Navigate May 2014

Extensive planning or none at all, brochures and travel guides cover your bedroom floor, you’re so ready for this long waited break from the reality of uni. You’re sitting on

your bag to do it up because you have majorly over-packed but when you get to your destination you’ll realise

that somehow you forgot to pack your toothbrush or undies. But hey, it’s all part of the adventure. You weigh your bag and realise that you are 5 kilos over the weight limit even though you left your favourite poufy jacket out,

just to save some room. You’re really starting to get excited now, you do the final check because “the cab is

going to be here in 10 minutes!” screams your Mum. Passport? Check. Boarding pass? Check. Camera?

Check. And so the list goes on. You farewell your parents and they say bon voyage as you slide into the cab. On your way to the airport you are starting to imagine what

this is going to be like, will it be what you imagined or will it be amazingly unexpected? Either way this trip will be the best time of your life. You’re starting to get agitated now, only 20 minutes into the car ride and it feels like 200, you

still have another 30 to go. When the excruciating ride ends and you arrive at the airport you can almost taste

the aeroplane food. The lady at the check-in desk with the perfect bun and necktie greets you with a smile that is too big for her face. You part ways with your bags and hope to God that they go to the right destination. Next stop is

security, you pull out your laptop - that you will later use to Skype your Mum because she made you swear that as

soon as you arrived you will Skype – and put it in the tray. You walk through the detector that you always hated

walking through because you never knew if you looked suspicious or not. You breeze through customs but when the officer checks your passport to match your face flicker

of panic goes through you worrying that you don’t look the same as you did a few months earlier when you got your passport photo updated. Finally, you get to your

economy seat on the luxurious A380 and as the engines are fired up and the seatbelt sign is turned on you watch out the window at the airport beneath you getting smaller

and smaller as you whisper,

“World, I’m ready for you.”

By Ella Gardiner

CONTENTS

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5 Ed’s Letter

On the cover Photo Ella Gardiner

8 Cool or cruel?

10 The Essence of Travel

16 Nomadic Past

20 The wonders of South America

ED’S LETTER

You’re just out of school. You’re poor, we know you are. You want to go travelling, but your parents laugh when you tell them you wanna explore, with “what money?” Alas, do not fear, Navigate is here! We are here to give you some

mischievous tips, how to enjoy travelling when you’re living on 2-minute-noodles and bin scraps. How technology

impacts our travelling, is the essence of travel ruined? What is the effect of tourism on nature’s beauties? The wonders

of India? How to travel on a budget? We’ve got you covered. Chuck a tenner at the cashier and jump into a new

world of travel. You know you wanna.

…………………………………………………………… Editor Design

Aaron Skilton Ella Gardiner

Tech Marketing Ben Kusturin Melanie Tredinnick 5

El la Gardiner Wrote ‘Nomadic Past’ page 20 Do you consider yourself a seasoned travel ler? I think for my age I am somewhat of a seasoned traveller. Where is your favourite locat ion you have ever been? Ilot Ua in New Caledonia – it was this tiny deserted island where we moored our boat and stayed the night, it was absolutely gorgeous. There was nobody else there but my family and me. What is the most amazing thing you’ve seen overseas? Monkeys bathing in hot springs surrounded by snow in Shiga Kogen, Japan. I f you were to f ind a new country, what would you cal l i t? Narnia, duh.

Ben Kusturin Wrote ‘ India’ Page 33 Do you consider yourself a seasoned travel ler? Yeah, I would say so Where is your favourite locat ion you have ever been? Machu Pichu, Peru What is the most amazing thing you’ve seen overseas? 10ft pipeline was pretty amazing! I f you were to f ind a new country, what would you cal l i t? The land where dolphins can sing in the clouds…

Melanie Tredinnick Wrote ’Cool or Cruel’ Page 8 Do you consider yourself a seasoned travel ler? No, not really. Where is your favourite locat ion you have ever been? Just Thailand in general. What is the most amazing thing you’ve seen overseas? Phi Phi Island, Thailand. It was so beautiful, the water was so clear! I f you were to f ind a new country, what would you cal l i t?

The Land of Melons.

Aaron Ski lton Wrote ‘The essence of travel’ Page 10 Do you consider yourself a seasoned travel ler? Mmm, I don’t think so. Where is your favourite locat ion you have ever been? Vanuatu is a winner! What is the most amazing thing you’ve seen overseas? Blue lagoon in Vanuatu. I f you were to f ind a new country, what would you cal l i t? The Land of Euphoria.

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Lonely Planet, discover the world

Cool or Cruel? Melanie Tredinnick

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Thailand is an extremely popular place for traveling tourists, ranking third for the most-visited country in Asia. Thailand introduces varying unique and breathtaking experiences to the sightseers, including elephant trekking. Sitting atop the incredible land giant’s back whilst it slowly meanders through a rainforest excites many tourists and makes it a must-do activity. It’s one of the things that finalize many peoples’ bucket lists. Although it is remarkable for the rider and an astonishing experience for them, is it all that enjoyable for the elephant? Getting a picture to hang on your wall of you on an elephant does make for a stunning photograph, but in the long run it most definitely isn’t worth it. If anyone knew what happened behind closed doors, they would surely change their mind about riding an elephant. The elephants endure long and harsh training methods to become part of the tourism industry, which is a long-time tradition in Thai culture. The elephants are separated from their mothers at a young age and are entrapped in small, confined holding cells. They then undergo a procedure where they are deprived of sleep, starved and abused with bullhooks to become submissive to humans and obey their instructions. This practice is common and accepted in Thailand, and is a practice that every circus or trekking elephant has undergone. It’s not only elephant trekking that is an issue, it’s also other activities such as elephants painting on canvases and playing soccer. All these actions and exercises involve the cruel methods of training that only brings fear, misery and pain towards the elephant. At most of the elephant trekking sites, a chair is placed on the elephant for the tourists to sit on. Many implications occur from having the chair strapped to their backs, due to the constant rubbing of the contraption on the elephant; which causes painful blisters. Further complications appear throughout the elephants’ lives, such as the tearing of the foot due to continuous jungle trekking. Average, everyday tourists exploring Thailand and its traditions generally are not aware of what happens to these beautiful creatures in order for them to become tourist attractions in the elephant trekking and entertainment industry. Fortunately, the people that do know the trauma the elephants endure and do not support the tradition speak up, whether it being on the Internet or to their friends and family, in order to educate further people. “I'll never ride an elephant or purchase any elephant paintings. I know what the elephants have gone through in order to facilitate a ride or a piece of art, and I don’t want anything to do with it. Google 'phajaan' and you'll see what I mean.” -- Elephant Sanctuary Volunteer.

