The 10 Rules to Being a Money-Wise Traveller

Actually, I prefer the term “stingy”. I am stingy. I am cheap. I enjoy myself but I also make sure that I have money left in the bank. Here's how to do it:

Rule number 1. Don't drink/smoke

Ok, so this is my first one and I know immediately that most people will struggle with this – but it's the one that has saved me the most money. I consider myself lucky that I am not addicted to these legal drugs that kill the body and rinse the bank account. For backpackers and young people in general, I believe these are the reasons that people complain about having no money. Can't remember where your money went? Well that's because you drank it. The secret that everyone has been keeping from you is – you don't need alcohol to have a good time.

Rule number 2. McDonalds

Don't worry, I'm not going to tell you that you can't have a Macca's either. Infact, McDonald's has been our lifeline while we've been in Australia. $1 (50p) for a hash brown and you have access to all day free internet, and if you're lucky, a plug socket to charge your devices. To be money-wise though, you have to be careful not to spend all your cash on their food. Joe and I have taken to sitting in the van in the carpark during our lunch break to use the free wifi, without having to spend a dollar on any over-priced artery blockers. Though, if you are buying food, another tip is to always ask for extra condiments. The mayo will be useful for making my egg mayo sandwiches tomorrow lunchtime, and the butter is a welcome treat on my morning toast – but this way I don't have to buy a whole tub of it.

Rule number 3. When you have money, buy a campervan

If you're making a big trip, you should have saved money beforehand. If you're lucky it will be enough to buy a van, which for us, has been a life saver. If travelling with someone else, this is do-able. You will save money on accommodation in the long run, and be able to get your money back for the van when you sell it at the end of your trip. As an example, a hostel dorm room is about $30 each. A campsite can be free, or from $5 to $30 for 2 people if you like the added luxuries of a warm shower and kitchen. Remember to look after the van and it will look after you. Service it regularly and get proper insurance to avoid paying hefty fees down the line.

Rule number 4. Work for accommodation

If you can't buy a van, this one is an excellent idea. Many hostels have a work for accommodation scheme where you work as a housekeeper for 3-4 hours of the day in return for free nights accommodation. We did this in Melbourne while we were waiting for our van to get fixed, and it saved us $60 per day for as long as we were there. Make sure you put your name down for this quickly, there can often be a waiting list!

Rule number 5. Don't buy stupid things

This includes souvenirs, junk food (I write whilst eating a chocolate chip cookie), didgeridoos and other random things you can't take home with you. You don't need to buy a new outfit every week because you don't have space for it in your backpack. Souvenirs that you want to take home can be bought the week before you leave, as long as they fit in your bag. And well, I love junk food. But just don't buy too much of it. Be a savvy shopper. Things like porridge oats, eggs and rice are cheap and make good filling meals. Stock up on tinned food that won't spoil, and buy the fresh stuff on the day that you intend to eat it.

Rule number 6. Look for jobs with accommodation

Jobs such as working in a hostel/hotel, as an au pair or even on some farms. You may get reduced pay for the cost of the accommodation, but at least you know where you'll be sleeping at night.

Rule number 7. Coupons, loyalty cards and voucher codes

The same as you would when you're back at home (well, I do anyway!). I got a supermarket loyalty card 2 weeks ago and already have about 500 points on it (equivalent of about $2.50 off my next shop). It all adds up though! Currently we are looking at booking a tour of Fraser Island – which for 3 days comes to about $400 when booking through the caravan site or travel agent. Doing a bit of research finds me last minute deals online for $250 dollars. Not bad! Many companies have voucher codes online. Look these up before paying for accommodation or even when going out for a meal.

Rule number 8. Markets and garage sales

Aussie's love these, and so do I. You can find all sorts of bargains, from clothes to DVDs to camping equipment. But remember rule number 5. Don't buy stupid things that you don't need. Don't be afraid to barter. It's a fun and beneficial skill to learn. At the end of the day, you're the one with the money and it's the golden rule – he who has the gold makes the rules. As an example to this, at a gourmet sausage stand, Joe and I saw a deal “3 for $12”. Sounds great when the sausages are $6 each. But Joe decided he didn't want to pay that much, and haggled with the vendor to sell him 3 for $9.

