Today was mostly about getting things organized for my upcoming outback adventure. I woke up, went for a run in the park (there were Black Swans in the pond today!!! I watched them dip their long necks into the water looking for food. Sometimes, they'll dip half their body so I'll just see their bums and feet wagging above the surface). The cute pink Galah parrots were in their tree as well as the green parrots. Parrots make such shrieking squawking noises!
While I was on my way to the park for my run, I saw police officers milling around on the busy street. There was a minor fender bender car accident. Then I hear "screeeech....boom!". I turn around and see that another fender bender had just occurred right next to the first accident! I bet the driver was distracted by the first accident and braked, thus causing the car behind to run into it. The driver slowly kept driving to turn the corner. A policewoman chased after the car screaming, "Stop! Stop! You've got to Stop!". The driver signalled to the officer that she was just getting out of the way onto a quieter street. So the second car followed and they both stopped their cars in the side street. I continued onto the park for my run and when I came back, everyone was gone.
After my run, I did laundry and then went into the city to shop. Well, shop for essentials such as shampoo, toothpaste, etc. Because things will be more expensive in the outback.
I also went to the library to check my email (it's usually free but here I only paid $5.50 for a membership to use internet for 3 months). A woman who was also on the computers started to chat with me. People just do that here....I'm still trying to get used to strangers making conversation with me. It's not something that people do in bigger cities. But anyways, she seems to be looking for a job and is frustrated with her situation. She's British and she hates Perth. She's been here 25 years and has always disliked it. She had kids here and she really wants to move but feels stuck because she is so settled with a house and it's hard to move everything (Perth is soooo far from other cities....it's extrememly isolated from the rest of the country). So I asked her why she came. Her answer? For a man. She seems to regret it and she admits she should've checked it out first before agreeing. He's British too but wanted to come because there is so much land here compared to London and it's always sunny. I don't know if they're still together...I didn't dare ask. It doesn't seem so....she seemed bitter. I think she told me all this to warn me not to make the same mistake. I told her not to worry because I haven't moved here but only visiting. I like Perth for holiday but I don't see myself living here either. I told her she'd like Melbourne better.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
Going to the Outback!!!!
This morning I received a call about a job in the outback! I am so excited I will be working at a pub in Mt. Magnet which is up in the middle of nowhere of Western Australia. This town of approximately 1000 was a significant gold mining town and there are many sheep stations nearby. It's 11hrs northeast of Perth by bus. My duties will include bar, kitchen, and cleaning. I hear the locals are friendly there and I am especially looking forward to a real Australian outback experience! Unfortunately, there will not be any cell phone service but hopefully there'll be internet.
I will be leaving in 3 days and the plan now is to work for 2 months. Of course, if I love it there then I will stay longer.
I just saw the movie Australia last night at the hostel (they were showing it for free) and it made me really want to go to the desert. Now I am! It is one long movie (3hrs) but a very good one....I recommend it. I tried watching it on the plane 3 weeks ago but fell asleep after 1 hr. I cannot watch long movies on flights. I'm glad I had another chance to see it. The next movie I want to see before I leave Perth is Samson and Delilah. It's an indie movie about 2 Aboriginal teenagers in the outback. I'm going to see that on Wednesday when it is cheapest.
I also ran in the park again. Yay.....I'm doing good with the exercise! Hopefully, I'll keep it up in the hot arid desert. Especially since I'll be eating poorly there (pub food). Then again, maybe I'll lose weight from all that working.
I'm soooo ready to work again! Yes!!!! I'm most excited about meeting the locals! :)
I will be leaving in 3 days and the plan now is to work for 2 months. Of course, if I love it there then I will stay longer.
I just saw the movie Australia last night at the hostel (they were showing it for free) and it made me really want to go to the desert. Now I am! It is one long movie (3hrs) but a very good one....I recommend it. I tried watching it on the plane 3 weeks ago but fell asleep after 1 hr. I cannot watch long movies on flights. I'm glad I had another chance to see it. The next movie I want to see before I leave Perth is Samson and Delilah. It's an indie movie about 2 Aboriginal teenagers in the outback. I'm going to see that on Wednesday when it is cheapest.
I also ran in the park again. Yay.....I'm doing good with the exercise! Hopefully, I'll keep it up in the hot arid desert. Especially since I'll be eating poorly there (pub food). Then again, maybe I'll lose weight from all that working.
I'm soooo ready to work again! Yes!!!! I'm most excited about meeting the locals! :)
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Maccas Apple Pies
We call it Mickey D's, they call it Maccas. Whatever you call it, it's McDonald's. I got a $1 apple pie from McD's today and it was delicious! It's exactly the way I remembered it from childhood --- hot scrumptious apple cinnamon filling in a crispy deep fried outer crust. In today's health-conscious world, McD's pies in Canada are now baked and this greatly affects taste. (I don't know if they're baked in the US as well). The aussie apple pies are made with local Granny Smith apples cut into perfect little cubes. The crust is so bubbly in texture and crispy. I love crispy anything.
