3 days in Sydney

Sydney or Melbourne, that is the big Australian question. After just 3 days in Sydney it's easy to see the two are totally different, which makes the question a little silly, like pasta or yellow? My experience in Sydney was filled with good food, lovely beaches and hidden secrets.

After arriving in Sydney late after the long drive from Melbourne we rose early in the morning to tackle morning rush hour traffic to return our hire car. Leaving our somewhat grim hotel behind I was determined this drive would be our first impression of Sydney, I refused to allow the hotel to colour the rest of our stay. The drive into the city centre could have been a living hell, filled with stress and angry words, which is how I imagine driving in London any time would be, not just rush hour, and thought Sydney would be much the same. The drive started out terribly, with us blocking a road on a red light, leaving the cars behind us suck watching their green light turn back to red. I sank into my seat waiting for the onslaught of angry toots and revving engines. To my shock and delight they never arrived. Our journey continued this way, with us making terrible manoeuvres and wrong turns, but the patient drivers of Sydney continued to surprise us with their chilled out attitude to rush hour traffic, making for a much better 1st impression of the city.

We headed to Sydney Central station, which had building works going on, which took away a fair bit of its charm. We hopped on a train and set off on the long journey to meet some friends in the Blue Mountains. Its a bit of a trek to get there, so its worth getting an early train if you can. The journey is an easy introduction to the beauty of the Blue Mountains, offering pretty views for much of the way.

Its obvious as you leave Sydney Central the train is filled with tourists off for their day at the Mountains,too, so just hop off the train when everyone else does! From the station it's an easy down hill stroll to the 1st lookout point across the hazy sea of gum trees. The Three Sisters are a sight to be seen, the tallest , Meehni, standing at 922m. There is a story about how the three sisters came to be, filled with love, danger and woe. However, the tale does not have aboriginal routes and was created for tourists.

Following the trail from the lookout you are rewarded with generous views across the valley. The walk is easy and there are endless spots to stop and soak it all in, the endless sea of gum trees is really quite majestic and had the four of us sitting in silence for a fair old while.

There is a cable car, train and further walkway promising more breathtaking scenery but it's on the pricey side; we decided to opt for freebies and begin the walk back to town. It was a beautiful day and I would highly recommend anyone that will be travelling in the area to dedicate a day to the mountains.

On our second day we went down to the harbour for the first time. Simply being there is amazing, the buzz, live music and the sweet aromas of fresh coffee and street snacks mix together in the heat and leave you excited for the possibilities of the day. As demanded by the harbour, we took our time walking around and soaking in all the sounds and smells before hopping on the ferry to Manly Beach.

We sat at the back of the ferry, having deliberately not looked at the Opera House yet. As the ferry turned away from the harbour we caught our first glimpse at the building. Seeing it from the ferry was magical, waiting had certainly paid off. The ferry ride is fast and we soon arrived at our destination, with a few stops to look in the shops along the way to the beach.

We picked up some fish and chips and wandered out onto the beach to eat and watch the surfers. The beach takes its name from the aboriginal people that traditionally inhabit the area, the men of the local tribes famed for their masculine appearance. As we sat filling our faces with fried fish the general appearance of the guys held true to the beaches name.

The ferry back was the highlight of the day. We timed the trip with sunset and were rewarded with a spectacular view over the harbour bridge and Opera House.

Our time here came to an end all too quickly and in what seemed to be no time at all we woke on out last day in Sydney. Eager to make the most of it we headed out to catch a free walking tour. The tour took us around areas we would never have thought to visit. My favourite was the hospital. Back when Sydney was in its infancy the mayor, a British officer by the name Lachlan Macqurie from Scotland, had written to London asking for a hospital to be built to but was refused. Not one to take rejection lightly Macqurie found a new way to fund his project. The hospital was therefore built by an alcohol company, and in return was the only  licensed establishment in Sydney to sell to the boozy convict inhabitants.

