Our Great Adventure

Sunday we forced ourselves to get up at 8am so we could checkout in time creeping quietly round the room so not to wake our comotosed roomates. Unfortunately I forgot my key when I had a shower so had to knock & wake people up anyway to get back in!
By lunchtime we had picked up our 'work' vouchers from Peterpans & checked into Tin Billys Hostel, which was a medium-sized, dilapidated building situated above its own pub. Vix spent the afternoon doing more flyer work & I slept. In the evening we chatted to our new roomates in our small, scruffy, ten bed dorm who like everyone else seemed to ignore the no alcohol in the hostel rule (more money for the bar downstairs) drinking copious amounts of goon. Apart from the speaker announcement that fun stuff was going on in the bar that we were missing (spoke by a guy working behind the bar with much desperation - meaning the place was nearly empty) we had a nice, relaxing evening & thankfully weren't kept awake by noise from the bar.

Monday our roomates checked out so we had the place to ourselves for abit. Outside we bumped into Irish Paul who had got a job as floor manager for Peterpans & after congratulating him went off to find ourselves work. Sadly, most of the shops in town either had staff or had something against backpackers (sounds paranoid but it was true) & the job rep at XBase hostel dashed our hopes for more fruitpicking work saying that floods had damaged the crops so work was scarce! It was clearly going to be hard to get a job!

Tuesday & Wednesday was spent mainly looking for work & one agency Randstadt told Vicky that her ten years experience & all her qualifications gave her no advantage in Australia in fact any work would be paid at $18 not $25!

Thursday after recovering from a night of intense snoring from a Korean guy we decided to do some sight-seeing so chose Roma St Gardens. It should have been straight forward to reach, afterall there were several entrances. Yet we somehow still struggled to find the damn place eventually working out we could get across from the back of Roma St Station. Several escalators later we reached the gardens. They were bigger than we thought. Several large fields joined a lake & wooded bbq area complete with ducks on the ground level. Multiple walkways ran round the lake & up the cliffs, crisscrossing to dizzying heights. Further along the cliffs was a waterfall & pathways cutting through small garden parks until reaching the roadside. It was a beautiful place for our picnic. Apart from the skyscraper appartments the place seemed peacefully isolated.

Friday we packed & dropped our bags off with Paul, who had quit his job after being screwed over by the company (paid 'some' vouchers not cash for all his long hours) so I could do flyering & Vicky could finally earn money doing agency childcare work. In the evening we fetched our bags & were picked up by Uncle Kev & taken to his house, enjoying the luxury of a healthy meal cooked for us & a comfortable lounge which didn't smell bad (unlike Tin Billy's).

Saturday we struggled awake & Hendrick drove us to our old house where we had breakfast while chatting to Laura, Yan & the two last arrivals Germans Marco & Sasha. A quick stop at Cheesecakes' to pick up forgotten clothes & meat then we drove to Brisbane where Hendrick dropped us off. We chilled by the pool the rest of the day at Yellow Submarine, befriending P.J, Harold, Mark & a bubbly girl we couldn't remember the name of then met our picker friends at Down Under Bar, beneath Xbase in the CBD.

Sunday we packed up & had moved out by midday. The reason was that we had grown tired of our French roomies & fighting over the space in the tiny galley kitchen & had chosen another hostel, Chill, which was just round the corner. Thankfully we had no difficulty finding the towering turquoise building perched on a hill overlooking the CBD. Apart from the squeeze of an 8 bed dorm we had definitely traded up having gone from a cramped, rundown place to a new, flash hostel with t.v. rooms, a huge kitchen & loads of space. Also our roomies Simon (Kiwi butcher), Anders & Emily (Swedes) & a German & Irish girl were friendly & sociable unlike the predominantly French guys that kept everyone awake with their incessant noise & arrogantly shot us down at every turn. We were alot better off.