Running in the Park and the Group Mentality
I slept wonderfully last night since I had coffee-induced insomnia the previous night. It was so hard to wake up this morning but I managed to drag myself out of bed at around 10am. I didn't want to go for that run in the park but I forced myself. Once I stepped out into the bright sunny outdoors, my mood changed instantly. It was warm, sunny and not a cloud in the sky (Perth has the bluest cloudless skies I've ever seen). As I was running, I heard and saw birds around me. There are so many species and they are very colourful as well. There were parrots (red ones, green ones...) flying from one tree to the next as I ran along. It was as if they were running with me. Sometimes I will see Galahs...they are cute parrots with pink heads and grey bodies. They seem a bit dumb because when you approach them, they try to run away instead of flying off. But Galahs are soooo cute. It was weird seeing parrots flying free in the wild at first. I'm more used to it now but sometimes I still am taken aback by it all.
As I continued my run, I came across a row of narrow cages...like batting cages. They are cricket (the game, not the insect) practice cages!!! At the end of each one was a wicket too! (Those 3 little metal posts behind the batter). Further on, there was a huge footy field --- Australian Rules football has 4 posts at each end of the field (2 big ones in the middle and 2 smaller flanking the middle ones).
I've noticed from walking around that no matter where you are in the world or whichever city, people are all the same! I don't understand that "group" mentality. What is it about groups that make people so inconsiderate and unaware? They take up space on the sidewalk, walk slowly, and don't move out of the way when people are trying to pass. They also forget how to think independantly. When you pose a question to a group, they look at you blankly until one of them answers and the rest follow. Mathematically, the number of people in a group is inversely proportional to their total IQ level (ie. the more people, the dumber they get as a whole). My friend put it best when she quoted another friend of hers when she said that "the combined IQ of a group is equal to the IQ of the dumbest member divided by the number of people in that group". LOL
As I continued my run, I came across a row of narrow cages...like batting cages. They are cricket (the game, not the insect) practice cages!!! At the end of each one was a wicket too! (Those 3 little metal posts behind the batter). Further on, there was a huge footy field --- Australian Rules football has 4 posts at each end of the field (2 big ones in the middle and 2 smaller flanking the middle ones).
I've noticed from walking around that no matter where you are in the world or whichever city, people are all the same! I don't understand that "group" mentality. What is it about groups that make people so inconsiderate and unaware? They take up space on the sidewalk, walk slowly, and don't move out of the way when people are trying to pass. They also forget how to think independantly. When you pose a question to a group, they look at you blankly until one of them answers and the rest follow. Mathematically, the number of people in a group is inversely proportional to their total IQ level (ie. the more people, the dumber they get as a whole). My friend put it best when she quoted another friend of hers when she said that "the combined IQ of a group is equal to the IQ of the dumbest member divided by the number of people in that group". LOL
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Tea (dinner) with a friend
On Monday May 4, I had a lovely time reading my book by the Swan River in the company of some ducks. Soon after I arrived, a group of brown ducks (which I've never seen before) landed and proceeded to munch on the grass around me. They stayed there the entire time and even napped when they got tired (birds sleep standing on one leg!).
Yesterday (May 5), I ran in the park and stretched in front of the peaceful pond. This pond has turtles, birds, ducks, Ibis (!!). I feel like I am in the middle of the country even though I am still in the city! It's so relaxing.....ahhhh. During the day, I wandered around the street mall area and made some funny observations. I love watching human psychology at work. There were 2 teenage girls wearing clothes way too tight for their bodies. Although both were tall and thin, they somehow managed to create major "muffin tops" from their too tight jeans. They also had on really tiny tight tank tops. I watched 2 male workers (in their 20's) turn their heads back to look at the girls. One of the guys sarcastically exclaimed under his breath, "surrrre....". Hahahaha.
In the evening, I met up with my friend Allison K. for supper! I was so happy to see her again before she flies back home. We went to an Irish Pub called Durty Nelly's and had Durty Burgers with chips (fries). We thought it would be fun to go there. Afterwards, we went to a cafe for dessert. Allison wanted to "share a dessert" so I agreed. Instead, she ordered 2 slices of the Tiramisu because what she meant was we were "sharing the cake" (not a slice). Sly one. I also had a flat white (espresso with cold milk).....boy, was that a mistake! I ended up not being able to go to sleep last night. I just laid in bed listening to my music. I must've fallen asleep early this morning because I woke up at 10am and I'm now quite tired.
