23/10/09

I'm slowly finding my feet here in Bunbury, but I'm still job-less which is becoming increasingly frustrating.

But I've been fairly active – a couple of friends of Tilly's (Tenille) and I went out on motorbikes to one of the local wineries, Hackersley, for lunch. It was a delicious 5 course meal accompanied naturally by a bottle of the vineyard's best. Then on Sunday I took part in the 10km Surf to Surf run/walk, which I didn't know I was doing until that morning (the starting gun went off at 9am) so I was rather unprepared. Still, it was something to do. It took me about 4 days to recover though! I've heard there's a triathlon coming up, which seems strangely appealing...

On Monday I started my 2 mornings of training at the Dolphin Discovery Centre (DDC), which is not only something I'm starting to enjoy, but it's also good just to have something to do. Monday was just a case of going through paperwork and the basics, then Tuesday was more hands-on. There haven't been many dolphins in the bay recently, but we're only just coming into the summer season where they become regular visitors. However I got to feed, weigh and measure the 5 baby loggerhead turtles that we are currently nursing. They were originally swimming around quite happily in the warmer northern waters of Shark Bay, but were blown off course during a storm and washed up on these much colder SW shores. So we'll be looking after them for a few more months, before they'll be transferred to a 'nursery' further up the coast where they'll learn to catch their own food and fend for themselves. On Sunday the DDC is having its 'Open Day' which marks the official start of the dolphin visiting season – though whether the dolphins are in agreement to this I don't know. I'll be manning the Discovery Pool and talking about the little things living in it – sea stars (as they are officially now known – no longer starfish - due to somewhat pedantic scientists), urchins, anemones, sea cucumbers, periwinkles, mussels etc

Aside from that, I've just moved house with my flatmate (furniture et al), which is slightly better located in terms of shops (there's a shopping centre with a humongous supermarket just over the road) and for getting to the DDC.

Otherwise I'm trying to come up with a contingency plan if a decent job is not going to come my way...

16/10/09

This is Zoro, Tenille's cat. He's been getting a few cuddles recently as I've been battling a bit of homesickness :( It's funny, I've spent a decade working, studying, travelling and living abroad, which have helped me come to the conclusion that to pursue the kind of lifestyle I desire, Australia is probably my best bet. And now I'm finally here, I haven't been feeling too happy! There's nothing like packing up one's entire life and moving to 'nothing', starting everything from scratch, to let the doubt set in. The thing is I've done it before, to an extent, when I lived in Oz the last time, but this time it's different. It's more permanent. And with the events leading up to my departure, a great summer catching up with people and exploring parts of the UK I'd never seen before....the realisation that this really is a big goodbye to many loved ones, familiar places, mum's Sunday roast with the yummiest Yorkshire puddings and gravy...I've been wondering if I've done the right thing!

Ahh but I know it's still early days and shouldn't put so much pressure on myself. I haven't even been in Australia for 2 weeks! I guess part of it is just wanting things to fall into place quickly, and things are still going quite slowly. I guess for the first time ever (!) I'm feeling ready to settle down, so finally I'm saying 'OK, I'm ready now, let's get on with it', but not much is happening! I know, I'm expecting too much ;) I just need to be patient. I think of all the advice people kindly gave me before I came, and it's a reminder that it's not supposed to be easy at the beginning....

So yah, work-wise there's not much going on. What little there is, I'm overqualified for, apparently. There is a job at one of the BHP Billiton mines down the road (1/2hr away) in Collie, but I need a car for that. I'm very reluctant to get a one at the moment because the value of the £ has dropped immensely – almost 30% in the last year or so, (in the last couple of months around 18%!) so I'm very reluctant to transfer any of my savings over just yet. I'd be quite happy cycling to work. I came here for an active lifestyle after all!

So, my days of unemployment are being spent mainly on a bicycle. I've been exploring, to an agency interview, signed up at the Dolphin Discovery Centre (training starts on Monday for 3 mornings), and going to the town's new fancy sports centre. I was offered a free 7-day pass so yesterday went for a 2km swim in their lovely Olympic-sized 50m pool. Have cycled around 35km over the last couple of days, but after yesterday's additional indulgence in the pool I'm feeling a little decrepit today.

