Going solo

Guess_Who

Hey,

in Oz at the moment and getting seriously itchy feet in Sydney having been here for 3 months and am not getting particularly well with my traveling companions who want to stay in Sydney for another 2 - 3 months.

I'm a 24 year old female and looking for any tips and hints on travelling alone safely, particularly with regard to travelling in Thailand and possibly Cambodia and Vietnam. As Asia was a stopover on the way home and if I don't meet up with my friends before leaving Oz I'll be doing all that alone too.

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks

Spider_Baby

Im in the same boat as you, but in the other direction! In SE Asia at the mo, and planning on going solo real soon. Here for another few months, then Oz solo for a few months, probably April-June. So any advice that people give you here I'm gonna rob for myself too

Rabies

There have been a few threads on this over the past few weeks. Might only be a page or two back.
Solo isn't as bad as it seems. Wasn't sure at first when I set out last month.

Guess_Who, have you only stayed in Sydney? If so, why not travel around Oz a bit more.

Guess_Who

Yeah I want to see more of Oz, that's where the problem lies. I'm the only one who seems bothered about actually seeing the rest of the country.

It's just a matter of plucking up the courage to go it alone.

Rabies

Go for it.
Plan out a route, a few days here and there. Enjoy Oz, you will be kicking yourself if you don't get to see it all.

BrokenArrows

im traveling alone in Oz too. In the Gold COast at the moment but my major problem is that im out of money without a job. Have $255 in my bank account and 160 in rent to pay on friday. Im ****ed. Also have a credit card bill to pay on the 23rd.

Sending out a **** load of Cv's today. I can probably pull together another few hundred. But if i cant sort something in the next week. I can see an early return to ireland. Maybe even for christmas.

Really dont want to cause i havnt done alot of the **** i wanted to. Im not very happy at the moment.

Guess_Who

Sorry to hear that Broken Arrows.

Check if there's a Geoffrey Nathan or Freespirit office anywhere near you. Basically you send them your CV and they fire it off to hundreds of agencies for you. Then you get paid through them and they give you a living away from home allowance so you pay less tax. They do charge a fee for this and in the long run there's less to claim back when you're leaving but it's more money in your account on payday.

Good Luck

Dave!

BrokenArrows, just reading the latest post in your blog,

Right well ive been living in the gold coast for the past 7 days and played poker on 6 of those days and im cleaning up. (For those sceptics ie. mum. That ammount i told you i could make in a week, well i made that ammount easy plus quite a bit more)

Maybe mammy was right

Just messin

That's a shame, I'm sure you'll be able to get the work soon enough and you'll be back on the road in no time! Go to agencies, as mentioned.

BrokenArrows

ya i know. I was doing alright. for about 2 weeks. Then got screwed. But hey its all an experience.

Rabies

BrokenArrows, I thought I was bad.

Have about NZ$3500 left. $160/week rent, not working. Have two weeks of beering in Perth to do for christmas and new year. Then I come back and start looking for work.

I checked my balance yesterday and got a bit of a fright.

Good luck with finding a job.

BrokenArrows

3500 thats feckin loads to get you by till the new year.

Right time to go homeless. LOL. only joking. If worst comes to worst i have friends back in sydney who will put me up and a job there that im sure they will take me back so im not totally out of options.

I know. Ill sell everything i have and put it all on black on a roulette wheel at the casino.(Just Joking)

At least i already have my return ticket paid for so im not going to be stranded here.

kinaldo

BrokenArrows wrote:

At least i already have my return ticket paid for so im not going to be stranded here.

but surely that would be useless if u have to return early?

how much did u pay for flights btw? I think I paid almost €700 for a one way flight in late January.

Rabies

Not sure about BrokenArrows, but I paid E1100 back in March for return flights from Dublin to Sydney.

BrokenArrows

as far as i can remember i paid e833 return with an option to change the return date. Current return date is 15 feb.

kinaldo

BrokenArrows wrote:

as far as i can remember i paid e833 return with an option to change the return date. Current return date is 15 feb.

wow! it appears you got a bargain.

bucks73

BrokenArrows wrote:

as far as i can remember i paid e833 return with an option to change the return date. Current return date is 15 feb.

Problem is though most flights are full all the way to the end of January. It depends who you are flying with but I know that the likes of BA, Qantas, Thai, Malaysian, Singapore, Korean, Cathay and JAL are all full on their flights back to London for the first few weeks in January. You may have to prepare yourself for a stopover in the far east waiting for a seat on a flight to Europe.

Rabies

The London route would be a busy one alright. I tavelled through Amsterdam before Dublin with Aerlingus. Might be easier to get a flight that way.

BrokenArrows

i have relatives in singapore. So i can crash there im sure. Anyway dont have any plans as of yet to head back early

Saintly

Guess_who ... definitely get out there and see more of Oz. Sydney is beautiful but at the end of the day, a city is a city is a city. There is so much to see and do out here - I have driven through the centre - and fell in love with the Northern Territory. I flew back up and am now working in an outback hospital, having the time of my life. So glad I got out of the cities - it was too familiar and too much like home! Re travelling solo, I travelled with a few good friends at the start of my trip but have travelled solo for the last couple of months - really enjoyed it. The year is far too short - so make the most of it. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Saintly