Today is Wednesday, May 6 and I'm just taking it easy. I'm having a doggie connection day today. I passed an old man walkng his little dog this morning. The dog stopped to smell me and licked my leg before his owner pulled him away. Later on, a little white dog escaped his yard and followed me for a bit. I'm so tired from my coffee-induced insomnia last night. I think I'll go find a cheap secondhand bookstore since I'm almost finished reading my current book. I went into some bookstores yesterday and saw a Cantonese Phrasebook --- I could've used one of those when I was in HK!
Yesterday (May 5), I ran in the park and stretched in front of the peaceful pond. This pond has turtles, birds, ducks, Ibis (!!). I feel like I am in the middle of the country even though I am still in the city! It's so relaxing.....ahhhh. During the day, I wandered around the street mall area and made some funny observations. I love watching human psychology at work. There were 2 teenage girls wearing clothes way too tight for their bodies. Although both were tall and thin, they somehow managed to create major "muffin tops" from their too tight jeans. They also had on really tiny tight tank tops. I watched 2 male workers (in their 20's) turn their heads back to look at the girls. One of the guys sarcastically exclaimed under his breath, "surrrre....". Hahahaha.
In the evening, I met up with my friend Allison K. for supper! I was so happy to see her again before she flies back home. We went to an Irish Pub called Durty Nelly's and had Durty Burgers with chips (fries). We thought it would be fun to go there. Afterwards, we went to a cafe for dessert. Allison wanted to "share a dessert" so I agreed. Instead, she ordered 2 slices of the Tiramisu because what she meant was we were "sharing the cake" (not a slice). Sly one. I also had a flat white (espresso with cold milk).....boy, was that a mistake! I ended up not being able to go to sleep last night. I just laid in bed listening to my music. I must've fallen asleep early this morning because I woke up at 10am and I'm now quite tired.
Today is Wednesday, May 6 and I'm just taking it easy. I'm having a doggie connection day today. I passed an old man walkng his little dog this morning. The dog stopped to smell me and licked my leg before his owner pulled him away. Later on, a little white dog escaped his yard and followed me for a bit. I'm so tired from my coffee-induced insomnia last night. I think I'll go find a cheap secondhand bookstore since I'm almost finished reading my current book. I went into some bookstores yesterday and saw a Cantonese Phrasebook --- I could've used one of those when I was in HK!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Waiting for that call and relaxing
Yay! I've managed to catch up on my blog! Now I've updated up to the point where I can start being more detailed about my day-to-day activities.
So today is Monday (May 4) and I went to the job agency in the morning. The guy from the Wiluna pub never called back and the agency doesn't think he'll get anyone for the amount of time he requested. I'm relieved because I didn't want to go there. All I can do now is wait for another vacancy to pop up -- which can be today or tomorrow or the day after. The agency will let me know when they get a call. Hopefully, it will be before I have to decide whether to extend my hostel stay by a week or not (you get special prices by the week).
I'm so happy that I've found a way to feed myself frugally. Last night, I bought an avocado, fresh bread bun and a tomato for only $2! Using those items, I made a sandwich with the can of tuna I've been lugging around for months. I like to eat sandwiches for supper at the hostel instead of cooking (the hostel kitchens get sooo crowded). Plus, I don't have to clean as much. I don't like crowded areas. Other times, I will eat out. I've found a place that sells sushi rolls for $2 each in the evenings and an asian place that sells chicken and rice or noodles or whatever else combos for only $4 at good-sized portions. And not to forget the 50 cent soft serve ice cream cones at McD's. This is also a good way for me to eat less and lose the weight I've gained in Hong Kong!
I'm going to spend the rest of my day lying on the grass by the Swan River reading a book. The weather is spectacular today, as always! :)
So today is Monday (May 4) and I went to the job agency in the morning. The guy from the Wiluna pub never called back and the agency doesn't think he'll get anyone for the amount of time he requested. I'm relieved because I didn't want to go there. All I can do now is wait for another vacancy to pop up -- which can be today or tomorrow or the day after. The agency will let me know when they get a call. Hopefully, it will be before I have to decide whether to extend my hostel stay by a week or not (you get special prices by the week).
I'm so happy that I've found a way to feed myself frugally. Last night, I bought an avocado, fresh bread bun and a tomato for only $2! Using those items, I made a sandwich with the can of tuna I've been lugging around for months. I like to eat sandwiches for supper at the hostel instead of cooking (the hostel kitchens get sooo crowded). Plus, I don't have to clean as much. I don't like crowded areas. Other times, I will eat out. I've found a place that sells sushi rolls for $2 each in the evenings and an asian place that sells chicken and rice or noodles or whatever else combos for only $4 at good-sized portions. And not to forget the 50 cent soft serve ice cream cones at McD's. This is also a good way for me to eat less and lose the weight I've gained in Hong Kong!
I'm going to spend the rest of my day lying on the grass by the Swan River reading a book. The weather is spectacular today, as always! :)
Back in beautiful Oz, job hunting and enjoying Perth!
