Oz 2010-2011: Planes, Trains & Automobiles

For shits & giggs, I've plotted my journey in Oz and New Zealand (11/2010-10/2011) on this map. The dotted lines represent traveling by plane and the solid lines represent traveling by train or automobile. Oz is such a huge country, it'd take me at least 2 years to backpack it properly. As such, I didn't have the time (nor the $) to explore the Kimberleys or SA :( I am, however, proud to say that I literally came full circle and achieved most of my work/travel goals in Oz. Hallelujah! Let it be known that if you (YES, you!) are in need of Oz-y backpacker-ish tips/advice, you know who to holler at.



(START)
Melbourne

flew: San Francisco > Melbs
worked: 3 months in Melbs
roadtripped: up to Sydney (coastal route)
roadtripped: down to Melbs (inland route)
flew: Melbs > Auckland
roadtripped: down the North Island to Wellington (inland route)
roadtripped: down the South Island to Queenstown (coastal route)
flew: Christchurch > Sydney
flew: Sydney > Perth
worked: 2.5 months in Perth
flew: Perth > Alice Springs
roadtripped: west to Kings Canyon & Ayers Rock
roadtripped: east to Alice Springs & up to Darwin
worked: 9 weeks in Jabiru
flew: Darwin > Cairns
roadtripped: down to Byron Bay (coastal route)
road the rails: down to Sydney (coastal route)

(FINISH)
Sydney

Backpackers in Oz

When I embarked on my adventure in Oz back in Nov 2010, I came up with this idea. I thought it'd be kool to keep a log of all the wicked awesome people I had the privilege of meeting on my journey. In no particular order, I introduce you all to a buncha backpackers in Oz between Nov 2010 and Oct 2011. Ranging between the ages of 18-31, they're people I either traveled with, lived with or worked with.

The bottom line is that ya'll should be inspired by these koolass people. All of them had the balls to leave home with the intent to work and travel in a country they never grew up in; all of them have a unique story to tell. If you're currently contemplating just pickin' up and leaving, just remember... if all these people did it, you can too! Believe me you, traveling can and will change your life.



Name — Hampus Maxsebastian
Nationality — Swedish
Where to next? — "Maybe Byron Bay..."
Why Oz? — "I'm lookin' for my life..."
Why travel? — "Fuckin' just live your life."
#1 Travel Tip — "Just fuckin', just rock this place!"



Name — Nora Mulvaney
Nationality — Canadian
Where to next? — Vietnam
Why Oz? — "Because you can stay here so long, stay 1-2 years, come here with a one-way ticket..."
Why travel? — "I've always loved to travel and you start fresh every time."
#1 Travel Tip — "Hide the 3rd person."



Name — Diego Valdivia
Nationality — American/Mexican
Where to next? — Thailand
Why Oz? — Kangaroos
Why travel? — "It's the best."
#1 Travel Tip — "Just go for it."



Name — Tara Stephens
Nationality — Irish
Where to next? — Townsville, Australia
Why Oz? — "It was the furthest place away from Ireland."
Why travel? — "You get to meet new people and see a bit of the world."
#1 Travel Tip — "Don't pack too much. Less is more."



Name — Sam Jago Coleman
Nationality — British
Where to next? — Redroof, Cornwall, UK
Why Oz? — "New opportunities... a chance to see the world!"
Why travel? — "I like to meet new people, see new places... the thrill of adventure!"
#1 Travel Tip — "Get to the backpackers' ASAP, you never know who you'll meet!"



Name — Carina Meidert
Nationality — Bavarian
Where to next? — Singapore
Why Oz? — "No special reason... work to travel."
Why travel? — "Cultures and traditions... but especially, it helps me make sense of my future."
#1 Travel Tip — TBA



Name — Jonas Balzer
Nationality — German/Korean
Where to next? — Malaysia
Why Oz? — "So many backpackers, the sun, and the Outback."
Why travel? — "...just wanna do something different and FREEDOM!"
#1 Travel Tip — "Simply do what comes to your mind."



Name — Laure Parachini
Nationality — French
Where to next? — Byron Bay, Australia
Why Oz? — "the Heartbreaker TV series takes place in Oz, and it inspired me to come! When I was 15 I thought Australia was kool... the surfer dream/image influenced me."
Why travel? — "Because I want to see for myself what the news tells us... I want to know everything about everything. I'm a very curious person!"
#1 Travel Tip — "Travel light!"



