I'm still alive...

So I know it have been like 4 months since my last blog, but I am the most busy person I just haven't had time to grace anyone with a blog...I lie! I just forgot :P


Since October what has been going on? Well, Christmas came and Christmas went. It was nice to be able to experience Christmas in another country and in the heat, but I don't think I would do it again in a hurry. Christmas is meant to be cold, and family orientated, therefore next time, that is what it will be. But at least I can say I had a hot Christmas in another country. New Years was quite good though. A few of us from work went out and had an awesome night! Then one of the girls from work just disappeared! Yes, just kinda went "poof"... for days we worried, and where on the verge of calling the police, but as it turns out, she was at home really ill and she lost her phone. All was good then *phew*... 


Speaking of work, I have had to leave The Reject Shop :( ... Stupid Australia and its stupid laws! I will so miss that place and all the "Rejects" I worked with. It was an awesome, but very fast, 6 months! We did have a good night out before Christmas, an experience I will not forget, and a very busy Christmas week.


Come Feb, we had to leave the Foreign Exchange Accommodation as they pretty much kicked all the backpackers out to make way for students coming over from Papua New Guinea. We moved to another guesthouse in the city called the Orchid Guest House. Its no Foreign Exchange, but it is ok. The woman who runs it however, needs to pretty much retire. She must be in her late 60's and can be a snide old woman! Her comments are like digs to whoever she is taking to, and I promise, one more to Thomas or I, and she will get a clash! Anyway, the FOREX closing to backpackers got me a job, just in the nick of time. I now do a bit of cooking at the weekends and some cleaning during the week. Not all bad and it is a different experience to retail. It also opened my eyes to another, very different, culture. The PNG student are all such nice people too, which makes working there enjoyable. I also must say that working in Australia, with Australians, and Kiwis, is really a lot better than home... no offence. Here I am actually made feel like what I do, no matter where I work, is actually appreciated. I am thanked for doing little things, and at the end of each day by everyone I work for. It is nice and makes me more inclined to actually help without any problem at all! I also get fed in this job at the weekend too :D...


Moving to the Orchid, Thomas and I met a Dutch girl called Anne! She was awesome, and really friendly and had the great idea of us all going camping together for a night. It was one of the best ideas ever! Thomas may not think so as he didn't get much of a night sleep, and went to the car during the night as the tent was a bit cramped, but Crystal Creek is the nicest place I have ever seen. Nature at its finest! Watering holes to swim in and mossy rock slides for a few hours of fun. And the cold water was heaven out of the horrid humidity. Don't get me wrong, I like the heat, but 90% humidity is just nasty! I also got bitten on one thigh 17 times, and on one arm 12 times, but it was worth it! Where else can you swim at 8am before a BBQ breakfast! Coolies! Thanks Anne!


At the Orchid however, there is no wifi internet, because Fran is tight, so I am sitting here outside the library using their wifi... ssshh, don't tell them! So that's about all I have to write now, but I will try to blog a bit more often, for all of the 4 followers I have. But now, here is some piccys for ya...Oh, oh, oh, I also gotta mention the thunderstorms in QLD. They are frickin amazing, and I get so excited during them! Why I don't know, but I love them... :D

Work night out

New Years Eve - Kaitie and me

Cookie the cat from The Foreign Exchange

Going Camping

Crystal Creek - Paradise Waterhole

Crystal Creek - Rock Slides

Rock Slides

Anne snorkelling

Thomas and I - Rock slides

Weeeee

Spider...

Awesome!

OMG...It's awesome...

I have come to the conclusion that I don't blog as often as I probably should, didn't take a genius, and that I am probably not gonna start doing it more. It was kind of a novelty to start, but now I will do it when I remember or when I am in the mood. So, right now, I am remembering....

So, still in Townsville, and even though I complained about it at the beginning, its not really that bad. Anyway, I know you might agree with everyone I have spoken to at home, that I am lucky I am getting such nice weather, it being up there in the 30's, before summer is even here, but I left Sydney in June and I have hardly seen rain since. All it has been doing is getting warmer, which don't get me wrong is a nice(ish) thing, but it is also getting so fricken humid that it is almost impossible to breath sometimes. It also makes it so uncomfortable to work in. I went to work for a few days on a farm, and I have to say I break a sweat more working in the hostel and in The Reject Shop than I did there. It is probably because I worked outside on the farm and I am inside for the other two, but wow...it is nasty.

Anyway, on Friday, I got dropped off after work at around 6.30, I got a shower and headed to Woolies to buy dinner. En route, I thought I was imagining things when I saw flashes out of the corner of my eye, but nope. Leaving Woolies, I was stalked up the street by a nice thunderstorm, which caught up with me just as I got home, and a huge fork of lightning danced around at the bottom of the road for a second...I quickly went inside, but then, the best thing happened...it rained!!! OMG, I was so excited. I didn't care about the thunder and lightning, I just had to go outside until I was drenched. I mean, come on...I come from a wet country, and I hadn't seen rain for nearly 3 months. I hate it when I am at home, but you don't know what you miss until you don't have it any more. I was getting a bit pissed off with all the perfect, happy, sunny days and the heat :P ... Rain, how I missed you! It also lifted the humidity in the air epically and I actually slept comfortably through the night! Rain is awesome! Then to top it all off, I woke this morning to a dull morning, thunder overhead and it was lashing! I didn't however go outside, but I did like rolling over in my bed to the sound of rain on the roof and going back to sleep :) ... I reckon my mum, sitting at home in the rain, is thinking I have gone a little crazy, hoping for rain and being excited when it got here, but I've realised that the weather at home is something we take for granted, and as I said, you don't know what you miss until you don't have it as much....