APRIL 27 - MAY 3
Alice and I caught the overnight flight back to Australia together -- to Perth. April 27 is a public holiday Monday (ANZAC day, which is like Remembrance Day/Veteran's Day). Once in Perth, we went our separate ways -- Alice driving south to her town of Kojonup and me onto Perth itself. Western Australia (WA) is on the west coast of Oz and less populated than the east. Perth is definitely slower in pace and people are extremely friendly. I was surprised at how very multicultural it is here too. It's great, I love Perth! The weather is beautiful, sunny, warm, bright open blue skies, abundant parks within walking distance, etc.
Perth is one of the most isolated cities in the world. It is so remote that Singapore and Indonesia are closer than Sydney or Melbourne! Once outside of Perth, there is vast emptiness and desert. There are towns scattered about this big state of Western Australia (WA takes up almost half of the continent), but they are far apart from each other.
The hostel I'm staying at is north of the city in the district of Leederville. There is a free bus that goes from the hostel to the CBD (Central Business District). The first 3 nights, I was in a triple room (3 beds) and I didn't have any roomates. I had a tv though! I had booked a 5-bed room but since there are so many unemployed backpackers, people are just staying and rooms are quite rare. So I was bumped up....not complaining. Then I extended my stay for 1 more week and all I could get was a 2-bed. That's ok...I now have 1 roomate from Italy and there is a tv (even though reception sucks).
On Tuesday (April 28), I went to the job placement agency to look for a country pub job. There are a lot of people looking and they had us put our names down on a list. Most people are looking for work in the city or farm jobs such as fruit picking. I'm interested in being a barmaid at a pub in a small town in the middle of nowhere.
I have been running in the park and eating quite well (and less). It feels good to be active again. I've also been walking a lot by going into the city and King's Park (which is larger than NYC's Central Park). King's Park is like walking into a forest and being surrounded by exotic birds chirping...plus, there are not too many people. Peth is awesome for it's perfect mix of real nature and city.
Two days later on Thursday (April 30), I got a call at 4:50pm from the job agency. There was a vacancy at a pub in northern WA which was 2 hrs away by plane. The town is Wiluna and it is literally in the outback....in the desert....isolated middle of nowhere. I ran to the office to find out more and talked to the owner on the phone. He wanted someone to stay 4 months but I could only promise 2 months at this time. He said he'd get back to us but he never did. That is fine with me because I am not too keen on this place anyhow.
On Saturday (May 2), I took the train to Fremantle. This is a town 30 min south of Perth and they have markets on the weekends. It was an ok market....I preferred Salamanca Market in Hobart (Tasmania). This market was smaller and it didn't have much handmade local stuff. There was also a lot of chinese merchants selling asian knick knacks. I'm not interested in that...I go to markets to buy local items!!!
On Sunday (May 3), I met up with Allison K. for brekkie! She arrived the night before and will be here for a few days. I wwoofed at her place in NSW when I first got to Oz. It was so nice to have a visitor and to catch up! It was nice to have an aussie breakfast again. I've been staying away from chinese food ever since I came back from Hong Kong.
Alice and I caught the overnight flight back to Australia together -- to Perth. April 27 is a public holiday Monday (ANZAC day, which is like Remembrance Day/Veteran's Day). Once in Perth, we went our separate ways -- Alice driving south to her town of Kojonup and me onto Perth itself. Western Australia (WA) is on the west coast of Oz and less populated than the east. Perth is definitely slower in pace and people are extremely friendly. I was surprised at how very multicultural it is here too. It's great, I love Perth! The weather is beautiful, sunny, warm, bright open blue skies, abundant parks within walking distance, etc.
Perth is one of the most isolated cities in the world. It is so remote that Singapore and Indonesia are closer than Sydney or Melbourne! Once outside of Perth, there is vast emptiness and desert. There are towns scattered about this big state of Western Australia (WA takes up almost half of the continent), but they are far apart from each other.
The hostel I'm staying at is north of the city in the district of Leederville. There is a free bus that goes from the hostel to the CBD (Central Business District). The first 3 nights, I was in a triple room (3 beds) and I didn't have any roomates. I had a tv though! I had booked a 5-bed room but since there are so many unemployed backpackers, people are just staying and rooms are quite rare. So I was bumped up....not complaining. Then I extended my stay for 1 more week and all I could get was a 2-bed. That's ok...I now have 1 roomate from Italy and there is a tv (even though reception sucks).
On Tuesday (April 28), I went to the job placement agency to look for a country pub job. There are a lot of people looking and they had us put our names down on a list. Most people are looking for work in the city or farm jobs such as fruit picking. I'm interested in being a barmaid at a pub in a small town in the middle of nowhere.
I have been running in the park and eating quite well (and less). It feels good to be active again. I've also been walking a lot by going into the city and King's Park (which is larger than NYC's Central Park). King's Park is like walking into a forest and being surrounded by exotic birds chirping...plus, there are not too many people. Peth is awesome for it's perfect mix of real nature and city.
