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So Perth, the sleepy city on the west coast of Australia. What a place.
So i left Bali on a night flight to get here for about 5 in the morning. After eventually getting through a strict search at customs we finally hit there treasured soil. For me on a personal level i was dreading getting here for my fear of spiders. When ever the word Australia comes up you automatically think of spiders, snakes, sharks and crocodiles. The biggest dangers out here are (dare i say it) the Aboriginal people. There still bitter about there country being stripped off them by the whites. Started out by of course the English with our prisoners. I can see there point but in today's society, get over it you have a beautiful country with many opportunities and when the government do try helping you out by housing yourselves you use the floor boards and all the other wood furnishing for fire wood, not cool dude. Only recently have the government started compensating you and soon may it end if you keep throwing it back on there faces. I don't want to appear one sided as i don't know enough on the matter but from the abo's i have met they are nasty angry people who are always drunk, trying to rob you or fight for no reason what so ever. Times change and so do they need to.
So perth has a population of around 1.6 million and is the biggest city on the west coast. Most western australians concur by choosing to call perth home. Politically and socially you could say perth is a place with lots of oceans but not many waves. Yet can we blame perth for being obsessed with it's own tanned navel, beer and boats. It's fortune theses days amounts to constant sunshine, great food, women!! even the ugly girls are hot, a relaxed pace, natural beauty and space. It's a city i have fallen in love with and could possibly call it home one day but i doubt it.
So after arriving so early we shared a cab in to the city with some aussie chick. We got dropped off in St james street which is in northbridge. Marks choice, as i think it probably had something to do with it being his beloved Newcastle football ground name. We walked around the streets for 3 hours but no where was open. We eventually checked in to a hostel. Soon after that i went off to find our mates who were just staying round the corner from us. So we chilled most of the day with them, they went to work that evening so we drank and watched the football in there hostel. There hostel was called the bamboo and we soon realised this was the place to be. Actually it ended up being my home for 12 weeks.
To be honest i'm struggling to write this blog as i left here two months ago and since there i have been to fiji, back home and now i have found myself writing this in bangkok on my return trip back out to australia so i apologise if i touch subjects briefly. After five days of being here mark left us to follow his dreams of working in sydney. Can't blame him as it was where his heart lay. End of an adventure for the two of us but in some ways it was just the beginning and i'm sure he would agree. I stayed here as i really liked what perth had to offer me. I had nick and neal here with me and by now i had made some good friends called Ross and Cozy. Just the beginning of the most enjoyable place i have been.
By now i had checked out most of the amazing beaches, Cottesloe, Scarborough and later on i found the quietest but easily as nice, City beach. So with the beaches all checked out it was time to get my self a job. I had my Heart set on bar work but due to my inability to make it out of bed through to much alcohol from the night before i kept missing my RSA course. It's a certificate you need to serve alcohol which is responsible serving alcohol. I soon realised i wasn't the man for the job after being drunk the next morning and then realising i was meant to be there 2 hours ago. No refund for me as it was the second time it had happened. I settled on a car park attending job for one night at the Burswood dome. There was a Santana gig going on so i thought it may be a good laugh. I was so wrong. The roads were manic the car park's were all full and i have to put up with irate Aussie's shouting at me "where can i park man, there's spaces in there, let me in". We had no training or knowledge of where the car park's where so when we was contacted on radio and told there was space in carpark 3 or 4 for example i just use to say it's round there on the right sir. Like i gave a s*** where they ended up. I just wanted easy money and that was it, no responsibilities or headaches just show me the greens. I did that with my mate ash who i met out there. Once was enough for me but he carried on doing it up until the time i left. Another dreaded job i did was one day in a plasterboard factory. Me, Nick and Ash spent a day sweeping up dust. What a bore and i'm not even going to go in to how me and nick decided what was the best way to pass time. After that i decided to rely on my trade, Painting and decorating. Actually I met this bloke who stayed in our hostel for one night and he said he knew someone who needed painters quickly so i got this guys number off him. So i gave this bloke a ring who was called trev and he said come in friday and we will see how you get on. Daniel van gough turned up on the friday and blitzed it. The job was mine, great hours, money and it was easy work in the sun with an amazing view of the city from across the river. Rick was to be my boss. He was the bosses son. Alot of people came and went for the blokes i worked for. I really don't know why as it was easy but you still had to earn your money so work hard and have a laugh why doing it. There was two kiwi's who were the biggest slackers and they both left. Rick and Van gough here kept the business ticking over and soon we was joined be Jason and Jez both aussies. I had a great time working with them possibly the most fun i have had painting in seven years. Also i was earning really good money which i wasn't paying tax on (ssssshhh). So that will help me fund this trip so everyone is a winner. After ten weeks of that it was time to leave them but i always have a job with them when i come back which is great for me.
