Visiting Australia

[buck 11]

I had the chance to go to Oz for a bit of R and R back in 1967 but decided on Thailand instead. I never regrettted choosing Thailand but at the same time I missed an opportunity to visit a great country which I once seriously considered emigrating to.

I interviewed in Manchester for a job at the space tracking station in Western Australia. It was going fine, then my late wife asked the Ozzie interviewer what would happen if we went out there, and I got ordered into the Royal Australian Navy as a RN reservist, because Australia was fighting along side the Americans in Nam. He almost had a fit, saying they were helping because the USN was protecting their borders, and who did we pommies think we were. I didn't get the job, so finished up in Montreal.

[Jim Hardie 525]

Don't worry about going on your own. I travelled overland by bus to Australia in 1975 with an outfit called Hughes Overland. The fare was £590 with another £240 for a return flight ticket (which was a condition for the granting of a six month Australian tourist visa). Don't apply for a working visa if you aren't eligible because if you do and are turned down they won't give you a tourist visa either, at least that was the case back in the 70s.

I had a great time, took in France, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir, India, Nepal, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and then Perth to Sydney.

Sydney to London was my first ever flight.

[Johny Cutler 10]

Don't worry about going on your own. I travelled overland by bus to Australia in 1975 with an outfit called Hughes Overland. The fare was £590 with another £240 for a return flight ticket (which was a condition for the granting of a six month Australian tourist visa). Don't apply for a working visa if you aren't eligible because if you do and are turned down they won't give you a tourist visa either, at least that was the case back in the 70s.

I had a great time, took in France, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir, India, Nepal, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and then Perth to Sydney.

Sydney to London was my first ever flight.

 

that's sounds like a great tour & something what i might look into later on in life but my dream as always been to go to Australia i wanted to go 5 years ago but i never got my redundancy from work even so looking back at it now i was glad i didn't get made redundant as i'd not have been able to find work again as things are now but i'v been told from work i can have time off to live my Dream & that's go to Australia for 7 weeks or so but i have to work it around my holidays cut off at work which gets reset on the first of Jan

 

now i just want to book it but just don't have the bottle to do it on my own as its a long way to go on your own even if someone i know goes there with me just for the first couple of days then i can then make own way after that

 

& thank you for telling me your great trip & just hope i can go & do mine

[stimpy 10]

With all due respect... Alot has changed since the 70's! Lol

 

You will be perfectly fine travelling on your own. I would say pick a flight to a major city and book a hotel there for a few nights. Use that time to explore the area and plan your next destination.

 

The people are friendly and will be more than happy to help!.... Just ask!

[aawebdev 10]

Australia is the awesome place for visiting.

[EASTWOOD141 10]

I had the chance to go to Oz for a bit of R and R back in 1967 but decided on Thailand instead. I never regrettted choosing Thailand but at the same time I missed an opportunity to visit a great country which I once seriously considered emigrating to.

 

We all know why some people go to Thailand.

[Harleyman 12]

We all know why some people go to Thailand.

 

We all know why you are frequently seen hanging around the shower rooms at the YMCA...... daft twatt

[Johny Cutler 10]

With all due respect... Alot has changed since the 70's! Lol

 

You will be perfectly fine travelling on your own. I would say pick a flight to a major city and book a hotel there for a few nights. Use that time to explore the area and plan your next destination.

 

The people are friendly and will be more than happy to help!.... Just ask!

 

if only it was that easy lol

[Agent Orange 11]

if only it was that easy lol

 

It is easy

[Harleyman 12]

if only it was that easy lol

 

What's the big deal? All you need is a computer, a credit card, valid passport and UK driving licence. Why, they even drive on the same side of the road as the Uk does.

[Saffy 10]

the best guide book is definitely He Died With a Felafel in His Hand. Superb guide. That's the real Australia, when you arrive you think you're going to be doing all this really healthy stuff like hiking mountains, white water rafting, camping, snorkelling and boating. Instead five years later, you end up with your head in your hands in a crummy apartment in Bankstown with an overweight pregnant Japanese junkie girlfriend who herself came to Australia all chaste and virginal 10 years before on a language course and never left.

 

HAHAHAHA ... I love it.

[DerbyTup 10]

just buy an airline ticket online and off you go. Use a site like Skyscanner or Kayak to find the cheapest flight deals. No need to book hotels in advance either, just turn up and find one you like, your adventure is waiting for you.

 

Get yourself a copy of the Lonely Planet Guide to Australia and read up on it - you should be able to find one in the library if you don't wish to buy one.

 

Lonely Planet is particularly good advice for independent travellers - and you'll likely meet up with other independent travellers along the way as the book is really geared up for that. It will tell you everything you need to know, where to go, when to go, how to go, what to see, what to avoid etc.

 

It really is that easy!