Good afternoon all and welcome back!

It’s been a good few months since our last update (apologies) so as ever there’s plenty to catch you up on. As I write this we’re in Cairns ahead of our flight to Singapore next Wednesday (which has come around seriously fast) but ill try and start where we left off last time.

We ended up working on the Twist strawberry farm for two months in total. There were rumours flying around every day that “the farm was finishing at the end of the week/tomorrow/after lunch/after the next berry is picked” etc for a week or two before it was finally announced to us all…

On said day (23/8/09, for the record) we had arrived for work as usual to begin at 6:00a.m. The morning went by extremely quietly, with a distinct lack of abuse from Brad which was strange in itself. Not even a mention of stray spotty leaves or mouldy fruit. There was, well eeriness about the place. Anyway, at about 9:00a.m, just as we were all expecting the call for morning smoko a wail went up from Elaine (one of the owners) that went something like:

“Right, listen up!! Your strawberry picking careers are OVER!!“

Well, that’s my life over then.

Elaine continued:

“The farm is closed as from now, take your trays back to the trucks and help yourself to as much fruit as you want!!”

Free fruit, the day just keeps getting better!

As you can imagine there was (obviously) much sobbing and inconsolable now ex-pickers wandering around aimlessly debating what on earth they would now do with their empty lives following this epic announcement that their ‘careers’ were over.

Well, not quite, but shockingly I found myself stood halfway down a row with my little tray of berries actually feeling a (only slight I must point out) sense of sadness.
This was little to do with the job itself being over though, as it was quite possibly the worst job in the world. Ever. I was more concerned about the fact that we had not nearly enough money saved and hadn’t even qualified for our second year visa.

A panic then set in due to the above which lasted about 10 minutes before an inter-hostel strawberry fight broke out on the way back to the bus, snapping me out of my hysteria. One particular French guy was smashed in the face with a particularly nice looking berry. It was carnage.

Meanwhile, over in the packing shed…

My day had also begun in the usual manner of alarm bells ringing at around 4:30a.m signalling the start of another joyful day strawberry packing. We arrived at work ready for our 6:00a.m start and immediately began our usual discussion which consisted of each of us guessing what time we’d finish, before we’d even started! When starting at 6:00am we had to work until 9:00am before we were allowed to socialise again and warm the old vocal chords for 15 minutes or so, known simply to us as ‘Smoko’. I therefore began the usual clock watching routine at around, ooh, and 6:01am and being my usual nosey self always kept an eye out the side door of the shed for anything to entertain me whilst living this nightmare.

At around 8 o’clock I noticed something out the ordinary happening outside. Some of the picking trucks seemed to have returned to their overnight parking spot. Feeling a flutter of excitement in my stomach I quickly signalled to Ali who was to my right and motioned for her to have a look outside. Through facial expression we conveyed our excitement to each other that this was a sure sign we would nearly be finished for the day and thus be able to start the party earlier than expected.

By note: Tonight was the party at the hostel to mark 150 years of YHA, or to us a great p*ss up in fancy dress with the chance to win alcohol. Although unfortunately for me I could not participate in the winning as I had helped out with the organisation of quizzes etc, however plenty of goon was chilling so I would not be without. Ali and I had booked the following day off from work and were expecting to still be about at 4:30am the following morning to cheerily wave off the unfortunate souls who still had to go to work! Evilllll!

Sooo you can imagine our excitement at the prospect of an early finish.

Just before we were expecting to hear the magic words from Leah’s (who looks like Timothy Spall’s) mouth, Elaine breezed through the shed and said (not so quietly) to one of the regular women that it was all over and she would see her next year.
Now I think disappointment is a strong word to use in this circumstance, more like annoying at the thought of having to find a new job but at the same time elated that everyone would be able to have a good old knees up tonight and celebrate the end of our Twist strawberry careers in style. The only problem was that we had to carry on packing until all the fruit was gone which was no less than another 6 hours of work…..not amused. Our day ended much like Mark’s had with an all you can pick/carry for your efforts.

The day got even better when we arrived home and Gale provided me with a number of a ginger farm that was looking for someone to start work for them asap which saved me the hassle of trying to find a new job myself. Only catch…they wanted me to start the next morning at 6:00am!! To say I was gutted was an understatement. No hard core partying for me then. The only comfort came in the shape of Lauren who was starting with me which meant I wasn’t alone in my sober hell.

Who needs alcohol to have a good time anyway right?! No seriously, joking aside we all had a great night (see pictures) and I finally dragged my sorry arse to bed at 1am, sober as a judge and not looking forward to the alarm clock due to ring approximately 3 hours later!

