

Anyone brave to share their story?

Australia backpacker travel tips- all you need to know about buying a van.

2010-01-24T09:10:00.001-08:00

It might not sound at first the cheapest and easiest option for your big loop around Australia, but buying a car has been revealing to be a good investment for many backpackers and that's why is widely use for traveling cheap around Australia at your own leisure. This make sense if you are planning to spend few months on a nomadic life on the road as finding, buying and re-selling a car can be a time consuming and stressful experience but could save you many nights at the hotel. Yet, for some, it can be even fun and, if you plan smartly, you could get yourself a bargain, buying from a fellow backpacker with a high desperation level leaving in the next days, and sell it with a profit. There is no need to say, the more you spend the better vehicle you will get, although that's not always the case. A realistic figure is around $3000-4500 but, choosing a good van to fit with your budget, it's a bit like hitting the jackpot and the experience could be for many quite daunting.
So what you need to know?

The Most important: The registration, the safety certificate and insurance.

In Australia, registration (rego) is a compulsory tax for all vehicles and is a complicated matter as every state has different regulations. For that reason is best to buy a vehicle with the rego within the state you are looking to re-sell it, in which case the rego would be easier to renew and will attract more buyers. Always try to find a car with a long rego so you don't have to worry about renew it before you sell the car, saving you $600-$800 for one year renewal. Selling out-of-state registered car is not impossible but it can be a lot of headaches, time and money-wasting.
It's compulsory for the seller to provide the buyer with a RWC (Roadworthy certificate) or pinkslip, a certificate that stated that the vehicle has undergone a mechanical inspection by a licensed garage and it's "safe" to drive. The cost to obtain this document is around $90, if no repairs are needed, otherwise the seller is required to carry on all the necessary works. That's why is import for you to ask the seller for this document so you could see what it has been done to the car.
Third Party Insurance (CTP) is compulsory in every state. In some state a basic third-party personal insurance is included in the rego (like VIC), in others you will have to arrange one before or with the rego, providing proof of address and that the premium is paid. CTP in any case only covers you for personal injury. We took a comprehensive insurance ($384 for 6m) which at the end it turned out almost to paid for itself as we got a free windscreen.

Where to buy?

Sydney and Cairns are both good places to look for great bargains as major hubs both for backpackers leaving the country in desperate need for a quick sale and travelers, potential buyers, in search for a fast purchase in order to start their adventures.
Where to look for?

Online through private sellers: Gumtree is extensively used among backpackers and is where we discovered our van. Since you will be dealing most certainly with fellow travelers, for the above reason, the price is HIGHLY negotiable but you should consider that the vehicle has already attempted at least once the big loop.My advice is to consider instead buying an utility van and convert it yourselves, it's easier than you think and you could adapt it to fit your needs at best.
Car auctions: it could be the cheapest way to buy a second hand vehicle, which is where Australian's car dealers find their bargains, but in most cases the vehicles cannot be inspected.
Through rental companies: many of the major backpackers' rental companies such as Autobarn, Wicked, are selling their ex-rental vans with a buy-back guarantee which, for a bit more of your money, it would give you some extra peace of mind.
Car Market: the most known is the Sydney Car Market which used to be a garage where backpackers parked their vans for potential buyers to inspect but it's now only online, a sort of gumtree, so you have to get in touch directly with the owner even for a viewing. The only service they give is providing info for the rego but this can be easily obtained from the Australian transport authorities .
Notice boards: hostels and internet cafes are plastered with ads for auto, 4X4, campers and much more for sale.

What you need to check?

Whatever you get, wherever you look for, make sure you take a good, closely inspection of the vehicle even if you might not know a thing about it these little tips could save you from a fiasco.

A trick to check an unleaded engine is a simple test: ask someone to start the vehicle and vigorously accelerate, while standing behind it, check out the smoke from the exhaust pipe. The gas should be uncoloured or lightly white, if it's gray or black means the vehicle is burning oil and this could lead you to pay an expansive mechanic's bill.
Always have a look at the engine head: if it is very dirty and covered by oil it's not a good sign either.
Take in account the miles in the odometer: a car with low mileages could suggest less probability to incur in mechanical problems, less than 200.000km is a good option.
It's vital that you take the van for a "Joyride": take an half-hour drive, turning-on the air conditioning, testing all gears, accelerating sharply and driving fast (not too fast), keeping an eye on the temperature needle that should be stable on the cold side. Australia can be very hot and you don't want to stop every 100 km just to cool down the engine.
General shrewdness: the vehicle should have a good working air conditioning, good tyres with a good grip, one good spare tyre, a good battery (better if with warranty), and you should have a good look at its paperwork and the mechanic history trying to detect if there is any suspicious signs of upcoming breakdowns (signs of previous huge works is not always a good thing, an old car is an old car).
Inside: the space should be well organised especially if you are looking for a place to spend your nights in. You don't want to get mad every time you need to search for something so look out for practical solutions as it will be your home for the next months: maybe a foldable bed than can easily become a sofa by day and bed at night, some room to stand and some space to safely cook inside during the rainy days in which case look also for a good ventilation to prevent mould's formation.
Gadgets: many of the backpackers vans come with extras such as bicycle, surfboard, three way fridge (propane, battery), mosquito net, beach games, black out curtains for some privacy, shower running on 12V, camping equipment, travel guides and power inverter of 240W to recharge your laptop and camera while on the move. The more you could get, the better.

If you feel still unsure, consider getting some mechanical help and spending an extra $80 to have the vehicle inspected independently by a local garage before the purchase.

What to buy?

Station-wagon, utility van, campervan, 4X4, hoptop campers are the choices and it' is up to you and your style decide which one suite you best. If you are looking to cover a lot of mileages it might worth consider getting a car that run on LPG but check that it comes with a certificate of conformity which has to be done every 10 years and costs around $100. If you are thinking to get to remote places, driving through dirty roads or sandy track to reach many national parks along the coastline than get a 4WD, even if more expensive is the only way to go. We only now regret it as we have to skip many beautiful remote spots.

