8 Months Down Under

My trip began on 17 September 02, I flew with Malaysia Airlines with a stopover in Kuala Lumpur. Anyway, if I were to do it again I would definitely choose a round the world ticket. With a little extra money you can depart from Italy, make a stopover in Asia (it depends on the airline you choose) and on the way back from Australia you'll do the reverse route (via America) and you can stop in Fiji, Los Angeles or Canada (again it always depends on the airline you choose). I made a stopover on the way back in Kuala Lumpur (4 days). For little money, in fact, you can visit another country, it's worth it, the flight is free, you're on the road and if you have time it will let you break up a truly very long journey.

I lived for about 6 months in Sydney where I studied at a tourism college. I lived with a family for about 2 and a half months, after which I decided to take up a somewhat less regular and more fun life, moving into a house in Bondi Junction (halfway between the city centre and the beach) with three other girls (one Australian, one English and one French). In the meantime I also worked in a supermarket from 8 pm to midnight restocking the shelves! Sure, the job wasn't up to much, but we were all broke students and we had fun! The pay was good compared to Italy considering it was the lowest level. To do this (find accommodation, school etc.) I relied on an association called Boomerang Australia. I'm sure it can help anyone who wants to move to Australia for a while to study and/or work. The office is in Sydney, but they also have a counterpart in Rome. Sydney is a truly wonderful city.

The things I appreciated most about living there were:

- A big city, but very calm, not chaotic and very safe. - A great melting pot, endless races and different cultures - Beautiful beaches very close to the city centre. With a few minutes on a bus or ferry you reach stunning places, almost deserted with crystal-clear waters. Favourite beach: Camp Cove, reachable on foot from Watson Bay. Ah! The water is indeed crystal-clear, but also freezing! - The kindness of people (very casual and extremely open-minded), especially service staff e.g. trains. If you have things to ask they not only answer you politely, but if you don't understand they take you to your destination! I met a great many Australians through my cousins who were born there and so I became part of their group straight away. I was lucky in that sense, I didn't have to look for friends because they came to me.

Living in a city like Sydney you easily make friends with guys who come from all over the world. I met many Asians, Brazilians and South Americans in general, Swiss, French, Northern Europeans, Americans etc. All with a huge desire to have fun and meet people. Australia in fact is a very young, informal and cheap destination, both for travelling backpacking or for studying. - Sydney harbour. To call it beautiful is an understatement. It's much more: calm, peaceful, cheerful, sophisticated, melancholic... A painting you would never tire of looking at.

The water, even though ploughed by hundreds of ferries and boats, is very clean, suffice it to say that the dolphins have come back to swim there! - Especially during the summer there are countless events: open-air cinema (not classic ones, but with the screen suspended over the water and with the opera house as a backdrop, or you can watch the film lying on the grass having a picnic) festivals and concerts of every kind, free, exhibitions, sand sculptures and reviews, especially during the Sydney Festival in January. All strictly outdoors. - The chance to enjoy dishes of international cuisine: Asian (all of it: Chinese, Malaysian, Japanese, Indian, Indonesian etc..), European (Italian, Greek, Spanish, French etc.), South American etc.

All at really good prices! (compared to ours...) - The organisation of the transport systems: I, with the student discount (kindly granted, but I couldn't have had it because it was reserved only for Australian students), spent 13 Australian dollars (about 7 euros) a week with which I could travel without limit on buses, trains and ferries of the red zone (the whole centre and surrounding areas, including the coast with the beautiful beaches). Trains run until 1 am, but buses operate 24 hours a day. Living 8 months in a place makes you appreciate many things, but it also makes you discover negative sides that you wouldn't have found on a short holiday. The flaws I found, in my judgement, can be summed up as follows:

- Lack of history, of ancient culture. Everything is "brand new", new, very neat. On one hand it's a nice feeling, but after a while you feel the need for culture, for antiquity, for things that have lived through an era, precious precisely because they are very old and unique. And this cannot be found in Sydney. The only form of ancient culture is the Aboriginal one, of which there are remains and paintings in the various museums (the Australian museum is interesting). On one hand very bitter and shocking since it is also shown how they were treated and deported. (On this subject I recommend watching the film "Rabbit proof fence" 2002/3) - Absence of a precise identity: since Australians are an incredible mix of races who have lived in the same nation for just over a generation, it's understandable that no attachment to the homeland has developed.

Australia has given so much to immigrants, many came from difficult, often desperate situations and there they were welcomed, they were given work and the chance to make a life for themselves, raise a family and cultivate the land (which certainly was not lacking). Perhaps the difference of language, culture, past and also the initial hostility with which they were received (by the people, not by the institutions) meant that the immigrants joined together among themselves, clinging strongly to the traditions of their country. (I assure you that to this day they keep them more than we real Italians do!). This nevertheless doesn't take away from the fact that all the immigrants are very grateful to Australia which gave them new hope for a better life.

This attachment (given largely by nostalgia for the native country they were forced to leave) has today created a generation of young people who speak two languages (the language of the country of origin that they speak at home, and the English they learned in life outside the family and at school). It's not just about languages, but above all about intertwined and blended cultures. I have aunts and cousins who have lived in Sydney for over 40 years and so I can give examples concerning Italian-Australians. Australians use words like: frittata, nonna/o, mozzarella, prosciutto, mortadella and many others. These words were introduced by the Italians and are now part of Australian culture and are used by everyone. Like the European one, many other cultures such as the Greek, Asian, American (...) and South American ones have brought something of their own.

On one hand this is a wonderful thing, but it doesn't create an identity of its own. What is the typical Australian like? Well, I wouldn't know, let's talk about it again in a few generations! There would be a great many things to say on the subject, but I won't go on any longer. I'll just tell you that if you find it (I still haven't managed to) you can watch the film based on the book of the same name by Melina Marchetta, "Looking for Alibrandi", Italian version "Terza generazione", with Pia Miranda and Anthony La Paglia. The film is not a masterpiece, but I think it conveys the atmosphere very well! P.S. I only saw it in English, so I promise nothing about the Italian version!

Beyond life in Sydney made up of school, sea, pub and work, I travelled during the holidays and at the end of the course.

HUNTER VALLEY AND BLUE MOUNTAINS

My destinations were the following:

-HUNTER VALLEY (wine region) and BLUE MOUNTAINS (day trips from Sydney). Advice: for the Hunter Valley take an organized tour, for about 90 AUD you'll get the transfer + breakfast + visit to 5 wineries with tastings of about 7 wines per winery (careful: the first two will be ON AN EMPTY STOMACH!!!!) + lunch + panoramic stops and a visit to the actual wineries with an explanation of the production process. For the Blue Mountains: go on your own, without organized tours. The train ticket from the city costs about 14 AUD (I don't remember exactly) versus 90 AUD for the organized tours and you can walk the mountain trails on foot. It's very nice and there are truly beautiful panoramic lookouts. Stop at Leura (I did everything on foot) and stop to enjoy freshly made scones with jam in the cafes along the main street. I recommend Snaps Coffee House, which has a little light-blue terrace.

