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Should I Travel Alone or In A Group?

It seems to be an age old argument with Australian working holiday travel – should I travel alone or in a group?

Well, I’m glad I asked.

There are positives and negatives for both options and, ultimately, it is a personal decision whether you travel alone or with a more organised group.

When making this decision, that could completely shape the adventure you are about to embark on, you have to consider many things.

This isn’t a post trying to change your mind. If you are dead set on coming to Australia alone, I’m sure you’ll have an absolute blast! If you are thinking of coming to Australia as part of a group, here is why we offer a service that you won’t soon forget.

Relax!

The beauty of an UltimateOz tour is that it’s hassle free. Especially when moving to Australia long term, there’s a lot of niggly paperwork and processes to go through. If it’s your first long-term trip abroad, it is much more reassuring to have an experienced guide.

You will have nothing to worry about, we do this stuff for a living. You’ll arrive in Australia and we already have the information we need to get the paperwork you need sorted.

Booking your arrival week in Australia with us allows you to take a load off. If you are planning on staying in Australia for a prolonged period, we can help with all the boring bits that everyone would rather not have to go through. We apply for tax file numbers (which let you work in Australia), bank accounts and mobile phone numbers so as soon as you arrive in Australia you are ready to hit the ground running.

It is a strange thing moving to a country thousands of miles from home on your own. Some people thrive in the uncertainty, the not knowing what comes next. Others like a little more structure and that is what we offer.

We provide the tour, we aren’t an agency so you know what you are getting with us and you know where to look for any other help and advice that you need. There is no need for the middle man and you can contact us directly.

We are here for however long you’ll be here. If you finish your UltimateOz week and want to move to Melbourne, we are a phone call or email away. Want to head north, look for farm work or find a place in Sydney? Give us a shout. Even if you just want to come in for a chat and some wifi head to our shop and relax.

Speaking of WIFI….

It’s a tough mother to find in Australia. Aside from the fried goodness of McDonalds, free wifi is difficult to come by but UltimateOz travellers are given access to free wifi in our shop.

Of course, no-one books a life-altering trip just to spend time checking your Tweets, but it is nice to know you’ve got somewhere to fall back on wifi if you need to email your mum every once in a while so she’s knows you are still alive.

Did We Just Become Best Friends?!

UltimateOz is a great way to meet people. Whether you’re the most confident person that walks into a room or a little on the shy side, our groups are a great way to get together with like-minded people.

Having moved to Australia from England a year and a half ago, it was more difficult meeting people than I had expected. You have hostel buddies, people you make idle chit-chat with over breakfast or go out for a few too many beers with, but friendship is harder to find.

With UltimateOz, you can meet your group before you leave for Australia using our Facebook Groups. Everyone is in the same situation before they leave for Australia and by meeting the group first, you can see where people are coming from and where they have been before.

The group size of UltimateOz is kind of a perfect middle ground. The groups aren’t too big or small, you can get to know everyone during the week and spend enough time together to get to know one another well.

No two groups are the same so don’t think you are too young or old to come and enjoy an Ultimate week in Australia. As long as you are fun, open-minded and willing to meet other people then you are good to go!

When the week is over, many of our group members either travel together or move in together in Sydney. Whether you want to travel by campervan or Greyhound, we can help you and there is probably someone in your group that wants to do something similar.

UltimateOz Basecamp!

The best thing about the UltimateOz experience is that you are able to see more than just Sydney. While Sydney is an incredible city, one that has a habit of drawing you in, it is good to get a feel for somewhere else in your first week in the country.

After each group draws to a close, 9 times out of 10 the highlight has been UltimateOz Basecamp – our secret hideaway where you spend 2-nights during your first week. It’s paradise! Golden sands and crystal clear waters, dolphins playing in the water and koalas sleeping in the trees – its awesome!

While Basecamp only lasts a couple of days, it gives you a taste of what is to come on the East Coast of Australia, and it is close enough to Sydney that you won’t spend a day on the coach to get there and back.

Us Vs Them

In case you haven’t already Googled this – we aren’t the only people offering a welcome week in Australia. Let’s get down to brass tacks, why should you choose UltimateOz over competitors?