This is what we got for $4350. Want to find out if we sold it? Stay tuned.

Well, good luck!

What is the Australian Outback?

2010-01-21T12:59:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you don’t have to go far to feel you reach the Australian Outback, it’s easy as all the population is gathered along the coastline the rest could be quite untouched, and that’s the case of Davis Creek National Park, one hour drive west of Cairns, 21km north of Kuranda up in the hills.

To reach the park we had first to go through a rough, 7km red, talcum powder-like, earthy, dusty unseal road which gave our white van (us included since the van’ windows were pull down for the heat) a nice reddish tan.

Despite our blurry sight, we slowly reached the camping area but had to go another 2 km further up through a narrow, winding road on top of the hill in order to reach the Falls Circuit. However, once there, it was finally an easy path through the bush and grass-trees that led us down the lookout over the tremendous, 75 meters Davies Creek Falls which cascades over huge granite boulders.

Back to the QPSW campground, we found ourselves the perfect picnic spot on a sandy area on the creek’s side, hoping to spot some platypus in the rookpool but the only encounter was with a rat-kangaroo (which looks to me more like an ugly rat, which is not that great while eating) played along by a serenade by some colorful little birds (much better, at least they took my mind away from staring that marsupial).

This experience makes me arise just a question: what and where is the Australian Outback? Is a harsh, desert land in the middle of this huge continent or a feeling of being somewhere naturally remote?

Snapshot of the week: What an elephant!

2010-01-20T01:42:00.000-08:00

Davis Creek National Park – west of Cairns

I never saw before such a giant termite mound, higher than 2 meter. I found it very impressive and curious as it reminds me of the shape of an elephant. Do you see the big trunk, the eyes and the big jug-handle ears?

Deep in the forest @ Cape Tribulation

2010-01-17T08:42:00.001-08:00

We made it that far up to the north east of Australia, to Cairns, that it seems evident we have to stretch a bit further to Cape Tribulation and the Daintree Rainforest, another Aussie natural wonder listed among the world heritage sites.

The road to Cape Tribulation was quite twisting but spectacular, for some part driving along the blue ocean, on a side, and the tropical forest on the other.

There aren’t many people up here and once we crossed the Daintree River by a tiny vehicular ferry (which only takes 2 minutes to get to the other side) it virtually felt in my imagination like entering into a Jurassic world: warning signs of fearsome saltwater crocodiles and the endangered Cassowaries are abundant along the way, snakes crossing the road, only one winding, narrow road leading the way through the lush, dense tropical forest that has been flourishing for more than 135 million years and no signs of a campground available, sh*t.

However, apart the mad rush finding a place to park our van, the ferocious mosquitoes and the threatened jellyfishes possible infesting the waters (so we couldn’t have a swim), I am not sure why Captain Cook named it that way as it turned out to be a great place to kick back.

Feeling a bit adventurer, we spent few days exploring the mangroves, trekking along the forest and getting closer to the habitants of this land particularly the resident crocs at Myall Creek.

We were advised that we could spot one small female of 2mt on the river bank but these crocodiles spend most of their time submerged, either escaping the heat or hunting, and the rest hidden amongst the mangroves, so it wasn’t an easy job. We patrolled for few hours this creek’s estuary when finally we caught a glimpse of the croc coming back from her busy day in search of a place to rest. We stayed silently to admire her for a bit, trying to capture with our amateur camera her beauty but the reflections from her dazzling armour made it very difficult to get a good shot.

Just when we were about to leave, a local came by and, like a bolt from the blue, he warned us not to stay so close to the river as on this bank’s side, exactly where we were standing, a resident male crocodile of 3 meter like to wander around. Time to go!

Insights:

the cost of the Daintree river ferry is $11 one way or $20 return; note that after Cape Tribulation the road to Cook Town (110km) is mainly unsealed and arduous, only for 4WD;
although Cape Tribulation it’s less then 150km from Cairns it took us a good 3 hours to get there;
it was almost impossible to find a spot to stay at the last minute but luckily, at the end, we were allowed to camp at the Jungle Resort for $20 a night, mainly just because the owner got pity on us and let us shares a spot with a fellow campervan.

Snapshot of the week: Get closer...

2010-01-11T11:09:00.001-08:00

A tropical paradise but where is the reef in Green Island?

2010-01-05T12:52:00.000-08:00

Further to our exciting, magical, snorkelling adventure out to the Great Barrier Reef we could now cross it off on our RTW “to do” list yet, captivated by this marine world, we decided to take one more chance to experience the reef, this time in a more relaxed way.

We were to pick among two coral fringed islands off Cairns: Green Island or Fitzroy Island. We were more tempted for the second option as it looks wilder and more remote plus, at first, it seems we could camp overnight there other than the campground was currently unavailable and we missed the only boat out, clearly there wasn’t any choice any longer.

The 45min ferry ride from Cairns to Green Island turned out to be quite choppy but I couldn’t care less, my only thought was to reach in a great hurry the 15ha coral cay island and plunge in the tropical water of this marine park.

While approaching the island’s dock, from the upper deck it looked so picture-perfect: a tiny white sandy island covered by lush forest and surrounded by emerald water, ahh.

However, the answer to this trip to us was to be discovered below the water’s surface. We speedily reached the beach, geared up and splash, off we went snorkelling. Did I forget to put on my contact lenses? Was my mask foggy? Where all the fishes have gone? Where is the reef? It wasn’t only me but Chris too was hysterically scanning the ocean around us for some form of sea life. There was nothing wrong with our masks. Disappointingly all we found was sand, seaweed and more seaweed. Only sporadically we came across few minuscule fishes. It might be cause the ocean was suck away by the low tide that you really would had to swim a good amount, behind any of my capability, before the water would go deeper then 1mt.

After a good while patrolling around the water, shattered and with a bitter taste in mouth, we gave up. There was only one thing left we could do: jump on the glass-bottom boat tour, which luckily we got it for free instead of the hire of the snorkelling gear (if not we would have paid $15 extra each).