When I went to Thailand half a decade ago, I was unaware of the training methods the elephants endured that resulted in them obeying their trainers and doing certain tricks. I arrived at Siam Safari with my family for a tour, which involved elephants. Three baby elephants were led into an open, standard-sized pen while all the tourists sat down in a relatively small, stadium stand-like area. The trainers commanded the elephants to paint a picture, pick up a hat from the dirt ground and place it on their head, play soccer and lastly play the harmonica. The keepers declared that the elephants play the same tune on it everyday. Can you imagine the pain they are put through in order to get that result? The keepers also announced that the elephants are not harmed whilst training to perform these movements. Whilst it’s true that some safaris are more kind and caring to their elephants, majority of them all use the ‘phajaan’ method to get the results they desire. The crowd quickly accepted his statement without second thinking and continued to cheer on the baby elephants whilst they looked like robots. They had no spirit or emotion within their somber eyes. After this, we boarded adult elephants and set out on a 20 minute elephant ride. The keepers sat just behind the ears of their elephant, whilst menacingly holding bullhooks. A bullhook is a wooden stick, with a metal and extremely sharp point that is used to hit the elephant in sensitive points if it disobeys the trainer or does something they do not approve of. The elephants gradually treaded through the jungle path. When the elephants were brought to a halt almost halfway through the trek, the female elephant I was atop of began to eat some plants that were beside the trail. The keeper lifted up his bullhook multiple times and brought it down on her shoulder. She stopped immediately; the trainer was pleased with himself while she looked more than hesitant to move from then onwards. Although elephant trekking and other elephant activities that are used for human entertainment purposes should be removed from everyone’s to-do-list, tourists and locals can still enjoy an elephants company and experience the wonders of being up close to these extraordinary animals. Thailand also has a few Elephant Sanctuaries, where the workers rescue elephants and give them a happy and better life. You may not be able to ride the elephants there, but you can feed them, wash them, pet them, and many other enjoyable activities. The locals that own these sanctuaries do this in the hopes that it will alert tourists to this attraction, and not the elephant riding industry. Their aim is to continue to rescue these elephants and look after them. So remember, next time you visit Thailand and have the longing desire to meet an elephant, consider visiting one of the many Elephant Sanctuaries instead of the nearest Elephant Trekking venue. Support the sanctuaries by volunteering and working with the elephants for a day. You can find many pamphlets on tours that will enable you to do this in your hotel. Tell your friends and family after the experience to raise awareness of the Elephant Sanctuaries’ cause, and to optimistically bring all cruel elephant trekking activities to an end. Revoke the cruelty and help initiate care for the elephants. The future of these gentle-giants rests solely on the palms of your hands.

The Essence of Travel

Words by Aaron Skilton Travel is many different things to many different people. How do we travel? Why do we travel? As our world rapidly changes and develops, so does our way of travel, and in this, are we losing the essence of travel? He wakes up to the sound of birds chirping and the cold morning chill tickles his face. Only an inch of foam separates him from the dew covered grass. He slowly opens his eyelids to see the glaze of the sunrise colour the sky. “Aaah…this is travel!” She wakes up to the rumbling of the radiator. The duvet is wrapped tightly around her body and she feels the warmth and comfort of a campfire. One by one her toes poke out the end, wriggling and rubbing against each other. She rolls over from one side to the other, rearranges herself, then drifts back off to sleep. “Aaah…this is travel!” Why do we travel? What is it that entices our curiosity and drives us to spend our coins on long plane trips and spend uncomfortable days in unfamiliar places? Is travel some new-age fad that’ll eventually pass? Looking to our past can give us answers. In history, travel played a massive part of people’s lives. Back when the ‘known world’ was just the surrounding neighbourhood, people would use travel as a means of trade, wealth, and most importantly, for discovery. Discovering new land or new area was so very exciting for these people. Many would dedicate their whole lives to travelling and mapping out new lands, and for the glory that came in discovering something of your own. Captain James Cook, who discovered Australia, essentially created the map of the Pacific that we know today. The excitement and adventure brought through his travels and discovery was enough for Cook to spend countless years exploring vast open seas, with no real idea of where he was going. And still, today, this is the drive that we get, to travel and discover that awe inspiring view, that perfect surf break, that thrilling rock jump, that secluded swimming hole.

