Fremantle, Western Australia.....terracotta roofs, palm trees, rocks and red clay, "New Frontier" land?, cappuccino strip, Aboriginal artwork, sunny days, freezing nights, busy afternoons turning to empty evenings, extended holidays, closed shops at 5, unreliable transport.....waiting always.
The past three weeks in Perth have been...well, unexpected. Emily, Chris, Josh and I rocked up to Perth expecting a small, surf-life type city and I can't begin to tell you how wrong we were. Driving 3700 km from the east coast to west coast basically makes one feel like you have entered a completely different country.....and considering the vastness of Australia and the fact that over half of Western Australians haven't traveled outside their own state or would even care to, pretty much confirms this feeling.
How do I describe my first impressions of WA compared to the bustling city life back in Melbourne?? SLOW. Everything (and by this I literally mean EVERYTHING but the occasional bottle shop and few pubs) closes at 5....so if you want food to feed the family or need money to pay the bills, better make sure you're out of work before then! Holidays last dayssss on end. The four of us arrived in Perth around the Easter holiday. This definitely put a damper on job searching when most of the town was shut down and the exact same parade and festival went on 3 DAYS in a row....I almost went crazy thinking the days were beginning to repeat themselves. Every other house on my street is under some sort of renovation - and I'm pretty sure will continue to be so for months on end. It seems like Aussies simply decide to work only when they feel like it. The Aboriginal community is huge, accents are much harder to understand...and I've learned that Western Australians do NOT like it when I boast about the East Coast!
Emily, Josh and I live in a suburb called Fremantle. Yes, the group of four became three - Chris left for England about two weeks ago when circumstances led him to feel the need to go home. I won't even get started on that one, it's been a tough situation to handle....but the three of us are coping with the sad goodbye. Fremantle is good for two types of people: A. the retired or B. the travelers needing to save money. There's not much to do here but enjoy a hot cappuccino in the afternoon or have a bbq at night, so for now - Emily and I are working and saving. I'm currently employed at one of Australia's best known breweries, called Little Creatures. I Love it! It's probably the best (and hopefully one of the last) hospitality jobs I will ever have. Located in the heart of Fremantle's harbor, it offers gorgeous views to sit and enjoy a refreshing pint and bucket of chili mussels on a sunny Sunday afternoon. (Nice advertising, huh?). They employ backpackers from all over the world, which gives a fun atmosphere and amazing people to get to know. I'm also currently bartending for the first time in my life...I'm not the best, but hey - I told you western Australians were patient people!
The next four weeks won't be the most exciting of times, but will be much needed for the coming adventures. I'm joining the bandwagon with this slow paced town, enjoying bbqs with both new and old friends, saving some cash, and waiting. This month has been full of ups and downs, hellos and goodbyes. Em and I have to say another sad goodbye in July, as Josh heads back to the freezing, maple-syrup covered land of Canada......we'll miss you!!! Then it's back to the original two, or shall I say - amazing duo, as Em and I set off for our final, two month chapter in Australia....GET READY!
May 31, 2011
W.A. - Waiting Always
Fremantle, Western Australia.....terracotta roofs, palm trees, rocks and red clay, "New Frontier" land?, cappuccino strip, Aboriginal artwork, sunny days, freezing nights, busy afternoons turning to empty evenings, extended holidays, closed shops at 5, unreliable transport.....waiting always.
The past three weeks in Perth have been...well, unexpected. Emily, Chris, Josh and I rocked up to Perth expecting a small, surf-life type city and I can't begin to tell you how wrong we were. Driving 3700 km from the east coast to west coast basically makes one feel like you have entered a completely different country.....and considering the vastness of Australia and the fact that over half of Western Australians haven't traveled outside their own state or would even care to, pretty much confirms this feeling.
How do I describe my first impressions of WA compared to the bustling city life back in Melbourne?? SLOW. Everything (and by this I literally mean EVERYTHING but the occasional bottle shop and few pubs) closes at 5....so if you want food to feed the family or need money to pay the bills, better make sure you're out of work before then! Holidays last dayssss on end. The four of us arrived in Perth around the Easter holiday. This definitely put a damper on job searching when most of the town was shut down and the exact same parade and festival went on 3 DAYS in a row....I almost went crazy thinking the days were beginning to repeat themselves. Every other house on my street is under some sort of renovation - and I'm pretty sure will continue to be so for months on end. It seems like Aussies simply decide to work only when they feel like it. The Aboriginal community is huge, accents are much harder to understand...and I've learned that Western Australians do NOT like it when I boast about the East Coast!
Emily, Josh and I live in a suburb called Fremantle. Yes, the group of four became three - Chris left for England about two weeks ago when circumstances led him to feel the need to go home. I won't even get started on that one, it's been a tough situation to handle....but the three of us are coping with the sad goodbye. Fremantle is good for two types of people: A. the retired or B. the travelers needing to save money. There's not much to do here but enjoy a hot cappuccino in the afternoon or have a bbq at night, so for now - Emily and I are working and saving. I'm currently employed at one of Australia's best known breweries, called Little Creatures. I Love it! It's probably the best (and hopefully one of the last) hospitality jobs I will ever have. Located in the heart of Fremantle's harbor, it offers gorgeous views to sit and enjoy a refreshing pint and bucket of chili mussels on a sunny Sunday afternoon. (Nice advertising, huh?). They employ backpackers from all over the world, which gives a fun atmosphere and amazing people to get to know. I'm also currently bartending for the first time in my life...I'm not the best, but hey - I told you western Australians were patient people!
The next four weeks won't be the most exciting of times, but will be much needed for the coming adventures. I'm joining the bandwagon with this slow paced town, enjoying bbqs with both new and old friends, saving some cash, and waiting. This month has been full of ups and downs, hellos and goodbyes. Em and I have to say another sad goodbye in July, as Josh heads back to the freezing, maple-syrup covered land of Canada......we'll miss you!!! Then it's back to the original two, or shall I say - amazing duo, as Em and I set off for our final, two month chapter in Australia....GET READY!
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