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.
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!
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!
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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