Backpackers Hostels Blog

Going on a trip with Nomads Auckland- Rugby at Eden Park

2010-09-09T05:06:56Z

: Image via Wikipedia

What to do on a lazy Sunday? After a great Saturday night out with your friends in the Nomads Auckland Backpackers Hostel you might like to have a relaxing Sunday. One great option for the day is visiting a rugby match, one of New Zealand’s most popular sports ever!

For other tips for trips, ask the nice staff of the reception of Nomads Auckland Backpackers Hostel or the Fat Camel Backpackers Hostel both based on Fort Street, Auckland!

The day of a rugby match with Nomads

Starting your day with a drink in the Camel Bar is the best beginning of a nice Sunday. All the Auckland Rugby supporters get together to play some pool and have some conversations about backpacker related subjects. This is a great opportunity to meet new people and receive some inspiration for your trip through New Zealand. Isn’t it the best way to hear other experiences to create your own idea for your own trip?

After a moment of chilling it is time for a barbeque. The guys from Auckland Nomads Hostels make sure there is a great atmosphere and good food for everyone! This is all included in your ticket for the Rugby match, how great is that!

Just a small walk from the Hostel through Auckland, brings you to the train station. The staff and backpackers all dressed up (a mix of Santa Claus, a Hawaiian and pirates of the Caribbean) makes it a funny and unforgettable walk to the station… During a rugby match day the train can be a bit overcrowded because it is a free transport service from the train organization but it is a nice experience to see all the rugby fans together, dressed up in the famous colors of the team (WHITE AND BLUE, IS GONNA SMASH YOU) and talking about nothing else than rugby related subjects.

The Eden Park Stadium is amazing but if it’s raining or it looks like it’s going to rain make sure you have your raincoat with you! Eden park is the home stadium of Auckland Cricket and Auckland Rugby, the stadium counts 48.000 spectator seats and it will be redeveloped to a 60.0000 capacity. It is pretty cool to be here with ALL the other spectators and watch a rugby game, everyone is in the same winning mood and it is a feeling of being one big Auckland Rugby family!

After the game you get the opportunity to see, feel and smell your favorite rugby player. You can go to the official rugby field for a little meet and greet with the players. A pretty picture, an autograph or a sweaty wristband (yuk…?) nothing is too crazy for the gigantic rugby players!

The train brings you back to your hostel and when arriving in the hostel you can stay in the bar for a drink and some fun in the lounge..

It’s a pretty good Sunday when you go to a New Zealand rugby match! But when you aren’t that into sports there are lots of other things to do, with or in your hostel!

See here for some more information about the Nomads Auckland Backpackers Hostel!

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September is a Month of Athletics in Cairns

2010-09-08T22:52:13Z

Unlike your normal backpacker who is awake until the early hours of the morning and rarely does much during the day except roll out of bed and onto a lounge chair by the pool, this month Nomads Cairns Backpackers Hostel is pleased to welcome several groups of athletes to stay with us. All this September Cairns is host to some great sporting events, and we are proud to offer accommodation to athletes from both here and abroad.

Currently, Cairns is host to the Cairns Tennis International. This tournament is part of the Australian Pro Tour series. Welcoming players from all over the world, this tournament offers heaps of prizes with up to $25000 US to be won. Also this tournament serves as the opening of the Cairns International Tennis Centre. We here at Nomads Cairns Backpackers Hostel are pleased to cheer on some of the young Australian competitors who have decided to make this Cairns hostel home during the tournament. The tournament officially begun today and will run through till next week. We and all the other Cairns backpackers wish our guests the best of luck. For those of you interested in finding out more or checking out the facilities, entry to the games are FREE and on Sunday, 12 September, there is even a family fun day with free tennis lessons, free bbq, and a chance to meet some Aussie celebrity tennis players.

Right on the heels of the Cairns Tennis International is another major tennis tournament, Australia versus Belgium as part of the Davis Cup. This tournament is fron 17-19 September. This play off series is a crucial step for Australia to get closer to reaching the World Group in the Davis Cup. Some big names in Australian tennis who will be competing inclue the following: Lleyton Hewitt, Peter Luczak, Carsten Ball, Chris Guccione and Bernard Tomic. As the Belgium team is evenly matched to the Aussies, these should be some action-packed games.

On an even larger scale, the third week of September is the Oceanic Athletic Championships. These games welcome teams from across Oceania including many of the Pacific Island nations as well asfrom across Australia and New Zealand. These championships are a precurser to the Commonwealth Games 2010 for many of the teams. Some of the athletes will be heading straight on to Delhi after completion of the athletic championship here in Cairns. Nomads Cairns Backpackers Hostel is pleased to offer accommodation to these athletes as we host the Oceanic Athletic Village during this week. Thats right…. backpackers can find some alternative accommodation at Nomads Esplanade Backpackers, Cairns while we host these athletes. Of course we will be welcoming everyone back to the hostel after the Oceanic Athletic Championships are over.

