The Final Days of Aus - LIFE IS FULL OF MOMENTS This blog is dedicated to all of you guys and gals I've met, partied with and probably inappropriately touched. When I first came to Australia I had a to do list, a list of essentials that had to be completed whilst in Australia, if you will. Well people the day has come to review that list and work out exactly what I have done. See a kangeroo (x); eat a kangeroo (x); see a koala (x); see the Sydney Opera House (x); meet an attractive life guard; ask an Australian to 'put another shrimp on the barbie'; wind up an Australian by going on about how your tan gives you a healthy glow (x); moan that the weather is too cold (x); freak out about cockroaches/ spiders/ creepy crawlies of gigantic proportions (x); have an alcohol free night (yeah right!); laugh at the crazy b*****s going for a run in the mid-day sun (x); embarrass myself on a surf board (x) I completely underestimated quite how much Australia had to offer me and I must now tell you just a couple of things I have learnt here 1. Sleeping in your own room is over-rated 2. I am not a natural surfer, water skiier or diver 3. Koalas explode in bushfires 4. Bedbugs are not an urban myth 5. Boxed wine (goon) can be made from fish, meat and egg products 6. Backpackers will do anything to get something for free, yet are naturally suspicious when given something for free 7. Cameras are not my friend 8. I lose things, usually underwear. 9. A crispy chicken snack wrap and medium fries is a deadly hangover cure 10. The grubbiest hostels are the most fun 11. You can fit your entire life in a 65 litre backpack and still have to many clothes 12. My feet will never be clean Before I knew it, I was into my last two weeks in Australia and the days were flying past scarily fast. As I'd been in Cairns four weeks already, I thought it was about time that I visited the amazing wonder of the natural world, which is the Great Barrier Reef. I'd already paid for an intro dive and snorkeling trip with Cairns Dive Centre back in Byron Bay and I managed to convince Charlotte and Young Simon to buy vouchers from me and come with me. I had two days in a row off from work, the first time since I'd been to Cairns and the weather was finally looking good. We got up nice and early (although all of us overslept) and legged it down to the marina to find our little boat. After two hours of very choppy sailing, we were finally out to the reef (sick bags were out with a vengence for some). We joined the liveaboard boat, which looked temptingly sturdier and popped on our snorkel geat. In no time I was in search of Nemo and his friends, but I was swiftly called back to attempt my into dive. I've been wanting to do my open water course and I was very excited about the prospect of diving. Unfortunately I was left disappointed. Being on a budget boat, the instructor was on a tight time schedule and very impatient. I went down about 3m, when my head began to hurt and I had to come up. Before I knew it, it was over. He clearly didn'thave the time or the patience to deal with me, which was a shame for me and him, as I was working as a travel agent selling his trips... haha. The reef itself was staggering. The sun shining made the coral look so beautiful, the fish were so diverse and completely unfazed by the likes of a weirdo in a wetsuit coming dangerously close. I finally located Nemo and a couple of his mates too so all was good. I just kept thinking to myself 'Good God, I am snorkeling te Great Barrier Reef in Australia, wow!' It was so surreal. We returned from the trip and I discovered my Panasonic underwater camera had finally returned from Sydney, brand new and beautiful. Boxed, it was perfect for selling. That evening, after a power nap, we headed out for cheapie Tuesday at the Woolshed, 5 drinks for $10. Charlotte and I got exceptionally drunk so much so, that we were surprised when the lights came on at 3am and we were told to clear off. Instead we took the party back to the hostel chlamydia swimming pool and enjoyed divebombing in, in our underwear, until old Simon came out and told us off and we finally went to bed sopping wet. The next day I was amaed to wake up hangover-free. My friend Rachel and I had long been expressing an interest in partaking of a little shopping at the local DFO (direct factory outlet). Rachel pursuaded old Simon (who had just about forgiven me for the pool misdemeanour) to lend us the Woodduck van, which saved our legs the 45 minute walk. I was in shopping heaven. Its fair to say I spent a bit of money, but I honestly couldn't believe how cheap everything was. A Roxy hoody for $24, a Roxy bikini for $21, Hollister shorts for $3, Abercrombie and Fitch shorts for $12. CRAZY! I was starting to have enough of my job. My two days off made me realise how much fun it was not to work. I started to think about quitting and actually enjoying my last few days. However, it was tricky as my boss was a man down and really starting to rely on me. However, it didn't take much for me to realise, she treats me like crap and expects far too much of me when you think I'm only being paid $10 an hour in vouchers. It took me a while, but I finally plucked up the courage to quit and of course she really wasn't fazed at all. I'm sure I'll be sorely missed... Meanwhile hostel life was continuing on. Anna returned for the weekend accompanied by crazy Swedish Julia from Sydney! Julia and I went for a cuppa and a sneaky slice of chocolate cake on the Friday night and had a much needed catchup on the last 3 months of each others lives. Saturday night saw us head out on the town. Determined fo r a change of scenery from the delights of the Woolshed we instead set our designs on Heritage. Predictably it was crap and Charlotte, old Simon and I settled for a kebab on the Esplanade instead. Classy. Sunday saw Christmas in July. Yes Australia also like to have a kinda second Christmas Day on 25th July, when its winter and therefore supposedly cold. Well 28 degs may be cold for aussies, but the rain was the closest we got to snow and the Woolshed's xmas turkey followed by a 50 cent McDonalds Icecream cone was no Granny's roast dinner. My working life in Australia had come to an end. Excellent use of a working visa... My devastated boss Kathy 'We won't be able to do Excel formulae without you now',barely raised an eyebrow on my last day. I, however, was over the moon as I had found someone to buy all my vouchers. Kerchingn! I was $855 up and life was starting to look pretty damn rosy. Anna and Julia returned for our final weekend together :(. Julia and I decided to brave the swarms of Japanese tourists and board the scenic railway to Kuranda. This was basically a two hour journey through the mountainous rainforest on a really old-fashioned trian. The scenery was gorgeous and the weather held out. Once we had reached Kuranda, Julia and I treated ourselves to some very expensive sandwiches and mooched about the little markets and even went on a little bushwalk. All very civilised. Things were far from civilised that night, my last Saturday night in Cairns. It was a pirate party at Paddywacks (yes we ventured away from Woolshed again!), so Charlotte and I purchased an eye patch, sword and hook between us. Predictably the pirate party was pretty tragic and after Ed had won the best dressed competition (a bungy jump for wearing a hat made out of cardboard, that he didn't even make himself...), we blagged free entry to the Woolshed. We drank for free thanks to Charlotte saying she was events manager and me insisting a guy who broke my sword owed me a drink. Before we knew it, it was just me and Charlotte being mauled by the last few try hards. Stopping only for a few tequila shots and a residency visa (yeah right mate) for Charlotte, we stumbled into bed at 5.30am. Rudely awoken the next afternoon by Anna cleaning the room, we headed for our final lagoon session and of course the obligatory snack wrap and fries hangover cure. Anna had wrtten me a final goodbye note filled with memories of the trip, which made me cry. I couldn't believe I was leaving after making friends for life and having (however corny it sounds), the time of my life. Australia has given me so much and I have so much affection for it. I've never been so happy and I've never laughed so much. It's amazing to leave on such a high. But the adventure isn't over yet. Not by a long way. I LOVE YOU AUSTRALIA!