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travel blog for budget travelers

rashport

Australia NSW Sydney Macquarie Chair Travel Blog Budget Traveler Backpacker
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AUSTRALIA

 Places Visited ​

 Brisbane 

Activities, tours and attractions

  • Hugging a koala is permitted in certain states such as Queensland (Brisbane), unlike New South Wales (Sydney) or Victoria (Melbourne)

  • Entrance fee to Lone Pine Sanctuary is AUD 36. Discount is available for children and students with valid ID. If you don’t want to pay for a photo with a koala, there’s a “meet a koala” hour for free where you can pet the koala without hugging it. Ask the information desk. Kangaroos are well-fed at Lone Pine Sanctuary, so don’t feel afraid to get close to them although some of them are massive. Kangaroo food can be purchased from the canteen in the park for AUD 2

  • I highly recommend visiting Queensland Gallery of Modern Art. Check out the artworks and exhibition of the famous artist Yayoi Kusama

  • It is unsafe to swim in the sea around Brisbane. There is a massive, open for public, man made swimming pool in the city center

Restaurants and cafes

  • Mado Cafe and Restaurant is located opposite south bank station. I had kofta “minced lamb”, with rice, vegetables, bread and yogurt. I paid around AUD 28. Food is generally expensive in Australia and in that particular district

Accommodation

  • Breeze Lodge: located in a new building with new amenities, spacious room, breakfast included, good WiFi, rooms cleaned daily, clean bathrooms, bathrooms for people with disabilities, strict rules on alcohol and partying which makes it safe, tea and coffee available at anytime with kettles in each floor, location is not central, 20-minute away from the center, stuffy rooms because windows cannot be opened

 Airlie Beach 

Activities, tours and attractions

  • Book a boat tour to Hill Inlet and Whitehaven Beach from Airlie Beach. Check with different tour operators as prices vary slightly. Check the weather forecast for a sunny day to capture the best photos. Don’t buy the meal plan as it’s tasteless. Get your own food, will taste better and cheaper. Rent a stinger suit for Whitehaven Beach, venomous box jellyfish inhabits the ocean especially between November and February

  • Airlie Beach is the best place to take the scenic flight over the Great Barrier Reef. Take a motion sickness pill (if needed) as the aircraft is small and light, so turbulences feel worse

  • Got an extra day in Airlie Beach? Kayak in the blue waters of Whitsunday Islands with Salty Dog Sea Kayaking (www.saltydog.com.au). Kayak in blue waters and visit secluded islands with light snacks included. Don’t forget to apply lots of sunblock on your arms, sun is intense

Accommodation

  • Airlie Beach YHA: spacious room, big lockers, clean bathroom with hot showers, rooms cleaned daily, very friendly and informative staff, big kitchen, weak WiFi (just like most of places in Australia), WiFi mainly available in the communal area, premium WiFi for a charge of AUD 5 for a day access

 Uluru (Ayers Rock) 

Activities, tours and attractions

  • Uluru (Ayers Rock) is a resort town includes an airport, hotels and the national park

  • One company operates all the different types of accommodation

  • The town is basically in the middle of the desert with no cities or towns close by

  • The resort includes all the facilities: supermarket, souvenir shop, food court, car rental, tour operator and other services, all of them are within a walking distance from hotels

  • Wear a hat with a net when you go hiking in the national park especially in summer (December-February) as it gets so hot and there’s no shade, with mosquitos, flies and bugs throughout the hiking trail

  • Carry a water bottle, there are few water tanks around the rock

  • Entry pass is valid for 3 consecutive days for both Uluru and Kata Tjuta National Parks

  • Climbing the rock is totally banned as of October 2019

  • The rock is a sacred site for the aboriginal people so please respect it and don’t attempt to climb

  • There’s only one main supermarket in the resort town. Get your groceries and canned food before you arrive in Uluru

  • Purchase/bring your hiking gear (shoes, hats, water bottle) beforehand. They’re so expensive if purchased from the resort

Transportation

  • Rent a car to visit Uluru National Park from your accommodation in Uluru town as tours from resort to national park are super expensive. Car’s odometer is limited by rental companies. If you exceed the specified distance, an extra charge will be imposed (read the rent policy carefully)

Accommodation

  • Outback Pioneer Lodge: very small 4-bed rooms with bad ventilation, no lockers or enough space for luggage, big shared bathrooms with five showers, very expensive meals so visitors should go to the town center where there is a supermarket, paid WiFi, hotel offers few activities for free but I didn't do any of them as I only had 2 days to explore Uluru and Kata-Tjuta National Park. If you're planning to visit Uluru, this lodge is one of the cheapest options (you can opt for a camping site as well for a budget accommodation). The resort offers complimentary coach from/to airport according to scheduled flights.

