theGYSE

How to get your motorbike licence - and increase your travelling options overseas!

2013-09-11T00:24:00.002-07:00

Getting my motorbike licence has always been one of those things on my bucket list. It's one of my dreams to circumnavigate Australia on one with little more then myself and a swag/tent. And I was even more determined to get it after coming home from my last 10 month backpacking adventure - so that's exactly what I did when I got home - after my bank account had recovered enough!

Now I was definitely no motorbike pro. Pretty much a total beginner in fact! And a female beginner at that haha.. So I am living proof that pretty much anyone can acquire their licence if they are determined enough to. And my biggest bit of advice is don't be scared, or think it is an unreachable goal, especially if you are a girl - I was totally surprised at how easy it was.

MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE (OR LACK THEREOF)

- My father had taught me the basics on an old Yamaha ag bike out on my grandfathers farm roughly 15 years ago. I could stop, go, and change up to second gear, but that was pretty much it. I only rode by myself about 5 times.
- When I was little I did a lot of miles on the back of my dad's bike.. not that I think that helps too much.
- Working on the ranch in Canada for 6 months, there was a small portion of my time spent riding a quad bike. It took a bit to refresh my memory on gears etc, but it did help out a little.
- I drive a manual car, and always have - giving me an understanding of how gears work etc... so it might be handy to have a go driving a geared car or quad bike first - thats if you have no idea of how to change gears!
- I have ridden horses and push bikes growing up, so my balance is pretty good. Whip out your old mountain bike if you have one to get the feel of two wheels if you balance is a little rusty.

So going into my my motorbike learners test, that was pretty much all the exposure I had to riding a motorbike by myself.

HOW TO BOOK FOR YOUR LEARNER'S PERMIT

Living in Victoria, Australia, there is a company called DECA (Driver Education Centre of Australia) who offers courses in Truck, Car, 4WD, Bus and Coach and Motorcycle training. They are the best in the business in our area, and the instructors are absolutely fantastic. They provide motorbikes, helmets and gloves for testing, you just have to wear long pants, boots and a long sleeved shirt. They also offer an introductory Motorcycle and Scooter course, but if you have good balance and a concept of gear change, and had roughly the same experience as I outlined above, you could probably just book straight in for your Learner's test. If you think the introductory course is necessary in your circumstances here is the link: Motorcycle Introductory Course.

To book, I applied through their webpage for my L's: Motorcycle Learner Permit. You can see the current cost and prices there as well. After applying, DECA sent out an enrolment form and some other paperwork, including what the test involved. The day before my test I was lucky enough to head back out to the farm to practice some of the exercises on the old farm bike.

The Learner's Permit course was a one day course, with two tests held at the end - the practical and the written. There are some informative videos to watch, and your instructor teaches you the following practical skills:

- Motorcycle safety inspection (check all your lights and horn work etc)
- Locating and operating motorcycle controls (turning fuel on, being able to indicate and use your horn without looking)
- Right and left turns (making sure you indicate for change of direction)
- Motorcycle control and balance at low speed (you have to ride a certain distance as slow as you can without putting your feet down.. you can't be faster then the allocated time)
- Gear changing (taught how to change up and down gears)
- Braking (there's an emergency brake test where you have to stop your bike as quick as possible)

After you have practiced the above numerous times and have confidently learnt everything, you then run through your practical test towards the end of the day. You also have to sit a written test after completing your practical test, and you will need to read the Victorian Rider Handbook, Part 1 and Part 2 prior to your test day in order to answer all the questions as best you can. Read the questions carefully, there are a few I came across that were worded quite technically!

The courses and tests are pretty foolproof - the only major thing you can do to fail is to drop your bike. There's a pretty high success rate and your instructors really help and support you to achieve your permit at the end of the day. After you have acquired your Learner's permit, you have to remain on it for 3 months (max 15 months) before attempting to obtain your Probationary or Full Motorbike Licence.

HOW TO BOOK FOR YOUR PROBATIONARY/FULL LICENCE

If you are currently on your Probationary Licence driving your car, this will also be applied to your motorbike licence. Same goes for Fully Licensed drivers, who will end up with a Full motorbike licence at the successful completion of this course.

Since obtaining my L's, I had purchased a little 1998 Honda Rebel CA250 (see above), and had been riding around on the back roads until I was confident enough to hit town and the main roads. It didn't take me long to get used to travelling at higher speeds.. I remember the first few times I took it out and I thought 60kms/hr was sooooo fast and I would probably kill myself at 100kms haha. But I gradually got used to it, and practiced lots of intersection stops and goes until they became smooth and controlled. Soon enough I was confident enough to ride around town and continued practicing by riding to work as long as the weather was clear and sunny.

The booking process is exactly the same as for the Learners Permit, (but here is the link anyway): Motorcycle Provisional Licence, and DECA again send out all the necessary forms. This test it is more practical and focusses on riding skills, and you are assessed using a point system - different to the L's test. Your aim is to accumulate the least amount of points during assessment. If you accumulate over 40 points you are unable to pass, and you also fail if you drop your bike. I must admit, I did get butterflies when this was being explained, as instead of just being able to perform the skills like in the L's test, you have to be able to do it accurately at the right speeds.

The test included:
- 1 RH sweeping corner as fast as you can
- 1 LH sweeping corner as fast as you can
(There was also a simulated hazard avoidance test involving a set of lights, with a left, right and stop indicator that would be randomly prompted. You had to ride at a speed between 20-25kms coming up to the lights, then either counter-steer and swerve right or left, or perform an emergency stop)
- 1 counter-steer right
- 1 counter-steer left
- 2 emergency stops

Before the test you do plenty of practice of all the exercises, until you are scoring well and feeling confident. It would be best to have at least 3 months of riding experience for this test, as it is a lot more challenging then the Learners test. To give you an idea, our group were mostly of intermediate level. There were 2 experienced dirt bike riders there, one scoring 4 points and the other 10. They were amazing riders! There was another guy and girl there of roughly the same intermediate level as me and they ended up scoring 12. I scored 16, and there was another guy there who had scored 19. To be an instructor you just have to score under 20, so we all did pretty well really!

Please be aware this is Victoria and Tasmania's best suggested course of action to take to obtain your licence. Here are some other useful Australian links:
VicRoads (Victoria)
Transport Roads and Maritime Services (New South Whales)
Transport and Main Roads (Queensland)
Transport (Tasmania)
Transport Travel and Motoring (South Australia)
Department of Transport (Western Australia)
Department of Transport (Northern Territory)
Road Transport Information Management (ACT)

WHY AM I POSTING ABOUT GETTING YOUR MOTORCYCLE LICENCE ON A TRAVEL BLOG?

Im glad you asked! The main reason I chose to get my licence was because one day I will travel around Australia on a Motorcycle. However, I also wanted the flexibility to be able to travel just as freely anywhere overseas.. AND, if I was to go to somewhere dominated by two-wheeled vehicles (like the photo below..) and lacking road rules such as Thailand, I would most likely be a whole lot safer being an experienced and licensed rider. Generally speaking, motorcycles are a lot cheaper to get a hold of then cars. You can park them pretty much anywhere, and depending what type, you can ride them a whole bunch of places too. Fuel is sooooo much cheaper as well (it would cost me $12 to fill my Honda Rebel, and that would easily get me over 200kms). But the most important thing is they are so much fun to ride!

I have now upgraded to a Kawasaki KLE500 (see below), and couldn't be happier. I have the best of both worlds with this bike, and after having so much trouble trying to find something dual purpose I fit on (I am 5'4" with quite short legs) this bike ticks all the boxes for me. I can get the balls of my feet to the ground and it's not too heavy either.

If I was to ever live lets say in Canada or New Zealand during summer for at least 6 months again, I would most definitely be looking into buying a motorbike over there and having it as my main method of transportation. The freedom that comes with a motorbike doesn't really compare with any other vehicle. To me, it's a perfect fit alongside backpacking, and I literally cannot wait to test it out - so watch this space ;)

And if you have any questions or have something to add to this post please comment below!

How to pack your life into a 70L Macpac backpack for your backpacking holiday

2013-06-15T02:59:00.002-07:00

One of my friends has suggested a fantastic idea for my next post. Her question?

HOW DO I PACK MY BACKPACK?!?

To roll or to fold?!

It really does take you a while to work out an efficient and effective packing system for your particular backpack, so maybe I could give you a head start with my well tested methods. I've found a fantastic space saving way to pack my clothes, and I used this method for my last 10 month trip, while backpacking Canada, the USA, Peru and New Zealand - and (*cough* without bragging too much)... I reckon it's probably the best way to pack your bag, whether you're away for a few weeks or many months.

I am THAT dedicated to helping you guys out, I even went to the effort of whipping out my trusty Macpac to model for you today - taking a bajillion photos of what I use to organize my crap and step by step instructions showing how I stuff it all in.

So lets get to it. Firstly you need to organize your money, cards and I.D. As you can see below I use a small shoulder bag and small wallet with ONLY the necessary cards. For me thats my license, prepaid travel card, hosteling membership, student/youth card and enough cash to get me through the day. All my important bank cards, extra I.D and backup cash (Can you spot the old-school $20?) and account information goes in my big travel wallet, which is hidden in my large backpack. This acts like my personal safe, and I only access it if I need to top up my little wallet with some cash for the day.

Next you want to sort your other important documents. I use a small waterproof document bag for my passport, flight tickets, visa information, and anything else important for making your way through the airport. I also have an extra plastic pocket where I keep photocopies of all my cards and passport, serial numbers of my laptop/camera, travel insurance documents and any other documents or maps. THIS NEVER LEAVES MY LARGE BACKPACK. It is my identity backup. I highly recommend for you to leave a copy of all your photocopied documents with a family member or close friend at home so if ...*touchwood*... all of your stuff gets stolen, or tips out of your canoe and disappears over a waterfall - at least you can still gain access to the specific numbers needed to prove your identity and be re-issued new documents while being overseas.

Another important thing to pack - necessary medication. I take a fresh box of panadol and cold and flu tablets and some bandaids. I have been sick a few times while traveling.. and TRUST ME - you don't want to be the half-dead zombie-looking foreigner traipsing down the street in search of cold and flu medication and playing symptom charades with pharmacists that don't speak english. I have done it twice in my travels and I really can't say it's something I'd like to do again. Ever. Anyway I keep everything in the small zip bag seen below. I got this particular one from my travel doctor - It was a self medicating kit for food poisoning (which can be common in South America). Thank god I never had to use it.

I've been using an old Katmandu towel bag to house all my laptop cords, camera cords, adapters, chargers and anything else electrical. If I'm not using my hard-drive this goes in this bag too, otherwise ill keep it in my laptop case.

Lastly, your two most important devices! A compact laptop and digital camera. I always keep these items in my day pack while traveling - especially when flying. The last thing you need is a broken laptop from being bashed around amongst the other check in luggage. I invested in an 11.6 inch Macbook Air for $800 off eBay and it has been absolutely fantastic. Highly recommend it. Oh and can't forget a phone (which was unable to model today as was too busy photographing everything!). I brought a prepaid iPhone and an Otterbox case.

So that concludes the first part of my packing process. Here is everything 'important' ready to be packed.

Now all the important stuff is out of the way, time to move on to my best kept packing secret....

... ZIP LOCK BAGS!! Nope, not even joking. They are the bomb!

STEP 1 - Pile of clothes vs large zip lock bags.

Sort all your clothes into bulky and non bulky items. If you're not sure what that means, basically one pile of stuff that wont fit into plastic zip lock bags after being rolled up and one pile of stuff that will.

STEP 2 - Perfecting your rolling skills

Fold the item so it's the width of your ziplock bag. Roll each item individually and as tightly as you can.

STEP 3 - Perfecting your stuffing skills

Shove your tightly rolled item into the ziplock bag. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until your bag is full (usually about 5 items). Then zip your bag till it is nearly closed, lay it flat and push out as much air as you can. I've found kneeling on it is the best way to get the air out. Then zip up the rest of the bag so it is airtight.

You can't really tell from the photo below, but pushing the air out has had a vacuum effect, making the items a fraction of the size they were before. Pretty freaking clever aye ;)

On the right are all my clothes ready to be packed. Bulky items like jackets, jeans and jumpers on the left. I will roll these separately and pack them wherever they fit best in my backpack.

Here are the last items to be packed, my towel, shoes, hairdryer and toiletry bag. My sleeping bag was a bit camera shy, but he should have been in this photo too. Although, a sleeping bag (believe it or not) is an unnecessary item if you are planning on just staying in hostels - most of the hostels wont let you use your sleeping bag for fear of transferring bed bugs. I brought my sleeping bag in Toronto for $80, halfway through my 10 month trip and only ended up really using it when I was camping in New Zealand for 2 weeks.. so my recommendation would be don't take one - they are pretty cheap to buy if you really need one.

NOW FOR THE BEST PART.. fitting your life into a 70L backpack.

Meet the inside of my beloved Macpac.

1. Bottom first.

I always pack the bottom of my pack first, mainly because I prefer to fill this section with bulky items like shoes, my sleeping bag, my hairdryer and other things that wont conform as well as clothing. Fit as much as you can in this section and zip it up.

2. Lower middle section

Next I pack my ziplocked clothes. I've found putting them sideways and shoving them to the bottom of this section is the best way to fit them. I'll shove anything else that can fit between them, such as my waterproof jacket you can see below.

3. Upper middle section and bulky rolled items.

Now I puzzle the rest of my clothing in, and my toiletry bag.

4. Compression straps.

To create even more space, I clip and tighten the compression straps as tight as they go. You can clearly see the difference this makes! I've got heaps of room to fit in stuff down the sides of the pack if needed, and usually food will take up that extra space if I'm on the road.

5. Important stuff.

Choose a designated area to hide all your important documents. In my backpack, there's an awesome zipped section underneath the lid. I place my brown travel wallet, plastic folder with photocopies, medication, and my waterproof document case containing my passport. If I'm at the airport, I will have the case containing my passport and flight information in my day bag.

6. Zip and lock everything.

Make sure you buy TSA approved locks, so airport security can open the locks without cutting them if they need to. I'd also recommend buying combination locks - and place them on any zips that you will be in and out of regularly. It's a lot less hassle remembering codes as compared to having to find your keys all the time.

