TNT Magazine: Australia by TNT MAGAZINE

Jan 2-8 2011 Issue 662 tntdownunder.com

I,5N00! W A $4

EAST COAST ROADTRIP PACKAGE

DOCTOR’S ORDERS We chat to The Vaccines

BACK TO SCHOOL Study your way to an Aussie visa

READ ALL ABOUT IT The all-time best travel books

S G N I H T D WIL

ns y central Cair rt a p ’s d n la s een revelry in Qu d n a f e re t, s of rainfore Get your fill

KANYE WEST with SNEAKY SOUND SYSTEM LIC. & ALL AGES

FRIDAY 27th JANUARY

SYDNEY ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

supported by Hot 30

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TUESDAY 31st JANUARY

SIDNEY MYER MUSIC BOWL

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SYD

MON 23 JAN, THE ENMORE MEL

TUE 31 JAN, THE PALAIS

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SAT 28 JAN OXFORD ART FACTORY

THE BRONX

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MEL TICKETS: TICKETMASTER.COM.AU, 136 100, BIGDAYOUT.COM

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MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

FRI 27 JAN : THE ENMORE LIC. & ALL AGES

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TUE 24 JAN, THE ENMORE LICENSED & ALL AGES

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WED 1 FEB, THE PALACE TICKETS: TICKETMASTER.COM.AU, 136 100, PALACE.COM.AU, BIGDAYOUT.COM

THU 2 FEB : THE PA CE

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RÖYKSOPP

ARTISTS INCLUDE Staff Benda Bilili Democratic Republic of Congo Tinariwen Mali Gurrumul Australia Sharon Shannon Big Band Ireland Grace Barbé Seychelles/Australia First Aid Kit Sweden Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain UK Chic USA Chapelier Fou France Blue King Brown Australia Eddi Reader Scotland Johnny Clegg South Africa Dobet Gnahoré Ivory Coast Bonobo UK Penguin Cafe UK Groundation Jamaica/USA Japan

Master Drummers of Burundi Burundi Diego Guerrero y El Solar de Artistas Spain DJ Krush The Barons of Tang Australia Shane Howard Australia Lo’Jo France Shivkumar Sharma India

Le Trio Joubran

Palestine

Mo’ Horizons

Germany

The Pigram Brothers

Australia

Nano Stern & The Sindicato

Chile

Kimmo Pohjonen Finland Mahala Raï Banda Romania La Voce Della Luna Italy/Australia Melbourne Ska Orchestra Pascals Japan Narasirato Solomon Islands The Bombay Royale Australia The Bearded Gypsy Band Australia Jinja Safari Australia anda Union China Jay Hoad Band Fiji/USA/Australia ...

Australia

PLUS: KidZone, Taste the World, a Global Village, visual arts, street theatre and so much more!

Fri 9 - Mon 12 March 2012 Botanic Park Adelaide

G ro u p g B o o ki nn t s d i s coSuOF 6+

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ANDREW WESTBROOK EDITOR editor@tntdownunder.com

EDITOR’S LETTER Well Happy New Year! Yes, 2011 is now done and dusted and it’s time to start thinking about what to do next. For many of you, that will no doubt mean saying farewell to Sydney and heading up the east coast, destination Cairns. So we’ve got a couple of stories all about what to do when you get there. And we don’t just mean drinking. Honest. That’s on p32. Happy travels!

THIS WEEK OZ DIARY

MUSIC & FILM

COMPETITION

CELEB NEWS

NEWS

SPORT

TRAVEL

LISTINGS NSW

LISTINGS QUEENSLAND

LISTINGS VIC

LISTINGS TASMANIA

LISTINGS WA

LISTINGS SA

LISTINGS NT

LISTINGS NEW ZEALAND

LISTINGS FIJI

WORK

TRIVIAL PURSUITS

FEATURES PAGE TURNERS

Our top 10 travel books to keep you amused (or awake) on your adventures

MEDICINE MEN

We chat to indie four piece The Vaccines about their upcoming Oz tour

CAPTAIN CAIRNS

From table dancing to treetops, we get stuck into the party capital

WORLD OF WEIRD From the people to the cuisine, we list our favourite Oz oddities

38 TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

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Let the festivities begin

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Design and production manager Lisa Ferron SALES Sales manager Tom Wheeler Account manager Justin Steinlauf Sales executive Gareth Maguire MARKETING & EVENTS Associate publisher Denise Jinks Marketing assistants Lea Pahne DISTRIBUTION Lee Sutherland

02 8332 7511 tom@tntdownunder.com

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THE MAIN EVENT SYDNEY FESTIVAL [SYDNEY]

Sydney Festival heads into town this Saturday, kicking off three weeks of music, dance, performance and art. There is a kaleidoscope of things to see, from burlesque circus and Russian theatre to New York rap. Events can be found from Sutherland to Parramatta, but the majority are in central Sydney. Hyde Park Barracks is transformed into a bar featuring DJs and bands each night, as is the Famous Spiegeltent in Hyde Park. Don’t miss the big (and free) opening night concert in The Domain, which features Manu Chao and Washington. You can get last minute $25 tickets for more pricey events daily at the Tix for Next to Nix booth in Martin Place, from 8am. Head to sydneyfestival.org.au. January 7-29. FREE

WHERE TO GET TNT

SEE tntdownunder.com/magazine-location.html for pick-up points

FLICKERFEST [BONDI]

PIER TO PUB [LORNE]

CIRCUS OZ [SYDNEY]

What started as a small local competition has turned into one of Australia’s best short film festivals. Now in its 21st year, Flickerfest has an even bigger selection of creative masterpieces from all over the world, screening at the Bondi Pavillion on indoor and outdoor screens.

The Lorne Pier to Pub competition is the largest open swim in the world. The course takes participants 1.2km from the Lorne Pier to the foreshore of the Lifesaving Club. What better way to celebrate the end of a grueling race than with a cold beer. Cheering is hard work after all.

Roll up, roll up, to the Circus Oz spectacular when the big top rolls into town on January 4. Their 2012 ‘Steampowered’ show will rekindle that running away to join the circus dream. The animals are absent but the acrobats, trapeze artists and clowns are all there.

January 6-15 Bondi Pavillion, Sydney flickerfest.com.au

January 7 Lorne, VIC lornesurfclub.com.au

January 4-29 Darling Harbour, Sydney circusoz.com

$16

TNT Magazine is printed on paper from sustainable forests. There is no business connection between the proprietors of this magazine and TNT Ltd, the worldwide transportation group. Copyright here and abroad of all original materials is held by TNT Magazine. Reproduction in whole or part is forbidden, except with permission of the publishers. Registered by Australia Post.

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Kick back with a classic

Roadtrippin’ reads There’s nothing like a bit of travelling to help you devour a small rainforest of books, so here’s our all-time top 10 travel books Being well-stocked with reading fodder is always an essential part of preparing for a backpacking adventure, however annoying the weight in your bag might be. After all, the endless bus trips, flights, beach time and general waiting around mean you’ll have more time on your hands than ever before. But the problem is, unless you’ve splashed out on a Kindle or similar type gizmo, you need to choose what to 8

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pack carefully as bag space is obviously at a serious premium, especially if you’re already cramming in a weighty guidebook or three. Sure you may love a bit of trash, but bear in mind that you’ll soon find yourself whizzing through them in no time with a bit of sand between your toes, plus you can grab as many of them as you fancy at just about every hostel book swap in the land.

Which is where the classics come in. The sort of books that captivate and inspire, that add colour and intrigue to your travels, rather than simply a bit of brief titillation. And so, after a few squabbles (“no, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy doesn’t count”), we’ve picked our alltime top 10 travel books. If you see any of these in the hostel swap shop, grab ‘em while you can...

ON THE ROAD (JACK KEROUAC)

THE SUN ALSO RISES (ERNEST HEMINGWAY)

In a nutshell: The all-American roadtrip novel. Why I love it: Kerouac’s story revolves around his capers with his Beat Generation mates, Neal Cassady (fictionalised as Dean Moriarty), Allen Ginsberg (Carlo Marx) and William S Burroughs (as Old Bull Lee), freewheeling, train-hopping or hitching through 1950s America and Mexico inspired by jazz, poetry, drugs and girls. It was Kerouac’s lust for life and spontaneous decision-making in a land that still had opportunity that many still cling to. And while the world has changed greatly, the ideology of independent travel remains the same: freedom, friends, new experiences, music, the occasional excess, and memories that never fade. I was reading On The Road as my friends and I tailgated Kerouac, albeit 47 years behind, down the west coast of North America, from Canada to Seattle, San Francisco and Big Sur, to Tijuana and Mexico. As he reached the border I was right there with him. “Just beyond you could feel the enormous presence of whole great Mexico,” writes Kerouac, “and almost smell the billion tortillas frying and smoking in the night. We had no idea what Mexico would really be like.” CD

In a nutshell: American ex-pats living in Europe go to watch a bull-fight. Why I love it: The book is over 80 years old, yet it’s surprisingly modern; all the characters do is get drunk and talk about sex, a bit like a Contiki tour, only with more style and wit. The main character, Jake Barnes, has a crush on a posh English girl called Brett Ashley, but because of his “war wound” (he’s impotent), she ends up shagging the hot young bullfighter instead. Hemingway devoted his life to telling tales about blokes doing tough outdoorsy things like fishing, mountain climbing and hard drinking. Unfortunately, his lifestyle caught up with him and, like Kurt Cobain, he eventually committed suicide by shooting himself in the head with a shotgun. KO

FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS (HUNTER S THOMPSON) In a nutshell: Genius. Why I love it: Arguably the best work from the late, great, godfather of Gonzo. Based very loosely on real events, Thompson and his attorney endure a savage and hallucinogenic journey to Vegas, searching for the American Dream through clouds of mescaline, acid, amyl, raw ether, tequila, rum and pot. An endlessly funny and often insightful look at the death of the dreams of the Sixties, the trademark clarity and wit of the man who chose to be blown from a cannon at his own funeral is gripping from beginning to end. AW

GREAT RAILWAY BAZAAR (PAUL THEROUX) In a nutshell: A very long train journey made easier with lots of slightly racist jokes. Why I love it: You don’t have to be a train-spotter to enjoy this account of Theroux’s four-month journey across Asia by train. The grumpy travel writer (and, yes, he is Louis’ dad) starts in Europe and makes his way across the Middle East, India and Asia, before returning on the Trans-Siberian. Brilliant for its insights into travel in the 1970s, before package tours and travel guides, and when roughing it meant enduring serious discomfort. KO TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

DOWN UNDER (BILL BRYSON) In a nutshell: Hilarious and perceptive book about Oz by travel writing king. Why I love it: Okay, our buddy Bill does speed through Australia, is equally quick to turn Aussies into caricatures and is a big scaredy cat. But Down Under is laugh-out-loud-then-tell-therest-of-the-bus hilarious. With so much travel writing knocked out snobbishly by upper class twits, it’s refreshing to have a genuine populist comedian putting a pen in his backpack. The e book is also brilliantly researched (66 titles in the bibliography) and d cuttingly perceptive. Perhaps above ove all I love it because I write gooderr after reading Bryson (which, clearly, rly, I haven’t done for a while). Everyone one visiting Australia must read it. Then all his other books. DH

MOTORCYCLE DIARIES (ERNESTO ‘CHE’ GUEVARA) In a nutshell: The making of a martyr. Why I love it: Before devoting his life to revolutionary exploits and adorning students’ walls and bodies across the world, Ernesto Guevara was a student doctor. Craving a break from his studies, the Argentine hit the road for seven months, travelling all over Latin America on a motorbike with his mate. Great for a rare glimpse into the developing consciousness of a cultural icon while also a funny and freewheeling account of his roadtrip. AW

HEART OF DARKNESS (JOSEPH CONRAD) In a nutshell: Apocalypse Now in the Congo. Why I love it: An English captain takes a rusty old ferry up the Congo River to pick up a cargo of ivory. But what sounds like a simple job turns into a nightmare as he deals with cannibals, disease, and evil white slave traders, until finally he starts to question his own sanity. Conrad’s 90-page novella was published in 1902 and has been incredibly influential, inspiring films (Apocalypse Now), TV series (Lost) and even games (Star Wars: Battlefront 2). If you don’t mind a bit of archaic English (including use of the word ‘nigger’) and want to know what it was like travelling in Colonial Africa in the 19th century, this book is for you. KO 10

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INTO THE WILD (JON KRAKAUER) In a nutshell: True story of dreamy adventurer who takes a fateful trip into Alaskan wilds. Why I love it: It tells the story of Christopher McCandless, a Jack London-loving middle class idealist who, disillusioned with society, donates all his money to charity, changes his name to Alexander Supertramp and hitches into the American west. Nearly two years later, he’s found dead in the Alaskan wilderness. Though a cautionary tale, Krakauer’s yarn appeals strongly to anyone who shares both a taste for ‘the wild’ and a distaste for aspects of contemporary life. Now a Sean Penn film, I read it every year and buy it for all my friends. They say they love it too. Both of them. DH

THE BEACH (ALEX GARLAND) In a nutshell: Escape the crowds. Why I love it: Richard arrives in Bangkok. Fed up of the routes most backpackers blindly follow, the Englishman sets off in search of a legendary beach, armed only with a map given to him by a mysterious neighbour. Published in 1998, the first year I went travelling, this fast-paced adventure touched a nerve. Despite being butchered by Hollywood and inspiring a backpacker invasion of Thailand, the original reminds you why it is so good being on the road. AW

AND WHILE YOU’RE AT IT... A

A COOK’S TOUR (ANTHONY BOURDAIN) In a nutshell: One man searches the world for the perfect meal. Why I love it: If like me, food is an essential part of travel, then this book will whet your appetite and have you drooling as you turn the pages. This is chef and writer Anthony Bourdain’s coulourful account of his travels as he poses the question, what is the perfect meal? Travelling from Europe to the Middle East to Asia and even the US, Bourdain is funny, honest and crude. He is also disgusting and too honest at times – just like food porn should be. From Portugal, where an entire village has been fattening a pig for months in anticipation of his arrival (where they devour every last piece of the pig, including its blood) to the middle of the Moroccan desert, where he dines on “crispy, veiny” lamb testicles. Then there’s chapters like the one in San Sebastian where he does a tapas bar crawl with a bunch of chefs where you’ll just wish you were his friend. AH

Reading books about a country you’re travelling through R is always a great way to not only appreciate the destination more, but the book itself. So here’s five great books m about Australia. ab Song Lines (Bruce Chatwin): Semi-fictional exploration of So Aboriginal Dreamtime. Despite being labelled pretentious, Ab highly readable effort at understanding Australia’s ah indigenous culture. in Dirt Music (Tim Winton): Beautifully written, award-winning Di thriller set in Western Australia’s harsh, unforgiving climate, by th one of the country’s most prominent contemporary authors. on True History Of The Kelly Gang (Peter Carey): It may be one of those annoying ‘historical novels’, but it’s a belter. This fictional account of Ned Kelly’s shenanigans won the Booker Prize. He Died With A Falafel In His Hand (John Birmingham): A collection of funny if edgy anecdotes from life in Brisbane flat-sharing hell. The film’s bobbins though. One For The Road (Tony Horwitz): Uninspired by life in Sydney, the American sets off to hitchhike through the Outback. He meets a myriad colourful Camping it up: types, from out-there Where’s best for Aborigines and jackeroos pitching a tent in Oz to hard-drinking headcases, and visits a litany of quirky drinking dens.

NEXT WEEK

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THE IRON LADY FILM review by Andrew Westbrook STARRING: Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent | CERT: M | 105mins | Out now

SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS FILM STARRING: Robert Downey Jnr, Jude Law, Noomi Rapace | M | 129mins | Out now

Guy Ritchie is once again at the helm for this second outing of his career resurrecting franchise, and fans of the first one are unlikely to be disappointed. Returning to a beautifully attentive Victorian London, the action comes thick and fast, with the stop-start, chess-like fighting scenes deployed to as good effect as in the first film. Again, however, it is the camp sniping between the two leading men that provides most of the entertainment. 12

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Yes, Oscar season is well and truly upon us, meaning the time has come for the studios to start releasing their more weighty offerings of the year, safe in the knowledge that judges have very short memories. And so enter The Iron Lady, from which Meryl Streep will be a dead cert to pick up her 17th Oscar nomination, and most likely her third win. Streep absolutely nails the look, mannerisms and speech of Margaret Thatcher, the woman who rose from her modest beginnings as a grocer’s daughter to become Britain’s first woman prime minister, a person who was both one of the country’s most successful ever politicians and also one of the most divisive figures of the late twentieth century. And indeed the film itself is already proving almost as divisive in the UK, with the Left unhappy at the biopic’s humanising and empathising depiction of Thatcher as a loving, albeit hard, wife and mother, while the Right are not too impressed at the ‘disrespectful’ way in which the former PM is shown losing her marbles. However, while Streep is incredible, and Broadbent provides excellent comic relief as husband Denis, the film’s flashbackstyle movement through all the notable events, from the Brighton bombing to Falklands War and Poll Tax riots, is annoyingly clunky and feels way too forced. Luckily Streep is more than enough of a diversion for it to be a major issue. GOOD FOR: Seeing perhaps the greatest actress of the modern era at the top of her game

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NOW SHOWING: WE BOUGHT A ZOO

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It sounds like a Dr Seuss children’s book, but is actually a serious tale of courage through adversity. Matt Damon stacks on the beef as a grieving father who uproots his life and buys a dilapidated zoo. The zookeeper is played by Scarlet Johansson even though I don’t think I’ve ever seen an attractive zookeeper in my life. Directed by Cameron Crowe, it will pull at the heartstrings, even if it is far-fetched. Out now

ELVIS BIRTHDAY BASH SURFERS PARADISE

SOUTHBOUND FESTIVAL WA

FESTIVAL

The sounds and style of The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll will be all over Surfers Paradise for Elvis’s Birthday Bash. The six-day tribute festival is the first Elvis event in Australia to earn the official stamp of approval from Elvis Presley Enterprises. The festival includes Presley’s January 8 birthday – Surfers Paradise is sure to be all shook up at the sight of men in sequined jumpsuits.

