‘Your Wildest Adventure’ is a series featuring thrilling tales from travel writers while jaunting around the world. This week’s edition is a story of the true spirit of travelling from Keith Jenkins, my pal in the travel blogosphere. A fellow Asian writer, Keith has called Amsterdam home for 18 years, and documents his extensive travels on his blog Velvet Escape.

Solo Jaunting as a Teenager

As a kid, I was pretty adventurous. Some would say wild and reckless. But I never really saw myself that way. But  at the age of 14, I surprised myself by jumping on an adventure of a lifetime.

I lived with an aunt in Sydney, Australia for a while during my early-teens. A very good friend of mine who lived in Melbourne had been urging me for a while to go visit him so one day I decided to make the trip. I didn’t have much money, certainly not enough for a return bus ticket to Melbourne. I made a list of how much the trip would cost and compared that amount with my savings. It wouldn’t be sufficient to cover the whole trip so I knew I would have to improvise.

I bought a one-way bus ticket to Canberra and off I went. I was so excited to be on the road on my own. Canberra was beautiful. I spent the day walking around and taking in the sights – the highlight was the brand new Parliament House with its elaborate Aboriginal art. I had to ration my money so I survived on crumpets and jam – for breakfast and lunch. That evening, at the hostel, I treated myself to a can of soup and a crumpet. It was great fun hanging out and playing card games with the other backpackers at the hostel. I was in adventure heaven!

Hitch-hiking to Melbourne

The next morning, I joined two American backpackers who were also heading to Melbourne. We walked several miles to the highway and hitched a ride on an enormous truck – I think it was transporting sheep. The truck driver never stopped chatting. He spoke with a thick Australian accent and I hardly understood a word he said but that didn’t matter, it was my first hitch-hike ever and I savoured every single moment.

We drove through the Snowy Mountains and made several stops along the way. I’d never seen snow before. I was thrilled beyond words. We stopped at a truck-stop where I bought myself a bag of raisin buns (no more crumpets, I thought), then headed out and made my first snowman, or something like it.

The truck driver was heading in a different direction from there so he offered to check with other truckers to see if anyone was heading to Melbourne. He returned within a few minutes and escorted us to another truck which was just about to leave. We hopped on and after several hours, we were in downtown Melbourne. The trucker dropped us off at the main bus terminal where we thanked him profusely. I said goodbye to the two Americans, then called my friend and he picked me up half an hour later. I stayed with him and his parents for two nights. That evening, I called my aunts to say I was ok and that I was having a lot of fun on this ‘school trip’.

Reaching My Destination

My friend took me around Melbourne the next day. I loved everything about it: the meandering Yarra river, the magnificent Tudor and Victorian houses, the lovely Albert Park and the gorgeous seaside town of St. Kilda. We spent the whole day walking and talking so we were exhausted when we got back to his home. His Mum cooked us a delicious meal, my first hot meal since the start of my trip, and I devoured everything on my plate in no time.

The following day, my friend brought me to the bus terminal. I’d told him about my hitch-hiking adventure and he thought I was mad. He said that his parents would totally flip if they found out – I knew mine would too! I didn’t have enough money to make my way back to Sydney so I bought another one-way ticket to Canberra. I waved him farewell and got onto the bus.

Meeting Fellow Travellers in a Hostel

The bus arrived in Canberra in the evening so I returned to the hostel I’d spent a night in just a few days earlier. Some of the guests I’d met on my first night were still there. We sat up till the early hours of the morning talking excitedly about my hitch-hiking adventure. The opinions were split: some thought I was too young to be travelling on my own like that while others applauded it. They asked me how I was going to Sydney. I shrugged my shoulders. They offered to lend me some money to buy a ticket but I graciously declined.

I slept for several hours and sneaked out of the hostel in the early hours of the morning in the dark. I decided to head to the city limits. The previous day, as I stocked up on my ration of soup and raisin buns at a supermarket, I found a piece of carton and took it with me. I borrowed a marker pen from the hostel reception and wrote ‘SYDNEY’ in big bold letters.

Catching a Free Ride to Sydney

As I stood at the edge of the main road to Sydney, I held out my carton board. It was freezing. The first morning rays were just appearing over the tree-tops, the road was still rather quiet and I was alone. At that moment, I felt fear creeping up. “What was I doing? This is downright dangerous?”, I thought for the very first time. I took out a raising bun and munched on it, while trying to calm myself.

After about half an hour, a car slowed down and stopped. A young lady was driving on her own. She wound down the window and said that she was going to Sydney and that I could hop in. I did so thankfully. She was an accountant and was going to Sydney for a job interview. We chatted all the way to Sydney. Traffic was quite light so we made it to Sydney before noon. She had more than an hour to spare before her interview so she offered to drop me off at my aunt’s house.

I was really grateful for that as I wasn’t sure I’d have enough money for the train ride from downtown Sydney to the suburb where my aunt lived. My aunt thought that I’d simply bought a return ticket to Melbourne so she had no idea of my adventure, and I didn’t mention a word of it.

