Posted on

4 Days in Uluṟu & Kata Tjuṯa, NT

If it isn’t already Uluṟu should be on your bucket list! It is honestly such a magical place, rich in culture, dreamtime stories & history. 

The red centre at the heart of Australia which beats to the sound of the didgeridoo and glows a majestic deep red at sunrise & sunset. The continually changing colour is mesmerising! Just a 3hr 20min flight from Sydney, I highly recommend everyone to spend a few days here.

Travel Requirements

First things first let’s get the travel requirements out of the way.

As of 15.02.2022 before you travel to Uluṟu you’re required to : 

  • Be fully vaccinated (with supporting evidence)
  • Fill in the linked Border Entry Form 
  • Download the Territory Check In App

*please check the upto date requirements before departure as these are subject to change.

Where to stay in Uluṟu

All the hotels are based in Yulara, a small town 25km from Uluṟu. You can use this website to explore the different accomodations.

  • Sails in the Desert
  • Desert Gardens Hotel
  • The Lost Camel
  • The Pioneer Outback 
  • Emu Walks Apartments
  • Ayers Rock Camping Ground

We stayed in Sails in the Desert, in terms of price the cheapest room is $427 per night.

The staff and service were amazing. When we arrived they gave us a welcome drink and an ice cold flannel to freshen up with. The hotel breakfast was also lovely.

The only thing I would say is at the minute the hotel pool is under maintenance. We were allowed to use the pool in the neighbouring resort ‘The Lost Camel’ which was a saviour in the heat! In terms of price comparison The Lost Camel is cheaper than Sails in the Desert. As you have to use The Lost Camel pool at the moment I’d suggest if you are coming here before 31st March 2022 book The Lost Camel accommodation for the pool & price point! 

  • Sails in the Desert Buffet Breakfast
  • Pool we were able to use at
    The Lost Camel
  • Pool at Sails in the Desert currently under construction

Temperature

This time of year (February) is extremely hot. Our temperatures averaged 39°. You need to get out and do tours/ explore early morning or evening. During the day from around noon to 5pm we spent our time at the pool or relaxing in the aircon. Drink plenty of water!

Things to do in Uluṟu 

Note that all tours will include your transfers to and from your accommodation. You will be given your pick up time on confirmation of booking. I would also recommend pre-booking the activities/tours as they can book up during busy periods.

Field of Light

The Field of Light is an art installation of over 50,000 lights bringing the desert alive at night. The cost was $44 per person, you can book it here. It’s pretty cool, colourful lights as far as the eye can see. It’s a bit tricky to photograph just how beautiful it is.

Field of Light

Helicopter Ride over Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa 

This was my top experience, it was incredible to see both Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa at a close proximity from the sky!

In terms of price I booked the 25minute flight which cost $275pp. There are a few other options the cheapest from $150pp lasting around 15mins. I would say when you’re in the helicopter the time goes really quick. If you have the budget i’d recommend the longer flight.

Helicopter Ride

Sounds of Silence, Dinner Experience

Dinner in the desert under the stars, it doesn’t get much better! For me Sounds of Silence was a really magical experience. I booked it for my partners Birthday Meal and overall the experience was just incredible. 

Price $234pp includes the following:

  • Welcome drinks & outback style canapé’s to watch the sunset. 
  • A three-course bush tucker inspired buffet & beer/wine
  • Didgeridoo performance
  • A guided tour of the night sky (we saw a shooting star!)

You’re transported out of town to the outback landscape. You are greeted with champagne and canapé’s as the sunsets in the background.

When the sun is almost set you’re taken on a short walk through the red sand to your dinner setting, greeted by a Didgeridoo performance and alcoholic beverages. We watched the remainder of the sunset over Kata Tjuṯa as our dinner was served.

After dinner the table lights are turned off, and you’ll be blown away by stars above! A tour of the stars accompanied with indigenous stories about the stars and the constellations and how they used them to navigate the land.

It’s not cheap, but it’s something that will stay with you forever. You can book it here.

Sounds of Silence

Astro Tour

We had an incredible tour guide called Todd who was so knowledgeable and informative. He took us on a tour of the night sky pointing out different stars, planets, constellations and letting us view them through a telescope. The cost was $55pp and it latest about 1.5hours.

Uluṟu Base Walk

You have a few ways to do it –

  • Segway Tour
  • Walk the 10km loop (start early morning in hot weather)
  • Ranger led Mala walk

The Ranger led Mala walk starts at 8am daily and is free. It’s a great way to see Uluṟu up close and learn about the sacred Angula land.  

