Category : Australia/New Zealand
When it comes to travel down under, both New Zealand and Australia offer so much for any traveller looking to have a good time. Whether it’s beautiful scenery you want, adventure sports, or just to lounge by the beach, both countries combined really do have it all. When choosing where to base your first working holiday visa however, and having decided to do it down under, there does come a time that you have to choose between them. Which should you do first? I thought it would therefore be useful for me to compare the two for anyone unsure, so whether it’s New Zealand holidays or Australia holidays you are after, by the end of this post hopefully you will have a better idea of what you want!
Adventure
New Zealand is marketed around the world as something akin to the adventure sports capital of the world! It certainly does have a lot to offer as far as adventure is concerned. Whether you want to go zorbing, white water rafting, bungee jumping, or sky diving, it’s all there for you to do and more! The only thing I would say is be sure to budget accordingly for it! Adventure sports in New Zealand are plenty and abundant, but they will eat into your travel fund quite a bit. Australia also has many of these type of activities available too, such as sky diving over Sydney, or white water rafting up North. I think overall however, New Zealand probably has more variety as far as adventure sports is concerned. That being said, Australia does have crocodiles, and many poisonous spiders to keep you on your toes so I suppose it depends on what sort of adventure you are looking for! A night spent in the Australia Outback or jungle could be considered as much adventure as jumping out a plane, as there is still the danger element there.
Scenery and Natural Beauty
Lord of the Rings was filmed in New Zealand for one main reason – the natural landscape there is spectacular! It almost doesn’t seem real how beautiful New Zealand is at times. Particularly the more mountainous areas of the country. That being said however, when it comes to sheer variety of scenery and natural beauty, Australia is possibly the only country in the world where you can experience beach, desert, mountains, and jungle all in the one place! Then there is the Great Barrier Reef of course, the amazing man made Sydney Opera House, or the beautiful secluded beaches out on the West Coast. I guess only you can decide which is best!
Lifestyle
The lifestyle in Australia is just so laid back. In the North where the weather is much warmer, it would just be impossible to work long hours because the heat is just too much. Everybody seems to finish working around 3pm so they can have a beer and a barbie by the beach. New Zealand is also a very laid back, almost sleepy place. Unfortunately however, for me personally, the whole everything shuts on a Sunday thing is what sways me more in the direction of Australia for this one. I’m used to a 24 culture, and places like Sydney or Melbourne just don’t seem to exist in New Zealand. The population is so small, and even the bigger cities in NZ seem small to me. That being said, a lot of people want a more quiet lifestyle, so if that’s what you’re after then head to NZ.
Weather
In summer both of these countries are hot! In winter however, New Zealand is cold. So is places like Melbourne, and Tasmania in Australia as they are further south, and therefore further from the equator, but the good thing for me about Australia when it hits winter is that if you head north to somewhere like Cairns you’ll find it’s nice, warm, and sunny! In fact, it’s probably better up there during winter as you miss the rainy season, and it’s not too hot.
So what do you think? Which is better? Australia, or New Zealand? For me, Australia was the first place I ever travelled to. For that reason alone it remains my favourite place in the world, and will always have a special place in my heart that will forever remain unbeaten. New Zealand is pretty cool though, if I do say so myself! 
Right now in this current economic climate, Australia is one of the most expensive places in the world to travel for a budget backpacker. It is the only country it seems in the western world to have avoided the worst effects of the economic downturn (due in most part to it’s ties to Asia and the mining boom in the North West of the country.) What this basically means however is that the exchange rate is not what it used to be for us travellers coming from Europe or North America, and we therefore need to budget accordingly. For instance, when I first went to Australia back in May 2006 I was getting 2.4 Australian Dollars for every British Pound. These days I’d be lucky if I got 1.5 AUD for every GBP. Despite this drastic decline in how much we get for our money on the exchange rate however, Australia is still the most popular destination for backpackers in the world. This is a testament to how incredible this country really is, and I therefore thought it would be useful to share some of my top tips on how to travel cheaply in Australia’s capital city, and most popular destination, Sydney.
