Backpacker Essentials December 2016

BACKPACKER / ESSENTIALS /DECEMBER 2016

TOWNSVILLE & MAGNETIC ISLAND TROPICAL TREATS

MELBOURNE BREAK MAKE THE MOST OF 48 HOURS BANGKOK AND SINGAPORE MORE THAN JUST STOPOVERS CALL OF THE MILD QUEENSTOWN MINUS ADRENALINE

/ ESSENTIALS

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with the FREE interactive iPad app app Get Get moremore traveltravel with the FREE interactive iPad and iPhone

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iPad only app iPhone and Android users can read or download online editions.

Also available as a free online edition and a printable PDF Read or download the latest issue and catch up on previous issues at www.yha.com.au/backpacker-essentials

INSIDE BACKPACKER / ESSENTIALS

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GLOBAL NEWS BEST OF NEW YEAR’S

Tourism and Events Queensland

AUSTRALIA/NZ GREAT WALLS OF YHA

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GETAWAYS TOP DEALS IN OZ

TOWNSVILLE

AND MAGNETIC ISLAND

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NEW ZEALAND NO THRILLS QUEENSTOWN

VOL 20 / No 6 DECEMBER 2016 MANAGING EDITOR Janet McGarry NEW ZEALAND EDITOR Brindi Joy DEPUTY EDITOR Tom Smith YHA CONTRIBUTORS Leah Kmiec Lauren Walker Di Caught

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ART DIRECTOR Justin Thomas

Backpacker Essentials is the member magazine for YHA Australia. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Association. No material may be reproduced without prior permission from the editor. All travel prices are subject to change and conditions apply. All hostel prices are YHA member rates and are subject to change. © YHA Australia ISSN 1328-6749. ®YHA Australia, Hostelling International and YHA house and tree logos are Registered Trademarks of YHA Australia Inc., PO Box A2462, Sydney South NSW 1235

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MELBOURNE 48 HOUR ESCAPE

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SOUTH EAST ASIA BANGKOK & SINGAPORE

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WHAT’S ON AUSTRALIA/NZ EVENTS

GRAPHIC DESIGN Nicolas Chua

EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES The Editor, Backpacker Essentials, GPO Box 5276, Sydney NSW 2001.

T: +61 2 9261 1111 F: +61 2 9261 1969 E: backpackeressentials@ yha.com.au

AUSTRALIA/ NZ FROM THE EDITOR / MURALS / NEWS / YOUR YHA

FROM THE EDITOR It was nearly 20 years ago that YHA launched a new national member magazine, Backpacker Essentials, in Australia. A glossy print travel publication, it aimed to inform and inspire on all things budget travel. Right from the beginning, it was about encouraging YHA members to see the world – whether for a weekend, local holiday or that big overseas adventure.

Backpacker Essentials also informed members on what was happening with their organisation – new hostels opening, member discounts and services, ways in which our mission is brought to life such as a strong sustainability ethos, and how our volunteer Board of Directors represent and work for the members.

By 2010 it was clear that more and more members wanted to receive communications from YHA electronically. YHA.com.au has been invaluable as the online front door to access YHA’s services as well as facilitating hostel bookings, and email has become the premier communications channel replacing the post box. YHA launched a digital version (via iPad and online) of Backpacker Essentials and, in 2013, YHA New Zealand joined Australia in a joint publication.

I have had the honour and privilege of being the Editor of Backpacker Essentials from the first issue in 1997. Choosing what destinations to feature, experiences to highlight and hostels to showcase has been a pleasure but it has also been a team effort with the support of YHA staff and members over the years, as well as excellent travel journalists and photographers.

Now the time is right for a new direction – changing from Backpacker Essentials in its current long form format to more frequent, up-to-the-minute travel inspiration ezines sent direct to your inbox.

The first issue, Winter 1997

Starting early in 2017, Australian YHA members and guests will receive ezines which will be more relevant to what you are up to. If you are a current traveller, you’ll hear all about ways to expand your trip as well as the best specials and offers to help your travel budget go further. Between trips? We’ll continue to inspire with monthly travel emails – with short tips and ideas as well as longer destination and experience features. You will have the option to tailor YHA’s messages to your preferences through the My YHA section on the website.

The last ever issue of Backpacker Essentials finishes where we started – offering a host of travel ideas for summer. Wherever you are heading, we’ll see you there!

Janet McGarry Managing Editor

Autumn 1998

Spring 1999

Spring 2001

Spring 2003

July 2005

March 2007

November 2009

November 2010

THANK YOU FROM NEW ZEALAND Being part of Backpacker Essentials has been an epic journey. We’d like to celebrate all the wanderlust and itchy feet we’ve inspired over the years, and to thank the good folks who made it possible.

Thank you YHA Australia for welcoming your NZ cuzzies into the fold. We joined forces in October 2013 and broadcast the first joint YHA Australia and YHA New Zealand edition of Backpacker Essentials. That meant 20% more inspiring content from, and all about, New Zealand.

Thank you to our contributors – feature writers, photographers, hostel managers and

event co-ordinators – we wouldn’t have been able to inspire all that wanderlust and all those itchy feet without your insightful, rousing and quirky content.

Rest assured this isn’t adieu, auf wiedersehen or goodbye. You can still catch up with YHA New Zealand in our regular, digital newsletter, YHA HorizoNZ. Click here to subscribe and we promise the travel inspiration will keep flowing.

Happy travels, Brindi Joy New Zealand Editor

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GREAT WALLS OF YHA Urban art is popping up on walls all over Australia and YHA is no exception to the street art craze, with Sydney Harbour YHA unveiling a freshly painted masterpiece just weeks ago. Check out these seven YHA hostels that treat their bricks and mortar as a blank canvas for some of the country’s most talented contemporary artists.

5. Brisbane City YHA Drapl is one of Brisbane’s most in-demand graffiti artists and Brisbane City YHA is lucky enough to boast one of his murals at its entrance: a portrait of a backpacker with a tropical frangipani in her hair.

1. Sydney Harbour YHA The paint has barely dried on this mural in Sydney Harbour’s games room, which was whipped up by globe-trotting designer Jeffery Laine in October. The vibrant cartoon shows off the best the Harbour City has to offer.

2. Melbourne Central YHA It wouldn’t be downtown Melbourne without graffiti on the walls and 90 Degrees Graffiti founder Dan Wenn produced a mural featuring all the unique aspects of life Melburnians cherish: autumn leaves, pots of beer, Flinders St station and, of course, Aussie rules footy.

3. Adelaide Central YHA Big is beautiful! ‘Flower’ is a three-storey epic by Vans the Omega, smiling down from Adelaide Central’s red-brick façade onto backpackers arriving below.

4. Railway Square YHA Legendary Sydney painter Beastman has left his mark in the UK, USA, Germany, Israel, Hong Kong, New Zealand . . . and Railway Square YHA, with this entrancing geometric mural.

6. Bondi Beachouse YHA As if the jaw-dropping rooftop views weren’t beautiful enough, eastern suburbs local Kelli Twinkle – who’s also painted pieces on the iconic Bondi Beach Graffiti Wall – added this kaleidoscopic artwork in 2016.

7. Canberra City YHA The brief for ACT artist Dai Cameron was something fun and funky, with a bit of an adventure/travel flavour thrown in. This epic ground-floor mural certainly achieved that!

Canberra City

/ NEWS Skydiving Newcastle Destination NSW

WIN A TRIP TO SYDNEY AND BEYOND YHA has teamed up with Destination New South Wales to give you the chance to win a week-long road trip of a lifetime for you and a mate. Simply tell us which activity you’d love to experience in New South Wales and you’ll go in the running to win return flights to Sydney, five nights’ accommodation at YHA, seven days’ car hire, an overnight Blue Mountains tour and your chosen experience for you and your buddy. But hurry! Entries close 15 December 2016.

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR YHA MEMBERSHIP . . . AND SAVE! HERTZ CAR HIRE Planning a road trip this Shutterstock summer? Hertz is waiving their young renter surcharge for YHA members because you shouldn’t have to worry about being stung at the rental desk just because you’re under 25. That’s a saving of $16.50 per day you can put towards petrol money! YHA members also receive great deals with Ace, Alpha, Avis, Budget and Europcar.

COTSWOLD Explore Australia’s great outdoors in comfort and style with Costwold’s huge online range of outdoor apparel. YHA members receive a 15% discount when they use the code AF-AUYHA-M7 at check out, so you can afford to stuff a few extra goodies in your Christmas stocking.

QBE INSURANCE YHA members enjoy 25% off travel insurance when you book online with QBE. This is one of hundreds of exclusive discounts YHA members enjoy across Australia – click here to check out more special offers at YHA.com.au.

FIND NEW FRIENDS WITH YHA AND TRAVELLO YHA is teaming up with social networking app Travello to make your next trip even better. With thousands of fellow travellers at your fingertips, the app is the perfect way to find friends, share tips and advice, and join events on the road.

And now that YHA has partnered with Travello, the app also unlocks a world of amazing special offers – just download the app, click on the ‘discover’ tab and then the ‘deals’ tab to save big!

Click here to download the app.

/ NEWS

GOING SOLAR IN WINDY WELLY

YHA Wellington's solar panels

Wellington is known as the Windy City but YHA New Zealand knows the Kiwi capital gets a whole lot of sunshine, too.

So we’ve installed a solar system at YHA Wellington to tap into those sunshine hours and reduce the hostel’s carbon emissions by 1.4 tonnes per year. That’s a lot less carbon in the air. It took a helicopter navigating wind and rain and coordinated manpower to drop the panels into place, but the system is now GO and generating a steady supply of clean and renewable energy.

