18. 21-31st Oct. Hugh Grant??!!

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21/10/07...more importantly my birthday!
Kellie being the lovely ladie that she is drove me to the airport early in the morning. I said goodbye to Kellie and joined the stupidly long queue at 7.15am. Halfway down the queue i realised that they have a computer system where you get your flight ticket from before queueing up to check in your luggage...the queue i had been in for 20mins already. I had no choice but to leave the queue, get my ticket and start from the end again. I wasnt the only one though that was confused by the system as there were no signs up telling you what to do. Bythe time i got to checking in my backpack the lady told me that i was to late to check in my bag...great! Luckily for me though my two backpacks were small enough to carry on has hand luggage. Off i ran to the to customs. I walked through the metal detector with not a beep but my bags were a different story! A bloke approached me with one of my bags and said, "could you please take out the knife and scissors you have in your bag please!" I had to search for the scissors though as i didnt even realise that i had a pair! They were in my first aid kit. I ended up leaving my knife behind (which i was gutted about as i have had it for years!) and my american football as i had to divide the wieght between the two bags and the football was taking up to much room. I ran to my boarding gate...and why is it when your in a hurry its always the furthest away one possible! I got there huffing and puffing to see the lady closing the door and telling me that i was too late! After explaining to her about the queue i think she felt sorry for me and put me on the next flight which was only an hour later. I arrived in Adelaide at 9.45am and i had to get to the bus terminal for 10.20am to ctahc a coach to take me to Whyalla...the next coach wasnt till 4pm! So i didnt want to miss it! I didnt have to wait for my luggage for obvious reasons and jumped in a taxi. It was now 10am so my confidence was deflating big time. It didnt help that the taxi driver was from Pakistan and had only been in the country for a short while...so out came the map! Not great for my confidence!ha To be fair to the bloke he got me there with 2mins to spare. I had time to buy a bottle of water before the bus left...a close call! I had two seats to myself and the poor girl infront of me a had drunk man sat next to her. Maybe my luck was on the up! I eventually fell asleep with my feet up partially on the seat next to me when i got woken up. I felt someone sit on my feet and when i looked up, there he was...the crazy drunk man just staring at me! Why me!! I just looked at him and said "you alright?" and he just replied "yep'" and smiled away! After about 10mins he stood back up and walked to some empty seats at the back of the bus. People around just looked at me and laughed as they saw the hole thing happen. Anyway after a long day of travelling I finally arrived at Whyalla where Kath and Warren were waiting for me at the bus stop. It was great seeing them again after such a long time. We got back to theirs where i had my own flat waiting for me next to their house. They gave me the keys and said "make yourself at home." It was fantastic. I had my own kitchen (not thaqt i ever used it!ha), bathroom, living room and everything! Kath and Warren took me out for dinner at their local bar where they treated me to the most tastey steak i have ever had. Kath showed me everyones favourite past time in Whyalla...the pokies (fruit machines). I was tucked away in bed by 10pm as the eventful day had really taken it out of me. It was a weird feeling though looking out of the window on the bus. All i could see was desert and shrubs. Looking at my watch i knew that my friends back home would be getting drunk and probably having a lap dance at that precise moment. I could guarantee though that they would be having a fun time which brought a smile on my face. It was definately a birthday that i would never forget and very different form the norm! Being 27 started off to a very interesting start!ha

22/10/07
I woke up at 11am...so yes, that would mean i slept for 13 hours! I did need it though in my defence. I went on the interent for an hour and then Kath took me out for a car ride around Whyalla. We went to the beach where there are normaly a family of dolphins swimming around but apparently we had just missed them according to the school children there doing a bit of fishing. Kath showed me some kangaroos and then we went to the shopping mall. It was at the shopping mall when i realised that Kath knows everyong! Kath and Warren both drive the buses around town so its no wonder why they know so many people. Kath bought some food (she wouldnt let me buy a single thing!) and then i checked out flight prices to get me back up to the eastern coast. On the way back we stopped off at Ruths place (Kaths daughter). It was great seeing Ruth again and i met her husband Jason and her 2 year old son Trent for the first time. We spent about an hour there then headed back for dinner. Warren arrived back from work and we had bangers on mash. Warren and i stayed up watching poker and kick boxing on tv till around mid night. It was great being able to relax and i knew that I would enjoy spending the next 10 days or so just chilling out.