We also discovered Sydney's secret underground streets. The tour took a turn down a gloomy looking stair case, which we were a little apprehensive of at first but soon enough we discovered a whole city underground, how fantastic! The alley ways were filled with shops and cafes, themselves bursting with Sydneysiders enjoying the air conditioned streets.

To finish our sightseeing day we left the tour group and headed to Bondi Beach. Now, I have to be honest, I didn't think much to the beach or the area. The beach was crowded and the atmosphere, though pleasant enough, wasn't overly inviting. We did, however, find a fantastic pizza shop which we ate on the hill top looking out over the sea. If I were to go to Sydney again I would probably skip this though.

All too soon we were waiting for our night bus back to Melbourne. Our time in Sydney was wonderful, and I'm so glad we managed to get there, even if it was for 3 short days. For me, I'd choose Melbourne to that eternal Australian question. But really, the 2 are so different the chose is a hard one, and both cities are a real treat for anyone to have the pleasure of visiting.

Feeling 14 in Australia

When I was growing up I lived in a small town in the heart of the North Yorkshire country side. It was a beautiful life, playing in fields and walking freely. I had a job all through high school and collage and lived as close to a free life as a school girl probably could. Having my own money meant I could buy anything I wanted (within reason) without really having to ask for permission from my parents. And when I passed my driving test and bought my 1^st car, I was away! There was no stopping me. Given this you can imagine the feelings of constriction that wwoofing brought.

Super Gram and I needed to find a way for me to gain my 88 days for second year visa as quickly and cheaply as possible. Wwoofing promised the perfect answer, a way to travel the country very cheaply with free accommodation and food whilst the days on farms could count towards that precious second year visa. The reality proved to be quite different.

Our first hosts were based in far north Queensland and we loved it there. The hosts were lovely. We finished our 4 hours a day and then enjoyed downtime with the family and friends, exploring the area and being taken to local beaches and attractions. The evenings were often filled with wine and cheerful chatter about the exciting places they had visited on their own travels. We thought we had found the perfect answer to travelling around this expensive country on the cheap.

Our time here soon came to an end and we set off with a spring in our step to our next hosts near Cairns. Our reality soon changed, and the experiene of wwoofing changed with it. It became clear that these hosts thought of their wwoofers as cheap labour and had little interest in cultural exchange. After working for 5 hours we would then be expected to take care of the 2 young children whilst the parents were at work, for free and out of our own time as this was not considered to be work. When a parent arrived home we would return to the servants quarters at the end of the garden. To be fair the cabin was lovely and gave a really pleasant atmosphere through the day. An evening however had an eerie feel, and the lack of any power and minimal lighting didn't aid this.

This family had no interest in taking us to any local attractions or anywhere in the local area. We felt like naughty teenagers having to beg to go to the shops and keep quiet unless spoken to. The total lack of freedom was a complete shock to me. Never before had I felt so constricted. And when that was teamed with a total lack of thanks for any of our work or free child care.

Its a one off, we told each other, other hosts enjoy the company of wwoofers and the cultural exchange that comes with it. So off we went to our next hosts in the Northern Territory. Here we were fortunate enough to stay with other wwoofers. A pair of French girls were working on the mango orchard over their summer break from university, wwoofing offering a student budget friendly way to see the far north of Australia. Once again we found our host, a grumpy man with black teeth a huge amount of self interest and not enough time with other people, to be utterly uninterested in any cultural exchange.

Again we found ourselves miles from civilisation with no form of transport. We managed to beg a lift into Darwin for a day so we could rent a car between the 4 of us to see the national park. Our host obliged and the 5 of us set off in utter silence the for the painfully long 40 minute drive. Again, we spent our time here tiptoeing around our host and hoping not to upset him.

Our saving grace came in the form of an email from a host up the road in desperate need of a couple of wwoofers that would finish up the last 4 days of my 88. The days after receiving the email they came and picked us up from the farm. We sighed a huge breath of release as we climbed into the car and waved the mango orchard goodbye. Our next 4 days were wonderful, we worked hard and enjoyed some fantastic company. Here we were made to feel welcome and appreciated and were really quite sad when our time came to an end.

