15.Jan.17.....Top 7, So far

I have been in Australia now for just over 6 weeks and just recently completed my first week of farming. For those who don't know, in Australia, if you are here on a working holiday visa you can stay an extra year if you complete 88 working days on a farm. Now that I'm on the farm I have more than enough time to reflect on the month I took to travel from Brisbane to Cairns back down to Bundaberg and safely into a Tree harvesting/Milling/Farming job. Let me explain some of the trials and tribulations I incurred so you don't need too.

South Bank Brisbane

While traveling without a plan is awesome and allows you to be extremely flexible ...it is not ideal, definitely not the wisest of plans or lack of in this country. Australia is expensive and nothing is free here. Hostels are going to range from $20, 25, 30 a night. Meals are at least 15 dollars. With that being said you can cook for yourself and be thrifty in other ways as well. I myself get lazy and undisciplined in this regard. From Brisbane to Cairns I bought a hop on hop off pass from Greyhound. This pass allows you to get on and off at any stop that Greyhound makes going North from Brisbane to Cairns. The cost of the pass is roughly $36. I recommend the pass as there are so many stops heading up north that you're going to want to make. Brisbane itself for me was a 1-2 day stop as it wasn't what I came to Australia to see. The South Bank is pretty cool and that's about all I did there. Next stop was Noosa. Noosa is a quiet little town on the ocean. It has an awesome nature Reserve you can walk through along the ocean. Then you can catch a city bus back to Noosa when your done. This place is a 1-2 stops you will want to see. I stayed at the YHA Hostel it had a beautiful outdoor restaurant and a quiet relaxed atmosphere.



1770/Agnus Water

1770 is a very interesting town. This is where Captain Cook beached his ships on the sandy banks to fix them. This is the town I learned to surf! 20$ all day and everyone in my group stood up and surfed within 2 hrs. The first hostel I stayed in here was YHA very quiet and not a lot to do there. They did offer a Kangaroo/Sunset tour for 20$ which was well worth it. I quickly switched hostels to Cool Bananas, which was located just outside of town, about a 8 min walk. They offered Surf lessons threw a company called Gnarly Tours. I recommend this surf company as they stay as long as you want and get people standing and surfing. I extended my stay here to catch bigger waves at the end of the week! The Hostel has what I would consider the best atmosphere with a outdoor seating area all covered from rain and the vicious sun. It is perfect for cards and a couple wobbly pops with the boys.

Airlee Beach

The Great Barrier Reef

Airlee Beach means 1 of 2 things, Party and Whitsunday Islands! Both are fantastic in this town. When you arrive here it may feel like it is your first time back into civilization especially after Noosa and 1770. Global Backpackers is where I stayed and its fair priced. They give you meal coupons to the bar below which is a great time at night. The bar has a different theme for the party every night and it always seems to be lady's night...... its a lot of fun! Whitsunday Islands is a great time! The excursion I did was an one night two day trip and if I did it a second time I would do 2 night 3 days. The sailing boat, snorkeling and time on the Island easily makes this one of my favorite stops and a must do.  It  is pricey but between this and Fraser Island I chose Whitsunday and don't regret that decision at all.



A lot of people from Airlee will go to Fraser Island and Magnetic Island. I did not because the funds were running low. Be advised it was a long bus ride from Airlee to Cairns.

Cairns is where you can access the Great Barrier Reef and where I dove on it for the first time. For me, believe it or not, was not as beautiful as the snorkeling on Whitsunday. Than again I think I was bamboozled into taking a trip on the inner reef when everyone will tell you to pay the little extra and get out to the outer reef. While there myself and some friends I made back in 1770 rented a car and drove up to the Daintree Rainforest. We stopped at Mossman Gorge on the way up and it was very beautiful. Daintree was beautiful and a must see for sure. We stayed at PK's Jungle Resort, it was awesome! We had a blast that night... someone even licked a toad! On the second day of the road trip we went South of Cairns to all the waterfalls and lakes. The car was only $220.00 for two days and gas was cheap. With the hostel food and drinks I think the trip was only $110.00 for 2 days which is probably one of the best deals you'll find in Australia. Cairns offers a wide variety of trips and packages and its also a big party town! I was there for Christmas and New Years and I can tell you I got about enough of that! While there I stayed at Reef Backpackers. It was cheap and quiet but it had a great little swimming pool in the back. Over Christmas and New Years I stayed at YHA which had a great pool, good wifi, fair priced ($25.00/night) and a good atmosphere. If you're looking for the party hostel look no further than Gilligan's Last Resort. Its also one of the best clubs in Cairns.

1770 Surfs up Brah

Now I'm on the farm in the Yandaran area near Bundaberg, just north of Brisbane. Unless you're here to farm there's no reason to be here... besides possibly a brewery tour of Bundaberg Rum. Why their mascot is a polar bear I still don't know.... I will look into that for you though.


                                                            7 Must do's
1. Surf at 1770
2. Whitsunday Islands3. Dive on the Reef in Cairns (outer Reef)
4. Daintree Rainforest
5. Wednesday wing night at Woolsheds ...Cairns as well, Best deal around $10/ 2 pounds of wings


6. Kangaroo sanctuary in 1770
7. Nature walk in Noosa