The geek out

Today I got up earlyish and headed out for Melbourne museum.

When I arrived I noticed that there was a free tour starting in 15 minuets so I jumped on that! 

It turned out that no one else came for the tour so I got the company of the lovley Ro all to myself.

We were only meant to go for an hour but we were both having such a great time before we realised it we had been looking around the museum for two and three quatre hours!

We went all around the aboriginal and history of Melbourne exhibits. Unfortunately I had to bid farewell to Ro to go and see the evolution, anatomy and psychology exhibits.

After the museum I went back to the hostel and had a couple of farewell drinks with my German mate Phillipp.

The next day I continued on my geek out by visiting the Australian museum of the moving image. It was a pretty cool exhibit all about the progression of audio visual arts (movies, games and what not).

Saturday night was white night!

A festivel dominating the central city of Melbourne. The buildings were all lit up in pretty lights and a few music stands as well. I spent most of the night with Aaron, Lauren, David, Joe, Clay and Helen. As the night went on we ended up separated in the crowds but Joe and I found a jazz music stage and a Brazilian friend of mine, Bruno, and after a few congas we danced to saxophone solos for hours.

Great ocean road 3! This time there's Grampians

I've just arrived back from a fantastic 3 day trip. Free of charge as a result of my travel agent connections!

I Haad a great time, the first day we pooteled along the great ocean road and, not on crutches this time, I got to go down on the most perfect beach and explore thunder cave.

After a fun filled day seeing the natural beauty of the Victorian coast line I impressed the rest of the group with my travel food skills. We chipped in and grabbed a cooked chicken, tomato and bread for a huge meal, costing less than five dollars. Finishing the day like all the cool kids do; playing uno late into the night.

The following day we rose early for a short, but stunning, sea side walk. We then drove towards the Grampians stopping at a picturesque lake and a meteor site. Also spying a few Emu's enroute.

The Grampians, a series of wedge shaped mountains formed by the shifting of tectonic plates, were beautiful.

We made several stop offs around the charming town of Halls gap. The best was a moderately challenging hike up to the summit of one of these mountains. The weather had made these wedges and rocks within amazing. Such amazing shapes, contrasts with greenery and sheer lookouts really made this place special. Tim, another relatively fit and intrepid traveler like myself, trail ran an extra loop and down through a Grand Canyon back down to the start.

We also stopped at Venus falls where a hilarious Danish lad called Toby took a dip. The alge in the pools was so thick I couldn't get out. Although his attempts were very amusing!

That evening I took a lot of Goon Virginities. Just spending the good word!

Today was the last day of the trip. We took in some more breath taking views before heading back towards Melbourne. Stopping at a beautiful rustic old winery on the way. This gave me my chance to take some want to be fancy black and white photos.

And now I'm sitting back in my dorm reflecting on a thoroughly enjoyable couple of days. Maybe I'll even heat my soup up tonight to celebrate instead of just taking it from the can!

Valentines day

I had a very nice valentines day this year.

I worked all day (amid cupboard related heckles). I received a very nice valentines day balloon from my friend. After reading said balloon I found it was actually another thinly veiled 'you got locked in a cupboard you idiot' gag.

I had text my friend Nick an SOS and eventually got released by my room mate Danni. Who had spread the word.

After work I went to meet Mikaela -whom I had met in Italy- to go and watch an ozzy rules football game after a couple of pints with her and her friends.

The football was good and I am now officially a Richmond Tigers fan. I have a bobble hat to prove it.

I returned back to the hostel after the tigers had been beaten in the dying seconds by two six point scores. To join the party.

I had a couple of beers and ended up in a Norwegian after party. Fun times! After that is went back down to reception and had a chat with my mate Kristian the night receptionist.

An outlaw!

Up again at 6:30am, this early in the morning really shouldn't be allowed but off I go on another awesome trip to Wilson's prom.

What an amazing place it was too.

The group and I hiked 4.2km up a mountain. To get to the very grey top! The weather had clouded over leading to rain and shit all views! At least the walk and the company was nice!

We tramped back down the mountain side and had our picnic lunch in the car park.

Luckily the afternoon brought better fortunes. The clouds parted and the sun shone rays through the breaks and soon enough we had some beautiful blue sky's.

We then embarked on another long walk through the national park past the most amazing vistas of lush green and tropical blue seas, parted with white golden sands. 

