TNT Magazine: Australia

March 19-25 2012 Issue 673 tntdownunder.com

!R IEN W O F S DIV

SKY MATE YOU AND A AND IN SYDNEY ACH MISSION BE

GOING BONKERS Hong Kong’s city and country breaks

LIFE OF BYRON Sun, sand and sinning in Byron Bay

S K R A M R U O ON Y

all ie rules footb s s u A is t a rt th onderful spo w d n a d ir e the w Your guide to + THE RUM DIARY’S AMBER HEARD JOB TIPS COMEDIAN DES BISHOP TRAVEL ADVICE

ANDREW WESTBROOK EDITOR editor@tntdownunder.com

EDITOR’S LETTER While it does, slightly depressingly, mean that summer is most definitely on its way out, sports fans should be rejoicing as this week sees a return to the world of oval balls and tight shorts that is Aussie rules football. It’s the biggest sport Down Under (sorry league fans, it’s true), so getting to a game, preferably at the MCG, is a must. We’ve got a preview of the season and who’s who on p6.

THIS WEEK OZ DIARY

4

MUSIC & FILM

14

CELEB GOSSIP

22

COMPETITION

24

NEWS

28

SPORT

29

TRAVEL

30

LISTINGS NSW

46

LISTINGS QUEENSLAND

48

LISTINGS VIC

52

LISTINGS NT

55

LISTINGS WA

56

LISTINGS TASMANIA

58

LISTINGS SA

58

LISTINGS NEW ZEALAND

59

LISTINGS FIJI

61

WORK

62

TRIVIAL PURSUITS

66

34

16

FEATURES MATCH POINT

6

It’s Aussie rules season again. Get your head around the sport with our guide

AMBER’S DIARY

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Texan actress Amber Heard on playing Johnny Depp’s muse in The Rum Diary

LORD BYRON

34

Chilling out in beautiful Byron Bay and getting blissfully numb in Nimbin

DONKEY KONG

40

We go city and country in the supreme stopover trip of Hong Kong

18

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OZDIARY EDITORIAL Editor Andrew Westbrook Staff writer Alex Harmon Editorial assistant Leigh Livingstone Contributors Paul Winslow | Tom Sturrock | Joanna Tilley | Laura Chubb

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DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Design and production manager Lisa Ferron SALES Account manager Justin Steinlauf Sales executive Caroline Ward MARKETING & EVENTS Business development manager Tom Wheeler Marketing assistant Leroy Meurs DISTRIBUTION Lee Sutherland

TNT MULTIMEDIA LTD CEO Kevin Ellis Chairman Ken Hurst Australia general manager Vicky Harris PUBLISHER TNT Multimedia Limited PRINTED BY Rural Press NEWS AAP PICTURES Getty Images | Thinkstock | AAP | TNT Images | Tourism Australia | Tourism Victoria | Tourism New South Wales | Tourism NT | Tourism Queensland | Tourism Tasmania | South Australia Tourism | Tourism Western Australia | Tourism New Zealand | Tourism Fiji TNT Magazine , 126 Abercrombie Street, Chippendale, Sydney, NSW 2008 tntdownunder.com General enquiries Phone 02 8332 7500 Fax 02 9690 1314 Email enquiries@tntdownunder.com SALES ENQUIRIES

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THE MAIN EVENT AFL 2012 PREMIERSHIP [AUSTRALIA]

The Australian Football League kicks off its 2012 season this Saturday (March 24) and the first game is set to be a doozy. New kids on the block, the Greater Western Sydney Giants take on the mighty Sydney Swans in this mammoth local derby. Can they win their first game in their first ever premiership since stomping into creation? Sydney’s ANZ stadium tickets start from $8 for general admission if you want to catch it live, otherwise games are broadcast on Channel 7 and Foxtel. You can always pop into the pub for a schooner to watch the rest of the games. It’s the traditional way to follow the Aussie rules.

Further info at afl.com.au $8

SEE tntdownunder.com/magazine-location.html for pick-up points

THE SWISS FESTIVAL [MELBOURNE]

This smooth festival is on again and the big names headlining this year are Diesel, Jon Stevens and Nat Cole. It is completely free to catch over 56 blues artists at the four stages or other venues around the Gold Coast. Cruise on up and get very funky.

We have them to thank for army knives, Lindt chocolate and cheese with holes in it. All fantastic inventions, and you can celebrate many more things Swiss at this fun festival north of Melbourne.

Go along for a culture fix or just your chocolate fix.

Just like us, Viva Victoria is all about cultural diversity. There will be plenty of multicultural music and dancing to enjoy.

Plus markets full of great food, arts and crafts from around this funky globe of ours. We are all about the free events this week and this one is no different.

March 24 – 27 Broadbeach, Gold Coast bluesonbroadbeach.com

March 25 The Austrian Club, Heidelberg swissfestivalaustralia.com

March 25 Federation Square, Melbourne multicultural.vic.gov.au

FREE

TNT Magazine is printed on paper from sustainable forests.

There is no business connection between the proprietors of this magazine and TNT Ltd, the worldwide transportation group. Copyright here and abroad of all original materials is held by TNT Magazine. Reproduction in whole or part is forbidden, except with permission of the publishers. Registered by Australia Post.

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VIVA VICTORIA [MELBOURNE]

BLUES ON BROADBEACH [GOLD COAST]

FREE

FREE

Is it a classic contact sport of skill, bravery and courage, or just 36 men fighting over a weirdly shaped pig’s bladder?

Welcome to the wonderful world of Aussie rules football WORDS PAUL WINSLOW

For the majority of backpackers hailing from western countries, Australia is not a difficult place to acclimatise to.

There are no culture shocks, no major practical differences to get your head around and it’s much like any other first world country. You can rely on getting cash out of an ATM, the beer is annoyingly expensive, they understand the rules of cricket and the multimillion dollar global brands that add an element of certainty to an uncertain world are readily available. You don’t really have to work hard to fit in.

And then you watch your first game of AFL and wonder which planet you have landed on, because you’re not in Kansas anymore.

AFL is one of very few truly mononational sports. We just made that word up, but it means a sport that is played (almost) exclusively in one country. While there have been attempts to export it, and some countries have 6

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tentatively dabbled, this is a game that not one of the other 256 nations on Earth has ever got excited about. In truth, certain regions of Australia failed to get excited about it for a long time as it was very much a Victorian affair.

Western Australia and South Australia also had a big interest with their own leagues, but Victorian passion for the game is a level above. Take ‘footy’ away from Melbourne and its inhabitants would walk around the city in a daze pondering the pointlessness of existence (before getting into heated debates about which café has the best coffee).

So what is it and how do you play it?

Its basis is the same as any possessionbased team ball game. There are four posts at either end of a pitch based on a cricket oval – the game having been invented to give cricketers something to do during the winter. Kick the ball between the middle two ‘goal’ posts and you score six points. Slot it between one

of the ‘goal’ posts and the other ’behind’ posts and you get one point.

Players can run with the ball as long as they bounce it every 15 metres. To pass the ball they kick it or handball it, which is akin to punching the ball. Throwing the ball is illegal. Any player who cleanly catches a ball that has travelled 15 metres or more from a kick or handball claims a mark and has the option of a free kick – i.e. the chance to kick the ball from hand without any interference.

So basically, you grab the ball, kick or punch it to your team-mates, run while bouncing it and when you are close enough to the posts you kick it between them. What could be simpler?

Like most sports of this ilk, the simple premise is complicated by a variety of more impenetrable rules, but we’ll leave it at that for now and introduce you to the teams... to help you out we’ve drawn some comparisons with English Premiership teams.

Photos: Getty Images

The rules of engagement

Footy facts

Photos: Getty Images

• The first Aussie rules match took place on August 7, 1858, between Scotch and Melbourne Grammar schools.

• The Victorian Football Association was formed in 1877.

This was usurped by the Victorian Football League, established in 1896, which then became the AFL in 1990.

• The AFL takes the format of a league and then finals. The top eight teams go into the finals, leading to the Grand Final to crown the true champions. If you think that seems a little harsh on the league winners, you’ll be even more perplexed to learn that during the normal season not all teams play each other twice.

• AFL works on a salary cap basis, so theoretically teams cannot dominate in the same way the mega-rich do in proper football.

An unhappy Collingwood fan = a popular sight for most AFL supporters

ADELAIDE CROWS Adelaide are the only team to have never lost a Grand Final in which they have played. Admittedly they have only played two, but you take your glory where you can get it. Deeply unfashionable unless you’re from Adelaide – a bit like Newcastle.

BRISBANE LIONS Formed in 1996 after the first ever AFL / VFL merger of Brisbane Bears and Fitzroy, the Lions won three straight premierships between 2001 and 2003.

And since then nothing to write home about at all. At least they now have a local rivalry (GCS) to add some spice.

CARLTON BLUES They have more Premierships than any other team alongside Essendon.

But they haven’t been to a Grand Final since 1999 and have only won once since 1988. So, they’re Liverpool, basically.

Crows captain Nathan van Berlo TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

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Collingwood bad boy Heath Shaw

FREMANTLE DOCKERS They’ve only been in existence for 17 years, but in that time they’ve have had so little effect on the game that you could be forgiven for not noticing their existence. A bit like Wigan or some other team we have forgotten precisely because they are forgettable.

GEELONG CATS The reigning champions who won their third title in five years in 2011. Until their recent run of success they had not won anything since the 60s, so they are the Chelsea of the AFL world, without the Russian oligarch spending billions on their players of course.

GOLD COAST SUNS Last year was their first in the competition and they finished bottom of the table. With the introduction of Greater Western Sydney they are now the second youngest club, but time will tell whether this means a concurrent elevation to second-worst.

HAWTHORN HAWKS No matter how many titles they win, they’ll always be renowned for their unfortunately-coloured guernsey that has them universally referred to as the poo and piss. Brilliant in the 80s and 90s, won the title as recently as 2008, Arsenal fans should be keen on this lot.

ESSENDON BOMBERS Feel the history. Feel the glory. Feel the fact that they haven’t won anything for over 10 years and still remain the joint most successful club in the game’s history. They remind us a bit of Everton in that they have had success, but only older people can remember it.

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NORTH MELBOURNE KANGAROOS Six of their 10 wins were between the years of 1903 and 1915, but they did manage a pair in the 70s, then again in the 90s. We can’t think of a team analogy, but their greatest player, Wayne Carey, is famous for having an affair with his best mate’s wife, à la John Terry.

GREAT WESTERN SYDNEY GIANTS

Essendon and the Swans grapple for possession

The AFL’s expansion continues with the introduction of a second Sydney-based team. Likely to be in a three-way fight with Gold Coast Suns and Port Adelaide to avoid finishing bottom of the heap.

It’s not a lofty ambition but you have to start somewhere.

RICHMOND TIGERS Hugely successful in the 1970s and early 1980s, but it all ended there and there has not been much to get excited about since. Leeds United anyone?

Their club is based in the shadows of the MCG and Richmond are in the shadows of the bigger teams.

PORT ADELAIDE POWER If you’re the worst team in the league you get the best draft picks next year to improve your squad. But because Greater Western Sydney are a new team they got most of the best picks, which means Port are likely to be abysmal again. Become a fan if you’re a masochist.

COLLINGWOOD MAGPIES If you support Manchester United, or you’re the kind of person that would start supporting them if you had to choose a team from scratch, then Collingwood is the team for you.

Most supported, most disliked, one of the most successful.

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From left: Cats legend Cameron Ling lifted the trophy last year before hanging up his boots to become a TV commentator; The Eagles’ Chris Masten and Patrick McGinnity share the love

ST KILDA SAINTS

SYDNEY SWANS

WEST COAST EAGLES

They’ve been around forever, have awesome history and tradition and you think they must have a litany of Grand Final wins behind them. And then you find out they somehow contrived to only win it once and realise they must be, erm, Nottingham Forest.

In 1982, the South Melbourne Football Club became the Sydney Swans to help expand the attraction of the game beyond Victoria’s borders. One Premiership win and a split personality means they are hardly trendy, but your humble writer supports them anyway.

In 1987, the expenses bills of AFL clubs went through the roof as the Perthbased club entered the competition.

Their players immediately started racking up frequent flyer miles and also three Premierships in 25 years. They have definitely made an impression.

WESTERN BULLDOGS

MELBOURNE DEMONS

Roos captain Andrew Swallow

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Formed in 1859 and one of the founder members of the VFL, Melbourne is another club that boasts a fine history and, on the face of it, their 12 titles look pretty respectable. Then you notice that the last one was in 1964 and they remind you of Huddersfield.

One Premiership. A single, solitary piece of silverware to show for around 90 years of participation in the VFL / AFL. If you meet a Bulldogs fan you should put your arm round them and be nice. They need the love – kind of like Blackpool fans in England.

NEXT WEEK Northern delights: NT’s greatest hits for the dry season

WIN big with WIN a $2,400 AJ Hackett bungy package If you’re heading to New Zealand, pay attention. This massive prize will see you, and a mate, doing the seven major Hackett adrenalin thrills in Kiwiland, including the daddy of them all – the Nevis Bungy, just outside Queenstown.

Entries close: Sunday, May 27th

WIN Gold Coast kickboxing tickets We’ve got two double passes to witness the best of the best take to the ring for Total Carnage on the Gold Coast. Only one man will end the night as the World Full Muay Thai Heavyweight Champion. Will it be local boy Nathan Corbett?

Entries close: Monday, April 2nd

WIN Sydney & Mission Beach skydives Can’t decide where you want to do a skydive? Well, why not just do two? We’re giving away jumps for you, and a mate, in our two favourite dropzones – over Sydney city and in beautiful, tropical Mission Beach. See p24 for more.

Entries close: Sunday, April 1st

WIN a double pass to Creamfields Fancy a free ticket to see David Guetta, the world’s most in-demand DJ, when he heads Down Under? Well, we can help you do just that. We’ve teamed up with Creamfields to offer two of you a double pass.

Entries close: Monday, April 2nd

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SOCIALSCENE

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THE RUM DIARY FILM REVIEW by Tom Sturrock STARRING: Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, Michael Rispoli | CERT: MA | 120mins | Out now

LE HAVRE FILM REVIEW by Alex Harmon STARRING: Andre Wilms, Blondin Miguel | PG | 93mins | Out March 29

An African boy arrives via shipping container to the town of Le Havre (in Normandy) only to outrun the authorities and end up under the wing of aging shoe-shiner, Marcel. Instead of becoming an immigration polemic, this film takes a heartwarming path where audiences watch a relationship blossom between a lost little boy and an old man who is equally as lost in his dayto-day mundane life as he yearns for the artistic, bohemian ways of his Parisian past.

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Paying homage to Hunter S Thompson, the eccentric kingpin of Gonzo journalism, The Rum Diary offers a likeable line in old-school hedonism and ripping yarns but a rambling focus means it lacks the urgency and balls-to-the-wall commitment.

Booze-worn journalist Paul Kemp (Johnny Depp) arrives in Puerto Rico to start a new job on an ailing English-language rag, The San Juan Star. Falling in with a cast of oddballs and arseholes, wheeler-dealers and dangerous women, Kemp fights corruption – after initially abetting it – and drinks heroically throughout.

At its best, The Rum Diary is enjoyably chaotic – there are cockfights, car chases and a hermaphrodite voodoo witch-doctor. It is also, at times, beautifully atmospheric – vibrant carnival scenes, glorious coastal vistas, old journos drinking in beach-side bars until relentless tropical rains roll in. It’s all great fun – eminently watchable, stylishly shot and accompanied by a cracking soundtrack.

At one point, though, Kemp laments, “I’ve got no voice – I don’t know how to write like me”. The film suffers similarly, failing to settle into a story it wants to truly inhabit. Its early episodic structures infuses the Diary with adventure but bleeds it of momentum; much of the set-up proves tangential when the film is left groping for a satisfying resolution – Amber Heard’s smoking-hot female lead, for example, is jettisoned two-thirds through and Aaron Eckhart’s shady property developer simply wanders back to his beach-house, never to be seen again.

GOOD FOR: Those who like style with their substances

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CHIDDY BANG BREAKFAST

BOOK

NOW!

ALBUM REVIEW

As the album name would suggest, this is the best way to start the day. Full of energy, wholesome beats and a damn lot of sugar. The duo that bridge the gap between rap and indie pop have finally released their overdue debut album. Fans have been hungry, but thankfully the album is worth the wait.

First single, “Ray Charles” a gospelchoir sampling track about the blues legend himself is infectious and poppy, it’ll make you wanna put on the black Ray Bans yourself and “Tell ‘em I don’t need no walkin’ stick, my shit costs a grip”. The other highlight is “Talking to Myself” with its violin and love-lost lyrics. “Baby Roulette” is a little on the cringe side with its 80s video game sounding tones and safe-sex message wrapped up in McDonalds references.

Overall an enjoyable album – it’s got the hip-hop, crackle and pop. AH Out now on Capitol Music

AVOCA MUSIC FESTIVAL FESTIVAL

A three-day indie music festival held in a charming Victorian township. Pack up your camping gear and surround yourself in the calming music of some of Australia’s best folk, blues, roots and country music. There are plenty of other things to keep you amused, such as bush poetry readings, market stalls and barbeque extravaganzas.

March 23-25. The Pyrenees, Avoca avocamusicfestival.com

PUBLIC ENEMY It’s hard to believe the rap group and social-political icons have been around for 25 years.

They’ve been added to the Groovin’ the Moo lineup, but you can catch their sideshows in metro parts of Oz too. The announcement comes on the back of the news that the Enemy will be releasing two albums: Most Of My Heroes Still Don’t Appear On No Stamp in June and The Evil Empire Of Everything in September. Catch them live in Brisbane (May 10), Sydney (May 11) and Melbourne (May 15).