Music and comedy acts, food and market stalls, as well as various activities to keep you entertained over the weekend. This Western Australian festival has also won two Greener Festival awards through programmes such as sustainment carbon offset fees. Line-up includes: Aloe Blacc, Arctic Monkeys, Crystal Castles, Metronomy, The Kooks and so much more.

Jan 6-11, Surfers Paradise, QLD. Free. surfersparadise.com

Jan 7-8, Busselton, WA. From $170 moshtix.com.au

THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN The first of the year’s four tennis Grand Slams rolls its way into Melbourne in just over a week, so keep your eyes peeled for the best players on the planet while you’re strolling around town. Many of the matches will be shown on free TV, and on a giant screen in Federation Square, but getting a general admission ticket for a day doesn’t break the bank. If taking that option, try to go in the first week of the competition, when there’s a lot more decent matches played on the outside courts. Jan 16-29. From $29. australianopen.com

CIVIC HOTEL SYDNEY

THE DRESDEN DOLLS SYDNEY

BAR

GIG

This bar combines the best elements of clubbing – music, fashion, visual art and live performances. Sweet Taboo on a Saturday night has become a favourite amongst Sydney socialites as it rolls over three floors of the art deco building. It’s swanky, but we like it. Also, delicious Greek share plates to line the stomach.

It has been six years but the “coin-operated” Dresden Dolls are coming back to Australia to play at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre. If you’re not familiar with their theatrical, cabaret-style shows then now’s your chance to catch the dynamic pair. Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione will entertain you with their brand of arthouse rock.

388 Pitt St, Sydney civichotel.com.au

Enmore Theatre. Jan 7. $63.80 enmoretheatre.com.au

CINEMA TICKETS

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TNT has teamed up with our favourite open air cinema season – Moonlight Cinema – to offer you guys an absolute stack of tickets. So, for a chance to see either a classic or a new release, in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth or Sydney, between now and Feb, simply ‘like’ the tntdownunder Facebook page and email your postal address to editor@tntdownunder. TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

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Luciana The dance diva has a career that spans over 17 years. She’s collaborated with some of the world’s biggest DJs and artists and recently got saucy with Betty White... INTERVIEW ALEX HARMON

you know I can actually sing, I normally shout on most of my songs but I think that when my songs are more fun, they do say that sometimes. Ever read anything in the mags that’s not true? I tend not to read about myself, I don’t google myself. It’s boring, I’m not interested. I don’t need to read it. If people don’t like it, I don’t need to read that. I think that’s part of getting older, you know what I mean? Well I read in the gossip mags that you got a haircut.. You know what? I got it cut in a bob, that’s it. I didn’t get like a blonde Mohawk or anything!

Look at my boat race... You performed at Nevermind in Sydney, recently. How was that? Oh, just brilliant, I love the club, I love the vibe, it really has a dirty energy, it’s low-down. I like it. Whereabouts in London are you from? South London, a lot of people think that I’m from Essex, which is quite funny. Can you tell the difference? Sort of, I’ve lived in Brixton before... Oh, my tour manager is from there, it’s great innit, it’s like a hodge-podge of everything, I love it. Can you give me some rhyming slang? Apples and pears is the obvious one. Or you’ve got a beautiful boat race, which is face. She’s butters, she’s well butters, which isn’t actually rhyming slang, it just means ugly. You recently teamed up with Betty White. How did that come about? Isn’t that funny? When she came into our studio to record her vocals we had to be ready for 9am, she gets up at like 5 in the morning. That is really early for a musician! I don’t even know where to begin with her. So what she did, she came to us with Lifeline Insurance and asked us to do an

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alternative video with all the proceeds going to her charity, the LA Zoo. It was just really random. And what’s with all the cheesecake? It’s from the Golden Girls, you know? Her character Rose was obsessed with it. You have to start watching it. You also wrote a track for Kylie? Yeah we wrote a song with Swedish Mafia called “Cupid Boy” which is on the Aphrodite album. Did you get to meet her? Well we went to her show and I went to meet her afterwards but we couldn’t get near her because the place was just heaving. But I did dance around my kitchen when I heard her do my track on the radio. It was so exciting, it was a real honour for me. Which artists do you look up to? Well we’ve got a new track for No Doubt, so Gwen Stefani as an icon. I think she’s totally fabulous, I would be totally dumbstruck if I met her. Also, Blondie. That’s obvious isn’t it? Do you get compared to Lady Gaga? Sometimes they say that but I don’t think so. I mean she is total ART. I love her so much. And

Well the headlines are there, I thought you must have done a Britney. Oh no, I couldn’t work that look. My head is too small. If I shaved my hair off, everyone would realise that I have a pin-head. How do you make it in America? Is it like being on The Ellen Show? You know, funny you should say that, “I like That” was on The Ellen Show and I think that did help. I really don’t know how you make it, I think you need to have lots of money and an amazing PR team. But on a real day-to-day business you just have to keep writing and stick to the basics. Keep it organic, you know? If the song is good and you execute it well. People spend so much on videos, but we made “I Like That” for £500. That’s the secret to success. Oh, and wear high heels and get a mono brow. Dream drinking partner? Someone funny, Billy Connolly? Totally funny. Or Russell Brand. Oh, but he doesn’t drink. Maybe him 10 years ago. Have you ever been a backpacker? Well in my head I am a backpacker, but in reality I like staying in a nice room with hot water. Luciana tracks “I Like That” and “I’m Still Hot” ft Betty White are available through iTunes. luciana.com

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Go to tntdownunder.com and click on the WIN page. See webpage for terms and conditions. Winners will be selected at random.

auss

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WIN A TWO-WEEK EAST COAST HIGHLIGHTS ROADTRIP If you’re after a real Australian adventure, then there’s one option that trumps all others – hitting the open road with your own wheels. With its endless stretches of the hard stuff and countless deserted beaches just waiting to be discovered, the land Down Under is a country best explored with the freedom to go where you want, when you want. Therefore, TNT T has teamed up with JUCY Rentals, plus some of our bestest east coast buddies, to help a couple of you, yes you, our dear beloved readers, do just that for free. Not only will your campervan be sorted, plus freebie trips to the top three destinations on the east coast, but we’ll even refill your backpack with some sweet new clothes. Not too shabby eh?

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THIS PRIZE INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING: JUCY CAMPERVAN: Two-week rental of a Grande Campa. NEW THREADS: A $1,000 wardrobe from Rush Surf. GREAT BARRIER REEF: A cruise and reef experience, for two people, with Cairns Premier Reef Tours. WHITSUNDAY ISLANDS: A two-day/two-night sailing trip, for two people, with Tongarra Sailing Adventures. FRASER ISLAND: A three-day/two-night guided self-drive tour, for two people, with Nomads Fraser Island Tours. Competition closes midnight AEST Tuesday 31st January, 2012. Log on to tntdownunder.com for further details and to enter.

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NEW er ck Backpail fares a Read<y> rADL $49 MEL $125 ADL > < D SY $165 LICE A > < L AD $165 DAR > < E ALIC $219 R E P > < ADL $299 PER SYD <>

The most relaxed way to see the vast Australian Outback is by train. â&#x20AC;˘ Stretch your legs in your spacious recliner seat

Alice Springs

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FRANCO FLUNKS THEN FIRES

[USA]

SCAR-JO STROPS ABOUT NICKNAME

[USA]

Scarlett Johansson apparently hates being referred to as “ScarJo” in the media. ScarJo bitched to USA Today about how other actors never get saddled with shitty nicknames like ScarJo. Ahem – Brangelina, LiLo anyone? ScarJo makes comparisons to well respected actors in the interview: “How come Daniel Day Lewis is not ‘DaDay’ or Cate Blanchett is not, like ‘CaBla’? People can’t actually say the whole name? It’s bizarre.” Actually, what is bizarre is the fact you traded in a hottie like Ryan Reynolds for a crusty old man like Sean Penn. At least Sean spends his time campaigning in Haiti, instead of worrying about what people call him. PennJo. 18

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Uneducated: I actually forgot that Lindsay Lohan is famous for being an actress until I saw her emerge from JFK Airport with a script in her hand. Oh, that’s right! Still, I’m not convinced that her career will ever be resuscitated. Or that a film with a title like Untitled will ever take off. Or, hang on a minute... did someone let Li-Lo use the computer again?

CRAIG COULD BE RECORD BOND

[USA]

Daniel Craig is rumoured to be entering talks to star in another five Bond films, after shooting wraps on the latest installment, Skyfall. Fans are delighted with the news, however the latest installments in the Bond franchise are meant to be prequels and Craig is already starting to look older than any other Bond (except for old man Moore, obviously). Comments on the

internet largely equate to Craig being the “best Bond ever”. A big call when his third outing hasn’t even finished filming yet. Producer Michael Wilson told The People newspaper that he would “love Daniel to surpass Roger Moore’s record and do eight pictures”. It’s truly amazing that the world loves Craig in the suave spy role, especially when he has a face like a mashed pie. It’s amazing what a well placed coming-out-of-the-water-inyour-Speedo’s shot will do for a man’s reputation.

Photos: Getty Images

Claims are surfacing that James Franco got his New York University professor fired after receiving a D grade. Jose Santana gave the broody Franco a D for missing most of his Directing the Actor II classes and has now alleged the university fired him because of their dodgy relationship with Franco. Maybe Franco didn’t show because he thought his impressive body of work should speak for itself, I mean, how great was Spider-Man, right? Pineapple Express, no? How about when he cut his arm off in 127 Hours? Gives a whole new meaning to the dog ate my homework excuse. Franco was later hired by NYU as a lecturer of how to turn poems into short films. Which just goes to show, those who can’t do – teach.

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TWEETS OF THE WEEK @KanyeWest “In my perfect world, every girl gets married in Givenchy couture” @JustinBieber “me and STEVIE WONDER 4 years after i first sang this song singing it together. DREAMS DO COME TRUE”

Suri’s proud publicists

TODDLER AND TIARA

LADY GAGA’S OSCAR GONG BANG

[USA]

As if she doesn’t have enough awards, Gaga has been named on The Oscars 2012 longlist in the Best Song category. Gaga duet with Elton John, “Hello Hello”, from Gnomeo and Juliet, is in the race for an Oscar. As is Robbie Williams and Brad Paisley’s Cars 2 collaboration “Collision of Worlds”, which goes head-tohead with Will.I.Am’s track “Hot Wings” from the movie Rio and Zooey Deschanel’s “So Long”, taken from Winnie the Pooh. Madonna has missed out on a place as her song “Masterpiece” from her film W.E. featured too far into the movie’s end credits – with the rules stating it must be a lead song to received a nomination. God bless loopholes!

@EllenDeGeneres “Okay. I’ll say it. Brad Pitt is one good lookin’ fella” @BenjiMadden “Customs officers aren’t really amused when you talk like one of the 3 stooges”

[USA]

Tom Cruise has explained why the world seems to be so obsessed with his five-year-old daughter Suri – she was born with “amazing style”. It couldn’t possibly be that we are all fascinated by how this scary scientologist managed to impregnate that chick from Dawson’s Creek. Or that once their spawn learnt to walk she began tottering around in inappropriately high heels. Tom told US Weekly that Katie has been instrumental in encouraging Suri’s individual style. Maybe Katie should be less inclined to let Suri have her own way, and more focused on saying “no” once in awhile. Otherwise, when Paris Hilton gets old and wrinkly we know who will be taking over her famous-for-nothing-other-thanprancing-around-and-having-famousparents role in the world.

@KimKardashian “How cool are the hotel keys at the mirage hotel! #KardashianKhaos”

@JoeBudden “U know what album is a classic that no1 ever talks about ??? That Boyz2Men Xmas album.. Shit is STILL hard, dead ass” @DanMerriweather “In ‘09 I released what became a Platinum album ‘Love & War’... Now @robinthicke decides to drop ‘Love After War’” @RobinThicke “@DanMerriweather sorry Bro. I’ve never heard of u before. God bless”

Polly wants a crack-pipe

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

WHATEVER THE JOLIE BIRD SAYS GOES [USA]

I suppose it gets harder every year to buy for the man who has it all. So this year Angelina bought Brad Pitt a foultalking parrot for his 48th birthday. Angie bought “Polly the Insulting Parrot” in Las Vegas for around $20, which is small price to pay, but as novelty toys go, she’ll pay for it in other ways. Now every time Angelina comes home and tells Brad that she’d like to relocate the family to Africa so that the kids can understand famine and poverty, Brad can simply let the bird do the talking for him. Or when she decides that she will write and direct another film about war in a country that no one has heard of, the parrot can speak for the whole family. Polly says, “shut the fuck up you crazy dinosaur”, right?

I’m his girlfriend not his mother!

J-Lo hits back at McDonald’s staff who asked her toyboy lover Casper if he wanted to pay separately to his mother

Fed up of carrying around heavy guidebooks? Then TNT has the answer We’ve just published our 2012 Independent Traveller’s Guide to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. It’s free, it’s online and it’s full of tips on where to go, what to do and how to ﬁnd work. FIJI W ZEALAND & AUSTRALIA NE

It’s also got listings for all the best hostels, tour companies and job agencies for all three countries, complete with links that will take you straight to their websites.

T THE INDEPENDEN

UIDE TRAVELLERS' G JI

If you’re travelling on, there’s also sections on Papua New Guinea and Samoa.

2012

To check it out, just head to tntdownunder.com and click the link on the right hand side.

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The Vaccines The UK indie band exploded onto the scene with their debut album What Did You Expect from the Vaccines. We chat to drummer, and closet Phil Collins fan, Pete... INTERVIEW ALEX HARMON

Very cool stuff, anything embarrassing? Yeah, well, I mean I’m not embarrassed, it is just the thing isn’t it. I think I inherited some pretty dodgy stuff – my Mum had an unbelievable love for Phil Collins which really rubbed off. He is actually an incredible drummer, but it’s just not really my usual cup of tea.

Not The Inbetweeners

What are you up to at the moment? Oh, I’m just strolling around, kind of freezing, in basically the least rock and roll town of England – a little town called Eastbourne, just outside of Brighton, basically where everyone goes to retire. We have a show here tomorrow, I don’t know if there’s any young people in this town but apparently we sold some tickets. Prefer festivals or intimate shows? It’s good to mix it up really, I love to get sweaty in a club but the festival season is a whole different animal. We’ve been on tour for the past few months so I think by the time the festivals come around we’ll be looking forward to it. You get a lot of praise from the critics, is that a lot of pressure? Well yeah, I think we’ve got as much good as we get bad and I think because we’ve been around for a bit, you sort of learn to take it all with a pinch of salt. It’s the people that come to your shows that matter and the people that buy your records. We play with them in mind. Ever read anything that’s untrue? We don’t read any reviews or anything. Not interested. Obviously there is a part of me that is curious but I don’t think it’s healthy. If you 22

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believe the good stuff you have to believe the bad. Every so often we get asked about stuff in an interview that they have read that we have no idea about. But we tend to steer clear. What did I read about Kate Moss... Yeah, we did an ad for Rimmel makeup. The whole premise was that we were supposed to be recording a music video and she sort of storms in, grabs the guitar and gets involved. Can she actually play guitar? Noooo! She had a go and she booted me off the drums at one point and had a go at that too. What’s she like? Very nice. She’s into her music so we sort of got along really well and talked music. Who were your influences growing up? I guess Nirvana probably was the band that got me into music. Dave Grohl is obviously an incredible drummer and they’re a very inspiring band. After that, it opened the doors to like Blur and the Brit Pop thing and then going further back, I was into The Police, Blondie and then back further to The Velvet Underground, The Clash. Oh, and I guess The Strokes when they came out, they were a big influence.