I bumped into the guys I knew at the hostel, so will be popping over for drinkies sometime over the weekend probably. I joined Tenille and some of her friends for a gourmet pizza night, and tomorrow we're heading out on motorbikes for a ride somewhere. They're all divers so there's already been talk of trips, and have been invited out to the Gili Isles in Indonesia in Jan! I've heard it's an amazing place, but I've already got Borneo on the cards...

So, in some ways things are going ok, which I am grateful for. I'll get over the homesickness. At least I have my ticket home for a visit next year. Gives me options :)

11/10/09

Dolphin Retreat hostel is the 2nd building from the left with a tree in front. Handy for town and the beach :)

Well things are picking up! I've moved into a place with a girl called Tenille who used to be a hairdresser but is now studying to be a teacher. She's 29, likes diving and bushwalking so I think we'll get on well :) She's only in her current place for another 3 weeks and is at present looking for a new place, and if all goes well then I'll join her there too. But rent is significantly cheaper than the hostel aaaaaannnd I have an internet connection! Whoop! It's just so much easier now to not only keep in email/Skype contact with home, but also for looking for jobs, completing applications, checking timetables etc. It's quite a bit further out from town, about 4km away, but I have use of a pushbike which is a huuuge bonus.

Bunbury itself has also grown on me. It's quite a bit bigger than I had first thought, and despite the appalling transport links I'm optimistic that the town (it's considered a 'city' but really, it's not at all) is growing quite quickly. I've handed in my application for the Dolphin Discovery place. Part of the reason I tried to convince myself that I should give Bunbury a chance is because of this centre - I'm really keen on getting involved!

In terms of jobs, the agencies haven't gotten back to me yet, but I've found a couple more I need to mail my CV to. I have to remember I've not even been here a week, so am starting to relax a bit more. I know things work out eventually, but I can only do what I can do and the rest will hopefully fall into placed! I've actually found one job online with a local international consultancy which I'm quite keen on. The role is Business Support Officer, and looking at the spec the tasks are all ones I have done before, so fingers crossed. Not only would I be able to do the job, but I'm hoping there would be potential for training into the consultancy area itself.......

Another little idea I have simmering away in my mind, which I had actually forgotten about until last night, and that is importing textile goods from Guatemala. Random you may think, but perhaps no surprise! I was up last night chatting to some of the guys in the hostel, and all complimented me on my colourful slipper/booties which I picked up in a market called Chichicastenango (Ill get a picture on at some point). The market also had baby versions, and blankets and cushion covers with the same fabulously bright colours. So, I'm going to investigate this as a potential side project. Might never happen, but who knows.... :)

06/10/09

Well today I got free rental of a bike thanks to the hostel I'm at, so off I went to the Dolphin Discovery place and picked up a volunteer application form, called into most of the employment agencies in town and I've just emailed across my CV to them. I've also just applied for the Ningaloo job. Well....I might as well!

I'm currently at McDonalds (I don't want to become a connaisseuse of McDonalds in WA but there is the inadvertant potential), which would not have been possible with out Monsieur le Bike (unless I got a taxi, but I still consider myself a traveller at this moment in time and therefore taxis are far too much of a luxury). It is the only place in town with free wifi (albeit 15mins bike ride away), and one of the only public internet places. Apparently there is one (one!) internet cafe in town. Wowee. There are computers at the hostel but they are screened off so no connecting of usb sticks, plus its £1 per 15mins. If I do end up staying here I might just open up my own hostel for the hell of it. Would be far superior to the rubbishness of the ones I have come across so far.

05/10/09

I woke up with the plan to go to Bunbury, but felt the urge to stop at Mandurah, but then I was distracted when I decided to open up a bank account, and upon completing that decided I would definitely go to Bunbury and even went all the way to the bus station to buy a ticket to make sure I wouldn't change my mind.

