Hallvard Tangeraas

I'm on my way to Australia, currently on a tropical island in
Thailand, but will be making my way down through Malaysia and down to
Singapore in the coming couple of weeks.

I'll be taking an outbound flight from Singapore on the 21st of
December, arriving in Sydney, and plan to celebrate Christmas there -I
hear people go to the beach to celebrate it, so this would make for
something special for me!

Anyway, I've been told by many people that Sydney really gets packed
during this time of the year and that I really need to book in
advance:

1) is this true, or will I be fine even though I don't book in
advance?

2) any recommendations for where a backpacker can stay without having
to pay a fortune? It's got to be safe and clean, but I don't need any
extra luxeries like TV etc (unless it won't cost me any extra).
A single room would be nice, but if it's really expensive I can settle
for a dorm (hopefully not with a bunch of party-crazy people fresh out
of school).

3) any nice beach where I could celebrate Christmas? Christmas eve
that is, not Christmas day as I guess the Australians celebrate (I'm
from Norway in case someone's wondering).


Hallvard

Alfred

Hallvard Tangeraas wrote:

    > Anyway, I've been told by many people that Sydney really gets packed
    > during this time of the year and that I really need to book in
    > advance:
    >
    > 1) is this true, or will I be fine even though I don't book in
    > advance?

People over on the lonely planet thorntree have been talking about this:
many of the cheaper places are fully booked and people have to try a
large number of places before striking it lucky. So, I'll skip your
second question and suggest that if you can find somewhere, grab it: New
Years eve is reportedly fully booked.

Check out www.yha.org.au and www.bugaustralia.com as online places you
might be able to use to book. www.nomads.com might be worth looking at
too, but the word is they turn off their booking thingey for this period.

Having said all that, it does seem that you can get hotel rooms through
http://www.au.lastminute.com/ but their cheapest is $60 a night.

Hallvard Tangeraas

alfred <> wrote in message news:<bqp0gl$23n1u9$>...
    > Hallvard Tangeraas wrote:
    >
    > > Anyway, I've been told by many people that Sydney really gets packed
    > > during this time of the year and that I really need to book in
    > > advance:

    > People over on the lonely planet thorntree have been talking about this:
    > many of the cheaper places are fully booked and people have to try a
    > large number of places before striking it lucky. So, I'll skip your
    > second question and suggest that if you can find somewhere, grab it: New
    > Years eve is reportedly fully booked.

I'll probably be in another city by then, not too far away though,
either north or south along the coast, which would be Canberra or
Brisbane I guess. Would it be just as hard finding a place to stay
there, for the New Year?
Is it generally hard to find (cheap) places to stay in Australia, or
is it just the Christmas/New Year period which is difficult?

I'll check out the sites you've mentioned.

But something which I'll have a hard time figuring out from here
(within reasonable time): is Sydney a large city, and if it is, does
it mean that I might get into problems getting around if I book at a
"wrong" place, or is public transport good, and just about anywhere is
OK to stay if I want to see the city and get around?

Hallvard

Hallvard Tangeraas

Another question regarding accommodations in Australia....

Are there usually curfews? If so, do they usually say that at their booking sites?
As a grown up person I'd like to be free to come and go as I please.


Hallvard

Vicki Steven

in article , Hallvard
Tangeraas at wrote on 6/12/03 4:32 AM:

    > alfred <> wrote in message
    > news:<bqp0gl$23n1u9$>...
    >> Hallvard Tangeraas wrote:
    >>
    >>> Anyway, I've been told by many people that Sydney really gets packed
    >>> during this time of the year and that I really need to book in
    >>> advance:
    >
    >> People over on the lonely planet thorntree have been talking about this:
    >> many of the cheaper places are fully booked and people have to try a
    >> large number of places before striking it lucky. So, I'll skip your
    >> second question and suggest that if you can find somewhere, grab it: New
    >> Years eve is reportedly fully booked.
    >
    > I'll probably be in another city by then, not too far away though,
    > either north or south along the coast, which would be Canberra or
    > Brisbane I guess. Would it be just as hard finding a place to stay
    > there, for the New Year?
    > Is it generally hard to find (cheap) places to stay in Australia, or
    > is it just the Christmas/New Year period which is difficult?
    >
    > I'll check out the sites you've mentioned.
    >
    > But something which I'll have a hard time figuring out from here
    > (within reasonable time): is Sydney a large city, and if it is, does
    > it mean that I might get into problems getting around if I book at a
    > "wrong" place, or is public transport good, and just about anywhere is
    > OK to stay if I want to see the city and get around?
    >
    > Hallvard
Sydney metropolitan area is huge - outer suburbs esp in the south & west are
up to 1 hour by train from the CBD. However the CBD is quite compact & can
be walked very easily. Naturally most of the backpackers' accommodation is
clustered around the CBD and Eastern suburbs like Bondi & Coogee. Your
biggest problem is going to be finding a bed anywhere at such short notice.

