Still in Byron Bay. Still cold. Actually I think I am adjusting a little bit, the mornings don’t feel as cold as they did at first, but that’s not a good thing as I am going to head up the coast shortly towards the warmth. I’ve made the decision to go ahead and try my luck at harvest work and see if I can last for 3 months (88 days!) to get the automatic second year of working holiday visa and make some sweet moola. I’ve done some research and found a town that I think might work out well and will hopefully be warm enough for me: Bowen, Queensland, known as the Top of the Whitsundays. The town is right on the beach and my plan is to stay in one of the backpacker hostels there that assists its residents in finding harvest work. If Bowen ends up getting too cold for me or I don’t like/get bored with it I’ll go a little further North to Ayr or Innisfail. I’ve already decided that if I make the 3 months of picking that my reward will be bungy jumping at the AJ Hackett site in Cairns! Oh, and cashing in on my birthday present of getting my SCUBA certification on Maggie Island (Magnetic Island… a hot Aussie I met in Bali told me I had to go to “Maggie Island”). Now my only big decision left to make is how to get up there. Lifts up the coast aren’t really materializing of late so I might just book a bus, train, or plane up there and get down to it, rather than having some long road trip up with strangers being anxious to get started already the whole time.
In other news, Byron has been pretty fun despite the weather. The girls had a House Warming Party last week that was an awesome night. We had BBQ, fresh watermelon and pineapple, yummy salads, and plenty of booze and music. Dance parties happened as well, of course. Since then I’ve been getting the most out of my season pass at the pool and running along the beach plenty. I made a big pot of chili for everyone a few days ago along with homemade cornbread muffins (plain, pineapple, and jalapeno) that turned out prefect! A new reality tv series started last week called ‘Master Chef;’ it’s very similar to Top Chef from American Bravo. It was on every night last week and we all watched every episode. One of the hosts says “yeah?” at the end of almost all his sentences and we turned it into a drinking game. Last night we had a little birthday party for Katie (one of my fellow squatters… did I mention that last time? Laurie’s friends from home Justin and Katie are also squatting in the living room of this fine house. We’re one big, happy family). There was cake and goon and the most intensely focused and high-paced games of ‘Kings’ I’ve ever played. We even got through the entire deck- that never happens! After Kings we all walked into town, but Laurie and I ended up walking back home not long later: we were game over. When we were over halfway home it started pouring rain, like monsoon style. A friend of ours and former housemate of Laurie and Diva’s, Chris, rode by on his bike as we trudged drunkenly through the rain, we tried to take refuge under a palm tree but it wasn’t any help. Chris rode off after a while and then returned later when we were nearly home and the rain had stopped, with an umbrella. Greatly appreciated even though we didn’t need it, but it’s the thought that counts. We were soaked to the bone when we got back, it was quite the ridiculous night. Luckily I didn’t enter the Annual Byron Bay Ocean Swim that took place the next morning at 10am. I’d thought about it but just couldn’t justify the $50 entry fee because of the horrible shape I’m in swimming-wise right now.
Yesterday the big Sunday market was on in Byron and I briefly hit that up before walking out to Satori to see Diva in action and use their free wifi. The place was busier than I’ve ever seen it before but Diva handled it like a veteran manager. It poured some more rain in the afternoon but I managed to not get caught in it again. Phew. I had mild hungover-y kind of feeling all day so when I got back to the house I ran down to the beach and jumped in the ocean hoping for a shock from the cold water… but it was warmer than the air and actually felt kind of nice. Not what I was looking for but the run down and back felt very nice.
Tomorrow we’re celebrating Laurie’s 25th Birthday a few days early. The theme is ‘nautical.’ Should be interesting. I’m making devil’s food cupcakes with pink frosting!
They had Borat on network TV last night. I still sort of can’t believe it.
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