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Just as people back in history, we dream about the day when we discover something new. Travel is a part of who we are. It is the God given, natural desire, that sparks curiosity in what is unknown. And it is the joy we get in discovery that drives us to journey. That, is the essence of travel. Can the quality of the journey be lost in the comfort, ease and assurance that we have today? Do we only venture out on a journey because we know each day, planned out exactly, we know where we will eat every meal and stay every night. Is this adventure? Is this excitement? Is this travel? Out travel experience is so very different now to back in history. Explorers would travel into the unknown, without the security of knowing when or how they would get their next meal. Nowadays, we plan each meal days before. Travellers would explore until days end, and set up camp in whichever place they stopped. Nowadays, we can book each night’s accommodation in hotels months before. Adventurers went out into the unknown, without direction or guidance, and they would create their own journey, a new path. Nowadays in travel, we follow in the footsteps of others, we travel in full knowledge and direction, and we don’t create our own path. Creating your own path is the essence of travel. When we follow in the footsteps of others, we miss out on personal discovery,

inner peace and being refined in discomfort and challenge. Daniel Leach, an experienced traveller, reminisces on a trip he took to Tasmania, where for many nights he camped or slept in the back of his car. “We didn’t want to stay in fancy places because it would have been the same as staying in our home city. We decided we would camp, so that we could see and experience the landscape for what it was.” How can we get back to the roots of travel? It starts with our mindset. What are our motives when we travel? Do we want to give or take from the cultures we visit? Do we invest our time and interest into the culture, or do we seek to just tick another location on the bucket

list? Are you a traveller, or just another sightseer? He pulls into the asphalt driveway of his home. Sweat clung to his brow and his arms ached from the long drive home. He sits back and thinks about his journey. Through the

hard times where he struggled, he learned self-control. When he was lost, he learned to be humble. When he was tired, he learned to be patient. He got a lot of out his journey. She plonked down the last step and onto the runway. She looked back at the marvellous first class airline. Her neck was slightly stiff from the reclined armchair, but at least she had been comfortable during the flight. She glanced down at glossy postcard bought from the hotel she had stayed in. Her heart mourned as she realised the only thing she got from the trip was the souvenir she carried in her suitcase.

 

Phang Nga Bay …………………………………………………..

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Melanie Tredinnick

Tourists have a plentiful amount of activities and tours to explore in Thailand. Endless opportunities and experiences are abundant and awaiting the tourists’ grasp. The variation of day trips is remarkable, and it allows tourists to probe extensively into the culture and lives of the local Thai people. A worthwhile tour would definitely be the Phang Nga Bay Island Tour. These tours are appealing to people of all ages, and people enjoy an inspiring and breathtaking day. You arrive at the designated area in the morning, ready for the big day ahead of you. The tourist group is greeted by the friendly crew and welcomed aboard the speedboat that takes them to each part of the tour throughout the day. The crew continue to entertain us on the speedboat as we make our way to each site with their enthusiastic personalities and unbelievably humorous jokes, and never fail to keep a smile on everyone’s faces. Firstly, the captain takes the group to see Phang Nga Bay; which is considered to be one of the most beautiful places on this planet. The water is a stunning emerald green and it looks almost untouched, as it is so pristine, calm and clear. Everyone is put into groups of 2-3 (or possibly one if you are by yourself on this tour) people who then are paired with a canoe guide, who directs a large canoe around Phang Nga Bay. The canoe guide manoeuvres the canoe through astonishing caves and mangroves, to secluded, open areas in the caves where we are able to swim and observe the impressive views and wildlife. We are taken to many different caves, in which we are able to explore and take photographs in. The caves are flawless, and are exceptionally beautiful. The guides take us all back to the main boat, where we are given intriguing new foods to taste. The crew offers more entertainment and shortly enough the boat arrives at James Bond Island. This island is famous for being used to film one of the James Bond movies, called ‘The Man With The Golden Gun’. The only downside to this amazing island is the fact that it is so popular with tourists that it is practically crawling with them. There are tourists everywhere, and it can easily get overcrowded. Apart from that disadvantage, it was a breathtaking island. Once again the canoe guides lead everyone into their boats and they soothingly float around the island. After you site-see the island, the canoe directs you to the cultural markets that are placed in the middle of the James Bond Island. On the way there, small and fragile homes can be seen on the edge of and inside hollow cliffs. There is a large variation of souvenirs to be bought at the cultural markets, and at extraordinarily cheap prices. After exploring the entire island and the whole group content with their purchases, the crew lead us back to the main speedboat and we take off to another fragment of our tour. This time, the boat stops on an island that holds a Thai public school, which is available for the children that live on the island. You are guided through the school and observe some of their daily routines. It was an amazing experience, being able to see the differences between our culture and theirs. The Thai children there were so content and happy with their school, even though they had less than half of the facilities that are available for children back home in Australia. After the tour, we were taken to a nearby island for a delicious traditional Thai lunch. Once fed, everybody is allowed to explore the beach and island for a little longer until the whole tourist group is given the signal by the crew leader and everyone boards the main boat for the last time. After around a 1-hour journey back to where we first boarded the boat, we grabbed our belongings and hopped off of it. Everyone thanked the crew, with substantial grins spread on their faces. It was an extraordinary and once-in-a-lifetime experience and I would absolutely recommend it to everyone, no matter what the age.

Nomadic Past Words by Ella Gardiner ………………………… In some ways travelling is an art and just like art, the way that it is interpreted varies between different people therefore creating an experience that is unique to each individual person. People travel for different reasons, some for practical reasons such as work in New York; the city that never sleeps. Some travel to see the beauties of the world like the twinkling lights of the Eiffel tower on a brisk night at the Champ de Mars or the stunning northern lights dancing over the snow in Northern Canada and others to go on a spiritual pilgrimage to places to connect with yourself. Although it is true each person has a unique experience overseas, each generation has been exposed to different resources, which has altered the amount of research they have been able to do about different areas of the world before they travel to them.