After I recovered from my initial shock at the sight of my new employment, let’s just say Lauren and I were both reminded of a texas chainsaw type teen horror movie when we first pulled up, we both agreed that our new employer ‘Wildman’ was more like ‘The BFG’ and envisaged a happy four or so weeks of ginger picking/packing was to be had. The work wasn’t nearly as bad as strawberries mainly due to the fact that we could jabber until our hearts content as long as we were working and whilst doing so could adopt any pose of our choice, the main one being sitting on an up turned bucket which made back pain almost non-existent! High five!

Our co-workers were all men out on the field but we both felt really comfortable and relaxed with them and actually had quite a laugh most days. They consisted of Puss (the supervisor known as John but only called that by me!) and Chris both of whom were Aussies, Gede who is Balinese and Kazu who is Japanese. Occasionally we would have help from Heath ( a George Michael wannabe!) and some older guy (the name of whom escapes me but who’s ‘crown jewels’ were spotted once or twice escaping from his needlessly short shorts!).

So apart from the early starts the job was pretty cushy and we were normally home by 4:00pm every day. Much wildlife was spotted in my time their including but not limited to, thousands if not millions of spiders, centipedes, butterflies and mice which in turn lured plovers, sparrows, waggle tails and kookaburras (one of which landed on my head one day!) plus two snakes (a dead typan and a live king brown both of which are deadly!) dogs, cattle and a rather friendly magpie who the farm had named d*** as ‘he was always hanging around’. Somewhere along the line this bird has come to think he is a dog as he literally jumps around thrashing bits of twig around his head and lies on his back while you stroke his stomach. I was besotted with him and on the days he was around I can’t actually admit to doing much work!

My main job was to pick a clump of ginger from the ground (a plough had done the hard work!) and determine whether the piece was suitable to use for ‘seed’ which meant it would be chopped up and replanted to grow new ginger from or was better off as ‘market’ which meant it was to be sent for selling to supermarkets etc. However, over my time there I have been known to cover ginger with sawdust by hand, drag irrigation pipes down the rows of newly planted ginger and herd cattle! Needless to say I have some serious updating to do on my CV when I get home.

Meanwhile…..After a week or more of “looking for work”, Mark struck gold with an invite to Spackmans Farm which luckily for him specialised mainly in strawberries.

So, to summarise my time at Spackmans farm it went a little something like this:

The farm was owned and ran by Rod and Tamara Spackman. Rod was a really nice guy. Tamara was neither nice nor a guy. Tamara was however, the same age as me (25) and had managed to pump out 5 children already. As a result she was understandably baggy all over. Strawberries were still god-awful. Ginger was better. I also discovered after chopping it for a few days that ginger gets you high. I did consider attempting to smoke it. Rod ran the dog over one day as well as almost chopping his foot off with a ginger plough thing. The following day Rod was on crutches and the dog was dead. We spent the afternoon digging the dogs’ grave. This was good news as there were no strawberries involved. Spackmans was a small farm with a handful of people. One of those people was a man known simply as ‘Ed’. Ed had been known to punch goats in the face…

All the while whilst happy in our work our Maroochy family formed at the YHA and a few sad goodbyes were had in that time. This naturally called for some ‘Farewell’ parties to be had and most we spent at the local karaoke joint ‘Key Bar’ or on the island. A tradition was formed on a Sunday afternoon which consisted of most of the girls making dinner for everyone, the number normally hovered around 15 heads, and we would take over the dining room and all eat together. The fact that most of us worked together all day combined with the fact we all lived at the same place really made us all feel like we’d known each other years and therefore I was really sad when it came to leaving the safe haven we had come to call home for nearly 4 months.
We finally said goodbye to everyone on the 3rd October and caught the Greyhound up to Airlie Beach overnight or 17 hours to be precise. A few sobs were had along the way but I reassured Mark that we would see everyone again soon and we soon found excitement in the fact that we were actually travelling again and not working, woo hoo!

