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 :)

Dot Dot Dot

Yea yea yea...I don't update my blog very often, but, even though not very many people read it, for those of your who do, I am still alive...when I first started blogging, it was more of a novelty, but now, it is just something else. I really need to start doing it more often again...

Anyway, I am still in Townsville...and I have also got myself a job, other than the working for accommodation. I now am a casual nightfill worker at The Reject Shop, and I actually quite like it! The people are so nice and friendly and unlike where I used to work at home, you can have a bit of conversation and a laugh while you work. At the minute, it is only 2 nights a week, but it is a bit of saving money, as I am still doing the work for my accommodation. Also, Thomas and I have help with our regional work so we can apply for our 2nd year visas...he is able to go up every day at the minute, but unfortunately I can only go one day a week as I have to work at the hostel, but hopefully, we can move up to the farm house soon and start working every day for a bit, then start making our way back down to Sydney...Dunno if I mentioned, but I miss Sydney...still.

So what else has been done since I last blogged...we, Thomas, Fay, and I, ventured Castle Hill. Yes, we walked, and all I can say is it was like the Blue Mountains all over again! Over 1000 steps up to the top! Thomas made it look easy, but when you have short legs, you have to work 100 times harder to get them to work after you have reached the half way mark. When you look up and see what is ahead, legs all of a sudden get a mind of their own and say "If you want me to go any further, you're gonna have to drag us..." However, the sense of accomplishment you get when you reach the top is well worth it. You can walk around and see the whole of Townsville from the top. And the sunset is amazing!

So, then, before it got dark, it was time to make our way back down, Once again, as Thomas has longer legs, he took the hike track we came up, back down, while Fay and I opted for the road. Even though it would prob take a lot longer, it was easier for short legs :)...However, when we saw how long it was, we thought about going back and down the track we came up, but then we came across the Daniella Track. Without even noticing that the crash barrier didn't even have a gap for it, we took off down it! What a mistake! You know when you go skiing, you have the easy (blue) slopes, intermediate (red) and the pro (black) slopes? Well, this was a black slope!

There wasn't even a path! It was just a 'hike' through stones, boulders and trees with a lot of dust and dirt! Then we thought we where lost when two people told us the way...a friggin scramble down the side of the mountain! Worst possible way down ever! The 2 people obviously done it before, because they overtook us and went on...either that or they knew it was gonna get dark soon, because we began to realise the same, and we had no lights...nor tents or food for that matter. Therefore we started to panic, got a bit faster and I twisted my ankle, but, no time to stop! When we finally reached the bottom, we arrived at a graveyard! Yes, a graveyard about 5k away from where we started. After ringing Thomas and telling him to go on back to the hostel, we made our way to a bus stop, with some help from a nice passer-by telling us where we were, after trying to read a map in the dark (we must have looked like 2 proper tourists). Then we then had to briskly move from the bus stop and cross the road away from a screaming aborignal coming around the corner...All I can say is it was a day I won't forget in a hurry, but it was fun!!!

Other than that, nothing much exciting has been happening or has happened again. Few days here and there to The Strand and beaches, yes, beaches in the winter...where else can you do that, and working. The hostel (hotel) is pretty good living, and there are lots of awesome people. A bit too many Germans though...um, yea, the majority of the people are German. It is like I am in Germany and not Australia...either that or, as Thomas put it, it is a slow invasion!

Pheww, anyway, that's it for now, and I shall try and blog again sooner this time :)

Sunny Townsville....still

Yup, still in T/ville...

Anyways, I haven't been updating this thing as I don't know what to say, and I am not doing much exciting these days. Since my last update, I have still been working at the hostel (more like a hotel ;)) I am staying at instead of paying for my accommodation (apparently accommodation has 2 m's). Anyway, it is better than nothing and if I do over the amount of hours to cover me, I get paid... no too bad. I am also still waiting to be paid from the guys from the 1st job too!!!!!

Thomas and I also went to see Transformers 3, and apart from some of the worst seats I have ever sat in in a cinema, it was so good! Yes, they replaced Megan Fox, but it works. Like the other films, it was fantastic! Off this Tuesday to see Harry Potter, but I don't know how I will be able to sit in those god awful seats for 3 hours!!!