This time we could ventured to deeper water and, with a bit of help, it turn out to be a fish feeding fest, at least, with huge and various fishes floating over corals beneath our eyes.

We could now spend the rest of the afternoon beachcombing among many other families, tourists, the kind “who don’t want to get wet” as the island offers among many other activities also a “seawalk” experience, which seems much appreciated by the Japanese. Indisputably, against our expectations, Green Island turned out to be a day-trip tourist trap; maybe we should have opted for more pristine Fitzroy Island.

Tips:

you can stay overnight on Green Island but there is only one pricey resort (room starts at over $500 per night). If you want to visit this island on a budget you are better off bringing your own lunch if not you could use the facilities and shops of the resort;
the campsite in Fitzroy Island should open up soon; check it with the Cairns’ Council who run the facility;
the ferry rate from Cairns out to Green Island is $73 and you could opt for a full day or even half day cruise.

Need some tips for your first dive ever on the Australia’s Great Barrier Reef? Simply don’t do it like me!

2009-12-29T12:00:00.000-08:00

There is no better place then get an introductory dive right in the middle of the ocean and, even better, among one of the living wonder of the marine world, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

You might think it requires a lot of preparations, me too, but actually not at all. This can be easily (??) done on a-day snorkelling trip out to the reef from Cairns and that’s exactly what we signed up for.

On the short journey to reach the first destination of our snorkelling day-out, we were briefed onboard about the reefs, the species marine and, most importantly, the diving’s fundamentals to do it “properly”: simple techniques how to equalise the pressure on the ears while descending, how to place the masque (a good spit is focal to avoid misting it) and few basic signs like “I’m ok”, “help” or “be aware of the big shark behind you” eh eh. We also had to complete a medical’s form and a statement we understood a long list of possible risks of diving insomuch as in my mind I became just a bit paranoid.

Once on the spot, the Saxon Reef, we waited for our turn since the instructor would only take down 4 wannabe divers per time. In the meantime Chris and I decided to kill the time and made myself more confident by going right into the water. We put the fins on and plunged in to explore the reef. By the time we returned to the boat our turn was up. The master diver asked our group to get ready, stepped into the water from the back of the boat and holds on a bar below the surface to put in practice two learned skills: taking out the respirator from the mouth and put it back and clear the steam from the mask, all of course while underwater. Our 2 diving buddies couldn’t make it and pulled out straight away. Me?? I was indeed nervous but I couldn’t back out now; I paid for it (well not technically as it was almost free due to a special offer). Yet I came so far I felt I had to go, actually I wanted to go. The moment of the truth: ....thumb up for me.... Chris too so we were good to go.

Escorted on each side of the instructor, as he deflated our devices we started descending into the deep blue water. I felt disorientated, my sight was unclear and my senses of perspective seemed vanishing.The adrenalin was pumping madly through my body, my heart beating hard and my breath was heavy and fast. I was nervously acting exactly the way we were told not to.

I tried to calm down but I couldn’t help myself noticing we were already 3/4 meter below the water surface and hell lots of water were below my feet when my mask started misting. I got the attention of the trainer which started gesticulating oddly. Probably he should had instructed us a bit more on the earlier lesson since, after few misinterpreted signs, I found myself lifting my mask ...ups, all the water was now coming right into my face and nose.

At that point, the instructor had to slowly take me back to the surface. I could see clearly on his face his disappointment and probably want to shout at me “what the hell did you do that for” but, seriously, I didn’t understand a thing what he wanted me to do down there and my only concern was not to drink more water than what I already had. Women like attention, right? But not when you emerge in the middle of the ocean with all the eyes of the boat’s crew staring at you. He then asked me that obvious (to him) question if I wanted to go back onboard but, call my mad, I wanted to carry on with the dive; I hardly started to explore this new world and was already hooked up. Hence, after a good damn spit to the mask and few shrewdness from the instructor, we were back deep into the water. We probably went down to 6-8 meters and swam towards the swallow water of the reef. As Chris and I marvelled at all the creatures passing by and the one the instructor would pointed out while trying to hide among the corals, I simple forget about my fears. We admired “Nemo” playing around in its anemone and a monster 1,5mt clam to which he insisted we stuck our hands inside, I excluded the mussel fancy it since it kept snappily shut as we touched it.

It felt pretty surreal to be deep in this wonderful world that time seemed to me to stop. Sadly, our 30minutes dive was over.

Nevertheless, we had 4 more hours of amazement on our own, drifting over the dramatic coral formations and hundreds of enchanting colourful marine life: big schools of colourful little reef fishes, parrotfishes, playful angelfishes, sea stars, multi-coloured Christmas tree worms popping out from the corals, barracudas running after their catches, a huge green turtle, clown fishes, an impressive maori wrasse, batfishes are only few to be listed among the many reef dwelling creatures we came across while snorkelling in these coral gardens.

I had to confess that, despite we saw many more fishes while snorkelling over the Great Barrier Reef and my initial fiasco, diving was all together a complete different experience that opened up my eyes into this enchanting world and made me rise just one question: when would I make it back to Thailand for that scuba diving course?? I am craving for more!

Merry Christmas from A Travel Around the World

2009-12-25T05:39:00.000-08:00

Wherever you are, whatever you are up to, Merry Christmas to all you and thanks for your great support!

Marta 'n Chris

Below the Great Barrier Reef, a truly natural wonder

2009-12-22T02:18:00.000-08:00

We got big expectation for today. We were going to float over the marine wonderland of the Great Barrier Reef, the world largest coral reef system with over 2900 individual reefs, more than 1500 species of fishes, 600 tropical islands, 300 coral cays, all stretching over 2300km larger even that the Great Wall of China and the only living thing on earth to be visible from the space, impressive isn’t!

Probably the best way to experience this ultimate natural attraction is by being down amongst it. As a result, on top of the 4 hour snorkelling in two sites of the Outer Reef we gave ourselves a reason more to take also an introductory dive.

