Freedom, Australia Day and Tony's

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26th of January-So this morning was a little awkward but not as bad as I thought it would be. Sam and Brendon were there bright and early to ride and when we were having breakfast I saw that they were doing Duke's feet and were about to put him back in the paddock. I said to Malou that I really wanted to go and say goodbye to him....I just felt that I maybe wasn't allowed but she pushed me to go and do it and I'm glad she did 😊 I gave him a pat and a kiss on his face and very nearly burst into tears 😞 😞 Brendon gave me a nice smile and Sam sheepishly said 'oh are you going now? Thank you for all your help' so I did the right thing and said 'no problem'. When we were packing up the last of our bits Candy came into our room with these sarong/scarf type things for us saying they were presents for people that she'd brought back from Laos with her. Basically she said they were a thank you for doing such a good job aka please don't leave me a bad review on the helper websites.....and they weren't from Laos, they were made in China and had been used a hundred times! Mine is quite pretty though so I'll just give it a good wash 😊

We made sure we left with Aurelie on her way to work so we could be out of there as soon as possible. We made sure we had asked her the night we all ate dinner together just to be sure we could leave that day as originally Candy hadn't wanted us to have Australia Day off even though we would have been working for the whole time she was away without a break. She's a control freak! She even tried telling me that Aurelie wasn't working so she'd have to give us a lift when it was convenient for her. She also informed me about how she was so hot last night because the cat just wouldn't leave her side all night, so I told her it was probably because she'd missed her so much....not because I'd kept her outside most of the time lol! She's a pain the arse and definitely did not like me hehe! Aurelie gave us big hugs when she dropped us off at our hostel which was really nice and she said we should meet up when we get back to Byron after our next farm. I think she means it too 😊

So our hostel is amazing and has a pool....you can't go wrong there! It was starting to heat up so we threw our bags in the baggage room and chilled by the pool for a few hours....it felt so strange to be free at last but we both said how hard we found it to relax. So anyway I'm doing my selfies in my Aussie bikini and wishing everyone on Facebook a Happy Australia Day when Malou gets a text from the wicked witch basically saying she couldn't text me because she'd deleted my UK number (bollocks...I used iMessage) and that she hated to go through her but she was very disappointed that I hadn't let her know I'd broken her window console in the car....oh my days I was LIVID, as you can probably imagine....the cheek of it pfft! So I grab my iPad and tell her that it was broken before she left as she knew and that I didn't appreciate being accused of it. Then she texted back backtracking and then accusing me of making a mountain out of a molehill so I simply wished her luck with her future helpers and that she was going to need it.....and she did not like that so after the crazy text I got back I just left it at that which would have really annoyed someone like her. I just couldn't believe it! Just like her son....now we know where he gets it from.

So after a few little swims and a bit of ray catching we popped to the supermarket to stock up for breakfast and lunch tomorrow, had lunch back at the hostel and then made our way to the beach. I've been so excited for Australia Day and so wanted to spend it on the beach 😊 Along the way Malou wanted to go into Katmandu to get some travelling stuff and oh my days did she take an age....she's one of those shoppers! I was getting ants in my pants and it looked like it was gonna rain soon so we hurried off to the beach and she took a photo of me in front of the Cape Byron lighthouse in my Aussie bikini so I was thrilled....naturally! I love to be festive 😊 Although Candy did have to fill me in on the fact that it's a day that celebrates when the Europeans invaded Australia and killed all of the native people....or something along those lines. I mean talk about dragging you down....I just like to party. My gosh this new bikini is tiny, which is a good thing as I hate white bits, but because my lovely cheapy one was so big I have horrendous white bits that stand out a mile off! We were planning on going out partying but we ended up making ourselves beautiful, sitting in the pool area with wine, crisps and dips and talking the night away....and do you know what? It was just what we needed! 😊 We finished the night off with a late night swim in the pool.....and then I erm fell down a drain hole before walked up the steps to our room....hash tag drunk! So me and Malou have discovered that we're both left handed, both Libra's and both hate mornings...the perfect match :/ lol!

27th of January-So I fell straight to sleep last night as I was shattered but woke up around 1am and couldn't breathe it was so hot in our room, there was no breeze coming through the window and we had no air con. I thought for ages about leaving the door open but wasn't sure who'd end up coming in :/ So I decided to grab my iPad and go and sit outside on the sofas for a bit....I ended up downloading Pretty Woman again which took hours because the wifi was so slow. I don't know what's happened to my iPad but all of my music and films have been wiped and need re downloading off iCloud....I gotta get to an Apple Store. So I finally fell asleep around 5am when some girls came in from partying and left the door open...now why didn't I just do it? Pfft! We woke up around seven to pack up and get ready to leave for Brisbane as we're spending the night there so we can get Malou's visa for Thailand.

The lovely hostel guy at reception offered to have the van brought around to take us to the bus stop with our bags and wished us well....the stop is only a short walk but with 26kgs to carry plus a cool bag I appreciated the lift. We travelled with the premier motor company this time and not my usual greyhound bus as it was cheaper and only a three hour journey....not as nice mind but you get what you pay for. When we got there Malou was really shitty with me because she needed to find out where we were going and then she walked super slow up the big hill to our hostel which annoyed me even more as she was only carrying the weight of my front backpack. When we got there we couldn't check in but they gave us a free tip top and let us use the facilities....I love this hostel! The kitchen is clean and it has a rooftop pool....not bad I say! So we sat outside having lunch and Malou is all stressed trying to phone the visa people inside and I don't know what she's up to and can't leave the bags to go and help. So when she comes out she's flapping and half upset and I'm thinking I've had enough of is so I tell her to calm down and tell me how I can help because if she doesn't we've both just had a wasted journey that's cost a small fortune....aka be more grateful that I came with you. So she chilled, I phoned the office and sorted it out that we could go there at a certain time tomorrow and wait for them to do her visa.

