Category: June 2018

Today is my beautiful Grandson Hamish’s 3rd birthday.  I miss him very much and love all our video calls and even receive very cute packages from the Cunninghams with pictures drawn by Hamish and letters he has narrated for Erin to write.  Thanks so much Air for taking the time to send these, they make my day.  The last package also included a heap of the Brainwaves Quizes out of the Saturday Advertiser – yay!  And a shell each for Nanny and Grandad that Hamish had found on the beach.  I had posted Haim his presents and enjoyed watching a video of him opening them.  I am so lucky to have such an awesome family.

I worked again but today I was put with a new person, Tiffany.  Tiff had worked at Club Tropical Resort as a Housekeeper for a month a couple of years ago, so she had some previous experience.  It was very strange being the ‘senior’ person when I am used to running around after someone else who has the board and knows what is going on.  I was a little nervous but it turned out to be a good day.  Tiff is great to work with and we laughed a lot throughout the day which always helps.  We work at a similar pace and it was fun.  Hopefully we get teamed up again tomorrow.

Tiff is a very colourful and interesting character.  She is nearly 50 and has 9 children and 18 grandkids with 2 more on the way!!!!!  She has tattoos and piercings and long, long fake nails.  I was intrigued how she could make beds with those things!  I have short nails and am continuously bending them backwards when I tuck in the sheets – very painful!  She also had beautiful long fake lashes and makeup.  I seriously don’t know how she can work looking so glamorous, I have sweat pouring off me in about 5 minutes which would have caused my fake eyelashes to slide off my face and I would have had streaked and smudged makeup in no time.  But she looked as beautiful at the end of the day as she did at the start.  Not sure how she managed this.  She was fun and the day flew by and she didn’t lose a nail or a lash, I am pleased to report.

It really doesn’t matter what you do for work as long as you get to work with good people it makes the world of difference.  I know I am repeating myself on this topic, but I really feel this strongly.  Very glad to work with Tiff and all of the great people I have had the privilege to work with/study with so far (you all know who you are!).

We were up bright and early to get prepared to go fishing with Kat and Angry at Shady Camp.  We met them at their house at 7.30am as we were all going to go in Angry’s car together.  The drive there was interesting as I think Angry sat on 180kmph most of the way.  I have never been in a car going at that speed.  He did slow down a bit for the dirt roads, certainly not to the speed that I usually drive on them.  I tried not to watch the speedo.  It is strange in the NT that everyone drives at speed anywhere.  So different from SA.

We stopped at the Corroborree Park Tavern, which is a Roadhouse and Camping Ground, for a bit of a pit stop.  They have a fresh water croc and a salt water croc kept in a cage there.  I felt sad for the crocs, but it was interesting to see the saltie up close.  He was a big fella!

Thanks to Angry’s speedy driving we made it to Shady Camp in record time.  There is a barrage across the river that was covered when we arrived, but there is such big tidal movement that it looked like a completely different place at low tide.  It was fairly nerve wracking to start off with as you are acutely aware of the number of salt water crocs surrounding you – those that you can see and many that you can’t.  Scarily enough as the day wore on the fear lessened and I don’t think that is necessarily a good thing.  You need stay very aware of your surroundings at all times and not stand too near the waters edge.  I did relax more as the day wore on and no one was attacked.  There was a really big salt water croc on the other side of the river initially, but he got a little curious and slowly came closer and closer.  The scary thing was he would be there one minute and then sink into the water and you had no idea where he was for a while, then he would pop up a bit closer.  Col estimated him at around 10 foot (3m).  You can just make him out over Col’s right shoulder in this pic, he was quite far away.

He became more interested and would submerge and reappear as he edged closer and closer to us.

He ended up being only metres away as you can see in this photo with Angry.

Amazingly this is the same spot a few hours later at low tide.  I was a bit freaked out that Angry and Col were walking around on the mud and still fishing.  Apparently the last time Angry fished at Shady Camp he slipped and fell into the water up to his armpits!!!  So, so glad that did not happen when we were there.  This is not a place you want to fall into the water.

This is the view in the other direction and shows in the far distance an enclosed pontoon that sits on the edge of the water which was where we drove to eat lunch and watch the crocs.

