Elegant, Stately Bilbao

Posted on August 14, 2022 by admin

Bilbao is a city that has became more of a travel destination vs just an industrial city when the modernistic Guggenheim Museum was erected. Whilst the museum is the most striking thing about the city, there are plenty of other historical buildings to enjoy when walking around Bilbao as well as the Basque cuisine.

The Basque region includes both Bilbao and San Sebastian and these people have their own language, history and cuisine. Interestingly, the Basque language, Euskera, is an isolated language. It’s origins are not known but it does not have Latin roots like French, Spanish or Italian. When looking at signs in Basque, the words are mostly unintelligible as are littered with T’s and X’s. It is not related to any other language in the world and is the last descendant of the language of pre-historic Europe.

Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao – including Puppy, the world’s largest flower sculpture

Stained Glass at Bilbao-Abando train station

Bilbao – many elegant and stately buildings wherever you look in the central area

Basque Tuna and Potato Stew (Mamitako) – a fish dish eaten on tuna fishing boats. This stew was hearty and the seafood scent permeated throughout, giving this dish lovely fragrance and flavour.

Red Fish with Garlic Oil – this dish has integrity! The fish is cooked splayed open and drizzled with a salt, oil and browned garlic. It doesn’t look attractive at all on the plate. Note the eyeball! The fish has lots of bones and is hard to eat in polite company. This is not what matters. The meat on this fish was sweet, tender and beautifully cooked. The garlic oil elevated this dish without overwhelming the mild fish. This was foremost about taste and not looks. I like a restaurant brave enough to do that! These are people who know what is important in life!

When visiting Bilbao, we had the opportunity to head out to Plentzia. This is a town about 45 minutes north of Bilbao with a gorgeous, wide, sandy beach. It was a Saturday when we went and there were lot of people heading out for a beach day in Plentzia.

View of the Plentzia River from the bridge (Pasarela De Plentzia) by night

Plentzia Beach – we didn’t realise how great this beach was until we saw how crowded beaches were in the south of France. This is quite deserted in comparison!

The holiday town of San Sebastian in Spain

Posted on August 13, 2022 by admin

Catching the train to San Sebastian, Spain from Toulouse, France, it was striking how the landscape changed from more lush forests to a drier landscape reminiscent of Australia. As we starting walking around San Sebastian, we could feel refreshing coastal breezes. It was such a relief compared to the stifling heat of Toulouse.

San Sebastian is a city which survives on tourism, especially in the summer months. It was clear why when we visited. It has a big stretch of beautiful, sandy albeit crowded beach, elegant buildings and a buzzy summer holiday vibe. People were relaxed, wondering about in brightly coloured summery outfits and sandals. There was plenty of al fresco dining options for eating and drinking.

We did a tips only, free walking tour and learnt that San Sebastian has a whaling history (until they hunted them right out of the area!). Then these coastal people become corsairs which are basically “legal” pirates who raid ships on behalf of the crown and once they give a cut to the crown, the rest was theirs to legally enjoy. San Sebastian also grew when the queen of Spain started to holiday there and when she did, brought much of the court and aristocracy with her. This was how money started to pour into this place and the fancy, elegant buildings were put up.

San Sebastian Beach – Playa de la concha – super crowded in the August summer holiday season!

San Sebastian – these ostentatious bridges!

San Sebastian – another ostentatious, over the top bridge!

Tantalizing Toulouse

Posted on August 2, 2022 by admin

Even before arriving at the Toulouse Matabiau train station, it was obvious we were heading to a busy place. With every approaching station, the train became more and more full. By the time we arrived, every seat was taken and there were people and luggage in the aisles. As we exited the train, there were lots of people waiting to get on urgently. This was probably because, only the people who got on first would get a seat. Despite the strong heat of the day when we got off the train, the city was busy! This was no sleepy town like Limoges! Toulouse is France’s fourth largest city following Paris, Marseille and Lyon.

