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Why Skydiving Is A MUST DO On Your Gap Year

 

Those Who Don’t Skydive Will Never Fly!

There are only so many times I can hear stories of other backpackers doing their skydives before booking another one myself! I was lucky enough to do a skydive in Taupo, New Zealand a few years ago but couldn’t resist doing another one in Sydney. That amazing adrenaline rush is truly addictive and I’d heard about how good the Sydney skydive is, with amazing views of the coastline. Here’s why skydiving is one of the best things you’ll do on your gap year…

Getting ready

Skydiving over beautiful Wollongong, will be a memory for life.  The views of the coastline (reaching as far south as Manly!) were breathtaking and as I knew it would be, the feeling of jumping out of a plane at 14,000ft was incredible – it took my breath away. It was Friday morning and time for me and my best friend to go skydiving – we were so excited! It was her first time skydiving and she was surprisingly calm – maybe she’d heard from me how the feeling of flying takes over from being scared. We just couldn’t wait to jump! The bus picked us up from WakeUp hostel in Sydney and drove us to Wollongong (the skydive destination), only one hour away from Sydney. Once we arrived, we got assigned to one of the crew at Skydive Australia who gave us a safety briefing, and gave us our skydive overalls to wear…sexy! I was jumping with a Swedish skydive instructor who had been jumping for almost 23 years – what a job! He was great and made me even more excited to jump. The crew at Skydive Australia were awesome!

 

Up, up, and away

It doesn’t really hit you that you’ll be jumping out of a plane at 14,000ft until you’re actually up in the air in the plane and it just keeps going higher and higher! We looked at each other with a big smile, let’s do this! The plane climbed for a bit and after 15 minutes we look out from the window and realised how high it was! It was time to open the door and start jumping! The door on the plane is lifted and there’s a light that goes from red…to amber….to green – AND JUMP! Skydiving in Australia is the best experience

 

Now I’m freeeee, free fallin’!

It’s hard to tell people if the free fall or parachute part was best, since they’re such different feelings. When you first jump you have that ‘OMG’ experience. You have no control and no time to think anything apart from ‘WOW..this is amazing!’ It is an absolutely breathtaking experience and one that you’ve probably never experienced before, until you’ve done something like this! Most people think it feels like you’re falling, but I would describe it more as the feeling as flying. It’s an incredible, unique experience. Jumping out of the plane for my skydive was amazing

 

Cruising back down

After around 45 seconds of free fall that literally flies by, the parachute opens and you start drifting though the sky. This part is more relaxing (which isn’t difficult after that adrenaline experience!) and you have more time to enjoy the beautiful views over the coastline. After taking a minute to breathe out the adrenaline from the free fall my instructor asked me if I wanted to take over the control, and so I did! He taught me how to pull left to spin left, right to spin right, and push hard down to slow down (which I did just once, to try as the rest of the time I wanted to go as fast as possible)! To get to most out of the experience I asked my instructor to take over the control again, it’s intoxicating and just so good! Straight after landing, I just wanted to do the whole thing again!

 

An unforgettable experience

Knowing we were in good hands made the whole experience even more enjoyable. We both had really great instructors who had so much experience, not only in skydiving, but also in helping people prepare for what’s going to happen, what to expect when you are jumping and also what you want to avoid. In my case, I told him to make this jump as crazy as possible, which I never will regret! The good news is that whilst you probably won’t remember a thing about the free fall as it all happens so quickly, you can get the whole thing filmed. I bought the video and photo package so I can go back through the pictures and re-live my jump!

 

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing…Keep calm and go skydiving!

There’s only so much I can do to explain to you how amazing skydiving feels so I guess, the only way to truly understand the feeling is to do one! Amazing views during my skydive

 

Thinking of doing a skydive? You won’t regret it!  Speak to the Ultimate Travel crew for recommendations and travel discounts. Planning a gap year to Australia or New Zealand and not sure where to start? Check out our UltimateOz gap year arrival package! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for travel inspo and pics!

