Tuesday 3 April 2012

Airlie Beach - Part 1

Written on: 01.04.12
At Airlie Beach I stayed at Magnum Backpackers. I had the same problem there with finding the reception as I have had a few other places, It was close to the road, but instead of being marked with reception it was only marked with booking office or something like that, on the side that I could see when I arrived anyway. I had stayed in a dorm for 10 people, mixed, with an en suite. I’m not sure I like the en suite. Having to share a bathroom with 9 other people.... I guess you share with more than that in the usual hostel bathrooms though. But at least then the other people in the dorm can’t see you when you go to the bathroom, or hear you, and you don’t have to worry about how much time you spend in there (although some people didn’t seem to care that other people might be waiting anyway…). I was a bit worried about the large windows with no curtains when I got to the dorm, but luckily the trees outside kind of blocks the sunshine in the morning, so it wasn’t too bad. The hostel has free WiFi, which is nice. What’s not so nice is the staff starting to tell me off when I’m just trying to be nice and let them know it’s not working!

There isn’t much to do in Airlie Beach except for the Whitsundays unless you’re a big party person, which I’m not. It’s very pretty and got lots of nice places to sunbathe, but it’s also quite boring. It’s only my first full day here and I’m already bored, but maybe that’s just my mindset at the moment (few people can get over something like this in only a week). Originally I wasn’t going to spend a week up here, I just wanted a few days to see the Whitsundays, but the plane ticket down to Hobart was cheaper if I stayed a week. What I didn’t think about was that I have to spend money on accommodation anyway, so it would have probably turned out cheaper to get the slightly more expensive plane ticket. Oh well. I’m not changing anything now. At least I can relax for a bit instead of stress around.
Downside of me being bored and upset: I eat. And I eat a lot, and not healthy stuff. McDonalds is next door and they have a small portion of chips for $1… This is not good! At least I’m trying to only get cheap treats though, although I would love to splurge on a bagful of sweets and crisps and chocolates… Excuse me while I go spend the rest of my budget for the week!

There is a small independent supermarket straight across the street from the hostel, and a Night Owl further down the street. When I saw the supermarket on the day I arrived I thought it was nice that there was one that close, as it’s quite a way to the nearest Coles. Then I saw the prices! Almost twice the price of a normal supermarket! But then the independent places usually are expensive. I’ll walk the long way to Coles next time I need something!
I’m also a bit disappointed that the hostel hasn’t got a bookshelf so that I can swap my book here! I promised myself not to spend any more money on books while I’m in Australia, just get free ones from hostel bookshelves, but I might have to break that promise since I’m here for a week and I’m already half-way in my book, and might finish it later today…

The hostel had a free pizza night last night! Free food! Any backpackers dream! When I found out I asked if they had a vegetarian option, which they did, but when they handed out the pizzas they just put a couple of boxes on each table and the boxes weren’t marked with what type of pizza it was. The two pizzas on my table was both meat ones. I guess I could have walked around the room and tried to find a vegetarian one, but I didn’t really feel comfortable doing that. They should have just put all the pizzas down on a big table in the middle of the room and that way people could just go and help themselves to the one they wanted.

I’m sorry, this has been a pretty negative post so far. I will try to cheer up soon and see the positive side of things instead of focusing on the negative.

Written on: 02.04.12
Someone stole my apple!! An apple! What’s the point of that? I’m sorry, but most backpackers don’t have a lot of money, so it’s just wrong to steal from another backpacker. Okay, it’s wrong to steal anyway, but an apple?!

Despite my apple being stolen I am in a much better mood today. There are a lot worse places to spend a week than “paradise”. Sunny, warm, a lagoon to swim in close to the hostel…

I also walked to the shopping centre where Coles was situated today. It took me just over half an hour; it was a nice walk too. I could have walked by the sea, but it was shorter to just walk along the road, and there was a footpath most of the way. Australian drivers don’t seem to be used to pedestrians though, which I should have guessed seeing as I rarely meet anybody else on my walks. The looks from some of the drivers driving past me… There was a footpath though, so clearly somebody must have thought that at least some people walk… I had to cross the road a couple of times because of the footpath ending, there was no crossings where I had to cross, which wasn’t great, but since there wasn’t much traffic I could handle that, what I really didn’t like was that in one of the places I had to cross there was a “blind-spot”. I couldn’t see if there were any cars coming from one direction until they were only 10meters away! I RAN across the road at that spot!
The shopping centre was okay, I got some PJ bottoms from Target as the shorts I’ve got is starting to be too cold to wear at night, I usually wake up in the middle of the night freezing cold, so I got some longer ones. I also got some more “normal” priced food at Coles, only a little bit though since I’m not staying here long. Before starting on the walk back to the hostel I treated myself to a veggie burger at Hungry Jacks (Why can’t they just call it Burger King like everyone else?), mostly so that I could sit down for a few minutes.

When I got to the kitchen today it smelled horrible and there was a pile of dirty dishes in the sink (probably where the smell came from)! I don’t get it. We’re supposed to wash what we use. Most people only use one plate/bowl and some cutlery, and maybe a cup, each. What’s so hard with cleaning what little you use straight after you’re finished with it? I think in one way it was almost better the way they did it at Brisbane City Backpackers, where you paid a deposit for your own crockery, which you then got back when you returned it as long as you didn’t break anything. That way people would clean their own stuff. Although you still got dirty pots and pans in the sinks as they were communal, and you got some people stealing your crockery, and I certainly don’t see the point of that! Yes, backpackers don’t have a lot of money, but we’re all in the same boat, and you get the money for the crockery back!

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