Heading to Oz

[laceer]

Just booked flights to australia.headin to thailand for a month then going to travel round oz for as long as possible before getting a job!!have never been "backpacking" (don't like that word) before and would appreciate any advice/tips from some more well travelled posters!!advice on anything is welcome..what to pack, where to go etc etc  cheers 

[Dinny Breen]

West Coast! West Coast! West Coast!

[redandblackjack]

When in thailand stay away from The TAT- its their tourist infromation offices- they can book travel and accomodation for you around thailand. They ripp you off big time, you think your getting a deal until you get to the places and realise you could do it for half the price. Your best bet is booking your entire Thailand trip on the net before going inc. flights/bus/trains trips. Bangkok is a dump as is phuket- but might be worth a luck for a few days. Koh Phi Phi (great for chilling out for a week) and Koh Phangan (for the full moon party) were the pick of the bunch for me. Koh Samui is also similar to these two islands. We went up north to Chang Mai for a week and went on a jungle trekk- it was the best craic we had in Thailand- the tour guides are just like a bunch of students and are up for a laugh! Watch out for the thai's in bangkok esp at night- you are a walking £ sign!

[Tony Baloney]

You'd be better doing your backpacking stuff on the way back from Oz in case you end up landing in Oz skint and with a dose!

Heard nothing but bad reports from Thailand this past year or two. I reckon you'd be better off hitting some of the other spots in SE Asia and blowing your dong* in Vietnam, Cambodia or Laos (I usually write Laois!).




*Dong is the currency of Vietnam 

[ziggysego]

My sister is just back from a year in Australia. She says, get yourself off to New Zealand if you can for a few weeks.

[his holiness nb]

My sister is just back from a year in Australia. She says, get yourself off to New Zealand if you can for a few weeks.

Ziggy she probably just wants rid of you for a bit 

[ziggysego]

You're probably right holiness. I'm seriously considering going myself for 6 months at the end of the year. All depends on what a mate is doing.

[laceer]

West Coast! West Coast! West Coast!

would u recomend a campervan dinny?

what about work?don't plan on workin for as long as possible but i'd say it'll have to be done at some stage!

is it handy enough getting a job?honestly couldn't care less what i do as long as it pays the rent and gets me a trip to erinsburugh 

[ziggysego]

Easy enough to getting labouring work laceer, if you're prepared to put in a bit of hard work.

As for Ramsey Street. My sister was there and met Max.

[laceer]

meetin the killer would be alright

it's pepper i'm after   

[ziggysego]

it's pepper i'm after   

Good luck with that 

[Mack the finger]

I've a brother in St Kilda and when I was dandering about the street one day I met (hope I get the names right) Max, Steph, Toad
and sky. The brother recognised them, I didn't have a clue. He wanted them to go for a beer, but they weren't having any of it. There's a pub in the same place organises visits from Neighbours 'stars' every monday night, will try and remember name of pub.

[stiffler]

Elephant and Wheelborrow is the name of the pub, its in st kilda, held every monday night.

[The Real Laoislad]

Melbourne what a place that would be the first place i'd go back too..Also Queenstown in New Zealand's South Island is great

[Dinny Breen]

would u recomend a campervan dinny?

Absolutely totally the best way to see Oz, drove from Cairns via Syndey via Melbourne via Perth to Broome myself, took the guts of 4 months but well worth it. The East coast is over-hyped where conversely the West Coast is under-hyped. It's not a cheap country but there is always back-packer deals available for cheap drinks and food. As regards work, start looking straight away as it generally will take a couple of weeks anyway to find a job. I just prefered the West Coast, just a fantastic way of life and Western Aussies are pretty friendly and very laid back, their not as exposed to the back-pack culture and just make more of an effort plus my god-child is a west Aussie. Whatever you do just move around, stay away from County Bondi as much as you can and you'll love, lucky man.