Two days later on Thursday (April 30), I got a call at 4:50pm from the job agency. There was a vacancy at a pub in northern WA which was 2 hrs away by plane. The town is Wiluna and it is literally in the outback....in the desert....isolated middle of nowhere. I ran to the office to find out more and talked to the owner on the phone. He wanted someone to stay 4 months but I could only promise 2 months at this time. He said he'd get back to us but he never did. That is fine with me because I am not too keen on this place anyhow.
On Saturday (May 2), I took the train to Fremantle. This is a town 30 min south of Perth and they have markets on the weekends. It was an ok market....I preferred Salamanca Market in Hobart (Tasmania). This market was smaller and it didn't have much handmade local stuff. There was also a lot of chinese merchants selling asian knick knacks. I'm not interested in that...I go to markets to buy local items!!!
On Sunday (May 3), I met up with Allison K. for brekkie! She arrived the night before and will be here for a few days. I wwoofed at her place in NSW when I first got to Oz. It was so nice to have a visitor and to catch up! It was nice to have an aussie breakfast again. I've been staying away from chinese food ever since I came back from Hong Kong.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Melbourne ---> Hong Kong
My one night in Melbourne, I was in a room with 2 girls and an obnoxious british guy. He got kicked out at 4am in the morning (security was present) and he made a lot of fuss when he was gathering his belongings. He had such a fould mouth. Apparently, he got kicked out for trying to sneak in one of his buddies into the hostel.
APRIL 13 - 26
I went to Hong Kong for 2 weeks where I met family I have never met and to also meet up with my cousin Alice and her parents who were also visiting. All we did was eat eat eat!!!! If you're not hungry, you still eat. I had a lot of exotic things and I tried all of it. I love trying new things. I had roast goose (which tastes like duck but meatier), duck tongue, packaged duck heart (which my uncle loves but it smells and tastes like wet cat food!), abalone....
We went to the markets in HK where you can haggle with them for a lower price. We also went to Shenzhen in China to shop and get ultra cheap massages for 2 hrs ($40 CDN incl tip)! Another day we went to Macau...the Las Vegas of Asia but not as in-your-face. I didn't gamble but I saw the sights and ate a lot of free food samples from the shops.
My cousins took me to Ocean Park (amusement park with Pandas...real ones), Big Buddha statue, etc. There was 1 day when I went off to explore on my own. I went to the Hong Kong Museum of Medicine where the eastern and western medicines are compared. I also saw Kung Fu in Kowloon park --- 2 hrs of kung fu demos by students and teachers.
HK was a huge culture shock for me. It is smoggy, busy, crowded, chaotic. I was surprised at how screwed you are if you don't know catonese. I speak another dialect of chinese and english. English is useless if you are outside of the tourist areas (where my family lives). It was hard to navigate because I cannot read the characters and not many people know english (or my dialect). It is easy to navigate by subway but on the bus you could be screwed because all the buildings look the same! I am also very surprised by the lack of english proficiency considering this was a british colony not long ago!
APRIL 13 - 26
I went to Hong Kong for 2 weeks where I met family I have never met and to also meet up with my cousin Alice and her parents who were also visiting. All we did was eat eat eat!!!! If you're not hungry, you still eat. I had a lot of exotic things and I tried all of it. I love trying new things. I had roast goose (which tastes like duck but meatier), duck tongue, packaged duck heart (which my uncle loves but it smells and tastes like wet cat food!), abalone....
We went to the markets in HK where you can haggle with them for a lower price. We also went to Shenzhen in China to shop and get ultra cheap massages for 2 hrs ($40 CDN incl tip)! Another day we went to Macau...the Las Vegas of Asia but not as in-your-face. I didn't gamble but I saw the sights and ate a lot of free food samples from the shops.
My cousins took me to Ocean Park (amusement park with Pandas...real ones), Big Buddha statue, etc. There was 1 day when I went off to explore on my own. I went to the Hong Kong Museum of Medicine where the eastern and western medicines are compared. I also saw Kung Fu in Kowloon park --- 2 hrs of kung fu demos by students and teachers.
HK was a huge culture shock for me. It is smoggy, busy, crowded, chaotic. I was surprised at how screwed you are if you don't know catonese. I speak another dialect of chinese and english. English is useless if you are outside of the tourist areas (where my family lives). It was hard to navigate because I cannot read the characters and not many people know english (or my dialect). It is easy to navigate by subway but on the bus you could be screwed because all the buildings look the same! I am also very surprised by the lack of english proficiency considering this was a british colony not long ago!
