Advertisement
Published: July 12th 2008
Aussie Aussie Aussie
The first 6 months of 2008 have flown by in a whirlwind of activities, work, festivals, friendships and an alround AMAZING experience that I will never forget.
Did I rediscover myself? Not really.
Did I expect to? Not after advice from friends who have travelled before?
Have I learnt a lot though? About myself and the world - definitely.
Do I regret a single day? Apart from my overspending (old habits will not die!!) not one minute....
How do you put 6 months into one (hopefully) readable journal that encapsulates what I have been doing, where I have been, who I have met and how I have felt over the last few months of my life. Well I may not succeed and apologise if I get it hideously wrong but here we go I will give it a shot, its likely to be different from my other blogs as it has been different to the rest of my travels but after this I am on the move once more........Sit down, hold on tight and lets take a ride!!!
Having been in Sydney for a few weeks at this point (being post
Christmas time) I had begun to pick up the Aussie slang that baffles so many and makes for an easier life once you 'get it'! For instance - Thongs mean flip flops, obviously. Getting 'Maggot' infers you are blind drunk and 'Sick' is a good thing! Aussies never have and never will throw another shrimp on the barbie - they call them prawns just like us. Gutted!! Beer comes in Schooners, pots or jugs and costs more than it does in the UK and they most definitely do not, have not ansd will not ever drink Fosters ot xxxx!! Doona means Duvet, Goon is a boxed wine with catastrophic consequence when consumed in volume and if someone tells you they will be a halfa, it means half an hour (of course) with just about everything is abbrieviated to the nth degree. Arvo = Afternoon, Chardy = Chardonnay, Bruz = Brother or Bro,.....................and the words 'But' and 'Ay' come at the end of most sentences....ay. Oh and yes I am and always will be a Pome b*****d (Prisoner of Mother England)...
Anyhoo, I landed my job from the company that I travelled to Australia with - OzIntro. It came about
from a random chat with the owner Michael, on the way to pick up a hire car before Christmas. The job offer was quite possibly the best mix I could have ever hoped for(especially as offered to me on 3 seperate occassions ONLY when the boss was 'Maggot') and proved to be an absolute blast!! My role was in charge of the accounts function for half the month with the other time split between having my own group to take out as their 'tour guide', driving other groups around the city in our 'special' OzIntro bus, the extremely exciting world of airport pickups and selling travel in the office to those wanting to see the "real Australia".
The group part of the job involved taking upto 17 people out in their late, late teens up to late twenties, for their first week in Oz and for many their first week away from home alone, ever. The week as their 'guide' involves a punishing schedule of Jetboating, Surfing, Costal walks, BBQ's, Pub Crawls, Dinners, and the like which in all fairness, really isn't punishing at all, in fact that was a total lie, what a life!!! The week can be
stressful on the organisation front and sorting out minor problems but, in general I have met some fantastic people who have since become friends and the odd little romantic interest along the way, although odd being the operative word and my new rule of sticking to my own age proved to be the stupidest decision I had ever made and thus quickly reversed although, in fairness, I did have an amazing weekend in the scorching sun in Melbourne watching Lewis Hamilton smash home to victory in the first Grand Prix of the season at Albert Park!!...
The amazing team of guys and girls at OzIntro made for any easy transition from traveller back to worker which, was really nice after a fairly long period of forming fairly fluid friendships with people you meet along the way. Having somewhere that felt like home again. It is quite sad when such things as making toast, having somewhere to watch DVD's and being given an office key, seem like big deals! It was honestly like becoming part of a new family and out of work we all started to hang around a lot more going to some of Sydneys biggest events, that
made it one truly amazing summer. Everything for once had slotted into place, finding a job without even really looking, that was exciting and challenging, getting a flat dropped into my lap by someone else's unforeseen rushed departure home and making new friends from home and Australia, it all just fitted. I was home. Yes I new it wasn't permanent but I was happy enough with such a lot to look forward too and at the end of it, the knowledge I would still have New Zealand, Fiji and the USA to travel through. Life's a bitch sometimes ay?
Some days it was just like being at home. A hard day at work, another friend leaving or moving on, money worries, whose turn was it to cook/clean, rain, exasperation and boredom being stuck in the office, you know, the general mundane, monotonous routines of life that everyone faces no matter where you are in the world but, these lows were far, far outweighed by the sheer fact I was living in Sydney. Australia!! The other side of the world and I had done it. Made friends, had a job to enjoy, had sunshine for the majority of any week!!
Walking down to work in the morning with a bright blue sky and and even deeper blue ocean sprawled out on front of you is nothing short of breathtaking. Yeah noone wants to be inside working but it was nice almost every day, so everybody got their fair share!!