The beach, when we arrived, was so fine that it was like walking on dust. Totally mind blowing. Although we had been at the prom for 5 hours I didn't want to leave.

The bus back to Melbourne was even more eventful than our action packed day.

Just as I was telling two other travel agents, also on the trip, how good it was to work at nomads I received a call.

Shaking with rage on the other end of the phone was Heidi my manager.

Heidi had just found out that I had been a bit of a cheeky bugger. I had recently found out that travel agents get all tours for free... So even though I had already handed in my notice I proceeded to do four days of tours and had a lovley time doing it.

I did not help my case when I explained that I was offered them for free when I was trying to pay to go on them. She responded with "well, if they offered for you to jump off a cliff would you?!!" With out thinking I responded, regretting it immediately "what a ridiculous thing to say! Why would they offer me that, it sounds like a terrible idea for a tour."

Didn't help my case.

Long and the short of it was I got fired and 12hours notice to pack my bags and leave the hostel.

I got back, a little dejected, and decided to have a final pint at the bar where I have been enjoying life so much. When I overheard two of my mates talking about the second bunk bed delivery of which they were helping with in xchange for free accommodation.

The cogs wherrd and a cunning plan crept slowly from the shady corner of my mind. From then on out everything fell into place perfectly.

The bar manager, my boss' boss was having a drink at the bar. I waited for him to Andre outside for a smoke and set the ball rolling. 

I explaned what had happened and that I had been fired and kicked out of the hostel. I didn't expect my job back because I was in the wrong. I did however arrange that in exchange for helping with the bunk bed delivery and treating one of his mates who has a bad neck I can stay on for free until I leave on Tuesday.

Result.

Now I've done over £250 of trips for free and get to stay in the hostel for 5 nights in exchange for one days work nested of three like I was rota'd to do!

With the sweet smell of success in my nostrils I went to bed. Unfortunately though not to sleep.

Nick, Danni and Kelly were planning an illaberate prank on my room mate Brendon. They were hiding in his bed to jump him when he came up to go to sleep. The problem was that Brendon clearly had a better offer and two hours went by and he never came home! So they (pissed out of their minds) had a good old giggle!

Eventually they left only for some of Charlie's friends to come up to the room to have a chat! 

Eventually I got some sleep!

In the morning I came down and had another chat with Kenny and took Ash up to the physio room for treatment.

While I was here Kenny had a blazing Row with Heidi who would by all accounts like my scrotum detached and mounted on an oak trophy Cabernet. My little naughty adventure had apparently reached the top of the chain and pissed off the manager of the entire chain! Oops!

Anyway, I avoided Heidi all day and worked really hard on the bunk beds.

Billy and I took control and our system worked well getting all the bunks done in quick time!

I put the cherry on the cake when stood on the top bunk leaped like a gibbon from it onto hat I thought was a big pile of mattresses. Just as Meg, the big boss of the hostel came in. I got away with it standing up like a cheeky toddler grinning until she left and I let the pain out.

It was not a pile of mattresses but one mattress balanced on a very hard, very metal fan. I had completely buckled the fan and can't wait to see the shade of purple my arse is going to turn!

That evening I had a few Farewell beers with philipp and an early night.

Any work I'll do

The lift's broken!

Terrible news for most but not for me! Due to this malfunction the house keeping staff could not get all the clean bedding up to the appropriate floor. 

I saw an opportunity and I went for it. In exchange for $50 behind the bar I popped my sports gear on and shifted a good 30-40 bags of bed sheets up two flights of stairs.

A nice little earner.

During my following shift on Tuesday 50 new bunk beds were delivered. I ditched the travel desk and got paired up with Clay a big ozzy guy from Sydney, a proffessional rugby league player taking a year off. We spent the day having a laugh and destroying the old bunk beds and building some squeak free new ones.

Today, however, was very much not a work day.

I had a nice lay in before hopping on my bike and cycling a 50-60km return trip up the Yarra river. It was a really nice ride. Although I did have to work hard on e first 15km as my front wheel had unscrewed itself causing a lot of drag on my now wonky wheel/brake system!

After I pounded out those tough yard I had a great time pelting through a farm and cross country tracks. At my furthest point I dismounted for a little rest and a read. I hopped across some rocks on the rapids and read my book on a large rock in the middle of the rumbling river. The setting was so nice I was surprised when I woke up an hour later with my book on my face lying in the middle of the river! I gathered myself and remembered where I was and cycled back to town.