Rule number 9. Get a youth/student card and ask for discount

Before travelling, Joe and I bought a youth travel card for £12 from STA Travel, which gives you cheaper air fare as well as discount at some places. I don't have a clue where I'm supposed to get discount, but anywhere I see a different price for concessions is a good place to start. If you don't ask, you don't get. This even worked at the local pool in Toowoomba. The staff didn't know if they take this card as a valid concessions discount, so they gave it to me anyway. I've also spoken to backpackers who became students just for the student discount. You can buy courses online or from some universities for about £15, and then you've got a nice shiny student card.

Rule number 10. Watch where you shop

This one is important wherever you go, even when you're back at home. But being in a new place or foreign country can sometimes be difficult because you're not used to their big name brands and don't know where to find the cheapest bargain. Do a bit of research before you come out, and also ask the locals where they shop. Avoid service stations for buying, well, anything. Small towns can also put the price up in their local shop too, so try to stock up on things you need at a big supermarket or even the weekly farmers market.

So there's the secret as to how we've survived so long. It's easy when it becomes habit, and money becomes less of a worry so you can focus on what you came here to do – have fun!

Got any more tips? Let me know in the comments!

A quick update – oranges, crabs, and phone books

For those who were left in suspense after reading my last blog post, here's a brief update. Joe and I arrived at the orange farm just outside Gayndah, and were inducted, told briefly how to cut oranges from a tree and use a ladder, and then were left to work the rest of the day. It was a fun day. Wait, no, I meant I'd rather backstroke through a swimming pool full of used syringes than pick oranges ever again. The pay was not worth the effort - $80 per full bin (bins roughly 1.5m wide x 1.5m long x 1m deep. I got 1 bin finished in the whole 9 hours, though Joe had to help me at the end. I was both shocked and impressed by the French lads we were working with, who smashed through it while smoking cigarettes like a belt fed machine gun. Fair play to people that do this, and I appreciate oranges a lot more. Needless to say, we didn't stay for the next day to find out how different lemon picking is.

We then ran away to the nearest beach, which happened to be Hervey Bay, a two hour drive away. We immediately fell in love with the place, as our caravan site had friendly staff and an even friendlier backpacker rate, meaning it was just $15 (£7.50) for the two of us for a night. We met a friendly possum who lived in the camp kitchen. 

And of course, we checked out the beach. At this time of year (autumn) it is relatively quiet, but still a nice 25 degrees every day, with a sea temperature of 21. A stroll along the beach finds us chasing armies of cute little crabs, who fascinated us with their artwork as they speedily create millions of tiny balls of sand in patterns on the beach.

As we loved Hervey Bay so much, we decided to stay once we found a temporary job delivering phone books – which brings us to where we are now. The aim is to make enough bucks to go to Fraser Island, give Hodor (the van) a bit of TLC, and continue on our travels. As someone who only runs when they're being chased, let me tell you, nothing gets you jogging more than delivering in Australia, where space is abundant and the houses aren't so close together!

Tl;dr I'm still alive and didn't get eaten by a giant spider.

So anyway, that's all for now folks, cheerio!

Being an up-er and go-er

2 days ago, Joe and I left Toowoomba suddenly to head to the Gold Coast. It was an unexpected decision after an emotional morning. After camping around the Gold Coast for the past 2 days, this morning we woke up, cooked scrambled eggs on the camping stove, headed to Macca's for an OJ and free wifi, and an hour later we were on the road again heading 4 hours north.

But why? I'd just reached my chosen destination. We had a job in the area later that day running a food van for a monster truck event, and I was so excited about seeing the Gold Coast and being by the beach again. So why am I leaving? Because I've become an up-er and go-er.

During our daily ritual of a McDonalds hash brown (all day breakfast in Oz!) and wifi for job searching and facebooking, we found a fruit picking job in an inland town called Gayndah (please maintain your maturity). We rang the number and the guy surprisingly said "sure, it's yours as long as you can get here for this afternoon". Safe to say I was worried. I've heard horror stories about rural farm jobs and I didn't want to get ripped off, or worse. I'm not afraid of hard work, but I am afraid of what else might lie at our destination. After a quick google, we reassured ourselves that we don't have a clue what we're doing, and we up and went.

A few years ago, I was a very reluctant quitter. Now that may sound good on a CV, but sometimes quitting is exactly what you need to live your life. At the time, I was on my own, and I felt like it too. I thought I should be doing what I don't enjoy, staying somewhere I didn't want to be or starting a career that I was already bored of because that's what everyone else was doing. I made some (very thought out and researched) good decisions to move to France, and had a great time. But then I was still reluctant to make a change in times when I wasn't enjoying myself or felt that something was wrong.

