G'Day! (as the Aussie's say) well after travelling across the Americas, swinging my way through the Amazon Jungle and kicking up the dust on the streets of Africa, I always had a burning ambition to do a 'Working Holiday' in the adventurous outback of Australia for at least a year of my life. As I said in my trip into the Amazon, my most passionate desire is to meet the indigenous people of the land, the Native Americans and Shamans, Indigenous African's and what struck me was the native primitive culture of the Aborigines, the first Australians' who my ancestors once seized, captured and killed to try and make their culture as there own. The past as nothing to do with me, but the future does so I was so intrigued to get down under and see the indigenous people for myself, teach me how to play a Didgeridoo or a 'Didge' in Aussie terms...... and also the fact I have a fascination with Kangaroos. So lets do the paperwork,..
Now there are certain boxes one has to tick to secure oneself a WHV
1. Be aged 18 - 30 years old. Ooh 27 pushing it but I'm in!
2. Have no dependent children. No way!
3. Be of good character. Hell yeah I'm the best person I know!
Now I did have to have a chest xray on London's prestigous Harley Street to test that I wasn't about to bring TB to Aussie shores and so successfully passing that, secured myself a one year Working Holiday Visa and prepared to leave the cold winter of Britain behind!
Well here I am, thought I'd let you know how i'm finding life in Australia as a 'Pome' (The affectionate name Aussie's like to call the English), pretty much as a temporary resident and living off Nutella sandwiches and Vitamin Pills. I made it to the other side of the world or the land that everybody calls 'Down Under' as it really is this HUGE island drifting in the Pacific Ocean tucked away down under the world from the rest of it.
After surviving a 21 hour flight and having to be escorted from the plane in Hong Kong to the plane heading to Australia, I planned my arrival so I would touch down in the middle of the Australian summer which I was told is a 'scorcher'.....well it wasn't quite....I set foot in Australia to what was a not-so-hot Melbourne in the state of Victoria. In fact, it was cloudy and pretty cold! so I never should have listened to anyone telling me its too hot for warm clothes. Melbourne is pretty much like Chicago in the USA, it's on a bay and the weather can change in 5 minutes but after a couple of days Australian weather lived up to it's name to being gorgeous, hot, summer weather
, which has been great for the Australian Open Tennis Tournament which pretty much dominates Melbourne during January, very cool. What took me by surprise was arrivng in a hostel after 21 hours and still on London time, I was crashing on a sofa in a lounge watching tennis feeling like half dead, when a film crew walked in and asked to film me for their new hostel film for promotion, I didn't really have to do anything, but God I must have looked terrible on that film! the plus side was they gave me a free pizza in the bar downstairs, how awesome is that with a pint of Stongbow cider. Mmmm think I'm gonna like Australia.....
With Lonely Planet Travel Guide Australia
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