It's so nice to see people from all over the world reading my posts, please say hello if you do! 5 years ago I decided to give up my job in order to go backpacking around Australia for 3 months on a holiday visa. The only plan I had made was to start in Sydney and take it from there.
Before:
1. Apply for the correct type of visa- you won't get very far without it! Also check your passport is in date.
2. Research different options and chat to people who have been before. I actually got chatting to a few people on forums with whom I would end up spending my first week.
3. If you have the funds, start off with a travel company. I picked www.ozintro.com as I had heard lots of great things about them. The 1 week package they offer is great value for money as it includes activities like jet boating around the harbour, learning to surf and a trip to the Blue Mountains. They also get you a bank account, tax file card and mobile phone SIM. This means you can simply make the most of your first week. It is also a great way to meet new people.
4. If you want to go solo, make sure you have a plan of action:
Where are you going to start off?
Are you planning to work or just travel?
What do you want to get from the experience? For example, I knew I wanted to try activities like skydiving which I would never dare do at home.
5. Compile a list of things to take with you and tick them off as you pack them. Travel forums and blogs are really good for getting advice for what to take. Also there are many travel lists on Google that you can print off. Here are my recommendations:
- A suitable size backpack. Many girls I met had brought heavy suitcases with them and then struggled to carry them about. I took this Gelert one which was perfect for my size (I'm quite petite) and fitted everything I needed.
- Shampoo bars - I picked some from www.lush.co.uk which were great
- Small travel bottles of shower gel/ conditioner etc
- A torch
- A padlock that is big enough to attach your backpack to something sturdy
- A thin sleeping bag. The one I took was more like a thin sheet that you could roll up and attach to the straps of your backpack. Unfortunately I don't recall where I got it from.
- Clothing to last you a week. The worst bit about backpacking is the amount of washings you have to do. But at the same point, you do not want your bag to be too heavy. I was going in summer so I took a lot of light clothes like t-shirts and skirts. I only took 1 pair of trainers, 1 hoodie and 1 pair of jeans.
Remember you can throw away some of the clothes after you have been using them a while and purchase new ones. In fact, I think my whole travel wardrobe was completely different on the way home to what I took with me.
- Suitable walking shoes
- A fast drying towel. The best ones are the anti-bacterial ones.
- Small first aid kit with plasters, tablets and bandages.
- I took mini straighteners as they are easier to fit in. They were by Babyliss and pretty cheap. However once I was there, I borrowed GHD from friends I was travelling with. If going in a group of friends, co-ordinate who will take what.
5. Make sure you know the rules of the country you are visiting. I did a Google Search before I went just to know what could be taken into the country. Australia are very strict at Customs and will charge fines if you try to enter with something prohibited. Avoid the embarrassment at the Customs queue by knowing in advance what is needed.
6. Alert your bank that you are going to be abroad, get someone to pick up your mail regularly and cancel any subscriptions that you won't need like paying the milkman or catalogues.
7. Most importantly, make sure you have the funds to last you up until you get a job. Don't assume it will be easy to find a job over there. The last thing you want to do is have to phone home for a loan. Also, Customs usually check that you have enough funds to pay for a ticket home on entry.
You are now all sorted for the trip of a lifetime!Most of this is common sense but in the excitement of planning a trip it can be easy to forget something. In my opinion, research and planning make a journey a success. You don't need to have planned everything you will do but having a good idea of what you want to do or what is available will make your life easier.
Hope this post has been useful. As always let me know your thoughts in the comments section and check in next week to find out my recommendations for a fun-filled backpacking experience.
Nikki
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