One of the beauties of travel is that every now and then you come across individuals who are doing amazing things.
Emmanuel is one of these people. After learning about his travels and what he is currently doing, I felt it was necessary that I share with you some of his hard-earned knowledge and experiences traveling on a budget even lower than mine.
So here is Emmanuel’s editorial on traveling through Australia on $3 a day. It sounded completely impossible to me, but after listening to his experiences I can’t wait to try it next time I go. I invite you to check out his website raw safari if you are interested in learning more tips and tricks on how to do the real budget travel.
Take it away Emmanuel!
Australia On $3 a Day: 3 Rock-Solid Travel Tips
Here’s a fact that may surprise you:
Traveling in Australia can be very cheap.
I’ve been to some of the world’s most rated ‘low-budget’ destinations; Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Ecuador and Colombia.
Australia can be just as cheap as any of these, sometimes cheaper.
Australia has some unique cultural and geographic features that make it a gypsy paradise.
Most travellers spend a lot of money in Australia, but it’s possible to see the country on as little as US$3.00 per day.
It’s all about how you travel.
Check out these 3 rock-solid tips for doing Australia on the cheap.
1. LIVING IN A TENT IS EASY IN OZ
Backpackers spend millions of dollars every year on hostels in Australia.
A bed can cost between AU$30 – AU$45 a night, or even more!
Couch surfing can help to reduce your accommodation budget, but you can also use a tent very successfully.
A lot of the best beaches in Australia have forest areas right next to them, where you can pitch a small tent and leave it set up. You just need to pick a spot where your tent can’t be seen.
One of my favourite camp sites in Australia. The beach is 3 minutes walk away. It’s 10 minutes to the supermarket.
I’ve spent months at a time living in my little tent on Aussie beaches. It’s a beautiful way to live, and it’s 100% free.
Most places backpackers flock to for low-budget travel are tropical; South America and South East Asia are the most popular examples.
Living in a tent in a tropical climate can be miserable. I’ve tried it.
The great thing about the Australian climate is that although the summers are hot, you can avoid the humidity by moving south during the hottest months. Winter in the north, summer in the south; comfortable in your tent year-round.
Many Australian beaches have free public toilets, showers and even free electric barbecues, which is pretty handy.
Hitchhiking across Australia
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2. AUSTRALIA IS FULL OF FREE FOOD
It’s true. If you know where to dumpster-dive, you hardly ever need to buy food in Australia.
If you don’t know what dumpster diving is it may come as a surprise to know this, but supermarkets in Australia throw away tons of food every single day. That food ends up in big metal bins, called dumpsters, in the laneways behind the shops.
Dumpster divers are people like me who go the dumpsters behind the shops and collect the wasted food.
The quantity and quality of wasted food in Australian dumpsters is both shocking and awesome. Shocking because of the environmental and ethical crime that the supermarkets are committing by throwing the food away, but awesome because it means you can go and collect it and stop paying for groceries.
Fresh meat. Fresh fruit and vegetables. Cheeses. Cakes. Bread.
Any kind of food the supermarket stocks will appear in their bins. Its rarely spoilt, and often still cold from the refrigerator.
Help yourself. You’ll be doing te environment a favour and saving big bucks at the same time.
Like I said before, many Australian beaches are equipped with free electric barbecues. So you can go down the dumpsters, get your free food, and then cook it on the free barbecue on the beach.
Tough life, huh?
A bumper dumpster harvest goes on the free barbecue. Wollongong, Australia
3. HITCHHIKING IN AUSTRALIA IS EASY AND SAFE
Some places hitchhiking is easy. Some places it’s harder. Australia is one of the easiest.
There’s a cultural tradition of hitchhiking in Australia.
People are friendly and helpful most places.
It’s very rare for me to have to wait more than a few hours to get a ride. A lot of times I only need to wait a few minutes.
I know plenty of other people, including women who have hitched around Australia for years, and I mostly hear nothing but happy stories.
In a country which has some of the most expensive transport costs in the world, hitchhiking is a great way to hack your travel budget.
Hitchhiking through Australia with my bike
GO DOWN UNDER AND LIVE IT UP
Australia is a big, beautiful, friendly, crazy place. I’ve spent years roaming around the country, hitchhiking, dumpster diving and camping. I love it. And I love that I can do it so cheap.
If you like adventurous travel, and want to see a side of Australia most visitors never experience, do it the gypsy way.
If you want to get more info about how to travel low-budget, there are lots more useful articles on this blog.
You can also download my free e-book, called ‘The Travel Hackers Handbook’. Inside is everything you need to know to become a travel hacking expert, and see the planet for $10 / day.
Stealth camping, hitchhiking, dumpster diving; and much more – all the ideas I’ve collected over the years to save money on the road.
Enjoyed the article? Download ‘The Travel Hackers Handbook’ for FREE.
Happy trails 🙂
Wow, this is insane! I would never believe that you could travel Aus so cheaply. I mean, it’s certainly not my travel style, but awesome that it works for others!