BIG & LITTLE THINGS

THE BIG MOVE IS IN FULL EFFECT & THE FISH ARE STILL ALIVE!

Photo taken at Stanthorpe,  Queensland 

TUESDAY 18TH OF AUGUST 2015

As my time as a Tour Guide in Australia & New Zealand I have seen many things... and now I am seeing more, the Big Apple!!!! I feel like the cat that got the cream... he he he. Yesterday the Big Golden Guitar and today an Apple... stone the crows Australia! Cheese Ahoy! But we love it!

I drove from Armidale to Toowoomba today, from one state to another (NSW to QLD. In countries like USA you cross boarders all the time, or even countries in Europe, but with Australia, you travel far and long hours to go from one place to the next and still be in beautiful Aus!).

A decent 4.5 hours through some of our beautiful country in the mountains (Dividing Range that runs up along the whole East Coast of Australia. These mountains is what allows many of us Aussie folk to live on the Eastern Seaboard like we do, with the climate we have and fertile soils). This drive, less people, less towns... more country. More 100Ks speed limits, more freedom!

*My low rider + me + luggage + fish + plants = made it so far!!!!

I am really enjoying this experience as I am plying a way I haven't before. I am loving the curtisy of the long distance drivers (in comparison to the Sydney ones) and am actually appreciating the NSW roads (as soon as I crossed the boarder the roads weren't so flash) ... but what I really "HEART" is the little things.

I love motels..... must be a childhood flashback.

 

I love the MINI LITTLE items.

I LOVE motel sheets and random rural TV news... YES... lets continue this adventure!

Driving 6 hours tomorrow!

TO THE BEACH I SAY! 

FRIENDS

TIME IN COUNTRY NEW SOUTH WALES

MONDAY 17TH OF AUGUST 2015

So.... I left Gosford today after a weekend of amazement with friends. I am still thinking about them tonight at my stopover in Armidale (on my journey to relocate to Cairns) and how lucky I am to have these people in my life. There isn't many people who you can be just FREE with, say anything to and just "hang out". I just wanted to "pop in" to my friends place on the Central Coast on my travel north however they conspired to bring up other people to join in the festivities (coming up from Sydney to spend the Saturday night) and there I was... arriving at my friends house to just hang out and have some drinks and relax when I was greeted with a massive SURPRISE party with people there I didn't expect and I went in to a spun out melt down for at least an hour until my first glass of wine set in!!!

Why am I writing this? It's all about FRIENDS! It is so amazing what people can do for you and how friends have your back.... and are there for you. It was so hard leaving Sydney, so intense, rushed, complicated, confusing, sad... to say the least. Then to rock up to such warmth, love, friendship and people who care... it blew me away! Let's just say it kick started my drive up north. It gave me power and strength. Don't get me wrong.. I had some awesome farewell drinks and dinners with close friends in Sydney before I left, infact, many of them! This was the icing on the cake.

I am now in Armidale for the night. My little fish are set up in their tank and still alive. My plants in their box... still green. My car being so heavy and so low it hasn't bottomed out yet or scraped my muffler. My fear of running out of petrol in the Great Dividing Range on route from Tamworth to Armidale was sorted thanks to a much needed country town with a petrol station. A heavy full car chews a lot of petrol!!!

I got here in the end... it was my first long drive in awhile but I do love a good road trip.

and I got to see the BIG guitar... Australia is home to the BIG things your know...

So now I have a nice relaxing eve in my little motel... not a bad find I must say, and thanks to WOTIF! I have Risotto coming to me via room service, keeping up with the news, blogging and reminiscing on a weekend that feckin rocked!

I am a lucky woman... Tomorrow... QUEENSLAND!!!!!!

THE GREAT SYDNEY GOODBYE

THE DAY HAS COME TO CHANGE MY LIFE....

Saturday 14th of August 2014

I am in a hotel room. It has finally sunk in that I am about to drastically change my life... for the better.

Call my life changing decision selfish if you will, but I am not someone who simply accepts their position if one is unhappy. I always try to see the "happier" side of life, the positive side, most definitely the FUN side!

I came back to live in Sydney twice in between stints of overseas travel & living and also Tour Guiding. I always wanted to experience life overseas in another city and I tasted that in London. So on my return back to Australia, how fantastic is the Harbour city of Sydney? How wonderful is it's climate? We don't realise how good we have it here until you try living somewhere else in the world. Mild winters with sunny days, gorgeous coastline with stunning beaches, entertainment & culture in abundance and fabulous food. Yep, I see the draw card, I feel Sydney's pull.

But it didn't work for me.

I am trying not to feel like a failure that I tried twice to live here and in both attempts had to flee. This time just over a year ago I gave up Tour Guiding to live here because of family & friends. Eventually, I hoped to live near the beach, get a dog, walk that dog on the beach, grow my plants and herbs, cook, go out to dinner, visit friends, party the nights away and have a stable 9-5 job with nights free to simply "enjoy" my time in Sydney.

Sounds good right??? In theory yes... but the main thing about Sydney for me, a major negative... IT IS JUST TO DARN EXPENSIVE!!!!

The job, paid to low, the nights at home, instead of enjoying my little flat I was stressing about money constantly and having many sleepless nights (and also a nosey landlord above making living uncomfortable) my credit card maxed out in no time... the beach, too far through horrendous traffic which is a continuous shit fight! The dog... never happened. The dream of owning my own home as a single woman in 5 years... impossible!!!!

Thankfully I had a vision, I wanted all of the above (the selfish part) I wanted to enjoy my life, I want to own my own home so I can look after myself in the future... I want that darn dog!!!

So... I decided to pack up, quit my job, ram my little car full of belongings (turntables and records included)and chase my dream... literally drive towards it.... TOWARDS CAIRNS!!!! Yep... 39 year old single woman on a mission for a better life... I wanted my fun back. Thankfully, I have friends waiting for me on the other end as I have lived in cairns before, making it a sound decision. I already have a job waiting for me. My dream of owning my own home... totally do-able with housing half the cost of Sydney. Plus it's much much warmer!!! Bring on the tropics!!!

Today I start that journey. I am having lunch with family in Mittagong in the Southern Highlands and then I make my way up the coast visiting friends and beaches along the way. Tonight I stay in Gosford.

Thank you Sydney, It's been real... but you are now my holiday place. I'll return in the summers when your a little more chilled out and crash on peoples couches.

Au revoir!!!!