Yes, I have been slacking off writing about my adventures in Australia and I am sorry for the few who actually read it. I going to make up for that now. Although people I have met are continuesly impressed with my English this blog entrance for English speakers won't be as detailed as Estonian one. Time to learn Estonian in other words. And I couldn't care less about typos.
Mooroopna
Anyho, last English recap ended somewhere me heading to work in the apple orchard picking apples. So I ended up in a small place called Mooroopna which basically is a place in the middle of nowhere next to nothing. It is also called the Fruit Salad city because the most common industry there is agriculture. Lots of fruit being grown and also a lot of packing sheds around there to provide work.
I moved into a hostel whose manager was kind enough to find jobs for most of the people who stayed in the hostel. The hostel wasn't really much, but it was cheap and transportation to work was also provided. We lived there with a few Europeans and loads of Asians at first, but a week after arriving there it was me, a Finnish dude and two Germans left and rest of the 40 people were all from Asian countries like Hongkong, South-Korea, Japan. Work was quite easy and brainless apple picking. After first week we began to go to work together with some Koreans as they had a car. We worked in pairs and my partner was also Korean. Days were always 8 hrs and we had two short breaks and a half an hour lunchbreak. We mostly picked apples called pink ladies which are really fragile when they are ripe. Can't squeeze or drop them else they get bruised and lost their commercial value.
I worked there five weeks total and got some money saved to travel upwards. Over the five weeks I befriended with the nice German couple Nancy and Sebastian. I think my knowledge of German language also helped, but we got a long well and went fishing and shopping together. Also did a little sightseeing although there wasn't much to see in that area. So one day we came to an idea to travel up to Brisbane together. As they had a car and I was a worthy companion then it was the plan to be done. So we agreed to meet up in Melbourne on the 17th of June. Since my apple picking was over 3 before I had to come up with a alternative plan to spend my time and not waste money on that. As I didn't really want to go back to Melbourne I decided to look around in Gumtree and see if there is any work available for this period. Extra money is always nice right? Instead of work I found two ladies who were offering food and accomodation for a few hours of work per day. So I called them and so my travles took me to a place called Numurkah.
Numurkah
My nice German friends took me to Numurkah which was like 30 minutes drive from Shepparton. We said our goodbyes and were to meet again in 3 weeks in Melbourne. Next 3 weeks I lived with two ladies Vesna and Manni. Vesna had bought a house a while back and there was some things to be done around the house and that is why they looked for people to help. I helped mowed the lawn, tossed some chunks of wood away, carried sawdust and build a home network with all connected into a wifi as for the biggest things. In exchange she cooked the most gorgous meals I have ever had since moving away from my mom. Vesna also showed me what UFC was and got me hooked to that. We watched the seasons and I taught her how to get the new fights and series from the internet. She was happy about it, but I am afraid I might have killed her social life. I also met quite many local people and got to know them. Especially good neighbour Cleve who was building an awsome model train track system into his back yard. This is something I am going to do one day also or well something close to that awesomeness. During the times there I also started going running and to the gym as my foot was getting better from the broken ankle I had in February.
Threee weeks passed rather quickly and soon came the time to leave to Melbourne and meet up with the Germans to start our Great East Coast Tour. We had already written down and drawn a map of places which we would like to see. Germans with a plan you know!
Canberra
First leg was to get to Canberra one day which we succeeded. It was cold and boring, but the only good thing was the sauna in the hostel we stayed in. Not a real sauna tho, just a room they heat up to 60 C and then think it is awesome.
Blue Mountains
Next place we decided to go to was Blue Mountains. It is a mountain range, but I wouldn't really call it mountains. Lots of good hiking tracks and beautiful views. The evening we arrived there it was snowing so camping was out of the question. Again we had to choose a hostel and we went to Katoomba YHA. The next days we hiked several tracks and tried to see a much as possible. First track was the hardest or maybe it felt hard because I hadn't really done that much sports past months. Blue Mountains is a place I recommend for everyone to visit. And not only just to take picture from Three Sisters and go away.. We were really lucky with the weather after the first day since it was all sunshine while we were there. I know now that two weeks after we left there was a huge storm and lots of snow.
I let the album speak for itself: pictures from Blue Mountains.
Sydney
Ah Sydney, my new favourite city. Not that I have seen all of them, but still. On the first day we did a obligatory tour from the Opera House to the bridge and Darling Harbour which is a place where I could spend my whole life. I was THIS close to jump into the water in the harbour since it was too hot that day, but one lady told me the fine is rather large so I reconsidered. Sydney is so spacious and green and feels even kozy I would say. Second day was kind of rainy and so we visted the Powerhouse Museum which was a quite awsome display from first trains in Australia to the space program.
Myall Lakes
Myall Lakes National Park was our next camping site. We arrived there a week after it was flooded so it looked quite sad at first. But realizing that the ocean is right over the dunes then we were quite happy. The weather again was generous and got to walk in the rainforest, but not too far since it was still flooded. Also tried to fish at the lake and ocean, but since the water was still high in the lake didn't catch anything. Sebastian got something from the ocean, but I can't recall the name. I met a local guy Wayne who was also fishing and well it all started with me giving a piece of broken class to him to throw away later. He offered me a beer and next thing I know we were touring around his hometown and did some sightseeing. Good Australian campers boughts us a huge salmon and some other fish they had caught so we had great feast one evening and I was the masterchef. We also managed to see dolphins and whales!
Our next stops included beautiful cities next to the ocean such as Port Macqauire and Byron Bay. I wasn't really enjoying them, but probably they are a lot different in the summer time. Lots of idiot drinking kids around who have little respect of others. We stayed in hostels in both places and did some sightseeing. We also visited some other places such as Sealed Rocks and some other one the way to Green Mountains.
Green Mountains
Green Mountains was another nice national park with quite many bushwalking tracks and beautiful views. The forests were more like rainforests now. I did a tour on my own there on the first day which was for warmup. The next day we chose a 19km track, but I stayed a bit behind in the beginning and took a wrong turn. So I added and extra 6 km for giggles. You know it is bad if you start to recognize the trees in the rainforest. But then again I got to walk in peace and my German friends were too chatty anyway so it kind of worked out well.
We made a 3 day camp in a place near Nambucca right next to a shallow river. We had good neighbours there who invited us over to their fire the first night we arrived. That was great since it was bloody cold even for me.
After that we aimed at Mount Warning to be the first to see the first sunrise in Australia. We climbed the mountain twice in 20 hours. Once during the day and the other time during the night starting at 4 AM to be up there before sunrise. It was quite scary at first to climb a mountain in pitch black, but awesome when we got up there. And to see the sunrise from that place is just breathtaking.
Pics:
Gold Coast
Gold Coast and Surfers Paradise was the place we wanted to see next. Endless beach and tall buildings are just a great mix here. Seeing the beach here I decided I stay here instead and not go to Brisbane. I managed to find a job in a YHA hostel here to work for accommodation. I had busted my travelling budget anyway so that would save me a lot of money and I don't feel like going to work yet. Been here a month now and all the hostel workers are really great and friendly with me. But unfortunately all good things come to an end and I am looking for a farm job now to get some gold to travel further and also get the minimum days required for a 2nd year visa. Oh, and I met Chuch Liddell!
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