Destination Australia

Ambiance

The most endearing attribute of Australia is the enlightened attitude of it's people. Australia doesn't exactly have a rich cultural heritage outside of the indigenous Aboriginal peoples, but the country does have a unique and genuine feel to it. It's a feeling of contentment, happiness, and genuine humility. The people have a zest for celebrating life. Work is seen only as a means to sustain the celebration of life, not a reward in itself. Life in Australia is about living and wealth is measured in terms of social currency, not material possessions.

The Australian people are extraordinarily friendly. This is likely in part due to the fact that there's only nineteen million of them, so they don't have many of the problems that accompany overpopulation. Australian pubs seem to serve as the gathering place for everybody. Refreshingly, there is little pretentiousness among Australians and it's not unusual at all to have a street bum sitting on a bar stool side by side having a conversation with a political dignitary or a wealthy businessman. The going joke is that if God walked into an Australian pub, everyone there would be on a first name basis with him before the last drink for the night was served. It's about as close to a classless society as there is, except for the sometimes atrocious attitude toward the Aboriginal people.

Unfortunately, as often times is the case, there is a ugly rift between the indigenous Aboriginal people and the newcomers… and the distaste goes both ways. Many of the Australian people consider the Aborigines the, "Most useless race of people on the face of the earth". I've heard this line first hand. Alternatively, many of the Aboriginals maintain a feeling of hatred towards the encroaching newcomers. Naive tourists would be wise to be sensitive to this discord, else they may end up becoming a victim of a random act of aggression for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I've felt this first hand. Nonetheless, this should be a minute concern in a much larger and fulfilling Australian experience.

Witnessing genuine Australian idealism is another appealing component of the Australian experience. The foundation of American idealism is hypocritically said to reside in the inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but the reality is that this is much more descriptive of Australian ideals. Australian laws are there to protect property and personal liberties, not to baby sit or protect people from themselves. You can do whatever you like as long as it doesn't infringe upon another person's liberties, but you do it at your own risk. It's really a refreshing feeling of freedom.

Lay of the Land

Australia is often touted by the media as a harsh landscape with kangaroos and crocodiles bouncing, or slithering, around everywhere. Surprisingly, much of this is true. Australia has a vast and often times unforgiving landscape, and the kangaroo overpopulation is enough of a problem that ranchers have open season to shoot as many of these "Pests" as they can. It's not uncommon to see kangaroo crossing signs along the highway… and there's a reason that many Australian vehicles have cattle catchers on the bumper. Keep in mind, however, that Australia is a huge country with vastly different landscapes and climates from one region to the next. It's not all outback, and only a small fraction of the population carves out a livelihood in the seemingly uninhabitable outback. Australia's got a little bit of everything. The landscape is comprised of everything from lush rainforests to unspoiled beaches to deserts to jagged mountains to tropical islands to cosmopolitan cities.

Probably one of the least publicized, but most deserving, treasures of Australia is the beautiful beaches that litter it's never ending coastline. It is, after all, an island continent. Even in the larger cities, the beach plays an essential role in the Australian way of life. The rumor is that over two million Australians surf. From the crowded people watching beaches of lovely Sydney to the absolutely stunning island beaches dispersed throughout the Great Barrier Reef, Australia has an ideal beach for everyone. To witness the absolute best beach on earth, go to Lake McKenzie (Yes Lake - it's a fresh water paradise) in the middle of Fraser Island. It's an absolute paradise.

Be aware, however, that skin cancer is a serious concern in Australia and you should take the necessary precautions. If you're just visiting there for a short while, then it's probably not a huge issue, but I'd recommend being fairly religious with the tanning lotion. Australians on the Gold Coast usually get checked for Melanoma every six months. Many of them wear long shirts and hats when it's one-hundred degrees Fahrenheit. Others go topless. I guess it's a matter of priorities.

While the true beauty of any country is usually found in the small towns and out of the way places, Australia's crown jewel, Sydney, is the finest big city on the planet. Sydney's breathtakingly scenic natural harbor, lively Bondi and Manly beaches, the cosmopolitan buzz of the cities nightlife, the manageable Australian pace, and the uncanny friendliness of Sydney-siders combine to make Sydney a truly world class city that shouldn't be missed.

The natural splendors of Australia are many and this is usually the reason that people decide to make a trip down under. You won't be disappointed. Australia is fortunate to boast claim to a number of natural wonders including: the Great Barrier Reef, Ayer's Rock (a enormous monolith), the Twelve Apostles (amazing rock formations off of Port Campbell), the stark splendor of the outback itself, and much, much more.