So after the drama was over we decided to walk back down the hill, bag free after check in, to the CBD to check things out. We nipped first to the Apple Store so I could see if they know what's going on with my phone and iPad. I had a quick chat to a guy there about iCloud and how I can't share videos between my devices and then delete them off the one I filmed them on.....yes I am a complete twat and lost about fifteen of my really good videos including the Bellagio fountain show and the fireworks from New Years Eve...I am hoping Lynn has the fountain one and hopefully I can get a good firework video off one of the girls I spent New Year's with....gotta make my iMovies see. Our next stop was the post office for Malou to get a paid envelope incase she needs her passport sent to her on our new farm. I also eyed up the postage prices for sending some stuff home....I can't make Lynn carry it, he'll kill me for sure this time! I am gonna tell him to bring a big suitcase though as I've been eyeing up the uggs that are actually made in Australia and not in China and they're like almost half the price of my last pair! So after a little nose around we headed back to our hostel to chill for a bit, then have pizza night for six bucks and then we finished the night off with tea, chocolate, a duvet, air con and Pretty Woman....amazing! 😊 😊 That film will never get old...and yes I still know all the words :p

28th of January-So I had a damn good nights sleep....except for the dickhead in the other bunk who turned the air con off in the middle of the night so I woke up this morning absolutely boiling! But we got up, packed up, had breakfast and then used this app called uber to call a taxi. You basically make a profile and the driver has one too so you know what they look like, their name, their car, how much it will cost and where they are when you're looking for a taxi....all these little cars come up on the map. Apparently it's been introduced in London and Manchester so I wonder if it's in Cardiff. So we threw our stuff in a big locker and off we went to the Thai Embassy 😊 When we got there the lady tried to tell us that we could pick it up either between 1 and 2pm or tomorrow and we're like no no no we've been told so many different things and have paid all this money to get here for it so we want it back by twelve...at is point it's like ten and they like you to give it in before eleven so we were there in good time, so she agreed. Then another lady tried to tell us the same thing so we desperately explained that we'd been told we could have it back by twelve. I felt like it was my visa too I've heard that much about it. So the form was in and off we went to explore the nearby shops....which were a bunch of Asian food places and a cafe so we opted for the cafe. We spent the next hour people watching and I explained to Malou what a bobfoc is....body off baywatch, face off crimewatch :p

So we went back and it was all sorted and in her passport before twelve so she was happy. So off we went in our uber taxi back to the hostel to pick up our things and haul it all down to the bus station. When we got to the premier bus reception thingy this woman was just standing there ticking off her list and we're waiting there with our heavy bags patiently and she just carries on....no 'oh I'll be with you in a sec girls' so I did my ride huff and started to walk away genuinely thinking we were stood in the wrong place and maybe we had to wait by the actual bus. But oh no she then called out to us to weigh our bags etc...then she was snappy when people were getting checked off the list whilst going on to the bus...plus the driver snapped at me when I was giving him my bags....fuming! Then I calmed down as I was chilling on the bus and then a lovely driver got on who chatted away with us and made the time back go so much faster...he was quite funny too! He wasn't too thrilled about the idea of dropping us in a place called Mooball though which is where we got picked up by Tony (new farm dude). So we get off the bus, wave bye to the nice driver and are stood there waiting and there's no sign of Tony so we get a little nervous and then he rings Malou and asks where we are so were like ah shit we got off at the wrong stop...nope he was just being a man and was waiting at the wrong stop lol! She gets off the phone and says that he sounded young....we thought he was an old guy because he wasn't that good with technology. So he turns up in this big ute (pick up truck) and hops out with his farmers hat on and very strong Aussie accent....he's 45!

We were about five minutes away from his farm in a place called Wooyung where he has no TV and no wifi but at this stage we couldn't care less because he's nice to us and gives us beer yay! So we drop our bags into our room which is made up nice for us and we have our own bathroom 😊 Then he showed us around the house and took us down to the shed where his dogs and cattle are. We met the family of dogs which are Roy, Sheila, Joycie and Lefty....Joucie's about nine months old and Lefty's about 3-4 months old and adorable! I really like arou though...he's s this huge snout and looks like a mini bear. They're an Australian breed of cattle dogs called red. You can get blue ones too. Tony has a big flashy ute and a little one he uses for the farm. I feel like I'm in America again with these funny words. He taught me how to drive the little one up the big gravel hill to the house in four wheel drive eek! Poor Malou nearly fell off the back as I went around the corner....he told me to swing it left and give it some...so I did oops! He has his own bar up by the house and just plied us with beers....so much so we got a bit tipsy so had to decline anymore incase we couldn't function lol! We were like two excited little kids that had been given their freedom back 😊 😊 He then cooked us steak and salad for dinner at the dining table bless him....what a nice welcome. Unlike at Candy's when I arrived at gone nine at night and I just got shown my room....after being on a bus for twelve hours. Tony has a cat called Hazard....apparently he had another one called Duke but his ex took him with her...awks! Now I'm not a real lover of cats and you know I bloody hated that thing on the last far, but I've quite taken to this one....she really friendly and doesn't scram you when you stroke her. It was so nice to have a long shower in a clean bathroom and get into a nice comfy bed that wasn't covered in animal hair....bliss!

29th of January-So Tony left for work at 5am....he owns a meat transport business so has a big semi-trailer that he picks it all up in and drops it off along the Gold Coast. His son Jackson works with him too...he's 22. So we got up around 7ish and went down to feed the dogs and give them a run around the yard and paddock. Roy a gentleman, Sheila's a bit of a bitch that eats all the food and doesn't let the kids have any and she snaps at your hands when she's excited...forgetting she's not a puppy anymore, Joycie's really timid and Lefty is a typical puppy....cute and sneaky. He didn't really give us any jobs...just to settle in and do a bit of cleaning. Malou hates cleaning but likes baking so I did the dusting and she made us a cake for dessert later. A little while later we had a bit of a spat because she's so moody and just takes herself off and I haven't got a clue what jobs we're both doing....so she's interrupting my very organised mind and you know what I get like peeps! In the end you could cut the tension with a knife and when I asked her a question she just bit my head off so I snapped and said 'What is wrong with you?!' Basically it was a massive miscommunication and we were both thinking the same thing about each other. We put it down to the fact that we were basically living in a prison in the last place and now that we have all this freedom we don't know what to do with it. So we agreed to put it behind us and had a hug. Everything is so much better now and I just had to explain to her that I'm not a mind reader and if there's something wrong or I'm annoying her she just needs to say....for example everyone knows I talk too fucking much but that's never gonna change so she just needs to say sshh! Lol! I'm glad we got it all out in the open because I love her to pieces....she's been a godsend this last couple of weeks.

