Although those few days have already been quite something.
First of all the two day travel. On Tuesday morning my backpack was fully packed and ready to go.
I've gotten the have a good trip text from my dad and the last hug from my mum and sister.
At the Maastricht trainstation I met up with Colin and we started travelling to Brussels.
We were still not thoroughly realising what was about to happen. The fact that we were going to travel to the other end of the world.
We arrived smoothly at Brussels and hopped on to the Eurostar and in a breeze we were in London.
We had some time to spare to tested walking around with backpacks in the West End.
London Heathrow shortly came after and we travelled for 36 hours in the most luxury you could imagine.
At least that's what a person would say I he only had flewn with Ryanair or Easyjet.
With all our basic needs covered we just had to wait.
In Dubai we changed our flight and got a little taste of the Emirates country. Whilst looking out of the plane I can give you the following impression. Sea, land, sqaures existing of roads and houses (no other shape to be found) and all of that surrounded with sand beaches, sand plains, sand dunes. Far away if you looked well into the distance the taller buildings were only remotely possible to percieve. The terminal was very luxourious, all was clean and you had a lot of splendourous architecture and posh shops. Unfortunately I was looking for a cheap camera there and was not able to find one that was even the same price as in Holland.
Perth finally came close on the onboard computer map and you could switch the television in front of you to the camera on the nose of the aircraft. So I finally started to realise that the journey I waited 7 years for for was finally going to happen.
We had a lengthy check-in and didn't really have a time to look around so we just found a taxi and he speedily drove us to a few hostels and we finally found one who still had some room. The billabong, a packpacker resort which offered a lot of things that are quite useless as in a mini bar, small swimming pool and gym. All the things you don't really need when you just want to travel and experience a country. But for all these options you had to pay 30 dollars a night even when we arrived at 3 and had to checkout at 10.
In the morning we woke up after a very brief sleep and found ourselves in the company of Raoul. A German guy who is about to leave Australia in the next month to go to Asia. He was selling his van.
He told us about his journey across Asia and his work and travel experiences in Australia. He also had this little van and he asked us if we wanted a lift to the city centre. His van had everything, even a rocking chair.
So we fitted our backpacks and started walking around Perth. The first impression was sunny, crisp air, bright buildings and silence. For a city with at least 1.5 milion inhabitants the amount of noise is minute. Most streets are one way streets and there is a definite lack of trucks, mopeds and busses. The city is very much widespread with little to none tall buildings only a few in the CBD. Although ten years ago they were completely none existant and now more and more is being developed. So perth might slowly change into a city with a similar skyline as New York City.
We visited another hostel since the Billabong hostel was not worth it to spent there a second night. Global packpackers was just around the corner where Raoul dropped us of and we had a quick look around it seemed decent, however it was decided that we first sorted out our bank accounts. So we went of to find the Commonwealth bank. Meanwhile we got a better impression of Perth and it citizens, many cultures and races mixed together with. Asians and Europeans are prominent as well as Africans and South Americans.
At the main building of the Commonwealth bank in Western Australia we were helped quickly and were set up with a bank account within a quarter of an hour, the cards could be picked up one week later and the internet banking was also immediately activated.
We were now just lacking the Tax File Number, the TFN is used for earning interest on your bank account and for being beyed by your employer so since that could take quite a we went to the Western Australia Tax Office. Filled in some more details and when we stepped out we found the EasyPerthBackpackers hostel across the WTO and decided to give it a check.
We liked it very much.
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At this point we have stayed at EasyPerthBackpackers for a week and you will be filled in shortly with more text and pictures.
EasyPerthBackpackers hostel is quite an easy going hostel. The guests are devided in two types of people the you only have fun when you work and drink lot and the I most go out and see where I am people. The alcohol here in Australia is very very expensive so people get creative they have a wine here called Goon (Meaning pillow in a Aboriginal tongue). It resembles wine with fish eggs, milk and eggs listed in the ingredients list as well. It comes in a 4 litre bag and for most people it gets the job done quickly,even if you are unlikely to have a hangover this stuff will take care of it. The picknick tables out of the hostel are fully covered by a sea of bottles at around 12 o'clock every night.
The hostel is devided into two buildings we live in the smaller one which is occupied with some Germans, a British couple and four French girls.
Following topics
Steve Becks, aka Steve Beckews
We met Sir Steve while we just had a dinner and sat there having some strawberries. I saw some people pass by and as an impulse I offered the next person I saw a strawberry. He looked a bit rushed but stopped and accepted the offer. We sat down and did the formal introduction. He told us that this was his second year in Australia and that he had seen about half of the country and this trip was for completing the circle and for work. Because as soon as he would have his feet touch the soil of his home country he would be off again after 96 hours to make a motor/train trip all the way through Eastern Europe, Russia, China, boat to South Korea and slowly make his way back. In other words he was the kind of person who likes to, well to put it bluntly, to travel. And he gave us some good advice and he likes Dave Matthews Band.
So we had some good times, looked out for guitars, he even gave advice about buying cars. He had a very nice Nissan Patrol 4,2 4x4, which he had adapted with his carpeting skills into a completely comfortable home on wheels, which was able to bring him everywhere.
We went out to a live band club and had a good time. Just the beers here are so overly expensive I had one pint of Becks which costed me 12$. Now I get why everybody drinks the goon before they go out. Unfortunately Steve had to leave us again after 2 days because he had his job up north doing harvesting and getting his Road train license. I will meet him again as soon as he is perfoming with his band.
Ben and Sabrina
A couple from Toulouse, she was German and very driven in what she does. She spoke in fluent french with her boyfriend from Toulouse. She had just finished her engineering job at Airbuss and was now looking to get a sponsorship from a Australian company. They had started their travel from Darwin and thought that it would be their place for the first month in Australia. However it was so damp and hot, too expensive because of all the backpackers that they decided after 48 hours to rent a van and go down to Perth. While they were on their way they did the sight seeing, dolfin swimming and experienced the outback. They were now here and already had found a sharehouse so they have moved in by now.
Update: I just found Ben and Sabrina during a night out in the Shed and they have found a lovely sharehouse, a car and even a job. Although that job will be in Melbourne, all looks good for them.
Rottnest, An awe inspiring day trip
Camera, what did I get?
I've found on gumtree an advertisement with two little cameras for 250$ which I've bought. One is a panasonic DMC fz50, used to be a very good camera. Now it is a few years old and first gave me a right headache although now I'm slowly getting onto better terms with it. Also a very cheap Casio 5mp camera was included and that was is just good fun for the indoor party/night shots. I even got a gorilla like tripod for the camera so, I feel like a had a good deal. Although I had to ask Hadley to meet me one more time to explain me on how to handle the camera, which he did and he told me about his plans on going to Vietnam next Saterday. It was a day well spent.
DidgeridooBreath,
Chloe and Mike
Food, what is out there? What did we eat?
Couch Surfing BBQ at Southbeach
Wicked Campervan Job Hunt See next article
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(Out of internet time again I will write some online and post it here later, with pictures.)
