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Published: October 1st 2009
Hello from sunny Queensland,
I have had a busy week! There were lots of new people in the hostel this week, including a couple from Guildford. The hostel is still not my favourite place but I have got used to it and am sleeping better due to my routine of firstly spraying my pillow with lavender, next making a tent with a spare blanket to stop the air conditioning blowing on me and then finally putting my earplugs in. I had a horrible cold and cough last week but the people from my work looked after me by making me freshly squeezed orange juice and chilli pasta to get rid of it! The restaurant has been very busy this week due to it being school holidays and I have really noticed the temperature increasing!
On Wednesday I came out to Edmonton and I went to Sugar world Water Park with Myra and Stan and their grandchildren. I had a good time going down the slides, although I did lose my mat at one point and I ended up flying up the sides of the flume because I was so slippery from all the sun cream I had applied. (my
derrière was very sore from zooming down the slide with no mat) Then we went swimming and had a picnic.
Today (Thursday) I did some cooking and in the afternoon I went to a crocodile farm in Gordonvale. When we arrived there was a sign saying that the farm is now closed to the public but luckily we went to have a look around and met a man called Colin who worked there and he kindly offered to take me on a guided trip around the farm! There are over 20,000 crocodiles at the farm and they breed them and look after them for three years before they are slaughtered. The crocodiles were really ugly! I was shocked when I realised that what I thought was a leaf was the end of a crocodiles tail. I could not believe how big they are, whilst being so subtle and still. Small bubbles and ripples in the water were the only clues that hundreds of crocodiles were lurking under the water. The crocodiles can survive a long time without food and they only get fed once every three weeks. They are fed chicken heads and the smell of rotten chicken was
potent all around the farm. I had a soft spot for a crocodile called Gumpy. He only had one eye and an injury to his nose that caused it to get sun burnt. Next we went to the butchers where we saw the crocodiles getting skinned. I have been told that crocodile meat tastes like a mixture of fish and chicken. I have not tried it yet but am thinknig of buying some meat but will have to put Gumpy to the back of my mind before I try it. On the way home we saw some kangaroos! I saw one carrying a Joey in her pouch, which made me think of my sister (not because she looks like a kangeroo).
Going to Stan and Myra's friends house for a bbq toinght. They have got a student from Japan staying with them for a month.
Having a good time but still miss home. Especially, Sunday afternoons at ‘The Balchin’s.
Much love Sheila xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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anonymous
non-member comment
i can just picture the tent recreation now, know exactly how you feel thats how i felt in a lot of places wen we were away and got a dreadful chest infection because of the air con, consiquently keep the whole hostle up for a week from coughing!! a couple of people actually moved hostles because of it!! how embarassing! couldnt sleep lying down cos i would just cough my guts up so you can picture me sitting upright sleeping!! so i no how you feel! missing you balchinater xxxxxxxxxxxxxx not long now till your hunk comes out!!