Tasmania -- wombats, dogs, goats
FEBRUARY 23 - APRIL 12
From the port of Melbourne, I took the Spirit of Tasmania ferry to Tasmania. This is a 7-8 hr trip which I took overnight. You can book cabins or a recliner. I did the recliner and it was very comfy! This ferry is like a cruise ship complete with restaurants, bars, shops, theatre, live music, etc! It was nice. Tasmania is an island off the southern coast of mainland Australia. This state is very close to the Antarctic so it can get cold in winters. Tassie is also not very populated and has a very hippie feel.
I landed in Devonport and stayed in the accomodation above an Irish Pub. The next day, I took a bus to Sheffield where I would wwoof with Bronwyn. She is an amazing 78 yr old with a lot of energy! Bronwyn takes care of orphaned/injured native animals. When I was there, she had a baby wombat named Sleepy (2 months old). He was such a sweetie pie! He was such a sook...always seeking attention. Just like a puppy. I got to bottle feed the little guy. Other wwoofers was another Canadian (Hillary from Saskatchewan) and 2 British guys (Ben and Myles). We helped Bronwyn collected huge rocks and build a wall around her gardens so that kids in wheelchairs can access them. Bronwyn does heritage activities with handicapped and non-handicapped kids so that she can integrate all the kids. Bronwyn is also a marriage celebrant and she wants to marry people on her beautiful property at the base of Mt Roland. There are lots of wildlife around her house (which used to be a chapel)....including paddymelons (type of wallaby which is like a small kangaroo). I sewed red velvet pillow cushion covers for sitting using her antique Singer sewing machine! We participated in Steamfest, which is a weekend long festival where everyone shows off their steam engines and antiques. Our stall is about heritage and Bronwyn had an old wagon, butter churner, cheese presser, grain grinder, etc to display. We showed kids how to makes their own billies (tin can with a wire handle for boiling water and carrying things). One night, we went down to a neighbours house (who had other wwoofers) and we drummed all night together. What fun that was!
After Sheffield, I went to Launceston. I saw the Cataract Gorge and did the Boag's Brewery Tour. I saw how beer was made and I got to sample them afterwards with various cheeses! From Launceston, I took the bus to Hobart (southern Tasmania) on March 13 (which was Friday the 13th and I found a nickel on the ground!).
Steve Irwin Sea Shepherd ship was docked at the Hobart harbour for a few days. This is the ship that just returned from the Antarctic where they stopped Japanese whalers from killing whales. They had a free tour of the ship and what they do. This group uses extreme means to stop people from killing animals. It is named after Steve Irwin because it is said that he supported this group's efforts and he had wanted to visit but never had the chance.
In Hobart, I ate Indonesian food for the first time (tofu and veggie curry over white rice with peanuts and bit of peanut sauce). I also went to Salamanca Market which has hundreds of stalls where local people sell their creations (food, art, etc).
I went to wwoof with Jacqueline and David in Margate (near Hobart). They are a lovely couple with 3 gorgeous Golden Retrievers named Piper (the piggy), Bella (the adventurous one), and Brookie (the old softie). I painted and cooked vegetarian stuff (and baked banana breads). Jacqueline bought me a jar of vegemite because I'm the only one who eats it (which I still have). They took me around to nearby towns and sightseeing. Jacqueline makes different types of bound books as a hobby and she taught me how to make my own photo album! I also picked blackberries off the side of the road and pears from the neighbour's trees. I preserved the pears in jars and Jackie showed me how to make blackberry jam. I saw tadpoles in their pond and I also did gardening. I fed the dogs and took them on their walks up the hill. I also bathed them. The best part was the end of the day when I would relax on the couch with the dogs.
After Margate, I went farther south to Wattle Grove (near Cygnet) to wwoof on a goat farm. I learned how to milk a goat (I milked Pia and Natalie) and make various types of cheeses! Everything I had was goat....goat milk, cheese, etc. It became too much. But what an amazing experience! When I wasn't milking or making cheese, I went to watch a movie (Slumdog Millionaire) in Hobart one night. Afterwards, while I was walking on the street (around midnight), a young naked guy was running towards me. Ok, he had on undies so he wasn't totally naked. But he was so embarrassed that as he passed me, he said "I apologize for my nakedness!". How funny!
After the goat farm, I went back to Jackie and David's (and the dogs!). Jackie and I went to lectures on climate change given at the university. It was very interesting...there are some things that I never thought about. My next stops were Melbourne (1 day) then Hong Kong!
From the port of Melbourne, I took the Spirit of Tasmania ferry to Tasmania. This is a 7-8 hr trip which I took overnight. You can book cabins or a recliner. I did the recliner and it was very comfy! This ferry is like a cruise ship complete with restaurants, bars, shops, theatre, live music, etc! It was nice. Tasmania is an island off the southern coast of mainland Australia. This state is very close to the Antarctic so it can get cold in winters. Tassie is also not very populated and has a very hippie feel.