You get compared to The Ramones a lot. Is that a comparison you agree with? I like that comparison. I’m not sure that I agree with it. I think that it happened – well a few things happened – the first thing was that we released our first single that just happened to be three chords in the space of a minute and a half. We like doing that stuff but I think our album has more to it than that, and is influenced by a lot of different eras. But I think that the important thing about The Ramones, that compares to us, is that they sort of took their love of pop music and the girl groups of the 60s, they took that blueprint and reinvented it. Which is sort of what we try to do. I don’t know though, we get compared to a lot of people. Like, say, The Inbetweeners? Because there’s four of us? Yeah, we have the really geeky dude and someone that is really crude... no we haven’t been compared to The Inbetweeners! And I’d like to keep it that way. True you used to be “the Red Indians”? We did two gigs as the Red Indians. We had kind of written most of our record before we had a name. The name was the hardest part. It can be with bands. We went through like eight before we decided. Is your song called “Tiger Blood” a Charlie Sheen reference? I had no idea about Charlie Sheen. Justin didn’t either, it was a complete coincidence. Weird.

The Vaccines play Big Day Out 2012. It hits Auckland (Jan 20), Gold Coast (Jan 22), Sydney (Jan 26), Melbourne (Jan 29), Adelaide (Feb 3), Perth (Feb 5). bigdayout.com

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CHOCOLATE WONDERLAND

CHINA

A theme park made entirely of chocolate is currently open in Shanghai. The World Chocolate Wonderland is open until February and includes an extremely lifelike replica of the famous Terracotta Warriors, as well as a giant dragon and models of ancient Chinese porcelain vases. Visitors have been flocking to the exhibition, which uses Western chocolate to show a union with Eastern culture. The grand opening was preceded by a chocolate fashion show, which featured accessories, hats and ornaments made entirely of chocolate. Special ingredients were added to make the chocolate easier to mould.

AU NATUREL AIRLINE USA

An entirely unscientific survey by TripAdvisor has found that four out of five travellers would fly naked. Seventy-nine per cent of American respondents said they would fly on a nudist airline if one existed, so long as everyone else on the plane was naked too. The upside of flying without clothes would mean faster security screening, reduced plane weight and the amusement of people watching as everyone boards the plane. On the flip side you would hope that there isn’t turbulence in case you end up with a splash of hot coffee on your bits and pieces. Some may think that Virgin’s Sir Richard Branson is the obvious man for the challenge of creating a nudist airline, but think of the commercials and promotional stunts we would have to endure. Abseiling naked down a building? Jumping naked from a plane? It’s more of Sir Dick than anyone needs to see.

Mile high app: KLM Airlines will soon allow passengers to choose who they sit next to through Facebook. Their social networking tool, which launches next year, asks travellers to create a profile and link it to Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook. When they’re ready to go, they provide their flight information and choose a flying buddy. The website says, “You can then make arrangements to sit together on the plane, have a coffee on the ground or share a cab home.” How could this possibly go wrong?

’BUG’ BUNNY NEW ZEALAND

The worlds largest insect has been found in New Zealand, and it likes carrots. The giant weta, which is a resident of Little Barrier Island, weighs 71 grams and has a wingspan of almost 18 centimetres. Mark Moffat, a former park ranger, found the weta up a tree and decided to feed it a carrot. “She enjoyed the carrot so much, she seemed to ignore the fact she was resting on our hands,” he said. “She would have finished it quickly but this is an endangered species and we didn’t want to risk indigestion.” The insect was mostly eradicated on the mainland due to rats, not Elmer Fudd.

SMURFTOWN STILL GOT THE BLUES

SPAIN

A town in Andalusia that was painted entirely blue as a promotional stunt for the release of the Smurf movie in 2011 has voted to stay blue. The 221 residents of Juzcar voted almost unanimously to keep the bright

colour instead of returning to their traditional white village. Just 33 people were against the decision. Four thousand litres of blue paint were used to paint everything from the homes to church and even gravestones. Since the movie was released, the once quiet community has received thousands of visitors to sightsee and attend events. Locals hope the tourism boom continues.

HERBAL ESSENCE PULLING POWER

AUSTRALIA

A Sri Lankan born refugee has set a new world record for hanging by his hair in Queensland. Suthakaran Sivagnanathurai dangled more than a metre off the ground for over 23 minutes by his hair. “My hair is strong because I usually use natural oil”, he said. The record was set in Sherwood and the 37-year-old Mr Sivagnanathurai said that he overcame the pain by meditating and yoga. Sivagnanathurai had previously attempted to pull a stationary truck by his lock of hair in his home country. TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

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WALES ON THE MOVE FIFA has named Wales the most improved team of 2011, thanks to earning 330 ranking points which saw them rise from 116th to 48th on the world leaderboard. Widely considered the architect of the revival, manager Gary Speed, 42, was found hanged in November, after barely a year in the job.

PERSIE THE BEAUTY Robin van Persie has said Barcelona and his own Arsenal are the only teams he watches on TV because only they play â&#x20AC;&#x153;beautiful footballâ&#x20AC;?. Persie, whose contract expires this year, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a lover of the beautiful game.â&#x20AC;?

Oh Fernando: All eyes will be on Chelseaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s troubled ÂŁ50m striker Fernando Torres this month, following the opening of the January transfer window yesterday, as rumours that his bosses will look to cut their losses refuse to go away. Torres himself says heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not worried, adding, â&#x20AC;&#x153;when I read it in the English press, I know thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lieâ&#x20AC;?.

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WINNER

WEEKLY WINNER

HOT TIPS: Skyscrapers

SIZE MATTERS: James Cook 23, UK

HOW IT WORKS

JAMES SAYS: “The Bolte Bridge located in Melbourne’s Docklands has a pillar in the centre that has no use structurally at all. Its sole purpose is to make the height of the bridge 1metre higher then the Sydney Harbour Bridge!” THE MONTHLY WINNER GETS THREE DAYS CAR HIRE FROM TRAVELLERS AUTOBARN Photos are judged by ROUGH GUIDES senior photo editor Mark Thomas each month. Send high-res (300 dpi) jpegs with name, age, nationality and a description, to: travel@tntdownunder.com Weekly winner James wins a free night’s stay at the award-winning Sydney Central YHA (yha.com.au). The monthly winner gets three days car hire from Travellers Auto Barn. The runner-up wins a Rough Guides book of their choice sent to an Oz or NZ address. roughguides.com

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Skyscrapers are a great attraction for photographers with their clean lines and repeated patterns, and night shots are particularly attractive.

WIN

Keep in mind, if you do not want the towers to look like they’re leaning, you will need to get a high, distant viewpoint and hold the camera level. This may mean being quite far away. Bridges and boats often provide good viewpoints for skyscrapers as well as shooting from other skyscrapers. Alternatively you can shoot looking slightly up or down and correct the converging lines digitally later. Always bear in mind that this will result in some cropping, so make allowances for that. Only a small amount of convergence is suitable for this method.

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TRAVELTIPS

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ON THE ROAD WITH TRAVEL

TALK DENISE COLLINS 27, IRELAND WHEN DID YOU ARRIVE IN OZ? I got here on St Patrick’s Day last year.

YOU ASKED FOR IT... WE ANSWER YOUR TRAVEL QUESTIONS

the final scene of Point Break Q Was actually filmed in Australia? Matthew Hunt, UK question. Even though the final scene A Good of the iconic 1991 surf film Point Break was set on Bells Beach, Victoria, it was actually filmed at Indian Beach in Oregon, USA. You see, Bells Beach is a straight stretch while the beach in the film is a cove with spruce trees atop a hill. Nonetheless, Bells Beach has a reputation as one of the best surf breaks in the world, and even though Keanu and Swayze didn’t get to surf those waves, it is still famous for being the beach that hosts the longest running surf competition in the world. The event, now known as the Rip Curl Pro, began in 1964 and takes place every year at Easter. The very best compete over five days of competition while thousands watch in the Bells Beach amphitheatre. Autumn produces the biggest swells of the year, with waves up to six metres high. The nearby town of Torquay is the capital of Australia’s surf industry, home to brands like Rip Curl and Quiksilver, and a great place to stay if you want to dive head first into surf culture. There’s plenty of backpacker accommodation. So, the film crew didn’t get to Bells and there’s no such thing as the infamous “50 year storm” that Bodhi talks about, but they got one thing right, it can produce lethally big waves. If you want to get your hands on some real footage of Bells Beach, you’ll find it in the 1966 documentary, The Endless Summer. 30

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it worth going to Litchfield Q IsNational Park when I’m in the Northern Territory or should I stick to Kakadu? Greta Lancey, Belgium nitely check out Litchfield. The 650 sq A Defi km national park is a popular getaway from Darwin (two hours south) and has the advantage of being nearer to the city than Kakadu, plus it’s easier to explore without a 4WD. Crocodiles are also less of a threat than in other Top End destinations, meaning there’s more swimming opportunities in the park’s numerous natural waterfalls and plunge pools. Wangi Falls is the most impressive, but keep in mind it’s only open for swimming during the dry season (May to September). Once you’ve cooled off, check out the Lost City, a haunting cluster of sandstone rock formations that resemble a long-forgotten civilisation which many say is akin to the Inca ruins. Also take a close look at all the crazy termite mounds. While the giant cathedral mounds are common across much of the Top End, it’s one of the best places for seeing the magnetic mounds. You don’t need a permit to enter the park but it’s best to check in at the ranger’s station in Batchelor, a town 10km from the eastern edge of the park. Of course you shouldn’t neglect Kakadu either. It’s famous for its diversity and, although you only ever hear about the wet and dry seasons, there are actually six seasons in its annual cycle, bringing an amazing range of flora and fauna.

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? I flew into Perth and stayed there about eight months, then went to Shark Bay, spent six-and-a-half months there and now I am in Darwin. Right now I’m drinking at the backpacker bar, Melaleuca. HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING? When I was in Perth I worked for Toshiba and in Shark Bay, I was the night duty manager in a pub. FAVOURITE PLACE IN OZ? Shark Bay in Western Australia, definitely my fave. WHAT’S ON YOUR TO-DO LIST? While I’m here in Darwin, I want to see Kakadu National Park and Litchfield, they are definitely high on the agenda. I wouldn’t mind going to the Tiwi Islands too. Plus, I am hoping to do a roadtrip from the bottom of the east coast, right to the top. WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT OZ? There is a much better lifestyle than back home. Although sometimes I miss the cold winter nights.

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DIVE ANOTHER DAY

It took Stephanie Box two attempts, but determined to boast about it on Facebook, she got up close and personal with some grey nurse sharks... “It’s not every day that you dive through underwater caves and encounter sharks”, read my Facebook status. Travelling down the east coast of Australia in a campervan, I was determined to get some good dives under my belt while having the Great Barrier Reef on our doorstep. I completed my PADI Open Water scuba diving course in Bundaberg, and on route to Port Macquarie I stopped by chance at South West Rocks. Known as one of Australia’s top five dives, I knew I had to give it a go. The dive consisted of swimming down 25 metres to the caves where you are pretty much guaranteed to see grey nurse sharks. I got off to a disastrous start. The dark and choppy water which came from the recent bad weather unnerved me and I managed to lose a flipper in the process of getting in. My group had gone ahead so I had to descend

on my own to meet them about five metres down. I grabbed hold of the anchor rope, let all the air out of my buoyancy compensator and tried to pull myself down. The strong current pulled me everywhere and I began to feel exhausted. The water was so dark and I couldn’t make out much and I couldn’t see my buddy or anyone around. Panicking and with decreased confidence, I exhaled and went up to the surface. I was shaken and felt defeated when I got back on board. I was overwhelmed with just how strong the currents were and how scary being able to see pretty much nothing was. A hot chocolate later and after encouragement from the returned divers, I was spurred on to give the caves a second go. This time I paired up with Leigh, an instructor who would keep close. We were told that the caves were easy and more of a psychological hurdle than anything. I’m not usually claustrophobic, but I was nervous about swimming in shark-infested waters. I stayed close to Leigh as we pulled our way down, equalising my ears every

few feet. The deeper we went, the clearer the water became. At 25 metres down on the ocean floor, we all signalled the ‘okay’ and began to swim alongside the rock faces. There were big fish in vibrant colours sporting Angelina Jolie-style lips. The temperature dropped when we neared the cave’s entrance: a black hole with hundreds of small bright yellow fish blocking it. We swam slowly through and I gripped Leigh’s hand as she held a torch with the other. The entrance tunnel narrowed so I slipped behind her and followed until we reached a narrow chimney. Swimming directly up, we used rocks to hold onto and guide our way through. Then everything opened up into blue. Looking up, the first thing I saw was the under belly of a huge stingray, then a turtle looking as though it was sleeping under a rock. Feeling very aware that I was now in shark territory, I scanned the area, and looking out into the water, there they were. Big dark shapes slowly moving right in front of me. I couldn’t help but stop and stare at them. They were definitely menacing but graceful and not in the least bit bothered by our shining torches. Seeing the other divers after, they gave me high fives.

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Send us your scary, funny or embarrassing travel tale (preferably about Australia or New Zealand) and if published you’ll win a $300 travel voucher redeemable on Oz Experience passes (ozexperience.com), ATA NT camping trips (adventuretours.com.au) and with Wayward Bus (waywardbus.com. au). Email your stories (700 words max), to travel@tntdownunder.com

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Cairns & Cape Trib FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND

[Caption] 32

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Party central One of the best ways to get into the spirit of the east coast’s backpacker party capital is to get the spirits into yourself... WORDS JOANNA TILLEY

All I’d really wanted to do in Cairns was party. But with my feet bound together by a weathered towel and two men threatening me from either side, it appeared that would have to wait. No, I had not been kidnapped (although thanks for the concern), but was about to join the exclusive bungy jumping club (a club of sorts, but not really the club I had in mind). Just 20 minutes ago I’d flippantly mentioned to a new friend in my hostel that I wouldn’t mind doing a bungy jump. Now here we were... If only I’d known we were so close to one of the biggest bungy jumping sites in Oz I would have kept my big mouth shut. But it turns out that in Cairns you are never too far from the action. Whether you’re looking for adrenalin activities, retail therapy or just pure unadulterated drinking, Cairns will not let you down. Instead, it will insist you jump down. Buuuuuuuuuuuuuungyyyyyy... MISSION: MEN Fortunately, it turns out there is nothing better to get you into the party spirit than a bungy jump. Driving back into Cairns, the bars and restaurants along the Esplanade were already full of people. The small, compact town of Cairns has been designed with the traveller in mind, which means it is very easy to get around... from bar to bar that is. The thriving nightlife, high quality hostels and easy access to the Great Barrier Reef has made Cairns the fourth most visited place in Australia after Sydney, Melbourne and Bris-Vegas. Another great thing about Cairns is how quickly a night can turn from civilised to civil disorder. My bungy jumping friend Anna and I started our evening in the sophisticated and upmarket setting of the Salt House. Listening to the calming sound of water features, we praised each other for our daredevil antics whilst sipping cocktails and gazing out at the boats bobbing in the Marina. This was the calm before the storm. The refined part of the night was over and we were now women (okay, sluts) on a mission. One of the best places to drink (and hook up) in Cairns is Gilligan’s. It’s one of the biggest hostels in Australia and is always rammed with backpackers.

FEELING TIP-TOPLESS Luckily, our visit coincided with a live band and a foam party (one of those delightful gimmicks invented solely to see hard nipples poking through wet material). However, as we weren’t yet ready to sacrifice our make-up to the foam, we skirted past the shenanigans and headed for the bar. A couple of Jager Bombs later, it was time to assess our surroundings (okay, fine, the boys).