CANBERRA, JERVIS BAY, MERRIWA,

-CANBERRA: there isn't much to see, it's a city like Washington, built to be the capital. I found it a bit boring, perfectly orderly and clean. Everything closed on the weekend. I was told that the art museum is very beautiful, too bad it closed too early and I didn't manage to visit it.

-JERVIS BAY (South coast, south of Wollongong): I stayed in Vincentia, which is a small village a little over 2 hours by car from Sydney. You cross the Kangaroo Valley to get there. There are beautiful beaches, in particular Hyams Beach which they say is the beach with the whitest sand in the world. Whether that's true I don't know, I only know that the sand is so fine that it squeaks like snow and so white that without sunglasses it would blind you. Everything is surrounded by nature parks with paths for walking and lots of brightly colored parrots and kookaburras. -OUTBACK-MERRIWA (a tiny village lost in the countryside about 4 hours from Sydney): This is a village you won't find in the guides. Here my uncle and aunt have a country house, the right expression is in the middle of nowhere.

There's nothing, just red earth like fire, a natural silence, clean air, a starry sky that leaves you open-mouthed, animals wandering around undisturbed, people of a kindness and genuine hospitality. I've never known people like this... I will never forget "zio comparuzzo" (nickname given by my uncle to a friend of his -also Italian, an immigrant to Australia- who welcomed me with incredible kindness and who went everywhere barefoot and with his shirt open...even to the restaurant...legendary...) The few days spent in the countryside were truly fabulous and I saw things I will never forget: an iguana crossed the road in front of me while I was driving, or hundreds of rabbits hopping around the house. But the thing that left me speechless was seeing the kangaroos. Sure, said like that it would seem like a small thing. But I didn't see the kangaroos in a zoo.

I went by car at sunset to look for them in the woods. They come out at sunset and dawn because during the day it's too hot. My cousin was driving and I, to film with my video camera, was sitting on the window with my torso out of the car. It seemed like a safari and I was a reporter! There must have been 50 kangaroos and they were grazing peacefully, but when they saw us they got scared and ran away. What an emotion to see them all hopping together, they were very fast and I held back so I wouldn't cry. The sunset light then made everything more beautiful.

TRIP TO MELBOURNE

-MELBOURNE: from Sydney with my cousins, about 8 hours by car to get there. Melbourne is a city that everyone rightly says is European. While Sydney has tall buildings and narrow streets, in Melbourne you can see the sky. The streets are wider, with trees along the sides, and another big difference: there are trams. I spent only a few days there so it's hard to be thorough. The idea I got is of a city with much more culture than Sydney, beautiful museums, the Royal Botanic Gardens which are stunning with many varieties of trees and plants and lots of ponds and idyllic views. Defined among the most beautiful in the world by the Lonely Planet (and I trust them). The Queen Victoria Market is nice and reasonably priced. Much cheaper than in Sydney. Even for food I have to say there's a huge choice, excellent quality, and very good prices.

From what I've heard, the nightlife too, from theaters to cinemas, from trendy clubs, is much more active. Honestly, I can't judge. What I saw I liked very much, but Sydney was perfect for me and I'm attached to it. A walk at sunset along the Yarra River is very evocative. The St Kilda waterfront is also nice, and visit the characteristic beach huts at Brighton Beach (about 3 km from St Kilda) and the luna park. Don't ask someone from Sydney or Melbourne which city is better. There's a strong local rivalry and they won't be objective! The weather is very changeable. While in Sydney the sun shines very often and the temperature even in winter remains mild, in Melbourne they say you can have the 4 seasons in a single day. So it's worth dressing in layers and carrying a light coat for winter.

- GREAT OCEAN ROAD: after Melbourne our destination is the drive along one of the most beautiful coasts in the world. It's called that because it runs alongside the ocean and you can admire truly breathtaking views. You can't miss it. We stayed overnight in Lorne, a nice and very elegant little town on the sea. I recommend going to the information office, which works very well, and they'll find the right accommodation for your budget. We found an apartment all to ourselves at a very low price. For dinner I highly recommend Reif's, which is a waterfront place where you eat very well at good prices. Breakfast at Louttit Bay Backery. From Lorne we drove for about another two hours to get to admire one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen: the twelve apostles. Sea stacks in the ocean, only seven of which are visible from the mainland.

It's incredible to see them emerge from nothing, in the middle of the ocean. They're so imposing they're almost frightening. It had just stopped raining when we arrived and there was a strange, almost mystical light. I can't explain the feelings I experienced. A miracle of nature that however won't last long. In fact, little by little the water is eroding the rocks, which are collapsing. The 12 apostles, London Bridge and The Arch are indeed the result of parts of rock breaking away from the coast many, many years ago. Don't miss it.

We set off on the journey to return to Sydney. Stops I recommend: Geelong, Torquay and the famous Bells Beach, to be clear the one from Point Break. For the return we chose a different route. In fact, while on the way there we went through the inland along the Hume Highway, for the return we opted for the Princes Highway. The first is faster, but monotonous, with fun stops at: Big merino (giant building shaped like a sheep!), Ettamogah pub (real-life version of the famous pub from an Australian comic strip, it really looks fake, the walls are crooked!) and the dog on the tuckerbox (the dog on the food box, which has a slightly funny story). They're nothing special, but if you drive continuously for 8 hours you're happy to see something strange or funny too. The Princes Highway is instead the road along the coast. This route is longer, but definitely more beautiful and less monotonous.

We stopped for the night at Merimbula (advice: bungalow in the caravan park "Merimbula holiday park", good price, nice ocean view, kitchen available)

After returning from this trip I went to New Zealand for 20 days, but that's another adventure I'll tell you about later...

ULURU - KATA TJUTA NATIONAL PARK

After spending Easter at home with my uncle, aunt and cousins, finally after 7 months apart Andrea, my boyfriend, arrives. With him we chose the following itinerary: 3 days in Uluru, in the Red Center 10 days in Queensland 1 week in Sydney (the last of 8 months...)

We bought 3 domestic flights with Qantas for about 800 AUD: Sydney-Ayers Rock, Ayers Rock-Cairns, Proserpine-Sydney. I bought the internal flights in Australia, because they're cheaper. As far as your available time allows, I highly recommend buying domestic flights or bus tickets (really cheap, but be prepared to spend entire days on the bus, distances are tripled compared to ours) directly on site. If this isn't possible, these are the sites where you can find truly convenient deals: o (missing URL) I believe the flights can be bought online and you can save a lot.

-ULURU-KATA TJUTA NATIONAL PARK: here we are in the red desert. After flying over Sydney and the mountain range that separates it from the desert, a barren landscape opens up. You can glimpse thin lines that are roads. Very long and straight as spindles. After a little more than two hours of flight, there it is, Uluru as the aborigines call it, the most famous monolith in the world. What an emotion!!! Here we are, the symbol of Australia is before my eyes. We booked through the very efficient booking center of Voyager Hotels. There was a special offer on a superior three-star, The Lost Camel, and we paid 166 AUD per night, per room. Normally it would cost double. I recommend this hotel to everyone, it's brand new, the rooms are small but cozy, colorful, there's no TV, but there's a stereo. Besides, you're in the desert, and who would want to watch TV...