I met up with Clay for one, two or three beers that evening. 

It was really cool to be hanging out with a rugby lad again and I may have got stuck in a little too much to the bag of goon. Seeing as I woke up at 4am locked in a cupboard on the fith floor!

I had gone up with some apparent strangers and fallen for the oldest trick in the book... "I bet you couldn't fit in that cupboard." 

Well I bloody well could!

Then they went to bed....!

That was not the only fun we had that evening!

Earlier in the night Clay and I had decided to be the 'men' and hunt out to get more drink.

We left with a spring in our steps already anticipating the heros welcome we would arrive back to.

Then came a series of unfortunate events...

We jumped in a cab and I asked for Melbourne sentral station. The cabby then took us all round the houses before we arrived at ...Bourke street mall... Out raged I insisted this was not where we wanted to go. The cabby was clearly a hot head and started to shout me down. Clay stayed calm and, addressing the camera rather than the dick head cabby, said clearly that we had been taken to the wrong place and we were leaving without paying.

We then scarpered. Only to find Clay had left his wallet in the fuming taxi drivers car.

So we doubled back and he was still there! Doors locked. Clay knocked the window and the cabby let him in. Clay grabbed the wallet, turned to the taxi driver and said something along the lines of "you silly f***er! You could have got paid then! But instead your just an idiot!" (Clay definitely didn't say idiot but I'll leave the truth up to your imagination!).

We walked to where we wanted to go, all closed.

But we bumped into Ruben, a mate of mine from the hostel. He told us two blocks up would be open. Excited, we jogged there. Closed. But a kind stranger gave us an address.

We hopped into another cab -thankfully not the same one as earlier!- and went.

Success! So I purchased the most expensive box of wine in history and we crabbed back to the park. Our hand aloft in victory. The manly providers expecting a heros welcome.

No one there... All got bored and gone home.

With our pride and egos still swelled for providing so amply a box of four litres we tucked into it ourselves. 

After a little while -and a few texts- we got a few more numbers to join us before heading home. In a delicate state, and all alone, that is when the cupboard trappers struck.

The impromptu escapade

Today was meant to be my rest day in the sea of mirth and alcoholism.

Or so I thought.

I had a good day at the travel desk, considering I had only had three hours sleep the previous evening! I was chipper and sold a few tours. I upsold one girl from a one day great ocean road to a three day trip into the Grampians.

All was good until I went to cash up.

I was $200 short! 

My stomach dropped like I was on the Big Dipper and the floor started to swallow me up. 

Had I really been so stupid! Due to my hang over and poor mathematical ability I had been taxed so hard to figure out how much change I had to give her from $100 when she owed $65 I didn't count the rest of it!

So I called her and in an authoritarian tone made her believe she had made the mistake. I stayed late to wait for her at work so all my friends went to the out door swimming pool without me. 

When Stiene (from Norway) got back and payed she was not overly happy as she had wanted to go to the beach. So I invited her along to the pool with me.

We had a bit of a drama on the tram as we hopped off at stop 33 like we were told whilst I was on the phone to Danni. Danni then told us we needed stop 35! Like a scene from Indiana Jones we leaped in through the sliding tram doors of doom just in the nick of time.

We finally got to the pool and had a great time.

I didn't do much for my street cred as whilst doing a slow motion bay watch run at the poolside I stubbed my toe on an unseen step and fell over.

One tip on a hot day though. Get a canvas hat, fill it with water and put it on. What a dream. The water slowly escapes. It's just great, try it, you'll love it.

All my friends decided to head off about 6pm but Stiene and I decided to stay a little longer. Until we got hungry.

We decided to go down to the riverbank for a Kangeroo BBQ. Unfortunately I'm a very impatient BBQer. Thus after dishing up we had to return the meat to the BBQ. Not once or twice but three times!

After we strolled along the riverbank and I got home about midnight.

At Kilda festival

Today the small beach town of st Kilda was transformed from quiet hippy sheik beach to a seven stage music festival!

After work Avia (the other receptionist) got the tram down to meet all the other hostel guys and Aaron and Lauren. We saw some great acts like the Bamboo's and Alison Wonderland. We rocked out all afternoon and evening! So much fun dancing on the palm tree lined beach with good people.

Life is good!