 Sydney 

Activities, tours and attractions​

  • This is one of my favorite cities in the world… vivid, livable, gorgeous climate, surrounded by numerous stunning beaches

  • Mrs Macquarie’s point is the best spot to take a photo with Sydney’s main icons: Opera House and Harbor Bridge

  • Bondi Iceberg Pool offers stunning panoramic view of Bondi Beach. Walking around the pool could be dangerous from the seaside, waves crash so hard and can push someone over the rim

  • Spare a day to do Bondi-Coogee Coastal Walk. Start at Bondi Beach and it’s graffiti wall, enjoy the spectacular beaches such as Tamarama Beach, and the views of cliffs, houses, coves and historical cemetery. Path is well paved and signposted. I walked in flip flops (tongs in Australian accent)

  • Take a ferry from Circular Quay to Manly Beach. Go to the back of the ferry to take a spectacular photo with Sydney’s skyline. Manly Beach is quite dangerous and notorious for undercurrents. Swimming is allowed in a small stretch of the beach, with two lifeguards in the water, one on a board and the other on a jet ski. Walk southwest toward Shelly Beach, it’s a little lovely sandy beach, surrounded by rocks and trees

  • Buy your souvenirs from Paddy's Market

  • Walk on Harbor Bridge at sunset time. Take photos of the Opera House behind the fence. Don't attempt to climb the wall of the bridge, there is a hefty fine for that, surveillance cameras are abundant and security guards patrol the bridge

  • New Year Eve: for me, this was a terrible experience: very crowded, people were pushy, stinky and rude, security officers didn't interfere, I reached at 9 pm and remained standstill until midnight, the angle was very narrow and I could partially see the fireworks over Harbor Bridge. People had to reserve their spot for a good view in the Royal Botanical Gardens and Mrs Macquarie’s point from 3 pm! Alternatively, you may buy a seat or rent a boat with friends for better views. Ideally, stay home and watch it on TV. There is also a mini firework at 9 pm, probably for kids so they can sleep early

  • On a rainy day, visit the Art Gallery of New South Wales. It houses remarkable collections

Restaurants and cafes

  • Restaurants and cafés are quite pricey. Do your grocery shopping from supermarkets. Some of them offer cheap deals on certain products

  • Time for Thai serves excellent Asian food. I ordered chicken with garlic and pepper. The portion was quite good with white rice. The price was reasonable for central Sydney standards.

Accommodation

  • Do not stay at Base Backpackers on 477 Kent Street. This hostel charges its guests for WiFi. Or, there is a very limited WiFi access, available in at the travel desk in certain hours from Monday-Friday and closed on public holidays. It is NOT true that hostels in Australia charge you for WiFi as the receptionist claimed. I stayed in Brisbane, Airlie Beach and in another hostel in Sydney, and all had free WiFi. Moreover, the hostel is ultra dirty and stinky, it doesn’t need lots of observation, dirt and mold are everywhere, just look at the air conditioning pipes at the lobby. Bathrooms were clearly never cleaned throughout my 3 nights stay. My room had a a horrible smell with food stains on the carpet. From my lower bed, I could see the mattress above me turned brown from its original white color. The bed was so old that it was rocking. The music from the club in the ground floor is so loud and was shaking our room at night. Staff are not very friendly with poor knowledge. Storage room was left open in the -1 floor. The bathrooms in the -1 floor had a terrible humidity and sewerage smell. When I checked in, I couldn’t hear the receptionist because of the loud music in the lobby. The only good thing about it was the location. The only good thing about it was the location. It is very close to Town Hall station, and it's surrounded by supermarkets, restaurants, cafes and convenience stores

  • Wake Up! 6-bed room is too small and no space for luggage. 4-bed room is spacious and comfortable with big lockers. Large kitchen but closes at 10 pm, fast WiFi and covers the entire building, very helpful staff. I appreciated the hostel more when I moved to another hostel in Sydney and felt the difference in every aspect. Wake Up! is probably one of the best in town. Book directly on the hostel’s website for best prices and a free cup of coffee from the hostel’s cafe

 Katoomba (Blue Mountains) 

Activities, tours and attractions​

  • The terrace to view the Three Sisters is an easy short walk from the entrance

  • Walk away from the Three Sisters and hike in the beautiful nature with little streams

  • Pack water and food as there are no shops around

Transportation

  • If you are taking the metro from Sydney, get off at Katoomba station. Walk from Katoomba station towards Blue Mountain National Park (around 30 minutes)

 Figure 8 Pool - Royal National Park 

Activities, tours and attractions​​

  • The natural rock pools can only be visited in the low tide as they disappear during mid or high tide. Check the tide and time your visit to start hiking 3 hours before the lowest tide

  • Once you reach the Royal National Park, you need to walk for around 2 hours between the bushes on a marked path, then, the path takes you to wooden panels. You'll see Figure 8 Pool underneath you, but you can only reach from Burning Palms Beach. Finally, you need to scramble some big rocks to reach the pool

  • Do not visit Figure 8 Pool if there is a swell; waves sometimes crash over the pools and drift the beachgoers

  • Wear sturdy shoes as the surface is covered in slippery lichens and algae

  • Don't worry if Figure 8 Pool is crowded with a queue of people to swim or take photos for their Instagram. There are so many interesting small pools for yourself

  • Leave the pools at least 2 hours before sunset. The entire hiking trail has no lights, and could be dangerous at dark

Transportation

  • Figure 8 Pool is located in the Royal National Park. Either, drive to Garrawarra Farm Carpark or take the metro from Sydney to Otford station

 Useful Information 

  • Australia is a continent with so many interesting places to visit, so plan ahead and consider your mode of transport

  • Summer in southern hemisphere is from November to March which is the best time to visit Sydney and Melbourne, while May to October is the best time to visit Cairns, Airlie Beach and Darwin as it is the dry season

  • Make sure you claim every food or herbal item in your luggage on arrival

  • If you want to avoid mass crowds, drop the route Sydney-Brisbane from your itinerary. Go to Western Australia (I had no time but was told it was the best part and had miles of secluded beaches)

  • Australia is expensive. It will make a damage to your wallet, but think twice… who cares about these valueless papers called money when you get unforgettable experience in a paradise like Australia

Feel free to leave a question/comment below in English, Arabic or Spanish (hablo un poco de español). I will reply as soon as possible OR leave a comment on my Instagram page 

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