Day 33 - Worship at the Church of Pancakes, ANZAC Day, and Jobs

Ok, so apparently there are some picture starved folks out there. Hopefully this won't disappoint. It's nothing special but gives you an idea for how cool this pancake-place-in-a-church is and how much of an impression it's made on Will. Yesterday was ANZAC Day which is the equivalent of Australia/New Zealand Remembrance Day. Apparently there was a 4:30 a.m. ceremony at the war memorial (see pictures from our Brisbane! blog). We decided to skip that one, and had hoped to make the parade at 10 a.m. but it was over by the time we got downtown. There were still streets blocked off, plenty of marching bands walking around, horse poo and service men and women all out in uniform. Just like Stampede!

Seeing as we missed all the fun we decided to go to church for a maple and pancake fix. The place was packed but Will managed to get some great photos of the outside and inside. Seriously, the best breakfasts around.

 

Oh, did I happen to mention that I got work? Not just one job, on Thursday I had two interviews and two job offers. Unfortunately neither directly related to public relations. I will be starting with Zenith Hospitality Services on Monday and with Starbucks on May 12. Although not the ideal job, both are good paying positions. It gets me out finally DOING something.

Burritos Baby, Yah!

Oh boy did we find a Mexican restaurant last night! In fact, Will and I have been commenting lately on how we're going to have to publish our own "Eat Your Way Around Australia" travel guide! So, on to the Mexican restaurant story.

Yesterday while Will was finishing his last day temping at the underwear company, I ventured out with my friend Cassie (short for Cassius) to learn a bit more about with Brisbane has to offer. Cassie is originally from India and is a matter of weeks away from getting his permanent residency. He resides at the same guesthouse as us, and after being in Brisbane for nearly two years, he knows where all the deals are.

 

First stop, the video store. On Tuesdays the video stores in my area have 7-day rentals for $1. I got a membership and started off with a couple of seasons of Dr. Who (I'm addicted!). Right next door to one of the video stores are two Mexican restaurants. I figured I'd mention them to Will in case he wanted to go out for dinner. 

 

Next stop, Chinatown! Cassie showed me the best places to get fresh fruit, veggies, meat and Asian seasonings for my own cooking. It was like a small trip down memory lane for me as some products I hadn't seen since I was in Taiwan.

 

Finally our last stop was at Brisbane City Centre Library. For working transients like myself, if you go to the library, show identification and anything formal with your current address on it, you can get a free library card. Once I was in the system I loaded up on books and DVD's. Finally, I've got something to keep me occupied while being unemployed.

 

So when Will got home from work we decided to check out Dos Amigos. It kind of reminded both of us of El Sombrero on 17th (if you haven't eaten there - GO!). I have never seen portions so big before, and it was probably some of the most authentic Mexican I've tasted. Needless to say we both had burritos and we had to walk for an hour afterwards until we felt comfortable enough to go home. There are some seriously good restaurants here, and not bad for prices. I can't wait for our next food adventure!

International man of... Underwear?

When you have dreams of travel and work in a foreign land, they include all kinds of wild and crazy things. These may include being a movie star, finding that dream job in your field that pays you big money for little work, or just getting paid to sit on the beach and test new drink mixes. Wonderful grandiose thoughts. Then after a while of actually being there your dreams just turn to - work. I wonder if any one will hire me, how much will they pay, what will I do?

Thats when it happens, that magical phone call... "Yes. Yes. Yup. Uh hun, I can do that. Absolutely. I can start Monday!" YA! I have work. What a heady feeling. To be employed. There really is very little to compare to it. A new car, graduation, going for a walk after an 18 hour plane trip, that moment when you see a fast sports car coming up behind you and gently and safely change lanes as to block all passing. These are but a few things that only happen once in a while, yet make us feel alive. Yup, it's a marvelous feeling. 

