The question of bravery

Quite strangely, I get asked the exact same questions in the exact same order every time somebody finds out about my travel plans. It goes like this:

1. “So where are you going?”
I always have that double take of…I just told you – Australia, before I remember they actually mean “where exactly in Australia?” This is also my least favourite question because I’m not just going to one place! I’m flying to Brisbane, then heading south for fruit picking, followed by Melbourne in december for a concert and then Sydney for christmas and new year. After that, who knows?

After initially replying with “um”, I now have this answer memorised. I think I worry though, that my answer is too long. This is something I worry about a lot actually; that I take up too much time, that if I say something or tell a story it can’t be too long. I don’t think boys have this concern.

2. “Are you going with anybody/friends?”
“Um, no.”

But I think it’s better this way. If I get a job, I don’t need to worry about the other person getting one in the same place. If I want to stay somewhere, I can, if I want to leave, I can! Travelling by yourself means the ultimate freedom.

3. “Do you have family out there?”
“Nope!”

4. “Ooh you’re so brave!”
Okay this one isn’t a question, but again is said without fail.

For me, this move is a brave one, yes. I spent most of my 17th year in hospital, and the last four and a half years in varying degrees of unwell. I was discharged from hospital less than six months ago, and still rely on my parents a lot. I am not your average 18 year old! Because I think if I was, it wouldn’t be particularly brave. People go on gap years all the time! Plus I think Australia is one of the safest places to go…it’s just a hotter version of the UK right?!

I’m not worried or scared. I would be more worried to stay here, in actual fact. I need a change, some freedom, a chance to make friends and build up my life again. To find a church I love and to follow my passions. I won’t get those things staying here.

In many ways it would be easier not to go. The path of least resistance! But every time I wanted to back out in the beginning, I remember those Taylor Swift tickets and knew that I couldn’t. The nerves are mostly gone now, replaced by excitement and restlessness. It’s six weeks tomorrow until I go, and I can’t wait!! In three and a half weeks we go on holiday, I need to be ready by then. It’s not long!

5. “Your mum must be so worried!”
This one is always funny because I always answer “No, she’s actually really excited for me!” – but when I think about it, I realise that this maybe just be my truth. I think probably she is worried, but mostly only shows her excitement.

6. “Who are you flying with?”
This one is only asked 50% of the time, but without fail I always misunderstand and reply “…I’m flying by myself…” when really they’re asking about the airline. “Ooh, singapore.”  Que nodding.

Maybe next time I’ll remember, as I’m sure to get asked these questions many more times before I go!

– T

Transferring Money

Whilst looking at my Comm bank account I noticed that there was a fee for transferring money – 11 AUD. Not terrible, I thought, and the more you transfer the less painful that is. But having just looked into it further today, I can’t find anything as low as an 11 AUD fee on their website! So, I took to google.

This article on ‘Money Saving Expert’ is great at looking at the various options for cheaper international bank transfers. What caught my eye were the following websites:

* Transfer wise
* Currencies Direct
* Fair fx

The good thing about them is that they’re “authorised” which means that they keep their business’ money separate to their clients’ – ie. if they go bust, I wont lose my money. Note that this is not the same as “registered”, where there is no protection for your money if the company goes bust.

I compared how many australia dollars I would receive if I sent 1000 GBP and got the answers 2098.30, 2110.65 and 2071.60 respectively. So Currencies Direct was winning. From reviews, they also seemed like a safe bet.

Next, I called my bank (Halifax) to find out how much they would charge me. The lady on the phone explained I would need to either come in to branch, or do it online to find out the exchange rate, but that there was also a £9.50 transfer fee.

Internet banking being the least effort, I logged on and went to payments and then international payments. They had a handy calculator, that lets you work out how much you’ll get. For £1000 I would get 2038.90 aud, but if you take away the fee that leaves you with 2029.40 aud (I think!).

With such big numbers, it’s easy to think there’s not much of a difference. But in comparison with Currencies Direct, I’d end up with 80 less australian dollars. I could buy a lot with 80 AUD! So I think I’ve found my transfer service.

I made an account with them, and then found out about their “watch a rate” service. Here you can sign up for an email or phone alert when the exchange rate hits a certain point. This is ideal for me because I don’t have the patience to constantly watch and wait for the best rate, but with this I feel I can at least gain something by waiting a little and seeing if the rate improves even further. I may as well try and get the best for my money…

– T

Collecting…

This week I’ve started collecting things to take, and keeping it all together in my poppy bag. So far I’ve stocked up on hayfever tablets, tissues, hand sanitiser and toothbrushes.