After lunch we bumped into a guy who had just caught a decent Barra and we considered fighting him in the car park and stealing his fish.  But decided against it and to continue to try to catch one ourselves.  Nice fish though!

Col spotted a fish stranded on the Barrage after the tide had gone down.  So he walked over and picked it up, and guess what, it was a Barra!  Just not big enough to keep but caught by hand none the less.

Angry managed to catch an undersized Barra as well, but unfortunately nothing caught for dinner so I had to go to the shops on the way home.  We decided on Rib Eye steaks, and I think we could have cooked one of the for the four of us!  They were HUGE.

We forgot how loud we were being and had consumed large amounts of alcohol – you are meant to be quiet after 10pm here but our loud drunken conversation went on well into the night.   I hope that our neighbours will still talk to us tomorrow.  All in all a great day fishing at Shady Camp, even though we didn’t catch a keeper, there is always next time.

Another day of errands, nothing too exciting.  We have a big weekend planned though.  Tomorrow we are catching up with Kat and Angry bright and early and going fishing to Shady Camp in Kakadu, which is about a 3 and a half hour drive from here.  They are then coming back to our caravan for dinner.  We had initially planned on fishing at Buffalo Creek which is less than 2 minutes from here, so the plan was I would shop in the morning for dinner, we would fish in the afternoon and then come back to our place for a meal.  The plans morphed throughout the day and we are now going to Shady Camp and leaving early in the morning, so I will need to shop on the way home for dinner stuff, unless we catch an amazing Barra of course.  Col is particularly excited about going to Shady Camp which is a bit of an iconic NT fishing spot for Barra.  It is also known for having the highest concentration of salt water crocs in Australia….  yes, feeling a little nervous in case you are wondering as we will be land based fishing.

Sunday is Territory Day and we are catching up with Angry and Kat and a group of their friends for dinner and to let off fireworks.  On Territory day anyone is allowed to set off fireworks, so should be an interesting experience.

Before setting off on this journey, I spoke with my sister Son Hughes about whether it would work to get trained up in one area of Woolworths and then try and get work at each remote location on the way around.  I thought that the processes between stores might be similar enough that you could walk in to any store and be able to slot in and may be a good option for when we were on the move.  Son thought this could potentially work and kicked off an enquiry.

Woolworths in Darwin were interested to meet with me and conduct an interview to see if I would be a good candidate to join the Woolies team.  As I have started work at Club Tropical Resort as a Housekeeper, I am not looking for additional shifts at this stage, but thought it would be wise not to burn any bridges and to meet with the Store Manager to discuss.  The situation has changed a bit for us now that Col got a 6 month contract in Darwin and we are staying in one place for that time.  But I decided it would be good to go along and meet with the Store Manager and see what unfolds.  I gave them a call and a meeting has been booked in for Tuesday next week and we will see what happens.

I figure that getting some cleaning experience and recent retail experience will help get work when travelling in the future.  We have seen a few jobs advertised in the Kimberley at resorts and roadhouses and I think if you have current experience you should be able to pick something up in remote locations pretty quickly.  Anyway, will see how it plays out.

Today was a bit of a recovery day from the 3 day assault on my body that is my job   And also had a bunch of errands to do.

Day 3 housekeeping and somehow I am still managing to move around.  I have definitely worked every muscle in my body and feel them all crying out, but I can still squat, bend, lift and run upstairs, so that is one good thing.  I seriously can’t face eating breakfast or lunch though, so just snacks and water during the day seem to be enough.  Last day of training today and then next week it will just be me and one other person, today was the last of three people to a room.  Interesting.  Hopefully I can manage it ok on my own.  I definitely won’t be hitting the 25 minute goal initially though, that much I know.

Such an interesting and motley crew too, there are quite a few backpackers from all over the world.  They tend to be fairly young, there are Belgian, Japanese, Chinese, Italian.  There are a couple of women in their 60s and a few middle agers, maybe 15 in total.  Some of the stories of these women are heartbreaking.  It is amazing what people live through and survive.  I find it interesting that it is a totally different group of people than you meet in an office.  One lady in her 60s husband passed away at the end of last year and she is working 6 days a week to make enough money.  Her daughter lives on the Gold Coast and is expecting a baby soon, grandchild number 3, and she cannot afford an airfare there to visit her.  There are so many stories of abuse and battles hard fought and survived.  These women are doing it tough and working incredibly hard to support their families and make ends meet.  I have so much respect for them and am glad of the opportunity to work there and put life into perspective.  Col and I both know that we are lucky and we acknowledge it everyday.  It is good to meet these women and be inspired by them.