Our adventure started at 7.30 when we checked in at Cairns’ Harbour. By 8.30 we were on board of the Down Under vessel ready to sail away to the reef. The water was quite choppy at the start due to some wind. We could see already some fellow passengers battling to reach the toilets or holding their paper bags which it can’t be said for us, as usual “prevent is better than cure” and a little magic pill does the trick.

During the journey, we were called to gather among the others that sign up for the dive for a brief theory’s class, that’s it??? One hour past and we reached our first stop, the Saxon Reef. I really started worrying and becoming nervous, very nervous. I slipped on the fetching penguin’s style wetsuit, tried to relax and just didn’t think about the dive, till....

Long story short, after few initial troubles and made fool of me undersea, when our 30 minutes dive was up and we retreated to the boat, the spectacular view that opened to my eyes from the vessel’s deck over the coral patches oozing out to the water (due to the low tide), I couldn’t resist taking another plunge into this amazing world.

This time we were back on the water only Chris and I for a snorkelling self-tour. It was still windy and the waves kept crashing over us. Consequently the visibility wasn’t at its best, yet in the deep water below us we noticed a huge turtle resting on the sandy ocean bottom. I was simply thrilled by this encounter. We continued peering the water for more creatures. We swam to the swallow water of the reef over spectacular coral formations (though not as colourful as I would imagine) and a colourful variety of fishes, it really felt like be inside an aquarium with all these tropical fishes of so many colours and sizes passing by regardless us, it was wonderfully surreal. I was so captured by this beautiful underworld that without realizing a found myself alone and so far from the boat and Chris which got hung up too forgetting about me, but couldn’t care less. I had been soaking for a while now that, for once, I haven’t even thought about eating until the whistling from the boat called us back.

After lunch we dropped anchor to the second reef the Hastings Reef. We didn’t want to lose a minute and we went straight into the water head down when I got an unexpectedly sight of Wally, the resident giant wrasse, that was coming suspiciously towards me, possible expecting some food?? After this first scary encounter Chris and I got separated once again gazing out among the corals. Once more we were the last people to board recalled back only by the sound of the whistle, we couldn’t simple had enough.

Around 4isch this fantastic voyage was coming to its end and we were on our way back to Cairns. We were now sharing with each other our experiences when I found out that Chris got even the privilege of seeing a reef shark silently glide along him but, truthfully, I felt as much privileged of sharing the ocean for few hours with such a great diversity of marine creatures.

I have so much to tell you about it but, since this post is already too long, if you tune back I will share my diving success, eh eh! Until then ciao.

ps. apologize for the crappy quality of the pictures, hope can still gives you the idea of this spectacular world.

We made it to Tropical Cairns!!!

2009-12-18T02:12:00.000-08:00

Yeeehh! Finally we are here in Tropical Cairns. It feel a bit weird though: maybe it’s because we are reluctantly aware that this amazing trip is getting closer and closer to its end, on the other side, it feel like we just conquer the whole Australia, though we only had driven a small part along the East Coast embarking on this roadtrip in Melbourne. Can’t believe we actually made it to the Far North Queensland all in one piece with our van still running!

First impression of Cairns? Well I have to say is a backpackers mini-urban jungle, a bit too commercial for our taste, packed with hostels, bars, heaps of travel agents but when you have so many natural wonders all at its doorstep such two greatest World Heritage zone that meet together, The Wet Tropical Forest and the Great Barrier Reef, and so diverse and so spectacular landscapes such long sandy beaches, sugar cane fields, banana plantations, lush forest vegetation, countless waterfalls like the one encompassed by the famous Milla Milla waterfall circuit, streams flowing through deep gorges, then it’s hard to blame it for.

When you have enough of the hot and muggy days down in Cairns you could easily cool down within a short, winding drive in the green rolling hills of the Atherton Tablelands and, trust us, you will need more than a sleeping bag to keep you warm if you planning to camp up here. If you feel like getting wild then there are lots of occasions to meet the local big crocodiles or get a chance for a Jurassic encounter with the cassowaries up at Cape Tribulation or just go wildly crazy in Cairns’ nightlife. Fancy instead pampering yourself and mixed with style among the holiday makers? Then hit upmarket Port Douglas. If adventure is what you are after, get a 4x4 and gear up to get full of dust by driving north through the dirty road to Cooktown.

For us, as million other travellers, we flock here first of all for one very specific reason: see one of the 7 wonder of the World, The Great Barrier Reef and its acclaimed coral gardens. An armada of boat is waiting in the harbour to take us to the reef. Now, we only have to decide which one, any suggestion?

Snapshot of the week: Hinchinbrook Iisland

2009-12-17T10:00:00.000-08:00

On the drive to Cairns we stop to get a glimpse over Hinchinbrook Island, Australia's largest island national park, a dream for hikers willing to explore this wilderness through 32km of coastal track.

Australia roadtrip top 6 thumbs down

2009-12-15T14:45:00.000-08:00

I know you all want to make your friends green with envy telling how great is your big loop around Australia, amazing landscapes, great wildlife, friendly Ozzies, but let's be honest, after being touring for a bit, we can tell you there are few little downsides of a life on a road that sometimes could annoy even you. Here are our 6 thumbs down list for an Australian roadtrip.

