First week here really didn't involve doing a lot - I had some problems with my eyes and contact lenses so spent quite a while wandering around with no contact lenses in, absolutely blind and so couldn't really do a lot, apart from talk to people and read.
Second week was equally as rubbish because I was ill with some unknown ailment?! I spent the best part of the week laid up in bed because I had a fever and headrushes so couldn't move much. I was about to go to the doctors in desperation and use my travel insurance when finally I started feeling better, thank god! Such a bad week, I felt so rough I couldn't even read or anything because everything just HURT. Good thing it went away by itself though, I probably wouldn't have been able to manage the agro of travel insurance claiming! It taught me a valuable lesson - I went and signed up for a medicare card, which means I get free treatments in public hospitals all over Australia. Wish I'd known this before!
(Group shot at Motocross)
So for the last two weeks its been a little bit more eventful but not really. Most days consist of sunbathing, walking to town and reading a lot. And by a lot, I mean A LOT. I've probably read my way through a library of books, have run out now. And thats after reading some of them twice, eep!
(Motocross)
I managed to get two days of work, on Thursday and Friday, at a farm called Corrick Plains. Its a zucchini picking farm (courgette to you uneducated english out there :p) and god damn it was hard work. The plants are low down so you spend all day bent over, the farm was totally bogged out from the rain so we kept sinking in the mud, and you don't stop at all basically - you just have to keep on moving!! It was hard too because you don't get a bucket or anything to put the fruit in as you pick it, you have to balance it all up your left arm and keep piling it up, whilst cutting with your knife in your right hand. HARD. Seriously. After two days they said they didn't think I was trying hard enough, I say - if that wasn't hard enough then I was never gonna be able to try any harder! Any money is money though I guess, and I did 13 hours total which I should be getting paid for today - yay!
(Motocross)
Other than that the only interesting thing thats happened really was volunteering at a motocross rally which was yesterday. Good times! It was a long day, we started at about 8am and didn't finish until 4:30pm but it was ok I thought. I had a little bit of shade, or I might have had an entirely different opinion. I was basically a 'flaggie' on one of the jumps which meant I stood there and watched the bikes go past, and if there was an accident or one of them stopped and blocked the track I had to wave a flag to let the other bikes know. Wasn't bad work, shame we weren't getting paid for it! There were quite a few accidents and stuff as well, no real surprise with the speed some of those bikes were going! I was on a really good jump so I got some cool photos and things but later in the day it turned into a complete dust storm everytime the bikes went past and I couldn't even see them about five foot in front of me so it was pretty pointless me even standing there, but heeeey. Was scarily close as well - most of the categories that were racing didn't go *that* fast near my jump so it was ok but the top category went stupidly fast, and seriously at points I really thought the bikes were gonna veer off and just come crashing in to me - reflective vest and all, like that would have done bollocks! All in all was a good day though, good to get out of the hostel and do something different, and we got loads of free beer at the end of the day for our efforts - ch-ching! So last night I was slightly tipsy for the first time since we've got here - loooong time not to drink :p
(Kerry at Motocross)
At the moment I've got the cleaning job in the hostel which pays $200 a week, not so bad as it covers rent and food so I can survive for now, and its going up a bit as well cos they want me to do a few more hours so thats cool. But apparently in a few weeks time they won't need me anymore so who knows what I'm gonna do then, bleeeegh. I'm still at the top of the working list so if anything comes up I get first shot at it, but if its zucchinis again I don't know how well that'll work out - hopefully some other farms will open soon, theres supposed to be capsicums, melons and mangos starting this week so fingers crossed. I need another 42 days to get my second visa but to be honest at the moment its more about the money - feck the visa! Eeep....
I've barely taken any photos since being here because my small camera is still broken - thats another thing I can hopefully afford to send back home now! Yesterday was the first time I've really used my slr, was goood! Not a huge amount around here to see or take pictures of though to be honest, but with a small camera it doesn't matter - lugging my slr around all the time is a PAIN.
Finally.. in a week I will have been away from home for 5 months. That is MENTAL. Wtf?! Long time, long time.
(Oh also my phone broke - I don't know how. No I did not drop it in alcohol, or in fact drop it at all. Or damage it in any way. I just put it on charge one day and when I went back it was broken - phones just hate me. Anyway, so no phone at the moment but I do now actually have enough to send letters back home, so people should WRITE TO ME - address in previous post!)
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