Questions about Australia

General Discussion
1

This summer I am planning a trip to Australia. Im going to try and make it about 3 months, but I would need to find a job and a place to stay. I know someone on here has to be from out there or has been over there and is did what I want to do. Im thinking of staying around the byron bay or brisbane area, so is there anyone over there with some tips on what side of town to be in and what side not to be in? Also, how big is australia? I know it is a expansive country, but I wont really have a vehicle unless I buy a cheap dirt bike or something. So can I get around well on buses or not? Is there a slight chance that someone might have a room for me to rent out or a shed to live in?! Maybe even a vehicle, motorcycle or dirt bike to buy??I realize it will be your winter, but from what I understand the weather in the central coast region is still moderate and not too cold. I am looking forward to traveling and surfing as much as possible. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Anthony

2

Check out Greyhound Busses over here they offer a distance travel plan where you can get on and off wherever you like during a certain time period. Try this link for central coast

I’ll leave the rest of the info to the east coast mob, it’s too far from here to shout at them, my voice cuts out after about 3000 miles…

3

Busing along the East Coast is no problem. I’d suggest that you just rock into any surf shop along the coast and ask questions - that will get you a lot of places and contacts. If you start off in Brisbane (no surf in Brisbane by the way) you can go north to the Sunshine Coast, East to North Stradbroke Island (by ferry from Cleveland) and South to the Gold Coast and the Tweed Coast and Byron Bay area (in New South Wales). Plenty of surf shops and surf spots everywhere and you won’t need more than 3mm of rubber (If you are from Northern Ca you probably won’t even use that). If you plan on working - get a work visa or Immigration will have fits - you could even get sent home on arrival! Talk to someone at the Australian Embassy in the US.

The waves in this area are usually fairly good through winter with an occasional ground swell of size from the south, but mostly in the 3 - 6 ft range. Sunshine Coast has Noosa which needs a fair sort of swell to get good but when it does it is awesome. Lots of beach breaks and a few mediocre points. North Stradbroke has beaches that will work on any wind direction except due east. Some great beach breaks at Point Lookout and south along the open beach, a couple of reef type breaks and a great point break - Cylinders. Gold Coast has lots of points, Burleigh, Currumbin, Kirra, Greenmount, Rianbow Bay and Snapper Rocks (the last three currently connect to form the Superbank. Lots beach breaks, surf shops, night clubs, pubs, and lots and lots of surfers. Good place to start out your adventures and make some contacts if you can put up with the crowds for a few weeks

4

Thanks for all the info. So do you guys have a motorcycle for sale magazine at all, maybe with a website or something. I don’t mind taking buses, especially if they don’t mind surfboards, but I would like to be a little more adventurous in my travels and try to hit up as many places and surf spots as possible.

Thanks

Anthony

5

Go camp at Broken Head for a while, everyone has to do that at least once in their lifetime.

6

If you don’t mind getting dirty there is plenty of work .Get a visa.for the price of a cheap motorbike you can probably get a car , your only here three months.there is awsome surf along the east coastnorth and south of byron in the right conditions you can surf in cairns not world class but a paddle. Try wicked campers they do a good deal.

7

Try this one - http://www.tradingpost.com.au it will give you an idea of what’s available at the very least.

Quote:

So do you guys have a motorcycle for sale magazine at all, maybe with a website or something.

Thanks

Anthony

8

Australia is a big place and driving can literally be a killer.

It seems like you only want to do a relatively small area of oz and with 3 months up your sleave you won’t need to rush.

As mentioned the greyhound buses and other companies are good and pretty versatile but they only drop you off at main towns so you won’t be able to do much back beach exploration.

Motorbike sounds like fun but could be a hassle in regards to the distances and the amount of gear you can carry.

Getting your own cheap car is a good option but be aware that insurrance can cost a bit.

There is a big backpacker scene in Australia and some of these tourists know more about getting around on the cheap than the locals do. I know in Sydney they have a backpacker car market at Kings Cross in the city. Backpackers buy cars there, drive them around the country then bring them back and sell them. You might even meet up with another traveller who has a similar trip planned and you can go halves. Some cars are sold with camping gear as well.

Just to give you an idea of distances it takes 10 hours driving just cruising to get from Sydney to Byron bay. But there is a lot of surfing to do in between so why rush.

They may have a similar backpacker set up in Brisbane which might be easier in regards to driving.

To get you in the mood try and check out the dvd “morning of the earth”. It’s old school but good stuff.

Or for something newer I like the feel of “shelter”

Here is a joke about Aussies as well. Might help understand our mentality.

Four men were sitting around a conference room table being interviewed for

a job.

The interviewer asked, “What is the fastest thing you know of?”

The first man replied, "A thought. It pops into your head, there’s no forewarning that it’s on the way; it’s just there.

A thought is the fastest thing I know of."

“That’s very good,” replied the interviewer.

“And now you, sir,” he asked the second man.

“Hmmm, let me see… a blink!,” said the second man. "It comes and goes and you don’t know it ever happened.

A blink is the fastest thing I know of."

“Excellent!”, said the interviewer. “The blink of an eye. That’s a very popular cliché for speed.” He then turned to the third man who was contemplating his reply.

“Well, out on my dad’s farm, you step out of the house and on the wall there is a light switch. When you flip that switch, way across the field the light at the barn comes on in an instant. Turning on a light is the fastest thing I can think of.”

The interviewer was very impressed with the third answer and thought he had found his man.

“It’s hard to beat the speed of light.”, he said.

Turning to the fourth man, an Australian, he posed the same question.

“After hearing the three previous answers, it’s obvious to me the fastest thing known is diarrhoea,” said the Aussie.

“What!” said the interviewer, stunned by the response.

“Oh, I can explain,” said the Aussie, “You see, the other day I wasn’t feeling so well and ran for the bathroom. But, before I could, think, blink,or turn on the light, I shit my pants.”

He got the job…