Sydney Explorer

Hello Wonderful People! When you think of Australia, The Great Barrier Reef is going to be up there, swimming around in your little head as something completely synonymous with that big country down under! So, obviously it was one of the things I was dying to see while in Aus and it truly was stunning.

Hello Wonderful People! Any backpacker will know that their backpack is their most trusty companion when on the road. You pretty much become a tortoise and carry all your worldly belongings on your back. Yes, I may have cursed my stupid, heavy backpack countless times while trekking through the sweaty streets searching for hostels or transport. But I always apologised to it afterwards, as I really would have had to throw myself in a river of my own tears, if I'd ever lost my trusty companion. Packing a backpack is a true art form, especially if you are travelling to places that have extremely different weather conditions (hello Asian beaches and skiing in New Zealand). Planning ahead is essential when packing, so follow some of my tried and tested tips and hopefully you and your backpack will have a harmonious life together on the road.  

Hello Wonderful People!  After Sydney, Byron Bay has to be the best place on the East Coast! Its reputation as a laid back hippie town is spot on, as it has the most chilled out vibe I’ve experienced since Asia! I stayed in Byron for 3 days and managed to fit quite a lot in, and if we weren't so pushed for time I could have happily stayed there for much longer! 

Hello Wonderful People!     Now, I don't want to state the obvious, but oh my gaawwwd Australia is an expensive place to live! Pretty much everyone I met in Asia had the same comment to make about Aus, and that was how expensive it was. When I told people I was going to Australia and asked what it was like to backpack there, the first thing everyone would say is 'I hope you've got a lotta dollar' or 'haha you are going to have a shocker, it's so expensive'. These cracking observations didn't actually answer my question (I just wanted to know what to do there, not the average price of everything, thanks no thanks), but they did prepare me for the money sapping month I was about to undertake. While my Aussie adventure was amazing, it was slightly hindered by my lack of funds. I couldn't do absolutely everything I wanted, as I just couldn't afford it. So here are a few tips that helped my save the pennies to enable me to afford to do at leas