Whilst making a list of things I want and need to take, I came to realise that moving out (which is essentially what I’m doing) means there are actually a lot of things i need to buy eg. toothpaste and nail clippers etc.

Not quite as glamorous as moving out sounds!

This £20 note I was given today as thanks for looking after my neighbor’s dog for a couple of days. I’ll be putting it in my having-fun-in-australia fund, and in case you’d like to know what that will go to: take a look at my bucket list.

– T

To fruit pick or not to fruit pick?

It’s probably the question that every single working-holiday-visa-in-Australia-backpacker asks themselves. To fruit pick or not to fruit pick? To be eligible for a second year of a working holiday in Australia, the humble backpacker has to complete either three months or 88 days of “regional work” which mostly means fruit picking. To quote WWOOF, this disadvantages anybody who isn’t a twenty something, very fit, strong, white male. But doesn’t that sum up most of life? I’ll save that (rhetorical) question another blog post!

I had actually initially dismissed the idea of fruit picking because

1. Three months is a long time
2. It’s fruit picking…who would want to do that?
3. I was only going for one year and then back to the UK for uni (or an access course and then uni to be precise)

However, my mum started researching it which meant I had a look. The idea of a second year definitely interested me, as I worry that one year might not be enough if I want to both see all the main sights, and settle somewhere for a longer time to really make good friendships and enjoy the lifestyle. And what if it takes me nearly a year to find that place I want to settle?? My worried little mind was soothed by the idea of more time.

What really clinched it for me was finding out that your second year doesn’t have to follow your first. You can postpone it right up until your 31st birthday. Perfect! That would give me the freedom to either stay on if I wanted to, or come back and get trained up in Occupational Therapy, before going back out again in a few years.

The next step was more research. I read all the blog posts I could find about people’s experiences and noted that there weren’t many, and the most weren’t particularly positive. Tales of back breaking work, huge spiders, and tyrannical bosses certainly planted seeds of doubt. Lack of toilets at the farm, 12 hour days and weeks without work didn’t sound appealing either. My mum was naturally concerned, but being stubborn as I am, I told her that I’d already made up my mind. (And unlike when I insisted I would go for the cheaper flight – and then didn’t – and that I would fly to Australia just three days after returning from holiday – and then reconsidered – I really meant it)!

The place I decided on was Coffs Harbour. Mum had sent me a document from the government harvest website listing all the fruit picking places in Australia. Spotting the dot on the east coast, I scrolled to the page for Coffs Harbour. Here they grow bananas, blueberries, avacados, stone fruit, coffee and macadamia nuts. I also found a working hostel called Aussitel that offers free transfers to airports/train stations and free surf board, scuba gear and more to use! Since further research, I’ve only heard brilliant things about them which is a nice change from looking for a hostel in Brisbane!

I decided to start my trip with the fruit picking, because it would help me get to know lots of people, and also mean there’d be no frantic rush at the end to get in my 88 days. It also means that if I like somewhere I go, I can stay there with no worries about time running out, and still needing to fit in fruit picking. Also, as I’m going in September it hopefully wont be too hot for the most part…

One thing to note about the three months is that it has to be consecutive. So, if you go away for a few days (for example to a taylor swift concert), you can then only count the days you work; and to get the visa you need to work 88 days. This works out as more than three months. In contrast, if you work the three months in one go, your weekends count despite having them free. Definitely the better option!

My problem is that I’m going to see Taylor in Melbourne on the 12th of December, so that only just gives me three months – I really need to start working as soon as I arrive in Coffs. This is a point of great nerves for me; what if I just run out of time? What if it rains so we can’t pick (that’s a thing – nobody can pick if the fruit is wet) and that day then doesn’t count towards my 3 months? What if I can’t find work?

I contacted all the churches in Coffs Harbour to find out about their young adult things, and also ask about fruit picking. I needed to know if it was going to be as bad as everybody else had said! They all replied, and two referred me to the same girl called Spliv. She lives in Coffs and also picks fruit at a local farm! Perfect 🙂 We’ve exchanged a couple of emails so far, and she gave me the contact details of the farm she works at in Corindi. I’ve sent them an application form, so hopefully I’ll be able to get a job with them, as Spliv says it’s nice place to work. If I could have a job lined up already, that would be amazing!