It all boils down to what we offer and how we provide the service. When in Sydney, you stay in the best hostel in the city (WakeUp!) and then head off on the amazing Basecamp in Port Stephens.

We focus on group activity. Many providers of similar tours have a heavy focus on the paperwork side of things – they help you get settled and then leave you to it. While we are fine with this if it is your choice, we want to give you a first week in Sydney that you’ll never forget and the reviews speak for themselves!

The job service we provide (more on that later) is an award winner and helps thousands of travellers a year find work right the way across Australia. We also have staff dedicated to help finding you work – they will help with your CV and applications making you the strongest possible candidate for any work you go for.

If you are just here for the fun times and travelling, we are more than capable of helping with that too – discounts anyone?!

Experience

UltimateOz has been around for 22 years and has seen the changing tourism industry in Australia. The company is not just a flash in the pan, make money quick deal, we really know our stuff.

One of the best things about UltimateOz is that we have been there, and done it all. I’m a backpacker myself and have been in Australia for just over 12-months. The rest of our work and travel gurus are a mixture of working holiday visas and sponsored workers from across the globe with a couple of Aussies thrown in for good measure!

We’ve all had to make those tough decisions – To farm or not to farm? Where to go and when to go? Where to live and how to find an apartment? How much tax should you be paying and how do you claim it back?

Our experience is here, so use it!

Whether you want to work first and then travel or vice-versa is completely fine. There is no right or wrong way to travel, Fraser Island will still be there in 3 weeks or 3 months. Do what is right for you and let other’s do the same.

A word of warning, you will get those massive pangs of Facebook jealousy. If your fellow UltimateOzers head straight up the Coast and you decide to work in Sydney for a few months, they’ll be exploring tropical paradise and you’ll be working a normal job.

Don’t let this put you off Sydney, Melbourne or any other Australian city though. Each has their own character and are filled with things to do and see – it just probably won’t sound as impressive as scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef!

Working

We help to prepare you for your time in Australia with our work and travel information talk. This gives you all the different options at your disposal, whether you want to hit the road or stay a little while, we have all the information you need.

If you’re heading to Australia looking for work, we’ll help you with your CV and job applications, and you’ll have access to our extensive backpacker job database. Many people arrive in Australia expecting work easily, and we don’t want to sugarcoat this: it is more difficult than people expect to find work in Australia, so a little help is always handy.

Don’t let this put you off, hundreds of thousands of travellers find work in Australia each year (myself included), just remember that it isn’t easy finding work. With our TAW service, we can help you along the way wherever you want to settle in Australia.

My Story

In the interests of full disclosure, I came to Australia without a tour group. I have family in Sydney and my interest in Australia was from a ‘living somewhere else’ mindset than an ‘let’s put the backpack on and see where I end up’ way of thinking.

I’d been to Sydney before and I absolutely love it, so I wanted to spend as much time as possible in the city. I’ve traveled the East Coast, done my farm work and am on my second year visa. I’ve been to Melbourne a few times too and I loved it there as well and a trip to Tasmania is on the horizon.

For me, with my mindset and family connections, it was a no-brainer to come alone. I wouldn’t change my decision but having worked at Ultimate Travel for over 6 months, I have seen how awesome the UltimateOz experience is. You might think that this is only a week long experience but it totally isn’t.

People stay in touch with us right the way through their time in Australia, whether they need help with travel plans or finding work or they just want to chat through their options with someone who has been in a similar position.

If you do decide to embark on your adventure alone, we’re still here to help! Come in to our shop and say hi, ask us questions on Facebook and Twitter, follow us on Instagram. We are here to help and we actually mean that!

If you arrive in Australia and all isn’t going well, don’t hesitate to contact us! We can help you with the paperwork, the tough decisions and the fun stuff too!

Whether you come alone or with us or anyone else, Australia is a great place to live, work and travel. The UltimateOz group gives you the best of all three (and wifi to boot), so what are you waiting for?!

Make a decision and get the hell over here!!

