Couch surfing.

I'd heard of couch surfing before within my first few weeks of being in Australia I met a German girl called Mara who was staying with a family, woofing, that were working on Andreas back garden.  She had only ever couch surfed for accomodation unless she had no other choice but to stay in a hostel. Most of her experiences were good ones, some hosts are strange but innocent enough and sometimes you do feel awkward but other times you meet great people and have a totally different experience than you would if you stayed in a hostel. Sometimes it's also a great way to meet the locals who are able to tell you about places to go in the area of the beaten track, or places tourists don't know about. Although It wasn't couch surfing, but for example, If I had never stayed with Andrea that month I would never have taken the time to watch a rugby match, well Australia football, and I would never have realised how much I loved it. I was told all bout state of origin and now I love it. You wouldn't get that enthusiasm for aussy rugby if you stayed in a hostel.  

Maras worst experience was with some guy in surfers paradise who had an apartment that was pretty well off. A couple of backpackers were already there so she contacted the guy who was on a night out and said she was going to chill for the night. He wasn't having any of it and when she said she didn't have anything to wear he said there were heels and dresses in the wardrobes. Apparently the nicest heels shed ever worn. Designer too. Ok - so... Strange at this point the guy has all this. Anyway, there out with the guy who isn't the best looking and turns out he's a bit of a creep. Surprise surprise. Anyway I can't really say much more than that but if that's the worst experience then it can't be that bad. You hear about these horror stories where girls are raped or the couch surfer knocks on the door and the host automatically expects sex like staying isnt for free - which is what every realist immediately thinks of when they think of couch surfing anyways.... But I think the chances of that happening are exactly the same is if you were to do absolutely anything on your own, walking down an alley way, through the woods on a quiet day etc... There is always a slim chance that you are in danger no matter what you do. 

The couch surfing websight, when you click on a host you are able to check out reviews backpackers have put about the host and rated that host. It's usually standard procedure to also meet up with the host, in a busy restaurant or cafe, before you stay but it can sometimes be inconvenient at the time to either you or the host so you just have to go with your gut instinct.

The boat crawl!

Before i talk about my antics at Freds i Thought it was rather important to update y'all on my spending at this point

Credit card: -£950

AU bank account: $650

So within my first week at base hostel I had also been working part time at the marlin bar which was about a 30 min bus ride away on the other side of the island. I had had to loan $400 from Craig to get me through that week before I was paid which was spent on bus money and food, although breakfast and evening meals were included for the woofing. $50 deposit went to base hostel and the rest on afternoon meals and bus money I guess.  I earned $450 in my first week at the marlin bar, that's after tax. The most I'd made in Australia so far and I'd only worked around 20 hours for it. So it seemed to be working well, working for food and accommodation at base hostel and then working for money at the marlin bar.

So the German girl staying with fred was Corina. Amazing girl absolutely wild though. She had been getting on really well with another boaty,. And that night, as it was corinas last night with Fred and Corina must have wanted to meet all the other boatys on horse shoe bay they went on a bit of a mission using the dingy to go from boat to boat to do just that. (Now when I think of a dingy I think of those blow up boats. No, this is plastic with a motor, I would think of it as more of a speed boat than a dingy but what do I know) Fred asked Me if I wanted to join the 2 of them but I was tired and I wasn't really sure I wanted to be chucked in at the deep end meeting every boaty on shore but it was that or stay on the boat with fred, a possible axe swinging maniac, so I went. Corina and (Forget her name - so annoying!) Got a long really well and had plenty to talk about so it was nice to be in their company, they had also made sure they had bought lots of drink with them. It turned into a "boat crawl" like a "bar crawl" but better. I used to think people with boats on shore or at the harbour had their boats there for leisure, to use for fishing or travel as and when they wanted. But it's very rare that anybody has a boat on shore for anything else other than to live in. It's a totally different, yet amazing life style. Every person I met was so friendly and welcoming, its a really great community, like neighbors. we drank, we had a laugh and each put some music on or one played guitar and I played and sang what I could. Corina insisted "more more more" but my knowledge of guitar chords was incredibly insufficient. If only I had a piano...

in general living spaces on a boat are very small, a toilet and Shower is usually but a single cubicle. a bedroom that is also a dining room is the size of a walk-in wardrobe and manages to fit in up to 3 beds that are also couches or storage units. Everything is very crammed, so the kitchen is usually within this area too and then outside on deck you either have a storage unit or seating areas. On first mpressions, Long term, it looks totally unlivable, it's like camping. No heating (although you wouldn't need it Unless you were in southern parts of aus) no air con, unless you had fans. Electric is usually run by a generator fuelled on petrol or solar panels. 