 

You might well be able to imagine my joy when I received a phone call from the recruiting agency here in Brisbane (Odyssey), to start work on Thursday. And where you ask is this first job? Ha, its with an underwear company. I know what all the guys are thinking, because I thought the same thing. Underwear? Women's underwear? Maybe there will be underwear models? Maybe I could meet some. Hey, maybe they'll think I cool and ask me to stay on, and then maybe I'll move up the company and become a version of Hugh Hefner. Ya, right. No luck there. 

My first job is with Triumph International. This is not a glamourous job. It is a job though. I have been brought in to transfer a document from one application to another. That's it. Nothing special. To be honest, as nice as the people are there, its very obvious I am the temp. No one talks to me, or says hi when they pass by. I might as well be working from home. If Internet was at least as fast as it is in North America I probably could. In fact I would probably be more productive, as I don't have to take the train every morning. 

 

Well, the short of it is, I am working. It's warm. Life is pretty good.

Even if I am not the International man of underwear. ;)

Pancakes in church and Doctor Who

Well. So. It's been a few days. Nothing really new. I have been playing e-mail/telephone tag with job possibilities in the west. Until we've got it in writing (thanks CM!) we're not going anywhere. Which means that Will's underwear freelancing job is done as of Monday, I've gone to Starbucks to pick up as much work as a barista that I can, and between the two of us, we'll fill in whatever gaps there are.

That's meant we haven't been the happiest two people lately. Cash is tight. It's just the two of us. We have no T.V. We haven't really made friends yet (as Will says,"It's hard when you're the temporary guy in the office"). So something needed to change. Friday night, as we were thinking about what we'd do if we were in Calgary at the beginning of the weekend, on a whim we Googled "pancakes in Brisbane". What we found was the most amazing 24/7 pancake place, housed in a church. NEAT! So this afternoon after hissy-fits and naps we happily trekked off to church. The pancakes were delicious and improved our mood considerably.

 

Next stop was an Aussie version of Chapters.  Borders has about four floors of music, dvd's and books (my favourite thing). While I dreamt of the books I couldn't yet purchase, Will took care of our lack of entertainment. Two dvd's of Dr.Who Season 3 in hand, we curled up in front of the laptop tonight much happier campers than when we started our day. 

The only thing missing oddly enough was our friend Dave who would totally appreciate Dr. Who even on a laptop (speaking of Dave, where the heck are you buddy? You've got us hooked on odd words of the day).

 

The long and short of it is we're coming up on a month here and we haven't killed each other yet (yay!) but we aren't living out our working dreams yet (boo!). We're not going to worry too much just yet.

And when it rains it does pour!

We're still in Brisbane - Will still hasn't heard anything from the possible job up in the Whitsundays. I on the other hand had three interested parties call me about further communications employment with them. Two are in Adelaide, one is in Perth. Oh boy, this so isn't going to be easy. Nothing like job offers on the other side of the country. Stay tuned.....

The Dave Special - #1

Ok. We have this friend, Dave, who is a bit of a car fanatic. Really, as fanaticism goes, he's up there. This is a man who has shelves and shelves of models cars; nice ones though. Dave had one request, and that was to take pictures of cars. Specifically cars you don't see at home. 

Andrea and I thought this one would be a good way to start off. This is a new Honda Odyssey. Same badging and trim as the van my parents own, just a bit smaller. Notice where Andrea's feet are. She's closer to the van than you think. At first glance you would think its just sitting funny, or that Andrea is much closer than the van is. Nope. 

 

What we call a mini-van in North America really doesn't exist here in Australia. Every thing here is small or smaller. Yet when you do want space to haul things around there are a lot more options than a truck, SUV, trailer, or van. These will all be covered in later episodes. 

So if your thinking that this looks more like a station wagon than a van, you're right. Station wagons are very popular here, and big vehicles like a "Yank-Tank" just are not seen.

 

- Yank-Tank is a term used to describe those SUV's and trucks that seem to take up two lanes and look like you'd need a ladder to get in and out.

Looks like we're heading north!