When I was dusting I was being nosey and looking through the bookcase....which he said I could do might I add. But the more I browsed the more I found....like photo albums and books with messages written in the front of them....oopsie! So I picked up a copy of Black Beauty and gave Malou Pride and Prejudice to read as I remembered her saying she wanted to read it in English. I haven't read Black Beauty since I was a kid! So we were chilling and nattering away in our room with a view of the farm when we saw Tony coming back in his and noticed that we'd forgotten to check the cows' water level...which was down oopsie! But he didn't seem to mind...just told us to try and check it three times a day instead of two. This farm is sort of a hobby farm than a working farm really because he talks to the cows and hates selling them because he doesn't like to think of where they're going....they're more like pets. Plus his family of cattle dogs aren't very good at herding cattle. He seems like he's got all the gear and hardly any idea but he's got a good heart. He told us the story that he actually went to an auction and bought this farm without consulting his bank and then had to pray he'd get given the mortgage or he would have lost his deposit....nutter! He's hilarious!

We've noticed that he does like his drink though....or grog as they say over here. We can't keep up....plus I don't wanna be drinking beer for the whole fortnight we're here because I'll get fat again and half way to being where I want to be now. I'd like to lose another 2kgs on this farm...that's like a third of a stone. Me and Tony both weighed and are gonna have a competition. I was a bit sad because I know I've lost weight but it read the same as it did at Cassie's which meant hers were probably 2kgs out :/ So after we'd all fed the dogs we made spag bol for dinner and served the carrot cake afterwards. I was meant to Skype Barbs and my kiwi family but there's no wifi so this made me really sad 😞 He did let me go on his laptop that has a dongal so I could check my messages and look for prices etc for the stuff I need to book for me and Lynn....but oh my god is it a dinosaur! It's soooo slow! He def needs wifi if he's gonna keep this helper thing up...it's killing me slowly. Tony was of course drinking his beer/rum through dinner and so we were chatting to him and he was playing loud music....I went to bed and thought 'shit I can't do this for two weeks, I'll die'.

30th January-So today was our first proper working day and we were up and down at the shed for half seven to feed the dogs and calves and clean out the dogs cages. Roy and Sheila are separated because he doesn't want anymore accidental pregnancies lol! The main job today was to slash (cut the grass) the edges of the main paddock and then spray them so the weeds don't start growing through the new fence he's had done. Malou got to pull he tractor out and back in again to hook it up to the slasher and I was just kind of left standing there watching, which is fine because I got to drive in four wheel drive yesterday but I already know how to drive and am dying to learn on the tractor, so I won't lie....I was a little bit gutted. He asked me to help attach the slasher with her and she kept trying to help me do it on my side but I just wanted to do it myself or I'm never going to learn...she doesn't have much patience if she gets something quicker than I do. Never mind I'm sure I'll get another chance....I think I just need more confidence to ask to do things and just get straight in there because I seem to worry about Malou all the time and she's not bothered about it really. So he slashed, I followed with the little ute and Malou sprayed from on the back. It was absolutely boiling and I felt so bad for her being out in it...I would have swapped with her but she doesn't drive. At some points near the end he made me drive up into the bank so I was kind of leaning sideways and I really didn't like that feeling :/ Then he took over the spraying for the last bit and then let me give her a driving lesson which I loved....it gave me a chance to help her with something as she's so good at riding, is gonna be a vet so knows everything about animals, knows everything about cooking and whatever so I feel quite dull most of the time. We also collected rocks off the sides of the banks for his little pet graveyard....bless him! He's got one where his old cattle dogs reg is buried, one for a calf that died whisky its mum was giving birth (he had to pull it out with the ute eww!) and one for Julious who was Joycie's brother that he accidentally ran over with the ute...such a sad story and he was devastated he'd done it 😞

The next job was to herd the cattle up into the pens near the yard so we could spray them with buffalo fly spray as they get sore from all the flies. We each had a stick incase they didn't listen to us and decided to charge or something....there's only one bull thank god. I backed the ute into the yard and Malou sprayed them. I again did want a go at doing it but she looked like she was in her element so I just did a video instead.....I'm trying to capture natural bits for my imovie see. We then separated the ones that he's selling tomorrow from the herd and kept them in the pen. I spent most of the time stood on the fence with my stick as there were like forty of them in there and I didn't want to get rammed! I then had to stand by the big gate while he moved them out of the yard and up near the house to graze up there....something frightened them and they all turned around and ran towards me....I shit my pants! So I waved my stick like a freak and they turned around....phew! It was good fun though 😊 The last thing we did before lunch was to drive down in the ute to open the main gates for him to be able to unlock them for someone so he said Malou could drive down there and I was like 'Oo is that a good idea' you know considering I just started teaching her....but he said yes so off we went. She was doing really well and I was just telling her that if she gets scared or thinks she's gonna hit someone to just do clutch and brake and she'll do an emergency stop....and she said 'I don't get scared of things like you do' and I thought oo that's a bit too cocky but explained that she'll need to know that. Then he asked her to turn around at the bottom by the main road and she almost got it in one but we had to do a bit of reversing and then go forwards kind of on a little hill so she needed to use the accelerator...and she didn't listen to me when I said about the relationship between the clutch and the accelerator and we shot forwards really fast and almost hit the post. But fair play it was quite funny and to be honest I don't think you would've got me reversing as well as she did when I was learning. So I guess it was a good thing so now she knows how risky driving can be. We had our spag bol leftovers for lunch and then showered and chilled 😊

