Worst part of Australia you've been to?

aido79

I currently work in Port Hedland in Western Australia doing Fifo. Its my second time here although the first time I was just passing through about 4 years ago. In my opinion it is probably the worst part of Australia I've been to. I seen alot of Australia including both coasts, most cities and some other not so attractive places like Alice Springs, Newman, Karratha, Tom Price and some other remote areas but none of them really compare to Port Hedland. Has anyone else been to a part of Australia that they would tell other people to avoid?

Xavi6

In before Perth.

I've done a lot of the east and west coasts at this stage and I think everywhere I've been had a certain charm to it in its own way.

Newcastle would probably be the standout though because there didn't seem to be a whole lot to do. Industrial spot and not the nicest aesthetically.

saggycaggy

When I saw the heading I immediately thought of Port Hedland.

Myself and 2 friends couldn't get work in Perth so we were flown up to Port Hedland to work in the hotel on the outskirts of town for 6 weeks. We sat and cried on the beach the day we got there. I think we lasted 3 weeks before getting on a bus to Broom.

Do you know the hotels name there?? I can't remember it! This was June/July 2006 that we were there.

sin_city

Port Macquaire isnt great

rightyabe

Cervantes in WA gave me the creeps. Id say most of the towns in WA give me the creeps or are just plain boring apart from Bunbury, Busselton and Margaret River.

aido79

saggycaggy wrote: »

When I saw the heading I immediately thought of Port Hedland.

Myself and 2 friends couldn't get work in Perth so we were flown up to Port Hedland to work in the hotel on the outskirts of town for 6 weeks. We sat and cried on the beach the day we got there. I think we lasted 3 weeks before getting on a bus to Broom.

Do you know the hotels name there?? I can't remember it! This was June/July 2006 that we were there.

Not sure which hotel you mean but maybe the walkabout?

aido79

sin_city wrote: »

Port Macquaire isnt great

You haven't seen much of Australia have you? Port Macquaire really isn't that bad...

cikearney

Tennant creek especially when dark!

saggycaggy

aido79 wrote: »

Not sure which hotel you mean but maybe the walkabout?

Had a quick search there and I think it's the Ibis Styles Hotel-wasn't called that when we were there though. Best year of my life being away in Oz but hated those 3 weeks in Port Hedland.

sin_city

aido79 wrote: »

You haven't seen much of Australia have you? Port Macquaire really isn't that bad...

You haven't been out in the clubs in Port Macquarie have you?

aido79

sin_city wrote: »

You haven't been out in the clubs in Port Macquarie have you?

There are lots of places in Australia with bad nightlife. When I said the worst place in Australia I meant a place where you not recommend anyone to visit. I would happily recommend Port Macquarie as a place to go for a weekend away. I wouldn't stop for lunch in Port Hedland however unless I had to.

aido79

saggycaggy wrote: »

Had a quick search there and I think it's the Ibis Styles Hotel-wasn't called that when we were there though. Best year of my life being away in Oz but hated those 3 weeks in Port Hedland.

yeah i know where that is. My friend lives near there..he's been there over 3 years!

mandrake04

sin_city wrote: »

You haven't been out in the clubs in Port Macquarie have you?

You mean the Panthers? bit of a joke alright.

Port Mac is just a big retirement village, its actually a nice pretty area and some nice beaches..... its's just a sleepy little town with endless supply of Thai restaurants.

Rydges has a great restaurant and a great Bar, there are worst places.

Taree is only down the road and its a good contender, extra chromosomes, fingers and toes wouldn't be unusual.

AngryHippie

Haven't been to Port Hedland....but

Mt Isa definitely crowns it for me.

A town with a mine in the middle of it, industrial wasteland in the middle of the desert, searing heat, flies, miners and cowboys.

The Sweeper

AngryHippie wrote: »

Haven't been to Port Hedland....but

Mt Isa definitely crowns it for me.

A town with a mine in the middle of it, industrial wasteland in the middle of the desert, searing heat, flies, miners and cowboys.

HAH you forgot the 4pm blast... (Or whatever time it's at. Basically the mine blasts daily and it's not unusual for your whole house to shake.)