Due to the searing summer heat, the best time for a wander around town is in the cool of the morning. The afternoon and in particular late afternoon is extremely hot. It was 37C on the day we visited. Unfortunately, the downside of our early morning walk-around is that the attractions were closed. This meant we couldn’t take a peak into some of the historical churches. When walking around Toulouse look around and look up. There are so many stately and elegant historic buildings, narrow alleyways. We even found a hidden church on the way to Monoprix, the local supermarket!

The biggest disappointment of our visit to Toulouse was being unable to get either an English speaking tour to the Airbus factory or even an English speaking “free” walking tour of the city. It’s a real pity. Toulouse is famous for being the home of Airbus and an insight to the Airbus aeroplane factory would have been a real treat!

Saint Jerome Catholic Church at Toulouse – this was the hidden church close to the Monoprix in the Toulouse old city. A man was seen emerging from a dimly lit corridor. Inside were several rooms where church services could be held. There is very little sign of this church from the street.

A statue in Toulouse. Note the space invader on the right side of the wall!

Saint Stephen’s Cathredal (Cathédrale Saint-Étienne)

Canal Du Midi – a 240km long navigable channel, made to help connect the Mediterranean to the Atlantic

Limoges – a quiet gem of a town

Posted on July 31, 2022 by admin

Limoges, France is not a touristy city. It isn’t as pretty as other cities and as a result doesn’t draw a lot of tourists. Nevertheless, there was plenty to see in this town, which seemed very quiet, probably because it’s residents were having their summer holiday by the coast! It was a real treat wandering around town in the cool of the morning while the town’s residents had their Sunday morning sleep in. We had a lot of the attractions to ourselves!

Gare de Limoges-Bénédictins – the train station!

Inside Gare de Limoges-Bénédictins – the train station!

Cour du Temple – a small open area accessible by a small laneway. These buildings were built in the late 1500s / early 1600s.

Rue de la Boucherie – the historic butcher’s lane. This Sunday morning, it is the location of a swapmeet where locals can bring out their household items for sale. Some of the houses in this area date back to the 1200s.

Halles centrales- check out the high roofs of this building! This market is open 6 days a week!

Jardin botanique de l’Evêché – the building in the background used to be the Bishop’s Palace. Now it is an art museum. The gardens of the Bishop’s Palace has been planted with a range of interesting plants. The tree in the left of the photo is actually a papaya tree! What an unexpected choice in this location!

Jardin botanique de l’Evêché – I love the flower beds in the Garden’s of the Bishop’s Palace! It’s a formal garden in shape and does include formal topiaries but the plantings are so varied and interesting. There is kale in a variety of colours, cabbage, tomato plants, parsley, rhubarb, climbers, flowers etc. A crazy mix of colour and texture. I like how fruit and vegetable plants have been incorporated into formal flower beds!

Pont Saint-Étienne – this Medieval bridge was built in 1203 over the River Vienne.

Orleans and Joan of Arc

Posted on July 30, 2022 by admin

In 1429, Joan of Arc, a 17 year old French peasant girl leads a French force in relieving the city of Orleans which had been besieged by the English. She did it because Christian saints told her too. Nevertheless, she changed the course of French history and Orleans, the town has not forgotten despite the many hundreds of years that has passed.

Joan of Arc statue outside Hotel Groslot. Her skirt has holes in it. These are
bullet holes from a battle for the liberation of Orleans in August 1944.

Joan of Arc in Place Du Martroi (the central square)

Maison de Jeanne d’Arc- a 1960s reconstruction of the 15th-century house that hosted her between April and May 1429 (the original was destroyed by German bombing in 1940). The world’s largest Joan of Arc research centre is upstairs.

Orleans is a lovely town to visit even for those without an interest in Joan of Arc. The cathedral is spectacular and includes many gothic elements. There are many stone buildings which are all in excellent repair and scrubbed very clean.