Tony then got the bright idea that I should drive him and his friend Brad the plumber to a local town called Billinudgel so he could do stuff at the post office. This visit of course then ended up in their local bar didn't it? So I'm there getting to know the boys and chatting away thinking hat poor Malou is going to be bored on her own as she wanted to have nap as her shoulder was hurting her after all the spraying. So Tony tells me that when I'm the designated driver I decide when we go home....so after about four beers I finally managed to drag him back to the ute....by the way this is his big new ute he's letting me drive and it's like twice the size of the little one :o There's me thinking we're going back to the farm when actually we're going to the shop to pick up beers and ofcourse stop for one which turns into three in the beer shack! I'm of course nagging him to hurry up because times getting in and I've gotta help Malou with the dogs...so he texts her and asks her to do them....fuming! I like to share the work see. So on the actual way back home I've got Tony nagging me in my ear in the front and Brad shouting 'Drive it like you f**king stole it girl!' in his slurred voice....so I did! When it came to swinging it round off the road and up the drive I ripped that thing back up to the house! So we say goodbye to Brad and he hauls himself into his own ute and off home he goes...they're all mad round here! So we get back, I check on Malou and explain I've been babysitting a drunk and all is well thank god 😊 We then all prepare for our big Friday night out back at the Billinudgel pub where there's a band called the wizard playing. So we get picked up by the pubs minibus....free service by the way :p and have dinner and drinks all night. We get to meet Pedro who's another guy from Crabbes Creek who's actually called Tony but he got his nickname like a hundred years ago because he has Italian heritage....naturally we love him! He's a real gent is Pedro 😊 So me and Malou are thinking we're gonna get to dance loads in a country pub but the band really is a wizard....a guy with long hair and a long beard singing along with his keyboard....he looked like Dumbledore. So after many drinks we decide it's time to go home...and party some more in his home made bar....did I say he has TWO?! One inside and one out. So the night consisted of too much alcohol, dancing on the bar and showing Malou my twirking....which might I add was very unsuccessful! Shameful behaviour.

31st January-Gosh I can't believe it's the end of January already :o This morning I woke up with an obvious hangover and the possibly that I was still drunk was about ninety per cent :/ I turn over to wake Malou up and she turns her head towards me with her leopard print eye mask on and mumbles 'what?' in a grumpy, very hungover way....so naturally I piss myself laughing haha! This morning we were all supposed to be up at 6am to tag the cattle that are off to be sold....we weren't....not even the boss oopsie! So he thinks Alan (the cattle dude) is phoning him and waking him up but it's just his alarm psml! When I finally dragged myself out of my pit I went to the kitchen for water and Tony was yelling 'wahaaay!' and waving like a mad fool up at me....he's clearly still pissed too. Apparently he and Alan tagged the cattle and loaded them in....quite gutted we missed it to be honest 😞 So we spent the majority of the morning monging about on the sun loungers unable to appreciate the stunning view. After a nap we all had a tidy up and filled the recycling bin :/ Me and Malou have come to the conclusion that Tony is probably an alcoholic....so we've gone from one extreme to the other. But you know what? It's fun here and he's a genuinely nice guy so we're just going to embrace it...it's only for two weeks after all. I ended up having spaghetti and cheese on toast as a late breakfast which sorted me right out! We then decided to get out of the house so I drove us all to a place called Brunswick Heads which is a really nice little town that has a gorgeous river running through it. We stopped for lunch at the Brunswick hotel which is stunning and Tony started on the beers....we don't know how he can touch another drop yuk! We settled for real lemonade 😊

I found him kind of annoying this afternoon as he's just like a big kid that you've gotta babysit and drive around the pubs...don't get me wrong I love driving the big ute and it feels good that he trusts me to drive it...he said I'm a very good driver 😊 Do you know that thing holds itself whilst you do a hill start and tells you when to go up a gear? It's got six by the way! I feel like an old driver in a young car....ahhh! :/ When we got home Tony had a date in his bar with some Shelia he's nicknamed Tabartha Brown (she's called Tabitha and his surname is Brown).....just imagine him saying it in his Aussie accent....it's hilarious! Not sure she's that keen on it though lol! So while he was getting her drunk at the outside bar with Pedro me and Malou wrote our horrendous review for our old farm....it took so long and stressed us out so much we had to join the others at the bar for some wine. Before hand though I made my hangover meal once again and even got Malou to try it....I think she appreciates it but it's way to unhealthy for her...bloody Danes! :p Love you really! So this Tabartha had a really cute little dog with her but my god she was a yappy little thing! When all the dogs were out it had to be locked in the house with us because Shelia would apparently rip her to shreds :/ She drove us crazy! Spoilt little rat. So I'm sat there drinking my wine outside and chatting away not realising Malou's drinking away too and can't drink as much as me....I think I should start looking after her a bit more...she is only twenty....oh I miss those days! So I finished the night off with a bit of Internet usage....gotta check my facebook see and when the boss is bladdered he'll always agree hehe!

1st of February-So this morning we were up early to do the dogs and I found my first frog in the bathroom. Tony had warned us that they come up out of the toilet in the night...ew! Although he said they should be blue because he puts this blue stuff in the tank to try and stop them coming up the pipes but it doesn't....this one was bright green and hiding in the toilet brush holder....double ew! So I gently scooped him into the washing basket and deposited him outside in the grass....rescue successful! After we'd done the dogs we went back up to the house for breakfast and I did a spot more of Internet surfing to start booking things for me and Lynn up the East Coast yay! 😊 😊 We all then went to Pedro's for cooked breakfast and Bloody Mary's.....he does it every Sunday apparently and this week the foreigners got an invite hehe! After breakfast we had a swim in the creek next to his shack (he lives in a caravan style shack thingy with an outdoor kitchen and shower lol) which was freezing but nice! Then me and Malou went top and tail in the hammock and read our books for a bit.....we very nearly toppled out but Pedro saved us just in time....good job because Tony was just pissing himself laughing! I think Pedro liked having us around to see his home as he's let his house out for rent as his wife and girls moved to New Zealand a few years ago and he misses them terribly the poor thing. I can just tell he dotes on his kids.

