Farm life part 1

Fields of grapevines around every corner. Some lush and green, some dry and withered. Where there are no grapes there is nothing. Just outback. Tall grass, fading grey/green shrubbery with the occasional gumtree breaking the monotonous view. Long straight roads divide it al in blocks like a chessboard. The river Murray the only oasis in this modified desert. These are my surroundings for the next month and a half.

When working on the reef I had a conversation with one of my students whom I just took for a first time scuba dive. 2 months later I arrive in South Merbein in the north west of Victoria to work on the farm of his parents.

I live in a caravan on the property of the Hudson family. My view consists of red dirt, some shrubs and a collection of close to 60 junked cars steadily rusting away. I’m employed by Andrew and Roslyn. A lovely couple who are straight forward (what you see is what you get) and one of the most hospitable people I’ve ever met. Their 22 year old son Luke, who has Down syndrome lives with them on the farm. Luke is quite good for a Downer and is very independent and coherent. He helps out on the farm and has a part time job in the neighboring town. The 13 year old sheep dog named Gipsy completes the family.

Dried fruit is their business. Several varieties of currants are grown, harvested and dried for the dried fruit industry. Not all the work they have for me is paid work, but since I have to do farm work in order to be eligible for a second year visa I’m happy with just signing off the days. I don’t spend any money. Breakfast lunch and dinner are all taken care off and staying in the 80’s orange/brown interior caravan is free of charge.

I work on week days and am off in the weekend. Although there is always a job to do and I prefer that to be honest. Life here is quite boring, so working makes the time go by a lot quicker and helps occupy my mind. My days off I fill with, reading, watching movies and learning Spanish. Or I go pick some fruit form the apple, pear or peach tree they have for personal use. I’m also eyeballing the pistachio tree next to my home on wheels, but they won’t be ready before I leave here.

Work consist of picking currants, trimming the vines and summer pruning. We start early and stop early. Most days the temperature reaches 40 degrees centigrade before noon. So pacing yourself, drinking lots and sufficient sun protection is paramount.

The most fun is the transportation. In order to go back and forth between the blocks (grapevine patches) and the farm I get to use a quad bike. It is a heavy duty one, fit for heavy duty farm work and it goes. Gipsy loves the bike. She barks at them and bites at the tires to get you to chase her. And she is tireless. You’d almost forget she is 13 years old.

I found that it is a very close nit community. Everyone knows everyone and looks out for each other. It does seem to be a slowly aging community. I see elderly folks and families with young children, but hardly anyone in their twenties.

On the 26^th of January Australia Day is celebrated. They celebrate that on that day the British landed on the east coast and dubbed the land Terra Australia (southern Land). I joined my temporary family at a community BBQ. With me being there I think the age average dropped by 20 years. It was a very quiet, relaxed gathering of the mostly elderly townsfolk. Two typical grannies where sitting in folding chairs waving an Australian flag with their shaky hands to the beat of the tunes of a local cover song artist. It was adorable in a way and for me the most entertaining thing on a, for me boring event. This day however is not just about celebrating Australia’s birthday but more so about being grateful for and appreciative of the freedoms, rights and comfort of living they have here Down Under. I found that quite refreshing, since back home we take everything we have for granted and just complain about what we don’t have instead of being grateful for what we do have.

Other than being a proud Australian, the topic is water. Since there is a limited amount and you have to buy your water for irrigation it is what everyone is talking about most of the time. They talk about ‘megs’. Meaning mega liters, meaning a million liters of water. The Hudsons have a 157 ‘megs’ to use for their crops this year. I have no idea if this is a lot. In mostly 40 degree weather, with fire bans (to prevent bush fires) in the entire state and backs and brows with copious amounts of sweat that dries instantly I would say maybe. A 157 million liters of water sounds like a lot, but the desert makes it disappear like Copperfield does trains and elephants.

I’m enjoying this experience in rural Australia. Living in a bubble. Meeting others then young German backpackers. Although life is quite monotonous, I am sure there will be little endeavors that will count as adventures. so there will be more to come.

Melbourne at first glance

 If Sydney is suit and tie, business first and scotch on the rocks. Melbourne is casual Friday and a cocktail with an umbrella. The city breaths creativity, quirkiness and a laid back multi-cultural atmosphere.

I stayed in St Kilda, a suburb in the south of the city right on the beach. My friend Helen was so kind to offer me a place to stay for as long as I needed. She made me feel very welcome in her house and in Melbourne. On the first day she gave me a guided tour of the city. Her enthusiasm and love for Melbourne is very contagious and definitely got to see why she liked the place where she lived so much.

