Sixth Email

Gidday,
I'm currently sitting in the laundromat for saturday's washing session, thought I'd construct another update while I was sitting here waiting for the soap suds to do their work.

30 degrees currently and appears to be getting hotter... At least we arn't in melbourne, they still getting 42 degree days. I've now spent three days on inductions... Grant was pretty right in his descriptions. I did a vodafone and kordia induction on wed, then the generic coalboard one on thurs fri. Could have probably fitted the coal one into one day... That course included basic first aid and basic fire fighting, had to put out a small fire with a co2 extinguisher which was interesting.

Came back for the night in between, although last night being friday we stayed and went to a local pub with a Kiwi mate and her freind. Washing is now finished and can't work out how to save this so I'll send it and finish it soon. Standby....

(Continued...)

Gidday again again,

I'm back home now from doing the washing, we went home via the supermarket to get some more milk and water, and a clothes horse to dry clothes. I learnt one major thing in this trip. The auzzies cant build clothes horses. We managed to find one that will do, but it's pretty unstable and nothing like the kiwi ones. I may have to modify it. Am giving it a test run as we speak. Well, as I write anyhow.

Righto... Where was I before. Something about staying in rocky after the course... We finished the induction about 2:00 (did I mention the auzzies love knocking off early... We finish at 4:30 most days) so drove round rocky seeing stuff. I may have purchased a small australian bhp mining HO trainset just for interest during the course of our exploring. (Turns out it's too big for the space I have so that will be shipped home.)

Went to a free zoo, I'll send some pics through. Was pretty awesome, got to see koalas, roos, crocodiles, a python, a cassowary... Went to a place called red rooster for dinner, the Auzzies laugh when you tell them you have never seen it before because it's as common as mcdonalds over here. They sell chicken like kfc but without the spices, it's like roast chicken. Quite good actually.

Went to the local pub with the before mentioned mate, you have to be a member but it's only $1 to join up. The hours are crazy over here... For example they have strippers on 5 till 7, then 7 till 9 is main busy bit, then after 9 most people head home and by 10 we were only people there, closing at midnight. Admittdly this is small country type pub, in main town nightclubs open till 3 then after that you can stay in but once you leave you are not allowed back in.

It's dark by 7 so that's why everythings earlier. We shot a few games of pool nz vs auz, unfortunatly they bet us 3 nil. Only by one or so balls each match, but enough to win. I bet my mates mate about half a dozen times however, so all was not lost.

Geckos everywhere, they love crawling over signs. Moths are huge, bigger than nzs butterflys. Real impressed with the pub though, will have to go back. They love when you say ten, six, fish and chips, chilly bin, pin, and damn near every other word you can think of. I just pay them all out for speaking funny where ever we go.

At work we have a pom, two south africans, and 3 kiwis, so we almost outnumber the locals now. When the guys left the pub it was only us 4 remaining, which was good cos we had 3 kiwis and one auzzie, so it just felt like being in nz and paying out the auzzie. Apart from the heat. Nz would have never have got that hot.

Walked back to the car and we sorta hung out there till bout 2 in the morning, then we drove back to gladstone. Luckily managed to not hit any roos, because we still driving the office lady's car, I don't think they would have been too impressed had I put a kangaroo print in it.

Bought a dewalt hammer drill yesterday too, work has no tools, it's gunna take a few weeks to sort that out. Amazing what you take for granted, at least at Ashleys we usually had access to the right tool for the job. You can claim tool and work clothing expenses back off your income tax though, so I think I'll actually end up paying for it out of my tax which was handy to know.

Righto... Think that's pretty much it for now, I'm getting sore thumbs typing on this thing so I'm looking foward to internet. Turns out gladstone is classed as a small rural town in auz so there's no decent adsl coverage so I'm having to go wireless... Bout 55 bucks a month for 7 gigs of traffic. Internet is flaming expensive here compared to NZ, we have much better deals and options in nz. (and far better cellular coverage too).

Anyhow... Cards arrived from the bank today, so that's good. Theres no (read: very little) Sunday trading here either, which is quite good. They do some things right these australians. Righto I'm off for now. TTFN.