“

I often wonder where my new Wonderbra ended up that night

”

It’s amazing how the buzz of a hostel in Cairns and blurred vision can make a girl feel spoilt for choice. We sat down and started talking to a group of guys from Wales who were on their way to the Woolshed. Now, the general rule goes: If you’ve been to Cairns, you’ve been to the Woolshed. This is the club where everyone clambers when the bars and pubs close. It is everything you’d expect from a backpackerdominated establishment; cheap, filthy and fun. I became an instant fan when I noticed that dancing on the tables wasn’t only allowed but seemed compulsory. The boys became fans as the Miss Backpacker competition entered its final stage (yes, another delightful gimmick invented solely to see hard nipples poking through wet material.) Cairns appeared to love hard nipples. After hours of table dancing, slippery nipple swallowing and tonsil tennis with... hmmm (let me get back to you on this one), we were all in need of a relaxing bubble bath. But come on, it’s Cairns! So instead we opted for a filthy foam party. Even hangovers are good in Cairns. Behind every corner lurks a café or restaurant ready to ply you with a big, greasedripping breakfast. The year-round sunshine also helps you to sweat out excess alcohol. And if food and sun doesn’t do TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

INTO THE BLUE DIVING THE GREAT BARRIER REEF

BRA CRAWL I busied myself in Bra N Things in pursuit of the ultimate cleavage. Looking busty, I was on my way to look at some Aboriginal Art. With a large population of Aboriginal people in Cairns, the town proudly displays native, dotted masterpieces in a number of shops. In Orchid Plaza, I stumbled upon a small shop called Yaram Arts run by George and his beautiful wife Yaram. After talking to them about my trip around Oz (minus some details), I bought a couple of pieces for my family back home. In Cairns, there can be a thin line between ending a night in the arms of a tall, handsome stranger or at the bottom of the lagoon. This thin line, for me, is quite often a pizza. So in an attempt to line our stomachs, we headed to Bella Vista at the Marina. It turned out to be a great choice as the pizzas were huge and very, very cheap. We enjoyed slice after slice whilst gazing at the views of Trinity Bay. After a couple of sambuca shots, I was ready for my second installment of Gilligan’s and Woolshed action. I often wonder where my new Wonderbra ended up that night. ❚ 34

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Photos: Tourism Queensland

the trick, the lagoon will. Arriving at the lagoon, we quickly realised this was the day-time social hub of Cairns. If you didn’t get the boy or girl you fancied the night before, they will more than likely be topless around the pool. In fact, Cairns values a person’s right to be topless so highly that in 2003 Mayor Kevin Byrne declared that topless sunbathing was to be permitted by the lagoon, “as the area is a gathering point for people from around the world who may wish to do so”. Finally, a sensible politician. Following a refreshing dip in the water, I was reenergised and ready for some retail therapy. Obviously I needed to find some “razzle-dazzle” to outshine my rivals on my return to the Woolshed. The best place to purchase “razzle-dazzle” in Cairns is in the Cairns Central shopping complex.

Cairns is the most renowned access point to the Great Barrier Reef and as a result, the bulk of the town’s tourist dollars are generated through it, writes Chris Stevens. And rightly so. If you’re up this end of Australia (or in Oz full stop for that matter), no trip would be complete without exploring the vast expanse of coral reef that dominates the ocean in this World Heritage-listed site. And there’s a few different ways to get involved in finding Nemo too. For those on a tight budget, a day trip snorkelling is a great way to get a taster, or for those who fancy a bit more depth to their visit, a taster day of scuba diving isn’t going to break the bank either. There are numerous companies and boats who will happily take you there for around $120. For those who have planned ahead a bit more, are feeling a bit more flush or who want to pack out their CV with some more shiny bits of paper, you can go all out and do a PADI dive course which allows you to hire kit and dive all over the globe. I went one better and did the liveaboard option – same qualification but with heaps more dives (including some night ones) whilst living on the dive boat. Plus, you generally get to visit more pristine sections of the reef as those nearer the shore tend to be more damaged. It’s far from slumming it – these boats are floating hotels – but it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made while travelling. If you are looking for a new career or a backpacking job, you could take the course right through to instructor level (although your wallet will take a serious hit), or you can earn free dives simply by volunteering on the boat as a cook or cleaner. And if you’re super keen and fancy a big cash splurge, why not check out a trip to Cod Hole – a truly memorable and unique diving experience on some beautifully pristine dive sites on the Outer Reef. Whatever you choose to do, the Barrier Reef is one of those bucket list items that needs to be ticked off. And swimming amongst the shoals of fish, cruising alongside some turtles or meeting an inquisitive Maori wrasse is the essence of travelling Australia. And once back on dry land, it’ll be time to dust of your drinking hat for some goon times!

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Cape crusader Following in the footsteps of the great Captain Cook, you can also experience a voyage of discovery on the tropical north coast WORDS GEMMA PRICE

Captain Cook was such a big girl’s blouse. He runs aground in one of the most beautiful spots in Australia and instead of kicking back on the beach for a bit, like any self-respecting traveller, he gets his knickers in a twist. Just picture it. Cloud-crowned mountains carpeted in a lush tropical forest that rolls down to meet fine white sands and vibrant coral reefs... Doesn’t sound like a bad spot to spend a few months does it? But what does he say in his ship’s log? “I named... the north point Cape Tribulation because here began all our troubles.” Sounds like Jimmy threw his toys out of the pram to me. So, to fully appreciate the Cape, I set off on my own journey of rediscovery, and in case my body is never found (obviously, someone didn’t check the beach thoroughly enough) I have recorded my journey in this Chick’s Log.

up. Besides, jungle surfing sounded much more fun. Faster than you could say “Holy shit, Batman!” I was swinging superhero-style 60 metres above the forest floor, and despite it being brown trousers time, the view was pretty special. When I eventually managed to unglue my eyes and glance around, I had a bird’s eye view of the Cape that beat any crow’s nest. Steam rose off the forested slopes of Mount Sorrow in the distance (hereby renamed Mount Fun, as old Cookie clearly wasn’t in the mood to be naming things). Trees stretched to the horizon in every direction, a sight unchanged for centuries. I enjoyed my adventure in the canopy, but the highlight of today was (weirdly) sampling some bush tucker and effectively giving an ant a rim job to taste its acrid citrussy goodness. Mmm, sharp.

CHICK’S LOG: DAY ONE

The day dawned bright and clear, and after my success in the trees, I set out to chart the surrounding coastline. Sails seemed so 18th century, so I opted for the less-arduous, more modern option of a catamaran to the reef. The journey from the mainland was short – only around 45 minutes – and as we shot out to sea, the mountains cut a commanding figure as they dwindled into the distance. Quiet and brooding, the cloudshrouded peaks hinted at hidden mysteries, and I wondered how the crew of the Endeavour must have felt as they approached. Or whether they had any inkling that some of them would enter the forest, never to come out again. In any case I was aboard an entirely more fun and reliable vessel, and had no need to concern myself about the trifles of life and death. Once we reached Morning Reef, all I had

The journey up the Cape was long but by no means arduous – who needs a creaky rat-ridden lump of wood when you can get the bus? And with no jiggers to man or whatever, I was free to soak up the jaw-dropping scenery – azure skies touching aquamarine ocean on one side, and lush tropical greenery on the other. Once I’d run aground on the beach (parking the bus and going on foot, unlike somebody who wasn’t much cop at steering) and found my digs hidden deep in the jungle, my own voyage of exploration began. Vines festoon the maze of trunks here like the silly string aftermath of some monster party, and after spending a few moments entertaining wild fantasies of swinging Tarzan-like through the trees, but inevitably ending up on my arse, I gave it 36

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CHICK’S LOG: DAY TWO

to worry about was donning some flippers and getting to know some of the more colourful locals. Overall, today was pretty tough going. Yeah, right. But after checking out the aquatic life around the Cape and sunbathing, I was more than ready for a good feed at one of the many eateries conveniently catering for pioneering explorers like myself. And contrary to my fears that some of the locals would be uncivilised savages, I found myself in the company of a charming young man who told me all the best spots to check out in my spare time. Seriously, if this guy was any smoother, he’d have been chocolate fondue. But alert to any rouse that may have seen me lured somewhere secluded, where any manner of ferocious, tribal and frighteningly pleasurable things might’ve befallen me, I eventually excused and saw myself home (alone, honest guv’nor) in readiness for whatever tomorrow would bring.

CHICK’S LOG: DAY FOUR After unwillingly hoisting myself from my bed while the world was still veiled in darkness (I normally prefer to do my exploring after a lie in), I made my way to the beach for a dawn paddle trek. And after watching the sky turn from deep midnight blue to flaming pink and then burnished orange, I have to admit it was worth the early rise. Bobbing just offshore I watched as the daytime forest shift clocked on for the day, and the mist rolled back up the mountain slopes like a celestial roller blind. I checked more of the beaches hugging the coast, and after finding my own deserted spot of paradise, I pulled my kayak ashore for some well-earned downtime. Captain Cook may have discovered the spot first, but he sure as hell didn’t enjoy it as much as his modern-day contemporaries. To all who read this log, I say this: get up to Cape Tribulation and check it out. It’s a Sunday best: Sail tropical paradise away in the stunning just waiting to Whitsundays be explored... ❚

NEXT WEEK

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CHICK’S LOG: DAY THREE Awoke feeling itchier than a thrush sufferer’s jockstrap. But these unsightly lumps covering my legs, back and shoulders were courtesy of night-time bloodsuckers (completely and totally unrelated to the port-to-port nocturnal activities of nefarious backpackers). I’d been warned about the buzzing nightlife, but the pain I usually associate with a night out is just the morning walk of shame and a raging hangover – not looking like the elephant man’s younger sister. Note to self: add insect repellent to provisions. Rather than use my own pegs to pace out the terrain I needed to cover, I figured that four legs are better than two. Like the true lazy-arsed traveller I am, I saddled up and went horse riding – undoubtedly the best way to enjoy the picture postcard scenery. Cantering along twisting forest paths steeped in hazy green stillness, I forded streams onto fine white sands, which blinded the eyes and kicked up with the horses hooves like gold spray. Magic. On my return to base camp I stopped to sample some of the tropical fruits at a local farm. Some were delicious, and some were... not so good. It was an interesting experience, but I would say to anybody journeying to the rainforest – sample the fruit at your peril. It could taste like the sweetest slice of tropical paradise, or it could bring to mind the taste of an all-weather mac worn lovingly by a tramp who breeds ferrets for a hobby and lets them relieve themselves in the pockets for the warmth. Or you could just die. Up to you.

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Down Under daftness TEN AUSTRALIAN ODDITIES

Weird Australia Perhaps more than anywhere else in the world, the land Down Under is overflowing with the weird, wacky and downright odd WORDS XAV JUDD

In such a vast country it’s no surprise that Australia has its fair share of the wacky, weird and eccentrically wonderful. From strange animals to oddball food and personalities, here I pick out some of my kooky favourites. THE ACCOMMODATION TREEHOUSES: Do you think that guy who could not help always exposing himself because he was just wearing a flimsy loincloth, Tarzan, is the only one who lives up in the forest canopy? Well, you could not be more wrong; in the Cairns Highland region, they have a group of splendid treehouses. Yes, maybe, they are completely batty or perhaps they just like watching bats zoom past their windows – these pole homes really are up there just beneath the clouds. But, you ask, are these places just ramshackle wooden huts that a 38

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winy hobo and his stray mutt wouldn’t want to sleep in? No, situated on the banks of the Ithaca River in an ecohaven, these lodgings are swankier than a lot of hotels. Each two bedroom shindig has a gas barbeque, a hammock on the balcony, a double corner spa, fireplace, gourmet kitchen, washing machine and dryer, internet outlet, DVD and TV. Shit, now all I need to do is find a bloody Jane! If there’s four of you willing to stay four nights or more it works out around $70 per person, per night. You can find them on Hogan Road, Tarzali, Queensland (07 4096 5364; canopytreehouses.com.au). SECOND WORLD WAR BUNKER: When I caught my dad with a busty blonde blow-up doll in a paddling pool he was so mad, I didn’t think there was anywhere in the world I could hide. It’s a pity I didn’t know about this place,

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then. Possum Park, 350km west of Brisbane, is a series of Second World War bunkers. Formerly known as 3CR RAAF Kowguran, this secret bomb and ammunition dump was part of the Queensland capital’s line of defence and was intended to be the final safeguard if the Japanese launched an invasion of Australia. Back then, the depot contained almost two and a half thousand tons of high explosive bombs and other weaponry; whereas today, it has been converted into 20 ‘motel’ style en-suite units. There’s also a games room and a souvenir shop. Find them at 36865 Leichhardt Hwy, Miles, Queensland (possumpark.com.au). THE ODDBALLS DAME EDNA EVERAGE: If there’s a character more colourful than Dame Edna Everage, then I haven’t seen them. With a hairstyle that looks like the back-end of a flamingo, kooky, cat-eye glasses and more make-up than you’d find on a clown, this is one broad who always gets them laughing in the aisles. But hold on a moment, why has this sheila got hairier legs than a yeti? Because she is really a man. The comic genius Barry Humphries created his female pantomime persona way back in the 1950s. That means he has been doing his stuff as long as the Queen, though in a nicer frock and without anywhere near as much bling, I might add. Luckily, fame and fortune hasn’t gone to Everage’s head: at heart, she is still the suburban Melbournian housewife she started as. Incidentally, Humphreys also created that other mega-star original, the hilariously obnoxious and booze-guzzling womanizer Sir Les Patterson. CROCODILE DUNDEE: I often find that fact merges into fiction, like when I told my friends I caught a huge shark but

“

The duck-billed platypus is so strange it was considered a fraud when first discovered

”

they discovered it was just a scrawny dogfish. Similarly, Oz’s most famous movie character, Mick ‘Crocodile’ Dundee, was actually based on a real-life person, Rodney Ansell. In the late 1970s, this bushwhacker got stranded in the backwoods of the Northern Territory with minimal resources, but somehow lived to tell the tale. Hey presto! Ten years later his fascinating adventure inspired his cinematic doppelganger, who was played by Paul Hogan. And boy, no expense was spared on a wardrobe that fashion forgot – an outback hat and a leather waistcoat. Then, there was Dundee’s knife, which was big enough to skin a buffalo and he had even sharper lines: “That’s incredible. Imagine seven million people all wanting to live together. Yeah, New York must be the friendliest place on Earth.” Eventually, such imaginative wit and a giraffe-balls big dose of bravado made this loveable hick an archetypal hero. Thus, he has graced three movies. FOOD FOR THOUGHT THE PIE FLOATER: Has the Incredible Hulk just chundered? Is it the remnants of a locust mass suicide or did a Sumo TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

wrestler forget to use a hankie when he blew his nose? No, this hearty bowl of green spew and other detritus is much worse than that; it’s the famous South Australian pie floater. Basically, it consists of a meat pie, which has usually been turned upside down, resting in a plate of gloppy pea soup. And if that isn’t enough of a treat, it’s often covered with thick wads of tomato sauce – yummy. Customarily, this tasty meal is bought from pie-carts at the side of the road. Fans who love wolfing one down include Billy Connolly, Joe Cocker and Shane Warne, before Liz Hurley got hold of his nads and tried to turn him into a metrosexual. WITCHETTY GRUBS: Aussies are famed for consuming quite a few unusual foods and drinks; crocodile sausages, emu steaks and VB to name just a few. However, perhaps nothing compares on the freako-scale to these little blighters. But what the hell are they? Actually, witchetty grubs are the large whitish-beige, wood-eating larvae of various types of moths. Notwithstanding, the term is most commonly used to refer to the immature young of the Cossid variety (Endoxyla leucomochla), which gorges on the roots of the witchetty bush. Aborigines have viewed these wormish buggers as a source of sustenance for generations because they have traditionally lived in the continent’s desert-regions, where sustenance is scarce. Today, though, the wider populace is also getting in on the act by feasting on these large maggot-like creatures. Apparently, when devoured raw they have the essence of almonds, while when roasted there is a mixture of flavours including chicken (the skin) and egg (the insides). BAR STARS SECTION 8: I’m actually such a lightweight when it comes to holding my liquor that after a couple of Malibu and 40

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pineapples I’m all at sea. Well, in this joint, I literally almost would be, as it’s made from two old shipping containers. Nowadays, they have been converted and plonked down right in the middle of one of Melbourne’s sweetest laneways. And thus, what we have is an über-cool bar. Indeed, inside Section 8, a kaleidoscope of bright graffiti decorates the walls, old wooden pallets serve as seating, and a foxy young crowd indulges in drunken mayhem with beer, wines and various spunky cocktails. Added to which, this unique beer-garedenesque lounge also serves food and coffee (Tattersall’s Lane, Melbourne; section8.com.au). THE DEVILLES PAD: Last time I saw something explode was when my pet hamster, Gertrude, inadvertently got her rear-end stuck on a water hose. This den also has the capacity to go up with a bit of a bang, as they have their own volcano as part of the décor. Fortunately it’s a fake, but there’s absolutely nothing false about the hot atmosphere in this Las Vegas styled hell-themed nightspot. With a vivid mixture of red and yellow interiors that seem to symbolise lust, naughtiness and passion, this Perth shindig really is where you would expect to find God’s alter-ego. Music-wise, they have everything from ska to rock n’ roll to Latino, while other more sinful highlights include caged go-go dancers (I wish my gran would slow down sometimes!), burlesque beauties, and glam drag shows (3 Aberdeen Street, Perth; devillespad.com) ODD CRITTERS DUCK-BILLED PLATYPUS: Maybe there’s only one animal on the whole of the planet with a more screwed-up face than when my partner is trying to knock one out in the morning. You guessed it, it’s the duck-billed platypus. Said to have evolved over 20 million years ago, these strange

semi-aquatic carnivores are the only mammals that lay eggs instead of live young. With the eponymous bill, otter-like feet, and beaveresque tail, European naturalists considered this creature to be a fraud when it was initially discovered. And ducky has got the capacity to get more annoyed than an actress who gets a screwed-up boob job, as it has a spur on each foot that can deliver venom. Now loved as much by Australians as dunnies (outside toilets) and grog (beer), the platypus is an iconic mascot that has appeared on the back of the 20 cent coin. BIRD-DROPPING SPIDER: Imagine if you will, it’s just after Creation and the spider says to God, “There are a lot of predators out there, how am I to survive?: And the Almighty says, “I might be the omnipotent one, but I don’t know a shit.” Unfortunately, it looks like this arachnid took him rather too seriously; henceforth, we have the bird-dropping spider which literally looks like a feathered creature’s turd. Relatively small (females reach up to 20mm) and dirtywhite, black and grey in colour, it stays motionless on a leaf during daytime. This still posture and its crap camouflage help it to evade predators. At night, though, the adults spring to life by plopping down to catch Seoul searching: their only know prey, a Travelling on variety of moth known as to South Korea Spodoptera mauritia. ❚