YHA New Zealand has definitely set a benchmark in the accommodation sector – this is the largest combined solar photovoltaic and solar hot water system in New Zealand.

And with the help of a handy monitoring system in the foyer, guests can observe the staff monitoring and controlling the hostel’s resources.

To further cement our commitment to our beautiful backyard, we’ve also signed up to the Certified Emissions Measurements and Reduction Scheme (CEMARS), a globally recognised certification programme that will certify our carbon busting efforts throughout the hostel network.

WIN A WEEKEND AT WOMADELAIDE WITH YHA Summertime means festival season (woohoo!) at Adelaide Central YHA, and four-day and because YHA loves festivals just as much Womadelaide passes for you and a mate. as you do, we’ve teamed up with Womadelaide Click here to read more. to give you the chance to win a weekend for Centre Tree at two at one of the world’s most colourful and Womadelaide diverse festivals. Five hundred artists from Steve Trutwin more than 30 countries will showcase their music, dance and art talent in Adelaide’s Botanical Gardens between 10-13 March 2017 – and if you want YHA to shout your trip, simply upload your favourite festival photo to the Backpacking Mate Facebook page, or your own Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #YHALovesFestivals, before 14 December 2016.

The most creative entry wins return flights to the SA capital, three nights’ accommodation

YOUR YHA YHA NEWS FOR MEMBERS IN AUSTRALIA

Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake Olga Kashubin

YHA TASMANIA TO MERGE Moving towards one national YHA organisation in Australia just got a step closer with members in Tasmania voting overwhelmingly to merge with YHA Ltd (the operator of hostels in the ACT, NSW, NT, QLD, SA and Victoria).

At a Special General Meeting held on 18 October 2016 in Hobart, 97.3% of members of YHA Tasmania

THE FINAL PIECE IN THE PUZZLE

who voted were in favour of the merger. The decision is another significant landmark in YHA’s decade-long process to become a single national association, with the YHA Tasmania merger to take effect on 1 January 2017. YHA memberships held by Tasmanian residents will continue to be valid, not only in Australia, but around the world.

Credit goes to the outgoing YHA Tasmania State Council, led by Chairman Andrew West, for their pro-active approach and recommendation to members to approve the merger. The combined organisation will celebrate the union at the annual YHA Hostel Managers’ Conference to be held in Hobart in May 2017, the first time the event has been held on the Apple Isle.

Memorandum and sent to Western Australian members. The matter will be voted upon at an The Boards of YHA Western Australia and YHA Ltd Extraordinary General Meeting convened for that have unanimously agreed to sign a Memorandum specific purpose. of Understanding to work towards a merger, with Meanwhile, YHA WA also has a high profile on a target date of no later than 1 January 2018. If the the global stage, with long-standing Director Alex merger goes ahead, it would complete YHA’s 10year journey towards becoming one national entity in Zilkens (as a representative of YHA Australia) Australia, with the benefits of savings and increased currently serving as a Vice-President of Hostelling International, developing and advocating for the effectiveness that brings to members. hostelling movement across the world.

YHA took its first steps towards integrating into a national body when YHA Northern Territory merged THE ROAD TO ONE NATIONAL BODY with YHA New South Wales in 2007, before YHA Queensland (2010), YHA Victoria (2012), and YHA • 2007: YHA Northern Territory merges with South Australia (2014) followed suit. In 2016 the YHA NSW national body, HI-Australia, is being wound up as • 2010: YHA Queensland merges with YHA its functions have been taken up by YHA Ltd which NSW to form YHA Ltd trades as YHA Australia.

• 2012: YHA Victoria merges with YHA Ltd Following YHA Tasmania’s merger taking effect • 2014: YHA South Australia merges with YHA at the beginning of 2017, it is planned to engage Ltd with members of YHA WA with information on • 2016: YHA Ltd becomes the national the proposal at the 2017 AGM in Perth. Subject organisation trading as YHA Australia to satisfactory outcomes from due diligence • 2017: YHA Tasmania to merge with YHA Ltd conducted by both parties a proposal to merge will • 2018: Target date for the merger of YHA WA subsequently be developed by the YHA WA Board. with YHA Ltd The proposal will be summarised in an Explanatory

GLOBAL NEW YEAR / NEW HOSTELS / ENGLAND AND FRANCE

HAPPY NEW YEAR! You have to wait 365 days for this party, and when the countdown’s over, you have to wait 365 more – so make the most of your celebrations by ushering in the New Year at one of these hotspots.

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SYDNEY

You could scour every corner of the globe and struggle to find a better place to spend December 31 than the Harbour City. More than a million people line the foreshore to watch dazzling fireworks shows at 9pm and midnight but the real star of the show is the harbour backdrop, carpeted with boats enjoying the best seats in the house. Head to Bondi for an all-night dance party if you feel like shimmying your way into 2017 instead.

Stay at Sydney YHAs

Shutterstock

/BEST OF NEW YEAR’S

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HONOLULU

Bringing down the curtain on 2016 a full 21 hours after Sydney, Hawaii’s biggest city revels in being late to the party. Huge bashes are thrown all over the island but the downtown Aloha Tower’s raging events are legendary, while the fireworks show on Waikiki Beach is a calmer – but no less impressive – display.

Honolulu Shutterstock Edinburgh Shutterstock

Stay at HI Honolulu or HI Waikiki

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EDINBURGH

Scots don’t need much encouragement to enjoy a wee dram of whisky at the best of times, but the Scotch flows a little more freely than usual over this three-day festival of epic street parties, which kicks off with a pagan torchlight procession on December 30. When six tonnes of fireworks ignite the icy sky above Edinburgh Castle the following day, enjoy the world’s heartiest rendition of beloved Scottish ballad and New Year’s staple Auld Lang Syne.

Stay at Edinburgh Central SYHA

/BEST OF NEW YEAR’S Hong Kong Shutterstock

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HONG KONG

Park yourself in a rooftop bar looking across the harbour from the Lan Kwai Fong district or score a spot on a boat for a front row seat of the wild pyrotechnic display that explodes off Victoria Harbour’s towering skyscrapers at midnight. Then Honkers double-dips a few weeks later with an even bigger fireworks show for Chinese New Year, which falls on 28 January in 2017.

Stay at YHA Hong Kong

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NEW YORK

Staving off frostbite in sub-zero temperatures waiting for a fivetonne crystal ball to descend at a glacial pace mightn’t be everyone’s cup of tea but no New Year’s list could possibly leave off New York City.

Revellers are squeezed into Times Square like sardines for the world’s most famous New Year’s party, which attracts more than one billion pairs of eyeballs on TV.

Stay at HI New York City Hostel

New York Shutterstock

/NEW HI HOSTELS DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS

Wikkelhouse

Wikkelhouse interior

INUYAMA, JAPAN Wikkelhouse interior

DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS Dutch HI association Stayokay are known for their ‘different’ hostels – the Netherlands are peppered with peculiar cube houses in Rotterdam, 13th Century castles in Domburg and Heemskerk, and an 18th Century manor in Scheemda.

But the latest edition to Stayokay Dordrecht, on the edge of De Hollandse Biesbosch national park, takes the cake. The Wikkelhuis in the hostel’s camping grounds is made entirely of corrugated cardboard stuck together by environmentally friendly glue, offering both great design and cutting-edge sustainability. A weather-resistant coating makes the lodge durable for 100 years, and pieces can be added to make it bigger to suit guests’ needs. Plus, the cardboard and its interior is all recyclable. The Wikkelhuis can accommodate four guests plus a kitchen and a space to sit and relax, with bathrooms outside . . . it is a campground, after all! Although the cardboard house closes over winter – you need a bit more than cardboard between you and the elements to brave the chilly Dutch winter – the rest of the Stayokay Dordrecht is open year round, providing a great base to explore one of the Netherlands’ most historic cities.

BOOK NOW HOSTEL STAYOKAY DORDRECHT u

stayokay.com

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dordrecht@stayokay.com

Dordrecht Shutterstock

/NEW HI HOSTELS DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS

Inuyama Castle Shutterstock

INUYAMA, JAPAN

INUYAMA, JAPAN Just a half-hour train ride from Nagoya but a world away from the hustle and bustle of Japan’s third-largest city, tranquil Inuyama promises a taste of authentic Japanese culture. Take in sweeping views of the Kiso River from the hilltop Inuyama Castle, a postcard-perfect four-storey fortress that claims to be the oldest in the country, dating back to 1440, and now displays samurai swords and armour for visitors. The Japan Monkey Centre and Meiji Mura, an open-air museum preserving 19th Century architecture, are also popular nearby attractions while it’s only a five minute stroll from the Inuyama International Youth Hostel to the maple leaf-covered gardens of the idyllic Jakko-in Temple.

It’s a bit nippy at this time of year but visit in summer to go rafting down the Kiso River and witness the traditional fishing method of Ukai, where fishermen harness trained cormorant birds – a technique that’s survived for 1300 years. The hostel doesn’t offer multi-share rooms but does provide twins, singles and Japanese-style rooms, if you’re the type of traveller who wants to absorb the local culture right up to the moment your head hits the pillow.

Inuyama International Youth Hostel

INUYAMA INTERNATIONAL YOUTH HOSTEL u

jyh.or.jp

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inuyama@jyh.gr.jp

BOOK NOW

/ENGLAND AND FRANCE

A HOSTEL OF OLYMPIC PROPORTIONS

YHA England and Wales have submitted an application to build a mammoth “super hostel” in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The £30-million purpose-built hostel will boast 850 beds – almost three times as big as any other property in the England and Wales network – as well as ensuite bathrooms, bars, restaurants, cafes, meeting facilities, a modern self-catering kitchen and trendy communal spaces. YHA lodged the plans in October and expects to start

construction next year, hoping to cut the ribbon on the shiny new hostel by early 2019.