All the hotels of the Ayers Rock resort are located in Yulara, a small settlement of 1000 people. It's located 20 km from Uluru and 53 km from Kata Tjuta. There's a facility for every need and budget: luxury, mid-range, hostel, apartments and camping. For dining there are several options: from luxury restaurants to a well-stocked supermarket or take-away. The experience I recommend is going to the Yulara hostel (Backpack pioneer) where every evening there's live music and you can buy raw meat or fish and then cook it yourself on the barbecue. There's an assorted buffet with pasta and vegetables included in the price of the meat. It's a lot of fun and you breathe the typical Australian atmosphere. Not to be missed. Before doing anything I recommend everyone go visit the visitor centre where you can get information on all the excursions and activities.

We did several excursions trying to avoid the organized ones. We therefore chose to buy only the transfer. We did a walk along the base of the monolith. All in all it lasted about 3 hours. It was very beautiful although I highly recommend everyone bring a hat with a net so you don't go crazy because of the flies. There really are a lot of them and they're very annoying. The choice to climb the monolith is highly debatable. In my opinion they should prohibit it instead of leaving the choice free. I don't understand how people can be so insensitive given that for the aborigines the mountain is sacred and should not be violated. We watched the sunset at Uluru and it was truly beautiful. I say beautiful and not wonderful because a little cloud prevented the rock from turning fiery red as it usually does.

The next day we went to visit the Olgas or Kata Tjuta mountains at dawn. The colors are bright, you breathe a supernatural peace. I can admit without a doubt that they are by far more beautiful and fascinating than Uluru. We did the Valley of the Winds walk. Very hot, lots of flies, but all the effort was repaid by an exceptional view. In the afternoon we relaxed a bit in the pool. A long evening awaited us. We had in fact booked "The sound of silence". A bus came to pick us up at the hotel and took us to a remote spot in the desert. Here they served us aperitifs while we admired the sunset with Uluru in the distance. Then dinner with fish (barramundi... yummi!), various meats (kangaroo, crocodile and other oddities) and lots of vegetables, salads and vegetarian dishes. All by candlelight. At the end an astronomer starts talking and tells us to be silent. Suddenly, all the lights go out.

It was one of the strongest emotions of my life. The lights went out and the stars turned on. A very clear night, a clean sky hundreds of kilometers away from any form of pollution. Completely immersed in nature, in silence. The astronomer showed us the part of the sky we don't see in the northern hemisphere and the constellations. Then the lights came back on, desserts served with hot drinks. It's a unique experience. Dinner costs about 100 AUD, but it's not to be missed. You will never forget it. There are anyway many other excursions to do: rent bikes, guided tours by aborigines, 1 day at Kings Canyon, helicopter flight (maybe it will be nice, but if you're down on the ground the noise of the helicopter really bothers you! It breaks the peace of the desert). Reluctantly we left from the tiny airport and waved goodbye to Uluru and Kata Tjuta.

QUEENSLAND PART 1

- COAST FROM CAIRNS TO AIRLIE BEACH (by camper + 3 days sailing in the Whitsundays): here we are plunging from the desert to the tropics. Incredible the variety of landscape you can find in just a few hours of flight. Having arrived at Cairns airport we took a bus that took us to our accommodation in the center: koala Beach Resort, 60 AUD per room, per night. It's an apartment with a small kitchen, sofa, bedroom and bathroom. Clean, no frills. After a quick shower we went out. The temperature is high, but above all it's super humid! We visited the markets and had dinner in a place in the center. After dinner a walk along the waterfront. It's not a simple walk, in fact beyond the sidewalk that runs alongside the beach there are pools with real sand, trees. It looks like a real beach, complete with lifeguards and changing rooms.

There are also gardens for picnics and barbecues (strange, in Australia there are more barbecues than bathrooms!!!). At our hotel there are bulletin boards with lots of flyers that turned out to be very useful. The next day we have an appointment at 9.30 to pick up our camper. It's not a real camper, it's a little van with a double bed in the back and if you open the tailgate there's a kind of kitchen: dishes, camping stove, coolbox, pot. We chose not to do too many kilometers, but to enjoy this part of the coast visiting the little towns and beaches, stopping at Airlie Beach. Doing a marathon from Cairns to Brisbane in ten days didn't feel right and now I feel like saying we made the right decision. This however has its price, in fact the only rental camper we found with drop-off at Airlie Beach was a small camper, which is the one we were forced to take.

After signing the contract and checking the camper, we're ready to leave. Just the time to go grocery shopping for lunch and... what's happening? The air conditioning isn't working??? We take the camper back, it gets replaced and finally we leave again. I had already tried driving on the left in the previous 7 months, but Andre decides he wants to drive. He doesn't find much difficulty, except for a U-turn taken the wrong way! In fact he'll always drive except for a short move. We go north, we stop at Trinity Beach where we have a picnic in the gardens in front of the beach. The beaches are very wide and clean, but the water looks murky... We continue to Port Douglas. I liked this town very much. It's very chic, the main street has lots of palm trees along the sides and shops with beach items in general. We're in the tropics, I can't believe it! We settle in a very nice campsite.

The mosquitoes start making themselves felt, they've always loved me and now they can take it out on me!!! We book an excursion for the next day to Cape Tribulation. For about 100 AUD per person we did a nice excursion by bus in the rainforest. We crossed the river to admire the crocodiles. Too bad they didn't show themselves! Having arrived at Cape Tribulation we take a walk in the forest and the guide shows us gigantic spiders! What an impression! We have lunch in a place immersed in the woods and afterwards we have a bit of free time. We cross the forest and as if by magic suddenly the beach. It's really very exciting to go from the thick woods and then discover the very white beach. We do more walks in the forest where the guide explains how the trees grow and that the strongest are the ones that reach the highest tops.

The small ones will remain small because, not having the light, they can't grow and will have to die even without having reached their maximum height. I'm really enjoying all this atmosphere, but I'm literally being attacked by mosquitoes. The repellent doesn't work, you can see swarms of mosquitoes... oh my... (After two days we're covered in welts, I manage to count my bites up to 91...Andre instead won for density: 37 just on his ankles!) We stop to swim along a river with lots of little waterfalls. Our stay in Port Douglas ends the next day with a visit to a panoramic lookout from which you can see the whole coast. Meanwhile, the company that rented us the camper calls to let us know that they had problems taking the amount from our bank account via credit card. So we have to go back to Cairns to resolve the issue. It's not a big problem, in fact it would have remained on the street.

We start traveling again with our camper and return south. We decide to stop at Kuranda. It's a mountain village, really nice, very characteristic. We visit the famous markets where you can find a bit of everything: shark teeth, clothes, boomerangs, etc. Unfortunately the town has been discovered by mass tourism and on market days it's very crowded and the stalls are nice, but the products are of questionable quality. We take a nice walk along a path that leads us to admire a beautiful view over the rainforest and waterfalls. We leave Kuranda and reach Cairns. We resolve the payment problem and, since it's already evening, we decide to stay in a campsite in Cairns. The next morning the weather is terrible, it's raining and there's no sign of improvement. Our excursion to Green Island is therefore cancelled. We've heard anyway that it wasn't much of a spectacle.

