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 October - November 2011

At this point it was extremely easy to drift off into traveller heaven. I was loaded with cash from all the work I had just done, was in Asia enjoying life and was very tempted to keep the backpacking flame alive after putting up with such miserable people for the past month and a bit.

But I resolved to return, and get back into the same line of work. As soon as I got back, I called the boss asking when it was likely that I'd return to work and was simply told the same thing again. I knew deep down that I wouldn't be going back there, that he was full of shit and didn't have the guts to say that he didn't want me back there.

I found a job picking up empty glasses & bottles at a local night club; one of the most popular spots in town. The manager hired me on the spot because she said that I smile a lot. It was one of the worst jobs I have ever endured in my life. It was loud, monotonous and extremely tedious Seriously, throw me back out bush with all its snakes and isolation. I'd take that kind of work any day of the week over that crappy job.

10 minutes there seemed like an hour. At times you'd just take their glass or bottle anyways to give you something to do. Shit hit the fan when it got busy. Anyone that has worked in hospitality knows what that rush of work is like, where you are on a completely different level of consciousness just to get through the rush while multi-tasking and being given orders by some pimply little backpacker.

Things improved slightly on the weekends when they put me at the front door on account of my smile. Instead of picking up empty glasses, I had to tell people to go around to the other door, tell them not to smoke and count people as they left, so we'd know when to let more in. It wasn't very interesting and I had to be on my feet all night, but it sure beat picking up empty glasses, cleaning toilets and cleaning up the place at the end of the night. I stayed there for 2 weeks.

Out of the blue, another mining lead pulled through and offered me a job. I called the first boss and told him that I had just been offered a job with his rival and when it was likely that work would be resuming. I got the same answer... a week or two...

Oh how I needed that break, I had already chucked the night club job in, in anticipation of heading back out bush before that call. Darwin is an awesome place with even better weather. I could have seen myself getting 'comfortable' there.  Fortunately that wasn't to be the case, I'd be flown out in 3 days time to begin my new job.

Goodbye Darwin & hello Brisbane.