Well folks, my year in Oz is nearly up. I’ve had the chance to explore Victoria and New South Wales, experiencing unique events like New Year’s Eve in Sydney, cheering for my footy team during the premiership, seeing great sights like the Twelve Apostles along the Great Ocean Road. I’ve had an awesome time over here but unfortunately all great things must come to an end.
It’s been a fairly tough time for me in the last few months. Getting work when your visa is running out is quite tough, even more so if you restrict yourself to office jobs like I did. There is stuff out there but you have to be aggressive. If you see an opening, apply! Then wait a few days and call! Especially if dealing with an agency you’ve got to track down the person in charge of the job posting and make sure they know you’re up for it. Thankfully I have something for the moment.
At this point in time I need to concentrate on work and budgeting, planning and booking my next travels as well as forecasting my finances for those travels. I hope to reboot the blog at some point towards the end of 2012 - early 2013 from a new location. Where? Who knows? I’m quite excited to start travelling again. Expect the following in the coming months:
- All the fun stories I DIDN’T want to write about while in oz
- More airline reviews
- More culture shock wtf articles
Stay tuned, more is yet to come.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Fighting Homesickness
When you’re travelling for so long you’re obviously going to get homesick at some point. Regardless of how “strong” you are, how determined you are, or hard-headed, at some point you’ll wish you were with your friends or family back home. Unfortunately there’s no real cure for homesickness other than getting a flight home, but there are some ways to cope. Obviously I’ve dealt with homesickness, mostly over holidays. Over time I’ve found ways of watching TV back home, getting food from back home, as well as meeting people from back home. These three things can definitely help you cope and get your home culture fix.
Watching TV
Thanks to the internet I’ve been able to watch stuff like local/national news from back home, as well as sports. TV here in Oz is ok, has most shows that I would watch back home (all if you have Foxtel). Obviously there won’t be any NHL, CFL, or NBA, nor any news. It’s just a matter of searching online and finding a stream. Sadly local Canadian sites might not let you access live streams (CBC Hockey Night In Canada) if you’re outside of the country. Thankfully there will almost always be a stream (especially if it’s a major sporting event). Getting newscasts is a lot easier. I’ve had no issues finding local/national newscasts for Canada. Hopefully these links help you out if you’re on the road and want to watch some tv from home:
NHL & NBA: Use google to find a stream.
CFL: http://watch.tsn.ca/cfl-games-on-demand/ *Games won’t be live but you can still watch
News:
Global News: http://www.globalnews.ca *Good for local news
Sun News Network: http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca *National News
Food
I’ve already done an article on poutine - you CAN get it here in Oz. But say you want something else like root beer, high sugar cereal, or some high powered hot sauce. Thankfully there are some shops here in Melbourne that do specialize in North American products. It did take me a while to find these but they are awesome. Just keep in mind that you will be paying a premium for these products such as $10 for a box of cereal or a box of pop tarts, or $20 for a 12 pack of A & W root beer. There are at least three places that I know of here in Melbourne where you can stock up on North American goods:
USA Foods - http://www.usafoods.com.au - 110 Cochranes Rd, Moorabin VIC
Amazing Savings - 162 Carlisle St, St Kilda VIC
Americandy - stall at Vic Market.
Meeting Fellow Canadians
 |
| Getting a care package from home always helps as well - bug people to send you one! |
Thanks to the internet I’ve been able to watch stuff like local/national news from back home, as well as sports. TV here in Oz is ok, has most shows that I would watch back home (all if you have Foxtel). Obviously there won’t be any NHL, CFL, or NBA, nor any news. It’s just a matter of searching online and finding a stream. Sadly local Canadian sites might not let you access live streams (CBC Hockey Night In Canada) if you’re outside of the country. Thankfully there will almost always be a stream (especially if it’s a major sporting event). Getting newscasts is a lot easier. I’ve had no issues finding local/national newscasts for Canada. Hopefully these links help you out if you’re on the road and want to watch some tv from home:
NHL & NBA: Use google to find a stream.
CFL: http://watch.tsn.ca/cfl-games-on-demand/ *Games won’t be live but you can still watch
News:
Global News: http://www.globalnews.ca *Good for local news
Sun News Network: http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca *National News
Food
I’ve already done an article on poutine - you CAN get it here in Oz. But say you want something else like root beer, high sugar cereal, or some high powered hot sauce. Thankfully there are some shops here in Melbourne that do specialize in North American products. It did take me a while to find these but they are awesome. Just keep in mind that you will be paying a premium for these products such as $10 for a box of cereal or a box of pop tarts, or $20 for a 12 pack of A & W root beer. There are at least three places that I know of here in Melbourne where you can stock up on North American goods:
USA Foods - http://www.usafoods.com.au - 110 Cochranes Rd, Moorabin VIC
Amazing Savings - 162 Carlisle St, St Kilda VIC
Americandy - stall at Vic Market.
Meeting Fellow Canadians
 |
| Poutine on Canada Day Nothing beats a bit of homesickness than getting together with some fellow people frome your home country. When you move away from home, try searching for clubs catered to your country. Here in Victoria Australia there is a Canada Club which puts on events throughout the year, usually coinciding with Canadian holidays. I had the pleasure of celebrating Canada Day with them at a bar in Melbourne’s CBD. It was a lot of fun as the bar served ceasars, poutine and beavertails. I also win a bag of goodies playing name that Canadian song buy guessing correctly Rush’s Closer To The Heart. So be on the lookout for local clubs near you! |
 |
| My prize for guessing correctly at Name That Song. |
Hopefully these tips help you fight your homesickness blues. It gets all of us as we travel the world - so you’re not alone. So just get online, search for TV, stores, or clubs near you. Also don’t forget to keep in touch with everyone back home.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Keeping In Touch
While travelling obviously you want to keep in touch with everyone back home. With the advent of modern technology, the odd postcard every now and then has gone the way of the dodo. Nowadays with smartphones, social networking, and VoIP technology, people want to know what and how you’re doing at a moment’s notice. This is great in terms of keeping in touch and beating homesickness, but at the same time takes away from the whole “getting away from it all” point that a vacation/travelling is. Anyways, having been away so long I’ve gone through a lot of different mediums in terms of keeping in touch with friends and family. Today I’ll cover a few of these mediums: Email, Post, Google, Facebook and Skype. These are probably the easiest and most usable tools when travelling.
Post:
This is the most old-school way of keeping in touch - but still a nice touch. Depending on where you are in the world, post can be sometimes unreliable. So far in Korea, Australia, and the US, service has been pretty good. Here in Australia it takes a little while for my postcards or mail to get to me from Canada (usually 2 weeks). I was surprised as one of my birthday packages tool 6 days to get here to Australia, now THAT’S service!
Email:
This is one of my most hated of all mediums, and always has been. In previous travels I used to use e-mail but the problem comes when you have so many people to write back to, and you’re pretty much writing the same damn thing over and over. Nothing pisses me off more than an e-mail (or even facebook, or whatever message) that just basically says “How’s your trip? How’s Australia? Do you like it?” SERIOUSLY! I don’t mind the odd one coming in from someone who’s out of the loop, or when I’m someplace remote. Otherwise, I have pictures up, a whole blog, twitter, and a life/job out here. You shouldn’t need to ask... Doing custom emails is painfully time consuming! I am guilty of using cookie-cutter emails (since I repeat myself so much in them) .