And of course let’s not forget AFL and rugby games that are currently being played. I know that our sister hostel, Nomads Esplanade is offering some shelter to numerous AFL teams thoughout the end of September. Nomads Cairns Backpackers Hostel will be welcoming our own AFL and rugby teams the following month. Of course for information about any local AFL or rugby games being played in the Cairns region, why not sit and have a chat with some of the friendly Cairns locals who call the Serpent Bar here at Nomads Cairns Backpackers Hostel their home away from home.

So if you love sport..you have picked the right place this September with heaps of spectator oppurtunities available. For those missing their teams from home, don’t forget that Sean in the Serpent Bar is dedicated every Saturday night to the Premier League games.

Also…have a team coming to Cairns for any sporting events in the future? Why not check out some of our great Group Accommodation Deals at Nomads Cairns Backpackers Hostel! I am sure that with our great amenities and easy flexibility we are sure to able to arrange the perfect booking for your team!

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Nomads Byron Bay Backpackers – New Recruit!

2010-09-08T22:30:11Z

: Image via Wikipedia

Hello Byron Bay and backpackers!

My name is Therese (everyone calls me Trees) and I have recently moved to this lovely town.

I am a new front desk recepti0nist at Nomad Byron Bay Backpackers and would love everyone who comes to stay to say hi and make me feel welcome

I have moved here all the way from freezing cold Canberra, to make a life change and live in the sun near the beach. I have been lucky enough to get simply fall into this great job and have met all the amazing people who work here. The work for accommodation staff and front desk staff are all really welcoming and friendly and I feel comfortable here already.

I came to Byron Bay for a holiday about a month ago, went back to Canberra and handed in my resignation for work, sold most of my possessions, packed my car with the rest and drove for 2 days to my new life. I have heard that this often happens as Byron is such an amazing place to live and it traps people with its amazing energy. I thoroughly recommend everybody come check it out and get stuck for a while and have a different experience.

I am still exploring my way around Byron but my favourite places so far include The Beach Hotel and The Great Northern which are both great places for a beer and some live music. If you want to go out for a crazy night of dancing and fun I would recommend Cheeky Monkeys or Cocomangas. There are also many cute little shops with gorgeous clothes and souvenirs and I was lucky enough to be in town last Sunday which was the Sunday Markets. These happen on the first Sunday of every month and there is amazing food, gifts, music and lots to do and see.

I’m very happy to be part of the amazing Byron community and can’t wait to make friends with everyone who comes through Nomad Byron Bay Backpackers.

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Rugby League Four Nations

2010-09-09T04:56:22Z

Rugby League Four Nations Logo

Four Nations Rugby League taking place in New Zealand and Australia in October / November is the 2010 Rugby League Four-Nations.

The Four Nations Rugby League Competition will run for 4 weeks, with the 4 teams which are New Zealand Kiwi’s, Australia, England and Papua New Guinea which compete for the world champion title. Each team will play each other once in the pool rounds and the top two teams will continue into the finals.

First game starts in Wellington Westpac Stadium on October 23rd with New Zealand Kiwi’s playing against England. You can book your accommodation @ Nomads Capital Backpackers Hostel Wellington. Both games of Round Three of the tournament will be played at Eden Park in Auckland. Its going to be the great competition that brings together the best players in NRL as well as Super League. There’s also a big rivalry between New Zealand Kiwi’s and Australia, because we all know who won the Rugby League World Cup last year so this year it will be really intense but will be a great game.

Tickets are being sold online on www.rugbyleagueplanet.com

Nomads Auckland Backpackers Hostel has rooms available for these dates from October to November so if you’re looking for the best place to stay during the Rugby League Four Nations, rock on down and book your stay with us. We are mad Rugby league freaks and are backing up the Kiwis to win the Four Nations!!!.

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Beautiful Byron Bay -Why you should come and see us!

2010-09-06T22:04:53Z

Byron Bay is a small coastal village in the far north east of New South Wales. The resident population swells by three or four times in the popular summer holidays and some other peak times during the year. (always a good idea to look for winter specials!)

