This is a new thread of Australasia and Pacific Islands warnings. It is to be used for Australasia and Pacific Islands specific warnings only. Warnings include instances of robbery in a certain part of a city, bad hostel experiences, etc. As a content-rich thread, we do not want any back-and-forth or questions. Please direct all questions via Private Messages (Click on "Go" in the left hand corner, select "My Space" and then "Private Messages") to the poster. You can also issue a PM by clicker on the poster's name and selecting "Private Message". Any post that does not contribute relevant information will be deleted. Examples include: responses to previous posts in the thread and questions. The information can be on any city, region or country in Australasia and Pacific Islands. When reading these experiences, please remember that there are two sides to every story and warnings should be issued sparingly.

Kava, the local drink in Fiji, can affect you more than you would think (numbing of your mouth is one thing). Only imbibe if you feel comfortable and are in safe surroundings. One or two sips won't do much, however, so don't be afraid to try it if you trust the source.

The numbing of your mouth is where it starts. There is a tremendous variance in the strength of kava throughout the Pacific. A bowl is unlikely to produce anything other than a slight tingling sensation in the mouth, so fear is misplaced. The exception is Pohnpei where it is called "sakua"is about five times as strong as your run of the mill kava, and is known among yahties as "liquid quaalude"- (if you have to ask, never mind.

One other note: 20 years ago women NEVER participated in the kava ceremony. In tourist areas this has changed, but in the oputer islands of Fiji and many other island nations, it remains taboo.

if you are on trditional isalnds in Fiji

Sorry, got tossed. If you are going to the outer islands of Fiji (Yasawas, Taveuni)be sensitive to local mores regarding kava consumption, and take the hint from local women-if they aren't there, you probably should not be either. By the way, the same goes for bush beer on Atiu in the Cooks, the magic mushroom coming of age ceremonies of Vanuatu, and (usually) smoking in Micronesia.

Caution in Tonga: What you hear is true: Tongans are notoriously light handed, especially so in a culture where
"permenent borrowing" is common. Be particularly careful in Tongatapu and in Neifu in the Vava'u group..... when you leave your hotel or hostel, lock your bag!

I spent a lot of time on horseback in the rural areas of Victoria. Take snakes very seriously and use appropriate precautions, espicially in areas of tall grass where they are easily hidden - many can kill you. But the beauty of the land and people are worth the precautions.

Hi guys

Here's a warning- NEVER stay at Boomerang Backpackers on William Street (Kings X) in Sydney. I arrived on an early morning flight and headed straight to the accomodation phone wall in the airport with other knackered travellers, and unfortunately, the only backpackers that answered their phone was Boomerang. They picked us up from the airport, and stupidly, myself and about 6 others paid upfront for a dorm room for 2 days. Waste of money, because we would have been better off sleeping in the doorway of the Ferrari garage opposite the hostel!!

It was freezing cold, noisy as hell (the windows didnt fit the window frames) and we were given no sheets. Plus the bathroom's light switch had disappeared into the wall, and once you had risked electrocution by sticking your finger in to find the switch, the flipping lights didnt work. I didnt expect luxury, but for $25 a night, this was a joke.

My experience is one I dont want anyone else to endure- stay away from Boomerang!!

Fiji Warning

I have been speaking to some old school friends who have just returned from a round the world trip.

Try to use your bank cards as little as possible as both of them had £3000 stolen out of their accounts whilst in Fiji.

Luckily they had cover on them so will be getting it back, but its not that good when you have already finished your trip

Drive carefully in NZ. Drinking and driving is (sadly) a part of rural NZ culture - especially on the South Island. Mainlanders are notoriously aggressive drivers.

Those roads are narrow and windy. Don't try to make time. Don't try to use the cruise control. Don't accidentally use the wrong (right) lane.

Seriously. So many deaths in NZ are from car wrecks. Be careful.

quote:

Originally posted by Skimaxpower:
Drive carefully in NZ. Drinking and driving is (sadly) a part of rural NZ culture - especially on the South Island. Mainlanders are notoriously aggressive drivers.

Those roads are narrow and windy. Don't try to make time. Don't try to use the cruise control. Don't accidentally use the wrong (right) lane.

Seriously. So many deaths in NZ are from car wrecks. Be careful.