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5 things nobody tells you about travelling

When people go travelling it is so easy to boast about it nowadays. Social media has given all of us a platform to post that ‘perfect philosophical” sunset pic, that “just woken up” selfie and the “I’m having the time of my life” jumping photo. Not to mention that you can just click to check-in and tell people you are in this awesome pool bar in paradise or got a free upgrade at your swanky hotel. Boasting is easy and so many of us do it. Don’t we all crave that stamp in our passport just for the bragging rights that come with it?

When I speak to people who have just been travelling (and yes I am guilty of this myself) they never ever tell you about the bad bits, the uncomfortable nights with no sleep, the dodgy tums, the strange mozzie bites. You’ll only hear about the things you’ll be jealous of. But here it is Ladies and Gents…Travelling isn’t all sunshine and rainbows! There are 5 things that I say are big points that people just don’t tell you about.


Travel is stressful!

When you go on a 2 week cruise round the Greek Islands or an all inclusive trip to Bora Bora I expect that the main desire of this holiday is to relax. Travelling isn’t very relaxing. In fact I am a firm believer of taking a holiday within your holiday. On my first Backpacking stint I spent 2 weeks in Hawaii as my holiday in my holiday and when I went to South America I went to the Galapagos Islands! The thing is with travelling you have to organise where to stay next, ask yourself ‘can I afford that ice cream in my budget?’, how do I get back from this bar, how am I going to get from A to B… Travelling is not relaxing. However it is the most rewarding thing you can do and part of the fun of travelling is learning how to look after yourself and travel independently. You learn an excessive amount about yourself and grow massively as a person. Before I went travelling I could hardly even walk into a bar on my own now I’ve done four major backpacking trips by myself!

Take a holiday within a holiday as you travel


You will get Homesick

I often think I don’t get homesick and being on the road for 7 years on and off (yes I have been home lots of times in the 7 years) I have to finally admit that I do. You might not see it coming, it’ll creep up on you in the dead of night or on your birthday or perhaps Christmas but trust me it’s going come if it hasn’t already! Most people think that homesickness means you’re crying in bed, curled up in the foetal position on the phone to your mum. It isn’t always this. Mine gets me when I’m craving gravy on my chips, or my friends organising a night out on whats app, I even get homesick when I can’t find the mascara I like over here. I don’t go and eat a whole tub of ice cream and start Googling flights home, I just get on with it. I keep myself busy and then I don’t have a chance to think of home or what I’m missing. When you first land and you want to go home in the first few days, promise me this – You will power through! Trust me when I say it’s worth it and you’ll forget about how you felt as fast as it started when you begin to experience everything!


You have to be an adult…sort of.

This is quite a abstract point. I am potentially one of the worst “adults” out there. What I mean is you have to be mature sometimes. So don’t get that drunken tattoo of your hostel’s logo or think you can cliff dive where no locals are. Perhaps I should call this one: You have to use common sense. If you have to catch a bus that you paid $230 for which leaves at 4:30am, don’t party all night…Mum isn’t there to wake you up anymore. I first went travelling when I was 18 and this whole using your common sense thing was hard because I wanted to go crazy. I partied so hard and did all these crazy things and sometimes wonder how the hell I survived or at least returned with all my arms and legs. I’m not saying have a shit time and stay in and wrap yourself in bubble wrap, I’m saying that one of the best things about travelling is fending for yourself in the big wide world and for some it’s like the first time they have really left their mothers womb. But please be cautious and do things within reason then you won’t fuck up and end up in hospital or worse…have to go home!

Stay safe when travelling and look after yourself


Travel is exhausting

People don’t tell how exhausting travelling is! Because travel is stressful (see point 1!) it makes it tiring. Again this goes back to have a holiday within your holiday! But seriously don’t forget to sit back and stop a little while. Not only does it give you a chance to catch up and rest but also to appreciate what you are doing. It’s easy to want to cram everything in with so much to see and do and so much fun to be had but you don’t have to be doing an activity all day everyday! Sometimes you need a day chilling on the beach, reading a book in the park or pigging out in front of Netflix. Reward yourself with sleep as there is not much better in life than a damn good nights sleep. If someone does come back from traveling without taking some days off here and there they will, no joke, sleep for a week.


