Sydney is a great place to learn to surf. You can learn to surf literally across the road from your hostel. Or you could have a surf tour pick you up from your hostel and take you over sand dunes to an uncrowded beach just out of Sydney. Finally, you can even take a 5 day tour from Sydney to Byron Bay that stops at many beaches along the way.

All schools cater for first time surfers and will provide you with surfboards and wetsuits.

Learn To Surf Near Your Hostel

If you want a couple of 2 hour lessons, there are plenty of surf schools near the main hostel areas:

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Famous Australian Wines

Wine tours in the Hunter Valley (2.5 hours drive) are a great way to sample famous Australian wines in a truly beautiful part of the world.

You’ll get to sample legendary drops such as Lindemans, Hardy’s and McGuigan.

Day Trip From Sydney In A Luxury Mercedes Minivan

If you’ve got access to a car, you can drive to the Hunter and back in a day. If you’d rather join a tour, you can hook up with outfits such as Boutique Wine Tours. You’ll be picked up from your hotel and driven to the Hunter in a luxury Mercedes minivan. We’re talking TV, fridge and leather seats.

Photo: Krossbow

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I’ve got two questions for you:

1) Are you interested in a short working holiday in Australia?

2) Do you have a passport from one of the following countries: Belgium, Canada, Republic of Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan or the United Kingdom?

If you answered yes to both questions, you should read on, as this is the working holiday visa for you! (If you have a passport from the United States of America, Chile, Thailand or Turkey, you should look into this visa instead).

Photo: GaryT70

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You’ll need some form of travel insurance for Australia. This is because health care will not be free if something untoward should happen to you.

Travel insurance for Australia will usually also protect you against theft of your credit cards, digital camera or other personal belongings.

There are some minor health concessions for certain passport holders when visiting Australia, but you’d still do well to take out a regular travel insurance policy.

Photo: WMY

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Here’s how you get to Sydney’s 5 main tourist accomodation areas (Bondi Beach, Coogee Beach, Kings Cross, Manly Beach and the city centre) by public transport.

Bondi Beach Public Transport

There are frequent direct buses (e.g. the 333 or the 380) to Bondi Beach from the following locations: Bondi Junction, the city centre and North Bondi. There are connecting trains at Bondi Junction and the city centre.

There are no trains or ferries to Bondi Beach.

Photo: Matt Ryall

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The Best Time To Visit Sydney Is…

Sydney has great weather for 9 months of the year, from August until April, although the best months are November until February inclusive. January and February are the best months for outdoor festivals and events (many of these are listed on the Free Things To Do In Sydney page).

How Hot Is A Sydney Summer?

In summer (December to February), the average temperatures are in the mid teens to the mid twenties if you measure in degrees Celsius. If you use Fahrenheit this equates to a range from the low sixties to the high seventies.

Photo: Jimmy Harris

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5 ways to snare cheap flights from London (Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Stansted) to Sydney.

1. Look Online For New Seats Just After Midnight

At midnight, most airlines will clear out any tickets from their system that have been booked but not paid for by the due date. So a few minutes past 12 (in the time zone of the airline’s head office), you may find some new seats for sale that weren’t there at 11:59.

2. Take Advantage Of “Secret Sales”

Although it can be tempting to ask travel agents to book it all for you, the truth is that sometimes airlines need to get rid of seats urgently, yet cannot advertise this fact to avoid looking bad.

Photo: Shayan

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The two best downtown Sydney hostels are Sydney Central YHA and the Wake Up! Sydney Central. Which of these Sydney hostels should you stay in? This article help you answer that question.

Sydney Central YHA

The Sydney Central YHA is the second-largest youth hostel in the world - over 500 travellers can sleep under its roof. While this can feel a little impersonal, there are several little areas within the hostel designed to help you meet fellow travellers.

For example, there is an excellent rooftop terrace at the Sydney Central YHA. It features a heated swimming pool, a sauna, and barbecues to cook some snags (that’s sausages for those who don’t speak Australian) in the summer.

There are also lounges and common rooms on each floor of the Sydney Central YHA, so you can chill out on sofas with fellow travellers or watch the latest episode of Home And Away on TV.

Finally, there is a great bar at the Sydney Central YHA (the “Scubar”) where you can drink some great Aussie and imported beers and dance the night away.

Rooms and bathrooms at the Sydney Central YHA are kept clean and well-maintained. The prices for dorm rooms are $28-33 AUD for a dorm room, which is a little more expensive than other hostels, but probably well worth the extra money.

Sydney Central YHA is a security building and is located directly opposite Sydney Central train and bus terminus, so you’ll have a minimum distance to haul your backpack. Address: Corner of Pitt St and Rawson Place, Sydney (Opposite Central Station).

Wake Up! Sydney Central

The Wake Up! Sydney Central is another 500-bed monster opposite Sydney Central train and bus terminus in the heart of Sydney’s downtown. Like the Sydney Central YHA, the Wake Up! Sydney Central can feel a little impersonal, but they certainly try their best to get you to meet people!

For example, you could join the hostel’s pub crawl, the “Route 69″, or turn up to one of the hostel’s in-house parties at the “Side Bar”. You might just find yourself living up to the hostel’s slogan when you “wake up next to someone new”!

The facilities at the Wake Up! Sydney Central are quite good. The kitchen is a little small for a hostel of this size, but the dorm rooms are clean and friendly, and are priced from $27 AUD a night. High-speed internet access is available, and there is also an in-house cafe.

The Wake Up! Sydney Central is located only footsteps from Sydney Central train and bus station and thus you will have a minimum distance to carry your bags. The sheer size of the hostel also means you are likely to

find a bed (except in December and January when you are highly advised to book ahead). Address: 509 Pitt St, Sydney (Opposite Central Station).

Which Hostel Is Best?

Both the Sydney Central YHA and the Wake Up! Sydney Central are excellent Sydney hostels. The Sydney Central YHA probably wins out if you like the idea of having a swimming pool in your hostel, although it is marginally more expensive. Both Sydney hostels are a lot of fun if you don’t mind the slightly impersonal feel, and you’re sure to meet a lot of people at both of these Sydney hostels.

Want more Sydney hostel reviews? Check out Hostel Bookers:

Sydney Hostels

If you’ve been wondering how to get an Australian mobile phone, it’s easy. Read on to find out how.

The great thing about Australian mobile phones is that you never pay to receive calls. You only pay to make calls.

Let’s look at the different carriers in Australia as well as their prepaid and post-paid offers.

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Checklist For Applying For A Student Visa For Australia

You will need to apply and be accepted by an Australian university before you can apply for your student visa.

Once you have your acceptance letter, here’s what you will need:

Photo: Anthony Kelly

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