Each boat had its own character, one was very basic as are most, but had tonnes of amazing things from all over the world, Asian writing hung on the walls, ornaments on the table, interesting pebbles and shells. That was lochys boat, he told us storys of his travels and of all the things on his boat and i sat there appreciating that moment. craigs uncles house has a similar style to it, filled with interesting artifacts from all over the world, its something i wish to do with my own home one day. 

Many days later lochy broke a bone in either his leg or foot and we used to see him drunk on his boat many times to numb the pain before he could go to hospital. Once he'd got that sorted he looked completely like a pirate with his crutches, ear length curly hair, on a boat. There's a lot of climbing up and down ladders to get to and from the lower deck which is the living area. Hard work for him. 

Another boat we went to was so much cleaner than the others, animal print seamed to be the theme. It was such a unique pristine boat it felt like a real home "Chili magic" was the name so the woman who owned the boat was nicknamed chili. She was lovely, she had a really interesting job and lots of drama filled story's involving herself and her family. I could tell she had a big heart. She offered me a toke of her spliff and we continued to all sit their quite merry with drink and the smell of chilies cooking, sitting on the comfiest outside couch on any of the boats so far, able to admire the stars. I asked how life on a boat was and how she was able to maintain it all on her own. Apparently as a woman you can get a lot of help as most boatys are guys, but for the most part she was able to do things on her own and she's just learned as she's gone along and the only struggle was when she's ended up in crutches like lochy. Her toilet was down a ladder in something that looked like a storage unit. It probably was a storage unit also. She must have been in agony. She said It's hard at times but totally worth it for the freedom you get and the community of boatys you have. What an amazing life.

Between a visit to the next boat lochy brought his dingy out too and we had a game of "dingy wars" racing the dingys to the next boat and almost crashing into them as it was so dark we could barely see some of them, by law each boat has to have its light on top of the mast but the odd one didn't. Weaving in and out of boats at night speeding through was so much fun.... The more drinks we had the more difficult it became to climb on and off the dingy to get to boats. At one point Corina had her feet on a boat, her hands on the dingy and sea inbertween her. I was in stitches. It was time to call It a night and we made our way back to Fred's boat. Fred had made our beds on the deck, so sweet. I slept in a camper bed beside Corina who had a sheet covered gym matt on the storage place on the deck outside. It's so difficult to imagine with that explanation so check out the picture. Fred came out and insisted on tucking us in. Ok fine... But then he decided to kiss me on my head?!? He was about to kiss corinas, I'd never seen anybody jump so fast out of bed before haha, she awkwardly hugged Fred and said she doesn't want a kiss and that was that. When Fred left I asked Corina what it was like living with Fred and she said he's really nice but he has to be told not to do certain things. I had a good feeling about Fred, ok he was strange, but he had a good heart and i really appreciated getting back to a made bed. So what does Fred get out of it? A lot of people struggle with this idea that human kindness can sometimes be free. I remember a quote from the hustle. "If its too good to be true then it usually is"  but couch surfing IS free. Everybody has their own reasons for taking on backpackers in their homes, usually to meet people of all cultures and ethnicities, to have some company if there is none. I was yet to figure out Fred's.

Fred's boat

The bed with the gym matt on the storage unit.

Fred's kitchen

View from the top of Fred's boat 

Turtles everywhere!

Trouble in paradise.

So I was put to work in the kitchen with Hannah who seemed really ignorant and rude. I would sometimes talk to her and she would totally ignore me, other times when I would ask her a question she would respond in a condescending way. I guess it depended on how she felt on the day. I decided to just keep quiet until she chose to be nice and then when she did choose to be nice I just let her talk about herself the entire time. She never really asked anything about me. She was a bit of a bitch. When she was with phil she was worse. Phil was ok with me, she would at least acknowledge that I was a human being but I think that was it really. 