So by now we was joined by another couple of fresh faces in our little group. First was Crouchie. An essex boy who was mates with Ross and Cozy back home. Crouchie was in a league of his own, hilarious and always up for a laugh. A girl called Lauren was in our group and also a couple called Leah and Warren. Also friends with Ross back home. Soon after that came Tara who nick managed to find at a Chemical brothers concert and soon after they started seeing each other. All of us shared some amazing times together whether it was down the beaches, having a BBQ in kings park which over looks the city, Going out for dinners, concerts and of course many drunken nights out in bars and clubs which i often find myself not remembering to much about and being reminded in the morning.
Being drunk for me was getting embarrassing as i have a really bad habit of naked sleep walking. What would happen is i couldn't find any clothes to put on in my drunken states, make a dash to the loo and get disorientated and not be able to find my room, which was only 2 doors down from the toilets. So i was found naked in the corridors quite often. Another time of drunken stupidnes was at a party round tara's house. We all went as fancy dress. The theme being re-hab victims. We decided to miss the point of that and some of us went as superhero's. I chose superman for the obvious reason. Re-hab and i get to look cool. Lauren was Courtney love, i was going to go as Kurt Cobain but that was to easy and a bit cheesy for my liking. Neil was Brittney spears, Nick was Pete Doherty, Tara was Amy Winehouse, Crouchie was Batman and Cozy was Robin. Bushell Joined us for the weekend so he was Spiderman. Everyone else there was also dressed up to. So being drunk i passed put on the sofa. Most people had already left except from the bamboo gang.
One day me Neal, Nick, Ross and Cozy decided to go to the future music festival and Chemical Brothers were headlining. Loads of dance acts through out the day and then them to finish it off in the evening. From what i remember is we had an amazing time. After that we went back to the shed bar which is next to our hostel. All in there completely wasted and this girl comes up to the bar and starts chatting to me. I kind of new who it was and it was Tara. I had met her briefly in the day as nick was using his magical powers on her. For some strange reason i turn round and told her it's out of order trying to chat your mates friend up and looked a right nob, she wasn't. Soon after that and definitely for the best i went to my bed.
So another fond memory of perth is an afternoon spent in kings park having a BBQ with all my mates. We chilled in the afternoon and come sunset we cooked up a feast. A great thing about oz is there are loads of gas BBQ dotted around the place for you to use for free. There was about 15 of us eating and drinking the evening away whilst trying our best to play the guitar. Everyone failed except lauren who was quite good on it. She gave me and nick some lessons, not that it helped much. After that and by now the mosquito's were out in force so we all headed back to the hostel for some after beers..
So there will always come a time when people decide to move on or even have to. Sometimes for the best other times not. Saying goodbye to your mates or even family never gets any easier. This time it was Lauren who left first. She went off to Brisbane to meet her boyfriend.
So one down but the group was still as strong as ever. I think we all missed her at times but like anything you just have to get on with it. So now it was coming to my turn soon to say goodbye. I really wasn't looking forward to this. Such a close bond is formed with friends being away together. Your there with each other all the time and in some ways i suppose you share all of each others emotions together. It's a nice thing to have but nothing can last forever.
So there was one last thing which i did before i went away which i couldn't wait for. Seeing the Foo Fighters in Burswood dome. I have wanted to see these boys for years and now my time has come, sweet. They put on an amazing performance but one thing was missing. The atmosphere. For some reason the Aussie's didn't know how to enjoy a gig which i find bizarre. Still it didn't stop us from enjoying the show. After that we decided to hit the casino. If i'm honest with you i would have to say i'm the most unluckiest bloke when it comes to gambling. That's a good thing i think as there no chance of me getting addicted. Even on head and tails i can't win.
So it has now come round to my last day in perth. One word will summarise how i'm feeling and that would have to be gutted. Gutted for leaving my friends, the city and the place what has made me so happy. One thing i have to do before i leave is see a kangaroo so me, cozy and some girls which we have now met went to see them. They were called Hayley and Helen. After an hour or so of trying to spot them we did.
So my last few hours flew by and i was packing my stuff up with an anxious thought in my mind. Saying goodbye. So it came round for the final goodbye and after ten minutes of fuss it was time to hit the road for the airport. Ross took me there and after a quick handshake and hug we split.
My last leg of my incredible journey is fiji and what a disaster this was going to turn out be for travel. I was looking forward to doing a bit of travels on my own and also to seeing my ex girlfriend Lisa. Now this could be interesting, or awkward or maybe it will just go fine. Who knows until next time.
I've just finished this blog whilst being in sydney. Second trip, haha.
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