Coach

West Coast Western Australia has somehow managed to avoid the scrutiny of the hordes of backpackers that constantly swarm the country. Everyone seems to have done the Sydney to Cairns route, and there are thousands of backpackers in every main city up the coast. The nearly deserted west coast would prove to be far different, and as a result the few people who travel it were to be the highlights. I really didn't know what to expect when I arrived in Perth, but the first evening was quite shocking. I didn't think that finding a hostel would be a problem, but when I called the night before the 7 that I spoke to were fully booked. Consequently, I decided to book anything I could over the internet and the place I ended up with was absolutely ... read more

Pretty much everyone you talk to says that the South Island is way better than the North, and that you should spend at least twice as much time on the South. With that in mind, I set foot on the Wellington harbour with the intent of proving everyone wrong. I failed miserably. That's not to say that there wasn't a lot of fun to be had in the next few weeks, but there simply is not enough to keep oneself occupied and amazed. I met my North Island traveling crew on my last night on the South and in Wellington, and they definitely made the island for me. The weather in Wellington was nothing short of terrible, and I didn't even manage to get a single photo. Luckily enough, the city has several good museums. ... read more

Ahhh, Tasmania... The punchline of so many jokes, yet a place that so few people (including Aussies) actually visit. After spending 10 days on the Apple Isle, I would definitely place it right near the top of the list of must see destinations in Australia. It is so different from anywhere else I have been here, and a refreshing change. As soon as I stepped off the plane and smelled the fresh air blowing all around me, I knew I was going to love Tassie. I started my journey in Hobart, the most southerly capital in Australia. There is a tendency here to point out how each place is "the most" something, which I found quite annoying. None the less, it is a beautiful little city set in a calm bay (when I saw it, at ... read more

The Whitsunday Islands are another one of the must-do trips in Australia, and they definitely did not disappoint. I had pictured a sailing boat with Captain Ron at the helm, calling me swabby and ordering me around, but it was not the case. The boat was a catamaran with a sail that was only used for shade on the deck, with nearly seventy drunkards on board, and the skipper spent the whole trip in a small inflatable pool on the front deck. The boat holds way too many people to stay on it, so both nights we docked at south molle island at a resort. The resort owners have set up a backpackers only area that is quite some distance from the main area, complete with our own bar to keep us away from the more ... read more

Hey all! Well, my Australian journey has begun. I'm pretty new at the whole blog thing, so I'm sure the first few entries will suck 'cause the format's a little confusing. At Murph's suggestion, I began my aussie experience in the lovely Sydney suburb of King's Cross. For those of you who haven't heard of the Cross, it consists mainly of three types of characters: working girls, junkies and backpackers. On the weekend so many locals descend on the Cross that you can hardly get into a bar, the streets are absolutely packed and there are frequent fights. It actually seems that most backpackers tend to take the weekend off from partying, I'm sure partly because they don't give away any free booze. After wading my way through all the excitement, I found that my hostel ... read more