Australia East Coast Backpacking Trip

Backpacking in Australia was one of the best things I have ever done, I would recommend it to anyone, its an amazing journey meeting so many friendly faces whether travelling alone or in a group of people.

It was during the Summer of 2008, I was driving back to Dorset from Southampton when all off a sudden I made a split second decision to go travelling to Australia on a backpacking adventure. I knew my mate Dave was out there after he had quit his job about 6 months previous and I decided to follow. He was working in Southampton and saved enough for one years backpacking. I was going to do a 4 month stint.



I quit work about a month before I left, sold my flat and cleared my belongs and off they went back to the family home in Dorset.

In late November 2008, I was off. I arrived on the East Coast in Cairns at 6 am having hardly spoken to anyone for about 24 hours. Dave had been staying in Sydney and flew out to Cairns the night before. He was staying with me for 5 nights until he flew onto Asia but I was to meet up with him again in Sydney before Christmas.

Cairns is a bit of a party city, a strange place but a nice setting. its not like a typical City, its more of a town and its not that difficult to get lost. I'm not sure why they gave it City status. There a couple of well known infamous bars for cheap food and drink.

Gilligans Backpackers

Sunbathing in Carins.

We were staying at place called Gillagans. I got to the place about 7.30am and asked if I could check in early. I couldn't but they told me which room Dave and I would be in. Dave having checked in the night before decided to go out on the piss and was probably still drunk when I rudely awakened him. We were staying in an 8 bed dorm and with 5 girls and an old timer from America. Dave had got talking to a girl from Southampton in our dorm and she ended up staying in his bed. When he was telling me the story the next day, I was like so... you have come half way around the world to sleep with a girl from Southampton, brilliant!

After breakfast someone had checked out so I claimed the free bed. I got some much needed rest as were going out that night. We got blind drunk, the place we staying was great for cheap food and drink. We got back and I passed out. My sleep was not that great however. I kept waking up as I was still on a different time zone. It must have been about 3 am when I was quite consciously awake (due to jet lag) when this Irish Guy walked in with a blonde. I didn't know an Irish guy was staying in our room but I didn't realise one of the girls checked out during the day and this Irish fella moved in.

He was completely smashed and he was on top bunk. At that point I thought, how the hell is he going to get this girl up there (she was carrying a bit of timber). The guy was rustling around in has bag looking for condoms for about 5 minutes. He gave up and proceeded to wake every bugger in the room asking for a condom in a very thick Irish accent. Most people ignored or told him to F*** off. I had a spare one but there was no way I was giving him one after pissing everyone off. He went looking in his bag again and eventually hit the jackpot, so this couple stumbled up to top bunk and straight away, you could hear the sound of heavy kissing and the rest! The bunk beds were not that stable and a little creaky. The action hadn't really got going on top bunk when I realised the 60 year old American man was underneath the carnage. After backpacking down the east coast, this is easily the oldest person I saw in a back packers accommodation but I think he had broken down outside the hostel and thought it would be a good idea to crash there. After about 10 minutes, I think Irish guy got down to business and started pumping. The bunk bed must have been swaying all over the place as the noise increased and I looked over to Dave who was woken up from the condom episode and he just made out the grin on my face in the darkness and he promptly grinned back. I at this point I started laughing like a little kid and I found it hard to contain my laughter holding my mouth with my hand. I think about 15 minutes has passed and the old timer packed up his stuff, casually walked out and we never saw him again. The poor fella did well not to say or do anything in his annoyed state. I guess one would find it difficult to separate 2 lovers in the act.

I had an amazing time travelling down the rest of the east and met so many great people. I went on the Oz experience bus which is basically a bus pass that allows you to hop on and hop off as and when you please.  I largely travelled down the coast with largely the same group of people. I actually ended up ended up getting an apartment with 2 of the guys I met along the east coast. The oz experience I think is better than the grey hound or other bus companies as you are much more likely to make friends not only on the bus but all the extra activities that are included. For example, the first leg heading south, you get to go to a wildlife park with plenty of crocodiles and friendly kangaroos amongst others.  You also get to do other silly things like a bowls competition, surf camp, and spend a couple of nights on cattle ranch which was great fun. The ranch put on activities such a riding a mechanical bull, rounding up live goats, shooting, horse riding which all are optional, you are never forced into doing anything!. There is communal meals where you get to try usual meats like goat and there is a little bar to get you in the partying mood.