There was one time in the kitchen where it was really busy and I barely knew what I was doing as I'd only worked at the till once before. Hannah was getting really impatient and even Sam the cook started to reflect the attitude Hannah was giving me. She's sarcastic anyway which I can take but when it's 2 on one its just not right. I was just getting  bitchy looks followed by something really condescending or arrogant and if I chose not to speak because of this response, I would get it from Sam for not asking questions and subsequently guessing my way through the day. I felt like shouting "YOU TRY ASKING HITLER  OVER THERE QUESTIONS" but instead I said fuck this, stormed out and spent 15 mins in the toilets having a sob. Pathetic. 22 years old and basically getting bullied. 

It was a strange experience in base. I felt like I was back in high school again , it felt like it was a bit clicky and I started to feel like a bit of an outcast. So strange that backpackers can be like that because 99% of anybody I had met all shared the same passion for travel and were all open to making new friends wherever they were from in the world because we all help one another out. Even some of the backpackers who appear most strange, everyone is just welcomed with open arms and given a chance. we Give each other advice along the way about where to go, what to see, best place to find work etc. it's generally a huge support network and right there in base, on an island was just a huge bitching network.  Initially I thought I had possibly done something to upset someone and did the whole self blame thing....   Like there must have been something wrong with me for a total stranger to have taken an instant dislike to me (someone get the violin out). I asked around about Hannah and the other girls woofing had a similar opinion about Hannah and that she gives new woofers the cold shoulder, and it's just an initial thing you have to go through since she's been there 3 months or something and you have to stay for some time before you get any respect.

 Well I've never been one to conform or kiss ass to that kind of bullshit (ok yes ill cry about it....) so I was kind of just biding my time until an opportunity came about where I could really let loose on Hannah and tell her what I thought of her. I wasnt going to continue to take her shit it was pathetic and i think she spent way too long in one place. It didn't take long, all she had to do was be a bitch to the point where it was horribly obvious and all I had to do was be annoyingly nice to her.  It's not like I'd planned It that way but that's what happened. 

I'd just been admiring the stars  one night which were incredible on the island, you can make out the Milky Way, a billion tiny stars in one thick streak across the sky. It's just different, something you don't expect even though your on the other side of the world, you don't expect the stars to be so different to back home. It's the Southern Hemisphere though. Of course it's different!  The southern cross is on the Australian flag, though I didn't know that till I got here either and I spent a night on the beach with a couple of backpackers trying to make out certain constellations and counting shooting stars. 

I made my way back to my dorm where a drunk Hannah and Callum were looking up at the stars too,  I thought of Craig when I saw the 2 of them.

 "Romantic isnt it?"

"FUCKKKK YOUUUUUUU"

Callum put his hand over Hannah's mouth... Tooooo late Callum. Too late. 

So that was it, following that I let loose on exactly what I thought of Hannah, the words arrogant and ignorant came out... Her response was to focus entirely on the word ignorant and defend herself by telling me all about how smart she was.... If she was smart enough she would have realised ignorant has 2 definitions. However the bitching between us became a debate over the definition of ignorant (which I laugh at now "no it means this..." No it doesn't it means this..." Like children... Haha) it went on to me telling her that either way  her attitude sucked and I wasn't tolerating it anymore. What I didn't understand was her telling me that shed never had a problem with anybody and why hasn't anybody said these kind of things to her before. My guess was that nobody had ever yet confronted her? Because she can't have just been like that to me... Other girls in the hostel had already confirmed this. She went on to say that I was in no position to pass judgement on her when I hadn't even been able to hold down a job so what does that say about me. Ouch. At this point Callum was holding her back from getting at me and although I was ready To swing a punch at that last comment I just walked away. Id said my piece. I wasn't tolerating it and that was that.

The following morning I sat on the steps after getting ready and waited for work time. Phil asked me what happened. I tried, and as I suspected she started to talk over me to defend Hannah... So I explained I wasn't interested in talking  if that was what I was going to get.  Phill let me talk. She disregarded the fact that Hannah had said "fuck you" and just said I was probably not understanding her sense of humour and we were just very different people. 

Complete and utter bollux.  I explained how she was with me in the kitchen, I got the impression she thought I was just being sensitive and Hannah's ignorance is just her in her own world... Absolute bollux. I wasn't believing a word. They were both ass holes from the start.

