12th February to 11th March
Flights Taken: 0
Trains Taken: 0
Buses Taken: 1
Km’s Travelled: 180.7km
Campervans Hired: 1
Km’s Driven: 997
Photo’s Taken: 929
Amount Spent Overall: $1616.25 AUD – the cost this month includes $270 campervan hire $43 bus ride and a $70 doctors fee.
Amount Spent Per a Day: $57.72 AUD
What a month it has been! First we spent 10 days finishing our regional work off, getting signed off on the 21st of February and having to leave our little safe haven of Waikerie for the ‘real world’ again. Leaving felt very scary after getting used to the same thing day in, day out for three months however when the time came we were so ready for the next adventure.
We then spent a week in Adelaide where I got to catch some of the Fringe Festival and spent most nights hanging out at the Garden Of Unearthly Delights or watching screenings at Doc Week as I was lucky enough to bag some free tickets. As much as everyone seems to dis like Adelaide I really enjoyed my week there but I think that had a lot to do with the atmosphere of the festival season. We then picked up our wicked campervan for four days and started out on our drive to Melbourne. Staying in Coorong National Park the first night and then taking in the Blue Lake of Mt Gambier before arriving in Peterborough to spend a second night. The third day was devoted to seeing the sights of the Great Ocean Road which included a beautiful sunset at the apostles. Our last day took us along the twists and turns of the Great Ocean Road where you drove through beautiful scenery and lovely little seaside towns. Our last stop before Melbourne was Bells Beach but to my disappointment the surf was pretty flat so there was nothing to see. You can read more about our road trip and what I thought of our Wicked Camper in up and coming posts.
After dropping the van back and having to make our way through the suburb of Footscray I was happy to make it back to Melbourne in one piece. We spent the night getting settled in to our hostel MIB and then started looking for a job and this was where the month took an amazing turn for me. After barely a few hours I had an interview, which quickly turned in to a trial and a full time job that same day. The next panic was getting an apartment – looking on Gumtree each advert seemed like it would be swamped with people asking to view and I was right. However my other half went along to one of these viewings (I was at work) and hours later we found out he had chosen us to be his new house mates. It is safe to say I think this time round I am going to get along with Melbourne just fine.
My Favourite Moment This Month?
There are too many favourite parts of this month; finishing our 88 days of regional work felt amazing, leaving Waikerie and joining civilization in Adelaide was exciting and refreshing, the Great Ocean Road drive was just everything I imagined and I loved every single minute of it then arriving in Melbourne and having a full time job and apartment within a week just felt like magic! It really has been a month where luck has been on our side and finally everything has fallen in to place and the last three months of fruit picking seems fully worth it.
The Worst Part?
Being how great this month has been the worst part is pretty easy to decide and that is saying goodbye to all our friends from the life of regional work. Slowly of the last month and a half people had been leaving before us, but when it came time for us to leave saying goodbye was harder than I imagined. I know that over the coming months the ones that are important I will get to see again but it is always hard to leave people you have spent every day with for the last three months.
What’s Next?
This weekend we are heading off to the F1 at Albert Park and I cannot wait. Since being a little tom boy kid I have wanted to get the chance to go to a Grand Prix and now that’s happening. We also will be moving in to our apartment in Southbank and generally settling in to Melbourne life, the laneways, the café culture, the amazing coffee and funky rooftop bars.
