Brisbane and my first job!

My first impressions of Brisbane where mixed, the city looked gray and boring and the hostel looked only okay. However as all places it grows on you faster than you know. The hostel we stayed at, named Tinbilly Travelers, turned out to be very friendly and I soon found myself at home. In the first floor they had a pub and every night we got free shots. For some reason though the place was always packed in the afternoon, but when the evening came it was only half full.

Brisbane does not have any beaches in close range, but they have a river that runs trough the city and next to the river is a fake beach that was called Streets Beach. It's basically a swimming pool with sand, palm trees and picking areas. We spent two days there trying to catch some more color and just relaxing. The water was very warm and it was a good place to chill. On the way to the Laguna (as it was also called) there was a Asian tribute building of some sorts. We took some pictures outside it.

One of the days we visited an old bell tower, they still had the old lift intact and usable. There wasn't that much to see though, a few big bells and a small place to walk around and look at the view of the city.

We also took a trip to Brisbane's Chinatown which was about 30 minutes walk from the hostel. On the way we saw at least 5 different churches, some massive and some very small. Brisbane has old and new buildings all mixed together and it is a strange sight to see.

Brisbane is filled with Lizards. Anywhere there are some rocks and some water you are guaranteed to see heaps of them. I have at least seen 25 different ones in my two weeks in Brisbane, from large scary ones to small cute ones.

I was going to Brisbane to find work, but I soon found out that it was easier said than done. There are tons of backpackers here and not that many jobs. However we still managed to get a one day job unloading a container. They guy I spoke to (while having a beer with him) told me about his company, his life story, that it would take five hours and we would get 100 dollars. We where 12 people unloading furniture for a hotel that was renovating. The whole process only took 2.5 hours, but we still got the full amount of money + a free breakfast. It was a great job, but sadly it was only that one time.

About 10 minutes from our hostel was Brisbane Casino. I went there two times, the first time I lost 20 bucks, but the second time I won 43 dollars playing roulette. I am not a very big gambler, but it was good fun. We also went out a few times to a nightclub/bar called Down Under Bar. It was always packed with backpackers and I met some Norwegian and Danish girls there + heaps of Germans and English people.

One guy in our room told us about a place called Kangaroo Point which was supposed to be a good place to relax. But when we went there it was one ugly park and the rest houses. The only nice thing about Kangaroo Point was the view to the city. They had a place where you could get a good look and take some amazing pictures.

Since there was a river running through the city one of the public transport options was the ferry system. We took one day and bought a day ticket and cruised up and down the river. The boats looked more like speedboats than ferries, and where very fast. When standing in the front you could feel the wind ripping at your clothes.

After two weeks we decided to go back to Sydney to try and find work there in stead. We booked the cheapest flight back, which meant we had to spend the whole day doing nothing while waiting. We went to a very beautiful park and I spent a hour walking around taking pictures and relaxing. Then we took a taxi to the airport and slept there overnight until our flight left 5 AM in the morning.

The Ultimate Surf (Camp)

It's been a while since my last blog post and I apologize, but I have been incredibly busy plus the lack of internet makes it harder to keep you all updated. Anyways, here is a post about my latest adventure, the Ultimate Surf Camp, a 10 day extended surf camp.

Yamba

Our first destination was a small town called Yamba, about 10 hours north of Sydney. We took the overnight buss from Sydney and arrived early in the morning. As soon as we had settled into our rooms, we went out surfing. Yamba is a great place to surf, with four beaches to choose from you can always find a wave.

The hostel we where staying in was the only on in town and incredibly friendly and nice. It was a family run business and the people that worked there came with us to surf. The place had a reputation for backpackers coming to stay for a week, but ending up staying for 5-6 months.

Another great thing about Yamba was the fantastic food. We got free lunch and dinner every night. I tried Kangaroo which was different, but tasty. But the best food they had was the "Works Burger", a burger with everything including eggs. Around the corner from the hostel there was two pie shops as well, with delicious pies.

The first two night there we went partying. I had a great time including a Singstar competition and dancing to a band I have never heard about. The last day we went on a tour of Yamba. We went to some cliffs where you could jump off into the water. The first cliff was about 5 meters and the second was 12 meters. It was scary but a lot of fun! We also fed crazy fish with toast and pelicans with fish. Overall a great last day!

Byron Bay

After Yamba we traveled up the coast another two hours to Byron Bay. Byron Bay is known as one of the best surfing places in Australia, but sadly the weather was not on our side. The last day we did get some waves, but the first two was almost flat. We spent the days lying on the beach trying to catch some color and I got a bad sunburn on the back of my legs where I forgot to put sunscreen.

The hostel in Byron was not as nice as the one in Yamba, but it was still decent. It had a nice pool with very warm water which we used to play in. We trough in money and went diving for it.

Food in Byron Bay was more up and down. One of the night we got free dinner at a pub called Cheeky Monkeys. The food was crap and very small portions. I had to buy another meal to feel full. However, as a nightclub the place was crazy. It was packed every night with backpackers dancing on tables and generally having a good time. They also held competitions every day.

The last day in Byron Bay we went to a concert with an Australian band playing psychedelic rock, it felt like being back in the 60's. Our Surf guide was a big fan of them and predicts that they will be well known in a few years. Sadly I can't remember the name of the band :(

Coolangatta

After Byron Bay we got on another buss and traveled another two hours up the coast to the Gold Coast and more precisely Coolangatta. The hostel in Coolangatta reminded me more of a hotel than a hostel. The rooms had a big balcony with sleeping couches which I spent a fair amount of time in.

It was very windy the first two days which made the waves very choppy and hard to surf on, but the last 2 days we got better weather and some good surfing conditions. I can now do turns on the waves, move up and down on the board while standing up and keep my balance. I can really feel that I have become better over the last 10 days. Paddling is still the hardest part, because my muscles are not trained in paddling.

We did not party as much in Coolangatta, in stead we chilled on the balcony in the evenings. Just having a good time. Now I am heading up to Brisbane to find work. I am not sure how long I will stay there, but I will keep everyone updated. I am traveling with a group of Germans from the surf camp. Lastly I would like to say thanks for a great surf experience and to all the people in my group: Anja, Anna, Alice, Chris, Markus, Mathias, Phil, Mike, Tony and Lock Dog!