So, more rain please, ta...

My learnings so far...

So, I have been in Australia for a while now, and through my travels and my "hostel hopping" (I know I have only got as far as Townsville) I have met a lot of different people from many different countries, which has been amazing and I am looking forward to meeting more, but I have also learnt many new things. I reckon travelling teaches you a lot more than school education will...it is life learning. You learn to appreciate different things and different ways of life and cultures. You also learn, being a backpacker, other little things too. So, I have been keeping what I call Travel Lessons, and here is what I have so far...

My travel lessons

1. Stay positive
2. Keep an open mind
3. Friends make everything better....GOON
4. Failing teaches you
5. Keep an open mind
6. If you go to the supermarket early in the morning or late at night, you get "Reduced for quick sale" groceries / do what makes you happy (I had 2 number 6's :P)
7. Know ALL the facts before doing something
8. You can do anything you put your mind to
9. Sleep is the best part of the day
10. you learn something new everyday
11. People don't give a f**k, have no respect for what is available for them to use and are messy, ungrateful shits!!! >:@
12. Its people you meet and friends you make that make your experiences much more worth while
13. Road trips are awesome...I love Oz!
14. Never say how long you are going to stay somewhere. It will prob end up being way longer than you anticipated..
15. We have flip-flops for a reason. Don't run round in your bare feet... you might get sore toes :P

In the beginning I wasnt very optimistic. In Cairns we looked for jobs and the response from people was that there where none...anywhere pretty much. So being a bit down hearted and getting into a bit of a tizzy, a mate told me to think positive and that it pretty much wasnt right for people to be that negative. So, off to Townsville we went and done the job hunt again. I was hired to work for Austar (previous blog) but this only lasted for 2 days, and not letting the negative thoughts take over, I have now got a job in The Reject Shop, which I have to say I love! Thomas also had some work here, and now he iswwoofing on a farm for his 2^nd WHV. We were only meant to come to Townsville for a week or 2...hey hey...3 months later and what do ya know!!? I also work at the hostel I stay at for my accommodation, meaning I can save a bit of money. This hostel is not like a hostel though, its too luxurious for that, but the people staying have no consideration for others. They leave their dirty dishes in the sink, and put dirty plates and cups in the dishwasher along with the clean ones, instead of having the decency to empty it 1^st...They just don't care and its quite sad really! They aren't at home now!

Travelling means you meet a lot of different places, from loads of different countries. I have to admit, most of the people I have met are German, but hey. I have learnt to be open to new ideas and how things are done differently in other places. I have also become more patient (or just more laid back) as some things also need to be explained to people to help them understand. I have also learned that the people you meet make a difference to your experiences and you will make some great friends...I know I have (see here). So all in all, I am having a great time travelling and I would recommend anyone doing it when they have the chance :)

Airlie Beach?? Yes please.

So, as this place, The Foreign Exchange hostel, was getting a bit full on and dramatic, one of my good mates, Shannon from here decided that Thomas, Joe, she and I take a trip to Airlie Beach for the weekend. I of course jumped at the chance for a road trip :D...
So, Saturday morning came and we packed up 'Felix' (the car) and started the 4-5 hour trip to Airlie. About 3 hours after we said bye to Townsville, flying along the road, we zoomed past a police car doing 115k in a 100k zone...oops! On went his siren and lights and in we had to pull! He came and took Shannons licence back to his car, and after what seemed like forever, came back and issued a $200 fine and 3 penalty points. But not to worry, apparently it could have been worse and her licence could have been taken away...it also helped that she was fully co-operative... Anyway, off we started again, keeping at 100k and we finally reached Airlie Beach. I have to say it is an awesome place.

Airlie Beach lagoon

It is beautiful and the most relaxed place! It also doesn't have a beach...Yup, Airlie Beach has no beach! After getting to the hostel and settling in, we relaxed for a few hours in the awesome hammocks, and then headed into town to watch the rugby in one of the bars. Before leaving, we opened a few ciders and left, with the ciders in hand...mistake. Top of the hill, a car drew up, put on flashy blue and red lights and made the unmistakable sound of a siren. Yup, Shannon, again, and I where smacked with a $100 fine each for having the drink on the street. Joe got away with it as he hid his drink, and Thomas had finished his before we left! The buggers even made us pour it out, when, we could have just downed it instead! What a waste... Best about it was that we joked about getting fined before we left! Good times! Still, we went into town, had food, drink and watched the rugby, sang a bit of 'What's the colour of a 2 cent coin? Coppa coppa....' and made a promise to just go to the lagoon and do nothing that would get us in trouble the next day. And that is exactly what we did. Airlie Beach lagoon is beautiful, and I wish Townsville had something the same. The rock pools here aren't just as nice, and they are too far away :P...

Proud of our fines! Lol

Infringment notice - don't piss the policemen off :S

After lying there for the most part of the day, we done a bit of shopping and then started for home. I personally believe that the shotgunner should not be allowed to fall asleep in that seat as they are meant to be keeping the driver company, but anyway, Joe and Thomas fell asleep, and I acted as the speedo!!! Keeping it at 100k...didn't want any more trouble, and we all made it home safely :) ... Airlie was awesome and I would like to go back sometime. I would also recommend it as a place to stay for a bit. Just don't piss the policemen off!!!

Sunset on the way home...with burning sugar cane