Coming from Europe nothing in Australia is really old or breathes history. But I did get that feeling a little bit in Melbourne. The city is a mix of older buildings and architecture mixed with modern and progressive. The old shot museum in Melbourne central is a perfect example. The old shot factory is the center of a modern mall that has been built around the tall brick chimney covered by a giant glass cone. It illustrates how Melbourne is a modern progressive city without losing sight of their heritage or losing that old atmosphere.

That atmosphere is also found in the little lanes that run in between the big streets in the city center. Small graffiti covered alleyways are the home of cozy coffee bars and artsy restaurants. The hippest clubs are found in places where you would expect dirty needles and the ever present smell of urine. And it is not even the bars or little shops that are the hidden prizes. It is discovering them in the most unlikely places what makes it so interesting. The rooftop bar is a great example. Helen showed on the first day. We walked up to the 6^th floor following a grimy looking stairwell. Faded posters and graffiti covered the walls. The floors we passed held award winning restaurants and at the top we found the proverbial cherry. A small bar to the right, fake grass with chairs and tables, a food corner and a DJ booth to the left. And all around the tall buildings of Melbourne CBD. Old school hiphop pumping through the speakers as people enjoyed a beer in the open private space in the middle of town. An absolute gem.

What caught my eye and I feel illustrates how Melbourne is way more laid back than Sydney is the way the council warn for trams/metro trains. In Sydney it would be a sign saying to PAY ATTENTION! in a stern way. In Melbourne they opted for a picture of a Rhino on a skateboard. It brings the message across in a funny, friendly and yet very effective way. I thought it was genius.

Just cruising through the city there is a lot of art in the street to enjoy. Wire figures crossing a bridge. Bronze people waiting at the bus stop, a big bow on top of a bridge with one of the pylons of that same bridge transformed into a cocktail bar. Big pillars that shoot 5 meters tall flames in a rhythm. All along the banks of the Yarra River that snakes through the city you can find artsy and quirky things like that. But also the biggest casino in the Southern hemisphere. It took me about 15 minutes to walk from one to the other end and I still hadn’t seen everything.

Continuing my exploration of Melbourne enjoying street artists and musicians performing show their skills on every corner, I found heaps of good sushi places to satisfy my sushi addiction. There is a large population of Asians living in Melbourne. Ranging from Malaysian to Japanese. But the biggest group are the Chinese. There is even a Chinatown district in the city. Helen wanted to show me a restaurant where she and her boyfriend like to go and get dumplings. It was god food, but I will never eat there again, since they had shark fin soup on the menu. That really made me angry. I understand that it is normal in their culture, but that this is not China. And I was surprised that Australia would allow those backwards practices within their borders.

When I had enough of the city, I would read a book in the botanical gardens or take the tram back to St. Kilda and relax on the beach watching kite surfers fly by skimming the waves. The skyline of Melbourne in the background with small yachts and their colorful spinnakers engaged in a weekend race. Or just stroll along the Esplanade past Luna Park, where kids have a ball riding almost antique rollercoasters and other rides. And past the many bakeries with their windows full of sweets and pastry.   

As you can tell I really like Melbourne and would like to come back there. The only thing that u tem off a little was the weather. The first couple of days it was not very warm and they can have all seasons in one day. But I guess that fits this city, divers in every way.

A Sydney NYE

It was around 1 pm when we left Byron Bay. A German guy named Tony, who I’d met in Cairns. Jamie, a guy from San Fransico, and myself in a red Holden commodore station wagon with all or belongings stuffed in the back. Our destination: Sydney. Our goal: watching the world famous fireworks which they ignite form the Sydney Harbor Bridge.

Since we left a bit late in the day, due to Tony’s talent of being unorganized which turned out to be a source of annoyance throughout our trip, we decided not to drive the 768 km in one go. We stopped for the night just past Port Macquirie in a little town called Lake Cathie. We bought some bread, cheese and cold cut meat to whip up a travelers dinner and drove down to the beach. At a beautiful spot in a nature reserve overlooking the beach next to a sign that said NO CAMPING, we pitched our tent and turned in for the night. Tony and I both had a tent to ourselves and Jamie slept in the car. It had been several years that I had camped and I got reminded why I don’t do it more often. I woke up with an aching back and ants crawling over my face.

