Noosa News

The past few weeks have been filled with my hunt for jobs. Nothing really cool or eventful — unless you count my last night at the first hostel I stayed in. A new guy moved into the dorm with the three of us who were already there. Upon entering the room, he accused us of working with the Antichrist and the same people who killed JFK. Then he said he would stab us in the face. For obvious reasons, none of us felt we could stay in the room, so we were moved to a 10-bed dorm instead of the 4-bed we had paid for. At least I got the difference refunded after asking.

After that, I wanted to move into a hostel a bit further along the road, closer to the more interesting parts of Noosa. The deal was work for accommodation: I was supposed to work 12 hours a week in exchange for a free stay in an 8-bed dorm with six 18-year-old girls. I was — well, how to put this — overwhelmed by the sheer disregard for hygiene, personal space, and tidiness. The place looked like a bomb had gone off: clothes and shoes scattered everywhere, covering the entire floor. The two en-suite showers were disgusting, and the sink… let’s just say I wasn’t keen on touching it. I slept only centimetres away from the AC unit and some lovely patches of mould on the ceiling.

I went to reception and mentioned the condition of the room. One staff member was very understanding; another just shrugged and told me, “I thought it was awful when I first got here, but chill, you’ll get used to it.” I tried. For one night. Then I left.

Now I’m staying at a new place even closer to the beach — and I love it! Clean, private bunks — dreamy! Honestly, it’s what I wish were the standard everywhere.

In the past few weeks, just about everyone in Noosa has come down with a cold. I wasn’t spared, but luckily I’m feeling better now.

My job hunt has been semi-successful. I landed two weekly shifts at a restaurant, about 15 hours total. It barely covers accommodation. I might have another job coming, but even with both, I’d probably only reach around 25 hours a week. Sadly, this isn’t what I was hoping for. While it pays for my stay here in Noosa, it doesn’t really leave room for savings toward onward travels… We’ll see.

On a brighter note, I’ve made two friends at my new hostel — Gaelle from France and Ethan from England. After my first swim in Australia (early afternoon, and it felt amazing!), we met up to enjoy the sunset at Noosa Spit, had dinner back at the lodge, and went for frozen yoghurt. Ethan and I were already pretty full, but Gaelle was so delighted with all the topping options that we couldn’t resist joining in.

Of course, all good things must come to an end — Gaelle and Ethan left the next day. I had a wonderful time with them and was really glad for their company.

Oh, and this deserves a special mention since it’s been a while since I’ve won anything in sports: I beat Ethan in a ping-pong match. 😁Læs mere