So what did we get up to? Well - There was the festivals - Good Vibrations on my birthday and Future Music which were massive arenas of some of the biggest name DJ's, RnB stars and bands in the world, dancing and drinking in the scorching sunshine and bouncing around until the sun set. Sporting Events - we were lucky enough to get to see Sri Lanka play Australia in the SCG (Sydney Cricket Ground), Aussie Rules football, some jaw dropping Rugby League games (thanks to my friend Lyndall working in the marketing department for the Wests Tigers - a top flight Rugby League Team) all topped with a few devastatingly bad results on the golf course against Team Trent and Udall (almost as bad as playing against Dunn/Spears/Webb at home)!!! Let's leave that one there....The grand finale was our Staff Day Out and Carols leaving do at the races.
In true OzNitro style we all got suited and booted and jumped in a stretched white hummer off to Royal Randwick for a blissful day in the sunshine combined with racing, live music and unlimited food and drink all day!! Those were the days that really made it special and leave the fondest memories. As someone said to me on my travels, you don't remember days you remember moments. So true.
At OzIntro we also started to run regular cruises around the harbour, much like the Xmas Eve Cruise I had attended as a customer myself. Dressing up is something I rarely do in the UK but, just seems to be the norm out here and is as comfortable as turinig up to work in Shorts, t-shirt and flip flops as I now did! The first outfit was for our Fluro cruise which was of course extremely low key and just dipping my toes in the water so to speak. Actually it involved the most hideous , bright Orange trainers and tights, facepaint, wigs and fluro clothing like nothing I had ever worn before (except as a kid in the 80's of course). That set the precedent and how
could it be beaten?? That came easily for the second cruise which was 'wear what you dare'. After finding out 4 of my lovely female friends were going dressed as super sexy bunny girls **BAM** the thought dropped into my head they needed their Hugh Heffner!!! BINGO. I was swamped with high fives and pats on the back by just about every person on that boat even though I was wearing a stripey pink womens dressing gown!. Quality. The final cruise of the season saw us hire our own boat for 120 OzIntroers and the Rap Legend himself 'G-Unit' made his debut! For those thinking "what on earth" let me explain....
Dan and Michael from work, started calling me G-Funk (the reason behind that remains a mystery to this day!)which, was quickly picked up by some of the groups we had and turned into a competition to see the most bizarre names people could come up with for me! Few people now actually know mw as Gary and in fact when someone does say it, it's like being told off!! The best (and worst) included G-Banger, G-String, G-Whizz, G-Wobble, G-Money, G-Raffe, G-Normous (haha!), G-Fizzle and my favourite when I
was angry, G-had (as in Jihad). G-Unit was the most common and when we were searching for outfits for our 'Dress to Unimpress' Cruise we stumbled across an entire range of G-Unit clothing from New York. Complete white trackies emblazened with G-Unit and accessorized with **BLING**, G-Unit was born....OFFICIAL. Like an entire alter ego but, boy can you have some fun with that...
Waking up and walking to work in the glorious sunshine with the beautiful sparkle hitting you in the face that comes off the ocean at the bottom of the road became the norm. Coogee Bay is just a few minutes walk from the infamous Bondi Beach, home to pounding waves and superstrong undercurrents that could barrell roll even the likes of me, beach barbecues with sunworshippers playing volleyball in the sand and of course my circle of jeiger drinking champion friends who made the whole Oz Experience one I will always cherish. We frequented some gorgeous bars along the waters edge of Sydney Harbour such as Bungalow 8 and Cargo's, The Argyll in the dock area known as 'The Rocks' and The Ivy in the heart of the vibrant CBD. There was always someone to sit
up on the beach with until daylight broke through or jump around like idiots to the tunes being thrown down by our own Sydney Top 2 DJ Benitzio Del Fuego aka Deja Vu, a name given to him after dropping the same song in a club, twice within 5 minutes and just about getting away with it!!!