The new YHA will be located just next to Stratford tube station and just a short ‘bowl of chalk’ (that means ‘walk’, if you’re not fluent in East London’s Cockney rhyming slang) from the 2012 Olympic Stadium.

In the meantime, there’s already seven YHA hostels around London – click here to check them out!

48 HOURS OF FREEDOM And YHA England and Wales aren’t just modernising their portfolio of properties – they’re targeting young travellers with their 48 Hours of Freedom campaign, too. YHA in Britain has long been associated with bushwalkers in their woolly socks enjoying a cup of tea and a digestive biscuit after a day exploring the countryside – but these videos featuring travel hotspots London and Cornwall send young people the

London Olympic Park Shutterstock

message that hostels are also for them, as an affordable launching pad for a weekend escape. The raw, fast-paced videos look more like something from your mate’s Snapchat story on a Saturday night than a carefully crafted ad, carrying the YHA England and Wales brand into the social media age.

Check out the videos here.

/ENGLAND AND FRANCE

STEP INTO THE VOID Step into the Void Lucie Aidart

Aiguille du Midi Shutterstock

If the views of Mont-Blanc from mountainside resort Chamonix weren’t breathtaking enough, here’s an attraction that seriously will take your breath away. Catch the cable car up to Aiguille du Midi then ‘Step into the Void’ (Le Pas Dans Le Vide in French), a glass room with nothing but a kilometre of fresh air under your feet. There’s also a newly opened 32-metre tube nicknamed

Chamonix Shutterstock

‘Le Pipe’ wrapped around the summit – and you don’t need us to tell you what those 360-degree views are like. Book your stay at the eco-friendly HI Chamonix Youth Hostel, the perfect place for a cheese fondue after a long day on the slops . . . or after scaring yourself stupid by jumping into a bottomless glass box.

Stay at HI Chamonix Youth Hostel

DEALS

YHA DEALS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

YHA GETAWAYS

Hall of Mirrors, Versailles Shutterstock

FRENCH CULTURE IN THE CAPITAL

GOLD COAST ADVENTURE

A little slice of French luxury is being transported 17,000km to Canberra for the National Gallery of Australia’s blockbuster summer exhibition, Versailles: Treasures from the Palace. The NGA will display more than 130 paintings, statues, tapestries and pieces of gold-plated furniture from Louis XIV’s luxurious château – and even though the collection is worth a fortune, you don’t need to break the bank seeing it with Canberra City YHA’s great-value deal. Package includes:

Discover the beautiful World Heritage listed Moreton Bay Marine Park and stunning South Stradbroke Island on this sailing and camping adventure. Set sail along the Nerang River, camp under the stars on South Straddie and discover Break Island upon your return. These hidden gems on the Gold Coast’s doorstep will take your breath away.

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2 nights’ accommodation Versailles exhibition ticket Breakfast both mornings

From AU$99 p.p.

Valid until 17 April 2017.

Queen Marie-Antoinette RMN-Grand Palais Chéteau de Versailles

CANBERRA CITY YHA u u

+61 2 6248 9155 canberracity@yha.com.au

Package includes: u

nights’ multi-share accommodation at 2 Surfers Paradise YHA

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1 night camping on South Stradbroke Island

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All meals included

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Camping equipment supplied

From AU$159 p.p.

Valid until 31 January 2017.

SURFERS PARADISE YHA u u

+61 7 5571 1776 surfersparadise@yha.com.au

BOOK NOW

Rottnest Island Tourism Western Australia Sand Dunes at Lake Wabby Shutterstock

FRASER ISLAND ADVENTURE Stay at Hervey Bay YHA and travel to the World Heritage listed Fraser Island, where you will discover a world of natural wonders on a fully guided 4WD adventure. Explore the stunning white sands of Lake McKenzie, cruise along Seventy Five Mile Beach and discover the historic heart of Central station. Package includes: u

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ROTTNEST ISLAND SPECIAL

1 night multi-share accommodation on Fraser Island

Hop on a ferry, grab a bike and find out why Rottnest Island is on everyone’s must-do list. If you like incredible white sandy beaches, sparkling seas, amazing scenery and loads of marine life and wildlife, then this is the deal for you! Package includes:

2-day guided 4WD tour of Fraser Island

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Meals on Fraser Island (two lunches, one dinner and one breakfast)

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2 nights’ multi-share accommodation at Hervey Bay YHA

nights’ accommodation in a multi-share or double/twin room at Fremantle Prison YHA

Return transfers from Hervey Bay YHA to Fraser Island

u Bike

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+61 7 4125 1844 herveybay@yha.com.au

hire on Rottnest Island

From AU$115 p.p.

From AU$370 p.p. Valid until 31 March 2017.

HERVEY BAY YHA

ferry to Rottnest Island

Valid until 31 March 2017.

BOOK NOW

FREMANTLE PRISON YHA +61 8 9433 4305 u fremantle@yha.com.au

BOOK NOW

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Perth City YHA

Planning a couple of nights away in the West?

Take advantage of this three-night break to save more to explore everything Perth has to offer.

Package includes: u 3

nights’ accommodation (private or multi-share room)

PERTH CITY ESCAPES Be one of the first to sink your teeth into breaky at Perth City YHA’s brand new in-house café with this bed and breakfast deal! Package includes:

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continental buffet breakfasts

u1

dinner, including a burger and a drink

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days’ premium Wi-Fi

From AU$99 p.p. Valid until 31 March 2017

u 1

night accommodation in a private or multishare room (you can book multiple nights)

u Breakfast

at the cafe

From AU$31 p.p. Valid until 31 March 2017.

Not available Sunday mornings.

PERTH CITY YHA +61 8 9287 3333 u perthcity@yha.com.au u

BOOK NOW

CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR’S AT BONDI

Bondi Christmas Shutterstock

Nothing says ‘traditional Aussie Christmas’ quite like the sizzling sand of Bondi Beach – and there won’t be a winter woolly in sight this festive season at Bondi Beachouse YHA, just a five minute stroll from the beach. Kick off your stay with a Christmas Eve welcome BBQ and lap up the sun and surf until New Year’s Eve, when Sydney comes alive with the world’s most famous fireworks display on the harbour. Package includes: u

9 nights’ accommodation

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Six hours of surfboard hire at Bondi Beach

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Great hostel events

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Unlimited premium Wi-Fi access

BONDI BEACHOUSE YHA

From AU$405 p.p. Valid 24 December 2016 to 2 January 2017.

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+61 2 9365 2088 bondi@yha.com.au

BOOK NOW

MURWILLUMBAH CYCLE AND CULTURE

PORT FAIRY SUMMER ESCAPE

Make the most of your stay in NSW’s picturesque Northern Rivers region by exploring the stunning hinterland on bike. Cycle through the scenic countryside and visit the Margaret Olley Art Centre, which opened in 2014 with 76,000 objects belonging to the late, great Australian painter.

Special includes:

Port Fairy in the summertime is the ideal seaside escape for your family or group of friends. Whether you love the great outdoors and Australian wildlife, relaxing on a beach, immersing yourself in history or just want to escape everyday life, Port Fairy is the place to visit! Special includes:

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2 nights’ multi-share accommodation

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Bike hire

From AU$60 p.p. Valid until 30 September 2017.

Murwillumbah YHA also offers a two-night special on climbing Mt Warning-Wollumbin (from AU$82 p.p.) and a three-night deal including a relaxing Tweed River cruise, plus kayak and bike hire (from AU$123 p.p.).

MURWILLUMBAH YHA +61 2 6672 3763 u murwillumbah@yha.com.au

3 nights’ accommodation in a 4 bed family room, 6 bed family room or 5 bed self-contained apartment u

BOOK NOW

From AU$360 per room. Valid from 26 December 2016 to 29 January 2017.

PORT FAIRY YHA u u

+61 3 5568 2468 portfairy@yha.com.au

BOOK NOW

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Chris McLennan

Griffiths Lighthouse Shutterstock

ADELAIDE CENTRAL 7 DAY SPECIAL

Adelaide Central YHA

You’ll need at least seven nights to fall in love with everything Radelaide has to offer – from the muchloved Adelaide Central Market to the hip bars on Rundle Mall, a dip at Glenelg Beach and wine-tasting in the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. Enjoy this special price on a week’s accommodation at Adelaide Central YHA so you’ve got time to do it all!

Deal includes: u 7

nights’ accommodation in a spacious 6-share room

u Premium

Wi-Fi all week

u BBQ

dinner on Wednesday night, and free pancakes every Tuesday and Friday morning

u Great

activities: ping pong comp, pub night, walking tour and more

From AU$206.50 p.p. Valid until 31 December 2016.

ADELAIDE CENTRAL YHA +61 8 8414 3010 u adlcentral@yha.com.au

BOOK NOW

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FREMANTLE COTTAGES PAY 2, STAY 3 Stay a little longer in charming Fremantle with this great-value Pay 2, Stay 3 Special on our historic Fremantle Colonial Cottages. Get a group of up to six friends together and stay in one of these self-contained cottages with fabulous views of the picturesque port city of Fremantle. Special includes: u

nights’ accommodation at Fremantle Colonial 3 Cottages for the price of 2

From AU$167 per night. Valid until 31 March 2017.