At the top are the irritating heaps of road trains stuck on the back of our LPG Econovan ‘94 especially uphill while trying to get the hoped momentum. Maybe we are only misinterpreting... of course, now I got it, they are only trying to help us with a tiny push! To make worse, these monster trucks come one after the other. I can understand that for these drivers time is money and they don’t want to waste it behind us, but eih at 100km/ph (the Australian highway speed limit) where the hell they want to go? I felt sometimes they even like to pressure me for going faster with that all of a sudden little accelerations almost like they are going to hit you but that would only make it worst, it would arouse a combat of who is going to give it up first? Of course the truck drivers as unfortunately to them I would start slowing down so they had no choice to hold back losing their impetus and keep the distance until they would finally get the right moment to gradually recover their horsepower and overtake us.
The Australian highways seem like a bloody Tarantino’s movies with all the unfortunate kangaroos on the side of the roads surrounded by a pool of blood or whatever is left of their perishable bodies smashed by the steel grilles on those huge trucks’ hood.
Distances in Australia are really huge which is also part of the excitement of an adventure crossing this country but when you have to reach point B (Melbourne) to A (Sydney) in a day and in between there are 900km is not such fun but just a long, boring, exhausting drive.
Overprice camping grounds. How could you ask for 30/40$ a night for really just a skimpy plot of land where to park your van and have a hot shower? I understand when a campsite has lot of amenities such as pool, tennis court, children playground or bigger green space yet even in those cases should there not be some special deals for people that would not take advantage for those facilities as arriving late at night and leaving earlier the morning after? If we want to have a quick overnight stop along the route we learn to be better off taking advantage of those free stops along the East Coast highway.
Not only gravel roads can be a dear hazard for your windscreen but you have to watch out for flying stones on the main streets too. So far they strike twice on our windshield, pain in the wallet!
You might have driven for hundreds of kilometres before reaching that dreamy beach. It’s simple stunning, the water clear blue, it one of that muggy day and you are only looking forward to take a deep jump into that inviting sea but hold on one second, what is that big sign about those lethal box jellyfishes?

Eih don’t get me wrong, travelling is still great fun.. most of the time! Likely on our list so far there are no bedbug infestations, poachers, pirates, missing flights, drug smugglers, so we have no real reasons to complain :- )

Any more to be added on the list?

Our escape to the Whitsundays

2009-12-13T14:02:00.000-08:00

In some cases, a picture is worth way more than any words and this is the case for the Whitsundays, this dreamy archipelago in the Coral Sea off Queensland’s coast.

The best way to explore this floating beauties is surely by boat and, among the puzzling choices in Arlie beach, we opted for a marine safari with Ocean Rafting visiting three top destinations all in one day (normally a 3-day tour) and what a great day!

We boarded in Airlie Beach’s harbor on a super fast inflatable vessel that does go real fast. Apparently you can’t get sick on this kind of boat but, just to play safe, we got our travel sickness tablet and off we went.

The sky was clear but it turned on us quickly after we left the harbor, it wasn’t looking good. The wind was blowing at 25knots, the sea shaking, the perfect formula for big waves and exhilarating fun with our vessel cutting powerfully through the rough water at 50/60kmh, though my back was less pleased. After some big bumps the sea started to smooth down and we reached our first stop for an easy hike through Whitsunday Island National Park in order to reach the look out of Hill Inlet, the Whitsunday Passage.

From the top, we could get a glimpse of the long stretch of pure silica sand of Whitehaven beach, the shifting sands of Hill Inlet exposing hidden sandbars and some manta rays half revealing while floating through the clear shallowness of the ocean. It was like staring at a canvas where the water was the real artist creating a blend of blues, shading off in azure, turquoise and light blue, pretty spectacular!

Back on board now to get closer to that Haven. After few minutes of speedy ride we were ready to drop anchor at Whitehaven Beach to step on that dazzling postcard-perfect image, kick back and enjoy our lunch. This was the second time around Australia we walked through such fine sand (the first was on Jervis bay) that was squeaking under our feet, it felt like to be inside a surreal place except for the many visitors landing from the huge yachts, all sharing my own same dream.

With the belly full we soon were off to the next two stops, this time to jump into the amazing sea world of the water of Hook Island’s fringing reefs. We didn’t see many fishes, although a huge curious wrasse manage to scare the hell out of me, but the coral flowerbeds were simple incredible and the water, well so chill! We could not have a better ending to our amazing day that had the privilege of being accompanying on our way back by a whale and her cub while happily playing in the blue water, priceless!

Choosing the right Whitsundays sailing tour

2009-12-10T15:36:00.000-08:00

We finally reach Airlie Beach, the hub to explore the dreaming archipelago of the Whitsundays, 74 stunning islands covered by lush tropical rainforest, floating on the crystal blue water of the Coral See (although I think technically they are not quite part of the Great Barrier Reef, am I wrong??) and fringed by dazzling white sand with the big highlight of Whitehaven Beach, a 6km-long 98%pure-white silica sand, but which is the best way to sail the Whitsundays?

Each island provides its unique experience: Hamilton is heavy development for entertainments’ seekers, Hook Island and Whitsunday Island, since they are predominantly national parks, are for nature lovers, the luxury of Hayman Island for the one seeking an exclusive gateway or, for a backpacker-style holiday, South Molle Island.

You could decide to stay in one of the island or take a range of cruises zig-zagging the archipelago and the reefs in a day-trip or, the most popular one, a 2-3 days sailing trip. You could also explore them independently on an island hopping taxi or chartering a yacht, the choices are bewildering. There are seriously heaps and heaps of tours to choose from in Airlie Beach: travel agents, pretend-to-be tourist info centres, all sort of accommodation, internet cafes, newsagents and vary other business will sell these tours but who to “trust” (whatever this can mean)? They all trying to convince you they offer the best deal but it really depends on what you are after: if it’s a party boat or a flashier experience to share with few people, if you don’t mind to be squeezed like sardines to save few bucks, prefer to embark on a historic boat or a more eco-friendly one and of course considering the itinerary and so on. If you are pinching the penny, you just have to get the nerve to walk few hours in the lion’s den of Airlie Beach’s main street and do some groundwork taking a good look around at those specials on the blackboards and have a good chat with the many operators.

We like the idea of being able to explore these tropical islands at our own peace, Robinson Crusoe style, but have to give it up since the yacht is simple out of our budget and camping, paradoxical once again, turn out to be not quite as cost effective as you would imagine: although you could camp on several islands for only $4.75 per night the cost for the transfer makes up for it; for instance if you want to combine a stay in more than one island it could go up easily to $250pp (same story as we discovered earlier for Lady Musgrave).

