Hello at last dear readers!

I did attempt to update this thing about a week ago, but the computer in the middle of nowhere, OK Mildura, decided that it didn't like that plan and kept cutting me off. As it is I now have a fair amount of catching up to do as a lot has happened in the 12 days since I last wrote an update.

I will begin where I left off which is, I believe on the afternoon I left Sydney. Almost immediately after posting my last update, I walked, or rather staggered under the weight of a number of bags, to the greyhound terminal at Sydney central station, thankfully only a short stagger from the hostel. I then embarked on the epic coach journey that took me to my new temporary home. The coach journey, in case I haven't mentioned it a number of times, was just over 16 hours and every time you got near to having a decent amount of sleep the elderly, shorts-and-knee-high-socks-clad driver would be announcing over the system that 'we are stopping here for approximately 15 minutes, you must all leave the coach and it will be locked for security reasons'. So, neck aching from attempting to sleep curled up across two coach seats, hair fused inexplicably into a vertical position and shooting evil looks at the old lady in front who's been snoring for the past three hours, you pile out of the coach to stand around at the one building in sight surrounded by nothing at all. When we finally arrived in the sprawling metropolis that is Mildura it was to be greeted by Deborah, the toothless wife of an equally toothless fruitpicker, telling us that we had to drive yet further into the middle of nowhere and that there was actually no real work for us (me and two german guys) and we'd be finishing in a week. As you can imagine this wasn't exactly the most welcome news especially when it also meant that I couldn't stay there for christmas and the whole thing had been pretty much a wasted trip!

Anyway, I went out and worked that day and learnt the fun that is orange picking. First I must educate you readers in a few things you may not know about oranges and what is involved in picking them. The first thing that, perhaps, you should know is that orange trees have thorns, large, lethal thorns on tightly packed branches. Also oranges do not conveniently grow on the outer edges of the trees, no no that would be too easy, they grow in the middle which means that you have to brave the thorns and bugs and branches and get inside the tree to pick the little darlings!! And of course once you've picked all the oranges in that area you have to try and force your way out of the tree again with a joey pouch (bag that hangs on your front) filled with your own weight in oranges and attempt to walk with it to the bin where you then empty it. I thankfully avoided going up on the ladders, but that is also required to pick the higher oranges. On top of these hazards is the heat, you start at 6am to get a few hours picking before it gets rosting, but it gets hot out there by about 7.30 and we worked until around 2pm, by which time it would usually be 40 degrees and nowhere to hide. It's also dusty and there are flies that want to get to any moisture at all so as soon as you begin to sweat they're all over your face, trying to get in your eyes, your mouth, up your nose. All in all you end the day dusty sweaty and bleeding and the best part is that you're lucky to get more than 1 bin a day as they're massive (think two chest freezers put together).

As you can tell we all enjoyed the experience immensely, especially the fact that the oranges were so tiny they could barely be called satsumas let alone valencias which meant that it took even longer to fill a bin. And now readers I will tell you perhaps the most shocking thing about this job in particular and the way pickers in general are treated, we got paid $25 per bin and had tax deducted from that, but the same bin will be sold by the owners of the trees for $500. Take a moment to absorb this information and be apalled. In the end none of us made enough in a week to even cover the rent of the cabin we stayed in and still have money left over. After this depressing lament of the orange-picking industry I will tell you some more amusing tales of the employers themselves.

Their names were Steve and Deborah and they couldn't have been more of a stereotype of the outback couple if they tried. As I've mentioned there was a distinct lack of teeth on their part, they drove ancient work vehicles that apparently don't require first gear and spent the day chain-smoking in the fields informing us that no bushfire ever got started by a cigarette being dropped on dry grass. Deborah was the kind of person who likes to appear as if she knows something about everything when in fact she knows nothing about anything and there was a running joke amongst the pickers about her useless facts. One of the advantages of the job being so rubbish was that we all bonded over the bad points and it kept us going. I think that is about all there is to say now about my time orange picking.

I am now in the buzzing (yeah right) capital city where it's raining, if only it could have done that in Mildura last week when we all actually wanted it. It's completely dead here at the moment and I have a feeling the orange pickers may be the only ones here on christmas day, although this will probably be a good thing as we plan to take over the roof terrace and kitchen to have a christmas barbie. In case I haven't mentioned, there are 5 of us here plus 1 random irish guy (he's actually one of the pickers friends) and we'll be here, trying to inject a little festive spirit into Australia!

I leave here next friday to go back to Sydney and the same day fly back to New Zealand, so I'll be celebrating the two holidays in different countries, how exciting. This is definitely set to be the best new year I've had yet! I can't think of much else to say for now and I'm frankly a little bored of typing so I'll sign off and let you all get on with your lives. If you get the chance, leave me a festive greeting on the message board. Hope you all have a good, cold christmas and a great new year.

Love

Kate

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