Monday we were up 8ish as to avoid the crowds that gather in kitchens. However, we could have gotten up at any time as kitchen was huge! After a shocking $130 shop for food at the close by Coles supermarket (we'd have to stamp that on the head) we had a walk round town along the busy main streets with buildings shooting up into the sky like huge urban trees, both offices & shopping centres. The heat & humidity had us diving into airconditioned buildings such as the library & internet cafes. We sighed with relief as we entered our appropriately named hostel & cooled off in our own room for a bit. Round 7pm things were completely opposite in the kitchen as hoards appeared from nowhere & chaos ensued as people fought for pans, utensils & cookers, It had been a bad idea making such a big lengthy meal like chilli con carni. After dinner we gathered on the roof deck & were treated to an awesome lightening display, jagged forks tearing the sky apart & thunder deafening everyone. From the roof it seemed both dangerous & exciting.

Tuesday was the beginning of the gruelling job hunt for both of us, Vicky had an interview in Bowen Hills for childcare work while I searched for jobs online. In the afternoon we bumped into Laura, Hanis & Hendrick, said our goodbyes & took a walk along South Bank.

Wednesday we had a pretty cool blast from the past. Elodie from Malaysia had checked into our hostel & we spent the morning catching up & visiting the museum on South Bank which covered animals, aborigines, war veterans, vehicles & of course history of the land. In the afternoon a sudden shower had us running back to the refuge of Chill where we played cards with Elodie & her Scottish friend Laura.

Thursday was another job hunting day till we got bored then it was about us hanging out with Elodie, Laura, Simon & Paul, drinking at the local pub in City Backpackers Hostel named 'The Fiddler's Elbow', a typical irish-themed haunt. The half pints went down nicely but the killer pool competition not so well - some people take things too seriously & like to cheat!

Friday was a quiet breakfast with just the 2 of us on the roof deck sat watching the busy lives of Brisbanites far below us. Elodie was hungover so we didn't see her all day. Instead we dealt with the exciting tasks of tax & job hunting at the library (free internet) then chilled at South Bank Streets Beach, bumping into Elodie being playfully dunked by a group of French guys.

Saturday Vicky disappeared with Elodie to South Bank whilst I enjoyed a lie in. The reason for this was to reclaim the nights sleep lost when Paul in the bunk above me fell asleep with a bottle of goon, spilling the contents on his mattress & onto me!
Later on I confronted a bewildered Paul who couldn't even remember the last night & met up with Vix, Elodie & the French gang. After a nice swim we followed the edge of the boardwalk along South Bank & crossed over one of the many bridges in Brisbane, following the opposite shore through mangroves into the botantical gardens. Entering from a different gateway threw me for a second as everything looked different. That was because it was. The gardens were far bigger than we'd thought & we had ended up by the University of Arts Museum, a building housing bizarre contemporary art though there were certain highlights like peoples use of household items & materials to make strange 'creations' (I refuse to call such crap art).
In the evening we all did a massive cook-up with the French guys who'd managed to sneak into the hostel, drinking goon & the equally nasty 'passion pop' till it was time to hit the Fiddler's. At the pub Laura & her friend Elaine had geniously dressed as ghostbusters for Halloween, complete with overalls & proton packs, while we had not even bothered!

Sunday was just a hangover day for everyone & Monday & Tuesday job-hunting & chilling by the 'beach', to keep away from the Melbourne Cup chaos.

Wednesday was sadly Elodie's last day & was spent again at South Bank. The evening was one hell of a drinking session. Elodie, Andrew (English), James & Flo (German) & two cool crazy Japanese girls Connie & Kay joined me & Vix in drinking 8 litres of Fruity Lexa (makes ya sexier)goon. We were wasted by 2.30am.

Thursday we managed to get up 11ish with a hellish hangover. I did some flyer work for Peterpans consuming a pie & V energy drink to keep me going. The work was easy & quite fun, handing out leaflets to entice people into the travel agents. No money but vouchers to use for accomodation. This was why we booked a few days in Tin Billy Hostel, right in the city centre for when our time ran out at Chill.
In evening we were treated to another electric display as lightening struck the same place three times across the river from our hostel!

Friday it was Vicky's turn to do flyer work while I chilled. In the evening we shared a vodka bottle with James & were very drunk by 9.30pm. Inevitably we ended up in Fiddler's Elbow which delightedly was Boys Nite=girls in bikinis/stripping. The night got into full swing as the Chill staff arrived. They definitely knew how to have a good time!
Back at the hostel Vix passed out in bed but I suffered insomniat thanks to the numerous Red Bulls I had drunk & Korean roomates slamming the door.