FLY NETS! The flies are pesky, I would recommend buying a face covering net for both the Uluṟu Base walk and the Kata Tjuṯa walk.

Kata Tjuṯa Valley of the Winds trail

Uluru’s next-door neighbour is NOT to be missed! Offering a stunning 8km walking trail that takes you through to incredible viewpoints. Again you need to go early in the hotter months to avoid the midday heat. In the hot months the longer track closes at 11am whenthe weather is forecast above 36 degrees.

This walk offers a lot of variety, the many domes of Kata Tjuṯa were just as incredible to see as Uluṟu.

Sunrise & Sunset Viewing Point near hotel

The viewing point was just a 5 minute walk from our hotel and provided us with some magical moments. Ask your accomodation for directions from where you’re staying but it isn’t far.

Car Rental

You can rent cars in the Town Square, there’s Trifty & Hertz. 

Car rental was $220 per day, fuel was $2.35 per litre 

Airport Transfers

Your accomodation offer free airport transfers. 

Hop on hop off bus

There is a free hop on hop off bus which stops at the following resorts Desert Gardens, Sails in the Desert & the campground. The stops you can take the bus to include the Mutitjulu Waterhole, Kuniya Piti, Mala Carpark and The Cultural Centre all at Uluṟu.

For Kata Tjuṯa you can take the hop on hop off bus for a sunrise departure (4:55am). You will stop at Sand Dune for sunrise viewing and then you can either do the Walpa Gorge walk (1hour) or the Valley of the Winds walk (3hours). The bus will take you back to the resort for either 9am or 11am depending on which walking track you choose.

Ask your hotel for the bus timetable.

Our Itinerary

Friday: Flight, Hotel checkin, lunch, explore the Town Square, pool, Dinner, watched sunset at viewing point near hotel, Field of Lights 8:25pm

Saturday: Breakfast, Helicopter 9:40am, pool, lunch, car rental (drove to Uluru), Sounds of Silence 6:35pm – 10:35pm.

Sunday: Drove to Uluru for sunrise and guided ranger walk 8am, drove to Kata Tjuṯa walked Valley of the Winds, drove to other viewing points, dropped off car rental, pool time, went to The Outback Pioneer for dinner, Astro Tour 9:35pm – 11:15pm

Monday: Sunrise at viewing point near hotel, breakfast, Town Square walk, Checkout 10am, Airport transfer 10:55am.

All in all we had an incredible time here and would really recommend you go see it all with your own eyes! Pictures don’t quite do it justice! If you have any more questions please reach out to me and I’ll be happy to assist as best I can.

Instagram @gemken_ where you will see highlights of my time spent in Uluṟu.

The many changes colours of Uluru during sunrise
Posted on

Day Trips/ Hikes in NSW, Australia

Palm Beach

The perfect day trip from Sydney, approximately 1hr 15m drive from Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.

Things to do around Palm Beach:

1. Hike up to Barrenjoey Lighthouse

The Lighthouse 113 metres above sea-level, the highest point of the Barrenjoey Headland.

It’s very short but steep steps / hill up depending which route you decide to take.

We always go up the steps and come down the other side in a loop. I recommend you do the loop so you can take full advantage of the different view points.

It’s not the longest, toughest hike but the beautiful panoramic costal views & the lighthouse make it a must do!

2. Take a picnic to the beach

Pack your swimmers & a sandwich. After you finish your walk around the lighthouse set up for a chill afternoon on the beach.

3. Home & Away Set

Palm Beach is famously known as Summer Bay in Australian TV Show Home & Away. The outdoor set includes the beach area, the outsides of some of the houses, the exterior of the Surf Club and Alf’s Bait Shop.

Filming takes place Mondays, Tuesdays & sometimes Wednesday’s. If you go on at the beginning of the week there’ll be a high chance of seeing the cast, production & filming.

You could also book onto a tour if you’re a super fan! The Tour departs from Sydney, the guide will share all the inside knowledge & facts about the show whilst taking the scenic route to Whale Beach, Avalon Beach and Bilgola Lookout. All while passing famous filming locations and beautiful costal views.

4. Surfs up!

Take surfing lessons at the southern end of Palm Beach. This end of the beach is sheltered, calm and provides constant gentle waves making it one of the best spots around Sydney to learn to surf.

5. Ride the ferry to Ettalong from Palm Beach Wharf

Take the ferry from Palm Beach to Ettalong, a pretty beach town. The ferry departs hourly from Palm Beach Wharf and takes 25 minutes, passing between Barrenjoey Headland and Box Head.