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How To Spend Your Tax Refund?

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…no, not Christmas – tax refund time!

If you are a backpacker and have been in Australia for more than six months and have paid tax, obviously, it is time to organise your tax refund!

Tax refund you say, what exactly is that?

Well, it is quite simple really. As a backpacker in Australia you are eligible to claim any tax you have paid to the Australian government during the last tax year. The average tax refund for a backpacker in Australia is $2600.

Let that sink in for a minute….$2600……

Imagine what you could do with $2600!!!!

Tax is one of those scary words that makes you feel like you’ve done something wrong even when you haven’t – like ‘airport security’ or when your Mum used to shout at you and say your middle name – but tax doesn’t have to be terrifying!

We at UltimateOz highly recommend (and use ourselves) Taxback.com. As a tax refund service for backpackers they are second-to-none. They deal with thousands of backpacker returns each year and this year are sweetening the pot even more. This year, those wonderful people at Taxback.com are giving three lucky people the chance to win $1500!

What to do with all this hard earned cash – well, you came to the right place for inspiration!

1) Ultimate Thailand

How about a little plug…I mean, an awesome trip to Thailand!?

Seriously though, Ultimate Thailand is an amazing experience in one of the best, most hospitable countries for travellers.

Now that the military situation has calmed down, you have nothing to worry about on a trip to Thailand and our Ultimate Thailand trip gives you a ‘best of’ tour of one of the most fun countries anywhere in the world!

Fancy a few days in Bangkok? Done. How about a trip to the jungle? Got it. Some of the most amazing beaches in the world? Check. Full Moon Party? Of course!

For $849 for the tour, with flights on top, you could have an amazing, 10-day tour of Thailand and still have over $1000 to spend while you are there or when you get back!

2) Fiji

How does a trip to paradise sound?

No seriously, Google ‘Fiji’ right now and have a flick through some pictures. I’ll give you a couple of minutes….

Ready?

For flights to Fiji, keep your eyes on the usual sites and find the cheapest fare you can. Once you’re over there, you can choose from a few tours you can book directly with us at Ultimate Travel.

Awesome Adventures offer an amazing experience and we at Ultimate Travel get some great rates on one of the best tours Fiji has to offer. Spend nearly two weeks travelling to six, gorgeous islands, meeting locals and travellers alike and snorkel and scuba-dive to your hearts content.

If you head there from May to October, you have a great chance of swimming with manta rays too which is an unbelievable experience. The rays are huge, graceful and like nothing you’ll ever see gliding through the water.

3) Nullarbor Traveller

This one is certainly off the radar a little. Australia has its highlights – the East Coast, Uluru, The Great Barrier Reef etc – but it also has its unsung heroes, and this journey from Adelaide to Perth (or vice versa) is about as unsung as it gets.

Very, very few people travel the south west of the country, around the Great Australian Bight and along the longest straight road in Australia across the Nullarbor Plain – which literally translates to treeless land.

It might sound a bit boring but this tour is an unbelievable experience. Swim with dolphins, tuna, seals and great white sharks, take a trip across a coastline as beautiful as the Great Ocean Road with a fraction of the tourists, see some of the most remarkable beaches and natural landmarks in Australia and see somewhere that 90% of backpackers wouldn’t even dream of visiting.

Nullarbor Traveller have various options for exploring this amazing area. If you are looking for the trip of a lifetime that is a little more off the beaten track then this is definitely the best thing you can spend your tax refund on.

4) Skiing…With a Difference

We could rave about how awesome a weekend ski trip from Sydney is, but we’ve already done that so we’ll show you something a little different.

This one is a a little further afield than the snowfields of New South Wales and Victoria as it takes in the South Island of New Zealand. On the Haka Tours Snow Safarirel=”nofollow”, you’ll take in six mountains over seven days in an ultimate skiing adventure.

If just hitting the slopes is not a big enough thrill for you, how does heli-skiing sound?! Haka Tours offer a great rate for heli-skiing which ticks the adrenalin and awesome boxes. You can also do the usual/unusual New Zealand stuff – bungee jumping, canyon swinging, paragliding etc – and the guides hunt out the best powder on each mountain.

