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Guido's Down Under Experiences: November 2004

FlyingDutchman
2006-03-19 20:13:01

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Park and the Kimberley, both in North-West W.A.

* Do visit Tasmania, the state with the best natural scenery, and too often bypassed by backpackers. Just book your flight a bit in advance to avoid paying lots of money for it. The only good excuse for not going to Tasmania is having little time and visiting New Zealand instead.

* Sydney is the only city in Australia where you can spend a week and not get bored, all the other major cities are less interesting from a sightseeing perspective. This is not to say that they should be avoided altogether. If you can find some work in a major city, each one of them is a good place to settle down for a while, and you can always do the odd day of sightseeing.

* Christmas and New Year in Sydney seems to be almost every backpacker's dream, and it puzzles me why. You have to book accommodation in Sydney for this period months in advance, pay higher rates, or arrive half a month before to secure accommodation. And for what? I think New Year's eve in Sydney is highly overrated; it is terribly crowded, you are not allowed to drink in public, and the fireworks over the Harbour Bridge are just as good on Australia Day (26 January). I really enjoyed spending New Year's eve in Hobart, and can recommend it to anyone; the atmosphere was very relaxed, no one made a fuss about drinking in the park, and of course there were fireworks at the waterfront as well. Besides, the end of December is the best time of year to be in Hobart with a Tasmanian food festival, arrival of the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, and good weather.

* Do not get an RSA certificate before getting a job in a bar. Getting the certificate is a formality, but it is a waste of A$85 when you get one without ever getting a job in a bar!

Sat 06 November 2004
Last Photos Online
Reuver, NL

Today I put the best photos of my last month in Australia (Sydney, Canberra ...