When we got back Tony showed me how to shut the big doors on his meat truck, connect the front driving bit to the trailer, connect the brakes and take off the stands that hold it up when it's not attached....then he let me drive it down the farm to the road....yes that's right, today I drove a semi trailer ahhhh! The steering wheel is like the size of a table and the brakes really do do that funny noise when you stop. When we got to the road he tried to make me drive it out to its parking spot on the side but I just want ready so said I'd do it next week. Apparently one of the French Sheila's from his last set of backpackers could do it all by herself after seven weeks...well the Welsh can and will do it better! All we hear is French Sheila's his and French Sheila's that....pfft! After that I gave Malou another lesson and made her drive up and down the lane. When we got to the bit where you turn near the main road she really didn't want to do it but I told her she had to so she got over the fear of it. When we finally got going she was relieved and felt good that she'd done it and I was so proud of her. Fair play learning to drive a stick in 4WD. When we went up to the house in the ute I decided to rip it up around the top corner and park it in style forgetting the master was standing on the back....well technically he shouldn't be standing there holding on with one hand and a beer whilst talking on the phone with the other :p We then had a rest before having a BBQ in the outside bar which I may have had a cheeky glass of vino with hehe! When in a homemade bar why not? I had another go on the internet before Tony went to work which was handy...I feel a bit bad rinsing his dongal thing all the times but needs must.

2nd of February-Happy Birthday to my Aunty Rosey and my Cousin's little one....Happy 1st Birthday Alba! 😊 So this morning we were up early to do the dogs and crack on with some cleaning....although the Hoover is shit so we didn't get very far. It gets really hot, stinks and doesn't suck anything up....honestly how can the maids clean without proper tools?! We played with the dogs at lunch and Tony came home for something to eat but they'd been stuck in loads of traffic and had to change a tyre so he was a bit stressed and had to go off again soon after. I'd had a really bad belly all day so decided to eat some toast and take myself off to bed for a while. I was having these spasms and it was so so painful so I managed to find a position that was comfy and ended up sleeping for like four hours...I wasn't dehydrated and couldn't put my finger on it...Malou said it's probably because I've been having too much protein with all the meat we eat here so I think she's probs right. I felt bad that she'd done the dogs this afternoon by herself but I don't think she minded. We had a movie night, I fussed the cat as Malou hates her, showered and caught up on some blog as I'm so so behind....having too much fun see! I ended up going to bed really late because I find it easier to write when it's quiet and it's nice to have some alone time too.

3rd of February-So this morning we decided to let the dogs come back up to the house with us whilst we had breakfast. Malou didn't think it was a great idea as we've always gotta keep calling them so hey don't go to far as they can get down onto the road. So anyway after head been put away Malou did some cleaning in the kitchen cupboards and I sorted the laundry shed out. She told me that her special insoles from her shoes were drying in there but I didn't see them so just assumed she'd taken them....well she hadn't had she? We soon discovered that either the wind or dogs had stolen them and she completely freaked out....first of all she was leaning on a post looking into thin air whilst I was hunting around the outside of the house for them and then I approached calmly as I could sense the volcano was going to blow and she just stormed off up to the house waving her hand about in the air shouting 'You don't understand, this is just terrible!' in her Danish accent. Well if she did, I was half tempted to call her a brat and tell her not to speak to me like that and half tempted to piss myself laughing lol! But then I thought well I was twenty once and if I had lost something at expensive then I probably would've behaved the same. Anyway she slammed the bedroom door and I assume flopped onto the bed to cry or something so I decided to relax on the sofa and immerse myself in a bit more blog writing.

I was still a bit nervous of what she'd be like when I heard her come out of the bedroom so I decided to go down and visit the dogs. I later found out she'd gone outside and picked up all of the dead bits that fall off the palm trees on the farm. This was one of the jobs Tony had left us to do whilst he was gone and had I known she was dragging them all along by herself I would've gone and helped. Although I'm guessing she enjoyed letting off some steam from the loss of her insoles. She seemed okay after and came down to the dogs when Jackson was there....we invited him to our 'Tip the sort' party on Saturday and he said he'd bring his girlfriend and some mates along which will be cool. We all went back up to the house in the ute and good job because it started piddling down with rain and the wind was horrendous....poor Jackson had been on the back and had to go chasing stuff that had blown off the back. We spent the afternoon making our posters for the party and she's so bloody fussy I just let her basically make them....I'm over all that perfection stuff now at my age lol! We made dinner for us all tonight and it was very civilised....Tony even drank water for a change. He took himself off to bed early as he's got work again tomorrow and left me on the internet again....I was on there so long trying to book the last few things for me and Lynn that my brain actually aches! So then it was shower and bed for me.