23/10/07
It was another late rise and Kath convinced me to try having banana and jam on toast...not bad at all! Warren and I jumped in the car with the trailer on the back and picked up his flooring from the local builders. They were some long old bits of wood but Warren tied them up as best as he could and just prayed that the cops wouldnt pull him over. I on the other hand just prayed that he didnt brake to hard! Later on in the day Warrens son Travis came round with his best mate Greg. What a duo they are! You could tell the two of them were great mates and they really bounce of each other well. Its a laugh a minute with them two! The five of us went out to the local bar where the boys played pool and Kath went on the pokies. Greg and Travis were having a degate about pulling the ladies and Greg came out with one of the funniest things i have ever heard. Travis was slagging off some of the girls he had pulled over the years (i was sat there shaking my head in disgust as they were treating ladies like objects of course!) and Greg answered back by saying, "you have to slay a few dragons to get to the princess!" How awesome is that!

24/10/07
Im not going to keep saying the time i woke up because your going to think im a lazy bumb! Warren and I went out and done some manly shopping...tool shopping for his flooring. It turned out that Warren layed some of the wood to high so we needed some chisels and stuff. We got back and there was Ruth who took me out for a drive. She showed me the outskirts of Whyalla which included this really awesome light house. We also went to another beach but the weather was getting worse by the minute...not that i was going to go for a swim anyway. Far to many great white sharks around these shores for my liking! I was hoping to go out fiching with Travis and Greg in the afternoon on Gregs boat but the weather didnt allow it. Kath cooked up another homely dinner...Sheppards (i know thats not the right spelling...or is it?) pie.

25/10/07
I woke up with the hope to go out fishing for the day. I opened the door and there she was...blue skies! Travis, Greg and I went out at 1.30pm. We got the boat in the water and within a minute we were accompanied by probably my favourite animals...dolphins! I said sorry to the boys for acting like a tourist and got my camera out! They took the piss a little but Travis was almost a bigger kid than me when it came to feeding the dolphins. The three dolhins, mum, dad, and baby followed us out for a short while to see us off. Once we were in no danger of crashing into anything Greg handed me the wheel. Im not to sure what i enjoyed more, the fishing or driving this awesome boys toy! Our hooks were in the water for no longer than 5 minutes when i landed my first snapper. It was a baby but it was the first fish of the day. I kissed it and threw it back in. We caught some Salmon which we used as bait for later on to catch some big old Snapper. We moved location and no word of a lie, we were having all our reels scream off simutaniously. As soon as our lines we in the water within a minute something would take the bait. Annoyingly we were catching some dog sharks as well which are a pain to un-hook! At one point we were all standing by our rods waiting for something to happen enjoying the peaceful silence and a bird came crashing into a metal pole on the boat about 2 inches away from my head! I felt its feathers brush against my ear and it crashed into the water next to Travis! Now bearing in mind i am thinking about great white sharks lurking beneath the water quite often...this bird scared the hell out of me! Both Travis and Greg said that tgey have never witnesses anything like that before! Great, i felf really privilidged!ha The bird was ok though but it must have had a huge headache! We drove back when it got dark and the waves were getting bigger and bigger. It was alot of fun but Travis was getting sea sick! Travis phoned up Warren to tell him to get the BBQ ready but Warren didnt believe him that we caught a load of Snapper. We had great delight proving him wrong when we got back. Greg prepared one of the Snappers (rather him than me!) and we threw it on the barbie! Cant get any fresher than that! These Snappers are not cheap to buy and it tasted great! Greg showed me how to scrape the scales of the fish and i gave it a go...not my cup of tea! My trousers were covered in blood so the fantastic Kath put them in the wash for me. I was showered and in bed by 11pm. What a great day!

26/10/07
I mowed the back lawn in the morning and then Travis and Greg came round shortly afterwards with Travis's son Dylin. We were hanging out round the back and then Roy and Unis arrived. Roy and Unis are Warren and Kaths friends from Adelaide and they had come to stay for a few days. Roy being a keen fisherman brought a load of bait as we hoped to get out again come night time. As it turned out the weather turned bad agian so we couldnt. You could tell Roy was devestated! Travis and Greg went home and the rest of us went out for dinner. I had the small plate of spaghetti after the waitress told me that the big dish would be to big for me...i didnit know if that was a compliment or not! I now know why most people in OZ have wieght problems! A bloke next to me had the big dish and it was huge! After our meal Warren and I went into the bar next door and Kath and the others played on the pokies. I got talking to one lady and she said, "dont you sound posh!" She then went onto saying that i sound like Hugh Grant and asked if I live near him!ha Before we left i managed to use the ladies toilets by mistake. I walked out and there were a few ladies looking at me laughing. They must have seen me walk in,so cheers for the heads up!ha

