A cycle tourer's guide to getting online in Australia
October 9th 2006 07:37
Because cyclists don't do long hauls between major towns and their net cafes, here's the lowdown on some of the small town/big town/no town places to access the net in Australia...
FREE-NET - public libraries often offer internet services. I've found all but one librarian to be extra helpful booking me a time or letting me queue jump when another punter fails to show. Accidentally go over your allotted time though and the next user will get very testy. You also need to bring your own disc or memory stick if you want to save any files. Out of all the libraries I've used in four states, the Malvern City Library in Melbourne is the only one to date that has refused to allow me to use the net on the grounds that I was not a library member.
GOBBLE-NET - So called because they will gobble your coins faster than they will get you online (and because you feel like a bit of a turkey once you've attempted to use one), internet kiosks are coin-fed computers that are available in many petrol stations and caravan parks including roadhouses on the Nullarbor. When I cycled across the Nullarbor, the kiosks in Norseman, Border Village and the Nullarbor Roadhouse were out of order but the Cocklebiddy computer was faster than any internet kiosk before or since.
COMMUNITY-NET - Quite a number of small regional towns have CTC internet rooms run by volunteers. They are mostly only available between the hours of 9am and 3-4pm weekdays or sometimes only a couple of days a week. The machines are surprisingly quick and good value with facilities for uploading pics and burning CDs. Spend longer than half an hour online and you can expect a queue of impatient 50-60-something caravanners lining up behind you to get online to check that their offspring aren't wrecking the house in their absence.
INFO-NET - Many information offices in Australia now double as internet cafes with anywhere from one to six computers available at ok rates.
SPECIAL MENTIONS:
CHEAP-NET - The cheapest internet place I've found thus far was the PC Place in the heart of the backpacker district on Ocean Parade in Coffs Harbour. Brand new equipment and friendly service without the blare of online games or the hacking coughs of backpackers.
WEIRD BUT WONDERFUL-NET - Melrose in South Australia has free internet access in the window of an ex-bank (pictured above). Go early as the afternoon sun makes the screen unreadable.
BEER-NET - The bowling club in Forster/Tuncurry will make you take out temporary membership and take a mug shot before they let you online. Once past the formalities you can tune out the ping of the pokies and the yells of the bingo caller with a nice pot of beer while you get online.
DODGY-NET - While using the internet at Frankston Library in Victoria a hooded youth at the computer opposite me had a jack crack at his rod and tackle while accessing god knows what online.
Melrose internet 'cafe'
FREE-NET - public libraries often offer internet services. I've found all but one librarian to be extra helpful booking me a time or letting me queue jump when another punter fails to show. Accidentally go over your allotted time though and the next user will get very testy. You also need to bring your own disc or memory stick if you want to save any files. Out of all the libraries I've used in four states, the Malvern City Library in Melbourne is the only one to date that has refused to allow me to use the net on the grounds that I was not a library member.
GOBBLE-NET - So called because they will gobble your coins faster than they will get you online (and because you feel like a bit of a turkey once you've attempted to use one), internet kiosks are coin-fed computers that are available in many petrol stations and caravan parks including roadhouses on the Nullarbor. When I cycled across the Nullarbor, the kiosks in Norseman, Border Village and the Nullarbor Roadhouse were out of order but the Cocklebiddy computer was faster than any internet kiosk before or since.
INFO-NET - Many information offices in Australia now double as internet cafes with anywhere from one to six computers available at ok rates.
SPECIAL MENTIONS:
CHEAP-NET - The cheapest internet place I've found thus far was the PC Place in the heart of the backpacker district on Ocean Parade in Coffs Harbour. Brand new equipment and friendly service without the blare of online games or the hacking coughs of backpackers.
WEIRD BUT WONDERFUL-NET - Melrose in South Australia has free internet access in the window of an ex-bank (pictured above). Go early as the afternoon sun makes the screen unreadable.
BEER-NET - The bowling club in Forster/Tuncurry will make you take out temporary membership and take a mug shot before they let you online. Once past the formalities you can tune out the ping of the pokies and the yells of the bingo caller with a nice pot of beer while you get online.
DODGY-NET - While using the internet at Frankston Library in Victoria a hooded youth at the computer opposite me had a jack crack at his rod and tackle while accessing god knows what online.
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