The Great Barrier Reef is all you can imagine. The visibility can be tremendous and the marine life is spectacular. You'll see everything from vast forests of coral to giant three foot wide clams to sharks to every type of fish you can imagine. Ayer's Rock isn't easy to get to, but if you're in the area, it's quite incredible. Because Australia is a huge place, you can't see everything unless you're going to take a few years off, so it's best to see what you can within your budget. Don't get all worked up if you can't take in all the sites in one trip… it's the people that you meet that you'll really remember, not the sights. After all, which pictures do you like to look back at and reminisce upon? The picture of the big rock or the ones with the people you met in them?

Backpacker Scene

The natural wonders and the people of Australia are wonderful all by themselves, but the real reason that you're likely to have a great time down under is the lively and diverse backpacker scene. Americans traveling through Australia will make more European friends during their Australian adventure than they could by traveling through Europe, itself. This may sound absurd, but the people that you really get to know are the ones that you travel with, the backpackers. The Australian backpacker scene has a much more diverse mix of travelers than the European scene, which can be over-run by American backpackers.

The hostels throughout Australia are some of the best in the world. Many of them are located in smaller towns where real estate is more affordable, so the hostel owners can offer much more attractive accommodations and still keep the rates within a backpackers budget. Often times, there are three of four good hostels in a town so you'll meet backpackers at other hostels in addition to the one where you're staying. The accommodations are relatively nice for the rent. It's not uncommon to have a pool, an inexpensive restaurant, a lively pub, and a tour booking office at most hostels. If you've done the hostel thing through Europe, you may be weary of hostels due to the cleanliness factor. I'm with you. Rest assured, you'll be pleasantly surprised by many of the Australian hostels. Nonetheless, Australia's big city hostels resemble other city hostels around the world and share their shortcomings.

Activities are plentiful for the outdoors oriented backpacker in Australia. You won't be able to catch a lot of museums, cathedrals, and architectural wonders (except in Sydney), but you will be able to partake in everything from great hikes to 4WD adventures to sailing trips to scuba diving to bungee jumping to sapphire mining. For your cultural appreciation quota, you'll have to soak up all of the Aboriginal sights and sounds - which are quite plentiful.

Partying at the hostels and pretty much everywhere you go is a given any night of the week. Drinking beer is a national pastime down under, so you'll be made to feel right at home if you belly up to the bar and order a pint of VB (Victoria Bitter, the beer of choice in most of Australia). VB is possibly the best beer on earth, but it's hard to find outside of Australia. Ironically, Fosters, referred to as "Australian for Beer" in America - can hardly be found down under. Buying slabs (cases) of piss (beer) and warming up at the hostel is the way to keep within budget. Another money saving tidbit - when you go out, it's not customary to tip unless you're at a nice restaurant. Oh, did I mention that the drinking age is 18 in Australia?

The busiest backpacking season is from the end of November to the end of February, Australia's summer. Since Australia is huge and one third is in the tropics, you can find nice weather all year. If you're dipping into the southern parts and you want warm weather while you're there, you should restrict your southern segment to between October and March.

Buses are the way to travel in Australia, as trains are more expensive and fail to hit all the nooks and crannies of Australia. The bus to take is the backpacker oriented Oz Experience which goes off the beaten path, stops when the passengers want to stop, plays the music the passengers want to hear, and books whatever hostel you wish to stay at while your enroute. It like a traveling hostel. It definitely is NOT the mind-numbing organized bus tour that may come to mind. There are traditional bus companies, but what's the point if you've got specialized backpacker transportation, of which the Oz Experience is only one. For the longer jumps, you should seriously consider taking a plane… you don't want to go coast to coast on a bus unless you've got heaps (lots) of time. Buying a car is another option if you don't mind: getting lost occasionally, getting lots of parking tickets, or having to try to sell the thing when you're done. Once again… what's the point? My advice is to take the backpacker buses, and spend all your extra time and money you'll have drinking beer with the new backpacker friends you met on the bus rides.

For US$80 a day (Excluding flight), if you stay in hostels, you can be a high-rollin' backpacker partying at the pub almost every night, eating out at inexpensive restaurants, partaking in all the day trips and weekend excursions you can handle, and even hit the casinos. This should serve as a good spending ceiling. Many travelers can easily get by on half this and still have a great time. So target about US$40 a day and don't get upset or be surprised if you spend a little more than this. It's the trip of a lifetime after all. Remember that you're in Australia and wealth is calculated in social currency… often times the less you spend, the more fun you have. This is what hostelling is all about.