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Published: January 11th 2009
carla 074
The old downtown bank in Perth alight with Christmas decorationsWell here we are in 2009 and I am just a few day away from my parents arrival. After Ryan left I spent about a week longer in Cairns mostly in the internet cafe planning my parents trip down under; buying tours, plane tickets, etc. Soon the heat and humidity were too much and I soon booked a flight to WA (western Australia) to Perth. I left Cairns sweating in a tank top and shorts, and froze my hinnie off when I arrived in Perth. It was still spring here and my warm clothes once again made an appearance. I couldn't have been happier to say "I'm cold" and put on a sweater. Then started the hunt of what to do with 2 months of time before my parents arrived. By this time in my trip (over 7 months in) I have come to the conclusion that although it is great to have time on my own, that the travel times I have enjoyed the most are when there is someone to share it with. Someone that in years to come I can have dinner with and talk about our adventures. So I was a bit daunted with the idea that
I had 2 months of time to fill. So I got to it and soon had myself arranged into a wwoofing gig. After about a week there the family and I talked and they agreed to keep me for the 6 more weeks I needed to fill which would take us through christmas and new years. Which I thought was great, and even better was the fact that they said that because I was staying for so long I could get a job. I thought what a great deal...free accom and meals and make money!
Well it was a bit of a challenge at times, with the frustrations that come with being a bit isolated and having to ride a bike about 15 km one way to work. The job I got was at a fast food joint because pretty much they were the only place who would hire me for 5 weeks and I had very handy DQ experience under my belt. So I was the newest member of the Hungry Jacks team in Mundaring. Hungry Jacks is Burger King, but for some reason they can't use that name here so HJ it was. It was sometimes really
tough getting through those 6 weeks. With Christmas supposedly coming (it didn't feel anything like christmas to me) we decorated the Phillips' house and the weather got hotter and hotter. What I really enjoyed at the Phillips house was their two dogs Honey and Jake. Honey is still a pup and a bit unruley but one of my goals there was to leash train her with a Halti and I must say I was rather successful after many many miles walked along the pipeline trails. They also had three cats Harry, Cleatus, and Parris and a horse Windy who was a eventually won over with about a ton of carrots and hose downs during the really hot days.
Christmas sure was different. Christmas eve was really chill and low-key compared to our carbohydrate extravaganza at my house usually. Chirstmas Day dinner was definately different. We had appetizers of fresh oysters in shell, 3 kinds of prawns, cray fish (basically lobster) baked with a yummy cheese sauce, then there was turkey with 2 kinds of stuffing, ham, veggies, salads etc...I think there was more food left over than got consumed....WAY too much was prepared. I had made my mom's Christmas
pool time
Christmas Day at the Phillips' shortbread cookies for a taste of home and they were a definate hit! And we had Christmas Brandy pudding which I had never had...kinda like fruit cake and so I didn't care too much for it. Then the margarita's started flowing and flow did they ever. Some braved the pool even though it was not very hot day as it usually is. Last year they said it was above 40 on Christmas Day, so I am glad that it wasn't that hot for us! We chatted and had a nice day even though it still didn't really feel like Christmas...the people that matter were missing 😞 .
Some really cool things I did out there included going to a Wildlife Rescue hospital where they resuce Joey's (baby kangaroos) whose mothers have usually been killed by a car and hand raise them. They are put into bascially coolers with blankets and such to simulate a mothers pouch and then bottle fed. Some are so young they don't even have hair. Kangaroo's are only pregnant for 1 month and then give birth to a Joey the size of a walnut which crawls it's own way up and into the pouch where
it stays for the next 7-9 months and when it gets bigger it starts to venture out of the pouch and then jumps back in head first. The other day I was at a wildlife park and saw feet sticking out of a pouch...too funny! So any way we got to hold and cuddly these tiny baby kangaroos! That has been a hi-light of the whole trip so far!
