Around The World: January 2006

On the Road Again

My Mexican skils have come in handy again with getting a job. For the last three days I've been working for a Jewish Catering company, cleaning pots, polishing silver and counting cutlery. Not too taxiing but really hard work.

As the general work thing isn't happening I'm leaving Melbourne tomorrow, heading for the couuntry....yipee. My German friends Jo and Sil and I are heading a couple of hours north to hit the fruit picking season which starts next week. I now it's going to be hard work but it should be fun and at least i'll be working.

They have a campervan and I get the east wing (ie an awning) to myself which apparently is fully complete with ensuite but i don't'think i'll be using that one. So it's a bit of a road trip which i'm really looking forward to.

So Melbourne weather is a bit unpredictable like NZ. Mornings are cold but if you wear jeans beware as by 2pm you'll be boiling, and always carry sunblock.

The works not going so well as can you believe it these guys are still on holiday till tomorrow. So fingers crossed for this week. If it's not going to happen then I'll need to think up plan B.

One benefit is that i've been getting to explore Melbourne. Being a backpaker we're always looking for free stuff to do and luckily finding heaps of cool stuff. Spent yesterday at the qualifiers for the Australian Open, having never been to Wimbeldon it was quite good fun. So we'll see if anyone we saw makes it into the tournemnet. Tim Henman's playing tomorrow but I want to earn some money before going properly and it's on for a few weeks so we'll see what happens, hopefully he won't get knocked out in the first round.

The Australian Millionaire Poker Series has also started today so went down to see how much money we really don't have and thanks to Darren at Christmas I understood what they were up to and even started explaining the basics to my friend Jo. With the minimum to get into the game a mere $10,500 my money was safe in my pocket. The betting though is crazy we saw one guy loose at least $10,000 in the first half hour and when their seeing that $4000 and raising $5000 we were just gob smacked and kept wanting to ask them for just a wee chip to keep us going for a month or so, they honestly wouldn't notice it'd gone!!

As it's summer over here they have loads of free concerts in the park so headed down to one the other night with a picnic and a few bottles of wine with Nick and his mates. Also hung out with them on the beach. Although Melbourne is in a bay if you head out of town a little bit to St Kilda they have an ok beach.

So that's Melbourne for now. This week is again Job hunting and seeking out all the cheap stuff to do until the Job comes along.

Back in the land of the sun

I arrived back yesterday to the land of the sun, unfortunately however the sun got a bit delayed and had forgotten I was arriving so stayed away and I got soaked. Luckily though it's back today and it's a scorcher!!

Staying an hour north in Gosford with a Barry from London and his girl friend. It was good to catchup last night and adriena's lovely but by 9.30pm I was falling asleep in my beer. I thought that was quite a good effort after a day and a half of traveling and loitering in airports and train stations.

Only staying till tomorrow then I'm heading down to Melbourne, where I need to find a job of some description. Had the offer of fruit picking, sharing a tent with Joe and Sil a lovely German couple in the country but I think I'll just wait and see what happens.

Hope to catch up with a few people there, seems like it's the place to be at the moment. Will probably stay till end of January before moving on to Tassie.

Thanks for the holiday guys it was great to see you and all the folks. Also good to see some snow again.