The views are incredible, the slopes are incredible – the whole damn thing is incredible!!

5) Northern Aboriginal Experience

When travellers come to Australia, it is rare that they get to experience a true, Australian way of life. I’m not talking about doing some farm work in the Outback, spending time at a cattle station or in a small town, I’m talking about an indigenous experience with an Aboriginal tribe.

G Adventures offer an amazing experience north of Cairns where you get to see the history and culture of Australia’s first people. You spend your three day tour learning about the Aboriginal way of life, their history and culture and the skills they have utilised to survive in Australia for thousands of years.

The highlight of the first day of the tour is a spear-fishing experience with your Aboriginal guides as you eat what you catch before bedding down under the stars. Other amazing, truly once-in-a-lifetime experiences on the tour include a meeting with an Aboriginal elder who will detail the history of his tribe and explain the creation story of the Aboriginal people – known as ‘Dreamtime.’

You will also learn about Aboriginal art and survival techniques and have a four-wheel drive experience through the rainforests of Far North Queensland. This is really more of an experience than a tour and is a phenomenal way to see a side of Australia that seems to be slowly disappearing.

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How about it then? Fancy an adventure courtesy of the Australian tax man? Of course you could be really sensible and save the cash, pay off the inevitable travelling debts…but who wants to be sensible?!

What will you do with your tax back? Got any trips planned or doing something a little more responsible? Let us know in the comments below and on Facebook!

P.S. Let the Ultimate Travel crew know if you are one of those lucky three winners!

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A Weekend in the Snow at Thredbo!

It’s pretty much the total opposite of everything you expect when you think of Australia but the snow has arrived and it’s time to get the skis on!

There are ski resorts in Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory with several easily accessible from Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra.

We at Ultimate Travel want to make sure that you get the best of every experience you undertake in Australia so what better way to find out if you should embark on an Australian skiing trip than to take one ourselves!!? Well, taking two!

We hardy Ultimate Travel lot only do these things in your best interest and can honestly say that a winter weekend away to the slopes is one of the best things you can do whilst you are in Oz!

A few ski companies travel between Sydney and the snowfields of New South Wales but by far our favourites are Oz Snow and Mojo. We travelled with both of these great companies and had the best weekends possible!

As we work to the bone during the week, we travelled down to the Snowy Mountains on Friday night but if you are more flexible with your travel plans, head down during the week and save yourself some money and enjoy the slopes when they are way less crowded.

We went with Oz Snow first so we’ll tell you all about that one to start!

We left Central Station at about 5pm on Friday night and made our way down to Jindabyne, where we’d be staying for the weekend. It is a looong coach trip, about 6 hours traffic and weather dependent, so make sure you are prepared.

The coach makes two stop offs, the first one ten minutes into the journey for a quick run to the bottle shop and the second about mid way through for a McDonald’s – only the essentials!

Once you arrive at the Snowy Valley Resort, you are quickly ushered into the ski hire area to collect your boots and gear before checking into your room for a nights sleep. The rooms are pretty nice, we stayed in a six bed share but there is also an option for a private, double room too. Most importantly, the rooms stay warm and have pretty good heating for when you need it most!

The next morning, breakfast is served from 6am until the bus leaves for the slopes at 8am. You can choose between a Perisher or Thredbo lift pass and this weekend, we chose Thredbo. Once we arrived at the slope, those that had lessons headed to meet their instructors whilst the more experienced headed to the slopes!

We were there early in season and only two lifts were open to the public. This has changed over the last couple of weeks as both Perisher and Thredbo have had a huge snowstorm with over a metre of snow covering both resorts.

Whether you have enjoyed winter sports before or whether this would be your first time, a weekend in the snow in so much fun. Starting with a lesson, which ranges from absolute beginner to those with more experience with a little less confidence, you will be well on your way to mastering the art of either snowboarding or skiing.