But we did get greeted by an amazing sunrise. The sun hidden behind a slither of clouds, its golden rays creeping towards the beach over the blue gray water of the Pacific Ocean. Waves crashing on a small cluster of boulders shimmering like opals as the sunlight bounced of reflected by the water running off its sides.

Camping illegally and with the town waking up slowly we didn’t linger long, packed up our stuff and left for Sydney. Since we woke up quite early, we arrived in Sydney at around 11 am.

 The first day and night we spend with Slim and Stav, two of Jamies friends, who lived in the North part of the city. We played some footy in the park and went out for some drinks in the afternoon. Jamie would stay with his buddies for a few days, but Tony and I only had the one night we could stay there. So as soon as we arrived in Sydney, our main goal for the day was finding a place to stay for the coming night. And somehow we managed.

Tony knew some girls he had met on Fraser Island that lived in Clovelly, a suburb in the south eastern part of town, close to the famous Bondi Beach. We stayed there for a few nights, chilled on the beach and went out in Bondi. 

The funny thing about traveling in Australia is that you keep bumping into people you’ve met briefly at the other side of the country. I met Kyle, a Canadian guy who I did a pub crawl with in Cairns. Irene and Norman who I’d met in Byron Bay 6 months ago. And Jossline, my French, who Tony and I shared a room with in the hostel we worked at in Cairns.

The 31^st of December arrived. Time for the big party we came here for and it seemed like the entire city was full of anticipation. All over town where parties and events for New Year’s Eve. All of which you had to pay a lot of money for to stand in a too crowded area paying too much money for too little drink.

Stav and Slim had invited a bunch of people to an old BP site near Balls Head Point on the north side the Bridge.

A big circular area, with a tall 10 mtr high crescent shaped cliff of brown and red colored rock at the back and an amazing view of the Harbor Bridge and the city in the front. A group of 15 to 20 people where there to come watch the fire works together. Of course there were more people there but it never got crowded. In an attempt to keep most of the crowd out we had put up some red/white danger tape and a cardboard sign that said ‘Private Function’. It did not look official at all and was meant more as a joke than a as a serious barrier, but it worked! Lot of people walked up to it, read the sign, saw a rowdy bunch of tipsy people playing music and acting a fool and walked on.

All of the public space in Sydney had become an alcohol free zone for the New Year’s celebrations. The police came by twice in force to confiscate any alcohol. I didn’t mind since I disguised my vodka as apple juice and the police did not take it. There was a cute police officer amongst them and Tony and I took the opportunity to chat her up. We asked her if she could meet us after her shift with the bottles that they had taken. She seemed inclined until her sergeant gave her shit for chatting with us. It was all very funny.

The moment we had waited for was upon us. Midnight and the start of one of the biggest and most well-known fire work shows in the world. With cameras at the ready and drinks in hand we counted down and let the spectacle wash over us. It was an impressive show that lasted for 12 minutes. Fireworks were ignited form the bridge but also from several barges that were spread out over the harbor. All beautifully orchestrated, timed and color coordinated. 

After the fireworks most of the crowd dispersed and head for home. As did we. Tony and I accompanied Dan, one of Jamies friends who lived in Sydney, to his place in Kirribilli. Right next the house of the prime minister of Australia. I was so tired that I crashed on the couch and fell asleep right away.

The next morning was again all about finding a new place to stay and doing that with a hang over is not advisable. But we did manage. We moved to the house of girl I’d met in Cairns. The last spot was located in West Pymble, a suburb so far out of town it was almost not a part of Sydney anymore. She lived with her parents, who were incredibly friendly and hospitable. They really made us feel at home, although they didn’t know us and I only had a drunken conversation with their daughter in bar 3 months ago. We stayed for 2 more days, visited a fancy night club in the city center and chilled on the beach with friends for Tony his 24^th birthday on the 3^rd of Jan. 

A week after Tony and I arrived we left Sydney. He had found a farm to work on, to acquire his 2^nd year visa, near Melbourne and I decided to tag along and check out another city.

I had a good time in Sydney, met some cool people and made new friends, but I do not really like the city. It feels a bit un-personal, uptight and pretentious. It is see and be seen. Fancy shoes and button up shirts. Egos bumping heads. No room for humor. Rules and regulations for everything. I’m sure not everyone will agree, but this is my take on the city and was happy to leave. To continue my adventure in a place where I feel more at ease. Where they are a bit more laid back, where they don’t take life that serious and therefor get more out of life.