So I've now been at the job for about a week and a half and I'm still enjoying it (despite still not being fully used to the 4am starts every day!) and he's given me the job on a full basis now, rather than just the month trial shift I was originally on, so I've obviously been doing pretty well.
I've also discovered that I live directly opposite the only other guy at the yard that works basically every shift (it's a small world!) - who has a car, so I'm getting free lifts to and from work every day, which is amazing. So I've given up on looking for a car, at least until I get a bit more money, but I did buy a bike the other day ($60 for a little single-gear thing that's pretty good, except for the fact that the chain keeps coming off!) I'm earning a decent amount too, as I'm on $15/h (just over 10 quid) and working a good 50 hours or so every week. My boss has also said that, in a couple of weeks, he'll put my pay up a bit and start training me up more in the handling/husbandry aspects of the job, which'll be cool. Most of the horses on the yard are reasonably sane, at least for racehorses! I'm still spending too much, but hopefully that'll stop soon as it's just stuff I need to get me settled in the new house and the area - food, a few new clothes, etc.
I also spent half of my first day off at the near(ish)by Dreamworld Theme Park on Sunday, getting a yearly ticket (just $110 compared to $80 for a single-entry ticket), which also covers me for the waterpark next door! So I expect I'll be spending plenty of time there, now that it'll be a LOT cheaper since I've already got my ticket! The park's really good too. Probably not quite the size of Alton Towers, but it does have plenty of great rides (and, as I say, the waterpark next door) - the best of which was probably the Giant Drop - the tallest free-fall ride in the world, at 119 metres tall! Although I was gutted that I didn't get round to riding the (from the sounds of it at least) rocket-powered Tower of Terror II, which builds up its speed on the flat in a dark tunnel before suddenly launching about halfway up the Giant Drop tower and falling back down. All facing backwards! There were several other really good coasters there too that I did get on, but still plenty more to see next time (as I only got there at about 1.30pm, and the park closes at 5pm!)
At least I didn't have to spend any money (except losing a $20 bet to my boss!) on the 3-course meal, ringside seats and beers all night at the local boxing - as my boss paid for all of it! He's pretty loaded and very generous with his money. In all, a pretty good boss to work for! I was very annoyed though, that I managed to sleep through half of the last fight, which was an epic title bout, as it was about 11pm by that point (well past my bedtime out here!) and I'd had a fair few beers! But I did see some other good fights, and at least half of the amazing final fight. The guy that eventually won (after a 12th round KO I think) had been profusely bleeding from above his eye since about the 2nd round, which goes some way to show how good a fight it was!
Since I'm still enjoying it, and my boss is happy with me, I've discussed it with him and decided I'll stay for the 6 months that my visa allows (as I mentioned last time), then spend what I've saved up on seeing the rest of Australia for a couple of months. I'm also hoping to do fruit-picking work wherever I go (there are companies that set you up for doing exactly that), just to fund my travels a bit more and to hopefully ensure I come back to the UK with a bit of money still in my pocket. Although this might get blown on a trip to New Zealand before I come back, as I've been told it's an unmissable country, so it'd be a waste not to see it while I'm down here! But that's a decision I can easily put off for a good few months after a little research into how much extra it'd cost for flights etc. Basically though, it's looking like Easter time or something before I'm back I reckon - possibly a bit later.
As always though, keep reading the new posts and I'll keep people updated! (For those that are interested anyways, the rest of you can piss off!)
'Til next time, Andy xx
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