So.... it's been a while since i last updated my blog. There's been tears, laughter and plenty vodka! Its amazing how much can happen in a month when you are a backpacker.

Still living and working in Casino. As of late its had its major ups and downs... we have been super worried about losing our jobs as the hotel just isn't that busy anymore. When we started we were getting 50 hours a week, now we are down to 25. We have had several meetings - each of them making us feel anxious and sick in the run up to them, worrying about what's going to happen. The last sort of meeting i had a bit of an emotional breakdown (shock!). I thought i was ready to leave Casino so had started job hunting, but at the last meeting with our boss i kind of felt like Lesley would get more hours if i left - after all she was here first. Because of that i have always felt a bit second best to her (not in a bad way but in terms of priority over shifts and things) and feel Lesley has her own friends in Casino that i don't. I just have these friends because of her. So i felt an extreme amount of pressure to find ANY job that was available immediately after Beef Week. But after a day away from the hotel in a family environment (more details after) i realised how stupid i have been. I've wasted so much time worrying and stressing about pointless stuff - i have money in the bank, i'll be fine whatever happens so i just told myself to get a grip, take my time finding a job that i want for me - not to leave just to suit everyone else... and take it from there. In other words DO NOT GIVE A F***. MUCH BETTER.

Onto the good stuff... Spent a few nights up at Lesleys Spanish friends Davids farm house. When i say farm house - the guy he does his farm work for has a STUNNING property 5km from our hotel and it has the most amazing view. He had us up for dinner and took us to Nimbin for the Aquarius Festival (stoner land, stoner festival) but we went the Friday so nothing had actually started yet.

With the hours being cut at work, i have started doing bar shifts at nights to free my days so i can go do farm work for a woman called Gracie. She has a girl called Katie too (who used to work at the Cecil) so i have been up at the farm for big dinners (Italian family, Gracie was a chef) and also at Gracies cousins house for without a doubt the best meal i have had since being in Oz. It was so nice to be a part of a little family dinner like that. Funniest farm memory has to be the day we had to go look for the horses that had been let out the paddock - spent an hour trekking round a field to find them on the way back... then they ran away! TORTURE. I slept well that night.

We also done the Relay for Life which was held in Queen Elizabeth Park in Casino. We had to do it before and after a busy wedding shift at work so 2pm went up, walked until 4pm then had work until 2.am then i stayed out til 9am on the Sunday... Never been so tired! Tahn had decorated our baton into a doll with the biggest light up dress so of course we won BEST BATON haha.

Last week we had the week we had heard all about - CASINO BEEF WEEK. People come from far and wide for the cattle parades and cattle auctions meaning there was cows in the main street (!!!!). We didn't get to see much with working (a 14 hour shift and a 12 hour shift, if you can handle a kitchen and bar shift in Beef Week you can handle anything) but the Saturday we wandered round the stalls, had pictures with the cows and watched the parades all complete with floats and PIPE BANDS! Being so close to Gala Season at home i wanted to cry!

Day after Beef Week we borrowed the bosses car and drove off to Brisbane for 3 days to get tattoo's. I wanted the writing on my forearm covered and Lesley had one booked too so back to see Mike in Race Cafe. Went really well, i sat like a trooper yaasss. Apart from that, Brisneyland was spent in Down Under/drunk/hungover... the usual. I will say this is the best laugh i have had in a long time (just what the doctor ordered), caught up with all the Base people - Dean, Noah, Christine and met some new people like Eddy (hilarious.... the chat was unreal!), caught up with my wee Kim from home too, had our first MOS burger (Japanese fast food.... unbelievable). The memories and laughs from these 3 days will be with me forever. Once again i cried my eyes out leaving. Plus Lesley and me were so hungover we didn't speak to each other all the way home (plus LP had to stop and be sick....).

TRAVELLING IS THE BEST THING EVER! I love the chat, the places, the experience and most of all THE PEOPLE! aaaahhhh <3