Saturday I was hungover again & v tired but forced myself to do flyer work whilst Vicky packed (definitely the easier option) then enjoyed a last beer with our Kiwi friend Simon.

Monday I had to get up at 4.25am, as I had stupidly decided that I didn't want to part with my job so would catch a train to Caboolture & get picked up by Sonia. This was difficult enough but with lack of sleep due to our inconsiderant French roomates & our bed being practically on the train tracks it wasn't surprising I fell asleep on the train! Luckily I managed to wake up at the station & catch my lift to the field to work a 6.30-3.30pm shift. The extra travel took its toll though. I didn't get back to the hostel till 5ish & fought to stay awake as Vicky told me about her unsuccessful house & job hunting & meeting Gabriel to give him his passport he'd forgotten.

Tuesday was a relaxing day off spent wandering round town, chilling at the hostel chatting to other backpackers & enjoying the pool.

Wednesday was another long train journey to Caboolture with an Irish guy, also working at the farm staying in town called Shaun. Sonia picked us both up & we worked 6.30-1pm.

Thursday was another day off so consisted of a long lie in, nice walk round the botanical gardens for lunch, buying skype headphones so we could ditch the huge cumbersome ones we'd bought in Vietnam & hop on a ferry to view an appartment across the river.

Friday was the last day on the field. Belinda, one of the hands, had been left in charge & Cliff, one of the supervisors was quite helpful. The day was short & hot, Belinda calling finish as I was halfway through my first row of the second field. The 12.30pm finish was strange but killing the fields were over a month overdue so not surprising. I was back at the hostel relaxing by 2.30pm.
After lunch we walked round the shops then caught a train to Elimbah & were picked up by Hendrick in the evening. The reason for this was the big goodbye party Cheesecake had decided to throw at his place. The chilled atmosphere was accompanied by delicious home-made food - lasagne, quiche, rice 7 spicy korean dishes followed by apple & strawberry crumble. Sonia 7 her fella Eric turned up & we played drinking games till 2ish when I passed out on the sofa bed inside.

Tuesday we were forced to work in the most difficult conditions yet. Heavy rain soaked us as we worked lashing us with the strong winds & then came the thunderstorms. Now I've heard people survive lightening strikes but wasn't keen on putting it to the test, especially as I was probably the tallest thing on the landscape for miles & I was encased in metal! So I was very relieved when Sonia called a halt & we abandoned our trolleys, making a dash for our cars. The drive back was down right scary as torrential rain brought visibility of the road to zero. A brief pause in the weather allowed us to complete our journey & get inside before another barrage knocked out the power & water!
In the evening Daniel & Gabriel fetched pizzas from Dominos as we couldn't cook & we sat outside enjoying chatting & drinking especially with new arrivals Yan & Laura, Hendrick's friends from Germany & a Brit Alex, who sounded just like the legendary comedien Alan Davies!

Wednesday was another windy day & we were faced with a trolley appocalypse. The storm had not only tipped most of our trolleys but also blown them across several rows, sending trays & seats flying everywhere. It took fifteen minutes to clear up. We finished our half done rows & did afew others, ducking as WWIII took place between Daniel & Hendrick squishy fruit style. At the end of the day me & Hendrick pre-empted Daniel in a cunning pincher movement, pouring whole trays of rotten strawberries on him then legged it as he was out for blood, chasing me across the rows & splattering me with the disgusting fruit. It had probably been one of the best days on the field but sadly was also the last for the two Swedes.

Thursday was a tough day feeling sick from ingesting goon the night before but nothing special.