Well for all of the good vibes I was picking up upon our arrival in Brisbane, work has been far kinder to Will than it has been to me. Since Will's first interview last Tuesday he's picked up freelance work and had an interview with an engineering firm today that was more than willing to sponsor him to stay as an Australian resident. He's also had two phone calls from interested parties wanting his design and mechanical experience up in the Whitsunday's.  If you know Will then you know where his heart is telling him to go.  North - to the ocean, the sailboats and a slower pace of life.

That complicates things in that I had just survived round two of interviews with Starbucks and they were talking about bumping me up the management food chain (don't choke on your coffee Courtney dear)! I had a delightful conversation this morning with a District Manager named Charlie from the UK who was willing to offer me some great opportunities but I had to decline as it looks like we're pulling up stakes and heading north.

 

On the up-side I've got my computer working again. The bonus with Will getting freelance work is that he needed my computer to do some file conversions. After thinking about cost, shipping, software, etc., we sucked it up and split the cost of the new Mac OS. It just feels good to have my computer back, I was getting tired of sharing Will's little i-Book.

 

(Ha, I just found out that the freelance work Will has to do this week is for an underwear company)! Oh, and I went shopping at IGA today! Wonder of wonders, Sobey's hasn't managed to bring it's evil little take-over empire over to Australia yet. It's nice to know IGA still thrives somewhere!

Day 22 - Manly Harbour

On Sunday while Will was looking at a map of Brisbane and area, he stumbled across Manly Harbour. Curiosity piqued, he Google'd possible jobs in the harbour and what the cost of living might be. He was hooked - we had to go see some sailboats and smell the fresh ocean air. Although it's lovely to be as close to the Brisbane River as we are, it just doesn't equate the same as the ocean with Will.

A short train ride later ( I say 45 min, Will thinks 30 min) we stepped off at Manly station and could see the harbour from the train station. A short hike down the hill brought us right down to the docks where all the pretty sailboats were lined up - Will was in heaven! 

 

We took a stroll along the boardwalk, enjoying the families still on summer vacation eating their picnic lunches on the beach. A storm was brewing behind us and while my instincts said "hide", Will's said "let's walk out on that little spit of land and watch". So we walked out on the breakwater, watching the thunderclouds roll in. At the end of the breakwater a father and his two sons were fishing while his wife was busy as photographer for their catch. We struck up a conversation with Anne-Maree (the photographer) and learned so much about her, her family, her work and her latest endeavour - the construction of her huge Canadian-esque house in Brisbane! If the weather hadn't intervened I'm sure we could've spent even more time getting to know Anne-Maree better. Instead we exchanged addresses for our respective blogs. A-M, your house is beautiful. Thank you for the opportunity to meet you and your family. Again, I am just amazed at how friendly and warm Australians are. Total strangers are welcomed into conversations, and that reminds me a lot of home.

 

PS - Check out Anne-Maree's web store in the "Sites worth a click" section.

A note on service

For the most part service goes unnoticed, until its not there. You expect it, you're even supposed to tip well for good service. Yet some how, even when its good, or great, or in those very rare occasions exceptional, we don't notice it quite as much as when its not there.

Brisbane, and for the most part Australia, seems to work on a very British model for service at restaurants and pubs. Not too surprising considering it's very British here compared to Canada. For those who don't know what this means, here is a brief overview: Self-service seating to start, then if you're lucky there will be a menu at the table; otherwise you'll have to find one on your own. Some establishments will list on the menu that you have to order at the bar, but not always. If they don't, you have to wait and figure it out on your own by watching others; or just get tired of waiting. So by now you've ordered. Excellent, now you're set, you have food on the way and drink in hand. Eventually a busboy or your server will return with your order, and this will be the last time you will see this person. No one comes back to see if the food is ok, to see if you need anything, or if its the right food. 

Then there is the scenario when your food doesn't arrive. This is where the staff either forgot about you, or didn't feel the need to tell you all the other staff is off and it's their first day. So your order will be up in, oooooh, an hour. 

 

If this were Calgary, you might not think too much of this, as the current labour shortage has employers hiring anyone who can stand. Or is it breathe? Maybe its neither. I think I saw a cardboard cut-out of a person once. Just so it looked like there was staff. 