I chalked up a total of 54 days of wwoofing, with the rest made up from working on apple and strawberry farms in Tasmania, and staying with more hosts than I've shared here. Whist 2 of the many hosts we stayed with were warm and welcoming we found the majority to be cold simply looking for a form of cheap labour. For the 1^st time in my life I understood the pain teenagers face through being trapped.

I think the main trouble we faced was not having our own transport. If we had a car we wouldn't have stayed with the less inviting hosts for as long as we did. We would have had the freedom to explore in our free time and could have left whenever we liked.

Through my travels in Australia I met plenty of backpackers that had spent some time wwoofing and they all had at least 1 horror story, from working 10 hours a day to being locked outside the whole day with no access to water. But they also had a wonderful experience elsewhere to balance it.

My advise to anyone hoping to spend time wwoofing in Australia would be to ask lots of questions in advance: what are the hours; what does the work include; what is the accommodation like; is there public transport available; how many wwoofers have you had and how long did they stay, and so on. Wwoofing can be an amazing experience and a chance to see parts of the country you might not have otherwise.

The most important thing is to work hard during your agreed hours and if you feel uncomfortable leave. With the time available for travellers in Australia being so limited its important to get what you want from that time. It is an exchange, so as long as you are putting in your part if you feel you aren't getting enough back there is no reason to stick around and leave with bad memories.

Little Devil Backpackers, Hostel Review, Huonville, Tasmanian

After a few days at The Pickled Frog in Hobart I managed to bag myself a job in Cygnet on a strawberry farm. A quick conversation on the phone to the farmer and I found myself googling “Little Devil Backpackers”, like he had advised. I gave them a quick call to check there was space and then hopped on the bus from the corner of Elizabeth and Brisbane Street to Huonville. The ticket cost me a little over 10 bucks and the driver said he would give me a shout when I needed to get off.

The bus pulled up 40 minutes later next to a big yellow sign advertising the hostel, which was tucked behind a car garage and a pizza takeaway. David, the hostel manager, was there to greet me and show me to my dorm. The hostel is made up of three sections; the camp site, the main hostel, and the shared house. My room was in the shared house, and because the season was drawing to an end there weren't many others in there.

Now, I feel before I go any further I should explain I arrived here at the start of April, just as most of the fruit picking seasons are finishing. Because of this the hostel was not full, but had a group of 30 or so people across the three parts of accommodation. The weather was getting colder, jobs were fewer and earnings were dropping. This is worth keeping in mind as I never experienced queues for the shower or fighting for space in the oven.

The shared house was nice, 4 beds to a room, a large living room with dining areas and a nice kitchen. There was one en suit room and one shower for everyone else. I can imagine that could get busy at the hight of season and the hot water for the house is mainly heated by solar power. The room also had a big wardrobe that we were able to unpack into as we were all going to be there for a while.

The camp site was pretty basic. The main site was in the garden of the shared house and there was a shed for the campers to cook in and store food, as well as having dining areas and some sofas. When I was there is was getting really cold and the campers tended to go through to the hostel on an evening rather than staying in the shed. I'm sure that its nice in summer, but when you could see your own breath as you breath, I found it a little depressing!

The main hostel had the reception desk in and a few computers. The kitchen was pretty basic, it worked well when I was there, but again I can imagine it got pretty busy in summer. There was a great island in the middle of the kitchen that made for a great socialising centre, there was always people sat around here enjoying a drink, preparing food, playing poker or just chatting. Off the kitchen was a living space with some couches, bean bags and a big TV.

The camp site shed didn't have any hot water to wash dishes in and they main hostel and the campers had shared showering facilities where you had to pay to get hot water.

This is a working hostel so everyone there were out on farms through the day. Little Devils provide a small fleet of vehicles made of utes, mini buses and cars to ferry workers to and from farms. These can be used on days off as well, by special arrangement with either Val or David, and at a cost per head.

