I've a few favourite places in Australia, the kind of places that you find by accident and then love.

Cairns in Queensland, for example, is beautiful, fun and almost every gapper in Australia goes there. But if you take a road trip from Cairns down the coastline to Brisbane you will see some fantastic things, including a little town by the name of Bowen.

Have you seen the movie Australia? Despite much of it being set in Darwin, it was actually filmed in this sweet little town. Sure, it doen't have the nightclubs of Cairns but the pubs are cheerful and this is one of the only places in Queensland where you can just walk out in the water to see the Great Barrier Reef.

I flew into Cairns after six months living in Japan and a friend picked me up, and after a few days soaking up the rays we set out on a long road trip down the coast to Brisbane.

We hadn't planned anything, or booked anywhere to stay, but it was summer so we thought if we couldn't find anywhere along the way anytime during the five-day trip we would just sleep in the back of the station wagon. (Although, thinking back this was not going to be a good idea given that we had no screens, mattress ...)

On day one we got past Townsville, then Ayr by the arfternoon and started to think about somewhere to stay. Bowen! It was the very next town, it would do.

And when we pulled into Bowen, it was a bit brown and dry, but the town was full of murals. Quite good ones, current people and past histories painted on walls of shops, council buildings, outhouses...

We found a dinky-di caravan park in town, and for only $30 for both of us we got a night in fully kitted-out caravan with the salt water of the bay nearby lapping almost at the door.

The next morning before breakfast we took a swim at the beach just around the bend, looking underwater at the coral and fish.

We stayed two nights in the caravan on the beach, in literally paradise in Bowen.

  

©Visa Bureau 2003-2013

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

The simple answer is light.

I learnt the hard way how not to pack a backpack when I was on a 22-day walking trek with a small group through parts of NSW and ACT national parks (some of the most beautiful mountain country in Australia) and carrying a backpack all of the way.

I think I lost two handfuls off both hips during the trek, and when we finally made it to the end and I weighed the backpack I understood why.  I was carrying just under half my weight on my back, and I was hurting.

Basic rule of thumb whether you are travelling off-terrain (bush trails etc) or just in the city, is put your heavy items in the pack level with your shoulder blades. This is the rule for both internal- and external-frame packs.

Internal- or external-frame backpack?

Internal-frame backpacks are generally more expensive, but of better quality and more comfortable to wear. A correctly fitted internal-frame backpack for example provides good back ventilation and will hold your stuff close to your natural centre of gravity.

But hey, it's also more expensive.

Pack it high, pack it low

Now this may seem confusing, but if you are travelling off-terrain with a internal-frame pack keep your heavy items on and below your shoulder blade level.   It will help keep your centre of gravity low, so you don't just topple off a mountain on a steep curve.

In the city or while on a trail with an internal-frame pack do the reverse and keep your heavy items above your shoulder blade. It means the majority of the weight will be over your hips, and that is the area that is vest equipped to carry a heavy load.

If you do choose to go with an external-frame pack (and these are recommended only for on-trail travel) load the weight high.

The best way of working out what works best weight-distribution wise is to pack your backpack a few times and walk around with it a bit.     

I personally prefer dual compartment backpacks, 'cause I got sick of pulling out my entire life every time I needed to get my socks packed in the bottom of my pack.

Some tips from my experience

Some other random tips I found from travelling:

• After much resisting, I now roll my clothes and then stuff them.
• Stuff every available space so you get a nice tight backpack.
• Use clear zip-lock bags (like the kitchen bags) to keep small related items like sunscreen and mozzie repellent together.
• Carrying a smaller day pack on your front (while you are carting your large backpack) is a good way to keep an eye on your wallet and avoid the frustrating search for money while encumbered.

Of course, you could just ditch the whole backpack thing and go with a roller suitcase (and I do know people who have done this!).

 

©Visa Bureau 2003-2013

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

Backpack. Check.

Australian Working Holiday Visa. Check.

Insurance. Check

Chicken salt. Hmm, what?

If you haven’t already experienced the essence of Australia, chicken salt, you will soon have the pleasure. It goes on your hot chips at every greasy spoon in the country, but at least everyone is polite enough to ask “chicken or normal?”.  Sounds a bit confusing?

Basically, chicken salt is an herbed, chicken-flavoured salt that’s immensely popular and shaken over everything from chips to hot dogs.

Or in Australian: ‘tis beaut mate.

Aussie slang is usually great fun, even for Australians. The further west into the bush you go the rougher the slang gets and the broader the accent to with it. Australian slang sometimes includes rhyming, not unlike the rhyming cockney slang, but it’s not used that often by young people.

A lot of slang is not polite (so watch out!), but here is a list of a few good phrases to get you started.

• I could eat the arse out of a low-flying duck: I’m hungry
• I’m flat out like a lizard drinking: I’m busy
• I’m as mad as a cut snake: I’m angry
• Fair suck of the sav: you are making fun of me or I don’t believe it
• Give it a burl: Have a go ya mug!
• Have a squiz: go have a look
• He’s gone walkabout: he can’t be found
• It’s a bit iffy: dodgy
• She’ll be apples: it will be OK
• Up at sparrow’s fart: early morning start
• Who opened their lunch?: OK, who farted?
• Kick the bucket: to die
• You’ve got Buckley’s: no chance

©Visa Bureau 2003-2013

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

I’m sure your idea to take a gap year in Australia started as a small germ of a thought, then grew and grew until you were packing your bags for a long haul flight via who-knows-where to the sunny island of Australia.

This blog is also starting small, but we have high hopes that very soon it will be the best working holiday blog in the world and full of funny anecdotes, adventure stories, and tips and tricks for backpackers.

Best of all you will be able to connect with other working holiday makers, find out about seasonal work, and share your own photos, videos and thoughts.

Your entry doesn’t have to be Pulitzer Prize winning or even very long (please no treaties on the human condition!), it could just be the best photo you have even taken and a sentence on where it was taken.

Send us your blog entry, be as creative, funny or informative as you like, and we will do our best to publish it here.

And have a look at our Best Blog in the World terms and conditions, just so you know the score.

Your blog could win you a fantastic prize, and every month starting August 1 we will have something special for a published blog entry.

Keep tuned for the prize details, all will be revealed pretty soon.

 

©Visa Bureau 2003-2013

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.