ianvictoria's TravelStream™ — Recent TravelPod.com entries TravelStream™ news feed for member ianvictoria on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/ianvictoria en-us Copyright ©2010 TravelPod.com Thu, 10 Dec 2009 23:32:47 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com Farm life — dalbeg, Queensland, Australia http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ianvictoria/3/1251154281/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ianvictoria/3/1251154281/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ianvictoria/3/1251154281/tpod.html Thu, 10 Dec 2009 23:32:47 -0500 Australia for a year maybe!?!
dalbeg, Queensland, Australia

THis was deffinately a different experience for us, 2 months on a farm picking zucchinis (or courgettes to normal people), settled in 1 place for the whole time, living in very close proximity to 20 other backpackers, with the nearest town/ supermarket/ civilisation 100km away. Accesible by school bus only.
Lorell the farmers wife was a joy to work for, when we 1st phoned the farm to ask about work she refused to tell us here name or address, simply barking orders and directions of how to find the school bus stop, and 'the driver will get you here!' We actualy thought we might be lured to a remote field and used as fresh dog food or something just as horrible.
It wasn't quite so bad when we arrived. Though due to a crop disease we didn't get any work for almost 2 weeks. The reason we have done this farm work is to try and acumulate 3 months worth of 'seasonal work' to be entitled to a 2nd working holiday visa, if we ever decide we want to come back over here, luckily the 2 weeks of sitting around still counts owards this 3 months.
In the fields we both picked zucchinis and Victoria also packed the fruit in boxes, meaning she stood in the back of the trailer gatting a sore neck instead of a sore back.
There are so many stories that we have picked up from the farm so we'll probably update this as we remember more of them.

I went fishing a few times down at the river, trying to catch the infamous Barramundi, I don't even think I cought a cat fish, though the other guys had a lot more luck than me. One day when none of us had cought a thing we decided to wade across the river to an island in the middle, the water was up to the top of my thigh and three of us got knocked over in the current and had to swim across. When we got to the other side we saw crocodile tracks, where one had jumped out of the water onto the land and it looked pretty big! Wethen had to get back across the river when we'd finished, quite scary, I never went back to the river after that.

ANother fun day out was at the international hand cane cutting competition, they had a tug-o-war competition that the backpacker girls won in the ladies heats and the back packer guys came second. The cane cutting was quite good as well, it was won by a 65 year old guy! And we learnt the wonders of sucking on sugar cane whilst out in the fields.

Wehad a baby brown snake wander into the kitchen one night, it wasn't scared of us at all, and actually seemed to be coming straight for us. It was quite funny watching us all running around on top of the tables and chairs.

We saw plenty of wild pigs, wallabies, emus, frogs and toads. Victoria saw a fully grown brown snake come out from under our bed room.
]]> Home for a while — Sydney, New South Wales, Australia http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ianvictoria/3/1260402447/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ianvictoria/3/1260402447/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ianvictoria/3/1260402447/tpod.html Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:58:57 -0500 Australia for a year maybe!?!
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

A couple of jobs and beds down the line and we seem to be settled in now.
We are living in a really nice shared house, 4-bed rooms with 3 other house mates, all young and very friendly.
Our job is really cool and fun. We are now photographers, mainly at Sydney aquarium, but also for the Sydney tower, jet boats and teh opera house. So regular money and hours over Christmas and the summer.
]]> a 22 hour bus journey — Brisbane, Queensland, Australia http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ianvictoria/3/1256165931/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ianvictoria/3/1256165931/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ianvictoria/3/1256165931/tpod.html Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:55:23 -0500 Australia for a year maybe!?!
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

22 hours from Ayr to Brisbane in one bus ride!
But guess who we saw on the way there, it was only Hannah, James and Becky.
Brisbane is a relly nice city. The CBD is quite small compared towhat I was expecting. The Lagoon is very nice though, especially on a hot day before a flight :)
]]> A country town. — Ayr, Queensland, Australia http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ianvictoria/3/1251153593/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ianvictoria/3/1251153593/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ianvictoria/3/1251153593/tpod.html Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:47:04 -0500 Australia for a year maybe!?!
Ayr, Queensland, Australia





At least it has a Coles and a Woolworths (supermarket). We are even starting to enjoy going to the salvation army store and vinnies charity shop.
]]> Its not a very big city — Townsville, Queensland, Australia http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ianvictoria/3/1250462366/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ianvictoria/3/1250462366/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ianvictoria/3/1250462366/tpod.html Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:43:41 -0500 Australia for a year maybe!?!
Townsville, Queensland, Australia