FREMANTLE PRISON YHA u u

+61 8 9433 4305 fremantle@yha.com.au

BOOK NOW

FEATURE / NEW ZEALAND

Queenstown’s call of the mild ◆

Adam Bryce

EXPLORING THE ADVENTURE CAPITAL OF NZ WITHOUT INDULGING IN EXTREME SPORTS, QUEENSTOWN DIDN’T GET DAVID WHITLEY’S HEART RACING – AND HE WAS OKAY WITH THAT.

Hiker above Wakatipu Basin Destination Queenstown

FROM THE CENTRE OF

Queenstown, the Tiki Trail is an hour-long uphill slog through the woodland. It would, of course, be a lot easier to take the gondola up. But that feels a bit like cheating.

Coming down the other way are mountain bikers, nimbly leaping the jumps on tracks that range from toe-in-the-water to frankly terrifying.

They don’t stop to admire the wheezing hikers coming up the other way.

At the top of the hill, there is the luge. To the uninitiated, it’s essentially a very basic go-kart which can be steered down a hill along one of two twisting, turning tracks. The simpler, less speedy track is for first timers – but once you’ve shown you can handle that it’s all about taking racing lines, hurtling over steep dips and accelerating through corners.

In a city best known for hair-raising skydives and bungy jumps, the luge is a slice of hugely entertaining fun that doesn’t ramp the fear factor up too high.

Queenstown built its reputation on the ski fields and high octane thrills, but these can overshadow an extraordinary setting and a wealth of activity options that are far less petrifying.

It’s easy to overlook Lake Wakatipu, the cartoon thunderbolt-shaped glacial lake that Queenstown sits on the edge of. The mountains rise up from it on all sides, and a walk or cycle along its shore in any direction is generally time well spent.

TSS Earnslaw leaving on a trip to Walter Peak YHA New Zealand

But heading out onto the lake in a boat allows a different perspective, with the town dwarfed by the Remarkables range.

Boats don’t get too much more storied than the TSS Earnslaw, which has been connecting settlements on the fringes of the lake since 1912.

It is now used purely for tourism purposes, but is still powered the old way. Down below, unlucky crew members still put their backs into it, shovelling coal to power the steamship.

The cruise across the lake docks in the shadow of Walter Peak, a 1,800m imposing rock wall named after the son of Queenstown’s first European settler, William Rees. In its heyday, the Walter Peak Station had 170,000 acres, 40,000 sheep and 50 full time staff. Since then it has been subdivided, and the farming comes a distant second to entertaining tourists. That means sheep shearing shows, hand-feeding animals and masterful performances from the sheepdogs – as well as a few tall stories.

The stories these parts are most associated with, however, come courtesy of JRR Tolkien and Peter Jackson. Nomad Safaris runs a “Safari of the Scenes” trip to some of the key filming locations from Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, heading north along the lake to Glenorchy and the Dart River Valley.

Nomad Safaris visits the gold-mining town of Macetown Sara Orme

Skyline Queenstown Gondola Skyline Queenstown

This may sound utterly tedious to any orc-phobic fantasy fiction haters, but you don’t need to have seen the films to appreciate the scenery.

While the guide is pointing out Dimrill Dale, where the Fellowship escapes Moria, there are still fabulous mountains to look at. Similarly, when talking about the spot where Boromir dies, you’re surrounded by glorious, lush forest.

The little tidbits of insider filming info help bring places to life, too.

For example, while in the Dart River Valley, Mt Earnslaw is pointed out.

Sean Bean (who played Boromir) has a fear of helicopters, so refused to get in one to film his scenes on the side of the mountain. So every day he had to hike up for hours in full costume.

That makes tackling the Tiki Trail in shorts and a T-shirt feel somewhat tame. But taking the time to explore Queenstown and its surrounds rather than plummeting through at breakneck speed shows a different side.

And it’s that natural beauty that drew the thrill-seekers in the first place.

Skyline Queenstown Luge Skyline Queenstown

Winter Wonderland Skyline Queenstown

SKYLINE QUEENSTOWN’S GONDOLA AND LUGE PACKAGE If you don’t want to haul up the hill on your own steam, Skyline Queenstown’s gondola and luge package costs NZ$47 for two rides up to NZ$59 for seven.

YHA members get a 10%

discount on the TSS Earnslaw C r u i s e s w i t h R e a l J o u r n e y s, which otherwise costs NZ$59.

Nomad Safaris offers two different half-day Safari of the Scenes tours, which run twice a day and cost NZ$185.

RUNNING THE RIVER Rafting down the Shotover River is something of a high stakes dance. The slows of the slow-slow-quick-quickslow are beautifully relaxing. The chance to take in the high canyon walls, remarkable rock layers and miner’s huts dating back to the 19th century gold rush is blissful.

But it’s also the calm before the storm. While the twohour journey starts off with gentle practise rapids, the intensity increases as you blunder downstream. The Mother section soon approaches. The origin of the name – is it because it gives birth to the rest of the river? What you call for as you’re going over? A polite abbreviation of a crude-but-accurate description? – is left unexplained.

It’s a ride and a half battling through. There’s the vague pretence of steering through the hairy bits, but it’s really a case of hanging on and hoping for the best as the river attacks the raft like a rogue pitbull in a playground.

The big beast is yet to come. A waterfall at the end of a flooded miner’s tunnel makes the raft lurch all over the place as it floats down, bouncing off rocks and tipping precariously. But the passengers make it intact – and the drift back to base is completed with huge grins and clanging paddles of congratulation.

The Shotover trip with Queenstown Rafting costs NZ$229.

Taking a dip in the Shotover River Queenstown Rafting

Rafting from Deep Creek towards the rapids Queenstown Rafting

IN THE PINOT At a latitude of 45 degrees south, you may be forgiven for thinking that all Queenstown is fit for growing is icicles.

But the Central Otago region that surrounds the South Island’s resort town is not-so-quietly gaining a reputation as one of the world’s best niche wine regions. The odd individual winery in obscure parts of Chile or Argentina may like to argue the toss, but by all realistic measures, Central Otago is the world’s southernmost wine region.

The climate means that if you’re looking for a big, beefy shiraz, you can go to a bottle shop and buy one from somewhere else. That sort of grape just isn’t going to survive in these conditions.

But some grapes can – and combined with expert winemakers and up-to-date technology – they are being turned into some world class wines. The key player here is pinot noir, which accounts for nearly 80% of production.

The climate and soils suit it perfectly and world wine experts acknowledge the Central Otago pinots as being amongst the best on the planet.

For travellers who prefer the mellow glow to adrenalin shots, taking a few hours out sampling the wares of Central Otago’s wineries is rather idyllic. Queenstown Wine Trail offers YHA members a NZ$5 discount on its NZ$160 or NZ$182 half-day tasting tours.

WHERE TO STAY STAY AT YHA QUEENSTOWN CENTRAL

BOOK NOW

◆ +64 3 442 7400 ◆ queenstown@yha.co.nz

STAY AT YHA QUEENSTOWN LAKEFRONT ◆ +64 3 442 8413 ◆ queenstown.lakefront@ yha.co.nz YHA Queenstown Central

Lake Hayes Queenstown Julian Apse

Wine tasting in wine cave Destination Queenstown

NEW ZEALAND

NORTH ISLAND

QUEENSTOWN'S CALL OF THE MILD

SOUTH ISLAND

CHRISTCHURCH

QUEENSTOWN

FEATURE / TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND

Backpacker Magnets ◆

Tourism and Events Queensland

IT’S NO WONDER TRAVELLERS ARE ATTRACTED TO THE TROPICAL TREATS OF TOWNSVILLE AND MAGNETIC ISLAND, WRITES JOANNE BROOKFIELD.

IF THERE’S

one thing worse than being looked at by a crocodile who appears to be memorising your DNA details for later use (i.e. “I’ll remember you, I’ll find you, I’ll eat you”), it’s being openly mocked by one.

Like the vast majority of people, I’ve lived a pretty croc-free life up until this point. But I’m in Far North Queensland now and, on this afternoon, literally surrounded by them. I’m at Billabong Sanctuary, a wildlife park 10 minutes out of the centre of Townsville, on 11 hectares of tropical bushland setting. It’s hot as hell, but masses of towering gums create shade and fringe the turtle-filled lagoons, while various birds and kangaroos wander free range.

The crocodiles, you might be pleased to know, are not similarly roaming the grounds – however you can get up close to them, as interactive experiences are what they do here. Shows run back to back throughout the day. We’d already seen the koala one, and been offered the opportunity to touch lizards, snakes and even hold a three-year-old crocodile in the following presentation and we head next to ‘The Swamp’ enclosures to see some big crocs in action.

Billabong Sanctuary Joanne Brookfield

Blue tongue lizard Joanne Brookfield

NEWS Snappy Tom, an enormous estuarine crocodile, has emerged from his murky pond to park himself on the bank, barely centimetres from what suddenly feels like the structurally-dubious fence that separates us.

This beast, so clearly intelligent, so adaptable, comes from a species that has outsmarted and outlived pretty much the rest of their prehistoric counterparts. With 120 million years of evolution behind him – which allows him to be able to live in both salt and fresh water, to survive underwater or on land, to swim and to run – he sits there now, watching us intently, like the bad-ass boss that he is. Soon, we will see how they jump when they are fed, a vertical leap, like a basketball player, so I’m glad in our close encounter he simply slipped back into the shallows, demonstrating how truly menacing a creature of that size is when it moves almost imperceptibly through water and then submerges just far enough so a few of his exposed scutes take on the appearance of a harmless, drifting branch.