Google Suite (Chat, Plus, etc.):
While I’m a big fan of Google products, in terms of chat and social networking they have a lot of work to do. Google Chat is somewhat of an alternative to facebook messenger but has a tendency to be unreliable. Messages sometimes don’t get sent, don’t get received. Google Plus was an interesting idea, but nobody uses it. As well the option of having a Google Hangout hosting a videochat with many people at the same time is great, but sadly the video quality isn’t up to par to make me switch from other VoIP providers.
Facebook:
This is the default social network, and the way I predominately keep in touch with everyone. Here you can post your pictures, tag yourself, give status updates, chat, and send messages (e-mail style). I can’t complain really as it is a valuable tool to share my pics and adventures. For the most part this is probably one of the most reliable chat tools as I’ve never had any issues with messages not being sent/received and you can usually see if it’s been read or not. Apart from that, you probably already know everything there is about facebook.
Skype/VoIP:
This is quite possibly the best way to keep in touch in terms of voice/video chat. I for the most part use Skype as it provides the best quality in both video and voice chat. Its network is fairly consistent with very few blips. Best of all it’s free to use if both of you are using it. You can also use Skype to call actual phone numbers for a fee, but usually these are minimal. You can also use Skype from your smartphone - just be sure to check your data usage if you’re not on wifi. So before you leave, be sure to get everyone up and running on Skype for free voice/videochat. If they’re too lazy to get it, well you can pay to call them on the phone and nag them about it.
Post:
This is the most old-school way of keeping in touch - but still a nice touch. Depending on where you are in the world, post can be sometimes unreliable. So far in Korea, Australia, and the US, service has been pretty good. Here in Australia it takes a little while for my postcards or mail to get to me from Canada (usually 2 weeks). I was surprised as one of my birthday packages tool 6 days to get here to Australia, now THAT’S service!
Email:
This is one of my most hated of all mediums, and always has been. In previous travels I used to use e-mail but the problem comes when you have so many people to write back to, and you’re pretty much writing the same damn thing over and over. Nothing pisses me off more than an e-mail (or even facebook, or whatever message) that just basically says “How’s your trip? How’s Australia? Do you like it?” SERIOUSLY! I don’t mind the odd one coming in from someone who’s out of the loop, or when I’m someplace remote. Otherwise, I have pictures up, a whole blog, twitter, and a life/job out here. You shouldn’t need to ask... Doing custom emails is painfully time consuming! I am guilty of using cookie-cutter emails (since I repeat myself so much in them) .
Google Suite (Chat, Plus, etc.):
While I’m a big fan of Google products, in terms of chat and social networking they have a lot of work to do. Google Chat is somewhat of an alternative to facebook messenger but has a tendency to be unreliable. Messages sometimes don’t get sent, don’t get received. Google Plus was an interesting idea, but nobody uses it. As well the option of having a Google Hangout hosting a videochat with many people at the same time is great, but sadly the video quality isn’t up to par to make me switch from other VoIP providers.
Facebook:
This is the default social network, and the way I predominately keep in touch with everyone. Here you can post your pictures, tag yourself, give status updates, chat, and send messages (e-mail style). I can’t complain really as it is a valuable tool to share my pics and adventures. For the most part this is probably one of the most reliable chat tools as I’ve never had any issues with messages not being sent/received and you can usually see if it’s been read or not. Apart from that, you probably already know everything there is about facebook.
Skype/VoIP:
This is quite possibly the best way to keep in touch in terms of voice/video chat. I for the most part use Skype as it provides the best quality in both video and voice chat. Its network is fairly consistent with very few blips. Best of all it’s free to use if both of you are using it. You can also use Skype to call actual phone numbers for a fee, but usually these are minimal. You can also use Skype from your smartphone - just be sure to check your data usage if you’re not on wifi. So before you leave, be sure to get everyone up and running on Skype for free voice/videochat. If they’re too lazy to get it, well you can pay to call them on the phone and nag them about it.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Getting Around Melbourne
If you’re coming to Melbourne, most likely at some point or another you will need to use public transport. There is an extensive network here composed of trains, trams (streetcars), and busses. The fares are based on how far you go and divided into 2 zones. I do hear a lot of my local friends complain about it but for the most part I’ve never really had any issues. For example you don’t see stories in the news about public transport that I see back home like this... or this... I’ll give you a rundown of the essentials you’ll need to know about each mode of transport.
Trains
Buses
You’re probably not going to need a bus while here in Melbourne unless you go visit one of the outlying shopping malls, or go somewhere with no access to trains or trams. In my time here I’ve used them a handful of times, maybe 5 or 6. Busses can be handy very late at night when the trains and trams have stopped running. Nightrider busses run throughout the night, but be sure to plan ahead as the stops are infrequent, and the run maybe once an hour. Also be sure you’re awake and aware otherwise you could wake up in Frankston!
Paying Your Fare
The fare payment system here in Melbourne is called Myki. This is a coded card based fare system where you store value on the card and it gets deducted as you use it. This is taking over from the previous system called the Metcard, a paper card system. While Myki is cheaper, as a tourist it’s a bit of a pain that you have to buy the Myki card for $6, wiping out any savings you’d get. If staying in the CBD you can purchase Metcards on trams, but that’s it. To buy a Myki, there’s a Myki store at Southern Cross station where you can buy special tourist packs. Otherwise you can buy the cards at 7-Eleven or any store that has a big Myki sign displayed.
Getting around Melbourne is too easy! Compared to the stories I see about public transport back home, there’s nothing to complain about. Be sure to check out Public Transport Victoria’s website for all the details on routes and schedules. Enjoy your trip!
Trains
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One of Melbourne's trains.
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Trams
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| One of the newer trams here in Melbourne. |
As a tourist you’re most likely to hop on a tram as these go to most of the tourist attractions. Trams also only travel in Zone 1 so no need to worry about buying the wrong fare. Speaking of fares, be sure to always have a valid ticket! While it may be tempting to get a free ride, getting caught means a $207 fine. Trams suffer the same issues as trains during rush hour, being excessively filled. Morning rush hour can be an especially frustrating experience trying to hop on a tram at Flinders Street Station as there are hundreds of people trying to get on at the same time. If you’re visiting, be sure to hop on the City Circle Tram as it’s free and brings you around the CBD pointing out different tourist attractions.
Buses
You’re probably not going to need a bus while here in Melbourne unless you go visit one of the outlying shopping malls, or go somewhere with no access to trains or trams. In my time here I’ve used them a handful of times, maybe 5 or 6. Busses can be handy very late at night when the trains and trams have stopped running. Nightrider busses run throughout the night, but be sure to plan ahead as the stops are infrequent, and the run maybe once an hour. Also be sure you’re awake and aware otherwise you could wake up in Frankston!
Paying Your Fare
The fare payment system here in Melbourne is called Myki. This is a coded card based fare system where you store value on the card and it gets deducted as you use it. This is taking over from the previous system called the Metcard, a paper card system. While Myki is cheaper, as a tourist it’s a bit of a pain that you have to buy the Myki card for $6, wiping out any savings you’d get. If staying in the CBD you can purchase Metcards on trams, but that’s it. To buy a Myki, there’s a Myki store at Southern Cross station where you can buy special tourist packs. Otherwise you can buy the cards at 7-Eleven or any store that has a big Myki sign displayed.
Getting around Melbourne is too easy! Compared to the stories I see about public transport back home, there’s nothing to complain about. Be sure to check out Public Transport Victoria’s website for all the details on routes and schedules. Enjoy your trip!