So, after my three days in Brisbane I’ll be taking the train down to Coffs Harbour for three months of fruit picking. Hopefully I’ll be working at Costas berry farm in Corindi in the week, and surfing all weekend. Not to mention getting involved with the young adult group and church. I know that it’s going to be really hard work, and I’m anything but fit, but it’s a challenge which I plan to rise to. I’m stubborn – I can do this! And everyday I’ll get stronger. Nothing ventured, nothing gained – these words have stuck with me when thinking about fruit picking; and there is a lot to be gained.

– T

Airport plans

As a planner, I have of course attempted to map out my entire year several times… and then given up with an aching head. The thing is that I have no idea what I’m letting myself in for! I don’t know what awaits me, or what I’ll enjoy the most, but this is what makes it an adventure.

So here is what I know: On September 4th 2015 I will be flying from London Heathrow to Singapore. The flight is 12 hours and 50 minutes, and leaves at 11:30am. Google maps says it takes just over an hour to drive to the airport and Heathrow’s website says I need to be there three hours before departure. That would mean leaving home 7am ish – which I can’t see happening!! Let’s just say my family are always late.

I’ll get in to Singapore 7:20am local time, and my flight to Brisbane leaves at 9:40am. I’ve worked out this will feel more like 2am and so I can’t decide if I’ll be exhausted and grouchy or my body will be tricked into thinking its morning already. Long haul flying will be weiird.

After the 7 hour 50 minute flight to Brisbane, I’ll arrive 7:30pm local time (feeling like either 12 noon or 5:30pm). There’s an airport transfer by Con-X-ion for 20 AUD (9.59 GBP) that should take me straight from the airport to Bunk Brisbane – my hostel for the first few days.

After a hopefully wonderful nights sleep (I’m not holding my breath), I will have the weekend to have a look around. I’ll need to find a medicare office and register with them; go to my branch of Comm bank to activate my account and pick up a debit card; and I’ll also apply for my tax file number. I’ve planned to go to Hillsong Brisbane Sunday morning, and then early Monday morning (5:55am) I’ll take a train down to Coffs Harbour for fruit picking – more on that to come! – which should arrive just over 6 hours later at 11:05am. I’ll need to pack a good book…

– T

Bank accounts and tax stuff – before or after arrival?

So probably my next step is setting up a bank account. I feel overwhelmed by the things I still need to buy and organise, and yet at the same time struggle to think of things I need to do. A mad rush a few days before I go is not what I want.

I actually go on holiday to Germany for two weeks at the end of August, which is exactly five weeks away. I will then be left with just four days to prepare (or five, if you count the day of departure). Scary!

I’ve just had a look at Commonwealth bank. Google has advised me to set up an australian bank account before I go, and this seems like a good one. I was initially concerned about the monthly fee, but because I’m under 21 that won’t apply – yay. However, at the first hurdle I was asked for an australian mobile number… which I don’t yet have.

Second try and I went via their ‘Moving to Australia’ page, which asked different questions like when I’d be arriving in Aus. Couple of clicks and I’m done. I’ll need to go to the bank when I arrive with ID to activate the account.

Tax wise, I apparently need a tax file number. I’ve been on the Australian government website however, and it seems like I can only get that once I’m in Australia. Hopefully it’s simple, because apparently you have to pay 48% tax without it – ouch.

– T

Insurance and Visas

So the fun stuff (not).

Having done a bit of googling, I was recommended “World Nomads” travel insurance. My details were: one 18 year old traveller to Australia, from the UK, leaving 3rd September 2015 and coming home 5th September 2016. I figured an extra day couldn’t hurt; although I actually hope to be an extra year – more on that to come.

The options were standard (£294.19) or explorer (£355.25) and being the kind of person who hates to spend money (maybe travelling wasn’t the best choice!) I immediately discounted the explorer… until I looked at the small print.

So, it turns out the standard doesn’t cover your money being stolen or getting lost, nor transport delays, missed departures, natural catastrophe evacuation or hijac. (On that note, what is hijac??)

