A Day in Byron Bay

On Saturday the 22nd, three friends from the hostel Leanne, Gemma, Ben and I hopped on a bus and went to Byron Bay for a day.  We got a hostel for the night and just decided to go relax and enjoy ourselves outside of the big city.  It was about an hour, hour and a half bus ride there which wasn't bad at all! By 2:30 we were checked into our hostel called Aquarius and we were at the Beach Hotel having lunch. 

We then decided to lay on the beach for a while.  It was a bit cold and slightly overcast so we only laid out for like an hour or so.  I wanted to go to the lighthouse which is about a 45 minute walk and it's the most eastern point of Australia, but we didn't have time before the sun would go down. 

you can see how it's pretty overcast

you can barely see the lighthouse in the back

The town itself is really small which I actually really liked.  It was much nicer than the big city feel of the Gold Coast.  It was still mostly tourists, but at least it was more homey feeling. 

We went back to the hostel and got ready for a night out.  We went to bar called Cheeky Monkey's which is famous for being a backpackers bar and restaurant.  It was pretty fun, but it was WAY too packed and we ended up leaving around 12:30.

I unfortunately had to leave early the next morning since I had to work at 4 on Sunday so I didn't get to see the lighthouse or do any of the adventures that Byron offers.  I think I will definitely be going back for another few days.  The bus was only 40 dollars round trip which isn't bad at all and totally worth it if you are able to go for a few days.  The more I get out and see other things the more I don't want to be in Surfers anymore.  Don't get me wrong, I love it here.  I love my job and my friends and everything, but at the same time I haven't actually seen any of Australia yet and that kills me.  I still have yet to do the tourist stuff even here in Surfers like the theme parks, surfing, whale watching (which I need to do since the season is ending) and things like that.  I've told myself that any day that I have off I will do something or if I have a few days off I will go somewhere, just so I don't feel like I'm stuck here in Surfers.  If I had a car it would be totally different because there are so many things to do within driving distance, but it's so much more difficult to get places on the bus.

Still loving it here, I thought I would be homesick by now, but I think I'm just keeping too busy and having too much fun (sorry mom and dad).  I miss everyone back home and would LOVE for anyone to come visit me!!!  Hope all is well!

Daily Life In Surfers

So apparently the 'blog every couple of days' thing isn't working for me.  Or maybe I've just been to lazy, but to be honest nothing really has been going on!  The last week I've gotten into the routine of living and working.  My typical breakfast has been the staple of eggs on toast (thanks mom) which EVERYONE eats over here.  Everything else is just too expensive.  I throw some fruit in there from time to time.

Life has been pretty busy I suppose.  It's rough to have so many things to do in one day.  There just isn't enough time. It's exhausting being me. lol :)

I've  been getting a good amount of hours at work which has been really nice.  Plus I'm also getting called in so just the added money.  I've decided that after working (and hopefully saving up some money) I want to travel down south and also head over to NZ.   The most awesomest bestest person I've met since being here (happy? lol) Carlos went back home to NZ last week and has done nothing but talk about how awesome it is, plus everyone I have met said it's just amazing so I figured I need to go check it out.  So the more money I can get the better for that.  I'm also trying to find a place to stay here since the hostel is starting to get really really old.  It seems like everyone just goes out every night and it's so draining.  Not my scene at all.  Being able to go to the rock pools really  made me realize that I do not want to be in the big cities for a long time, which is exactly what Surfers is.  Not only is it the big city scene, but it's a big city tourist scene so I haven't met hardly anyone from Australia even.

I really like my job and I'm able to work at any rip curl shop in the area.  There are two in just downtown Surfers alone (only like 100 m from each other...about 330 feet for all you back home).  Plus there is a shopping center about a 10 minute bus ride from here that called me in yesterday, but I was unable to go.  It's good that I'm so new to the shop but my manager feels like I'm good enough to go work at other shops.  On Friday I got called in and had an 8 hour shift so I took my break on the beach, nbd, but this is where I get to eat my lunch

although I did get attacked by a million seagulls I would say it was a good lunch break. 