Travel is addictive.

Plain and simple. Honestly it’s a much healthier addiction than smoking or drugs but it still catches. You go to one place and experience a crazy amount of culture, stunning landscapes and eat incredible food and that’s it, you want to go to the next place. When I was a kid I had all these dreams of things I wanted to do and zero of them have been accomplished (mainly because my plans have changed now, for the better). Once you go and make all these amazing friends and unforgettable experiences its hard not to plan the next trip and the next and the next…before you know it you’re 45 living out of a suitcase with only $3 to your name but it’s ok because you’ve got a passport full of stamps! Thinking of going travelling? Do it! Just be prepared to never be able to settle in one place after!


So there it is, the harsh truth about travelling. It’s only 5 small points and there’s no denying the negatives are well and truly worth it for that perfect sunset moment. I would do it all again just to swim with penguins once more! I mean come on…its just all about boasting and bragging isn’t it and I have plenty to brag about!


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Why is 2017 the year to travel?

Why is 2017 the year to travel?

Well the simple answer to this is “because you should travel now, no questions asked”, but that wouldn’t make very good reading now would it!

With it being the new year, yes it is still the beginning of the year, I’d like to think that many peoples resolutions were to travel more. If not to travel more then to be more spontaneous (aka to travel) or maybe to save money (aka to travel with) or perhaps to get out of your comfort zone (aka to travel). Incase you can’t tell I am no.1 supporter of travelling! So there is no time like the present to be thinking about leaving the grey colours of home, get off that sofa and see the world in technicolour.

“But I can’t afford to travel!”

Travel isn’t expensive and the myth that it is needs to piss off now, please. I could be super cringey here and say something like ‘the memories you will make will be priceless’ but I don’t want to take this down that philosophical route. But flights are super cheap at the moment, especially when you think about what you get, I mean those tasty meals and tiny drinks right! 😉 But seriously I read an article recently that said it takes longer to fly anywhere now than 30-40 years ago as airlines have worked out that if they fly a little slower it’ll save them on fuel and therefore be able to keep their costs down making, good news for you and me, the flights cheaper! Yea!

Countries have realised that tourism is an amazing way to get money in and budget travel, especially, is thriving as people want to travel for longer and for as little as possible. Some places we choose to travel to are a long way away from home and to make it worth your time of sitting in that cramped plane for 14 hours you will want to spend a decent amount of time there. Hence why long term budget travel is so popular. Travel has always been a competitive industry so a price can come lower if you’re prepared to do the research and put in the time and effort to find the best price. I cannot stress more though that this should be the best price for what you want. Don’t pay $10 for a hostel room expecting a lovely 6 bed dorm with an ensuite because the reality is that you’ll get a 20 bed dorm full of smelly backpackers who can’t afford to clean their clothes and steal your three-minute noodles as they can’t buy their own.

What can become expensive about travel is when you put it off for too long, because life just kind of passes you by. If you’re saving for that new car or want to get your hair done every week then the idea of travelling is going to be pretty distant and before you know it you’re married with a mortgage, 16 kids on the way and a stubborn house cat in tow. So that idea of travelling you had once ten years ago is gone and isn’t going to be an option till you become one of those super cool 70 year olds reliving their youth!

“Avoid adult life and travel like tomorrow may never come!”

2017 is the year to travel!

Travel Now!

2017 is right now, so I guess what I’m saying is TRAVEL NOW. 2016 has been and gone, it’s in the past and whether it was a good one or a bad one surely everyone wants their next year to be better! If that means swinging in to the pools of the Erawan National Park in Kanchanaburi, Thailand or watching the sun set in Halong Bay, Vietnam it could even be sipping on a cold beer while you sail past the Opera House in Sydney then do it! There’s no time like the present and the world is constantly changing and shaping so while you can see all that you can and do all that you can do, please just, do it! That so called “adult” life is going to hit you like a tonne of bricks when it comes, so in my true mantra: “Avoid adult life and travel like tomorrow may never come!”

Come at us 2017!

