I had come to Oz with a suitcase and was lucky enough to stay at my cousins house for the beginning of my travels,but I soon transitioned to hostel life. It was an excellent choice as I found a sense of belonging and companionship there that is only rivaled by my family and close friends. I downsized to a smaller suitcase to keep with me in the hostel, and got used to living in a room full of bunks and shennanigans.
From my fourteen months of travel, I learned many things and I wish to share a few of them with you here.
1. Stay in Hostels: Like I previously stated, there is a great social environment here. There are so many travelers making their way around, and hostels are a great place to meet like minded people. You sacrifice your comfort and privacy but you gain a sense of belonging that is unparalleled. 2. Get a Hostel Discount Card: Many hostels have a membership program that equates to awesome discounts for you. I have both a YHA and MAD (Nomad) membership card and these have saved me hundreds of dollars when staying at these hostels. You also get coupons associated with these memberships and they can save you a bundle.
3. Get a Smartphone: I don't know how I would have survived if I did not purchase my iPhone in Australia. It was perfect for helping me find my way in the city, for keeping in contact with friends back home, and for checking my email for work opportunities. Modest cell phone plans are around $30-$40/month and free wireless access can be found at most community parks and libraries.
4. Get a Transit Card: Public transit can get quite expensive in Australia. In Brisbane I was paying about $40 a week just to get around! If you get one of their smart cards, you will save actual money as the price of cash tickets is more and in certain cities your weekly cost gets capped.
5. Get a Proof of Age Card: So many backpackers lose their passports! Most bars will only accept Australian identification or a foreign passport, so the cheapest option is to apply for a Proof of Age card at the nearest main post office. This card notifies readers that you are of age and only costs about $10! Be smart, don't lose your passport.
6. A Bungee Cord is a Backpackers Best Friend: I have used bungee cords for so many things its ridiculous! And I still have people scoff at me when I bring this up. They are so useful. Examples include: using them as a rack for curtains in your cars, for securing items in/on top of your vehicle, for strapping things to your backpack, as a clothing rack, and as a curtain rack for your bunkbed! Privacy is key to a backpacker so take advantage of this cheap option and do it up!7. Carry a Power Bar: Everybody wants to charge their electronics, and there just isn't enough outlets to go around. So be the smart one and carry a power bar.
8. Trust Gumtree: Gumtree is a brilliant website, not only for jobs and used items to buy/sell, but also for finding travel partners. Everyone on there is in the same boat as you, looking for travel buddies to make the trip more fun/cheap. So use the site for a meet up and get traveling.9. Buy Goon: We all like to drink alcohol, but it certainly isn't cheap in Australia. I've always been a fan of drinking beer and my Captain Morgan Rum and Cokes, but this habit was burning a hole in my wallet. So eight months into my travels I was persuaded to go on the goon diet. Goon is cheap casked wine. It comes in a box, usually around four litres for $15-20 and will get you where you want to go. Its a cheap alternative for predrinks and will save you dollars, like hundreds of them!
10. Cook in Groups: Food was always the cheapest when I cooked in a group. It was also much more enjoyable to cook for other people rather than just myself, and I got to enjoy some great meals that way.
11. Secure your Food: Most backpackers are pretty respectful about your property in your room. Ive only had one experience where someone stole from me. But the kitchen is a different story. If your food is not sealed properly, it will be gone in no time. I found that people were more likely to steal food if it was easy to see in plastic bags and just hanging around. I always kept my food in reusable tote bags which provided cover. Later on I decided to use a zipper tote bag in order to keep it more secure. I figured that backpackers had to cross a moral line when it came to stealing food. If they could see the food, it was fair game. However, if the bag was knotted or had a zipper, it took an extra step and they were not willing to go that far.
13. Buy your own Washing Powder: Hostels ridiculously mark up the washing powder they sell. A small packet for one wash would cost $2, whereas buying a small box from a discount store for over ten washes would cost the same! I found it was better to do the washing with aty least one other person, that way you could split the washing/dryer costs.
14. Buy an external Hard-drive: Everyone has data that they are willing to give away! I came to Australia with a 500GB hard drive but had to buy a separate 1 Terra-byte drive just to fit in all the movies, music and TV shows that I was receiving.
15. Buy Ear plugs and a Sleep Mask: Hostels are not for the feint of heart. Things go boom in the night everyday of the week and you may wake to find your bed is a rocking. Be aware of what you're getting into. People come in at all times of the night and some even put the lights on. I always found that ear plugs and a sleep mask kept me sound asleep.
16. Check the Free Item Box: I picked up so many free things from hostels! Sleeping bags, tents, sleeping mats, shorts, etc.... Look daily and you may just find something useful.
17. Keep a Blog: It's been great to write about my travels and to share them with friends back home. I thoroughly enjoy reading over my travels and if I did not keep a log of everything I did then this blog would not be possible. Do yourself a favor and start writing!
And that is my list of my lessons I've learned from backpacking (besides the obvious get an Australian bank account and cellphone plan). I'm sure I've forgotten quite a few other points, but I think you can discover them for yourself! If life is all about doing what makes you happy, then what can cause more joy than an adventure! So get out there and begin your journey.
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