When I met Joe, that was a big change that I embraced. I was still me, but now we were us. We're very alike in many ways (like our stupid humour and love for baby otters) but in others we were completely different. Joe wasn't afraid to move if he wasn't enjoying himself. When it came to jobs especially, he would be incredibly loyal to managers he respected - even returning to his Subway branch - but he also wasn't afraid to go "fuck this!" when it was necessary.

Sometimes I was glad for that attitude. Especially when we were both done over by our managers whilst working in Torquay. Ordinarily I would have been scared to leave for fear of letting people down, or not being able to find a job after. I would have grinned and beared it but cried to myself for as long as it was necessary. But instead, I had someone to support me during our rash decision, to be pissed off about it with me as we stormed out, but then give me hope for what adventures were to come.

Since then there have been a few more ocassions where we've up and gone. Some have been thought out, and some haven't - but it's always easier with someone by your side. Like, if this doesn't go right it doesn't matter, we'll just pick each other back up and get on our way. Now, if you're on your own, there's still no excuse for being miserable. If you are the kind of person who needs someone by your side convincing you to do what you know you want to, then this is me saying "do it!". I'm a real person and right now I'm your best friend saying "Get a move on!". As for feeling guilty for leaving people, well I'm not sure I can help with that because I'm terrible for it. But you have to take every situation as it comes. Think about it from other's perspective. Is anyone going to be physically hurt by you leaving? Are you going to break down if you stay? Are you expected to stay? You may think the answer to the last one is yes, but actually most jobs would like you to stay but do not expect you to stay (except maybe the army!). It's your life, so live it.

So anyway, here I am. Sitting in a bar in Gayndah. It is the only thing open in this tiny town which I have now found out is Queensland's oldest town - and it looks like it too. Tomorrow I will be starting work on a farm but have no idea what to expect. Is there even a farm there? Will they pay me? Will I get eaten by a giant killer spider? Find out all this and more next time... if I make it, that is.

British to Australian dictionary

In my last post where I outlined the differences I've seen between Oz and England, I said that Australians speak funny. For the past month I've been living with an Australian family, and remembering to use the right word so that the kids know what I'm talking about is sometimes tricky. I've only listed words here that I've actually come across (I haven't yet heard anyone say "bonza" or "dunny").

Hello = G'day
How are you? = How are you going?
McDonald's = Macca's
Peppers = Capsicum
Aubergine = Eggplant
Flip Flops = Thongs
Shorts = Pants
Crisps = Chips
Service Station = Servo
Vehicle registration = Rego
Afternoon = Arvo
Argument = Bluey
Work Breaks = Smoko
Strimmer = Whipper Snipper
Slot/gambling machines = Pokies
To buy you a drink/round = Shout you a drink/round
Card Machine = EFTPOS
Vest = Singlet
Swimming costume/trunks = swimmers
Cooler/Cool box = Esky
Off license/alcohol store = Bottle-O
Chicken = Chook

Stroke = Pat
Masturbate = Stroke (do not get these two mixed up like I did when asking kids if they want to stroke the horse!)

You may have noticed some patterns, Australians pretty much shortern eveything, like it takes way too long to say each word. As well as differences in language, there are also many differences in the pronounciation of words, so don't be surprised if I come back to England with an Aussie accent - I've noticed myself mimicking their pronounciation just to save me getting laughed at!

15 ways Australia is different from the UK

Australia is a relatively new country and has learnt the best bits of the customs and habits of it's pals (largely England and America) to create it's own. But comparing UK to Australia, there are many ways it differs, and here's what I've found so far.


1. Mcdonald's is known as "Macca's", and has all day breakfast. You can also build your own burger.

2. Winter is the equivalent of British summer (currently it's autumn, and still sunny every day though ocassionally I find myself putting a jumper on).

3. Vehicles are a lot more complicated to buy and register. I ended up crying in the registration centre, which was highly embarrasing - though it did get us served a lot quicker!

4. Subway steak and cheese has actual chunks of steak, and not those pathetic slices. They also feature egg, avocado and pizza sauce in various subs.

5. Fuel pumps can be programmed with the amount of dollars you wish to spend, to save you the embarrassment of going over by 0.01c.