It was my very first solo adventure, and yes, it was wild and reckless but it was a priceless experience, certainly one which ignited a fire within me that made me long for more.

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Keith Jenkins lives in Amsterdam, and travel is his biggest passion. He has travelled through 60-odd contries across 6 continents. Read about his extensive travels at Velvet Escape.

Don’t forget to check out my contribution on Keith’s ‘A World of Inspiration’ series – A Familiar Face in a Foreign Land.’

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Related Posts:

• Your Wildest Adventure – Jet Boating in New Zealand
• Your Wildest Adventure – Escaping Robbers Cave
• Your Wildest Adventure – Cycling A Continent
• How to Make Money While Travelling
• Becoming a Digital Nomad

Oh yes, the Aussies sure have their unique slang, which still baffles me and other travelers alike. In some parts of Australia, their accent mixed with the Aussie slang make understanding them a tad bit difficult. But yet, you can’t seem to get enough of it. At least it cracked me up when we were trying to carry out a conversation with this surfer dude, where I had to keep going,  ‘ermm say it again?’.

Australia Slang, Aussie Slang, or Strine as it is sometimes called, is a reflection of the harsh Australian land, and the no-nonsense “lets get on with it” attitude of the Australian people. So a lot of corners are cut both with what we say and how we say it.

From ‘G’day mate!’ to ‘Onya’, the Aussie style of English is made up of colloquial expressions and slang phrases. So, to not look like a complete drongo, we’d better pick up some Aussie slang to get by in this land down under!

G’day is hullo, pronounced Gidday which is a shortened form of Good Day, and used mostly in informal situations.

Hooroo is Goodbye, pronounced as ‘ooroo’ and is used among friends.

Mate is Friend, mainly for males. Everyone in Australia is a mate, so they would often say “G’day mate” or “Thanks mate”.

Onya means Well Done, a shortened form of Good On You. The best “Aussieism” some say.

Adam’s ale means Water! Wonder who came up with that?!

Galoot refers to a foolish person – you don’t wanna hear people call you that!

Razoo is a fictitious coin made from brass. The term is usually used to indicate that someone has no money. “I haven’t got a brass razoo!”

Veg out is to relax and thing of, er, nothing.

Last but not least,

Drongo means a stupid, inept, awkward or embarrassing person, a dimwit or slow-witted person.

*Several slangs I’d found online are similar to the British, such as ‘bloke’, ‘back in a tic’, ‘I kid you not’ etc. The above slangs are usually used only by the Aussies.

So anyone knows any other Aussie slangs that might just make us chuckle?

So, every other traveler would kill or sell their passports for a chance to go Down Under. Most would fly from one end of the Earth to the other, just to experience the Outback.   But what makes Australia so special? I hear you say. Bet you’ve never been there, because once you step foot on that unique piece of continent – you’ll see its extraordinary unique magnetism.

Let’s take a look at what’s unique to Australia (that you can’t find anywhere else in the World)!

Koalas, Kangaroos and Tasmanian Devil

These unique animals are endemic to Australia – originally found here and cannot be found anywhere else. And what a coincidence how adorable these Aussie Indigenous creatures are!

The name Koala comes from an Aboriginal word. It means “no drink”, as Koalas get enough fluids through the eucalyptus leaves they feed on. Did you know that Koalas are actually not bears, despite the common saying?

The Devil is alive and kickin’ in Tasmania and will still raid farms to kill and make off with hens. Despite how Warner Brothers has made it look, it is a fierce looking little creature, solidly built and with white bars across its dark body.

Boomerangs

The Boomerang might not be only found in Australia, but is definitely the most commonly seen in the land of the Aborigines. Believed to be used as a weapon for the stone age hunters, boomerangs can take down a kangaroo on impact to its legs, or break the neck of an emu. Boomerangs can be variously used as hunting weapons, percussive musical instruments, battle clubs, fire-starters, decoys for hunting waterfowl, and as recreational play toys. Tribal boomerangs are usually inscribed with aboriginal art these days, for tourist purposes.

Nowadays, although no one really uses the Boomerang for any practical purpose, it still works as a souvenir to bring back home!

Billabongs and waterfalls

As though God had not blessed Australia with enough charm, there are thousands of stunning billabongs and thundering waterfalls dotting the Aussie wilderness. A Billabong is a stagnant lake attached to a waterway. As an Australian English word, ‘billa’ refers to an Indigenous Australian creek, while ‘bong’ means dead. Might not be as exotic as its name sounds – but whilst cruising along a billabong and listening to the birds and the tranquility of the lake, you might just understand how it lives up to its name.