So we decide to set off again with our little camper and burn some kilometers. The weather shows no sign of improving, I barely notice because I fall asleep while Andre drives. Along the way we stop at Innisfail to see the Jospeph Falls. A short walk in the forest that will cost me more insect bites... We decide to visit the Paronella park which is located in Mena Creek not far from Innisfail. It's a park created entirely by a certain Mr. Paronella who arrived in Australia from Spain at the beginning of the 1900s. He bought a piece of land where he could realize his dream: to build a park with gardens, castles to entertain his guests. Paronella built everything according to his wishes. He and his wife with the help of some workers built the whole park with their own hands: from the gardens to the waterfalls, from the castles to the stairways.

In some buildings you can see the handprints of those who made the columns with cement.

The next stop is Mission Beach, famous for its beautiful beaches. In reality, apart from the beach there's not much to do or see. In fact Mission Beach is nothing other than a 1 km long street with little shops and restaurants along the sides. There's also a hostel and many surfers. We immediately notice that there are many young people, some of them already drunk at 4 in the afternoon... An Australian Riccione without discos, but with sky-high alcohol levels!!! We have dinner in our very nice campsite with pasta (like almost every evening!). This allows us to save a lot of money and also to have fun and relax by candlelight (strictly citronella!) From Mission Beach you can take excursions to Dunk Island. We postpone the decision to the next morning because we don't know what the weather will be like. In fact the next day too the weather will be bad and the sea is very rough.

So this one also gets skipped... Increasingly disappointed and distressed by the weather situation we continue our journey crossing endless fields of sugar cane interrupted only by semi-deserted little roads.

QUEENSLAND PART 2

We pass through small villages like Cardwell and Ingham. The concept of a village is very different from ours. We (at least in Tuscany) mean by village an agglomeration of houses, few inhabitants, a square, a social club with a bar, a church. That's the premise. In Australia the villages often develop along a main road. Once the group of houses ends, the road continues; once the village ends too. We go to the tourist office in Ingham and discover that the two ladies at the counter have Italian origins and they tell us that every year at the beginning of May an Italian festival takes place with big communal tables, dinners and dancing, the slogan is "we eat, we sing, we drink!" They tell us that in that town there are many Italians from the north, in fact she has Brescian origins. We go to have lunch in Lucinda a few kilometers from Ingham.

We have a picnic on the lawn by the sea since the weather has improved again. Here you can find the longest pier in the world, 6 km! It's really impressive! From Ingham you can visit several islands: Hinchinbrook, Palm and Orpheus. The problem is that none of the three particularly attracts us and the connections aren't regular. This is the site for this area of Queensland:

Our journey continues and in the evening we arrive in Townsville ( ) which is a fairly large town. We immediately realize this by getting lost several times in the center. All the streets look the same and we have a map on two pages with which we understand nothing! At a certain point we thought we were in the movie "The Blair Witch Project" because without meaning to we find ourselves in front of a bridge countless times... We find a campsite near the sea, very nice. The only drawback that we discover only when it's night: the bathroom (very clean and well kept) has lots of little white lizards with short tails... It's not a scoop, I'm aware of it, in Australia you have to get used to these little animals, but these little animals that appear from above while you're brushing your teeth really don't sit well with me...

We take a pitch near the barbecue because we had decided to grill meat that evening. We enjoy our little dinner different from the other evenings, with a nice steak, mixed salad and grilled vegetables. The next day the visit to Magnetic Island is set, deciding that we'll go even if there's a snowstorm. In the morning the sun barely peeks out, we buy the ferry ticket and an hour of crossing seems to never end. The sea is very rough and we, being outside, get soaked. We arrive on the island where there's incredible wind. There are various ways to visit the island: bus, little two-seater convertible cars, bicycles and scooters. We walk up a hill from which you can see a nice panorama (of course with the sun it would have been another thing...) Then we go by bus to a small but nice beach. There we have lunch and get a coffee at the bar.

The atmosphere is very tropical despite the weather acting up. I'm very weather-sensitive and I keep thinking about how beautiful it would have been with the sun... By bus we reach Horseshue Beach which is a long horseshoe-shaped beach. It's sunset and finally the sun shows itself in all its splendor. We enjoy this magnificent sunset over the sea... There are many people, although, if you're on a beach in Australia, many people means the nearest person to you is 10 meters away and not 20 cm like back home! There are those playing music and singing, those having a picnic cooking meat on the barbecue (there are tons of them everywhere). We leave Magnetic Island and go back to our campsite where we prepare a nice plate of pasta.

Afterwards we take a nice walk along the esplanade where there are lots of mangroves in the well-kept gardens and on the opposite side pubs and clubs full of people. It's certainly a very lively city, perhaps also due to the fact that it's the largest city between Cairns and Brisbane which are far from each other. One thing that struck us (and that scared me a bit) was Castle Hill at the top of a 286-meter-high hill. At night it was lit up and it was impressive. From there you have a beautiful view of the ocean. The next morning we set off driving again, deciding not to visit the Townsville aquarium. Today there's a very strong sun, we stop along the road undecided about where to stay for the night. Chance (we wanted to go see a little beach that our Lonely Planet pointed out, but we were chatting and didn't see the intersection!) led us to Bowen.

The village itself isn't much (there's no historic center like ours, just wide streets with buildings of questionable taste, murals and little else). We chose our campsite for the night which is located at Horseshue Bay: paradise. The road that takes us to the promontory where the campsite is located is really beautiful, you drive alongside very beautiful little coves. We take advantage of the sun and go to the beach to admire the sunset. We're alone on the beach. Andrea decides to open a coconut, which will keep him busy the whole time we're on the beach. It's not as easy as he thought and he felt even sillier because he had seen children do it with great ease... In the end we enjoyed one of the most beautiful moments of the vacation: eating the coconut opened with such effort by Andrea while admiring a wonderful sunset on a deserted beach... What nostalgia...

In the evening we go food shopping in a large and well-stocked supermarket and buy meat to barbecue. We get away with just a few coins, it's incredible how much difference there is with our prices... For me everything was taken for granted, I had been away from Italy for 7 and a half months by then and Andrea kept pointing this out to me. Even Italian products, like the pasta of our most famous brand, cost as much as here in Italy. And yet we were on the opposite side of the world!

The following day we reluctantly leave Horseshue bay and continue to Airlie Beach which is the arrival point with our campervan. It immediately turns out to be a very lively town, with lots of clubs and lots of young people walking barefoot in the street. I feel even more in Australia: young and informal. Everything is reflected in these two words. We take a stroll around this village packed with shops and open-air venues with lots of music. In one of the many booking offices we book an excursion for the next day to visit the coral reef. It's called Fantasea Island and they give us a special price. We paid 80 AUD for two while the full price was 120 AUD each! I think it happened because we booked at the last moment and the forecast for the following day wasn't very good. But it's the last day we have available and we don't care.