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
3 Things I Don’t Miss About Canada
In last Thursday’s post I covered 30 Things I Miss About Canada. I thought it would be fair to also mention a few things that I DON’T miss about back home. I did get a reminder of some of these things when I went to Hawaii in August which just reinforced my dislike for these things. Here we have 3 things that I could honestly do without for the rest of my life:
Tipping
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| In Hawaii these "reminders" were highly annoying... |
Surprises At The Cash Register/Taxes (GST, Food, Liquor Taxes)
One of the things I absolutely LOVE here in Australia is the fact that when I go to a cafe, restaurant, the grocery store, or any shop for that matter, the price I see is the price I pay. Taxes are included in the listed price, but then itemized on your receipt so you know how much tax you paid. Here, if my coffee says it’s $3.50, it’ll be $3.50 when I get to the cash register. In Canada if it says $3.50 for a coffee on the menu, I really have to do $3.50 + 13% to figure out what I pay at the cash register. Try doing that calculation quickly in you head! The total then comes up to $3.95. When I explain this practice to my Aussie friends the usual reaction is something along the lines of “That’s bullshit!” I recently was explaining this to a friend of mine and she made the comment that you would need to walk around the shops with a calculator to know the exact price. That made me remember as a kid that... WE HAD A GROCERY STORE WITH CALCULATORS ON THE SHOPPING CARTS! I much prefer having no surprises at the checkout as here I tend to pay stuff with exact change. Why do we need to make things so damn complicated back home... I don’t know...
Canadian Winters
HA you thought I’d forget about this one? Sure I mentioned last week that I miss having a white Christmas, but I’m talking more about the January-February deep freeze. Explaining the whole concept of -30C to -40C temperatures to Australians is tough as here the coldest you’ll see is maybe -5C in Canberra. The best way to explain it is to have people imagine locking themselves in their freezer and it being twice or three times as cold. Even then it’s something you have to experience to learn the true value of my hatred for it. It’s nice being free of snow storm warnings, flight delays and frostbite warnings. Oh I also forgot to mention shovelling, scraping ice off your windshield, having to get your car unstuck from the snow, public transport nightmares, etc. Winter? I QUIT WINTER!
Thursday, October 18, 2012
30 Things I Miss About Canada
1. Harvey’s burgers - Oh so good!
2. Authentic poutine - even though I can get some around the world, it’s not the REAL thing...
3. Hooley’s Happy Hour - $4 pints and 1/2 price appetizers, just won’t happen out here
4. TV - Unless you have Foxtel (pay tv) you only get maybe 20 channels here in Australia, and 5ish of those are home shopping networks.
5. Late night shopping - everything here closes at 5:30 or 6 unless it’s a Thursday or Friday. Need to buy something like a gift or a suit after work on any other day? Forget about it!
6. Driving - I refuse to drive out here after getting a ridiculous speeding fine
7. Reasonable speeding thresholds - Here in Victoria if the speed limit is under 100km/h you get a 3km/h grace threshold for speeding, do 4 and it’s a fine! Over 100km/h it’s 10%.
8. Central heating - As far as I know houses here don’t have furnaces. We do get winter out here where the mercury drops to 1C or 2C so it does get cold!
9. Canadian beer - I miss my Alexander Keith’s!
10. Breakfast restaurant chains - There’s no such thing as Perkin’s, Cora’s, or IHOP out here... bloody shame!
11. North American sports - While I love my footy, I miss being able to catch baseball and hockey on TV here.
12. Fiery political debates about CANADIAN issues - boy did they ever get fiery!
13. 24hr News media - We do have ABC News 24, but unless you have Foxtel you won’t get CNN, Fox News or Sky News.
14. Reasonable fast food breakfast prices - I miss paying $4.02 for a McD’s BLT Bagel, 2 hashbrowns and a large coffee. Here I can pay $7.50 for a coffee and a donut
15. Urban music - Not popular here, miss hearing rap/hip-hop on a regular basis in the clubs.
16. Canadian holidays - While I’ve had the chance to celebrate Canada Day here in Oz and had the opportunity for a Thanksgiving lunch, just not the same as being back home.
17. Bacon - You can get bacon on your burger or parma but it’s back bacon and not the strips
18. Wal-Mart - The one stop shop for anything you could ever need.
19. Ketchup - Feels weird calling it tomato sauce...
20. My videogames - They’re gathering dust...
21. Tim Horton’s coffee - Oh how I miss paying $1.50 for an amazing large double-double, here a large coffee will set you back $4-$5.
22. Being able to plug all my toys in - I only have one power adapter for Oz so I have to balance out charging my toys
23. Coins - I still get frustrated with the fact that the smaller the coin the more valuable it is. Our $2 coin is the largest and easiest to find when you’re fiddling around for change. Also we don’t roll our coin here, we bag it!
24. Table service/running a tab - The honor system is a rarity here, usually you have to pay everything up front, including food.
25. My birthday during SUMMER! - I’m a winter baby here, was 2C on my b-day... :(
26. A White Christmas - Feels absolutely wrong slapping sunscreen on and walking around on a 32C Christmas day... totally wrong!
27. Cinnabon - Terrible yet so delicious! No such thing here in Oz.
28. Quizno’s - My main meal for years at work! Only Subway and their terrible toasting oven here.
29. Country music - BARELY exists here - not on the radio, tv, nor in concert unless it’s Keith Urban...
30. Last but not least, my friends, family and loved ones!
2. Authentic poutine - even though I can get some around the world, it’s not the REAL thing...
3. Hooley’s Happy Hour - $4 pints and 1/2 price appetizers, just won’t happen out here
4. TV - Unless you have Foxtel (pay tv) you only get maybe 20 channels here in Australia, and 5ish of those are home shopping networks.
5. Late night shopping - everything here closes at 5:30 or 6 unless it’s a Thursday or Friday. Need to buy something like a gift or a suit after work on any other day? Forget about it!
6. Driving - I refuse to drive out here after getting a ridiculous speeding fine
7. Reasonable speeding thresholds - Here in Victoria if the speed limit is under 100km/h you get a 3km/h grace threshold for speeding, do 4 and it’s a fine! Over 100km/h it’s 10%.
8. Central heating - As far as I know houses here don’t have furnaces. We do get winter out here where the mercury drops to 1C or 2C so it does get cold!
9. Canadian beer - I miss my Alexander Keith’s!
10. Breakfast restaurant chains - There’s no such thing as Perkin’s, Cora’s, or IHOP out here... bloody shame!
11. North American sports - While I love my footy, I miss being able to catch baseball and hockey on TV here.
12. Fiery political debates about CANADIAN issues - boy did they ever get fiery!
13. 24hr News media - We do have ABC News 24, but unless you have Foxtel you won’t get CNN, Fox News or Sky News.
14. Reasonable fast food breakfast prices - I miss paying $4.02 for a McD’s BLT Bagel, 2 hashbrowns and a large coffee. Here I can pay $7.50 for a coffee and a donut
15. Urban music - Not popular here, miss hearing rap/hip-hop on a regular basis in the clubs.
16. Canadian holidays - While I’ve had the chance to celebrate Canada Day here in Oz and had the opportunity for a Thanksgiving lunch, just not the same as being back home.