Once again we have to get used to the idea of abiding to other schedules and get packed on a boat, not much our gig. We are tempted for a last minute deal from Koala Adventures, the same guys that run the campground we spent the last night, the Koala Beach Resort. Bearing in mind this has been so far one of the worst camping ground we have been, which looks more like an abandoned yard (even if surely is the cheapest among Airlie Beach at $25pnight for a van and the only available), they are offering us a get-one, get one free last minute deal on a 2 nights/ 3 days sailing trip worth it more than $500 each exploring three destinations including Whitehaven Beach. They even offer us free parking for the van while on the boat but, despite being a tempting package, since we don’t fancy being stuck on a party boat for a couple of nights we are opting instead for a one day high-speed island hopping tour with Ocean Rafting on a inflatable super fast vessel, the key factor for a day of exhilarating fun, will see if they stand up to their fame.

The asking price? $115 each, with no much of discount expect for a free meal but deal done,we are ready for our escape to these Australian inspirational islands. We could now spend the rest of the afternoon chilling out on the beach; well Airlie Beach doesn’t really have much of a beach but, as an alternative, a lovely artificial lagoon.

This big lizard paid us a visit while in the camping ground

Snapshot of the week: A crazy drive to Eurimbula National Park

2009-12-06T06:52:00.000-08:00

Eurimbula National Park – Capricorn Coast, Australia

When the impossible, come possible. Our junky hippie van made it even through the soft endless sandy track where only-4WD should go (but would not recommend it).

14 km from the town of Agnes Water, it’s a picturesque coastal park with mangroves, eucalypt forest where we camped in a very peaceful setting and enjoied some great walks.

Capricorn Coast nightmare: Lost in the mangroves

2009-12-06T05:31:00.000-08:00

On a typical day on the beach we would take long walks exploring the coastline with no exception for today during our stay in Kinka Beach. This small sleepy coastal village is nestled among Causeway Lake, towards Yeppoon, and a compact patch of mangroves, rocks and tropical forest at the other end to Emu Park.
It has a wide open beach and swallows calm water and at low tide the sea just seems to disappear and the Great Keppel Island just getting closer. From those rock pools at the southern end of the beach, next to the mangroves, we saw yesterday a guy coming out the water with a speargun and a huge crayfish so we reckon we could catch something too, not a crayfish but as suggested by other fishermen bream, flathead and whitting.
Today at low tide we walked for more than an hour through the hard sand left uncover by the water to reach those rocks from where we casted our line.

We waited patiently for hours but not a bite until the sun started to go down and the tide to came back then, magically, the fishes starting take the bait one after another. We knew we had to make our way back before dark but it was always “only one more”. At last we caught 5 good size breams when we decided to walk back. We run into two other fishermen that offered us a huge flathead as they didn’t like the meat. How we could say no? After a short chitchat they gave us the fish and were off on a 4WD, us instead on foot.

It was sunset and the colours of the sky were just incredible, all the different reflections of the changing light on the sea were so beautiful that we could not resist taking few snaps, well more than few.

The water was rising fast and it had now covered our previous path through the solid sand. We had to rush quickly though a open patch of mangroves in order to reach a sandy track where we got a glimpse earlier of the big jeep vanishing. As we saw some big metal cages stuffed with rotten fish’s heads we froze. For a second Marta kept quiet. We thought at first at some crocodile’s trap but they were honestly too small for a 2mt-long croc so we reassured and assumed it was only for crabs, phew.

It was now dark but “likely” the full moon was shining at the most and the white sand reflecting its light, at least we could see something. We finally reached a sandy track and we followed it for about 30 mins.. till a dead end: in front of us there was a river estuary, damn it! It even crossed my mind for a sec to traverse it but after spied it out with a wood stick I realised it was just too deep and crazy to do it.

In the silent night the only sound we could hear was the splash of the fishes jumping out the water just next to us, hopefully just leaping from happiness not cause they were chased by some frightening Australian wildlife (maybe a croc?) .. not an inviting sign.

We distinguished in the distance a bridge with a street light so there was definitely a way out, plus we saw the 4WD disappearing earlier, we just needed it to figure it how. We also thought they might have cross the river at low tide so we tried to follow the watercourse through the mangrove forest but it was getting thicker and harder to get it through. We tried different “paths”; we walked for more than an hour in all directions trying to find those tyres’ marks but with no luck. It was like be stuck in a maze, we were nearly lost.

Marta overacting imagination started panicking and reaching for the phone for help as hopeless trusting my sense of orientation. I couldn’t just give it up and I asked her to spare the last sign of the phone battery for the worst.

We traced soon another path through the forest where at first we came from and we got going, it was our last resource. We have been trekking now for 2 hours. Marta dishearten but still carrying our dinner, though I bet, for once, she was hungry no more.

The path began gradually to enlarge and the sand left way to gravel. After a while we noticed some clear traces of pneumatic, an old abandoned dish washer on the side of the dirty road, someone definitely arrived there by car. Finally we heard cars’ noises and the track open up to a paved road. Thanks God! We were exhausted, our legs full of scratches probably from when we struggled among the mangroves, our feet blistered (we were on our flip-flop), still few miles away from the campground but we could not care less; we were safe and I was never so happy to see some car passing by.

I started even joking with Marta who was still dragging the bait for the crocodiles: our bag full of fishes. We later found out that nearby there is the Koorana crocodile farm ... ups.

Lady Musgrave: How much would you pay for a slice of paradise?

2009-12-03T08:36:00.000-08:00

Australia is a significant destination for backpackers seeking a unique experience to remote untouched part, but at what price?

Next on our presumed itinerary was the tropical island of Lady Musgrave, part of the southern Great Barrier Reef and about 100km from Bundaberg’s coast. We were excited to see it listed among the QPWS camping’s spots so we thought about taking the plunge to this pristine tropical paradise for some unforgettable nights under the stars.

