Alone in Sydney

After Jim and Lis had left, Chris and I were left feeling somewhat hopeless. Since Christmas with Sara-Sam’s family in Malaysia, we have had people look after us, feed us and haven’t had to make any decisions about what to do today.

Now, we were once again solitary backpackers in need of a roof over our heads for around US$10 if we could manage it. In Sydney, we soon learned, this would not be possible. School holidays and Christmas had raised prices to double what we paid in costly Singapore!

Our plan for Australia had originally been to get a cash-in-hand job as soon as possible - whether that be barwork, waitressing or farm work. This would allow us to subsist and hopefully even leave with a little extra cash in our pockets. We planned to head straight to Melbourne where other travellers had previously told us that this would be easier than Sydney.

However, during our 10 day stay in Sydney, we have met people who have told us that we absolutely cannot just head straight to Melbourne and miss out a little travel on the East coast. Thus, we have been left in a conflict. In an ideal world, we would certainly be travelling around Australia for the two months we are here, preferably in our own van with a load of camping gear and two boards for a bit of wave action. HOWEVER, the pennies have been trickling away over the last four months and haven’t been replenished in any way during that time.

The questions booming around our heads over the last few days of Jim and Lis’ stay led to extreme indecisiveness on our part and consequently a lack of any kind of planning or action in terms of where we would be on the night that Jim and Lis left!

…

Can we justify a few weeks travelling up and down the East coast?

Should we buy a VAN?

Could we even afford to buy a car though?

Should we rent a car? But this means our money is completely down the drain?

Should we train it? Or bus it? And just stay in hostels at Aus $45/night for 2 dorm beds?

Why are we even considering this? Shouldn’t we just go South as originally planned?!

Actually though, couldn’t we just work on a farm for food and board before travelling the coast?

WHY HAVEN’T WE ORGANISED ANYTHING!

…….

What to do, What to DO?!!!