 

I have two points here. Both have probably gotten very lost and confused by now. 

Point number one. Take a moment to think about the service you received next time you're anywhere. If it was good, thank them for it. Better yet, thank them and tip them well. This also goes for the opposite. If service was bad, don't tip, and tell them that, but don't short your bill. Just don't give them what they didn't earn. 

Point number two. If you are in the service industry, please, take a moment and think. Most of the time customers would rather know you're short staffed, or something is broken, right away. Its better for you if the customers know what to expect. At least this way if you tell them you are short staffed and everything is an extra 30 min, you can tell them off when they start to complain. :)

Communication is works best when more than one person is involved.

Super Saturday! - Day 20

I told you all Brisbane gave me good vibes! I wasn't far off the truth. Today dawned a bit grey for us in spirit but brilliantly sunny in reality. Will and I have been feeling down lately, because no one seems keen on having two young Canadian professionals at their business. Something needed to change.

We took a train downtown to the Starbucks I applied to the other day. I was hoping to speak to the manager, but she wasn't in. A very helpful shift supervisor was though, and she recommended I apply at her location down the street. Oh, did I mention she was originally from Ottawa? She seemed to set the tone for our day. We meandered a few blocks from the Starbucks down to the Botanical Gardens just outside the Brisbane city core. We strolled the wandering boardwalk through the mangroves, photographing crabs, birds and watching the locals fishing. 

 

We ended up at the Maritime Museum were we spent a few hours looking at naval vessels and marine artifacts. This is where we found a wild little boat a crazy Canuck sailed from Canada to Australia years ago. The boat (if you can call it that) is about 8 feet long and 4 feet wide. See photo below. - Please note this is not a joke, this is the real thing -

Is it just me, or does he seem not quite right in the head; sailing in that dinky little beer keg? It's called the "Happy II". I know I wouldn't be too happy in that thing day and night!

 

 

After the museum we ended up at a pub across the street for a drink.  Turns out the bartender is from Ontario, studying Early Childhood Development at Griffith University. He gave us some good advice for applying for jobs and re-ignited our interest in Brisbane and working/living here. We wandered down from the pub, along the river banks where there was a festival going on. There were plenty of cafes and neat little nooks to stop and rest for a bit. After walking for three hours or so we called it a day, hopped on the City Cat ferry system and caught a ride to the dock closest to our guesthouse. 

 

Back home we finally met some of the folks we're sharing living space with - and were we ever glad we did. We met a solicitor for the Brisbane City Council that give us his business card and told us to apply, apply, apply! Next we met a lovely Indian gentleman that gave us some useful information on the hospitality biz. Seems everyone we've talked to said it's the easiest way for us to get our foot in the door. This company he works for pays $18.50/hr. At that wage I would sign up full-time! So just when we were feeling our most down in the dumps, we got a sign that hope isn't lost. Maybe by this time next week we'll be gainfully employed and a lot happier!

A brief history of a tin can

Here is a brief, but bizarre, history of the Happy II courtesy the  Queensland Maritime Museum. 

- http://www.maritimemuseum.com.au/ -

 

One of the smallest boats to sail across the Pacific Ocean, Happy II was the second attempt by her owner, Howard Wayne Smith, to solo circumnavigate the world. After departing from the USA east coast, through the Panama Canal and across the Pacific, the first boat was wrecked on a reef off Noumea, New Caledonia. Undeterred, Smith built Happy II and continued on his circumnavigation, eventually making landfall near Ballina, New South Wales. However, Smith had arrived without a visa. Also, Australian Customs imposed a $2 000 bond on the boat to cover import duties. He had no money to pay the bond, but was given a tourist visa for 3 to 6 months, which allowed him to stay in Australia. Smith breached conditions of his visa, for which he faced the courts and was deported. Still unable to raise the bond on Happy II, he would have to forfeit her.

 

Smith approached the Queensland Maritime Museum with a view to the Museum buying the boat so he could pay the bond to Customs. The Museum declined, so Smith offered to donate it to the Museum. However, Customs would only release the boat when they received payment for the bond. The Museum declined again. Customs allowed Smith to return to Canada and retained the boat.

