Will Work for Dives

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G'day mates!!

I'm back in Australia once again and have been for nearly two months now....wow time flies! Things are different this visit and nothing has gone according to my mental plan. I'm not sure if the country has changed or if I have, but the first eight weeks of my working holiday visa have been like a roller-coaster ride on acid. Ok, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration; I've never done acid, so I can't say for sure. The good news is that I am back in my travel mindset, so I'm taking things one day at a time and with a smile on my face. My time to write this blog is limited as I'm packing up to leave for work (see below) but if I don't get this out now it may never happen! Here's my adventure so far:



I flew into Brisbane on May 15th and was greeted at the airport by my cousins Sean and Mary. I did not receive a stamp at Immigration because everything is now done electronically. Very odd. I enjoyed the weekend with Mary (before her flight to Melbourne), and the following week with Sean, his wife Kim, their kids Courtney, Nick, and Danny, and Kim's parents Gretchen and David. I was spoiled with family time, home-cooked meals, and mango margaritas.

While staying with my family in the Gold Coast I began to hunt for job options. As some of you may know, Australia has a policy that allows travelers on a working holiday visa to perform 3 months of farm work in exchange for a second year visa. Unless you are American, in which case, get lost. Since farm work was out of the picture, I began to look into Dive Master Internships- I had already intended to spend at least 3 months doing unpaid work so it seemed an easy transition. I found a few options on Gumtree (the Aussie equivalent of Craigslist) and started sending out resumes. The next day I got a call back and was told I might be able to get a spot on a small dive boat if I could get myself to Cairns. I booked myself a cheap flight, said goodbye to the loved ones, and headed north to the tropics.

In Cairns I had the fortune of staying with my friend Dave, who kindly let me couch-surf while I sorted my life out. Within three days I landed a trial run as a Dive Master Trainee (DMT) on the boat. I worked long hours and did some dirty jobs, but I got to dive, FOR FREE, on the Great Barrier Reef. I even got to try my hand at leading a night dive! While I enjoyed the work, the crew, and the guests, there were certain aspects of the job that just weren't right for me. After my one week trial I decided that my personal well-being was more valuable to me than a Dive Master certification. Thus, only two weeks into my visa, I found myself jobless.

Luckily, I had enough moral support from my Aussie friends and family, as well as everyone back home, and I managed to keep my spirits up even after a disappointing (and disheartening) experience. Within another week I had an interview for a live-in nanny job and a few days later I moved to Gordonvale. About 25km south of Cairns, Gordonvale is a farming town known for their sugar cane mill (and endless fields of sugar cane). I was set up in the historic Parkview Tavern (mum and dad own it) where the 503rd US Parachute Infantry Regiment stayed during WWII. I shared the enormous upstairs living space with the Brad and Jodie, Jack (3) and Molly (2), the pub's chef, and the family dog, Jazzy. I was provided a room, all my meals, wifi and laundry, and a small weekly stipend in exchange for about 30 hours of childcare each week. I became an integral part of the family's routine while enjoying the rural scenery of mountains, rivers, and cane fields. During this time I also bought a car and volunteered at the zoo!

Just when I felt like I was settling into a routine, I was called in for an interview with Hostel Reef Trips. The next few days were a whirlwind, but at the start of this week I did an overnight trial for the purser position on a live-aboard dive boat. I was officially offered the job yesterday, signed the paperwork today, and will head back out to the reef for training tomorrow. My schedule will rotate 5 days on/3 days off for the next few months as I work 12-15 hour days taking care of guests, handling operations, running the bar, and overseeing the general upkeep of the vessel. Somewhere in the madness I should be able to sneak in a few dives and enjoy living on one of the world's seven natural wonders.

I will update with more photos soon. In the meantime, keep in touch as I will still have service/internet at sea! Til next time....

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Comments

[Virginia Kelly]

Thank you for NEVER doing acid.
Just saying. And when you catch your breath, shoot us another entry on your reflections on all this activity! Love you tons! Mom.

[Home and Away]

SOunds like you are having quite an adventure...
glad that you found the perfect job. I'm looking forward to your tales from the Great Barrier Reef.