Sydney Australia - Part One

Our new home.

We flew with Jetstar and it ran smoothly, no complaints. A shuttle bus took us to our choosen hostel. The cheapest area for hostels is in Kings Cross. It is not hard to see why - people who have been there know what I mean! My Grandma Smith told me about Kings Cross before I left, describing her experience in this red light district a long time ago. I laughed when she told me the stories - I laughed again when we walked the neighbourhood, what a sight! It is Amsterdam on a smaller scale: plenty of homeless, tonnes of hostels, watering holes and prostitutes hanging out doors wearing very small smalls in the middle of the day. We didn't mind it because we never saw trouble and felt unusually comfortable.

We stayed in 2 hostels, neither were any better than the other. Dirty, smelly and cramped. We made sure we were straight on the job hunt.

In the first week I secured a job (Jon in the 2nd week) and a home. The job hunt had taken its toll, mainly because we were not getting much sleep in the noisy hostel, crazy Germans keeping us awake all night. We signed up with a company called Travellers At Work (TAW), a job website that specialises in short term work. We had to invest $69 each. A risk because they do not guarantee work. We spent each day in there sending out applications and inbetween this we searched for a place live - it costs the same to rent as it is to live in a hostel in Sydney! We used Gumtree at first to assist with the hunt, most landlords do not look after the properties, we seen quite a few scummy holes! One place was a one level old office type building next to warehouse with bars on the window - ermmm no thanks.

TAW offered to set an appointment with Furnished Property Group. They told us we can arrange a contract for only 6 weeks at a time, perfect! Even if we didn't work we could just about afford it. We went for a tour of the properties in our budget. We were spoilt for choice! We loved the 2 we had seen that day and decided to discuss in the park. 20 minutes later we signed the paperwork and were told we could move in that Saturday - wooo hooo! The only thing is that we didn't have the job and then I was starting to feel the pressure.

I went for an interview for Christmas Decorators, I would have had to go around the city center and decorate malls, hotels etc, sounded great until I found out they paid pitence and wanted me to work 60 hours a week +, that would of taken the fun element out of Sydney!

Nethertheless, I had no choice but to accept - just in case. Luckily for me, I got a call a day or two later from TAW offering me an interview. I had no idea that the office/admin role I had applied for was there! I went and I am surprised Karin (my Dutch boss, and now good friend) gave me the job! I was so tired after being kept up by the Germans, my brain didn't work and it wasn't the smoothest. Anyway, I think she took pity on me and I have been there since running the back office with my intern (Marie) by my side, I love it.

I started working and Jon was tirelessly still applying. We couldn't understand why he hadn't had the same luck. Sometimes he would get calls and the voicemail system would delete the interview contact details, very frustrating! He managed to work a few days for a Polish guy, dropping flyers in letter boxes. It was a long day for him walking 15km in one day. Cash in hand though which bought some relief.

After week two, we were starting to worry that the Sydney dream might not actually be the dream we hoped. Tired, stressed and virtually broke!

I work with girl called Chloe, she sits in our office and works for a seperate company that specialises in landscaping called Ecoplant. She mentioned that she needed new blokes urgently, Jon jumped at the chance, spent a whole bunch of $ on a white-card course, steel cap boots and work gear and was working a couple of days later. He hasn't looked back either. Both jobs sorted, and relax. Finally we started to fell good again and thought it was a bout time we started to see some of the sights! We hadn't even managed to see the Opera House up to that point.

He gets up at around 5am and works til 2.30, I do 10-6. He gets to see lots of different suburbs and enjoys the outdoors planting, digging, drilling! Plenty of sun cream required!

The apartment we chose is on Broadway, a great location. Everything in the city is within walking distance, 30 mins walk to work for me. Jon can be placed on landscaping projects anywhere in the Sydney suburbs so he generally gets the train but Central Station is only 10 mins walk away from our place :-)

We live in a large converted bank. The rooms, bathrooms, kitchen and living room is spread over 2 floors with about 30 people sharing. All the flat amtes are great. A shopping center across the street, Glebe (a small bohemian village with oodles of restaurants and cafes) 2 minutes walk away, and a park right outside our door, bliss! To get to Bondi it is a train and bus journey ride, so we don't go as often as we would like.