Cathédrale Sainte-Croix d’Orléans – the gothic detailing is quite scary. Imagine a world without the internet or horror movies……these open mouthed terror filled faces would haunt your nightmares! They are hard to see in this photo!

Inside Cathédrale Sainte-Croix d’Orléans

Hôtel Groslot – built around 1550, Nothing was too exquisite for Jacques Groslot, baillif of the King of France

Street in Orleans lined with giant Ukrainian flags

There are many charming al fresco restaurants along the cute, narrow stone laneways in Orleans. We indulged in some buckwheat galettes followed by a Nutella crepe!

French Buckwheat Galettes – seafood/cream/leeks/cheese and chicken/camembert/cream

A view from Orleans from the Loire River

The Little Unexpected Surprises Arriving in the United Kingdom

Posted on July 27, 2022 by admin

Australia and the United Kingdom are like family. They are very similar culturally. Despite that, there have been a few surprises coming here.

Visitors to Australia are often apprehensive about our venomous and dangerous animals. They watch the documentaries listing our venomous snakes and spiders, the man-eating sharks and crocodiles and the deadly (but almost invisible) Irukandji jellyfish. I therefore expected to arrive into the United Kingdom, a countryside settled for centuries to be benign when it comes to dangerous flora and fauna. There may be no large wild animals but there are stinging and thorny plants aplenty!

On our first day here, we were introduced to stinging nettles, an innocuous looking weed common in the countryside. They sting if contacted against the skin. There is also a shin height weed called a thistle with sharp prickly leaves. The Christmas Holly shrub actually has spiky leaves all over. Last but not least are brambles! This hardy shrub grows like a weed. Rough, tangled and prickly with thorns! What a surprise to find so many stinging, thorny and prickly plants in this country! Watch where you walk!

The upside to the thorny bramble bushes are the sweet blackberries they produce. You can find blackberries growing naturally all over as well as wild strawberries. I want to learn more about the edible plants I can forage in this country because who doesn’t love free food! There is a lot to learn actually. There are plenty of strange new trees and plants that I cannot as yet name or identify e.g. yew, cedar, elm, poplar, beech, yarrow etc.

Despite the recent reports of a terrible heatwave, the weather has cooled down significantly. British people are a cold hardy sort, with the ladies wearing their bright summer dresses in temperatures that would have Australians zipping up their jackets! It is so cool that butter is kept out on the counter in a butter dish and the bread is kept at ambient in a bread box! This would not be the norm in Darwin where the humidity and heat would melt the butter and grow mould on the bread.

There has been a discovery of a couple of surprising foods that are new to me. Damson gin is a sweetened gin made with the fruit of the damson tree. A small, dark blue, ovoid, plum like fruit that is too sour to be eaten as is but with gin, sugar and time, it turns into a sweet, port-like drink, perfect for an aperitif or a nightcap.

Another new food is the pork faggot. Pork faggots are meatballs made of pork offcuts, offal and other herbs and seasonings. It’s a traditional food in the UK. Here is another example of a “waste not, want not” or “nose to tail” eating which is a lesson from the past that has lost favour but should be re-invigorated as move into the future. Reducing the number of animals being farmed is good for the climate. This can be achieved by eating less meat and eating all parts of the animals to avoid waste. Consuming non-traditional parts of the animals such as the liver can also be healthier than the usual cuts.

The striking thing about visiting towns in the UK countryside is how the varied the architecture is, reflecting the time when they were built. An example would be the historic old Warwick town with its 1000+ years of history and a majestic, medieval Warwick castle looming over the town. Contrast this against the neighboring Leamington Spa, a more recently built town that grew when it’s waters were purported to have medicinal qualities. The Georgian and early Victorian architecture in Leamington gives it a completely different vibe to the historic Warwick town despite being in such close proximity to each other.

Warwick Plaque – check out the dates!! 1100 years of history!

Compare these towns again to the big city of Birmingham with a population of over 4 million people. Skyscrapers, large modern shopping malls, modern architecture adorn the heart of this big city. Birmingham is a city buzzing with the excitement of the upcoming Commonwealth Games which they are hosting.

