Monday, April 28, 2008
Roast Swan anybody?
actually it does look quite appetising.. but it was incredibly rich and I would only want thin slivers of it in a stir fry or curry or something.. its too rich as steak!
Sunday, April 27, 2008
So… all changes pretty quickly here. The calf sheds were easier but I was still making loads of mistakes and feeling stupid and beginning not to sleep.. I was developing fears of Andrew, David and Nel because I was convinced I was going to get told off every time I saw them.. (Which I probably was- because I was bound to be doing something wrong) and an important part of the calf shed is to drive the milk truck that has NO (none at all) brakes, and a dodgy pull start and choke.. And every time I had to ask someone to drive it for me I was treated like they were doing a he favor for me.. And then lots of milk had to be dumped (it’s the sick herd milk so cant be used for anything but calves) because the sick herd is too big and there aren’t enough calves to drink it all.. so when Andrew saw me dumping it I got bollocked.. when in actual fact that much gets dumped everyday he just didn’t know about it.. so after getting told off everyday I was starting to have a heart attack every time I saw and heard a tractor and of course since people are starting and finishing work at random times so I could hear the tractors at random times when I was trying to sleep.. So on Thursday I knew nel would be doing the rosta for the following week so I plucked up the courage and said that I thought I might leave next week so could she not put me on the rosta.. She was clearly really happy because I’d overheard discussions between management that they couldn’t afford me, as someone needed to be with me all the time. So obviously she wasn’t that upset. So then I went and looked at flights and booked a flight for Tuesday. As that was the cheapest day. The same day I found a job in Adelaide and got it. So I’ll be working at a backpackers, who do tours of the great ocean road and also own apple orchards so have apple-picking work too. So hopefully all will work out.
So I fly out tomorrow into Melbourne, spend the night in Melbourne and then head to Phillip Island, Sorrento and then get the ferry to Queenscliff where my great Aunty Sheila will pick me up. And I’m going to spend the weekend there. It’s really unusual for me to have a plan!
Since I made the decision I have felt a lot better. I have been working really well in the calf sheds.. haven’t done anything wrong.. in fact have been in charge of them for a few days.. and life has been one nonstop party.. my weekends are mad here.. I end up going out 4 nights in a row and rarely getting in before dawn.. this weekends been a heavy one..
I felt terrible as not only had I not rung Oz to tell him it wasn’t going to go anywhere I’d now booked a flight and not told him.. So when he rang and I was out partying somewhere and Joc told him he was pretty upset and came straight over to wait for me to get home.. he organized a party for the following night anyway.. it was absolutely brilliant!! A mad night..! we had this massive bonfire outside and the boys were all wrestling and getting themselves burnt. then we went out on the ute and they put mattresses on the back so I could get flung around… I did think I might die any moment but all in good fun..! We ended up at Penny’s lagoon where of course we thought it would be a good idea to get naked and skinny dip!! So there’s me with 5 naked guys running through the bush into a very muddy lagoon… amusingly the boys didnt get dressed again for the journey home so there we are with two naked guys on the back on a Ute and me in the front with 3 other naked guys. Even the driver was naked. I would have loved to see what would have happened if the police would have stopped us… Classic night anyway…! Went home to oz’s and collapsed in front of a movie. the boys eventually decided to put some clothes on.. I was freezing. Thought I was going to die of pneumonia.. Debatable whther that was because of penny’s lagoon or laying outside having beer tipped on my head… Jenny tipped beer on my head if I wasn’t singing English nursery rhymes.. As soon as I starting singing again he would stop and vice versa…
So the flowing day feeling bit rough I hose the yards for the very last time (YAY!!) and snooze in my lunch break.. Then we decide to go out down the club for dinner and then off to the golfy for some drinks.. I was feeling tired and a bit worse for wear to by 10:30pm I was in the car asleep.. Now I’m not sure how this happened but somehow everyone drove home and I got left in the pub with Jamie, Fatima and Neil with my ride home gone for the night… so I could either sit and sulk or sleep in the corner of the pub. or I could just roll with it and chat up the guys.. They’re so cute showing photos of their tractors! Though it does seem everyone knows me.. People came up and go oh you’re the pommy girl from the party… oh you’re the girl that went skinny-dipping with the boys. Oh you’re the girl oz likes aren’t you? And believe me all the boys happily cop a feel.. They really are funny! I accept that is as they put it.. we just don’t get the chance, because there are no single girls.. But I can’t complain.. the social scene on King island has been amazing. I have never gone out so much, never drunk so much or been so popular. but its time for me to leave before it all catches up on me..!