4th of February-Today we were so so lazy but to be honest we never really get any time off when he's off work because it's like babysitting...he's always wanting us to party and mess about...it's kind of hard work....he's a man child! So we did the dogs as usual, I wrote my blog for hours and then we watched one of our rented movies again over lunch. Our little couch potato sessions are so cute...the sofa is too small so we get this mini mattress he's got laying about and sit on it resting against the sofa with our duvet....or doona as they call it over here. We then decided to do something a bit more productive so took the little ute to post our party flyers. We put one in the drinking shack in Crabbes Creek, one on the notice board at the Bilinudgel pub and one on Linda Lovelace's door...she's the local hairdresser that we think used to be Tony's bit of stuff. He told us to do it as a joke because she hates him and Pedro lol! It was so funny leaving it there....we then had to leg it back to the ute with Lefty in tow! Yep that's right Lefty came for the drive....it was his first time out and he didn't leave Malou's lap although he did cause a scene at the pub by yapping away at this gorgeous dog called Billy. He was so good though and didn't react to Lefty's nonsense. Everyone was fussing him though...think it's because of his huge ears. I'm starting to wonder if he'll ever grow into them. We took our DVDs back and picked up some dip for a snack later and we saw Pedro and Mango outside the drinking shack so we stopped by to say hello and Lefty was so curious/scared of everything. Hopefully he'll get used to being outside his environment. I was really proud of driving the ute on my own without the boss in it 😊 We spent the evening smoking and drinking at the bar and playing dancing games with Hazard....I went to put her down after shaking it to Hey Ya with her and I think she thought I was going to drop her so she grabbed onto my thigh with both paws and I gasped as two cat foot prints appeared in blood on my leg....bloody ouch! Literally! To make it worth it Malou happened to catch it on video lol!

5th of February-So we were up super early this morning to go down to the dogs and cows....we let the calves into the truck area to have a graze on the grass before we retreated back up to the house for brekky. We really wanted to make eggs in hell for the boss but we didn't have any tomatoes so that was that out of the window :/ Today Tony taught me how to drive the tractor as we had some 'slashing' to do as Tony says. I was showing Malou how to work my go pro so she could get some videos of me when Tony snapped at me to come on....baring in mind he drove up and down the paddock a million times to show me what to do. I learn from doing....not watching-honestly, men! I think he was getting a bit shitty because he was wanting a beer. It took me a while to get the hang of it as he dogs were running about for a bit and I was terrified of running over one of them....not so much the big ones but Lefty doesn't really understand danger yet. Then I wouldn't let him leave me on the thing in case something went wrong and I ended up hacking the paddock to bits. But eventually I had no choice so was left slashing in the rain. I made a few mistakes and had to back track a bit but all in all I don't think I did a bad job 😊 When I finished he made me drive it up the steep hill into the yard which was a bit scary but super cool! Malou was filming it but the battery died wah!

We then set off to see about some hay for the calves from one of the local girls who has a farm and horses. Tony makes me drive and turns up with a beer....so embarrassing! Then he tries haggling with this woman who clearly knows what he's like...so we don't leave with any hay. He annoys me sometimes because he keeps on talking to Malou about farming stuff and horse stuff and I get the impression he just thinks I'm a party animal. Not being funny but I've kind of grown out of that and came travelling to see stuff and learn. On the way home of course we stopped by the drinking shack in Crabbes Creek didn't we? Then we were stuck in there for aaaaages! It was really embarrassing actually because Jackie, one of the girls that works in the shop had a go at Tony for letting us put our party sign up-awkward! So we reassured everyone that it was going to be fun. While we were waiting for him Linda took us up to feed her horses....she's actually a really nice lady. When we eventually got home we cooked dinner and Pedro came over to join us which was nice...he's such a gent. We of course finished the night off with some drinkies and me and Malou couldn't stop giggling before bed....we've just come to terms with the fact that we're in a rather odd situation so are embracing it...and hey it's gotta be better than our last farm!

6th of February-So we were up at the crack of dawn again today to do some spraying. Now he can go for ages without water as all he really drinks is beer but we were absolutely dying of thirst after that so took a juice break. We met the plumber who seemed nice enough and was here to do a few odd jobs. We then took turns drenching the calves....this is when you pour a cap full of this stuff down he middle of their back from their shoulders to bum....stops them getting some sort of stomach thing from bugs or something like that. As I'm the nurse I had the job of measuring it out and we all had a go of pouring it on...it was quite tricky as the little buggers kept wriggling. So baring in mind we've almost done our days work and he drags us off shopping! We go to this place called bunnings which is basically like B&Q and he's fannying about looking for the stuff he needs so me being me took charge and marched us around to get it all. I know it's not normal for a girl but I HATE shopping! Since we were in the area I talked him into taking us to meet his parents as it seems like his Mum worries a lot about him but he doesn't really care enough to go round and visit much. Plus the Frenchies got to go so why not?! Well his Mum was so pleased to see him and chatted to us for ages about where we were from and where we had been travelling...such a sweetie! So I could see Tony had ants in his pants after about half an hour so we said our goodbyes and made our way to Aldi for the big food shop. I tired to convince him to buy prawns for our party guests so they didn't think he was tight....but the answer was no and so that confirmed that he is tight...or just stubborn! We got to the counter with all the booze then as you have to buy it separately to the food and the lady wouldn't serve him because me and Malou didn't have ID...I mean really! So obviously he was fuming and couldn't stop going on about it....signs of an alcoholic you see.

We then nipped home to put the shopping away and let the dogs out. When we were putting them all back in Tony threw a big bone in for Lefty and it smacked him on he head and he yelped and ran into my arms. Now I know Malou's spoiled him a bit and I don't tend to but I couldn't help fuss over him as he looked so scared. But I think I pissed Tony off because at the end of the day Lefty is his dog and I was telling him off for hurting him...oopsie! So we of course went to the pub so Tony could drink a few beers with the locals and picked up a humongous watermelon....Malou has a theory of us drenching it in vodka for our party on the weekend....sounds good to me! We couldn't drag Tony out of the pub so we decided to leave him there and go back for him. We should probably have started doing this sooner as its like bloody babysitting! It's like we left him at crèche so we could enjoy the afternoon sunshine with our bowls of fruit on the veranda 😊 Just before I left to go and collect Tony Lefty did a little poop on one of the rugs in the house and I was like 'You wanted him up here so you're cleaning it up' to Malou and then left her with it haha! I don't think she quite knew what to do so I just told her to flick it over the fence and spray the hose on it lol! You gotta help these kids grow up see :p

So when I went to pick Tony up he wasn't there....so I followed the noise of people and found him at the local hall at pizza night. Now he said this was the new Friday night thing but that no one really went....it was packed so I was not impressed. I did meet a few nice people though. One of the locals Glen said we could go to his house at 7am to watch the first Welsh rugby match of the six nations as he has cable and Tony doesn't even get a signal. When I eventually got him home he let me have a bit of Internet time and I helped him sort his phone out....I don't know how many times I have to tell oldies that if they have an iPhone they really need to know how to use it! He's got so many cool photos of when he first got the farm....he looked much happier back then. I'd love to make him an iMovie out of it all but don't think he'll let me :/ We finished the night off with some tea and toast...shattered!