NEXT WEEK

Photos: Getty Images

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TRAVEL AGENTS Adventure Travel Bugs 02 9212 4444, adventuretravelbugs.com Backpackers World Travel 1800 676 67 63, backpackersworld.com Peter Pans Adventure Travel 1800 188 799, peterpans.com Travellers Contact Point 1800 647 640, travellers.com.au Tribal Adventure Travel 1800 984 484, tribaltravel.com.au YHA Travel 02 9261 111, yha.com.au

TOUR FIRMS

Bottom Bits Bus Tours around Tasmania 1800 777 103, bottombits.com.au

Mojosurf Sydney to Byron surfing tours 1800 113 044, mojosurf.com

Bunyip Tours Tours around Victoria 1300 286 947, bunyiptours.com

Nullarbor Traveller Tours from Adelaide and Perth 1800 816 858, the-traveller.com.au

Cool Dingos Fraser Island Tours 1800 072 555, cooldingotour.com

Ocean Rafting Whitsundays tours 07 4946 6848, oceanrafting.com

Explore Whitsundays Whitsundays packages 1800 675 790, explorewhitsundays.com

Oz Experience Hop on-hop off Australia-wide tours 1300 300 028, ozexperience.com

Groovy Grape Getaways Tours linking Adelaide, Alice Springs & Melbourne 1800 661 177, groovygrape.com.au Heading Bush Adelaide to Alice Springs outback tours 1800 639 933, headingbush.com

Kangaroo Island Wildlife Adventures South Australia 1800 786 386, surfandsun.com.au Surfcamp Sydney to Byron surfing tours 1800 888 732, surfcamp.com.au The Rock Tour Red centre tours 1800 246 345, therocktour.com.au

Adventure Tours Australia-wide tours 1800 068 886, adventuretours.com.au

Jump Tours Tours around Tasmania 0422 130 630, jumptours.com

Airliebeach.com Whitsundays packages 1800 677 119, airliebeach.com

Kakadu Dream Kakadu tours 1800 813 266, kakadudreams.com.au

Under Down Under Tours Tours around Tasmania 1800 064 726, underdownunder.com.au

Autopia Tours Tours around Victoria 03 9391 0261, autopiatours.com.au

Kangaroo Island Adventure Tours Adelaide to KI tours 13 13 01, kiadventuretours.com.au

Western Xposure WA tours 08 9414 8423, westernxposure.com.au

Awesome Adventures Oz Whitsundays packages 1800 293 7663, awesomeoz.com

Maxi Ragamuffin Whitsundays sailing 1800 454 777 maxiaction.com.au

Wilderness 4WD Adventures Top end tours 1800 808 288, wildernessadventures.com.au

Topdeck Tours covering all of Oz 1300 886 332, topdeck.travel

Wildlife Tours Tours around Victoria 1300 661 730, wildlifetours.com.au

RENTAL FIRMS Apollo Motorhomes 1800 777 779, apollocamper.com Backpacker Campervan Rentals 1800 767 010, backpackercampervans.com.au Boomerang Cars 0414 882 559, boomerangcars.com.au

Wicked Campers 1800 246 869, wickercampers.com

TRANSPORT CO Greyhound Australia Buses around Australia. 13 20 30, greyhound.com.au Jetstar Airline. 131 538, jetstar.com.au Premier Transport Group Buses along the east coast. 13 34 10, premierms.com.au

Explore More Rentals 1800 708 309, exploremore.com.au

Qantas Airline. 13 13 13, qantas.com.au

Hippie Camper 1800 777 779, hippiecamper.com

Regional Express Airline. 13 17 13, rex.com.au

Kings Cross Car Market For buying and selling vehicles. 110 Bourke St, Woolloomooloo. 02 9358 5000, carmarket.com.au

Spirit of Tasmania Ferries to Tasmania. 03 6336 1446, spiritoftasmania.com

Spaceships 1300 132 469, spaceshipsrentals.com.au Standbycars.com 1300 789 059, standbycars.com Travellers Auto Barn 1800 674 374, travellers-autobarn.com.au

Tiger Airways Airline. 03 9999 2888, tigerairways.com Redline Coaches For getting around Tasmania. 03 6336 1446, redlinecoaches.com.au Virgin Australia Airline. 13 67 89, virginaustralia.com

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

ICEBERGS BONDI Founded in 1929 and famous for housing the Icebergs winter swimming club, this is an institution of Bondi and has some of the best panoramic views of the beach. It’s an RSL style pub on level one – with old fashioned beer and food prices. And on level two you’ll find a fancy dining room and cocktail bar that is often frequented by celebrities and eastern suburbs socialites. Stick to level one we say, then cool off in the ocean swimming pools downstairs. icebergs.com.au

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SYDNEY STAY

Oceanworld Manly West Esplanade. oceanworld.com.au

Base Sydney 477 Kent St. CBD. 02 9267 7718, stayatbase.com

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Big Hostel 212 Elizabeth St. CBD. 02 9267 7718, bighostel.com

Powerhouse Museum Darling Harbour. powerhousemuseum.com.au Skydive the Beach Wollongong. skydivethebeach.com

Bounce Budget Hotel 28 Chalmers St. CBD. 02 9281 2222, bouncehotel.com.au

Sydney Observatory The Rocks. sydneyobservatory.com.au

Easy Go Backpackers 752 George St. CBD. 02 9211 0505, easygobackpackers.com.au

Sydney Olympic Park Darling Harbour. sydneyolympicpark.nsw. gov.au

City Resort Hostel 103-105 Palmer St. Woolloomooloo 02 9357 3333, cityresort.com.au

Sydney Tower and Skytour 100 Market St, CBD. sydneyskytour.com.au

The Furnished Property Group 02 8669 3678, furnishedproperty.com.au

Hyde Park. Until Jan 29. From $60. The sexy feline takes up residency in the magical Famous Spiegeltent with a sizzling show for the three-week Sydney Festival.

Sydney Central YHA 11 Rawson Place. CBD. 02 9218 9000 www.yha.com.au Sydney Harbour YHA 110 Cumberland Street. The Rocks. 02 9261 1111, yha.com.au Westend Backpackers 412 Pitt St. CBD. 1800 013 186 nomadshostels.com Boomerang Backpackers 141 William Street, Kings Cross. 02 8354 0488, boomerangbackpackers.com Dlux Hostel 30 Darlinghurst Rd, Kings Cross. 1800 236 213 dluxbudgethotel.com.au Kangaroo Bak Pak 665 South Dowling St. Surry Hills. 02 9261 1111 Avalon Beach Hostel 59 Avalon Pde, Avalon Beach. 02 9918 9709, avalonbeach.com.au Bondi YHA 63 Fletcher Street. Tamarama. 02 9365 2088, yha.com.au

College St, Sydney

sydneyfestival.org.au

Lamrock Lodge 19 Lamrock Ave. Bondi. 02 9130 5063, lamrocklodge.com Lochnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Guesthouse 8 Gowrae Ave. Bondi. 02 9387 2162, Aegean Coogee Lodge 40 Coogee Bay Rd. Coogee. 04 0817 6634, aegeancoogee.com.au Coogee Beachside 178 Coogee Bay Rd, Coogee. 02 9315 8511, sydneybeachside.com.au Surfside Backpackers 186 Arden Street. Coogee. 02 9315 7888, surfsidebackpackers.com.au Glebe Point YHA 262-264 Glebe Point Road. Glebe. 02 9692 8418, yha.com.au

Boardrider Backpacker Rear 63, The Corso, Manly. 02 9977 3411 boardrider.com.au The Bunkhouse 35 Pine St, Manly. 1800 657 122, bunkhouse.com.au Manly Backpackers 24-28 Raglan St. Manly. 02 9977 3411 manlybackpackers.com.au Cammeray Gardens 66 Palmer St, North Sydney. 02 9954 9371 sydneyboardinghouse.com Wake Up! 509 Pitt St, CBD. 02 9288 7888, wakeup.com.au

SYDNEY DO Manly Surf School Manly Beach. 02 9977 6977, manlysurfschool.com Maritime Museum Darling Harbour. anmm.gov.au

The Metro metrotheatre.com.au

BLUE MTNS Blue Mountains YHA 207 Katoomba St, Katoomba. 02 4782 1416, yha.com.au

CENTRAL COAST Newcastle Beach YHA 30 Pacific St, Newcastle. 02 4925 3544, yha.com.au Terrigal Beach YHA 9 Ocean View Dr, Terrigal. 02 4384 1919, yha.com.au

Sydney Harbour Bridge The Rocks. bridgeclimb.com

MEOW MEOW

@tnt_downunder

Sydney Aquarium Darling Harbour. sydneyaquarium.com.au Sydney Wildlife World Darling Harbour. sydneywildlifeworld.com.au

BYRON BAY Backpackers Holiday Village 116 Jonson St 1800 350 388, byronbaybackpackers.com.au Backpackers Inn 29 Shirley St 1800 817 696, backpackersinnbyronbay.com.au

Taronga Zoo Mosman. zoo.nsw.gov.au

Byron Bay Accom 02 6680 8666, byronbayaccom.net

Waves Surf School wavessurfschool.com.au

SYDNEY MUSIC

The Arts Factory 1 Skinners Shoot Rd. 02 6685 7709, nomadshostels.com

Hordern Pavillion playbillvenues.com

Nomads Byron Bay Lawson Lane. 1800 666 237, nomadshostels.com

Oxford Art Factory oxfordartfactory.com

Byron Bay YHA 7 Carlyle St. 1800 678 195, yha.com.au

Sydney Opera House sydneyoperahouse.com

SOUTH COAST Great Southern Backpackers 13 Chandos St, Eden. 02 6496 1515, greatsoutherninn.com.au

The Annandale annandalehotel.com The Basement thebasement.com.au

COFFS HARB

The Enmore enmoretheatre.com.au The Gaelic Hotel thegaelic.com

Coffs Harbour YHA 51 Collingwood St. 02 6652 6462, yha.com.au

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

ARMIDALE Armidale is a country town known mostly for its music and education. It is considered a cathedral city, with two 19th Century churches built boldly on the highest hills with the surrounding flora changing from green to gold to brown to yellow beautifully throughout the year. The University of New England attracts country kids from rural NSW and is considered to have the best campus life in the state. For this reason, the many pubs in the town are constantly full of fancy dressed students.

Seven hours north of Sydney and six hours from Brisbane.

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BRISBANE STAY

Bunk Backpackers Cnr Ann & Gipps Sts, Fortitude Valley. 1800 682 865, bunkbrisbane.com.au

XXXX Ale House Brewery tours. Cnr Black & Paten St, Milton. 07 3361 7597, xxxxalehouse.com.au

Banana Bender Backpackers 118 Petrie Terrace. 07 3367 1157, bananabenders.com

The Deck Budget Accommodation 117 Harcourt Street, New Farm. 04 3377 7061

The Hi-Fi thehifi.com.au

Base Brisbane Embassy 214 Elizabeth St. 07 3166 8000, stayatbase.com

Tinbilly Travellers Cnr George and Herschel Sts. 1800 446 646, tinbilly.com

Aussie Way Backpackers 34 Cricket St. 07 3369 0711, aussiewaybackpackers.com

Base Brisbane Central 308 Edward St. 07 3211 2433, stayatbase.com Brisbane Backpackers Resort 110 Vulture St, West End. 1800 626 452, brisbanebackpackers.com.au Brisbane City Apartments 1800 110 443, brisbanecityapartments.com Brisbane City Backpackers 380 Upper Roma St 1800 062 572, citybackpackers.com Brisbane City YHA 392 Upper Roma St 07 3236 1947, yha.com.au Chill Backpackers 328 Upper Roma St. 1800 851 875, chillbackpackers.com

BRISBANE DO

BRISBANE MUSIC The Tivoli thetivoli.net.au The Zoo thezoo.com.au X and Y Bar xandybar.com.au

GOLD COAST

Gold Coast International BP 28 Hamilton Ave, Surfers Paradise. 1800 816 300, goldcoastbackpackers.com.au

Seaworld seaworld.com.au

Islander Backpackers Resort 6 Beach Rd, Surfers Paradise. 1800 074 393, islander.com.au

Warener Bros Movie World movieworld.com.au

Wet ‘n’ Wild Water World wetnwild.myfun.com.au

Zorb Adrenalin rolling. 07 5547 6300

Sleeping Inn Surfers 26 Peninsular Dr, Surfers Paradise. 1800 817 832, sleepinginn.com.au Surfers Paradise Backpackers Resort 2837 Gold Coast Highway, Surfers. 1800 282 800, surfersparadisebackpackers.com.au

SUNSHINE CST Mooloolaba Backpackers 75-77 Brisbane Rd, Mooloolaba. 1800 020 120 mooloolababackpackers.com

Australia Zoo Glasshouse Mountains, Tourist Drive, Beerwah. 07 5436 2000, australiazoo.com.au

Aquarius Backpackers 44 Queen St, Surfers Paradise. 1800 22 99 55, aquariusbackpackers. com.au

Surf ‘n’ Sun Beachside Backpackers 3323 Surfers Paradise Blvd, Surfers Paradise. 1800 678 194, surfnsun-goldcoast.com

Lone Pine Koala Santuary 708 Jesmond Rd, Fig Tree Pocket. 07 3378 1366, koala.net

Backpackers in Paradise 40 Peninsula Drive, Surfers Paradise. 1800 268 621, backpackersinparadise.com.au

Surfers Paradise YHA Mariners Cove, 70 Seaworld Drive, Main Beach, Surfers Paradise. 07 5571 1776, yha.com.au

Nomads Noosa 44 Noosa Dr, Noosa Heads. 1800 666 237, nomadshostels.com

Cheers International Backpackers 8 Pine Av, Surfers Paradise. 1800 636 539, cheersbackpackers.com.au

Trekkers Backpackers 22 White St, Southport. 1800 100 004, trekkersbackpackers.com.au

Halse Lodge YHA 2 Halse Lane, Noosa. 1800 242 567, halselodge.com.au

Gallery of Modern Art Stanley Pl, South Bank. 07 3840 7303, qag.qld.gov.au Riverlife Adventure Centre Kayaking & rock climbing. Lower River Terrace, Kangaroo Point. 07 3891 5766, riverlife.com.au Story Bridge Adventure Climb 170 Main St, Kangaroo Point. 1300 254 627, storybridgeadventureclimb.com.au

Coolangatta Kirra Beach YHA Pl, 230 Coolangatta Rd, Bilinga. 07 5536 76442, yha.com.au Coolangatta Sands Hostel Cnr Griffiths & McLean Sts, Coolangatta. 07 5536 7472, coolangattasandshostel.com.au

GC DO Dreamworld Theme park. dreamworld.com.au Get Wet Surf School 07 5532 9907,

Dolphins Beach House 14-16 Duke Street, Noosa 1800 454 456, dolphinsbeachhouse.com

RAINBOW BEACH Dingos Backpacker Adventure Resort 20 Spectrum St. 1800 111 126 dingosresort.com

TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

QLDLISTINGS Pippies Beach House 22 Spectrum St. 1800 425 356, pippiesbeachhouse.com Skydive Rainbow Beach 0418 218 358, skydiverainbowbeach.com

FRASER ISLAND Eurong Beach Resort 07 4120 1600 eurong.com.au Palace Adventures 184 Torquay St, Hervey Bay, 1800 063 168 palaceadventures.com.au

HERVEY BAY Aussie Woolshed 181 Torquay Road. 07 4124 0677 woolshedbackpackers.com Colonial Village YHA 820 Boat Harbour Drive. 07 4125 1844, yha.com.au Fraser Roving 412 The Esplanade. 1800 989 811, fraserroving.com.au Halse Lodge YHA 408 The Esplanade. 1800 242 567, halselodge.com.au Next at Hervey Bay 10 Bideford St. 1800 102 989, nextbackpackers.com.au

BUNDABERG Federal Backpackers 221 Bourbong St. 07 4153 3711 federalbackpackers.com.au Northside Backpackers 12 Queen St. 07 4154 1166 Bundaberg Bondstore Distillery tours. 07 4131 2999 bundabergrum.com.au

TOWN OF 1770

TOWNSVILLE

Myella Farmstay Baralaba. 07 4998 1290, myella.com

AIRLIE BEACH Airlie Beach YHA 394 Shute Harbour Rd. 1800 247 251, yha.com.au

Walkabout Motel & Backpackers 07 4061 2311

MAGNETIC ISL

Base Airlie Beach Resort 336 Shute Harbour Rd. 1800 242 273, stayatbase.com

Magnums 7 Marine Pde, Arcadia Bay. 1800 663 666, magnetic-island.com/arc-rsrt.htm

