The cooler is full, the windows are down and the map is unfolded across your lap, flapping eagerly. With a bit of time – and on a working holiday visa, you’ve got all year – New Zealand and Australia are yours to explore. Before seeking employment, I suggest sliding behind the wheel and discovering the country that will be your home for the indefinite future.
Who knows, you mist just arrive somewhere unexpected and realize “I can settle here, for a while.” May the lyrics of these classic Australian and Kiwi musicians help you get where you’re going.
John Farnham – Pressure Down – The stresses of daily life are mounting and your eyes are on the horizon. Don’t be trapped like the prisoner Farnham describes; bust loose from the responsibilities that bind you and move on.
Dragon – April Sun in Cuba – Another departure song: “I’m tired of the city life, summer’s on the run…” There Kiwis may be flying to a sunny beach in Cuba, but their thirst for new shores will carry you anywhere.
Cold Chisel – Khe San – Undeniably one of Australia’s biggest hits, Khe San is an anthem for anyone who’s ever felt lost, or “tried to find a place to settle down, where my mixed up life can mend.”
Little River Band – Cool Change – Lined by sandy beaches, tropical islands and the Great Barrier Reef, there’s reason a Australia was once called Oceania. In a tribute to the world’s biggest island, LRB recognizes the sea spirits that call to all of us.
My Island Home – Christina Anu – “They same home is where you find it,” sings indigenous artist, Anu. If you want to find Australia’s Aboriginal culture, or simply a new perspective of this unique country, leave the cities and head west.
Split Enz – Six Months in a Leaky Boat – Though the tyranny of distance often leaves far-flung New Zealand looking like the edge of the world, it shouldn’t keep anyone from conquering its shores.
Paul Kelly – From St. Kilda to King’s Cross – Aussie folk artist Kelly loves Melbourne so much, he’d trade Sydney Harbor for just one sunset over St. Kilda beach.
Hoodoo Gurus – 10,000 Miles Away – Sometimes traveling for wages can be just as stressful as a desk gig at home. “Working for yourself sometimes it ain’t all that’s it cracked up to be. It can be as lonely at the top as at the bottom of that corporate tree.”
Eurogliders – Heaven Must Be There – “I’m tired of living in the sand, I’m searching for a better land.” And so are you, never knowing what heaven lies further down the highway.
Icehouse – Great Southern Land – Stark lyrics and eerie chords create an image of Australia’s dangerous, empty center. Hungry, Icehouse describes it, a place hidden in the summer for a million years.
Hunters and Collectors – Throw Your Arms Around Me – The personal connections we form on the road are often the most intense, and destined to be short-lived, relationships we’ll ever remember. Goodbyes can become as common as fuel stops.
The Triffids – Wide Open Road – Perth, Western Australia, is considered the world’s most isolated city; so, no wonder The Triffids looked beyond town to the open roads that lead off into the Outback.
Dave Dobbyn – Welcome Home – Dave’s lyrics are a heartfelt invite to settle down, at least for a moment, in the world’s youngest country. There’s no denying New Zealand’s majestic appeal, nor the sincere hospitality you’ll experience as your roll forward.
What songs are on your Australasia travel playlist?
~ Until the next adventure! ~ Kelli