So I got the bus and sat on it for 2.5hrs, during which I was called by a woman who found my profile on EasyRoomMate, and was offering me a room in her Cape Cod style house on 5acres. She has 2 dogs and 3 horses, the place is 8mins from the beach and there are palm trees on one side then across the peninsular popular beautiful surfing beaches....I was pretty much sold! Only problem was that it was in Dunsborough, a small place further along the coast from Busselton, which is ½ hr south of Bunbury, and being so small there is less guarantee of a job. I suggested I look at her advert online and I'd get back to her.

I arrived in Bunbury which seemed like a quiet but agreeable sort of place. It is the usual criss-cross grid-like town layout with a few daring streets veering off in various directions. I found the hostel quite easily and was soon off exploring. I came across the library which I had heard offered free internet, and seeing as apparently there was still no wifi around, in I tootled. To check emails one has to pay for separately (my dislike of WA's attitude to the internet is increasing) so I resolved to have another look at the websites for Mandurah, Bunbury and Dunsborough. At the same time I was checking out job sites, and came across something which I am considering potentially 'a sign'.

There, in the midst of various job titles for uninspiring companies, was a job vacancy for Front Office Receptionist at Ningaloo Reef Resort. Now I know of this place quite well, purely because I had researched what was on offer at Ningaloo and this fancy place popped up. It looks stunning. My original considerations/plans (versions #4354-5221) included getting into the resort somehow and working my way up. I'm still quite keen on getting into the (eco)tourism industry and this could be a really good way in. I haven't got exactly what they say they require, well, I do at a pinch, but they haven't met me yet!!! ;) To top it off, there is a whale shark volunteer project up there so there's something else to get my teeth in. Not wanting to rest all my hopes on this, I also looked up volunteer projects in the southwest, and the only one I found that involved marine life was the Dolphin Discovery Research Centre here in Bunbury. Perhaps my choices are narrowing down after all!

Feeling as though I had enough food for thought, though not in my tummy, I left and on the way out asked where the nearest supermarket was. I was given directions and told that it may have closed at 6pm, but could possibly be open till 7pm. I was optimistic the latter was true as surely supermarkets open later, especially during the week. But no. It was shut. So off I wandered in search of a general store of some sort.
In the back of my mind I was contemplating my newly-reduced options. I was debating each of their merits and downsides. Bunbury is a more civilised place with a population of over 25,000, whereas from what I can ascertain, more people have been in Space than live in Ningaloo. I don't think Ningaloo is actually even considered an inhabited environment – referring it as a 'hamlet' seems somewhat over-zealous. The nearest township of note is Exmouth which is 150km away, holds in comparison a staggering 3,484 people (approx). However it's all that I could want from a marine enthusiast's point of view. The problem is, I have been known to be sociable, so should the desire to meet up with a load of people arise, I may find it rather difficult and therefore depressing. With Bunbury, on the other hand, I could actually envisage having a social circle of friends, having a greater choice of jobs (though not necessarily appealing ones), being able to reach Perth by car in 2hrs rather than 2 days, still volunteer with dolphins but maybe get nibbled on by a shark.

As I walked along the street in search of a convenience store, musing the minor predicament, I came across a pizza place and asked inside. Yes there is one, I was told by the woman behind the counter. Go out of the restaurant, turn left, at the roundabout turn left, go to the end then take the right. Carry on that road for 3km and there's a service station on the left.
'You're kidding', I said, bewildered. 'The only place to buy groceries is over 3km away?'
'That's right' she said.
'There's no 7-11, corner shop, newsagent open after 6pm around here?'
'No' she smiled.
I walked out, mildly flabbergasted, musing that perhaps being stuck in a resort in the middle of no-where might not actually be so different.

I could always apply for the job in Ningaloo and see what happens. Maybe Ill just stick to Bunbury for the moment, aim to get myself sorted then if I do get the job then I go from there.....

04/10/09

I was up at 6am this morning but no matter. It's just that no-one else was. Anywhere. Shops and things do open on Sunday in the city, but only from around 11am, so after pottering around for an hour or so I took my laptop to McDonalds and indulged in the free wifi. I found it quite annoying that, after being in Central America minus a laptop, there was free wifi in every single hostel I stayed in. However, in Perth hostels most certainly do not offer it for free. Anyway, off I trundled for what ended up being quite a productive day, from unlocking my mobile and getting credit sorted, to researching medicare and banks. I also upgraded my account on the EasyRoomMate website as I need to get serious about finding a place to live! I have contacted a couple of people so hopefully they'll get back to me....