Name — Lisa Waterink
Nationality — Dutch
Where to next? — Tasmania, Australia
Why Oz? — "I actually wanted to travel to South America, but my parents didn't think it was safe so I chose Oz. I'm enjoying my choice so far, I love it."
Why travel? — "I just finished high school, I felt I deserved time off, and I just wanted to gain more confidence, etc etc."
#1 Travel Tip — TBA



Name — Hayley Meads
Nationality — English
Where to next? — "No idea."
Why Oz? — "I always wanted to come here... it was a childhood dream."
Why travel? — "Meetin' new people, growing up, being your own person. You actually find yourself."
#1 Travel Tip — "SUN CREAM!"



Name — Javier Dominguez
Nationality — Cuban/American
Where to next? — "Asia, but technically Adelaide."
Why Oz? — *shruggs*
Why travel? — "It's always fun being somewhere new... and testing my limitations."
#1 Travel Tip — "Always remember flights are listed in the 24hr time format."



Name — Mary Rowlands
Nationality — British
Where to next? — Sydney, Australia
Why Oz? — "Everyone says that Oz is so amazing, but I doubted it. I wanted to prove myself wrong."
Why travel? — "For shitts and giggs."
#1 Travel Tip — "Trust fate."



Name — Vahur Lumilaid
Nationality — Estonian
Where to next? — Europe (but first, a few weeks in Asia, i.e. Bali)
Why Oz? — "It's an easy place to find a job and to travel."
Why travel? — "Fun, meet new friends, see different places."
#1 Travel Tip — N/A



Name — Niamh Rebecca Hill
Nationality — Canadian
Where to next? — Korea
Why Oz? — "I wanted to go somewhere warm and I have a lot of friends here."
Why travel? — "To avoid responsibility."
#1 Travel Tip — "Don't make plans and bring lots of baby wipes."



Name — Christel Knook
Nationality — Dutch
Where to next? — Asia
Why Oz? — "My boyfriend... initially."
Why travel? — "To explore the world, to get out of this bubble."
#1 Travel Tip — "Open up and it will all come to you."



Name — Adam Alexander Reis
Nationality — British
Where to next? — "Sydney I think..."
Why Oz? — "Because my friends booked it and told me I was going."
Why travel? — "It's just fun every day! Even if you're stuck in a flood or somethin', it'd still be fun!"
#1 Travel Tip — "Try to hang around people from the country you're visiting. PS. Work at the SEXPO!"



Name — Felix
Nationality — Hong Konger
Where to next? — 1. New Zealand 2. UK 3. Germany
Why Oz? — "It's easy to apply for a Visa here."
Why travel? — "You find yourself when you travel. Complete the travel mission before you die!"
#1 Travel Tip — "Never have sex with your friends!"



Name — Matteo Claudio Katzschner
Nationality — German/Italian
Where to next? — "Bali for 3 weeks, Thailand, back to Germany, then I'll plan a new trip and go to Canada or Australia again."
Why Oz? — "It's an amazing country... beautiful land, lots of animals, other cultures..."
Why travel? — "I wasn't so sure about traveling at first, but then when I first road-tripped I fell in love with it... SO MUCH FUN!"
#1 Travel Tip — Lucky Bay and the Kimberleys (Western Australia)



Name — Caroline Amy McKenzie
Nationality — "British, dude."
Where to next? — "I don't really know. It's a hard question. After Oz I'm going to New Zealand."
Why Oz? — "It has very beautiful beaches and it's very far away... and it seems like a lot of fun."
Why travel? — "It's not for everybody, but you have to experience new cultures! Good people + good location + good food = best times!"
#1 Travel Tip — 1. Do not leave home without a travel pillow. 2. If you're a girl, bring one nice dress.



Name — Christophe Richin
Nationality — French
Where to next? — Mauritius
Why Oz? — "Because it's easy to get a long-term Visa here and it's a warm country."
Why travel? — "I want to see something different... I have a restless soul."
#1 Travel Tip — "Don't drive over 80 km/hour (it saves you money)!"



Name — Sigourney Kiddy
Nationality — Scottish
Where to next? — Italy
Why Oz? — "Because everyone loves it and I wanna fall in love with it too."
Why travel? — "Freedom."
#1 Travel Tip — "Pack a beach towel."