I really enjoyed staying there for a month, it was great fun and I met loads of lovely people. Would I stay there again? Honestly, don't know. It is nice, lovely even. Full of great people and comfy rooms, the staff were nice and the there was always plenty going on. I suppose the question should really be would I ever want to stay in Huonville again? And the answer to that is no.

Hostel Review – Pickled Frog, Hobart

Standing close to the top of the hill on Liverpool Street is a large green building, impossible to walk passed without giving it a second glance. This is The Pickled Frog Hostel. Walk in through the main entrance and you will be greeted by a cosy reception room with communal computers, comfy sofas, a small bar, the reception desk and, in winter, a roaring open fire. This is where I found myself after 10 days working on a dairy farm in Wodonga, torn between wanting to spend some time not working and needing to find a job before winter crept in.

I was greeted by a chirpy Tasmanian girl, who gave me my key and sheets to set up my bed for the night and pointed me in the direction of the local farmers market. If you are confronted by a very large husky with dark brows and an grumpy face, don't worry, that's Blue. He is the hostels dog and is very friendly!

Moving from the reception space through to the communal area, there are sofas and tabled booths offering plenty of space to sit with friends or on your own and offers more warming fires. There is also a pool table and a large TV with a great collection of DVDs, there's almost always a group sat round enjoying a movie or two. The room is filled with charming cubby holes and comfy furniture to offer enough space for everyone.

The kitchen is just off of the communal area. It's not huge, but it does have enough pots, pans, plates, bowls, knifes and forks to go around. The hobs are a little, erm, quirky, but they get the job done and there's always someone around to help you out if you're struggling. The trick is that the hobs work using magnets, if it doesn't detect a pan on top it won't turn on, unfortunately it doesn't detect all of them. Most importantly, the kitchen is always clean. I don't think I sore any dirty plates left out at all.

The rooms were nice, standard hostel rooms; bunk beds, a couple of tables, one of the rooms I stayed in had a big wardrobe and full length mirror, which was a real treat! They also get cleaned daily, which is nice.

The bathroom may be the only negative thing I have to say about this place. There were only 5 showers for all the girls in the hostel, which meant there were often queues in the morning. Trying to avoid the queues I decided to have an afternoon shower instead but left the bathroom still dirty and now shivering, thanks to freezing cold water. I'm sure this isn't usually a problem, but you might want to consider getting up a little early instead. The toilets were clean though, so ups and downs there!

One of the really nice things about the hostel is they offer a number of free trips on different days. I took the free shuttle to the top of Mt. Wellington on Monday morning, which gave you a guided tour to the top and then the option to walk back or stay on the bus. I was on quite a budget so being able to go for a free day out was great – I chose to walk down so it took until early afternoon to get back into town. There are also yoga classes available and a few other bits and pieces.

I really enjoyed my stay here: the place was clean, the staff friendly, and the bar's pretty cheap. Located just a short walk from Hobart centre this is a great place to stay when exploring the city.

One Week In

I'm here! I actually did it, with no injuries, and made it all the way to Melbourne!

Following an extra few months in London I finally made the 26 hour flight to Melbourne. I flew China Eastern, and was pretty sure it was going to be the worst experience of my life. The flight was 150GBP cheaper than all the others I could find, so was not expecting great things, and I suppose it probably wasn't that great, but because I had never taken a long haul flight I had no basis for comparison, so it was ok by me!

Getting from the airport into the city is super east: hop on the SkyBus, $18 one way, which runs 24/7 and is really regular. Depending on the time of day it takes around 20 minutes into Southern Cross Station, from there you can take a train to where you need to be, or use SkyBus' hotel transfer service, which will take you to a number of hotels in the CBD.

Being honest, I haven't seen too much of the city yet because most of my time has been sent job hunting (fun fun fun!) but what I have seen is lovely. I have a great friend that lives in the CBD who has shown me around some lovely eateries, today we went for lunch at the Coconut House, which was nice and went for a look in the State Library. Having spent most of my life in the library as a student I never thought I would say this, but if you're in Melbourne take a visit to the State Library! The building was designed by Joseph Reed in 1854 and had a domed roof that was added in 1913. Its a beautiful building. There is also an art gallery inside which is worth a little look around. Outside you will find the grass area to be overflowing with crowds of people enjoying the sunshine sitting on bean bags or playing giant chess.