Drink Goon
Part of the backpacker experience is about partying. No matter how many sights, attractions, and local culture you see or experience, a lot of what makes being a backpacker such a fun experience is drinking with your hostel buddies. It’s one of the best ways to meet new people and make friends while you are travelling. Australia can be an expensive place to go out drinking, so if you are really on a budget and need to save money then your best bet is to go to the local liquor store, supermarket etc and buy a box of Goon! For those of you not familiar with what goon is, it’s basically a bag of cheap wine contained within a box. Usually one box of Goon will contain around 4 liters of wine, and cost approximately $10 (AUD), although it will depend on what brand you buy and from which shop. Personally, I find the “Fruity Lexia” flavour the best in terms of flavour, although it must be pointed out that anyone who drinks goon is not drinking it for the taste! However, when you consider one schooner of beer (around 2/3 of a pint) in Sydney would cost you around $4 – $5 AUD, then goon bags become a much more affordable way to drink than buying anything while you are out.
Pub Grub
Everybody knows that eating in is much cheaper in most places than eating out will ever be. This is very much the case in both Sydney and the rest of Australia. However, it is still very possible to eat out in Australia on a budget if you go looking for the right places. For instance, when I was living on George Street (the main street) in Sydney, there was a pub right across the road from my hostel which offered a steak dinner with chips (fries), and a drink included for only $5 AUD. It wasn’t a small portion either. There are many pubs and bars that offer these types of deals in Sydney because there are certain types of food that they have there which they can offer much cheaper than you can get somewhere like the UK. Steak is a prime example of this because in Australia they have much more room to farm and herd cattle than they would on a small, compact island such as the UK. This therefore means they can produce much more, and therefore give you cheaper prices as it is all locally grown too, i.e. they don’t need to pay to import it. You will also find Sydney restaurants which are expensive, but if you just take a walk around some of the main streets you will find plenty of places that offer more budget style offers.
Travel off-peak
Although the weather is not as good in Sydney during the Southern Hemisphere’s winter months, it does provide an opportunity to explore places the city, and stay in hostels for cheaper than you would during the peak November to March period. For instance, right now, one night in a 8 bed mixed dorm would cost you around $13 – $16 AUD. In the peak months however, you’d be looking to pay around $15 – $20 AUD. If you book last minute it could be even more. Also, the weather is not that bad in Sydney during winter. It’s maybe not shorts and t-shirt weather, but it is usually sunny most days, and you can get away with jeans and a t-shirt, or maybe a jumper (sweatshirt). I never had to wear a jacket the entire time I was there in winter, but I suppose it’s just what you are used to. Scotland is much colder than Australia so maybe it’s a bit different for me!
You should also consider couch surfing in Sydney if you really want to save money. Apart from the flight there, accommodation is going to be the biggest bite out of your travel fund. There are many hosts signed up to the service in Sydney, so why not take advantage of that and save yourself some money. Plus, you may also see another side to the city other than just the tourist areas.
- Sydney is one of those cities that really does live up to expectations. Rarely do I get to a place which just blows me away, that was more than what I thought it could be. One walk down to Circular Quay however, and despite it being filled with tourist I was still completely in awe. Sydney will forever be my favourite city in the world, and I hope that if you visit that you find these tips useful.
When I first saw the reports of the devastating earthquake which hit New Zealand’s South Island on 22nd February (one month ago today), like many people I watched in both shock and horror at some of the heartbreaking images being displayed across our tv screens. With any major disaster like this, you always feel great compassion for the country involved, and hope that nobody loses their life as a result of it. Unfortunately, the reality is that when a disaster of this magnitude hits (in this case a 6.3 magnitude earthquake hitting quite close to the surface), there almost always is. So far the death toll for the earthquake stands at 154 people. Many people still remain missing, with the death toll expected to rise as more bodies are found beneath the rubble.
