Today is my 24th shift in a row at the Hotel Cecil in Casino, NSW.
Its been the craziest 3 weeks as i started off with 50 hour weeks doing training. Hotel Cecil isn't actually a hotel; We have the main bar, gaming room, restaurant that opens for lunch and dinner, back bar which opens on Friday nights until 1am and other nights for functions and a bottle shop (a drive through bottle shop!).

I live above the bar with Lesley. There was another backpacker living here - Katie - and had been working here for 4 months but she was sacked and had farm work along the road to go to so we still see her.

It took a bit to adjust in living here. There was a cockroach issue in the kitchen but once i told Nicki our boss she got pest control in... Phew! I have my own room with 2 beds in it. An irish girl from the farm Katie works at used to stay in my room on Fridays as she worked in the bar but she quit, so it's just me. Its SO GOOD unpacking that backpack and hanging your clothes up! We have a little lounge with TV and dvd player. Lesley has a hard drive so we have movie night or watch countless episodes of The Big Bang Theory.

Casino is quite small. It has an Aldi and a Woolworths and few little shops and streets. Other than working we don't do very much except eat chocolate and drink haha. If we had a car we could nip to Byron or Lismore but theres bus services that run, just not very often.

Tomorrow we are hiring a car and going to Macleans Scottish festival :) leaving after work since it closes early for Good Friday and coming back before Saturdays shift.

Working at the Hotel Cecil is so good. My favourite has to be the kitchen. I have never worked in a kitchen before so i have learned to take orders, waitress, we prepare all the salads, garlic bread, bruschetta and desserts. Its let me try so many different foods i wouldn't normally eat.
The bar took me a while to get used to though. They don't have pints and half pints here, its schooners and middies (20oz, 10oz and 7oz) and learning the beer was hard. It helped being in the bottle shop though as you learn quickly what beers and wines there are. Theres loads of regular customers too so its all about making sure they are never without a drink. Met so many nice people but there are a few you need to watch... Especially considering loads of people sport rat tails?!?!? NOT ATTRACTIVE!

The Friday nights at the Cecil are crazy! Lesley runs bar wars which is 4 teams, 4 competitions to win $100 bar tab. Its always a struggle trying to get people last minute but it normally pays off. Thats held in the backbar and Tahn Djs. The courtesy bus brings people to the pub up until 10pm then curfew is 11pm and by that point the bar is normally pretty constant. Lesley and myself always have a drink after we finish on a Friday as its that mental. Had many drinks on the terrace with Tahn and anyone else that likes to join in ha.

The staff are so so so so amazing! The bosses Nicki and Greg are the nicest couple, they have the nicest kids and they do so much for the Cecil and run netball teams and rugby league teams... I don't know how they do it. The other bar staff Nicki Fletch, Kathleen and Jess, bottle shop staff Fletch, Coxy, Roy, Leon and Poppy, kitchen staff Lisa, Dave, Dana, Nick, Caleb, Shish (Nickis daughter) and then theres wee Shirley who does accounts and Friday staff Rene, Nat and Coady. Theres also Tahn The Man who literally does anything and everything! He's the nicest guy ever and probably the hardest working. I love Lisa's cooking and working with her and Tahn probably the most as we always have a laugh. Except when i work with Lesley obviously :)

So far savings going well but the car isn't vheap too hire, costs a fortune for insurance! Won't be having too many trips.

I have been asked to stay here a while longer, the irish backpackers aren't starting anymore and Casino has a major cattle festival in May called Beef Week. Its one in one out for bar and 3 sittings for dinner in the restaurant. All hands on deck and serious money to be made! I CANNOT WAIT!