need help on deciding where to stay first on oz

Travel Forums Australia / New Zealand & The Pacific need help on deciding where to stay first on oz

1. Posted by bleasdale (Budding Member 4 posts) 13y Star this if you like it!

hi guys, im going to oz in september alone, bit anxious about meeting people and if i will soon make friends, i was just wondering if anyone had any good ides of where to fly to first so i can meet new people and lots of friends ?

2. Posted by Sander (Moderator 6085 posts) 13y Star this if you like it!

I'd just say Sydney, since most international flights go there, and so will most people who start out. September is high season for backpackers starting out, so there'll be plenty of people in the same situation. For the best chance of actually getting to know some people, I'd recommend staying in a mid-size hostel for a week (not one of the big ones like Wake Up! or YHA central, which have so many people moving through it that you don't really get to know people), and maybe do one of the free city intro tours which pretty much every hostel puts on at least once a week. Beyond that, just sit in the lounge with a drink or a book, and cook your meals in the communal kitchen, and you'll be wondering why you ever were worried about meeting people at all..

Do be aware that there's very few travellers you'll meet and hang out with who'll actually be "friends"; there's good conversations and hanging out with pretty much anyone you'll meet, but the rule with talking to fellow travellers tends to be that just as soon as you feel you're starting to actually know them (having moved beyond the standard "where are you from, where have you been, where are you going to next?" spiel), they'll move on into a different direction than where you're heading. (But of course, three months down the road you'll bump into them again in this little hamlet in the middle of nowhere, and you'll have an absolutely fantastic time hearing about their adventures.)

3. Posted by Pughie24 (Budding Member 6 posts) 13y Star this if you like it!

Me and two friends are staying in Cairens for the first two weeks and working our way down the coast, seems to be very lively there, especially the Gilligans backpacker resort Hostel we have booked into!

4. Posted by Leanne s (Budding Member 12 posts) 13y Star this if you like it!

Quoting Pughie24

Me and two friends are staying in Cairens for the first two weeks and working our way down the coast, seems to be very lively there, especially the Gilligans backpacker resort Hostel we have booked into!

Hiya

when do you land in cairns, i land july 2nd!! not long to go.

have friends over in oz at the mo but their 3 hours away from cairns doing their 3 month work so be in cairns by myself for a bit!!

Leanne xx

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