Friday was Vicky's last day. Hendrick drove us to work & the day went quite fast, but not so well. Halfway through I somehow lost control of my trolley & crashed into poor Alex, spilling his trays of fruit. In almost comedic fashion Vicky then lost control of her trolley as the wind caught the poncho sail & sent it careening down her row, her chasing after it. Too late she reached it as it plummeted down a crater becoming a twisted mess, sending the precious red gold flying. It took four of us to salvage some of the fruit. Luckily she only lost two trays.
After lunch me, Alex & Hendrick drove to Glasshouse Mountains Lookout, walked the 800m trail down through the forest & back up in a circuit then drove to the foot of Mt Ngungun. It took us an hour to climb up the steep path, which in places became rocky steps, not good for people wearing sandals. At the top we had an amazing view of the landscape, making out the farm & several other mountains. We enjoyed the peace & serenity perched on rocks then raced back down as it got dark. That evening Vicky said goodbye to Agron & we ended the night drinking & singing.

Saturday was a quick & enjoyable day & the evening we said goodbye to our house
mates & were picked up by uncle Kev to stay overnight at his place.

Sunday we enjoyed a lie-in till 8ish & a healthy breakfast & nice chat.
Later on he took us to Bribie for bbq sausages & canoeing, & bought my trusty spork from Aldis for $10. Bargain!
In the evening we were dropped off at the elusive Yellow Submarine (more a big house than hostel), snuggly tucked away in the basement & were just in time for the free Sunday feed of salad, thick Aussie-style burgers, bread & gravy. We were stuffed.

Tuesday was our day off so we managed a lie-in till 7.30am. Today was to be a fun, tourist day. Daniel & Gabriel drove us down the road to Australia Zoo laiden with snacks for 9am. The entrance fee was $54 each but the crafty Swedes were able to blag student discounts!
At 9.30am we were wandering round looking at lizards & otters & bizarrely a woman walking a possum on a lead. The cute, furry creature seemed to enjoy it especially as hoards of children crowded round to pet it. Further on there was tortoise feeding, a tazmanian devil (cute but extremely ferocious) & dingos - that by all appearances were skinny dogs. Next we made our way to the Crocoseum Show held in a huge circular stadium in the centre of the park. Seated near the top we squinted down to the arena, watching big snakes swim gracefully through a pool, exotic birds of prey fly around between & above us; a poor new girl losing her birds during audience participation & Acco, a huge croc demonstrating his cunning & speed on 3 guides watching him & bravely splashing the water to attract him.
Strolling away from the show we came across cute koalas sleeping in an enclosure on bare branches seemingly oblivious to the masses of snap-happy strangers intruding on their sanctum.
In a different part of the park echidnas strolled along (odd-shaped, long-snouted porcupines/hedgehogs) & we were able to feed the grey kangaroos (Daniel named one Daisy). We crossed the wetlands containing tons of lizards & exotic birds, had a picnic lunch in South East Asia, then spent time watching the elephants & the tiger show where the latter behaved like big, cute cats chasing footballs, playing with rope, swimming & chasing the handlers playfully.
We watched a cute red panda, petted koalas & fed the smaller, red kangeroos. We passed through the avery, observed a pig-like creature called a wombat & finished by identifying the 10 most poisonous snakes & eyefully watching alligators from the safety of our platform.
It had been a fun day & thankfully the weather had held. In the evening we all parted at Cheesecake's place, enjoying the beer, bbq & being wrestly into his freezing pool fully clothed!

Wednesday was a difficult adjustment back into hard labour but we managed the 6am to 4.30pm shift, just. In the evening we hung out with Hendrick & met his ex-roomie Darren, a British plumber.

Thursday we got up 5ish & worked 6-12pm. For once we were ahead of the others & completed 4 rows of 25+ trays. After lunch we trained to Brissie to check out the hostels, opting for Yellow Submarine. Unfortunately it was a mile in the opposite direction to where the station guard had told us (lesson learned never ask anyone working for the council for directions). Having found the place we did our now familiar foodcourt bargain shop & caught the train back shortly after.

Friday was a crap day with us struggling to find good fruit through the cloud of flies attracted by the sickly stench of rotten strawberries. The field should have been killed off. The evening got as exciting as me, Daniel & Gabriel put our unused brains to the test on a crossword.

Saturday & Sunday was just work.

Monday the same except Darren left for another job & I attempted to make savory pancakes - disastrously so - if it hadn't been for Daniel's intervention they would have been inedible!