There’s also the smaller freshwater crocodiles here and unlike the “salties”, which are fed by the rangers, we can do this ourselves. We’re instructed to make the crocs work for their meal, by dangling the chicken neck – attached by string on the end of a long stick – in front of them, but reeling it back, getting them to stretch or jump a little before letting them take it. My croc has taken one look at me and decided I can go to hell. He’s going to sit back and let me dangle and jiggle as much as I like and refuse to move, that is, until I’m momentarily distracted by asking the ranger a question (oh, I don't know, I think I might have been asking, “Why is my one just staring at me like that?”) and bam! Chomp! He takes the lot in one swift, defiant bite. And then, he smirks at me. A big, smug crocodile grin: “Gotcha, lady. One to me. Again . . .”

Snappy Tom emerges from the murk at Billabong Sanctuary Joanne Brookfield

Crocs getting a feed at Billabong Sanctuary Joanne Brookfield

As well as Townsville, a popular destination for backpackers transiting up the east coast to Cairns, or down the other way to the Whitsundays, I also spend time on Magnetic Island, which is 8km offshore. Townsville is an emerging destination, so it still has a sleepy seaside feel to it (although locals will tell you that come weekends, Flinders St – the main drag for bars and clubs – comes alive with a party atmosphere). It’s impossible not to feel relaxed here, given everyone else is – especially the backpackers using it to rest and recharge after their farm stints – but “Maggie”, as locals call it, takes the concept of laid back to an almost horizontal level.

The island, more than half of it national park, boasts 320 days of sunshine a year and more than 20 bays and beaches, some accessible only via hiking or by boat. The mountainous scenery is a mix of tropical palms, classic Aussie gumtrees and hoop pines, which proliferate around the granite boulders that form the island’s ruggedly beautiful coastline.

And with all this comes the wildlife. If you’re wanting a fix of Australian fauna and marine life for your Instagram feed, then you’re in the right place. On the Forts Walk, I spot a mother and baby koala napping in the trees. At Geoffrey Bay, a Marine National Park Zone prohibiting fishing, the fish are visible through the crystal waters and if you sit on the old Arcadia ferry landing, you can feed them. It’s also here that the rock wallabies live, wild but tame enough to eat from your hand, and it was thrilling to see a mother with a baby poking its tiny face out of her pouch.

Mother and baby koala in the wild along the Forts Walk on Magnetic Island Joanne Brookfield

Coastline at Bright Point, Magnetic Island Tourism and Events Queensland

Of course, there’s reefs and plenty more marine life around here, so snorkelling and diving are popular pastimes. I take a half-day cruise with Aquascene, which circumnavigates the island. “Visually, Magnetic Island has got it all,” says our captain Adam, and he’s not kidding, as we stay close to the shore to make the most of all the stunning landscapes. We stop to snorkel in a sheltered bay, and I see my first cowtail stingrays in their natural habitat, plus schools of brightly coloured fish zipping over the coral below. Adam has some pilchards on board for the birds of prey who nest along here, and he gives one to a man on board and within seconds a kite has swooped past the boat and taken it from his hand.

There’s more bird feeding every day at Bungalow Bay Koala Village YHA in Horseshoe Bay at 4pm, where hundreds of lorikeets come screeching over, happy to use your head as a helipad and wander along your limbs to eat from your hands. Here at the wildlife park next to the hostel, you can also have plenty of interactive animal experiences as part of their wildlife presentations, which happen three times a day. You can hold lizards and crocodiles, have pythons draped over you, have a cockatoo ‘kiss’ you as it takes a seed from your lip, or you can pat and hold koalas.

There’s currently a baby koala there, Claudia, and you’d need the cold, hard heart of a crocodile to not think she’s one of the most adorable things you'll ever see.

STINGER SEASON While the beaches here are undeniably beautiful, and inviting as a result, this is a tropical part of the world so the sea is shared by magnificent marine life and a few nasties, mainly jellyfish. Also known as ‘stingers’, swimmers and snorkellers need to take them seriously, as a sting will require a hospital visit and, in some cases,

can be fatal. December to March is ‘Stinger Season’ so several beaches have stinger nets in place, creating safe places to swim, and lifeguards on duty.

Tour operators will also provide you with ‘stinger suits’ if you’re getting in the water with them and plenty of outlets offer stinger suit hire as well.

Magnetic Island Beach Shutterstock

THREE THINGS YOU MUST DO IN TOWNSVILLE

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The Strand Take a stroll along The Strand. This stretch of the foreshore has a long walking path, taking you through the shade of curtain fig trees (which look like something straight from the imagination of Salvador Dali), manicured parkland, the waterpark and up to the retail strip, where you can shop, drink and dine, looking across the glittering sea and golden sand to Magnetic Island. Along the 2.5km thoroughfare – popular with runners and cyclists alike – you can also check out the rock pool or try stand-up paddle boarding.

of what’s out there without having to put a stinger suit on. This is the Australian Government’s national education centre for the Great Barrier Reef and the living coral reef there is housed in a 2.5 million litre tank, with an underwater viewing tunnel, so you can watch all kinds of marine life swim about above and beside you.

Castle Hill, Townsville Tourism and Events Queensland

3

Rambutan Townsville YHA For backpackers looking for a little bit of luxe, Rambutan is the place to stay. Offering a mix of dorms, private rooms and villas, you don’t need to be staying there, however, to enjoy the stylish rooftop entertainment Reef HQ The Great Barrier area. Opening last year – and Reef is the world’s largest coral reef. At 2,300 kilometres channelling a coastal Hamptons meets Palm Springs laid back chic long, it is visible from space and ranks as one of the seven wonders vibe – the pool, cabanas, bar and restaurant provide the perfect of the natural world. If you’re not place to spend an afternoon or kick able to get out to the reef itself, Reef HQ gives you an up-close idea off an evening on Flinders St.

2

Townsville reef Tourism and Events Queensland

MOVING ABOUT MAGGIE

NEWS

3

Horseride Horseshoe Ranch take guided tours through the bush (bonus: plenty of wallabies to see) and then along the beach at the appropriately named Horseshoe Bay, culminating in a bareback ride in the Coral Sea.

Hiking The island boasts many walking tracks. Forts Walk, for instance, is dotted with wartime relics and takes you up to the Command Post, which gives panoramic 360 degree views. Also popular is hiking from Picnic Bay to West Point, where scenery is quite different to the rest of the island and you can catch the sunset.

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4

There’s plenty of ways to explore the natural beauty of Magnetic Island . . .

1

Electric Bikes Maggie is so small there’s pretty much only one main road which curves along the coast in parts, offering great views of the bays. With a bike path running alongside it, you can feel the sun and sea breeze on your skin and if cycling gets too much, flick the switch to power assistance to cruise along.

Topless Cars You'll see them buzzing all over the island: tiny convertible cars called ‘mokes’, with some even referring to them as ‘Barbie’ cars due to their bright, candy-pink colours. You can hire these fun cars to get around but if you’re wanting to access some of the more remote beaches, you’ll need to hire a 4WD instead.

WHERE TO STAY STAY AT RAMBUTAN TOWNSVILLE YHA ◆ +61 7 4771 6915

BOOK NOW

◆ townsville@yha.com.au

STAY AT BUNGALOW BAY YHA ◆ +61 7 4778 5577 ◆ magneticisland@yha.com.au

Magnetic Island YHA

Magnetic Island, Topless cars Tourism and Events Queensland

CAIRNS AUSTRALIA

MAGNETIC ISLAND TOWNSVILLE

FEATURE / MELBOURNE INSIDER ATTRACTIONS

48 H URS

IN MELBOURNE â—†

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Flinders St Station & Federation Square

PLANNING A WHIRLWIND WEEKEND ESCAPE? TOM SMITH DISCOVERS HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF TWO DAYS IN MELBOURNE.

DAY ONE BREAKFAST Start your day with a coffee at Dukes Coffee Roasters, just a 15-minute stroll down Flinders Lane from Melbourne Central YHA. Located in the communityowned Ross House, home to more than 50 small non-profits, Dukes takes sustainability as seriously as they take their coffee – the café is fitted with elegant recycled tiles and reclaimed timber, and a portion of their profits goes back to the organisations they neighbour. Seating is limited but try to snag a spot by the charming green-framed windows so you can watch the world go by with a speciality coffee in one hand and a scrumptious pastry in the other.

SHOP As soon as you’re caffeinated, head to two of Australia’s most historic – and photogenic – shopping precincts: the Royal Arcade and the Block Arcade.

Linking retail hub Bourke St Mall with Little Collins St and Elizabeth St, the Royal Arcade’s Renaissance Revival style has remained virtually untouched since 1870, making it the oldest surviving arcade in the country – and don’t forget to snap a pic of the mythical Gog and Magog guarding the clock at the southern entry. You’ll find the Block Arcade on the other side of Little Collins St, boasting an ornate glass canopy that floods the intricate mosaic floor with light.

Dukes Coffee Roasters

The Royal Arcade Shutterstock

LUNCH Sink your teeth into a taste of Paris at one of La Petite Crêperie’s three locations across the CBD, each offering a self-proclaimed “arrogantly French” attitude. You’d be arrogant, too, if your food was this delicious – savoury galettes, fresh baguettes, classic crepes and plenty more finger-licking fare is dished up from a sit-down café in Hardware Lane and a converted newsstand on the footpath on Swanston St, a kiosk the owners describe as an “exquise crêpe bâtiment”, or an exquisite crepe building. A new café in an alleyway off Gallaghers Place is also open on weekdays.