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Dad in 1989 at the Pyramids of Giza

Living in a household that contains 3 “generations” of people, through the stories and experiences that have been shared with me I have made the observation of how each of these generations have experienced and interpreted the world. My parents generation, the Baby Boomers generation and early generation X did not have much access to research about the locations that they were travelling to because they did not have access to the endless amounts of websites, lonely planet books and travel guides and therefore did not know what to expect when they buckled up into an aircraft that allowed people to smoke inflight. They wanted to travel to explore and discover the mysteries of the world around them that was somewhat distant. Their travels were unplanned adventures filled with spontaneous decisions and unexpected experiences. Yet in contrast to the Baby Boomers there are many people in my brother’s generation, which is generation Y, that do not go on nomadic travels, they go on destination holidays. Sure, there are some people from this generation that go on nomadic travels but it is nowhere near as common as it was in the 80’s and even if they are travelling with no plan they can easily Google a location to see an accurate image of where they are about to visit. My dad, Mick Gardiner was born in 1957, therefore, falling into the generation of the Baby Boomers and is an example of the way that the baby boomers travelled when they were young. Dad was bitten by the travelling bug when he was asked by a mate to go to New Zealand for a short holiday, “I never really wanted to travel before and when a friend of mine asked me to come to New Zealand I thought, well okay. So we went over there and hitch-hiked our way around. We camped a lot and stayed with people we met along the way, when it was time for us to go home I really didn’t want to go.” At this time Dad was only

about 20 years old and through the many years of work, save, travel, repeat he experienced cycling the first snow of winter in eastern turkey, sleeping in the women’s cells of a Ugandan gaol, being arrested by Chinese authorities for being in closed territories and other weird and wonderful things that were unique to his travels. After travelling around New Zealand Dad wanted to go back because he never expected how truly wonderful the world outside of New

South Whales was. He was drawn back to New Zealand because he felt that he hadn’t experienced all that it had to offer, there were more sights to see and people to meet, so he moved around the country doing part time work to afford his travels. Reluctantly he returned home to North Manly after 8 months of nomadic living in New Zealand but at home a part of him was empty. Therefore, he felt the need to go and see what the rest of the world could offer. Working as a boat mechanic he saved up for

what was going to be the start of an amazing, spontaneous and unexpected adventure. Dad and his mate Alex planned to travel up the east coast of Australia and then fly to Indonesia to see Asia. “We travelled the east coast of Australia for 6 months, which I think a lot of young people don’t do anymore – they think that there is more to see outside of our country but really we have one of the most unique countries in the world. After Australia we went around Asia for about another 6 months and when we were there we met my friend Pete. When we had finished Asia we laid out the world map on this grubby hostel bed to try and figure out where we wanted to go.” This is how he travelled, there was minimal planning and when he had seen enough of a country he would lay out the map and say “This is where I’m going next.” It was not planned months in advance like people do now.

“When we had f in ished Asia

we la id out the world map on

this grubby hostel bed to try and f igure out where we

wanted to go.”

“You see, these days, when most people go travelling they set a certain amount of time that they will go for or until they run out of money. I always said that I would

go until I got bored and I just never did. Sometimes I would have to return home to earn more money and I would turn up on my parents doorstep after booking a ticket home the night before.” The way that dad views how people should travel has affected the way that I view people should see the world as well. There are many people who are my age that feel that going to a tropical island and staying in a resort is an adequate way to see the world but I think that going to the countries that aren’t well known, staying in cheap accommodation and trawling the streets for authentic food is the way that people should really experience new countries. That way you can meet people who may have an impact on your life or inspire you to do something amazing. You can experience that raw culture that the country has to offer or you may simply just create a memory that will stay with you forever. Dad created many memories when he was overseas that he would not have made if he were relaxing in a 5 star resort. “I was in Morroco and I wanted to see the Sahara Desert, that massive sea of sand that you see in photos so I went way east to this tiny little town that was close but not in the sea of sand and I met this French guy and someone else who wanted to see the sea of sand as well, so we went to the edge of this tiny town and hitchhiked. This huge truck that was heading into the desert picked us up and the guy who was driving it told us to get on the top of the truck. So we were just cruising along on this random guys concrete truck having no idea

where we were going! Eventually he pulled over in the middle of nowhere and basically just said, “Well, get off” and the guys and I looked at each other thinking, ‘Well shit we’re in the desert!’ So we walked up and down a few dunes in the sea of sand, took a few photos and thought, ‘Well, what the hell do we do now?’ We decided we better go back to the town but it was like 6 hours away. We walked back to the road anyway and waited and waited and waited I mean there was like two cars an hour and we got this lift with these dodgy guys and they took us into this walled off Moroccan city before dropping us back to the town we were going to. At the time we didn’t think much of it but looking back now it was actually pretty scary!” This was one of the times that dad says he will never forget due to how random the circumstances he was in were on that day. Comparing my dad’s travels to my brother’s smaller amount of experience travelling, Lucas has definitely had less extravagant experiences yet he would have enjoyed them just as much as Dad enjoyed his. Although he may not agree, this is what I have observed. Lucas is 23 and falls into the bracket of generation Y. He has travelled a few times with his mates and majority of his trips have consisted of renting boats, surfing and partying pretty hard. Lucas only ever went on one overseas trip with our family when he was 16 and I was 8, so he has not been exposed to the way that Mum and Dad travel as much as I have. My parents have taken me to many countries and shown me that sometimes the best holidays are the ones where you plan as you go. Of course, there was a certain level of planning because 100 precent nomadic travelling may have been hard for me when I was younger but as I have grown up the freedom in our trips has expanded. As I get older I will seek to have an experience that is similar to my Dad’s and as times change it may be that I have to put down the phone and jump on a plane for an unknown adventure.

“ I a lways said that I would go unti l I got bored and I just never

did”

South America The photos that make up this gallery are of my family’s personal adventures to South America. These images are a collection of our photos that have been taken whilst in the countries of Chile, Peru, Argentina and Brazil. The images will explore the many cultural aspects of the South American continent from its ancient civilisations to the dress ware and clothing. Hope you enjoy.

This colourful picture shows an image of two plastic people created to attract tourists and bring

smiles to the people of La Boca and those visiting.

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An Image of the Andes Mountains from out the window of an aeroplane The Majestic mountain city of Machu Picchu built by the Ancient Aztec Empire. This Image captures

the beautiful mountains behind the stunning city.

A group of men and women in Ollantaytambo dressed in traditional clothing for the town election of

their new leader.

An image of my father Ray Kusturin enjoying a delicious feast in front of some very comical paintings.

A Funny building we came across in La Bocca, that shows the creativity of the South American citizens

A building created by the Aztec’s at Machu Picchu. Here we can admire the great architecture made to build these huts out of stone and thatched rooves

Piranha fishing on the Amazon River in Brazil.