Magnums Whitsunday Village Resort 366 Shute Harbour Rd. 1800 624 634 magnums.com.au

1770 Undersea Adventures 1300 553 889, 1770underseaadventures.com

Nomads Airlie Beach 354 Shute Harbour Rd. 1800 666 237 nomadshostels.com

Pleasure Divers 07 4778 5788

ROCKHAMPTON

BOWEN Bowen Backpackers Beach end of Herbert St. 07 4786 3433 bowenbackpackers.net

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Adrenalin Dive Yongala diving. 07 4724 0600, adrenalindive.com.au

Bungalow Bay Backpackers Horseshoe Bay. 1800 285 577, bungalowbay.com.au

Emus Beach Resort 88 of Patterson St, Emu Park. 07 4939 6111, emusbeachresort.com

INNISFAIL Innisfail Budget Backpackers Workerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hostel 125 Edith St. 07 4061 7833

Base Magnetic Island 1 Nelly Bay Rd. 1800 24 22 73, stayatbase.com

Backpackers by the Bay 12 Hermitage Dr. 1800 646 994, backpackersbythebay.com

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Adventurers Resort 79 Palmer St. 1800 211 522, adventurersresort.com

Yongala Dive Yongala diving. 07 4783 1519, yongaladive.com.au

Airlie Waterfront Backpackers 6 The Esplanade. 1800 089 000, airliewaterfront.com

1770 Backpackers 6 Captain Cook Dr. 1800 121 770, the1770backpackers.com

Nomads Hervey Bay 408 The Esplanade. 1800 666 237, nomadshostels.com Palace Backpackers 184 Torquay, 1800 063 168, palaceadventures.com.au

MISSION BEACH

CAIRNS STAY Bohemia Central Cairns 100 Sheridan St. 1800 558 589, bohemiacentral.com.au Bohemia Resort Cairns 231 McLeod St. 1800 155 353, bohemiaresort.com.au Calypso Backpackers 5 Digger St. 1800 815 628, calypsobackpackers.com.au Dreamtime Travellers Rest 189 Bunda St. 1800 058 440, dreamtimehostel.com Gilligans Backpackers and Hotel Resort 57-89 Grafton St. 1800 556 995, gilligans.com.au

Absolute Backpackers 28 Wongaling Beach Road. 07 4068 8317, absolutebackpackers.com.au

JJâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Backpackers Hostel 11 Charles St. 07 4051 7642, jjsbackpackers.com

Scottyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Beach House 167 Reid Rd. 07 4068 8676, scottysbeachhouse.com.au

NJOY Travellers Resort Harbour 141 Sheridan St. 1800 807 055, njoy.net.au

7/2+%23 7!.4%$ &RUIT AND 6EGETABLE PICKING JOBS AVAILABLE

GULF OF SAVANNAH Known as the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Tropical Outbackâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, the Gulf of Savannah stretches from the Great Dividing Range of the east to the NT border in the west. As well as the super dry Burketown Salt Plains, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also a good area for keen anglers, thanks to its many rivers, wetlands and gorges.

s 4RANSPORT TO FROM WORK s &2%% COURTESY BUS PICK UP s ,AUNDRY FACILITIES s )NTERNET FACILITIES s 0LEASANT AND FRIENDLY STAFF s "ISTRO AVAILABLE AT "ANJO S TAVERN NEXT DOOR

6!2)%49 /& 7/2+ !6!),!",% 9%!2 2/5.$

WORKERS WANTED FOR FARM IN INNISFAIL. Free accommodation and food provided. Offers very good working and living conditions.

PHONE 0437 692 002

"REEZY 4ROPICAL VERANDAHS CLEAN FRIENDLY #LOSE TO SHOPS BANKS OLYMPIC POOL

&EDERAL "ACKPACKERS "OURBONG 3T "UNDABERG 1LD

0HONE WWW FEDERALBACKPACKERS COM AU FEDERALBACKPACKERS HOTMAIL COM #OMPLIES WITH ALL SAFETY REQUIREMENTS QUANTITY DEPENDS ON SEASON

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ATHERTON

Nomads Beach House 239 Sheridan St. 1800 229 228, nomadshostels.com

Kuranda Rainforest Park 88 Kuranda Heaights Rd, Kuranda. 07 4093 7316, kurandarainforestpark.com.au

Nomads Cairns 341 Lake St. 1800 737 736, nomadshostels.com

WORD FROM THE STREET

PORT DOUGLAS

Nomads Esplanade 93 The Esplanade. 1800 175 716, nomadshostels.com

Parrotfish Backpackers Resort 37 Warner St, Kuranda. 07 4099 5011, parrotfishlodge.com

Northern Greenhouse 117 Grafton St. 1800 000 541, northerngreenhouse.com.au

GULF SAVANNAH

CAIRNS DO

Emu Creek Cattle Station 07 4094 8313

AJ Hackett Bungy jumping canyon swinging. 1800 622 888 cairns.ajhackett.com

DAINTREE

Cairns Dive Centre 1800 642 591, cairnsdive.com.au

Koala Beach Resort Cape Kimberly Rd. 1800 466 444

Pro Dive 07 4031 5255, prodivecairns.com Raging Thunder Adventures Whitewater rafting. 07 4030 7990, ragingthunder.com.au Skydive Cairns 07 4052 1822, skydivecairns.com.au Skydive Cairns 07 4030 7990, ragingthunder.com.au

CAPE TRIB Crocodylus Village Lot 5, Buchanan Creek Rd, Cow Bay. 07 4098 9166, crocodyluscapetrib.com PKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jungle Village Cnr Avalon & Cape Trib Rd. 1800 232 333, pksjunglevillage.com.au

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway 07 4038 1555, skyrail.com.au

/U T

NSWLISTINGS QLDLISTINGS

OF ! YR n ' IA R E A T " A R R I E R 2 E E F n ! U ST R A L

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VICLISTINGS MELBOURNE STAY

MELBOURNE DO

All Nations Backpackers Hotel & Bar 2 Spencer St. 1800 222 238, allnations.com.au

@tnt_downunder

Australian Centre for the Moving Image Federation Square. 03 8663 2200, acmi.net.au

BOOK NOW!

Esplanade Hotel espy.com.au Northcote Social Club northcotesocialclub.com

Base Melbourne 17 Carlisle St, St. Kilda. 1800 242 273, stayatbase.com

Melbourne Aquarium Cnr of Flinders St & King St. 03 9923 5999, melbourneaquarium.com.au

Palace Theatre palace.com.au

Central Melbourne Accommodation 21 Bromham Place, Richmond. 03 9427 9826, centralaccommodation.net

Melbourne Cricket Ground Brunton Av. 03 9657 8888 mcg.org.au

The Tote thetotehotel.com

Melbourne Museum 11 Nicholson St, Carlton. 13 11 02 melbourne.museum.vic.gov.au

Exford Hotel 199 Russell St. 03 9663 2697, exfordhotel.com.au Flinders Station Hotel 35 Elizabeth St. 03 9620 5100, flindersbackpackers.com.au

National Gallery of Victoria Federation Square. ngv.vic.gov.au

GUTTERMOUTH Westernport Hotel. Thurs, Jan 19. $35.80. The US punk rock legends are back in Oz bringing their foul-mouthed tunes that you either love or hate. Love em? Book now.

The Greenhouse Backpacker Level 6, 228 Flinders Lane. 1800 249 207, greenhousebackpacker.com.au

Marine Pde, San Remo

moshtix.com.au

Habitat HQ 333 St Kilda Road, St Kilda. 1800 202 500, habitathq.com.au

Hotel Bakpak Melbourne 167 Franklin St. 1800 645 200, hotelbakpak.com

Space Hotel 380 Russell St. 1800 670 611, spacehotel.com.au

Home at the Mansion 66 Victoria Parade. 03 9663 4212, homemansion.com.au

Melbourne Central YHA 562 Flinders St. 03 9621 2523, yha.com.au

The Spencer 475 Spencer St. 1800 638 108, hotelspencer.com

Home Travellers Motel 32 Carlisle St, St Kilda. 1800 008 718, hometravellersmotel.com.au

Nomads Melbourne 198 Aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;beckett St. 1800 447 762, nomadshostels.com

Urban Central 334 City Rd, Southbank. 1800 631 288, urbancentral.com.au

Old Melbourne Gaol 377 Russell St. 03 8663 7228, oldmelbournegaol.com.au Official Neighbours Tours 570 Flinders St. 03 9629 5866, neighbourstour.com.au

MELB MUSIC

The Hi-Fi thehifi.com.au

GREAT OCEAN RD Anglesea Backpackers 40 Noble St, Anglesea. 03 5263 2664, angleseabackpackers.com.au Eco Beach YHA 5 Pascoe St. 03 5237 7899, yha.com.au Great Ocean Road Backpackers YHA 10 Erskine Av, Lorne. 03 5289 2508, yha.com.au Port Campbell Hostel 18 Tregea St, Port Campbell. 03 5598 6305, portcampbellhostel.com.au

Corner Hotel cornerhotel.com

Surfside Backpackers Cnr Great Ocean Rd & Gambier St, Apollo Bay. 1800 357 263, surfsidebackpacker.com

East Brunswick Club eastbrunswickclub.com

Torquay Foreshore Caravan Park 35 Bell St, Torquay.

Cherry Bar myspace.com/cherrybarmelbourne

Homely, Friendly, Clean & Comfortable 53 Jackson Street, St Kilda VIC 3182 Australia Tel: (03) 9534 1877 jacksonsmanor@optusnet.com.au www.jacksonsmanor.com.au

FREE SECURE OFF-STREET CAR PARKING s $OUBLES TWINS DORMS s &ULLY EQUIPPED KITCHEN s !LL ROOMS CENTRALLY HEATED s #ABLE 46 $6$ 6IDEO s &REE FRESH LINEN s ,AUNDRY

s HOUR STAFF SECURITY s %MPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE s ""1 AND SUNNY COURTYARD s !IRCONDITIONED LOUNGE AND DINING ROOMS

GREAT ATMOSPHERE, GREAT RATES BEST RATES IN MELBOURNE IN A VERY CLEAN HOSTEL 50

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GIPPSLAND

1300 736 533, torquaycaravanpark.com.au

MORNINGTON Bayplay Lodge 46 Canterbury Jetty Rd, Blairgowrie. 03 5988 0188, bayplay.com.au Sorrento Foreshore Reserve Nepean Hwy, Sorrento. 1800 850 600, mornpen.vic.gov.au Sorrento YHA 3 Miranda St, Sorrento. 03 5984 4323, yha.com.au Tortoise Head Lodge French Island. 03 5980 1234, tortoisehead.net

DANDENONG Emerald Backpackers 03 5968 4086

MURRAY RIVER Echuca Gardens YHA 103 Av, Mitchell St, Echuca. 03 5480 6522, yha.com.au Mildura City Backpackers 50 Lemon Ave, Mildura. 03 5022 7922, milduracitybackpackers.com.au Oasis Backpackers 230 Deakin Av, Mildura. 04 0734 4251, milduraoasisbackpackers.com.au

Prom Country Backpackers 03 5682 2614 Rawsom Caravan Park Depot Rd, Rawson. 03 5165 3439, rawsoncaravanpark.com.au

PHILLIP ISLAND Amaroo Park YHA 97 Church St, Cowes. 03 5952 3620, yha.com.au The Island Accommodation 10-12 Phillip Island Tourist Road. 03 5956 6123 theislandaccommodation.com.au

GRAMPIANS Brambuck Backpackers St, Echuca. 330 Grampians Road, Halls Gap. 03 5356 4250, brambuck.com.au Fleece Inn YHA 139 Charleston Rd, Bendigo. 03 5443 3086, yha.com.au Grampians YHA Eco Hostel Cnr Grampians & Buckler Rds, Halls Gap. 03 5356 4543, yha.com.au Old Crown Hotel 238 Hargreaves St, Bendigo. 03 5441 6888 Timâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Place 44 Grampians Road, Halls Gap. 03 5356 4288, timsplace.com.au

â&#x20AC;˘ Famous Phillip Island Penguin parade, $90, includes entry fees and dinner. Tour runs daily. â&#x20AC;˘ 1 day Great Ocean Road $85 includes lunch, drink. tour runs daily. â&#x20AC;˘ 2 day Great Ocean Road $175 includes accommodation, dinner, breakfast and much more. Tour runs every Monday, Thursday and Saturday â&#x20AC;˘ Grampians $90 including morning tea and great day out. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Melbourne Australia Tours has many more 1, 2 and 3 day specials. Check our contact details to get the latest information. Colin May. Managing Director & Founder. Melbourne Australia Tours & Australia scenic Day Tours. Family owned and operated. Expanding Australia Wide.

Business +61 3 90169347 mobile +61 403257950 Email:info@melbourneaustraliatours.com.au Skype: melbourneaustraliatours

www.melbourneaustraliatours.com.au

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HOBART STAY Central City Backpackers 138 Collins St. 1800 811 507, centralbackpackers.com.au

Centre for Beer Lovers Boag’s Brewery, 39 William St. 03 6332 6300, boags.com.au

BOOK NOW!

Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery 2 Invermay Rd & 2 Wellington St. 03 6323 3777, qvmag.tas.gov.au

Hobart Hostel 41 Barrack St. 1300 252 192, hobarthostel.com.au Montgomery’s YHA 9 Argyle St. 03 6231 2660, yha.com.au

Tasmania Zoo 1166 Ecclestone Rd. 03 6396 6100, tasmaniazoo.com.au

Narrara Backpackers 88 Goulburn St. 03 6234 8801, narrarabackpackers.com

DEVONPORT Tasman Backpackers 114 Tasman St. 03 6423 2335, tasmanbackpackers.com.au

Pickled Frog 281 Liverpool St. 03 6234 7977, thepickledfrog.com Transit Backpackers 251 Liverpool St. 03 6231 2400, transitbackpackers.com

JOSH PYKE Waratah Hotel. Fri, Feb 10. $34.70 After selling out shows last year, the Aussie singer-songwriter is back in Tassie performing tracks from his third album.

HOBART DO Cascade Brewery 140 Cascade Rd. 03 6224 1117 cascadebreweryco.com.au Mt Wellington Descent Bike tours. 03 6274 1880 mtwellingtondescent.com.au Salamanca Markets Every Saturday, Salamanca Place. salamanca.com.au Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery 5 Argyle St. tmag.com.au

Murray St, Hobart

thewaratahhotel.com.au

PORT ARTHUR Port Arthur Historic Ghost Tours 1800 659 101, portarthur.org.au

LAUNCESTON Arthouse Backpacker Hostel 20 Lindsay St. 1800 041 135, arthousehostel.com.au

Launceston Backpackers 103 Canning St. 03 6334 2327, launcestonbackpackers.com.au Lloyds Hotel 23 George St. 03 6331 9906, backpackersaccommodation.com.au

LAUNCESTON DO Cataract Gorge

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

FLINDERS ISLAND The island has been described as ‘mountains in the sea’ and it’s not hard to see why. Scattered in the Bass Strait off Tassie’s eastern tip, Flinders is as remarkable up close as it is from afar. It’s great for fishing, diving and exploring the rocky headlands or beaches.

BICHENO Bicheno Backpackers 11 Morrison St. 03 6375 1651, bichenobackpackers.com Bicheno Penguin Tours 03 6375 1333, bichenopenguintours.com.au

CRADLE MTN Discovery Holiday Parks Cradle Mountain Rd. 1800 068 574, discoveryholidayparks.com.au Mt Roland Budget Backpacker Rooms 1447 Claude Rd, Gowrie Park.

03 6491 1385.

CRADLE DO Devils at Cradle Tassie devil sanctuary. 3950 Cradle Mountain Rd. 03 6492 1491. devilsatcradle.com Overland Track Six-day walk parks.tas.gov.au

FREYCINET Iluka Backpackers YHA Reserve Rd. 03 6257 0115, yha.com.au Freycinet National Park Brewery, Wineglass Bay camping. 03 6256 7000, wineglassbay.com

STRAHAN, Strahan YHA 43 Harvey St. 03 6471 7255, yha.com

STRAHAN DO Four Wheelers Henty Sand Dunes quadbike tours. 04 1950 8175, 4wheelers.com.au Water by Nature Extreme multiday whitewater rafting. 1800 111 142, franklinrivertasmania.com Wild Rivers Jet Jet boating. 03 6471 7396, wildriversjet.com.au

indulge your senses Under Down Under is one of Tasmania’s pioneers of affordable adventure travel in Tasmania. Established in 1996, just like a good wine, we get better every year. Plus, we’re consistently the intrepid travellers’ first choice when it comes to local knowledge, great guides and taking our guests to the most memorable places.

