Auz - Willing and Able __________________ I remember the morning well, the sun broke through the gap in the curtain as the smell of fresh coffee and slightly burnt toast filled the room and i swear there were two white doves on the balcony of our Airlie Beach Apartment. LIFE WAS GOOD (but little did we know things were about to change) Heading out to price up some cruise around the Whitsunday Islands we stopped by an internet cafe to check our mail, update the site and......... Oh Yer check our bank balance for the first time since the adventure began!! 'Click' went the mouse, and the dream was over! (or should i say our customery 3 resturant meals, ample liquid refreshments and luxuary 2** Accommadation lifestyle was over) Ok, Ok we're not saying finances were so low that we'd have to run off and join the Circus - BUT we'd certainly have to cut costs if we were going to last seven more months. "We're going to have to work" i said to Vee, as i handed her the piece of paper with the figure on it missing a few zero's! So the 'Visa' less search for work began and our Knight in shining armour came in the form of a Greak South African living in Bowen who went by the name: Ernie. On the promise of food, water, a bed and a few extra dollars in our pockets we boarded his bus for a 60k journey into the bush... we made it as far as Woolworths, when 2 beds became 1, the food became 'Kill it yourself' and ernies armour began to rust! Still optermistic we headed further south, Via Townsville and Magnetic island, to Mackay. After walking the streets for a few days unsucessfully searching for work we did what any other sain person would do....... We joined the CIRCUS! (well we nearly did) A brief incounter with a heavily mulleted man in a motel car park lead to the possibility of work joining a travelling carnival which was heading north up the gold coast (exactly where we'd just come from and a $100 journey to get there) A few ponderous days followed as we debated 'should we stay or should we go', whilst in our spare time we'd practice juggling and fire eating just incase - it wasn't until a underlying fear of clowns emerged, which i didn't know about until faced with the prospect of rooming with one, did we make our decision - and headed south to Rockhampton. This is where we are now, i'm the Aussie equivelent of Handy Andy and Vee describes herself as a Domestic Goddess! After a Week or so of working for our board and mastering every possible dish with the ingredients: Pasta, Tomatoes and Beans, the finances are looking healthier! (Whoopie) We've treated ourselves today to a box of wine and it's rumoured next week we're heading down the pub for the first beer (scooner) in a long time - Still i've gotta say that the last week has been one of the BEST in Auz so far, maybe its the fact that we're getting involved, or the fact that we're off the tourist trail and living more like the locals, or maybe (and more probably) its due to concussion from a nasty incident between: A mop, a ceiling fan and my head?!? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Sun is shining, life and work is great and we're very happy! and if i can shake the clown nightmares and stop Vee from attemping to swollow all the knives - Excellenti! Caretaker Sig and his shelia Vee! xxxxxxxxx