Hassie Adventure - Week 5

Well it over a month and into the next. Just as I thought we would be stuck in Albany for to too long, E gets a phone call asking if he is interested in a job he applied for before our Hassie Adventure. This job he applied for is in a mountain is Tasmania.... Hell yeah!

Now its funny as on the day E got the call he was set to get a job in Albany, even if it was in a shopping centre, but as luck would have it work in Taz wanted him.

E did to interviews over the phone and they grabbed him with both hands and so did we. Its an opportunity for us to live in Tasmania and enjoy the freezing cold weather.

Now we will live on site in a house with 12 people. As I won't be working there all I have to pay for is the food. ($100) week. ?? a lot? not really since I will be getting all meals and drinks. Hopefully when there is a spot available they can employ me as casual doing whatever so that I don't get bored doing nothing.

I have been told that we will be 45min away from the closet town and there is not much reception. Its a beautiful National Park with spectacular views of a mountain range. Mountains is what I miss from my home country, here in Australia there isn't much of a thing called mountains mainly hills. So I am super exited for this part of our adventure, this is going to be fun.

For the job here in Albany I just started, It will have to be goodbyes for now. I hope they won't be all - Arghhh about me leaving so soon. I am nervous as I know how exited they were to employ me and how in need my trade is here in Albany. Working for this complany has been difficult work but its been fun going back to my roots. I have always appreciated how much work the Carers do for us nurses but its so easily forgotten how much work they really have to do, until you are doing it your self.  Makes me miss my real home (Tranby). When you get settled and get to know everyone and all the systems, it makes life so much easier to live by. Hmm soon I will be back then is back to the routine I know and love to change.

For now we are off to Tasmania and ready for a really long drive.

Total:

• Km driven this week: 609km
• Places of interest: Kundip Rest Area (blog up soon)
• Paid Accommodation: None
• $$ Spent: $303.36
• Gas: 
• Litres - 82.62
• $ - $128.22
• Places - 
1. Albany
2. Wellstead
3. Ravensthorpe

Life Scouts Badges - Picnic Badge

Picnic Badge

I have mentioned before, that E and I like to have picnic's. There not always planned and doesn't always have a blanket going with it, but never the less - we have a picnic.

We always have a camera handy and make memories for each occasion. This photo was taken in Perth while we were discussing our Hassie Adventure - when it was only a thought. Look where we are now.

                    

Hassie Adventure - Month 1 (Week 4)

The week it feels like were not on holiday anymore. Argh.....

Its funny how being back working for 4 days can make your feel like the life we left in Perth. Maybe it is the stupid Albany weather that has been making it worse. This place will cause me to be on anti-depressants of some sort. Let me explain, I might have actually mentioned this before but this has really been girding my gears. 

Albany is a beautiful place and there is a lot of things you could do but it is always raining. ALWAYS. I love the rain, I really do, but when your stuck in a van 24 hours because its pouring down outside you might just go a little crazy. E and I have grown wiser and purchased our selfs some board games hoping it might keep us occupied on days it rains, but you can only play Uno or Scrabble so many times before you get bored of it. Its better than a Word Association Game.

This week I feel very negative. It feels like everything is going wrong, Its been one thing after the other, 

First its my computer decides no to work - had to send it in for repairs and they tell me its my battery and will most likely die with in 6 months, so that would need replacing - when it happens. 

Then our phone, E’s phone won’t charge unless you actually hold it and my screen won’t lock. 

Then on Tuesday, my first day at work, Van Gogh decided not start!!! We got up at 05:15, had breakfast, pack the van brushed my teeth and hair all set to leave at 06:15 and boom the car didn’t want to start. The radio and lights are going on, so no it wasn’t the battery. WHY!! I really don’t want to be late for my first day at work and have to explain why I won’t be in until the RAC comes to fix our car at a camp site between 06:30am and 09:30am. Just great, now they can judge and have an opinion on me even before I start. 

What else can go wrong? Hopefully NOTHING!! No wait,  I am putting an end to this and make this Law NOTHING bad is to happen on this trip!! That was the last straw. Hopefully.