We choose our last campsite (there are only two, one of which is outside the town). We take a look and it seems ok. The big surprise comes at night, when we go to the bathrooms and discover that the ceiling is wallpapered with butterflies and the walls and floor are full of various little animals... Oh my... We shower at the speed of light so as not to be attacked by our friends. By now we're used to everything...

QUEENSLAND PART 3

The following day would turn out to be one of the most beautiful not only of the vacation, but of my entire life. A bus comes to pick us up in front of the campsite and takes us to the port where we find our catamaran. It's brand new, clean and very spacious. They hand out seasickness pills for free. Despite this many people feel sick, in fact the sea is very rough and the trip lasted about 90 minutes. During the crossing they explain how the day will unfold and the precautions we need to take once in the water. The crew is very courteous and helpful, even though that day, poor things, they acted more as nurses than sailors! We arrive at the platform in the open ocean. We get off the catamaran which stays open the whole time of our stop.

We have several hours available to spend as we like: snorkeling, diving, a submarine with windows to observe underwater life and the lower deck of the platform to scrutinize the deep blue. For a fee it's also possible to take a helicopter ride to see the reef from above.

We get ready to snorkel. They give us the wetsuit, fins, snorkel and mask. We're ready. Meanwhile a photographer wanders among us and takes a thousand photographs of everyone (with the wetsuit, without, with the reef in the background, hugging each other, etc. it seems like a wedding service!) The photos are visible for the whole following month on a website and you can decide whether to have them sent to you or not. I simply downloaded and saved them. We dive into the water which is really freezing. But everything passes when from the deep blue that's almost frightening you start swimming over the reef. It's an explosion of colors and shapes. There are tons of brightly colored fish swimming around you, corals so strange and particular that you would never stop looking at them. My heart was beating so much, I couldn't believe it.

When the sun comes out everything is even more sparkling and shining. I would never have come back up onto the platform. We sunbathe for a while, go in the submarine and have the very rich buffet lunch (all included in the price) that was served on the catamaran (not sandwiches, but pasta, meat, lots of fresh fish, salads and desserts) It's time to leave. Some of the crew live on the platform. It's a rather bizarre life choice, after all from 4 in the afternoon to 10 the next morning you have to stay alone with your colleagues in the middle of the ocean... During the sad return to Airlie Beach we saw on the TV the photos taken that day and we were served lots of desserts and fresh fruit with hot drinks. This is the site where you can get a taste of all this:

We return to Airlie Beach where we have dinner with fish and chips and spend our last night in the camper.

The following morning we cleaned the camper and went to hand it back. The gentleman complimented us for bringing it back so clean and tidy! He kindly accompanied us to the center where we went to pick up the ticket for the next adventure: 3 days sailing the Whitsundays islands. They had us leave our luggage in the back of their office and with a small bag we boarded. The sailboat isn't much, I'm disappointed. I had seen many other brochures with really beautiful boats. Ours is laughable, it looks like Popeye's! Well, let's do this one too! We're a group of about 20 people, all young people including several English, Irish, Scots, Israelis, Germans and only us 2 Italians.

The deckhand is a funny guy about 25 years old who does nothing but dance and act silly, the captain is a truly strange character: about sixty, height about 1.40 (he's shorter than me, I can't believe it!) earring, unkempt beard and he smokes cigars. But he's a real captain!!! We set off and go where the wind takes us. Meanwhile people sing, get to know each other, drink and laugh. I still don't like the boat, but the atmosphere is unique. When will it ever happen to me again to be in the Whitsundays Islands (the Pentecost Islands) on the Australian Coral Reef on a sailboat with people from all over the world and on top of that with a real deckhand and captain????

The sailing isn't very easy, in fact the usual bad weather is haunting us and I thought we were about to shipwreck! Thank goodness my Captain reassures me explaining that it's impossible to capsize given the size of the boat. Well, we'll see... The sailing is interrupted by walks in the woods or on the beach that we reach with the dinghy. In the evening the deckhand prepares dinner for us (pasta! and it's not bad, I only advise him not to put the salad on the same plate so we can eat everything together!) After dinner we play games and listen to music. The next day we resume sailing, we have breakfast all together and after about an hour we land on Withsunday island where we'll take a walk in the thick woods until we reach one of the most beautiful things ever seen: Hill Inlet.

It's a promontory from which you have a spectacular view, the sea of a blinding blue that interweaves with the very white beach. As our captain, who has traveled the world, told us: it's the only place in the world that is identical to a postcard. In the distance you can see Whitehaven Beach, the most famous beach. We descend from the promontory onto that paradise. The sun finally peeks out and allows us to fully enjoy the beauty and splendor of that place. There are no words. The water is crystal clear, the sand is very fine and squeaks under your feet. I can't decide whether it's better to capture every single detail with my video camera or to enjoy all this without worries, after all on video you'll never understand what it means to be there in paradise.

We go back to the boat with those images of a distant world in our minds, with the desire and hope to see them again soon until we'll have had enough. In the afternoon we snorkel to admire the reef. We, along with other people, don't feel like diving into that cold water and we feed the fish from the dinghy. We continue sailing and have the last dinner all together. After eating, our Israeli friends teach us a card game where only one person loses and the others win. We spent time for a while and had fun, but now it's time to go to bed. I can't wait to get off that boat, especially because of that terrible moldy smell and that dampness that stays on you... The next day we continue sailing to return to Airlie Beach.

We pass the time chatting with the Israeli guys who ask us for advice on what to see in Italy (the destination after Australia was going to be Italy) and what to eat spending little. They had a guide to restaurants in Italy and each one had typical dishes, so we tried our hand at explaining various sauces, mozzarella in carrozza and many nice little things that honestly, after almost 8 months of super-cheap food, I had forgotten.

We see the port in the distance, but what's happening??? Our boat breaks down! We have to call for reinforcements and they tow us to the port. All this delays our arrival and after kisses and hugs we say goodbye to our little boat and walk to the center. We pick up our luggage and ask a taxi to take us to the airport.

QUEENSLAND PART 4

The taxi driver very kindly tells us that there are no departing planes until the next day. It's a very small airport and they know well at what time there are flights. Everything is very strange, our ticket is clear, the flight is scheduled for that evening. We call assistance (since it's Sunday it's not possible to talk to the agency) and they tell us they'll check. It's true. That flight doesn't exist. I get furious, they tell me that evidently the agency didn't have time to notify me of the schedule change. But how??? I booked those flights in February!!!! 3 months earlier!!! The young lady on the phone apologizes and tells me that the error is without a doubt the agency's, although she didn't know what agreements had been made. I tell her that I absolutely have to be in Sydney that same evening. I leave her my mobile number.

Meanwhile the attention from the taxi drivers is growing, they come to ask us what happened and shake their heads. I get angrier and angrier, I can't believe they didn't notify us, that evening I was supposed to meet some American guys I had met the month before in New Zealand who live in Melbourne. The next morning they would leave. The girl calls me back saying that there's no possibility for that evening, the only option is to leave the next day, at 1 p.m. from Proserpine and make a stopover in Brisbane. There's no other possibility, there's nothing else we can do. I don't hold back from repeating to the very kind young lady that they're incompetent and had ruined my vacation and that I wouldn't pay 1 cent of the extra expenses they were forcing on us. She tells me I'm right, but she can't guarantee that they'll reimburse me the money because she hasn't spoken with the agency.

