FeralBeryl

Goodness this is a real first world problem isn't it. Be grateful you have a flushing loo and don't have to dig a hole in the ground. Newspapers are good although you are sometimes left with a black arse. I brought a roll of cheap homebrand the other day as an emergency roll. My poor old bottom is chaffed now. Terrible stuff. Here you are: https://www.canstarblue.com.au/home-garden/home-essentials/toilet-paper/ Who would have thought there was such a site!

Personally I would move. He sounds mentally unstable. And sounds like he is progressively getting worse. If you cannot move, then I suggest locking the doors so he cannot walk in unannounced. If he knocks on the door, then ignore him. Whole thing sounds a nightmare. Do keep a record of any incidents, because if you need to go to the police, you will need documented evidence.

I had a garage sale before my big move. Basically sold everything. And it was amazing what people brought. Stuff I was going to throw out (old pots, empty jam jars, dried flowers) - ones mans trash is another mans treasure

LAST WORD IS................ HACK

Ho hum. Your reputation precedes you Bristolman. I have been pre-warned about you by two ex-forum members. Didn't take you long to pop up either. I had only been a member for about five minutes when that happened! Thank you Toots - I will certainly try to enjoy the forum. And also try to avoid those boring Australia versus the UK stuff, you ware warning me about.

?? Well why are you all whining about it then? Posting replies about different priorities and defending your decisions, and asking me to stop using the word hack. Now you tell me I can carry on and no-one is stopping me!! Far out. My friend was certainly NOT joking when he mentioned the bickering. This is too funny. As I said before this thread got off track. People leave for many many different reasons. Some are homesick, some need to look after elderly parents, some find it too expensive to live here, some are lonely, and some cannot hack it due to the heat, or the wildlife or the isolation. Hack is simply another word for coping. Not sure why this needs further discussion.

Well not sure what game you are referring to?! I thought the replies to me were quite aggressive. Over practically nothing too. However, lucky I was warned about this site before I joined. Been told certain members love to bicker for no apparent reason.

Well if you are hiking or exploring, then something like this: https://www.kathmandu.com.au/womens/footwear/boots-and-gaiters/tiber-women-s-ngx-leather-hiking-boots.html I wore mine everywhere. Not just on walking tracks, but also to work and in the city (great for bar hopping!), goes well with both trousers, jeans, shorts, etc... If you plan on going for interviews, or working in an office, then a nice smart pair of shoes will be needed. Flip flops are good for the beach.

That is good experience. I would say getting a job in Tasmania will be extremely hard. But having hospitality experience is a very good head start. You will need a RSA (Responsible Serving of Alcohol) Certificate.

What about Bunya Mountains National Park. There are chalets to rent, if you don't want to camp. Only a three hour drive from Brisbane.

With all due respect, why should I stop using a term that I use often, and have done for 50 years.

Yes but in a very strange manner.

Honestly if the term "hack it" gets your hackles up, then you need to take a deep breathe and take a chill pill. A couple of aums may assist the process to calm down. What a very weird response I have had over nothing. I have said it before and I will say it again........ there's nowt so queer as folk.

?????????? Oh my Godfathers. Who would have thought a simple little term "hack it", that I use on a regular basis in my every day life, could seemingly get so many knickers in a knot!

Hello Not a lot biggest single expense was the fridge. We brought it new, but there are 2nds outlets where you can get a brand new fridge cheaply, just because it has a small scratch or dent on it. https://www.appliancesonline.com.au/factory-seconds/ The Fantastic Furniture Packages are great. https://www.fantasticfurniture.com.au/c/Package Deals Most places also offer a buy-now-pay-later option (i.e.) a 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 year interest-free payment plan. I use Gumtree and the Freecycle groups too: https://trashnothing.com/groups/australia/

I hardly watch telly anymore, as the ads drive me crackers. I limit my internet use too. Not on Facebook or social media time wasting sites. Instead, now I live near a beach, I go for walks along it, or swim in the sea most evenings.

Hello What a fantastic and great attitude you have. To look upon life changes as an adventure.............

I found it extremely quick and easy to replace everything. Literally took a couple of hours. I got a bedroom and lounge room package from Fantastic Furniture, which they delivered. And picked up the white goods and telly from Harvey Norman, which they delivered. Towels, cutlery, bedding and little things like that were brought cheaply from Target. Plus picked up an excellent good quality dining room table and chairs free of charge from a recycling site. The whole thing took one weekend to complete. And was a LOT cheaper than shipping everything. The only things I brought over was irreplaceable things like heirloom jewellery and photo albums.