Tickets from $77. publicenemy.com

O’MALLEY’S SYDNEY

HARRY POTTER EXHIBITION

BAR

EXHIBITION

This Irish bar is rockin’ every night of the week. It’s renowned for its fantastic live music and if that’s your thing you won’t be disappointed. You will hear all the ol’ Irish favourites as well as modern tunes to keep you on the dancefloor. As you would expect in an Irish bar, the “craic” is always good and the Guinness ain’t too bad either.

It seems Sydney just can’t get enough of Harry Potter as they’ve extended the Hogwart’s exhibition for another three weeks. If you haven’t seen it yet, get down to Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum to gaze at artefacts, props, costumes and sets from the film. See the Resurrection Stone, the Invisibility Cloak, the Elder Wand and more!

228 William Street, Kings Cross

Until April 9. Powerhouse Museum, Sydney

FRASER ISLAND TRIP

WIN

We’d hate for you to miss out on an east coast adventure so TNT has teamed up with Palace Adventures to offer one lucky reader a chance to win a three day/two night Fraser Island camping safari and bonus two nights accommodation. To enter, just ‘like’ the tntdownunder Facebook page and enter your details. More info at: tntdownunder.com/competitions.html TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

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CHATROOM

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Des Bishop The Irish-American comedian is coming back to Oz with a new routine. His last show was about cancer, but he assures us this time you’ll get more bang for your buck...

INTERVIEW ALEX HARMON

but most of them hate it. But I found it quite inspiring, the culture and the way language gives you a different outlook on life. It certainly wasn’t to appeal to a mass international audience.

The only non-drinking Irish rapper Tell me about the new show Des...

Well the last show that I did, it was good but it was an intense, emotional show, so the new show is definitely not that. It’s not about cancer.

There’s a little bit of music in it. I was given a set of electronic drums as a present and I quite liked the comic potential. That’s what the title is all about, “Des Bishop Likes to Bang”.

Oh, I thought that was something else...

Oh yes, well, there is a little bit of stuff about banging, as all comedians like to do. There’s some stuff about going grey and just general stand-up stuff. The main difference is the music and the audience participation too.

Any rapping in this show?

Always rapping, it’s the only music that I can really do. I’m not freestyling, I leave that to other people. You know, I am going to let the audience help me make music. It should be fun.

Was it strange moving from the US to Ireland as a teenager?

Well, I went to boarding school in a rural part of Ireland after living in Queens, New York, so you know, it was a massive life change. A lot of the guys I went to school with were like farmers and shit. I remember being 15 and I actually 16

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pulled a lamb out of sheep’s vagina. So that was obviously such a massive culture shock.

How is US humour different?

Americans definitely laugh at simpler stuff.

Actually, Americans will laugh at anything.

Who are your favourite audience?

Well, probably Irish, but that’s just because I am used to them. Although I do love a black American audience, I don’t know what it is genetically but they just fucking laugh. It’s like a workout when they laugh. They don’t just make a noise, their whole body moves. They sway, they stamp their feet, they smack each other.

So, was your dad almost James Bond?

The book [My Dad was Nearly James Bond] is about my dad’s acting career before I was born.

And yes he once had an audition for a James Bond part. The book is really a memoir of my father and about how he dealt with lung cancer.

It’s also about how I turned his cancer into a show, part of that was to get him back on stage.

You’re passionate about the Gaelic language. Why is that?

Well because I learned it in 2007-8. Everyone in Ireland has to learn the language at school

I read there was some Twitter criticism?

Oh listen, this happened yesterday. You’re pretty onto it. The guy who wrote that fucking article is a real arsehole. Like I don’t even talk to that guy. I was launching an Irish language website, which was like two years of work. And one of the points I am making about this website is that when you speak Irish on Twitter it’s quite tedious, because when people respond in Irish, the people that don’t speak it make stupid comments. But he is just an entertainment journalist and he just turned it around and said there were abusive comments on Twitter about the Irish language.

Basically he’s a fucking retard.

You can’t trust ‘em!

I know! Oh, and separately, this Irish TV presenter just found out she has cancer so he fucking asks me about that and I deliberately gave a very generic response but then he goes and writes this piece saying that I know what she’s going through and puts a fucking headline on it about me! And now I am going to have to go to this girl who I am relatively friends with and say listen, I honestly wasn’t talking to the press about your illness.

What a snake.

It’s doubly worse because I have actually gone out with her sister. It just makes it so awkward, man. That’s the inside scoop on how frustrating it can be with these journos.

What are you doing for St Patrick’s Day? I’ll be in Australia. I don’t give a shit about St Patrick’s Day, I’m a non-drinker. I’m looking forward to ANZAC Day though, and the footy at the MCG. I just like the footy, man.

Catch Des Bishop’s show in Brisbane (Mar 20-25), Melbourne (Mar 29-Apr 22), Sydney (Apr 27-28) and Perth (May 3-5). desbishop.com

Amber Heard at the London premiere of than The Rum Diary More a Mentalist 18

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Miss American Dream girl Starring opposite Johnny Depp in the new Hunter S Thompson adaptation, The Rum Diary, Amber Heard lacks nothing for ambition WORDS TOM STURROCK

Film lore is full of memorable entrances by female sexbombs. There’s Bo Derek cantering through the surf in 10 or Cameron Diaz stealing the show in The Mask with the help of an eye-popping red dress. Amber Heard’s arrival in The Rum Diary can be added to the list – her character, Chenault, emerges from the luminescent waters of San Juan, in Puerto Rico, a vision of unobtainable beauty – a mermaid at midnight – that leaves Johnny Depp’s character, boozy journalist Paul Kemp, slack-jawed and besotted. As glamorous as it might appear on-screen, though, Heard insists it was not so pleasant to film.

“It was a very cold, very deep bay. The water is murky on a good day – I couldn’t even see my elbow. They told me they had a diver down there to ward off any creatures.

Like one diver? What is he going to do if a shark comes?”

Heard recalls. “Later, we were on the boat, standing on the edge, looking out over the bay – there were lights hitting the water and we could see the creatures swimming past the boat. When I could see them, I was mortified that I was swimming in there, pretty much naked. At the end of the day, it was probably worth it, but it was not fun.”

On the flipside, Heard was in her element in the exquisitely filmed scenes where she and Depp drive along Puerto Rico’s immaculate coast. Looking every bit a matinee idol and flirting outrageously, she eggs him on to drive their borrowed classic car, a cherry-red convertible, ever faster.

It was, Heard says, a good day at the office. “I’m in this ‘58 Corvette with Johnny Depp, driving up the coast of Puerto Rico on this beautiful summer’s day, and I thought, no matter how this turns out, this is great. I like this scene.

“They did not let me anywhere near the steering wheel of that car. It’s probably a good thing. I would have done significant damage.”

Inseparable from the story told in The Rum Diary is the story of its author, legendary journalist and hell-raiser Hunter S Thompson, who wrote the novel when he was just 23 but failed to find a publisher. Thompson went on to forge a career as the unhinged, inebriated, shotgun-wielding pioneer of gonzo journalism, a man whose most famous work was Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which was also adapted to film with his close friend Depp assuming the lead role. However, The Rum Diary, Thompson's tale of a jaded

journalist trying to reconnect with the world, via the bars and backstreets of San Juan, sat moldering in his basement until being published in the late 90s. Depp soon resolved to bring it to the big screen. And such was his commitment

“

I was mortified seeing all the creatures after I'd been swimming, pretty much naked

”

to the project, perhaps heightened following Thompson’s suicide in 2005, that Bruce Robinson, who made his name by directing cult classic Withnail And I, felt he had little choice but to sign on, adapting the screenplay and then calling the shots on set.

“It was basically Johnny – I don’t think I’d have done it under any other circumstances,” Robinson explains. “When you’ve got a guy of his talent and his stature nagging you

The late, great, Mr Thompson

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Heard is Depp’s leading lady and (below) the pair are joined by Bruce Robinson at the premiere

Heard has a bad-girl streak and (below) Depp persuaded Robinson to direct

down the line – his confidence in me was very reassuring – it’s his funeral. I finally said, ‘Oh bollocks, I’ll have a go’.”

And, as the man tasked with taking Thompson’s splenetic prose and adapting it into a film, Robinson is adamant that Heard’s role, skinny-dipping and joyrides aside, transcends mere decoration. Ostensibly, her character is Depp’s leading lady – one third of a love-triangle that pans out like The Great Gatsby in reverse – but there is a subversive edge to it.

Chenault is, without getting lost in abstractions, a cypher for a kind of air-brushed, aspirational perfection.

“She’s a shorthand – the thing that obsessed Hunter all his life was this notion of the American Dream. All his work obsesses on that concept,” Robinson explains. “She’s the dream girl – that’s why she got cast – she’s like every boy’s fantasy, that lady. But the dream can be quite cruel and those who run the dream are ruthless people. That’s what I was trying to say, and so was Hunter S Thompson.”

Heard is a fan of the original book, and of Thompson’s work in general, so the allusion is not lost on her; nor is the requirement for a rarefied kind of physical beauty – hers, as it happens – to dramatise it. “She, on the surface, epitomises not only the American Dream but the people who own it,” Heard says. “I liked that she looks likes an archetype of a leading lady – this 1950s housewife in the making and an iconic symbol of a woman at that time – a commodity that wealthy men strive to obtain.

“She represents all that, superficially, on the surface, yet is not that underneath. She’s flawed and vulnerable and fiercely independent and rebellious. She’s the kind of girl who will sneak out of a party to go skinny-dipping by herself in the ocean. I kind of like that about her. She’s a rebel. I like that she’s not what she looks like.”

It is hard to conceive a neater segue into a discussion of Heard’s career. Undoubtedly, her roles to date, in a variety of action movies and horror flicks, have traded on her appearance, her wholesome, Texan good looks shot through with a streak of bad-girl lasciviousness.

“I am aware that the way I look puts me in a certain category,” she concedes, with a level of understatement that does nothing to detract from her frustration with an apparent ‘blonde ceiling’. According to Heard, being sexy gets your foot in the door, and then it gets you typecast.

“We categorise women in one of two ways and if you’re seen as beautiful or sexy then your only options in terms of character descriptions are beautiful and sexy. That affords you a certain amount of opportunity but that opportunity leads to a spark and never a flame,” she says.

“The other category – there’s a lot in there – you can be seen as witty, intelligent, independent, you can be seen as a bitch, as vulnerable, as smart or as funny. People might take you seriously, but you cannot be beautiful or sexy. If people see you that way, then you are out of that category. It’s incredibly limiting.”

Heard, like Chenault, is determined to break the mold, to prove she’s more than the sum of her appearance – as undeniably appealing as it may be. ”I want to create characters for as long as I can and tell stories for as long as I can,” she says. “But unfortunately, I’m not given those opportunities because I’m often boxed into the first category, but I’ll continue to try to blend the two as best I can. I’ll try.”

The Rum Diary is out now. See p14 to read our review.

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Official

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21

2/02/12 5:08 PM

CELEBGOSSIP

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Kim usually loves Hamm...

ONLY A MAD MAN WOULD MESS WITH KIM

[USA]

RUSSELL HURLS ABUSE WITH HEART [UK]

When Russell Brand threw a phone at a photographer I struggled to figure out who it was in tribute to. Naomi Campbell? Russell Crowe?

Turns out I was way off. Here’s the scene: Rusty got pissed off at an eager photographer, stole his phone and threw it at him in front of several other paps. (Well played, by the way, Mr Brand). Then the next day, instead of apologising, he calls it a tribute to the late Steve Jobs.

He tweeted in typical Brand fashion, “Since Steve Jobs died I cannot bear to see anyone use an iPhone irreverently, what I did was a tribute to his memory.”

Again, well played, well played.

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Girl next door: Anne Hathaway has a bone to pick with the entertainment industry.

She said: “When people refer to me as a ‘regular’ girl... it’s code word for ‘fat’ in Hollywood.” Hmm, actually Anne, you don’t have an ounce of fat on you, I think they’re referring to your average (or in Hollywood speak) nondescript looks. Another Hollywood way of putting it would be to say “girl next door” looks. So many ways to say bland.

OLSENS SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE [USA]

She’s had a career since she was an embryo so it’s no surprise that the child actor is hanging up the actor’s cape.

Ashley Olsen says she’s quitting acting. After 25 years slaving away behind the camera she should be entitled to some sort of retirement fund.

In an interview with Elle UK she said: “We (Ashley and MaryKate) worked until we were 18. Then we decided to take a break and go to

school – and that was when we decided to question whether we would carry on in entertainment. It was time to step behind the process.

I wanted to work on other things.”

Coincidence that her younger, hotter and seemingly more talented sister Elizabeth is now shining under the spotlight?

Ashley is hinting at behind-the-scenes work.

I think like most washedup child actors she’ll end up directing. Ron Howard is keeping the chair warm for her.

Photos: Getty Images

Kim Kardashian has hit back at actor Jon Hamm for referring to herself and Paris Hilton in an interview with Elle UK, as “fucking idiots”.

To be honest, I would be more offended at being in the same category of insult as Paris Hilton but, whatever.

The Kardashian with the biggest lips, hit back on Twitter, saying, “I respect Jon and I am a firm believer that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and that not everyone takes the same path in life. We’re all working hard and we all have to respect one another”.

Paris Hilton obviously agrees because she hasn’t said a word about Hamm’s comments. Or in her case, any publicity is good publicity these days.

The sad thing is, for such a respectable and hard-working actor, had Hamm not dropped the K-bomb, no one would be talking about his interview in Elle UK.

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Can anyone hear “cha-ching”?

TWEETS OF THE WEEK @MissKellyO “Sid just came back from the doggy day spa he had a blue berry facial, oatmeal bath, many-pedy & blow dry he looks #scrumdiddlyumptious” @Keshasuxx “Wailing on an EPIC track with @thedoctorluke & @ itsbennyblanco THIS is the dawn of a new genre of music: COCK POP!!!” @Rove “@aplusk I see dead people.

I think there’s something wrong with me”

JESSIE WRITES (ABOUT THE MONEY, MONEY)

@Tamminsursok1 “Opps! I just pinched the butt of a man at the gym that wasn’t my boo!”

[UK]

She might only be 24 years old, but Jessie J doesn’t think that’s too young for a tell-all autobiography.

She’s just been picked up by Simon and Schuster to pen her life away (like a dude).

Now I’ve always wondered why these stars call them autobiographies when they’re not really going to slave away, night after night, typing out the intimate details of their life. If she’s a writer then Kim Kardashian is a actress.

Anyway, Jessie says the book will reveal details of her heart condition, going to the same school as Adele and her bisexuality.

Move over Hunger Games, JJ’s got sex, scandal and a sob story. With a triple threat like that, it’s a guaranteed best-seller. Sigh.

SADE SIDELINES ADELE [UK]

So she cleaned up at the Grammy’s but as it turns out, Adele is not the highest-earning British musical act in the US for 2011. Turns out it was Sade.

Who, I hear you ask?

Well, she was pretty big in 1985, even winning a Brit Award. You might remember the song “Your Love is King” with its smooth sax – it’s the kind of music you’d expect to hear during happy hour at a bar frequented by barren divorcées.

Her greatest achievement last year was putting out a ‘Greatest Hits’ compilation, which is the musical equivalent to a garage sale. Only the truly desperate care. Still, the sales and tour earned her $16.4m.

Anyway, the big lunged girl from the Tottenham block didn’t do too badly, raking in a cool $13.1m. She would have earned more but she had to cancel shows in the US due her Marlboro Light-encrusted

@DaneCook “Offered to take a girl out to get fisted, gobstopped & maybe grab a bite at Souplantation. She asked what time. Texting makes it all so coy” @SimonPegg “The great thing about working in space is that there’s hardly any traffic on the way there” @DevonESawa “What I really like to do at the gym is get on the treadmill, bump the speed up to a 14,the incline to a 6 and start screaming ZOMBIES!”

Out of work – can he Bear it?

throat. Still, even though Sade is the English music industry’s proverbial bread winner, we still think Adele is the best thing since sliced salami.

IT’S NOW MAN VS UNEMPLOYMENT [UK]

Bear Grylls has been dumped by the Discovery Channel.

Speaking of dumps, we can all breathe a different sigh because we’ll get a bit of a break from watching him eat and drink his own excrement.

A spokeswoman for Grylls confirmed that he has been let go because he failed to come to a mutual contract agreement with Discovery. They have immediately terminated productions with the wild man.

Sure, it was pretty “wild” the first time he drank his own urine but after seven years of trying to teach us how to do it (never going to happen, by the way) it’s getting old. I’m sure he’ll have a new show soon enough showing us how to survive unemployment by harvesting toe jam.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK I am not really sure.

Are you from a tabloid?

Thanks for noticing, you bitch

Jamie’s remarks to an Aussie journalist who asked if he’d put on weight...

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HOW TO ENTER

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Go to tntdownunder.com and click on the WIN page. See webpage for terms and conditions. Winners will be selected at random.

Competition

WIN tandem skydives over Sydney AND Mission Beach Travelling tends to make you do things you wouldn’t necessarily try if you were stuck at home. Like skinny dipping for example, or living off a diet of goon and noodles. Scaring yourself silly in all manner of bizarre and inventive ways also tends to fit into that category and there’s no denying that the age-old classic of all adrenalin thrills has to be doing a skydive. Indeed, often the biggest debate is not whether to do one, but where? So, to help you out, TNT has teamed up with Australia Skydive Group to solve the dilemma for you.

We’re offering one lucky reader, and a mate, a free tandem skydive in both Sydney and Mission Beach.

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THIS PRIZE INCLUDES: SYDNEY SKYDIVES: Enjoy spectacular views of Sydney Harbour and the Blue Mountains, before landing at Penrith Lakes, as you and a mate drop from 14,000ft in the only skydive over Sydney city.

MISSION BEACH SKYDIVES: Admire the Great Barrier Reef, the rainforest and the surrounding islands, before you and a mate land on the beach next to the exclusive Bali Hai Skydive Resort at this world famous location.