A photo of my brother who is struggling to pull off the limited dress ware of the stereotypical Brazilian in attempt to fit in

Me wearing a colourful piece of headgear at the Ollantaytambo markets in Peru. Many of these accessories can be bought cheaply if you drive a hard bargain such as my mother.

The favela’s of Rio De Jeneiro. These buildings are built one on top of the other and hold many people in a small area of space. This is where the extremely poor families live who cannot afford their

own housing

Afros and Cheap Travel

………………………………………………….. Aaron Skilton

I walk into the cosy classroom and my numb body is comforted by intense warmth. I sit down in the marvellous presence of local legend, Stuey Mckerihan. His navy jacket blends into the blue checker shirt, and his light brown slacks match the dirty blonde afro sprouting from the top of his head. In my pursuit of discovering the essence of cheap travel, I interview the seasoned traveller, who sheds his light on past travel experiences. A firm handshake followed by a cheery smile, and the conversation begins…

"…the best things in life are free, I like to be interactive with my

environment, and I don’t want to be just a passive

observer.”

So…describe yourself in three words Uhh, thrill-seeking, mellow…and smiley Classic. What job are you doing at the moment? I’m teaching high school, so, it takes up a fairly large chunk of my time. Yeah, I really enjoy being able to work with young people, and I enjoy the subject that I teach, English. I’m trying to inspire kids to enjoy reading and writing and to express themselves through language. It’s something I’m passionate about, but at the same time, [the process of] marking may end up driving me out of teaching, just because there is that frustration sometimes, of not being able to create things of my own stuff, just being busy marking other people’s things. That gets me down sometimes, being a critic instead of a creator. What are some of your hobbies? Between surfing, snowboarding, writing and riding, they are the things that I dedicate a lot of my time to. Pretty much anything on a board makes me happy, skating as well. I mostly just skate to get around, but I really enjoy that. God’s a really big part of my life as well, so I like to spend time with him. Do you count yourself as much of a travel ler? Yeah, I would like to think so. I try to get away every chance I can. I really don’t like staying around home, I never get home sick. I like the idea of waking up each day and having no routine, not knowing what’s coming, I like that side of travel. I love experiencing new things, new cultures, new people. What would you say your favourite budgeted hol iday you’ve been on would be? Most of the really budgeted trips I’ve been on have been within Australia. One time, my friends and I did a snow trip for three days that cost each of us $45, so that was a pretty good effort. Other trips, we camped on the side of the road or slept in the bush. I find when you don’t have much to spend, you have the best experiences. You gotta think creatively, rely on others, and you are more a part of the environment. Some of the funniest stories I have are due to the fact that we didn’t have much money. Sometimes we’d go to the all-you-can-eat buffet and take bags of food away, enough to last us the week.

How does it compare to a tr ip where you spent a fair bit, did you enjoy the cheap hol iday just as much as the expensive one? Yeah, I’d say some of the cheaper trips have been the fun trips. For me it’s all about the activities, new experiences, and the adventure. Money definitely does not equate to a good trip. I like to think that the best things in life are free, I like to be interactive with my environment, and I don’t want to be just a passive observer. You can interact with God’s creation, and it’s more exciting than being in man-made structures. I don’t think I’d ever get bored in natural environments. Now you’ve sett led down with a qual ity job, do you usual ly spend a l i tt le extra cheddar for more comfort, or do you st i l l l ike to travel on the shoestr ing budget? My last trip I think I did splash out a little more on things like accommodation, and I feel like sometimes I missed out on opportunities and the adventure of being careful in travelling. There were some moments in the trip that weren’t quite as exciting because I was comfortable. I’m still just as happy in a tent as I am in a five-star hotel. One time when I stayed in a hotel, I started to hang out with the workers and relate to them, and in that way it turned into a blessing, because I had friends even though I was travelling on my own. I think I’d always like to have a mixture of the two. What is the key to gett ing stoked on a cheap hol iday? Well, there are a few things. One, is being open to other people, which brings upon good opportunities, like being able to stay with people you meet, being invited to a party or something. Another thing is the people you go with. I’d say that as a rule you should travel with people on a similar budget to you. You want to be able to do the same things with the people you travel with. Also, choosing things that don’t actually require money, things that revolve around nature and other people. It’s when you start to entertain yourself with movies, or eating in fancy restaurants, that you lose the livelihood of the travel. Find out where the locals are, where the locals eat, what they do, and fall into those kinds of areas. Don’t fear the unknown, embrace it.

P lanning a t r ip, but not sure where to go? Wel l , i f you want to base your decis ions on the rest of the wor ld ’s

preferences, keep on reading! Melan ie Tredinn ick

What’s Hot?

7. Mexico Tourist Arr ivals: 23.4 Million Why So Popular? Beach resorts, Ancient-American ruins and the famous cultural festivals, all combine to grow Mexico’s rapidly developing tourism industry. 6. Malaysia Tourist Arr ivals: 24.7 Million Why So Popular? Malaysia has stunning islands, beaches, city life and national parks. It appeals to tourists with its natural attractions, such as Mount Kinabalu and Langkawi, combined with its astonishing biodiversity. 5. Germany Tourist Arr ivals: 29.2 Million Why So Popular? Being one of the safest travel destinations, and having recognizable cultural diversity, Germany comes together to attract millions of tourists annually.

What’s Not?

7. Chad Tourist Arr ivals: 71,000 Why So Un-Popular? The country is entirely enclosed by land and is very dry. There is political instability and Rebels make large parts of Chad extremely dangerous. 6. Djibouti Tourist Arr ivals: 53,000 Why So Un-Popular? Another small desert country that is a dry and dirty place; covered in rubbish. 5. Libya Tourist Arr ivals: 34,000 Why So Un-Popular? The Libyan Government doesn’t act as a tourist magnet; in fact it does more than repel tourists. The aftermath that followed Colonel Gaddafi’s death, the Libyan Prime Minister, isn’t all that inviting to foreigners.