 

Just before Expo 88, Customs offered to give Happy II, which was now deteriorating in their store, to the Museum. The Association accepted the offer and Happy II became the property of the Museum. Restored by Museum volunteers, she is displayed in the grounds of the Museum.

 

Particulars

Length overall: 13ft 10" (4.22m)

Length waterline: 13ft 8" (4.17m)

Beam: 6ft 3" (1.91m)

Draft: 3ft 7" (1.09m)

Displacement (cruising): 2 240 lbs (1 016 kg)

Sail area: 180 sq ft (16.72 sq m)

Headroom 4ft 10.5" (1.49m)

Day 19 - Friday

For most people Friday instills a sense wonder, excitement, longing, they feel like a kid in a candy store who can't make up their mind; for weekend is a glorious time. For us its more like, weekend? It's Friday? Already? What happened that we missed the week? We should do something. Oh ya, we don't have any money. 

It's not so bad, but we do find that we have to really watch our coins, or they scurry away like a dust bunny in a slight breeze. Only you don't find coins or bills in big pile under your bed every two weeks. It feels like we've been working, because we spend all day working on the computer or reading the newspaper looking for and applying to job ads. All with out that little reward every week or two, money. 

 

It's an interesting feeling, living on as little as possible, looking, hoping for someone to say "Yes, we'd love to have you work for us." And yet with all that hangs on the line, you just can't help but to have a hope for that perfect job.

 

I did have some news today from the recruitment agency. They were asking if I'd like to work for an engineering company. I'd be doing design and document production. Much like what I did for the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. It wasn't an offer, more of a confirmation that I would work there, or could. So I wait, hoping to hear from someone. Maybe today, maybe tomorrow, maybe the day after. 

Life is good here. We are happy. Even if we can't go to bar every night. (Who are we kidding, we haven't been to a bar once since we got here).

The Australian Booze Connection

Now most of my friends from university and Taiwan/Korea years gone by will possibly find it sad to hear that I don't hit the night life like I used to. In fact my father was rather upset the entire month and a half I was home that I didn't feel the urge to drink rum with him nightly. Anyway, since our arrival we've done our best to sample the local beers and wine (oh are there ever a lot)! Australians have got a unique twist on hard alcohol and mix though.

For example, the other day when we ducked into O'Malley's for a pint and fish & chips, Will ordered a rye and ginger ale. The bartender pulled out what looked like a beer bottle, cracked it open and asked, "Is this what you're lookin' for, mate?" To our astonishment the beer bottle was in fact a bottle of Canadian Club rye whiskey, pre-mixed with ginger ale.  How pleasant!  The next evening on our way home from a grocery trip we decided to stop in at the local liquor store. Imagine my surprise and delight when my eyes spotted a can of Malibu rum, pre-mixed with cola! Of course, I just HAD to get some to complete my bowl of noodles that night for supper. Can you imagine if Canada had something similar? No more running to buy bottles of booze and mix.  Just pick up a 6-pack of your favourite blend! I think I'm beginning to like it here!

More Brisbane - Day 14 thru 16

So far Brisbane has been fairly calm. It's a working city. It doesn't have the hype or flair of Sydney or the surrounding areas like Surfer's Paradise, but it is functional and pleasant. It has been cheaper than Sydney so far, and that is a bonus. 

 

In many of our walks and trips in Australia we have come across the name Milton over and over again. To those of you who don't under stand the humour Andrea and I find in this, it's probably because you don't know that Milton Ontario is where I lived until I was ten years of age. It would be like seeing Shellbrook towns and districts every where for Andrea. Anyways, here is yet another Milton train station, conveniently just across from the Milton brewery. Yes, we do plan to take a tour.

Not too far away from the Milton station was this billboard. Hey guy's, don't you wish you were here?  This is another sign (haha) that signifies Australia's openness to all things. Including prostitution and "gentleman's clubs". They don't quite deal with it or treat it like we do at home.

