Okay, so I’ve managed to get my hands on my laptop again – therefore y’all get to see new photos and read my proper account of the journey so far. Got some pictures uploaded, story follows.
So I arrived at Sydney airport, very tired around 6am on October 20th. So tired, in fact, that I voluntarily agreed to take part in a trial Biometrics scan at Sydney airport. Quite why I thought this would be beneficial I have no idea. But it was kinda cool. Then I hovered around the backpacker info point at the airport for 10 mins before deciding to check into a hostel in town.
I picked “The George” on George Street, a conveniently located but entirely charmless establishment. For 110 AUS I got my own room for the first 2 nights, which was essentially a broom cupboard with a window into the main street. I slept very poorly, and combined with the rainy gloomy weather I felt slightly depressed (see picture). But I did manage to get most of my boring admin out of the way (Tax file numbers, Medicare and such), so I felt accomplished.
The next day I managed to crawl out of bed, and decided to escape the charms of central Sydney by walking down towards the harbour. From that point on my perspective changed. The sun suddenly came out as I got to the Rocks, and I felt the sea air rushing into my nostrils and my brain, inducing a giddy delirium which resulted in an uncontrollable grin breaking out on my face. I walked around the bridge, the Rocks, the Opera house and the gorgeous botanical gardens (which had wonderful signs saying “please walk on the grass), and I felt like I had arrived.
The next few days were pleasant, I met a Jamies sister Abigail in town who lives in an outrageously nice house in the Paddington area (especially compared to my hostelling lifestyle), and momma Ford with her son Jude in tow for a day in the park. I also moved to the Y on the park, which was considerably nicer than the previous digs, as it was next to Hyde Park, and you even got a bit of breakfast included in the price of a room. However even then my feet were getting itchy and I knew I had to get outta town for a bit. So I decided to wwoof.
WWOOFing
WWOOFing is “Willing workers on Organic Farms”, and the idea is that you have a cultural exchange of sorts whereby you do 4-6 hours of work a day in exchange for food and accommodation and the chance to get to know a nice Aussie couple or family. The host properties can be anything from full blown large farms with acres of land to a property on the coast with a small veggie patch – which was my chosen spot!
My hosts were a lovely couple called David and Elizabeth (an environmental scientist and an artist), intelligent and slightly eccentric – which was great! They lived in a lovely 2 story house in North Arm Cove near Port Stephen, about 2hrs North of Sydney. They had extended their house themselves, it was all very eco-friendly and David had set up an impressive water capture and filtration system to supply the house with clean water (that was also his line of business). The week was a great escape, I had my own room facing the sea so I got lots of rest, I got good home cooked food (no more Hungry Jacks!), and I learnt a whole plethora of manual DIY home improvement tasks.
Admittedly many of them still need polishing off, but given that on the most part I had no idea of how to e.g. build a brick wall, I did pretty well! Building websites isn’t like building walls – you can’t really go back and fix it after client review!
And next step is…
Okay, I’ve had a pretty good week and a bit here, staying in the YHA in Glebe (funky area of Sydney), meeting friends Ciaran and Nicole from the States. However, ever since I first got here, I realised that to stay in Sydney YOU NEED MONEY. So I sent a few job applications off before wwoof:ing to some cool web agencies in Sydney (and Melbourne), and so far the response has been fairly encouraging! Its funny how you can find it hard to let go of the idea of working and keeping your bank account fairly steady – I have definitely thought about staying put for a bit here and working. However the overwhelming consensus seems to be that whilst you have even a little cash, you must take the chance to travel, and see this beautiful country. Friends, old people, young people, articles…the evidence is pretty compelling.
Even so, until wednesday lunchtime I was going to take up some cool contracting work and stay. But then, I went to the MCA in the harbour, and saw a piece of art with this text (and those of you out there acquainted with axe and the Hoff might want to put on a bandanna right now and flex whilst gazing off into the sunset):
“There are certain places that bring you to an understanding, deeper than anything you have ever known before.
There is no need to think, analyse or question the path.
The place shows you the way. You follow.”
Arrriiight.
There was only one option for now: I shaved me hair very short and booked myself onto a 5 day surfing safari from Sydney to Byron Bay. F’in A!
Next time I update this I’ll probably be broke and fruit picking in Queensland… or then I’ll come back and get some cash and work…until then amigos…
from here and abroad before I try to go travelling again.
Having said that, some people I’ve met are really nice and will probably see them again on the trail.