FARM LIFE (Part 1)

It’s been a very busy week at the farm. But before I get to that I will tell you about my adventures. A couple of weekends ago I took a ride south to the Stirling mountain range. I didn’t have the energy to hike to the top of any, plus the heat was around 35, far too hot for adventuring of into the unknown. But luckily there was a car park half way up one of the peaks, so I was able to take some pictures of the flat farm land to the north. I then ventures further south to Albany.

Although it was a Sunday the shops were still open as a cruise ship was in. Although Albany is a city, it’s about the size of a large English town. And Sunday trading is only heard of in the major cities like Perth or Sydney. I drove around to the view points and the very windy beaches before heading to the most southern point I have been to. Dog Rock is a couple of rocks that have formed to look like a dog, hence being called Dog Rock. It’s actually shown as Dip and Bridge on the map. But the Dog rock was a lot more interesting than the dip or the bridge. Albany did not grab me as an amazing place, but didn’t come across as a horrible city. I don’t think I will be rushing back.


The following Wednesday we went to Bunbury to pick up some Lime for fertilising the paddocks. The ride was very bumpy in the 80’s lorry. After picking up the load we went into town to get some new glasses as my previous ones got crushed under a tractor after falling out of my pocket when opening a gate. I also got my RAC cover and a new ‘Next G’ phone so I cant pick up a better signal when out in the middle of nowhere. We then went for a quick look around the beaches after looking into getting MV licence so I will be able to drive the Lorries and tractors on the road.

In my spare time I have been doing up my truck ready for my camping adventures. I have put a new carpet in the back and patched up all the holes in the body work. I have also (very importantly) sprayed an England flag on the back. And I’m just about to fit a roof rack to the top of it now I have sanded it down. Gary has welded it back to life after hanging around on the farm for the past 10 years. I also have rams skull that I will be attaching to it to scare away all the city folk.

I almost forgot to tell you about my birthday. After a nice long day of putting up fences, Myself, Gary and Mee-Ra had a BBQ. And that weekend I went on an Aussie style Fox hunt. Unfortunately I was unable to spot them in the spotlight as I was still without glasses. Over the two nights we were able to shoot 45 in total. An Aussie style hunt is done on the back of a pick-up. One person driving, another holding the spotlight and another with a riffle to shoot them. The rest of us had to collect the dead foxes and open the gates. So I was able to do my bit to kill of non native creatures and save the lives of sheep, kangaroos, chickens and parrots.

This past week I have been spreading Lime on the paddocks ready for seeding. This involved learning to drive a tractor and use a GPS system to spread the lime evenly. Then the past two days I have been sorting the wool during crutching. This was not a nice job, it involved separating the urine and poo stained wool from the good stuff so it could be sold for more money. Luckily it was only a two day job and it’s now over.

I will be adding photos and a video to this blog as soon as I get into town. As I am using my phone as a modem, I can’t upload too much as it will cost me the earth.

Just a short one to say all is going great. No photo's again for this one but I will hopefully be posting a video blog soon about life on an aussie farm.

I have been living with Mee Ra and Gary shepard at Viewpoint farm (nxt 2 muradup) for a week now. They are great people and am very happy to be working for them. I am learning a great deal about aussie farming.

So far I have be helping to Muster the sheep ready for sheering. Feeding the sheep (no grass here for them). Building a fence. Drenching the sheep and many other odd jobs. Every day is different and its great not having to deal with customers and shop managers while working. Its great fun to drive the quads about and the farm is very large so they have planty of land to explore. The local town of Kojonup is very nice place and very central to south west australia.

I should hopefully post the video at some point next week after the fox hunt on the 20th. I will also try to post a few photo's before then.

Clich here to view the farm on google maps.

OFF TO WORK

I'm having to write this very quickly as i'm using up the little internet time I have left before I leave Perth.