Birmingham – a city with more canals than Venice or Amsterdam

Another surprise in the UK is the diversity of the accents in the one country. Whilst there are a few regional differences in the way Australians speak, the range in accents is miniscule compared to the variation in accents that can be heard from the UK. These reflect differences in regions as well as socio-economic backgrounds. Despite the differences in accent however, there is one common thread that has been unanimous thus far. Everyone in the UK has been really lovely, kind and warm.

One more thing which I suspect doesn’t change regardless of the country are politicians. We caught the recent debate between the two leadership contenders for the leadership of Britain, Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss. This comes not long after watching the leadership debate in Australia between Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese. Both the Australian and British debates were the same with the aggressive positioning and posturing, the persistent interruptions and insistent hogging of the limelight. They were both equally hard to watch, undignified and basically seems to confirm that politicians (in general) despite how hard they try, are simply unable to come across like trustworthy, normal human beings with integrity.

A highlight thus far in the UK has been attending a play, Richard III at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford Upon Avon. This gorgeous town, the birthplace of Shakespeare has a touristy main street full of old Tudor buildings and a large theatre in a prime location overlooking the Avon River. The production was excellent. It always surprises me how well versed British people are with the history of their kings and queens. Then again, considering how incestuous, violent and drama-filled it all is, it does make a compelling story!

View of the Avon River from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre

Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford Upon Avon

Superheroes Live Amongst Us!

Posted on May 15, 2022 by admin

Today, was the Sydney Morning Herald Half Marathon. We were unaware of this as we set off on a (comparatively short) bike ride around the sights of Sydney. A half marathon is a crazy 21km long. Turns out this is one of Australia’s most iconic and largest half marathons. It takes in many of the big sights of Sydney e.g. the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. Iconic it may be, but Sydney is a hilly city and there are hills on this route. Seems cruel to arrange a route with hills considering the massive distance these poor runners had to endure!

Our first hint that there was a running event were some people walking away with bib numbers pinned to their shirts. We did not understand then, that these people were the absolute cream of the crop and had already finished their 21km morning run.

Next, we rode along the sidewalk of the road which formed the final leg of the half marathon. At this point, there were loads of runners streaming past us, giving it their all, on the final leg. They had amazing rhythm and groove to their running, and they must have been relieved to get close to the end. Grit, sweat, resilience and determination was written all over their faces. They were a diverse bunch. Not just all the sinewy marathon types you would come to expect. There were men and women of all different ages, races and sizes. There were quite a number that you would never expect, based on their physique, would be capable of running such a long distance.

As someone who wants to slow to a walk after 90 seconds of slow jogging, the idea of running 21km is unfathomable and an unreachable goal. Yet, hundreds of people were doing it! And this bunch, was doing it with, dare I say it, some ease! Yes, they looked exhausted and hot, but their run had an unstoppable rhythm. There was no doubt they would easily make it to the finish.

No photos of the runners because I was strangely transfixed looking into their faces, wondering how much they were hurting and how they could keep going. Also, because I try not to take photos of people for the blog without their consent.

Some time later on, we came upon the stragglers. These were runners who had slowed to an exhausted walk. They were passing the hydration station where volunteers were still cheering them on as if they would win the race. I really commend them for taking on a half marathon and kudos to the volunteers for providing such encouragement and facilitating the hydration station. Other volunteers were spaced along the route, some were keeping up a constant stream of encouragement to the passing runners. What legends!

The most amazing thing was, riding through the city later on and seeing these runners, still with their bib numbers pinned on, melding back into the normal population with us mere mortals. These superheroes, distinguishable only on this special day with their bib numbers and medals were morphing into mum’s, dads, sons, daughters, friends etc. We saw runners walking home!! Seems insane after such a massive physical feat to have to then walk home! We saw runners who had turned into mothers, dealing with their whingey kids. Some were walking and munching on an apple, others had stopped for a well deserved brunch, many were chatting on their phones or with their friends. All were highly functioning despite just running 21km! They had all cooled off and looked almost normal. You could not tell that these people had just run 21km! They were now, just people, going about their Sunday, getting on with the things they had to do.