We reached The Town of 1770, the launching pad to this coral cay, which is nothing more than a marine and a camping ground, so laidback and apparently so off the beaten track. However we soon realized, to our disappointment, this village knows very well how to deal with tourists and how to assert their natural treasures. In fact the only way to access Lady Musgrave is by taking part of a snorkeling day tour, which it would be ok, except if you are planning to camp on the island in which case you will have to take it twice, yep! How much would it be the damage? $160 each per way = $640 for the two of us, ouch.

For the first time along our RTW trip I found myself not able to shop around or bargain the cost of the transfer as, I was afraid, this service is run by only one boat’s operator, MV Spirit of 1770, which hold the monopoly. I tried to understand why it was so high-priced to convince Chris, but first myself, if worth it. I figured it out that it might not be the closet point to go deep into the Great Barrier Reef, therefore probably it might also be such an intact landscape with stunning underwater reef and, in order to keep it that way, they have to give the place some exclusivity (if it would be cheaper it would be likely hit by the heaps of tourists). But what really irritated me was the fact there is no such a thing as an island camping transfer available at a better deal. It’s just a matter of principle, why should I want to take the same tour twice? I also brought the subject to the boat company as I explained we were not interested at all in taking part of the tour but simple on the transfer itself, to be dropped on the island, but they clearly made their point and preferred to lose two clients. I found ironical the situation. Is it camping not supposed to be a way to get closer to Mother Earth and, at the same time, be a more economical holiday away from the comforts? On the other side the camping permit itself is indeed cheap (at $4.75 per night available from Queensland Parks & Wildlife Service and remember you must be totally self efficient) but it’s the transfer that really make the difference. Yet a visit to Lady Musgrave seemed to me just a lot of cash to blow all in once considering also we will have more opportunities to see the Great Barrier Reef in more accessible places such as the Whitsundays and Cairns.

What’s your say? How much would you willing to stump up to play castaway on an uninhabited tiny coral atoll fringed by white sand and crystalline water with untouched coral reefs?

The backpacker’s secrets for travelling Australia on a shoestring

2009-11-29T07:12:00.000-08:00

Is there such a thing as travelling for free around Australia? As full time travellers we soon start to learn some tricks of the trade on how to travel Australia on a shoestring and in some cases even for free, some shared by fellow backpackers others learn on our own experience. So how do we travel with less than $40 each a day?

You might think of hitch-hiking, well it might be indeed a technique for make your way around Australia for free but that’s not our case. Get your own way of transport, that’s right, buy a car. Anything from a station wagon, small bus, utility van or hippie camper. We are convinced that in the long term it’s the cheapest option to travel, no wonder it’s widely used by many travellers. If you play your cards wisely and know what you get, we have the evidences that you could even make some profit out of it which means you will travel all the time for free.

LPG. If you get your own wheels try to get one on LPG; it’s the cheapest fuel to travel around. It is something around 44 cent per litre in some area around Melbourne going up to 84 cent per litre in the north of Queensland, the more further to remote area you go, the pricey it will get.

Relocation. If you are only travelling for a short time it might not worth it the risk of buying a car and, if your destinations are flexible and you keep your ears open, you might get a campervan as little as $1 per day. In fact some rental companies will let you drive their van almost for free to bring it from point A to B. Of course there is a time limit, normally it has to be done on a short timescale, but if they are not in hurry they will let you used it for few extra days. Check it out Apollo Relocations.

If you opt to get one of the above options of transport then you could also sleep for free. Having a mobile bed means you could get advantage of the many free rest areas along Australia East Coast, if you are lucky even ocean front. Sometimes you will need to pay a small fee for some extra comforts such a shower or if you travel with good spirit and are flexible and adaptable, well....

In most cases there is no reservation but the only problem is those spots full up very quickly early in the morning, especially the most known by the campervans’ crowd that year after year come back in the same place.

Bush camping and camping at remote locations is also free; even some hotels or restaurants in the Outback will offer you to park overnight in their car park for free with any purchase at the bar.

Camping on the many National Parks, apart for being an amazing experience, it’s also low-cost something around $5 each per night while others, like in NSW, are free; for the most popular campgrounds you would better off to book it in advance and for the more remote you will need a 4WD to reach them.

We couldn’t have done our big loop without our bible, Camps Australia 4, where they are listed all camping grounds which saved us hundreds of dollars, and without taking advantage of all camping among NSW State Forest, Parks Victoria, Queensland National Parks . Camps4 can be pricey for a backpacker (I think it is something around $50-70, we were blessed it came with our van) but I can bet it would be the best thing you ever bought, it’s just priceless.

Food. We know we all have to eat as we would at home but, there is no secrets, the more we cook ourselves, using also the free bbq in many beach and pick nick areas, and the less take away we buy or eating at restaurants the more we save. As I said in many occasions if you fancy casting your own line you could end up also eating for free.

If you have to catch a plane try Tiger Airways, it’s not free but you could fly Melbourne - Sydney for only $32, that’s a bargain.

Don’t waste your money on enclosed wildlife’s encounters. You will have many opportunities to come face to face with Australian wildlife even if you don’t visit a zoo or a farm, from crocs to whales-watching, dolphins and kangaroos, if you are patient and go a bit "closer to the wild" you could spot these animals in their own environment.

If you fancy to earn some cash while travelling and having fun there are plenty of chances to work your way around Australia from fruit-picking, teaching, working in bar and hostels

Stays connect for free. Although I am not a great fun of MacDonald, even if I would not eat there by being cheeky I enjoyed many hours of web-surfing on the house; you could take advantage of free wifi at many libraries too.

Australia has many natural attractions that can be simple enjoyed for free while for others touristy attractions I always watch out for those great discount’s vouchers on the many free magazines distributed in hostels, train stations and travel agents. Even if I don’t have a voucher my motto is always “shop around”.

Happy travel!

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Colourful Rainbow Beach

2009-11-24T13:00:00.000-08:00

Instead of the safari tour on Fraser Island we opted for a refreshing stay away from the backpackers’ crowd in the pristine natural setting of the Inskip Peninsula at the far end of gorgeous Rainbow beach.