I landed in Devonport and stayed in the accomodation above an Irish Pub. The next day, I took a bus to Sheffield where I would wwoof with Bronwyn. She is an amazing 78 yr old with a lot of energy! Bronwyn takes care of orphaned/injured native animals. When I was there, she had a baby wombat named Sleepy (2 months old). He was such a sweetie pie! He was such a sook...always seeking attention. Just like a puppy. I got to bottle feed the little guy. Other wwoofers was another Canadian (Hillary from Saskatchewan) and 2 British guys (Ben and Myles). We helped Bronwyn collected huge rocks and build a wall around her gardens so that kids in wheelchairs can access them. Bronwyn does heritage activities with handicapped and non-handicapped kids so that she can integrate all the kids. Bronwyn is also a marriage celebrant and she wants to marry people on her beautiful property at the base of Mt Roland. There are lots of wildlife around her house (which used to be a chapel)....including paddymelons (type of wallaby which is like a small kangaroo). I sewed red velvet pillow cushion covers for sitting using her antique Singer sewing machine! We participated in Steamfest, which is a weekend long festival where everyone shows off their steam engines and antiques. Our stall is about heritage and Bronwyn had an old wagon, butter churner, cheese presser, grain grinder, etc to display. We showed kids how to makes their own billies (tin can with a wire handle for boiling water and carrying things). One night, we went down to a neighbours house (who had other wwoofers) and we drummed all night together. What fun that was!
After Sheffield, I went to Launceston. I saw the Cataract Gorge and did the Boag's Brewery Tour. I saw how beer was made and I got to sample them afterwards with various cheeses! From Launceston, I took the bus to Hobart (southern Tasmania) on March 13 (which was Friday the 13th and I found a nickel on the ground!).
Steve Irwin Sea Shepherd ship was docked at the Hobart harbour for a few days. This is the ship that just returned from the Antarctic where they stopped Japanese whalers from killing whales. They had a free tour of the ship and what they do. This group uses extreme means to stop people from killing animals. It is named after Steve Irwin because it is said that he supported this group's efforts and he had wanted to visit but never had the chance.
In Hobart, I ate Indonesian food for the first time (tofu and veggie curry over white rice with peanuts and bit of peanut sauce). I also went to Salamanca Market which has hundreds of stalls where local people sell their creations (food, art, etc).
I went to wwoof with Jacqueline and David in Margate (near Hobart). They are a lovely couple with 3 gorgeous Golden Retrievers named Piper (the piggy), Bella (the adventurous one), and Brookie (the old softie). I painted and cooked vegetarian stuff (and baked banana breads). Jacqueline bought me a jar of vegemite because I'm the only one who eats it (which I still have). They took me around to nearby towns and sightseeing. Jacqueline makes different types of bound books as a hobby and she taught me how to make my own photo album! I also picked blackberries off the side of the road and pears from the neighbour's trees. I preserved the pears in jars and Jackie showed me how to make blackberry jam. I saw tadpoles in their pond and I also did gardening. I fed the dogs and took them on their walks up the hill. I also bathed them. The best part was the end of the day when I would relax on the couch with the dogs.
After Margate, I went farther south to Wattle Grove (near Cygnet) to wwoof on a goat farm. I learned how to milk a goat (I milked Pia and Natalie) and make various types of cheeses! Everything I had was goat....goat milk, cheese, etc. It became too much. But what an amazing experience! When I wasn't milking or making cheese, I went to watch a movie (Slumdog Millionaire) in Hobart one night. Afterwards, while I was walking on the street (around midnight), a young naked guy was running towards me. Ok, he had on undies so he wasn't totally naked. But he was so embarrassed that as he passed me, he said "I apologize for my nakedness!". How funny!
After the goat farm, I went back to Jackie and David's (and the dogs!). Jackie and I went to lectures on climate change given at the university. It was very interesting...there are some things that I never thought about. My next stops were Melbourne (1 day) then Hong Kong!
KI, Adelaide and Melbourne
FEBRUARY 18 - 22
After I left Paul's Wildlife Sanctuary, I took a bus tour of Kangaroo Island. I also bumped into my 2 German roomates from Sydney at the Kingscote library! (The libraries have free internet). We went for coffee and caught up. What a small world!
While on the bus tour, I met a fellow Canadian from Victoria (Kylie). Funny again, I met her the next day on the ferry from Kangaroo Island to Adelaide (on the mainland)! Well, ok, KI is really a small place where everyone knows everyone. But anyways, Kylie and I decided to go for a last minute Haigh's chocolate factory tour in Adelaide. Haigh's is a high end chocolate and handmade.....it's no Cadbury's. You need reservations for this and we didn't have any. We waited around for approximately 2hrs hoping there'd be a cancellation. We were so lucky there was a cancellation for 2 spots!!! It was great! We got so many free chocolate samples. Mmmmm. We knew we were getting more when the tour guide whipped out her white gloves.