I'll second this post. Northland was a disturbing place to drive, and as a 27 year old male, not much disturbs me...but when there are constant switch backs and the locals are trying to pass with 20 meter visibility... There were accidents observed on the sides of the roads, and some vehicles that had gone off the sides of the mountains.

HOSTEL WARNING!!!!

Never EVER stay at the Riviera Backpackers Motel in Mildura, Australia. Reasons:

The managers are really really bitchy.
There is NEVER enough work for all the backpackers staying there.
The motel is old and falling apart.
They use the same cloth to wipe the toilet seat and counters! Ewww!
They squeeze waaay too many people into one teeny tiny bedroom and charge you a fortune.
They don't do all the waterskiing and barbqing that they promise in their ads.
The aircon is always broken.
The jobs they hook you with are sh*t and you barely make enough money to pay rent!
The managers tell you what you can or cannot do - WTF?! This is my friggin trip!!!!

This place is AWEFUL and I wouldn't reccommend it to my worst enemy. Truly. Horrible.

I reccommend Northaven Backpackers!

Customs Warnings for NZ

Never, never, never bring fruit into the country. Check your backpack before you leave to come to NZ to make sure you have not had an apple that you bought 3 days ago in your backpack and have forgotten about it, for when it is found you WILL get fined NZ$200 on the spot and not even be able to eat the apple! This applies to any fruit, seeds or food.

Being a movie star will not save you either as Hillary Swank found out!

.....HOSTEL WARNING.....


Never stay at Hanmer Backpackers in Hanmer Springs New Zealand. Booked 3 nights asked for female dorm, bottom bunk had a knee problem, couldn't climb up.

Arrived on crutches (sprained ankle in Queenstown) bed upstairs,got different bed. The room was cold and damp-smelling and the bedding so inadequate I couldn't sleep properly. This was in January mind- Summer. Wasn't happy about sharing with 3 men, but no options for that night. The next night I could go in a different room. Both these rooms were nt in the hostel but in the "yard".

Next morning after breakfast, I was told I had to leave because "You were snoring and the others complained." I had a 10am appointment at the Hanmer Pools for massage & facial etc. , explained I couldn't talk now .They wanted to know when I'd be back, I told them about 1pm. They got even shittier because they "had to strip the bed".

Turns out the Pools were closed due to pump malfunction. Went to Tourist info centre guy in charge booked me into Kakapo Lodge & arranged to drive me there. Returning to Backpackers the 2 staff had stripped my bed, REMOVED my clothing & personel items put em elsewhere . They had also, without my knowledge booked me into another Hostel and were told to cancel it. This is NOT a good hostel to stay. The staff are rude & unfriendly, the hostel is cramped & if your'e coming downstairs as someone enters the front door, you sare cut off.

The kitchen is tiny, I had to put my food on the floor because there wasn't any room , the bathrooms/toilets were not very clean and if you did not speak their language, they completely ignored you.

I have stayed in many hostels and this was one is disgusting.



Have a nice day, Whistler.


If you can keep a sense of humour and see the funny side of life, you will never be old. SMC.

quote:

Never stay at Hanmer Backpackers in Hanmer Springs New Zealand.

I second this.

The main hostel part looked nice, and we were excited to stay there until we were taken to the back too. The room was smelly and crowded. There was no where to put my stuff, so I had to sleep with some of it on my bed. The woman at the front desk was unfriendly. I asked her what kind of cat it was (sitting on the counter) because it was unusual and pretty, and she looked at me like I was crazy. Sheesh, lady.

Then, we got back from the hot pools at night. It had been drizzling all day, and I discovered the ceiling was leaking when there was a squish sound and water soaked through my sock. I reported it to the mean cat lady, and she said she'd take care of it. I thought this meant moving us to a new room since now it also had smelly damp carpet. By "taking care of it" she meant putting a bucket under it. I was like "uh, I don't know if I'll be able sleep with that splashing sound. So she put a sponge in the bucket.

Uh, yeah. Great hospitality.

I am from Sydney myself. Though Sydney is a nice city but I wouldn't ask you to come over here for your holidays. I wouldn't ask you to visit any city in Australia as they are almost the same as those in the western countries, more or less.
I would suggest to go to visit the bush and the wild, which is unique. Definitely something that you won't get a chance to see anywhere else. So yourself geared up and go wild on your holidays, that's the best holidays you could ever have.