7. Daypack

Meet my little detachable Macpac daypack. In this I pack my laptop, keys to locks, my camera and my shoulder bag containing only what I need for the particular trip I'm making, e.g. from the airport to the hostel, or from one city to the next. If I'm at a hostel and just need to duck down the street, I'll use my shoulder bag and keep everything else locked up in a locker at the hostel.

8. Voilà! Finished!

Everything is ready to go, and I still have plenty of room for the collection of random foreign clothes and souvenirs during my trip. On my last trip, my pack weighed roughly 15kgs to give you an idea, and I didn't take much more then what I've showed in this post. My little daypack has clips that clip to the shoulder straps, allowing the bag to hang in front of me when I'm on the move. I've found this to be the lightest and most comfortable way to travel, as the weight of the pack was distributed evenly over my shoulders.

I hope this has provided some helpful information and handy tips to help you utilize as much of that 70L capacity in your pack as you can! If you have any other tips you can add, please don't hesitate to share!!

Want to find out tips on buying the right backpack? See my checklist and advice here

- Kobie

Backpacking Peru by yourself - tips for solo women and men

2013-06-12T08:31:00.001-07:00

You really really want to see South America. It's been your dream for the last two years or so, and Machu Picchu is on your bucket list. So is being able to speak Spanish. All your friends either have no money, other commitments, 'real jobs', or no balls to join you on the insanely cool adventure you know South America will be. Your parents aren't that keen on you traveling to what they perceive to be the daughter napping drug capital of the world, and your friends tell you there is no way in hell they would go there alone...

Sitting on the edge of the Colca Canyon

Now you have two options:
1 - Politely tell everyone to grow a pair, and book your flights to South America.
2 - Take the obviously 'well educated' advice from the people who have *cough* never been to South America, and choose to stay home or go somewhere 'safer'.

If you have wisely chosen option one, you may continue reading. Those who have chickened out and decided on option two, I'm awfully sorry but this is where the story ends for you.

So, option 1 peeps - Congratulations! You will have an amazing life should you continue following your heart, and fulfilling your hopes and dreams - this is when life really gets interesting! I'm going to share my story about exploring the gorgeous country that is Peru.

My desire to explore South America began in 2010, after meeting some wicked SA travelers while I was backpacking alone in Italy. After saving some money when I got home, I started talking about my plans to my parents... who were quite disapproving of me traveling to South America alone - Which is of course totally understandable. So in an attempt to make them more comfortable, I randomly booked a Contiki tour that started in Lima on the 3rd of November 2012 - The Inca Panorama tour. I booked it a year in advance, as these type of tours are extremely popular... so if you are going to choose this option, make sure to give yourself plenty of time.

The map of the Inca Panorama Tour (From Contiki)

Up until mid September of 2012, I had no other plans set in concrete for South America. It was perfectly unplanned! The only problem I faced was, to enter Peru, I had to have a departing flight already booked. I also had two options for my arrival in Peru - arrive 2 weeks prior to my tour, or 2 days prior. I took a chance and booked the first option, which meant I would arrive in Peru on the 20th of October. I did a bit of research before I left and found a Spanish language school called Peruwayna in the heart of Lima, which offered amazing prices for intensive tuition. I thought it would be a fecking awesome idea to book myself in for some Spanish lessons for 2 weeks, and choose the school's accommodation option of living with a local family. It was an amazing experience! Every day I went to school from 2pm-6pm, and on days off went exploring with the fellow students. I was able to practice my Spanish with my local family in the mornings and nights as well, and got to experience real Peruvian family life, including testing out all the amazing food as breakfast and dinner were included.

My Peruvian family out for lunch in
Miraflores, Ana and Luana

Now 10 four hour lessons might not sound like much, and I guess it really depends on how quickly you learn... but I have progressed from knowing zero Spanish, to being able to understand 80% of what goes on around me, and communicate about 70% of what I want to say. In Cusco I talked with a local jewelry shop keeper called Teo for 2 hours, all in Spanish - and there was only a few things I didn't totally understand. It was such an amazing feeling, and all thanks to my amazing teacher Raul in Lima. If you are thinking of doing the same, I would recommend 3 weeks of classes at 4 hours per day, or 2 weeks of 8 hours per day. A little more time there would have helped me clear a few more things up and given me a few more language skills. But my money was definitely well invested, and I owe all my fantastic cultural experiences to that school. The best part was, the accommodation and tuition was very affordable! I think it cost me around $150US each week for accomodation, and the classes weren't much more - check out their website if you're curious.

Wild Vicuna

If you want to see the country with no stresses or worries, the Contiki tour I booked was also pretty good. The only con was that for 11 days $1900 was really expensive for me... considering I had arrived in Canada 6 months prior with only $3,500 in my bank account, and still had almost all of that remaining even after 6 months... Soooo, to be completely honest I probably won't ever do another group tour again. But it is another good option for those who are still finding their feet.

We got to see some amazing things on the tour that I may not have seen otherwise, and aside from the obvious highlight of Machu Picchu, I highly recommend the following places/things to do:
- Colca Canyon and watching the amazing Condors fly just meters from you.
- The Uros Islands and Lake Titicaca.
- Puno
- Seeing Vicuna in the wild
- Chewing cocoa leaves or drinking cocoa tea
- Drinking papaya smoothies in the morning
- Try Ceviche at a restaurant - I have fallen in love with it!

Being greeted by the colourful Lake Titicaca families

Hostels/Hotels I stayed at:

Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to try out many hostels, but here are my opinions of the few I did.
Ecopackers Hostel, Cusco.. AWESOME hostel, 10/10.
Pariwana Hostel, Lima.. Ok.. cramped rooms but good place to meet people 5/10.
MamaSara Hotel, Cusco (Contiki) - Lovely hotel, great service, ok location 6/10.
Tupac Yupanqui Palace, Cusco (Contiki) - Loved the architecture, pretty good breakfast, good location 7/10.
Hotel Girasoles, Miraflores, Lima (Contiki) - Good breakfast, 8min walk into central Miraflores. 6/10.
If I was to go back, I would really like to check out the Red Psycho Llama Hostel in Miraflores, from the reviews I've read it really sounds great!

The Contiki gang

Getting around:
To get from Cusco to Lima, I travelled with Cruz del Sur, a highly reputable bus company. It took 13 hours to get from A to B, but these buses are absolutely amazing. Reclining leather chairs, meals provided, I think they had TV's too. It was extremely affordable too as compared to flying. The only downfall is the fact you have to sit down for so long!

Getting from the airport to your accommodation:
I would strongly advise to book accommodation for the first few days prior to arriving in Peru - ask your hotel/hostel of the best way to get to them and how much it will be. In my case, Peruwayna booked and organised a taxi with a reputable company. The taxi picked me up from the airport and dropped me right to my Peruvian family's doorstep.

Finally seeing Machu Picchu after a tough hike

Now, to clear up the excuses society provides you with to put you off a solo visit to Peru:

Issue #1 'Pickpockets'
I never had an issue. Not once! I had a small shoulder bag, and a tiny wallet that I secured in a pocket inside the bag so it would be difficult for someone to steal anyway. If I was in a large crowd I would make sure the bag was slung around the front of me. The only thing I would stress to fellow travellers, and that my Peruvian family strongly advised - was to avoid answering your phone on the street. If you need to answer it, even just to text someone, duck into a shop and do it. Phone theft is high, and iphones are a rarity there. The best advice I can give is just use common sense, be aware of your surroundings and trust your gut feeling.

Issue #2 'Lone blonde girl travelling in South America vs South American men'

I really stood out in Peru - Amongst a sea of short, brown eyed, black haired people, my long blonde hair and blue eyes did attract a little bit of unwanted attention, but no where near as much as I was expecting from stories I had heard. During the month I stayed there, I only got a few whistles from passing cars, and the odd uncomfortable stare while walking along the street which I all ignored - and I walked the streets every day. I made sure I was home before nightfall, but there were a few occasions I had to walk home after class in the dark, and never had an issue. There are police patrolling majority of the streets in Miraflores, and I felt really safe there. If I really wanted to go unnoticed I'd wear a hoodie, put my 'don't F&*^$K with me' expression on walk with a purpose. I was never bothered.

Peru has some amazing wildlife

Issue #3 'Taxi's!'

In Peru, you have to agree on your price for a taxi with the driver BEFORE you get in! To give you an idea of costs, one of my trips was from Miraflores to Central Lima (roughly 13kms - 20mins drive), and only cost 13 sol, or $5AUS... and that was split between 4 people! Im pretty sure there are more taxi's then people, so you will never have a problem hailing one or bargaining for a good fare. If the driver thinks the price is too high just start looking for another taxi, they will literally line up for you on the street in competition for your business!

Issue #4 'Foooooood and H2O'
The variety of food in Peru is amazing, the markets are eye-opening, but there are a few things to watch out for. Tap water is not drinkable - you HAVE to buy bottled water. This also means your tummy won't appreciate any fruit or veggies/salads washed in tap water - so choose your restaurants wisely or from recommendation. The locals know the good places to eat, so ask! Boil your water or wash your fruit with bottled water. I ate an apple that I polished on my jumper thinking I would have got rid of any nasties, and although I didn't end up attached to the toilet (THANK GOD), it felt like my insides had transformed to a theme park and my stomach had taken up the challenge to ride every single roller coaster a hundred times all through the night. The easiest way to avoid marrying a toilet is to buy cooked food on the street. I did get sick with a stomach infection while on my Contiki, which wasn't much fun either, but luckily doctors are extremely cheap in Peru, so just be careful about what you eat.

About to ride in Tuktuks in Chivay

Issue #5 'Other noteworthy tips'

Be aware that there are a few significant cultural differences... make sure you don't flush your toilet paper, put it in the bin provided or otherwise spend the next half hour trying to unblock the toilet. It's NOT fun!
- Learn basic Spanish before or while you are travelling, and show respect by trying to speak the language - not many people speak English, so you will need a basic understanding.
- Make sure you get the specific immunisations/injections needed for the places you will be visiting, and a travel doctor can provide you with a self medication pack if you do have an instance of food poisoning.
- Even if you are an unplanned traveller like myself, you must have a flight out of Peru booked otherwise you wont gain entry.
- If you are travelling to the USA after you have visited Peru, ENSURE you have organised your specific visa (in my case it was through the Visa Waiver Program) and have an ESTA number prior to arriving at the airport.
- Always give way to cars - they won't stop for you on crossings, and the last thing you need is to be hit by some maniac taxi driver.
- There will be a multitude of people you will come across that will ask you for money in Peru. Don't give into beggars, it's the easiest way to get yourself into trouble. I just ignored them or said 'no thankyou'.
- Be really really sun-smart while travelling Peru. The sun is extremely powerful, and you burn without knowing it.

Me and our Contiki mascot 'Wooly'

Altitude sickness you say?

I definitely noticed the altitude. It was the strangest sensation. I'd take 5 steps and my lungs made out as if I had of sprinted around a football oval. It also gave me a weird headache every now and then. I noticed the altitude a little while trekking Machu Picchu, however it was nowhere near as bad as when we were exploring Puno and Lake Titicaca, which were roughly 3,800m above sea level. I used preventative methods to avoid altitude sickness, which were advised by my Peruvian family. 'Soroche' pills where what I used, which you can get from any chemist. They seemed to work. I also drank cocoa tea and chewed cocoa leaves which is a more traditional method. Many of the others on my tour didn't bother and never had an issue. Travelling in a bus for majority of our trip allowed us to acclimatise fairly well. If you are feeling sick definitely see a doctor as it can easily be fatal and therefore not something to mess around with.

You can avoid Altitude Sickness with the following steps:
- Aclimatize by climbing slowly
- Avoid physical activity the first few days
- Stay hydrated: About 3 litres of water each day
- Don't carry too much weight around
- Eat 'light', and small amounts. You will feel really sick if you try to eat a normal sized 'heavy' meal.
- Try to avoid drinking alcohol, it doesn't mix well with high altitude!

Somewhere between Puno and Chivay
the view from the bus

My most dangerous experience in Peru:

For those curious to know my worst experience while travelling in Peru, I figured it might be useful to briefly share.. I travelled to Central Lima with 3 other fellow Peruwayna students. It was the first time I had explored with other backpackers in South America, as I've always preferred travelling alone -believe it or not - for my own safety. We had been walking around Central Lima taking in the sights for about an hour. I was with a guy from Switzerland and two girls from Germany. Casually exploring we ended up beginning to walk down a fairly open street. Looking at the street from a distance my instant gut feeling was that it was the last place I wanted to venture. I always listen to my gut feeling and have found the more I trust my instincts the safer I am - they are very rarely wrong, hence why I prefer travelling alone. My three companions had wandered halfway down this street, with me reluctantly following and becoming more and more aware of the increasing danger of our surroundings. The people looked at us differently, their expressions clearly saying 'you shouldn't be here'. I don't know how the other travellers didn't pick up the vibe, it was SOOO STRONG and I don't know why I didn't just say 'let's not go down this street' when the unwanted and dangerous feeling first hit me. I guess the fact I was with 3 other people tipped the safety scales in the opposite direction. Anyway, we had reached the end of the street, and the others were deciding where to go next, and they had decided it would be an awesome idea to head deeper into the ghetto. We were nearly about to continue and cross the road when a local man stopped us in a huff explaining in Spanish that where we were headed was very very dangerous and that we should turn around instantly. Shortly after he left a woman in a uniform approached us, giving us a map and showing us where we 'should' be. I was so extremely relived, but angry at myself for not speaking up. It was definitely a life lesson I will never forget, even though nothing bad happened. So there you go - it was hardly even worthy of a mention but if it helps give you potential travellers some confidence, better I share it. Just make sure you are always aware of your surroundings and trust yourself!

Ruins on the Inca Trek

The best experience I had in Peru:

To balance things up a bit, I better let you in on my most memorable experience. I had finished my tour and was staying at a hostel in Cusco and absolutely loving it. I only had a few more days left and figured I better start looking for some little presents for friends and family back home. I wandered into a jewellery store and finally began using the Spanish I had learnt at Peruwayna. I befriended a little shop assistant by the name of Teo, and ended up talking to him for 2 hours in Spanish, which was absolutely amazing! He ended up giving me a tour of Cusco and the local market, we went out for coffee, and he even jumped in a taxi with me to make sure I got to the bus station safe, and without being ripped off by the taxi driver. It just goes to show if you put a little effort in, show some interest in people's lives and respect the culture of the places you visit, people will go to extreme lengths to make your adventure so much better. It makes me smile to think that after all the crazy and beautiful things I did on my Contiki tour - a little jewellery shop keeper's kindness outweighed a $2,000 tour! I love immersing myself in the culture though, so perhaps that's why that particular experience has stuck with me. I hope that one day I could provide the same kindness to a fellow traveller.