Name — Matêj Linhart
Nationality — Czech
Where to next? — New Zealand
Why Oz? — "It's just part of my trip around the world."
Why travel? — "It gives me inspiration… for life."
#1 Travel Tip — "Throw away guides and cameras, listen to your inner voice, and enjoy every moment you have."



Name — Mariska Hulst
Nationality — Dutch
Where to next? — Darwin --> Broome --> Perth
Why Oz? — "...warm...safe...lots of backpackers..."
Why travel? — "I was done studying, I didn't want to study further or work, so I came to Oz!"
#1 Travel Tip — "Go and work somewhere and meet locals."



Name — Jennie Helen Gardner
Nationality — British
Where to next? — "Oh god... Sydney."
Why Oz? — "...'cuz it's as far away from England as you can get."
Why travel? — "Meeting people that you'd never meet before."
#1 Travel Tip — 1. Always carry lip gloss. 2. Keep a diary.



Name — Dennis Eichler
Nationality — German
Where to next? — Shanghai
Why Oz? — It's easy to get around, there's heaps to see, it's easy to get a Visa..."
Why travel? — "Because you really get to know the country you're in."
#1 Travel Tip — "Fast-drying towels and not worrying about a wet towel in your backpack."



I apologize to the 20+ Ozzie backpackers I had the pleasure of being acquainted with that also deserve to be featured in this post. Sometimes it just wasn't convenient to bust out my Moleskine and jot down notes, or sometimes I procrastinated and never got around to it. Sorry, kids. In any case, I'll end this shizzle off by filling out my own little questionnaire below. Rockin' the Beanie like whoa......



Name — Shelley Pascual
Nationality — Canadian/Filipino
Where to next? — "South Korea, Southeast Asia, then the rest of the World."
Why Oz? — "I missed the deadline for teaching English in South Korea, and Oz was my Plan B."
Why travel? — "There's nothing more fulfilling in life than learning about/understanding/living amongst cultures different from your own."
#1 Travel Tip — "Learn to detach yourself from material shit."

NASI GORENG WARS

It all started with my backpackerness. I was trying to figure out a cheap way to make rice and veggies more flavourful. The problem was, I'd splurge on fresh veg and brown rice, then be stuck with plainass stirfries, sad face. That is, until I discovered these Nasi Goreng fried rice spice pastes for the first time! I gotta admit, it was Indofood's Nasi Goreng that first got me hooked. But I was curious to try some of the other Nasi Goreng brands out there. Below, I've ranked my findings in order of worst (#3) to best (#1). I hope my findings inspire you to try at least one of 'em! Let the wars begin!



#3. Pazar ― Sh.t! Bland! Tasteless! Pazar was so mild, I had to add tomato sauce (aka ketchup) to the entire dish because the blandness was killing me! This was some flavourless shyte, I tells ya! Don't even think about wasting 1 Aussie Dollar on this stuff! That is all.

#2. Bamboe ― Effing effing spicy! I found myself constantly adding more and more rice to the pan so the dish would mellow out and lessen in spiciness. I didn't enjoy this process, especially since I prefer 50% rice and 50% veggies in my version of Nasi Goreng. But hey, if you can handle the heat...

#1. Indofood ― I apologize in advance for being bias, but Indofood is still my go-to brand for Nasi Goreng. It's neither too spicy, nor too bland. It's been tried, tested, and straight up, it's the damn truth! Flavourful and reliable, Indofood gets 2 thumbs up in my books.

Kakadu Bakery ― I, Bakery Assistant

Of all the jobs I've had in Australia, working as a Bakery Assitant at Kakadu Bakery was the wackiest experience, hands down. I arrived at the bakery's busiest time of the year, when 13-hour shifts and ache-y legs were the norm. Nevertheless, I learned alot and admittedly enjoyed my job. Located in small town Jabiru, 99% of the bakery's employees are backpackers. So if you're a backpacker and you're thinking of working here, you're in luck. This post is dedicated to you.



I'm afraid I'll have to tell you all the deep, dark truth about Kakadu Bakery. The owner is a very difficult man to work for. He's capable of being friendly, but most days, he's just plain miserable. As such, the work atmosphere at Kakadu Bakery isn't the most uplifting. Backpackers beware! Do not attempt to work here if you cannot work long, hard hours and if you do not deal with harsh criticisms well. If you cannot handle the heat, you will be kicked out of the bakery. This is no joke.