We arrived in Airlie Beach the following morning and true to our recent adoptive family booked straight into the YHA, although much to our disappointment at not being greeted by a similar neurotic type to Gale. Guess she really was one of a kind! As we’d only booked in for 2 nights it meant we had to find a suitable WhitSundays Day tour for the following morning. After much deliberation we settled on the Ocean Rafting tour mainly due to the fact that the price was right and the boats were converted life rafts which meant they were fast and would hopefully mean that A) Mark didn’t get seasick because we wouldn’t be bobbing about long enough and B) We would have more time snorkelling etc.
The trip did not disappoint and we were soon gazing out over the famous Whitehaven beach which routinely makes the list of the top 10 beaches in the world and it’s easy to see why. White silica sand and turquoise sea, what more could you ask for. Two snorkel sites were also visited and after Mark realised he wasn’t suffocating and just need to breathe through his mouth I think he enjoyed it as much as I did. All in all a great day was had in one of the most beautiful settings in the world.

The next day we climbed on board the Greyhound once again to deliver us to Townsville where we would exchange the bus for a ferry to Magnetic Island, so named due to the strange effect the area had on Captain James Cooks compass as he sailed by. We arrived at our new home for the following two nights, the Koala Bay Bungalow Resort, YHA naturally, which featured its very own wildlife sanctuary. We checked into our A-frame bungalow dorm and were greeted by two friendly german girls. FYI there are germans everywhere! Even the germans are getting sick of meeting more germans! Anyway…after dumping our bags we made the short walk down to the beach front just in time to catch the last glimpse of sunset before setting off to order the designated dinner for the night - fish and chips. Well, it’s been a while. Stomachs satisfied neither of us could contain our excitement for tonights planned entertainment….Kane Toad Racing!! No sarcasm intended, we were both really looking forward to it so much so that we practically ran to the bus stop just to make sure we didn’t miss the bus! Soo you can imagine our disappointment when we arrived only to discover that the bidding was done by auctioning off each toad as the proceeds were going to some underprivileged kids or another. Ok don’t lose hope I mean after all this is on the backpackers trail so suuurely this wasn’t going to be OTT bidding, let’s just say the cheapest toad that night was no less than $40.00!! Heeellloooo that’s like our food budget……for a week!! Don’t get me wrong I’m all up for helping the poor children but come on! As usual ladies we all know men can be blamed for most things and this case is no different, therefore due to the fathers egos each felt the need to outbid the other with one guy paying $50.00 a toad for each of his two sons in one race! Let’s just say it was very much a spectator sport for us that night.

The next day we went on a tour of the attached wildlife park. The park itself wasn’t very big but all in all we had a great few hours as we could interact with nearly all the animals. We each held a black cockatoo, a baby crocodile, a python and I hugged a koala!! It was over quite quickly but I savoured the moment and even got some souvenir photos.
Later that evening after our sumptuous dinner of tuna pasta we decided to take a look at the hostel entertainment for that evening which turned out to be coconut bowling. As it was free to enter and there was a chance of winning alcohol we were soon signed up without too much hesitation. Funnily enough whilst signing up we happened to meet a guy from Peterborough and a couple from Kettering! Small world aye! We all set off to join in with the festivities and were united as the English representation for that night. We were soon also joined by Bruce from England and his girlfriend (can’t remember her name!) from New Orleans. We each took our turns with the coconut bowling ball in the hope of winning at least a pot of beer each which only required you to knock down 5 pins. Mark was up first and he happily won a pot for himself and then it was my turn. Horrible images flashed through my head of knocking someone’s tooth out with my stray coconut ball as I’m not the best at bowling in normal circumstances but I am pleased to say a near perfect bowl was made and 8 pins were knocked down! I was therefore in possession of a free pot of beer and was currently in the lead to win myself a $40 bar tab! Unfortunately for me Bruce knocked down 9 pins and beat me at the last minute, however, I had still won a free jug of beer!! No love lost. The four of us were soon happily settled at the bar with our free drinks where we happily chatted for the next few hours.

The next day we found ourselves back on the ferry to Townsville where we would be hopping back on the Greyhound to take us up the remaining coast to Cairns where we were due to meet to Louise and Luke from home. We were pleasantly surprised when we arrived at their hostel, which we would be staying at also, that it was Wine and Cheese night. More importantly it was free….and as part of our stay there we received a free meal voucher each night for a local pub!

A couple of days were spent chillaxing around the lagoon (the sea is not safe to swim in due to stingers and crocs!) before we decided to check out the deals on offer for the Great Barrier Reef. As you can imagine this lucrative tourist attraction means there are many, many different tours to choose from. We eventually settled on the Ocean Encounter tour which involved a large catamaran, breakfast, lunch, snorkelling and a intro/certified dive all for around £90.00 each which, considering we were visiting one of the 7 natural wonders of the world, we didn’t think was too bad. I was particularly excited/nervous about diving again as I hadn’t done any since first getting my Open Water qualification like 8 years ago, but as soon as the first dive was over I knew I wanted to book on to the optional second dive at the next site. Of course this was Marks first taste of diving and he was a little apprehensive although he said he enjoyed the whole 15 minutes he was under even though he had difficulty equalising his ear pressure. It was highly amusing for me to watch him as he tried to descent whilst sticking both legs out of the water and flipping furiously. In the end the instructor took pity (lost his temper!) and dragged him down…we both agreed he should stick to snorkelling for now!