These superheroes, live amongst us every day!!

These people are such an inspiration. They are our aspiration.

Tips for a Backpacker Roadtripping Australia

Posted on April 29, 2022 by admin

Travelling in a new country is exciting but sometimes, the mundane stuff of life can be frustrating. This post is for a person new to Australia and specifically targeted for someone who wants to travel around Australia by road. This is all the boring information to keep you safe and help you save money so you can get on with the fun stuff.

The blog will be split into two sections; safety tips and cost saving tips. For costs, frugal tips will be provided for all the major expenses for road-tripping Australia i.e. fuel, accommodation, food, sightseeing, gear etc.

SAFETY TIPS

Australia is a big country. Don’t underestimate the distances! Stay awake and alert when you drive. Pull over for a rest if you have to. Fatigue can cause accidents and a high speed accidents can easily by fatal.
When travelling in remote areas, understand the capacity of your fuel tank and know where you can buy fuel next.
Always have water in your vehicle and take water with you on remote walks.
If you breakdown, stay with your vehicles instead of walking off to find help. Many tourists have died walking off to look for help. You are easier to find by your vehicle.
The sun is strong in Australia. Slip, Slop, Slap i.e. Slip on a shirt, slop on some sunscreen and slap on a broad brim hat.
Listen to the locals and obey signage when it comes to animals such as crocodiles and jellyfish. Yes, you may be hot and desperate for a swim but there is a reason why no one else is in the water!
Snakes are usually more scared of you than you are of them. As you tramp through the bush, they will hear your noisy approach and slither off.
There are some venomous spiders. Just use your common sense and take reasonable care and you’ll be fine.
DO NOT drive at dawn and dusk. This is when many animals are more active. You are at a MUCH greater risk of driving into a kangaroo or even a cow. If you have to drive at that time, lower your speed and watch carefully. These animals can behave unpredictably and you will have less warning than you think.

MONEY SAVING TIPS

FUEL

Fuel is a big expense on a road trip especially considering the distances involved in traveling around Australia. Always look for the cheapest fuel along your route. If you deviate a great distance from your route for cheap fuel, it could be a false economy.

You may only save a few dollars each time but the savings accumulate. These websites are useful for finding the cheapest fuel. Most states and territories have accurate fuel prices information provided by the government except for Victoria and Tasmania. The information in Petrolspy in Victoria and Tasmania is crowdsourced so can be inaccurate especially for remote or small fuel stations.

New South Wales (NSW) – https://www.fuelcheck.nsw.gov.au/app
Queensland (QLD) – https://petrolspy.com.au/
South Australia (SA) – https://petrolspy.com.au/
Tasmania (TAS) – https://www.fuelcheck.tas.gov.au/app
Victoria (VIC) – https://petrolspy.com.au/
Western Australia (WA) – https://www.fuelwatch.wa.gov.au/
Australian Capital Territory (ACT) – https://petrolspy.com.au/
Northern Territory (NT) – https://myfuelnt.nt.gov.au/

Other tips for saving fuel include

When planning your trip, do your research and plan an optimised route so you don’t double back to see something you have missed. Minimising the number of kilometres you drive, saves fuel and saves wear and tear on your vehicle, thereby reducing maintenance costs and increasing vehicle re-sale value.
Take advantage of supermarket fuel discounts. Coles provides a 4c/L discount when you spend more than $30 in their store. The voucher is on the bottom of your paper receipt. Woolworths does similar but their vouchers are automatically stored on your Woolworths Rewards Card. These discounts only apply in affiliated fuel stations (which despite the discount, still may not be the cheapest!)
G’day park membership gives 4c/L off at Coles Express fuel stations.
Drive slower. The sweet spot for fuel economy is about 80km/hr.
Do not speed. Speed radar cameras are used because they are a good revenue earner for the government. Even just 2km/hr over the limit can get you caught and the fines are often steep and you will also get demerit points. Penalties are even harsher on public holiday long weekends to minimise road deaths.