1800 064 726

www.underdownunder.com.au TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

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Perth City YHA 300 Wellington St. 08 9287 3333, yha.com.au The Old Swan Barracks 6 Francis St. 08 9428 0000, theoldswanbarracks.com Underground Backpackers 268 Newcastle St, Northbridge. 08 9228 3755, undergroundbackpackers.com.au The Witch’s Hat 148 Palmerston St. 08 9228 4228, witchshat.com

PERTH DO AUSTRALIA VS INDIA The WACA. 13-17 Jan. From $35. India’s tour of Australia for the Test Series hits Perth. Catch one, or all five days, of cricket madness at this event.

Nelson Cres, East Perth

PERTH STAY Billabong Backpackers Resort 381 Beaufort St. 08 9328 7720, billabongresort.com.au Britannia on William 253 William St, Northbridge. 08 9227 6000, perthbrittania.com Emperor’s Crown 85 Stirling St, Northbridge. 1800 991 553,

ticketmaster.com.au

Aquarium of Western Australia 91 Southside Drive, Hillarys. 08 9447 7500, aqwa.com.au Kings Park & Botanic Garden bgpa.wa.gov.au

emperorscrown.com.au

Perth Mint 310 Hay St. 08 9421 7223, perthmint.com.au

Globe Backpackers & City Oasis Resort 561 Wellington St. 08 9321 4080, globebackpackers.com.au

Perth Zoo 20 Labouchere Road, South Perth. 08 9474 3551, perthzoo.wa.gov.au

Ocean Beach Backpackers 1 Eric St, Cottlesloe. 08 9384 5111, oceanbeachbackpackers.com.au One World Backpackers 162

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PERTH MUSIC Amplifier amplifiercapitol.com.au

JESSIE J Challenge Stadium. Mon, 5 Mar. From $79.90. Missed out on Future Music tickets? Don’t despair, Jessie put her money where her mouth is and announced a stadium tour of Oz.

Mt Claremount Astor Theatre liveattheastor.com.au Mojo’s Bar mojosbar.com.au The Bakery nowbaking.com.au The Rosemount Hotel rosemounthotel.com.au

ticketmaster.com.au

FREO STAY Backpackers Inn Freo 11 Pakenham St. 08 9431 7065, backpackersinnfreo.com.au Old Firestation Backpackers 18 Phillimore St. 08 9430 5454, fremantleprison.com.au Sundancer Backpackers Resort

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80 High St. 08 9336 6080, sundancerbackpackers.com.au

FREO DO Fremantle Markets 08 9335 2515, fremantlemarkets.com.au Fremantle Prison 1 The Terrace. 08 9336 9200, backpackersinnfreo.com.au

ROTTNEST ISL Rottnest Island YHA Kingstown Barracks. 08 9372 9780, yha.com.au

MARGARET RIV Margaret River Lodge YHA 220 Railway Tce. 08 9757 9532, yha.com.au

ALBANY Albany Bayview Backpackers YHA 49 Duke St. 08 9842 3388, yha.com.au Cruize-Inn 122 Middleton Rd. 08 9842 9599, cruizeinn.com Metro Inn Albany 270 Albany Hwy. 1800 004 321, metrohotels.com.au

MONKEY MIA Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort 1800 653 611, monkeymia.com.au

NINGALOO REEF Blue Reef Backpackers 3 Truscott Crescent, Exmouth 1800 621 101, aspenparks.com.au Ningaloo Club Coral Bay 08 9948 5100, ningalooclub.com Excape Backpackers YHA Murat Rd, Exmouth. 08 9949 1200, yha.com.au

BROOME STAY Cable Beach Backpackers 12 Sanctuary Road. 1800 655 011, cablebeachbackpackers.com Kimberley Club 62 Fredrick St 08 9192 3233, kimberleyklub.com

BROOME DO Sun Pictures Carnarvon St. 08 9192 1077, broomemovies.com.au

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

THE PILBARA

7 ,Ê -/Ê "-/ Ê Ê7 ÊÓääÇ -/ÊÓäänÊEÊÓää

Whether you scramble around the rocks of Karatha looking for ancient Aboriginal art, gawp in awe at the massive machinery on display in mining towns like Tom Price, explore the gorges of Karijini National Park (pictured), home to some of the most secluded swimming spots, there’s no shortage of stuff to see in this remote and dusty region.

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SALISTINGS

ADELAIDE STAY

COOBER PEDY

Adelaide Oval Home to the Adelaide Backpackers Inn 112 Carrington St. 1800 24 77 25, adpi.com.au

Opal Cave Coober Pedy Hutchinson St. 08 8672 5028, opalcavecooberpedy.com.au

Adelaide Travellers Inn 220 Hutt St. 08 8224 0753, adelaidebackpackers.com.au

Backpack Oz 144 Wakefield St. 1800 633 307, backpackoz.com.au

BOOK NOW!

Blue Galah Backpackers Lvl 1, 52-62, King William St. 08) 8231 9295, bluegalah.com.au

HEATWAVE FESTIVAL Middleton, South Australia. Jan 12-15. From $59. Kid Cudi headlines this three-day festival which kicks off in Middleton, the self-proclaimed “middle of nowhere” town. Party on.

Glenelg Beach Hostel 5-7 Moseley St. Glenelg. 1800 359 181, glenelgbeachhostel.com.au

Middleton

Hostel 109 109 Carrington St. 1800 099 318, hostel109.com

moshtix.com.au

My Place 257 Waymouth St. 1800 221 529, adelaidehostel.com.au

Donald Bradman collection. War Memorial Drive. 08 8300 3800, cricketsa.com.au

Shakespeare Hostel 123 Waymouth St. 1800 556 889, shakeys.com.au

Adelaide Zoo Frome Rd. 08 8267 3255, zoossa.com.au

BAROSSA VAL

Haigh’s Chocolates Factory tours. 153 Greenhill Rd, Parkside. 1800 819 757, haighschocolates.com.au

Barossa Backpackers 9 Basedow Road Tanunda. 08 8563 0198, barossabackpackers.com.au

ADELAIDE DO Adelaide Oval Home to the

EYRE PENINSULA Coodlie Park Farmstay Flinders Highway, Port Kenny. 08 8687 0411, coodliepark.com

Riba’s Underground 1811 William Creek Rd. 08 8672 5614, camp-underground.com.au

Annie’s Place 239 Franklin St. 1800 818 011, anniesplace.com.au

Temptation Sailing Dolphin swimming, Glenelg. 04 1281 1838, dolphinboat.com.au

HOTTEST

ADELAIDE’S ODATION BUDGET ACCOMM

FLEURIEU PENIN Port Elliot Beach House YHA 13 The Strand, Port Elliot. 08 8554 2785, yha.com.au

Radeka Down Under 1 Oliver St. 1800 633 891, radekadownunder.com.au

Adelaide Central YHA 135 Waymouth St. 08 8414 3010, yha.com.au

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Baird Bay Ocean Eco Experience Sea lion and dolphin swims. 08 8626 5017, bairdbay.com

KANGAROO IS Kangaroo Island YHA 33 Middle Terrace, Penneshaw. 08 8553 1344, yha.com.au

RIVERLAND

Calypso Star Charters Great white shark cage diving. 08 8682 3939, sharkcagediving.com.au Nullarbor Traveller Tours across to Perth. 1800 816 858, the-traveller.com.au Port Lincoln Tourist Park 11 Hindmarsh St. 08 8621 4444, portlincolntouristpark.com.au

Berri Backpackers Sturt Highway, Berri. 08 8582 3144, berribackpackers.com.au

Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions Great white shark cage diving. 08 8363 1788, rodneyfox.com.au

Harvest Trail Lodge Loxton.08 8584 5646, harvesttrail.com.au

FLINDERS RANGES

Nomads on Murray Sturt Highway, Kingston on Murray. 1800 665 166, nomadsworld.com

Angorichina Tourist Village 08 8648 4842, angorichinavillage.com.au

Riverland Backpackers Labour Hire Services 08 8583 0211

Wilpena Pound Resort Wilpena Rd. 08 8648 0004, wilpenapound.com.au

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

MINI ROOM MINI PRICE

KAYAK THE MURRAY RIVER By kayaking the spectacular Murray River you get to discover the beautiful lagoons and narrow channels and take in the small details. See the birds, wildlife and the colours that reflect the changes of season and river conditions.

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DARWIN STAY Banyan View Lodge Darwin 119 Mitchell St. 08 8981 8644, banyanviewlodge.com.au

BOOK NOW!

Airborne Solutions Scenic helicopter flights. 08 8972 2345 airbornesolutions.com.au

Frogshollow Backpackers 27 Lindsay St. 1800 068 686, frogs-hollow.com.au

Crocosaurus Cove Crocodile park and cage of death. 58 Mitchell St. 08 8981 7522, crocosauruscove.com Deckchair Cinema Jervois Rd, Darwin Waterfront. 08 8981 0700, deckchaircinema.com.au

Alice Springs Reptile Centre Meet and hold lizards. 9 Stuart Terrace. 08 8952 8900, reptilecentre.com.au

Nitmiluk Tours Gorge cruises and kayak hire. 1300 146 743 nitmiluktours.com.au

Gecko Lodge 146 Mitchell St. 1800 811 250, geckolodge.com.au

DARWIN DO

ALICE DO Alice Springs Desert Park Larapinta Drive. 08 8951 8788, alicespringsdesertpark.com.au

KATHERINE DO

Elkes Backpackers 112 Mitchell St. 1800 808 365, elkesbackpackers.com.au

Youth Shack 69 Mitchell St. 1300 793 302, youthshack.com.au

Toddy’s Resort 41 Gap Rd. 1800 027 027, toddys.com.au

Palm Court Kookaburra Backpackers Giles St. 1800 626 722

Darwin YHA 97 Mitchell St. 08 8981 5385, yha.com.au

Melaleuca on Mitchell 52 Mitchell St. 1300 723 437, momdarwin.com

BIG4 Katherine Holiday Park 20 Shadforth Road. 1800 501 984, big4.com.au

Outback Ballooning Hot air balloon rides. 1800 809 790, outbackballooning.com.au

TENNANT CREEK BRUMBIES VS WESTERN FORCE Rugby Park, Marrara, Sat, 4 Feb. From $20. Watch the Canberra Brumbies take on Perth’s Western Force in this Super Rugby match held in Darwin.

Abala Rd

darwinentertainment.com.au

Fannie Bay Gaol Heritage prison. East Point Road, Fannie Bay. 08 8941 2260, nt.gov.au Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory 19 Conacher St, Bullocky Point. 08 8999 8264, magnt.nt.gov.au Oz Jet Boating Stokes Hill Wharf. 1300 135 595, ozjetboating.com.au

Spectacular Jumping Crocodile Cruise Adelaide River. 08 8978 9077, jumpingcrocodile.com.au Wave Lagoon Waterfront Precinct. waterfront.nt.gov.au

KATHERINE STAY

Tourist Rest Leichardt St. 08 8962 2719, touristrest.com.au

Royal Flying Doctor Service Base Museum and operations room. Stuart Terrace. 08 8952 1129, flyingdoctor.net

ALICE SPRINGS Alice Lodge 4 Mueller St. 08 8953 1975, alicelodge.com.au Alice Springs YHA Cnr Parsons St & Leichhardt Tce. 08 8952 8855, yha.com.au Annie’s Place 4 Traeger Ave. 1800 359 089, anniesplace.com.au Haven Resort 3 Larapinta Drive. 1800 794 663, alicehaven.com.au

School of the Air Long-distance schooling museum. 80 Head St. 08 8951 6834, assoa.nt.edu.au The Rock Tour Uluru tours. 78 Todd St. 1800 246 345, therocktour.com.au

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

MACDONNELL RANGES Accessible from Alice Springs (west of the Springs at Simpsons Gap), you mustn’t miss the Ellery Creek Big Hole where you can swim in a stunning waterhole flanked by high red cliffs. If you really like it, you can even camp there for a small fee.

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NZLISTINGS

BUS TOURS

wickedcampers.com

Flexi-Pass Combines InterCity and Newmans. 0800 222 146, flexipass.co.nz

BOOK NOW!

AUCKLAND Airport Skyway Lodge Backpackers (BBH) 30 Kirkbride Road, Mangere. +64 9275 4443, skywaylodge.co.nz

Flying Kiwi Wilderness Expeditions 1800 143 515, flyingkiwi.com

Albert Park Backpackers (VIP) 27-31 Victoria St East. +64 9309 0336, bakpak@albertpark.co.nz

Kiwi Experience +64 9366 9830 kiwiexperience.com Magic Travellers Network +64 9358 5600, magicbus.co.nz

Auckland International Backpackers (BBH) 2 Churton St, Parnell. +64358 4584,

NZ Travelpass 0800 339 966, travelpass.co.nz

ARIEL PINK’S HAUNTED GRAFFITI

Stray +64 9309 8772, straytravel.com

Kings Arms Tavern, Auckland. Tue, Mar 13. NZ$40. A crowd favourite at Laneway 2011, Ariel Pink and his Haunted Graffiti are set to return to New Zealand for their first ever club shows.

RENTAL FIRMS Ace Rental Cars 1800 140 026, acerentalcars.com.nz

France St, Newton

undertherader.co.nz

Backpacker Campervan & Car Rentals +800 200 80 801, backpackercampervans.com

Escape Rentals 1800 456 272, escaperentals.co.nz

Rental Car Village +64 9376 9935, hire-vehicles.co.nz

Bargain Rental Cars 0800 001 122, bargainrentals.com.nz

Explore More 1800 800 327, dcrentals.com.nz

Spaceships 1300 139 091, spaceships.tv

Darn Cheap Rentals 0800 447 363, exploremore.co.nz

Jucy Rentals 0800 399 736, jucy.com.nz

Standby Cars 1300 789 059, standbycars.com.au

Econo Campers +64 9275 9919, econocampers.co.nz

Rent-A-Dent 0800 736 823, rentadent.co.nz

Wicked Campers 1800 246 869,

@tnt_downunder

38 Fort St. +64 9307 0181, nomadshostels.com Nomads Auckland 16-20 Fort St. +64 9300 9999, nomadshostels.com Oaklands Lodge (BBH) St. +64 5A Oaklands Rd, Mt Eden. +64 9638 6545, oaklands.co.nz Pentlands (BBH) 22 Pentland Ave, Mt Eden. +64 9638 7031 Queen Street Backpackers (VIP) 4 Fort St. +64 9373 3471, enquiries@qsb.co.nz

Base Auckland 229 Queen St. 0800 227 369, stayatbase.com

Surf ‘n’ Snow Backpackers 102 Albert St. +64 9363 8889, surfandsnow.co.nz

Bamber House (BBH) 2 2 View Rd, Mt Eden. +64 9623 4267, hostelbackpacker.com

The Brown Kiwi (BBH) 7 Prosford St, Ponsonby. +64 9378 0191, brownkiwi.co.nz

Central City Backpackers 26 Lorne St. +64 9358 5685, backpacker.net.nz

YHA Auckland City Cnr City Rd & Liverpool St. +64 9309 2802, yha.co.nz

City Garden Lodge 25 St Georges Bay Rd, Parnell. +64 9302 0880

YHA Auckland International 5 Turner St. +64 9302 8200, yha.co.nz

Kiwi International Queen St Hotel and Hostel 411 Queen St. 0800 100 411, kiwihotel.co.nz The Fat Camel (Nomads)

WELLINGTON Base Wellington 21-23 Cambridge Tce. +64 4801 5666 stayatbase.com

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

ZORBING Trust the wacky adrenalin junky New Zealanders to come up with this craze. The concept is quite simple: you climb into an inflated plastic sphere, strap yourself in and then roll head-overheels downhill, rotating within the sphere at speeds of up to 30km per hour. You can do it dry or you can take a wash cycle where you’ll get soaked. You’ll find in by Rotorua in the Agrodome. If you can’t wait to cross the Tasman, you can also give it a go on the Gold Coast. Get rolling. agrodome.co.nz

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Cambridge Hotel (BBH) 28 Cambridge Tce. +64 4385 8829 cambridgehotel.co.nz Downtown Wellington Backpackers (BBH) 1 Bunny St. +64 4473 8482 db@downtownbackpackers.co.nz

Rucksacker Backpacker Hostel (BBH) 70 Bealey Ave. +64 3377 7931, rucksacker.com

BOOK NOW!

QUEENSTOWN

Rosemere Backpackers (BBH) 6 McDonald Cres. +64 4384 3041, backpackerswellington.co.nz

URGE OVERKILL

Rowenaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Backpackers (VIP) 115 Brougham St. 0800 80 1414

The Powerstation, Auckland. Tue, March 6. NZ$65. The revered Chicago rockers return to New Zealand in all their crushed velvet glory for a one-off show at the Powerstation in Auckland.