So last monday we left the farm and headed back to perth, spending the little money we had left on fuel to get back. The dirt road from the farm had turned into thick mud after a heavy rain storm in the night. If we didn't have a 4x4 we would have had to leave another day. But luckely we were okay.

every day this week has been the same. And it is as follows.

8.00 wake up
9.00 walk to aussijob agency
12.00 get lunch
13.00 back to the agency to wait for work
15.00 to the beach for a swim
18.00 cook and eat dinner
19.00 start drinking
01.00 go to bed

So thats all. But I finaly got a job on friday and now I am packed and ready to leave this morning (Sat). I will be working on a farm 3hrs south of perth on a sheep farm. My job will be to drive the tractors to feed the sheep. Round them up for their clothes to be stripped off and building fences. Should be a lot of fun, and tthey are training me :-) I will be doing this for 3 months, but as i have weekends off I will be able to venture off to see the local area.

soI hope i will be able to update this offten, But if not then don't worry. I'M OKAY

INTO THE BUSH

I have ended up staying at Glenorn station, about 25km south east of Leonora. Glanorn station is a very remote cattle station. While being here I have seen loads of wildlife. Such as a Kangaroo, Lizard, Scorpion, bat and loads of other wired insects. I struggled to sleep last night after very nearly standing on the scorpion. But how did I get here?

I’m not sure on what days I did what before leaving Perth, but I basically went to a couple of beaches to have a swim and loaded the truck. Being very low on money myself and Blair decided to try our luck getting a job in the east. So last Wednesday morning we set off east on freeway 94 in search of some work.


The roads are very long and straight, as far as the eye can see. Trees and bush on both sided for miles and miles. Luckily the Truck has a primitive cruise control. So I was able to rest my feet for the 550km drive to Kalgoorlie. We stopped half way in Merredin to stock up with rations for the week and fill up with fuel before finishing our trip at Lake Douglas. This was to be our home for the next couple of days. Free camping in the middle of the bush. We explored the site for a short while before finding an old gold mine. The bottom had filled with water that we were later told had 15 times more salt in it that the sea (interesting fact for you). The views were amazing, the rock has so many colours and textures and the water was so clear and still it just reflected the sky.

After our Kangaroo and salad dinner it was time to do some star gazing. I just wish my camera was able to take some photos of the stars. The Milky Way was so clear, every star was bright and absolutely no light pollution was affecting the amazing night sky.

On Thursday we headed into Kalgoorlie to start our hunt for work. We signed up at most of the job agencies. I even applied at the local subway and hungry Jack fast food restaurants. It was then time to go to the pub for a few drinks. And then I got a call. It was Subway asking if I was available for an interview. So I headed over the road and met the manager. Luckely for me he was only looking for a part time position to fill 9 hours a day. So I was happily able to turn it down. That evening we headed back to the campsite for a few games of cards before setting up the tent, folding down the seats and hitting the pillow.

The following day we set off to sign up to some more agencies. But our luck in finding some work was running very low. One of the local nickel mines has recently closed due to lowering metal values, so over 2000 people were looking for the same work. That afternoon we got a call from Cooney who I had also met in Perth. He was arriving in Kalgoorlie that evening and was looking for a lift to Leonora so he could see his girlfriend who is working on this very farm, so we accepted as he would be paying for the fuel. Before meeting him off the train we headed to the super pit. Super Pit is a massive open gold mine just outside Kalgoorlie. The photos just don’t show how massive the mine is. The photo on the right is only a third of the mine.

Then after some dinner we went to the train station to meet Cooney. After a late arrival we headed back to the campsite to set up one last time before an early morning start to head up to Leonora. As we had come so far we decided to take him to the farm. Easier said than done with the basic instructions we had. After many wrong turns we finally got to the farm. As we dropped Cooney off we asked the farm owner if there was a local campsite we could stay at. But they replied to say we could stay in one of the miners rooms till we leave on Monday. All we have to do in exchange is tidy them out ready for the miners to move in. So we chose our rooms and set up before heading into town to pick up some beers for the barbecue we had been invited to.