The next day Mark and I decided to rent a car for 3 days so we could head further north to Cape Tribulation for a quick ganders. We picked the little beast up at 9:00a.m and set off south, yes we decided we wanted to visit Paronella Park which we happened to have practically driven past on the bus, so we drove south nearly all the way back to Townsville before we turned off to Paronella Park. Originally created in the 1930's by José Paronella, a man with a dream, Paronella Park is rated #1 on the list of 150 Must-Do’s in Queensland.

José first saw these 13 acres along Mena Creek in 1914 and he eventually purchased it in 1929 for £120 and started to build his castle. The earliest structure, the Grand Staircase, was built to facilitate the carrying of the river sand to make the concrete. First they built a house to live in (an English style cottage), then they started on the Castle itself. Apart from the house, which is made of stone, all of the structures were constructed of poured, reinforced concrete, the reinforcing being old railway track. The concrete was covered with a plaster made from clay and cement, which they put on by hand, leaving behind the prints of their fingers as a reminder of the work they had done.
They laboured with unswerving determination, until, in 1935, the Park was officially opened to the public. The Theatre showed movies every Saturday night. In addition, with canvas chairs removed, the Hall was a favourite venue for dances and parties. In addition to the above there were also two tennis courts and a bowling alley, natural swimming pool with a diving board and picnic benches. A ‘Tunnel of Love’ built through a hill, waterfalls, a Kauri tree avenue (which is written in the land deed never to be cut down) and restaurant plus we were given fish food for the huge carp in the natural lagoon and for the turtles.

Unfortunately due to a number of floods, a cyclone and a fire all that is now left is partial moss covered ruins set amongst mature trees and gardens which gave the place a ‘Jungle Book’ feel, although with a little imagination it was easy to see what an amazing place this would have been when first opened. We left content and carrying our own little piece of Paronella in the shape of a rock which was part of the original castle, given to us as a gift.

Next stop, Cape Tribulation which we arrived at by dusk and checked into the YHA Crododilius Park. Tired from the long trip our plan was to eat the noodles, we were still carrying around, for dinner and then get an early night so we could wake up early in the morning and have the day exploring the Cape before heading back to Cairns. The reality though was quite different. How wrong we were to think our working days were over for the rest of our trip and when the manager proposed we work an hour for a free dinner each we both happily accepted. The hostel was really quiet and all we were expected to do was wait a few tables and do some washing up between the two of us. So after serving the 10 or so customers we were soon filling our faces with spaghetti carbonara and roast lamb followed by apple strudel and ice cream and were still in bed by 9:30pm, cash back!!

So bright and early we rose and were in the car by 7:45am, a miracle for us. We headed to the northern most part of Cape Trib to have a look around, but after looking around one or two deserted beaches we realised that was about it and apart from being lovely scenery there was actually b***** all to do here! Mark had a quick look down a signposted board walk while I kept watch from the car for the elusive Cassowary but unfortunately we were both disappointed by our chosen activities and were soon back on the (shortest..) car ferry (..in the world!) to head south again. On the way back to Cairns we had a quick look around Port Douglas which is apparently home to a few celebs and where Katie P and Peter Andre used to holiday. The town was very nice and reminded us of Noosa but again, nothing much to do here other than shop or sunbathe so we set off again back to Cairns.

Following day we went to Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures with Luke and Louise. We had an awesome day watching the croc’s being fed, having a lagoon boat ride around the park and spotting croc’s lurking nearby, a tour of the actual farm where they breed croc’s for leather and meat and watching the croc attack show as well as seeing the famous Cassowary’s and some more kookaburras and koalas.

Did you know that a crocodiles maximum length can only be recorded when it dies as they grow continually.

So after attempting and failing miserably to persuade Luke to jump in a cuddle a croc we headed home in order to rest up ready for our night on the goon.

The next day we were good for nothing, as you can imagine following a night of consuming at least a litre of wine each, and spent much of the day vegging on the sofa, eating and packing up again ready for our imminent departure the following day to begging the asian leg of our trip, much to our excitement!