17. Bacon - You can get bacon on your burger or parma but it’s back bacon and not the strips
18. Wal-Mart - The one stop shop for anything you could ever need.
19. Ketchup - Feels weird calling it tomato sauce...
20. My videogames - They’re gathering dust...
21. Tim Horton’s coffee - Oh how I miss paying $1.50 for an amazing large double-double, here a large coffee will set you back $4-$5.
22. Being able to plug all my toys in - I only have one power adapter for Oz so I have to balance out charging my toys
23. Coins - I still get frustrated with the fact that the smaller the coin the more valuable it is. Our $2 coin is the largest and easiest to find when you’re fiddling around for change. Also we don’t roll our coin here, we bag it!
24. Table service/running a tab - The honor system is a rarity here, usually you have to pay everything up front, including food.
25. My birthday during SUMMER! - I’m a winter baby here, was 2C on my b-day... :(
26. A White Christmas - Feels absolutely wrong slapping sunscreen on and walking around on a 32C Christmas day... totally wrong!
27. Cinnabon - Terrible yet so delicious! No such thing here in Oz.
28. Quizno’s - My main meal for years at work! Only Subway and their terrible toasting oven here.
29. Country music - BARELY exists here - not on the radio, tv, nor in concert unless it’s Keith Urban...
30. Last but not least, my friends, family and loved ones!
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Where Do I Buy...?
Moving to Australia can be a big adjustment. As I’ve covered in the past, there’s quite a learning curve, even though things are quite similar. One of the things that I had a bit of trouble with was knowing where to buy stuff as many of the chains from back home don’t exist over here. Quite frankly the one stop shops that we have back home (aka Wal-Mart) aren’t here so sometimes you really have to explore. Hopefully this guide helps any of you if you’re planning on coming down here, whether for a week, a year, or even permanently.
Groceries:
Main Chains:
- Woolworths/Safeway
- Coles
- Aldi
- IGA
One of the big things here is the so-called grocery wars, better yet the price wars between all the big grocery retailers (more notably between Coles and Woolies). Aldi wins hands down in terms of pricing, but most if not all the products (including beer) will be an Aldi brand. As well produce selection is quite limited. Coles and Woolworth’s/Safeway are your main everyday shops. They’ll have all the main brands as well as your usual selection of produce, meat, and grocery products. Quite frankly preference between these two is more personal choice as I think they’re the same. Lastly there’s IGA, which I find the most expensive and really only go to out of convenience.
General Department Stores:
Main Chains:
- Target
- Kmart
- Big W
These places are all handy when it comes to picking up stuff you may have forgotten to pack, need cheap work clothes, or any general household item. Kmart wins in terms of price. Here you can get a $15 pair of dress pants, $18 dress shoes and $12 work shirts. The only thing is that sometimes the quality may leave a little to be desired, but for those prices you can easily replace them. Target may not have the best prices but the quality of their products is by far the best. I paid $20 for a pair of dress pants and they still look brand new after months of wear. Big W is also good in terms of quality but is also quite good in terms of selection. Who knew you could buy home brewing (making beer) products at a dept. store?
Hardware/Reno:
Main Chains:
- Bunnings Warehouse
- Masters
- Harvey Norman
Why am I covering Hardware/Home Reno? Well put yourself in this situation... Say you’re at a mate’s place taking a shower and then all of a sudden the shower head drops and disintegrates. Shit son looks like you’ll have to replace/fix it... Where the hell can you get one... and for cheap! Google was no help at all, it only led me to Harvey Norman’s website where the price ranges for shower heads was $100-$900 and I knew that the one I broke wasn’t THAT great. Bunnings and Masters are basically the equivalent to Home Depot. Here you can find $15 shower heads, or any sort of home improvement product you may need (lumber, drywall, paint, etc.)
Electronics:
Main Chains:
- JB Hi-Fi
- Dick Smith
- Harvey Norman
When travelling, sometimes your gizmos will break down on you and you may need to either replace them or get some sort of accessory. One of the first things I picked up when I landed here in Oz was a mobile phone charger as I only have one plug converter and several electronics that may need to be charged at the same time. Dick Smith is probably the best in terms of small electronics, headphones and chargers etc. JB Hi-Fi is the place if you need any sort of electronic item big or small (computers, TVs, video games, music). I would say it’s the equivalent of Best Buy back home down to the colours. Lastly there’s Harvey Norman again. They do sell cameras, TVs, and computers, but they’re more of a furniture store. I’ve never actually made it into one of their shops because... well I just have never had to.
Hopefully this guide can be of some service to you if you make your way to Oz. Even if you may not be staying here for long you may still need to go to one of these shops. Face it, you may need to buy food, clothes, repair a mate’s house or replace your earphones. Just remember that you may have to shell out a bit more here in Oz than you would back home.
Groceries:
Main Chains:
- Woolworths/Safeway
- Coles
- Aldi
- IGA
One of the big things here is the so-called grocery wars, better yet the price wars between all the big grocery retailers (more notably between Coles and Woolies). Aldi wins hands down in terms of pricing, but most if not all the products (including beer) will be an Aldi brand. As well produce selection is quite limited. Coles and Woolworth’s/Safeway are your main everyday shops. They’ll have all the main brands as well as your usual selection of produce, meat, and grocery products. Quite frankly preference between these two is more personal choice as I think they’re the same. Lastly there’s IGA, which I find the most expensive and really only go to out of convenience.
General Department Stores:
Main Chains:
- Target
- Kmart
- Big W
These places are all handy when it comes to picking up stuff you may have forgotten to pack, need cheap work clothes, or any general household item. Kmart wins in terms of price. Here you can get a $15 pair of dress pants, $18 dress shoes and $12 work shirts. The only thing is that sometimes the quality may leave a little to be desired, but for those prices you can easily replace them. Target may not have the best prices but the quality of their products is by far the best. I paid $20 for a pair of dress pants and they still look brand new after months of wear. Big W is also good in terms of quality but is also quite good in terms of selection. Who knew you could buy home brewing (making beer) products at a dept. store?
Hardware/Reno:
Main Chains:
- Bunnings Warehouse
- Masters
- Harvey Norman
Why am I covering Hardware/Home Reno? Well put yourself in this situation... Say you’re at a mate’s place taking a shower and then all of a sudden the shower head drops and disintegrates. Shit son looks like you’ll have to replace/fix it... Where the hell can you get one... and for cheap! Google was no help at all, it only led me to Harvey Norman’s website where the price ranges for shower heads was $100-$900 and I knew that the one I broke wasn’t THAT great. Bunnings and Masters are basically the equivalent to Home Depot. Here you can find $15 shower heads, or any sort of home improvement product you may need (lumber, drywall, paint, etc.)
Electronics:
Main Chains:
- JB Hi-Fi
- Dick Smith
- Harvey Norman
When travelling, sometimes your gizmos will break down on you and you may need to either replace them or get some sort of accessory. One of the first things I picked up when I landed here in Oz was a mobile phone charger as I only have one plug converter and several electronics that may need to be charged at the same time. Dick Smith is probably the best in terms of small electronics, headphones and chargers etc. JB Hi-Fi is the place if you need any sort of electronic item big or small (computers, TVs, video games, music). I would say it’s the equivalent of Best Buy back home down to the colours. Lastly there’s Harvey Norman again. They do sell cameras, TVs, and computers, but they’re more of a furniture store. I’ve never actually made it into one of their shops because... well I just have never had to.
Hopefully this guide can be of some service to you if you make your way to Oz. Even if you may not be staying here for long you may still need to go to one of these shops. Face it, you may need to buy food, clothes, repair a mate’s house or replace your earphones. Just remember that you may have to shell out a bit more here in Oz than you would back home.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Unemployed Life...