Pogmothone

Definetly Mildura Oasis backpackers, One of the reviews is written by myself...... http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Hotel_Review-g255355-d1234488-Reviews-Mildura_Oasis_Backpacker_Hostel-Mildura_Victoria.html

endacl

Hervey Bay. If Australia has an ar5ehole, Hervey Bay is an infected boil on that ar5ehole.

6541

Got stuck in Townsville for one week due to a flood. I can honestly say I never met so many inbred people. As I am a bit of a joker, I always recommend people go visit Townsville !!!

Bungarra

Worst I've been is probably Mt. Magnet in 45degrees heat. Hellhole. Don't know how anyone could live there! Special shoutout goes to Shire of Murchison. The size of Ireland nearly and a population of 300 people. What the hell do people do in these places?

rightyabe

Bungarra wrote: »

Worst I've been is probably Mt. Magnet in 45degrees heat. Hellhole. Don't know how anyone could live there! Special shoutout goes to Shire of Murchison. The size of Ireland nearly and a population of 300 people. What the hell do people do in these places?

I worked on the mine there for a few months, the camp was in the town and was always being broken into by the local natives, we had to drive to meekathera to fly out every 8 days..walking in the town after sunset was dangerous to say the least.

Bungarra

rightyabe wrote: »

I worked on the mine there for a few months, the camp was in the town and was always being broken into by the local natives, we had to drive to meekathera to fly out every 8 days..walking in the town after sunset was dangerous to say the least.

Haha... Yeah... Classy places these... I was working on a roads job there for a few days and that was enough. There's an airstrip in Magnet tho', why were ye going all the way to Meeka?!

I was staying in another place before, think it was Perenjori, and the units window had a broken latch so you could just push it open. I woke up to a hand coming in the window trying to grab the laptop i'd left on the bed. Then when I finally got back to sleep I was woken up by a rough as guts aboriginal girl knocking on my door. She must have been a prostitute or something. She just said "wrong unit" or something and moved on.

spurious

Moe, Victoria.
Dear God.

rightyabe

Bungarra wrote: »

Haha... Yeah... Classy places these... I was working on a roads job there for a few days and that was enough. There's an airstrip in Magnet tho', why were ye going all the way to Meeka?!

I was staying in another place before, think it was Perenjori, and the units window had a broken latch so you could just push it open. I woke up to a hand coming in the window trying to grab the laptop i'd left on the bed. Then when I finally got back to sleep I was woken up by a rough as guts aboriginal girl knocking on my door. She must have been a prostitute or something. She just said "wrong unit" or something and moved on.

I think it was to do with the plane and re fueling, it had to refuel in meeka I think so it wasn't worth it's while landing in MM every flight.

Slunk

Pogmothone wrote: »

Definetly Mildura Oasis backpackers, One of the reviews is written by myself...... http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Hotel_Review-g255355-d1234488-Reviews-Mildura_Oasis_Backpacker_Hostel-Mildura_Victoria.html

Maybe that hostel but I was in mildura for around six weeks and it was quite nice. Stayed in the big 4 I think it was across from the shopping centre. Lovely people and not that bad of a town. Had the pool, BBQ daily and few good nights in o malleys. Did eventually tire of it and headed to Melbourne for some work but it was a nice relaxing break .
We did end up in shepparton on our way to mildura and that was a serious hole. Found one ****hole hostel and every person in it told us to keep going somewhere else. They were only there because the promise of work had them book a week stay.

lg123

spurious wrote: »

Moe, Victoria.
Dear God.

was just about to mention good oul Moe town!!

frankston is not far behind.

me1724

Have to agree because I'm there now Hervey Bay is the worst place I have been in Australia

irishmover

Coober Pedy by a country mile.

Hervey Bay is nothing in comparison.

aido79

irishmover wrote: »

Coober Pedy by a country mile.

Hervey Bay is nothing in comparison.

I didn't mind Harvey bay when I was there. I've certainly been in a lot worse places. I haven't been to Coober pedy but from the pictures I've seen of it it looks like hell. You know there's something wrong with a place when people live underground. Must be why they chose to film one of the mad max films there.