Brisbane!

How can one describe Brisbane? Beautiful! Will and I arrived in Brisbane Saturday evening, after enjoying a lovely morning with Derwood and Lois and then taking a bus from Bega to Canberra and a plane from Canberra to Brisbane. I know this sounds corny but upon our arrival in Brisbane I felt like good things were going to happen for us in Brisbane.  

We spent Sunday doing the Lonely Planet recommended walking tour of Brisbane. I should've known that would never work with Will though. We immediately got hung up at the City Hall building. Lots of great history there. We took a creaky elevator ride up to the clock tower even to view the city and were around for the noon ringing of the bells.

We finished about half of the walking tour before weather (and a sweet little Irish pub called O'Malley's) intervened!   We finally headed home with sore feet but good vibes about the city. Today we did a bit more walking to a neat little district west of our hostel where we found neat little coffee shops, and a discount computer parts store to fill Will's habit! Coincidentally we also found a great guesthouse in the same area where we will move to tomorrow and will stay for the next week. We can stay there comfortably for the same price as about 3 nights in our current hostel. DEAL! Will has a job interview tomorrow and hopefully that will be a good indication that we'll be staying in Brisbane for a while.  I've had no bites from any of my job postings yet, so by tomorrow I'll probably be looking for work at a Starbucks or some equivalent to keep the money flowing.  Wish us luck!

 

We have lots of photos to show you but unfortunately, since my hard drive crashed out on my computer, no way to format them. We'll try to get them up and in blogs as soon as possible. Just wanted to acknowledge also that Dave and Courtney, thanks for being our biggest fans so far and for making the most comments on our blog. We love hearing from you! Hope you are all well out there, I think we're actually, FINALLY, settling in!

Trip to Brisbane - Day 13

The trip to brisbane consisted of yet another bus trip on a formula one circuit. The bus drivers here are a special breed. Speed limits average 100 km/h and a car would probably have no trouble with it. A large bus back home however would not attempt this. Here though, its just another day. I reiterate, seat belts are mandatory, if only to keep you in your seat.  

The photo above is reminiscent of southern Alberta. It is a photo of the country side on our way to Canberra, the capitol of Australia. 

 

During a rest stop we discovered this old mill hiding behind some houses. well preserved for something that seems to have been mostly forgotten. Other than some new scenery to view, the trip was rather routine. One thing to note, the employee's at the Canberra airport were the nicest and most helpful I have ever encounter at an airport. Thanks.

Day 12 - Last day in Cobargo

Its our last day in Cobargo. We'll miss this sleepy little place. It's like being at home. 

We shipped a large box home today; just couldn't resist the pottery here at Bangles. So we decided to send some home to the family. Shipping isn't cheap here. The 17 pound box cost us over $150 AU dollars for an express post. Could have saved some money, but its the minimum option that you get a tracking number with. So, to anyone traveling or thinking of traveling to Australia, don't plan on shipping a lot home, or do it in very small boxes, often. 

 

On another topic, the weather is getting cold here. Its starting to be noticeably cold here over night. This wouldn't be an issue back in Canada, but houses here don't have heat. Some don't even have sealed doors or windows. So mornings are rather brisk before the sun rises far enough to heat everything up. The days are pleasant, most people would be fine with pants and a t-shirt or shirt. I find for my self that I spend most of the day with a light jack or sweater on. 

 

As mentioned we are leaving tomorrow and heading up to Brisbane. I have been asked to interview with a recruitment agency. They have a lot of design jobs in the area and are in need of designers. Its along way from here, but its warmer, and the only job lead either of us have had. So its worth pursuing it. We could also make a small trip to go see a long time friend (Tara) in Airlie Beach. See is working for a sail boat charter - may have mentioned it before - and I would mind doing that for a while. We see what happens. 

 

The Loth's have this fruit bearing tree in their backyard called the lilly-pilly (or the willy-nilly as Derwood's brother Bill would call it). The fruit is small, about an inch tall, but very tasty. Here is the photo. It has a small edible seed and kind of tastes like a watery crabapple. Very nice in wine! ;)  

This is the view from a bed and breakfast in Cobargo next to an old church. I could live here.  

