OE by urself... recommended?

vteg · 8th June 2004, 09:21 PM

hey guys i need sum advice even though its got nuffin to do with hondas..

I finish my last assignment for my university course degree tomorrow and for the last few months i have been planning what i am goin to do when i finish my course (which is tomorrow!). up until tonight i was planning to go overseas (london for few months then do rest of europe) but my mate i was goin with just pulled out cuz he had problems with saving and his job etc. Now i have come to a bit of a dilema.. do i do it alone? I'm sure i can meet other kiwis and go travellin with them etc but thats not gauranteed and im a little bit worried about getting home sick etc.

What you guys reckon? Has anyone here done an OE by themselves? Recommendations?

Spanky69r · 8th June 2004, 09:36 PM

yeah ive often thought about this

im one of those kinda ppl that needs to be with ppl

so to go do an OE id have to go with someone or know ppl overseas

but yeah thast me

PH4T SI · 8th June 2004, 09:55 PM

when i go on my OE i'd go with a friend, saftey in numbers, as well as having someone you know to keep you company.

thats just my opinion though

eterna22 · 8th June 2004, 10:04 PM

i prefer going alone.

my next destination is egypt or tel aviv

somewhere exotic

DA6-Vtec² · 8th June 2004, 10:11 PM

My opinion is that you should go with someone. My mum did hers a few decades ago, and diddnt like it being alone (and i doubt that travelling is any safer now) Aside from the safety in numbers thing, you will at least have someone to enjoy the countries with.

My advice, put the money away, avoid spending it on mods to your car, and add more to it so you can extend your OE longer and wait for someone to go with.

- JD

sonar · 9th June 2004, 07:51 AM

like the majority concensus i would suggest you go with a/some friends. it just feels safer that way, and you'll have some good memories to share with your friends.

when i do my OE, i'll be going with probably 3-4 other good mates of mine which will be good.

HUSSLAA · 9th June 2004, 09:25 AM

Go it alone. Things become more random when you don't have anyone to look after! :wink:

MarkNZ · 9th June 2004, 10:02 AM

have you thought about joining a tour? heaps of people on the one bus so you will make friends really quick :wink:

Woody · 9th June 2004, 10:07 AM

I did my OE a little later in life, but have travelled tons. And 60% of the travel has been alone. I highly recommend it. Often you find travelling buddies along the way with new and exciting ideas and ways of doing things. Being with them, and within the culture of the cities and towns you visit (not just the touristy stuff), is what truly makes your OE unforgettable.

You can always go on Kontiki's and planned tours, as you venture into each destination, if you yern company.

Do it alone!

Just make sure you always register with the NZ Conulate in each country juuuuust incase something happens and there is a way to attempt to track you down.

vteg · 9th June 2004, 04:23 PM

cheers for the feedback guys! Half of you have said one said go with mates and the other half say do it alone~!!! :?:

that's cool i kinda expected that people would be about half and half about it because so am I!

I think joining a tour with other kiwis will be a good idea because i won't be too home sick and i am gauranteed to meet other people. I'm gonna go into the local STA branch and enquire about what my best options are but thanks for the replies and keep em coming- especially if you've done some travellin already!

Pnut · 9th June 2004, 05:49 PM

Homesick? McD's was my friend when i was OE and missing things, costs a S**tload over there but at least it felt a bit like a taste to remind me of home.

When i went on my OE i was origonally going over by myself and booked all the tickets and planning by myself, but ended up a mate joined up with me. If you want to go somewhere new by yourself and don't mind going on a tanked up pissup across Europe with a bunch of strangers with the one thing in common and seeing a blurry version of the country from the speed they hurl you round at, then as mentioned a kontiki tour or something similar may be in order. Otherwise check out the lonely planet books to figure out what you want to see and what you can expect to pay for places to stay etc. and then check out the train and bus options. There are a few trains and buses that do curcuits of most of Europe which you can get a pass for and just get on and off at the stops you want. I found that alot better myself, you can see all the stuff you want to see and not what some tour company want to show you. I guess it depends if you are spending a truckload of money to party, or to actually see history and culture that you will not see here.

