G'day Cuba, Arrived in Perth 2 weeks ago now! Wearing our shorts T-shirts and flip flops... We got off the plane thought the extremely strict customs, then collected our luggage and headed out the airport, as we got outside both of us were like, s*** its freezing. Coming from Asia where it never went below 25 degrees even at night to the Windy city where it was lucky if it was 15 degrees, roll on summer... Anyway we phoned Russell the night before we hit Oz to see if everything was OK for staying however he

had been called to go off-shore the previous day and the bed for us hadn't arrived at Steve and Kate's flat, but good old nevits had phoned Swankie so we stayed with him for a few days, until our bed arrived at Steve and Kate's. So as I said it was Baltic when we arrived, or at least Baltic compared to Thailand. Swankie picked us up from the airport and we headed back to his ranch which was about half an hour outside the city.

We didn't do much for the first few days in Perth, went to see some wild KANGAROO'S and went for a "Sunday Sesh" (big day out in Oz) which turned out very messy. Jamie who wasn't drinking (always a bad idea when everyone else is) said she would take Swankies car home from the pub but Swankie and Fiona wanted to stay so Swankie drew us a map and said it was straight forward. His house was in the country about 10 mins from the pub, so we took the map jumped in the car and headed home, it was pitch black, I was totally pissed and Jamie had never been to Midland (the town where the pub was) before, and Swankies map drawing skills ain't the best, in fact they were totally RUBBISH! So after driving around for 20 minutes lost we headed back to the pub to get Swankie and Fiona but guess what, they had just left to go home!!! When we went back into the pub know one knew there phone number. After sitting around for half an hour or so a kind lady said she would drive there and we could follow so we did, made it home and Swankie and Fiona were there before us. Crazy Kids!! Jamie was going nuts and listening to my drunken stupor was prob not helping. ha ha Happy Days!

We thought when we got to Perth it would be sensible to get jobs as we were here for 5 weeks, (keep the pennies ticking over etc) so on the Monday morning we headed into the city and went job hunting. There are lots of places geared up for backpackers job hunting, so we hit a few of them, filled in some forms and from there on it was just a waiting game, if they had work they would phone. There is a lot of seasonal work outside Perth on farms and stuff but we wanted to work in Perth as it was more accessible.

On the Tuesday the 23rd October, we moved into Steve and Kate's flat which is just a few minutes on the bus to the city centre. really nice flat in a good location and very good rates, Thanks Steve and Kate!! "We like your work"

Anyway we didn't do a great deal that week apart from bum around in town looking for jobs and on Thursday we got a phone call from a guy at the "job shop" saying to come in, he explained that he had a place for us both in a Nursery, At first
Marc thought he meant with kids, (DUH) probably would have been better than a tree nursery... but anyway once explained what it entailed we thought it sounded OK and decided to take the job at "Trees 'A' Green....STUPID PEOPLE, anyway I will let Marc fill you in about the details as it just annoys me...Roar Roar!!

So we stared work at "TREES'A'GREEN" on Tuesday 30Th October. Before starting we agreed that we would work for 3 weeks then have the last week to see some of Western Australia in a camper van or something.

Tuesday morning came and we were up at the crack of dawn to get our 2 buses to work, it was like being at home again...up early making my pieces for the day ahead. Oh and we forgot to say, in order to start we needed to buy Steel Toe Cap Boots, ha ha which Jamie loved and found very comfortable, NOT! "my feet hurt, I hate these boots, they are too heavy" etc etc

Anyway off we went, got our first bus then changed to our second and said to the driver "when we get to Hail road , which was where the garden centre is give us a shout "no bother mate" he said.... Unfortunately he forgot about us!!

The bus was meant to get to hail road at 8.20am, us being organised (well Jamie) had worked out all the buses and times etc, we were meant to be at work for 8.45am so it was perfect, oh that was until the bus driver forgot to tell us to get off, so when it came to 8.45am, Jamie was saying maybe we should have got off a wee while ago, she found it really funny and was just like whats the boy gonna do sack us?? It was true who really gave a S**it if we were late, we are on holiday, or so we thought. Anyway we asked the bus driver where we were and he said sorry he forgot to tell us, so we stayed on the bus until it turned around and went back, we ended rocking up to work an hour late on our first day, not the best impression to make.