Teo and I - I still have no idea why he wanted a
photo in the deli section of the supermarket haha!

All in all, Peru was absolutely amazing. The people were so loving and friendly, the food was beautiful, the culture and history was incredible. I highly recommend it, and have totally proved it can be conquered alone! I am most definitely heading back to explore more of South America. If anyone has any further tips to add please do so by commenting below.

Peace xo

Red Psycho Llama Backpackers Hostel

Destination

Check-in

Check-out

Rooms :

Child

Adult(s)

Snowbird-ing with Hittheroad - my free road trip from Toronto to Fort Lauderdale.

2012-10-27T06:04:00.003-07:00

The road trip:

The car: A 2003 Jaguar sedan

Max km's: 2,900

Time limit: 3.5 days

Day 1 - 15/10/12 Toronto to Washington

For the last two nights I had been couch surfing with Adam in Toronto, and being a Sunday night he had to leave for work early in the morning... meaning day one of road trip number two began at a very bright and busy tailed 5:45am. Lucky I'm a morning person! Adam printed out the 3 copies of the contract and the info regarding crossing the border into the US. I was still waiting on paperwork from HitTheRoad - there was a hold up on the documents I required to cross the border from Canada to the USA, but being a flexible traveller I wasn't too concerned, and planned to stop at the HI Niagara Falls Hostel (as a last resort) to get some wifi and print what I needed.

I had rang Naomi (the owner of the car) the previous afternoon to organize a pick up the and find out her location. She wasn't as close to downtown Toronto as I expected, and the journey involved a 40 minute subway ride to the end of the line, followed by a 15 minute bus trip. We agreed on a meeting time of 8am, so I could try and make Washington before dark. However, growing up in a country-bumpkin world (where nothing exists underground), my lack of metro map reading skills resulted in the pick-up time being pushed back to 9am. In my defense I did take it in the right direction.. 'North'.. but it was kind of the wrong line! Oh well haha, lesson learnt and no harm done, I contacted Naomi to let her know and she was totally OK with my late arrival. We went over the car, which was an immaculate 2003 Jaguar X Type sedan, and filled out the 3 copies of the contract. I was on the road towards the HI Niagara Falls Hostel at about 10:30am after having a good look over my map.

The road trip from Toronto to Niagara Falls was a little hectic, but easy to follow with the numbered highways. I arrived at the hostel around lunch time, had a bite to eat and they very kindly let me use their internet and printer for free. The US border documents finally came through, and I was back on the road at about 2:30pm. My first sightseeing stop was (of course) Niagara Falls. There was limited parking close by, so I just pulled into the first available spot. The falls are spectacular, and I could only imagine how much better they would have been if the sun was out. I wish I had of had about half an hour to explore, instead of five minutes, but I was able to get a few photos before someone official ticketed my car for not paying to park there!

I jumped back in the car and made my way to the Buffalo border. op My instructions were to enter the US through the truck lane, which was quite amusing in a Jaguar! I triple check that I had all the paperwork in order while I waited in line.

I was stopped by the first official I saw, who questioned whether I was in the wrong lane... luckily David had given me a magnet to put on the outside of the car which made explaining things a whole lot easier! Going through the gates at customs was also quite funny... being designed for trucks, the guy that had to look at my documents was so high in his little cubicle that I could barely pass the paperwork to him from the ground! He asked more questions then I expected and was a little suspicious of the delivery - but after explaining to him the situation as best I could he sent me off to immigration. I waited again, and was served by a bubbly male American official that couldn't stop talking about Summer Heights High haha - Go Chris Lilley!

My advice on crossing the border?

- Have all the documents organized and placed on top of each other in this order:

1. Coversheet (ACE Minifest)

2. Form 3299 (Don't forget to sign it at V&VI

3. Photocopy of the owners passport (and visa if required)

- Make sure you have cash on you - I was charged $6, the border crossing fee.

- Any passengers you are taking with you MUST be declared to HitTheRoad.

- Complete an online USA VISA waiver at least a day prior to crossing the border. It will cost you $14.

- Have your passport ready

- Know the FULL name of the owner of the car - and be prepared to answer questions like 'How do you know the owner of this car?'

- Have all the accommodation stops for your trip organized and printed on a sheet of paper that includes the addresses and phone numbers of the particular hostels/hotels. If you have no idea where you are staying, make one anyway. It makes you look organized, professional and less suspicious to the US Officials.

- If you are passing through the US, it is also handy to have your departing documentation (e.g. flight itinerary to the next country)

By the time I had successfully passed through immigration it was 5pm, and the darkness was creeping up on me. I still had a lot of ground to make up, so I soldiered on to Washington, making a few stops for gas, munchies and coffee along the way. The US definitely has an abundance of gas stations (unlike some parts of Canada), so you won't have to worry about running out of gas before you hit the next town! I arrived at the HI Washington Hostel at 3am, and was really happy to finally be in a bed.

The only problem was that I never drink coffee - EVER - and had decided to give it a try on the road to see if it would help keep me awake. It was a good and bad idea... Sarcastically speaking I could have made it to Charleston that night the way my mind was racing! Then again I was a little stressed as I had no idea where I was going the next day - and I had to make sure I woke up and moved the car before 8am to avoid being ticketed.

Day 2 - 16/10/12 Washington to Charleston

Another early-ish start to day two, as I had to be up to move the car into a parking lot before 8am. I was hit with an $18 parking fee to park underground for a few hours, but it didn't worry me too much as it took the pressure off to do some more research on my next destination.

I had originally had my sights set on visiting the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. It was the only thing that I really wanted to see on this trip, plus I had been missing the beach soooo much, and had found out about the National Park through a site that suggested must-see places along the east coast. The only problem was that I had to negotiate two ferries to get back on the mainland. The first ferry wasn't going to be a problem - it left every hour. The second one however, had a duration of two and a half hours and the last departure was at 8pm - plus you had to make a reservation. I would be cutting it pretty fine to get there by 8pm... and figured that there is no point going there if I've got to rush through. I couldn't find any hostels either, so I decided with much disappointment (at the time) to make my next stop at Charleston. There really aren't many hostels around south east USA, and this particular hostel in Charleston was within perfect driving distance from Washington. I organized my map so I knew where I was going and phoned them to make a reservation.

Before I left Washington I wanted to see the White House. I got directions and a basic map from reception at the hostel and left to find a car park. I have never witnessed such unskillful driving in all my life! No offense, but majority of people that drive in downtown Washington... are terrible to say the least - or perhaps its the country background coming out of me again! Anyway, after having to detour from an accident (surprise, surprise haha) I finally found a park, fed the meter and headed for the White House.

It wasn't as big as I thought it would be, as the buildings around it were huge. It was very surreal to stand in front and imagine what the area would have looked like if those terrorists were successful all those years ago. Anyway, I got some nice photos and headed back to the car to get the hell out of there. It was too city-ish for my liking.

It felt like I was on the road FOREVER on this leg of the trip! I really don't know why - maybe because I was a little tired from the road trip the day before, or maybe because this stretch of the 95 was pretty boring. There wasn't much to see or do - like Canada with its many Provincial Parks and stunning scenery. I stopped at a few of the Welcome Centers along the way to stretch my legs and refuel.

I arrived at the Notso Hostel in Charleston about 9:50pm. It was such a relief to be able to park in a nice private driveway for FREE! Bryant, who was working that night, showed me to my dorm room in a separate building. It was a lovely double story cottage, and I was lucky enough to get a dorm room to myself. I had an amazing sleep, and was up early for breakfast the next day.

Day 3 - 17/10/12 Charleston to St Augustine

I met a French traveller at breakfast, and Bryant joined us as well. It was a lovely setting to meet other backpackers - we all sat at the kitchen table as if we were family. Bryant talked about the hostel he started in Costa Rica (called The Lazy Loft), and I told him all about HitTheRoad and the amazing country I had crossed delivering cars. I mapped out my next destination after finding about her hostel in St Augustine that morning. It was called the Pirate Haus Inn. After breakfast I quizzed Bryant on whats good to do and see in Charleston, and he offered to give me a tour, as long as we got coffee on the way.

We jumped in the car and drove around Charleston for a good half hour or so, and he took me on a short but awesome little tour.

Charleston really is a gorgeous city. I would love to go back one day and spend a decent amount of time there, as there was just too much history to take in and see in one or two days. Bryant had to be back at the hostel to work at 12:30pm, so I dropped him back and he showed me how to get back on the 95.

I didn't have a long drive ahead of me, it was about 5 hours or so to St Augustine - so not too far as compared with the previous few days! I stopped off at a few of the Welcome Centers again, buying mixed nuts to keep me occupied while I drove.

I arrived in St Augustine around 5:30-6pm, and the Pirate Haus Inn was very easy to find. I managed to find a car park a few blocks from the hostel, which is a difficult thing to do in St Augustine. It is a very touristy little town, and I was told it's the oldest in the USA. The town is gorgeous though. I had unfortunately picked a bad time to check-in, as the guy who was working reception had gone out for an hour. I rang him to let him know I had arrived, and I was able to chill out in the cozy little lounge area until he returned.

I would definitely recommend this particular hostel, especially if you are after something with a little family feeling to it. While I was there it definitely had no party atmosphere, and the staff were very friendly. I met a really cool man called Dennis in the lounge area, and we talked for ages about the most random of things, including ghosts! He told me some amazing stories, how wherever he went the playful spirits would seek him out. He is a blacksmith, and in his old workshop he used to have one particular ghost that would remove all his tools during the night and scatter them everywhere, without making one sound. We shared some really crazy stories, but both decided to head to bed before it got too late.

Day 4 - 18/10/12 St Augustine to Hallandale Beach

I was up early for the amazing pancake breakfast put on by the hostel. Conrad made the most artistic pancakes. He made me a very personalized one - it was definitely the coolest pancake I had every eaten! They told me the all-you-can-eat record was held by an Aussie guy. Of course it was... He made it to 22 pancakes! I thought about challenging his record, but decided to stop at three as I didn't want to feel like crap for the rest of the day!

I looked at my maps again for the last leg of the trip, and phoned the owners to confirm the drop of location, and work out a rough arrival time. We decided on 4pm. So I was back on the road again. Before the traffic became too hectic, I pulled off the highway and into one of the smaller cities to find a car wash. I gave the gorgeous Jag a good was and a vacuum, to make sure it was returned in mint condition. The traffic became very busy the closer I got to Fort Lauderdale, and all I had on my mind was 'exit 18, exit 18, exit 18!' I rang the owner again to say I would probably be another half hour, as the traffic had slowed me down a bit. I finally came to exit 18 and made my way to the drop off destination. It was a little difficult to see the numbers on the massive high rise apartments, and it took me two laps to find the right one. After arriving I met the receiving owners at reception.

They were three lovely women, and they invited me up to their room. I was given fruit, pizza and a bottle of water, as well as the agreed cash for the safe delivery. Tiki, who insisted on driving me to my hostel, had a shower and then we all headed down to inspect the car and sign the contracts.

Tiki appeared with her car, so I jumped in and we went off to find the Hollywood Beach Hostel. It was on the same road (but an hours walk North), so it didn't take too long in the car. They offered me to hang out with them the next day, and I said I would ring them to find out where to meet.

The hostel was in a great location, but I really wouldn't recommend anyone to go there. I had a dorm room all to myself, but the room hadn't been cleaned from the last guests. I guess its just luck I'm not a fussy person! The shower couldn't decide whether it wanted to be hot or cold, they had no tourist map to show you what to do nearby... they required a $50 deposit - I have no idea what for - and their after hours service was appalling. A fellow guest's key would not work for his room and he was locked out all night. He said he had called the hostel and the after hours number with no response. So a word of advice - don't stay there! I called Tiki's number the next day but there way no answer unfortunately. So I spent my time exploring the boardwalk, chilling on the beach, eating amazing food and organizing my bag for my flight to Peru.

Mission #2 completed! Thanks again HitTheRoad - If I had of flown from Toronto to Fort Lauderdale like I planned, I never would have met the amazing people I got to meet on this road trip, or find the amazing places I found! Looking forward to the next adventure... maybe I will be back to do it all again in Spring!

Hitting the 'right' side of the road on a free road trip with Canada Drive Away

2012-10-12T11:40:00.000-07:00

Delivering a car across the country was something that never crossed my mind as a potential mode of transport while backpacking - until my amazing Canadian friend, Corbin, (writer of I Backpack Canada) suggested it. AND... after completing my first mission, I could not think of a better way to see the country (especially Canada!) and meet some pretty cool people along the way..

I figured I would share with you guys how to acquire your own pretty-much-free road trip as well!

STEP 1

Be a very flexible traveller - the more flexible you are, the more likely you will be able to drive.

STEP 2

Get in contact with Hittheroad - search available cars, and apply for a suitable option. To apply you must have the following documents available in digital copies - and make sure you send them in your initial application email (both sides of your drivers license, driving record, at least one reference, your passport and an emergency contact). If you found out about Hittheroad through this blog - please mention me =)

STEP 3

Wait for a reply. When you have received confirmation, have your deposit of $500CA ready. You will receive instructions on how to complete the delivery. Print off the required paperwork.

STEP 4

Get a map if you haven't already got one, and decide the route you will take. Also be prepared to travel to the owners location. I made a 7 hour bus trip in the opposite direction to pick up my first car, and it was totally 100% worth it. Have all the paperwork ready, and you're set to go!

STEP 5

Don't speed, drive carefully and keep the owner of the car and Hittheroad updated on your journey through email or phone. Contact the owner of the car and let them know the expected drop off time, and confirm the drop off location.

STEP 6

Collect the agreed gas reimbursement and part of your $500 deposit from the client, go over the car with the client and have the contract signed. Send the paperwork to Hittheroad, and mission completed!

So this is how my 6 day tour of central and eastern Canada went...