It is with this that the Blog4NZ campaign begun shortly afterwards, spearheaded by Craig and Linda Martin from the Indie Travel Podcast. It’s going to take a lot of cash to rebuild the parts of New Zealand which have been damaged. In particular, the damage to Christchurch, one of New Zealand’s most popular destinations for backpackers and visitors in general. With tourism making up approximately 10% of New Zealand’s GDP, as Craig and Linda say “it is essential for the world to know that New Zealand is open for business, and that it doesn’t look like a war zone.”
Right now they are asking bloggers and travel websites around the world to publish at least one positive post on travel in New Zealand between March 21 – 23, 2011. They are also providing guest posts and photo essays that may be used royalty-free for those who would like to take part, but haven’t yet been to New Zealand, as well as having some key New Zealand tourism organisations on board, and combining all those Blog4NZ posts in one central location so people can see, retweet, and and repost as they like.
As someone who has yet to make it to New Zealand’s shores during my travels, I am limited to what I can post in regards to the country personally. In fact, up until this campaign was launched my knowledge of New Zealand was very limited. I knew they filmed Lord of Rings there, were the home of the super funny Flight of the Concords, and had a scary (but awesome) rugby team! What has been great about this campaign however is that it has brought New Zealand to the forefront of my mind. It’s made me want to learn a little bit more about the country, and gave me an interest in fitting it into my future travel plans, which I think is what Craig and Linda are trying to do with this campaign – bring the tourism in New Zealand to the forefront of people’s mind’s. In particular, seeing some of the incredible New Zealand themed photography has made me very jealous of what appears to be some breath taking natural beauty that the country has to offer.
Although I can’t write at the moment about my experiences in New Zealand however, what I can mention is some of the amazing backpackers I have met along my travels who come from New Zealand. You meet Kiwi backpackers everywhere on your travels when you do what I do. Never once have I met one who wasn’t laid back, down to earth, or easy going. It seems it’s just the way local people are from New Zealand, and if that’s anything to go by then it sounds like a pretty cool place to be. I look forward to adding New Zealand to my list of places to go this year. If you’re also thinking of visiting New Zealand, or would like to find out or contribute to Blog4NZ, you can find out more via the official website www.blog4nz.indietravelmedia.com, or check out and “like” the facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/blog4nz.
I love Melbourne! It’s a city full of culture, character, and energy. So often however, it is over looked by its neighbour Sydney in international ad campaigns. So much so, most people aren’t aware of all that Melbourne has to offer as a city until they visit Australia and see for themselves. I also love Sydney, but I thought it would be useful to list my top 5 things to do in Melbourne (based on the 3 months I lived in the city), for people visiting right now, and also those who may not be considering the city as a destination at the moment, unaware of what it has to offer.
Go to an Australian Rules Football match
Contrary to popular belief, Australian Rules Football (AFL) is only particularly popular in the Australian state of Victoria. Everywhere else in Australia, Rugby is the main sport which local people follow. Melbourne being the state capitol of Victoria, this means it the main hub for all things AFL. This provides a great opportunity for any travellers in the Melbourne area to use their time in the city to experience what is a sport unique to Australia. The MCG Stadium in particular is a really spectacular stadium if you are looking to check out a local game. AFL pitches are much bigger than what is used in other sports, such as football (soccer), and rugby. A visit to the stadium alone I think is worth it for some cool panoramic pics, but it also provides a chance to experience AFL at its best!
Go to Queen Victoria Market
Queen Victoria Market is my favourite market in the world when it comes to food. The food here just tastes so scrumptious and fresh, with everything from fresh fish, chicken, fruit, vegetables, and delicatessen products available, taking up around 50% of the market. It’s also very affordable, and is definitely somewhere you should go if you are looking to save money and eat in while you are in Melbourne, but would still like to buy good quality fresh produce. You’ll have to take my word for it, but the food here just tastes better than at any other market I’ve been too! The other 50% of the market also has a variety of stalls for you to browse around, covering a variety of products such as books, CDs, DVDs, clothes, and more. You could easily spend half a day here, wandering around the stalls, and mixing with the local Melbourne people.