Includes free transfers from Cairns.

worth

$1,200

Competition closes midnight AEST Sunday, April 1, 2012. Log on to tntdownunder.com for further details and to enter.

Fed up of carrying around heavy guidebooks?

Then TNT has the answer We’ve published our 2012 Independent Traveller’s Guide to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.

It’s free, it’s online and it’s full of tips on where to go, what to do and how to find work.

FIJI W ZEALAND & AUSTRALIA NE

It’s also got listings for all the best hostels, tour companies and job agencies for all three countries, complete with links that will take you straight to their websites.

T THE INDEPENDEN

UIDE TRAVELLERS' G JI

If you’re travelling on, there’s also sections on Papua New Guinea and Samoa.

2012

To check it out, just head to tntdownunder.com and click the link on the right hand side.

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27

WORLDNEWS

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Drop your shirts and give me 20

THIS WEEK

IN NUMBERS

25

Weight, in pounds, of a giant turkey, known as Godzilla, that terrorises an elderly Detroit woman when she goes out

AB-FITCH IS AB FAB [ITALY]

Women, aged 50 to 76, of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;singing babushkasâ&#x20AC;? who won the right to be Russiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entry in the Eurovision Song Contest

2.51

6

Height, in metres, of 29-year-old Sultan Kosen from Turkey. He is the Guinness World Recordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tallest man in the world

Abercrombie & Fitch are in trouble with unions after it emerged male staff in a Milan store are forced to do push-ups.

A former male employee said staff are forced to do push-ups and squats in front of a manager if they fail to measure up to store rules and regulations.

Female staff are also scrutinised, say the unions. They are allegedly told to have a â&#x20AC;&#x153;clean and naturalâ&#x20AC;? look and are asked to scrub make-up off if they wear too much.

THE WIRELESS ISSUE [USA]

An agency has been criticised for using the homeless as mobile wi-fi devices.

Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) gave 13 homeless people living on the streets of Austin, Texas, mobile wi-fi devices.

The scheme allows people to purchase wi-fi internet access from the people â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;carriersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for a fee of $2 for 15 minutes of access. The money goes directly in the pocket of the homeless â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;hotspotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

Critics say the scheme is in poor taste.

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SPORTNEWS WORLDNEWS

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AVB, in a nutshell

NO NEED FOR VILLASBOAS TO SIGN ON

RUSSIANS WANT MESSI AND RONALDO Anzi Makhachkala assistant coach Roberto Carlos has revealed he wants to sign both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo when their contracts expire.

The big-spending Russian club, that already boasts the very highly paid Gus Hiddink and Samuel Eto’o amongst their ranks, has made no secret of its desire to strengthen its squad with the world’s best.

Carlos, who also plays for the club, told Spanish radio station Marca: “I have no preference for either, but certainly Anzhi will try to sign both.”

Hiddink added: “I think we’ll explore some possibilities in the summer, not to say I am unhappy with the players I have.”

EPL MAN: ‘FIFA AND UEFA STOLE FOOTBALL’ The English Premier League was last week desperately trying to distance

Goal machine: Real Madrid, this season scoring an average 3.28 goals per game, are on track to secure the record for being the most prolific team out of all of Europe’s top five leagues in any season since World War II. Los Blancos’ homeground, The Bernabeu, has in particular been transformed into a fortress, with Barcelona being the only side not to have conceded three goals there this season.

Much of the glory is down to Cristiano Ronaldo’s 40 goals. However, as in so many things, the Real man trails his Barce counterpart, Messi, who’s notched up 50 so far.

itself from its own chairman, after he want on an anti-Fifa and Uefa rant at a conference in the Middle East.

Sir David Richards, who reportedly later topped off his evening by falling in a hotel fountain, told the sports security conference, in Qatar: “For 50 years we owned the game. We were the governance, we wrote the rules.

“Then some guys and along came and said: ‘You’re liars,’ and they actually stole it.

It was called Fifa. Fifty years later another gang came along called Uefa and stole a bit more.”

Not content with that, in response to a suggestion the game was actually invented by the Chinese, Sir David, who is also the FA’s vice-chairman, retorted: “The Chinese may say they own it, but the British own it. It started in Sheffield 150 years ago.

We gave it to the world.”

The FA, which has long fought to battle its reputation for arrogance within Europe,

wasted no time in stating: “His personal views are in no way shared by the FA. The FA greatly values its relationships with Fifa and Uefa, which it is working hard to strengthen.”

LANCASTER SUPPORT TAKING OFF Interim England rugby coach Stuart Lancaster is being seen as increasingly like to be given the permanent job, perhaps as early as this week, following the encouraging start to the Six Nations tournament.

Despite losing at home to Wales, England have secured three away victories for the first time in the competition’s history, including an impressive 22-24 victory in Paris, leading to a surge in support for Lancaster.

However, the caretaker manager still has opposition in the form of Nick Mallett, the former South Africa and Italy coach.

Photos: Getty Images

While Chelsea’s dramatic Champions League reversal against Napoli last week will, for many, vindicate the decision to sack manager Andre Villas-Boas after just 10 months, the Portuguese could soon be back in a job.

Reports suggest the former Porto man is the front runner to replace a struggling Claudio Ranieri at Inter Milan.

Napoli’s Walter Mazzarri had been one of the favourites to take the helm, but his club have been quick to shoot down the possibility of a poach, while fellow contender Fabio Capello has also ruled himself out of contention.

HOTSHOTS

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WINNER

WEEKLY WINNER

HOT TIPS: Lighting

LAST MINUTE RUSH: Adam Tilbury, 29, from England ADAM SAYS: ”Whilst wandering the CBD of Melbourne doing some late night Christmas shopping I managed to capture this snap.”

THE MONTHLY WINNER GETS THREE DAYS CAR HIRE FROM TRAVELLERS AUTOBARN Photos are judged by ROUGH GUIDES senior photo editor Mark Thomas each month. Send high-res (300 dpi) jpegs with name, age, nationality and a description, to: travel@tntdownunder.com Weekly winner Adam wins a free night’s stay at the award-winning Sydney Central YHA (yha.com.au). The monthly winner gets three days car hire from Travellers Auto Barn. The runner-up wins a Rough Guides book of their choice sent to an Oz or NZ address. roughguides.com

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WIN

LOW LIGHT Shooting in low light without a flash can be tricky. The main rules for digital photography are to use a fast ISO (1,000-1,600 or higher if you can), and a fast lens (f1.8 or lower). This combination of settings can help you capture that night-time cityscape by artificial light.

Shooting at dawn or dusk can give you a small but amazing window to shoot a common subject matter in a new light.

To avoid camera shake you will need to keep your shutter speed to 1/60, or shoot on a semi-automatic setting.

Depending on your situation, consider making use of a tripod. This will ensure sharp results, even while employing the longest of exposures.

cker a p k c a B fares l i a r y d Rea > ADL $49

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Visit greatsouthernrail.com.au/backpackers or book with your licensed travel agent.

Terms and conditions apply. All Backpacker ReadyRail fares are based on Red Service Day/Nighter Seat Service and are available to members of recognised backpacker organisations for bookings made from 1 April 2012 for travel until 31 March 2013. All fares are also available in opposite direction. All fares include a fuel price surcharge. Prices are subject to change without notice, available for instant purchase. Non-refundable. *Shower and lounge facilities not available on The Overland, Melbourne <> Adelaide.

An additional lounge access charge of $10 for 1-sector, $15 for 2-sector or $25 for 3-sector is required and payable onboard. Travel Agent License No.TTA164190. 01917CDGM

TRAVELTIPS

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ON THE ROAD WITH TRAVEL

TALK NIENKE KROOK 28, THE NETHERLANDS WHERE HAVE YOU TRAVELLED SO FAR?

YOU ASKED FOR IT...

WE ANSWER YOUR TRAVEL QUESTIONS

it worth the time, money and Q Iseffort going to South Australia

FAVOURITE SPOT IN OZ?

are the best places for whale Q Where watching in New South Wales?

while I’m here? Carlos Giva, Argentina

Ivy Mangle, Ireland

too many travellers write off South A Far Australia as being boring, but the reality is there’s plenty to do in this massive, sun-baked state. For a start it’s home to some of the most surreal, gorgeous and downright dangerous sights you’re likely to stumble across Down Under. If general weirdness is what makes you tick then you can’t leave Oz without seeing Coober Pedy, Australia’s opal mining capital.

The outback town gets so hot that most of it is built underground. If animals are more your bag though, SA is also the place for you. Swim with dolphins off Adelaide’s Glenelg Beach, come face-to-face with a man-eater by going cage diving with great white sharks off Port Lincoln, or step into a world of more friendly faces on Kangaroo Island. Easily accessible from the capital is the Barossa Valley, arguably the country’s best wine region. Take a boozy tour to make the most of it. Adelaide also has heaps of festivals you can sink your teeth into. Also not far from the city is the spectacular Flinders Range, 540 million-year-old sweeping mountains of which the star is undoubtedly the red peaks of Wilpena Pound, it’s worth doing a scenic flight over this to fully appreciate it. Plus, while you’re in Adelaide, try and jump on one of Australia’s two famous train journeys – either the Ghan up to Darwin, or the Indian Pacific. Overall, you’d be mad to dismiss the festival state.

up against the temperate A Nuzzling rainforests of Ben Boyd National Park, Eden (about 500km south of Sydney) is one of the best spots Down Under to go whale watching.

Founded as a whaling station back in the 18th century, plenty of humpback whales can still be seen migrating to and from Antarctica, especially from now until late November. Sperm and killer whales can also be spotted further out, from Twofold Bay. As an enthusiast you should be in town in the beginning of November for the town’s whale festival. After you’ve done a spot of whale watching, don’t dismiss the 50km Nadgee Howe Wilderness Walk, a spectacularly remote bushwalk through rarely-seen lagoons and beaches. If you don’t want to leave Sydney in search of whales, don’t despair, during the winter months of May to July, humpbacks travel north to their subtropical breeding grounds off the Queensland coast. They can be seen again around Sydney’s coast during the months from September to November when their southward migration takes them back down to the Antarctic. There they stay and feed for the hotter months of November through to May. The New South Wales north coast is also ideal for spotting whales, Port Macquarie does whale watching cruises in winter where you’re pretty much guaranteed to spot the beauties. And if you don’t, they’ll normally give you a refund.

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I’ve bused up the east coast, did a tour from Darwin to Adelaide, flew to Tassie with my brother, showed my parents the Great Ocean Road and now I’m in Sydney.

Apart from Sydney (where I met my boyfriend), I just love every corner of Oz. It’s too diverse to choose.

SCARIEST EXPERIENCE ON THE ROAD?

While walking in the rainforest, we came eye-to-eye with three wild cassowaries. You can hear me screaming “we are going to die!” all the way throughout the video.

MOST OVER-RATED PLACE?

Every inch of the Gold Coast.

WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO VISIT?

The Kimberley. I’m finally doing that this year.

BIGGEST SURPRISE ABOUT OZ?

I can’t find long socks in the shops.

Aussie women don’t wear them?

DONE ANYTHING UNUSUAL?

Sheering sheep and wearing cowboy hats.

CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS AUSTRALIA EXPERIENCE

WIN

Each month our fave interview WINS a four-day Conservation Volunteers Australia experience. Email: travel@tntdownunder.com.

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XXXXXX TOP FIVE TRAVELLERSTALE

CAGEY TIMES

N

LAUREN SEELEY made eye contact with a great white shark off the coast of South Australia... and survived.

As I stand on the wharf in Port Lincoln and watch the crew readying the tall ship for us to board, I hope my two months of penny-pinching and hard work have been worth it.

When I heard of tourists diving with the much-feared great white shark, it became a must-do adventure for me.

I board a plane with friends Jamie and Andy and arrive in the quaint settlement of Port Lincoln. At midnight we are greeted by the crew of the chartered boat we will call home for the next four days.

When I wake the following morning we have arrived at the Neptune Islands, 120km off the coast of Adelaide. We waste no time in getting suited up so we can start the adventure. The crew help me into my wetsuit and Scuba equipment, and I’m lowered with three others into a steel-barred cage that will take us to the bottom of the ocean, 18 metres below. Other divers have just surfaced and are squealing with delight after having six great white sharks circling their underwater cage. With one last smile back up at the group, I plunge into the shockingly frigid Southern Ocean.

The four of us are locked in and

the cage begins its mechanical descent into the natural habitat of the great white shark. We reach the bottom and there is a moment of still silence – the only sounds coming from our own breathing. I peer left and right, searching, hopeful to catch sight of any sharks. When I don’t see any, I fix my attention on the massive ray gracefully careening towards me, just inches above the ocean floor.

Suddenly the cage is rattling and shaking, tipping from side to side as a shark takes a test-munch on the support cable above my head.

Unimpressed by the lack of flavour, the shark turns away, the swish of his tail leaving me in a cloud of bubbles. I blink at my friends in sheer astonishment and giddy amazement.

When the bubbles clear, I am surrounded by massive sharks – they’re everywhere! As their curiosity mounts, the sharks move in closer to the cage for a better look at the strangers in their habitat. A large five metre female, known affectionately by the Fox Shark Research and Dive Team as “Mojo”, starts to close in on us.

She slowly circles the cage; after completing the circle, she turns back and circles again in the opposite direction. Over and over again she repeats this figure of eight motion,

inspecting each of us. From less than an arm’s length away, she pauses in front of me for a better look. I’m breathless as I lock eyes with this magnificent animal. She holds my eye contact for what feels like an eternity. I feel no fear as she inspects me – instead I’m filled with intrigue, my mind captivated. I’m overcome by the grandeur, size, grace, and magnificence of this animal.

After three days of unforgettable dives, we surface for the last time before the sun sets behind the islands.

We huddle together, a new group of friends bound by our encounter with great white sharks.

TRAVEL VOUCHERS

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Send us your scary, funny or embarrassing travel tale (preferably about Australia or New Zealand) and if published you’ll win a $250 travel voucher redeemable on Oz Experience passes (ozexperience.com), ATA NT camping trips (adventuretours.com.au) and with Wayward Bus (waywardbus.com. au). Email your stories (700 words max), to travel@tntdownunder.com

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Byron Bay NEW SOUTH WALES

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Mum’s the word From kayaking with dolphins to flirting with surf instructors, there’s no shortage of charm in Byron Bay. Even if you take your mum WORDS JOANNA TILLEY

My parents are suffocating (I was going to say, “all parents are suffocating”, but it’s not fair to drag your parents into this). Their presence can make me feel like a bird who has forgotten how to fly (a bit like a chicken or an ostrich but different). But in Byron Bay a very strange thing occurred.

I was trotting down Jonson Street (the main street), arm-inarm with my mum, when suddenly, quite unexpectedly I felt free.

Instead of feeling self-conscious that I was with my mum (rather than a group of pumped-up revellers), I felt happy and relaxed.

In high spirits, I quickly decided that mum and I should make a bit of a splash in Byron Bay. It all sounded a bit too good to be true. The kayak company not only promised the opportunity to splash about in the midst of dolphins, but they spoke of a magical trip that included free Tim Tams on the beach. There was only one way to find out if they were telling porky pies. Come on mum, let’s go!

SEXY SIGHTS

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“Is that...? It is! It is!” I stuttered.

It was. A wee pod of dolphins were heading our way.

Dodging rocks, we ran shrieking all the way back to our kayaks.

After racing into the sea, helmet on back to front, we paddled into their path. And waited. As they got closer we discovered they were actually great white sharks (okay, not strictly true, but that would have been funny). Just a few tense minutes later the dolphins appeared in all their bobbing glory. I shouted quickly to the mum/photographer: “Take a photo woman, take a photo!”

But mum was too busy gawking at her bronzed paddling partner to pay much attention to the dolphins. That evening, after looking at the fifth photo of an empty sea, I bitterly told her how useless she was.

Mum retorted: “Jo, at my age, you have to understand that having a young, attractive man in close proximity is rarer than having a close encounter with some fish!”

Lucky for her – the cheeky minx – this was one moment that could be remembered with or without a photo.

ROLL WITH IT After our dalliance with dolphins it was back to the equally exciting pursuit of finding the biggest waves to surf over.

Our wave dodging went so well that we decided we would attempt to “stack it” (that’s Aussie for “flip this kayak over”).

We timed our demise to perfection. The mother and Steve had already reached the shore and were awaiting our arrival.

Like kamikaze bombers (but minus a cause) we turned our kayak towards the biggest wave we could find, disobeyed all the rules for staying on, and paddled with fury. An uncomfortable roll, a klonk and an “ouch” later we emerged victorious to a round of applause.

BUTT OUT After a chilled-out evening drinking cocktails at Balcony Bar (sadly I wouldn’t be getting up to any debauchery avec parent!) it was time to hit the waves again. This time I was on my own.

Getting mum on a surfboard would be amusing, but frankly not worth the effort. I booked a lesson and the instructor quickly got into my good books when he gave me a wetsuit that didn’t have a hole across the butt area.

It has happened before and it definitely didn’t enhance my surfing experience. Following a surfing lesson from Marc, who had a beautiful sea creature emblazoned on his chest, we grabbed our boards and headed for the sea. Although we were all beginners nobody had a problem with standing on a wave.

I had secretly hoped that my past practice would become as clear as a crystal that has been shined very well, but sadly this was not the case. Apparently with a sexy instructor, and the right sized waves, it is possible for most people to ride a wave.

However, Marc did single me out for my flexibility. In reply, I told him that he was the first person who had ever called me flexible. All I could hear as he pushed me onto the wave was a chuckle (damn, note to self: next time tell fit instructor, “thanks, I know I’m flexible, it comes in handy baby,” then follow it with a wink). When we had finished surfing I Iay on my board in total contentment gazing at the crystal water with the sun on my wet suit. Another tough day at sea was over.