We also went off for the day to the Billabong Sanctuary, where I got to hold a Wombat named Tonka, that was awesome, a snake and a little croc. Thomas also got to hold a koala. The "little" wombat I got to hold also had a story behind him about how he thrived off peoples attention...After cyclone Yasi, there was damage to the park, and so it was closed while it was repaired. During this time, Tonka got sick and started to lose a lot of weight, but no one knew why. Eventually a vet said he may be depressed, and so with more cuddles and visits he started to get better and when the park re-opened, and people where patting and cuddling him more, he put weight back on and got better :)....poor lil Tonka...

So, other than that, there isn't much more to be said... wow...!

Tonkas story

Tonka and me :)

Thomas and Annie

Still here...

So, I am still in Townsville, and, to be honest, it can be a bit of a boring place...it is nice, but yeah...

Anyway, I had me a job, started last monday, and I lasted 2 days. Yip, monday and tuesday. I was stuck in a shopping center, standing at an Austar kiosk, trying to pitch people, and talk them in to signing up for Austar...what a friggin joke that was. Standing like a spare prick, while people do their utmost to ignore you and make you feel little, and when you even say "Hi" they respond with "Not interested" or "Have it" or just give you a dirty look. It was kind of degrading, and an experience I doubt I will ever forget. I also learnt myself a very valuable lesson

DO NOT EVER DO A SALES JOB!!! Stick ta what ya know, and hourly pay.
Stood in a shopping center for 10 hours and got feck all for it!!!

So, after I decided on the tue, while standing watching people ignore me and feeling dumb, and while the guy I was with was dancing around 'annoying' people, I came back to the Foreign Exchange hostel and was able to land me a job cleaning for my accommodation. Not too bad, and better than nothing/Austar! So I do me a 9-12 'shift' and an hour in the evening, and I have the afternoon to enjoy the sun...meaning, right now, I am a few different colours :D.... I am a sun worshipper...I know it is not too good for ya, but hey... me and him are mates...

Townsville...

Townsville...it is a quiet place compared to Sydney (obv) and believe it or not Cairns too. The fact that our hostel in Sydney was on top of a night club, and the one in Cairns just partied at night (I loved the both however), is a bit different from the Foreign Exchange "hostel" we are staying in now...very posh. Anyway, there does seem to be more jobs going here, even if the place is quieter...the town is anyway. However, even though I have lost count of the number of jobs I have applied for, going from manager training positions to night shift stockers, no one wants to seem to give me a job :(... I did have an interview on fri, and unless the dude calls me today, gotta give him a call tomorrow. Fingers crossed he says, "Yea, we can give you a few hours a week"...would be great, because not working is kind of depressing. I also need to save to do the Whitsundays and Fraser Island...Whitsundays being done in the next stop...Might also stop for a little while in Bowen and do some fruit picking. Cannot backpack Australia and say you didn't fruit pick...just for the experience :)... Not having a job however has allowed me to go and explore different areas, and thus, even when wearing spf30+, get my self a nice red tan...and in weird patterns in some places... :P

Anyway, this is just like a short update, not very exciting, so I will stick a few pics on the end :P

Magnetic Island from Townsville

Heroes walk, ANZAC Memorial Park, Townsville

Its been too long

Well, ok, so I has like been forever since I blogged so I thought I would do it now when I remember :P...

So, as you know, I am now in Australia. Currently living in Townsville after beginning in Sydney and going to Cairns then here. After our OzIntro week on Sydney, we (along with most of the others in the OzIntro group) headed up to Cairns to begin our travels back down to Sydney for Christmas. After a week of living in Cairns and finding it particularly hard to find a job here, we hopped on the Oz Experience bus and headed for Townsville, where I was told had more jobs. Before I even left Cairns, some guy had rang me looking to see when I got to Townsville and asked if I could ring him when I got there for a job 'interview'. So, that was today, and it was more of a 'Hi, nice to meet you' than an actual interview. However, since it is probably only going to be a casual job, I have applied for more, so fingers crossed...

Anyway, Cairns was quite a small and somewhat quiet town, but it kinda of grew on me. I don't really like the idea of becoming settled in a place and then having to move on again, and I think Townsville is going to take a bit more to get used to...but hey. I also still want to go back to Sydney...it was my fav place so far. I know it is a city, but still!...Um, Townsville is quieter than Cairns, but it is more spread out...I do like it though...the Foreign Exchange hostel is really nice. More like a hotel.

Next stop down the line will be Airlie, where I will be doing the Whitsundays...cannot wait for that, but till then...I don't know when I will blog again :P