ACCOMODATION

These accommodation tips assume that you will be camping. If you will be staying in hotel type accommodation, the advice is to shop around. For camping,

Download the Wikicamps app. There is a tiny fee but it will pay back many times over. This app will tell you where you can camp including places you can camp for free. For each place, it will tell what amenities are available e.g. toilets, showers etc. This app is absolutely essential for road-tripping Australia. An inferior free alternative is Campermate.
Free camp – There are plenty of areas set-up where you can rest overnight or free camp. Some of these will include drop toilets and/or picnic tables. Use Wikicamps to find these or there will road-signs that pre-empt the turn-off to a rest area.
The two big caravan park chains in Australia are Big4 and G’day parks. Big4 charges consistently more per night but tends to be newer and nicer. Both offer a quality and consistent product. For $50, you can purchase a 2 year membership which will get you a 10% discount for each night stayed and other perks. For value for money and a greater number of locations around Australia, I recommend a G’day park membership. They also often sell their membership at a reduced price of $35. G’day park membership also comes with a fuel discount at all Coles Express fuel stations.
Plan ahead around busy periods e.g. school holidays. Things get crazy around school holiday times in popular holiday destinations. The price for accommodation goes through the roof and that’s if you can get something! We were quoted $110 a night for an unpowered campsite on the Great Ocean Road on Easter weekend! In Kalbarri, there was absolutely nothing to be had during the school holidays as a recent cyclone had damaged a lot of the pre-existing holiday accommodation.

FOOD

To save on food in Australia, it is almost always, especially in remote areas, cheaper to cook yourself rather than eat out. If you are in the big cities, there are discounts to be had eating out. These are documented in this blog post.

Coles and Woolworths are the two nation-wide large supermarket chains. You will find these in all but the smallest towns.
If you are in a big city, it will be cheaper to shop at Aldi
If you are heading to remote areas, stock up so you don’t have to shop at tiny, small town supermarkets at a premium price.
Supermarkets often mark down items close to their expiry date. Take advantage of these if you can. I find Coles is better for these types of discounts.
Shop at markets and food court stalls near closing time. Often, they are trying to move their stock to avoid waste and will discount heavily.
Don’t waste your money on buying water. The water out of the tap in Australia (unless marked otherwise) is potable and can be drunk as is without any further treatment e.g. boiling. Drink tap water!
Join the Woolworths Reward card program and Flybuys for Coles. As you shop, you can accumulate points for additional discounts.

GEAR

When travelling around the country, you are likely to need some stuff e.g. camping stove, clothes, shoes, sleeping bags, pots and pans etc. Here are some places you could look for this stuff. This list is ordered from least expensive to the most. My suggestion is to look online (if you can) to confirm they have what you want at a decent price before heading to the store.

Check on Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree – secondhand stuff can often be much better quality than you would have purchased new and it’s better for the environment.
Thrift shops e.g. Vinnies, Salvation Army, Good Sammy – a great choice for secondhand clothing and kitchenware.
Bunnings – this is a nation-wide chain of hardware stores selling hardware, plants and other household items. Here you can buy 20L water containers, butane cannisters, folding chairs, camping stoves for a reasonable price.
Kmart, BigW, Target – these stores are nation-wide chains selling clothes, kitchenware, bedding and homewares. If you are looking for casual clothing, bedding or camping gear, check here before heading to more specialist stores. It may not be high end fancy but it will be a decent quality and functional.
Decathlon – This shop sells outdoor and sporting goods at an excellent price point. Unfortunately, there are only stores in NSW and Victoria so it is not widely available.
4WD Supacentre – this store specialises in camping accessories and outdoor gear with a focus on road-tripping. Their prices are good and they often have specials. You can also order stuff online.
BCF and Anaconda – Do you research and pounce when they go on sale!
For completeness, I will finish this list with the high end outdoor shops but DO NOT shop here if you are a budget backpacker e.g. North Face, Macpac, Paddy Pallin, Kathmandu.