The car:

A 2007 Pontiac G5

The road trip:

Edmonton to Toronto (roughly 3,600 kms)

The reimbursement: $350 for fuel

The timeframe: 6 days

Day #1 Heading to Edmonton, AB
I caught a bus from Craik at 9:20am, headed to Edmonton with a transfer at Saskatoon. The Greyhound bus was its usual interesting self, with a variety of public transport travelers - one a very loud 'DJ' who carried with him an electric guitar for whatever reason, a long board and a bag that seemed to hold the contents of his life. I was lucky enough to get my own seat, which can be pretty rare, and contacted the owner of the car who was kind enough to pick me up from the bus station when I arrived. He was a very energetic man, and told me he brought the car for his daughter who lives in Toronto. I had planned to pick the car up and head to the HI hostel in Edmonton, but he offered for me to stay, (as his daughter was arriving at the airport at 10:30pm and he wanted her to see the car and meet me) - so I accepted the offer. He also wanted to make sure I could actually drive, which I thought was definitely fair, even though it naturally made me a little nervous to be put under pressure! Once I got behind the wheel I was fine, and after he skillfully talked a young man into giving us an oil change after closing time, we headed back to the house. I had a few hours to kill before his daughter arrived, so I headed to the West Edmonton Mall... and wow is that place amazing!

So many shops, a pirate ship, ice hockey rink, swimming pool - and thats only what I found in my short time there. I received a phone call to come back to the house as it was time to collect his daughter from the airport.

Day #2 Edmonton, AB to Aylesbury, SK
My first day on the road was lots of fun and lots of prairies. I left the house early, and headed back to the West Edmonton Mall to buy some new clothes, as most of the stores were closing when I went the previous day. The first stop off I made was spontaneous - it was the Elk Island Provincial Park.

I went into the visitors centre and asked what is good to see in a short time frame. She suggested a particular lake, so I drove there to check it out. It was very beautiful, but being on a tight schedule on that specific day I took a few photos and jumped back in the car. If I had of planned better I would of loved to explore more there. Even though I cut my visit short, I had the most amazing experience on the way out of the park... Near the entrance the resident herd of buffalo were crossing the road, so I got to finally see a buffalo up close! Definitely worth the $7.80 admission fee! After the park I headed to Saskatoon, then took the number 11 to Aylesbury to stay at Trails End Guest Ranch.

They have an amazing setup in a beautiful little valley, which includes a complimentary breakfast and the option to go on a trail ride. I slept in one of the cabins for the night, and would highly recommend the ranch to anyone passing through.

Day #3 and 4 Aylesbury, SK to Riding Mountain MB
I was up early again the next day, had breakfast and said my goodbyes to the owners of the ranch, Chris and Lyle.

My first stop was Twisted Sisters - A MUST if you are passing through Chamberlain. They have the most amazing ice creams!

Then it was onto Regina, where I had lunch at the Queen Elizabeth Gardens. It's a really nice place to stop for a break and have a wander - and easy to find.

I jumped back in the car and took the Trans-Canada number 1 highway to Riding Mountain in Manitoba, to meet up with my hosts for the night.

I arrived just as it was getting dark, and had lots of catch up conversations with everyone at the house until 11pm. They were people I had met during the summer while I was working, who come from a very different background to me!

Technically speaking, they are called Mennonites, and although I am in no way religious, I accepted their invitation to go with them to church the following day.... you've got to try everything once, right? Having no 'good' clothes - while everyone else wore their best dresses and heels - made me stand out terribly amongst the group who seemed to have developed a type of uniform. All the women wore handmade dresses, with stockings, black heels or dress shoes with their hair secured under a black cap. The men wore dress shirts and pants and their best shoes, and men and women were separated to opposite sides of the church. So there I was with my oversized cardigan, work boots with skinny jeans - totally blending into the crowd! I copped lots of stares, but their curiosity eventually got the better of them and they gradually started introducing themselves and finding out what my deal was. They were the most unbelievably accommodating people, very very old fashioned but so generous and kind, and it was great to see them again. Angela organized a lunch of taco mince, fried bread and salads after church, and everyone I met while I was working came for a catch up. It was soooo delicious!

I did plan to head to Winnipeg after lunch, but I couldn't find any available hostels for the night - so I stayed in Riding Mountain with the family one more night.

Day #5 Riding Mountain MB to Thunder Bay ON
I was up really early to catch the morning sun for my next day of driving. I had an awesome breakfast with Angela and Wes, packed my things into the car, checked the oil and said my goodbyes. I hadn't had a chance to find accommodation in Thunder Bay, so my plan of attack was to find a McDonald's car-park and steal some wifi. I stopped at Dryden McDonalds and managed to find a little hostel on the internet called Thunder Bay International Hostel. I grabbed my phone to call them to make a reservation and had no service - it was only 3pm or so, and I figured I would surely come across some phone service before 6pm... but surprise-suprise... I didn't! I had to stop at Ignace and borrow a lady's phone to call them, and I'm glad she was happy to help. I made it to Thunder Bay by nightfall, and found the hostel quite easily.

It was one of the homeliest little places I had stayed at - it reminded me of my Poppy's house. Lloyd, the owner showed me to my room, which was private with a double bed and my own personal washroom. I had a great nights sleep! And they only charged me $20 for the night. If you are EVER in Thunder Bay, please stay there!

Day #6 Thunder Bay ON to Sault Ste Marie ON
Lloyd was up early-ish, and I had no idea what was in store for me. I had organized some things on the internet, and had sat down for a bit of breakfast. He had clearly been waiting for me - which I didn't realize - and asked if I wanted to go to breakfast with him at the local diner.

We headed down there, and he explained how his wife Willa is ill with inoperable cancer, and I observed how helpless the poor man felt. We ordered bacon and eggs, and he pulled out a large folder and told me he wanted to show me what he had been working on. He is writing an essay titled 'The Year of the Dragon', which instantly caught my attention - for the fact I am born in the year of the Dragon (TYOTD). He went on to explain all the strange coincidences that had occurred throughout his life, and how they each traced back to TYOTD. It was really interesting. He started documenting it all when Willa was diagnosed in February 2012, and given 3 months to live. He included everything from the year of their marriage, to her diagnosis, to the rapture and other strange events that interested him, and told me he intended to just keep writing. We finished breakfast and he said he was going to take me and show me the river on the way back to the hostel. We pulled in to the car park and got out, and the first thing he did was walk to the gutter. I was a little confused, but I followed, and he said 'come and look at this'. He picked up a rock from the gutter and it was a beautiful Amethyst. I looked down and realized they were everywhere - it was amazing! He gave me a few small ones to take a souvenirs. We then went on a little hike through the forest alongside the river.

The leaves were beautiful. I really wanted to stay another night - he told me he would of taken me to the dumpsters to show me the bears that evening! Oh well... I left Thunder Bay later then I had planned, and continued on the road.

I hadn't been driving long when I saw a hitchhiker on the side of the road near Nipigon - he didn't look like your usual hitcher.. dressed well and around my age. It had been a secret goal of mine to give someone a lift along the way, so I pulled over - which he was relieved about! His name was Dave, and he had been waiting for 4 hours after missing the Greyhound headed to White River. I was passing straight through that town so everything worked out great. We had awesome conversations, and he was great company. He told me he works on railway lines across Canada and lives on Manitoulin Island. We made it to White River - which is where Winnie the Pooh originated - and I dropped him off there.

After White River I passed through some of the most beautiful countryside. I would of loved more time to go hiking around the Provincial Parks, they reminded me a lot of Wilson's Promontary - one of my favorite places in Australia. There was one area I stopped for a look - it was called Old Woman Bay. I got there just on sunset and the scenery was amazing! I would suggest to anyone passing through to stop there and have a look around.

Continuing onto Sault Ste Marie I couldn't find my accommodation at all... especially with it being dark. I thought I had passed it - so I pulled into a Caravan park and tried to sleep in my car the night. What a complete fail that was! I froze without a blanket.. and ended up sneaking into the showers in the early hours of the morning to defrost.

Day #7 Sault Ste Marie ON to Toronto ON
I ended up meeting the owner of the park, and he charged me $5 for the shower which I was totally cool with. I left as soon as I was done with my shower and headed onto Toronto. With the lack of sleep I really struggled with the last leg of the drive! I had a bag of mixed nuts that were a lifesaver - eating them one by one was the only successful thing that kept me awake. Once I got into the crazier traffic everything was fine - concentrating on keeping out of the way of the idiot drivers was keeping me nice and alert! After 6 days of driving on the opposite side to everything back at home, I felt totally comfortable driving in the city, and Toronto was fairly easy to drive in. I contacted the owner of the car and we reorganized the drop of location - I met her near where she was working as opposed to her home address. She was so nice and thankful, and dropped me off near my hostel - the Canadiana Backpackers Inn.

The hostel was really cool - but having stayed in both the Canadiana and the HI-Toronto hostel, I would recommend the HI-Toronto. It has better rooms, facilities, an amazing breakfast menu and great tours/events which makes meeting people really easy.

I want to thank Hittheroad for the most amazing experience!

If you ever want a unique adventure in Canada or the US, you would be insane not to look up the the Hittheroad! On the 15th of October I'm off on another road trip, delivering a car from Toronto to Fort Lauderdale. I have had more time in advance to plan the next trip - plus I have organized some road trip buddies this time.. Cannot wait for the next adventure!

Want to find out more? I ended up going on a second road trip with Hittheroad, driving a Jaguar from Toronto to Fort Lauderdale on a snowbird run. Click here to find out more!

Your backpacking wardrobe - casual boho, versatile, light and fashionable!

2012-09-04T20:57:00.001-07:00

GIRLS! When asking for ideas about what to pack, you always hear people talking about versatility.. right?? You politely nod to the advice giver, and still really don't know where to start or what to pack for your first overseas adventure.

They say to lay everything out that you want to take, then half it twice - which can still be extremely hard, and involve many arguments with that little voice in your head! So reading this post might be easier. Use it as a guide, and customise your own list.

Below I have compiled a carefully co-ordinated visual wardrobe from images I have found on the internet to create an example of what clothes I would take backpacking for the warmer seasons. This is a very short and versatile list of my own personal taste, which I think is more of a casual boho theme.. apologies in advance if it does not suit your clothing style!

I've counted over 30 different outfit combinations with these particular items. So you see - if you think carefully and are a little creative, you really don't need to take that much stuff!

As for underwear and socks, I pack 10 bottoms, 5 bras and 3 pairs of good quality socks, which will be plenty for summer.

You might notice there are no hoodies or jumpers in this list... I recommend starting your travel without one and layering clothes for warmth or using your jacket. If you still feel you need one, then buy one on the road. I hardly used my hooded jumper while travelling, it was a bulky waste of space. If you do get one, try and get a light and compact one with a full length zipper in polar fleece material. Bench is a good brand, and with a zipper, you can continue to layer.

I hope this post is helpful to all those first time travellers out there, or those just looking for some fresh ideas! If you have any suggestions or advice on items of clothing you find extremely versatile - please share!

- Kobie xo

HelpX - the pros, the cons and tips

2012-07-15T06:22:00.003-07:00

I'm here to warmly introduce you to the amazing world that is 'HelpX-ing'... aka volunteering your arms, legs, muscles, previously learnt skills, enthusiasm and mind to local residents in exchange for free food and accommodation. I know I have talked about it in previous posts, but until now I didn't feel I had the experience to dedicate an entire post to it.. So for the backpacker interested in experiencing local culture first hand - here is your icebreaker!

the pros...

I've been backpacking for nearly three months now, and majority of that time has been for free due to HelpX... I have my own room with a king size bed, free wifi, free food, we get to keep any tips we receive, and I am learning new skills constantly. My hosts are fantastic people who have been extremely generous and flexible. There are three other awesome workers - each from Ireland, Paris and Montreal... It's going to be a very sad day when we all part ways!!

A normal day for me includes:
- Wake up at 7am
- Do chores (Clean 2 bathrooms OR feeding horses OR clean the kitchen OR clean the hot tub)
- Have breakfast and be ready to go by 8am
- Work horses in the morning for a few hours under instruction with natural horsemanship techniques
- Have lunch
- Either help the hosts with any maintenance work or have the afternoon off
- Have dinner and go to bed

Our hosts live on a separate property, about five miles from the guest ranch. So we basically have the whole ranch to ourselves. The guests that come and stay are absolutely fantastic, and I have made some amazing friends just by working here.

We are learning how to make bread, how to run a guest ranch, how to build and repair everything, how to fix fencing, how to train a horse using Parelli methods, etc, etc. I could go on forever! It has been a fantastic experience so far.

the cons...

The only con would be that this particular ranch is rather isolated. The nearest town is tiny, and 6km's or so away, and the closest major town is a 40 minute drive... so if you don't have a car, getting out and about can become pretty difficult!

If I could do it over again, I probably would have organised two or three different HelpX stays for the 4 months I planned to volunteer - just to see more of the countryside. Staying in the one place for so long is probably not the most ideal situation when you want to see as much as possible in a short time.. and it was something that I didn't think of at the time, but I really don't regret my decision that much so far - and I don't think I will at the end. Time is flying as it is!

the tips...

So the trick to being a happy HelpX-er is to choose your host wisely and make sure you ask the following basic questions if they are not already provided in the advert:

- What does a normal day require?
- Are there going to be any other helpers?
- What are my sleeping arrangements?
- Will I be sharing a room/bathroom?
- What sort of food do you provide? (Do you cater for Vegetarian etc)
- What clothes will I need to bring?
- What specific chores will need to be done?
- How do I get to your house/Is it easy via public transport?
- Are there shops near by/Is it easy to get to and from the nearest town?
- How many days of work/days off are there typically?
- How many hours of work do you require per day?
- What kind of person/worker are you looking for?
- Will I need insect repellent?

You have no idea of the importance of that last question!!!
Outline roughly how many weeks you intend to stay - I would confirm with the host that I intend stay for the minimum amount of time, (which for most is around 2 weeks to 30 days), and if the arrangement is working really well and I am enjoying my time, then I'd extend my stay if possible. The best advice I have is to ask as many questions as you can, and if the hosts are willing, get them to take photos for you.

about HelpX...

