I began writing this blog about Australia, but realised I had so much more to write about the wider aspect of travel. So here we go- the launch of my new site, Pommie Travels. I hope you enjoy it.
Update: I also now run American Travel Blogger.
Surfers Paradise is not so much paradise, more flashy and trashy- there's a reason they call it the Paris Hilton of Australia. With its Skyscraper hotels, shopping malls and casinos it tries to be Vegas but is more Blackpool Pleasure Beach (if any of my readers have been to England you'll know what I mean.) Forget the laid back hippy bars of Byron Bay; the expensive bars and nightclubs in Surfers couldn't be more contrasting. Most of the hostels are out of the centre but have a shuttle bus that will take you in to town- I stayed in Surfers Paradise Backpackers which was nice and friendly with pizza nights, BBQ nights and a licensed bar. It's small enough to make friends there and there's a bus that takes you into town for a free drink and entry at a selected bar.
Definitely go on the big hostel night out- there's a bar crawl that ALL the hostels in Surfers go on. You pay $30 and get free entry and a free drink in every place, which is actually a bargain considering how expensive it is there. 5 hostels, 4 bars, free drink, 300 people=carnage. For something to do in Surfers other than surfing you can go to Dreamworld, Sea World or Wet 'n' Wild and if you're strapped for cash perhaps go to the casino and put it all on black!!
Hostels, you gotta love them. Cheap dorms and endless parties...they're a rite of passage for any backpacker traveling the world. Which type of backpacker are you?
1. The American Tourist in Europe- The American Tourist In Europe is on a 2-week trip straight out of school with their friends to ‘get it out of their system’ before going to start work. They are most likely to be found in large groups making general observations and talking rather loudly.
2. The Couple Who Met Whilst Travelling- The Couple Who Met Whilst Travelling is at the bottom of the hostel social scale. Since most backpackers are there to do a bit of bed hopping and hook up, the Couple Who Met Whilst Travelling is of no social value to anyone.
3. The Backpacker Who Never Left- This backpacker went to the first hostel in the first country they went to, set up residence there and never left. Usually changing some bed sheets and doing some hostel cleaning in exchange for a bed, they’re the person who knows everything about the hostel and who’s hooking up with who. Some I have met have stayed for several years and usually keep talking about how they’re going to set up their own bar someday. The Backpacker Who Never Left is usually a valuable resource when staying in a hostel, as they can tell you all the best places to go and the best ways to get drunk and have a good time.
4. The Middle Aged Backpacker- Let’s face it hostels are dominated by young people, so it’s always weird when you have the Middle Aged Backpacker staying in your dorm. You never quite know how to behave around the Middle Aged Backpacker; I remember once staying in a dorm with a 50-year-old policewoman and suddenly I wondered if it was OK to talk about alcohol and drugs. The Middle Aged backpacker often made some money and has to decided to quit their pencil-pushing job and see the world. Good for them.
5. The Hippy Hitchhiker- The Hippy Hitchhiker has hitch hiked everywhere he’s been and always seems to be able to stay somewhere for free. He’ll swap his ipod for a hammock, and is happiest smoking pot and talking about deep issues. The Hippy Hitch Hiker knows where to go off the beaten track and how to make friends with the locals.
6. The Wasted Australian/Canadian- Australians and Canadians can be found all over the world and seem to be the two nations that drink the most. I’ll never forget the Australian I met in Portugal, who went by the name of “Rambo”. He and his friend would drink absinthe shots every morning, and would go to the beach with a bin liner of beers and the number of straight days they had been drinking written on their chests. The Wasted Australian/Canadian makes friends easily and always seems to attract the opposite sex.
7. The Japanese Tourist- The Japanese Tourist can always be found posing with a peace sign in front of all the major sights, or taking photos of the food. What’s more the Japanese Tourist always carries around a mini laptop and webcam to keep in touch with home.
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