I managed to survive day 2 as well.  I was surprised how well my body pulled up on day 2, now just have to hope I can still move on day 3.  It is only a 5 minute walk to work in the morning and I think it takes me a little longer to hobble back in the afternoon.  I get home and have a cold shower to bring down my body temperature then fall into a chair to consume litres of water.  So, so different to the Office I am used to.  It is good to remember that all jobs are stressful just in different ways.

Col has settled into his role now and it is ramping up for him too.  He has been told that he might have to work some weekends which will be a bit of a shock for him after being a contractor for so long.  But he is taking it in his stride.

Today was my first training day as part of the Housekeeping Staff at Club Tropical Resort.  I have a whole new respect for Housekeeping Staff, the pace they go and the detail expected is incredible.  It is like being at the gym for 7 and a half hours with a 20 minute morning tea break and a half hour lunch break.  I seriously had no idea what to expect, but didn’t expect it to be so stressful.  You have to do an apartment in 25 minutes.  There are two people working together, although there were 3 when training.  This is the list of things to do in your 25 minutes for a deep clean – you either do the bathroom or the living area:

• both make the beds, there are two beds in some rooms
• wash dirty dishes
• wash sink, surfaces, inside cupboard, walls if needed
• scrub inside of shower
• glass cleaner on outside of shower and mirror
• fold toilet paper into a v
• clean vent in ceiling
• empty bins
• restock linen and toiletries
• vacuum and mop

Everything is done in a VERY specific way.  Things are folded and placed at particular angles and everything has it’s spot.

• Ensure all items are there and replace if missing
• spray and wipe all surfaces including inside drawers and cupboards
• restock coffee, tea, sugar, milk, dishwashing items
• Clean microwave inside and out
• clean fridge inside and out
• clean TV, light switches, ceiling fan
• clean sliding glass doors and tracks
• clean outside furniture
• clean marks on walls and lounge cover
• remove cobwebs
• vacuum and mop including behind fridge and under beds and outside verandah and front porch
• empty bins and empty ashtrays and wipe out

Ummmm 25 minutes, seriously!  It usually takes me 25 minutes just to do the fridge hahahaha.  Sometimes you open the fridge or freezer and it is covered in ice and you need to remove it.  Everything is left spotless.  It is a real experience.  You are also running backwards and forwards to the store room for linen and up and down stairs.  They seem to run out of towels or other items and you then need to run to other storerooms to try and find them. There are approximately 400 rooms in the resort and they are spread out in different blocks, so just walking between blocks (or running) it is a true work out.  You are expected to get between 4 and 5 rooms done between 8am and 10.30am at morning tea.  I have never sweated so much in life and I have also never drank so much water either.  You do not feel like eating because of the physical exertion.  Crazy.  There are women there in their 60s doing this.  You are squatting, bending, lifting, running the entire time.  Wow.  I am pleased to say that I survived day 1…… just.

After morning tea you switch to room service and that is slightly less physical, but you only have 10 minutes to do each room.  Make the beds, empty bins, restock, clean the toilet and restock the bathroom and mop.  Don’t forget the V on the toilet paper roll   Then after lunch you are back to the deep cleans.  Surely I will lose weight soon – if not, then there isn’t much I can do about it!  I must say that I am regretting my swimming laps yesterday!!  Hopefully I can move for day 2.

Col and I had a bit of a productive day around the caravan today, still setting things up and settling in.  In the afternoon we went for a drive around Darwin and stopped in at Nightcliff.  We were really surprised and a little bit distressed that they had a patrol on the beach and people were swimming between the flags!! Can Crocs and deadly Jellyfish not get you between the flags?  Or do you just have slightly better odds of surviving because an ambulance can be called quickly and CPR started sooner?  We didn’t get in and join them I am pleased to inform you.  I feel sorry for the poor people on patrol that would have to go into the water to save someone!