I remember a couple of years ago there was a feature in the SMH on the
shortage of beds over the Christmas NY period. You could also try Sydney
University. From memory one of their halls of residence is converted to a
hostel for the summer - it may be run by YHA.

WRT to your later mge - I've never heard of a curfew & can't imagine why
there would be one. Most hostels I've stayed in have some form of electronic
locking system - swipe card or PIN to enter at night.

Good Luck
Vicki

Alfred

Hallvard Tangeraas wrote:

    > I'll probably be in another city by then, not too far away though,
    > either north or south along the coast, which would be Canberra or
    > Brisbane I guess. Would it be just as hard finding a place to stay
    > there, for the New Year?

It is Sydney which is being talked about in particular as hard, although
wherever you go there will be some pressure (don't even think about the
Great Ocean Road they say, although I booked a hostel at Warnnambool for
Near Years Day a week or two ago, no problems). In Brisbane, I think a
lot want to be on the Gold/Sunshine Coast, so you might well be Ok with
an inner city hostel - there is a very good YHA there. I don't know
that you'll have much of a problem in Canberra, it tends to be a bit off
the map in terms of backpackers. But I would suggest that you get your
NY eve and night sorted out as soon as you can.

    > Is it generally hard to find (cheap) places to stay in Australia, or
    > is it just the Christmas/New Year period which is difficult?

The holiday period makes it hard: last time I was there it was Easter,
and apart from Byron Bay (it was blues festival time) I had no problem
finding accomodation in upper NSW and lower Queensland. I am going over
just after Christmas and have my first week booked - not quite the way
I want to travel, but I need soewhere to sleep! I figure that as I move
away from Melbourne and then go West, it will be easier to travel on the
fly.

    > But something which I'll have a hard time figuring out from here
    > (within reasonable time): is Sydney a large city, and if it is, does
    > it mean that I might get into problems getting around if I book at a
    > "wrong" place, or is public transport good, and just about anywhere is
    > OK to stay if I want to see the city and get around?

If you have a good internet connection, you may be able to use this very
helpful map of the Sydney bus system:
http://www.sydneybuses.nsw.gov.au/as...egionalMAP.pdf

Enjoy your travels.

Alfred

Hallvard Tangeraas wrote:

    > Are there usually curfews? If so, do they usually say that at their booking sites?
    > As a grown up person I'd like to be free to come and go as I please.

Hostels handle this in a number of ways: the big ones have 24 hour
reception, others have keys or cards which you may need to pay a deposit
for (up to $20). So far, I have not struck a hostel that shuts up shop
and won't give you some form of access since the 1980's (except for one
in Penang, but I just snuck into the next open hostel as if I was
staying there!).

Alfred

vicki Steven wrote:

    > I remember a couple of years ago there was a feature in the SMH on the
    > shortage of beds over the Christmas NY period. You could also try Sydney
    > University. From memory one of their halls of residence is converted to a
    > hostel for the summer - it may be run by YHA.

Many of the hostels/colleges allow short term stays directly. Here is
the accomodation office at UNSW information on its hostels:
http://www.international.unsw.edu.au.../hs_type.shtml

and the same for the University of Sydney:
http://www.summer.usyd.edu.au/uselinks.html

Alfred

alfred wrote:

    > Many of the hostels/colleges allow short term stays directly. Here is
    > the accomodation office at UNSW information on its hostels:
    > http://www.international.unsw.edu.au.../hs_type.shtml

Replying to my own post, I have found that there are hostels with online
booking and availability at Christmas in Sydney:
http://reservations.bookhostels.com/....com/index.php