Packing: My Final Review

Now that I have reached the end of my journey, I think it is a good time to discuss packing; what I did wrong and what I did right.

I'll just put it out there plain as day... I over-packed. I thought I hadn't, but I did. To my defense, I thought I would get to do more traveling than I ended up doing. Here are some things I didn't need:

*Note: These things go for Townsville and North Queensland, in general. This may not fly with the Southern folks.*

I didn't need that 2nd pair of jeans. One pair would have been quite enough.

I didn't need that 2nd fleece pullover, either.

Out of the 3 dressy outfits I brought, I only needed one. In Townsville, it is perfectly normal and acceptable to go out in jean shorts and a cute top. It's hot as hell here most of the year, and so people dress for it. Sorry dudes, but y'all will need to wear pants when you go out. I love being a chick. ;)

I could have brought about a quarter less tops. The bulk of what I wore was t-shirts and wifebeaters. So, I wish I would have left most of the cute American Eagle-type stuff at home.

My dance shoes and sheet music were a waste for me to bring. North Queensland is... how do I say this?... uncultured. This is not a place of art, it is a place of sun, swim suits, and sport. I didn't find it hard to accept, though. Relaxing next to the rockpool on the strand is a pretty nice alternative to dance class.

I ended up not needing the sheets that I brought. University Hall provides sheets when you move in. I can't say the same for everywhere else, but to anyone moving into this hall, that's one less thing you have to bring. However, bringing my fleece blanket was a wonderful idea. It does get chilly (chilly being about 68F) here at night the last two months, and the fleece blanket I brought has been perfect.

Now, here are some things I'm glad I did:

I didn't bring any dive gear. I considered buying a mask/fins/snorkel set before I left and bringing it, but I'm really glad I didn't. I found a super cheap set here (all 3 for $60), and while they're not top of the line, they have served me very well. And I won't feel that guilty if I have to leave them here for lack of space in my luggage when I leave.

Speaking of dive gear, here are some great places to buy stuff:

Anaconda Outdoors Store: where I got my mask/fins/snorkel
Big W: great for cheap stinger suits, they run $30.

I didn't bring a towel. Once again, University Hall ended up providing one for me to bathe with. And for a beach towel, I suggest Big W.

*Note: Do not shop at K Mart. You'll want to because it's something you'll recognize. But K Mart's prices are about 1.5 times that of Big W for the same thing.*

I brought enough shampoo and conditioner to last me a few days when I initially came. During the crazy trip in Melbourne, you won't really have any time to shop, so make sure you bring enough for that portion of the trip.


I spend several moments everyday now contemplating how I'm going to get things back home. I bought A LOT of stuff, and I'm not even done shopping. I have no idea where I'm going to put some of it. I've accepted that I'm probably going to have to ship some of it and may even have to pay a luggage fee. Only time will tell!

I can't believe I only have three and a half weeks left in this country... but that's for another post. I probably won't have time to edit anymore videos before I leave, but I promise one or two more of these. All of the videos will get done within 10 days of my return to the US. Promise!