6. Pittwater Discovery Kayaking Tour

Just a 15 min drive from Palm Beach you can rent kayaks and go to remote beaches. You can opt for a half or full day guided tour exploring bush & beaches.

7. Newport Arms Hotel

We always stop in here for food on the way home from Palm Beach. It offers a variety of different cuisines throughout the venue, from wood fire pizzas, bar food, steakhouse, seafood.. there is plenty to choose from.

Posted on

Day Trips/ Hikes in NSW, Australia

Curra Moors Loop Track, Royal National Park

Trek through bush to ocean views & Eagle Rock. I highly recommend this adventure just be sure to bring plenty of water & suncream if you are doing it on a hot day. I also recommend starting it early morning before the midday sun.  

The terrain is mostly sandy/ slightly uneven in places, particularly at the beginning. Overall its quite flat, not too challenging and the views are absolutely stunning.

  • HIDDEN GEMS: Curra Moors

Destination: approx 44km drive from Eastern Suburbs (50minutes).

Distance: 10km

Difficulty: Medium, mostly flat land.

Getting there: Drive to Curra Moors carpark on Sir Bertram Stevens Drive, Royal National Park NSW.

Parking costs: $12 per vehicle; free for NSW National Parks annual pass holders

Essential Gear

  • Comfortable footwear/ hiking shoes
  • Water
  • Hat
  • Suncream
  • Sunglasses
  • Snacks
  • Camera
  • Swimmers (optional if you fancy cooling off)

If you wish to attend a HIDDEN GEMS event please sign up to the email list and join the Facebook Group here for upcoming adventures.

Hidden Gems Hike: Curra Moors

Join Hidden Gems in the first adventure of 2022.  Kicking off the New Year with a beautiful hike around Curra Moors.

We will trek through bushland until we come to the amazing Curracurrong waterfall. A spot where we will take the opportunity for lunch and a rest. From here we will take a short detour to Eagle Rock Lookout to enjoy breath-taking sea views.

Meet at starting point at 9am

Distance: 10km

Difficulty: Medium, quite flat land, some short steep hills

Getting there: Beginning of trek is approx 44km drive from Eastern Suburbs (50minutes). Drive to Curra Moors carpark on Sir Bertram Stevens Drive, Royal National Park NSW.

Parking costs: $12 per vehicle; free for NSW National Parks annual pass holders

Essential Gear

  • Comfortable footwear/ hiking shoes
  • Water
  • Hat
  • Suncream
  • Sunglasses
  • Snacks
  • Camera
  • Swimmers (optional if you fancy cooling off)

Click here to join the Facebook group where you can message in let me know you are coming, get more details and ask/offer car share etc

Posted on

Information for travelling to & from Australia.

Update as of 2/2/22

Current rules for travelling to Ireland:

– Fill out Passenger Locator Form linked here

– International vaccine certificate

– if you have proof of vaccination or proof of recovery from COVID-19 in the prior 6 months you do not have to do a PCR pre-departure COVID-19 test. (This it for arrival in Ireland please check your airline requirements & countries you are transiting through as some airlines/ countries may require a negative PCR to fly/ transit)

You can keep up to date with government requirements in Ireland here

Current rules for travelling to UK:

– From 4am on 11 February all testing requirements will be removed for eligible fully vaccinated arrivals, that being said I recommend checking your airline & transiting country requirements

Passenger Locator Form (PLF) now required (click here for form)

– Arrivals who are not recognised as fully vaccinated will need to take a pre-departure PCR test and a PCR test on or before day 2 after they arrive in the UK.

Current rules for travelling to Australia

– Official certification of double vaccination.

– Negative pre departure PCR taken within 72 hours of flight departure time

⁃ Travel Declaration Form completed 72 hours before linked here

– Rapid Antigen Test when you arrive

– No quarantine for international arrivals into NSW, VIC, NT, QLD, SA

I can’t believe I’m **finally** back writing another blog post for help and tips on TRAVEL!!! 🥳 ✈️ At long last!

Here are the steps I followed leaving Australia to make the long awaited return home. First off my flight was Sydney > Doha > Manchester > Dublin

What was required?

Negative PCR

PCR can’t be any earlier than 48 hours before departure.