Worldwide Backpackers (BBH) 291 The Terrace. +64 4802 5590, worldwidenz.co.nz YHA Wellington City 292 Wakefield St. +64 4801 7280

CHRISTCHURCH Around the World Backpackers 314 Barbadoes Street. +64 3365 4363, aroundtheworld.co.nz

Cardrona Alpine Resort Between Queenstown and Wanaka. +64 3443 7341, cardrona.com

Tranquil Lodge (BBH) 440 Manchester St. +64 3366 6500, tranquil-lodge.co.nz

Maple Lodge (BBH) 52 Ellice St. +64 4385 3771

Wellywood Backpackers 58 Tory St. 0508 00 58 58

butterfli.co.nz

Point Break Backpackers (BBH) 99 Seaview Road. +64 3388 2050, pointbreakbackpackers.co.nz The Old Countryhouse (BBH) 437 Gloucester St. +64 3381 5504, oldcountryhousenz.com

Lodge in the City (VIP) 152 Taranaki St. +64 4385 8560 lodgeinthecity.co.nz

Nomads Capital 118 Wakefield St. 0508 666 237, nomadscapital.com

themarine.co.nz

Mt Eden Rd

ticketmaster.co.nz

Alpine Lodge (BBH) 13 Gorge Rd. +64 3442 7220, alpinelodge@xtra.co.nz Aspen Lodge (BBH) 11 Gorge 11 Gorge Rd. +64 3442 9671, aspenlodge.co.nz Base Discovery Lodge St. +64 Queenstown 49 Shotover St. +64 3441 1185, stayatbase.com

At The Right Place 85 Bealey St. +64 3366 1633, atrp.co.nz

208 Kilmore St. +64 3366 9720, backpack.co.nz/foley

Avon City Backpackers Worcester Street. +64 3389 6876, avoncitybackpackers.com

Jailhouse Accommodation (BBH) 338 Lincoln Rd. 0800 524 546, stay@kiwibasecamp.com

Chester Street Backpackers (BBH) 148 Chester St East. +64 3377 1897, chesterst.co.nz

Kiwi House 373 Gloucester St. +64 3381 6645, kiwihouse.co.nz

Bungi Backpackers (VIP, BBH) 15 Sydney St. 0800 728 286, bungibackpackers.co.nz

Marine Backpackers 26 Nayland St. +64 3326 6609,

Butterfli Lodge (BBH) 62 Thompson St. +64 3442 6367,

Foley Towers (BBH)

Black Sheep Lodge (BBH/VIP) 13 Frankton Rd. +64 3442 7289, blacksheepbackpackers.co.nz

Deco Backpackers (VIP, BBH) 52 Man St. +64 3442 7384, decobackpackers.co.nz Flaming Kiwi Backpackers (BBH) 39 Robins Rd. +64 3442 5494, flamingkiwi@xtra.co.nz Hippo Lodge (BBH) 4 Anderson Hts. +64 3442 5785, hippolodge.co.nz Nomads Queenstown 5-11 Church St. +64 3441 3922, nomadshostels.com Pinewood Lodge (VIP) 48 Hamilton Rd. 0800 7463 9663, rgrieg@xtra.co.nz Queenstown Lodge Sainsbury Rd, Fernhill. 0800 756 343, queenstownlodge.co.nz Southern Laughter (BBH, VIP) 4 Isle St. 0800 728 448, southernlaughter.co.nz YHA Queenstown Central 48A Shotover Street. +64 3442 7400, yha.co.nz YHA Queenstown Lakefront 8890 Lake Esplanade. +64 3442 8413, yha.co.nz

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TRAVELLING ON TO FIJI?

FIJILISTINGS NZLISTINGS NADI & WEST Aquarius Pacific Hotel +679 672 6000 Beach Escape Villas +679 672 4442, beachscape@connect.com.fj Cathay Hotel +679 666 0566, fiji4less.com Horizon Beach Resort +679 672 2832, horizonbeachfiji.com

mote ere. Visit the re ds Fiji. - it s all th n la Is a w k , explore a Yasa ay k , e iv el d Chill, snork

Nadi Bay Resort Hotel +679 672 3599, fijinadibayhotel.com

dventur A e m o s e w A

rs for backpacke avellers

Nadi Down Town Backpackers Inn +679 670 0600, pacvalley@connect.com.fj

tr e v i t a n r e t l and a nce the xperie o want to e

‘real Fiji’

Tsulu Luxury Backpackers & Apartments +679 345 0065, tsulu.com

Coconut Bay Resort +679 666 6644, coconutbay_fiji2002@yahoo.com Korovou Eco Tour Resort +679 666 6644 korovoultk@connect.com.fj Kuata Resort +679 666 6644

A bit like survivor but a lot more fun! Strand d yourself yourse elf on one island for 3 days and 2 nights. If you can stand and the pain of coral lagoons and nd coconut palms then stay longer. Packages from $197 97

Long Beach Backpackers Resort +679 666 6644 Manta Ray Island +679 672 6351 mantarayisland@connect.com.fj Nabua Lodge +679 666 9173 nabualodge@connect.com.fj Oarsmans Bay Lodge +679 672 2921 nacula@hotmail.com

DIVE, DIVE, DIVEE

Octopus Resort +679 666 6337 reservations@octopusresort.com

A 5 day/4 night PADI or SSI open water course. Where better to learn to dive than in the crystal clear, warm waters of Fiji! Abundant fish life and encounters with sea turtles are common. Packages from $738 Plus heaps of other options.

Sunrise Lagoon Resort +679 666 6644 Wayalailai Island Resort +679 672 1377 wayalailai@connect.com.fj White Sandy Beach Dive Resort +679 666 4066

MAMANUCA ISL Beachcomber Island Resort +679 666 1500, beachcomberfiji.com

Daily departure l pa departuress ffor all packages and passes from Denarau Marina

Bounty Island Resort +679 666 6999, fiji-bounty.com

For info and bookings see your travel centre or contact us: phone 1800 007 129 or SKYPE awesomeﬁji

www.awesomefiji.com

Prices are ex Denarau, Fiji, in Australian dollars and valid for travel to 31 March 2012.

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Rau Kini’s Hostel +679 672 1959, rtkinihostel@connect.com.fj TNT622- AAF2746

info@awesomefiji.com

Seashell Cove Resort +679 670 6100, seashellresort.com

Saweni Beach Apartment Hotel +679 666 1777, fiji4less.com

YASAWA ISLANDS

ISLAND STAYPUTS

Robinson Crusoe +679 629 1999, robinsoncrusoeislandfiji.com

The Uprising Beach Resort +679 345 2200, uprisingbeachresort.com

Awesome Adventures Fiji +679 675 0499, awesomefiji.com

Explore the real Fiji. From 4 to 11 nights. Includes vessel transfers, accommodation, meals and activities. Packages from $410

Rendezvous Dive Resort +679 628 4427, surfdivefiji.com

Nomads Skylodge Hotel +679 672 2200

Travellers Beach Resort +679 672 672 3322, beachvilla@connect.com.fj

EASY FLEXIBLE PACKAGES

Pacific Safaris Club +679 345 0498, safariclub@connect.com.fj

Tabukula Beach Bungalows +679 650 0097, fiji4less.com

Smugglers Cove Beach Resort +679 672 6578, smugglers beachfiji.com

C Complete Co freedom to explore the Yasawa Islands, including Beachcomber. Choose from m a 7, 14 or 21 day pass. Passes from $321

Mango Bay Resort +679 653 00690, mangobayresortfiji.com

Nadi Hotel +679 670 0000, ndht@connect.com.fj

Smugglers Cove Beach Resort +679 672 6578, smugglers beachfiji.com smugglers beachfiji.com

ISLAND HOPPING PASSES ISLA

CORAL COAST Beachouse +679 653 0500, fijibeachouse.com

The Funky Fish Beach Resort +679 628 2333, funkyfishresort.com The Resort Walu Beach +679 665 1777, walubeach.com

Vakaviti Motel & Dorm +679 650 0526, bulavakaviti@connect.com.fj Vilisite Place +679 650 1030

SUVA Colonial Lodge +679 92 75248, sailevukaga@yahoo.co.nz Lami Lodge Backpackers +679 336 2240, volau@connect.com.fj Leleuvia Island Resort +679 331 9567, eleen@leleuvia.com Raintree Lodge +679 332 0562, raintreelodge.com Royal Hotel +679 344 0024 royal@connect.com.fj

NORTH VITI LEVU Bethams Cottage +679 669 4132, bethams.com.fj Macdonalds Beach Cottages +679 669 4633 Morrison’s Beach Cottagess +679 669 4516, tipple@connect.com.fj Safari Lodge Fijis +679 669 3333 safarilodge.com.fj Volivoli Beach Resort +679 669 4511, volivoli.com

VANUA LEVU Bayside Backpacker Cottage +679 885 3154, tripntour@connect.com.fj Hidden Paradise Guest House +678 885 0106 Naveria Heights Lodge +679 851 0157, justnaveria@connect.com.fj Savusavu Hot Springs +679 885 0195, hotspringshotel@connect.com.fjj

TAVEUNI Albert’s Sunrise +679 333 7555 Matava Resort +679 330 5222, matava.com Reece’s Place +679 362 6319 Waisalima Beach Resort +679 738 9236, waisalima.com

7 /

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OZWORK

like us on usfacebook/tntdownunder follow on @tnt_downunder

Studying to stay Love hitting the books? Not keen to face the real world yet? Well, studying might be an option to keep the dream alive in Oz... Many people who visit Australia on a Working Holiday Visa normally find themselves so addicted to the place they want to hang around for more, maybe even for good. So if you’re one of these people, you’ll be happy to know there are several avenues you can take to stay in Australia, one of which is studying. “A student visa allows you to stay in the city of your choice and comes with ‘multiple entry’ in and out of Australia for the duration of the visa,” says Acacia Education Australia’s Melanie Duncan. As well as studying, the visa allows you to work 20 hours per week during semester and as often as you want during holidays so you can keep your wallet relatively full while your head is in the books. Studying in Australia also happens to be one of the quickest routes towards securing permanent residency if

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you’re really looking long term. Better yet, the government changed the laws last year so that foreign graduates who complete a bachelor’s degree Down Under can now stay and work in the country for up to two years after they finish, without any restriction on the type of job. And you don’t have to put your head down for a fulltime, long term year degree either. “After investigating their study options, working holiday makers often choose to enrol in university `pathway’ programmes,” Melanie says. Pathway programmes can be a good choice because they’re a more affordable option, shorter in length and will slowly ease you back into the world of study. There’s also opportunity to experiment with several different fields without committing to one course. Check out immi.gov.au/students for important updates on student visas, including the changes to conditions.

STUDY IN SYDNEY

FIRST INTERNATIONALLY FOCUSSED RESEARCH INTENSIVE STUDENT–CENTRED TEACHING INSTITUTION IN AUSTRALIA

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– the widest range of academic programs of any Australian university; – state-of-the-art teaching resources and research facilities; – the largest University library in the southern hemisphere; – outstanding sporting and recreational amenities; – affordable, clean and secure student accommodation; – excellent employment and career prospects upon completion of studies.

WE ENJOY – a green campus surrounded by park lands, with close proximity to Sydney’s CBD and sandy beaches; – living in Australia’s most exciting and culturally diverse city; – a cosmopolitan lifestyle in a multi-cultural environment.

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WHY STUDY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY

OZWORK

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facebook/tntdownunder

INTERVIEW WITH A STUDENT JOSH TATE STUDENT at Macquarie University FROM UK

Why study in Australia? I have a few friends that travelled Australia and had the time of their lives. No language barrier was also a plus, although there is a slight dialect barrier – but I get that everywhere being from the north-east! Oh, and the drinking age is lower than the USA, my other option.

How did you pick which university to apply for? Macquarie University is in the top 10 Australian universities and it’s a campus-based uni just outside the heart of Sydney. It has a great reputation, great location and I thought it would be good to experience a different type of uni – since my university in Leeds is city-based. What are you studying? I’m in my 2nd year of studying International Business at Leeds Metropolitan, but I’m on an exchange programme.

Did you have many arrangements to make? Not a great deal. I had a few friends going to Australia so I let them find out about it all then I followed what they did! Otherwise, applying for a uni and choosing the modules to take was simple enough. I booked one way flights because I didn’t know what I would be doing. It turns out I’m going to Thailand and New Zealand with six people I met over here. Did it cost you anything? Sydney is an expensive city, but I expected that

and prepared for it. Accommodation is a big hit, six months here has cost me around the same as a year would at home. But it has been completely worth it, the fun I’ve had here outweighs any price tag. Compare to home? Here I’ve got smaller tasks that count for a small percentage of the final grade. At home I might have a few essays, presentations and a big exam. Over here I’m on pass/fail which means my grades don’t transfer home, so I seem to have a lot more free time.

tntjobs.com.au B Confidential T: 07 38321023 M: 0430 146886 www.confidentialclub.com.au BConfidential is Brisbane’s premier gentlemens club bar and restaurant located close to central station in brisbane, female owned and operated providing a fun and safe work environment .

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T: 02 8332 7501 www.tntdownunder.com

JOB OF THE WEEK: EDITORIAL RESEARCHERS Location: Sydney Salary: $30,000 - $35,000 (OTE $50K plus beneﬁts)

TNT Publishing is a well-respected and long established publishing house. We are growing our Sydney ofﬁce by recruiting editorial researchers to work on our existing titles.

Duties will include speaking to Companies to organise guides, supplements and features within the magazines. You need to be experienced on the telephone and be self-motivated to achieve targets. Ideally having knowledge of feature based articles would be advantageous.

TNT Publishing

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TNT Publishing T: 02 8332 7501 www.tntdownunder.com TNT Publishing is a well-respected and long established London& Sydney publishing house. We are growing our Sydney ofﬁce by recruiting sales people to work on our existing titles which include the renowned TNT magazine The SA Times, South Africa Magazine and Australia & New Zealand Outlook.

JOB OF THE WEEK: Telesales Executive – B2B Location: Sydney Salary: $30,000 - $35,000 (OTE $50K plus beneﬁts) Hard working sales people that enjoy working in a dynamic sales environment, hungry to earn money and develop their career. You need to have a proven telephone sales record and be self-motivated to achieve targets. Ideally having knowledge of feature based articles would be advantageous. Sean Brett | seanb@tntdownunder.com

Looking for your next job? NEW JOBS ONLINE EVERY DAY 64

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TOTALLYTRIVIAL

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MYTHBUSTERS FOAL PLAY?

THIS WEEK’S QUIZ

WORLD ISLANDS c) Nadi

d) Phuket

d) Just two

b) Devonport d) Dar es Salaam

Which of these islands is bigger than Q 7.South Australia’s Kangaroo Island? a) Fraser Island b) Magnetic Island c) Great Keppel Island d) Melville Island

3. How many counties are there on the entire island of Ireland? a) 26 b) 28 c) 30 d) 32

Q 4. What spectacular sight can be seen from the Whitsunday Islands? a) The Great Barrier Reef b) The Great Gatsby c) The Big Prawn d) The Woolshed bar Q 5. Which of these is not one

Richard Branson’s own personal Q 8.island, that recently suffered a fire, is called... a) Necker Island b) Pasher Island c) Wacker Island d) Knocker Island

Q 9. Discounting Australia as a continent,

of the Canary Islands? a) Tenerife b) Lanzarote c) Fuerteventura d) Menorca

the world’s second largest island is... a) Greenland b) New Guinea c) Madagascar d) Baffin Island

SUDOKU PUZZLE

ANSWERS: 1. c 2. b 3. d 4. a 5. d 6. a 7. d 8. a 9. b

AUSSIE-ISM

8 5

5 6

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5 9

“A PINEAPPLE”

4 8

is the capital city Q 6.of Which island state Tasmania? a) Hobart c) Launceston

many Fijian islands are there? Q 2.a)How About 500 b) About 300 c) About 10

OF THE

3 8 2

If someone asks you to lend them a pineapple, they don’t want to make Piña Coladas. In fact, they’re probably very hungry and broke after being out on the piss. That’s right, they want to borrow $50.

WEEK Was Phar Lap murdered? Ever since Australia’s favourite (Kiwi-born) racehorse dropped dead during an American tour, rumours have abounded that he was poisoned. For decades nobody could prove the theories, and many assumed the truth to be a more mundane case of a stomach condition caused by rotten feed. But in 2006 scientists proved from testing hair that the 1930 Melbourne Cup champion had been killed by a massive dose of arsenic. Who’s to blame? Most popular suspects are American gangsters keen to kill off an unbeatable outsider to protect the profits from illegal bookies.

ANAGRAM-ARAMA

THIS WEEK IT’S... COCKTAILS 1. ALIENATED SCOLDING 2. HENCE BEST HOAX 3. PANIC A LOAD 4. MANGEY WHIM ANSWERS: 1. Long Island Iced Tea 2. Sex on the Beach 3. Piña Colada 4. Hemmingway

of these is not a Thai island? Q 1.a)Which Koh Samui b) Koh Phangan

MYTH

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JAZZ IN THE YARD BAR FROM 5pm $6 BLOODY MARY’S ALL DAY EUROPEAN FOOTBALL ON THE BIG SCREEN

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