Everything organised, we enjoy weekends out and meeting too many new friends!

Melbourne Australia

Goon party anyone?

We said goodbye to our new New Zealand buddies and head back to the campervan place for the second time! The first time was to drop off the van, the second was to collect the phone charger and plug adapter we had left plugged into the van. These are essentials we couldn't justify leaving behind! From the depot, it was a short trip to the airport and hopped on our Quantas flight. Woooahh I love Quantas! By far the best flight experience yet, for starters the TV worked! Bliss.
We didn't know what to expect of Australia apart from it's a long way away from the UK and that's why most people go, especially the Irish and Swedish. Our first impression - rain.
It was still classed as winter/spring when we showed up but I always though it was hot ALL the time here... hhmmm. OK so there is actually a reason why it is not hot and dry as we expected. We are currently in the Big Wet (Jon knows the scientific name for it but he is napping and Google won't give me what I am looking for!). For years and years, it has been hot and dry as everyone imagines it to be but now it is not. In a way we are glad it is not always scorching because we have a lot of sunshine ahead and this gives our skin a rest. We will eventually make it to either the Red Center or Queensland and I'll be moaning it is too sweaty.
Our trip to Melbourne was split into 2 parts. First was St. Kilda. This is a beautiful harbour town and very funky. It was famous for its seedy 'massage' parlours and gay scene a while ago. There is still a smell of it but with a more classy edge with cute boutiques and cool cafe/bars where hundreds of backpackers hang out. Oz is not big on theme parks, instead they have Luna Park which is a fairground with old fashioned rides. In the winter it is closed during the week, so we missed it! The entrance is enough to scare all the kids away! Check out this link http://www.lunapark.com.au/ to see the scary man face... this is actually above the walkway and it is huge.
Travelling has either 'grown' us or we are just getting old because the hostel in St. Kilda was way too party party in the room for us! It was good at first but the fella who managed to fall asleep drunk in my laundry bag next to my bed made me appreciate the smelly private confinement of the campervan. We were also feeling rough from the parties in NZ!
We headed to the city center and stayed at the Urban Central hostel. This is the best hostel we stayed in, the rooms were smaller and quiet but the hostel vibe was fab and we met some great people. It amazing how up for a party you can be with a quiet room for slumber... OK I sound miserable now so I won't go on about that anymore. But it is proven the more one gets older the enzymes in the liver deplete and can not break down alcohol as well.............
Melbourne city is fantastic so cosmopolitan with a European twist. We went on a self-guided city walk of the street art. It took us around the graffiti covered narrow alley ways, all different colours and designs. The Parisian and European style ones too.
The Tim Burton exhibition was a highlight after we attempted to go 3 times. The exhibition has been there for months and continued to be fully booked most days. Attached was a Sound and Movement Museum for free, play as many computer games as you like for free! We also go a taste of what it is like to be in the Matrix! We recorded it too... I will get Jon to post it when he wakes up.
It happened to be Jonathan's 26th birthday too whilst in Melbourne. We had a great time and made sure we did enough to remember the occasion. Next year we can look back and think 'this time last year we celebrated in AUSTRALIA!'. He had mentioned in passing that he would like to take up some golf later in life or just whenever he gets the chance! I took it upon myself to make the dream come true. He awoke to balloons and a card on his top bunk. Had a fry-up butty for breakfast. Head to Aston Vale for a spot golf. When to the top of Eureka Tower and had a smashing Thai curry in China town to finish. Our friends posted a birthday message on Facebook for him too, that definitely added a sparkle.
After a week or so hanging around with our buddies from England, Singapore and Holland we had consumed too much box 'goon' wine ($10 for 4 litres!) it was time to move onto Sydney. We need to plan and save for the second half of our adventure and Sydney is the place to make it happen!
We bagged a fantastic deal on our flight with Jetstar - just $60 each.

All those hours spent at uni enjoying the Erinsborough lifestyle from afar in comfy pants... I nearly forgot to mention our Ramsey Street experience! No sunshine and no Harold Bishop but we got to see the famous spots and hold the street sign!!