Contact the backpackers in town, the central travel agent in town, and even the british consolate for the newspapers and backpackers magazines to get a hint of what travel stuff can be on offer before making a decision. They all were really helpfull for me.

Also, don't underestimate the fellow travelers you can meet in the kiwi and aussie pubs they have there, they serve alot of our local beers and you can meet up with loads wanting someone to join their group to travel. Also in the Newspapers mentioned above a few advertise for just that sort of thing. I can't for the life of me remember the names of them now but they were really good in preparing myself for it all.

When you get to London, go visit the NZ Consulate there just down the road from Lester Square and Piccadilly circus, they have shop in the lane behind it which has among other things a big bulletin board advertising places to stay in England and jobs, and people wanting someone to join their van to tour etc.

Yes i think it would be better if you can go with or meet up with a mate, but i wouldn't miss out on the experiance just for that. Immerse yourself in it before you go, read up as much on the net or in the newspapers i mentioned and you will be fine.

Even the memory of the great times and things seen are making me jealous of the journey you could be undertaking 8)

Pnut · 9th June 2004, 06:02 PM

I am pretty sure this is the website of one of the newspapers i used to get regularly, if it is then it is invaluable!!

http://www.nznews.co.uk/

8)

Here are a few more sites that i thought looked like they might be usfull off google, sorry if they don't lead anywhere but they had points that caught my eye :wink:
http://www.guideforeurope.com/
http://www.travelpunk.com/tips/
http://www.backpackeurope.com/

Oh, and for those of us that have been to the church on sunday, nod nod wink wink

http://www.thechurch.co.uk/

vteg · 22nd June 2004, 03:32 PM

thanks for your replies guys its given me a lot to think about....

after talking to some old mates that i met up with i have decided to go to the US for six months over the new zealand summer and work on the ski fields etc at Breckenridge, Colorado. I have to go by myself cause all my mates are either at Uni or have no money and are bums who can't be assed.

A travel partner would be good so if any of you guys are passionate about snowboarding or skiing and wanna get some overseas experience let me know and i can help out with job placement etc as i've done a lot of research.

cheers
brian

Kiwi Civic · 22nd June 2004, 05:32 PM

I did my OE on my own and loved it, but then again, i stayed with family in england for a while. It is fun and you do meet other people as you are forced to, but i would reccomend going with 1 more person, someone who you can count on, doing it alone, means any problems you face (I had some major ones) you are on your own, its always nice to have a bit of backup from somone you know

vteg · 22nd June 2004, 05:36 PM

yeh i agree it would be good to go with someone else......... problem is i got no one to go with! I'm not going to wait around for my mates to get off their ass and start saving etc so i'm just gonna take the plunge- this way i'm forced to make new friends etc so should be really good for my personal development etc.

MarkNZ · 22nd June 2004, 11:17 PM

have fun

Kinz · 24th June 2004, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vteg

yeh i agree it would be good to go with someone else......... problem is i got no one to go with! I'm not going to wait around for my mates to get off their ass and start saving etc so i'm just gonna take the plunge- this way i'm forced to make new friends etc so should be really good for my personal development etc.

I have often thought about this topic for myself. I really want to travel but am not sure how i would go by myself. I think it would be good to go by yourself though. I agree with the personal development thing. I reckon it would change your whole life.

I can't wait to do it. Got to finish my apprentiship first.

Shooter · 24th June 2004, 08:03 PM

You should know whether to go by yourself or with a friend/s, I reckon it all comes down to your personality type. :wink:

rage_chiksta · 24th June 2004, 08:07 PM

OE's are cool! when done with friends its even better but its all what YOU make of it. You can go by yourself and it can be a blast but its neat to have a buddie!