This weekend was crazy because they were having this huge car race (no idea) but I guess people from all over the country come to watch it (similar fans to nascar...lucky me).  So because of this huge event going on, not only were we busy in the shop, but the ferris wheel that is located on top of the bus station was actually lit up and running which apparently never happens.  I was on the phone with Carlos and I just started freaking out because it's so random to see it all lit up and running since it's usually just dark and looking pretty gross actually.

you can't even tell in the picture that it is actually ON TOP of the bus station which also seems really dangerous, but I suppose they seem to think it is ok.  I'll just be continuing to work and live and hopefully find a place to live.  I've gotten a few responses to emails about house shares so we'll see if something turns up about it!!

Currumbin Rock Pools

Friday I had off from work and my friend Emily asked if I wanted to come with our friends Marty, Liam and Ben to the rock pools located just outside the city.  Uhhh YA! We left around 10 or 11.  Marty has a 4x4 that has a bed set up in the back (kind of like Gregs truck) and so Marty, Liam and Emily sat up front while Ben and I had to lie down in the back so we couldn't be seen.  Totally legal..right? We drove for about 45 minutes before we landed in rain forest land.  It was absolutely unreal how quickly you can get out of the city and just be in the middle of forests.  We passed by signs that said kangaroo crossing and things like that, unfortunately we didn't actually see any roo's.

Liam, Emily and Marty

We arrived at the rock pools and it was really cool.  It looked a lot like Oregon actually, just little springs with water running over the rocks.  I only saw 2 spiders as well!! Although they were massive, and apparently one I was told could mess you up pretty bad if bit.  Ick.  The water was a bit cold, but still was awesome.

Once we decided to get out of the water we were walking back up to the car, when some aboriginals were having a bbq and asked us if we would like to join.  It was a group of older men who said that they get together every fortnight (every 2 weeks) and just have a bbq and hang out.  The cool thing about Australia is that there are free public gas bbq's all over the place.  It's something that I really like.  Anyways we sat down with them and had sausages and steak with apples and juice.  It was really good and everyone was very nice which is strange because aboriginals are known for not being friendly.  We also had a random chicken stop by and see if it could gather any food from us.  Very funny.

We then proceeded up the road and came upon a national park.  At the end of the road there was an area where you can pull off and go 'hiking'.  Just like with scenic areas back in Oregon there is a concrete path with various viewpoints of tons more rock pools.  So we got out and went along the path and found this GORGEOUS waterfall that came into a little pool, which then formed another waterfall into a larger pool.  All the signs we saw said 'no jumping or diving' 'water is more shallow than it looks' and things like that, but nothing said no swimming.  We hopped the fence to go check out the pools.  We got in the water and it was freezing.  Way colder than the other pools, but it was so pretty we couldn't help it.  Liam and Marty went all the way in, but I just stuck my feet in.  Liam then decided to slide down the waterfall into the smaller pool.  It was like a natural waterslide.  Very dangerous, but fun.  I got a video of it that I will try to post as well.

The aboriginals told us to take a different way home that was much more pretty so we decided to do that even though it was completely out of the way.  It's not like we didn't have time.  It was unreal.  We actually ended up in New South Wales which we weren't expecting, but we were going up through the rain forest and it was just a straight cliff on one side, but the view was incredible.  We weren't able to stop and get pictures at all the spots we wanted, because the road was so narrow, but it reminded me of movies like Tarzan and King Kong and stuff.  I know that sounds really dumb, but it's true.  You could see so far out and it was just hilly and full of trees and some really really cool cliffs and stuff.  We stopped at one point in New South Wales at a spot that overlooked a valley and you could see the ocean in the background.  It was gorgeous.

It was an amazing day with beautiful views and good people.  It was amazing to me that you can just go like an hour outside the city and you can be somewhere so beautiful.  It's difficult not having a car because I'm not able to go places like this all the time or on my days off.  It made me really realize that I can seriously consider myself living it.  It's beautiful and the weather is nice (when it doesn't rain).  It's absolutely a place I want to go back to and it also makes me realize that I don't know if I want to just stay in Surfers.  I want to get outside the city and see other things! The guys were telling us about a city about 2 hours away that is completely underground!! I want to see it so bad.  That would be really cool!

Missing you all very much.

My New Job!