7th of February-So we got up super early this morning so I could see our Welsh beauties play their first match...even Malou came with me bless her. I managed to persuade Tony to let me take the big ute on my own as normally he has to be in it with us....I think he was still a bit drunk from last night lol! We pulled up at Glen's and there was no sign of life anywhere...we ended up sneaking in and calling out hello....I think he'd forgotten that he'd said we could come over haha! He then stumbled out of his room in his pjs which was a bit awkward but he didn't mind us being there. We couldn't find the channel for the rugby which was really gutting but he made us tea and we sat out in his veranda looking out over the creek....he lives in a gorgeous spot! So Glen was off to yoga (he's a bit hippy) and we headed back to get the place ready for our party. We were so excited! Tony was down with the animals so we got onto cleaning the bathroom and making a start on the outside bar.

Tony was so bossy and so testy today! It was made really obvious to us today just how important the booze is to him as he just came into the bar and took over and kept giving us orders....everything had to be perfect. He even had OCD with what positions the bar stools were in. I say stools....they're tree stumps. I was sorting out the music as he was giving his demands and lost my patience with him a little bit because he called me a fruitcake in a bit of a nasty way and was pointing his finger at me. I think I like him better when he's drunk. So after that point I didn't really want a party, I just wanted to pack my bags and leave. So when guests started arriving I put my bitch mode up to top gear and made a point of being really nice to everyone apart from him. Childish I know but you know me, I can't let someone get one over on me lol! Me and Malou said to each other how we don't feel sorry for him anymore and how we've lost all respect for him now. We met Jackson's girlfriend Billie who's lovely! We invited them over for dinner on Monday when the Master is away at work....I doubt they'll come though as Tony never invites him over and they really don't seem to have a good relationship. She kind of poured her heart out to us a little bit about how she worries so much about Jackson and that she's pleased in and his Dad got on well at the party, but it was just because there was alcohol involved which is quite sad. She said Jackson gets a bit upset with how Tony has a laugh with his helpers on the farm but not him....now I feel guilty! Me and Malou called it a night around two as the party was still going but Jackson and his friend were being arseholes and were really drunk so we left them to it. Tony had taken himself to bed around eleven which was probably a good thing as he showed himself up a little bit by knocking glasses over, dropping a plate, falling over and then we heard him being sick. Honestly I don't know how the man is still alive with the amount that he drinks! Malou phoned her best friend Ditte who she's meeting in Thailand and who's coming to Wales with her in April...I got to say hi and she sounds really nice and like a good laugh!

8th of February-Happy Birthday to Lamis! 😊 When we woke up this morning we avoided the boss and scarpered off down to let the dogs out. We brought Lefty and Joycie up to the house on the little ute so we could take them for a run at the beach and so I thought it was only polite to ask the boss's permission first....to which he told me he was taking Lefty and we could take Roy instead. This really upset Malou as she loves Lefty and he knew it would too...absolute child! So off we went and as we were sat on the beach with the dogs we saw this obviously still drunk Tony heading towards us with Lefty. Now Lefty's never been in he sea and Tony just decided to force him to go in and he was yelping and trying to get over to us. Eventually Tony gave in and let us try it with him. We took it in turns to go for a little swim while the other watched the dogs as you're not meant to let them off the lead so you have to keep and eye out for he beach police. I just wanted to get away from everything for ten minutes so I swam through the waves which were nice and calm at that hour and then when I popped my head up and looked back I was so far away from the beach....I just hadn't realised the tide was taking me out. When I tried to swim back I just wasn't getting anywhere and so I started to panic.....then I couldn't breathe properly and was getting tired so I just made myself breathe and eventually got somewhere. When I could put my feet down on the bottom again I got up and started to walk. I think Malou could sense I was panicked so she came and put an arm around me to walk back in...I was like gasping for air at this point. So I plonked my bum on the sand at safety and made a mental note to not get stuck in a rip again. Naturally I blamed Tony in my head for this dangerous episode as he was like 'nah go for it, there aren't any rips' and then didn't even try to rescue me!

When we got back to the house we had some fruit and then Tony asked me to help him send an email when he can clearly do it himself....I think that was his way of saying sorry without actually saying it...dick. Me and Malou then decided to take some chill out time so I gave her my iPad to watch Pretty Woman on and I studied an Atlas I found on the bookshelf. I know, I know, that sounds really geeky but it's so embarrassing when you don't know your geography that well so I decided since I'd made it to the other side of the world I'd have a gander at what's around me at home (obviously I know England is our neighbour). I spent the rest of the afternoon chilling with music and doing a bit of blog writing. Tony bought us chocolate at the shop and I made a point of telling Jackie (who works there) what a gentleman her Husband is....more to show Tony up than anything else. Then the boss let me drive the truck out for my final time sniff sniff! I drove it all the way out onto the road this time and even parked it nicely....Malou got an awesome video of me too! We then spent a little while with the dogs down in the yard before having a BBQ out in the bar. Pedro called in with his Harley and stayed for dinner with us....I was a little bit mean to Tony as I reminded him of his antics from the night before in front of everyone....like I said, no one gets one over on me. I think Tony has enjoyed us being here but I think he's also looking forward to me leaving haha! Tony then took us for a drive across the farm and we stopped up over the hill to look down on the farm....he's so lucky to live here, it's beautiful. Obviously the only thing missing from the view is a couple of horses :p We then had a gander on the Internet while he had a nap before work and were relieved when he'd gone. I couldn't sleep though so sat out on the sofa with Hazard and fell asleep looking at the stars.

