A Belated Backpacker

by Sidonie Chaffer-Melly (United Kingdom (Great Britain))

I didn't expect to find Australia

I never went galavanting across the globe after school or uni. By the time I had been well and truly bitten by the travel bug I was in my late twenties and working full time, and was plagued by the worry and regret that I might be too late. Maybe my prime backpacking years were behind me. Nevertheless, the desire for adventure was too strong - I decided it was now or never and negotiated extended time off work. Is 27 simply too old to be hostel hopping alongside people who were barely out of school and uni? With visions of being ostracised as a grandma by a group of Jagerbomb pounding 20 year olds, I headed off for a month on the east coast of Australia. I landed in a torrentially rainy Sydney, and struggled to settle straight into hostel living. Most people were on a year’s working visa, whereas I had a limited time budget. I didn’t have much in common with anyone as they compared job applications and planned their farm work. Despite the downpour and the lack of company, I spent a happy few days in Sydney exploring vintage markets, coffee shops and museums - the White Rabbit Gallery of contemporary Chinese art was a particular highlight. My next stops took me to Byron Bay, which I adored for it’s laidback feel, beautiful beaches and surfing spots, and then to metropolitan Brisbane. While I had friendly encounters in my hostels, most of my time was spent chilling by the sea and going for walks alone. It wasn’t until I arrived in Noosa that I struck lucky. Walking into my hostel dorm, I was greeted by 14 of the people I would be spending the weekend on Fraser Island with. The next few days were a dream. Just off the Queensland coast, Fraser Island is the world’s largest natural sand island and the best way to see it is to hop on to a drive yourself Jeep tour. With eight people in each car it was easy to bond as we cruised along the beach with music blaring and the windows down, spotting dingoes slinking across the sand. The adventure started straight away with our trusty local guide, Brad, leading the pack. On our first day we hiked through the rainforest to Lake Wabby, a deep green lake nestled in steep, golden dunes. We splashed off the sweaty walk as we swam and dived into the olive water, and I found myself relaxing into fresh new friendships. We spent the next few days pushing each other’s cars out of the sand (who knew Jeeps couldn’t navigate sand?), dancing the evenings away with bags of goon, and swapping stories in the tents as we camped out at night. I met people from all parts of the world, spanning Colombia to Finland, and despite being firmly in the upper age bracket I wasn’t the even oldest there. We rounded off the trip with an early morning dip in Lake Mckenzie, arriving as the mist just started to clear across the crystal clear water - so pure that you can see right to the bottom. The soft white silica sand beach was a revelation for me. It won’t stick to you, doesn’t overheat in the sun, and is perfect for exfoliating your skin. When we returned to Noosa we all swapped social media handles (gloriously, there is no phone signal on Fraser Island) and promised to stay in touch. By chance some of us were booked on to the same Whitsunday Islands cruise together the following week. Familiar faces popped up for the rest of my trip, and I bumped into friends on a snorkelling boat at the great barrier reef and again in Melbourne. I discovered that I was not too late to live out my backpacker dreams, and you’re never too old to find adventure. A step outside your comfort zone can take you to places you never thought you would go, experience things that will change you, and meet people who will stay with you forever. Adventure comes at any age. So do friends.