That evening we had the most amazing BBQ with the farms very own lamb. Far more meat than we could possibly eat. We were up till midnight talking to the wife who was able to tell us all about the land and it’s wildlife. It was then that I almost stood on a scorpion.

We awoke to the fire alarm this morning, we checked the dorms for a fire but it was all clear, so I was left to fix the broken alarm. We then had some beans for breakfast and put some tea on the stove. And here I am now, writing this up before cleaning out the rooms.

OFF ROAD.

All the days of this week have rolled in to one. The week started by going to the Hospital to get my feet looked at. They were fine, just a bit red. So they put some fresh bandages on and off I went.

Tuesday I went to Perth zoo so I could see some kangaroos and all the other creatures found in Australia. I could have spent all day watching all the animals. Some were great to watch.

On Wednesday I went hunting for a new car. I purchased the local paper and searched all the pages until I came across a 24 year old 4x4 Toyota for $2000 (£900). I had to get the train to the suburbs of Perth to check it out. We took it on a test drive and popped the bonnet, Kicked the tyres and folded the seats. Then after a Subway and a little think I decided to go for it. So now I own a 4x4 :-)

I drove it back to the hostel and had Paul who is a mechanic by trade have a look at it to make sure I hadn’t made a mistake, but he gave me the thumbs up and said it was a very good purchase. That evening it was time to head of to the beach to watch the sunset over the Indian Ocean. All I can say is that it was an amazing sight.

The next day I hit the shops and purchased all the camping gear I needed, Gas stove, tent, sleeping bag, kettle, shovel etc etc. So my wallet is lighter now but I have everything I need to get around the country. But I will be heading off to the east soon to look for some farm work to boost my saving back up.

Today a few of us went too do some off road driving in Kalamunda Park. My first time off road was wicked. Although the power steering decided to leek at the end of the trail, So it was to the garage to top it up. It appears the lid was loose and as we were bumping about it was spilling out everywhere. Although it will be having a check over in the morning to make sure it’s not a leek. The views from Kalamunda Park are amazing, but unfortunately I had forgotten my camera, so all we had were our camera phones. So we couldn’t take many great pictures.


So I’m back at the hostel now and researching for a job in the east. Just to let you all know that the updates might become less frequent at it will be harder to get internet access as I move away from the city. So don’t panic if you don’t see any messages for a while.

FRIDAY 13th LUCK, SUNDAY 15th FUN

Nothing much happened between Tuesday and Thursday. My feet were swollen so much I could only leave the hostel to get more pain killers. And on Friday I awoke to see the biggest blisters I have ever seen. I had one on each foot, covering the whole top area. Not a nice site to wake up to. Especially as I was leaving to York that day. So I made a treck to the hospital. I got the free bus as advised by the hostel people, and as most people would do I got off at the stop named mounte hospital. I walked into the main entrance and asked to see a nurse only to find out I was at a private hospital and the one I needed was the other side of the city. I had gone 10 stops to far. So running out of time I got a taxi to the correct one. The doctor had a look at my feet and decided to remove the blister and dead skin and cover with a very strange sticky bandage thing. (its going to hurt when removed). I then told them the swelling had made it very difficult to walk, so they got a lady from another department down to help me walk again. As I was in so much pain from the blisters being removed I found it impossible to walk so she offered me some crutches, I tried to refuse explaining that I had a backpack to carry around and that I don’t usually find it so hard to walk. But she insisted and gave me a new pair to carry around with me. After that I hobbled down to the bank to pick up my bank card and then on to the bus station to catch my bus to York.

York is the oldest inland settlement in Western Australia, about 2 hr bus rides east of Perth. After a long day I was looking forward to a nice stake and a pillow to rest my unlucky head. I had already pre booked the hostel so all I had to do was find it. The Hostel was empty. I had a 16 bad dorm all to myselfJ, and what an amazing hostel. The best I have ever stayed in. Just a shame there weren’t a few more people to exchange experiences with. I had my amazingly large stake down the road at the castle hotel and then hit the pillow.

