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So as I left you we were in the car with Danny, an Indian Christian on our way to Gladstone. But first we had to pop back to Rocky as the Aussies like to call it to drop something off at his friend's house who was getting married. Conversation was flowing he spoke to us about his travels, berated Tom for paying fines he got in Australia and then he shocked us both by offering us free accommodation for the when we were in Gladstone. We didn't really know what to say, but he was Christian, he worked for the church so what was the worst that could happen? He said it wouldn't be putting him out, so we accepted.
We arrived at Danny's house and he wasn't lying he had ample amounts of space in his house. He gave us each our own room and own bathroom and a key to the house for if we wanted to go out. He also gave us access to his Wi-Fi. Danny was becoming a legend. We went out and explored the main road of town; we decided we would cook for Danny that night to show our appreciation of his hospitality. We then got talking to a girl from Finland called Mira and a German girl who were backpackers working for a charity. They gave us information about getting a job with them. Things were looking good.
We got back to Danny's house and we asked him what he liked and disliked to eat, as we were going to cook for him. He said don't be daft and that he would cook us a proper Indian curry. We assured him that we would cook for him the next night. It had been a long day with quite a decent amount of walking involved so we rested up for a while. Doing the essentials like checking Facebook and writing the blog. Danny then took us on a trip around Gladstone showing us various shopping centres. We got back and he cooked us a feast, a red hot chicken curry, followed by mango cheesecake. It was delicious. We then proceeded to get through three bottles of red wine between us and watch American Pie. I didn't do bad to say I have a huge dislike of red wine. It was a pretty civilised night.
The next morning we woke up and Danny had hooked us up with some work at his church. We met a lady called Kerry and our first job was to take some Christmas presents to the school next door, where I am pretty sure the lady receptionist, mid-thirties, was checking me out. We then moved a fridge and some shelves and then the proper work started, we completely gutted the front garden of the church apart from the cross in the middle and the two spastic trees as Kerry liked to call them, I was pretty sure she couldn't say that being a Christian but kept my opinion to myself. It was gruelling work in the heat and humidity. Danny made us some more curry for dinner and then we finished off the garden, ripping up the remaining bushes, trees and flowers and covered the area in straw, until they had some turf come on Monday. I then took the rubbish to the tip, whilst Tom moved a few bricks around. We'd completed a good days and Danny paid us $80 each for the privilege. Not bad for 6 hours work, where he fed us and kept bringing us drinks.
We got a shower and chilled out a bit, you know Facebook and all that malarkey. Danny got back and then offered to take us around Gladstone again. We accepted. He took us a drive around Gladstone Marina and Spinnaker Park, and then stopped off at a bottle shop to buy some Johnny Walker Black Label for us all to share that night. We got back and helped him cooked the nights meal, I peeled a few potatoes and Tom diced the onions. Danny then appeared with appetisers for us all, this consisted of cubes of cheese, sliced sausage and pretzels. We cracked into the Johnny Walker, soon dinner was ready fish, a chicken curry and rice, and once again it was delicious. The night carried on with Johnny Walker and beers whilst watching American Pie The Reunion. It was a good night and I couldn't help thinking how random my last week had been one day I was helping sail a racing sail boat around the Whitsundays, then I was riding a bull and now I'm drinking whiskey with an Indian vicar. Thinks were getting crazier and crazier and I loved it. This for me is what travelling is all about doing new things and meeting new and different people. Danny then got a little drunk, he was very touchy feely especially with Tom, who he already affectionately called Tommy every time. I had a lot of banter with Tom saying the Indian vicar was gay and fancied him but now it was seem truer he was massaging Tom's neck, slapping his thigh and telling him he would get him more drinks. Tom was looking a little scared, but Danny was soon told to go to bed by his roommate for being too drunk. God only knows what would have happened if he had stayed awake. I'm pretty sure Tom would have been walking funny for the next few days at least.
The next morning we woke up a little hazy from all the booze, Danny was rushing us about as he had a wedding to get too in Rockhampton. He kindly dropped us off just before the Bruce Highway where we could find somewhere to hitch hike from. Unfortunately for us there were roadworks, so the walk turned out to be longer than expected. But eventually we found a gravel lay-by, it wasn't ideal but we thought we would chance our arm there and see if we could get a lift to Seventeen Seventy or the neighbouring town of Agnes Water.
Read again next week to see if we made it, but until then stay safe and take care
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