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What’s Hot?

4. Italy Tourist Arr ivals: 46.1 Million Why So Popular? Italy is so successful in the tourism industry due to its phenomenal arts, history, culture, fashion and cuisine. Famous landmarks and man-built structures are imbedded within this gorgeous country. 3. Spain Tourist Arr ivals: 56.7 Million Why So Popular? Spain is gifted with rich history and culture. Several of its main attractions have immense historical value. This country consists of many beautiful blue-watered beaches and antique houses, making it a true paradise, and allowing it to become an unparalleled summer destination. 2. United States of America Tourist Arr ivals: 62.3 Million Why So Popular? The USA is one of the most likeable countries on this planet. The national parks and dazzling cities cause tourists to pour into the country irresistibly. There are endless tourist attractions.

What’s Not?

4. Solomon Islands Tourist Arr ivals: 23,000 Why So Un-Popular? Traveling to and from the Pacific island nation is not an easy task, and can cost lots of money due to lack of competition. The island is also not very famous compared to surrounding countries. 3. Afghanistan Tourist Arr ivals: 17,500 Why So Un-Popular? Afghanistan is in the middle of an on-going war, and the Taliban militia has taken over the country. It is extremely unsafe for anyone living or visiting there. 2. Comoros Tourist Arr ivals: 15,000 Why So Un-Popular? Comoros is known to be crawling with mosquitos. These mosquitos infected the country with malaria, and so it typically scares possible tourists away.

What’s HOT?

1. France Tourist Arr ivals: 79.5 Million Why So Popular? France isn’t called the ‘Country of Love’ for no reason. Tourists literally fall in love with this place! Breath-taking historical sites, endless shopping malls, the most superior fashion, advanced technology, stunning beaches, spectacular nightlife and other astounding attractions; you name it, France definitely has it. There is an endless supply of sites to see and things to do in France, always keeping its tourists on their feet.

What’s NOT?

1. Somalia Tourist Arr ivals: 500 Why So Un-Popular? Somalia is yet another desert based country, filled with dry ground and humid air. It has had a lack of government for many years, and is filled with Muslim extremists. It follows one main law, known as the ‘Sharia Law’, which is the moral code and religious law of their prophetic religion. There is currently an on-going war, making the country dangerous and not on many people’s bucket lists. In short, the reputation of Somalia is extremely close to rock bottom.

India By Ben Kusturin

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We as the proverbial Australians yobo perceive the Indian culture and community as a “curry munch’n, elephant praying, cricket shredding society”. The instant we deny our ‘couch potato’ reputation and begin to research the abundance and diversity of this exotic country we instantly feel a lust and attraction towards India. The Indian culture has many stereotypes that foreign countries have stamped upon the culture. Perceptions and stereotypes can be found in the very funny and comical series of the Simpsons. We meet the most loved and only Indian in Springfield, Apu. He owns a small general shop in town known as the Kwik e Mart. Apu faces many stereotypical trials of the Indian culture, such as arranged marriage and racist comments and suggestions raised by the citizens of Springfield, America. Enough about our Indian friend in a yellow community and onto where my journey begins. This Story is of my family’s trip to India. It will explore the cultural aspects of India, the trials of traveling in India, the perceptions the world has of India and the way the youngest member of the Kusturin family (me) takes on the surrounding environment that we are about to experience    The plane from England to India was approximately twelve hours. I had never really accustomed myself to sit still for such long lengths of time. This proved to be quite a feat for an energetic 10 year old boy with a passion for soccer and general activity. The buzz of the plane was constantly present and the flight path map was like a drug regularly calling out to be viewed after every meal and movie to only show disappointment and misery at our slow progress. We eventually landed in Mumbai. I raced off the plane as fast as possible like gazelle running from a lion until I was stopped in my tracks by a wall of heat where the plane’s air conditioning dare not venture. I stopped and felt the heat lapping at my sweat that just seemed to flush out of me. The temperature soared to 30 degrees plus in the airport whilst outside it was an oven reaching 40 degrees. My family and I passed through customs and ventured out of the terminal. We waved down a taxi with whatever little strength we had left and asked to be driven to our hotel, the Ascot. We jumped in a taxi that was built to comfortably hold 4 passengers and with 5 Australians all attempting to gather into the small taxi it was going to be an uncomfortable and sweaty ride. Needless to say, there was no air-conditioning. As we pulled out into the city scape all bodily senses were affected by the looming city. The air was consumed by car fumes generated by the thousands of cars that inhabit the roads. The smell of rubbish and excretion piled on the side of the road stared us right in the face. The noise of car horns and engines rang across the roads as though they spoke to each other. The total area of Mumbai is 603.4 km2 and in this very small area is the population of Australia, that’s right Mumbai is home to 22 million people and many of these live in Slums. India can be described as a two faced b@#$% luring unsuspecting tourists with warm weather and a culture that no other society close to. The part that many travel brochures, websites, books and businesses, “forget” to mention is that 12% of the 1.237 billion people are unemployed. Precisely, this is 154.4 million people and this large number of unemployment leads to many people living in slum residences. 210 million or 17% of India’s population live in highly concentrated slum areas. The slum regions are dense populations of incredibly poor people who live in hand-made houses made of pieces of scrap wood, metal, plastic and other found materials. The ground is thickly littered with garbage and all forms of waste. The ground is often wet and damp because of the monsoon rains that fall from the months of June to September. To try to stop the people who call the slums home the government has placed 3 meter walls with barbed wire looming over the people to prevent slums from spreading out and more people getting in.