Phill acknowledged I was there a bit more from then on and Hannah stopped giving me shit though she continued to be ignorant especially around phill. It's crazy, it's like big brother, I stood up, made a bit of a song and dance and all of a sudden a get a bit of respect. The psychology of the human mind is bizarre. If everyone was nice there wouldn't be a problem? Even if we didn't click as people. You can be nice right? Love makes the world go round... And I just can't stand it when people don't have a good heart. As far as I know Hannah was a good person, a lot of people liked Hannah and I'm sure she was, she just wasn't nice to me. I don't know if maybe, I showed up a little too confident and it was seen as arrogance and that was it? Opinion of me made and I was hated? Or maybe phill WAS right... I know it's useless to dwell on the drama of events past but when situations like this happen I always like to think I've taken something, learnt something, been made better off in some way but in this instance Im completely confused.

When the girls left the hostel Kieron approached me and said it was like big brother and he thinks Hannah was intimidated by me and that's all it was. I'm not sure about that but he did say it wasn't me. I appreciated that. 

The rest of the days in the hostel consisted of welcoming in new woofers, busy busy busy kitchen shifts and on my days off, chilling by the pool and jumping over the rocks on the beach to reach a small private beach with clear shallow waters. One time I went there a girl was having her photo taken on a huge rock (no idea how she climbed up there) topless. Another time I met a guy from Denmark who was a couch surfing host and said I was welcome to go to his for food. He seemed nice enough and I'm sure the offer was completely innocent but since i was in my bikini I just felt too exposed and vulnerable so I'd Initially said yes and that I'd like to spend some time on the beach first but after 10 mins of thinking logically and not listening to my hungry stomach I said I appreciated his offer but I'd have to decline. I think I made some excuse too, anyway he seemed pretty pissed off. Not sure why but it made me glad I didn't go. Silly man. 

One time I was climbing back over the rocks on the sea front, the tide was coming In fast and where I could jump easily through the rocks before, there was now just a huge gap where the sea had come in so I had no other choice but to swim. Bad, bad idea. The sea crashed against me, throwing me into rocks and in parts where I could possibly stand it was difficult to judge and I ended up cutting my knees from the waves throwing me about. I was taken under water a couple of times. holding on or trying to climb on top of rocks was useless as moss had made some slippy and barnacles had made others impossible. so I swam out away from the rocks where the waves were calmer and  eventually got a good grip on a rock to climb on further along. I made it back to the hostel, cap missing and jacket soaked. 

I was walking to the supermarket one day with sore feet and a blister developing when I'd bumped into Fred again. Fred had a boat on shore right by the marlin bar where I was also working and had offered me to stay over there. I was obviously cautious. It's not like I could run away if I didn't like it. I'd have to be a good swimmer if he was an axe swinging maniac so I'd said it was really nice of him but I was quite settled in base hostel. I was being my usual dopey self and arrived at the checkout with Fred coincidently and $10 short which I'd dropped on the floor on one of the isles, Fred kindly offered to pay but I managed to rescue the money. Fred also gave me a lift back to the hostel that day. He seemed a bit too forward for my liking but he was kind and he had an enormous heart so I decided to take Fred up on his offer one night when he had another backpacker over, which made me feel tonnes more comfortable about the whole thing.

Magnetic Island, Woofing.

 As I was sorting out my stuff ready to move to maggies, I accidentally deleted every photo on my memory card and left a couple of items of clothing behind. Wasn't the best time. 

On the ferry to the island I received a phone call for a trial at the marlin bar.

I arrived at chris's and my bed was to be a little camper in the living room until they could find something a bit more permanent. 

My first day of work was terrible, fabia and I shared the dutys of the room and I was put to work without any direction. I was told to make the bed and I'd totally forgotten how to do that since I think I only did it about 5-6 times in total on Hamilton. I know it sounds totally daft but there is a specific way to making a bed - hotel standard. I tried to pull the bed out by grabbing the head board... Little did I know it was attatched to the wall and the whole thing came off. Face palm moment. 

Chris said he wanted to talk to me, he basically fired me but said it had nothing to do with the headboard, gave me no other reason just thought it wasn't going to work out but I can stay a day or 2 more till I find something more permanent.