You will fall over (many, many times) but that only makes your success even better! Personally, I’d had an hour on a snowboard before heading to Thredbo. I had a great lesson with an incredibly patient instructor and then went for it with the more experienced members of the UltimateOz crew and never looked back. I wasn’t doing backflips or anything, but I had prolonged periods of balance which I was proud of!

The snow fun may be the reason you choose Thredbo but the River Inn is why you stay. Ah, the joys of aprés-ski! We head for lunch at the River Inn and some of us make it back onto the slopes after but others just cannot get enough of the atmosphere!

Once the stragglers return from their afternoon enjoyment, the fun begins! A band starts playing early in the afternoon and, it might be the booze talking, but they are really good. They play some solid hits and the drinks flow into the evening.

Sadly, our bus is leaving for our trip back to the resort. That merely puts the fun on hold as we get back, get some food and clean ourselves up before heading to the on-site club for happy hour!

A great night was had by all – or we’re pretty sure it was, we can’t really remember.

The next morning, we drag ourselves up for breakfast before heading back to the slopes. The Snowy Valley Resort has a pool and jacuzzi too, so if you need a little bit of a relax, they’ve got you covered.

The temperature dipped considerably overnight and the higher runs have frozen over which is a real shame but there is still fun to be had. The beginner slope is still open, which gives some much needed practice time! It is a stunning day though, blue skies without a cloud in them, perfect weather for an explore around Thredbo.

Some of our group head to Australia’s highest restaurant, The Eagles Nest, and the spectacular views on offer.  After a heap of photos and some Frozen inspired fun, we meet the rest of the group in the River Inn for a final beer.

It is back on the bus for the dart back to the Snowy Valley Resort, a quick change and a sausage sizzle and back on the bus as soon as possible for the long journey back to Sydney. The way back is a lot quieter than the way down as sore heads are rested before we arrive back at Central at about 10pm.

The snow, the trails and the runs might not be as spectacular as the Alps or Aspen but it is a seriously fun couple of days away. We took some absolute beginners and some seasoned pros and both loved the trip with no injuries to report – apart from some serious hangovers.

Australia may not be famed for its snow but for a traveller based in Sydney or Melbourne the winter fun of the ski slopes should be taken into serious consideration. The Oz Snow crew are amazing and if you are interested in booking a trip – get in touch with us and get ready for one of the best trips you’ll have in Australia!

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Seven Natural Wonders of Australia

When you come to Australia, you don’t just want to take the standard photos.

“Here I am with the Opera House.”

“That’s me next to a kangaroo/holding a koala.”

“I don’t remember taking that photo, I think goon was involved.”

The bog-standard snaps of your amazing Australian adventure just will not cut it, you’ve got to go the extra mile and these seven natural wonders of Australia are the perfect places to pack an album, and learn something about yourself in the process.

Australia is one of the most naturally beautiful places on earth. When many think of the country, they see red dirt, desert and not much else but Australia offers so much more, so much in fact that keeping this list to seven places is nearly impossible!

There are several, incredible parts of the Australian landscape that couldn’t make the list. From the Pinnacles desert of Western Australia, as the rock formations rise out of the sand, to the pink lake of Lake Hillier.

Kangaroo Island in South Australia is another amazing place. Packed with native species such as fur seals, koalas, platypus and (obviously) kangaroos, the island is a haven for nature off the southern Australian coast.

The Bungle Bungles of the Northern Territory are as cool as they sound. A crazy rock formation in that makes the ground look like it is a moving wave – it is another site not to be missed.

So, what did make our list of the seven natural wonders of Australia? Without further ado….

1) The Great Barrier Reef, Queensland

It had to be number one. It is the largest living thing on Earth and stretches nearly the entire coast of Queensland. The Reef is home to thousands of species of fish, mammals and coral and is one of the best diving sites in the world.

The Great Barrier Reef is accessible from several stops on the Queensland coast with Cairns being the easiest spot to take a dive or snorkel trip. A full day on the reef is a must-do, and if you get the chance to scuba dive – even if you have never done it before – you have to give it a go!

2) Uluru, Northern Territory

Another must on any list of natural wonders in Australia, Uluru is one of the most sacred sites in Australia for many Aboriginal groups and really is a sight to behold.