I'm truly furious, I felt like crying. I was thinking about my Boston friends with whom I had spent a wonderful vacation that I wouldn't be able to see again. In fact, I never saw them again... All this because of the agency...

Andre, who is calmer and more reasonable, tries to calm me down. I have to look for a hotel for the night. I realize that we no longer have the camper or even a vehicle to get around with. We consult our Lonely Planet guide and look for a nearby hotel. I call and they tell me they're fully booked, but they recommend

SYDNEY PART 1

And here we are for the last week in Sydney. We arrive a little late, and take a taxi to reach the place we had booked. (I had already left my apartment since I wouldn't be using it for almost 2 months). I call it a place and not a hotel because as soon as we arrived we realised how squalid that hole was.

At reception the lady tells me we'll sort out the check-in formalities the following morning because she was leaving. Once in the room (if you can call it that) we found ourselves in a narrow and dark corridor, it looked like a factory. The rooms had been made by putting up cardboard panels. And to think that in the brochure it looked nice and welcoming... The decision to leave that place was immediate when we saw the room and when, to close the window, I found a used sock in my hand... To save you the trouble: HomeTel California, Surry Hills.

We went to see if anyone was still there, but everything was deserted. So we left the keys where some guys indicated, a mailbox inside a lounge. We called a taxi and went to a really nice backpacker. It's called Y on the Park and even though the price was double the other one there was really no comparison and it was still affordable. It's located very close to Hyde Park, it's really nice, clean and well-kept. Then there's Town Hall station and the bus stops just a stone's throw away.

From now on we won't see a glimpse of sun again, in fact the incessant rain will pound Sydney for the rest of our days. It's a real shame, not for me, but for Andre who wasn't able to appreciate the beauty of the city. Given the weather we took the opportunity to see the inside of the Opera House which is really beautiful. Especially the concert hall where Simon and Garfunkel and Barbra Streisand have performed. You can even rent it for an evening... Some have done so, offering a beautiful concert just to friends! We also visited the Powerhouse Museum to the joy of Andre who is passionate about these scientific things, experiments etc.

Other things not to miss in the city:

- AMP Tower from which you see the city from above, perhaps it would be the first stop to make in Sydney to get an idea of what's below. - HAVE A PICNIC AT KIRRIBILLI in North Sydney. It's one of the most beautiful things to do in Sydney. Take the metro, line 2 and stop at Milsons Point. Get off to the right onto the main road and a stupendous spectacle will open up before you. The garden where you can have the picnic is on the opposite bank of the river and from there you can enjoy the view of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House, right in front of you. I've always been there at night, but I imagine it's stupendous during the day too. If you want to get some good Thai food, on the main road there's a restaurant that also does takeaway and it's really good. - BRIDGE CLIMBING: climbing the Harbour Bridge. It costs about 100 AUD, but it's worth it.

If the day is clear you enjoy the view of the most beautiful bay in the world. The word climb must not deceive you, in fact it's very simple, you just have to go up some steps. In some points they become very steep, but most of the route is very easy. When you're at the top they take a photo of you with the Opera House and the bay in the background. Not to be missed... - WALK FROM COOGEE TO BONDI BEACH. It's an easy and very beautiful route. You walk on the path that runs alongside the ocean passing through beautiful beaches like Bronte, Tamarama and finally Bondi Beach. When you're at Bondi Beach the best thing to do (besides sprawling on the beach and swimming if you don't suffer too much from the cold!) is to go and get something to eat in one of the many cafés you find.

My advice: Speedo's which isn't on the too-busy main road, but on Ramsgate Avenue on the north side that leads to the promontory, 5 minutes away. I recommend it for breakfast or lunch, they make very good sandwiches, but also pasta or salad. The coffee is good (incredible...) - IMAX CINEMA: it's at Darling Harbour, it's the biggest screen in the world, if they're still showing it don't miss Australia Land Beyond Time, it's not in 3d but it's really beautiful, it illustrates Australian wildlife and some images are truly breathtaking. It's worth getting a ticket to see two shows on the same day, it costs less and the films last about 45 minutes each, so 2 films, maybe 2 or 3 hours apart from each other, aren't heavy going.

- BEACHES not to be missed: Bondi beach is the most famous, a visit must be made. Coogee is much more intimate than Bondi, but very beautiful and with a truly unique atmosphere. My favourite is Camp Cove, a tiny little cove between Watsons Bay (reachable by ferry for a few dollars, also very beautiful with little fish restaurants along the seafront) and Lady Bay (nudists only, but very beautiful). I recommend a walk from Watsons Bay to South Head which is the point where the ocean opens up and where you'll find a breathtaking view, complete with lighthouse. Along this route you'll first find Camp Cove and then Lady Bay. Manly is also very nice, located north of Sydney. - CENTENNIAL PARK: if you have time available (or if you'll be moving to Sydney long-term) don't miss this beautiful park with lots of little lakes and animals.

Especially at sunset there are lots of people jogging or horse riding. There's a particular atmosphere, not to be missed. Near Centennial Park is Paddington. It used to be a very run-down neighbourhood, now it's packed with lovely shops, pubs and restaurants. On Saturday morning there's the market with fairly high prices, but really colourful and full of lots of strange and new things. - THE ROCKS: the first white settlement in Sydney, it was once a disreputable neighbourhood, then it became an area full of warehouses. The bubonic plague forced the authorities to raze that area to the ground and there were many demolitions to begin the construction of the Harbour Bridge. Now it's a very renowned area, where shops, restaurants and high-end hotels stand. The weekend market is very nice. - FISH MARKET: it's behind Darling Harbour, at Pyrmont.

Apart from the smell, you can enjoy many dishes of fresh fish in the many kiosks found inside the main structure. - QVB: Queen Victoria Building, a very sumptuous shopping centre, the most beautiful in the city. The more floors you go up, the more luxury shops you'll find. On the lower floors there are many cafés. For a quick and cheap meal (in fact it was my destination for almost every lunch) go to the Sydney Central Plaza Food Court which you can access from the QVB via escalators or lifts or from Pitt Street. You'll find lots of fast food, but beware, not McDonald's. From crêperies to food of any nationality (Indian, Malaysian, Japanese=sublime sushi, Chinese, Thai, salads, stuffed potatoes, sandwiches to fill as you like, omelettes, an Italian restaurant with unlimited pasta - for this I don't vouch - and lots of other things). The shopping area is Pitt St Mall.

Other very beautiful shopping centres are: David Jones, Grace Bros and Strand Arcade, even though not as special as the QVB. - KINGS CROSS: the red-light district of the city. During the day it's a normal place, I often went there because there are internet cafés with the lowest rates in Sydney. You'll also find many cheap hostels. At night it transforms and you'll find lots of venues of all kinds, including the red-light ones, in front of which many bouncers will try to "throw you in" inviting you to come in! From Kings Cross you almost immediately pass into Woolloomooloo which is a very in neighbourhood. It's funny to see how the environment can change within a few metres!