It has been weeks and weeks that we didn’t hang around for long in one place, only a couple of nights at max and then off on the road again, and maybe a bit weary we found ourselves for the first time slowing down for a whole week in Rainbow Beach. We might have been dazzled by the splendour of its multicoloured sand cliff, charmed by the little beach village and the long golden beach or simple because Rainbow Beach doesn’t pretend to be a swanky destination, it’s just so perfectly laidback for us.

We got also the privilege to sleep every night oceanfront with only $4.85 each pn, what a bargain! We just parked our van, pulled out our camping chairs, table and it was the best hotel ever. However, first we had to work hard to get there digging ourselves out of a sandy track we tripped while searching our own perfect spot but, with a bit of engineering of my personal boy scout that promptly started the operation “back on track”, with a bit of sweat, lot of swears, a pinch of luck and half an hour of attempts we were out looking for a safer equal pretty spot. All set!

The days just flew taking long walk along the endless stretch of beach, surf casting for our dinners (though the only luck we had was at the fish ‘n chips shop in town), lazing on the sun, dolphin-watching at the nearby Tin Can Bay, staring at the sunset and the stunning view at Carlo Sandblow and exploring the Cooloola National Park but this time on foot since our previous episode.

Tips:

you can see the resident dolphins at Tin Can Bay Marina but only at breakfast at 8 sharp;
get your camping permit before you set tent at the QPWS office in town;
if you intend to go deep into the Cooloola NP you definitely need a 4WD; you could also traverse the entire length of Rainbow Beach but don’t go closer to the water see what happens ....

Find cheap flights at Twenga

Snapshot of the week: Blowing away by colourful Rainbow Beach

2009-11-22T07:48:00.000-08:00

Carlo Sandblow, Rainbow Beach - Queensland, Australia

The stunning view at Carlo Sandblow, a short drive from Rainbow Beach, at the top of Cooloola Drive. It’s accessible through an easy footpath among the woodland which open up to a huge natural sand dune offering 360° view over the coloured sand cliffs (which gave this seaside town the name) and the deep blue ocean.

Australia for free - work your way around

2009-11-19T06:37:00.000-08:00

Is it your idea to travel around Australia for free? It sounds impossible but not completely, you are in the right place.

While driving along Australian East Coast through the rural and outback in our slowly hippie campervan I have noticed few handwritten posters advertising some work opportunity on farms.

Harvest jobs throughout Australia are in fact very popular especially among the backpackers since farmers rely on their casual labour. Surely it’s hard work and you will need a Working Holiday Visa if you want to earn few bucks but, if you are happy to do it in exchange only of food and accommodation, you don’t need one.

Either way, I reckon it’s a brilliant way to put aside your funds while you enjoy some stress-free work, meet new friends, get to know the locals, get a nice tan, do some workout, and, why not, learn something new.

Maybe working in a farm is not your cup of tea but don’t worry you can also find seasonal work in hostels or even on sailing boats with the same deal: free food and a place to sleep but not money earned in trade of your sweat. This is good if for whatever reason you couldn’t get the WHV but remember even if you do have one in the fruit-picking you are paid for how much you pick, it won’t make you millionaire.

If you like to plan your trip in advance, here below are some online resources that will definitely help:

Helpexchange: free online listing of host farms, lodges, B&B, hostels and even sailing boats offering work;
WWOOF: (willing workers on organic farms) for a small fee you will receive a book with full contacts’ details of 1700 Hosts properties where you can stay in exchange of your energy;
The Harvest Trail: an Australian government’s site that offer a free service to connect travellers and employers, just call on 1800062332.

Fruit picking is also a great way to eat fresh, healthy and free as all the farmer-for-a-day we met they had their bellyful with the same fruits harvested; it’s already taken in account.

For some other on the house fresh food you just need to follow my steps:

buy a fishing road;
go nearby a lake, river or along the seaside where you spot other fishermen;
talk to the fishermen, ask them what they catch and how, (if you offer them a beer they might be also exchanged it with their catch);
do what they do; I promise you will come back with dinner!

Don’t have a place to cook it? Don’t worry that’s free too. Most of the beach and parks around Australia have free electric bbq and pick nick area, perfect to cook your catch. If you are like enough to catch too many fishes for your stomach just offer it to someone else or a farmer and I am sure they will be happy to exchange it maybe with some fresh seasonal vegetable, your meal is now complete.

Next post: is there such a thing as free transport in Australia?

How to go RTW when you hate flying?

2009-11-17T12:20:00.001-08:00

Isn’t that peculiar? I am not afraid of flying, I only dislike it. How should I like it being suspended at 3000 feet on air inside a metal box while speeding at 400mph? And I am not even driving that thing. It’s simple not natural!

Even every time I used to take the surely short London-Venice flight (1hour ½), I have to admit, I was moody for days before the departure but it was something I had to endure to keep my family happy. I flew at least a couple of times a year for the past 7 years within Europe yet flying stress me out but I couldn’t cop it out this time to go to the other side of the globe.

So, how do I get to go on a rtw trip? I guess the desire of traveling to unknown places overtook it my “discomfort” of flying. Plus, after being stuck on a plane for 12 hours on our first flight rtw London-Hong Kong follow, few months later, by the 7 hours Singapore to Melbourne, I found a way around to battle my anxiety while onboard: enjoy the free drinks! After few trials, I can confirm that alcohol has a different effect at high-flying and with two drinks I left on the ground all my worries and sometimes even slept as a baby.

So far we took already 8 flights and, after all, I am starting appreciate flying more and more especially after a crazy bus ride to the Peak in Hong Kong, travel on a Tuk-Tuk in Bangkok and a 16 hours and ½ journey packed on a bus from Sydney to Melbourne, never again!

Still, l envy Marta which she is only stress out to miss a flight and can sleep all the way through it as soon as she step onboard.

Do you have any other remedy?