Monday, March 18, 2013

Down, down, to Australia Towne

Sydney the land of the Aussies.  Up until a few days before leaving I had no idea where I would be staying.  Luckily at the last minute I got a couchsurfing offer in downtown Sydney right where I needed to be.  His name was Kevin Chen and he would prove to be one of the best guides Sydney would have to offer.  He was very friendly and gracious with his home and spent many days trying to help me find a boat and make a bit of side cash busking for money.  He is a frequenter on couchsurfing and almost always has people staying at his apartment, even if there is not enough room!  He says he is running the coolest and cheapest hostel in all of Australia and its quite true.  With his help I've gotten to see most of the important parts of Sydney and even get a great look at the night life and other fun things to do. 

He knows I am on a super tight budget and is trying his best to help me get the cheapest options I can on things.  I won't give the number but I certainly could not rent any flat in Sydney for more than two weeks!  That does not necessarily mean I have no money... but it does mean that Australia is expensive.  Which mean its tough to find cheap food in particular.  However it does mean people have a lot of money and to work here would bring in a great amount of cash.  So far I have been busking three days for a few hours and made AU $75.  Not bad in my opinion.  As someone who I consider to be a master-in-training when it comes to living cheap and reusing what others consider waste, I might be able to make Australia work out for a little while.  One thing that has occurred to me is that a work visa might be a good idea.  I can get one in a week and then work wherever I want for a minimum of about AU $20.  That is a kings wage to most Americans I know.  Its even better that the Aussie dollar is stronger than the American.

Sydney after a while got very dull since there is not too much to do other then drink and go to the beach.  Drinking costs money and the beach gets old as my light skin burns fast.  I did see most of what Sydney had to offer including some beautiful nature walks and ocean cliff adventures.  Probably the most exciting was sleeping in Bondi after I missed the last train (again) and stayed in a small cliffside cave 20 meters above the ocean!  The waves crashed below me and five steps forward was certain death, very peacful though and the stars were beautiful that night.  I finally had plans to leave Sydney as an old friend and ex girlfriend came to visit me from Perth to road trip up north to Cairns. 

We left Sydney in a car she rented and drove north hitting as many cool spots along the way as possible.  Byron Bay, Surfers Paradise, Brisbane, Fraser Island and the Whitsundays!  We did tours, bush walks, water adventures and slept in the car almost the whole way up.  The Cairns plan is to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef.  Certainly the most amazing road trip of my life and the most adventurous as we didn't have any real plan other than go to Cairns and see as much as we can along the way. 

Now all this is super fun and beautiful but she is flying back to Perth out of Cairns and I am stuck there.  With no place to stay, go, or do.  Not a big problem to me but I am really getting restless to get to NZ before winter...its coming.  I lined up a sailing job once in NZ but that does not get me there.  I have considered flying and breaking my rule but the captain of the boat I am going to sail with inspired me not to give up.  He told me I would find my ship.  Now I just have to find it.

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