You can either:

Book a PCR with Medlab, research your nearest location. Cost: $120

OR

Do the PCR at Histopath in the airport it’s cheaper and you get an instant result (within 90mins you can queue for checkin whilst waiting) $79

You can register for the test here. There is no need to make an appointment, just show up in good time to airport and do it before checkin!

Applies to Sydney, Melbourne & Brisbane Airports. Histopath is just across from Gate D at Sydney International Airport.

PLF : Passenger Locator Form

We had to do a passenger locator form for UK & IRELAND because we were transiting through Manchester airport.

Here are the links:

Ireland can be completed 72 hours before departure linked here .

UK can be completed 48 hours before departure linked here

If you are transiting through the UK or it is your final destination you will be required to book and pay for a day 2 PCR (£45 was the cheapest we found through the link on government website, when you get to the section about your PCR booking number on the PLF you’ll see a clickable link directing you to all the purchasing options, we went with Vital)

International Vaccination Certification

You need to download your international vaccine certificate from the Medicare app.

If you are having any issues go into Medicare and they will print it for you. If you do get them to print it off for you, take a picture so you can keep a digital copy too.

Tips

– Print out all documentation.

– Allow extra time for checkin. It took us 1.5 hours just to get checked in & bags dropped off.

We got to the airport 4 hours before. It gave us plenty of time to get everything sorted and organised. There’s a lot of queuing as everyone is experiencing international travel for the first time in 2 years (ALOT has changed!), Many people hadn’t all the correct documents which slows up the checkin process. Make your life easy and arrive with all your documentation printed out and ready to go.

– I also recommend you keep an eye on the official government website of the country you are travelling to & your airline for any changes to rules & requirements as they do change often.

All in all it wasn’t stressful on the day. We had a smooth journey home to the Emerald Isle just in time to spend our first Christmas in five years with our beautiful families! 😭🥰

The return journey to Australia

I will update with links/options and added tips when I get myself organised for the journey back to Australia.

Requirements thus far;

– Valid Visa (you can apply for a Working Holiday Visa here, tourist visas aren’t available at the moment)

⁃ Negative PCR within 72 hours* before departure (I will be booking with Randox it costs £55)

⁃ Travel Declaration Form completed 72 hours before linked here

⁃ International Vaccination Certificate

⁃ PCR; fully vaccinated international passengers arriving in NSW must get a PCR (nose and throat swab) test within 24 hours of arrival and self-isolate until they receive a negative result. Take another PCR test on day 6.

⁃ At the moment there’s no quarantine for fully vaccinated arrivals from Ireland/UK, however Australia change things quite rapidly so keep an eye here to find out any change in details.

*keep an eye that it doesn’t change to 48 hours as the UK changed theirs the day before our flight home from 72 to 48hours.

Happy Christmas everyone 🎅 Wherever in the world you are spending the holidays I wish you all the joy and happiness. For those of us not so fortunate in being able to leave Australia, I hope all your Christmas wishes come true in early 2022. Big love to everyone and especially those finding it tough.

Xxx

Posted on

Home can be a feeling

It has been a minute since I’ve last sat down to write a blog post! I wanted to give you all a little update and talk about feelings. 

I finished up my East Coast trip at the beginning of March, booked a last minute surprise visit home, left home to go to New Zealand and now I’m updating you all from Cairns in Australia. To say my life has been a bit manic is definitely an understatement.

So… what has been rolling around my brain for the past 5 weeks?

Homesick, feeling overwhelmed, big changes, scared of making life decisions knowing they will be impactful to my future, stressing about money, work, sponsorship, finding a new home, starting over again. Some of the many things over working my little brain.

Let’s rewind to January 31st2019, the day I left my home in Bondi to begin my travels. Since then I haven’t had house keys, a bed or wardrobe… ultimately I left a little place that was my home away from home. It’s now May and I’m still on the road. That’s 4 months of unpacking, repacking and living from my big pink suitcase. How amazing? How fun? How lucky am I?

Yes I agree, when I write it down like that it seems like a whirlwind fun journey others would only envy. I almost feel guilty for admitting my feelings because I know how lucky I am to be travelling the world. I’m young, healthy and living a life others may never get the opportunity to experience. That said I wanted to highlight the side of leaving home that most people don’t see or talk about.

Going home was so much more than a surprise visit to me. It was a journey made up of a new realisation every day I was there. 

It was the realisation that Australia is actually a really far jaunt home. I cried tears of joy on my plane journey home to surprise my family, god forbid I would have to travel under tragic circumstances- an added worry to my stressing. 

It was the realisation of important events I had missed and will miss.

