OK Serious moaning finished, enough is enough!

OK just to say sorry that my recent entries have been so negative! But I don't know why after 2 months of happy travelling I have to start my blog when things all start to go wrong. Ill health, money trouble and relationship heartache. OK I know that I caused it but it still hurts! So will resume my lighthearted moaning as opposed to my serious moaning :-)

Anyway arrived in Australia 2 days ago (Tuesday). Flew Auckland to Brisbane and had a 3 hour stopover, got tired of the indoors so walked out of the airport and found a small grass mound overlooking the barbed wire fence into the runways. Thought nice place to plonk my arse and chill out and watch the planes taking off/landing. Except the whole mound was teeming with huge poisonous ants (they had illuminous green sacks on them so must have been poisonous, right!). Pah! Thought can't live in a country where you can't even sit down in the grass! And thats not to mention the deadly spiders, snakes etc. Had to go back and wait in the airport so people watched instead and bought a book about a mass suicide attempt that bizarelly cheered me up as it made my life seem better than their rubbish ones.

Then it was a 5 and a half hour flight to Perth, yes it takes 5.5 hours to fly across Australia. Perth is the most isolated city in the world, my new home. My dad and his wife kindly picked me up from the airport very tired and jet lagged. Almost gave my nan a heart attack, she arrived the day before and they kept it a suprise that I was coming. Then slept and slept and slept.

In the morning I went jogging, gotta get fit after a week of eating comfort junk food and drinking too much beer. And in the park I almost jumped out of my skin as I came round the corner and practically ran into a kangeroo, yes a wild kangeroo, how wicked was that. And there was a whole pack/herd - whatever of them round another corner. Safe mate. Then my dad said he'd treat me to a Macdonalds for lunch (almost had a heartattack, he's got money in his wallet, he is a changed man!), I said can we make it a subway as I'm trying to eat healthy, he said too expensive! God he's classy isn't he, some things never change! Anyway sorry I'm taking the piss dad if your reading this, I couldn't help it, I did persuade him to get me a subway anyway, posh I know. After that I bought some black trousers, shirt and tie and did my CV, no rest for the wicked, gotta move quick. Today got myself dolled up and went into town and have been round all the emploment agencies. Most just took my CV and said we'd be in touch (never promising) but one of them told me to come back tomorrow at 8am for computer tests and registration (promising). My dad had lent me some black shoes which were unfortunately 2-3 sizes too big, so I was walking round like a clown, feet flapping on the floor, hmmmm no good. So just had to invest in some new shoes (got cheapest ones for $20, not bad) and also an Aussie mobile phone for the agencies to contact me on.

My new phone number is +61 406114061. I won't be using my New Zealand number anymore, or my UK one for the time being.

Trouble is to get a job I have to invest in all this clothing, phone cards, travel passes, food etc. So I'm getting into debt looking for a job to get me out of debt! Oh well thats life. Hopefully first pay check will be soon. This evening after writing this in the internet cafe (no computer at home yet) I'm gonna go round all the bars to see if there's any jobs going there. Got to keep my finger in as many pies as possible! Also tomorrow got to open a bank and get a national insurance number.

But although Perth is a bit isolated it is a beautiful city, loads of nice beaches, permanent sunshine and friendly people (so far). It is wierd living in a suburb 20km out of town, just realised I've never really lived in a suburb before. Grew up in a small cotswold town nestled in the valleys and full of history and character, then lived in Sheffield and even when living in zone 3-4 of London its still built up and urban feeling. Its wierd, a lovely upmarket suburb and nice although a bit lacking in character, but it feels like I'm living in a movie set. My experience of suburbs like this is all from American films! And last night was playing football with my baby brother (4 years old, ahhhh) and these cockatoo's came screeching down into the tree tops, its all so out of this world! So its all a bit dreamy and strange at the moment.

But saying that its nice to have a goal. Part of my trouble the last few weeks has been that I knew I shouldn't have been travelling and should of been working. Reaslied today my plan was to travel NZ for 2 weeks and get a job, hmmmm, I didn't stick to this, travelled NZ for 2 months, spent all my money and got into debt. So its now nice to be correcting this, on a mission, sorting things out and with a goal to get a job ASAP. When I need to do something then I'm very committed to get it done, blimey it sounds like I'm writing my CV now.