9th of February-So we set off again this morning for the beach...this time just with Lefty and Joycie. We took Malou's nice camera and I kept getting in trouble with her for not capturing the shot right or for the sun being in the wrong place....honestly this girl is a professional in everything she does lol! I'm just more about capturing the moment and the shot being more natural like you know? We've decided though that we're gonna come to the beach on our own next time so we don't have to be constantly watching the dogs and can relax a bit more. It's so lush down here in the morning....just the right temperature. When we got back to the farm we fed the dogs and I cleaned out their cages. Malou then made me breakfast and baked some cakes whilst I did the washing and cleaned the bars....two doemestic goddesses right here! We couldn't oil much of the wooden bits around the back veranda because it was too windy so we missed the boat there. But I made a point of quickly painting half of the side you can see from down in the shed so Tony could see we'd tried to make a start. He came back for lunch but didn't really talk to us so he missed out on taking a bit of cake with him that we'd gotten ready....you snooze you lose! Plus he didn't even say bye pfft! We didn't really do much this afternoon....just lazed about really. But we did have great fun with the dogs as we were teaching them how to round the cattle up and get them where we needed them....they're quite good if they listen to you. I gave Malou another little driving lesson too....we've set her some goals to achieve by the time we leave. We only have two days left on the farm so want to make the most of it. Today was a fun day but I heard some sad news about someone me and my sis know back home....RIP Tony xx

10th of February-Today we thought we should pull our fingers out and actually do some housework as it is looking a bit bogging around the place now. So we dusted, hoovered and mopped right the way through and then dropped a cake Malou made over to Pedros's with a note to say thanks for helping to make our stay fun. We were planning on taking a dip in his creek too but it wasn't really hot enough. We picked up a dvd to watch on the way back and Tony was pleased with how clean the house is....what he didn't notice was how we cut a few corners but hey he's a bloke and as long as the 'floor is shining' he's happy lol! We kept dinner simple tonight and made omelettes....I had a bit too much wine and got the giggles....and then fell off the computer chair....what a mess! I showed Tony and Malou my bungy video to which Tony said I really am a fruit cake....now I found it funny this time because I knew he was teasing me. He also told me he couldn't live with me which I took with a pinch of salt as I probably am hard to live with....but he's a nightmare :p So the boss took himself off to bed early which we were surprised about so we sat down to our movie with tea and biscuits like two little old ladies.

11th of February-We got up early this morning to go to the beach for a run and we'd planned on borrowing Jackson's car as he'd left it here and taken the little ute....but the heap of junk wouldn't start! Gutted! So instead we sorted out the dogs and then oiled the rest of the fence and sun loungers before it started to rain. So glad we managed to do that before leave as its something Tony really wanted doing. Pedro said he might call in on his Harley today and take us both for a spin on it but we were down with the dogs in the afternoon when he called so we missed him....we could see him driving off up the road...totally devo! When Tony came home he was pleased with what we'd managed to get done and that we were spending time with the dogs but he was really annoyed when he couldn't park the truck away because Jackson's car wouldn't start....I wouldn't wanna be Jackson today! We had pizza and beers for dinner and then went down to say goodbye to the dogs....this was really hard 😞 Pedro came round for a few drinks and we packed up all our stuff. Pedro had come round to say bye really and I felt like we neglected him a bit, but we're leaving early tomorrow so don't really wanna have to pack in a rush. I stole a few bits from Tony's beer freebies....like a t shirt, towel, sunnies and wash bag which I'm sure he won't miss. I thought they would be appropriate souvenirs of our stay lol!

12th of February-So for the last time we were up early together to get our last few bits packed and our room and bathroom tidied. I woke up with a really sad feeling....partly because we were leaving the farm (even though it was probably the strangest two weeks of my life) but mainly because it was the day I knew I'd have to say goodbye to Malou 😞 Considering two very different people with a big age gap were thrown together in not so nice circumstances, we made the most out of it and had some laughs along the way. I hope she does come to Wales and I get to go and visit her in Denmark sometime too....definitely a friend for life! Tony drove us into Byron Bay and carried our bags into the hostel where I'll be spending the weekend. He wanted to take us for breakfast but had a doctors appointment....which us girls made him book so we did have a good effect on him 😊 It was a bit awkward saying goodbye as you don't wanna hug a forty five year old party animal so I found myself just smiling and telling him to look after himself.

Malou left her bags at the hostel....I'm staying in the same room Becca was in when she stayed here which is weird! Then we located the library and soaked up the free wifi so Malou could send her Uni application off and I could catch up on a few things. We cheekily made ourselves a decent lunch before we left Tony's so when we were done in the library we found a tree to sit on to eat it....then it pissed down...pathetic fallacy anyone? (I always used to use that one in my English exams). We then decided to chill in the hostel for a bit and I downloaded all the photos I wanted off Malou's camera onto my iPad. We had a little bit of time to kill before Malou's bus to Brisbane airport was due to pick her up, so we arranged to meet Aurelie for a smoothie and slice of cake in a bar on the main street with good music. I still feel sorry for her having to live with that family. So the time came for me to wave Malou off at the bus stop....so I put my sunnies on, slipped a card and the Welsh love spoon into her hand and hugged the life out of her. I felt sad to say goodbye even though I was looking forward to some me time again, but I found myself feeling worried about her travelling all that way on her own. It's not 'goodbye'...it's just 'see you later'. So I finished the day off by grabbing a take away sushi and making my way to the cinema for the first night of Fifty Shades! I felt very underdressed when we were all waiting to go in as everyone else had turned up in dresses and were sipping cocktails. There's me with my sushi in a plastic box and a bottle of coke in shorts and a vest top. Despite what the critics might say I thought it was done very well. I then grabbed some chips on the way home and skyped my sis before bed xx

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