Welcome to HelpX (not HelpEx), an online listing of host organic farms, non-organic farms, farmstays, homestays, ranches, lodges, B&Bs, backpackers hostels and even sailing boats who invite volunteer helpers to stay with them short-term in exchange for food and accommodation.

HelpX is provided primarily as a cultural exchange for working holiday makers who would like the opportunity during their travels abroad, to stay with local people and gain practical experience. In the typical arrangement, the helper works an average of 4 hours per day and receives free accommodation and meals for their efforts. This time range can vary considerably depending on the tasks at hand and the host’s preferences. Some hosts may require just 2 hours per day for accommodation only, and ask you to provide and cook your own food. Others may expect 6 hours per day in return for meals, your own room and sometimes other benefits such as free Internet use, horse riding, kayaking, bikes, local sight-seeing trips, yoga or English lessons, etc. Some will give weekends off, while others might allow you to put in 8 hours one day and later take a full day off. Helpers often live with the host family and are expected to join in and offer a helping hand with day-to-day activities.

Backpacking + healthy food + exercise = being able to fit into your old clothes when you get home!

2012-06-19T17:34:00.002-07:00

When I first thought of backpacking, I visualised a ton of walking, eating less, and more exercise then I would ever do at home. I thought to myself - 'I'm going to get super fit, there is no reason for me to worry about putting on weight'.

Well I couldn't of thought more wrong! I put on 10kg's in 3 months while exploring Europe, and I had wanted to write a post talking about this particular issue, but I had a few theories to test before I started talking from experience. Now that I am backpacking again, I'm putting a few into play and think I have some good advice for those who might be thinking the same as I was in 2010...

Eat healthy food, but this doesn't mean hold back on experiencing the cultures!
- It will help prevent you from getting sick and fuel your body properly. It can sometimes be a very difficult thing to do when backpacking, but make the most of the local markets and try your best to eat as much fruit, vegetables and meat as you can. If you make some friends in your hostel, share recipes and ask them for advice on how they manage their food. You will get some really good ideas.

Buy a multivitamin (I'm currently using Centrum for the first time)
- This will help with any deficiencies and keep you feeling energetic. Especially if the country you are visiting has food that is nothing like your normal diet. Centrum has improved my skin, and I'm feeling much better.

Drink a hell of a lot of water
- This will help flush out toxins, and of course keep you hydrated. I am making an effort to drink 2 cups of water per meal. Buy a decent sized drink bottle and make sure you drink it dry at least once a day.

Devote 30mins of your travel time for some exercise, at least 3 times a week.
- Think yoga, jogging, swimming, walking, go to a gym, joining in a local teams practice/training - as long as you are moving continuously for 30mins you will be fine. I am currently using an app on my iPhone called NTC (Nike Training Club). It is a free personal training app, and I am able to do it anywhere, anytime, with a group of people or by myself, even without runners. At the moment I am doing a 30min session in my room every night. I have recommended this app numerous times, and used it while coaching a netball team in 2011, and it is just fantastic.

Use a journal
- This will help keep your mind healthy, and allow you to write down any thoughts or feelings that are better out then in. Especially if you are travelling alone. You can keep track of everything, and it is a great way to jog your memory in the future.

Some backpacker friendly foods to keep an eye out for?
- Fruit on the streets/markets (its cheap!) Make sure it has a removable skin if you can, in case it has not been properly washed of pesticides etc.
- Fruit/nut muesli or granola. Its fairly light, healthy, can be used as a breakfast cereal or healthy snack and can contour well to fit in a crammed backpack.
- Dinner rolls. I find buying fresh little dinner rolls from the supermarket make great snacks. They are extremely light to carry, you can get all sorts of flavours (depending on the shop) and they taste soo good! Much more practical then carrying around a loaf of bread, and cheap (should be no more then 40 cents each - the last ones I brought were 25 cents each)
- Fish in cans. If I cant afford good red meat, and have no where to store it to keep it fresh, I turn to tinned tuna or salmon. Its reasonably cheap, tasty, you can get heaps of different flavours and it lasts a lifetime compared to fresh meat. Plus, its really good for you.
- Protein/Energy bars. These can come in handy, and are usually low in fat, but can be a little pricey.
- Dried fruit and mixed nuts. Keeps well and is good for you, but can be expensive.

Doing all these things can be quite hard if you are constantly on the move, but if you make an effort your body will thank you.. and you will still be able to fit into all your clothes when you get home!

I am really interested to hear if anyone has any other strategies for maintaining their weight and health while backpacking?? Or any other practical and healthy foods to add?

How I'm backpacking for 9 months on under $6,000 AU

2012-06-13T13:00:00.003-07:00

You know what? You really don't need a huge amount of money to explore the world. To prove it I am going to update you guys monthly on my current trip and how I have done it on about $6,000.

THE ITINERARY

Countries visited: Canada, Peru, New Zealand, Argentina.

Length of travel: 9-10 months

Type of travel: Backpacking/working holiday including a Contiki Tour.

Working VISAs: Canada

Vaccinations: Hep A, Yellow Fever, Typhoid, Cholera - check for Malaria areas (Sth America)

THE FREE STUFF

So to travel this long on such a small amount of cash you need to be very aware of everything you spend. You need to be willing to work and be able to adapt to various situations, be able to negotiate and you need be a very quick learner when it comes to networking!

Volunteer work (usually farm stays) in exchange for free accommodation and food are a great way to immerse yourself in the culture, create lifelong friends and extend your network. If you have any friends or contacts that live in the country you are visiting, go visit them and learn about their way of life. I find it's the local experiences I have that are usually the best, as they know the best places to see or go that are often not in any guidebooks!

Keeping an eye out on www.helpx.net is the other major factor that has allowed me to travel on a budget. I have worked with horses all my life and have used this skill to work on a ranch to obtain 5 months of free accommodation, free food, free internet and free education about the Western culture of horse riding and natural horsemanship - something that is very costly to learn and fairly scarce in Australia. So use your current skills to your advantage, or try something totally different, the opportunities on this website are endless, as long as you do your homework.

I am lucky enough to work for a company that is branching out worldwide. So why wouldn't I want to make the most of this situation?! I am only a casual at this particular workplace, and haven't required any kind of degree or qualifications to work there, but I have been an honest, experienced and hard worker over the few years I have been with them - and trust me, it pays off when you can ask a favour of your managers and obtain guaranteed work overseas!

Picking up a bit of work in the hostels you are staying in is also a great way to cut accommodation costs. Depending on the length of time you are in the one place (you have a better chance of getting some work if you are staying longer), you should be able to organise something if you are determined enough. Like I always say, make the most of free food. If a hostel puts on a free breakfast every morning - make your lunch there too! Buy a bottle of water and keep that one bottle as a re-filler. Every little saving helps.

Do research on what discounts you are able to get as a backpacker in the particular area you are visiting. Hosteling International has a discount card that I purchased in Canada which gets me 25% off the Greyhound bus service, and it has saved me soooo much money.

THE KEY TO TRAVELLING CHEAPLY?

Reeeeseeeeeaaaaaarrrrcccchhhhhhh.

Do lots of it, work out the costs for everything, and make sure you can cover them with money to spare. I like to keep an eye on www.skyscanner.net and www.expedia.com regularly for the cheapest flights, as I keep my travel as unplanned as possible, and sometimes a flight that is $200 cheaper on a particular day will determine when I make my next move.

THE COSTS SO FAR

One way ticket from Melbourne to Vancouver

$870 AU (Student Flights)

The following costs include food, accommodation, phone costs and transport.

May 20 to June 20, 2012

$650 CA (4 nights in a hostel, food, sky-bus, hosteling membership, 2 sim cards and phone credit, 2000km's of bus travel, 4 items of clothing, bike hire in Vancouver, and a few other little things)

Stay tuned!

Any questions or something worth mentioning?? Comment below!!

Your checklist for arriving in a new city

2012-04-24T03:06:00.001-07:00

I have been doing some city research of my own today as I will be landing in Vancouver at the end of next month, and thought to myself - this might be a good topic to write about!

Before you arrive at your destination, make sure you do a fair bit of research (BEFORE you depart) on the following:

1. The cheapest way to get from the airport to your hostel/hotel
I know this sounds incredibly obvious, but airports are never located within walking distance of the CBD in majority of cities! The distance between the airport and your destination can sometimes be a lot more complicated then you think, and I have underestimated this plenty of times.. When I arrived in London for example, I thought I could just catch a train straight into the city just like you do at Rome... but instead it was a sky-bus, to a train, to an underground, to a taxi! And all of this at about 1am at night - which definitely is something everyone should avoid. I had never used the underground nor a sky-bus which was a bit daunting when you are in a rush so you dont miss the last train before the morning.. I cannot stress arriving in a new city in daylight hours enough!

A new city is always disorientating at first, especially if it is foreign, and it takes you a little bit to get your bearings. Make sure you know all your options and obtain a timetable where necessary so you are prepared, which means you wont get ripped off and your arrival will be stress free and easy! The usual methods of transport are:
- Bus (usually the cheapest)
- Skybus
- Train
- Taxi
Find out transport prices of each of the above to compare (you can contact your hostel for transport prices). Avoid a taxi if you can - unless you are arriving at some ungodly hour and prefer a stress free and safe option to get to your accommodation. Some taxi drivers can take advantage of your lack of knowledge and drive around in circles! The best option is usually a bus or train, so check out your airport's website - they usually will provide information on how to get from the airport to your accommodation. It's always a very good idea to put the phone number of your hostel into your phone. Hostel staff can help you avoid getting lost, and advise the cheapest and easiest way to get to their front door. Taking their number can also be a good backup if you need help and don't have any emergency contacts in your phone.

2. Speaking of phone numbers..
Make sure you do some research of the city you are going to and put the following in your phone:
- Hospital/Ambulance number
- Police
- Your hostel (or accommodation)
- A personal emergency contact if you have one
- Taxi
- Your home number with the +61 3 thing (For Victorians!)
For example, if your mums mobile number is 0407 123 456 then dial +61 3 407 123 456. Take out the 0 at the start. This is what I had to dial when I was in Italy using TravelSIM. I can't remember how I contacted my parent's home phone - I just got them to ring my number and used the caller I.D to get their number. It takes a little experimentation, so make sure you are able to successfully contact home when you arrive at your destination.

3. Maps
Buy a map, save one on your phone or print one from your computer prior to your travels, and label the following on it:
- the location of your hostel/accommodation
- the hospital
- the police
- any sights/shops you want to visit while you are staying
If you arrive in a non-english speaking country and get lost trying to find your accommodation, you can just ask a local to help and point to where you need to go - if you have marked your map. It is so much easier, especially if you can't speak any of the language, but can use your phrasebook to ask 'How do I get to here?'.

Another good tip is to get onto google street view and suss out what the front of your hostel looks like before you go. If you can identify landmarks it will make finding things a lot easier!!

4. Book your accommodation before you leave
Whenever I am going to a major city, I only ever book 2 nights (maximum) in advance at whichever hostel I choose (unless it is peak season and beds are limited). I am usually an unplanned traveller though, so take this into consideration while you read - I like to be as flexible as possible when backpacking. If I like the hostel, I book more nights while I am staying there. If I don't like the hostel, I find another one. Compare www.hostelbookers.com and www.hostelworld.com for the cheapest prices, and make sure you read as many reviews as your eyes can cope with - they will give you a good insight into things you might need, such as earplugs if your room is right next to a busy street or something.

Consider a hostel close to public transport so it is easy for you to get to and from the airport. Remember you will most likely be carrying a backpack containing your entire life, which somehow gets heavier every 200m or so!

(Samesun Hostel, Vancouver)

5. Money
Make sure you either get some currency exchanged, or order it through your local post office. You can also exchange it at the airport or on main streets. But it is probably safer to get it through the post office before you leave so no one has the chance of seeing how much cash you have on you!

Have enough to pay for the basics:
- Your transport
- Whatever you owe for your accommodation, unless you want to pay with your card.
- Food and drink
- Anything else you might buy

Well that is all I can think of for the time being! Like I always say if there is anything you think you could add please do =)

- Kobie

Buying clothes prior and during your travels - the stuff you probably didn't think of..

2012-04-19T05:35:00.001-07:00

There are a few little things to consider when buying clothes prior to your trip and while you're overseas.. so I thought I would share what I have learnt!

BUYING CLOTHES PRIOR:
- Don't go nuts buying what you think you will need before you head off. Remember you are going to a different part of the world, with a different culture and different style. You want to blend into the crowd, so take the basics (the clothes you live in at home) and buy what you need over there if you can talk yourself into leaving majority of your wardrobe at home! Your taste in fashion will change dramatically, especially in Europe, as there is just so much to be visually exposed to. Consider what might and might not be accepted too - I remember wearing leggings with a polo top and runners down the street while I was living in Italy (an outfit I would usually wear at home) and I had to keep checking I hadn't forgot my pants or something, because the stares I got suggested otherwise!

- Another tip is to look at buying a few basic items such as thermal jumpers and tees/singlets of high quality fabrics. By high quality, I mean something that is designed to repel odour, draws moisture away from your body so the fabric always feels dry, is breathable, stretchy, blocks uv-rays, pre-shrunk, dries in half the time of normal clothes and does not need ironing. Yes clothes of this quality may cost a bit more, but they will make backpacking in hostels more practical, comfortable and care-free!

BUYING CLOTHES WHILE OVERSEAS:
- If you can't justify spending hundreds on high quality clothes and have become addicted to H&M and Zara, then make sure you buy one size bigger. This is because living in a hostel you don't have a clothesline, you need your clothes dry asap, and the tag on your bargain shirt says do not tumble dry... I'm sure you can guess the rest! I found buying one size bigger would allow for shrinkage, and I could stretch the fabric almost to it's original size, making it the perfect size for me.

So check out stores/brands such as Kathmandu, Mountain Designs, Snowgum, Lululemon Athletica and any other sport/yoga/camping specific brands with a good reputation for quality and design. The major stores often have large sales on too, so take advantage! Another option is to hunt on eBay for those on a budget.

Comment any other clothing tips or advice on quality brands below, I'd love to hear what you have learned!

What the hell to pack?

2012-04-08T01:00:00.000-07:00

The best tip I can give you guys is to pack the bare minimum with the exception of undies! You end up buying clothes anyway, and if you have already packed your 'just in case' stuff there is no way you will be travelling comfortably with the addition of your foreign purchases. So pack the bare minimum - enough to get you through one week - and if you need anything else, buy it. At least then you will know you definitely need it..