Besides these hiccups its been a good week I guess. Back at work and been really tired. Getting up with an alarm is one thing I have not been missing. Only a few weeks hopefully then back to our Hassie Adventure. 

Total:

• Km driven this week: 261
• Places of interest: None
• Paid Accommodation: None
• $$ Spent: $347.41
• Gas: 
• Litres - 30.54
• $ - 47
• Places - Albany

SubTotal:

• Km - 2442km
• $$ food & accomodation- $1010.76
• Gas: 
• Litres filled- 307.44
• $ - 471.44
• Different places: 
1. Padbury
2. Narragin
3. Albany

Caution Nudist Crossing

Yes I am Proud of this. E and I wanted to do something silly and daring - this was the result of it!!

Was really cold I might have been an ice block after.

Bluff Knoll (Stirling Ranges Nation Park)

Now this was a big climb. I wanted to see Bluff Knoll- the tallest mountain in the south west of Australia! Little did I know it was a 6km class 4 hike! Yeah I know! How else would you get up a mountain!! I thought, being such a tourist attraction you could drive!!

But never the less we climbed it! 

Left the car park at 9:45am
Got to the top at 12:10pm
Stayed up there till 1:20pm
Started walking down at 1:20pm
Got to the bottom at 3:10
Total time at Bluff Knoll - 5 hours give or take!!

Now getting to the top was a lot harder than going down!! It feels like the mountain was going forever, and we will never get to the top!! Argh!! My legs were absolutely killing me!! And this is just going up!!
We didn’t have a lot of water (lack of containers) but E finished his 2 bottles going up and I finished 1! I wanted to make sure I had some for going down!!

At the top it was just breath taking!! Really worth the trouble!! 360 views of bush around the mountain!! Windy as hell and super cold!! But we did it!! A achievement for both of us!!

Going down was much better than the struggle going up. Although it took us just as long - don’t know why, we didn’t have to stop as much to rest an catch our Maccas breathing lungs. It was very dangerous though as the rocks is loose and you can easily slip down the mountain (be quicker though, but I'm sure you wouldn’t be in one piece when you reach the bottom)

That night we were so pooped we went to a retreat ($34- powered site) where we charged everything up and really almost died on the van from pain. My legs were aching so much, I have never been in so much pain before! I thought I would have to amputate them that night to actually fall asleep!! 

I survived and now have a story to tell.

                    

Hassie Adventure - Week 3

Well its been a good week for us. Some things going our way which is always welcome. I had an interview and it went well. Starting next week. I like starting a new job. Its like the first day of school. Meeting new people and learning new skills. Very exiting!!

E on the other hand, is still looking for a job (Don’t think he really wants to work) but hope he does though. 

Before going back to a working life sleeping routine E and I decided that we might travel around to the smaller towns and/or attractions nearby. 

It was my turn to choose where to go to. Although E made me do everything. We always have this argument. When I am driving I require him to look at the map and direct me to the place we are driving to. It is just impossible to drive and look at a map safely. He expects me to read his mind and go from there. It really frustrates me ++++ ARGH!!!! Men!! 

Being on the subject of men aka E. I think we are getting to the point of pulling each others hair out. We need alone time and being in a van its not quite alone time. There is no curtain we can pull to give E one side of the van and myself the other. This is going to be a hard trip!! Lets hope we learn from all our arguments to come - E!!

Anyway - We got to do a few things thats on our traveling list of “Do To’s In the South West of Western Australia”. 

• Went to a 16 story Windmill (still don’t understand why its there - Don’t think it works but never the lest it was a interesting stop). At the windmill there was this cute puppy dog, that lived on site the the keeper maybe?. He was just too adorable. He would wait till people come to see the windmill and bring his ball for us to throw it for him to play catch. I wanted to put him in the van and take him with us, but that could be  a difficulty sleeping arrangement. 
• Caution Nudist Crossing. To Read Post (Click Here)
• Stirling Ranges National Park (Bluff Knoll) To Read Post (Click Here)

Next week E and I will have to see how we organise our self with me working all over the place. Hopefully its not to difficult. 