I was beginning to feel a bit tense in the house but I just ignored it and made the most of my time by spending it at the pools and jacuzzis outside. Heaven. Chris and I got along quite well and I think maybe that's what caused him to talk to me in the end about why he was really firing me since he didn't really give me a reason. It was down to my lack of experience (which I said I had made very clear at the beginning) and the fact that I had a job at the marlin bar (the trial went really well and they offered me the job, part time only though)  he thought that it would conflict with the cleaning one. I tried to reassure him but eventually I just had to accept defeat. We came to an agreement however that if I did do the odd few hours every now and again I could continue to stay and I would get food also. Eventually though this wasn't convenient for him either and he more or less kicked me out but said that if I ever need anything give him a shout. He was a strange one to be fair. One night he said he needed to talk to me, he explained he had a friend coming over, a special friend. To put it bluntly Chris was a swinger and this woman was coming over and he said  it can make people judge or feel uncomfortable. So in all honesty I was glad to be out of there. They had a little girl also and I don't know, I'm trying not to judge here but that's kind of fucked up although I think she was going to stay elsewhere while this was going on. Each to their own I guess...

I moved to base hostel where I got a whoofing position (work for food and accommodation) I was on my own and attempted to mix with everyone at the bar but I don't know... It's a shit way of meeting people when music is blaring . also i was making the most of my half price drinks and was explaining to the guy at the bar when some girls next to me said " who the fuck is she" so I just took myself to my room and went to sleep. During some point at midnight I got woken up by Kieron, one of the roomys who climbed into my bed, lay next to me and asked "WHO ARE YOU" "WHERE DID YOU COME FROM" 

Beth.... Wales...

"No... Where did you come from..."

"Oh it's a long story..."

"Go on then!"

Another one of the roomys interrupted I think either philipa or Hannah (the same girls at the bar wondering who I was..)  asking who Kieron was talking to...

So I said "ME"

The response was "who the fuck are you" from either a drunk Philipa or Hannah. Safe to say I took an instant dislike to them since they were nothing but rude to me from the first day... 

I explained my numerous failed attempts at jobs and talked to Kieron a bit before he took himself to bed.  

Townsville

Townsville is a small city by the coast spread out across flat land, inland are mountains and hills which you can only really see from castle rock, a cliff top with amazing 360 degree views. So many backpackers will say this is the only thing Townsville has to offer and it is if you stay here for 2 minutes. but to me  It offered so so much more. Cairns is just 4 and a half hours away, north. So the Great Barrier Reef can also be seen here, they also do skydiving and similar activities cairns would offer, it's just a lot quieter, standard night life, nothing too spectacular except the American style lasoon bars in an array of colours along the street. its also full of  more strip clubs than any other place I went to, or perhaps it just seemed to be advertised more here, although it wouldn't surprise me as the town was full of miners or military guys. magnetic island is a short 30 min ferry crossing away that runs till late at night. Day trips can also be arranged to the Yongala wreck in Ayr which is listed amongst the top 10 Dive sites in the world.  Townsville is also home to some cool but not at all freezing waterfalls and quiet campsites as apose to cairns'  which are usually busier and full of crocodiles these are clear of crocs -perfect! especially during summer months when its jelly fish season and swimming in the sea is something your avoiding. Everyone has there favourite place on the east coast, usually Sydney or another metropolitan city but i loved Townsville, its small,  has a military base, a fitness freak theme with its running path along side the beach that has different parts of a gym at each stop,  a huge rock pool, man made for people to swim in if they prefer something shallow and calm and a view of magnetic island in the distance.  Palm trees and bats... I could go on and on. It's my favourite place on the east coast.

I checked into reef backpackers, the hostel I'd stayed on my first night in Townsville. The days ahead consisted of editing my CV. I probably had numerous different versions of it each Lying about past Experience from bar work to waitressing. At the end of the day there was no chance anybody was going to call any UK number for a reference. I could have been a genius who went to Oxford and been a neuro scientist whilst juggling 3 part time jobs for all they knew. And if it was blatantly obvious I had no experience on the trial, the trial itself was experience and the worst thing that was going to happen was that I wasn't going to get the job. So it was trips to the local library and printing off resumes, returning to the hostel and making them look  presentable. It seemed to get me a lot of attention in the hostel, the stack of resumes I was preparing in the TV area. I met a lot of people through their general curiosity. We went to get $5 Chinese, amazing! I met Christina and holly, absolutely amazing girls, it was just so easy with them. Holly had a boyfriend  in the army too and it was nice to finally meet someone who was in the same situation as I was. We discussed typical squaddie attitude towards us mear civvies, things like that. It was so good just to hear someone was going through what I was. Your used to the distance but it doesn't mean you miss them any less. 