As I look back on my days in India I was largely affected by the conditions that these human beings live in. They are prisoners with in their own country. I feel that the government of India is attempting to discard these people of Indian blood as though they do not belong to their Indian society. They endeavor to hide and mask the slums from the outside world as if they don’t deserve to experience freedom and free will to choose not to be a slum but a person of Indian right. Some of the many causes that drive this segregation is that many of the skilled workers leave the country which leaves India in need of workers to boost their economy. The lack of education also contributes to the separation between rich and poor because only the wealthy can send their kids to school. Like many other countries, India has a very small middle class which are the teachers, engineers, lawyers etc and as said above many of these workers leave the country placing it in turmoil. The British colonisation of India years ago had negative effects on the country. The British workers robbed India’s wealth including the famous Kohinoor diamond. The British brought different education that did not work here and as a result, the Indian people suffered. Since India has a large supply of raw materials and specifically cotton and silk, the British Government ordered them to only sell the products to them with prices decided by them. This was unfair because it restricted their trading abilities and India was being highly ripped off for their work. This resulted in the economy falling and trade routes weakening. All these factors contributed to the segregation between rich and poor. As our taxi was stopped at a red light we were greeted by a man who seemed to had lost his arm. Many desperately poor people would amputate limbs to try and evoke sympathy from unsuspecting tourists who would give money for their families. The man was very dirty and skinny with old tattered clothes, he was quite short in stature and had an untamed beard. The man was very imposing which became quite frightening for a young boy not able to make sense of the situation. The lights turned a glorious green and we raced away leaving the struggling man behind. As we approached our hotel wide eyed and dripping with sweat like a broken tap we walked up to the front in the very welcoming veil of air-conditioning. We trudged our bags up to our room exhausted by the day that we had endured. After we had a shower we went off to dinner still sopping wet from the humidity. India has a very rich cuisine based around rice and curry dishes flavoured with many herbs and spices. The Indian food served in Australian in nice words “isn’t very nice.” The food in India is fresh and delicious using natural herbs and spices to bring the dish to life. After dinner the family and I wandered the markets of Mumbai searching for artifacts rich in culture and identity to remember our time here. We walked back to the Ascot hotel and prepared for bed. The next day we flew south to Palolem a seaside village in southern Goa. The flight was a delightful two hours with a model plane to create as we sat in our seats bored and hungry. Using the term hungry or starving in India is relative as the true meaning is often surrounding you. We arrived in Goa and took a taxi to our hostel the Oceanic. The hostel is a 5-10 minute stroll form Palolem beach where food can be purchased from beach side bistros. Meals here are varied and include chips, fish, and hamburgers but with a little taste of India’s cuisine added to a variety of the dishes to make them unique. The Oceanic Hostel is surrounded by the Indian Jungle and on special occasions whilst lounging around the pool we were greeted by the local monkeys who were incredibly cheeky by throwing twigs down to the unsuspecting tourists bellow (me and my family).

Whilst visiting and enjoying the local beach there are a couple of things to be wary of

1. The  cows  that  stroll  the  beach  are  fun  to  look  at  but  do  not  piss  them  off  2. The  sand  wasps  that  hide  in  burrows  in  the  sand  3. Some  locals  will  try  to  sell  you  jewelry  clothing  etc.  If  you  don’t  want  o  buy  anything  be  polite  but  firm  

in  you  rejection  and  they  will  leave  you  alone  4. Ceremonies  and  celebrations  often  take  place  at  night  on  the  beach.  You  are  welcome  to  stay  and  watch  

but  be  respectful  and  don’t  interfere  5. Don’t  take  this  warning  lightly  those  wasps  hurt  

If  all  these  precautions  are  taken  into  hand  you  will  have  a  lovely  holiday  on  Palolem  beach.  Whilst  chilling  out  on  the  beach  we  were  approached  by  an  older  lady  trying  to  make  a  living  for  her  and  her  family.  She  sold  jewelry  and  other  precious  items.  She  told  us  that  there  are  officials  that  stand  at  the  entrances  of  the  beach  and  to  sell  their  products  you  must  pay  tax  to  enter  the  beach.  Often  these  salesmen  and  women  make  little  money  a  day  and  the  money  spent  to  enter  the  beach  has  often  gone  to  waster  by  making  little  to  no  profit.      At  night  in  Palolem  there  are  many  restaurants  that  line  the  beach  and  streets  which  is  again  on  a  5-­‐10  minute  walk  from  where  we  were  staying.  There  are  Italian,  Chinese,  Greek  restaurants  that  serve  many  different  cuisines.  A  personal  favorite  of  ours  was  Bubbas  Little  Italy  which  serves  its  famous  Bubbas  pizza.  Juicy,  crackling  bacon,  with  a  fried  gooey  egg,  on  top  of  a  bed  of  cheese  and  chorizo  sausage.  For  the  week  that  we  stayed  in  Palolem  we  ate  at  this  place  for  3  of  those  nights.      One  day  we  met  an  incredibly  nice  man  called  AJ  who  had  his  own  rickshaw  (taxi)  business.  Every  night  we  would  ask  or  wait  for  AJ  to  come  back  from  his  taxi  rounds  to  bring  us  back.  The  story’s  this  man  told  were  inspiring  and  eye  opening.  He  was  such  a  character.  A  tall  slim  man  with  short  curly  hair  and  a  neat  little  beard  in  his  early  30’s  with  a  family  to  look  after.  We  promised  we  would  go  back  and  visit  him  but  haven’t  yet  but  I  would  love  to  go  back.  The  people  are  incredibly  nice,  for  example  when  our  taxi  broke  down  in  the  slum  areas  of  Mumbai  the  children  and  adults  came  running  to  help  fix  the  car  and  offer  us  whatever  little  food  and  water  they  had.  Just  because  we  came  from  a  different  part  of  the  world  they  treated  us  with  such  respect  and  generosity.    .