For those of you who don't know, I have a 5year visa which, for the first 2 years, I have to live and work in a 'regional' part of Western Australia, i.e. anywhere that is not metropolitan Perth. This type of visa is available to encourage people with certain skills to help develop the economy in the more regional parts of the state. As I'm no city girl, this suits me down to the ground! After this 2 year period I can move to live and work anywhere in Australia. If I live and work in Australia for 4years, I could potentially apply for citizenship, but that's a long way off yet ;)

So, at the moment, I have narrowed down my choices to 2 separate areas. The first is the Southwest region, between the large town of Mandurah and the much smaller Margaret River, which are around 3hrs by car apart. The further south one goes, the less populated it becomes. This is less advantageous in terms of numbers of job prospects, but on the flip side, the lifestyle is arguably better – cheaper rent, better beaches (I know I know, I'm shallow, but I like a nice beach!) and better diving. Though it is cooler (still sunny though). However, on the complete opposite side of the coin, I'm also considering moving 'way out woop woop' (translation: 'in the middle of nowhere'), to a place called Ningaloo. This place is 1200km north of Perth, the nearest airport is 120km away, where shopping centres, bars and restaurants are so non-existent, that to those who don't escape the place much, they are all but figments of imagination, founded on the stories these foreign travellers bring when they visit. But, the marine life is fantastic. Whale sharks (whale sharks!) frequent these waters every year for several months. Manta rays are common. Whales come by as they reach the end of their migration north to give birth to their young, before heading back down to Antarctica. With my love of diving, and keenness to improve my underwater photography skills, this place sounds incredible. Did I mention it has some of the most stunning beaches in Australia??!! OK, Ill leave the beach thing for a bit. But there is less risk of being munched on by a shark. Unfortunately the waters up to 600km or so north of Perth are rather well known for their Great Whites/White Pointers. Makes my other region of choice a little less desirable. Still, I don't believe in not doing something just in case something happens! I'll still keep it in mind as an option.

Having said what I've said, I'm feeling more I inclined to stay south for 3months or so, just to get myself sorted job- and accommodation-wise. It's easier to find work in this area rather than trekking all the way up north to find potentially nothing. Then I can see how I feel and make the move up if I want. I'd want to be fairly assured of a job first.

So, this morning I woke up feeling Mandurah would be the best place to start. 60,000 people, brand new world-class marina (if I get back into sailing, or maybe I could work on some boats), fastest growing regional city in Australia, but full of retirees. Then lunchtime it was Bunbury – smaller but there were more accommodation adverts with people my age, still a decent size place and near to Geographe Bay where the whales are due to frequent for the next 3months. Then in the evening it was Margaret River, everyone says its beautiful, quite touristy so certain of a job of some sort, and the centre of WA's viticulture industry. What's not to like??! Ok, it's the coldest place so far and 15mins by car to the coast. I need the sea.

I really need to go and see all these places, but I am so keen to just find the right place straight away that I'm actually trying to make the decision without actually going to these places. There is a fundamental flaw in my plan, I know! I'll figure it out....

03/10/09

After a rather long 24hrs which started in Heathrow, with stops in Dubai and Brunei, I eventually arrived in Perth, somewhat wilted though surprisingly compus mentus. I had managed all of about 2hrs sleep, albeit a disturbed one when the stewardess woke me after ½hr to serve lunch (beef was on offer for the 4th time). Managed to drop off again which is nothing short of a miracle but I suppose sometimes one really doesn't have a choice when exhaustion kicks in.

I got to Perth international, fished out the google map I had printed out the night before leaving (I selected 3 hostels from a website and marked them on the map), chose one of my options and got the shuttle bus over to it. Luck was on my side as there was one bed left (apparently). I deposited my things, went for a little wander to get the circulation going again and some fresh(ish), dropped a quick mail to the family to advise of safe arrival, indulged in some cheap Japanese food, wandered back to the hostel and managed to stay awake until 8pm. How blissful sleep can be! Eye mask and ear plugs worked a treat.