I survived two intense months working at this crazy place thanks to the honourable gentlemen pictured above. Introducing... the Bread Guy Vahur (left), the Head Baker Juancho (middle) and my fellow Bakery Assistant Matteo (right). 6 days a week workin' 60/70/80 hours a week together... we were such a good team, hey?! I'll never forget The Dinosaur hand, Vahur's squinty morning eyes, the same bloody CDs being played over and over again, and of course, "Sex, Drugs & Sausage Rolls!"



Among a long list of other things, filling cream buns with fresh whipped cream is a daily task for the Bakery Assistants. Bigups to Matteo for teaching me how to pipe whipped cream so that it looks bee-yoo-tee-full. Btw, at Kakadu Bakery, you either work in the bakery (back) or in the shop (front). And all the ideas expressed in this post are from the perspectives of someone who worked in the bakery. Good riddance to a lifetime of customer service-oriented part-time jobs!



Another daily task as Bakery Assistant is to prepare the sweet scrolls pictured above. 3 flava flaves, ya'll: apple, apricot and blueberry. Additionally, I rolled out baguettes by hand, sprinkled sesame seeds on bread rolls, prepared meat/veg pizzas and quiches, slathered nasty pink sh.t on Finger Buns (an Aussie fave)... there are too many tasks to mention here. Just know that 25% of my job entailed cleaning when all the baking was done. Yep, I was an official Counter Scraper/Dishwasher too!



I admit, baking the sweet stuff was the funnest part of my job. Imagine! Getting paid to bake banana cakes, carrot cakes, cheesecake tarts, brownies, choc chip cookies, anzac cookies, blueberry muffins... 'twas sweet assssssssssss! The top 3 things I learned as a Bakery Assistant: 1. Baking in a commercial bakery is 100% different from baking at home. 2. Follow the recipe's procedures precisely, or you're effed. 3. Every bake will be different, and that's just how the cookie crumbles.



In Australia, job opportunities are everywhere. You need only decide what you'd like to do, then set out to make it happen! This concept applies to the whole concept of backpacking in Australia. Whether it's a job or a travel idea, you'll have nothing to lose and everything to gain by just going for it! So good luck, fellow backpacker. Work hard to play hard. Now it's my turn to play hard, whoopeeee! PS. "Jabiru Bakery" is so much more appropriate, no? #justsayin

[TIPS] Backpackers in Oz

Thinking of getting a Working Holiday Visa in Oz? Do it!!! You won't regret it!!! Let's just say it's been one of the best experiences of my LIFE so far!!! Here are some tips from yours truly. Keep in mind that this list will continue to grow as my backpackeriness in Oz continues...


Random

―Arrive in Oz with an open mind.
―Be flexible. Embrace sporadic decision-making.
―Arrive with toiletries (i.e. toothpaste), as they're madd expensive here.
―Girls! Arrive with pads/tampons/girly stuff, as they're madd expensive here.
―Don't get materialistically attached to anything, especially clothes.
―Purge regularly. Nothin' worse than carrying 25kg of stuff on your back!
―Do not, I repeat, do not bring anything you fear you'd lose.
―Stay at hostels! How else do you think you'll meet people?

Hostel Life

―Go halfsies on laundry loads. You'll save a buck or two.
―If you don't want any haters, wash your own dishes!
―Never waste food! A backpacker will eat anyone's leftovers.
―Utilize free food shelves and book swap shelves.
―Let shit slide. You'll run into him or her again.
―Throw the idea of privacy out the window.
―Learn and practice the art of squatting. Esp on Sunday mornings.
―Never forget your room keys, even when you're just going across the hall.

Employment

―Claim non-resident status. You'll be able to get almost all your taxes back.
―You're more likely to get hired if you fib on your CV.
―Say you've had experience working in Oz even if you haven't.

Communication

―Bring your unlocked cellular phone and use it in Oz.
―Crazy John's YES. Vodafone NO. Telstra MAYBE.
―Crazy John's $15 Flat Chat recharge lasts about 2 weeks.
―Bring a mini-computer (light/handy for travelling) that has excellent battery life.
―Buy the cheapest international phone cards from Global Gossip.
.
Melbourne

―Buy a 2-hour Metlink ticket and only validate it when you see an inspector.
―Shop for cheap clothes and miscellaneous items at Savers.
―Buy a bike (on Gumtree) and then sell it (on Gumtree).
―Funkyass colours of NYC nail polish is only $2 at 7/11.