Court Articles

October 19, 2005

Living Down Under

When I moved to Sydney, Australia to attend Sydney Uni, I justified it to all my friends and family by saying that "if the ticket was so expensive, I might as well be there for awhile." I left in July, thinking that this was it - one last flirtation with travel and life overseas before I finished up school and headed to the scary world of work and two-week vacations.

While in Sydney, I stayed at UniLodge - accommodations that would have been ok, if they weren't run by such inept people. Actually, I don't think it was so much that they were inept as they were uncaring or uninterested. Their prime spot near campus meant they could charge exorbitant rates and still be full. As far as I know, there were no Australians that lived there.

Every weekend, my roommate and I would walk past the central train station and the coolest looking Sydney hostel - Wake Up. We'd get our fresh produce and wander around Paddy's market, looking for souvenirs and gifts to bring home. My favorite purchase? Macadamia nuts.

My 20^th birthday was spent at the bar at the bottom of one of the hostels Sydney Australia is famous for - Scubar. It was an eclectic crew of people - most of whom were from a country other than the one I was living in, but fun nonetheless.

At the time, I didn't know that I'd be spending my 21^st birthday in Oz as well - this time as one of my final stops on a round the world journey. So much for the last fling with travel. It was different then, as was I, but I soaked up the fun (and, admittedly, libations) with equal enjoyment and thrill that comes with traveling overseas.

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October 18, 2005

Advice on Down Under

My boyfriend is heading to Australia for three weeks - he's never been and I find we're on very different wavelengths when talking about the best way to plan out his vacation. He's busy worrying about how navigate the public transportation system and finding a good backpacker hostel Sydney side that isn't completely booked over Christmas. I'm busy worrying about the best way for him to get from Brisbane (which he probably never would have heard of if he didn't know Chris) to Hobart (which he probably thinks is the Simpson's character with a 'ho' in front).

I do my best to assure him that yes, with all the Sydney hostels, there is bound to be some availability (granted, if he doesn't book in advance, it's probably one with bedbugs, but he doesn't need to know that). He does his best to assure me that yes, he will take plenty of water and fuel if he rents a 4WD and explores the Northern Territory. I don't think either of us are convinced.

However, when push comes to shove, it's his trip, not mine. I will offer my fuzzy memories and recommendations and he can do with them as he sees fit. His experiences Down Under will be very different than my own and hopefully when our friends take the trip they've been talking about for the last year, we'll be able to combine our knowledge and give some great advice. Whether or not they take it, at least we'll have the ability to give it.

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Oz Guide!

Promo time! For the past few months, I've been working on the Australia Guide. It has a bunch of info - there are articles on everything from visas to transportation...

Continue reading... | by Court | # | Comments (2)