16 Aug 2018

So, the whole class is half asleep as your teacher drones on, and you’re thinking of a million other things you’d rather be doing. The end of the year feels so close yet so far away, and you’re dying for it to all just to be over already. In the haze of ‘get me the f*ck out of here,’ all you can do is daydream of swaying palm trees, your favourite bevvies and forgetting those exams in favour of the best trip of your life. We’re talking schoolies.

But if you’ve left planning a bit late, or don’t want to empty your piggy bank entirely for a post-school party with your mates, we’ve got you covered.

1. Where to go for schoolies?

There’s about a million different ‘where to go for schoolies’ articles out there, but make a list of your fave places and head over to TripAdvisor to suss our their price, safety, and fun stuff to do. You can go the classic Gold Coast trip, or head to Bail but don’t forget about your other options as well.

Anywhere near a beach is a pretty good place to start and nothing is stopping you from packing up the car or hiring and van and going on the ultimate road trip. There’s some cheap overseas destinations that you can check out here– but  there’s also plenty of places in Australia that are super cheap and are post-exam havens- you can check them out here.

When planning the where you want to be careful: not all places are welcoming of schoolies kids. Find out if your dream destination is tourist-friendly before you book. Sleepy retirement towns or places populated solely by families won’t appreciate you and your mates getting wild post exams and nobody wants to lose their booking deposit, or get a noise complain form grumpy neighbours.

2. Who to go with?

This one’s pretty simple- round up a gang of your best mates. Get planning well in advance- it’s hard enough to organise a trip to the beach during summer let alone an entire holiday.

The longer you leave it to get your shit together, the more everyone is going to have to pay for things like accommodation and flights, so make sure the mum of your group is keeping track of everything.

3. Where to stay?

Official schoolies packages are an awesome option for heaps of people, especially if you don’t want any hassle with booking, but they can work out really pricey once you add it all up. If you choose not to go for a package, Trivago is great for comparing prices of local hotels, cabins and anything else that puts a roof over your head. If you’re headed somewhere outside the usual schoolies destinations, make sure you’ve got shops nearby for supplies.

Once you’ve picked your location, go onto AirBnb to look at all the homes and apartments available- they can work out cheaper than hotels. Better yet, if you like a place, contact the landlord outside of Airbnb and avoid a few hundred dollars of commission.

4. How to get there?

This one depends on where you’re going but explore all your different travel options way in advance. If you’re heading overseas or interstate, StudentFlights.com have some awesome deals throughout the year, including last-minute sales. The train is also a good option for local trips (or interstate), and you can always hire a car once you’re there. For group bonding time and a bit more adventure, road trips are a solid option.

5. What to bring?

Again, this depends on where you’re going. If you’re staying in a big city, just pack your clothes and plenty of cash. For quieter joints, there’s nothing worse than picking the perfect view, but finding out the shops are an hour drive away. Bring your own food and, to avoid disappointment, book somewhere fairly close to some shops. That way you can always do a run to Woolies halfway through the week when everybody’s munched through all the supplies.

One of the most important things is to remember to stock up on bevvies and keep an eye out for sales in the lead up so you can save some cash.

by Kaitlyn Hudson-O'Farrell