Before you go anywhere plan what you are going to take with you and make sure it is all in good condition. If something is
brand new it is a good idea to use it a few times before you leave home to be sure it is working as expected e.g. in the case of clothes, they are comfortable and don’t split seams. Work on the assumption that less
is more particularly if you are going to carry it all. See www.martincrowther.net or www.travel-tips.net for more details on making a successful trip. In the case of these trips, transport was based around flights to Australia and New Zealand and then a mixture of rental cars, buses, trains once there. In other words, max. 20 kg of checked in luggage and a few more kilograms as carry on luggage is the deciding factor. In fact, on the 2005 trip I had only hand baggage for the whole journey as I had to carry it all, at times for a couple of kilometres so weight was important. I think I ended up carrying about 16-18kg which is plenty enough.
The lists below cover what I will be taking with me. My choice is motivated by that fact that I have a combined business and pleasure trip and am, therefore, not backpacking in the true sense of the word. I
haven’t listed anything that is only related to the business side of things.
Clothes Aim for comfort, lightness and ease in keeping them clean. The
composition of your clothes list will depend on the type of climate and time of year you will be travelling. In this case we are talking about Australia and New Zealand in the summer time. In the case of Australia
that means hot to very hot, and in the areas I travelled to no rain. In New Zealand it means a temperate climate, with temperatures varying from cold in the mountains to fairly hot at noon with a heavy UV-factor.
Gear This is the basic gear that you will need with you wherever you travel.
Fishing gear This is a chapter in itself. The basic equipment such as rods, reels
and lines are the same as in Sweden, which is where I live. The flies are completely different. There is the added complication that it you are not permitted to bring flies into the country due to the quarantine
restrictions on most of the materials used to make flies. A couple of places in NZ where it is possible to get good tackle and good advice are listed in the links section
Medical No-one wishes to get ill but it does happen. Both Australia and New
Zealand are clean places. Australia has all the nasty reptiles and insects you could wish to avoid but New Zealand has no nasty diseases or insects apart from sand flies which you need to protect yourself from. This
is my list of things to take. Add your own medications.
The rest If I couldn’t fit it in one of the lists above it is here.