After dragging myself away from the gorgeous scenery and warm waters of Byron Bay it was time to head up the coast to Brisbane. Please, please (I’m begging you please) if you haven’t already been to Byron get your ass there. And perhaps you could even take your mum. ❚ TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

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From top: a couple of average Bluesfest punters; two of this year’s acts. John Butler and Ziggy Marley

BLUESFEST IS COMING BYRON’S BIGGEST FESTIVAL IS ALMOST HERE Perhaps our favourite Australian music festival, and the nearest you’ll get to Glastonbury Down Under, the Byron Bay Blues and Roots Music Festival, or Bluesfest, is a little more than a fortnight away.

If you’re planning to be in town for the five-day event, which is held just outside Byron at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm over Easter (April 5-9), and haven’t yet sorted out a ticket or accommodation, then get on the case quick. Really quick.

Now in its 22nd year, the lineup includes The Pogues, John Butler Trio, Cold Chisel, Earth Wind and Fire, Ziggy Marley, The Specials, Crosby Stills & Nash, Seasick Steve, Nick Lowe, John Fogerty, Josh Pyke and Blue King Brown, just to name a fraction of those playing.

Tickets are still available, however you may struggle to get camping tickets. One-day passes cost from $139, three-day passes from $375 and five-day passes from $495. See bluesfest.com.au

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Where the grass is greener...

No trip to Byron Bay can be considered complete until you’ve taken that little jaunt down the road to a hippy haven called Nimbin WORDS JOANNA TILLEY

Nimbin is not your typical Aussie town. It is (if you can fathom it) even stranger than that. And, despite being hidden deep in the Northern Rivers area of New South Wales, it is regarded very highly by travellers. This may have something to do with what they put in the water (or should I say pull through the water) in these parts... weed, and piles of it. Despite having a bad experience smoking weed back in the Stone-r Age, I wasn’t about to miss out on a trip to Byron’s eccentric little sister.

As tour guide Jim greeted us with a cheery hello, my boyfriend Cameron and I settled into the cosy, carpeted bus. A few minutes into the drive Jim stopped the bus to tell us about travellers who had experienced their own kind of roadtrip.

There was the Japanese guy he’d found talking to a tree, the policemen who weren’t so law abiding, and the girl who’d threatened to drive the bus over a cliff. Jim had seen it all.

And whilst his guests seemed reluctant to listen to his rules on drug taking, they were probably more inclined to listen to his music... because it was glorious. Jim wasn’t just a tour guide but a DJ. His music was a delightful collection of old country and blues classics and every song had an introduction to go with it.

A few tunes on and we had arrived at our first stop: the pub.

Supping beer in the sunshine we were given nut crackers to sample the macadamias that grew abundantly in the area.

It was one hell of a way to start a trip.

So... how did Nimbin become so dope? It all started back in 1973 when the Aquarius Festival was held in the sleepy, dairy town. A large group of university students, hippies and “party people” descended on Nimbin. Many of them never left.

“Be off with you!” the local farmers would shout. But it was too late. The intruders had already formed communes and the area was never the same again.

NIMBIN’S DOPE Arriving in Nimbin, we took the opportunity to sniff out some of the hippy shops. Walking by a children’s playground we spotted some people huddled underneath an Aboriginal flag. In the shade of the trees, travellers were exchanging pocket money for culinary treats whisked up by the locals.

Wrapped in glistening, silver-foil packages were delicacies containing a not-so-well-kept secret ingredient.

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“

I began to fear Cameron had slipped something in my ham and cheese sandwich

”

Eager to avoid any drug dealing activity [yeah, right – Ed] we went to have a look at the museum. Following the rainbow serpent path we walked through a cloud of incense and re-emerged the other side, looking at a colourful room of artwork. After half-an-hour exploring the museum, it became evident there was certainly more to Nimbin than shady goings on behind trees.

Next we were off into the bush to visit Jim’s crazy stoner friend Pauly. With his long, grey hair and circular glasses he reminded us of Tommy Chong (aka Leo in That 70s Show).

Whilst taking us around his forest, Pauly excitedly told us how lucky we were to be on Earth (planet Earth, not soily earth). He expanded by explaining how our existence relied purely on random hook-ups between ancestors, and therefore, we had all won “the lottery of life”.

With Pauly’s ramblings making more and more sense, I feared Cameron had slipped something into my ham and cheese sandwich. Pauly then led us to an idyllic pond hidden in the thick of the forest. Taking a seat by the water we munched on more macadamias and had a look inside Pauly’s conservatory. During our little snoop Cameron and I found an array of dolls Pauly had arranged in a somewhat unusual fashion.

(Unless seeing Sylvester from the Loony Tunes give Barbie oral sex whilst being humped from behind by a nun Big daddy: Diving is normal...). Unusual with the Ningaloo’s that is, unless you’re giant whale sharks in Nimbin. ❚

NEXT WEEK

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Hong Kong SUPREME STOPOVER

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The bright lights: Hong Kongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Victoria harbour and skyscrapers

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STOPOVER

Bright lights, little villages In HK, you can have a few holidays in one, thanks to its varied terrain. We try city breaks and country escapes in the ‘Big Smog’ WORDS LAURA CHUBB

Photos: Getty Images, Thinkstock, TNT Images

WHAT TO DO: Hong Kong is a year-round destination, but the The last thing I need as I doggedly heave my a chaotic, old-world street market; get hassled most popular time to visit is midout-of-shape physique up 400-odd steps is to for a black market handbag among the blinding September to late February as the be thumped by a monk. But he goes ahead lights of Nathan Road in Kowloon, then stroll weather is cooler. Rain is heaviest and hits me anyway. The palm of his hand peacefully in car-free, hippy haven Lamma.

May to September. thwacks my sweat-soaked forehead – not But for now, I’m battling up this hill in Sha CURRENCY: $1 = HK$8 gently – three times, and I finally understand Tin. Sweaty work though it is, I’d thoroughly ACCOMMODATION: that he’s not going to let me pass without recommend it. Hundreds of golden Buddha Chungking Mansions is the place a donation. statues adorn my climb, and not one like the for budget accommodation. The Before starting my punishing climb to the other. Some are fat, some are thin; one has a 10,000 Buddhas Monastery in Sha Tin – out in gaggle of golden children climbing about him, building is full of independent Hong Kong’s New Territories – I’d read that another – somewhat disturbingly – has arms hostels, some of which are cleaner entry is free, but to expect a few wily monks coming out of his eyes. And all the way, silence, than others. (The AC unit blew who would try to solicit an ‘entry fee’. I had infusing the air with a serene sense of spirituality. dirt at us in one.) It enjoys a great not, however, been warned that some would (The actual monastery, after more than 400 steps, location on Kowloon’s buzzing go so far as to beat a donation out of me. (I Nathan Road. HK also has a wealth turns out to be less impressive than the climb. later consulted the oracles of Facebook, with a About 13,000 little gold Buddhas line the temple of ritzy hotels. post asking whether I should take this monkwalls, but I’m still more mesmerised by those that SEE: discoverhongkong.com on-tourist violence as a blessing or a curse. guided me in.)

Replies ranged from the comforting – “If you NEON NICETIES got thumped on your head in the eastern part of the world it’s a blessing” – to the not so – “Sounds like foreigners tricking The plan is to return to Hong Kong’s urban throb in the tourists into thinking unpleasant experiences are a good thing”). evening, but first I want to check out nearby Sai Kung, which Either way, I give in and hand over a few crumpled notes.

I’m told is the place to go for seafood. I catch a bus from Sha Tin metro station and enjoy unprecedented views of thick, ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS recklessly growing greenery and ramshackle huts. This more Hong Kong might be one of the most densely populated resembles rural South-East Asia than one of the world’s foremost areas in the world – there are apparently 6,480 people for every financial centres.

The town of Sai Kung itself is a pleasantly sleepy affair. square kilometre – but I’d also argue that it offers up the most Worn-looking seafood restaurants line the pretty waterfront, diverse range of experiences within one compact space. Out here and myriad tanks teeming with all manner of sea life guarantee in the woods, wrapped in silence and humidity – and getting a fresh meal. I had been planning on a hike across one of the thumped by a monk – you wouldn’t think the commercial neon many trails on the Sai Kung Peninsula, but the slow pace here pulse of Hong Kong Island beats barely more than 10 miles away. is infectious, and I spend much longer than anticipated lingering This is my favourite aspect of the island-state anomaly, which over cheap beer and shrimp noodles. That, and eyeing the is on the one hand a part of China’s great empire, and on the elephantine fish in nearby tanks, some the size of a twoother its more liberal, funky cousin – thanks to the guiding seater sofa. principle of ‘one country, two systems’. (Along with Macau and On reflection, I should have snoozed off my lunch at one of Taiwan, Hong Kong is permitted its own capitalist economic Sai Kung’s secret beaches. You can catch a small boat (or kaido) and political system, independent of China’s socialist ideology.) from the waterfront to the islands just off the town, and find Within just a few paces, I can go from a shiny shopping centre to TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

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Kowloon: the chaotic urban district

Going the way of the dragon

Pilgrimage: the bronze Buddha on Lantau island

your own tucked-away stretch of sand to enjoy undisturbed.

Instead, I set off in pursuit of the Peninsula’s Country Park, 7,500 hectares of hiking trails that promise great views over Hong Kong’s eclectic landscape.

But it’s another bus ride to the park (closest to Sai Kung town is the west park, the east is further off), and by the time I get there it’s way too late to start a hike. I set off stubbornly anyway, and within minutes come across a sign that reads: ‘WARNING: A python has been spotted in this area.’ That’s enough to drain the last shred of intrepidity from me. And thank god for Hong Kong’s spectrum of experiences: when things get too wild, city life is close by, offering the comfortingly urban embrace of neon and concrete. I turn on my heel and bound emphatically towards it. (Please note that hiking along the trails of Sai Kung should not be taken lightly. Pack lots of water and supplies. Unprepared tourists – like me – are helicoptered out of here all the time.)

UP, UP AND AWAY A short metro ride later and I’m in Kowloon, the packed peninsula that holds 48 per cent of Hong Kong’s population.

Hong Kong in its entirety – the eponymous island, Kowloon Peninsula, the New Territories and more than 200 Outlying Islands – measures 407 square miles, and is home to about seven million people. Because the vast majority live on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, it is known as the world’s most vertical city.

How to pack all these people in? Build upwards, not outwards.

As a result, Kowloon comes off as the mutant offspring of Times Square and Piccadilly Circus, a relentlessly-lit concentration of crowded streets and skyscrapers. A holiday in 42

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FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD THE MUST-DO FOOD LIST FOR EVERY BUDGET

CHEAP AND CHEERFUL Head to Temple Street in Kowloon. Though best known for its lively night market, filled with cheap sex toys and fortune tellers, the street food is a must-do, too.

Pull up a plastic chair at an al-fresco table, temper the thick night air with a cold one, and order up a feast of cheap seafood. Sitting among the throng, bathed in neon, you can’t beat that holiday feeling.

MIDRANGE Dim sum at Maxim’s Palace in Hong Kong’s City Hall is something of a ‘Big Smog’ rite of passage. Dishes are served from traditional dim sum carts – dangerous, because you’ll keep pointing at the innumerable yummy things passing by your table, and end up with a pile of food that reaches the summit of Victoria Peak.

Worth it, though.

SPLURGE Hutong at One Peking Road is an achingly classy affair, seating diners in front of a panoramic view of Victoria Harbour. Watch the junks sail by the city’s iconic skyscrapers as you elicit increasingly dirtysounding moans of culinary pleasure. If you only order one thing, make it the dreamy boneless pork ribs, and wash them down with a pot of hot rice wine.

Hong Kong owes its diversity to the varied terrain, and ticking off Kowloon’s touristy must-dos couldn’t feel any further removed from my more subdued day in the New Territories.

First up is the Avenue of Stars, Hong Kong’s answer to Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. After the obligatory snaps with a bronze Bruce Lee statue and Jackie Chan’s hand prints, I stick around to see the Symphony of Light. No doubt cynics will find this lame, but I quietly enjoy the display. The skyscrapers of Hong Kong Island, lined up on the opposite side of Victoria Harbour, light up in time to music blasting from the Avenue’s speakers, performing something of a synchronised dance routine. It happens at 8pm every night, provided it’s not raining.

If you can get up early enough, there’s also a free tai chi session on the Avenue of Stars every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 8am.

Earlier on my trip, I get talking to a Glaswegian expat, Paul. Having lived in Hong Kong for seven years, he tells me: “The best thing about this place is that you can walk into any building at any time of day, and there’ll be something crazy going on.”

I think Paul’s got that half right. It’s not necessarily always crazy, but there is always something going on. And often it’s unexpected, a complete leap from whatever came last. To demonstrate, a short cab ride from this tourist hub, I alight upon my favourite find, the unassuming-looking Tim Ho Wan. On appearance alone, you’d think this your average dim sum canteen, just another with a sign bearing Cantonese characters in Kowloon’s Mong Kok district. But I have it on good authority that this is the world’s cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant.

Started by Mak Pui Gor, a former chef at a three-Michelinstarred eatery in Hong Kong’s Four Seasons, you can fill up on exemplary dim sum at Tim Ho Wan for the equivalent of $15 between two. The only problem is that this low-key little place – and it is little, so seats are limited – is that everyone wants a piece of it, and a three-hour queue for dinner is not uncommon.

I pull off a risky trick in arriving half an hour before closing.

There is one vacant table, and I’m hurried straight in, no waiting. The challenge now is to eat my fill of high-calibre cuisine within the next 30 minutes. Thankfully, the staff is not going to tolerate any dithering, and orders everything for me (not so much giving recommendations as instructions). Every dish is amazing, and I leave thoroughly stuffed. There are now two more branches of Tim Ho Wan in Hong Kong – one at Sham Shui Po, and another under the IFC mall in Central on Hong Kong Island. Only a fool would fail to drop by.

Hong Kong’s tourist staples – taking the Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour, riding the tram up Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island, and making the pilgrimage (albeit by cable car) to the giant bronze Buddha on the largest Outlying Island of Lantau – are all worth ticking off.

A WORLD AWAY But there’s one more little gem I’d recommend. Take a ferry to Lamma – another Outlying Island – for the starkest case of contrast between ‘bright-lights’ and ‘laidback’ Hong Kong.

It’s just 30 minutes from commercial Central, but a world away from Hong Kong Island. Here, there are no cars or buses, no metro stations or malls, or buildings taller than two storeys.

I follow a narrow path – stepping aside for the odd cyclist – that leads me from one side of the island to the other in just over an hour. It’s not a challenging walk, but the sea views,

lush greenery, beaches and all-pervading peace make it worth my while. I can see why Lamma is popular with many an ageing hippy expat. The community of the village, the contented quiet of island life – hell, the windsurfing at Kwun Yam Wan beach – is An old junk understandably appealing.

And if you were to get bored, the city buzz is just a half-hour ferry ride away.

Because in Hong Kong, the very opposite of where you’re standing is always just around the corner. ❚

The Insider’s guide Zoe Li is a Chinese-Canadian world wanderer who has written for Lonely Planet and The Beijinger. She is now Hong Kong editor for CNNGo.com.

What’s Hong Kong’s best-kept secret?

That it’s actually three-quarters countryside and incredibly green.

What’s been your favourite discovery in Hong Kong?

There’s a rock pool in Sai Kung that’s only reachable on foot. You have to hike for an hour and then climb up a steep rock face. The pool is deep and set against a cliff. When I go with my friends, we like to dare each other to jump off the cliff and into the pool.

Where’s your favourite place to party?

My guilty pleasure is a bar called Insomnia in Lan Kwai Fong that has been around forever. It always has a really good Thai or Filipino cover band playing cheesy Nineties tunes and everybody just lets their hair down. It gets totally packed after midnight.

Where’s your favourite place to chill?

The beaches. Namely Big Wave Bay in Shek O, South Bay, Chung Hum Kok, Turtle Cove, and Tai Long Wan. Where’s good for an adventure?

For rural adventures go to Sai Kung. It’s just endless surprise. Every time I go I check out a new beach or hiking trail or island. For an urban adventure, walk through Yau Ma Tei in Kowloon. You’ll discover indie bookstore Kubrick next to an arthouse cinema, the cinematic Mido Cafe, the infamous Temple Street night market, and really great food everywhere.

Do you have a top tip for visitors?

Try camping on Tai Long Wan. It has the perfect balance of seclusion and convenience.

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INTO THE WILD

FRANKLIN-GORDON NATIONAL PARK This World Heritage area in Tasmania, made globally famous by the intensely-fought conservation campaign in the 80s to get it protected, is about as wild, rugged and inaccessible an area as you could hope to find in Australia. Those with an adventurous spirit will struggle to beat the experience of rafting the mighty and dangerous Franklin River. Expeditions range from five to 10 days and offer the only opportunity to access the major Aboriginal site at Kutikina Cave. If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have as much time, trek to the top of Frenchmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cap for views across the whole southwest. The park starts about 120km to the west of Hobart.

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With our local 24/7 reservations centre on:1800 600 503 Or book online with real-time quotes and confirmations at:

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*Van price based on Breezer Campervan, 3+ day rate, for travel 23/4/2012 – 29/04/2012. Car price based on Economy Car, 1-6 day city rate for travel April 2012. Prices correct at time of print, rates change weekly so contact our Reservations team for the best daily rate. Minimum hire applies, offer subject to availability and liability reduction cover is additional. For full terms and conditions contact Backpacker Rentals.

S S O R C KINGS RKET A M R A C NT BUY, SELL & RE WE ARE HERE s "59).'

3%,,).'

2%.4).'. Good selection of Cars, Wagons, Vans & Campervans. 7$ 30%#)!,)343. Over 50 vehicles in stock with up to 50% BUY BACK. All with camping gear. s All vehicles for sale have a Government approved Roadworthy Certificate (Pink Slip) issued by ).$%0%.$%.4 -%#(!.)#3, not company employees like most car dealers. s &2%% information with tips for buying, selling and travelling.