I remember one discussion that's really stayed with me. The guy who owns the hostel, He used to get a lot of revenue some years ago when there were more people traveling to Australia but then the recession took a hit. I started to ask a lot of questions and didn't understand how the recession could really effect the numbers of travellers and as he was explaining I got the impression he was very negative and it bothered me because you can't get anywhere, you can't do anything without that positive attitude. its like a spark that ignites a flame. Positive attitude first and the rest follows. It will just happen. It turned into a bit of a debate. He said it didn't always work like that but he's not knocking my attitude he's just a realist. My belief is that no matter what situation your in, you could be on the streets homeless and you could still be highly successful if you can have a positive attitude. Kristina had been to India when she was younger and had witnessed first hand family's living in rubbish tips so she couldn't agree with me at all. She said its so much harder than I think and it doesn't matter what people try to do, because of their situation they just can't break free of poverty. They try their best, they do numerous things but its hard and takes more than a positive attitude. I kind of felt like I was up on a shrine of positivity and someone just brought me down to earth again. kristina gave me the facts. I didn't like the facts, I didn't like seeing animal abuse or poverty stricken country's on the TV, in fact I made a conscious effort to avoid all of that negative stuff but hearing Kristina helped me to put things in perspective. I will still believe every person on that rubbish heap in india had it in them to be successful but to conclude

  “There are dreamers and there are realists in this world, you think the dreamers would find the dreamers and the realists would find the realists, but more often than not the opposite is true. See the dreamers need the realists to keep the dreamers from soaring too close to the sun. And the realists? Well without the dreamers, they might not ever get off the ground"

I found this quote scanning through Facebook newsfeed during this discussion actually. Perfect timing. We said that it was nice that we could have that discussion without it getting heated. It's nice that we can all accept each others  opinions.

I finally found a job on gumtree one late evening. Cleaning apartments on magnetic island. I thought it couldn't be so different from cleaning on Hamilton island so I gave this guy Chris a call straight away even though it was around 9/10pm at the time, the job advertisement had only been posted minutes earlier. Chris answered and I was to go over for an interview. 

The Interview with Chris was with his wife and went well, they seemed really laid back and I was offered the job. I would be staying with him, his wife, his daughter and their current cleaner fabia in one of the hotel apartments. I would start in a couple of days.

Back in Townsville, Anna and Zoe arrived from the outback. We had an awesome night out. Townsville isn't really the busiest place unless some big  events going on, the street full of bars and strip clubs look like colourful American style lasoons. Anna was so funny, she didn't care that night, she probably doesn't care most nights, but she pulled out some crazy dance moves that night. So everyone else is getting low, twerking or whatever and there's us, cheesy moves galore. Brilliant. 

We arranged a day trip to magnetic island where we would also hire a car, it was an awesome day just not giving a fuck and I was happy that I had a job secured so I didn't mind treating myself to a meal out with them either. Magnetic island is beautiful, although in the ferry terminal you see pictures of turtles you kind of expect to see some when you get to Maggies, you also expect the Great Barrier Reef to be around too since there are so many places to snorkel but apparently tourism kind of destroyed what was left of the reef there. So what you have are some gorgeous mountainous views, sea scapes, palm trees and picturesque sunsets on beaches. Paradise! unless you find yourself on a nudist beach with a guy who's constantly scratching his testacles (thats another story...) Things to do include, seeing wild koalas (although you would have to know where to look) and feeding rock wallabies (arcadia) and loraqueets (YHA hostel at 4pm every day) and that's just the free things to do. if you had money you could do so much more.  You can't really snorkel as the visibility is shocking, everything Is easily accessible (unlike Hamilton) 2 supermarkets on the island and cheap delivery if you want to order from another mainland. Busses run regularly across the island even till late too.. Ok so clearly I love maggies, I won't go on, I'll just say I had such a good time with the girls that day. We returned to the car singing "I'm a barbie girl..." Just because the car looked like a pink plastic toy. I loved driving that car.

I was sad to say goodbye to everyone including Kristina and Hope who left on the same day as Anna and Zoe, although I was sure I would see most backpackers I'd met in my travels in Sydney for new year.