Spur of the moment travel.. Always be prepared!

I wanted to make the most of this winter break and see as much as I could, within a student budget. I started the break with an impulsive, short notice booking to Sydney for the end of their Vivid light festival. After this I didn’t do too much long distance travelling. I stayed in Queensland trying to discover new things in the Gold Coast and visiting the surrounding areas again. Coming to the end of the break I was a bit sad I didn’t do more. My girlfriends had a trip planned to Cairns but being a bit pricier than other areas I wasn’t sure if I could do it. It came to the night before their trip and another friend had decided to go as well. After much consideration and checking, I was booking my flight only hours before take off.

I managed to score a decent price on a flight since it was so last minute. This left me with only hours to figure out what I was doing with my life before the trip.

This is where I stress my point, that while living in a place where last minute things can come up.. be ready for anything. There’s so much to see and you aren’t going to want to miss an opportunity. I’ve had some exciting things happen here last minute but nothing quite like this trip. Since this was so new to me I thought I’d share some tips to consider in case you want to jump on a plane tomorrow to discover a new location.

1. Have your travel sized items ready to go 

I have my beauty on the go travel bag, always packed and ready with my travel sized items. This includes my travel toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo/conditioner, hand cream, small sunscreen, makeup removing wipes, cotton pads/swabs, water facial spray, hair surf spray, and hair ties. If you have this ready it saves a lot of time from having to run around, find and remember all those items.

2. If your cameras aren’t charged or ready to go make sure that’s the first thing you check

Being that charging and downloading pictures can be time consuming, it’s good to get that checked off the list first. Plug in your batteries and get those pictures backup up so that your gear is fresh and ready for your next adventure.

3. Have snacks ready

I always like to have snacks prepared. This saves you money or helps out in situations where things might be closed for early flights. I have a small bag of snacks ready for travel like dried fruits, nuts, tummies, chocolate, granola bars, etc. These are easy and I can just throw them in my bag.

4. Make a quick list

If your trip is even close to as last minute as mine you are probably going to be a bit flustered. This means that your brain is going to be thinking about way too much at once and to keep track it’s best to write down what you may need.

5. Get certain things once you land

For such a last minute trip if you’re trying to stick to a carry on bag to save money you may be short on space. For certain things, consider buying them once you arrive. Make a quick trip to Kmart or Target and you can get things like cheap towels, or flip flops there. For full size liquids this is also a great option since you won’t be able to bring things like a large sunscreen or hairspray on the plane with you.

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All things aside just make sure to enjoy your time. Try your best to get everything you need together and have an amazing trip! I had such a fun time with all my friends and I highly recommend travelling with a large group of friends. We had such an amazing time in Cairns even though the weather wasn’t the best the whole time.

If you end up in Cairns or you’re planning on going make sure you go out on the Great Barrier Reef. We went out with Tusa Snorkel + Dive and had an amazing day at two different reef locations. We also did a waterfall tour which was quite the adventure but definitely worth it. Our last day we went for a drive down to Clifton Beach, and it was beautiful. Perfect weather, very cute and quiet spot.

– Jess.