There's nothing like an extended period of solo travel to make you really appreciate the qualities of home.
Sure, world travel is exciting, and doing it by yourself is not only a great way to meet new people and really immerse yourself in a foreign culture; it's also becoming an increasingly popular option among Aussies. In fact, according to a recent survey from Travel Insurance Direct, two-thirds of Aussie travelers (69 percent) say they have or want to go on holiday alone.
Which is all very well and good until you find yourself spending Saturday night alone in a dirty hostel, eating dry ramen noodles out of the packet and wishing someone would invent a teleporter already so you could beam yourself back home for a Cheesymite scroll and a cuppa with your mum. Or something.
Enter the Homesickness Hotline (1800 STRAYA, no joke), an initiative from TID which enables the weary traveler to get their homeland fix by dialing in and listening to one of nine classically Aussie sounds.
These include (and once again we would like to stress, in no way are we joking):
- The waves at Bondi Beach
- The Aussie Bush
- The roar of the crowd at the MCG
- Waltzing Matilda played on a gum leaf
- Cockatoos waking you up
- Being on hold to Centrelink
- Your neighbour emptying tinnes in to his wheelie bin
- Sydney nightlife (which is actually the sound of crickets. Very funny.)
- Your neighbour mowing his lawn.
Don't believe us? You can listen to the sounds below, or try calling the hotline yourself on (+ 61) 1800 STRAYA.