Total:

• Km driven this week: 465km
• Places of interest: As mentioned above
• Paid Accommodation: 
• Stirling National Park - $14
• Stirling Range Retreat - $32 (Powered site)
• $$ Spent: $164.45
• Gas: 
• Litres - 69.83
• $ - 107.47
• Places - Albany

Life Scout Badges - Zoo

This is the best idea I have had yet! Well I guess E had a say as well. On our first visit to Sydney, I of course haven't been there before and wanted to do as much as possible. Someone at work, I think, Mentioned to me that I need to do the Roar and Snore. So a booked and its was the best experience I have ever had at a Zoo.

The Roar and Snore is a fully hosted experience that include tents, feasts and close- up encounters with the animals. Its really something unique where you stay at Toranga Zoo in Sydney with breath taking views of the harbour and the bridge. You sleep next to lions, snow leopards and many other animals.

Besides the amazing view, you wake up to have breakfast and head to the lion and tiger spots to see them being fed. Usually they are all sleeping when you visit the zoo during normal hours but we got to see them walking up and down waiting for their food. AMAZING.

I will defiantly do it again! 

                    

Hassie Adventure - Week 2

Well the time has come where E and I need to look for some extra workies just to make sure our funds don’t run out. E have enough $$ in the bank but don’t want to just rely on that where there is nothing coming in.  So our plans are 

Plan A - Look for harvesting work. Fruit picking around town and work together, But as luck would have it because of all the fires and flood on the east side of Australia everyone is coming here to Western Australia looking for harvesting jobs. So that is out of the question.  

NOTE TO SELF - Read the paper for current events in Australia and maybe the world. E and I never watched the news or any television back home anyway, I would have gotten some current news from work as the news will always be on and paper lying around. Now we probably should make an effort since we are living out side and Australia has reputation of bad natural disasters. 

Plan B - Looking for work in our Trade (Nursing and Chefs). Well been ok this far. Given out our resumes at a few places. E had on trial and went well but the chef is kinda weird only wants him to work when it is really busy. Which is when?? we can’t wait around for that time. He is still looking!! I got 2 interviews one where I never even got to go in as they ‘thought about it and really would like someone who is more permanent’. Now this came to a point where I am debating whether or not I should keep this part of my life quiet, in hope I will get a job even if it is only for a few months. I don’t like lying, in my past experiences no one is happy and the liar and the one who got lied to, always gets hurts and I always feel worst off than what I started off as. Isn’t honesty the best policy?? 

Maybe I should not say anything unless it actually comes up in conversation?? I don’t know. Guess we will see Monday  when I have another interview, fingers crossed for me!!

Plan C - Well we don’t actually have one!! 

Other than that E and haven’t as of yet needed to stay in a caravan park or some sort to charge our ‘things’ up. Pretty proud of it, although we might be close. We have been able to charge everything when we drive but out battery box is not getting charged all the way. I am concerned that I would actually run the batter down to a low point all the time. 

Lets see what the next week brings for us... And maybe we can think of a plan C, Your thoughts are always welcome.

Total:

• Km Driven this week: 714km
• Places of Interest:
• Bertbolomews Meadery
• Porongurup Wine Festival
• Wingnals Winery
• Paid Accomodation: None
• $$ Spent: $233.70
• Gas: 
• Litres - 68.68
• $ - 105.70
• Places - Albany

Instagram - March

Instagram Update

1. "Laundry Day" - E and have been doing our laundry at the laundry bar. I have always wanted to have a photo taken in one of these. Finally got the chance to do so!! 
2. "You heart us? Oh pancake we LOVE you" - E and I tried making pancakes on our little burner and it work- might need to work our how much batter per pancake but it work out. We will be having more of these on our adventure
3. "Snail Mail in the middle of no where!!" - I am brining snail mail back. I wrote a letter to my nan and found a post box in the middle of nowhere. Bright red and waiting for us. Love the idea of these. Might go looking for some more. 
4. "Caution Nudist crossing" - Look out for the blog on this. I'll link them up when it come to it. 
5. "Bluff Knoll @ Stirling Ranges National Park" - Keep and eye out for this blog. Will link it up too.
6. "Someone popped in my photo a day photo today" - E and his sillyness popped in while I took my photo on that day. Been 60 days as of today. Very proud of this goal. 

Will post April next mount. Might be some great photos to look out for.