In these few months I have lived in Coogee, 2 minutes from work and the beach (handy when you are out all night with a group and have to be up bright and early the following morning), Kings Cross - the heart of the hedonisitic party capital of Sydney (where your doorway is always graced by hookers, transvestites and drunks!!), back in Coogee in a hostel, crashed with Team America - the lovely Candace and Martha from Uni in the USA and my final resting place camped on a mattress on the lounge floor of 4 gorgeous Aussie girls to whom I am eternally grateful - Robyn, Skye, Lyndall and Ange x
If ever I got homesick it was easy to trick yourself into feeling at home by A) being a Facebook loser and speaking to as many people as possible,
B) putting on one of my now vast collection of Aussie DVDs such as 'The Office', 'Superbad' or 'The Wedding Crashers' and C) taking the bus for a little spin down Oxford Street to Hyde Park then towards Kings Cross or Liverpool Street Via Elizabeth Street, past McDonalds, KFC and Hungry Jacks (Burger King!!) to Kent or Sussex Street!!! Honestly. Whenever came a moment of doubt. loneliness or despair, all I had to do was take a quiet walk on Coogee beach and realise just how lucky I was to be there. From all the bad things that have happened over the years, this seemed to make it better and failing that I would always end up at Mrs Macquaries Chair, the first spot we take the OzIntro groups to, overlooking the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House to have a quiet word with myself. This never failed to make me wake up and realise what I have, where I was and how things could have been a hell of a lot worse. Stunning views, tranqulity beyond immagination and somewhere you feel an overwhelimg sense of achievement for being in that exact spot, right there.
As the weeks
flew by and turned into months many people started to move on from Sydney and indeed OzIntro and the weekends were filled up with leaving dinners, drinks and some really up and down feelings. The knowledge you have made some amazing friends but time has come to give that all up. Dan and I went on the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb, an absolutely breathtaking trip to the top of the Harbour, the best vantage point to take in Sydney sprawled out beneath you, a thriving hub of activity, sunshine and memories. The story itself of the bridge construction was insightful and informative, leaving a lasting impression of an awesome adventure when sitting afterwards in the Opera Bar looking up at where we had just been.
One of our final trips was to the Snow. 6 hours outside of Sydney in the Snowy Mountains at Jindabyne. We travelled up after work on a Friday evening feeling really smug that we had managed to sneak a bottle of Vodka and some coke onto the bus until, 10 minutes into the journey, they pulled over at a bottleshop for everyone to stock up on beers. Bastards!! Needless to say the journey proved
to be a little messy, putting 60 reps on a coach is akimbo to running a school trip with a bunch of naughty teenagers! Brilliant fun. The first day of skiing was simply stunning. Even as the confidence built after several successful runs from the top of the open slopes, I still actually managed to walk away without injury. This time....It did bring back flooding memories of that horrible temperature we get at home. COLD!
My final weekend was a strange week for mix of emotions as of course I miss my family & friends at home and I am more than ready to come home and see everyone but, at the same time it is a stranger feeling leaving somewhere you are happy and do not actually feel ready to leave. Still 18 of us had a farewell meal at the Meat and Wine Company in Darling Harbour, the remaining OzIntro guys Michael, Lucy, Shona, Nicky and Robyn, Team America (Candace & Martha), 4 great people from my last OzIntro group Pete, Gemma, Stacy and Kyle (the 1st Ozintro twins with beautiful Belfast Accents, I shit you not!!), Macca and Benny (aka DJ Deja Vu) Jono (Home &
Away/Neighbours superstar and new OzIntro recruit) and his lovely partner Susie and of course my fellow house mates Lyndall and Skye. MIA were Dan Udall (back in the UK buying houses and living it up), Trent (running the first groups of Thaintro, our new venture in Thailand), Sarah (cookie, otherwise engaged), Dimitri (AWOL - last seen hitching to Canada), Lee & Anna (travelling somewhere up the East Coast - how dare they) and last but not least Donna (bagging an Aussie in Perth!!!)....Sorry of I have missed any names off, you know who you are xxx
So the time has come. Onward and upwards so they say. 7 months of memories, a lot of absolutely brilliant friends made across the waters and even more brilliant friends at hiome that I can not wait to see. 10 months is a long time and I never htought I would do it. I can be by myslef and enjoy 'me time' now which is a big step for me. I am not going to lie and say I particularly enjoy it but I don't beat myself up any more. I appreciate my true friends and I value my family more. I ahve
seen a great chink of the world which has opened my eyes yet I have not even touched the surface on an amazing world out there, more of which of course I want to see. I still remain with the same thoughts, it is still much nicer to share these discoveries and journeys with someone special but I have also finally accepted if you search too hard, you won't find what you are looking for. Time to sit back, relax and enjoy the journey home, some awesome countries to visit on the way home so look out for the blogs.
I am back in the UK for 4 weeks and I can't wait to see you. Don't expect any diffrences I am still me, still trying to get a tan and still larger than life. Would I be me any other way......Don't answer that......See you soon xxx
Advertisement
Tot: 0.103s; Tpl: 0.013s; cc: 7; qc: 51; dbt: 0.056s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
sandy
non-member comment
great blog
hi gaz great blog i hope you enjoy your homeward journey as much new zealand is just wonderful we are told by a friend she said to tell you if you get the chance go by hellicopter to the glassier its a great feeling up there so she said !im sure you will enjoy america as i always have take care love as always sandy x