It was the realisation of how big the children had all got, how the years were running away with the young and the old, how my granny was keeping. Time stays still for no one. 

It was the realisation I wouldn’t be ‘down the road’ from my best friends for god knows how long, when would I be back again? 

It was the realisation I’d moved out of home. I know that sounds ridiculous because I moved out in July 2017, but when I left then I was sure I’d be back a year later. Now I’ve realized it’s the end of me living under my parent’s roof because Niall and I are planning to save for our own house.

It was the realisation that even if I came home it wouldn’t be the same. Time won’t sit on pause at 2017 for eternity, nor will it wait on me to come home and hit resume.

The realisation of all these things hit me like a tonne of bricks. Leaving home again left me feeling empty inside. 

I jumped on the plane from home, spent two days in Sydney unpacking and repacking to head off for another 7 weeks. I can’t explain to you how uneasy I felt boarding the flight to New Zealand. I was crying because I wanted it to be a plane heading back to Ireland. I knew it was going to be almost 2 months until I saw Niall again, the person who helps me most when I feel homesick. 

After 2 weeks in New Zealand my cousin joined me for the remainder of the trip. She currently lives in San Francisco and I couldn’t have had a better shoulder to cry on because she just gets it. She too has had the travellers worries and experienced it all. I feel so much better in comparison to what I did even just a week or two ago. I’ve stopped thinking at ten to the dozen. I’ve relaxed my thoughts and banished the negative ones from settling in. 

To anyone who is travelling, feeling homesick or maybe just feeling unsettled- I feel you. My best advice is as follows;

Take a step back, take a deep breath and ask yourself ‘why am I worrying about this in particular?’ ‘Is this out of my control or can I implement steps to help?’

Stop overthinking and creating unrealistic scenarios in your head. 

Don’t stress over simple things.

Keep a diary of emotions and release your feelings.

Don’t be afraid to cry or ask someone for advice/ reassurance.

Change your mindset to view things as opportunities and experiences. 

Play some ocean waves white noise at night to help you unwind, de-stress and fall asleep. The sound of the ocean is good for the soul I believe!

Repeat after me: CHANGE IS GOOD

We don’t always have to look at the bigger picture. Sometimes a bigger picture can be stressful. We can take things step by step and at our own pace.

A personal recent example of freaking out over the bigger picture is our sponsorship visa. Niall and I are submitting sponsorship which costs a shit load of money and grants us 4 more years in Australia. I got myself in a fluster and had a major meltdown over the sponsorship visa. I literally crumbled thinking how am I going to be away from home for 4 more years. If this is my life now, I’ll feel homesick forever. 

Break it down Gemma. You are not a tree rooted into the ground, you aren’t stuck in one place forever. Nothing is permanent. You are only 1 day away from home and it will always be there.

This morning I woke up with the realisation that home doesn’t have to be a place; home can be a feeling. I feel at home when I am with Niall. I can’t wait to squeeze his wee face verging on 7 weeks since I last seen him! It doesn’t matter your postcode, time zone or country, you too have the power to create a sense and feeling of home and contentment.

I wanted to share this blog post with you all because I wanted to show you that I too get overwhelemed, feel anxious and need to take a step back. I hope you can find comfort in this post and use my advice to help shake your feeling. Just remember to enjoy the journey don’t spend it stressing about what is next. Live in the moment, ride the waves and trust your own path. Soon the journey we are on will become distant memories!

Posted on

East Coast Itinerary

Whitehaven Beach, Whitsundays

 

Hello, Hello, Hello!

My message requests are full of people asking for my East Coast Itinerary. A lot of you seem to be starting your trip in the next week or two so I thought I’d post my itinerary first to help you plan yours! I’ve also included the camper rental details at the end.

I am working on an in-depth blog post about the trip, it will take me a little while longer considering the amount of places/ tips/ recommendations, so please bear with me on that one.  

DIRVE SYDNEY TO CAIRNS IN 1 MONTH  Suggested stops & recommended time to spend in each place. See picture below & destination details underneath.