Caked Karen

I done 3 months up in Tolga in the Atherton Tablelands and nearly lost my life. The working hostel was horrendous and a once a week bus run to woollies which was about 20 mins drive away. Absolutely nothing to do and hardly a person to be seen!

Skibunny77

Most people who bash Alice Springs have rarely spent more than a few days there. I worked there for six months and loved the town, great, friendly community. Yes, the aboriginal social problems are very visible but for myself - and many of my friends who have lived there for years (and also love the red centre lifestyle), they didn't impact our own lives (- with exception of not walking alone at night, which I don't do at home either). Great little town.

seachto7

Skibunny77 wrote: »

.....Great little town.

....in the middle of nowhere! :eek:

AineM2013

I have lived in Alice Springs five years and it's a great place. I can see why someone staying a few nights might dislike it, there are a lot of social issues and problems. However, it's a unique place to live with a great sense of community, something for everyone to do! Would highly recommend the town and the countryside around it!

PirateShampoo

Halls Creek or has anybody who knows it Hells Crack. Population 5000, 4400 of them aboriginal, 4000 of them drunk.

6541

PirateShampoo wrote: »

Halls Creek or has anybody who knows it Hells Crack. Population 5000, 4400 of them aboriginal, 4000 of them drunk.

I would say Halls Creek is some craic alright !

!Nicky!

People who say places like Hervey Bay and Mildura are the worst places theyve been in...?

You definitely havent visited any of the Bumfu*k Nowhere towns in WA and the likes. Places where if you need to buy a TV you either have to fly or drive for hours and hours on end.

Hervey Bay compared to some of the spots i've been in is like New York!

Not even sure the worst places i've been as ive not even known the name of them but literally nothing there. Maybe a petrol station, few cabins and a bar. Pure ****.

lg123

in Moe if you want a TV, you just steal one.

FTroydon

Murray Bridge.....for New Yrs Eve.

mminor

Great Sandy Desert

Was drilling up there

The camals were nice

augustus gloop

gladstone, where i am working now is a tough town to go out for a beer in. a lot of alpha males with lots of cash ready to punch on at the drop of a hat.

fifo in fitzroy crossing a few years back, 6 hours inland of Broome is one to the hottest inhabited places on earth. reg 50+ by midday

Kalgoolie is a horrible place too, but Wilcannia in western NSW takes the biscuit, when working there, we were advised not to leave the motel room after dark as the locals have a very low tolerance of white people

SamAK

I didn't make it to any of the really outback areas, I stuck to the east coast.

Two places - Caboolture (north of Briz) and Gold Coast (south of Briz)

Shopping malls, bogans, high rise hotels, concrete, ute dealers and freeways......complete chintzy cackfest. Ugh.

I stayed in the Northern Rivers most of the time. Gorgeous.

aido79

SamAK wrote: »

I didn't make it to any of the really outback areas, I stuck to the east coast.

Two places - Caboolture (north of Briz) and Gold Coast (south of Briz)

Shopping malls, bogans, high rise hotels, concrete, ute dealers and freeways......complete chintzy cackfest. Ugh.

I stayed in the Northern Rivers most of the time. Gorgeous.

Think you're missing the point a little. This thread is supposed to be about places that the average person would find unbearable to live in not somewhere like the Gold Coast which is a world famous tourist destination and getaway of choice for many Australians.

SamAK

aido79 wrote: »

Think you're missing the point a little. This thread is supposed to be about places that the average person would find unbearable to live in not somewhere like the Gold Coast which is a world famous tourist destination and getaway of choice for many Australians.

The title of the thread is 'worst part of Australia you've been to'. And I specifically mentioned that I never made it to any of the really remote parts.

So no, I don't think i'm missing the point at all. I mentioned some of the areas that i've been to.

Plus, it's all subjective. Some people here say that places like Alice are awful, and then people that actually live there are saying 'no, actually it's really nice when you get to know it'.

