02/04/2011 - 16/04/2011

My First Impression and Paperwork

Firstly, I'd like to open this blog with my reasons for coming to Australia. When you're stuck in a dead end job, with a steady routine, life to me felt like it was passing me by. I felt a real urgency to inject some excitement, something to look back on and think I'm really glad I did that. A aense of adventure to keep you on your toes. A step into the unknown.

As I'm writing this, it's torrential rain outside. Not the quintessential Australia I was sold from the pictures off Google. It's different though, not bitter and cold, but warm and refreshing. Australia is like that, not too disimilar from home in England but has a different slant on everything I know.

My first stop was a little unknown surburb called East Gosford. It's just over an hours journey from Sydney by train. It's very beautiful in it's simplicity. Rolling hills, tall trees and quiet as a mouse. The roads are unbelievably steep and wide and the houses are built around the trees as if you're living in little tree houses in the bush. Some of them are built on timer poles, just utterly amazing on first glance. You can hear the sounds of the bush from the house we're staying in. The kookaburras wake you up nice and early!

I came here with my girlfriend Chani, whos with me every step of the way on this trip. We came to stay with her Aunty and use Gosford as a base to plant our roots in Australia. Before the road trip begins, you have to get all the boring stuff out the way first. The sort of stuff you don't think about until you get here. Tax File Numbers, MediCare, bank accounts and buying a car. Buying a car comes with its own baggage that includes regos, greenslips, test drives, insurance, and E-Toll. Sitting here now I'm proud to say all the paperwork is complete.

Within the first few days I took the train into Sydney. Having lived in London for 15 years, it wasn't all too disimilar but completely different at the same time. The traffric moves at the same frantic but painfully slow pace. The diference is the people on the streets. Life here is slower, much slower. It's modern too, not a lot of history but I was absolutely in awe of her. She has everything, and the rest of Australia seem to cast an envious eye over Sydney. It's natural harbour is one of the most beautiful in the world. It seemed to pass me by though, too much stuff to sort out. I only spent the one day there, taking in the sights only briefly. But boy does it stop you in your tracks. The Harbour Bridge and the Opera House really take your breath away.

Food here is cheap, fuel is cheap, cinema tickets expensive. Trains are very cheap and there are even free buses! I figure my money may go far, but I need to keep my spending to a minimum in places like Sydney because tourist prices are steep.

Once I had the car, a Holden Commodore Wagon (also cheap) and my home for the next two years, I took a trip to a place called Katomba, home of the Blue Mountains. It was only an hour or so from where I bought the car in St Clair so I thought it was worth nipping over there. Driving in Australia is just like driving in England, it's just got wider roads and a lot of two lane roads. Also the two lanes form with the left lane cutting into the right one unlike it is in England. I got one shock when I was stuck at the traffic lights. After waiting for a couple of minutes at a red light (yes I thought it was long) a lady came running up to tell me that I needed to set the sensor off near the lights for them to change :-D Apparently I wasn't close enough! Very minor differences. Again, with so much stuff to sort out, my visit to the Blue Mopuntains was only brief. Standing tall at over 1000m above sea level it truly is wonderful. The sea of broccoli I call it as you look out over the view of the bush down below. Definitely worth another visit I reckon, when I have more time. It's very cold up there so I'll bring a jacket next time!

In the two weeks I've been here, the weather has been on and off. When it's been hot, it's been hot. Two trips to the beach, one at Avoca and one at Terrigal. This is the quintessential Australia everyone talks about I realise. White Sand, clear warm water and 27C. I had two very relaxing days. Calamari down the beach is a must. Between the hot days are the rainy days. Australia doesn't really do cold. This is warm, heavy rain. It's going into winter season, a good excuse to travel up the east coast, north where it's very hot.

I've pinpointed a place on the map called Stanthorpe. It's supposedly a great place to find seasonal farm work between October and June. I need to complete 3 months in order to secure a second year visa. I've decided this will my next stop, possibly before the end of next week. I'm waiting for some paperwork to come through the post (Chani's tax file number) then we're ready to head off. Stanthorpe is a good 10 hours north, so I'm gauging a couple of days to see some places inbetween. The Gold Coast isn't too far off, maybe there!

I'm covered in mosquito bites, the result of a short bush walk yesterday. No sign of any spiders, snakes or lizards. I was gutted about this! I saw lots of kookaburras and got some great pictures. There were some very big ants, bull ants I think? I also got some nice pictures of butterflies for my mum. The wildlife front has been quiet, I'm told I have to venture up north to see the kangaroos and crocs aplenty. My next stop most probably.