The Loth's house. Not too shabby.   

To my dad. Here's what a pond should look like. Ha Ha. Any way, this has been an ongoing project for the Loth's. It has some fair sized gold fish (about 3 - 12 inches) and stands about 2 feet deep. Nice for drinks on a Friday.

Day 11 - Computer Problems and Pie

Today didn't start out well. Andrea's computer has been acting weird lately. The fan running all the time, really slow to do anything, and this morning it just died. I should have recognized the signs, since mine did the same thing a couple of years back. Well the hard-drive packed it in. It just sits there clicking, whirring, and snapping away. I am going to look for an Apple service centre in Brisbane. Hopefully it won't cost too much.

On a happier note, I will be making Pumpkin Pie today. YA! I have never made pumpkin pie before, but I have made other cakes and pies. Should be fun.

 

--- 

 

Just a little update. Pumpkin Pie turned out great. Not like I remember, but still wonderful. 

 

Also, we went Kangaroo hunting. Not with guns but with a car and cameras. Best way to describe a Roo is, it's kind of a funny looking deer. Same habits and life style.

Day 10 - Welding!

Wednesday here started out as just another day helping around the shop. I am not sure exactly how it happened, but the fact that I was trained in welding came up in conversation. Well, you can weld, have we got a job for you. 

The pottery shop doesn't just sell ceramics, they have a wide selection of items for the home and garden. Some of which are these little metal cats, dogs, and birds. Occasionally these items get broken in shipping and the manufacture does not ask for them back, just sends a credit. So it was my job to see what I could re-weld. The only things I couldn't fix we the birds. They were brazed not welded. 

 

So that was the day, Welding, lunch, some job searching, and planing dinner for later. Andrea and I decided to make a dinner for our host, some of my special home made pasta sauce. I don't make the pasta from scratch, to much work. Pasta sauce how ever, I always make from scratch. I find you get a much better sauce.

 

Oh ya, we are also looking at going to Brisbane. I have a recruitment agency there that wants to interview, and another job up in Airlie Beach that may call for an interview. So we are considering how and when to go. Also, we would be a lot closer to one of our friends in Airlie Beach, so it would just be another quick plane trip, or bus if its the right price.

 

Day 9 - More time with pots

Today was another day helping out at the pottery shop, lots of unpacking as a big shipment arrived. The day consisted of of checking new stock, lunch, searching for jobs, applying to jobs, snack, than home.

A normal day.

This is Derwood at his wheel.

Day 8 - Helping out at the shop

One week after being in Australia, we started to feel more at home. Our first full Monday found us helping out at the Bangles Pottery Gallery of the Loth's in Cobargo. We owe the Loth's so much for letting us stay at their place, and the little bit we can help with at shop and the house just seems the least we can do.

 

Andrea spent most of the day helping with books and re-stocking the front. I spent most of the day fixing a heater fan. It only seemed right since the fan and wood stove were made in Ontario, Canada.

 

On another strange coincidence, the Loth's have two dogs named Rusty and Cleo. This is really comical and weird since my parents (Will) have two cats named Rusty and Cleo. What are the odds of that?

 

The pottery shop has some of the best pieces I have seem in one place. I recommend a trip to the gallery if you are ever in the Cobargo area. The photos are but a small sampling of what they have to offer.

Day 7 - Sight seeing around Bermagui

After a wonderfully restful sleep at Canada House, we spent a lazy day with the Loth's. The day started out with a marvelous breakfeast on the back deck looking out over the country side. The serenade from the fluorescent tropical birds which accompanied breakfast only added to make it unbelievable.

This formation is known as Camel Rock. Not exactly an imaginative name, but fitting none the less. 

At the end of the day we stopped for a drink and some chips (French Fries). These rather familiar guys are every were, but their bark is not like their cousins back in Calgary, or the Caribbean. These gulls have a harsh / coarse sound. Kind of like a most people after a night at the dance club.