The update you have been waiting for...! :-)

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Well it has been a while! Have not updated my blog for over two months now...that what happens when you get stuck in a black hole!
I will try and keep it brief and just write important bits!
Well after the last entry I did indeed manage to keep my job, but only just! The hours were increased so we were working 5am until 5pm which meant I had to get up at 4am...middle of the night! I would like to say thats what time I usually go to bed but as you most probably know...I rarely make it to 4am! :-)
So worked worked worked for eight weeks, a week over what I needed to do for the visa. The time flew by! I had three days off and three half days so as you can imagine was racking up the hours. The early nights and non drinking of my first couple of weeks didn't last long and soon found that once you get used to an early start you can infact go out drinking until past midnight and still get up at 4am and work for 12 hours. It's all about the preperation, good friends to ensure that you up even after the staff wake you, energy drinks, sweets, etc etc. Some days were hell..esp when you knew if you lay down in the row you would fall asleep instantly, but was good fun and have made so many good friends here that it was worth it! In addition, I finished all the farm work I needed for visa...wohooo!
Went back to Brisbane for christmas and stayed with Katie and her boyfriend, Todd. They were very good to me and let me stay over xmas and new year. Certainly made up for lost time and spent a small fortune but was defo worth it and had an great b.day throwing myself out of a plane over Byron Bay at 14'000 feet! It's the highest jusp you can do in Oz and I was petrified! Still, I managed to do it and would like to do it again - remember it this time! We free fell for 70 secs which is a long time when you are scared that you are going to DIE!
It was then back to Brisbane for New Year! Obviously not as good as being on the Quay in Bideford but still a good night where we watched a live hip hop group and saw the fireworks over Brissie from a hill, excellent view!
Katies temp job finished on 12th Jan so rather than hang around Brisbane not doing any thing I decided (in all my wisdom!) to come back to Bundaberg for ten days work and get some extra cash before we leave Brisbane for Sydney. As with all best made plans...didn't go well! Got back and the tomatoe season has ended early due to the drop in the price of tomatoes! Have been here four days and have done three days work which is not too bad. But no work today as it's Sat or tomorrow. Hoping to get a couple of days next week and may head back to Brisbane on Weds as that is when I have paid my rent until but i'll see what happens. I have made enough to cover my bus ticket here and my rent so not out of pocket but not the extra $1000 I was hoping for! Have also got to try to spend too much money...very tempted to go shopping and have already had another ear piercing today whcih I keep forgetting about and scratching!

On the brighter side, cannot wait to leave Brisbane and head towards Sydney. The plan is to stop in Surfers Paradise and Byron Bay and the stright to Sydney for a week before we fly out to Melboune on 26th Jan. Going to try and get work in Melbourne and I will probably stay a few months while Katie will head back to Brisbane to spend time with Todd and decide what to do next. Never intended to stay in Brisbane/Bundaberg so long and can't wait to hit the road again! In addition, I applied for my second visa yesterday, got to get the medical and chest xray out of the way now which will cost some $$$ but better than having to go back to England in Jan! Can't stand the cold!
28th Nov was the day I left England last year and this year I was in Bundy! 28th Jan is the day I flew in to Oz so nearly a year in Oz now!

So that's a brief over view of the last couple of months. Bundy is very quiet but there is still a few people around and every one is in the same boat.


Hope you all had fantastic xmas and new years and look forward to hearing from you soon,

Love KAREN xxXXxx

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