·         Those little plastic camera film containers are great for storing things. For example, you can use these as salt and pepper holders.

·         If you are someone who wouldn’t want to part with your bottle of wine even while travelling, then it is a good idea to have your own wine/bottle opener! Often you can get these as key rings. You’ll never find one in a hostel cause they’re constantly stolen.

·         Always travel with a pack of cards. It’s the best way to make friends and a lifesaver if you’re staying in a hostel with no TV.

·         A sarong has many uses. It can be used as a tablecloth during a picnic, a wrap around to protect your legs in the midday sun, a belt that keeps your trousers up, something to sit on while relaxing on the beach or in the park. Finally, by some stroke of luck, if you get a bottom bunk, you can pin your sarong under the mattress above to get a little more privacy.

·         Always have a journal with you. The stories you scribbled on it while in Singapore, tales from Thailand and recollections of amazing people and places will be what you treasure when you’re in your 50s. Consider it as the story of your travels. Your own little book!

·         You can carry detergent in a plastic water bottle. It’s both safe and convenient. Glass bottles can break creating a mess inside your bag.

·         If you have a meal at some fast food place, make full use of your trip stock up on sachets of salt, pepper, ketchup, mustard, vinegar, jam, napkins and anything else you can get for free, without getting your self arrested of course! Pulling your T-shirt out and folding it back to make a rather sizeable pouch is the best way to carry these out.

·         It is a good idea to carry a roll of toilet paper (not just ass wipe paper) with you because this can be useful in so many ways.

·         Do some homework before you leave on your trip or may be you can do this while you’re travelling, find out the population of your own country, city and any other interesting facts,. The Internet is packed with information that should have been stuffed into our heads while we were in school. You don’t want to look stupid when a foreigner asks you simple questions about home. And believe me, they will.

·         Spend some time shopping around when buying international phone cards. When ringing home, the best thing to do is to pay for the call locally rather than using a card because most likely you will end up paying a small fortune for a call that lasted only a few minutes.

·         Invest in a VIP, HI or any other type of backpacker card if you have it in mind to stay in a lot of hostels. You’d be surprised how much money you’ll save over the period of a few months. Most cards give a discount of at least a dollar/pound per night in a hostel.

·         Some hostels provide free pickups from the airport, train or bus station. Make an Email enquiry before hand and check it out, saves on taxi or bus costs. It also prevents you from fumbling around lost while carrying an enormous rucksack on your back.

·         In Most hostels they usually have a free food shelf. When you enter the kitchen in the morning, check it out! When people travel they don’t want to be saddled with extra bags of pasta that weigh them down. Refrigerators in hostels generally get cleaned out once a week; so get there while the goings good. It may sound desperate, but believe me, when you’ve been travelling long enough and finances are almost none existent, a bag of pasta could mean the difference between having dinner or staying hungry till morning.

·         Make sure you always wear a pair of cheap slippers while showering. Hundreds of people use hostel showers and I’ve heard some really bad stories about what people get up to in them.

·         Without having all your stuff inside a plastic bag, buy yourself a wash bag. No traveller will thank you for disturbing his or her sleep!

·         For them lady backpackers, at times it’s difficult to look and smell your best. If you’re feeling a little smelly or you’re visiting someplace nice for the night, get into any large department store and sample their perfume. Guys you too can do the same, tryout some nice after-shave samples that are there.

·         Often, free Internet access is available in large city libraries, and yeah libraries are also great places to spend a rainy day. You can find some info about your next destination in the travel section, may be even getting to know some hostel names and numbers.

·         Make it a habit to check out the Tourist Information Centre in the city that you are visiting. They’re the people who know what’s on for free. Many cities have free admissions or cheaper ticket days to galleries, museums and cinemas.

·         It is vital that you carry insect repellent constantly wherever you go. If you have been stung and tend to react badly then take some anti-histamine; that will calm your bites right down!

·         And keep in mind that; you perhaps will never get an opportunity like this again…travelling expands the mind. Teaches you many things that remain with you forever. You see things you couldn’t have even imagined and meet people that are so strangely fascinating. So talk to everyone you meet, learn as much as you can about what and who surrounds you each day, laugh lots, forget about the financial debt you are getting into and get to know who you really are! This is your time-out to live the way you want and be who you always knew you could be!