GEMKENBLOG EAST COAST ITINERARY

 

Destination 1: Set off from Sydney drove to Port Stephens, Nelsons Bay (3 hour drive, stay 1 night)

Destination 2: Nelsons Bay – Coffs Harbour (3.5hr drive, stay 1 night)

Destination 3: Coffs Harbour – Byron Bay (3 hr drive, stay 4* nights)

*originally planned for 3 nights, loved it so much would defo recommend 4 

Destination 4: Byron Bay – Brisbane* (2 hour drive, stay 1 night)

*The next destination you should do is Gold Coast, we done it this way because we wanted the weekend in Gold Coast to celebrate Niall’s birthday so we drove back on ourselves an hour to get back to Gold Coast the following day

Destination 5: Brisbane – Gold Coast ( 1 hour drive, stay 3 nights)

Destination 6: Gold Coast – Sunshine Coast, Noosa (3 hour drive, stay 1 night)

Destination 7: Noosa – Rainbow Beach (2 hour drive, stay 1 night before Fraser Island and 1 night after, park camper at Dingos Hostel) 

Destination 8: Fraser Island (park campervan at Dingos Hostel for 2 nights, camp on Fraser Island with the Dingos Tour) 

Destination 9: Back to Rainbow beach, Dingos Hostel stay 1 night after Fraser Island 

Destination 10: Rainbow Beach – 1770 (4 hour drive, stay 1 night)

Destination 11: 1770 – Airlie Beach (8 hour drive, stay 1 night before Whitsundays & 2 nights after, park camper for Whitsundays trip, would recommend only 1 night before & 1 night after)

Destination 12: WHITSUNDAYS – Ride to Paradise, stay 2 nights on Paradise Cove Island Resort

Destination 13: Back to Arlie Beach for 2 nights 

Destination 14: Airlie Beach – Magnetic Island (4 hour drive, stay 2 nights)

Destination 15: Magnetic Island – Mission Beach (3 hour drive, stay 1 night, we actually ended up leaving Mission Beach out as the only thing to do here is Skydive & none of us wanted to do it, so we drove straight to Cairns)

Destination 15: Mission Beach – Cairns (2 hour drive, stay 1 night)

Destination 16: Cairns, we stayed for 5 nights and done the following day trips.

Day Trip – Port Douglas & Cape Tribulation

Day Trip – Scuba Dive Great Barrier Reef

Day Trip-  Waterfalls (Uncle Brians Tour)

Flight home- Fly back Cairns – Sydney 

Bertha, Our Baby

Camper Van Rental Details

Company- Chepa Campa, Apollo Motorhome Holidays 

Rental Time 1 Month

Price including Insurance $5,000 (approx)

Pick up Sydney, drop off Cairns 

We had a 6 person van although there was only 4 of us, would recommend going bigger if you can afford to for the extra space as it gets so cramped.

I hope you find this useful to plan your own East Coast Trip. Give me a message on insta if you have any questions and I’ll be happy to help. Also let me know if you find it helpful, I love hearing feedback.

Chat soon lovelies,

GemKen xx

Posted on

Traffic Control Australia

Hello again you beauties!

Over this past week I have had a lot of messages regarding my new glamorous job of Traffic Controlling! I thought it would be easier to detail the steps I took below for all you wanna be TC’s.

I hope this post helps you on your way to stopping traffic and living your best life! If you have any further questions give me a message and I will be happy to help.

Step 1

*EDIT as of August 2019* they have since changed the rules. You can’t complete the white card online if you are in the state of NSW. This means you will have to attend the day course in Sydney.

Get your White Card.

You can do your white card online or as a day course in Sydney CBD. I opted to do it online as it was half the cost.

Cost of card $55

Time taken to complete the online course was about 7 hours in total. There are over 100 multiple choice questions, audio assessment questions and a video submission of you applying PPE (hard hat, safety goggles, high vis etc). I used my boyfriends PPE to complete the video as I hadn’t got my own, use your friends/ boyfriends to complete this step if you don’t have it either.

Tip: select the option to have a certificate and a card posted to you as you need to have the white card on your person when working on site.

Click Here For Link 

Step 2

Now you have your white card completed you need to book into do a course for your Blue & Yellow cards (Traffic Controller & Implement Traffic Control Plans). I done the combo course with License 4 Work.

Cost of combo course $499 + $44 dollar fee on the day ($543)

I drove two days to attend the course in Bankstown which is about a 45 minute drive from Bondi.

Click Here For Link

Step 3

Apply for jobs! Each agency will ask you to send through your tickets (white, blue yellow cards), your driving licence, passport and personal details. Get your email drafted with the above items and call ahead of sending. If you don’t hear anything form them call back and ask if there has been progress on the application. The agencies are always busy so it is good to remind them and keep your name popping up.

Step 4

It still isn’t as simple as walking into your job as soon as you get your tickets. You must do all the online inductions your employer sends you. I had a further 3 online inductions to complete each taking about 3 hours to complete. I then attended an induction at my employers office and another induction on site for the Sydney Light Rail.