Oh boy, I never imagined being without work so long! After coming back from Hawaii I started my hunt for work fairly confident I was gonna land something quick. Boy was I wrong! Every week that went by I would become more and more unemployable. Part of my difficulty was that I was concentrating on corporate jobs which is probably the most difficult to get on a working holiday visa - even more so when your visa is running out.
Between applying for jobs and waking up at 2 in the afternoon I did get to catch up on my blogs, attend some wild parties, and brush up on being frugal. Hell even my cooking skills have been greatly improved (hey I had A LOT of time on my hands...). But after two months, money was getting tight and shit was getting boring.
It was coming to a point where it looked like my trip might come to an early end! After weeks of applying and boatloads of rejections (even Kmart rejected me!), rent was coming due and wasn't an attractive investment considering I could still be unemployed. While it would be nice to be home at Christmas, it would suck to just be finishing winter here and get back just in time for Canada's winter! I started to plan my way back...
As of last week my phone has been ringing non stop! Interviews and offers galore. Thankfully somethings come up and now my trip is saved! Fingers crossed I can outlive another Canadian winter!
Between applying for jobs and waking up at 2 in the afternoon I did get to catch up on my blogs, attend some wild parties, and brush up on being frugal. Hell even my cooking skills have been greatly improved (hey I had A LOT of time on my hands...). But after two months, money was getting tight and shit was getting boring.
It was coming to a point where it looked like my trip might come to an early end! After weeks of applying and boatloads of rejections (even Kmart rejected me!), rent was coming due and wasn't an attractive investment considering I could still be unemployed. While it would be nice to be home at Christmas, it would suck to just be finishing winter here and get back just in time for Canada's winter! I started to plan my way back...
As of last week my phone has been ringing non stop! Interviews and offers galore. Thankfully somethings come up and now my trip is saved! Fingers crossed I can outlive another Canadian winter!
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Melbourne Nightlife Guide Part 2
As I’ve mentioned in part 1 of my Melbourne Nightlife Guide, having a full-on night out here can be quite expensive. You’re definitely looking at $100+ for a good night (dinner, drinks, and cab). Here in part 2 I’ll be covering two different districts where you can hang out the first being the Brunswick St./Smith St. areas as well as the CBD/Southbank. As covered before each district has it’s own culture and as such the dress codes or the way people dress can vary wildly depending on where you go. Let’s start off with the more accessible CBD/Southbank area as if you’re visiting this is the second most likely area you’re going to be staying in.
CBD/Southbank
The CBD (downtown) and Southbank to its south has probably the second largest concentration of hostels in the city as well as where all the major hotels are located. The nightlife in these areas cater to pretty much everyone due to the wide variety of budgets and crowds that flock here. A lot of people from the suburbs come out here as the trains run well into the night with the last ones being around 1:30am on weekends. There are plenty of different areas here with concentrations on different bars. The most notorious area you’ll probably hear about is King St. where there’s a large concentration of strip clubs and warnings of fights etc. Haven’t been there myself yet and really can’t be bothered with that scene. The Southbank area, home to the Crown Casino, is much more posh with bars and clubs that cater to the more well-off. If you’re planning on heading there I do recommend dressing up to avoid disappointment.
Section 8, 27-29 Tattersalls Lane, Melbourne CBD
This bar can be a bit tricky to find as it’s tucked away in an alley, but it’s well worth it once you get there. This bar is essentially made up of shipping containers and is completely open-air. While it can be a bit chilly in wintertime they have tons of heaters to keep you warm. The vibe here is very chill as there’s no dress code considering you’re outside anyway. From what I’ve experienced here, the music is mostly hip-hop, dancehall, reggaeton which is great as I haven’t found many places that cater to this style of music. Great place to chill but not a place to be wearing your dancing shoes.
The Carlton, 193 Bourke St., Melbourne CBD
This is a cool bar that spans multiple levels. The first floor looks more like a pub with tons of stuffed (like real/dead not plush) animals on display on the walls, gives it a sort of fancy vibe. There’s also the Palmz rooftop bar which is a tiki themed rooftop patio. This is an awesome place to spend an afternoon on in late spring/summer. This is a pricier venue and be forewarned that there is a dress code at night - collared shirts guys!
Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex, 8 Whiteman St., Southbank
This place truly offers everything in one big nicely wrapped package! Bars, casino gambling, nightclubs, pubs, restaurants, shopping and even a movie theatre. This place also caters to all budgets as well, with 5-star restaurants as well a food court. I haven’t had a chance to explore the nightclubs here but do know that it is very strict for guys - nice shoes and a collared shirt are a must. Also guys, I suggest bringing some female friends along to boost your chances at getting in as groups of guys are always last on the priority list to gain entry. There are plenty of bars on the gambling floor and it seems to run pretty much 24hrs. I’ve stumbled in here a few times at 4-5am. While it’s nice that there’s a place where you can keep your night going - by that point it’s almost ALWAYS a BAD idea. I do suggest dressing nicely and don’t gamble your trip/life savings away!
Fitzroy/Brunswick St.
Fitzroy, or more specifically Brunswick St. offers a more casual atmosphere also more catered to those who fancy the hipster/alternative scene. Funny enough this is the area closest to home yet the one I go to the least. The neighborhood is easily accessible via the 112 tram, or the 86 tram if you fancy visiting the bars on Smith St. nearby. The crowd around here is definitely more hipster so expect to see a lot of stubble and ironic t-shirts on guys and sadly more skrillex shaves on girls (they look good on NO ONE...NONE WHATSOEVER). That being said it’s still a fun and funky neighborhood to explore the nightlife in.
Palookaville, 416 Brunswick St., Fitzroy
This is an awesome place to grab dinner and drinks. The menu here is pretty good and most if not all meals are under $20. Drink prices are ok - pints range for about $8-$9. There’s also a pool table if you fancy playing a few rounds as well as nice leather couches if you just wanna chill. While it isn’t the busiest place on Brunswick St. it’s definitely a good place to start. No worries about dress codes here, it’s more of a restaurant than anything else.
Bimbo Deluxe, 376 Brunswick St., Fitzroy
If you’re looking to wear your dancing shoes on Brunswick St., this is the place to be. The main floor is home to the restaurant and dance floor/lounge area. The restaurant is awesome and shares the same menu as Lucky Coq on Chapel St. (same owner). The crowd here is more hipsterish but not overrun with them. There’s some cool couches by the dance floor as well as a really nice rooftop patio. This place definitely has a more relaxed dress code but I wouldn’t necessarily show up in a singlet and thongs.
The Provincial Hotel, 299 Brunswick St., Fitzroy
This is a fun place and seems to have DJs over the weekends. I can definitely say that this bar has some of the best looking crowd on Brunswick St. Drink prices are average, with $8-$9 pints and the music seems to be your regular top 40s mix. This is usually a stop along the way on a Brunswick St. bar crawl. Not sure of any dress code, but it usually is a good looking crowd. Worth checking out.
Well hopefully my guides help you out if you’re planning a night out here in Melbourne. The nightlife is definitely varied here depending on where you go. Just be sure to bring lots of money as your bar tab will add up FAST here!