Between mid May and early August they travel north to give birth and mate at this time of year they tend to swim at 4-5 knots (5-9km/h) and will have frequent down times. They may pass close by the boats to check us out as they swim, but will tend to keep moving north. They can be very lively, especially the large pods of males as they jockey for dominance in anticipation of the mating season.

Late August – December: The whales are voyaging south, Mothers with their newborns and males after the mating season. They have a propensity to spend more time on surface and swim slower (so that the calf can keep up!) although rarely you will see some long down times. This part of the season is best for Muggings were the whales would come up close to the boat and investigate us!

Other Whale Species

June – November: Other whales species will sporadically appear, here are some you might be able to see off Sydney.

The Blue whale

The biggest animal on the planet, you may see one or two per season. They can be difficult to watch with long down times and erratic directions!

Southern Right whale

The second most common visitor to the sea around Sydney, they often swim into the harbour or bays along the coast searching for a secure place to mate and give birth

Pilot whales and False Killer whales

Frequently seen in large pods these mammals are prone to beaching.

Dolphins

Both Tursiops truncatus (bottlenose or ‘flipper’ type) and common pacific dolphins live in our coastal waters.

Schools in Sydney and New South Wales are renowned worldwide for having high a quality curriculum and innovative teaching. Computer technology, Internet, digital and multimedia materials are a part of everyday activities so students develop as creative and independent learners.

International students learn together with Australian students in safe, friendly, multicultural classrooms. Students are encouraged to participate and develop personal skills and confidence.

Teachers in New South Wales are highly qualified, university-trained professionals.

Subjects being offered are English, mathematics, science, history, geography, visual and performing arts, technology, languages and physical education. Specialist teachers teach English as a Second Language for international students.

There are pastoral care teams with dedicated curriculum coordinators as well as counsellors and careers advisers to look after the well-being of each student in all the schools

Universities

Australian universities have a high regard internationally and are ranked among the top universities in the world. Sydney and nearby regions offer a variety of options for international students.

Sydney and surrounding regions attract students from all corners of the globe. All universities offer a wide range of courses with degrees in the Sciences, Arts, Business Studies and Humanities. Further than this, each university has specialisations and strengths, which make it unique. These may comprise courses in Medicine, Nursing and related health areas, Engineering, Computer Studies, Law, Education, Sport and Exercise Science, Behaviour and Social Sciences, Tourism and Hospitality, Psychology, Dentistry, Management, Agriculture, Viticulture and Veterinary Science.

All universities places a very high level of importance on research, which ensures that the courses on offer are at the leading edge of knowledge, and are constantly being updated to reflect new developments. Many Australian researchers are trailblazers in their fields, and include in their number several Nobel Laureates, and Fellows of the Royal Society. Australian PhD degrees have an outstandingly high reputation internationally, and most universities will provide opportunities for international graduates to apply for PhD places.

All universities offer Bachelors, Masters and PhD degrees. There are also many universities that offer professional Doctorates and other Graduate Diplomas.

Learning English

There are many reasons why someone will want to study the English language. Some may be looking to improve their English for work or career purposes, others may have a personal interest or because they have it in mind to travel or because they must reach specified English entry standards.

Irrespective of the cause for learning English, colleges in Sydney and New South Wales offer programs to help students in achieving their goals.

There are privately owned and government owned English language colleges. These can be specialist colleges or a part of a high school, Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institute, private vocational provider or a university. Colleges can be small boutique institutions or large international providers.

Vocational education and training

Technical and further education graduates expand practical workplace skills and academic qualifications to progress directly into a career or to gain credit transfer to an Australian university.

Intensive English programs and university preparation courses increase competency for tertiary studies.

Certificate to advanced diploma level, and diploma-to-degree courses cover subjects such as:

• Business
• Information technology
• Marketing
• Engineering and building
• Child studies
• Telecommunications
• Hospitality and tourism management
• Applied sciences
• Design and visual arts
• Television and media
• Environmental studies and land management
• Sport and recreation

In Sydney and New South Wales, government Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutes as well as non-government colleges provides vocational courses. Government to ensure the quality of curriculum, staff and teaching practices carefully monitors these institutions.