I thought it might be useful to share what I will be packing for my next adventure. Keep in mind this is a list for a working holiday, so I have included stuff I wouldn't normally be taking (I have marked these things with an asterisk = *)

The details??

Where: Canada, USA, South America and New Zealand

Seasons: Summer/Autumn

Type: Working backpacking holiday

How long: 8-9 months

Accommodation: Hostels and farm stays

Tours: 1 Contiki in South America

CLOTHES:

2 x singlets

2 x tees

1 x zip up hoodie

1 x long but thin woollen jumper

2 x shorts

1 x leggings

2 x tights

3 x long singlets/dresses

1 x long sleeve thermal top

1 x jeans*

1 x PJ's (top & bottoms)

10 x undies

4 x sports bras/crops

2 x normal bras

1 x rain jacket shell

1 x polar fleece/duck down vest

1 x bathers

Remember, only pack clothes you regularly use at home - the stuff you live in. Try and invest in good quality odour free clothes as well, because there is nothing worse then crappy quality clothes that hold that B.O. smell. Everything I have listed is very versatile - I can mix and match what I've got for going out on the town, heading down the street, or working on the farm.

ACCESSORIES:

1 x scarf that opens large like a blanket

1 x headband

1 x old shirt*

1 x old shorts/pants*

I tend to buy things like gloves, hats and beanies while I'm overseas, and only if I need them. I prefer just taking a warm woolly headband and a large cotton scarf as basics. The scarf comes in handy out on the town and I use it as a cardigan. I can fit in in my little shoulder bag, or tie it to my shoulder bag, or wear it around my neck or use it as a blanket. Make sure you get one that opens up really large!

SHOES:

1 x Timberland boots

1 x thongs

1 x horse riding boots*

1 x strappy sandals/flats

ELECTRONICS:

1 x laptop & charger

1 x iPhone (acts as ipod, clock, alarm, torch, personal trainer, and I can use wifi on it) & charger

1 x unlocked old phone & charger

1 x headphones

1 x compact digital camera with video recording & accessories

1 x usb or hard drive

Make sure you put some movies or your favourite T.V. series on your laptop or invest in a hard drive. Sometimes you really just feel like chilling out and watching a movie in English (especially if you are travelling in a foreign country by yourself for a while). Hard drives/usb's are great to back up everything too incase your laptop is stolen. Make sure scans/copies of all your important documents are on your usb/hard drive just in case.

TOILETRIES:

- toothpaste

- toothbrush

- hairbrush

- travel hairdryer

- packet of bobby pins

- packet of hair ties

- perfume

- tweezers

- scissors

- earrings

- deodorant

- foundation & bronzer

- moisturiser

- eye liner & mascara

- shaver

- specific woman's toiletry products.. I'm sure you know what I mean!

- shampoo & conditioner

- mosquito spray

- swiss army knife

- micro-fibre towels x 2
- cold and flu tablets
- panadol

I like to buy my jewellery overseas. It's a great souvenir type of thing! So I only take my favourite hoop earrings and studs and buy the rest while I'm travelling. I use shampoo as shaving cream too which helps keep my pack light.

BACKPACK:

- enough locks to lock every zipper!

- bright clip straps

- laundry bag & peg-less clothesline

- wet pack

- carabiner key ring

I like to keep all my keys on my carabiner key ring. It can fit a bunch and clip it to nearly anything.

OTHER:

- small shoulder bag

- small wallet to fit in shoulder bag

- travel purse

- drink bottle

- spork and small plastic bowl

- pens and a journal (just because I'm an artist though!)

- little LED torch/head-torch

- lanyard

- books
- mini first aid/sewing kit

The shoulder bag/small wallet are what I use when I want to leave most of my valuables locked up in the hostel. That way I can take only the cards/cash I need, it fits my camera too and I can travel comfortably with my hands free! It's also what I use when I am going out. The bag I take is light, deep and has zippers. It's made of leather and is not too touristy looking so I blend in with the locals.

DOCUMENTS:

- passport

- letter for my working VISA

- flight itinerary and tickets

- Contiki tour information/receipt

- a photocopy of all my ATM and I.D cards and passport (incase your purse is stolen - make sure your parents have a photocopy of all these important documents as well)

- Travel insurance information

- Student I.D card / Hostel membership card

- maps/guidebooks/translator books

I like to keep all this kinda stuff in a clear tough plastic pocket. That way its all together. I have a little plastic flip wallet that keeps all my flight itinerary and tickets in one place too. This way its all separate from my other documents.

I'm sure I have missed plenty of stuff!! But I hope I have shed light on how to condense your life into one 65-70 litre backpack..

Make sure the weight has been evenly distributed in your pack too.

This image is a good guide for how to pack your bag:

It does take a bit of practice and a good tip I hear all the time is:

Figure out everything you want to pack, lay it out in front of you and then halve it. Repeat this process as much as you can. Its tough, and you will have numerous arguments with yourself - but the less you take the more goodies you can fit in for the trip home!

If there is anything you can think of please comment below!

Tips for the female backpacker

2012-04-03T17:43:00.003-07:00

You read a lot of the travel articles about what to bring and what not to bring when it comes to beauty products and toiletry accessories, and you think to yourself - I may as well shave my head and bathe in mud puddles in the street. As long as you are practical, you wont weigh your pack down too much with a few personal essentials.

To get an idea of where my girly background lies - I have quite long naturally wavy hair and only use moisturiser and a eyeliner as daily make-up. I add nude powder foundation, a bit of eye shadow and mascara to that combination for hitting the town.

So here is what I learnt from my first trip:

HAIR
- Learn to style your hair solely with a brush and little travel hairdryer. Try to ditch the straightener if you can, and learn to love the hair you have been given - no matter how crazy it is. There is always someone out there that wishes they had your natural hair.

- Ditch the dyes and let your natural colour show itself... unless you would like to take your chances with a non English speaking hairdresser every time the re-growth fights back. You will save a heap of money too.

- Choose a style that grows gracefully. I have ditched the fringe I used to have and gone long - because of the maintenance it took, and I haven't looked back! Haven't had to cut it for a year.

MAKE-UP
- When you are a female travelling solo, and depending where you are travelling - it really isn't a good idea to look amazing. Tone everything right down, especially when you are commuting between countries or cities. No make-up, no really nice or revealing clothes, no expensive jewellery on display. Your aim is to fly under the radar and not attract unwanted attention to yourself.

- If you are one of those girls who is addicted to make-up, narrow down to your 5 favourite make-up specific products. Eg foundation, one colour of eyeshadow etc etc.

- My best advice is to learn to only use make-up for special occasions while you are still at home. Learn to love your natural self - it will take a little bit of getting used to if make-up is your security blanket, but your skin will love you for it in the end, and travelling will be lighter and more comfortable! And if people can't accept the natural you - you clearly don't need them in your life. Once you have had a taste of travelling solo you will understand what I mean about loving who you are naturally. It really puts everything into perspective.

MY LIST OF STUFF
1X Moisturiser
1X Eye-liner
1X Mascara
1X Nude Powder Foundation and brush
1X Nude Powder Bronzer and brush
1X Hair Brush
1X Travel hairdryer with 240/120 Watt changeable settings
1X Toothbrush/Toothpaste
1X Deodorant
1X Perfume
1X Tweezers
1X Nail Clippers
1X Small Scissors
1X Shaver
1X Small Shampoo/Conditioner

All of this stuff minus the hairdryer and the shampoo/conditioner easily fits into my Kathmandu toiletry bag. Don't take anything you barely use at home 'just in case'. You either use it or you don't. Hope this helps!

If there are any other tips or hints anyone can add please comment below!

Useful Backpacking Accessories

2012-03-31T02:01:00.001-07:00

There are loads of useless gadgets out there that you can fill your bag up with - and most likely never use - so I thought I would list the ones I wouldn't leave home without. I apologise in advance for the amount of links to Kathmandu, but they provide a fantastic online service where I have brought most of my travel accessories from. What makes it even better is that everything is half price at the moment!

SECURITY/GENERAL:

TSA LOCKS & BRIGHT CLIP STRAPS
When you are buying locks, make sure they are TSA approved - unless you would prefer to have your ordinary ones cut off by baggage inspectors after your luggage has been checked in. TSA locks allow for a master key, which should ensure they will remain intact should your bag have to be snooped! And if you're terrible at remembering where the hell you put your keys, get a coded lock.
The fluro clip straps I brought made my bag really distinctive and easily recognisable on the turntables!

TRAVEL WALLET/PURSE
I brought this amazing leather Colorado travel purse in 2010, and its still kicking 2 years on. I will honestly cry myself to sleep and have to hold a funeral for it when it finally dies on me, it has been one of the best things I have brought. It fits everything in it - passport, airline tickets, cards, I.D, money, keys, my iphone, a pen, coinage.. and those who have seen it in person agree on it's awesomeness. I will even add a photo of it for you guys to have a look.

SWISS ARMY KNIFE
This was useful for little random things.

A LITTLE L.E.D TORCH
Came in very handy for sneaking out of hostel rooms at ungodly hours to catch flights etc - all that hard work you put into making friends with your roomies will all go to waste if you decide to turn the lights on at 4am because you can't find your room key in the dark. The torch is worth it.

PLASTIC CLEAR FOLDER
I brought 2 of these with me last time, for the purpose of keeping everything that was important in the one place. This included itineraries, invoices, directions etc etc.

CARABINER KEY RING
This was surprisingly extremely useful. I could clip it to pants, my bra, the side of my bag, inside my bag and it would keep all my keys together.

PERSONAL:

LAUNDRY BAG & PEG-LESS CLOTHESLINE
This was something I really needed on my first trip - I have learnt the error of my ways and have invested in a Kathmandu Laundry Kit which includes laundry bag, peg-less clothesline, laundry paper soap and a universal plug. For $15 you can't go wrong!

TOILETRY BAG (a decent one)
You really want to get something that will fit everything. I had a basic sized toiletry bag last time and it didn't fit everything in - it was a pain lugging a number of small bags in and out of the bathrooms. I also couldnt hang it up without everything falling out which was a royal pain in the butt. So I brought one of these: a Kathmandu Kit Bag So far it has been amazing. Fits everything! But girly girls be warned - the only make up I take is the 'Nude' foundation, bronzer and 2 brushes. So you may have to upgrade the size.

MICRO-FIBRE TOWEL
This was yet another thing I overlooked on my first trip. My sleeping bag packed smaller then my towel! And pretty much every backpacker I came across had one of these fancy towels that would dry in half the time as mine and would pack into a fraction of the size. But I did learn one thing from being on the bottom bunk in one hostel - make sure you buy 2 micro-fibre towels. Because the dude who hung his up over the end of my bunk clearly only had one, and it really didn't smell pleasant. Double check the size too if you are buying online. Kathmandu has a 3 for 1 offer at the moment, so I picked 3 of these in XL.

WET PACK
This held all the gear that could possibly leak in my pack like shampoo and conditioner.

Other stuff I found useful:
- Mini first aid kit including small sewing needle and thread.
- Nail clippers
- Little shoulder bag
- Scissors
- Spork
- Decent drink bottle
- Another clear plastic folder to keep all my other documents in
- A few pens and a journal (drawing or writing keeps me occupied for ages)

Stuff I wouldn't bother with:
- One of those security under-your-clothes money bag things. They are a pain in the arse to access if you are going to use it as a daily purse. Having to strip naked to find your money isn't fun. You want to blend in with the locals as much as possible so you're less of a target for the gypsies.
- A bum-bag. This screams tourist! The thieves will target you - I have saved a Mexican from this type of theft where a Gypsy came up to us and shoved a piece of cardboard in his face, covering her hands and attempted to get into his bum-bag. I realised what she was actually doing and pushed her off. Don't trust Gypsies with cardboard!

What accessories do you bring for the road?? Comment below, I'd love to hear more ideas!

The truth about hostels

2012-03-27T00:11:00.002-07:00

Creeped out by the thought of staying in a hostel? Think they are an unsafe place to stay? Think again... you will come to learn that they become your family and home away from home.

The main trick is picking a good one. And websites like www.hostelbookers.com and www.hostelworld.com make this part of the process a hell of a lot easier.

SO WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN

A HOSTEL AND A HOTEL?

Hostel:

- The people that stay in hostels are usually young people keen for a good time.

- They are usually travelling alone too, so everyone tends to look out for each other.

- They are cheap, usually around $20-$30 a night.

- The hostel staff are usually in the know, and a great resource - so ask a million questions!

- Choose a mixed dorm with a large number of beds - more people to meet and cheaper.

- You never get lonely!

- Find out tips on what to see and do in the city you are staying.

Hotel:

- Expensive.

- People that stay aren't usually very sociable - and good luck finding people your own age.

- Reception staff aren't as accessible as they are in hostels.

- The facilities are typically better, but I wouldn't trade this factor for an adopted family atmosphere.

So how do you pick a good hostel from a bad one?

- Book it through hostelworld or hostelbookers.

- Don't choose anything rated under 80% on the website.

- Make an effort to read as many reviews as you can - this is the best feature of the above mentioned websites.

- Choose something that is in close vicinity to everything you want to see. You will most likely be walking everywhere, so take this into account.

- Make sure you research how close the hostel is to train and bus services. The closer the better for you.

- Choose a hostel with free wifi! Paying for internet sucks majorly...

- Free breakfast and free laundry is an added bonus.

Are there any hostels anyone can recommend?? Post the name of the hostel and city! I'd love to hear your experiences =)

Steps to organising an overseas trip

2012-03-26T22:48:00.000-07:00

So you've decided to explore the planet - but its your first time, your on a tight budget, and you don't know where to start? The steps below may help you out!

Step 1 - GET A PASSPORT!

Head down to your local post office and grab an application form. You might need to apply for a full birth certificate and a few other things so make sure you give yourself enough time to get everything organised.

Step 2 - CHOOSE A COUNTRY/COUNTRIES

List all the places you really really want to visit. This should give you an idea of how you will need to commute, and you can determine how much money you will need. Plan the trip you want and do research on places you want to go.