CBD/Southbank
The CBD (downtown) and Southbank to its south has probably the second largest concentration of hostels in the city as well as where all the major hotels are located. The nightlife in these areas cater to pretty much everyone due to the wide variety of budgets and crowds that flock here. A lot of people from the suburbs come out here as the trains run well into the night with the last ones being around 1:30am on weekends. There are plenty of different areas here with concentrations on different bars. The most notorious area you’ll probably hear about is King St. where there’s a large concentration of strip clubs and warnings of fights etc. Haven’t been there myself yet and really can’t be bothered with that scene. The Southbank area, home to the Crown Casino, is much more posh with bars and clubs that cater to the more well-off. If you’re planning on heading there I do recommend dressing up to avoid disappointment.
Section 8, 27-29 Tattersalls Lane, Melbourne CBD
This bar can be a bit tricky to find as it’s tucked away in an alley, but it’s well worth it once you get there. This bar is essentially made up of shipping containers and is completely open-air. While it can be a bit chilly in wintertime they have tons of heaters to keep you warm. The vibe here is very chill as there’s no dress code considering you’re outside anyway. From what I’ve experienced here, the music is mostly hip-hop, dancehall, reggaeton which is great as I haven’t found many places that cater to this style of music. Great place to chill but not a place to be wearing your dancing shoes.
The Carlton, 193 Bourke St., Melbourne CBD
This is a cool bar that spans multiple levels. The first floor looks more like a pub with tons of stuffed (like real/dead not plush) animals on display on the walls, gives it a sort of fancy vibe. There’s also the Palmz rooftop bar which is a tiki themed rooftop patio. This is an awesome place to spend an afternoon on in late spring/summer. This is a pricier venue and be forewarned that there is a dress code at night - collared shirts guys!
Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex, 8 Whiteman St., Southbank
This place truly offers everything in one big nicely wrapped package! Bars, casino gambling, nightclubs, pubs, restaurants, shopping and even a movie theatre. This place also caters to all budgets as well, with 5-star restaurants as well a food court. I haven’t had a chance to explore the nightclubs here but do know that it is very strict for guys - nice shoes and a collared shirt are a must. Also guys, I suggest bringing some female friends along to boost your chances at getting in as groups of guys are always last on the priority list to gain entry. There are plenty of bars on the gambling floor and it seems to run pretty much 24hrs. I’ve stumbled in here a few times at 4-5am. While it’s nice that there’s a place where you can keep your night going - by that point it’s almost ALWAYS a BAD idea. I do suggest dressing nicely and don’t gamble your trip/life savings away!
Fitzroy/Brunswick St.
Fitzroy, or more specifically Brunswick St. offers a more casual atmosphere also more catered to those who fancy the hipster/alternative scene. Funny enough this is the area closest to home yet the one I go to the least. The neighborhood is easily accessible via the 112 tram, or the 86 tram if you fancy visiting the bars on Smith St. nearby. The crowd around here is definitely more hipster so expect to see a lot of stubble and ironic t-shirts on guys and sadly more skrillex shaves on girls (they look good on NO ONE...NONE WHATSOEVER). That being said it’s still a fun and funky neighborhood to explore the nightlife in.
Palookaville, 416 Brunswick St., Fitzroy
This is an awesome place to grab dinner and drinks. The menu here is pretty good and most if not all meals are under $20. Drink prices are ok - pints range for about $8-$9. There’s also a pool table if you fancy playing a few rounds as well as nice leather couches if you just wanna chill. While it isn’t the busiest place on Brunswick St. it’s definitely a good place to start. No worries about dress codes here, it’s more of a restaurant than anything else.
Bimbo Deluxe, 376 Brunswick St., Fitzroy
If you’re looking to wear your dancing shoes on Brunswick St., this is the place to be. The main floor is home to the restaurant and dance floor/lounge area. The restaurant is awesome and shares the same menu as Lucky Coq on Chapel St. (same owner). The crowd here is more hipsterish but not overrun with them. There’s some cool couches by the dance floor as well as a really nice rooftop patio. This place definitely has a more relaxed dress code but I wouldn’t necessarily show up in a singlet and thongs.
The Provincial Hotel, 299 Brunswick St., Fitzroy
This is a fun place and seems to have DJs over the weekends. I can definitely say that this bar has some of the best looking crowd on Brunswick St. Drink prices are average, with $8-$9 pints and the music seems to be your regular top 40s mix. This is usually a stop along the way on a Brunswick St. bar crawl. Not sure of any dress code, but it usually is a good looking crowd. Worth checking out.
Well hopefully my guides help you out if you’re planning a night out here in Melbourne. The nightlife is definitely varied here depending on where you go. Just be sure to bring lots of money as your bar tab will add up FAST here!
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Melbourne Nightlife Guide: Part One
One of the things I love to do when travelling is checking out the local nightlife. It’s always interesting looking at the way people act, dress and drink compared to home. Having lived here in Melbourne now for 10 months I’ve had the chance to check out plenty of different nightlife areas. The one thing I can say is that generally Australia’s nightlife if pricey compared to other parts of the world. If you’re looking to have a full on night expect to drop $150+ for dinner drinks and cab (and that’s being conservative!) If you’re planning to drop by, here’s a small guide on some of the different areas and my fav bars.
St Kilda:
If you’re backpacking, you’re more than likely going to end up here in St Kilda. Here you have a plethora of bars that cater to backpackers with relaxed dress codes and usually offering at least one night of cheap drinks. As a result, the crowds at certain bars and clubs will be largely backpackers. Singlets, thongs (not the good kind... flip-flops here in Oz), and shorts will be the dress style. I hate seeing flip-flops in a club, and singlets are just as bad - they look good on NO ONE!
Anyways, while you’re here be sure to check these places out:
La Roche Cafe - 185 Acland St, St Kilda
This place offers some of the best prices on pints in town. During happy hours (usually 4-6 then 9-close) you can get $5 pints last I checked. Great place to sit and hand with your mates, maybe even pre-drink before heading somewhere else.
Barkly Hotel - 109 Barkly St, St Kilda
This place is both a bar and club. The club is located on the rooftop of a lowrise building and best known for it’s Friday nights which cater to the backpacker crowd. Fridays they have no cover charge and $10 buckets of vodka red bull. As far as I know, no overt dress code.
The Espy - 11 The Esplanade, St Kilda
This bar is legendary and caters more to a live music crowd. Many acts play here on all nights of the week and is definitely a must visit while in the area. More of a rocker bar, dress code is relaxed but I wouldn’t wear thongs or a singlet. I love this bar but the only downside is that it’s a lot pricier than the surrounding bars ($18 for a jug, which is smaller than a North American pitcher).
Chapel Street
Chapel Street is probably THE place to see and be seen here in Melbourne. This area is easily accessible via public transit, but be sure to have cab fare home. Dress codes here can be quite strict as it is the IN place. Guys be sure to have a pair of dress shoes and a collared shirt, girls I suggest a dress and heels. While there are a few places that have cheaper food & drinks, expect to pay top dollar in a lot of the bars and clubs here.
Lucky Coq - Corner of Chapel and High St, Windsor
If you’re looking for a good cheap feed this is the place. You can get $4 pizzas and hot dogs here which is a great deal. This bar is a lot more lax than the others in the area and has a more sort of hipster vibe. Great place to lounge and have dinner as there are a lot of couches, a few retro arcade machines and a pool table. Drink prices are average, $7 schooners - nothing fancy.
Temperance Hotel - 426 Chapel St.