Go out in St Kilda
St Kilda is a cool, inner city suburb of Melbourne, and a popular place to go out at night. There are many pubs, and nightclubs here, as well as many cafés, shops, and restaurants lining the main streets. One of my favourite places to go out in St Kilda is the Espy, a cool live music bar, playing a variety of music all week long. St Kilda is also the only place in the world I have come across with an all night bakery! Everybody eats fast food sometimes after a night out, but you haven’t lived until you’ve eaten a pastie and some chocolate gateau, drunk at 4am! Many backpackers base themselves in Saint Kilda due to the abundance of night life, and it’s probably not the best place to go if you want to hang with the locals, but if you like a good night out then it’s definitely one of the best places to go in Melbourne.
Hang out at the Crown Casino Complex
Situated smack bang in the city centre next to the Yarra River, the Crown Casino is the largest casino and entertainment complex in the whole of Australia, and the Southern hemisphere. Personally, I’m not into gambling. In fact, casinos as a whole bore me, but the even if you don’t casinos like me; the Crown Casino has so much more to it than just the casino complex. There is a cinema, cheap dinning hall, many restaurants lined along its front, plus shops and nightclubs inside. In particular, I used to love hanging out in the little discount CD shop inside. These days I just use Spotify, or download tracks when it comes to music, but you can get really cheap CD’s and DVD’s in this shop, and the staff were all really cool. The dinning hall was also really good if you wanted cheap Chinese, Italian, Thai, or Indian food, amongst many other varieties. You could literally spend an entire day in here shopping, eating out, going to cinema, and then into one of the many nightclubs inside. Then of course, there is also the huge casino too! At night sometimes there was also sometimes a lights/fire show, with flames emitting from the big columns outside (next to the Yarra River) which also provided for some cool night time pics. If you live anywhere in the city centre, it is definitely somewhere you should check out in my opinion.
Experience the culture
They don’t lie when they say Melbourne is the cultural hub of Australia. When it comes to festivals, music, drama, comedy, and art, Melbourne wins hands down in my mind as the best place to be anywhere in the southern hemisphere – the Melbourne Comedy and Fringe Festivals being two of its main attributes. It was also the second city after Edinburgh to be named a UNESCO City of Literature, and is the home of the Australian Ballet, and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Buildings such as the Princes Theatre, Coops Shot Tower, and the National Gallery of Victoria are also simply stunning pieces of architecture. The latter being both the oldest and largest art gallery in Australia. Melbourne is also just a great place to see live music. As I mentioned above, the Espy in St Kilda is a particular favourite of mine, but there are many live music bars and gig venue’s dotted throughout the city. The music scene here is alive, and you’ll usually find most of the Australian bands that have made it internationally, usually hail from Melbourne.
Todays post is brought to you by Cheapflights.com.au
Airfare prices are at an all-time low as budget airlines frantically compete to offer the lowest prices on the best flights. What many passengers scooping up cheap tickets may be surprised to learn about are the additional charges and fees for what used to be considered a part of the in-flight service. Want to take luggage with you on your holiday? Want an extra pillow for the ride? How about some in-flight entertainment or a refreshing beverage? Depending on whom you fly with – you may have to pay.
Required taxes and surcharges
When it comes to airport taxes, there are plenty of charges that get added on to your original fare quote, especially if you’re flying overseas. Many of the online price quotes that you receive will already include additional taxes, although some advertised fares for airline tickets will have these added on top of the base rate at the time of booking.
Individual charges are levied depending on the airport itself, where you’re going and who you’re travelling with.
- Passenger Movement – first and foremost, the Australian Government requires a Passenger Movement Charge on all individuals leaving the country – essentially a departure tax. This is in accordance to the Passenger Movement Charge Act 1978 and currently stands at $47 per exit.
