Leaving on a Jet plane...

..don't know when I'll be back again.

Well, I've worked (am working it now in fact) my last day in the library at Griffith University and can't say I'm sad to go.

During my 11 weeks there I worked 42 days, made 32 paper cranes, 3 paper airplanes, one rubber band ball (measuring nearly 10cm in diameter), did 27 daily crosswords, 11 Sudoku's, 1 Samurai Sudoku (cheers Jim), 5 New Scientist Enigma puzzles and sent several hundred emails of which less than ten were work related. I also taught myself the first verse and chorus of the Welsh National Anthem in Welsh and English, managed to get several hours sleep at different times by hiding in the back stacks and still left with them thinking I did a great job!
Rather than a reflection of my own abilities this is probably a bad inditement on the quality of the rest of the work force....

I leave for the cold climate of Sydney with just a bag full of clothes, a bit of money in the bank and an open mind full of an all embracing love of my fellow man... err yeah.. that's actually a complete lie, I'm pretty intolerant, some might quite justifiably say ignorant... most people annoy me on sight... especially people who order anything other than a pint from me when I'm working in a pub..... and sometimes even the pint drinkers.

Anyway, I'll be staying in contact with everyone a little more sporadically now I don't have a job where I sit in front of a computer surfing the net all day.

Just remember I'm not a backpacker, I'm a 'Gentleman Traveller' and while I may be carrying my possesions in a backpack there is large difference between me and them... which is basically that I'm a better class of person!

Story Bridge

Story Bridge

Swines...

It looks like I'm going to be getting severely fleeced in the car selling stakes. Took it to the garage to get a Safety Certificate, which is similar to an MOT, which you need to havein order to sell a car privately. Turns out it needs about $1000 worth of work on it to pass. Plus the rego is up soon so if I want it to sell really need to stick another 6months on at $400....after all this I'd still have a car I don't want and might be able to sell it $3000-$3500. The only other option is to take it to a car yard and get paid massively below what it's worth. Looked in at one yesterday and was offered $1500 which is at least half what the car is worth. The sad thing is I'll probably end up taking some offer at a similar level to that one.

On a more positive note, I climbed the Story Bridge last night. Managed to be up the top as the sun set which was pretty spectacular. Even better, while at the top a Shooting Star blazed a trail across the sky of Brisbane.. talk about lucky!

Looks like I'll be all set to fly out of Brisbane a week on Friday to set up shop in Sydney for a while. Spent all this morning at work forging a fake Invoice to say I've had my carpets steam cleaned as it's in the rental contract that it needs to be done when I leave. Must say I'm quite pleased with the end result.... there could be a career in forgery ahead of me!

Going, going....

Well, I finally handed in my notice at the Library on Monday. I finish on the 26th May so have just two weeks left of work. I've also given notice on my flat and move out of there on the following Monday, the 29th. Not sure exactly when I'll get to leave Brissie as it all depends on whether I can get the car sold or not. Being looking into the market a bit and for the price I'm asking it should sell fairly quickly... fingers crossed.

It seems like I have a million and one things to try and sort out in the next couple of weeks. I've acquired a plethora of useless things while in Brisbane, including alot of pub promo crap from work that is basically just going to be given away. Fitting just the bare essentials, such as clothes, into my backpack again is looking like a challenge. I need to cancel the phone, internet, gas, electricity, RAC, Insurance and change my address for the bank, tax office and 3 superannuation accounts.....uh, I'll stop boring you all there.

Not much else to report. While Brisbane is possibly the nicest place I've lived and I'll be sad to leave I just can't wait to move on now. Looks like I'll be heading down to Sydney next but as for any plans after that I couldn't really tell you any specifics...

Take care all,

Not sure how clear this is but after lying down on the beach and accidently falling asleep I left a 'sand angel' behind.

Me, wiped out on the beach.

Me on the beach with Caloundra in the background.

Bribie Island

It was 13oC this morning when I got up, a chilly 13oC and I was cold. I had to wear a jacket and put the heating on in the car on the way to work… does this sound like the actions you should be taking when living in sub-tropical Brisbane!?

Took a trip to Bribie Island on Sunday courtesy of a mate of mine called Andrew who I play football with during the week. After only getting to bed at 4am after work Saturday night I wasn’t best pleased about getting up at 8am the following morning and seriously contemplated turning my phone off and going back to sleep, but, I’m glad to say I didn’t.
You can’t actually drive on the beach at Bribie in a normal car (well you can but you’d get stuck and look like a tit) so I parked up and joined him in his new four wheel drive. I actually think the trip was only in aid of taking it off ‘sealed’ roads thereby justifying its purchase!
We met up with several other recreational four wheel drivers and ploughed down the beach in search of some WW2 ruins dotted along the coast. We parked up at the top end and following an extremely vague map and directions set off walking into the sand dunes. Ten minutes, several mosquito bites and a mild laceration to the leg later we came to a dead end in the bush with no WW2 ruins in sight and three crying children in tow. After brief consultation between the men, involving turning the map around and pointing in various directions, we went back, drove half a km down the beach and stopped off at the clearly visible path direct to Bribie Fort and dismissed all the other ruins.
We then spent the rest of the afternoon lounging around on the beach idling the day away. Had a BBQ, did a little fishing, played some football, flew a kite and fell asleep for an hour on the beach.
When I got home at 6pm I was so tired from my day’s exertions that I pretty much went straight to bed.

Life just seems to get tougher every day!

It's small world....but I wouldn't want to have to paint it

Was stood at a bar the other day when a guy, noticing my Lancaster University t-shirt, turned to me and said he went there as well but was in a different college. I smiled, made minor chit chat and then walked away. To be honest it’s not a major coincidence as he was the third person I’d met in Brisbane who’d also gone to Lancaster Uni. However, about half an hour later we met at the bar again and he asked where I was from originally:

“North Wales” I replied and waited for the generic response along the lines of either ‘I’ve been to Wales’ or ‘I’ve got a mate from Wales maybe you know him’. Not this time….

“Not Colwyn Bay by any chance…?” he continued

“Uh… yeah, why?” I asked, a little confused by this stage and starting to wonder whether this was some crazy person who’d followed me across the world.

“I’m your next door neighbour”

You just can't escape it.....