We did all the usual tourist attractions travelling down the coast through Byron Bay, Brisbane and Surfers Paradise.  When we got to Surfers we couldn't believe how busy it was, and we had hit spring break, great! Admittedly, I was 26 at the time and perhaps too old for Spring Break but I thought what the hell and joined in with the celebrations along with all my fellow travelling buddies.

Me and Brooke at Surfers Paradise

Fraiser Island was highlight on the east coast in Australia as you go camping and left to fend for yourself with 10 others per group and you travel around the island for 2 days on 4x4. We really enjoyed driving on the beach trying to avoid streams, oncoming traffic and people!. It is the largest sand island in the world stretching 123km long. The island is also made up of 40 freshwater lakes, which are great to swim in.  I volunteered to cook one evening, (risotto) which I enjoyed although challenging to try and avoid the sand.  The trip is very well organised, they provide with all your food, tents, water, gas stoves and most importantly beer!. We also had to be wary of wild dingos on the island which have attacked people in the past.

Fraiser Island - My Group

I eventually landed in Sydney where I stayed for 3 months. Hostels are great fun but I was glad to be able to get an apartment and settle down for a bit. We lived with various people but mostly Dave Martin and Duncan. Dave left after a couple of months and we had various people move in including a Kiwi who only stayed for a week as he got arrested whilst drunk on a drunkard trip to Canberra.

We spent Christmas day on the beach, it was a really nice day with lots going on including street entertainment and a music festival. On Boxing day, we went to the Sydney Racing, which was international day. I won 4 out of 6 races so came away with a nice profit.
 New years eve was amazing and luckily i wasn't too drunk to appreciate it. We dressed as Mexicans and the only people dressed in fancy dress out of Millions, (we didn't see anyone else anyway). We had an amazing buzz from it as everyone was loving it.  We decided to walk across Sydney harbour bridge to celebrate it on the north side, away from all the tourists and back packers. We had a great view of the fireworks, we could see the Opera house directly from our view opposite the river. It was great banter with the locals and we had a great night.I think my fame went to my head after mid-night however as I think a little fumble in bush with a girl resulted in me getting punched and kicked in the head by someone I can only describe as a skinny Jackie Chan. I had actually lost my friends by this point and it was impossible to text or call as the networks were jammed and I thought there was no way of finding them again but I strolled around and luckily met up with them around an hour later. My Scottish friend who I share a flat with got so drunk, on his way home he somehow managed to walk across the bridge, get lost somewhere in Sydney and cross the bridge again as he thought he was on the wrong side of the harbour! The harbour is about a mile apart! He eventually arrived back at the flat at 6 am, getting a lift from a friendly local who took pity on him.  

Fireworks on Sydney Harbour Bridge

Mexicans on NYE!

There are always things going in Sydney. Before we could get over New Years, they immediately have a month long festival in January. The city parks are filled with stages with a variety of different music and performances. My old school friend has now gone out to New Zealand, and oddly we advertised the room and a Kiwi has taken up his bed. In February, its the Chinese New Year, so another month long festival to celebrate this...

When my trip was over, I ended up staying an extra night as there was a fuel problem and the flight got delayed and I was put in a hotel. This was only the start.

We arrived in Singapore the next day, was suppose to be a 1 hour turn around. 3 Hours later we left, there were lightening bolts striking the airfield, the plane could not refuel let alone take off.

Eventually we got underway and the journey home was a little scary, not only were we worried about flying with the dodgy fuel issue and new plane that is not tested that much, we encountered a cyclone and more bolts of lightening. A Geordie guy next to me actually got in the brace position and started proper sweating up. This made me feel slightly uneasy to say the least.

We eventually touched down in Heathrow, but just when you thought are troubles were over, the plane suffered from a 'technical fault' which was due to a steering problem, so basically we were stuck on the runway and the plane couldn’t turn. one and half hours later we were tugged back to safety and the terminal. I was put up in another hotel, this time the Hilton at Terminal 4 which was very nice. All you can eat English Breakfast!

Whilst we were away my Mum and Dad met a couple in India in February, and they happened to be in Sydney on New years eve, and my Dad was mentioning us and the fancy dress , the couple quickly realised they saw 4 Mexicans who must have been us! what are the chances!!!