Explorer it is then. Go big or go home. I clicked next, and was presented with a page asking me to list any higher value items and their estimated price. Suspicious, I typed in my laptop, phone and camera, to find the higher I put each estimated price, the higher my premium rose. Fab. It was at that point I started to wonder about the excess, or apparent lack of one. That would make the slightly higher price worth it, right?

Clicking back a page, I find the inconspicuous link to a document detailing the scope of the cover and the excess. What’s an excess? The amount you have to pay before the insurance will pay out.

So, the excess for items is £75. This meant that my just-bought-this-week phone of £130 upped my premium by £25 and I would need to pay the first £75 resulting in money received from an insurance claim being just £30. That will buy me a new smartphone for sure…

Ended up deciding not to bother adding these items on and instead hoping and praying they don’t get lost/stolen/damaged. There was also a box to type in various activities you would be doing such as surfing, office work, scuba diving etc. One of the more strange ones was video gaming – why would you need to declare that??

I had a play about with what would add to my premium. White water rafting is fine (free) but zorbing is not. Horse riding is also okay, manual work without machinery will add over £100 though. Ouch.

That done and dusted, I paid nearly £400 a felt a little hard done by.

The visa, on the other hand, was simple enough. I’d initially considered letting STA travel do it for me, but it wouldn’t have been worth the extra cost. A few forms later and I’d sent off my visa. Despite being told I’d need travel insurance before applying, I was never asked about that, nor was there a question about previous mh sectioning.

One thing of concern was that they only give out a certain amount of visas each year, and once they’ve hit their limit they no longer accept anybody! Wish I’d known that before buying the flights and travel insurance…

I’d been told it could take up to two weeks to hear back, but I got my acceptance within two hours. Such a relief; no turning back now!

– T

Flights – the first step

I wanted to book the flight before the visa because you only get one working holiday visa in your life, so I wanted to be 100% sure I would be going. Committing was very scary, maybe because I came up with the idea and found myself booking flights in the space of a week. So spontaneous and not like me at all. Also not part of my five year plan! But I feel so at peace with the decision.

Onwards. Having looked at a price comparison website, I immediately settled on China Southern Airlines for my flight to Brisbane (from London) as this was by far the cheapest option at just over £400 for the single. On a walk with my mum however, she highlighted the point that it’s an extremely long time to be on an aeroplane, especially as I’ve never flown long haul before, and comfort has to come into it. Plus we don’t really know much about the Chinese airlines.

So, my parents gave me a list of the “top” airlines to look up which were: Virgin, British Airways, Singapore, Qantas and one I couldn’t find anywhere and I’ve now forgotten the name of. Sorry! I looked up the prices of all of them, and found Singapore to be the cheapest at £630. It also had a much nicer flight time; by starting in the morning it meant I’d arrive in Brisbane in the evening the next day, whereas with the China Southern Airline I’d only arrive the day after.

I then looked up reviews, and found that Singapore airlines was spoken of positively, though many people said it was the most expensive, which was not my experience. It also seemed like it was one of the airlines that gives each person the most room – for comparing this Seat Guru was very helpful.

However, we actually managed to get the end price of the flight to £580. How? Price matching! My lovely mum did a lot of researching, trying to find the same flight for cheaper using websites like sky scanner etc. However, we felt uncertain actually booking with these websites and so went to STA travel with the quote we’d received. They then agreed to match the price, meaning we booked the flight in a safe way, and saved £50. It may not be hundreds, but it meant I felt a bit better about choosing to buy a seat with more leg room for the first and longest leg of the journey (London to Singapore – 12 hours 50 minutes!).

– T

Why Australia?

When I tell people that I’m moving to Australia, “Why?” is a question that hasn’t come up very much (“Not MOVING” corrects my mum, who is understandably concerned that I will fall in love with an Australian and never come back). However, I do see the question linger behind people’s eyes and so where better to explain it than in this blog.

Why Australia? Why travel? Why?

About the blog and I

This is me in Italy, on my first ever adventure.

My name is Tori and this is my travel blog. Feel free to comment or ask any questions along the way!

On September the 3rd I begin my gap year to Australia. This blog will be a chance for me to share my ups and downs of travelling, as well as documenting all the things that I learn and experience along the way.

A little about me: I’m 18 years old, and from the UK. I love surfing, the sea, sunshine and cats (although I may be allergic). I was ill for a while, hence the “life after” – I want this blog to show my journey post illness, because there is a whole world out there and I plan to explore it!

– T