To be honest I wish the bus had just taken us back to Steve and Kate's...When we got to "Trees 'A' Green", there was NO introduction to anyone, no orientation (which Jamie kept going on about), no talk about wages etc etc, it was just straight to weeding plants for me and Jamie was on the cash desk. We were never told what time breaks were or how long we had for lunch, however we soon found out when a BELL that's right a BELL rang for lunch, it was like being back at school, a bell rang at the start of lunch then at the end of lunch, and know one went a minute over there lunch breaks, why?? Everyone always takes a few extra Min's, not here so WHY?? Well we will tell you why, because there was a camera in the "BOATHY" (big shed where you have your lunch) that's right a camera and if you overshot lunch guess what happened? That's right it got docked from your wages, and did i mention you weren't allowed to speak and that the boss was a Sausage Head oh and his son was an even bigger Sausage Head (Jamie wont let me write W***er) The place was like army camp for bad kids, a living nightmare, so that night when we got home the 3 week job turned to 2 weeks, then after coming home the 2ND night it turned to 1 and a half weeks then the 3rd night after coming home it turned to 1 week and on the 4th day we jacked in the job. There was a huge problem about pay etc, Jamie was pretty disgusted by the way the staff were treated and the way the jumped up son spoke to her like she was a 12 year old school girl. She also hated the fact that there was a lot of cruelty to plants?? You see they were already millionaires (unhappy ones) they didn't have a clue about ordering stock etc so heaps got wasted each day and thrown in the bin. All I can say is thank god we didn't have a house otherwise we would have adopted hundreds of plants, it was a disgrace though and they didn't reduce any, they just got chucked! So on our last day Jamie stared giving it big licks with the owners son cause he wanted us to open an Australian bank account (we had no intention in doing this till we got to Melbourne) which we explained before we stared that we did not have one. The boss told us that we would get cash in hand. so Jamie got pretty annoyed with the son as he was being patronising, and all I heard whilst putting so plants away was Jamie shouting across the garden centre "Right that's in Marc, lets go Ive had enough...who the hell does this guy thing he is treating people like that" so we hit the tea shack got our stuff and went. We got paid he sent us a cheque but i think we were bumped, no biggie though....Its all an experience!

After 4 days working we were free again so that night we hit the pub with some of Jamie's family who stay in Perth and had a quality nigh out to celebrate us leaving the worst job ever, we just st feel sorry for the people working there all the time, makes us appreciate our jobs a little more i suppose. The day after that Sat 3rd November , Jamie Steve, Kate and myself hit the Swan River for a wine cruise, magic fun. We boarded the boat at 9 in the morning and set sail, it was an all inclusive tour as much wine as you wanted, very very dangerous. The wine was out basically as soon as we were on the boat and the fun began again. We cruised down the river drinking wine and eating everyone seemed quite prim and proper but after a stop over at a few wineries and 6 hours later on the way home it was a totally different story, i was trying to take over the captains spot, everyone was singing, dancing and falling about. Quality day had by all, we we got back to Perth we went back to the flat but never made it back out as we were rather tiddly. We made a heap of phone calls, sorry if we never made sense that's what a day on the wine does....Sorry Jeemer!

Sunday 4th Nov- we woke up early the next day and hit the beach as it was roasting 30 degrees, but know one has ever told us how many flies there is in Oz, but when is warm and your hungover the beach ain't the place to be so me and Steve left the girls on the beach and headed to the bar. Cottesloe where we were is meant to have the best Sunday sesh in WA, Sunday drinking is a big deal in WA everyone does it, but the pubs were so busy we couldn't get in so we headed back to the city to chill out.

On the Monday 5th November Jamie and myself were working in a bar in town to set up for a function which was on the Tuesday, I say working we were there for 2 hours, but before that we went to a backpacker information station and rented a CAMPER-VAN, a "Wicked" camper-van, they are geared up for back packers, funky art work on the sides and cheap to hire, but equipped very well and very comfortable, it was quality booked it on the Monday to pick up on the Wednesday and we hired it for 10 days.

So on Tuesday we worked at this bar in town for a function Jamie started at half 7am and i started at 11.30am both finished at half 6pm...Early shift and cash in hand!!

Then it was back to the flat to to pack for our trip up north in old Bess (the camper). On Wednesday morning we headed into Perth to pick it up, got to the "wicked" shop and guess what I had forgotten the bank card, so it was a taxi all the way back to Steve's and back to the wicked shop which was a sore one, but hey Bess was ours for 10 days, or meant to be 10 days but we just couldn't part with her...so we extended our trip....

We are gonna write a separate blog for the trip up north so if you wanna here what stuff we got up to, click on the Camper blog and read on! Its been eventful and a fantastic experience. Oh and by the way Freo Rocks big time. No worries mate, Tooheys new please mate!!!!

Speak soon, Marc and Jamie (oh and Bess!!) xxxx

Ps Kangaroo Pics to follow!!