I’ve stumbled into this place randomly one night and had a great time. The crowd here is dressed really well, saw a lot of suits and dresses. Music is top 40s but with an accent on techno/electro beats as this is the norm for clubs out here. No cover charge, nice dance floor and plenty of room to sit. Can’t remember too much about drink prices as it was a messy night but I still highly recommend this place if you’re looking for a posh night out with some dancing.
Electric Ladyland - 1/265-267 Chapel St, Prahran
If you’re looking for a place to lounge, this is it. This bar has plenty of red leather couches all over the bar and provides a really cool atmosphere. This is a more posh venue, so be sure to dress accordingly - especially you guys as they are strict on shoes and shirts. They play awesome music here, mostly top 40s but also rocked some classic hip-hop which pleasantly surprised me. Drinks here are top dollar, beers are decently priced $6-$11/bottle but martinis can be over $20. No dance floor here as it’s not really a dancing venue but on the plus side there’s no cover.
Revolver - 229 Chapel St, Prahran
If after all the other bars close you’re still looking to party, this is the place to go to. There are 2 rooms (from what I can remember) one lounge area and another dance room. As with most afterhours techno is the music in the dance room. Dress code here is lax, arrived wearing a shirt and tie as I was at an awards ceremony earlier in the night and was told by the doorman to remove the tie for my own safety. He even went to great lengths to show me how my tie could be used against me. Had a laugh but he was serious! Cover is $10-$20 and this place only gets busy after 2am.
This covers part one of my nightlife guide to Melbourne. As you can see there are big contrasts to the clientele and prices depending on the district, but that’s what makes this city so great is that you have so many options. Be sure to tune in next week when I cover Fitzroy/Brunswick St and the CBD/Southbank.
St Kilda:
If you’re backpacking, you’re more than likely going to end up here in St Kilda. Here you have a plethora of bars that cater to backpackers with relaxed dress codes and usually offering at least one night of cheap drinks. As a result, the crowds at certain bars and clubs will be largely backpackers. Singlets, thongs (not the good kind... flip-flops here in Oz), and shorts will be the dress style. I hate seeing flip-flops in a club, and singlets are just as bad - they look good on NO ONE!
Anyways, while you’re here be sure to check these places out:
La Roche Cafe - 185 Acland St, St Kilda
This place offers some of the best prices on pints in town. During happy hours (usually 4-6 then 9-close) you can get $5 pints last I checked. Great place to sit and hand with your mates, maybe even pre-drink before heading somewhere else.
Barkly Hotel - 109 Barkly St, St Kilda
This place is both a bar and club. The club is located on the rooftop of a lowrise building and best known for it’s Friday nights which cater to the backpacker crowd. Fridays they have no cover charge and $10 buckets of vodka red bull. As far as I know, no overt dress code.
The Espy - 11 The Esplanade, St Kilda
This bar is legendary and caters more to a live music crowd. Many acts play here on all nights of the week and is definitely a must visit while in the area. More of a rocker bar, dress code is relaxed but I wouldn’t wear thongs or a singlet. I love this bar but the only downside is that it’s a lot pricier than the surrounding bars ($18 for a jug, which is smaller than a North American pitcher).
Chapel Street
Chapel Street is probably THE place to see and be seen here in Melbourne. This area is easily accessible via public transit, but be sure to have cab fare home. Dress codes here can be quite strict as it is the IN place. Guys be sure to have a pair of dress shoes and a collared shirt, girls I suggest a dress and heels. While there are a few places that have cheaper food & drinks, expect to pay top dollar in a lot of the bars and clubs here.
Lucky Coq - Corner of Chapel and High St, Windsor
If you’re looking for a good cheap feed this is the place. You can get $4 pizzas and hot dogs here which is a great deal. This bar is a lot more lax than the others in the area and has a more sort of hipster vibe. Great place to lounge and have dinner as there are a lot of couches, a few retro arcade machines and a pool table. Drink prices are average, $7 schooners - nothing fancy.
Temperance Hotel - 426 Chapel St.
I’ve stumbled into this place randomly one night and had a great time. The crowd here is dressed really well, saw a lot of suits and dresses. Music is top 40s but with an accent on techno/electro beats as this is the norm for clubs out here. No cover charge, nice dance floor and plenty of room to sit. Can’t remember too much about drink prices as it was a messy night but I still highly recommend this place if you’re looking for a posh night out with some dancing.
Electric Ladyland - 1/265-267 Chapel St, Prahran
If you’re looking for a place to lounge, this is it. This bar has plenty of red leather couches all over the bar and provides a really cool atmosphere. This is a more posh venue, so be sure to dress accordingly - especially you guys as they are strict on shoes and shirts. They play awesome music here, mostly top 40s but also rocked some classic hip-hop which pleasantly surprised me. Drinks here are top dollar, beers are decently priced $6-$11/bottle but martinis can be over $20. No dance floor here as it’s not really a dancing venue but on the plus side there’s no cover.
Revolver - 229 Chapel St, Prahran
If after all the other bars close you’re still looking to party, this is the place to go to. There are 2 rooms (from what I can remember) one lounge area and another dance room. As with most afterhours techno is the music in the dance room. Dress code here is lax, arrived wearing a shirt and tie as I was at an awards ceremony earlier in the night and was told by the doorman to remove the tie for my own safety. He even went to great lengths to show me how my tie could be used against me. Had a laugh but he was serious! Cover is $10-$20 and this place only gets busy after 2am.
This covers part one of my nightlife guide to Melbourne. As you can see there are big contrasts to the clientele and prices depending on the district, but that’s what makes this city so great is that you have so many options. Be sure to tune in next week when I cover Fitzroy/Brunswick St and the CBD/Southbank.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Hawaiian Island Hopping: My Hawaiian Airlines Review
If you’re planning a trip to Hawaii, you’re probably going to be doing at least two islands while you’re there. If that’s the case you’re 90% likely going to be getting an inter-island flight with Hawaiian Airlines. The flights themselves are priced quite reasonably to be honest. Our flights to Maui were $150 return - so $75 each way, not overly expensive and would get us there in about 30 min. The booking experience online was quite simple, just needed to pick the dates and times as there were flights to Maui almost every hour. Then fill out all the passenger details and pay by credit card - easy as pie! I didn't have to deal with plenty of upsell attempts as I did when I booked my flight from Australia.
I’ll always remember thinking - ok just an inter-island flight so just show up with a minimum amount of time to check in and clear security. Thankfully one day at the hotel in Waikiki I was reading an article in Honolulu’s Star Advertiser about the struggles travellers have been facing with inter-island flights and the crazy lineups. The article suggested getting there with at least 3 hours handy to check in and clear security. I'm so glad that I followed the article’s advice as when I go there... DAMN! In Honolulu there were 2 massive lineups - both that went out the door. It really did take 90-120 min. to check in and clear security. In Maui it was the same thing, one massive line that goes halfway through the airport. Once you get through the massive line you’re in. All that’s left is to get to your gate and board your flight. There isn’t really all that much to see or do at the airport, just the odd food stand and maybe a burger king.
As for the flight itself - everything was as smooth as could be for a 30 some minute flight. There’s no need for any meals as the flights are so short, but the flight attendants still come around offering every passenger a complimentary juice - which is way more than what I got on my no-frills flight from Australia. I do recommend a window seat as there’s no entertainment system once again due to the flight being so short. Looking through the window you can see some of the other islands which is pretty cool.