SYDNEY PART 2

- OLYMPIC VILLAGE: it's not very easy to get there, you have to make 2 changes with the train. Anyway if you really have time you can reach your destination in about 1 hour. Don't expect to see much. In fact the fields can't be visited, unless there's some event. Indeed you can only take a walk and admire what was done for the "Best Olympics ever" according to EVERYONE, but really EVERYONE! (Now on tv there's the advert with Megan Gale that was filmed right in Sydney and the fountain you see is the one in the Olympic city)

- CHINESE GARDENS: Chinese gardens, they're at Darling Harbour, it's an oasis of tranquillity in the middle of the city. Really beautiful. - MUSEUMS: I must say that, used to Florence, I didn't find much... Anyway: Powerhouse Museum if you're interested in science, Australian Museum: very interesting for the history of the Aborigines, Art Gallery of NSW: exhibition of Australian and Aboriginal art, National Maritime Museum: a themed museum on the relationship between Australia and the sea. Aquarium: nice, but I don't think it's an essential visit. Go snorkelling and you'll see the most beautiful aquarium in the world!

- ZOO OR PARKS: If you have time and desire you can visit Taronga Zoo in north Sydney which you can reach by ferry. I don't like zoos, what can I say, there are animals in cages... anyway you get an excellent view of the city right behind the giraffes! If you can move a little away from the city centre you can go to the Koala Sanctuary to see kangaroos hopping around peacefully or koalas sleeping undisturbed. Apart from these very famous, all-too-well-known animals, there are others that are very likeable and less famous. My favourite: Wombat, it looks like a giant mouse, but it also looks like a koala. How funny....

- If you're in Sydney from around the 1st to the 26th of January don't miss the fabulous (many free) events of the SYDNEY FESTIVAL. There's everything for everyone: from exhibitions of every kind to live music from Latin (complete with instructors on a giant screen showing the steps) to rock, classical, jazz. The jazz concert held at the Domain (a park in the centre) is stup

SYDNEY 3-DAY ITINERARY

Since most people dedicate 3 days to Sydney, this is an itinerary I recommend so you don't miss the main things:

1st DAY: visit to the AMP Tower to get a look from above. On foot you easily reach Hyde Park where you can relax on the grass or visit the Anzac Memorial and St Mary's Cathedral. From there on foot you can go to Town Hall, the city hall, and visit the Queen Victoria Building. Lunch at the Sydney Central Plaza. Afterwards you can take a bus (about 10 minutes) or a train (5 minutes) or walk (20 minutes) to Circular Quay where you'll admire the famous Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House. You can do the bridge climb, but it will take you about 3 hours, or walk in the Royal Botanic Gardens (truly splendid) and stop at Mrs Macquaries Point to admire the bay. From there you can walk (going back toward the Harbour Bridge) to visit the old part of the city, the Rocks, where at the weekend there are little markets. At this point I think the day will be quite full...

if you still have breath you can take a train and go to Milsons Point. From there go to Kirribilli Point to admire the sunset. On the terrace you can have a picnic with something from one of the little restaurants on Clarabella Rd. It will be unforgettable.

2nd DAY: Coogee Beach reachable by bus. From Coogee you can take a beautiful walk along the ocean and arrive in a couple of hours at Bondi Beach passing through Bronte and Tamarama admiring fabulous views. Having arrived at Bondi Beach, have a coffee or lunch at Speedo's cafe. If you don't want to dedicate the entire day to the sea you can return to the city and visit the red-light district of Kings Cross, Chinatown, Paddington or choose to change beach and visit that of Manly (reachable however by ferry from Circular Quay). I think anyway it's not too worth it to travel so far to go to Manly.

3rd DAY: A trip to Sydney without a cruise in the bay is worth half. You can take an organized tour on a catamaran (Matilda or Captain Cook) with the guide and it will cost you about 20 dollars (I would avoid it). You can get off at all the stops it makes and then take the next ferry that will take you to the next stop. Anyway it's better for you to do it in the morning so you can get off in more places and make the most of the 20 dollars. Otherwise you can buy the single ticket and go to Darling Harbour. From there you can visit the shopping centre to buy a few souvenirs, see a film at the IMAX, Chinese Gardens, have breakfast or lunch at one of the little restaurants on the bay. (Careful, they don't cost little!).

Or from there you can go to the Fish Markets (about 10/15 minutes on foot) for lunch or visit the aquarium, the powerhouse museum, the casino, the maritime museum and much more... It depends what you like, there's something for everyone. In the early afternoon I'd take the ferry again and go to Watsons Bay passing through Circular Quay where you'll pass under the Harbour Bridge and in front of the Opera House. From the boat you'll see many beautiful little coves, Fort Denison Shark Island, until arriving at Watsons Bay from where you can do the walk to the ocean I mentioned above, stopping at Camp Cove beach. From Watsons Bay you can take a bus to the city or return by ferry to Circular Quay to admire the sunset over the bay.

If you still have time you can dedicate a day to the Blue Mountains. However, honestly, I'd give priority to the city.

TIPS

Do your research when you buy tickets to travel on public transport. Generally it's worth getting some kind of pass, if you buy single tickets it costs much more. Also if you decide to buy single tickets always buy return. For a few cents more you can get the return. Example: Town Hall - Central Station 2 dollars one way, return 2.40. There are some very convenient rates if you're staying a week (I'd consider them even for a few days if you'll be travelling a lot on public transport). This pass is called Travelpass Red. In fact for around 25/30 dollars you can get a ticket valid for 7 days and it lets you travel on buses, trains and ferries without limits for the whole week in the red zone (the centre + beaches). It's really good value and you won't have to buy a ticket every time on the bus or at the station.

If you want to go to other zones outside the red one (unlikely, there isn't much to see) you can add a few more dollars and include a wider zone. Feel free to ask for this info at the train station, you'll see they'll be really kind. If you still don't understand there's also a board that explains everything really well.

A tip: many of these activities I've talked about, like day trips (but also flights, trips and much more) can be booked on the seventh floor of George street, Travellers Contact Point. It's an information point where you find a travel agency, free internet, help with job hunting, visas, shipping parcels, a noticeboard for rooms or apartments to rent or even campervans or cars to buy. There really is everything, the staff are really nice, young and polite and the services offered are for everyone, you don't need a card or to be a member.

To travel in Australia while saving money, my advice is to book only the flight from Italy and if you have time organise the trip yourself. The destination lends itself very well to this kind of solution. The most beautiful trip also includes part of the journey in a campervan or rental car. Petrol costs half what it does here, the roads are excellent and with the help of the Lonely Planet you'll discover wonderful views off the beaten track. (Ah, to drive remember the international driving licence which can be requested from the motorizzazione civile of your province for around € 50 and is valid for 5 years). A holiday in Australia is synonymous with freedom and that's how it should be lived... I find the idea of having to book group excursions with other Italians quite depressing... I hope no one takes offence, it's just my opinion.