Saturday was a day of exploration around this quiet old town. I managed to walk as far as the residency museum to find out how York became the first in land settlement in Western Australia. I then walked up the Avon river to the swing bridge, not a swing bringe as you would imagine but a suspension bridge. The backpackers owner Vicki then took me to the skydiving jump site to talk to the instructors about jumping with my feet as they were. They told me the good news that I would not need my feet to land as I would land on my rear. We stuck around to watch some landing but as the wind was too strong no one was able to jump that afternoon. In the afternoon I went for my evening meal at the local train carriage café, an old disused carriage that has been converted into at café. The food was delicious. Then after watching some aussie TV I wend to bed to energise myself for the big day.

Sunday the 15th of February 2009 will be a day I will remember for a very very long time. I was picked up at 9am and taken to the Skydive jump site, After some basic training I sat and waited for what seemed to be an eternity till my jump at about 1pm. I was then suited up by Andy who was filming me while in a very nervous state. We had a practise and then took a walk down the the plane. As I was the first one out I was sat next to the doors. The wind was so noisy as we took off, but the views were amazing. At 8000 ft the doors were opened, and for some strange reason all my fears were gone. I just wanted to jump. After a few seconds sitting at the door it was time. 3,2,1 GOOOOOO. WOOOOOOOOW, it was so amazing. Words can’t describe how great it was. After about 25 second free fall the parachute was opened. Still calm and full of excitement the instructor Andy let me take control of the parachute. He then told me to take it into a spin, This was a bad idea. It felt great but it made me feel a bit sick. We then landed, rear first and then Andy tumbling over me. I was speechless but he still got me to say a few words to the camera. I then had to sit for a while to rest my head before the bus took us back.

That evening after watching the video over and over again I went to local co op and got myself some Kangaroo meat. My first taste of Skippy, Yum yum . Then it was off to sleep.


And its now Monday afternoon that I am writing this rea dy to post when I get back to perth. I woke up this morning and headed of to the tourist information centre to get my badge. And on the way back I went around the York motor museum. Here I got to see the oldest VW in Australia amongst some other great cars. I could go on but I won’t, just come to Australia and see for yourselves. I will be catching the Bus in a couple of hours back to Perth, I don’t really want to go back to perth yet, but I have to go to th e hospital to get my bandages removed.

N.B. I wrote this before catching the bus to perth. I am now back at my first hostel. Its tuesday morning and I am just about to head off to the Hospital. I will update this at some point next week. Untill then, have fun.

Wear Sunscreen

I have learnt a very valuable lesson, wear sunscreen!. But before I get to that I will tell you about my time in Perth so far.

I arrived on Friday morning to a very hot Perth (About 32-34°C). After quickly getting changed I got a taxi to my hostel where I booked in and headed of to the center to get my phone and set up my bank account. Feeling very tired I went back to the hostel and hit the pillow till the evening. Then it was time to meet some people. I quickly found out that this hostel was full of long timers. So who have been here for over 5 months. So it was difficult to socialize, but one chap jumped in and got me started on a drinking game and introduced me to all. But with almost 60 people at the hostel its difficult to remember names.

On Saturday I awoke early and headed back down to the river, I had all intentions of doing something spontaneous, but all the boat cruises etc required booking a day before. So that plan didn't work out in my favor. That aside I managed to explore the city and make it back to the hostel for more drinks.