Byron Bay is so popular for a number of reasons:

the great surf breaks are some of the best in the world
Byron Bays surfing beaches are some of the prettiest and cleanest on the east coast of Australia
Cape Byron is the Australian mainland’s most easterly point
Byron Bay is located near some of the best examples of sub-tropical rainforest on the east coast of Australia (parts of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia)
it has one of the highest number of artists and artisans as residents in Australia
Image via Wikipedia

it has many festivals and events throughout the year
has some great shopping and entertainment
has a thriving health and wellbeing industry with many day spa‘s and healing and alternative health practitioners
has gained a reputation for fabulous Australian cuisine in its award-winning cafes and restaurants, and of course, is well known as a place to buy a fabulous cafe latte!
it has a really famous lighthouse!
is popular as a wedding destination
it is on the doorstep of the Northern Rivers region with its rainforest, many small towns and villages and picturesque countryside filled with smaller farms growing produce such as macadamia nuts, coffee, blueberries, lychees, stone fruit, dairying & cheese and many other interesting crops. Many of these local crops are available direct from the growers at one of the many markets, including the popular farmers markets.

There is a wide variety of options for things to do to immerse yourself in Byron Bay . Things such as learn to surf, skydiving, microlighting or hanggliding, kayaking with the dolphins, tours of the region. There are also many things to keep YOU amused!

So what are you waiting for? Come and see us here at Nomads Byron Bay backpackers Hostel in the very Heart of this little oasis.

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The Blacks Seeds coming to Queenstown!

2010-09-06T06:44:37Z

Well! The Gang down here at Nomads Queenstown backpackers hostel are PRETTY DAMN EXCITED!! Friday 10th September – Kiwiana favourites, and, well ours of course The Black Seeds are coming to Queenstown on their winter tour! Yeeaah Boyyeeeee! with awesome songs as Fire, Cool Me Down, Make a Move and more, it’s sure to be an amazing event at Queenstown Memorial Hall!

You can buy your tickets at Quest Snow Centre on 37 Shotover St here in Queenstown. Don’t forget to book your accomadation at the awesome Nomads Queenstown backpackers hostel, to book call (64) 3 441 3922

Tickets are $30 + Booking Fee. Doors open at 8pm so why not have a few pre-drinks @ The World Bar!

You can catch all your favourite Nomads Queenstown staff there, letting their hair down and going wild!

Choice Bro!!

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Our german travel agent @ Mad Travel Shop

2010-09-06T06:35:40Z

About 6 month ago I moved from Germany to Melbourne to study. Since then I have been working in Nomads All nations Backpacker part time. A couple of weeks back my mum came over to visit me for the first time. As she has never been to Australia I planned to show her all the sights in and around Melbourne- never really realised how much there is to see!

Number 1 on my list was a trip down the Great Ocean Road- a must do in my opinion. So we started nice and early to get as much sunlight as possible and headed for the 12 apostels and the london bridge. After taking the typical tourist photos we started our way back along the great ocean road, taking in the views and looking for some koalas to show my mum. Just when we thought we wouldn’t find any we saw some cars parked on the side of the road, always a good sign. And so it was- 3 cute, little koalas sleeping in the trees above us. As we were driving on just around the next bend we spotted another one, and then another and then another one. We couldn’t believe it! All up we’ve seen 9 koalas- in 1 day- on a stretch not longer than 5km!

The last stop before heading back to Melbourne was Lorne, for a late Lunch at the Fish ‘n’ Chips Shop- Yummy!!! Never go to the Great Ocean Road without it.

All up it was an awesome day that we still talk about.

I’ am now planning my next trip.. Mt Buller. It’s the nearest snow resort from Melbourne, just 3 hours drive from the city center. I use to book everyday Mt. Buller Tours for our clients, and when i see them couple of days after, they’re all really happy and would go there again.

So, i cant wait to go there as soon as possible.

If you think about heading down to the Great Ocean Road or doing a Mt. Buller trip come and speak to us at Reception or the Travelshop at Nomads All Nations backpackers!

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Travelling from The top of the south – ending up in Queenstown (eventually!)

2010-09-06T06:32:41Z

My experience around the North Island was a trip and a half, but nothing beats my southern adventure!! It was a couple of months of pure delight, and it started right from the time I boarded the ferry to cross the Cook Strait!

: Image via Wikipedia

I remember getting the interislander ferry across from Wellington to Picton and I was already blown away by the beauty that I saw on the journey. I was told I was lucky as I had an awesome journey, but I heard that trip can be quite bumpy as you leave the infamous windy Wellington, and head to the precious Picton on the other side!

Coming over you get to see the beautiful Marborough Sounds and the Queen Charlotte track (which I haven’t walked yet, but left unturned so I can have an excuse to go back!) One of my favourite times was exploring the marlborough sounds, where me and my man took ourselves and our 4 wheel drive, shirley (our 1985 Land cruiser – the other woman in our relationship!!!) on a trip to a secluded bit of paradise called Titirangi. All I can say is wow!