OK gotta go, things to do, people to see, cheerio.

Getting Cross Now!

Argghhh! Getting a bit irritated now. Wrote a passionate blog entry which took me ages, well a while anyway, and it crashed as I pressed publish. Then went outside for a breath of fresh air and bought some refreshment in the form of red bull and a sandwich, just come back to the internet centre and my refreshments have dissapeared. The last few weeks have been a right nightmare in lots of ways, maybe I'll have a nervous breakdown. Or maybe not, have got no money left, so I can't afford it.

Anyway I'm going to write this entry again to get it off my blooming chest! I'm not having it just disappear like that! So I apologise if it sounds a little stale, things often do if they are being repeated - grrrrrrrrrrr!

Bye bye Kiwis, Hello Kangeroos, Snakes and Spiders

Have completely changed my plans. Am now flying off to Perth, Western Australia to live with my dad, his wife and my baby brother who have just emigrated there and my nan who is going to be living with them for a few months. Employment opportunities are very good there. Will be able to see family and earn some money to replenish my bank account. Also its very hot and sunny. So bye bye New Zealand, I fly off on Tuesday.

Anyway since last entry, I moved on up from Dunedin to Christchurch, apparantly a very English City, with lots of rose gardens, punting on the River Avon, and streets named Gloucester, Worcester, Oxford, Cambridge etc. Didn't get up to anything particularly exciting because of the huge boil (finally getting better now). Did go up the hills in a cable car and went for a nice walk. Also went to the beach for a day. Went out to bars without getting drunk (am on antibiotics). Said goodbye to some of the friends I'd made travelling for the last few weeks. Then got to Auckland, things went a bit pear shaped and thought I've had enough of this, I'm going to bugger off to Perth.

Hmmm

If you've read my blog over the last couple of days you might have noticed a few wierd entries and updates. That wasn't me.
Two days ago someone used my password, logged on, wrote entries and updated my profile in what some might say an unsavoury way.
I've now delted those entries and got my blog back to "normal".

Not a Happy Chappy

Pah! Had blooming boil on one of my butt cheeks for the entire week now. Swollen painful huge lump of redness, can't sit on it as in agony. This means I have to perch on one cheek when I sit down which is
a) very uncomfortable
b) means I look like a bit of a freak, people probably think I've got piles or got something shoved up my ****
c) is making my lower back ache.
Also can't sleep very well as keep waking up when I turn over.

Finally had enough yesterday and went to the doctor which cost me another $100, more money gone, got myself some antibiotics which will (hopefully) clear it up and reassurance that I will make it and am not dying.

Also means I can't join the others going out partying in the City of Christchurch for my last weekend of freedom before working next week. Oh well I'll save money I suppose and it'll be good for my health, every cloud has a silver lining! Being a bit melodramatic really.

Must keep my chin up and grin and bear it! Still got 2 legs and 2 arms (no offense to the disabled), most of my body is functioning reasonably well and I still have some of my sanity left. Got food on the table and a roof over my head.

Ok I'm rabbiting on now, haven't got much else to say, so bye bye, hope alls well in Blighty and God save the Queens!

Penguins, Sea lions, Parrots and Boils

Anyway by the way I was only joking that I hate new zealand and it people on Sunday (some people thought I was being serious), I was just hungover. Actually had a great day, did a bus tour of the south coast and saw wild rugged coastline and got to see yellow eyed penguins (rarest in the world) on one beach and sea lions (again a rare variety - forgot name) on another. This is added to the Kea we saw on Friday in the mountains, one of the biggest, most intelligent and rarest parrots in the world and the only parrots that live in cold Alpine areas. They were funny and even attacked the rubber seals on the skylight in our bus. Spent last two nights in Dunedin, a city of supposedly Scottish heritage, its OK, doing a brewery tour today, which I might need as

To add to my woes of receiving the $350 fine I now have a huge boil/insect bite/ingrowing hair? on my arse cheek which is extremely painful and swollen and means its almost impossible to sit down.