A Little Piece of Paradise

Words by Aaron Skilton

The morning is smoky grey and the sun will soon peak up above the horizon. I rub my eyes and stretch out the stiffness in my legs. Dreaming a mean, overhead shack was enough to pop me out of bed and into my wetty. Grabbing my sled and tip toeing out of the cabin, a chilly wind started to bite at my skin. Being the cheeky little shit I am, I start to rub my wax as loud as I can, making possibly the most horrific sound to wake up everyone else in the camp. Mischief complete. The walk up the gravel driveway of the caravan park is painful. Very painful. I can feel every shard of rock stab into my foot. No relief is found in the small patches of grass, which are covered in freaking bindies. But it was worth the while when I reach the end and can hear the soft crashing of waves from just across the road. I bolt across and down the sandy path. My heart beats faster and faster. I’m thirsting for a ride.

As I reach the top of the sand dune, my heart skips a beat. The sun glimmers lines of golden light on the clear emerald surface of the sea. Waves surge back and forth, peeling and crashing on the mustard sand. I peacefully shuffle my way down to the water’s edge, feeling the soft sand sift through my toes. I jump over the shore break and my surfboard skims across the water. I dive under the oncoming wave, and feel the coolness rush over and refresh my body. When I emerge, it’s as if I am a new man. With newfound strength, I paddle out the back, stroke after stroke. The water ripples around my hand and splashes onto my legs. The salt soothes my skin and my hair clumps over my eyes. I paddle gracefully onto a softly breaking peak. I feel the power of the ocean surging me forward, it guides my every pump, it caresses my every turn. The ocean is magical. The ocean is merciless. The ocean is home.

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Tiger Temple

Tour Ella Gardiner

Travelling on a budget means that you will have to make sacrifices in terms of activities that you can do to save money but once in a while there is an opportunity that comes along that you just cannot pass up. For people visiting Thailand that experience is the incredible Tiger Temple Tour. Tiger temple is a Buddhist temple that has wild boars, deer and pigs roaming the grounds with extravagant temples surrounded by muddy, rural land. It is an unusual sight and one that you would ever expect but I can guarantee it is one that you would never forget. Especially when the orange and black stripes of the incredibly tame tigers come into view. So what does this Tiger Temple Tour include? The day begins when your guide picks you up from your Bangkok hotel at 8:30 and you drive for about two hours until you reach Kanchanaburi. In Kanchanaburi you will stop to get food to donate to the monks as they arrive to the temple in the morning. When they do arrive you are to pick up the food with two hands, place it in their pot and nod out of respect for them. They are to receive substantial amounts because breakfast is the only time of the day that they eat. Once this is done you proceed to follow the monks to the temple where you are to take off your shoes. Entering the temple is a truly unexpected and exciting experience because the golden Buddha shrine is in the dead centre and is surrounded with about 15 tiger cubs lining the walls. Some smaller then others but all excited to see the people who are about to play with them. The time inside the temple consists of playing with tiger cubs from the ages of 1 month to about 8 months. The guides take hundreds of photos so you can have a vivid memory of what you did on your time at the temple. After playing with and patting the cubs you then get to walk with some of the older tigers. They

are walked to a station where you get to shampoo their backs and hose them off. The tigers love this because it is like a massage for them. You then enter an arena type area where all guests at the tiger temple line one of the walls and have plastic bags on sticks around for the tigers to play with. It is an amazing sight seeing all of the tigers take huge leaps into the air to catch these bags, imagine what they could do for their food! After this

you move on to pat and take photos with huge 3-year-old, full-grown, male tigers. These creatures are absolutely beautiful and you cannot comprehend how great it is to be so close to one until you are able to so. After watching the tigers play with each other again it is time to depart from Tiger Temple at about midday and head to the place where you can ride and swim with elephants. When you arrive at this place

an Asian elephant is bought up to the platform where you hop onto it. You are not riding these elephants on a seat. It is completely bare back and you sit on its head hooking your feet under its huge ears. The feeling is strange but wonderful. Their prickly skin rubs on the backs of your leg but it is hardly noticeable because of the awe that you are in from these huge animals. The elephants are guided to the water and immediately get in. The trainers call out commands and the elephant’s dive under the water taking you with them. At first it is a bit terrifying but by the third time you do it you are having so much fun. You clean the elephants with brushes and stand up on them. It is truly wonderful. Once again the guide takes many photos. After the ride is complete and you are dried up the guides drive you back to your Bangkok hotel and you are left with memories for the rest of your life. The tiger temple tour is a truly unmissable experience that I would recommend to anyone travelling to Thailand.

“An

unmissable experience”

n th is issue of Adventure Party we wi l l be travel l ing to Athens in Greece. The country is covered in white sandy beaches and crysta l c lear water. Athens is the capita l of Greece and has a very long history that can be tapped into through guided tours and the ancient ru ins that are scattered throughout the country. Here are some hostels for you young travel lers

 

 

 

 

 

By ben Kusturin

The Stavros Tou Notou is another live performance club for those who love to get rowdy. The club holds many great bands who get you off your feet and dancing

Now for the dark and mysterious side of Athens where all you night owls can get down and boogey. Athens has a very wide variety of nightclubs and most of them located towards the centre of the city. They are very rich in culture along with the

lights, DJ and what not. Here are a couple of personal preference:

 

 

 

 

     

 2. An Club

 

 

 

 

3. Stavros Tou Notou

   

The An Club is a great social club that holds live bands and performances. So if your into large crowds and rockin’ bands then this is the place for you.

Cubanita is a great Latin club in Psyrri which usually has a live band and very often incredible dancers that will take your breath away.

1. Cubanita

In celebration of the first ever release of newly produced Navigate magazine, the producers are giving one lucky reader and a friend the opportunity to win a 12-night stay at the 4 ½ star resort called ‘Avaton Resort’ in Santorini, Greece. The Avaton is one of the most stunning resorts in Santorini, and you have the chance to stay in this flawless, immaculate resort just by emailing us at navigatemag@gmail.com and telling us in 25 words or less why you deserve this special holiday. Entries close on the 30th May, with a limit of one entry per person. The entry judged the most creative and original will win.

A trip to Paradise