Wednesday the 12th was my first day of work at Rip Curl.  I found out I worked Wednesday and Thursday 9-4 which is a pretty good day.  I showed up my first day and Renny the manager was going to train me in everything I needed to know.  Little did we know that it was going to be packed in the store!! There were so many people coming in to shop, and the next person didn't come in to work until 1:30.

Renny showed me the register once and then it was time to sink or swim!! I think I did well!! My second day Thursday I had a 200 dollar sale and a 700 dollar sale back to back.  So that's good right?

I really like my job and the people I work with.  It's nice to be working, I feel like I'm actually here for a purpose now.  Plus it gives me something to do.  It was starting to get tiring just sitting around the hostel and not doing anything all day.  This is much better, plus I'll be making money which is always a good thing!!

Next step in Surfers is to find a place to live.  I've emailed a few people about places, but nothing really has come up, I'm not in a hurry as the hostel is pretty much cheaper than any place I'm going to find around this area.  All the places in Surfers are like 180-200 a week!! Insane right! But I think it's just because it's so touristy.  Everyone wants to be here.

Just wanted to give a quick update about my job and let everyone know that things are well! I've been told I'll be getting more hours than I originally thought which is good.  Not sure how much I am making, but min wage is super high here and it kind of goes by age and experience as well, so I would guess I would be making around 20, but at least 15 or so.  Which is still nothing to talk bad about except food and everything is SUPER expensive here.  No wonder wages have to be so much higher.  There is no way I would be able to live here for long if I hadn't had gotten this job.

I'll post some pictures of the store as I'm able to take some!

Thanksgiving!!! ...in October?

Monday the 10th I came home from being in town to my roommates telling me they had put my name down to do the big Thanksgiving dinner.  It was 10 bucks each,  but it was the real deal meal.  I said it sounded great and was excited!! A few minutes later a friend Marty (who is in another room, but also a long termer) came through and put two chickens in the oven.  Obviously confused considering it was early October I asked what was going on...Thanksgiving isn't for another month and a half.  Only then did I find that it was Canadian Thanksgiving...

umm...WHAT? Did you know there was such a thing?? I certainly didn't.  Trust me though, I wasn't going to complain about the home cooked food.  IT WAS AMAZING.  Marty was a machine.  He used 4 different kitchens and another guy who works at the hostel Liam was using the staff room kitchen to make homemade pumpkin pie.  It was insane.

We had chicken (no turkey because it took too long to cook and is more expensive) and gravy, stuffing, cauliflower and cheese, carrots, potatoes, corn on the cob, and homemade pumpkin pie.  Everything was made from scratch and it was unreal.

I'll post all the pictures of the meal and you will probably be jealous, not going to lie.

One of my roommates Selen from Canada

Marty the cook!! And Emily as well

The Pie Master Liam

Look at the form.

The last picture...is pumpkin pie with maple syrup.  Have you heard of that either?? I was a little nervous to try it at first, but it is really really good!! You know how the Canadians love their maple syrup. haha.  There was even some in the whipped cream Liam made!!  The whole night was amazing.

We decided to go out afterwards since the club that night was Sin City and it's a favorite of everyones.  All the people that joined in the thanksgiving meal however, were like zombies all night.  We had the biggest food comas ever and we just kind stood around because we were scared to move too much with our stomachs being SO full. haha all and all it was probably one of my favorite day here in Australia so far.  A good meal with good friends and a fun night out.  Here are some pictures of downtown Surfers that I took that night on our way to the club.

I walk by this area everyday to get to work, the beach and anywhere else that I need to go.  The ferris wheel is on top of the bus station, I've only actually seen it run like 3 times ever.

Oh hey family!!! Look what I found!!! Remember this??

Makes me think of Greece!! I had a smurf inside. lol

I don't know if they are doing this in the states, but there is some kind of promotion or something going on with the cokes here where they put different names on the side of the cokes and say to share a coke with them.  The coke machine here in the hostel spit this one out and I had to take a picture.  I'm missing everyone back home a lot so anything to remind me of being home is a plus.  Miss you dad.

My liking of this place is growing everyday and with each day I can see myself living here more and more.  It's an amazing place and everyone here is so nice and friendly.  I really do love it here.