- “Airport taxes” – how much “airport tax” you get charged will depend on the airport you’re flying from and the carrier you’re travelling on. These charges can include fuel levies, security charges, airport improvement and maintenance fees, as well as any insurance costs for the airline that get passed down to the customer. Different airports within Australia have varying rates and they are subject to change. Meanwhile, Sydney airport’s recent hike in its regional surcharges was knocked back by ACCC which is good news for those booking cheap flights to Sydney.
Image via SXC.hu
Budget Airlines – fees to know about
When it comes to booking cheap flights with budget carriers, the in-flight experience is really stripped back to basics. What were once considered standard amenities that came with your reservation, are often now billed as additional charges, including:
- Baggage check-in fee – many domestic operators are now charging for passengers to check-in even a single piece of luggage on their flights. Costs for baggage check-in vary by carrier. Weight restrictions will also apply.
- Preferred seats - it used to be that a cute smile and polite demeanour might get you an upgrade or a better seat. However, today, many “preferred seats”, including exit row seats with extra leg room or seats towards the front of the plane, can inquire a surcharge.
- Online payment and “convenience fees” - want to pay by credit card? Or make your reservation over the phone? Many carriers will now charge a “convenience fee” for these types of transactions.
- Reserving your seats - do you need an aisle seat to stretch into? Have you done your research on the safest seats for airplane crash? Some airlines will require you to pay a seat reservation fee if you want to claim your spot early. Otherwise, you can go online and reserve your seat for free 24 hours before you fly or take what you can get once you arrive at the airport.
- On-board extras – many budget airlines are now charging passengers for on-board extras including snacks, meals and beverages and for the use of in-flight entertainment accessories such as headphones. Some sites will let you pre-order your extras online which will cost less than purchasing while on-board.
Image via Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/hradcanska/3417908543/sizes/z/in/photostream/
Other fees
- Cancellation fee – many sale fares come with a cancellation fee, so if you change your mind about your booking you’ll have to pay extra. Meanwhile, some itineraries won’t let you change at all and the price of the ticket is forfeited if you fail to make your flight. Always make sure you read the terms and conditions before you settle on your booking.
- Name change fee – bad news for sticky fingers – a mistake on the spelling of your name could be costly. Always double and triple check the spelling and make sure the name on your ticket matches the ID you present at the counter.
What other charges are you aware of when you fly?
By Being aware of the fees that you can be charged, you can make sure that you really do get the cheapest fare possible, so that your extra cash can be saved for spending on other travel expenses such as budget hotels.
I spent 3 months living and working in Sydney before moving on to other areas throughout Australia, on my last visit to the city. In that time I managed to get a much more in depth view of what life was like from a local’s perspective there than I could have otherwise. Equally, I was still there as a backpacker, and I feel this has given me a unique perspective of the city from both a local and traveller’s perspective. Below are my top 5 things to do in Sydney, offering both a combination of tourist attractions, and things which offer an insight into life as a local in the city, all on a strict backpacker budget.
Have lunch at Circular Quay
Every time you see a picture or postcard of Sydney it usually has either the Harbour Bridge or Sydney Opera House in it (or both!) Usually when I see pictures of landmarks, and then see them in real life, they are a real let down and not much to write home about. Sydney however, was a real surprise for me in this aspect. Almost everyday of my time in Sydney, I would walk down to Circular Quay (where the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House is) I would sit down with my lunch and just wonder how I ended up half way across the world in such an awe inspiring place. When the sun is shining in Sydney, which is just about every day, this place is stunning. Sometimes it’s just the simplest things which make you’re trip special, and having lunch down here every day was one of them. It’s also costs no money to just come hang out here. I recommend to anyone to come down by the harbour at Circular Quay at least once. You really start to realise why everyone talks about these landmarks, and is just a cool place to hang out.