In fact I wouldn't call it a city at all, its about the same size as Neston or Heswall back at home. Or thats the feel that it has any way. It has a really nice beach prom though and the hostel was really friendly.
]]> Sydney is a rollercoaster. — Sydney, New South Wales, Australia http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ianvictoria/3/1250030319/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ianvictoria/3/1250030319/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ianvictoria/3/1250030319/tpod.html Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:41:05 -0500 Australia for a year maybe!?!
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia



We arrived in Sydney and were picked up by Hannah and Will (friends from Our first week travelling in S.Africa). Having only decided to stay in Australia a week earlier this was going to be an exciting stay, who knows how long we’ll be able to stay in this country.

Arriving in Sydney it looked like the UK, cloudy, damp and miserable weather, surely this couldn’t be Oz!!

The weather picked up over the next few days, though the wind is still quite bitter and cold.

Hannah and her parents kindly offered to put us up for a couple of days until we got settled.

Our plan was to go fruit picking straight away, get the 3 months farm work out of the way, to secure our 2nd year visa, if and when we need it.

However, there are no harvest jobs available right now, the harvest line can only help if we have a car!!

Ok, so we’ll stay in Sydney, work in shops or offices and settle here for a while, with this visa we can only stay in 1 job for upto 6 months and no-where seems to want us short term, they want permanent staff, at the same time we have seen some depressing appartments. The main one we remember is where the balcony box was covered in news paper over all windows, apparently they have a person living out there!

Having checked out some long term hostels, and checked our money. Even with a job Victoria was offered in a jewellery store, without us both working in the next few days we’d have to fly home.

So with some last minute planning we found a farm up in Queensland that might have some work soon, and we’d booked flights to Townsville.

Thanks to Hannahs family, we had stayed for the full 2 weeks of being in Australia in their house, getting rides to the city from them most days. We would definitely not be here in Australia now if it wasn’t for their help, Thank you.
]]> Man up!!!!!! — Sydney, New South Wales, Australia http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ianvictoria/2/1250013599/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ianvictoria/2/1250013599/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ianvictoria/2/1250013599/tpod.html Mon, 17 Aug 2009 04:01:58 -0400 Asia
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

We've fallen behind again, sorry!
Just been really busy, with no internet or more important things.
Watch this space....
]]> 1st stage of 10 days in Thailand — Ko Tao, Thailand http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ianvictoria/2/1248950837/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ianvictoria/2/1248950837/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ianvictoria/2/1248950837/tpod.html Thu, 30 Jul 2009 06:51:27 -0400 Asia
Ko Tao, Thailand

1st stage of our 10 day tour.
We have come here for the great weather, beaches, nightlife, and the hope that we'll meet some of our old friends here. We'll wait and see how it goes.
Just 2 nights here, just long enough for the girls to recover from their long flights here and then the 13hour bus and boat trip down.
]]> Meeting Mandy and Charl — Bangkok, Thailand http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ianvictoria/2/1248950525/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ianvictoria/2/1248950525/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ianvictoria/2/1248950525/tpod.html Thu, 30 Jul 2009 06:45:19 -0400 Asia
Bangkok, Thailand

How excited are we right now!!!
About to meet Charl and Mandy, friends from home and to try and give them a 10 day whistle stop tour of thailand.
We know that s not enough time to see everything so it'll be a tour of what Victoria and I believe to be the 'best' places for them to go.
]]> Tourist town — Patong, Phuket, Thailand http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ianvictoria/2/1247992981/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ianvictoria/2/1247992981/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ianvictoria/2/1247992981/tpod.html Sat, 25 Jul 2009 14:22:23 -0400 Asia
Patong, Phuket, Thailand

This is THE tourist town, everything from jet ski's, speed boats and those parachutes being pulled back and forth across the beach. All of them trying to kill you while you swim in the sea. We survived to tell the tale, just.
Loads of hotels here though so it was really easy to get some where cheap, while its low season any way.
There was a lot of night life here as well, but the most we managed were a few beers smuggled into the cinema to see transformers. Just having a recovery kind of week.

Farewell to the Ozzy couple here aswell, they are leaving Thailand, hopefuly see them again soon though.
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