Instead we went for a swim at the Casuarina Pool to do laps.  There is a nicer pool on the beachfront at Nightcliff but it is pretty popular and filled with people, so we decided to take our chances at Casuarina which is only 5 minutes from our Caravan Park. Both Col and I managed to swim ok after a long time away from this type of exercise.  We swam for about 45 minutes.  It was a 50m pool where we usually swim in a 25m pool back home and you definitely feel the extra distance.  It is so cheap here, only $4 to go to a great pool to do laps and  we were pretty much the only people there.

Col cleaned and serviced the bikes and we took them for their maiden voyage since travelling half way around Australia on the roof of my car.  There was some serious dirt packed into those bikes, let me tell you.  In Darwin you don’t have to wear a helmet if you are over 18, so we opted for hats instead of helmets.  We avoid riding on the road.  We rode on a dirt track from the caravan park down to the Lee Point Walking Track that I did the other day.  There are quite a few mountain biking tracks through this park but we chose the easiest one as I am definitely not a mountain biker!  We then rode along the track I walked on but went much further.  It was a 20km bike ride by the time we got home, and it was not a particularly easy ride either.  The track was rough in parts and steep in parts, and there were a few sandy patches that caused you to come to an abrupt halt.  But it was an interesting and challenging ride and we both did enjoy it.  It took us about 3 hours in total for the round trip.  We rode through a beautiful mangrove boardwalk section that we both really enjoyed.  So different to the scenery and landscape in Adelaide.

We stopped in to have a look at the Darwin Surf Club.  Apparently they don’t get into the water much (not surprising considering how many things can kill you here!) but they do surf ski’s and rowing and those types of things.  I don’t know how anyone learns to use the surf ski if you can’t go into the water!  For anyone who has ever tried one you would understand what I mean.  You spend most of your time falling off and getting back on for a long time before you master it.  I assume they must have somewhere safe they can teach people to use them.  The idea of being on a surf ski in waters where there are salt water crocodiles, box jelly fish and irukandji does not appeal to me at all.  I would consider the rowing maybe as there is not much surf here.  Col is keen to get back into it, so I will try not to think of him on a surf ski out there!!!  The club was really friendly and beautiful.  There were hammocks and chairs scattered around a lush green lawn with shady trees overlooking the beach and the girl who was working in the coffee shop was very encouraging to come and join and get involved.  Will see what happens.

We did pass this sign on the way, pleased to say we went left

We then went down and checked out the Lee Point beach and there was an Aboriginal man walking in the shallow water with a spear doing some spear fishing and that was a cool sight, not something you see in SA!  There were also people swimming out there and that freaked me out.  Dave East is this the place you got caught when you were fishing and the tide came in and you had to swim to shore?

We followed the bike track around the point until we reached Buffalo Creek Boat Ramp.  There are salt water crocs in this area but people are all along the waters edge.  It is easy to see how you could be lulled into a false sense of security or just have a lapse in concentration as the dangers are not visible or obvious.  We watched people putting their boats in and out of the water and have come up with a way that I am comfortable with for getting in and out.  I don’t fancy standing around in the water holding the boat that is for sure!!

Today I did a 6km walk down to the beach and along the walking track.  The walk was beautiful but a little scary too.  It is weird being in a new city and not knowing where is safe or what the risks are.  As I walked along it felt very isolated and the path was edged with trees or long grass with lots of noises coming from it.  I did feel a little jumpy I must admit.  I got to a point where it said that the path was no longer maintained and it looked a little rough beyond, so I decided to turn around and head back.  I did enjoy it though but would be keen to go with Col next time to see more of the track.

There are many historic WWII sites that you can visit in Darwin and one of these is on the Lee Point Walk.  I walked past a bunker facing the beach with a window for guns to be able to poke through.  It is so humbling to remember the young men that fought for our freedom, including my Grandpa.  The conditions would have been horrific in the cement bunkers in the heat and humidity of Darwin.

I finished the walk by heading down to the Beach to have a look around.  It is beautiful but you wouldn’t swim here due to Box Jellyfish, Irukanji Jellyfish and Crocs.  Lots of people fishing though.

Col took my car to work today and I took his down to the car cleaning place and gave it a vacuum and washed out the inside.  I used a different vacuum this time and it was way more powerful.  His car is a little easier to clean as it is mainly plastic on the inside of the FJ and not carpet.  So I gave the FJ a full wash down inside and the cars a looking great.  What a great girlfriend! 

I am glad to report that Col survived his first week back at work.