Transfer & Registration forms for all States. s &2%% Advice on Registrations, Transfers, which States are cheapest/easiest to Transfer and Register. s &2%% 12 Months Australia Wide Warranty (guaranteee) with (2 2/!$3)$% !33)34!.#% available on most vehicles.* NOT a 5000km warranty which gets you about 25% of your way around Australia. *Conditions apply

INSURANCE CE FREECALL: LL 1800 808 188 We sell the only known ‘No Excess’ 3rd Party Property Insurance available to travellers from $230* For 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 12 months. Insurance available even if you buy a car from another place and without you having to tell lies to get it.

NOW IN OUR 20TH YEAR OF

PUTTING TRAVELLERS ON THE ROAD

#534/-%23 #!. 4 "% 72/.'

NOT COMING TO SYDNEY? THEN BUY AND SELL ONLINE @ www.carmarket.com.au OR CALL 02 9358 5000 TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

45

NSWLISTINGS SYDNEY STAY Base Sydney 477 Kent St. CBD. 02 9267 7718, stayatbase.com Big Hostel 212 Elizabeth St. CBD. 02 9267 7718, bighostel.com Bounce Budget Hotel 28 Chalmers St. CBD. 02 9281 2222, bouncehotel.com.au Easy Go Backpackers 752 George St. CBD. 02 9211 0505, easygobackpackers.com.au City Resort Hostel 103-105 Palmer St. Woolloomooloo 02 9357 3333, cityresort.com.au Sydney Central YHA 11 Rawson Place. CBD. 02 9218 9000 Sydney Harbour YHA 110 Cumberland Street. The Rocks.

02 9261 1111, yha.com.au Westend Backpackers 412 Pitt St. CBD. 1800 013 186 nomadshostels.com Boomerang Backpackers 141 William Street, Kings Cross.

02 8354 0488, boomerangbackpackers.com

Avalon Beach Hostel 59 Avalon Pde, Avalon Beach.

02 9918 9709, avalonbeach.com.au Bondi YHA 63 Fletcher Street.

Tamarama. 02 9365 2088, yha.com.au Lamrock Lodge 19 Lamrock Ave. Bondi. 02 9130 5063, lamrocklodge.com Lochner’s Guesthouse 8 Gowrae Ave. Bondi.

02 9387 2162, Aegean Coogee Lodge 40 Coogee Bay Rd. Coogee.

04 0817 6634, aegeancoogee.com.au Coogee Beach House 171 Arden St. Coogee. 02 9665 1162, coogeebeachhouse.com Coogee Beachside 178 Coogee Bay Rd, Coogee. 02 9315 8511, sydneybeachside.com.au Surfside Backpackers 186 Arden Street. Coogee.

02 9315 7888, surfsidebackpackers.com.au

follow us on The Bunkhouse 35 Pine St, Manly. 1800 657 122, bunkhouse.com.au Manly Backpackers 24-28 Raglan St. Manly. 02 9977 3411 manlybackpackers.com.au Cammeray Gardens 66 Palmer St, North Sydney. 02 9954 9371 sydneyboardinghouse.com Wake Up! 509 Pitt St, CBD. 02 9288 7888, wakeup.com.au

SYDNEY DO Manly Surf School Manly Beach.

02 9977 6977, manlysurfschool.com Maritime Museum Darling Harbour. anmm.gov.au Oceanworld Manly West Esplanade. oceanworld.com.au Powerhouse Museum Darling Harbour. powerhousemuseum.com.au Skydive the Beach Wollongong. skydivethebeach.com Sydney Observatory The Rocks. sydneyobservatory.com.au

Dlux Hostel 30 Darlinghurst Rd, Kings Cross. 1800 236 213 dluxbudgethotel.com.au

Glebe Point YHA 262-264 Glebe Point Road. Glebe. 02 9692 8418, yha.com.au

Sydney Olympic Park Darling Harbour. sydneyolympicpark.nsw. gov.au

Kangaroo Bak Pak 665 South Dowling St. Surry Hills.

02 9261 1111

Boardrider Backpacker Rear 63, The Corso, Manly. 02 9977 3411 boardrider.com.au

Sydney Tower and Skytour 100 Market St, CBD. sydneyskytour.com.au

WORD FROM THE STREET

@tnt_downunder

Sydney Harbour Bridge The Rocks. bridgeclimb.com

CENTRAL COAST

Sydney Aquarium Darling Harbour. sydneyaquarium.com.au

Newcastle Beach YHA 30 Pacific St, Newcastle.

02 4925 3544, yha.com.au

Sydney Wildlife World Darling Harbour. sydneywildlifeworld.com.au

Terrigal Beach YHA 9 Ocean View Dr, Terrigal.

02 4384 1919, yha.com.au

Taronga Zoo Mosman. zoo.nsw.gov.au

BYRON BAY

Waves Surf School wavessurfschool.com.au

SYDNEY MUSIC Hordern Pavillion playbillvenues.com Oxford Art Factory oxfordartfactory.com

Backpackers Inn 29 Shirley St 1800 817 696, backpackersinnbyronbay.com.au Byron Bay Accom 02 6680 8666, byronbayaccom.net

Sydney Opera House sydneyoperahouse.com

The Arts Factory 1 Skinners Shoot Rd. 02 6685 7709, nomadshostels.com

The Annandale annandalehotel.com The Enmore enmoretheatre.com.au The Gaelic Hotel thegaelic.com The Metro metrotheatre.com.au

BLUE MTNS Blue Mountains YHA 207 Katoomba St, Katoomba.

02 4782 1416, yha.com.au

Backpackers Holiday Village 116 Jonson St 1800 350 388, byronbaybackpackers.com.au

Nomads Byron Bay Lawson Lane.

1800 666 237, nomadshostels.com Byron Bay YHA 7 Carlyle St. 1800 678 195, yha.com.au

COFFS HARB Coffs Harbour YHA 51 Collingwood St. 02 6652 6462, yha.com.au

ALL SOAPED UP

PALM BEACH Fans of TV soap Home and Away need to make their way to Sydney’s most northern beach, Palm Beach, aka Summer Bay. Make sure you head towards the lighthouse end of the sand to get your photo by Alf Stewart’s name at the surf club. get there early on a weekday and you might even catch some filming in action.

Petersham Guest House Asuka Moriya, Japan HI ASUKA. BEEN MANY PLACES IN NSW? “I’ve been to Sydney, Port Stephens, Wollongong, the Hunter Valley and Katoomba in the Blue Mountains.”

WHERE’S BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE? “Taronga Zoo is good to go with friends, family and boyfriend. You can enjoy a fantastic ocean view as well as the cute animals.”

HOW ABOUT AFTER DARK? “The Rocks is the most romantic place in the world. The combination of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge is so amazing. You’ll never get tired of it!”

46

ARE DORMS GETTING YOU DOWN? Then come sleep with us!

The place to stay in the Sydney Suburbs.

Double room - $240 p/week Twin room - $240 p/week Single room - $200 p/week Ensuite room - $300 p/week

Phone Con

100 metres to bus and train.

5kms from city centre.

23 Brighton St, Petersham.

0414 450 273

TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

B

Learn to dive with Blue Juice

At Blue Juice Safaris we design your very own personalised diving Green island safari’s so that you can enjoy the best of this pristine location whilst diving Green island and staying in our dive lodge.

t 3 Day 2 Nigh le tandup Padd S , e iv D a b u Sc EN ISLAND E R G p m a C Board

All of our dive safari’s are made with the diver in mind. Blue Juice has it’s very own dive lodge and cafe, Blue Juice cafe which allows divers to dive Green island and sleep close to the dive sites.

During our Blue Juice dive safari our professional dive guides will handle all the logistics to ensure that you can focus on diving Green Island. They will also do their best to ensure you leave us having seen rare and unsual marine life. Let us know your marine life wish list and we will take you to the best Green island sites to see them.

Along with our Blue Juice dive safari’s we do also offer daily diving trips, scuba dive courses. We are currently offering some superb Green island Diving special offers for the next few months so take a look and then contact us to book your Blue Juice Dive Safari.

1300 551 363 www.bluejuicesafaris.com.au u BlueJuice-671.indd 1

E SAFARI IV D O T N R A LE ND SPECIAL A L IS N E E R G

$279

4D Learn to ay 3 Night Paddle Dive, Jet Boa B ISLAND oard Camp GR rd , (includ EEN transfer es Rtn Coach Sydney) LEARN TO

GREEN

DIVE S ISLAND AFARI SPECIA L

$329

5/03/12 12:20 PM

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BRISBANE STAY

Gallery of Modern Art 07 3840 7303, qag.qld.gov.au

Aussie Way Backpackers 34 Cricket St. 07 3369 0711, aussiewaybackpackers.com

BOOK NOW!

Banana Bender Backpackers 118 Petrie Terrace.

07 3367 1157, bananabenders.com Base Brisbane Embassy 214 Elizabeth St. 07 3166 8000, stayatbase.com Base Brisbane Central 308 Edward St. 07 3211 2433, stayatbase.com Brisbane Backpackers Resort 110 Vulture St, West End. 1800 626 452, brisbanebackpackers.com.au

YOUNG GUNS

Brisbane City Apartments 1800 110 443, brisbanecityapartments.com

The HiFi. Fri, 1 June. $TBA. The UK outfit are coming Down Under to showcase their latest release, Bones. Catch them in Brissie with Aussie rockers Closure in Moscow.

Brisbane City Backpackers 380 Upper Roma St 1800 062 572, citybackpackers.com Brisbane City YHA 392 Upper Roma St, 07 3236 1947, yha.com.au Chill Backpackers 328 Upper Roma St. 1800 851 875, chillbackpackers.com Bunk Backpackers Cnr Ann & Gipps Sts, 1800 682 865, bunkbrisbane.com.au

48

Boundary St, Brisbane The Deck 117 Harcourt Street, New Farm.

04 3377 7061 Tinbilly Travellers Cnr George and Herschel Sts. 1800 446 646, tinbilly.com

TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

thehifi.com.au

BRISBANE DO Australia Zoo Glasshouse Mountains, Tourist Drive, Beerwah. 07 5436 2000, australiazoo.com.au Lone Pine Koala Santuary 708 Jesmond Rd, Fig Tree Pocket.

07 3378 1366, koala.net

Riverlife Adventure Centre Kayaking & rock climbing. Lower River Terrace, Kangaroo Point.

07 3891 5766, riverlife.com.au

@tnt_downunder Coolangatta Sands Hostel Cnr Griffiths & McLean Sts, Coolangatta. 07 5536 7472, coolangattasandshostel.com.au Gold Coast International BP 28 Hamilton Ave, Surfers. 1800 816 300, goldcoastbackpackers.com.au

Story Bridge Adventure Climb 170 Main St, Kangaroo Point.

1300 254 627, storybridgeadventureclimb.com.au

Islander Backpackers Resort 6 Beach Rd, Surfers Paradise.

1800 074 393, islander.com.au

XXXX Ale House Brewery tours.

Cnr Black & Paten St, Milton.

07 3361 7597, xxxxalehouse.com.au

Sleeping Inn Surfers 26 Peninsular Dr, Surfers Paradise.

1800 817 832, sleepinginn.com.au

GOLD COAST

Surfers Paradise Backpackers Resort 2837 Gold Coast Highway, Surfers. 1800 282 800, surfersparadisebackpackers.com.au

Aquarius Backpackers 44 Queen St, Surfers Paradise.

1800 22 99 55, aquariusbackpackers.com.au Backpackers in Paradise 40 Peninsula Drive, Surfers Paradise.

1800 268 621, backpackersinparadise.com.au Cheers International Backpackers 8 Pine Av, Surfers Paradise.

1800 636 539, cheersbackpackers.com.au Coolangatta Kirra Beach YHA Pl, 230 Coolangatta Rd, Bilinga.

07 5536 76442, yha.com.au

Surf ‘n’ Sun Beachside Backpackers 3323 Surfers Paradise Blvd, Surfers Paradise.

1800 678 194, surfnsun-goldcoast.com Surfers Paradise YHA Mariners Cove, 70 Seaworld Drive, Main Beach, Surfers Paradise.

07 5571 1776, yha.com.au Trekkers Backpackers 22 White St, Southport. 1800 100 004, trekkersbackpackers.com.au

GC DO Dreamworld Theme park. dreamworld.com.au

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HERVEY BAY

Get Wet Surf School 07 5532 9907 Seaworld seaworld.com.au Wet ‘n’ Wild Water World wetnwild.myfun.com.au Warener Bros Movie World movieworld.com.au Zorb Adrenalin rolling.

07 5547 6300

SUNSHINE CST Mooloolaba Backpackers 75-77 Brisbane Rd, Mooloolaba.

1800 020 120 mooloolababackpackers.com Nomads Noosa 44 Noosa Dr, Noosa Heads.

1800 666 237, nomadshostels.com Halse Lodge YHA 2 Halse Lane, Noosa. 1800 242 567, halselodge.com.au

RAINBOW BEACH Dingos Backpacker Adventure Resort 20 Spectrum St. 1800 111 126, dingosresort.com

Aussie Woolshed 181 Torquay Road.

07 4124 0677 woolshedbackpackers.com Colonial Village YHA 820 Boat Harbour Drive.

07 4125 1844, yha.com.au Fraser Roving 412 The Esplanade.

1800 989 811, fraserroving.com.au Next at Hervey Bay 10 Bideford St. 1800 102 989, nextbackpackers.com.au Nomads Hervey Bay 408 The Esplanade.

1800 666 237, nomadshostels.com Palace Backpackers 184 Torquay, 1800 063 168, palaceadventures.com.au

FRASER ISLAND Eurong Beach Resort 07 4120 1600, eurong.com.au Palace Adventures 184 Torquay St, Hervey Bay, 1800 063 168 palaceadventures.com.au

Pippies Beach House 22 Spectrum St. 1800 425 356, pippiesbeachhouse.com Skydive Rainbow Beach 0418 218 358, skydiverainbowbeach.com

BUNDABERG Federal Backpackers 221 Bourbong St. 07 4153 3711 federalbackpackers.com.au

WORD FROM THE STREET

heart of the reef Airlie Beach QUEENSLAND THE WHITSUNDAY ISL ANDS

are one of the world s most spectacular aquatic playgrounds dss & encompass 74 tropical islands rising from pristine turquoise oise waters, hosting lots of incredible marine and wild life.

WHITEHAVEN BEACH CAMIRA SAILING ADVENTURE

Swimming, snorkelling, beautiful beaches and bays, a stuff-yourself-stupid BBQ lunch with unlimited drinks plus us exhilarating sailing aboard Camira one of the world s fastest est sailing catamarans ‒ an awesome day out on the water!r! $139*pp SAVE $36

GRE AT BARRIER REEF ADVENT URES

The Great Barrier Reef is truly one of the great wonders rs of the natural world. Cruise aboard Seaflight to Queensland land s most innovative reef pontoon featuring a giant waterslide slide and underwater viewing chamber. Explore the underwater water wonderland with diving, snorkelling, semi-sub or glasss bottom boat rides. Includes morning / afternoon tea and an all you can eat buffet lunch. $139*pp SAVE $60

2 DAYS 1 NIGHT BAREFOOT L AZ Y DAZE

HEY YAZMIN. SEEN MUCH OF QLD? “I have been to Port Douglas, Cairns, Fitzroy Island, Mission Beach, Townsville, Airlie Beach, the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.”

PICK OF THE BUNCH? “My favourite place was Cairns. I went with a tour to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef. I saw the most beautiful and amazing fish I’ve ever seen. The water is clear blue and I fell in love with the white sand.”

HOW ABOUT AFTER DARK? “I spent Christmas on the Sunshine Coast. It was raining a lot and my Christmas Eve celebration was in a van, with my friends, eating salad and playing cards. The most memorable and unforgettable day.”

ANYWHERE YOU’D DOUBLE BACK FOR? “Fraser Island for sure, and to dive again on the Great Barrier Reef.”

All day cruises and packages depart daily from Airlie Beach. For info and bookings see your travel centre or contact us: FREECALL1800 awesome

info@awesomeoz.com

www.awesomeoz.com

prices only available on presentation of a valid Student, Peterpans, YHA, ISIC, VIP * Backpacker or NOMADS card. Valid for travel until 31 March 2012. Conditions apply, see our website for details.

TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

TNT625- AAO2765

Yazmin Lopez Moreno, Mexico

Start your holiday with a choice of either a Whitehavenn Beach Camira Sailing Adventure, or a Great Barrier Reef Adventures. Overnight at Long Island. When you dream of an Island experience this is what you dream of! Spend the day enjoying the facilities at Long Island Resort or find your own secluded bay and take in the great outdoors. Great snorkelling. Ferry/ bus us departures back to Airlie available at a variety of times. s.

You may just be tempted to stay another night!

From $199*pp (Dorm accommodation) plus heaps of other great packages 3-6 days available

49

QLDLISTINGS

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ROAD LESS TRAVELLED

LIZARD ISLAND Lonely Planet founders Tony and Maureen Wheeler have named Lizard Island as one of the two destinations not to be missed in Australia. This rugged island boasts 24 pristine beaches that range from white sand to rocky escarpments, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only a stoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s throw away from some of the best diving sites on the Great Barrier Reef. The island resort is pricey, but luckily you can camp, too. You can also borrow a â&#x20AC;&#x153;tinnieâ&#x20AC;? and sail around the island. You can fly there from Cairns.

