Australia - jobs and kiwis

Unfortunately inconsistent weather (and a cyclone hitting a few weeks previously) was having a negative effect on farm work allover Queensland. As each day passed without work we gradually became more and more demoralised and fed up with the same old cycle of applying for work with no response or a 'thanks but no thanks'.

Me and Swedish Ro.bert eventually found a job pruning kiwi trees. To cut a very long story short it did not work out for the following reasons:

the pay was a lot less than described on the website and over the phone
the accommodation rent was more than described
the accommodation had 1 shower and 1 toilet for 20 people
one of the rooms in the house had bed bugs
when confronted over the above issues he lied his way out of it and said the bed bugs was because we were dirty!

I hadn't the heart or energy to look for other work, and just before I got this job I was content with the prospect of coming home. So on March 5th I started my journey back.

below: kiwi trees. that particular day we found a snake in one of the trees...

below: 35deg

below: kiwis!

Australia - Great Barrier Reef underwater

Some pics from my mate Stacey's digital camera... 

Australia - Cairns and Great Barrier Reef

After 15 nights and 1700km (1055mi) of travelling since Brisbane I finally arrive in Cairns. It is a small compact city with a tropical climate, temperatures have been a consistant 32 since I arrived and about 23 at night. The main attraction are the boat trips out to the Great Barrier Reef for snorkelling and diving.

My first full day in Cairns I was up at 0630 for my day of snorkelling and diving. Unfortunately I wasn't allowed to dive because of my asthma, I think I would have been alright but they were strict. The snorkelling more than made up for it as I saw lots of tropical, colourful fish, turtles and nemo.

below: Ocean Freedom

below: Upolu Reef

below: Cairns esplanade including swimming area and BBQs

below: the lagoon during a downpour

below: L-R: Stacey, me, Rayen, Emma, Natasha and Alex. And jack took the photo. All from England except Rayen. We all met about 2 weeks ago on Fraser Island. It was Stacey's birthday so we had a BBQ at the esplanade. 35 degrees most of the day!

below: accom at Gilligans hostel resort. 10 bed room.

 below: downpour at Gilligans

down: a puppy near the lagoon

Australia - Magnetic Island

Left Airlie Beach at 0930 and arrived 4 hrs later in Townsville. An hour or so to kill before getting the ferry to Magnetic Island. The hostel was located right by the beach and the remainder of the first day was spent chilling by the pool.

Day 2 me and my german mate Rayen (from NZ) got a day explorer bus ticket and went for a few walks. One of which was on an old WW2 fort as Townsville was an important military base. We then carried on up to the north of the island to Horseshoe Beach and chilled out there for a bit. Back before it got dark and time to sit by the pool and read my book before dinner and drinks.

Day 3 we get the bus, ferry and catch the Premier coach at 1350 for Cairns. On the coach i see Jack and Stacey who i met over a week ago. 1930 we arrive in Cairns.

below: rest stop on the way to Townsville

below: view from the base hostel at breakfast

below: a view from the Forts walk

below: the bus

below: spot the koala



below: sleepy chap

below: lookout point

below: Horseshoe Bay. the white perimeter indicates the safe swimming zone as it is jellyfish season

below: further along Horseshoe Bay

Australia - the Whitsundays (Whithaven Beach)

Day 2 am we spent snorkelling. We had to sear stinger suits as there a few jellyfish about. Interestingly the suits don't protect all of you, when I asked the captain what about our face, hands and feet he became myseriously deaf ! Luckily no one got stuck and we saw 'elvis', a big maori wrass fish (google image it) which was pretty impressive.

In the afternoon we went for a wonder on Whitsunday Island include the Whithaven Beach.

below: evening of day 2 captain ned putting the steaks on the BBQ at the back of the boat



Sailing complete i am now back on land at Airlie Beach and will get the bus to Townsville (for Magnetic Island) tomorrow.

Australia - the Whitsundays

3 day sailing tour of the Whitsunday Islands. Left Airlie Beach at 1400 on board 'Condor' and set sail for the Whitsunday islands - a group of 74 islands of different shapes and sizes surround the Gt Barrier Reef.

28 of us on board, all aged 18-30 except a senior couple from Wales and two senior Irish women ('reliving their youth'!). Captain and three helpers. We were looked after very well and the group was very pleasant - consisting of Brits, Germans, Swedes, Dutch, Swiss, French and Chinese. Interestingly there was a couple from Norwich on the boat!

So here are some pics from 3 days of sailing which included sea, sand, sun, sunburn, snorkelling, steak and storms....

|

below: evening of day 1

below: start of day 2 (i thought these trunks were dark red when i bought them by the way!)

below: about to start sailing

below: riding the high side

below: splash

below: leaving the ship on the dingy to go snorkelling or to explore Whitehaven Island

below: the pokey humid accommodation.... never thought i would be glad to be back on a hostel bed

Australia - Fraser Island pt2

below: a curious dingo

below: dead whale... the smell was horrendous!

below: dinner on the second night. steak and new potatos

below: me and anna from germany

below: the B team L-R: me, jack, christiaan, greta, stacey, robert, anna and laura!

below: another dingo (taken from the jeep)

below: a shipwreck from the 1940s

below: the gang disbands... although we should all see each other in a weeks time in Cairns :)

It is midday on Sunday and I'm in Rainbow Beach having a cyber update before I catch my bus at 1900 to Airlie Beach which arrives at 0900 the following day.