Step 5

Get out to work and challenge yourself to make people smile!

I have worked on a pedestrian crossing for the past few weeks and I will tell you something, people can be rude and nasty to Traffic Controllers because we are inconveniencing them. BUT for every rude person there are 10 nice people to follow. Some stop for a chat and a laugh, some even buy me drinks or ice lollies on the hot days.

Step 6

More paperwork, even though you have officially got you tickets, you must be assessed and provide evidence of work to License 4 Work. You must collect and submit evidence before you assessment day. The day of the assessment is an observation of you working (setting up signs, using the bat & radio) and a quick exam.

And voila, thats it. My advice would be to do the cards before leaving your current job (if you have one) as I was out of work for 6 weeks. (I could have started after 4 but I had a holiday to Fiji booked) so be mindful that you might not necessarily do the cards and get a job all in the same week.

Gemma x

Posted on

9-5 To Across The World

Hi my lovelies,

This blogpost details the exact steps I took to get me from behind an office desk to a beach far away!

I hope it helps any of you who are considering or are in the process of the big move.

GemKen x

 

Why Travel?

Niall and I always talked about traveling , we were both in agreement that it was something we needed to do as soon as we had our degrees behind us.

Our reasonings for travelling? To culture and educate ourselves from something other than a book. To experience life, see the world and embrace the endless opportunities and new friendships. To see what the amazing change of lifestyle had to offer, to learn about ourselves as individuals and about our relationship.

And i mean, who doesn’t want to live by the beach?

 

Deciding To Go

An easy decision to make- right? So many people talk about it, dream about it and wish about it. Anyone you talk to encourages you to fly the nest and see what’s out there, what it’s all about.

For me it wasn’t deciding to go that was difficult, it was when. When is the right time?

Honestly there is no ‘right’ time. You’ll forever wait if you keep passing up your travels because of events; weddings, birthdays, a lads/girls holiday.

The truth is there is no time like the present, book it, do it, go, go, go.

Book your trip based on when you want to go, don’t book it around suiting other people.

We all have a tendancy to be ‘people pleasers’ and have serious fear of missing out on occasions when the realtiy is there will be plenty more in the future. Whether it’s a few months, a year or a few years longer, with the help of God our friends and family will have many more celebrations to come.

Tip: When booking your trip be sure to set a realistic time frame you feel is comfortable to save your funds.

 

Applying for a Visa

The very first thing we did was book our Visa. We completed our applications online and the next morning we had confirmation back of acceptance. The application took approximately 30 minutes to complete and by doing it yourself through the Australian Government Website you can save £70 per person.

The visa we are here on is the Working Holiday Visa 417. They cost $440 per person- (£275 approx depending on exchange rate). Australia has recently made changes to the visa meaning its may be slightly more difficult to get one granted depending on your job sector as they are now skilled visas. Be sure to do your research on the visa changes and restrictions.

 

Booking the flight

We booked our flights in February 2017 to leave in the July. Seemed like ages away at the time but the weeks and months soon rolled in and it was no time to we were boarding the flight.

We booked through STA Travel to a cost of £580 per person. We chose to stop of in Dubai for a few days as the flights were super long.

We flew with Emirates who have a 30kg baggage allowance, maximum weight they will allow is 32kg.

Be sure to research how much weight each airline will give you to get more bang for your buck. Our friends recently flew here with Qantas who have a baggage allowance of 2x 23kg checked on bags per person (46kg!).

 

Temporary Accommodation 

We booked to stay in an Airbnb because I couldn’t face staying in a Hostel with all my life belongings! It would be different if I was backpacking, but we had so many valuables I didn’t want to risk getting anything nicked. We booked the Airbnb for 2 weeks so we would have enough time to look for new places. The Airbnb also worked out $2 cheaper per night than what you would pay in a hostel.

 

Join Social Media Groups

Utilize social media, the Irish Around Sydney Group is incredible for jobs, housing, furniture, cars etc.