VISIT Have your phone charged and your Instagram filters at the ready before you head to Federation Square, an eye-catching mass of geometric architecture that contrasts with the stately Flinders St Station and St Paul’s Cathedral across the road. Museum buffs can pop into the Australia Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) or the National Gallery of Victoria’s Australian collection in the Ian Potter Centre – both free – while there’s art of a very different kind on display in the nearby Hosier and Rutledge Lanes, dazzling outdoor galleries of street art caked in graffiti as far as the eye can see.

DINNER AND DRINKS The murals of Hosier Lane are your backdrop for dinner at MoVida, the Spanish restaurant that sparked Melbourne’s tapas craze when it opened in 2003.

There’s a long waiting list for a table but there are no bookings at its little brother MoVida Next Door, a more casual – and affordable – setting to sample the tastiest tapas this side of Madrid. After polishing off your body weight in chorizo and calamari, scale Curtin House on Swanston St for an evening of Rooftop Cinema, which screens films from December to April for those who can drag their gaze away from the lofty views of the Melbourne skyline. Fans of classic cocktails with an air of old-school refinement – think Mad Men, mahogany and Manhattans – should head north to The Everleigh in Fitzroy, voted No.25 in Drinks International Magazine’s list of the World’s 50 Best Bars for 2016.

MoVida Next Door Tourism Victoria

Hosier Lane Shutterstock

Seven Seeds Specialty Coffee Roaster

DAY TWO BREAKFAST Melbourne’s famous coffee scene means you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to breaky options, but the pick of the bunch might only be a 10-minute stroll from Melbourne Metro YHA in a converted warehouse in Carlton.

Seven Seeds is a coffee nerd’s idea of industrial-chic paradise – an on-site coffee roastery, retail space selling carefully sourced beans and cutting-edge brew gear, and specialty coffees imported from the Americas and Africa – but you don’t need to know the difference between a macchiato and the fabled ‘magic’ to appreciate what’s on the menu. Check out sister cafes Brother Baba Budan and Traveller if you need a caffeine fix in the CBD. DO Wander down to Queen Victoria Market – the largest open-air market in the Southern Hemisphere and a Melbourne institution since 1878 – to check out the fresh produce, gourmet food and hand-made handicrafts before heading south of the Yarra. If the sun’s out, explore 38 hectares of landscaped gardens in the Royal Botanic Gardens, a tranquil green oasis in the shadow of the city’s skyline. But if Melbourne turns on some of its notorious four-seasonsin-a-day weather, seek shelter in the National Gallery of Victoria – Australia’s oldest, largest, most visited and cheapest (free!) museum.

LUNCH When shopaholics dream about heaven, chances are it looks a little something like Chapel St – a vibrant four-kilometre stretch of nearly 1000 shops, cafes, bars and restaurants running between South Yarra and St Kilda. There’s no shortage of eateries to refuel after an afternoon of highend boutique window shopping, but two gems are located just off Chapel St itself: the food stalls at the 120-year-old Prahran Market 200m away on Commercial Road, and Leonard’s House of Love on Wilson St, which dishes up a feast of mouth-watering American-style burgers, hot dogs, chicken and vegetarian options.

VISIT Leave room for desert, though, because St Kilda’s Acland St is renowned for its cake shops – the oldest is Monarch Cakes, which has been baking traditional Eastern European sweets since 1934. Owner Nikki Laski runs the business with her brother Danny, sticking to the same recipes that made the trip from Poland to Australia 80-plus years ago – their cheesecake and gooey chocolate Kooglhoupf cake have a cult following among locals. Take your treat down to St Kilda Pier – not far along the Esplanade from Luna Park – to spot a little colony of penguins that appear 12 months a year in the breakwater after sunset.

Queen Victoria Market Tourism Victoria

St Kilda Pier Time Out Australia

DINNER AND DRINKS Boasting a mammoth menu and a funky, uniquely Melbourne vibe on a street corner in the heart of St Kilda, Iddy Biddy Bar is the perfect place to end a busy day’s sight-seeing with a pot of cool beer, some live music, and a parma so big it looks like it’s come from an emu rather than a chicken – take your pick from inventive flavours like Mexican, tandoori and roast pumpkin. Sister establishment La Roche – an atmospheric venue with comfy leather booths surrounded by graffiti-covered exposed brick – is just a two minute walk away if you’re in the mood to unwind with pizza and a monstrous milkshake, before the door-to-door No.96 tram back to Melbourne Central YHA.

Milkshake at La Roche Iddy Biddy Bar mural

Mexican parma at Iddy Biddy Bar

THE FIVE MOST INSTAGRAMMABLE PLACES IN MELBOURNE

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Centre Place

Close your eyes and imagine the quintessential Melbourne laneway – trendy locals sipping their coffees at Parisian cafes, buskers strumming their guitars for spare change, street art plastered across every spare inch of wall space – and that’s Centre Place.

Cross Flinders Lane for more of the same in Degraves St.

2

Ponyfish Island

Descend the single staircase curling down from the Southbank Pedestrian Bridge to this picturesque bar floating in the middle of the Yarra River – a haven from the hustle and bustle of the city and a stunning spot for a snap with a bottle of Pony Fish Unlikely Lager in hand.

3

Brighton Beach

Melbourne’s beaches can’t compete with Bondi, Bronte or Burleigh Heads in the

Ponyfish Island Shutterstock

beauty stakes, but Brighton’s bathing boxes provide just as good Instagram fodder. The 82 colourful wooden huts have stood for well over a century, retaining their original Victorian features behind a contemporary splash of colour.

4

Street art in Fitzroy

The bohemian streets of Fitzroy just ooze that unique Melburnian essence, right down to the striking murals peppered throughout city’s trendiest neighbourhood. The backstreets between Brunswick and Smith Streets is particularly fertile soil for admirers of urban art.

5

Eureka Skydeck

Towering 297m above the streets of Melbourne, the Eureka Tower literally provides a bird’s eye view of the Victorian capital from the 88th floor of the city’s tallest building.

Flash your YHA member card for 15% off entry, which starts at $20.

FIVE SPORTING PILGRIMAGES EVERY FAN MUST MAKE TO MELBOURNE

Melbourne Central YHA

Daniel Ricciardo in action Shutterstock

WHERE TO STAY AFL If there’s one thing Melburnians take more seriously than coffee, it’s football – the city’s cultish sporting obsession that fills the Melbourne Cricket Ground every weekend from March to September. You’ll certainly know if you’re in town for a big game, when thousands of fans pour out of Flinders St Station donning the colours of their footballing tribe before worshipping at the altar of the G. afl.com.au Cricket When the weather warms up it’s time for cricket to move into the 100,000-seat sporting cathedral – and the biggest day of the season comes on 26 December, when Melbourne hosts the Boxing Day Test.

This year Pakistan shares the stage with the Australian team, while the burgeoning Big Bash tournament and other MCG Shutterstock

international games will also rock the MCG’s foundations. cricket.com.au Tennis The eyes of the sporting world turn just next door to the G for two weeks each January when Melbourne Park holds the Australian Open, bringing a galaxy of stars to Rod Laver Arena to duke it out for their share of US$50 million prize money at what is now the richest tennis tournament on the planet. event.ausopen.com

◆M elbourne Central YHA ◆+ 61 3 9621 2523 ◆m elbcentral@yha.com.au ◆M elbourne Metro YHA ◆ +61 3 9329 8599 ◆ melbmetro@yha.com.au

Daniel Ricciardo will aim to toast a win on home soil with one of his famous ‘shoeys’. grandprix.com.au

Spring Racing Carnival With all the fashion, food and frivolity that fills Flemington, Caulfield and Moonee Valley Formula One each October and November, Melbourne comes alive with it’s easy to forget there are the sweet, sweet smell of horses running around on the burning rubber for one weekend track – but the Spring Carnival each March as the F1 Grand in Melbourne brings together Prix roars into town for the the finest thoroughbreds from season-opening event around around Australia and the world Albert Park Lake. In 2017, the for the enjoyment of hundreds GP takes place on 26 March, of thousands of punters. when knock-about Aussie star springracingcarnival.com.au

BOOK NOW

FEATURE / BANGKOK & SINGAPORE

ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK… ◆

Shutterstock

OR ONLY A BRIEF SINGAPORE FLING IS BARELY ENOUGH TIME TO SEE THE BEST OF THESE TWO STOPOVER CITIES, WRITES STEVE MCKENNA.

OF ALL THE BUZZING

traveller-friendly metropolises in South-East Asia, two really stand out. And it's not just because they usually have the best flight connections between Australia and Europe. Whether you're after a stopover or a city break, Bangkok and Singapore are both full of enchanting possibilities. But if push comes to shove, which one should you choose? Well, that depends on your priorities . . .

Singapore skyline Shutterstock

IN A NUTSHELL

Singapore Chinatown Singapore Tourism

In some ways, the two are pretty similar. They're both huge urban sprawls (Bangkok has 8 million people, Singapore 5.7m). Their humid tropical climates can turn a five-minute walk into a sweaty ordeal. And they're both packed with superb (often air-conditioned or fan-cooled) places in which to eat, sight-see and shop.

But while the Thai capital is noisy and chaotic, with ridiculous levels of traffic congestion, Singapore is comparatively calm, clean and orderly. Bangkok offers more bang for your buck, however, and has more of a carefree, anythinggoes vibe with fewer everyday rules and regulations (you don't have to worry about being fined for chewing gum here, like in by-the-book Singapore). Yet the city-state, a former British colony with vivid Chinese, Malay and Indian flavours, is an absorbing melting pot. Its neighbourhoods are more culturally diverse than those of Bangkok, which, despite some glaring Chinese and Western influences, feels distinctly, exotically Thai. That said, most Thais you'll meet will speak at least some English. In Singapore, English is one of four official languages (alongside Malay, Mandarin and Tamil).