BUYING AND MAINTAINING A VEHICLE

The most useful resources in Australia when buying a vehicle are;

Carsales.com.au
Facebook Marketplace
Gumtree
Facebook groups – there are Facebook groups selling all kinds of vehicles e.g. Vans for Sale NSW, Australia Car Market / Campervans for Backpacker / Traveler etc.

When buying a vehicle, always do your research to understand all the costs and requirements which can vary from state to state. Registration costs can vary depending on state and each state has different requirements in regards to the requirement for vehicle inspections. Understand how much stamp duty will cost.

When buying stuff for your car e.g. engine oil, coolant etc., these are the nation wide stores that sell vehicle stuff in order of cheapest to most expensive. Remember always to check online and compare prices.

For vehicle servicing;

Try to plan your vehicle servicing for when you are in more populated cities. These are likely to have more mechanics and therefore more price competition. Shop around for the best price.
Some mechanics may allow you supply your own engine oil. You can then buy your engine oil on sale and pay only for labour. Call and confirm with the mechanic as not everyone will allow this. Make sure you know what oil to get because it will be your fault if you get it wrong!
Some nation-wide franchised mechanic chains offer a warranty where they will rectify issues caused by their service at their other branches. Some of these chains will even include a roadside assistance service as a perk of getting a service with them. Some nation-wide mechanic chains include; Ultratune, MyCar, RepcoService etc. Do your research as to which one of these provide these types of warranty.

In regards to vehicle insurance, always shop around as the price can vary significantly.

SIGHTSEEING

Visiting local parks and botanic gardens are free. These are often well planted with an interesting and diverse range of plants and may be adjacent to picturesque lakes and rivers. They often include additional amenities such as picnic tables, public toilets and sometimes BBQs.

Exploring a town or city is also free unless you join a paid tour. With all the information available on the internet and easily accessible on your phone, it’s easy to learn more about any location. Explore the main street of a small town or drive/cycle along the waterfront roads to gawk at the fancy, expensive houses! Most towns or cities that are built by the water, whether it is a river or the ocean will often have a nicely built waterfront area perfect for a lovely, scenic stroll.

Beaches are free and freely accessible in Australia, in contrast to the paid private beaches e.g. in Europe or areas where private property is built in a way that blocks free public access to the beach e.g. Asia or Europe.

There are many free lookout points in Australia and access to national parks is relatively cheap when considering that the rangers have the never-ending battle keeping out invasive plant species and feral animals, ensuring the walking trails are safe and maintaining toilets and other amenities. National parks are areas of stunning, untouched natural beauty.

MOBILE DATA

Shop around when looking for a phone plan as prices vary greatly. We were with Circles.Life with 100GB plans at $30.

Telstra is the mobile network that has better coverage in remote areas but they can be very expensive. Optus was OK. We had coverage in most populated areas and even in some surprise locations e.g. the campground at Karijini National Park. In a 2WD vehicle, we knew that even if we broke down somewhere without phone coverage, another vehicle would come along soon enough who could provide assistance.

MISCELLANEOUS

Toll roads exist in some major capital cities. Either set your GPS to avoid them completely or do your research on the cost and how to set-up for payment.
There is a minimum wage in Australia therefore, tipping is not the cultural norm.
When you can, zig when other people are zagging. Try to predict what the masses will be doing and consider if doing the opposite could get your better price e.g. if everyone is heading out of the city for Easter weekend, maybe there is cheap city deal you can take advantage of.
Don’t throw useful stuff away, sell it on Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree.

Hope this helps you stay safe and save some money. Enjoy your journey around this beautiful country!

Let me know if there is anything I have missed.

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