Waterfalls in Australia are like Fat people in America, they’re everywhere! (No offence!) Of course, voted as No. 1 Waterfall of Australia is the Jim Jim Falls in Kakadu National Park (We’re on our way there right this minute! – Watch out for my next post. )

A Barbie (BBQ) for Xmas

The Aussies, with everything of their own, even gave BBQ a slang word of their own – they call it ‘Barbie’. (no, not the doll.) The Aussie Barbie is symbolically representative of Australian’s relaxed, casual culture and their love of the outdoors. It is a great social event, with snags (sausages), chops, steak and fried onions smoking on the grill, and endless flow of ice cold beer.

Granted, not only the Aussies experience Summer during X’mas, so do the Argentinians and Kiwis… but who else makes the BEST Barbies in the world AND enjoy them on the beach at X’mas?!

Head down to Sydney’s Bondi Beach over the Christmas season, and sure enough, you’ll find loads of Aussies gathered around the smokin’ Barbies, enjoying a steak or two.

London always has this special place in my heart. Living and Working there allowed me to discover what I wanted in Life, and gave me  a push towards pursuing what I liked. It was the start of my journey away from home. Although I was never really a Harrods or English-tea-sipping kinda girl, I enjoyed the vibrant and cultural lifestyle that London has to offer.

Weekends would be spent uncovering the endless Museums in London (personal favourite: the Natural History Museum! Most museums has free entry) or hunting for antique treasures at the Portobello Market. Summer meant perfect weather lazing by the lake in St. James Park, or taking a walk along the Thames, enjoying the view of this world renown city. Standing in the middle of Picaddilly Circus, I would always feel like I was in a dream. It was hard to believe I was in London. The Capital of the World.

Working in London on the Work Holidaymaker Visa was also enjoyably fun. Perhaps it was the type of work I had – 9-to-5 office work that was stress-free, and with like-minded colleagues around, work was never dull. Hitting the Pubs at 6pm was perhaps a British trademark I would remember for quite awhile.  Always swigging a Pint of Carlin in my hand, it was the perfect social spot getting to know my multicultural colleagues. London is a melting pot for people from all over the world – from South Africans to Aussies and Polish, I would be meeting people of a different nationality every single day. London was also the gate to Europe – I took the opportunity to travel around Europe on vacation. From Greece in summer to the Holy week in Spain, even catching the Eurostar for a weekend trip to Paris, and cruising the canals of Amsterdam – London is the best base to see all of the romantic European continent. From cheap airfares as low as 20GBP, Ryanair and EasyJet just made travelling even cheaper and easier than ever.

Wanna know how to Work & Live in the UK/Australia? Here’s how!

*In continuation with previous post on ‘How to make the big move’

UK/Australia Work Holidaymaker Visa (WHM)

UK and Australia’s Working Holiday maker scheme allows young people to have an extended holiday by supplementing their travel funds through unprofessional employment, thus promoting international understanding and cultural exchange.

The UK visa is only opened to Commonwealth Citizens from the age of 17 to 30 to enjoy a working holiday for up to 2 years, but only work up to 12 months. The  Australian WHM visa is only opened to certain countries, and only 12 months stay is allowed.  The main reason for living in Australia/UK  is to holiday and that any work is to support yourself while you are on holiday.

Based on my experience, it wasn’t difficult applying for the visa, the process was just long and tedious. But with all the documentation prepared, it really doesn’t take much to get it approved.

How to apply:

• Head to the British High Commission/Australian embassy in your home country
• The entire process usually takes 2-3 months from application to the results – so start early!
• You will need documents to substantiate your application – such as account balance, reference letters and education transcripts. Make sure you prepare the documents in advance.
• Check out these websites: http://www.skillclear.co.uk/workingholidays.asp

  http://www.workpermit.com/australia/temporary/working_holiday_visa.htm

Can everyone apply?

• Anyone who can show that he/she is able to sustain her life in the UK independently, and his/her qualifications allow him/her to find work in the UK.
• It is not necessary to have a University degree, as long as no criminal record is shown, anyone from the Commonwealth countries is allowed to apply.
• Only ex-WHM visa holders are not allowed to apply.

What type of work and How to find one?

• Most types of work, including voluntary work, but you cannot set yourself up in or run a business, or work as a professional sportsperson.
• From bartender to a tour guide, you can find any type of work you want!
• The best job-advertising website: http://www.gumtree.com/
• If you already work in an International Company, try to ask for a transfer before you quit and jump into the endless pool of job-hunting.

**I was lucky enough to get a transfer from the company I was working for previously. It was the perfect solution – saved me trouble of hunting for work, and I’m already familiar with the job and have time to explore London!

Cost of living:

• The UK evidently has a high cost of living compared to other parts of the World. A room rental in a shared apartment would cost around 300-400GBP, while a meal at MacDonalds will kick you back around 6GBP.
• Australia in contrast, actually has quite a reasonable standard of living. Especially with the Aussie dollar going downhill, this is the best time to hit downunder! A room rental costs A$400- 500, and a Mac meal for A$6.

* Exchange rate approx:  1GBP = US$1.5 = S$2 / A$1   = US$0.50 = S$1