Southwest Australia

Hi All,

Am currently living in Bunbury, WA and working with the Green Corps as a Team Leader! You can check it out here if you're interested in finding out the type of things they do: http://www.greencorps.gov.au/

After I left Perth, I spent a couple of days in Fremantle. It was nice enough there but I just wasn't really feeling the good vibes. The hostel I stayed at was full of backpackers who just worked a day or two, here and there in order to make money to buy alcohol and drugs. It was just a constant party every night... way too full-on for me! I do like my sleep :)

So I headed on down the coast to Bunbury. The main reason I stopped here was because I worked with a lovely girl in Sydney called Jo who is originally from here. She still has family and friends here and she put me in touch with them so I thought it would be nice to drop by for a couple of days and say hi. Obviously a couple of days has turned into 10 days and a full-time job for the next 3 months :)

Bunbury is great - it's tecnically considered to be a city but it's way more like a town. It's small and quiet but big enough that it has things to do. But best of all, I just get really good vibes here. As soon as I got off the train and sat on the bus into the town centre, I had a gut instinct that I'd like it here and want to stay. I'm also staying in the loveliest hostel. It's run by a great Kiwi couple who actually live in the hostel too. There are also quite a few people who are living here while working which is great for a couple of reasons: firstly, you get to actually make friends with people and not just see them for a day or two before they move on. Secondly, it means that there isn't a really full-on party vibe and you don't feel like you're getting sucked into a life of constant drinking and waking up at 2pm!

In terms of the job, the more I think about it, the more I realise how lucky I am to have landed it. It's a good one :)
I just got offered it yesterday and I'll be starting on Thursday. It's a three month contract with the Green Corps. I'll be working as a Team Leader which means that I'll be supervising a group of 8 young people between the ages of 17-20 while they do environmental work. As far as I'm aware, it could be anything from planting trees, weeding, fence-building, helping with animal conservation etc. So this means that I'll be working with a team of young Australian people, learning about the Australian environment and landscape, working outdoors and getting paid for it! Speaking about getting paid... the pay is great - it's more than I was earning in Sydney and as far as I'm aware I also don't get taxed as much as I did over there (but even I did, it's ok because I get almost all of it back when I leave here anyway - yay!) And to top it all off... I get every second Friday off and still get paid for it. SWEET! Ooo and I also get to drive a 12-seater bus :)

So, although the weather here is horrendous (rain, thunder storms, freezing cold) I'm doing well and feeling positive.

Lots of love,

xxxxxxxx

Post Sydney Post

Sydney is now a place of the past for me... for a while anyway.

I left early on Thursday morning last week and set off to Uluru (Ayers Rock) with Sherene and Susan. It was beautiful there. The weather was lovely - very hot and dry - and the rocks were stunning.

Arrived in Perth on Monday afternoon to glorious sunshine and heat. Sadly it was not to last and it was pouring rain the next morning (and is still damp and cold even now). Perth is small and quiet. I think it's probably the type of place that is best enjoyed in the warm weather. The WA Museum and the Art Gallery here are both great though. I've started to really appreciate Aboriginal culture and art much more since I left Sydney... not much of it to be found in the Eastern Suburbs :)

I'm off to Fremantle today and will stay there for a couple of nights before I head on down to Bunbury and then on to the Margaret River. Been thinking about taking a trip up to Broome, but that might have to wait until I earn a bit more money!

xxxx

Moving On...

Ok, I know. I've been too slack with the updating.

Quick rundown of my life in Sydney:

• Working in the Entertainment Quarter which was great. Worked with lovely people and had some big nights out with a couple of the girls from there. Worked on reception mainly and I can say without prejudice that generally speaking, Australian women are RUDE on the phone! (No offense to any of the fabulous Aussie girls I know and love, who are always sweet and polite!)
• On that note... met some lovely new people. Not that many, but the ones I did meet and befriend were Quality :)
  
• Went to Trivia every Tuesday... awesome. Nerdy, but awesome.
  
• Watched too much reality tv.
• Bitched about the weather (this country is cold and doesn't even realise it)
• Didn't swim in the sea - it's scary!
• Did all the main touristy things.
• Ate lots of yummy food - I'll never be able to enjoy a meal in any other country. The food over here is unbelievable yumyumyumyumyum.
• Abstained from shopping (until yesterday) which is difficult because there's a great fashion scene over here.
• Got my hair cut short! (well a bit shorter...)

Leaving Sydney tomorrow. I'm a bit sad about it because I've settled in here now. But it's good to be leaving and on the move again. More adventures to be had in the big wide world.
Visiting Uluru first and then on to Perth, for who knows how long....? Might come back to Sydney, might not...

Still missing all my lovely people back home - getting a few homesick pangs lately. Nothing serious though! It'll all be over too soon and I'll be back home before I know it.

Lots of love,

Jen

xxx