I also went to an outdoor cinema called Kookaburra cinema. The kookaburra is a bird whos song sounds like it is laughing. And shortly into the movie I learned how it got it's name...the kookaburra's laughed and laughed. The kookaburra laugh in the early morning and more so in the evening was my favorite time of day during my stay at Mark and Maryanne's. And also listening to the motorbike frog...seriously they are called that because they sound like a motorbike...and they swim along side you in the pool at night! Really awesome!
Another signifcant event in the last few months was a bad fall I took of my bike one day while riding to work. I was staying in a place called Chidlow and worked in Mundaring which
carla 022
we need this sign at home was about 15 km away. I either took a bus, rode a bike, walked (which took about 2 1/2 hours) or sometimes got a ride if able. So one day I took a tumble on some really loose gravel on a steep hill and sliced my left knee open pretty bad. It actually didn't hurt too much but looked nasty. So luckily I had an extra pair of socks in my bag to tie around to stop the blood as I was only about 1/2 way. So I got back on and rode the last 5 km to work, showed them my injury, and they skirted me off to the clinic. There the doctor couldn't believe how cleanly it had opened (looked like a scalpal had done it) and also how much of the gravel path I had in it as well (sorry to the squeemish). I had about 12 stiches to close 'er up, and back to work I went. It didn't really start to hurt until the freezing came out about 5 hours later and I found I could barely walk on it. But 9 days later got the stiches out and am pretty much healed and now
have another scar on my poor knees...a sourvenir of Chidlow. The doctor commented that I had boy knees...ouch! Guess I am one tough chick who likes to live life and scar myself up alot. It goes nicely with my pair of coral wounds on my knees...one of them I did daily surgery one myself to remove coral for about 2 weeks...ask Kim!
A few days after the fall and 4 after Christmas, I got some terrible news that my Baba (my mom's mom) had passed away. It was really shocking since she had been doing fine. I had talked with her briefly on Christmas Eve which was great. I called her several times throughout the last 9 months and sent postcards. She always told me how much she loved me, how proud she was, that she prayed for me everyday, and that I sounded like I was just around the corner! Every time! And now she can join me for the last 3 months of my adventure. I feel her close to me here...I mean why the heck would she stay in frosty Alberta when she can come to a balmy Australian summer! You suckas!! LOL! She was a
Wheel of Perth
a London Eye rip off great lady and will be missed greatly.
Soon after Baba died and I realized that it was not feasible to come home for the funeral, I decided to make some changes. I was not happy living where I was and working at that job. So I decided to instead of meet my parents in Brisbane on Jan 17, to fly direct to Sydney and meet them on Jan 11 so I could see them sooner. I left work a week early and the Phillips' about 5 days early and came back to Perth on the 7th. I spent the last few days sight seeing and meeting some truly amazing people. I went on a riveting tour of a prison in Freemantle (the port for Western Australia) which was in operation until 1991 but the conditions had not been improved since it was built in the mid 1800's...quite awful conditions. But learned about some rather ingenious escapes and escape attempts! I went to a place called the pinnacle desert which was really awesome. There were limestone pillars everywhere (called...what else...pinnacles) which looked like different animals and people. We also went sandboarding which was a hoot (yes even with my newly
snorkelers
braving shark infested waters...not I healed knee...sorry mom😉 ), and 4WD on the sand dunes...some of which were a sheer drop off! The sand was so white...I thought snow had falled in Australia! But it was about 42 that day so I doubted it!
And today (10th) I went with a guy from the hostel to Rottnest island which is only about 25 km off the coast of Perth and is the cityites get-away. It was beautiful! Amazing aquamarine water, tons of ship wrecks to explore by diving or snorkeling, and no cars...so everyone rents a bicycle and rides around the 11km long island. It was a lovely day and although we didn't go in the water (was a really windy day and several shark attacks recently) it was great. Tomorrow I fly over to meet my parents in Sydney and hopefully they have recovered from the jet lag!! And then I will start the next chapter of the adventure with them and I can't wait!!!
In closing I would like to dedicate this blog to my Baba Mary Warshawski....who lived for 91 1/2 amazing years and whose lovely, graceful, gentle spirit will be with me always. I love and miss you Baba.
Pinnacles Desert
limestone pillars in sandy desert xxoo
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