However, most of my time has been spent around Chapel Street, as I am staying with some friends that live close by. Chapel Street is amazing, there is little else to say! It's filled with bars, restaurants and coffee houses, big named shops and small boutiques. It is really quite charming. I have very much enjoyed wandering up and down the street and popping into cafes for an iced coffee and to use their WiFi!

All in all, my first week has been lovely, and pretty uneventful!

Quiz Tarrent at Lucky Voice

The more observant amongst you may have noticed I enjoy a good night out drinking with the girls, and its far from uncommon for me to over indulge. Last night at Lucky Voice on Upper Street, Angel, was no different.

The bar is lovely and stylish, but the prices were great! A bottle of beer was just £3.95! As a Northerner that figure looks painful for a bottle of beer, but as a resident of the capital for over 3 years it is music to my ears!

Get there for 7.45 on a Thursday night for a music quiz, £2 per player, and take advantage of the free karaoke booth after the quiz. Its also worth booking a table in advance as it can get a little cosy. 

Obviously with any pub quiz the most important question is "what shall we call our team?". We went with Quiz Tarrent. Get it? Like Chris Tarrent? Never mind, I thought it was hilarious.
The quiz is totally music related, think name the artist style questions and current music news. Some of the questions are a little tricky so brush up on your music knowledge before heading down. They also have some "get involved" rounds, like who can hoola hoop for the longest - winners get points for their team!

The quiz is a lot of good fun, but the real magic comes after the quiz has finished. With any luck you are all nice and merry by now, and you'll need to be, as you are taken around to one of the private karaoke rooms for you and your friends. Playing the quiz gets you 2 hours of karaoke free! It was a hard hitting moment for me when I realised I wouldn't be a winner on The X Factor any time soon, but we had a lot of fun choosing songs, playing with different sound effects for the mic and using the inflatable guitar.

Unfortunately, when I got up for work the following morning I stumbled late into the office I was feeling less than fresh, and a little embarrassed to say the least. But good fun was had all round!

Introducing Captain Meow at the Portside Parlour

Last week a group of us gals got together to head down to the PortSide Parlour at Broadway Market. This lovely little basement bar was delightful; being a rum lover my only disappointed was not finding the place sooner!

It’s worth pointing out that as you stroll down Broadway Market hunting for a doorway to a basement bar you will be wandering for a while. There is a lovely looking bar located on the corner of Dericote Street called Off Broadway, go in through there and follow the signs for the toilets, that's where you will find the pirate ship themed bar.

Unfortunately we planned this little trip to the rum bar well in advance, so much so we hadn’t accounted for the tube strikes. Eventually our party arrived and we began our endless assault on the cocktail menu. A Grace Jones followed by a Fishwife Punch, chased with a Prime Minister, each more delicious than the last. My personal favorite was the 1749, served with a little surprise.

The Rum Cocktail Menu

The bar itself is decked out like a pirate ship, with candelabras on the tables and jugs of water, tables so sturdy they would look proud in the captains quarter. Having spent many a party in my later teen years dressed as a pirate this place provoked loads of old memories, most ending rather embarrassingly with me falling over of puking into a bucket! Luckily I have grown to be a much more responsible adult so there was no pirate themed repeat from my past...or rather my last train home was at 9.45.
Due to the tube strikes we had the place to ourselves, which was great for what we wanted, but the lovely bar staff assured us it gets pretty packed out at the weekend!

All in all, I'm pretty disappointed I am unlikely to be heading back there any time soon. Their rum selection was fantastic, the bar staff were warm and friendly and the decor was very, erm, piratey! And, we even got to meet Captain Meow, the ships resident rat catcher!

I doubt he would make a good rat catcher really!

Ps. apologies for the blurriness of the pictures, the cocktails were just too good!