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erth to Karratha to Cossack
Let me start of by thanking my cousin Kim Hilscher, with out her I probably would be stranded somewhere in Perth. She kindly provided me a place to stay and accepted the role of my mother, I will explain later. The first day I was there I walked around the neighborhood, but mainly just rested. That night Kim took me out to a local micro-brewery called Little Creatures. I had the seasonal dark ale called white rabbit, with an entrée of basil seasoned "skippy" or Kangaroo, delicious! We then walked a little of Fremantle which is a huge harbor. At this time my camera battery died, and knowing me I forgot the charger at home, in texas. So there was a sign there on one of the docks of the restaurants that read "Don't feed the birds or they will S.O.Y." you figure out what that means.
Here is were one of two instances Kim takes the role of my mother. The next day I decide to take her bike out and ride around to check out Perth. I have mapped out where I wanted to go, and brought a map. As you can tell by the map I didn't quite fallow my path. I took the wrong turn right out of the driveway. You are asking me why didn't you check the map, well the map was crap. It was a map of the north part of Perth and I was in the south part. I obviously didn't check it before I left. I ended up finding a little area called bull creek wetlands, so I stopped and saw some birds. I also ended up coming up to a lake were there were some black swans, pretty cool. By the way I got lost even easier, because the road signs are horrible inPerth! Half the streets aren't even marked. Anyway back to the story, so 5 o'clock rolls around and Kim calls me. I end up giving her wrong directions; she calls me back and tells me to find an intersection and STOP! This is where I experience my first interaction with Australian parrots! I stopped at a park and there were parrots and cockatoos everywhere! It was quite a site to see. I was thinking that people pay thousands of dollars for these birds back in the states and they are pest over here. Everything in Australia is backwards! Kim picks me up and takes me to downtown Perth were I wanted to go in the first place. I saw the Bell tower which was amazing!
This is Kim's number 2 instance of being my mom. The next day I had to wake up early and take a 22 hour bus ride to Karratha. I arrive at the bus stop at 7:00 waiting for the bus. Kim gives me a hug goodbye and leaves. As I am checking my bag onto the bus my phone rings. "JOHN where is your wallet? Let me answer that, in my CAR!" You know that feeling you get when you just saw something ridiculous or did something so ridiculous you can't move or think, yea I was like that but ten times worse. For a second I really thought ok Australia it was fun got to go home now. So she tells me to not get on and come get my wallet. Well being me, which means I think I can solve any kind of problem, I get on the bus. I told her to put the money in my wallet into my bank account with Commonweath in Australia, and when I get to Karratha I can withdraw the money. Then you can send me the wallet and I can pick it up in Karratha. YES problem solved! Come to realize, that when I arrive in Karratha it's going to be Saturday. Karratha isn't that big and the bank isn't open on Saturdays. Keep in mind I am in AUSTRALIA! Im on the road to go to a town 22 hours away from anybody I know! So kim text me back and tells me "I sent your money through the post office, so I could pick it up when I get there." She also goes back to the bank where I set up my account and talked to the person you set up my account which was Jacqui Bateman. Thank you so much Jacqui for your help. Her son did the same thing I did which was backpack Australia. She told Kim she could send my wallet to the Commonweath bank in Karratha, since I don't have a postal address, and I could pick it up there. Back to the money, I get to Karratha early on Saturday, and wait for the news agency, or post office to open. At this time it has been 24 hours before I had any real food. At the bus station I had a sausage hot pocket thing for breakfast. The whole trip I portioned my eating to one small bag of chips and a bag of M&M's. Its nine o'clock I go to the news agency and try to open the door, LOCKED! Try to picture this moment, I have a growling stomach, 25 cents in my pocket, sitting on a bench in 100 degree weather, while watching kids slop up there freaking ice cream, I have officially become homeless. I tried to get a room in Karratha, but everything was booked up. I know no one around. So I go to the local McDonalds, and use its free internet to figure something out. There were some fellow backpackers there that were on the bus and I asked them for 2 dollars, thank you French back packers. I bought a regular small mcdonalds hamburger for 2.25 cents. That's right one of the .79 cent hamburgers are 2.25 in Karratha. I end up getting a hold of my boss and she pays for a taxi to pick me up and take me to Cossack. Salvation! I have a place to stay. So I ride the 130 dollar taxi ride to Cossack and check in. This is were instincts kick in. It is 12 o'clock, for 30 hours I had a bag of M&M's, chips, and a small hamburger. I get to Cossack, and all there is there is three building, and a coast. It's quite peaceful if you have food. I thought I was going to meet my team members here, but they don't arrive until a day later. So I end up going down to the beach and stand on the rocks searching for some stranded line, a weight, and a hook. I find a sit up, and now I need to find some bait. Thankfully the tide just went out and there was a little pool left on rock with a little fish in it. I catch it, put it on my hook, and throw the line out. Now, no lie! The first cast I hook a fish I pull it in and bring it back up to the place. I gut it, fillet it, and grill it on the BBQ, and eat it. Tasted pretty good but it was the size of a big perch. So finally I go to landlady's door and ask if there is any work she needs me to do in exchange for food. She ends up giving me a huge meat pie some frozen vegetables, and a can of baked beans. I go to my room and breakdown. That was the scariest, most thrilling, 30 hours of my young life. Imagine being in a room with no air conditioning, in a 100 degree weather in the middle of the Australian bush, without any food. Thankyou Kim, Jacqui, heather my boss, and caretaker lady, for saving my life.
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