Singapore Night Market Twenty20

Bangkok tuk-tuks Steve McKenna

Singapore city skyline at night Shutterstock

ICONIC VIEWS Bangkok has a glut of modern, neon-adorned sights (from glossy malls to gaudy nightlife strips), but it's the centuries-old temples on the banks of its mighty, cruise-friendly river, the Chao Phraya, that make the greatest impression.

The most dazzling cluster lie in and around the Grand Palace, a royal riverside residence characterised by its gleaming gold spires, ornate Buddha monuments and saffron-robed monks. Although popular with tourists and worshippers, this incense-scented complex is a soothing, spiritual place to linger (giving respite from all those overbearing touts, tuk-tuk drivers and exhaust fumes).

Singapore has heaps of visually-arresting heritage buildings – notably Chinese shophouses, Hindu temples, British colonial landmarks and Arabian mosques – but they're overshadowed by the jaw-dropping 21st Century architecture on its revitalised waterfront. As well as the lotus flower-shaped ArtScience Museum and the Marina Bay Sands resort – whose rooftop straddles its three towers and resembles a giant's surfboard – there are the futuristic 'supertrees' of Gardens by the Bay, a green-yet-glitzy attraction that is free to stroll around. It's best to come at night, when the temperatures have dipped (slightly) and everything looks marvellous all lit up.

THE MARINA BAY SANDS RESORT’S ROOFTOP STRADDLES ITS THREE TOWERS AND RESEMBLES A GIANT’S SURFBOARD The Grand Palace, Bangkok Twenty20

EATING AND DRINKING Almost everywhere you go in Bangkok and Singapore, fragrant cooking smells spike the air. Both cities have thriving hawker cultures, with vendors wokking-up tastebud-tickling street food, often using recipes passed down the generations.

Many do business in the sleek food courts housed in the cities' myriad multistorey malls. But it's more memorable to dine outdoors.

Singapore, for instance, is dotted with hawker centres. Open-air hubs like Maxwell Road Food Centre where beneath whirring fans you'll rub shoulders with hungry locals and order typical hawker fare like char kway teow (a wok-fried noodle affair), Hainanese Chicken Rice (strips of tender boiled chicken on oily rice) and laksa (spicy seafood noodle soup). Expect to pay AU$3-6 per dish.

You'll eat for less in Bangkok, where hawkers have more of a free reign on where they can set up shop. Pavements and back alleys are cluttered with wheeled food stalls that ply punters with the likes of pad Thai (stir-fried prawn noodles), kaao laad kaeng (curry on rice), oyster omelette, and seafood and meat skewers. Bangkok's alfresco hotspots include Yaowarat (Chinatown) and on and around Khao San Road (that legendary backpacker enclave).

Looking to drink? Both cities have hip rooftop venues, intimate jazz haunts and speakeasy-tinged basement joints – and in Bangkok especially, bars ranging from the seedy to the stylish spill onto the streets. Alcohol in Singapore is about three times as expensive (in bars, a beer costs about AU$8-12, cocktails AU$20).

Freshly-made tropical fruit juices are better value for money.

Wat Phra Kaew, within the Grand Palace, Bangkok Shutterstock

Bangkok street eats Steve McKenna

BANGKOK UPDATE There is presently 12 months of mourning in Thailand following the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. This may include

some changes to normal events and has sedated the nightlife somewhat but all tourism facilities are open as usual.

Bangkok street eats Steve McKenna

NATURAL RETREATS

Pulau Ubin, Singapore Steve McKenna

When Stamford Raffles claimed Singapore for Britain in 1819, it was a sparselypopulated, heavily jungled island riddled with Malayan tigers and swamps.

Despite turbo-charged development, an abundance of green lungs lie within easy reach of the CBD. The Botanic Gardens are particularly alluring, boasting the world's largest collection of tropical orchids and a rainforest boardwalk that snakes through lush, primeval jungle (don't expect to encounter any tigers; they're long extinct). Even more rustic is Pulau Ubin, one of Singapore's 60 or so offshore islands. Cycle the forest-fringed dirt tracks of this sleepy backwater and you'll pass traditional Malay kampong (village) houses, down-to-earth Chinese eateries and birdlife-rich wetlands.

Bangkok isn't as blessed with verdant escapes, but Lumphini Park – in the city's built-up business and embassy districts – is lovely, especially if you come before breakfast, when joggers, walkers and tai chi practitioners exercise before temperatures start to soar. Watch out for the park's monitor lizards. They're harmless but might give you a fright – some are two metres long!

Whichever city you choose, get out and explore to make the most of your trip.

These are cities to wander amok.

The Botanic Gardens, Singapore Shutterstock

Lumphini Park, Bangkok Steve McKenna

Fort Canning

FIVE TIPS FOR SINGAPORE

1

The Singapore Tourist Pass saves time, money and energy. It allows unlimited rail and regular bus travel for one day (S$10), two days (S$16) or three days (S$20).

2

If you're here on a Singaporean public holiday, admission to many cultural attractions, such as the swish new National Gallery of Singapore, is free.

Shutterstock

4

Arguably Singapore's quirkiest attraction, Haw Par Villa is a theme park that celebrates Chinese mythology and folklore, with over 1000 colourful sculptures, plus temples and pagodas, to peruse. It's free to enter.

5

Four MRT stops from City Hall, Tiong Bahru is a laid-back, low-rise slice of Singapore, with art deco architecture, cool Nestled atop a hill behind the neighbourhood cafes, funky CBD, Fort Canning Park is boutiques and an atmospheric a relaxing, green oasis with market and hawker centre. spice gardens, birdsong, British military relics and the sacred shrine of Singapore's last sultan.

3

Haw Par Villa Shutterstock

FIVE TIPS FOR BANGKOK

1

Taxis are inexpensive but because of traffic, only use them when your destination can't be reached on the fast, elevated BTS Skytrain or the underground MRT Metro.

2

Complementing Bangkok's countless malls and night and day street stalls is Chatuchak Weekend Market. Its 8000-plus stalls sell a mindboggling range of souvenirs, antiques and local fashions.

3

You'll be offered plenty of AU$10 massages.

But it's worth treating yourself to a good one. A 90-minute herbal body

massage is about AU$40 at Asia Herb Association. It has a branch at Sukhumvit 24, near Phrom Phrong BTS.

4

At 8am and 6pm daily, the national anthem plays from speaker systems across the capital.

Thais stop what they're doing. Foreigners aren't expected to follow suit, but it's appreciated.

5

For a different perspective of Bangkok, ride the ferry on Khlong Saen Saeb, one of the city's copious canals. You whizz past wooden homes, flashes of greenery and eye-catching graffiti.

WHERE TO STAY â—† Singapore: There are two HI Hostels in the city that offer good value places to stay. See more and book here. â—† Bangkok: There are 10 HI Hostels in and around the city, including one at the airport. See more here.

Ferry on Chao Phraya Shutterstock

WHAT'S ON HERE’S OUR PICK OF EVENTS COMING UP IN YOUR REGION

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! December 2016 to March 2017

AUS

If there’s a better way to spend a balmy summer evening than under the stars with a glass of wine in one hand, a box of popcorn in the other, and a great movie on the big screen, then we haven’t heard about it. As the weather gets warmer, outdoor cinemas come out of hibernation to show the latest Hollywood blockbusters, indie releases and cult classics to huge crowds enjoying picnics in the moonlight. Here’s the pick of the bunch this summer – visit their websites to check out the program in your city: u B en & Jerry’s Open Air Cinema – Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Gold Coast u M oonlight Cinema – Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Port Douglas u S unset Cinema – Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Wollongong u St George Open Air Cinema – Sydney

BOOK NOW

u

Stay at YHA Australia’s network of 80-plus hostels around the country

Ben & Jerry’s Open Air Cinema

VINTAGE, ART DECO, NOSTALGIA, OH MY! January and March 2017

Art Deco Festival Art Deco Trust Napier

NZ SYDNEY FESTIVAL 7 – 29 January 2017

Foxtrot back in time with these festivals that revive the good ol’ days. Riverside Whanganui celebrates everything vintage for a weekend (21-23 January 2017) of jazz river cruises, flea markets, banquets, classic car cavalcades and classic films on the outdoor screen. Then throw on your feather boa and step back into Gatsby time for a u u u

weekend (15-19 February 2017) in the ‘Art Deco Capital of the World’ when Napier relives the mystique of the 1920s and ‘30s. Christchurch also gets nostalgic by combining the city’s indie culture with a quaint 1900s replica township for a day of revelry on 4 March 2017. vintageweekend.co.nz, artdeconapier.com, nostalgiafestival.co.nz

BOOK NOW

S tay at YHA Whanganui, YHA Napier, YHA Christchurch or YHA Christchurch Rolleston House 0 800 278 299 (NZ) or 1800 242 191 (Aus) b ook@yha.co.nz

N SW

A colourful reflection of the Harbour City’s kaleidoscopic diversity, this cultural celebration fills Sydney’s summer nights with almost 400 performances by 700 of the world’s best performing and visual artists. Now in its 41st year, the Sydney Festival lights up 30 of Sydney’s best venues, including Hyde Park, Sydney Town Hall, The Domain and the Sydney Opera House, with affordable tickets to every event available for $25 or less – including many free shows. sydneyfestival.org.au Sydney Festival Destination NSW

FRINGE FESTIVALS February and March 2017

NZ

Find yourself on the fringes for all the eccentric, odd, funny and wonderful things fringe festival lovers expect. Local theatre shows, performance poets, sidesplitting comics and more bring the wacky to Wellington and Auckland. Wellington promises a ‘Festival for Surprises’ and proffers over 100 self-produced events.