There are so many Facebook Groups and depending on which area you are going to there is a specific group you can join. (Irish Around Brisbane, Irish Around Perth, Irish Around Melbourne, Irish Around Darwin)

 

My Australian To-Do List Before Leaving Home

  • Give Notice To Workplace
  • Create a ‘Travel Folder’ to keep all your documentation together
  • Update CV for Australian Market (Resume)
  • Gather up any doctor, dentist & optician files
  • Notify Bank
    • Appoint a trusted Power of Attorney so they can access and control your funds at home.
  • Cancel Outgoing Bills
    •  Car insurance
    •  Car Tax
    •  Gym membership
    •  Automated payments/direct debits
  • Pay off phone contract
  • Pay off any debits (Student Overdraft)
  • Compile important documents and make photocopies
    •  Passport
    •  Visa Confirmation
    •  Birth Certificate
    •  Driving Licence
    •  Qualifications
    •  Employment References
    •  Bank Statement
    • P60 from Employer
    • Travel & Health Insurance 
  •  Print a hardcopy of hotel/ Airbnb bookings and any transportation confirmation.

 

The remainder of the things listed were completed when we arrived in Sydney.

 

Sim Cards

We bought pay-as-you-go sim cards and topped them up with $40. We chose ‘BOOST’ network as it had the best offering on Data.

 

Bank Account

We made our way to the ANZ Bank and set ourselves up with individual accounts, a joint bank account and our Superannuation. Our reasoning behind the joint bank account is due to sponsorship. We have no idea if we want to stay a second year yet but we are keeping our options open and if one of us gets sponsored, the other can go De Facto (basically means a couple can use the same sponsorship). In order to do so you need to prove a genuine relationship, therefor opening the joint bank account would strengthen our proof of relationship.

Tip: Be sure to bring your passport to open your account.

 

Tax File Number 

We applied for our Tax File Numbers online as soon as we arrived using our Airbnb’s address. It took one week to arrive.

Tip: When filling out your TFN form with your new employer, the answer to the “Are you a resident for tax purposes?”question is ‘Yes’. Answering ‘No’will result in higher taxes and you are not breaking any rules by selecting ‘Yes’, so you may as well avail of a lower tax rate.

 

Transport

You will need to get an Opal card. It makes getting around super easy and cheap. You simply tap-on and tap-off public transport with a pre-loaded card. You can purchase the cards for $2 in most shops and then you top it up. You can download the app and register your card, if you ever lose it your balance will be transferred to a new card. The app also allows you to top up your card and set up a direct debit meaning no more queuing at peak times to top it up in the stations.

When on a working holiday visa you can drive on a full driving license until your 12 months runs out, I have heard a few people say its only 3 months, but according to the government website legally you can drive until you get residency.

 

Medicare

We went to the Medicare Centre and filled out the forms, presenting our passports, visas and utility bills with home addresses.

We are both holders of Irish Passports but we technically reside in the UK so we do qualify for MediCare. All we had to do was prove that we resided in the UK with letters stating our home address (utility bills, counterpart of driving licence).

Tip: Bring a few different letters with your home address along with your passport and visa.

 

Transferring Money

We used an app called TransferWise to get our cash from our Home accounts to our OZ accounts. Our banks were giving us crappy exchange rates and charging fees for international transfers.

Tip- Be sure to bring your card reader if your bank has issued you one, otherwise its impossible to make large transfers to TransferWise.

 

Getting a House

We got our house through the ‘Irish Around Sydney’ Facebook group. In Australia you pay a bond which is similar to a security deposit. Our rental bond was $1950 so you do need to factor this into your budget.

Rent is shown per week. Make sure you consider the monthly rent, which is the price per week times 52 weeks divided by 12 months. (i.e. our rent is $500 per week which actually works out at $2167 per month, so its really over $500 per week).

 

Equipping Our Room

Thankfully our house was fully furnished except for a bed. We ordered our bed from Tommy Swiss which is a relatively cheap website. We got our King Size bed frame and mattress delivered for just under $500.

As for all our other pieces; candles, photo frames, mats, towels, bed sheets, quilt, pillows, makeup organisers etc we bought them all from KMart for around $350.

 

Uber

If you haven’t already got it, download the Uber app for Taxi journeys.

 

Shopping 

We generally do our groceries in Coles as it is cheaper than the majority of the other supermarkets.

I definitely recommend picking up a few bits in Primark before you leave (especially underwear and swimwear) because even the cheap underwear here isn’t that cheap & it’s not overly cute.

Oh, and teabags- take your fave. My mummy packed me some Punjana and there is nothing quite like a tea from home.

 

 

I hope this blogpost helps anyone who is buying a one-way-ticket! If you are moving soon check out my stages of emotion blog, maybe you will be able to relate!  I will have future blog posts soon on recommendations on what to do, where to go & where to eat around Sydney!

Shoot me a message if you have any further questions and I will be happy to help.

Lots of love,

GemKen x