Sunday I got a ride with some Germans to Penguin Island for some lunch, sunbathing and swimming. This is when I learnt to put enough sunscreen all over. Including feet!! I was trying to be so careful to protect my upper half that I forgot my feet. And it wasn't till that evening in the pub that I realized how painful it was. It made it impossible to walk. Penguin Island is about 45mins south of Perth and is accessible by foot (usually). But due to 4 people drowning in the past month the rangers were stopping people from walking over. The only way left was to get a boat at $12 (£6). But we all decided this was too much for only 2hrs, as the last boat was at 4 and we would have to wait for the 2o'clock boat to get over. So we just bathed on the main land having cheese and ham rolls for lunch looking over at the island. That evening I went out to an outdoor nightclub called "the shed" This was with another group from the hostel (the English group). It was a bit strange being in an outdoor nightclub, but the atmosphere was amazing.

On Monday I awoke with the most painful feet in the world. I couldn't walk without incredible pain. So once I had taken some paracetamol I headed to the pharmacy to get some Aloe Vera cream to sooth the pain. After that I headed back to the hostel and went to sleep it off, only to waste the day sleeping trough to today.

So its Tuesday now. I haven't left the hostel as the temperature is about 38°C and my feet are still hurting allot. I feel like I am wasting my holiday at the moment, but I want to be better for the weekend as on Friday I will be heading to York to escape this hostel before I become one of the long timers. I have also booked myself a treat for Sunday, but I will tell you all about that after it has happened.

I am still needing to get my Tax number so I can work, but apparently they send it in the post once I have applied. It takes up to 28 day's to arrive but as I don't know where I will be, I can't give them an address. I'm sure I will be able to sort something out though. I have also found out that it’s harder to get work now as hundreds of miners have lost their jobs due to the dropping price of materials. And it doesn't help that youth hostels and pubs are putting their prices up, But on a good note. I'M IN AUSTRALIA and my feet are slowly getting better.

Here is a video of a song I shoould be taking advise from.

UK - PERTH (via Hong Kong)

So here I am, PERTH, AUSTRALIA. :-) My dream has come true. Although I'm lucky to be here by the sounds of it. The BA flight from Heathrow was delayed as they had to prep the runway for the snow, And from what I hear it really snowed.

I departed at 9.30 from Heathrow after a farewell from the family. 11 hours later I arrived in Hong Kong with just enough time to have a quick look round. And what an amazing city to visit. When your looking for a Chinese restaurant in England its easy. You look for a Chinese symbol sign and the chance is very high that it will be a Chinese takeaway. But this rule does not apply to Hong Kong. All the signs are in Chinese. After a couple of hours walking the streets it was time to return to the airport and board my second flight.

After very little sleep and a lot of walking I was looking forward to a 7hr flight to close my eyes and get some sleep. But unfortunately I was sat next to a very nice but very chatty Chinese girl. As soon as the convocation stopped and I closed my eyes she would pipe up with another question. I tried to be rude and put my headphones on to show her I wasn’t interested in chatting. But that failed.

But anyways, 7hrs later I arrived in Perth Australia with a very big smile on my face.The customs check despite being thorough was very fast and within minuets of landing I was in the taxi on my way to the Hostel.

While I was still buzzing with excitement, I went into the city to get my new phone (e-mail me for the number) and set up my bank account. Once that was done I went back to the hostel to hit the pillow.

So far the Hostel is amazing, Perth is great and Australia is very hot.

THE EVE

Hi all.

So its the eve of my trip. I feel like a 4 year old on christmas eve waiting for santa. The day I have been wishing for most of my life is just one sleep away. The great adventure. AUSTRALIA

I could do the sensible thing of spending the money I have saved on the deposit of a house. But thats just too boring. NO REGRETS!!! thats my motto. If I don't do this now I will look back when i'm older and wish I had done it.

So i'm leaving this behind.....

...and will be arriving 24hrs later in the middle of australias summer.

HOT HOT HOT!!!.

And here is a short video for your enjoyment.

MY EUROPE TRAVELS

A couple of people have been asking about the posts about my past travels to Europe. The truth is I was far too lazy to write them. So instead I have created a video with some photos that were taken during travels over the past couple of years. Get ready with the pause button as they go very quickly.

Enjoy!