Ready for an adventure? Get involved in one of our epic tours in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Vietnam & more – perfect for backpackers aged 18-35!

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The 9 Types of Backpackers You’ll Meet Traveling


Backpackers you’ll meet traveling


While we often pick a place to travel based on the destinations, the iconic attractions, and the Insta-worthy monuments, our experiences are ultimately determined by the quirky and unforgettable people we meet along the way.  Although I spent majority of my time in Budapest arguing with a Hungarian doctor to stitch up my friends head, we both credit the trip as one for the books just because of the hilarious people we suffered with.  Or the time in Ireland when we stayed in an absolute dump of a hostel, but met a 44 person Gaelic football team that dragged us to a bar where the average age was a ripe 80 years old.  

So after my fair share of backpacking, I’ve noticed there tends to be a few consistent types of travellers we all meet.  Whether they’re absolute legends or just plain awkward bunkmates, you can bet you’ll meet some if not all of the following travelers:


‘The 40 year old that thinks he’s 18’ Backpacker

He’s means well, he really does.  They’ve probably just left a boring corporate job and are trying to fulfill their backpacking dreams while they still can, but when your grandpa’s look-alike is trying to tag along as your partner for the hostel’s beer pong tourny, it starts to get awkward.  


‘The Buzz Kill’

The Wet Blanket, the Debbie Downer, the Negative Nancy, whatever his/her name, they’re a mega buzzkill.  Either the city is too dirty, the sun too sunny, or the food truck only has 2 Michelin stars, but everything just subpar.  Avoid these travelers at all costs or else you’ll start seeing the once sparkling Eiffel Tower as a couple of chopsticks with some old Christmas lights thrown on.


The One Who You Have Literally No Idea How They’re Still Alive

How are they standing in front of you right now?!?  They’ve lost their passport, they have no money in their account, and haven’t slept in days but have made it from point A to point B in some sort of fashion.  I recommend to keep these kids around for a short but insane time as you’ll probably end up in the most memorable situations, but you also may end up on the side of the road 30 km from Melbourne with no cell phone signal or money… but hey, you win some you lose some.  They’re either really goddamn smooth and can charm their way into the VIP area of the most exclusive club, or they’ve made a deal with the devil for just one more night in Ibiza. God help them wherever they land.


Backpacker living life on the edge!

The Planner

The complete opposite of above.  They’ve researched the museums, they’ve booked the tours, they’ve meal prepped, and they’re ready to just go with the flow. Ha! Just kidding.  Any group needs a mama bear like this, but if you’re traveling with one (or are one), make sure to get a couple drinks in every now to take some stress off of the itinerary.


The ‘Blogger’

These travelers have a few pros and cons.  You’ll have endless amount of photos of yourself looking at sunsets and maybe even a 30 second video of the trip that took zero effort on your part.  The cons are that you’ll spend half your time watching him/her get the perfect foodie shot and the other half determining the best quote as a caption.  Hint: ‘I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list’ definitely hasn’t been overused.


The Americans/Canadians/Australians

You’ll hear them before you see them.  The only difference between the three is that one apologizes for how rowdy the other two are getting at morning mimosas (eh?). I can say it cause I am one, but travelers from one these three lovely, raucous countries will surely let you know that they’re from one of these three lovely, raucous countries.  They’re fun loving and heavy drinkers so put your party pants on for a nice long round of Cheers Governor.


The Hippie

While I always encourage people to pack light, these guys tend to take the advice to the extreme.  You can spot them with the faded jeans, heavily worn backpack, and their homemade squirrel nut grub, always up for a spiritual chat that you may or may not want to continue after the first 45 minutes.  They may be the one that has lived at the same hostel since they’ve arrived, or they may be bopping from couch to beach depending on the weather.  


The One that High-Fives the Front Desk

They know everyone at the hostel and can tell you the latest drama at between Abby and Sarah (like seriously, you didn’t hear?!).  They’re either extremely outgoing and quirky or have just been there for god knows how long.  Either way, they are, or think they are, really popular.


And the One Who’s Shaking the Top Bunk

If you know, you know.   


Can you think of any more? Let us know in the comments below!

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