Oh dear I need a holiday, oh I am on holiday, oh dear......

Credit now running out, bye

Blooming Americans have fined me $350

Found out today that the Merced SUPERIOR County Court of California has fined me $350 - the sods.
I was only doing 86mph in 55mph zone for crying out loud!

I wrote them a lovely letter explaining that I was a poor innocent tourist who was only going that fast as I was overtaking a lorry on a clear straight road and that the radar caught me when I was at the point of peak velocity and so clearly I wasn't doing 86mph for more than a few seconds......

But it was obviously to no avail.

Oh well now my money really has run out. Am off to Auckland on mon 20 Nov, 6 days and then I have to get a pretty well paid job pronto!

You can take the Offer out of Toffer but you can't take the Toffer out of Offer

Ugh! Hungover as hell this morning, whats that saying, beer before wine makes you feel fine, wine before beer makes you feel queer, whatever, I obviously did it the wrong way round.
Changed my mind, New Zealand and its people are crap, in fact everybody and everything is rubbish.

You can take the Offer out of Toffer but you can't take the Toffer out of Offer!

Photos

In a few weeks, when I'm in one place with a job and can get myself organised I will try and upload some photos to make this blog a bit more interesting.
Sweet as bro (A popular Kiwi expression which translated to English means Lovely Jubbily)

I've found the southern most city in the world - allegedly

Kia Ora (Maori for Hello)

Well today am in Invercargill, southern most city in World, apparantly full of rednecks which I will be testing out tonight when I go out to the bars to get pissed - well it is Saturday night! Its raining again, suprise suprise, I've finally gone somewhere that has more unpredictable and changeable weather than the British Isles. Its never more than a day before it changes from rain to sun to rain to sun, cold to hot and usually several times in the same day.

Semi annoyed as this last week I keep leaving things behind in hostels, thankfully nothing important like passports, credit cards etc. First a torch, then a towel, now a hooded top, oh well. Also fell in a lake Wednesday so had to go out clubbing (well to a bar with people dancing) in flip flops and shorts as my only shoes and jeans were wet. But I'm not too bothered, the scenery is keeping me happy, yesterday amazing fjords and mountains, day before that huge lakes and mountains, before that glaciers and mountains. Yes lots of mountains in the south island, plus sheep (The Welsh would love it) and not too many people, so been getting in touch with nature again.

Last few weeks have been spent in small towns and villages and the locals are extremely friendly. Apart from the time when they wanted to fight me when I fell of a bar that I was dancing on and caused spilt drinks and smashed glass. Bought a bus ticket that tours new zealand, where I can get on and off when and where I want, its cheap as. And if I want to go somewhere it doesn't go to I just hitch, I think the longest I've had to wait was when the 5th car that went past picked me up. The rooms don't even have locks on in a lot of the hostels I'm staying in and people have offered to put me up for a night. The last time I was in a city (Wellington - the capital) was on my birthday (21 Oct) and I left my camera behind in a nightclub after celebrating. I sort of remembered in my sleep and woke up in panick (had all my holiday photos on the memory card) and ran back, thankfully it was still open at 6am and someone had kindly handed it in behind the bar, lady luck was shining down on me I reckon.

So having a good time although bit fed up of dormitories by now as I'm a light sleeper. People snoring, snuffling and wriggling around making the bunk squeek and shudder. People coming in pissed late at night crashing around and people getting up early packing their bags etc. Think I am ready to stay in one place for a while now. Although the prospect of work doesn't appeal after 2 months loafing around. Gotta get a job soon though as my savings are running out big time and I can't find a money tree.

Better cook my dinner (steak and vegetables) then neck a bottle of wine before heading off to the bar, still the cheapskate Toffer of old!

Ta ta

Why use a blog?

Finally started using this blog today as thought its a bit pointless repeating the same thing to people in emails when they ask what I'm upto. So thought I can write a brief account here and then if people are interested they can see what I'm upto. Just easier and as I'm lazy the less effort the better! I'll still reply to emails but just won't have to repeat all the same stuff about what I've been upto.Cheerio