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We stayed in a campsite on arrival in Darwin, and checked out the town
in the evening. K and N went to the cinema, I checked my email, and spotted a couple of chefs putting up a job ad, for a kitchen
hand. I asked them what it was all about - and left with a job, starting tomorrow evening!! No bad going!
The next day I dropped the Swedes at a hostel in town. Good to be on my
own at last!!
Checked into another campsite and got ready for work -washing dishes ,I am a Dish Pig! It is a pretty
quiet restaurant, so I only got 2/3 hours a night, and was replaced by the permanent person after a few days.
I was looking forward to meeting up with Sylvia, but unfortunately she
had left for Brisbane. We had had grand plans to travel together, but it will have to wait, I will meet her somewhere
else. I located her hostel, Harrietts place, and moved in, but only spent a couple of days there before moving to Geckos where
other dutchies Sas, Paul, William and Kim were. Geckos let you sleep in your car for 10 bucks (as opposed to 20 in a
dorm) and Pancakes every morning!!
Soon enough I was back to cleaning the toilets and kitchens, and free accomadation
- and since I was only paying 10 bucks, I get 2 weeks rent for one weeks work! Good job too, I have to do it at 6am!!
I spent a good few days with Sas,Paul,WillandKim and a few other guys from the hostel, checking out
Mindil Beach Market, and the 'Hole of Darwin'.
It soon (or not so soon) became apparent that Darwin is an extremely easy place to do NOTHING!! It
is hot, about 30 degrees everyday, and you sweat just walking to the shops, but it also just feels lazy - I dont know, maybe
its just me?
My plan of working for a quick 2 weeks drifted away somewhere, as did the days.
Finally, one morning, Rob, a german guy at the hostel, informed me of a job ad on the notice board.We
checked it out. "3 workers wanted to help run stalls at the Wind Festival in Kakadu National Park. Leaving today, back on
Sunday" ! Sounds good, I gave 'Nina' a ring to ask what it was all about. She told me it was helping run some stalls at the
festival on friday and saturday night, for $100.
That wasn't much, but it sounded fun, maybe selling kites or something?? Great, I told he we would
both come.
Just then another guy pinned another notice on the board,
'workers wanted for painting'. We can paint, we told him. 'Good, see you at 8:30 Monday morning'
Excellent 2 jobs lined up, and all before breakfast!
Rob and I got packed up and soon got picked up by Nina and her friend Wendy, and other worker Sivan
from Israel. We drove to her house and picked up their trailers and the rest of the family, Ninas kids and Wendys Daughter.
Then it all went down hill from there. They never actually introduced themselves. It took me
2 days to realise Nina wasn't Nina, but Seline, and Wendys daughter was also Wendy, but was also know as Lulu ?!?
And they treated us like crap - they thought we were their personal slaves. We drove into kakadu and
basically worked for the whole 3 days, unloading the trailers, setting up the stalls, moving boxes, "err, whatsyourname,
can you come here and pick up this ltter." At her FEET!! Sivan wasn't much help, as he seemed to be in a different time dimension
and was made out of liquid, his body slowly ending up horizontal if he stopped moving.
But dont worry, food and accomodation was taken care of - we could put our tents up behind the truck!
and one lunchtime, we were given a loaf of bread and a tin of spagetti, for spagetti sandwiches!!! The rest of the time, once
the hot dog stand was operational, thats all we got - a hot dog.
The festival had nothing to do with the wind, and was a bit crap. It was the time when we actually
did the least work, running the stalls. They had a hotdog stand, a crappy burst the balloon stall, a quad bike ride, and a
bouncey castle. I gabbed the castle asap!. That was quite fun.
It was all very funny to start with, but towards the end it got a bit frustrating.
I actually saw Sas and Paul, and their friend Petra as they were visiting Kakadu. I should have just
left, they deserved it.
But in the end they payed us (well, sort of, $95 - we had stayed on a campsite the first night
for $5!)
It was an experience!
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| Come! Have a jump on my large inflatable plastic structure |
Rob and I returned to Geckos and a group of new faces, some of which were
coming painting the next day with us. As I was driving there, I offered them a lift.
So on Monday morn Rob, Lisa, Holly, Ariane and I bundled into Oscar...and he made the most unearthly
noise! He wasn't going anywhere - Dawrin, it seems effects cars too!
We had to rapidly get a taxi and I phoned Darren, our boss, and managed to sweet talk him into not
giving our spots away.
We arrived an hour late, but luckily he had turned the other hopefuls away - phew.
A good job too, cos we had a great time! We were painting the girders and beams of a open-sided
warehouse. We got to drive scissor lifts and a cherry picker, we were working in the shade, with a breeze, Darren filled
a wheel barrow with ice and bottles of water and called us down for cold drink breaks, and at the end of the day he payed
us, and replaced the water with bottles of beer!!
Such a difference to the previous few days!
We all got a bit covered in paint though, I am still finding turquoise spots on my legs and elbows!
But it all ended too soon, only three days.
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| You missed a spot. |
So since then I have been looking for the dreaded fruit picking work (it was 33 degrees today! Mangoes
are just coming into season -their sap burns you and gives you rashes - nice).
But the agency has not called me back, and I have come to the shocking realisation I have been in
Darwin for a month. If I want to see any more of Australia, I need to get a move on.
Sylvia phoned from Brisbane (while hang gliding ...grrr) and told me she will be in Cairns visiting
her sister there in 3 weeks. I will be in Cairns in three weeks (maybe) - we can meet up there! I had motivation, and now,
at last, had the means.
I had left Oscar in the hands of Pete, the hostels resident mechanic, who told me the timing chain
was slipping, took it apart, and showed me what was wrong. I then went down to a 'wreckers' yard and managed to disassemble
another magna and retreive the chain and cogs from it! I was very pleased with myself! We reassembled it and Oscar is back
up and running, sort of.
And so that is it, I will leave Darwin in the next couple of days, for further adventures.....and
probably, if your lucky, bore your socks off with my tales, but dont worry, it probably wont be for another 6 months!!
So into the Red Centre we will go...
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