Responses

Instead of responding in the comments section (which would take up a huge amount of space) I'll just reply to peoples queries in the regular text. Sorry to those of you who didn't ask, but it needs to be said.

Or something...

Anyhow, no I don't have any pictures of my new place or really any of Airlie Beach. My first Camera (an HP something-or-other) was broken on Heron Island. My second camera (Nikon S6 I think) is no longer in my possession. I won't get into it, but suffice to say, I'm gutted that I don't have it. My computer is also acting strangely, though I'm sending that to Brisbane in the next few days to get it fixed. Hopefully all will be well in the next couple weeks. Yay!

As for hostels, I've stayed in a number of them in Australia, and the best one in Sydney (in my opinion) is WakeUp! (The exclamation point is in the name, I'm not trying to shout that, I promise). It's right in the CBD close to the train station and Chinatown, it's really clean, and it caters to the backpacker who doesn't mind spending a little extra money to get comfort as opposed to simply a bed. Of course, staying in a hostel means that you're going to have to put up with 18-22 year old people from the UK coming home at all hours of the morning, and generally being stupid.

Keep in mind, of course, that I stayed in dorm rooms all the time, with 4-10 people in them. There are double rooms with ensuites and such, but I don't know how expensive they are. i've been in a handful of them, and they look really nice, but it's really not much different than a regular hotel.

I also stayed in Footprints Westend (now named Legend Has It... Westend, which is quite possibly the most ridiculous name for anything I've ever heard, outside of naming a boy Melvin). It was my favourite hostel, but only because I worked there, and I got to know a lot of my friends through that one. It's much more geared for people to socialize than WakeUp! is I think.

The other option would be the YHA Sydney Central. These 3 hostels are all within a few blocks from each other, so they're all close to everything. I didn't actually stay in the YHA and in fact, have never even set foot inside, but it's apparently really nice, and it's more for the older crowd who doesn't want to pay for a hotel in Sydney (which pretty much starts at $150/night plus a pint of blood), but also doesn't want to slum it in a 10 person dorm with the aforemention drunks from the UK.

One final note, no matter where you go in Australia, cockroaches and big "what-the-hell-was-that" spiders are a way of life. The cockroaches are just a nuisance, but they're all over the place. The spiders, on the other hand, can be dangerous. Funnel web spiders can live anywhere in the city. I've already killed a couple of them in Airlie Beach, and they just keep coming back for more. Not "Arachnaphobia" type infestations, mind you. Still, I wouldn't want one to jump on my back, cuz they've got big sharp pointy teeth and I believe they're immune to poison, radiation, ninja stars and Michael Buble.

Don't mess with them, is what I'm trying to say.