6. Frozen coke is a thing, and you can get it from Mcdonald's or many other food outlets.

7. Schoolkids must wear a hat as part of their uniform, and it looks something like this:

8. There are a million and one cool wild animals you'll see in your back garden or walking down the street.

9. Burger King is called Hungry Jacks

10. Most parks, beaches and picnic areas have free bbqs set up next to benches for public use.

11. Australia has a third of the population of the UK. So given the size difference, this means the UK has 248.25 people per km² and Oz has just 2.66 people per km²

12. Property is a lot cheaper - given the abundance of land. You can get a 5 bedroom house with acres of land and a pool here for the same price as a 3 bedroom semi-detached house with small garden in the south of England.

13. Tins of tuna come not only with olive oil or brine, but also a plethora of other flavours such as tomato, chilli, pesto, thai style and more. The tins are also smaller than the ones you receive in England, meaning a better 1 person serving size. Great for picnics!

14. You get paid 10c for every plastic or glass bottle you recycle at a collection depot.

15. Australians talk funny. My next post will be a dictionary of terms I've come across. Some are hilarious and have even gotten me into some awkward situations! Stay tuned folks!

If you are Australian, or have been backpacking down under and have any other things you've come across - share them in the comments.

Picnicking at Picnic Point, Toowooba

Backpacking and photography

I always thought backpackers were those spiritual people with blonde dreadlocks who travel country to country with a backpack full of flip flops and colourful patterned dresses. But actually, I've come to realise that by taking the decision to travel for a long period of time with just my backpack, I indeed became a backpacker. And if there's one thing I've realised, it's that the two things backpackers lack are space and money - arguably the two things you need to be a photographer.

Lac des miroirs, Hardelot, France

I've always had an interest in photography, and travelling to the stunning landscapes of Australia gave me the perfect opportunity to get a few nice shots. But wait, I've only got my backpack, I guess I'm going to have to leave the camera gear at home... no! This is my kit:

Taken on a potato

Panasonic GX7 (Mirrorless compact system camera)
Panasonic 14-42mm lens
Panasonic 45-175mm powerzoom lens
11mm + 16mm macro extension tubes
46mm UV filter
46mm circular polarising filter
GoPro Hero
GoPro floating bobber (£2 on ebay)
GoPro chest harness
Plenty of memory cards

It all fit in hand luggage, stuffed into my laptop bag.

When listed, it sounds like a lot, but to summarise: 1 small but awesome CSC (mirrorless compact system camera - uses interchangeable lenses like a DSLR but is a lot smaller) with 2 small lenses, and an action camera that technically belongs to my partner, but still extremely important for my trip (just wait until the shark cage diving videos!)

But Beth, I spent all my money on flights, accommodation and booze so I can't afford that, can I?
Anyone who knows me knows that I don't really like to spend a lot of money. The Panasonic gear I managed to get a good deal on, but now that it's not the current camera in the market, you can find it second hand for cheap as chips, as well as the lenses. The GoPro was my birthday present to my partner, who I decided didn't need the luxury of added wifi and a back LCD screen as in the more expensive GoPro Hero 4, so was bought for a little under £100. Sure, if you have the money, it's great to go for a more expensive camera that might get you a better picture. But you'd also have to fork out for extra insurance on it, as we know that we backpackers are well known for our carelessless for breaking things, losing things, and being a great target for greedy theives.














Don't I need a huge DSLR with battery grip, flashgun and 10ft long lens?
How dare you insult my GX7! Only joking. DSLRs have their perks, but when looking at the budget range, a smaller body CSC or enthusiast compact camera can not only take a brilliant photo, but will fit in your bag easily and discreetly. Other great CSC options are the Fuji X-T10, Sony A6000 or Olympus OM-D E-M10 II. Here's the difference in size of my camera compared to a similarly priced and specced DSLR.

Knowing that my little camera will take just as good a photo as this, I would much prefer to use the extra space in my bag for my favourite pair of shoes.

Now Beth, don't tell me I can get every shot with just 2 lenses. I need at least a million!
The 2 lenses I own cover wide angle to telephoto. Of course there are times I wish I had longer reach, a brighter aperture or an extremely wide angle but then I get over it because I remember I'm here to enjoy myself and not to try compete with David Bailey's kit bag. How do I get the whole landscape in my photo without a wide angle lens? The built-in panaroma mode on my camera does the trick just fine.