Step 3 - BARTER FOR A CHEAP AIRFARE

I use either Student Flights or STA Travel. Their mottos are both that if you can find a cheaper price elsewhere, they will beat it. So I'm cheeky and usually will get a quote with one, then send it to the other again and again, until they have gone as low as they can - or till they get pissed off at me. I managed to get a one way to Vancouver for $870 which included a $20 Youth I.D. card... and the original quote was about $980. Make sure you check out these guys before you settle on a price with your local travel agent. Just to give you a comparison, I couldn't get a quote under $1,200 for a one way to Vancouver through a my local travel agents, and I did the rounds.

When I book flights, I generally stick to this rule: International flights I will book through an agent/company. Domestic I will book by myself.

Step 4 - DECIDE YOUR TRAVEL INSURER

Don't necessarily just go with whoever your travel agent quotes you with. They are travel agents, not insurance agents!! Shop around, find a policy that suits your needs and covers you for what sort of activities you want to do. Make sure you google reviews of the particular insurers you are looking at - this will give you a good insight to whether it is worth your time and money. If you have private health look into getting travel insurance through them. I use World Nomads travel insurance. Mainly because I like to keep my trip unplanned and World Nomads allows me to extend my policy online.

Step 4 - DO YOU NEED A VISA?

Make sure you find out if you will need a visa to enter all the countries on your list. If you are planning to work you will most likely need a work visa

Step 5 - WORK & PLAY OR JUST PLAY?

Decide whether you would prefer a working holiday or not. If you don't have much money, being able to earn money overseas is a great way to keep your funds ticking along. Also, it doesn't have to be money that you receive for your hard work. Working for free accommodation and a free meal is just as good as earning money in some cases. It may only be painting a fence, or helping with some gardening or farm work - and you get to experience the local culture. To suss out free accommodation and free meals, check out www.helpx.net - You can sort through listings in hundreds of countries and choose the host that suits you.

Step 6 - VACCINATIONS

Ring your local doctors to find out what immunisations you will need before you jet off.

Step 7 - TO TOUR OR NOT TO TOUR

Thinking of a Contiki/Topdeck type tour? You can get last minute deals while you are overseas and save a few hundred dollars - or if you want to do a specific tour make sure you get in early as they sell out very quickly! They are a great way to begin travelling, and allow you to get a feel of living and travelling in a foreign country.

Step 8 - FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU NEED TO BUY

So everything is booked in and paid for, now make a list of what you will need to buy before you go. Travel bags, clothes, lonely travel books, travel accessories etc etc.

Step 9 - SAVE SAVE SAVE!

It is really easy to monitor your savings with a simple spreadsheet in excel. If you are on a really tight budget, tracking what you spend can really help with saving money.

Step 10 - LANGUAGE BARRIERS

If you are going to a foreign country, I highly recommend studying up on as much of the language as you can. You need to know how to communicate, especially if you are travelling by yourself. I've heard of fellow travellers taking up language courses. I just download free language learning software at www.byki.com. It has been a fantastic resource for me.

Step 11 - ORDER SOME CURRENCY
Make sure you order a few hundred dollars worth of foreign cash from the post office before you fly out of Australia. Give the post office at least 2 weeks to get it in for you. Don't forget about possibly ordering a little cash for the stopover too. For example, I was flying to Italy so I ordered in about $300 EU. I had a short stopover in Kuala Lumpur after a 7 hour flight, but I neglected to get any Malaysian ringgit out to buy some food and things. So possibly think about this factor, as you really don't want to be using your plastic card all the time.

My top 6 European cities

2012-03-19T04:33:00.005-07:00

Looking for some recommendations on what not to miss? Here are some places in Europe I thought were pretty cool..

PRAGUE - my favourite
Sights: Breathtaking. Make sure you walk along the Charles Bridge and visit the castle on top of the hill. The city is like something out of a fairy tale. Castles and beautiful architecture and old cars and carriages everywhere. It was by far my favourite city.

Food: I don't remember much of the food, but the kebabs are amazing there when you are drunk haha.

Nightlife: Amazing. Make sure you check out the Karlovy Lazne, a five story nightclub with a different genre of music, different dj, different bar and different dance floor on each story. It was the most impressive club I've been to, and so much fun. Just make sure you know how to get back to your hostel because Prague can be pretty easy to get lost in.

Cons: The czech currency was a pain in the arse. Beautiful money, but very confusing to try and convert in your head. For example I brought a jacket that was about 110 AU and on the tag it was something like 2500 czech. Makes you unnecessarily conscious of your money.

FLORENCE - my most visited
Sights: Amazing. There is so much to do and see in this city. Wait in the long line to climb to the top of the Duomo because it is a view you will never forget. Try to get to the Uffizi Gallery. And by try I mean really try because seeing Leonardo DaVinci's work in person has changed my life and my art! The work in there is amazing. If you love shopping, suss out the San Lorenzo market. It was the most amazing collection of goods I have ever seen. Again shop around for a good price. And one more place.. Please find a little shop called the 'Scriptorium'. Im not sure if it was because I was an art student or not, but I could have spent hours in that shop, and if I had of had the money, I would have spent up big.

Food: Awesome but very expensive. Make sure you shop around for prices and dont just go straight to the first food stand you see. Suss out the side streets and you will undoubtably save money!

Hostel: I stayed in the Plus Hostel Florence when I was on my Topdeck tour. It was a pretty cool hostel and really close to everything. Has a crazy pool that changes colours! I dont remember it being a very sociable hostel though. Probably would give it a 6/10.

Nightlife: Pretty decent. As long as you dont get sucked into one of those American promo people on the street during the day. I would recommend 'The Red Garter', we had most of our fun here. 'Twice' was pretty good, and we also sussed out the 'YAB' which had a really cool set up but was tricky to get into. There are so many places in Florence, get a good group of people and explore!

Cons: The expensive prices were ridiculous. Most of my trips into Florence were from Prato where I was living, which was a 20min train ride. I could buy a large gelato from Prato for 3.50EU. In Florence the same thing was 10EU - over triple the price. Be wary of the Gypsies and the con artists, as they can sniff out a tourist from a mile away. The only other thing I found annoying was the obnoxious tourists everywhere. Make sure you go see Florence in the off-peak season, otherwise you will be wasting most of your trip waiting in some godforsaken line.

ROME - my first solo backpacking city
Sights: Ancient. If you want to see some amazing historical ruins, visit Rome. It is a very large city to explore though, so give yourself a decent week and a bit to see everything. Make sure you do a guided tour through the Vatican also while you are there. It is beautiful.

Food: Amazing. And lots of choice!

Hostels: I stayed at 'The Yellow' and 'The Hostel Beautiful 2'. Both were close to the train station and had good and bad points. The Yellow had great breakfasts, free wifi (but only in the bar), a good bar/social area and lockers under the beds and pretty good facilities. Id give it 7/10. The Hostel Beautiful didn't have lockers but I did get a private room. The facilities weren't that great but the staff would go out of their way to help you. They reel you in with free breakfast but all it is is a coffee and a pastry. Id prefer to pay 4 euro at The Yellow and get muesli, fruit salad and yoghurt. Id probably rate it 6/10.

Nightlife: I dont really remember the Rome nightlife. Not to say it wasn't any good, but majority of the time I spent in Rome was when I was first travelling alone, so nocturnal activities weren't something I took part in.

Cons: It takes a lot of walking to get to everything, and it is a nightmare city to visit if it is bad weather - as you get very sick of saying no to the umbrella pests.

PARIS - the city with the most to see and do
Sights: Well I have no idea where to begin.. but make sure you do a Fat Tire Bike Tour. Or hire a bike while you stay in Paris. Go see the Eiffel Tower, especially at night, go to Moulin Rouge, go to the Louvre, go to Central Park. It's such a beautiful and bustling city.

Food: Unbelievable. You have to try frogs legs and escargot. Not as bad as you think.

Nightlife: Good, but not as fun as Florence or Prague.

Cons: I found the locals not as friendly as the Italians, but I didn't get a chance to stay in Paris for very long.

AMSTERDAM - the crazy city
Sights: The shopping in Amsterdam is amazing. Such a beautiful city. Check out Anne Frank's house too, a very interesting experience. Make sure you get a chance to stroll down to the red light district. Very much an eye-opener! And don't take photos unless you want to be chased, possibly bashed and have your camera confiscated by a prostitute. Just respect that they are working.

Food: Good.

Nightlife: Crazy crazy fun. Check out the 'Paradiso' - A church that the Dutch turned into a nightclub to prevent having to deal with squatters. I have never felt so strange parting in a church haha. But so much fun!

NICE - the pub city

Sights: This is an interesting city, with most of the sights including rock beaches and amazing shops. Everywhere. It was an awesome city to go shopping in, but other then that there wasn't too much else to do. Make sure you check out the casino and the view at night.

Nightlife: Fun! If you consider table top dancing a fun activity.. but who wouldn't?! There is a lot of variety for pubs here, and they are all relatively very close to each other.

Cons: There wasn't much to do, so 1 or 2 days here would probably be plenty.

A few other amazing places that I haven't mentioned above are: Switzerland, Berlin, Austria, Naples, Venice, Athens and London. Just see as much as you can!

Whats your favourite city... and why?

A girls guide to a foreign night out

2012-03-15T16:24:00.000-07:00

Not sure of what to bring when it comes to partying in a foreign country? I wont be able to help all you girls out there as I am quite content with going out in white canvas shoes and plain tees haha - but you might find this post useful nonetheless.

Here are my top tips for a night out:

1 - Don't bother packing party/cocktail dresses.
   Why?
   - If you cant wear it as a casual piece of clothing it is a waste of space
   - Bring something versatile, that can be worn with anything else in your bag
   - You generally don't want to attract attention to yourself anyway
I brought a long sleeved oversized shirt that was elastic and skin tight. I would wear black tights underneath it and a little denim vest over the top with beige flats. I could wear this dress as a casual shirt or as an extra layer thermal type thing. The only problem I found was that it was a bit too hot to dance in at some night clubs. A plain black elastic type skirt never goes astray and then you can really change up your party outfits with different shirts tucked or untucked.

2 - Bring something that can dress up a casual/plain piece of clothing. I had a little denim vest that I could wear casually undone with a shirt or I could do it up over a plain skin-tight black dress and it would dress up great. I wore it so much!

3 - Plain black tights. These are great especially if your party city is a bit chilly! They also pack down small which is an added bonus.

4 - DO NOT BRING HEELS!! Only flats or strappy sandals intended for party and casual use. I say strappy sandals because you want to bring something that is going to be well attached to your feet. With the amount of walking you will be doing dressy thongs that don't somehow attach to your ankles will be the death of you. Also some places might refuse your entry if you don't have adequate footwear.

5 - A strong but small shoulder bag. You should find something big enough to fit your phone, money, I.D, the key to your hostel, map, as well as a scarf/thin cardi. You need something that will protect your important stuff

6 - A scarf or cardi (for cold weather). It is amazing what a $12 cotton scarf can do for warmth. I would often bring it instead of a cardi, cos I could tie it to my small shoulder bag or stuff it in. It would open up really large so it was like a blanket if it was too cold, or I could just chuck it around my neck. If I lost it well it didn't really matter because I could just buy another!

7 - A tiny little card wallet. You dont want to bring your purse with you. If fact the less important stuff you can bring, the less likely you will loose it. I would only take sufficient I.D and one of my travelex cash-passport cards (for more info on these see my post about moola). The little card wallet I brought would fit my cards perfectly.

8 - Only use the cash you have withdrawn for that particular night. I would NEVER use my travelex card unless it was an emergency. I would withdraw about $40-50 bucks, and would aim to go home with majority of it.

9 - Dont get drunk. As much as this is the obvious point to going out, you need to know your limits and still be very aware of what is going on around you. Stick with your hostel buddies and never go out alone. Common sense!

10 - Phone. Make sure you have charged it prior and that you have the local taxi and police numbers in it. Something really simple but could get you out of a tricky situation.

11 - Dont wear your favourite jewellery - very high chance of it disappearing.

12 - Make sure you bring a map with you. Getting lost is very easy and definitely not a good option.

13 - Dont get sucked in by those people on the streets that you meet during the day and they tell you all about this awesome club and the free drinks they will give you as they are promoting it, and the awesome night you will have. Its usually a massive scam to strip you of your money. Go and talk to your hostel guys at the front desk and find out all the goss on the con artists and the night-life. They will always be able to give you some good advice!

I guess the main thing to remember when packing party clothes is whether or not you can wear it casually as well as dress it up. I would only bring one particular outfit because you can always buy something when you get to your new country. Just accessorise it up or down with items that can also be worn casually! Enjoy!

Who to ask for help

2012-03-11T17:35:00.000-07:00

When you are by yourself travelling and don't have anyone within a 20 hour flight radius to help you if something is to go wrong, you will often have to ask a local for help. Being a young woman, I am always strategic with who I ask for help, so I thought this might be an interesting topic to shed some light on.

So what I am about to talk about I find very difficult to explain - so I hope its not too confusing! When you travel solo, and have to rely on yourself and yourself alone - meaning you have absolutely no connections or networks in the continent you are in, and there is no point calling home because lets face it, what the hell could your parents possibly do to help on the other side of the world?

I found I developed a sixth sense so to speak. I had an instinct that would kick in and direct me towards people I could 'trust' and people I should 'avoid'. I guess it was my body's way of surviving, and I believe it was developing this skill and trust in my gut feeling that changed my personality. When it is just you and your thoughts, you become a hell of a lot more aware of what goes on around you. How people interact, their mannerisms, whether they are friendly or have a hidden agenda. Every person I met, I unconsciously would analyse their intentions and figure out whether they were good company to keep or not. And I made sure I would never ignore my gut feeling.

So.. when I needed help, I would call on this instinct or gut feeling. I would target people who I knew would be safe to help me out. I never trusted anyone, I guess a better description would be to say that I used them politely. I made sure I would choose friendly looking women or parents with young families to help me. It seemed that mothers were always very empathetic and would go to unbelievable lengths to help me out... I guess it was because I am very young looking and they couldn't ignore that mothering instinct. I owe a lot of my rescues to mothers!

I guess what I am trying to say to all you young women travellers out there is don't ask the creepy looking guy on the train how to get to such and such. It's plain common sense. If you have an uneasy feeling about a person, don't ignore it and don't forget you are your own boss on the road.