The biggest monolith in the world is one of the lasting images of Australia and a trip to Uluru offers an outback experience that is totally unique to Australia.

A trip to Uluru has to be taken for a minimum of three days and the longer you can spend there the better as The Rock is only one of the amazing natural sights in this area of the Northern Territory. You need to see Uluru at either sunrise or sunset (preferably both) so bear that in mind on any trip you are thinking of booking and be prepared for your jaw to hit the floor!

One of our travel legends Max recently visited Uluru and you can read all about his trip here.

3) Cradle Mountain, Tasmania

About a fifth of Tasmania is World Heritage listed by the United Nations and over 40% of the island state is National Park or Wilderness. Tasmania is pretty much the epitome of natural beauty.

It is tough to pick just one place in Tasmania to make this list – the Bay of Fires is an awe-inspiring coastline, Wineglass Bay is  world-class and the Franklin River is an adventure in itself – but Cradle Mountain makes the list.

Cradle Mountain – Lake St. Clair National Park looks like it has come straight from Middle Earth by way of Westeros and it is the start or end point of one of the monster hikes of Australia – the Overland Track. While it may not be everyone’s idea of fun, a 65km hike over a mountain sounds a little too strenuous to me, the Overland Track attracts 8000 hikers a year from the world over. If you don’t fancy a five day slog, there are much smaller walks, with awe-inspiring lookouts to take your fancy.

The pictures of Tasmania speak a thousand words and if natural beauty, great food and wine and a whole heap of animals are your thing – speak to one of our travel experts and book yourself a trip!

4) Daintree Rainforest, Queensland

The most ancient rainforest in the world, the Daintree of Far North Queensland is another spot of beauty around Cairns. A rainforest is a strange thing if you’ve never been to one and definately something worth checking out if you are planning a trip to Cairns for the Great Barrier Reef.

Giant trees and lush rainforest skirt the coast with crazy animals like the very rare Southern Cassowary calling the Daintree home – it feels like something out of Avatar!

Port Douglas, an hour north of Cairns, is the perfect starting place to explore the Daintree and many tour companies offer day or overnight trips to the rainforest where you can see some of the rarest creatures in Australia!

5) Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory

One of the most exquisite and untouched areas of Australia, Kakadu National Park, is like another world!

The size of a country in itself, Kakadu is a maze of waterfalls, crocodiles and awesome views and has to be seen to be believed!

Trips leave from Darwin and we recently sent one of our finest travel experts to explore the area and she confirmed what we have long though – Kakadu is not to be missed.

6) Twelve Apostles, Victoria

One of the finest road trips in the world can be found on the Victorian coast along the Great Ocean Road and the Twelve Apostles are the highlight of the trip.

Just off the craggy Victorian coast there are actually only eight apostles left so get to Victoria quick before anymore fall! Erosion made the 45m rocky stacks and it is also felling them with no-one knowing how long the other stacks will last.

Several tour companies operate in the Area or you can speak with one of our experts about hiring a campervan and touring the Great Ocean Road with your mates!

7) Fraser Island, Queensland

Ah, Fraser Island. Every backpackers favourite adventure on the East Coast.

The biggest sand island in the world is an incredible place to visit, a big slice of wilderness just off the Queensland coast and a rite of passage for any backpacker.

Whether you stay overnight or just for the day, Fraser Island cannot be missed. The beautiful freshwater lakes of the island, and the crystal clear Eli Creek are highlights and four wheel driving around the island is an adrenalin rush like no other.

If you are camper-vanning down the coast, you can securely park your van before exploring the island as only four wheel drive vehicles are allowed on the island, you’ll find out why as soon as you arrive!

Keep your eyes peeled for dingoes as they roam the island and make sure your camera has a full-battery – you’ll take a lot of photos!

If you want to book any trips to anywhere on the list (and you should want to book all of them!), get in touch with one of our Ultimate Travel gurus and we help you with all your travel needs!

Where is your favourite natural spot in Australia? Crazy for the Blue Mountains or Phillip Island? Let us know in the comments below!

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