Remember in primary (maybe you dont) when you had the 'buddie' system so that nobody got lost..well its kinda, sorta, maybe like that? *shrugs*

random? i know!

2RUBLE · 25th June 2004, 11:59 AM

My mates been in England for a month now. She was a little homesick for the first week or so but i think now that she's temping and making friends its getting better. My cousin has just come back from his OE and from what i hear he had the time of his life and is looking at doing it all over again by himself.

Theres always a kiwi in some part of the world that you'll meet up with and possibly make great friends with!!

vteg · 25th June 2004, 05:56 PM

yeh there are obviously pros and cons for both options so either way im gonna have fun!

Well, its confirmed im goin by myself as i just recieved email that i got a job waiting for me on Breckenridge skifield in Colorado!

Goin in december... can't wait~!

8th June 2004, 09:21 PM	#1 (permalink)
vteg Member 700rpm (Idle) Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 78	OE by urself... recommended? hey guys i need sum advice even though its got nuffin to do with hondas.. I finish my last assignment for my university course degree tomorrow and for the last few months i have been planning what i am goin to do when i finish my course (which is tomorrow!). up until tonight i was planning to go overseas (london for few months then do rest of europe) but my mate i was goin with just pulled out cuz he had problems with saving and his job etc. Now i have come to a bit of a dilema.. do i do it alone? I'm sure i can meet other kiwis and go travellin with them etc but thats not gauranteed and im a little bit worried about getting home sick etc. What you guys reckon? Has anyone here done an OE by themselves? Recommendations? __________________ Old Chinese Proverb- "If a man speaks in a forest, and there is no woman to hear him, is he still wrong?"

8th June 2004, 09:55 PM	#3 (permalink)
PH4T SI Senior Member 5,000rpm (VTEC Power!) Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 1,363 Location: Waitakere	when i go on my OE i'd go with a friend, saftey in numbers, as well as having someone you know to keep you company. thats just my opinion though __________________ aww crap, did i just say something retarded? yep..........

8th June 2004, 10:04 PM	#4 (permalink)
eterna22 Senior Member 3,000rpm (Grandma Drag) Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 296	i prefer going alone. my next destination is egypt or tel aviv somewhere exotic __________________ -=GANAS=-

9th June 2004, 07:51 AM	#6 (permalink)
sonar Senior Member 5,000rpm (VTEC Power!) Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 1,408	like the majority concensus i would suggest you go with a/some friends. it just feels safer that way, and you'll have some good memories to share with your friends. when i do my OE, i'll be going with probably 3-4 other good mates of mine which will be good. __________________ hmmm... need to think of something profound to say...

9th June 2004, 09:25 AM	#7 (permalink)
HUSSLAA Senior Member 7,000rpm (Peak Power) Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 3,454 Location: Wellington	Go it alone. Things become more random when you don't have anyone to look after! :wink: __________________ Funcrusher + Photos

8th June 2004, 10:11 PM	#5 (permalink)
DA6-Vtec² Member 700rpm (Idle) Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 76	My opinion is that you should go with someone. My mum did hers a few decades ago, and diddnt like it being alone (and i doubt that travelling is any safer now) Aside from the safety in numbers thing, you will at least have someone to enjoy the countries with. My advice, put the money away, avoid spending it on mods to your car, and add more to it so you can extend your OE longer and wait for someone to go with. - JD

9th June 2004, 10:02 AM	#8 (permalink)
MarkNZ Senior Member 7,000rpm (Peak Power) Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 2,975 Location: Outside NZ: United Kingdom	have you thought about joining a tour? heaps of people on the one bus so you will make friends really quick :wink:

9th June 2004, 10:07 AM	#9 (permalink)
Woody Team NZH: Mod 8,000rpm (B Series Redline!) Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 5,967 Location: Auckland	I did my OE a little later in life, but have travelled tons. And 60% of the travel has been alone. I highly recommend it. Often you find travelling buddies along the way with new and exciting ideas and ways of doing things. Being with them, and within the culture of the cities and towns you visit (not just the touristy stuff), is what truly makes your OE unforgettable. You can always go on Kontiki's and planned tours, as you venture into each destination, if you yern company. Do it alone! Just make sure you always register with the NZ Conulate in each country juuuuust incase something happens and there is a way to attempt to track you down. __________________ Crack open a Woody today ~ iKirst Kreated - Car ~ 07 Ford Escape ~

9th June 2004, 04:23 PM	#10 (permalink)
vteg Member 700rpm (Idle) Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 78	cheers for the feedback guys! Half of you have said one said go with mates and the other half say do it alone~!!! :?: that's cool i kinda expected that people would be about half and half about it because so am I! I think joining a tour with other kiwis will be a good idea because i won't be too home sick and i am gauranteed to meet other people. I'm gonna go into the local STA branch and enquire about what my best options are but thanks for the replies and keep em coming- especially if you've done some travellin already! __________________ Old Chinese Proverb- "If a man speaks in a forest, and there is no woman to hear him, is he still wrong?"

9th June 2004, 05:49 PM	#11 (permalink)
Pnut Senior Member 9,000rpm (S2000 Redline!) Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 6,144 Location: Auckland	Homesick? McD's was my friend when i was OE and missing things, costs a S**tload over there but at least it felt a bit like a taste to remind me of home. When i went on my OE i was origonally going over by myself and booked all the tickets and planning by myself, but ended up a mate joined up with me. If you want to go somewhere new by yourself and don't mind going on a tanked up pissup across Europe with a bunch of strangers with the one thing in common and seeing a blurry version of the country from the speed they hurl you round at, then as mentioned a kontiki tour or something similar may be in order. Otherwise check out the lonely planet books to figure out what you want to see and what you can expect to pay for places to stay etc. and then check out the train and bus options. There are a few trains and buses that do curcuits of most of Europe which you can get a pass for and just get on and off at the stops you want. I found that alot better myself, you can see all the stuff you want to see and not what some tour company want to show you. I guess it depends if you are spending a truckload of money to party, or to actually see history and culture that you will not see here. Contact the backpackers in town, the central travel agent in town, and even the british consolate for the newspapers and backpackers magazines to get a hint of what travel stuff can be on offer before making a decision. They all were really helpfull for me. Also, don't underestimate the fellow travelers you can meet in the kiwi and aussie pubs they have there, they serve alot of our local beers and you can meet up with loads wanting someone to join their group to travel. Also in the Newspapers mentioned above a few advertise for just that sort of thing. I can't for the life of me remember the names of them now but they were really good in preparing myself for it all. When you get to London, go visit the NZ Consulate there just down the road from Lester Square and Piccadilly circus, they have shop in the lane behind it which has among other things a big bulletin board advertising places to stay in England and jobs, and people wanting someone to join their van to tour etc. Yes i think it would be better if you can go with or meet up with a mate, but i wouldn't miss out on the experiance just for that. Immerse yourself in it before you go, read up as much on the net or in the newspapers i mentioned and you will be fine. Even the memory of the great times and things seen are making me jealous of the journey you could be undertaking 8) __________________ The Internet: where men are men, women are men, and children are FBI agents

9th June 2004, 06:02 PM	#12 (permalink)
Pnut Senior Member 9,000rpm (S2000 Redline!) Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 6,144 Location: Auckland	I am pretty sure this is the website of one of the newspapers i used to get regularly, if it is then it is invaluable!! http://www.nznews.co.uk/ 8) Here are a few more sites that i thought looked like they might be usfull off google, sorry if they don't lead anywhere but they had points that caught my eye :wink: http://www.guideforeurope.com/ http://www.travelpunk.com/tips/ http://www.backpackeurope.com/ Oh, and for those of us that have been to the church on sunday, nod nod wink wink http://www.thechurch.co.uk/ __________________ The Internet: where men are men, women are men, and children are FBI agents