It's a tip for living the true spirit of this country. Taking a pre-packaged trip is a misrepresentation of what Australia is and you certainly won't save money.

For those instead thinking of moving there for work or study or just for fun, I say there's no better place in the world to do it. The visa isn't the easiest to get, now fortunately there's the possibility of the working holiday for young people up to 30 which allows you to stay up to 12 months with the possibility of working. (There are still some restrictions). If you choose a course of study instead, you have to commit full time and once you're there you can apply for a work permit at the immigration office. This visa (Student visa) is the one I had and I could work a maximum of 20 hours a week. To work you still have to apply for the Tax number which is a kind of tax code. This lets you work and not pay 50% of your pay as tax. You apply at the Taxation office (I think that's what it's called, it's at the base of the AMP Tower.

Within a few days this number will be delivered to your address). If you decide to just travel or study for a period of less than 3 months, the Tourist Visa is enough and it's issued free with your plane ticket. Remember if you're a student to get the ISIC card which will allow you to get student discounts to enter museums, galleries and much more. Another tip: if you have the desire and time it's very useful to take an English course at a college. The level is generally excellent, the teachers young and dynamic, the lessons are real fun. I did a course for a few weeks at St Mark's International College in Bondi. There are 2 St Marks campuses in Sydney, the other is in the city. I had a great time and met loads of people in a short time. These colleges are part of Geos, they're all over Australia and I really recommend them to everyone.

It's true that you learn while having fun, I couldn't wait to go to school. Studying in an environment like that is also very stimulating and you can choose lessons on specific aspects of the language. It's also a great place to prepare for the TOELF, Cambridge etc exams. In the afternoon then there are activities organised like walks, trips to the sea or the city or tournaments or films. They can also organise homestays or you can easily find an apartment with other schoolmates. I think the prices are really competitive and the quality is excellent. Another very interesting alternative is to work on a farm in the countryside and get board and lodging in exchange for the work you do. I assure you the country folk are really fantastic and it would be a genuine experience. If you decide to live in Australia for a long period it's advisable to open a bank account.

I did really well, you can open an account without depositing a single cent and within a few days the credit card will be delivered. Closing the account is also really simple. Painful too if you realise there are only a few coins left... There are various options, I only know some of them. Anyway for advice of this kind, I recommend you contact Francoise from Boomerang Australia who will help you.

TIPS 2

If you choose to move to Sydney for a fairly long period I recommend renting a room in a house with other people. I paid around 160 Australian dollars a week for a single room. The area where I lived was one of the most expensive because it was close to the sea and the city, but if you share the room with another person the costs drop considerably. I didn't have to buy anything, I was lucky because the house I found had practically everything. Sometimes instead you have to invest a bit in furniture. Given the large number of students it's very easy to buy beds, mattresses, bedside tables and other used things and then resell them. It's the cheapest solution since you save a huge amount on eating. A very useful site for finding this kind of accommodation for me was naturally specialised in the Bondi area (Bondi Beach, Coogee, Bondi Junction, Clovelly, Centennial Park).

If instead you'll spend a short period studying or working in Sydney the advice is to stay with a family (homestay) who will provide breakfast and dinner or if you're studying, take a room on the university campus. If you decide on the apartment solution also in this case choose one that's already furnished, which isn't impossible to find. For this too I relied on Francoise who has the right contacts.

As for medical insurance, of course it's advisable. I was there for a long period and I paid for 6 months of Medicare, which is public medical assistance, along with my school fees. I didn't even think about taking out medical insurance for 8 months, it would have cost me an exorbitant amount. I took one out for the months when I was travelling, above all to insure my video camera and luggage in general. I needed a doctor only once and at the emergency room I just had to show my passport, a few days later I went to a doctor in a clinic to collect the test results and I presented my Medicare card.

- VAT: remember you can get the VAT back on the goods you buy. If you have a return plane ticket you can have it deducted directly from the bill (though I think there's a minimum spend of 300 dollars) otherwise keep the receipts and on departure the sum you'll get back will be calculated. Keep the things you've declared to hand because they'll be checked.

- PHONE CALLS: I always used Supersaver, it's a 5 or 10 dollar card, very convenient for calling Italy. I don't remember the cost, but I think with 10 dollars you can talk to Italy for about 1 hour and a half. To call within Australia instead it's advisable to buy a Vodafone card for your mobile, I spent 30 dollars of which 20 for calls and 10 for activation. Or a normal card to use from public phones. Be careful because travelling in different states the rates change, for example if you call from Cairns to Sydney it's better to buy an international card that also covers internal use in Australia. You only pay for the calls and to access it you dial a toll free number.

- TYPICAL PRODUCTS TO BUY: Vegemite: yeast extract, you might not like it, I love it. It's very strong, you only need a tiny bit on toast. Tim tam: chocolate biscuits with which you can do the famous Tim Tam explosion! You bite off the two ends and dip the biscuit in tea which is sucked up until the biscuit is nice and soggy. At this point you have to put the Tim tam in your mouth under your tongue and squash it, so there's a kind of explosion of chocolate in your mouth! Boomerang: there are many types, if you go to Melbourne I recommend the Victoria markets, in Sydney generally souvenirs cost more. Try the QVB on the top floor. Also on the top floor you'll find good quality and choice of Aboriginal paintings, didgeridoos, various wool items from New Zealand, Opals.

Be careful though, because if you don't want to buy an item you find in Sydney but that was made in China, look at the certificate of authenticity.

I hope my account can help you, I've tried to give as much of the information I consider useful for anyone preparing for a trip to Australia. Even though in reality I lived it more than visited it as a tourist. I also hope I've encouraged someone to make the same choice as me because afterwards you see the world in another way. It seems more beautiful, bigger, more varied, more just, more caring. Even Italy isn't the same for me after this experience. Living for a long time outside your country develops an incredible attachment to everything that for you is "home". I would never have believed I'd defend my country tooth and nail... here I used to criticise everything.

It also made me understand that I can't live without Australia, I feel the need to feel free by going back often, but at the same time I've developed within me the conviction that the most wonderful place to build my life is here, in the gentle Tuscan hills. To those instead who are just waiting for the right moment, I hope I've encouraged you to leave as soon as possible, the more you postpone it the more complicated the choice becomes. I'll be honest, in all these long 8 months I didn't have a single moment of weakness, of sadness, of discouragement or too much nostalgia to say "I want to go home". The desire to live every moment to the fullest overpowered everything. I also have to say that the people I met (from friends to relatives) were truly unique and welcomed me in an incredible way. It's hard to miss home with such special people...

Australia represents that sense of freedom that's hard to find here, the desire to discover, to do things on your own and to compare yourself with others. It's a strangely genuine and sunny world. Australia is a country whose beauty takes your breath away. There are natural wonders you'd never want to stop looking at. They fill your heart and soul, they're a breath of fresh air. A store of beauty you always carry with you, even when they're a distant memory.

I apologise if I've gone on too long. The fact is there are things I'll never manage to tell and others that instead I'll never want to tell because they're hidden in my heart and my mind. Others still shouldn't be told but only lived.

Have a good trip! See ya!

Roberta