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| Me and Megan's boyfriend, Joon! |
Well somehow or another Longreach won my heart over. Throughout my past 8 weeks there I've done everything from goat racing to sheep shearing and even attended a local party or two. A few new things have happend since I last wrote. My friend who I had roomed with back in Maroochydore, the one who I did my trial with at that Kebab shop, ended up hating the Kebab job (go figure), so I told her to join me in the outback! She pretty much booked a Greyhound straight away and before I knew it she was there. It was so good seeing Megan again but the suprising twist was that she was now dating one of the Koreans from our hostel in Maroochydore and he was going to be joining us in the outback as well! I was lucky to be able to spend my last few weeks in Longreach with some of the closest friends I've made since being in Australia. Needless to say, goodbye at the train station was not easy.
Luckily a few of the girls who I had gone to Longreach with are leaving just the week after me, so I will most likely see them again. After boarding the train I endured a grueling 18 hour ride back to the coast. Destination-Bundaberg! If you remember awhile back I was in Bundaberg, what a hole. I had to go back there first because that's where the OzExperience bus droppoed me off last. Since my train didn't get in until 1am, a few days prior I had called the reception to ask if anyone could be there to let me in. The girl assured me someone would be there and that there should be no dramas. I KNEW there wouldn't be anyone there and that I would be stranded once I got there. Sure enough, after an 18 hour train ride I rock up to the hostel with all my crap looking like a bum and what do I see? Lights out, door locked, no one at reception. Really?
Luckily I had saved the hostel number because I had a gut feeling this would happen. Please please pleeeaassee answer.
"Urrhmmm hello? (laughter in background"
"Oh HIIII, I just got off my train and was wondering if you could let me in so I could check in??"
"Are you booked here?"
"Ya, I talked to a lady the other day and she said someone would be here to let me in since I'm getting in late."
"Hmm ok, I'll be right there."
This guy rocks up complaining about how he had no note that I was coming and that I was lucky he was here because he was just shutting down the bar. He gave me my sheet and room key and I cringed as I walked to the room. Bundaberg has left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth because not only is the hostel an absolute dump, the last time I was there with the boys was such a desperate time. That was back when we were talking to Sue Strawberry about doing back-breaking work! Trying to figure out what our next move was going to be since everyone was so low on skrilla. Oh well, one night here won't kill me.
I passed out immediately and woke up to a phone call from my bus driver asking if I could be at the stop an hour earlier. Sure thing, buddy! I grabbed myself an ice coffee, checked out and was on my merry way to the town of 1770! The bus driver was interested in my American-ness so he called me up to the front to chat him up. He told me all about all the odd jobs he's done and how he's really into trees. Been a bus tour guide for 10 years now though.
After we arrived in 1770 he informed us that our Scooteroo tour was going to be at 2pm that day. Guess I wouldn't be catching up on any sleep. What is a Scooteroo tour you ask? It's the most fun ever! Pretty much everyone gets a mini Harley Davidson motorcycle and we ride it around for 4 hours and tour 1770/Agnes Waters. I was worried I'd crash but luckily I've still got all my limbs and didn't crash once. The best part was that when I was being sized for my helmet I ran into my friend Dean! What are the freaking odds? He had done OzIntro with me back when I first got to Australia and I hadn't seen him since I was working in Surfers. He was now working on the Scooteroo tour and living it up! So good to see an unexpected familiar face.
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| What a bad a** |
After the tour it was time to go back to the hostel and get on the goon/make some friends! I ended up hanging out with some Scots, a few brits, a german and a dutch and a Canadian all night. Good times. So far that's the extent of my travels, but I think today I'm going to go visit the beach, which I haven't seen in 2 months! Tomorrow I'm off to the cattle ranch. It's one of the mandatory stops that the OzExerience bus does, so we dress up like we are in the country, lasso up goats and ride mechanical bulls. Should be funny. Saturday I'm off to the Whitsundays so I will be sure to write again very soon!
xx