All in all the inter-island flying experience was pretty smooth. From the hassle-free booking to touching down on a new island. Just be sure to allow yourself plenty of time at the airport to clear security as even though it’s a very short flight, with one leaving every hour there’s hundreds of people showing up at once. Apart from that have fun exploring Hawaii!
I’ll always remember thinking - ok just an inter-island flight so just show up with a minimum amount of time to check in and clear security. Thankfully one day at the hotel in Waikiki I was reading an article in Honolulu’s Star Advertiser about the struggles travellers have been facing with inter-island flights and the crazy lineups. The article suggested getting there with at least 3 hours handy to check in and clear security. I'm so glad that I followed the article’s advice as when I go there... DAMN! In Honolulu there were 2 massive lineups - both that went out the door. It really did take 90-120 min. to check in and clear security. In Maui it was the same thing, one massive line that goes halfway through the airport. Once you get through the massive line you’re in. All that’s left is to get to your gate and board your flight. There isn’t really all that much to see or do at the airport, just the odd food stand and maybe a burger king.
As for the flight itself - everything was as smooth as could be for a 30 some minute flight. There’s no need for any meals as the flights are so short, but the flight attendants still come around offering every passenger a complimentary juice - which is way more than what I got on my no-frills flight from Australia. I do recommend a window seat as there’s no entertainment system once again due to the flight being so short. Looking through the window you can see some of the other islands which is pretty cool.
All in all the inter-island flying experience was pretty smooth. From the hassle-free booking to touching down on a new island. Just be sure to allow yourself plenty of time at the airport to clear security as even though it’s a very short flight, with one leaving every hour there’s hundreds of people showing up at once. Apart from that have fun exploring Hawaii!
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Exploring Honolulu And Its Surroundings
I’ve already gone over some of the great sights you can see in Honolulu without having to spend much money. There’s so much to see and do in Honolulu that I thought I’d dedicate another post to give you some ideas if you’re making your way to Hawaii. This time we’ll concentrate more on Honolulu’s downtown area but as well a real gem that’s a bit outside the city.
Honolulu’s downtown area (or CBD for the Aussies) is fairly small and a little off the main tourist path but it does offer quite a few sights that are worth checking out. First and foremost I’d like to warn you about the Chinatown area. Normally a chinatown area doubles as a tourist area but Honolulu’s is a dump. If you look around you’ll see plenty of warnings about the area and they’re quite correct. I’ve made my way to the area both in daytime and nighttime and both times I found a very large concentration of homeless. At night it’s worse as the sidewalks were full of people sleeping. There’s really nothing to see here except some discount shops but the quality of the products are dismal.
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| This was the nicest area of Chinatown I could find... |
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| Iolani Palace |
One of the must see activities, Iolani Palace, lies in the east end of the downtown area. Here you can either take a guided tour (only available certain days) or take a self guided audio tour. Here you will learn all about Hawaii’s monarchy and its history. At the time I didn’t think I was going to enjoy it that much but it ended up being one of my favorite sights in the city. The audio tour lasts about an hour to and hour and a half and you’re free to explore all the rooms of the palace. In the same area you’ll find the State Capitol building which has interesting architecture but from the looks of it doesn’t offer tours. Also across from the palace there’s the statue of King Kamehameha I which is quite nicely detailed.
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| A map of the maze - pretty elaborate! |
Lastly I wanna cover another of my favorite sites which was the Dole Pineapple Plantation. To get there is a bit of an adventure by public transit but it’s doable. From Waikiki take any bus going to the Ala Moana Centre and from there get to the bus stop on Ala Moana Blvd and grab the 52 to Wahiawa Heights which is the last stop. From there grab the 55 North Shore Kaneohe and the plantation is the 5th stop right in front of it. The journey takes 2 hours so this makes for a good day trip. The plantation itself is free, but all the activities cost quite little. We spent maybe $20 on activities there. There’s the big Dole shop, the Pineapple Express, a garden, as well as the world’s largest hedge maze. We only did the Pineapple Express and the hedge made. The Pineapple Express is a short 20 min train ride through the plantation while listening to the history behind Dole and Hawaii. It’s all right but nothing to really write home about. The maze was quite fun and where you can put your map reading skills to the test. There are 8 stations in the maze which you need to find and get the stencil on your maze ticket. There’s a time stamp booth at the maze entrance where you can track your start and finish time. Ours was 1hr 10min. Be sure to wear a hat and bring lots of sunscreen and water. I had forgotten my hat and regretted it while I was there as the was barely any shade in the maze.
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| Don't forget to get a cone of Dole Whip - Fresh pineapple ice cream! |
As you can see, there are plenty of things to do in Honolulu and its surroundings. There’s plenty of reasons to get out of Waikiki and explore the surrounding areas. As mentioned before, so long as you keep away from Chinatown you should be all right. So get out there and explore the amazing island of Oahu!
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
The Great Ocean Road: Exploring Victoria’s Southern Coastline
Travelling to Melbourne you’ll be able to experience all the great gems that this city has to offer. However no trip to Victoria would be complete without exploring the Great Ocean Road which follows the state’s southern coastline. This makes for a great day trip or even a weekend escape from the city. Many tour companies offer coach tours but be prepared for a long day as they usually leave early in the morning (around 7am) and only come back in the late evening. I’ve done the trip 3 times already, twice with one of my friends and once with my mom where I got behind the wheel. Renting a car is probably the best way to do it, but be warned that it’s not the easiest drive, as well be sure not to get distracted by the scenery. As well being in Victoria be sure to adhere to all speed limits accordingly, speeding by the tiniest margin (under 10k) will net you a fine of $153. These are enforced not only by officers but by speeding cameras which are well hidden.
One of my trips was a fishing trip down in Apollo Bay. This is a great stop along the Great Ocean Road which offers plenty of restaurants and accommodation (including hostels for us budget travellers. If you’re fortunate to be in possession of a boat - as we were, there is a sheltered harbour here which is a great launching point for a fishing trip. I was able to catch a few flatheads as well as a gum shark. Just be careful as we did come across a stone fish which is quite poisonous, be sure to handle with care. Waters here are rough so be sure to check the forecasts as the weather can change in a heartbeat. Apollo Bay is about 3hrs away from Melbourne.
My last trip on the Great Ocean Road was for my mom’s visit. We rented a car through Budget as they were one of the few locations in my area open on a Sunday which cost us about $130 for two days. I took the wheel as I’d already been several times, as well as the fact that we drive on the left here which I’m more used to having been here long enough. The biggest frustration for me was the fact that I kept putting the damn wipers on instead of the turn signal! (The levers are reversed here.) We made our way all across the Great Ocean Road to the 12 Apostles which is a definite must see if you’re doing the Great Ocean Road. It’s quite a drive to get there, plan about 6 hrs to get there which includes time for lunch and the occasional photo/bathroom stop. Originally we were planning on spending the night out there but came to the conclusion that being the off season there wasn’t much to do so we drove into Warrnambool for dinner and took the Princes Highway back which takes about 4 hrs. It was a long day of driving but definitely worth it!
If you are in the Melbourne area for at least a week, I highly recommend getting out of the city and checking out the Great Ocean Road. It’s a bit of a drive, and can be expensive if you’re caught speeding, but the sights and scenery definitely make up for it. Especially in the summertime this road brings you along some very stunning beaches. So be sure to get out there and explore Victoria’s countryside.
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| Archway welcoming you to the Great Ocean Road |
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| Johanna Beach |
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| View of the Twelve Apostles from the lookout |
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