We drove about an hour or so from Nelson and it was not the easiest of drives along a windy road and then a cattle gravel road, and we thought we would never get to where we were going!!! But then we came to the top of the road until it started dropping down to Titirangi Bay where we were staying in a little farm style camp ground. The view was out of this world! We both smiled at each other and thought this is what we’ve been looking for all of our trip!!! The secluded bit of paradise we sooooo were looking forward to!!!

When we arrived we saw that it was a real local spot and that we were the lucky ones getting a tip off from a local guy in Nelson! We parked up and popped up our tent and that was us! We had our own kayaks so we spent the next few days just paddling on the ocean and enjoying the serenity! It was here that I tried Kina for the first time….Now if you haven’t tried kina then it really is a love it or hate it job. It was ok, but I definitely won’t be having it again. Some people love the little sea urchin (which reminds me of a little hedgehog!!!0, but for me it was a little too strong in flavour…and quite slimey!!!

So we left this little bit of paradise and headed off to Nelson where we stayed with some friends in Motueka. I love Nelson and all it has to offer. If you get the chance to get there on the weekend then you can explore the aweosme weekend markets that it has. As well as this, the seafood and fresh fish is one of the main reasons I could have set up camp here! Not far away from nelson is the amazing Abel Tasman National park which you can get involved in the Jurrasic setting and go on an awesome kayaking trip with Kaiteriteri Kayaks. What an amazing trip, you can see why it’s one of the most popular things to do in NZ!

So after the trip back from Abel Tasmen to Nelson Lakes, we headed off down through Murchison to the mighty West Coast….Another paradise in itself….

To be continued!

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Backpackers Walk O’Shame

2010-09-06T02:45:08Z

: Image via Wikipedia

All too often on my 6am starts at the Arts Factory Backpackers Lodge I witness the Backpackers Walk O’Shame. If you have personally not been apart of it your self you have almost definitely witnessed this strange phenomenon.

This very morning a strange car pulled out outside reception and out fell two beer cans, an almost empty sack of goon and one girl with samps and wristbands from Cheeky Monkeys, Cocomangas and The Beach Hotel. It was fair to say gravity was definitely not this girls friend today as she stumbled towards me behind the desk and whimpered something that sounded like ‘coffee?’

I don’t mean to sound as though I’m judging this young lady as i myself have also stumbled home in last nights alcohol soaked clothes, cuts and scratches that i have no idea of how they have magically appeared and a headache that could kill a small animal.

Make sure you read this on How to Keep your dignity when doing the walk of shame!

The question is now WHY do we do it to ourselves…that’s the easy part…IT’S FUN!

Yes, going home with a Jessica Alba/Leonard DiCaprio look-alike SEEMED like a great idea,

Yes, waking up next to a more Susan Boyle/Danny Devito type happens from time to time.

And No, your friends will most likely not give you sympathy for this….quite the opposite in fact.

However at this stage of your night/morning you simply do not care. All you want is bed and a guarantee cure for your hangover. I have always loved, respected and looked up to my faithful treatment of blue Powerade and salty corn chips to pull me the through the hard times, But is there something better? Something out there so potent hangovers simply disappear instantly?

I know you have your secrets and I, and most likely everyone else reading this, would love to hear your stories and remedies to cure to dreaded hangover. looking forward to hearing them.

Happy Travels

Ryan

http://artsfactory.com.au

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Kitchen Reopens at Serpent Bar in Nomads Cairns Backpackers Hostel

2010-09-06T00:10:34Z

: Image via Wikipedia

We here at Nomads Cairns Backpackers hostel are so excited to announce the reopening of the kitchen at Serpent Bar! Now our backpackers will be able to appease their taste buds on some of our delicious selections while also treating their wallets to a budget meals.

With the reopening of our kitchen, we will be serving a full dinner menu from 5pm- 9pm with some great offerings. These include steak, chicken parma, and vegetable lasagna to pub traditionals like fish and chips, veggie burgers, and a beef burger with all the works. I’m not sure if my favorite will be the Chicken Ceaser Salad or perhaps the Chicken Breast marinated in Morracan spices. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it. Plus, backpackers can score these great dishes for only $10! We will also be serving a $5 snack menu from open to late each day for those that are extra hungry to grab something before or after dinner.

: Image via Wikipedia

The reopening of the Serpent Bar kitchen also means that guests of Nomads Cairns Backpackers Hostel and Nomads Esplanade Backpackers hostel will be getting their FREE meals served here. That’s right….. collect your voucher from reception and purchase a drink to get your supper completely FREE. While these FREE dinners are a little on the small size, you also have the option of upgrading for $5 to anything on our awesome menu. Yep… lucky Cairns backpackers can enjoy a steak dinner for only $5!

Why not swing by today to try out the new menu? Just pop on into the Serpent Bar at Nomads Cairns Backpackers Hostel to satisfy your hunger today!

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