Hang out in Newtown, and go to the Newtown festival!
Newtown is a really cool district of Sydney which is kind of like Camden Town in London, only better! Everybody here dresses very alternative, and there is strong community of vegetarians and vegan’s, shown through the many great restaurants here geared towards this market. Newtown is actually one of the few places in the world where McDonalds had to close down due to lack of business, something which I quite like about the place! The best thing about Newtown however, other than the great cafes and restaurants (there is an amazing Italian on Kings St you should definitely check out), is the shops! Newtown is an alternative hub in Sydney, and as a result there are some amazing independent shops here. I absolutely love shopping in Newtown! Everybody you meet here seems to be an artist or a musician, and there is just so much to see and do for such a small area. If I ever decided to stop travelling and settle down it would be in Newtown. Other notable highlights include the little independent art house cinema, and the centre for promoting the rights of Indigenous Australians. If you are here from 7th – 22nd March, you should also check out the Newtown Festival. It is completely free to enter, has live bands playing, great little clothes & food stalls, and is generally just a cool, laid back place to hang out and meet like minded people. It’s one of my favourite festivals anywhere in the world in one of my favourite places, and I highly recommend it!
Go for a night out in Kings Cross
Kings Cross is one of those places that has to be experienced and accepted for what it is. It’s not to everyone’s taste, but is an interesting place to check out. It’s a huge centre for nightlife in the city, and is also home to a lot of prostitution and drugs on the streets. There is a strange combination of pubs and nightclubs here. If you stick to the main street you will find a lot of cheap trashy places (not that there is anything wrong with that), but you’ll also find a lot of really cool alternative hang outs round corners or nestled in places you wouldn’t expect. I ended up in a really cool place on one of my last nights there which was like an old town house that had been converted into an electro club. You would walk upstairs and into rooms where the décor was still as if it was someone’s house, except there was a DJ playing and a bar tucked away in a corner somewhere, and people were dancing on carpet. Equally, there were also a lot of bars and nightclubs in Kings Cross which offered cheap booze, but something that had an atmosphere more akin to a kind of hen/stag party night. It’s definitely not everyone’s cup of tea, but you can get a cheap night out here, cheap food, and there are usually a lot of buskers playing music on the streets here which I liked.
Do the Coogee to Bondi walk
There is a really beautiful walk from Coogee to Bondi beach in Sydney which takes in lots of rugged coast line, a cemetery by the sea, peaceful sea views, and cool sculptures and artworks along the way. I never really use guide books, but this was one gem that a friend of mine discovered via the Lonely Planet that we went on, and was really stunning. At the end you get some views of Bondi and all the people on the beach, and although it would be terrible to sunbathe on such a packed beach, it was incredible to see the view from afar, with all the tiny dots of people. Sort of a bit like when you see the view of a city from high up. The view is incredible, but being down by all the concrete will eventually get you down!
Go for a surf!
Other than beer and BBQ’s, one thing that is intrinsically linked into the local Australian culture is surfing! Over 80% of the Australian population live on the coast, a large percentage of that situated around the New South Wales coast line, and Sydney. If you’ve never surfed before it’s probably best to go for a few lessons (you’ll see loads of advertisements for classes in the hostels). Alternatively, if you’re on a strict budget, you could always go body boarding instead. It’s sort of like the lazy mans surfing, where you just ride the waves in, belly down on a cheap body board. My top tip for going surfing in Sydney is to avoid Bondi beach like the plague, and head out to some of Sydney’s alternative beaches, such as Palm Beach or Narrabeen. These particular beaches are great for surfing, and are also much more secluded. Everybody goes to Bondi beach at least once on their trip, but during summer it is completely packed, and is really hard to get any space on the beach at all.
Sydney is one my favourite places in the world to be. It combines my love for the city, with my love for the beach, and the sun! The local Australian people are also some of the most laid back, and there is an eclectic mix of international people there. If ever I was to stop travelling, I would most likely be there…