7/2+%23 7!.4%$ &RUIT AND 6EGETABLE PICKING JOBS AVAILABLE

s 4RANSPORT TO FROM WORK s &2%% COURTESY BUS PICK UP s ,AUNDRY FACILITIES s )NTERNET FACILITIES s 0LEASANT AND FRIENDLY STAFF s "ISTRO AVAILABLE AT "ANJO S TAVERN NEXT DOOR

6!2)%49 /& 7/2+ !6!),!",% 9%!2 2/5.$

"REEZY 4ROPICAL VERANDAHS CLEAN FRIENDLY #LOSE TO SHOPS BANKS OLYMPIC POOL

&EDERAL "ACKPACKERS "OURBONG 3T "UNDABERG 1LD

0HONE WWW FEDERALBACKPACKERS COM AU FEDERALBACKPACKERS HOTMAIL COM #OMPLIES WITH ALL SAFETY REQUIREMENTS QUANTITY DEPENDS ON SEASON

50

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Northside Backpackers 12 Queen St. 07 4154 1166 Bundaberg Bondstore Distillery tours. 07 4131 2999 bundabergrum.com.au

Scotty’s Beach House 167 Reid Rd. 07 4068 8676, scottysbeachhouse.com.au

BOOK NOW!

CAIRNS STAY

1770 Backpackers 6 Captain Cook Dr.1800 121 770, the1770backpackers.com

TINA ARENA Hamer Hall. Sun, 5 Aug. From $95.

A third and final show has been added for Australia’s sweetheart (behind Kylie, of course). Tina will be backed by a 54-piece orchestra.

Arts Centre, Melbourne

Airlie Waterfront Backpackers 6 The Esplanade. 1800 089 000, airliewaterfront.com

Base Airlie Beach Resort 336 Shute Harbour Rd. 1800 242 273, stayatbase.com Magnums Whitsunday Village Resort 366 Shute Harbour Rd. 1800 624 634 magnums.com.au Nomads Airlie Beach 354 Shute Harbour Rd. 1800 666 237 nomadshostels.com

Cairns Dive Centre 1800 642 591, cairnsdive.com.au

Calypso Backpackers 5 Digger St. 1800 815 628, calypsobackpackers.com.au

AIRLIE BEACH

Backpackers by the Bay 12 Hermitage Dr. 1800 646 994, backpackersbythebay.com

AJ Hackett Bungy jumping & canyon swinging.

1800 622 888 cairns.ajhackett.com

Bohemia Resort Cairns 231 McLeod St. 1800 155 353, bohemiaresort.com.au

1770 Undersea Adventures 1300 553 889, 1770underseaadventures.com

Airlie Beach YHA 394 Shute Harbour Rd. 1800 247 251, yha.com.au

CAIRNS DO

Bohemia Central Cairns 100 Sheridan St. 1800 558 589, bohemiacentral.com.au

TOWN OF 1770

airliebeach.com 259 Shute Harbour Rd. 1800 677 119

Northern Greenhouse 117 Grafton St. 1800 000 541, northerngreenhouse.com.au

BOWEN Bowen Backpackers Beach end of Herbert St. 07 4786 3433 bowenbackpackers.net

TOWNSVILLE

ticketmaster.com.au

MAGNETIC ISL Base Magnetic Island 1 Nelly Bay Rd. 1800 24 22 73, stayatbase.com Bungalow Bay Backpackers Horseshoe Bay. 1800 285 577, bungalowbay.com.au

Adventurers Resort 79 Palmer St. 1800 211 522, adventurersresort.com

Magnums 7 Marine Pde, Arcadia Bay. 1800 663 666, magnetic-island.com/arc-rsrt.htm

Adrenalin Dive Yongala diving.

07 4724 0600, adrenalindive.com.au

Pleasure Divers 07 4778 5788

Yongala Dive Yongala diving.

07 4783 1519, yongaladive.com.au

MISSION BEACH Absolute Backpackers 28 Wongaling Beach Road. 07 4068 8317, absolutebackpackers.com.au

WIN A $20,000 ROADTRIP

Pro Dive 07 4031 5255, prodivecairns.com

Dreamtime Travellers Rest 189 Bunda St. 1800 058 440, dreamtimehostel.com

Raging Thunder Adventures Whitewater rafting.

07 4030 7990, ragingthunder.com.au

Gilligans Backpackers and Hotel Resort 57-89 Grafton St. 1800 556 995, gilligans.com.au

Skydive Cairns 07 4052 1822, skydivecairns.com.au

JJ’s Backpackers Hostel 11 Charles St. 07 4051 7642, jjsbackpackers.com

Skydive Cairns 07 4030 7990, ragingthunder.com.au

NJOY Travellers Resort Harbour 141 Sheridan St. 1800 807 055, njoy.net.au

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway 07 4038 1555, skyrail.com.au

Nomads Beach House 239 Sheridan St. 1800 229 228, nomadshostels.com

CAPE TRIB

Nomads Cairns 341 Lake St. 1800 737 736, nomadshostels.com

Crocodylus Village Lot 5, Buchanan Creek Rd, Cow Bay. 07 4098 9166, crocodyluscapetrib.com

Nomads Esplanade 93 The Esplanade.

1800 175 716, nomadshostels.com

PK’s Jungle Village Cnr Avalon & Cape Trib Rd. 1800 232 333, pksjunglevillage.com.au

WORD FROM THE BEACH

Robert Storm, The Netherlands TIME TO HIT THE ROAD There’s no denying it, we love getting out on the road with our own wheels. So much so that we’re a bit obsessive about it, and want you to get obsessed too. That’s why we’ve joined forces with our buddies at Hippie Campers, who are giving away a roadtrip worth a massive $20,000.

The prize includes a six-berth motorhome for 28 days, flights, accommodation at holiday parks and a stack of free trips to keep you entertained along the way. You just need to like the hippiecampers Facebook page to enter.

GREETINGS ROB. WHERE DO YOU LOVE MOST IN QLD? “Playing golf at Cape Tribulation. Urban golf is so 2007. Beach golf is hot this year, in every way. Since there are no waves in the north, our beach activity was golf.”

WHAT ABOUT POST-SUNSET ENTERTAINMENT? “Getting a hot Swedish girl to polish my clubs. On the beach of course.”

WHAT’S NEXT ON THE AGENDA? “I might stay here. Forever.”

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MELBOURNE STAY

Space Hotel 380 Russell St. 1800 670 611, spacehotel.com.au

All Nations Backpackers Hotel & Bar 2 Spencer St. 1800 222 238, allnations.com.au

The Spencer 475 Spencer St. 1800 638 108, hotelspencer.com Urban Central 334 City Rd, Southbank. 1800 631 288, urbancentral.com.au

Base Melbourne 17 Carlisle St, St. Kilda. 1800 242 273, stayatbase.com

MELBOURNE DO

Central Melbourne Accommodation 21 Bromham Place, Richmond.

03 9427 9826, centralaccommodation.net

Australian Centre for the Moving Image Federation Square.

03 8663 2200, acmi.net.au

Exford Hotel 199 Russell St. 03 9663 2697, exfordhotel.com.au

DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T MISS!

Flinders Station Hotel 35 Elizabeth St. 03 9620 5100, flindersbackpackers.com.au

CRAIG RICCI SHAYNAK Roxanne Parlour Room. Until 7 Apr. From $13.30.

The actor and comedian is bringing his show about a search engine with feelings, I am Google, to Melbourne after being highly rated in Edinburgh.

The Greenhouse Backpacker Level 6, 228 Flinders Lane.

1800 249 207, greenhousebackpacker.com.au Habitat HQ 333 St Kilda Road, St Kilda. 1800 202 500, habitathq.com.au Home at the Mansion 66 Victoria Parade.

03 9663 4212, homemansion.com.au

Melbourne Aquarium Cnr of Flinders St & King St. 03 9923 5999, melbourneaquarium.com.au

Melbourne

melbournecomedyfestival.com.au

Home Travellers Motel 32 Carlisle St, St Kilda.

1800 008 718, hometravellersmotel.com.au Hotel Bakpak Melbourne 167 Franklin St. 1800 645 200, hotelbakpak.com

Melbourne Central YHA 562 Flinders St. 03 9621 2523, yha.com.au Nomads Melbourne 198 Aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;beckett St. 1800 447 762, nomadshostels.com

Melbourne Cricket Ground Brunton Av. 03 9657 8888 mcg.org.au Melbourne Museum 11 Nicholson St, Carlton. 13 11 02 melbourne.museum.vic.gov.au National Gallery of Victoria Federation Square. ngv.vic.gov.au Old Melbourne Gaol 377 Russell St. 03 8663 7228, oldmelbournegaol.com.au

Official Neighbours Tours 570 Flinders St. 03 9629 5866, neighbourstour.com.au

MELB MUSIC Cherry Bar myspace.com/cherrybarmelbourne Corner Hotel cornerhotel.com East Brunswick Club eastbrunswickclub.com Esplanade Hotel espy.com.au Northcote Social Club northcotesocialclub.com Palace Theatre palace.com.au The Hi-Fi thehifi.com.au The Tote thetotehotel.com

GREAT OCEAN RD Anglesea Backpackers 40 Noble St, Anglesea.

03 5263 2664, angleseabackpackers.com.au Eco Beach YHA 5 Pascoe St. 03 5237 7899, yha.com.au Great Ocean Road Backpackers YHA 10 Erskine Av, Lorne.

03 5289 2508, yha.com.au

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53

VICLISTINGS BOOK NOW!

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Sorrento YHA 3 Miranda St, Sorrento.

03 5984 4323, yha.com.au Tortoise Head Lodge French Island.

03 5980 1234, tortoisehead.net

DANDENONG Emerald Backpackers 03 5968 4086

MURRAY RIVER

BOOK NOW!

Echuca Gardens YHA 103 Av, Mitchell St, Echuca.

03 5480 6522, yha.com.au

THE JEZABELS Festival Hall. Fri, 1 June. From $50.

The Sydney indie-pop quartet are going from strength to strength with their award winning album Prisoner. Catch them as they tour Oz.

Dudley St, West Melbourne

Port Campbell Hostel 18 Tregea St, Port Campbell.

03 5598 6305, portcampbellhostel.com.au Surfside Backpackers Cnr Great Ocean Rd & Gambier St, Apollo Bay. 1800 357 263, surfsidebackpacker.com

ticketmaster.com.au

MORNINGTON

Mildura City Backpackers 50 Lemon Ave, Mildura.

03 5022 7922, milduracitybackpackers.com.au Oasis Backpackers 230 Deakin Av, Mildura.

04 0734 4251, milduraoasisbackpackers.com.au

GIPPSLAND

GIN WIGMORE Workers Club. Thurs, 5 Apr. $23.50.

She’s over here for the Blues and Roots Festival but the “black sheep” herself is making time for a show in Melbourne too.

51 Brunswick St, Fitzroy

PHILLIP ISLAND

Bayplay Lodge 46 Canterbury Jetty Rd, Blairgowrie.

03 5988 0188, bayplay.com.au

Prom Country Backpackers 03 5682 2614

Amaroo Park YHA 97 Church St, Cowes.

03 5952 3620, yha.com.au

Sorrento Foreshore Reserve Nepean Hwy, Sorrento.

1800 850 600, mornpen.vic.gov.au

Rawsom Caravan Park Depot Rd, Rawson.

03 5165 3439, rawsoncaravanpark.com.au

The Island Accommodation 10-12 Phillip Island Tourist Road. 03 5956 6123 theislandaccommodation.com.au

moshtix.com.au

GRAMPIANS Grampians YHA Eco Hostel Cnr Grampians & Buckler Rds, Halls Gap. 03 5356 4543, yha.com.au Tim’s Place 44 Grampians Road, Halls Gap. 03 5356 4288, timsplace.com.au

ESCAPE THE CROWDS

MELBOURNE O AUSTRALIA TOURS WINTER SPECIALS: $85 Grampians one day tour. $85 Great Ocean Road one day tour (lunch and drink included) $90 Phillip island tour (dinner and drink included)

MULTI DAY TOURS:

2 DAY GREAT OCEAN ROAD TOUR: $175 - dorm accommodation, dinner and breakfast included 2 DAY GREAT OCEAN ROAD PHILLIP ISLAND TOUR: $225 - dorm accommodation, dinner and breakfast included 2 DAY GREAT OCEAN ROAD GRAMPIANS TOUR $185 - dorm accommodation, dinner and breakfast included 2 AND 3 DAY GREAT OCEAN ROAD GRAMPIANS AND TRAVEL TO ADELAIDE TOUR: dorm accommodation, dinner and breakfast included.

Like us on facebook to WIN a one day Grampians tour... ...for two people worth over $170 during the month of April. Tour runs every Sunday, Tuesday and Friday Business +61 3 90169347 mobile +61 403257950 E:info@melbourneaustraliatours.com.au Skype: melbourneaustraliatours

www.melbourneaustraliatours.com.au 54

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CROAJINGOLONG NATIONAL PARK If you’re desperate to escape the bright lights and explore some real wilderness without having to travel too far, then you’d struggle to beat this national park. Just a half-day drive (about 430km) from the city, Croajingolong is one of only 12 Unesco World Biosphere Reserves in Australia. It also has a couple of designated “wilderness areas”, which mean no vehicles are allowed in, just walkers. Make sure to try and spot a giant goanna, surprisingly at Goanna Bay, and find your own deserted beach along the park’s 100km of coastline. If you’re there at Easter, visit Mallacoota for its music festival.

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DARWIN STAY

KATHERINE STAY

Banyan View Lodge Darwin 119 Mitchell St. 08 8981 8644, banyanviewlodge.com.au

BIG4 Katherine Holiday Park 20 Shadforth Road.

1800 501 984, big4.com.au

Darwin YHA 97 Mitchell St. 08 8981 5385, yha.com.au

Palm Court Kookaburra Backpackers Giles St. 1800 626 722

Elkes Backpackers 112 Mitchell St. 1800 808 365, elkesbackpackers.com.au

Melaleuca on Mitchell 52 Mitchell St. 1300 723 437, momdarwin.com Youth Shack 69 Mitchell St. 1300 793 302, youthshack.com.au

DARWIN DO Crocosaurus Cove Crocodile park and cage of death. 58 Mitchell St. 08 8981 7522, crocosauruscove.com Deckchair Cinema Jervois Rd, Darwin Waterfront.

08 8981 0700, deckchaircinema.com.au

Toddy’s Resort 41 Gap Rd. 1800 027 027, toddys.com.au

ALICE DO Alice Springs Desert Park Larapinta Drive.

08 8951 8788, alicespringsdesertpark.com.au

KATHERINE DO Airborne Solutions Scenic helicopter flights.

08 8972 2345 airbornesolutions.com.au

Frogshollow Backpackers 27 Lindsay St. 1800 068 686, frogs-hollow.com.au Gecko Lodge 146 Mitchell St. 1800 811 250, geckolodge.com.au

Haven Resort 3 Larapinta Drive.

1800 794 663, alicehaven.com.au

DON’T MISS!

Nitmiluk Tours Gorge cruises and kayak hire. 1300 146 743 nitmiluktours.com.au

THE TEMPER TRAP Darwin Amphitheatre. Sat, 26 May. From $60.

Returning home to headline Darwin’s hottest festival of the year, Bass in the Grass. It’s the biggest event of the dry season – don’t miss it.

Darwin Botanic Gardens Fannie Bay Gaol Heritage prison. East Point Road, Fannie Bay. 08 8941 2260, nt.gov.au Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory 19 Conacher St, Bullocky Point.

08 8999 8264, magnt.nt.gov.au

Alice Springs Reptile Centre Meet and hold lizards.

9 Stuart Terrace.

08 8952 8900, reptilecentre.com.au

bassinthegrass.com.au Oz Jet Boating Stokes Hill Wharf.

1300 135 595, ozjetboating.com.au Spectacular Jumping Crocodile Cruise Adelaide River.

08 8978 9077, jumpingcrocodile.com.au Wave Lagoon Waterfront Precinct. waterfront.nt.gov.au

Outback Ballooning Hot air balloon rides.

1800 809 790, outbackballooning.com.au

TENNANT CREEK Tourist Rest Leichardt St. 08 8962 2719, touristrest.com.au

Royal Flying Doctor Service Base Museum and operations room.

Stuart Terrace. 08 8952 1129, flyingdoctor.net

ALICE SPRINGS Alice Lodge 4 Mueller St. 08 8953 1975, alicelodge.com.au Alice Springs YHA Cnr Parsons St & Leichhardt Tce. 08 8952 8855, yha.com.au Annie’s Place 4 Traeger Ave. 1800 359 089, anniesplace.com.au

School of the Air Long-distance schooling museum.

80 Head St. 08 8951 6834, assoa.nt.edu.au The Rock Tour Uluru tours.

78 Todd St. 1800 246 345, therocktour.com.au

WORD FROM THE STREET

Aoife Lynch, Ireland HEY AOIFE. SEEN MUCH OF THE NT YET? “Just Darwin so far.”

AND WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT THE CITY? “The Mindil Beach Sunset Market. The food is amazing and the local art is beautiful. They also have great bands there – I’ve never seen the didgeridoo played in such a wide variety of ways.”

HOW ABOUT FOR A DRINK? “Shenanigans Bar. It’s jam-packed full of tourists who have been travelling from WA and are in desperate need of a beer!”

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WALISTINGS DON’T MISS!

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One World Backpackers 162 Aberdeen St, Northbridge.

1800 188 100, oneworldbackpackers.com.au Perth City YHA 300 Wellington St. 08 9287 3333, yha.com.au The Old Swan Barracks 6 Francis St. 08 9428 0000, theoldswanbarracks.com Underground Backpackers 268 Newcastle St, Northbridge.

08 9228 3755, undergroundbackpackers.com.au

WESTERN FORCE VS QUEENSLAND REDS nib Stadium. Sat, 31 Mar. $TBA. Perth’s rugby union heavyweights, Western Force, take on the team from Brisbane. We predict Perth fans will see red.

310 Pier St, Perth

ticketmaster.com.au

PERTH STAY Billabong Backpackers Resort 381 Beaufort St. 08 9328 7720, billabongresort.com.au Britannia on William 253 William St, Northbridge.

