Cairns and Meekatharra

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Sorry it's been so long, just been busy working! So I had a great time in Cairns and actually really liked the place. It's on the coast but doesn't have a beach and unfortunately the lagoon was shut for refurbishment and only opened the day we left! Typical! We did a snorkelling trip on the Great Barrier Reef, which was amazing! You could see so much more than in Whitsundays. The colours of the reef and the fish were fantastic. I saw a turtle and we all saw a humpback whale from the boat. Also, at one of the snorkelling sights, there was a massive fish which always comes up to the boat when they get there. His name was Wally and I actually got to touch him. He was as big as a hay bale (only thing I could think of to compare to him!). While in Cairns, we decided to get dressed up and go out on one last night out together. So Lynsey did my hair and make up and I bought a dress for the occasion! It was a great night!

Then came the time to say goodbye to Stephen. Bad times. We have had such fun traveling with each other and will really miss Stephen, but we already have a reunion planned in Belfast when me and Lynsey return.

So now for the details of our job. We applied to loads and two days later we had two job offers. We knew we wanted to work in the outback as it's free accommodation and food and little to spend your money on. One job was 5 hours west of Brisbane and the other was over in Western Australia. We decided to take the Western Australia job because it paid $150 more a week. So we booked our flights to Perth! The flights were surprisingly cheap considering how far we were flying. One thing we were not expecting - how cold it was in Perth! we arrived late in the evening and it was cold enough to see your breath! Coming from the warmth of the east coast, it was a shock! We stayed one night in Perth, so didn't see any of the city. The next day we caught the 13 hour bus to Meekatharra!

We were prepared for a very small town with one shop and our pub being the only one. We were pleasantly surprised. There are three bars in the town and around three shops and a post office. Plus there are quite a few other backpackers working here so we are not alone. The work itself is fine. We start at 9am and clean the motel and hotel rooms for around 2 hours. Then one of us does the early shift, starting at 2pm and works in the bar until 6pm and then helps in the kitchen until 8.30pm. The other is on the late shift, starting at 6pm until closing (usually 10pm, but can be up to midnight if there are a lot of people - unusual!). We swap between the late and early shifts every day. I've been making about $560 a week for the last two weeks, so will be able to save quite a bit.

Now, Meekatharra has a very large Aboriginal community and you do hear some very bad stuff about them. We have some regulars who are lovely and we both get on really well with them. They all drink an awful lot - although there isn't much else to do here. Things can get violent, but we don't get trouble in our bar, it's in the one down the road. There was a funeral for an Aboriginal this weekend and we had alcohol restrictions given by the police because they were worried about the amount of alcohol that would be consumed. It's very strange and all very different. The kids can be very intimidating to walk past, but to be honest I feel the same about a group of kids at home! We don't walk alone at night as that is asking for trouble, but I wouldn't in a city at home so its no different.

We are enjoying it here though and our manager John (we call him Meacho though) is lovely. The cook Chris is grumpy, but lovely underneath! I think he likes how we work in the kitchen with him, plus he gives us free bar when we are working with him! It took me a while to get used to the weird names for glasses, bottles and beer - but I'm getting there. You have pints and middies for the beer on tap, and bottles of beer are called stubbies.

So our plans for now are to work here until October, then travel the West Coast, fly to Alice Springs and do Ayers Rock and then head back to Noosa for Christmas! I will add photos of Meeka when I have taken some.

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Comments

[Mum]

Beautiful You
Hello Darling, Just had to comment how lovely you look in the photos. Love the dress, and Lynsey certainly made you up beautifully. So here's to a couple of middies to you both. Take care, lots of love xx

[Auntie]

Looking good!!
Glad things are working out for you at Meekatharra. You are certainly looking well. How come you look so tanned when the weather is cold? It was good to talk to you the other week. Tim sends his love. Simon in Germany at present. Tons of love. T. xx