Valetta, Malta. ISO 200, Panoramic mode

Toowoomba, Queensland Australia. ISO 200, Panoramic mode

I also love to shoot macro, and so purchased some fantastic little macro extension tubes on ebay for just £20. Of course having a dedicated macro lens will get you a better shot, but I was surprised at how well these things work, allowing you to get in a lot closer on the subject, giving beatifully blurred backgrounds. The ones I purchased (made by Fotga) support autofocus, however when shooting macro I find it a lot easier to manual focus for optimum precision.

Duh Beth, you forgot about a tripod. How can I take steady pictures without a tripod?
Days before my trip, I actually acquired a Joby Gorillapod - which are really cool mini tripods with bendable legs for gripping onto poles, branches or anything else. If you're going to take a tripod travelling, this is the perfect one. However, I decided I needed the extra space in my bag rather than take the tripod with me, and as much as I'd love to have it sometimes, I realised that my need for a tripod when on the move is unlikely. Mostly I shoot during the day in good light when a fast enough shutter speed can be used. Even night shots can be done well without a tripod. If manual settings aren't your strong point, many cameras like mine have a really effective night scenery or night portrait mode which are not only good at night, they are useful in any darker environments where you may struggle to get a steady picture. If long exposures are your thing, then you're going to have to get creative (use a rock, a bench, or a kangeroos head to steady the camera)

Malta at night, taken handheld using night scenery mode ISO 3200, F3.5, 14mm, shutter speed 1/15

I'd love to know what other people use when they are travelling! Leave a comment or post some pictures of your favourite travel shots. 

Roadtrippin' Australia

When you "roadtrip" in the UK, it usually means cramming your mates in a car to drive to the next town for a cheeky Nando's and bants. In Australia, it's a little different. Australia is big. Sometimes the next town is over an hour's drive away, and there's no chando's there.

2 days ago, Joe and I set off from Melbourne to head to Toowoomba, near Brisbane. If you're not so clued up on your Oz geography, its here:

We've named the van "Hodor", because it's big, it carries us, and Joe and I are avid Game of Thrones fans. As I mentioned in a previous post, fuel is ridiculously cheap here compared to the UK. So far we've paid a low of 97c and a high of $1.19. This is the equivalent of about 50p in sterling, so hopefully we're saving a few bucks on this journey too.

Before heading off, I was doing a bit of research on the interwebz for tips and advice. The one thing everyone seemed to agree on was to get up early and do your driving before it gets dark to avoid kangeroos jumping in front of your car. On our first day of driving, we didn't heed this advice, and sure enough darkness fell and on our way to the campsite there were kangaroos - everywhere! As an animal lover, it was awesome to see creatures in the wild like this that I'd never seen before, but trying to avoid them on the windey forest road was frightening.

So what to do when night falls? Set up camp. Australia has plenty of free campsites, and they were easy to find with the help of the satnav, and the smartphone app "wikicamps". A satnav in this area of Oz in invaluable. Unfortunately I broke ours just as we were leaving Melbourne, so we had to buy another for 150 bucks. Though I'm not sure how helpful it'll be when we head out into the outback.

Hodor at Forbes campsite

The van loaded with enough food and water to feed 5000 hungry crocs, I took some easy to eat snacks up front and found that M&Ms are the best roadtrip snack. Loaded with protein, sugar an fat for energy, the family-sized pack fit nicely in the cupholder next to bottle of water. I soon found that whilst the water became hot enough to make tea, the outer shell of the m&ms doesn't melt in the the heat, meaning the snacks remain perfectly round and crunchy, with a warm, melted, nutty centre. A welcome treat in the hot, sweaty car. Joe explained to me that m&ms were originally used in military ration packs for that reason. "Is that what you were living on in the army?" I asked him. "Nah, that was the US packs - we had Yorkie bars and they melted everywhere!"

So far we've camped at 3 different sites. A $25 a night caravan park on the outskirts of Melbourne (they don't allow free camping in this area), a free spot in scenic Tallarook state forest; with cobweb infested hole-in-the-ground toilets with the odd dead huntsman hanging about, and a lovely spot by a river in a small town called Forbes - which is where I got engaged! It would have been the perfect free camping spot if it wasn't for the 6 mosquito bites that my legs suffered.

So another few hours down the road, and with 500km left, brings us to where we are now. Joe driving, and me scribbling away on a scrap of paper I found in the passenger seat footwell. The aircon has decided to no longer work so we might die, but by the time you read this, I will have reached by destination and you'll know I'm safe and sound. Until next time...