08 9227 6000, perthbrittania.com

Emperor’s Crown 85 Stirling St, Northbridge. 1800 991 553, emperorscrown.com.au Globe Backpackers & City Oasis Resort 561 Wellington St. 08 9321 4080, globebackpackers.com.au Ocean Beach Backpackers 1 Eric St, Cottlesloe. 08 9384 5111, oceanbeachbackpackers.com.au

The Witch’s Hat 148 Palmerston St. 08 9228 4228, witchshat.com

PERTH DO Aquarium of Western Australia 91 Southside Drive, Hillarys.

08 9447 7500, aqwa.com.au Kings Park & Botanic Garden bgpa.wa.gov.au Perth Mint 310 Hay St. 08 9421 7223, perthmint.com.au Perth Zoo 20 Labouchere Road, South Perth.

08 9474 3551, perthzoo.wa.gov.au

BOOK NOW! BALL PARK MUSIC The Amplifier. Sat, 8 Apr. $20.80.

One of the most successful Triple J Unearthed bands of 2011 are embarking on a national tour. Catch them as they bowl into Perth.

383 Murray St Perth

PERTH MUSIC Amplifier amplifiercapitol.com.au Astor liveattheastor.com.au Mojo’s Bar mojosbar.com.au The Bakery nowbaking.com.au The Rosemount Hotel rosemounthotel.com.au

WORD FROM THE STREET

moshtix.com.au

FREO STAY Backpackers Inn Freo 11 Pakenham St. 08 9431 7065, backpackersinnfreo.com.au Old Firestation Backpackers 18 Phillimore St. 08 9430 5454, fremantleprison.com.au

CITY GETAWAY

Skylar Su, Taiwan HI SKY. DONE MUCH TRAVELLING IN WA? “I’ve travelled from Perth all the way up to Broome, where I worked at a fancy eco resort for three months. I then went to Darwin via the Kimberley.”

FAVOURITE PLACE? “Ngumban Cliff in the Kimberley. Well it is not a hot spot in a travel book, but it is a free spot in the camping cheap book. I saw the most beautiful sunset there, plus the most stunning moonrise in Oz. It is a free campsite between Fitzroy Crossing and Hall’s Creek. The roundest moon I’ve ever seen rose from the horizon on a flat land! The orange and reddish colour with the perfect round shape just took my breath away!”

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ROTTNEST ISLAND Rottnest Island, or ‘Rotto’, is just a short ferry ride from Perth so it makes for a perfect day-trip.

The island is car-free so it’s best explored by bike, or catch the historical tour train, and go for a swim at one of the 63 sheltered white sand beaches. There are coral reefs and shipwrecks to explore and check out the local cuties – the quokkas (pictured). In fact, these cat-sized Aussies gave the island its name when Dutch explorer Willem de Vlamingh mistook them for rats in 1658 and named it “Rottenest”, which is Dutch for “rat nest”.

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MONKEY MIA

Sundancer Backpackers Resort 80 High St. 08 9336 6080, sundancerbackpackers.com.au

Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort 1800 653 611, monkeymia.com.au

FREO DO

NINGALOO REEF

Fremantle Markets 08 9335 2515, fremantlemarkets.com.au

Blue Reef Backpackers 3 Truscott Crescent, Exmouth 1800 621 101, aspenparks.com.au

Fremantle Prison 1 The Terrace.

08 9336 9200, backpackersinnfreo.com.au

Ningaloo Club Coral Bay 08 9948 5100, ningalooclub.com

ROTTNEST ISL Rottnest Island YHA Kingstown Barracks. 08 9372 9780, yha.com.au

Excape Backpackers YHA Murat Rd, Exmouth.

08 9949 1200, yha.com.au

MARGARET RIV Margaret River Lodge YHA 220 Railway Tce. 08 9757 9532, yha.com.au

BROOME STAY Cable Beach Backpackers 12 Sanctuary Road.

1800 655 011, cablebeachbackpackers.com

ALBANY Albany Bayview Backpackers YHA 49 Duke St. 08 9842 3388, yha.com.au

t accommodation. Stunning beachfront location.

Quality budge able, world-leading activities and facilities.

Unique, afford shpacker Voted top ten f la nder $100 in Australia u n o ti a d o accomm eller Magazine v a r T

by Australian

Kimberley Club 62 Fredrick St 08 9192 3233, kimberleyklub.com

Cruize-Inn 122 Middleton Rd. 08 9842 9599, cruizeinn.com

BROOME DO

Metro Inn Albany 270 Albany Hwy. 1800 004 321, metrohotels.com.au

Sun Pictures Carnarvon St. 08 9192 1077, broomemovies.com.au

monkeymia@aspenresorts.com.au t freecall 1800 653 611 t ph +61 8 9948 1320 t monkeymia.com.au

Aspen Parks Begin your re today...

Darwin

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Wa

Brisbane

Sa Perth

Nsw Sydney

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Vic Melbourne Hobart

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Visit our website for great accommodation specials and online bookings

Holiday Parks with a difference Australia Wide Western Australia Woodman Point Holiday Park Coogee Beach Holiday Park Perth Vineyards Holiday Park Exmouth Cape Holiday Park Blue Reef Backpackers Pilbara Holiday Park Cooke Point Holiday Park

1800 244 133 1800 817 016 1800 679 992 1800 621 101 1800 621 101 1800 451 855 1800 459 999

South Australia Port Augusta BIG4 Holiday Park 1800 833 444 Myall Grove Holiday Park 1800 356 103 Victoria Boathaven Holiday Park Geelong Riverview Tourist Park Golden River Holiday Park Yarraby Holiday Park Ashley Gardens BIG4 Holiday Village

1800 352 982 1800 336 225 1800 621 262 1800 222 052 1800 061 444

New South Wales A Shady River Holiday Park Maidenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Inn Holiday Park Magic Murray Houseboats Murray River Holiday Park Wymah Valley Holiday Park Twofold Bay Beach Resort Wallamba River Holiday Park

1800 674 239 1800 356 801 1800 356 483 1800 357 215 1800 776 523 1800 631 006 1800 268 176

Queensland Island Gateway Holiday Park

1800 466 528

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TAS& &SALISTINGS

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HOBART STAY

launcestoncataractgorge.com.au

Central City Backpackers 138 Collins St. 1800 811 507, centralbackpackers.com.au

Centre for Beer Lovers Boag’s Brewery, 39 William St. 03 6332 6300, boags.com.au

DON’T MISS!

Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery 2 Invermay Rd & 2 Wellington St. 03 6323 3777, qvmag.tas.gov.au

Hobart Hostel 41 Barrack St. 1300 252 192, hobarthostel.com Montgomery’s YHA 9 Argyle St. 03 6231 2660, yha.com.au

Tasmania Zoo 1166 Ecclestone Rd. 03 6396 6100, tasmaniazoo.com.au

Narrara Backpackers 88 Goulburn St. 03 6234 8801, narrarabackpackers.com

DEVONPORT

Pickled Frog 281 Liverpool St. 03 6234 7977, thepickledfrog.com

Tasman Backpackers 114 Tasman St. 03 6423 2335, tasmanbackpackers.com.au

Transit Backpackers 251 Liverpool St. 03 6231 2400, transitbackpackers.com

LANIE LANE The Grand Poobah. Sat, 19 May. $23.50.

After hooking up (vocally) with Jack White of the White Stripes last year, Lanie is bang-banging back to Oz and into Hobart in May.

HOBART DO Cascade Brewery 140 Cascade Rd. 03 6224 1117 cascadebreweryco.com.au Mt Wellington Descent Bike tours. 03 6274 1880 mtwellingtondescent.com.au

Liverpool St, Hobart

PORT ARTHUR Port Arthur Historic Ghost Tours 1800 659 101, portarthur.org.au

Salamanca Markets Every Saturday, Salamanca Place. salamanca.com.au Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery 5 Argyle St. tmag.com.au

moshtix.com.au

LAUNCESTON Arthouse Backpacker Hostel 20 Lindsay St. 1800 041 135, arthousehostel.com.au

Launceston Backpackers 103 Canning St. 03 6334 2327, launcestonbackpackers.com.au Lloyds Hotel 23 George St. 03 6331 9906, backpackersaccommodation.com.au

LAUNCESTON DO Cataract Gorge

ADELAIDE STAY

DON’T MISS!

Mt Roland Budget Backpacker Rooms 1447 Claude Rd, Gowrie Park. 03 6491 1385

Radeka Down Under 1 Oliver St. 1800 633 891, radekadownunder.com.au

Adelaide Travellers Inn 220 Hutt St. 08 8224 0753, adelaidebackpackers.com.au

Riba’s Underground 1811 William Creek Rd. 08 8672 5614, camp-underground.com.au

Annie’s Place 239 Franklin St. 1800 818 011, anniesplace.com.au

KANGAROO IS

Backpack Oz 144 Wakefield St. 1800 633 307, backpackoz.com.au

Kangaroo Island YHA 33 Middle Terrace, Penneshaw.

08 8553 1344, yha.com.au

Blue Galah Backpackers Lvl 1, 52-62, King William St. 08) 8231 9295, bluegalah.com.au

THE RUBENS

Glenelg Beach Hostel 5-7 Moseley St. Glenelg. 1800 359 181, glenelgbeachhostel.com.au

Edinburgh Castle. Fri, 18 April. $13.80.

They have a hauntingly good radio-hit “Lay it Down” so if that’s an indication, their live show will be, erm, hauntingly good.

Hostel 109 109 Carrington St. 1800 099 318, hostel109.com

58

CRADLE MTN Discovery Holiday Parks Cradle Mountain Rd. 1800 068 574, discoveryholidayparks.com.au

Opal Cave Coober Pedy Hutchinson St. 08 8672 5028, opalcavecooberpedy.com.au

Adelaide Central YHA 135 Waymouth St. 08 8414 3010, yha.com.au

Currie St, Adelaide

My Place 257 Waymouth St. 1800 221 529, adelaidehostel.com.au

Memorial Drive.

08 8300 3800, cricketsa.com.au

Shakespeare Hostel 123 Waymouth St. 1800 556 889, shakeys.com.au

Adelaide Zoo Frome Rd. 08 8267 3255, zoossa.com.au

ADELAIDE DO

Bicheno Penguin Tours 03 6375 1333, bichenopenguintours.com.au

COOBER PEDY

Adelaide Backpackers Inn 112 Carrington St. 1800 24 77 25, adpi.com.au

Adelaide Oval Home to the Donald Bradman collection. War

BICHENO Bicheno Backpackers 11 Morrison St. 03 6375 1651, bichenobackpackers.com

Haigh’s Chocolates Factory tours. 153 Greenhill Rd, Parkside. 1800 819 757, haighschocolates.com.au

TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

liveguide.com.au

Temptation Sailing Dolphin swimming, Glenelg.

04 1281 1838, dolphinboat.com.au

BAROSSA VAL Barossa Backpackers 9 Basedow Road Tanunda.

08 8563 0198, barossabackpackers.com.au

RIVERLAND Berri Backpackers Sturt Highway, Berri.

08 8582 3144, berribackpackers.com.au Harvest Trail Lodge Loxton.08 8584 5646, harvesttrail.com.au

@tnt_downunder

CRADLE DO Devils at Cradle Tassie devil sanctuary. 3950 Cradle Mountain Rd. 03 6492 1491. devilsatcradle.com Overland Track Six-day walk parks.tas.gov.au

FREYCINET Iluka Backpackers YHA Reserve Rd. 03 6257 0115, yha.com.au Freycinet National Park Brewery, Wineglass Bay camping. 03 6256 7000, wineglassbay.com

STRAHAN, Strahan YHA 43 Harvey St. 03 6471 7255, yha.com

STRAHAN DO Four Wheelers Henty Sand Dunes quadbike tours. 04 1950 8175, 4wheelers.com.au Water by Nature Extreme multiday whitewater rafting. 1800 111 142, franklinrivertasmania.com Wild Rivers Jet Jet boating. 03 6471 7396, wildriversjet.com.au

FLEURIEU PENIN Port Elliot Beach House YHA 13 The Strand, Port Elliot. 08 8554 2785, yha.com.au

EYRE PENINSULA Coodlie Park Farmstay Flinders Highway, Port Kenny.

08 8687 0411, coodliepark.com Baird Bay Ocean Eco Experience Sea lion and dolphin swims.

08 8626 5017, bairdbay.com Calypso Star Charters Great white shark cage diving.

08 8682 3939, sharkcagediving.com.au Nullarbor Traveller Tours across to Perth.

1800 816 858, the-traveller.com.au Port Lincoln Tourist Park 11 Hindmarsh St. 08 8621 4444, portlincolntouristpark.com.au Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions Great white shark cage diving.

08 8363 1788, rodneyfox.com.au

FLINDERS RANGES

Nomads on Murray Sturt Highway, Kingston on Murray.

1800 665 166, nomadsworld.com

Angorichina Tourist Village 08 8648 4842, angorichinavillage.com.au

Riverland Backpackers Labour Hire Services 08 8583 0211

Wilpena Pound Resort Wilpena Rd. 08 8648 0004, wilpenapound.com.au

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BUS TOURS

AUCKLAND

Flexi-Pass Combines InterCity and Newmans. 0800 222 146, flexipass.co.nz

DON’T MISS!

Flying Kiwi Wilderness Expeditions 1800 143 515, flyingkiwi.com

Airport Skyway Lodge Backpackers (BBH) 30 Kirkbride Road, Mangere. +64 9275 4443, skywaylodge.co.nz Albert Park Backpackers (VIP) 27-31 Victoria St East. +64 9309 0336, bakpak@albertpark.co.nz

Kiwi Experience +64 9366 9830 kiwiexperience.com Magic Travellers Network +64 9358 5600, magicbus.co.nz

Auckland International Backpackers (BBH) 2 Churton St, Parnell. +64358 4584,

NZ Travelpass 0800 339 966, travelpass.co.nz

Base Auckland 229 Queen St. 0800 227 369, stayatbase.com

Stray +64 9309 8772, straytravel.com

Bamber House (BBH) 2 2 View Rd, Mt Eden. +64 9623 4267, hostelbackpacker.com

FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS

RENTAL FIRMS Ace Rental Cars 1800 140 026, acerentalcars.com.nz Backpacker Campervan & Car Rentals +800 200 80 801, backpackercampervans.com Bargain Rental Cars 0800 001 122, bargainrentals.com.nz Darn Cheap Rentals 0800 447 363, exploremore.co.nz Econo Campers +64 9275 9919, econocampers.co.nz

Ten Kiwi cities. Wed, 13 Jun – Wed, 27 Jun. NZ$TBC. Yes, have no doubt that NZ will go absolutely crazy for this homecoming tour of the world-conquering comedy duo. Pre-sale starts tomorrow.

All over New Zealand

everyman.co.nz

Escape Rentals 1800 456 272, escaperentals.co.nz

Rental Car Village +64 9376 9935, hire-vehicles.co.nz

Explore More 1800 800 327, dcrentals.com.nz

Spaceships 1300 139 091, spaceships.tv

Jucy Rentals 0800 399 736, jucy.com.nz

Standby Cars 1300 789 059, standbycars.com.au

Rent-A-Dent 0800 736 823, rentadent.co.nz

Wicked Campers 1800 246 869, wickedcampers.com

Less clicking and more member savings on the new, faster yha.co.nz.

Backpacking just got easy as.

Central City Backpackers 26 Lorne St. +64 9358 5685, backpacker.net.nz City Garden Lodge 25 St Georges Bay Rd, Parnell. +64 9302 0880

Nomads Auckland 16-20 Fort St. +64 9300 9999, nomadshostels.com Oaklands Lodge (BBH) St. +64 5A Oaklands Rd, Mt Eden. +64 9638 6545, oaklands.co.nz Pentlands (BBH) 22 Pentland Ave, Mt Eden. +64 9638 7031 Queen Street Backpackers (VIP) 4 Fort St. +64 9373 3471, enquiries@qsb.co.nz Surf ‘n’ Snow Backpackers 102 Albert St. +64 9363 8889, surfandsnow.co.nz The Brown Kiwi (BBH) 7 Prosford St, Ponsonby. +64 9378 0191, brownkiwi.co.nz YHA Auckland City Cnr City Rd & Liverpool St. +64 9309 2802, yha.co.nz YHA Auckland International 5 Turner St. +64 9302 8200, yha.co.nz

WELLINGTON

Kiwi International Queen St Hotel and Hostel 411 Queen St. 0800 100 411, kiwihotel.co.nz

Base Wellington 21-23 Cambridge Tce. +64 4801 5666 stayatbase.com

The Fat Camel (Nomads) 38 Fort St. +64 9307 0181, nomadshostels.com

Cambridge Hotel (BBH) 28 Cambridge Tce. +64 4385 8829 cambridgehotel.co.nz

WHEN YOU

JOIN YHA

yha.co.nz

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NZLISTINGS

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Downtown Wellington Backpackers (BBH) 1 Bunny St. +64 4473 8482 db@downtownbackpackers.co.nz

DON’T MISS!