27/10/07
In the morning I went to the shopping mall with Kath and Unis. While they were doing their food shopping i walked into a sports shop and walked out being the new owner of a skipping rope...luckily i have a tiny backpack!ha Being a Saturday the boys thought they would take me out to the night club in town. They warned me that there a lot of fights and seeing that girls get alot of money from the government when they have children, there is alot of girls out looking to get pregnent! I think i will behave then! We were there by 10pm and seeing that most of the bouncers there worked with Travis and Greg at one point i didnt feel threatened at all...plus i am a fast runner and most of the blokes were overweight!ha Greg and Travis had not been out for about a year and when one old friend approached them (this huge bouncer that reminded me of a bear!) Greg said to him, "gee...i got told you were dead!" It was a really fun night and i loved the people watching. It made me realise that no matter where you are in the world, you get the same characters where ever you are! I was in the taxi queue at the end of the night where i got bombarded by three ladies. Travis and Greg thought it was hilarious and watched from a safe distance as these ladies were not the type you would take back to meet your parents! I was back safe and sound by 2am...alone!ha

28/10/07
By the time i woke up Roy and Unis had gone home. I felt sorry for Roy as we didnt get the chance to go out fishing but if the weathers bad, thers nothing you can do. I went on the internet for a while booking flights etc and then Warren and I spent the afternoon watching a true lads film...Ghost! Yep, it wasnt the most macho few hours of my life bit i dont mind admitting its a good film. It didnt help that Travis and Greg walked in while Patrck Swayze was in Woopie Goldbergs bodie holding Demi Moore in his arms with all the love music in the background! I dont have to point out the obvious that we got alot of stick for that! They did both agree though that i drink like a fish! I think it helps though that back in Engand we drink pints and over here in OZ they drink Scooners which are less than half! They dont last 2 minutes on a proper night out!

I know i have missed a day but i have got a bit confused into why?

30/10/07
Greg and Travis came round during the day and brought another boys toy round to play with. Greg had recently purchased a remote control car for $500 instead of spending the money on registering his proper car...he is crazy though! While trying to start the thing Greg ripped out the pull cord so that was that! We just sat on the porch chilling out till Warren and Kath came home from work. We threw another Snapper on the barbie (I love saying that!ha) and the boys arranged to pick me up at 3am to go fishing...they never showed! It was raining slightly so i guessed that the weather put them off. I was back in bed sleeping by 3.45am.

31/10/07
Warren and Kath were taking me to Adelaide around 2pm and Ruth came round to say goodbye in the morning. It was good talking to Ruth while i was staying here as she had done the travelling thing for a while around Europe by herself so i gave me an idea of what to expect. Its always good to hear other peoples experiences as well. I wanted to say goodbye to Travis and Greg as well as thanks for taking me out fishing, drinking and just basically showing me a good time but they didnt show. I just assumed they were busy with their own lives...how selfish!ha We were on the road and making good time so we stopped off for something to eat and Kath managed to win $250 on a pokie machine. It was a good thing we did stopped! We arrived at the motel which Warren and Kath had already booked and paid for (once again not letting me pay for a thing!) at 7pm. The journey seemed alot easier in the car rather than the bus! Thereb was no drunken crazy man for starters! We took a walk down to the main strip and had dinner. It was actually Kath and Warrens 26 year wedding anniversary (i think) but they still seemed more interested in making sure i was happy...god love them! Warren and I went into the bar next door where there was some Kareoke going on and Kath done the thing she loves...playing on the pokies. Kath doesnt drink or smoke so fair play to her! Some of the people doing Kareoke were awesome and some...well they would make me sound good! On the way back we nipped into another bar for one last drink and thats when Warrens mobile started ringing...it was Travis. As it turned out when they were driving home last night they got pulled over by the cops and Greg being Greg...got funny with them. They spent the night behind bars! It also didnt help that his car wasnt registered. Warren handed me the phone so i said my goodbyes and thanked them then. They are good value for money!ha The night was coming to a close and i had another early flight to catch to take me up to the Sunshine Coast. I was going to have to say goodbye to Warren and Kath in the morning and wasnt loking forward to it. They had really made me feel at home staying with them and i think thats exactly what i needed. I know Kath was worried about me getting bored as she asked me all the time if i was enjoying myself. I did explain to her that i was perfectly happy chilling out with them and i hope they realised that. Thanks guys!!

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Photos

Thats more like it!
Snapper.

Greg had managed to catch a bird!
By accident!!