Auckland Fringe espouses ‘Art on Every Corner’, and those corners include rooms, street corners, parks, beaches and forests.

Both festivals guarantee serious envelope-pushing. fringe.co.nz , Wellington aucklandfringe.co.nz Fringe Festival

BOOK NOW

u u u

Stay at Sydney Central YHA +61 2 9218 9000 sydcentral@yha.com.au

BOOK NOW

u u u

S tay at YHA Auckland International, YHA Auckland City or YHA Wellington 0800 278 299 (NZ) or 1800 242 191 (Aus) book@yha.co.nz

VI C

PORT FAIRY JAZZ FESTIVAL 10 – 12 February 2017

The first ever Port Fairy Jazz Festival is the perfect reason to visit the historic seaside town this February. More than 100 bands will pile into Port Fairy to put on performances to suit all jazz fans – traditional, mainstream, contemporary and much more. Enjoy a weekend of jazz music, dancing, the Saturday parade, markets and Port Fairy’s famous seafood. portfairyjazz.com.au Port Fairy Jazz Festival Shutterstock

u u u

S tay at Port Fairy YHA + 61 3 5568 2468 p ortfairy@yha.com.au

BOOK NOW

FOMO FESTIVAL 7 January 2017 One stage. No clashes. This Brisbane-born festival – which has expanded to Adelaide (6 January) and Sydney (8 January) after its killer debut in 2016 – returns to Riverstage for the second year running to bring you an epic line-up featuring both local and international acts, including Empire of the Sun, Peking Duk and Flosstramadus. Fight your fear of missing out this festival season by snapping up your tickets fast! fomofestival.com.au u u u

ST JEROME’S LANEWAY FESTIVAL 5 February 2017 Since it was first held in a tiny Melbourne laneway in 2005, this celebration of indie music has exploded in popularity, now taking place in Fremantle, Adelaide, Auckland, Brisbane and Sydney each summer. The towering pine trees of Esplanade Park provide the scenic backdrop to the West Australian event, which features Gang of Youths, Nick Murphy (aka your old mate Chet Faker), Tame Impala and plenty more in 2017. lanewayfestival.com u u u

Stay at Fremantle Prison YHA +61 8 9433 4305 fremantle@yha.com.au

QLD

FOMO Festival Shutterstock

Stay at Brisbane City YHA +61 7 3236 1004 brisbanecity@yha.com.au

BOOK NOW

WA

BOOK NOW Fremantle Laneway Festival Daniel Boud

TASTE OF TASMANIA 28 December 2016 – 3 January 2017

TAS

Boutique beers, cool-climate wines, handcrafted cheeses, freshly-caught seafood – the Taste of Tasmania dishes up the Apple Isle on a plate. The Hobart waterfront comes alive with food stalls from every corner of the state, as well as a jam-packed entertainment program that especially caters to the kids, including family movies on an outdoor screen every night plus fireworks on New Year’s Eve. thetasteoftasmania.com.au u u u

BOOK NOW

Stay at Hobart Central YHA +61 3 6231 2660 hobartcentral@yha.com.au

PORT LINCOLN TUNARAMA FESTIVAL 25 – 29 January 2017

SA

It’s a good thing that Tunarama runs for five days, because there’s so much to see and do . . . and eat! Participate in the tuna-throwing competition, watch the boat-building and watermelon-eating contests, check out the market stalls, see the sand sculptures, parade and live music, and eat some of the freshest seafood in the world.

Phew, we’re exhausted just thinking about it! tunarama.net

TWILIGHT HAWKERS MARKET Every Friday night until 28 April 2017

WA

The biggest street food market in Perth is back for another summer, filling balmy Friday nights with the aroma of street food from all over the world. Grab a drink in the city before heading to Forrest Place – smack bang in the middle of town and just a 600m stroll from Perth City YHA – to spend the evening trawling the market for the tastiest morsels you can get your hands on. twilighthawkersmarket.com u u u

Stay at Perth City YHA +61 8 9287 3333 perthcity@yha.com.au

BOOK NOW

Tunarama Shutterstock

u u u

Stay at Port Lincoln YHA +61 8 8682 3605 portlincoln@yha.com.au

BOOK NOW

Twilight Hawkers Market Events and Beyond

VI C

AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS 16 – 29 January 2017

Burleigh Heads Shutterstock

Melbourne becomes a sport-lover’s paradise each January when the Australian Open comes to town. Tennis fans from across the globe flock to Melbourne Park for the chance to see Federer, Nadal, Murray and Serena Williams dominate the big stage in the first Grand Slam tournament of the year. Tickets to see the big names on Rod Laver Arena are pricey but you can lap up the carnival atmosphere with a ground pass to the outside courts, which start at just AU$25. event.ausopen.com Stay at Melbourne Central YHA u +61 3 9621 2523 u melbcentral@yha.com.au u

BURLEIGH PRO 2017 26 – 29 January 2017 The iconic Burleigh Headland on the Gold Coast boasts some of the world’s best waves – and for four days this January, it’ll boast some of the world’s best surfers, too. It’s free to watch this World Surf League event involving both men and women from the natural amphitheatre of Burleigh Heads, and you can expect breathtaking views of the Surfers Paradise skyline at dawn and dusk. worldsurfleague.com

BOOK NOW

Australian Open Greg Elms Tourism Victoria

u u u

TOUR DOWN UNDER 14 – 22 January 2017 Australia’s version of the Tour de France . . . just swap the Alps for the Adelaide Hills. Watch the cyclists as they power through each stage of the first event on the UCI World Tour calendar, marvel at the amateur riders on the Bupa Challenge Tour tackling exactly the same route the pros traverse just a couple of hours later, or get involved in all the other events surrounding the tour. tourdownunder.com u u u

Stay at Adelaide Central YHA +61 8 8414 3010 adlcentral@yha.com.au

QLD

Stay at Coolangatta YHA +61 7 5536 7644 coolangatta@yha.com.au

BOOK NOW

SA

BOOK NOW Tour Down Under Shutterstock

AUSTRALIA DAY 26 January 2017 There aren’t too many corners of Australia’s wide brown land that aren’t decked out in green and gold on 26 January – but Sydney Harbour is the life of the party. Take a picnic down to the foreshore and watch the Tall Ships Race, the Ferryathon, the Cruising Concerts on floating barges, a military aircraft flyover, plus the oldest continually conducted annual sailing event, the 181st Australia Day Regatta. And that doesn’t even cover half the Australia Day events around the city. australiaday.com.au u u u

N SW

MORE EVENTS BOXING DAY TEST CRICKET 26 – 30 December 2016 Stay Melbourne Central YHA

Australia Day Ferrython Sydney Festival

Stay at Sydney Harbour YHA +61 2 8272 0900 sydneyharbour@yha.com.au

WORLD BUSKERS FESTIVAL January and February 2017

BOOK NOW

NZ

The buskers are coming! The buskers are coming! And they’re coming this summer from all corners of the globe to descend on Christchurch, Nelson and Auckland for three unique, iconic, celebrations of street theatre. There will be laughter, chaos, comedy, circus, acts of daring, juggling, acrobatics, fringe theatre, contortionism and it all adds up to a heaving, brash street party.

Be sure to bring spare dosh to top-up their hats. worldbuskersfestival.com, nelson.govt.nz, aucklandbuskersfestival.co.nz

SUMMER CITY 1 January – 31 March 2017 Stay YHA Wellington

SUMMERNATS CAR FESTIVAL 5 – 8 January 2017 Stay Canberra City YHA

EVOLVE FESTIVAL 20 – 22 January 2017 Stay YHA Nelson

THREDBO BLUES FESTIVAL 20 – 22 January 2017 Stay Thredbo YHA

u

u u

S tay at YHA Christchurch or YHA Christchurch Rolleston House, YHA Nelson, or YHA Auckland International or YHA Auckland City 0800 278 299 (NZ) or 1800 242 191 (Aus) book@yha.co.nz

BOOK NOW Christchurch Busker Festival, Pants Down Circus

TAMAKI HERENGA WAKA FESTIVAL 28 – 30 January 2017 Stay YHA Auckland International or YHA Auckland City BOOK ONLINE

YHA.COM.AU YHA.CO.NZ

KEEP IN TOUCH BACKPACKER ESSENTIALS MIGHT BE ENDING, BUT THE GREAT CONTENT KEEPS ON COMING As we explained earlier in this issue, this will be the last ever edition of Backpacker Essentials.

But don’t worry! You’ll still be able to find more of the same great content at YHA’s website, which is jam-packed with plenty of awesome Traveller Stories, news stories and bigname events.

Plus, YHA Australia will continue to keep our loyal members up-to-date with all things YHA through our regular ezines, which will be loaded with all the great stuff you used to find in Backpacker Essentials. Keep your membership details up to date – including the best email address to reach you – through the My YHA section of yha.com.au.

Not a member? Click here to become to join and make sure to opt in to our regular updates.

For our New Zealand audience, YHA New Zealand will continue to add stories and local destination content in the ‘Inspire Me’ section of yha.co.nz.

Just like YHA Australia, New Zealand also produces regular ezines and our deals will continue to be referenced here, as well as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Thanks for keeping in touch!