Lodge in the City (VIP) 152 Taranaki St. +64 4385 8560 lodgeinthecity.co.nz

Point Break Backpackers (BBH) 99 Seaview Road. +64 3388 2050, pointbreakbackpackers.co.nz The Old Countryhouse (BBH) 437 Gloucester St. +64 3381 5504, oldcountryhousenz.com

Maple Lodge (BBH) 52 Ellice St. +64 4385 3771

Tranquil Lodge (BBH) 440 Manchester St. +64 3366 6500, tranquil-lodge.co.nz

Nomads Capital 118 Wakefield St. 0508 666 237, nomadscapital.com

Rucksacker Backpacker Hostel (BBH) 70 Bealey Ave. +64 3377 7931, rucksacker.com

@tnt_downunder @tnt_downunder

Cardrona Alpine Resort Between Queenstown and Wanaka. +64 3443 7341, cardrona.com Deco Backpackers (VIP, BBH) 52 Man St. +64 3442 7384, decobackpackers.co.nz Flaming Kiwi Backpackers (BBH) 39 Robins Rd. +64 3442 5494, flamingkiwi@xtra.co.nz Hippo Lodge (BBH) 4 Anderson Hts. +64 3442 5785, hippolodge.co.nz

Rosemere Backpackers (BBH) 6 McDonald Cres. +64 4384 3041, backpackerswellington.co.nz

QUEENSTOWN

Rowena’s Backpackers (VIP) 115 Brougham St. 0800 80 1414

Alpine Lodge (BBH) 13 Gorge Rd. +64 3442 7220, alpinelodge@xtra.co.nz

Nomads Queenstown 5-11 Church St. +64 3441 3922, nomadshostels.com

Aspen Lodge (BBH) 11 Gorge 11 Gorge Rd. +64 3442 9671, aspenlodge.co.nz

Pinewood Lodge (VIP) 48 Hamilton Rd. 0800 7463 9663, rgrieg@xtra.co.nz

Base Discovery Lodge St. +64 Queenstown 49 Shotover St. +64 3441 1185, stayatbase.com

Queenstown Lodge Sainsbury Rd, Fernhill. 0800 756 343, queenstownlodge.co.nz

SHIHAD

Wellywood Backpackers 58 Tory St. 0508 00 58 58

The Bedford. Fri, 13 Apr. NZ$52.50.

The Welly boys have been spending a lot of time in Melbourne but they haven’t forgotten their roots, they’re returning to NZ for a tour in April.

Worldwide Backpackers (BBH) 291 The Terrace. +64 4802 5590, worldwidenz.co.nz YHA Wellington City 292 Wakefield St. +64 4801 7280

Moorhouse Ave, Christchurch

ticketmaster.co.nz

CHRISTCHURCH

Avon City Backpackers Worcester Street. +64 3389 6876, avoncitybackpackers.com

Jailhouse Accommodation (BBH) 338 Lincoln Rd. 0800 524 546, stay@kiwibasecamp.com

Black Sheep Lodge (BBH/VIP) 13 Frankton Rd. +64 3442 7289, blacksheepbackpackers.co.nz

Southern Laughter (BBH, VIP) 4 Isle St. 0800 728 448, southernlaughter.co.nz

Around the World Backpackers 314 Barbadoes Street. +64 3365 4363, aroundtheworld.co.nz

Chester Street Backpackers (BBH) 148 Chester St East. +64 3377 1897, chesterst.co.nz

Kiwi House 373 Gloucester St. +64 3381 6645, kiwihouse.co.nz

Bungi Backpackers (VIP, BBH) 15 Sydney St. 0800 728 286, bungibackpackers.co.nz

YHA Queenstown Central 48A Shotover Street. +64 3442 7400, yha.co.nz

At The Right Place 85 Bealey St. +64 3366 1633, atrp.co.nz

Foley Towers (BBH) 208 Kilmore St. +64 3366 9720, backpack.co.nz/foley

Marine Backpackers 26 Nayland St. +64 3326 6609, themarine.co.nz

Butterfli Lodge (BBH) 62 Thompson St. +64 3442 6367, butterfli.co.nz

YHA Queenstown Lakefront 8890 Lake Esplanade. +64 3442 8413, yha.co.nz

FUN FIX

WORD FROM THE STREET

Lizzie Joyce, England

ZORBING Trust the wacky adrenalin junky New Zealanders to come up with this craze. The concept is quite simple: you climb into an inflated plastic sphere, strap yourself in and then roll head-over-heels downhill, rotating within the sphere at speeds of up to 30km per hour. You can do it dry or you can take a wash cycle where you’ll get soaked. You’ll find in by Rotorua in the Agrodome. If you can’t wait to cross the Tasman, you can also give it a go on the Gold Coast. Get rolling. agrodome.co.nz

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HEY LIZZIE. BEEN UP TO MUCH IN NEW ZEALAND? “I’ve spent two weeks on the South Island and one on the North Island. I went through Christchurch, Kaikoura, Nelson, Greymouth, Franz Josef, Wanaka, Queenstown, Dunedin and Tekapo then flew up to Wellington and travelled north to Auckland, via Taupo, Rotorua and Waitomo.”

ANYTHING STAND OUT? “ Blackwater rafting in the Waitomo Caves and doing the heli-hike up Franz Josef Glacier were definitely the highlights.”

ANYWHERE YOU’D GO BACK TO? “I would definitely go back to Queenstown. It’s got a really great vibe and some brilliant bars.”

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NADI & WEST Aquarius Pacific Hotel +679 672 6000 Beach Escape Villas +679 672 4442, beachscape@ connect.com.fj Cathay Hotel +679 666 0566, fiji4less.com Horizon Beach Resort +679 672 2832, horizonbeachfiji.com Nadi Bay Resort Hotel +679 672 3599, fijinadibayhotel.com Nadi Down Town Backpackers Inn +679 670 0600, pacvalley@connect.com.fj Nadi Hotel +679 670 0000, ndht@connect.com.fj Nomads Skylodge Hotel +679 672 2200 Saweni Beach Apartment Hotel +679 666 1777, fiji4less.com Smugglers Cove Beach Resort +679 672 6578, smugglers beachfiji.com Travellers Beach Resort +679 672 3322, beachvilla@connect.com.fj

YASAWA ISLANDS Awesome Adventures Fiji +679 675 0499awesomefiji.com Coconut Bay Resort +679 666 6644 coconutbay_fiji2002@yahoo.com

MAMANUCA ISL Beachcomber Island Resort +679 666 1500, beachcomberfiji.com Bounty Island Resort +679 666 6999, fiji-bounty.com

NORTH VITI LEVU

Tabukula Beach Bungalows +679 650 0097, fiji4less.com

Bethams Cottage +679 669 4132, bethams.com.fj

The Uprising Beach Resort +679 345 2200, uprisingbeachresort.com

Macdonalds Beach Cottages +679 669 4633

Korovou Eco Tour Resort +679 666 6644 korovoultk@connect.com.fj

Rau Kini’s Hostel +679 672 1959, rtkinihostel@connect.com.fj

Tsulu Luxury Backpackers & Apartments +679 345 0065, tsulu.com

Morrison’s Beach Cottagess +679 669 4516, tipple@connect.com.fj

Kuata Resort +679 666 6644

The Funky Fish Beach Resort +679 628 2333, funkyfishresort.com

Vakaviti Motel & Dorm +679 650 0526, bulavakaviti@connect.com.fj

Safari Lodge Fijis +679 669 3333 safarilodge.com.fj

The Resort Walu Beach +679 665 1777, walubeach.com

Vilisite Place +679 650 1030

Long Beach Backpackers Resort +679 666 6644 Manta Ray Island +679 672 6351 mantarayisland@connect.com.fj

CORAL COAST

Volivoli Beach Resort +679 669 4511, volivoli.com

VANUA LEVU

SUVA

Nabua Lodge +679 666 9173 nabualodge@connect.com.fj

Beachouse +679 653 0500, fijibeachouse.com

Colonial Lodge +679 92 75248, sailevukaga@yahoo.co.nz

Bayside Backpacker Cottage +679 885 3154, tripntour@connect.com.fj

Oarsmans Bay Lodge +679 672 2921 nacula@hotmail.com

Mango Bay Resort +679 653 00690, mangobayresortfiji.com

Lami Lodge Backpackers +679 336 2240, volau@connect.com.fj

Hidden Paradise Guest House +678 885 0106

Pacific Safaris Club +679 345 0498, safariclub@connect.com.fj

Leleuvia Island Resort +679 331 9567, eleen@leleuvia.com

Naveria Heights Lodge +679 851 0157, justnaveria@connect.com.fj

Rendezvous Dive Resort +679 628 4427, surfdivefiji.com

Raintree Lodge +679 332 0562, raintreelodge.com

Robinson Crusoe +679 629 1999, robinsoncrusoeislandfiji.com

Royal Hotel +679 344 0024 royal@connect.com.fj

Savusavu Hot Springs +679 885 0195, hotspringshotel@connect.com.fjj

Octopus Resort +679 666 6337 reservations@octopusresort.com Sunrise Lagoon Resort +679 666 6644 Wayalailai Island Resort +679 672 1377 wayalailai@connect.com.fj White Sandy Beach Dive Resort +679 666 4066

Seashell Cove Resort +679 670 6100, seashellresort.com

TAVEUNI

South Seas Private Hotel +679 331 2296, fiji4less.com

Albert’s Sunrise +679 333 7555

Tailevu Hotel +679 343 0028

Matava Resort +679 330 5222

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Photo: Awesome Adventures

THE YASAWAS Fiji’s main budget backpacker properties are situated in the Yasawa Islands, north-west of Nadi. Some 24 properties operate over 20 rugged islands, with crystal blue lagoons and great beaches. The islands are serviced daily by the Yasawa Flyer, a large and fast catamaran. However, make sure you ring ahead to book before jumping on the boat.

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OZWORK

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Study and stay in Oz Before you go and buy that pencil case, or more likely, iPad, you need to read our guide to the various ways of studying in Oz...

Many people who visit Australia on a working holiday visa find themselves so addicted to the place they want to hang around longer, maybe even for good. So if you’re one of those people, you’ll be happy to know there are several avenues you can take to stay in Australia, one of which is studying in an Australian college or university.

Obtaining a student visa is a way to increase your skills and expand your education while also getting to stay in the wonderful land of Australia.

“A student visa allows you to stay in the city of your choice and comes with ‘multiple entry’ in and out of Australia for the duration of the visa,” says Acacia Education Australia’s Melanie Duncan.

As well as studying, the visa allows you to work 20 hours per week during semester and as much as you want during

holidays so you can keep your wallet relatively full while your head is in the books.

Studying in Australia can also make you more attractive to prospective employers and help you along your way to permanent residency through skilled visas or business sponsorship. A nice way to boost that Aussie CV! And you don’t have to put your head down for a fulltime, long term year degree either. “After investigating their study options, working holiday makers often choose to enrol in university `pathway’ programmes,” Melanie says.

These programmes are more affordable options, shorter in length and will slowly ease you back into the world of study. You can experiment with several different fields without committing to one course. And we all know how much you backpackers like to experiment! Now hop to it!

Get paid to holiday!

Make the most of your Aussie travel experience.

Western Australia’s Challenger Institute of Technology offers a selection of hospitality short courses that will get you qualified and working in no time at all!

No need to give up long days at the beach. Challenger short courses are run on weekends or weeknights for minimum disruption to your itinerary.

CTA1612_Jan

These industry-relevant courses are run by highly qualified lecturers in a hands-on training environment.

Challenger Institute of Technology located in Western Australia is the preferred choice for more than 25,000 students studying a diverse range of careers, courses and subjects.

INTERESTED? Visit www.challenger.wa.edu.au or email stephne.ceicys@challenger.wa.edu.au 62

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G

perfect summer job?

Looking for the

Got a smile for miles? Are you full of motivation, drive and enthusiasm?

Are you one of those out going, can’t sit still, want to travel the world types?

>L ^HU[ `V\ FAQ What can I expect to earn?

OTE $900 per week What if I have no experience?

We will train you from scratch.

When can I expect to start?

Arrange your interview now for an immediate start.

Is this telemarketing?

5V [OPZ PZ UV[ [LSLWOVUL ^VYR @V\ ^PSS IL JVUK\J[PUN I I WYVTV[PVUZ VɈLYPUN J\Z[VTLY»Z business solutions through our clients , such as : ,ULYN` (\Z (TL_ 5() .9. (;4»Z 0- [LSLJVT Work as a Consultant on our current and upcoming campaigns!

We are looking for those of you that have that special ‘spark‘.

That certain ‘something’ that leaves a customer with a smile.

At GM Global we are responsible for the provision of high quality service to existing customers of the client we represent, as well as the acquisition of new business on their behalf. >L KLHS ^P[O ZTHSS TLKP\T ZPaLK I\ZPULZZLZ VɈLYPUN [OLT business solutions through our client Energy Australia!

3 Month Minimum Availability Immediate Start OTE $900 HIGHLIGHTS >P[O [OL VɉJLZ ^L OH]L HYV\UK (\Z[YHSPH HUK 5A `V\ ^PSS OH]L ;9(=,3 67769;<50;0,: .(369, )\[ ^OPSL PU Melbourne you will have opportunities travel nation wide.

EMAIL admin@gmglobal.com.au PHONE 03 8199 3827 Global enterprises_670v2.indd 1

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One of our friendly trainers will show you how to approach businesses of small to medium size and promote our clients services and products which are designed to save the business thousand’s !

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23/02/12 4:25 PM

OZWORK

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INTERVIEW WITH A STUDENT language barrier was also a plus, although there is a slight dialect barrier – but I get that everywhere being from the north-east! Oh, and the drinking age is lower than the USA, my other option.

Which uni did you chose?

Macquarie University is in the top 10 Australian universities and it’s a campus-based uni just outside the heart of Sydney.

It has a great reputation, great location and I thought it would be good to experience a different type of uni – since my university

Josh Tate, 20, from England Why study in Oz? I have a few friends that travelled Australia and had the time of their lives, so their recommendation was really important to me. No

in Leeds is city-based.

What are you studying?

I’m in my 2nd year of studying International Business at Leeds Metropolitan, but I’m on an exchange programme. I’m also doing an internship.

Why do it?

To get my second year visa. Unless you have a job offering you sponsorship it is one of the only ways you can extend it.

Is it expensive to study?

Sydney is an expensive city, but I expected that

and prepared for it.

Accommodation is a big hit, six months here has cost me around the same as a year would at home. But it has been completely worth it, the fun I’ve had here outweighs any price tag.

Travelled much here?

I toured China before I got here and since then I’ve been to New Zealand with five Americans I met here. I got to skydive, bungy jump and whitewater raft. It was one of the best holidays ever. The following 10 days I travelled down the east coast of Australia.

Finding the right holiday work should be this easy.

Pick from one of these temporary legal jobs: Law Clerk

Legal Assistant

Receptionist

Legal Secretary

WP Operator

Accounts Clerk

Minimum one year legal experience is required, long and short term temp assignments available.

For a legal recruitment company that likes to keep things simple contact BRISBANE Sherri@empirecareers.com.au 07 3231 1200 SYDNEY Jessie@empirecareers.com.au 02 9375 2222 MELBOURNE Jane@empirecareers.com.au 03 9098 8750 PERTH info@empirecarers.com.au 07 3231 1200 or visit www.empirecareers.com.au 64

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FACTS ON FEES AND INSURANCE 1. International students must pay tuition fees up-front.

2. Scholarships are an option for covering costs 3. University entrance, preparatory and bridging courses are about $9,000 to $14,000 p.a 4. Bachelor degrees such as courses in arts, business, economics, science, engineering and law are about $12,500 to $31,500 a year.

5. English language training varies significantly depending on the course. A General English course at a TAFE college will cost you about $350 a week.

6. Shared accommodation is popular with international students and can range from $90 – $300 a week. You may have to provide your own furniture.

7. Australia has a special system of health cover for international students called Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC). It is compulsory to buy OSHC before you get your visa to cover you during your stay as a student in Australia.

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TOTALLYTRIVIAL

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MYTHBUSTERS CORK TEASE?

THIS WEEK’S QUIZ

MYTH

HUNTER S THOMPSON a) Ku Klux Klan b) The Manson Family c) Hell’s Angels d) The Bra Boys

a) Samuels c) Stockton

b) Drug overdose c) Shot from a cannon d) Cancer

happened to Hunter’s ashes?

Q 3.a) What Put in the ocean b) Made into a pill d) Fired from a cannon

Q 4. Who was Thompson’s companion in

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas? a) A 300-pound Samoan b) A hippo c) Sword-wielding Japanese d) A hitchhiker

Q 5. Who played Thompson in the movie

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas? a) Christian Bale b) Johnny Depp c) Nic Cage d) Jack Nicholson

SUDOKU PUZZLE 2

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3

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5

3

9

4

3

2

8 8 1

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style of journalism? a) Bongo b) Gonzo c) Drugged d) Gobby

5 1

9

3 2

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3

8

ANAGRAM-ARAMA

AUSSIE-ISM

6

6 2

Q 9. What is the name given to Hunter’s

“DINKY DI”

2 2

a) The Curse of Lono b) Hell’s Angels c) The Rum Diary d) Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail

7

1

8

9

What is the name of the current Q 8.movie based on Hunter’s work?

ANSWERS: 1. c 2. a 3. d 4. a 5. b 6. c 7. a 8. c 9. b

c) The New Yorker d) Readers Digest

8

b) Star d) Stone

did Hunter die in 2005?

Q 7.a)How He shot himself

mag did Hunter write for?

Q 2.a)Which Rolling Stone b) Playboy

c) Eaten by a bat

does the “S” stand Q 6.forWhat in Hunter S Thompson?

WEEK Why do Aussies wear cork hats?

Finally a question with quite a simple answer. This one’s all about flies.

Massive bush flies, actually. Bushmen created the cork hat in an effort to stop these bush flies from bothering them. They get in your mouth, up your nose, in your eyes – anywhere, erm, moist... Starting to become obvious why, when faced with these pesky insects, you wouldn’t be too fussed about looking like a complete twat all the time? The bushmen discovered that bush flies hated covered areas and dark shady places, so the perfect portable solution came in the form of a line of bottle corks dangling from the brim of a hat. Now who’s for some wine?

This is Australian for someone who speaks the truth or is honest. “SHE came on to ME mate, dinky di”.

This term can also be interchanged with “true blue” which means the exact same thing. Strewth!

THIS WEEK IT’S...

THINGS YOU SEE IN BYRON BAY 1. PIN HOLDS 2. HIS PIPE 3. IS THE GHOUL 4. AS BEECH ANSWERS: 1. Dolphins 2. Hippies 3. Lighthouse 4. Beaches

Hunter became famous for writing Q 1.about which violent group?

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Own Arrangements NOTE: This option is NOT included in the pass price

T&Câ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s: Prices are subject to change without notice. Local payments are to be paid to the tour operator directly. For full terms and conditions visit www.ozexperience.com.

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