22nd June 2004, 03:32 PM	#13 (permalink)
vteg Member 700rpm (Idle) Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 78	thanks for your replies guys its given me a lot to think about.... after talking to some old mates that i met up with i have decided to go to the US for six months over the new zealand summer and work on the ski fields etc at Breckenridge, Colorado. I have to go by myself cause all my mates are either at Uni or have no money and are bums who can't be assed. A travel partner would be good so if any of you guys are passionate about snowboarding or skiing and wanna get some overseas experience let me know and i can help out with job placement etc as i've done a lot of research. cheers brian __________________ Old Chinese Proverb- "If a man speaks in a forest, and there is no woman to hear him, is he still wrong?"

22nd June 2004, 05:32 PM	#14 (permalink)
Kiwi Civic Senior Member 5,000rpm (VTEC Power!) Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 1,317 Location: Auckland	I did my OE on my own and loved it, but then again, i stayed with family in england for a while. It is fun and you do meet other people as you are forced to, but i would reccomend going with 1 more person, someone who you can count on, doing it alone, means any problems you face (I had some major ones) you are on your own, its always nice to have a bit of backup from somone you know __________________ http://nzhondas.com/forum/picture.ph...pictureid=1191

22nd June 2004, 05:36 PM	#15 (permalink)
vteg Member 700rpm (Idle) Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 78	yeh i agree it would be good to go with someone else......... problem is i got no one to go with! I'm not going to wait around for my mates to get off their ass and start saving etc so i'm just gonna take the plunge- this way i'm forced to make new friends etc so should be really good for my personal development etc. __________________ Old Chinese Proverb- "If a man speaks in a forest, and there is no woman to hear him, is he still wrong?"

22nd June 2004, 11:17 PM	#16 (permalink)
MarkNZ Senior Member 7,000rpm (Peak Power) Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 2,975 Location: Outside NZ: United Kingdom	have fun

24th June 2004, 08:03 PM	#18 (permalink)
Shooter Senior Member 3,000rpm (Grandma Drag) Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 202	You should know whether to go by yourself or with a friend/s, I reckon it all comes down to your personality type. :wink: __________________ A good friend will come and bail you out of jail, but a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn we fucked up..." http://profiles.nzhondas.com/profile...e=view&id=1501

24th June 2004, 08:07 PM	#19 (permalink)
rage_chiksta Senior Member 4,000rpm (Taxi Drag) Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 843 Location: Wellington	OE's are cool! when done with friends its even better but its all what YOU make of it. You can go by yourself and it can be a blast but its neat to have a buddie! Remember in primary (maybe you dont) when you had the 'buddie' system so that nobody got lost..well its kinda, sorta, maybe like that? shrugs random? i know! __________________ RaGe oF tHe MaChInE

25th June 2004, 11:59 AM	#20 (permalink)
2RUBLE Senior Member 3,000rpm (Grandma Drag) Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 213	My mates been in England for a month now. She was a little homesick for the first week or so but i think now that she's temping and making friends its getting better. My cousin has just come back from his OE and from what i hear he had the time of his life and is looking at doing it all over again by himself. Theres always a kiwi in some part of the world that you'll meet up with and possibly make great friends with!! __________________ SMILE - Its the second best thing you can do with your lips

25th June 2004, 05:56 PM	#21 (permalink)
vteg Member 700rpm (Idle) Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 78	yeh there are obviously pros and cons for both options so either way im gonna have fun! Well, its confirmed im goin by myself as i just recieved email that i got a job waiting for me on Breckenridge skifield in Colorado! Goin in december... can't wait~! __________________ Old Chinese Proverb- "If a man speaks in a forest, and there is no woman to hear him, is he still wrong?"

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