I'm giving my subjective opinion. I found a lot of the touristy areas to be god--awful. I dislike tourist traps. I dislike commercial development(like the GC with all those fvcking horrible hotels). I prefer nature, jungles, secluded beaches(preferably nude ones!) and stunning skylines with towering mountains.

Noo

augustus gloop wrote: »

gladstone, where i am working now is a tough town to go out for a beer in. a lot of alpha males with lots of cash ready to punch on at the drop of a hat.

fifo in fitzroy crossing a few years back, 6 hours inland of Broome is one to the hottest inhabited places on earth. reg 50+ by midday

Kalgoolie is a horrible place too, but Wilcannia in western NSW takes the biscuit, when working there, we were advised not to leave the motel room after dark as the locals have a very low tolerance of white people

So outta curiosity I google street mapped wilcannia and wow, just.... wow.

Noo

augustus gloop wrote: »

gladstone, where i am working now is a tough town to go out for a beer in. a lot of alpha males with lots of cash ready to punch on at the drop of a hat.

fifo in fitzroy crossing a few years back, 6 hours inland of Broome is one to the hottest inhabited places on earth. reg 50+ by midday

Kalgoolie is a horrible place too, but Wilcannia in western NSW takes the biscuit, when working there, we were advised not to leave the motel room after dark as the locals have a very low tolerance of white people

So outta curiosity I google street mapped wilcannia and wow, just.... wow.

jackbhoy

Noo wrote: »

So outta curiosity I google street mapped wilcannia and wow, just.... wow.

I dunno the "Wilcannia Athenaeum Pioneer Museum" looks interesting!

Sundy

jackbhoy wrote: »

I dunno the "Wilcannia Athenaeum Pioneer Museum" looks interesting!

Followed by a few beers in the Wilcannia 'Club' Hotel

lufties

Hated surfers paradise because its a plastic souless place. lived in newcastle for 6 months, wasn't too bad, some nice surf beaches but wouldn't stay long term.

Drove the pacific highway twice from brissy to newcastle, there's a few towns/villages along the way that don't seem very interesting.

Otherwise..this place looks creepy (beginning of the video), think its called carinda in NSW

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4d7Wp9kKjA

lufties

aido79 wrote: »

Think you're missing the point a little. This thread is supposed to be about places that the average person would find unbearable to live in not somewhere like the Gold Coast which is a world famous tourist destination and getaway of choice for many Australians.

I lived in Coolangatta for 3 months, it sure is beautiful there but there's no real community spirit, just a transient touristy place, very hard to make friends..I found the locals to be a bit odd too to be honest.

The Sweeper

The Sweeper wrote: »

HAH you forgot the 4pm blast... (Or whatever time it's at. Basically the mine blasts daily and it's not unusual for your whole house to shake.)

Mount Isa is the correct answer, the blasts are 8am and 8pm.
The air sometimes stings your eyes nose and throat. Thats the So2 gas that pumps out of the stack across the road from the town 24/7 365 turning to acid when it touches the moisture inside you.

Anyone who picked a place on the coast (Hervey bay) clearly hasnt done any real travelling in the outback.

Tennant Creek and the super remote outback locations are good picks too, plenty of places like those scattered around the outback and some are real 3rd world conditions.

con___manx1

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Mount Isa is the correct answer, the blasts are 8am and 8pm.
The air sometimes stings your eyes nose and throat. Thats the So2 gas that pumps out of the stack across the road from the town 24/7 365 turning to acid when it touches the moisture inside you.

Anyone who picked a place on the coast (Hervey bay) clearly hasnt done any real travelling in the outback.

Tennant Creek and the super remote outback locations are good picks too, plenty of places like those scattered around the outback and some are real 3rd world conditions.

I agree with mount isa. Weird lookin spot got a speeding ticket there too. I was in that much of a hurry t get out of there haha.

SamAK

Deleted User wrote: »

Anyone who picked a place on the coast (Hervey bay) clearly hasnt done any real travelling in the outback.

The title of the thread is - 'Worst part of Australia you've been to.'

:rolleyes:

Next time I go back daahn unda I look forward to visiting some outback sh1t-holes and reporting back here with my own opinons!

The Oodnadatta track and Lake Eyre interest me...