Hello Going it alone is better in my opinion. You will meet loads of people easier that way. Or you could join a Travel Buddy website: http://www.travbuddy.com/Oceania-travel-guide-r5 Spending a year in Australia when I was 20 on a WHV, is the BEST thing I have ever done. I too have been in a dorm where nobody spoke English, but since I was only sleeping there, it did not matter. I just wandered into the lounge area and got chatting to others there. But reading the post above, my mind literally boggles that anyone would contemplate taking the next flight home after being in such a situation. That is so ridiculous. One of the points about traveling is to broaden your managing and coping skills. My best suggestion for booking a dorm room, is to ask for an all female dorm. As males (in a mixed dorm) tend to snore and fart too much. I would also try to avoid dorms with Japanese girls, as they have an absolute obsession with individually packing all their clothes, shoes and toiletries, cameras, passports, money, and everything they own in a million plastic bags and like to rearrange and pack their backpacks and suitcases very very early. Plastic bag rustling at 3.30am is very annoying. Whilst this may seem like a generalization, I can assure you it is a very real epidemic. It ONLY ever happened with Japanese females for some very strange reason.

That is pretty much what we had. It was absolutely brilliant. It was a home away from home. We had a fridge, plus back up beer esky, fishing gear, sun shower, CB radio, portable telly, portable gas stove top, the bedding on top in the tent. The only thing missing was a portable toilet (had to dig a hole in the bush for that). Saved huge amount of money on accommodation and food. Plus it meant we could sleep anywhere for free, rather than having to find a motel or backpackers hostel. Got to sleep in some great places, like The Devils Marbles and Fruit Bat Falls. However, once a week we did sneak into a fee paying camp ground and used their washing machines.

Good idea. I had a van and traveled in it from Sydney to Darwin. Saved a fortune on accommodation. Simply slept in the van (had a pull out bed in back) on side of road, and in free camp sites. Also had a portable stove, so was able to save on food. I remember one surreal night camping at The Devils Marbles in the carpark. Nobody else around, a billion stars overhead and felt like we were the only two people left in the universe. I lived in that van for six months, we even had a portable telly and sun shower.

Hello there I suggest coming alone. You won't be alone for long, as you will easily meet up or pair up with other backpackers. It is easier to make friends if you are alone. In my opinion, the best banks are: ING and The Commonwealth Bank. https://transferwise.com/gb/blog/opening-a-bank-account-in-australia Do a Google search for : "Australian harvest trail" or "backpackers working in roadhouses" or "working at an outback farm or station". You can follow the harvests around Australia. You could also do Woofing which will give you some great experience and exposure to rural living. Loads of websites with information. But are you sure you want to do regional work? It is bloody hard work, in hot conditions, often on snake infested farms, for very little pay. And some of those roadhouses and cattle stations are miles from anywhere and full of dubious rough-as-guts characters. Yes you will have some great stories to tell your grandkids, but not exactly a picnic to do. Hospitality work is a good job to get. Something like bar attendant and waiter. You will need a RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) Certificate and these are easy and cheap to get. http://www.rsasydney.nsw.edu.au/ Many businesses shut for the "summer holiday" which is basically the whole of January. But on the other hand, because a lot of people are holidaying in January, that does mean lots of hospitality jobs will be available, especially in the cities. https://www.backpackerjobboard.com.au/ I would do it in 2018. Why wait? Best thing I ever did was a WHV to Australian from the UK when I was 20. Honestly best year of my life. And loved the place so much; I then migrated here. I purposely arrived in Sydney in September. Weather was coolish, but it prepared me nicely for summer in Sydney. Had I arrived in January I would have had a shock. From snow leaving London to a heatwave in Sydney within a space of 24 hours, would have been too much of a shock I think.

Silky Oaks Lodge up in the Daintree is lovely. Although a little on the expensive side. Nice for a second honeymoon or a treat.

Hi Jay Queensland is a really nice lifestyle. But what is your scene? I have lived in VIC, NT, NSW and QLD over the years. Although the traffic can drive me nuts sometimes, I have lived in Sydney for nearly 20 years. I absolutely LOVE it. And if you are getting cold feet then you need to move here quick smart to warm them up!

Errr. Whatever. Of course there is many many reasons why people return. But from my own personal experience (after all, that is all I can talk from), people return because they miss their family and/or cannot hack it here. I apologise if you dislike the term 'hack it', but I use that term a lot.