In Melbourne, I wen to the Victoria Market and had some "American Donuts". These are fried round things with red jelly centres....also coated with a bit of crystal sugar. Yum! Soooo good when hot!!!
I also went to the Koorie Aboriginal museum (these are the natives in the Victoria area).
After I left Paul's Wildlife Sanctuary, I took a bus tour of Kangaroo Island. I also bumped into my 2 German roomates from Sydney at the Kingscote library! (The libraries have free internet). We went for coffee and caught up. What a small world!
While on the bus tour, I met a fellow Canadian from Victoria (Kylie). Funny again, I met her the next day on the ferry from Kangaroo Island to Adelaide (on the mainland)! Well, ok, KI is really a small place where everyone knows everyone. But anyways, Kylie and I decided to go for a last minute Haigh's chocolate factory tour in Adelaide. Haigh's is a high end chocolate and handmade.....it's no Cadbury's. You need reservations for this and we didn't have any. We waited around for approximately 2hrs hoping there'd be a cancellation. We were so lucky there was a cancellation for 2 spots!!! It was great! We got so many free chocolate samples. Mmmmm. We knew we were getting more when the tour guide whipped out her white gloves.
In Melbourne, I wen to the Victoria Market and had some "American Donuts". These are fried round things with red jelly centres....also coated with a bit of crystal sugar. Yum! Soooo good when hot!!!
I also went to the Koorie Aboriginal museum (these are the natives in the Victoria area).
Time to Update my blog starting with Kangaroo Island!
Hi all, it's now May 2 and I'm in Perth (Western Australia). I have 3 months worth of stuff to update you guys on! I'll skim through everything and it won't be as detailed as my other posts since there's so much that went on.
JANUARY 29 - FEBRUARY 18
I was wwoofing at a wildlife sanctuary on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. This was while the wild bushfires were going on in Victoria (far away in another state). We were so isolated that we didn't even know there were fires. I wwoofed with 4 other backpackers (German, French, Brazilian) and we got our own beach house by the water. It was a very nice house with gorgeous sunsets and heaps of wild kangaroos hopping around. On our time off, we went down to the bay to fish. I caught a big flathead one night! It's a nice fish...yum. I also managed to float in the water...salt water is better than chlorine.
Our days started early (around 10-11am) and ended late. We were always busy. Paul owned a wildlife sanctuary and a farm as well. He has a wife and kid named Poppy, who's 5 yrs old. During the day, I would sometimes help with his wildlife tours for the tourists by setting the food for the animals. Other times, I'd feed the animals. He has emus (scary huge birds who turned out to be harmless), kangaroos, birds, chicks, alpaca, sheep, ponies, horses, etc. He had everything! I also mustered sheep --- they are nervous and dumb animals! They get so scared they'll run into a fence. I learned a lot about sheep psychology while mustering them. Another thing I did was pack wool into bags after Paul sheared them and separated the good from the bad wool. There was a lot of land on the property which needed fencing so I also helped dig holes for the fence poles. When I wasn't outside in the sun running after sheep and getting extremely dirty, I was inside babysitting Poppy. We'd play farm animals together or watch Madagascar 2. Or we'd go outside and jump on the trampoline.
All this work left little time for blogging and when I left Kangaroo Island 3 weeks later, I didn't have time to catch up. Until now....
JANUARY 29 - FEBRUARY 18
I was wwoofing at a wildlife sanctuary on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. This was while the wild bushfires were going on in Victoria (far away in another state). We were so isolated that we didn't even know there were fires. I wwoofed with 4 other backpackers (German, French, Brazilian) and we got our own beach house by the water. It was a very nice house with gorgeous sunsets and heaps of wild kangaroos hopping around. On our time off, we went down to the bay to fish. I caught a big flathead one night! It's a nice fish...yum. I also managed to float in the water...salt water is better than chlorine.
Our days started early (around 10-11am) and ended late. We were always busy. Paul owned a wildlife sanctuary and a farm as well. He has a wife and kid named Poppy, who's 5 yrs old. During the day, I would sometimes help with his wildlife tours for the tourists by setting the food for the animals. Other times, I'd feed the animals. He has emus (scary huge birds who turned out to be harmless), kangaroos, birds, chicks, alpaca, sheep, ponies, horses, etc. He had everything! I also mustered sheep --- they are nervous and dumb animals! They get so scared they'll run into a fence. I learned a lot about sheep psychology while mustering them. Another thing I did was pack wool into bags after Paul sheared them and separated the good from the bad wool. There was a lot of land on the property which needed fencing so I also helped dig holes for the fence poles. When I wasn't outside in the sun running after sheep and getting extremely dirty, I was inside babysitting Poppy. We'd play farm animals together or watch Madagascar 2. Or we'd go outside and jump on the trampoline.
All this work left little time for blogging and when I left Kangaroo Island 3 weeks later, I didn't have time to catch up. Until now....
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