Over the last few weeks I’ve learnt alot about being a backpacker whose running low on funds.

At one point I was nearly down to my final $1000. I simply forgot to check my bank balance and did alot of driving around to The Quikky Pro and Noosa which burnt a hole in my pocket.

Alot of people I was travelling with or met along the way were alos in the same boat. It seems that Byron sucks people in and they simply get trapped in the ‘Byron Bubble’. Either that or the hippy promise of Byronian living means if you’re skint you head there to try and scrape by or see out your remaining days in Oz.

Being in a place surrounded by people who have to either work or reluctantly return home means it becomes a melting pot of crack ideas, schemes and general banter about how to eat cheaply, get free stuff or make some money quickly and for minimal effort.

And by far the most common topic which fills almost all of the above is nudity.

When it comes to Byron being nude or being in touch with the naked form is nothing new. Backpackers have also caught onto the fact that being naked can also make you some serious dollar! How much dollar is down to how much dignity you have left or how risque you want to be!

One ad (which is posted all over Byron) is for female models for a mens magazine – rates go from $200-$500 depending on how naked you want to get. I’ve seen the results though. They aren’t classy and will probably leave you slightly regretting the decision.

The more tasteful alternative is to be a nude model for one of the local drawing clubs or artists. Same concept, less pay, but more fun.

But by far the most rewarding for time and dollar has to be one which myself and Nick participated in.

Now neither of us are on the brink of having to return home. We both have backup plans. But when a contact I made whilst filming a month or so ago told us of a way of making $100 an hour we’d be stupid to turn it down!

We met the film maker – who’s a nudist documentary maker – chatted through the concept of the film and agreed. It seemed like a professional setup, the guy was sound and all was in order, we even roped in a few of our more skint friends for good measure!

What panned out was one of the most interesting and fun experiences I’ve had in Oz. We stripped, we drank cocktails, we ate posh food and we partied. And we got paid to do it! Hell I would’ve done it simply for the food and booze! It was rather less daunting than I first thought too!

It was a good laugh and I’ve made some new friends out of it and ultimately I feel rather more comfortable with myself! The fact I got paid was simply a bonus!

So next time you’re on your travels and are running thin on the budget front have a look around – nakedness is probably the most fun, highly paid and amusing way you can make money in Oz…of course you need to be careful and do you’re research…but what a great story to tell your friends!

Good times!