PISA to LONDON 2010
I also thought I would share a story that has inspired me to write this post. It is dedicated to the amazing young English family that helped me get from Gatwick airport to my hostel at ungodly hours of the morning.

This was my first experience of travelling by myself. I had just finished my semester two studies in Italy, and was heading straight to London to begin my Topdeck adventures around Europe. I had not given myself much time at all for errors, which is something I have learned from. I had uni that Friday in Prato, then had to catch the Prato train to Pisa in the afternoon, where I would catch a plane from Pisa to Gatwick airport. From Gatwick I had to catch a train/tube to the Clink Hostel in London, where my bus left for the tour at 7am the next day.
I had a few hiccups getting to Pisa with train delays, but luckily I didn't miss my flight. After getting to Gatwick I had no idea where to go, it was something like 12am in the morning and there was only one or two tubes left to get into the city. I saw a young family and I knew this was my only way out of here - as there weren't many people on the plane, nor was there anyone in the airport with it being so late. I followed them and asked how to get to where I was going, and where they were going. It was by pure chance they were heading to the same place. They helped me pay for the tube (something I didnt even consider) and booked me a taxi from the tube to my hostel (something I couldnt of done as I had no idea of the number for a taxi). The mother refused to let me walk from the train to my hostel, as she had grown up in the area and said she wouldn't dare do it herself. Im glad she was so persistent, because by the time we got to St Pancreas Station it was 1 or 2 am and the nightlife there was insane with it being a Friday night. I would have been a sitting duck walking by myself with a massive pack. There was no way I could slip under the radar and blend in with everyone else.
Anyway the family waited with me for my taxi to come, but it never did. We waited for like half an hour, and they had no obligation to do so. They refused to leave me on the street by myself, so they shoved me in their taxi and drove me to the hostel. I tried to give them money but they refused. I will never forget their kindness nor the help they gave me, and it is people like that who make travelling such a beautiful thing.

The 23 hour flight checklist

2012-03-09T03:51:00.000-08:00

This is something that can easily be overlooked! If you're going to be stuck in the air for 23 hours or so, you don't want to be uncomfortable, or leave something you didn't think you would need in your checked in baggage.

So I thought a list of what I wear and what I pack in my carry-on luggage might help.

For clothes, I make sure that I wear stuff that I can bend over backwards in - so to speak. Im very much a sleeper in the air, but with such a small amount of space and the need to change into many awkward sleeping positions, I make sure I wear clothes that are super comfortable and flexible.
This is what I usually wear:
- Leggings that aren't too tight around the waist
- My biggest hoodie/warm jumper I'm taking on my trip (You usually get a tiny blanket and some planes can be really cold.. and if you are cold its really hard to get to sleep!)
- Any type of shirt.. as long as it is short sleeve and that I feel comfortable wearing without my hoodie
- A scarf (which I also use as a neck pillow)
- Slip on shoes (thongs, flats etc)

- I dont usually wear any jewellery or anything metal as it can be a pain to take everything off each time you go through the metal detectors. They usually make you take your shoes off so thats where the slip on ones come in really handy.

Remember if you are travelling to the other side of the world the seasons are usually the opposite, so keep this in mind when you are deciding what to wear. What you decide to wear needs to be versatile. For example I fold my full length leggings into 3/4 if its hot, take off my hoodie and scarf or layer it all on if its cold.. but comfort is the main thing.

As for my carry on, this is what I take:
- A spare pair of underwear
- Those little disposable toothbrush things (Im pretty sure you can bring toothpaste on a plane)
- A pair of comfy shorts or another pair of leggings
- Socks (it can be hard to cover your feet on a plane so these come in handy)
- Chewy (this will literally save your life)
- Anything that is valuable or heavy (laptop, camera, purse etc)
- All my travel documents (passport, air ticket, maps, hostel info, etc)
- iPod (when your sick of listening to the repetitive and annoying radio dude)

I think thats it! However I do change this if my check in baggage is dangerously close to the weight limit. If it is, I wear as much of my bulky clothes as I can including big jackets, and I switch to my heaviest shoes. I will also pack as much heavy stuff in my carry-on as I can, as they usually don't weigh this.. as long as it is the required size they don't care too much. Another tip is when you are carrying all your stuff from the line to the check-in counter, make it look as if your carry-on bag is as light as a feather. If you are dragging it or look like you are struggling, they are more likely to weigh it. Most airlines allow for 10kg's for carry-on I think.

If you are taking a handbag in addition to your carry-on, make sure it can fit inside your carry on bag, in case the airline makes a fuss. Some don't mind if you take the two, but it makes life a lot easier when you are prepared either way!

The sleeping bag dilemma

2012-03-08T02:36:00.001-08:00

So your travelling right, and you think it is just plain common sense to bring your own sleeping bag? Unless you are actually camping - don't even bother!

Pretty much all of the hostels I stayed in wouldn't allow guests to use their personal sleeping bags for fear of transferring bed bugs. I cant even recall using my sleeping bag.. it was a total waste of space. The hostels usually supply a decent amount of bedding and sheets, so you shouldn't get cold.

If you aren't sure whether you will need one or not I still wouldn't recommend bringing one. Just buy one while you're over there, they aren't too expensive these days anyway.

Accessing your moola while abroad

2012-03-08T02:19:00.000-08:00

Being able to access your bank account while overseas is probably the most crucial thing when you are travelling. The last thing you want is to get stuck somewhere in a different timezone on a weekend with no cash after a foreign auto teller has swallowed your bank card.

I used a Travelex Cash Passport while I was travelling. It was really easy, I didn't have to use my Australian card and it came with a duplicate back up card. So at all times I had three different options for accessing money in case something went wrong. Make sure you dont keep all three cards together... for obvious reasons! Talk to your bank and let them know of your travel plans so they dont think someone has stolen your card. I would recommend transferring to a VISA if you haven't got one already.

After a day of wearing one of those irritating over the shoulder and under your clothes money belt things and not enjoying it - I decided to make use of it a different way. It became my keeper of all things categorised as back up resources... cash, my spare Travelex card, maps, etc. I would highly recommend a small bag for all your secret stashes that can be easily hidden in a safe place in your pack.

Another thing to remember is when you withdraw money from an auto-teller overseas, make sure you take out a decent amount. Put enough to last a few days in your purse or day bag, and put the rest in your secret stash bag. Each time you withdraw you are usually charged a fee, so by taking out as much as you can each time you need money you wont waste too much on withdrawal fees. For example, when I was in need of money in Europe, I would withdraw 500 EU, put 50-100 EU in my purse and hide the rest.

Also, make sure you withdraw money during daylight hours if you can, in a fairly busy public area. Don't put yourself at risk by using the auto-teller down the alley at 11pm at night.

One of my friends recently gave me this advice:
"I found NAB really good for atm transactions. its usually $4 per transaction but if you get the gold card for $10 a month overseas wigthdrawals are free so pays for itself. i did run into some money troubles o/s when my bank card was swiped/hacked and then my back up credit card expired! so think about having a few ways of accessing cash. student flights is the shizz definitely" Thank Jordan =)!!

Gadgets I use while backpacking

2012-03-06T15:09:00.000-08:00

There are loads of options these days with technology. I often get varied responses from different travellers regarding their choices of electronics. So I thought I would list my essentials for you guys.

Macbook/Laptop
When you like to keep your travels as flexible as you can like I do, a small laptop is pretty much your best and most trusted friend when going solo. Along with your choice of hostel with free wifi, you are all set to tackle the unknowns and random events of travelling. The main reasons I choose to take my macbook with me are:
- I can find and book cheap flights or tours when I need them
- Skype/Facebook/Twitter so you can keep tabs on your loved ones for free compared with a phone bill
- Movies for rainy days in hostels
- To store all my photos

Camera
You would be an idiot if you didn't take one. For my Europe trip I took an Olympus SLR. Great camera, but it wasn't one I could just shove in my pocket, or record videos with. So for my next trip, I've downgraded to a little Canon point and shoot with HD video. Cost me $75 bucks and will be worth every cent! Make sure you have a small cover for it for daily use plus a larger bag that fits the camera plus all its cords and charger to keep it all in one place.

Phone
Whatever you do, don't use international roaming!!! Its just not cool. My plan of attack was to bring an old unlocked phone from home, and I brought a 'Travel SIM' from my local post office before I left. Worked a treat in all the different countries I travelled to. If you are staying in one country for majority of your trip, I know of a lot of travellers who just brought a SIM when o/s and used that. I found travel sim super easy to recharge over the internet (yet another use for my macbook) - I didn't have to try and recharge using a receipt with instructions that were in another language. So make sure you consider these options before you jet off.

iPod
Music is essential for long train commutes or flights. I wouldn't leave it off my list.

Power Adaptor/Power board
This is an important one. Not all countries have the same adapter holes... so you will most likely need a converter. Check the requirements of the country you are going to... Make sure you get one of these otherwise what is the point of bring all your gadgets? I also like to bring a small power board too, as sometimes the hostels don't have a lot of outlets - and add sharing a room with 6 other people to that equation. The least amount of space you can take up, the happier everyone will be.

An Electronics bag
So you have a million cables for all your goodies above? My final plan of attack is to bring a bag designated to my electronics stuff. There is nothing worse then having power cords getting tangled in your undies in your pack. I keep my camera and its specific cords in one bag, which includes my phone cords and my iPod stuff (I guess you could say all my small electronic gadgets are located in my camera bag) and I also take another bag for my larger electronic stuff such as laptop cord, power adaptors and my power board.

So there you have it. Everything I need for the road.

Going solo? Even better.

2012-03-06T13:31:00.001-08:00

So So you want to explore the world - but you have no one to go with?? Consider this an advantage! No one to make you spend money on things you rather wouldn't, you can come and go as you please, see what YOU want to see and not waste your time seeing what's on someone else's wish-list. Travelling in a group is awesome, but you tend to keep more to yourselves and in my opinion (having tested both methods) miss out on meeting some amazing individuals.

For me, travelling solo was a kind of accident. I was shy and I really sucked at meeting people prior to backpacking. Going solo changed my life, and I enjoyed it so much that I think I will find it very hard to travel any other way... 

  EXCUSE #1 'But isn't it lonely?' No... Farrrrr from it. But this is entirely dependant on how you decide to travel. I like to hostel it, generally in and around major cities. And I will never stay in a hotel ever again. Hostels are like a home away from home for me. Its a community of its own, like a big family, filled with young, interesting intrepid travellers such as yourself - who are usually travelling alone as well. So everyone tends to look out for each other. The vibe is fun, exciting, and its the best way to meet people.

   EXCUSE #2 'But I'm shy, and I'm terrible at meeting people'... I was terrible at meeting people and making friends prior to travelling. I found that backpacking solo helped me change that dramatically. It positively forces you into meeting new people. I chose to always stay in mixed hostel dorms of 6-10. This was the cheapest option but also the best for meeting room-mates. I consider the people I have travelled with like family, and have kept in touch with the people I was closest with.   

EXCUSE #3 'But isn't it dangerous - especially being a girl?' Travelling solo only becomes dangerous when you stop looking after yourself. 99% of it is common sense that will keep you safe.   But below are my rules to keep out of trouble anyway, in case there are any you haven't thought of: 

- Never go out after dark alone

 - I dont drink unless I'm on some sort of organised tour and I'm with someone I trust (Topdeck/Contiki/Hostel Pub Crawl)   

- Along with the above, I never get too drunk.. but I am one of those people who can have the best night sober. 

- Always make sure flights you book are in reasonable daylight hours, and give you enough daylight to get to your next hostel. 

- I only ever stay in hostels that are rated 80% or higher on Hostelworld or Hostelbookers 

- I never trust anyone 100%. Im not saying be paranoid, but tune into your 6th sense or gut feeling and always consider what your new friends intentions might be.

 - Dont get talked or bullied into doing things you don't want to do. Its simple. Only ever do what YOU want. After all isnt that why you decided to go by yourself?   If you are still worried about travelling solo - start your adventure off with a tour. I have used Top Deck in the past and it was fantastic. Contiki is another popular tour company for under 30's Everything is planned for you, all you have to do is enjoy yourself and make life long friends. Then after your tour is finished, you are more familiar with the backpacking routine and you have a bit more confidence, then head off on your solo backpacking adventure. Who knows, if you keep your trip fairly flexible you might continue travelling with someone you have met on your tour.   

So basically, if you want to change your life forever and truly find yourself - I couldn't recommend travelling solo highly enough. But consider yourselves warned... it is extremely addictive. As soon as you get home your priority is to plan and save for your next trip to a place that a fellow backpacker recommended... you know, that guy/girl you met at that hostel you stayed at in that really cool place.

What to look for when buying a decent travel pack..

2012-03-06T13:28:00.001-08:00

So you've recently decided you want to see the world, but don't know what to pack your life into for your trip?

Great =).. I may be able to help you here!

First of all, I would never recommend buying a massive suit case on wheels (been there, never ever want to do that again..) Secondly, after ditching the suitcase, don't just walk into any random camping shop in Florence and buy the biggest pack you can find to fit all your crap into... coz chances are the sales guy wont know what he is talking about, and will sell you a 90L pack that you have to customise to fit you with many knots!

Do your homework and formulate a checklist, preferably while you're in your own country. No language barrier and a wider variety of products will definitely lead you down the right track to finding the perfect travel companion.

This is my checklist:

- Fully lockable

- Opens like a suit case

- Weatherproof, preferably canvas type material

- Separate bottom compartment (for dirty shoes etc)

- Decent detachable day pack that is lockable and fits my macbook

- A harness that actually fits me

- Lots of secret compartments

- Lockable harness cover for the airport

- Evenly spreads the weight on my back and hips - does not sit the weight on my bum making it difficult to walk (make sure you try the pack on with weight in it in the shop. Generally 10-15kg's, and make sure its as evenly distributed as possible)

So I have been very lucky third time around after doing loads of homework and trying on a ton of different packs at camping and outdoor shops.

MACPAC GENESIS AZTEC... worth a look! Check out the online store at Macpac

For all the women out there who are around 5'5'' and small framed, I would highly recommend buying a Macpac Genesis AzTec. I brought a 70L size W2 (this size includes a 15L detachable backpack). The harness is great and it ticks all of the boxes for durability and quality, as well as my checklist above.