Anyway back to my night out. Eventually its time for chuck out time. the new English guy on the farm is driving me insane bitching about the locals and calling them hicks and hillbillies and rubbing them up the wrong way.. And saying he’s nice English guy who knows how to respect women etc.. So eventually I end up somehow on the streets with about 20x16-20 years old boys.. With them all wandering town looking for the next party. then Neil was riling them all up asking for a fight and things were getting heavy.. and I wondered how on earth I’d got myself in the situation of hanging on street corners watching street fights.. As bottles were smashed and put the faces and can lit up and thrown as bombs and one came flying towards my face I’d have enough. So Kyle whisked me off and I spent the night on his mates couch and he took me home in the morning.. I got him to drive around the streets before we left searching for them unconscious somewhere but didn’t find them… by the time I got home I discovered this was because they had been taken home by the police.. Neil was going to get himself flattened by the local guys (his story of course is that he was jumped.. but since I observed him turning into a nasty drunk wielding broken bottles I don’t believe a word of it..) and Jamie stepped in to stop him getting himself killed.. Unfortunately he flattened a few guys and knocked a few teeth out during the process and the police nearly arrested them and asked Neil to book his flight off the island! But they got home before me.. I didn’t make it in till 7:30am and then went straight into the calf sheds.. I was done by 11am and wanted to go for a sleep but just as I was dozing off Joc told me Oz would be picking me up in half an hour.. Still half an hour for a sleep… but no such luck Jamie came and got me to help move a dead calf which had been sitting their for a few days in the paddock and pretty gross.. He was throwing up attaching ropes to it so I had to do the job. Then just as I’m back covered in shit etc Oz is here and I have to go out.. We had a good day and went back to Penny’s lagoon, to Martha’s beach, yellow rock, and then to see the penguins and grassy in the evening. It was great.. so finally made it hoem at 10pm having had no sleep for 36 hours and only a couple on 48 hours I was feeling a tad tired… but now its today, I have the day off to pack and catch up and finish my book before I fly out tomorrow.. Am planning on staying in tonight but Kyle might come over to take me hunting.. We’ll see…
Jonny moving his house
Its quite funny as when ozzies move they move their house to their new spot.. so Johnny was moving his house to a new block.. the entire town came to wacth,, it was a day out for the island.. you know.. 20 men standing and watching and saying so this do that!!
King Islands one and only beat boxer
he does inform me he's the best beat boxer in town.. of course he is the only beat boxer in town..!!
PARENTAL ADVISORY REQUIRED!
Now there are videos to go with this photo but I decided it might be offensive to a few people.. so decided a photo woudl give the general idea of what life ob King Island is like after a few drinks... this is Jamie, Mario and a poor defencless wallaby!
Monday, April 21, 2008
Jamie cleaning out the milk truck
this is the milk truck we sue to take milk to the calf sheds.. I have to empty it out and clean it everyday and fill the vat etc..
The bright side of calf rearing is I am human again. I don’t have to get up early.. I work 8-6 generally and don’t cry anymore! I actually smile too!! And I can have a social life again!! This Saturday night I have 5 different invitations of things to do..!! I chose a BBQ at Oz’s house, which turned out to be a good choice!! I went with Johnny, Tamara and Andrew . I have no money at all so Johnny went and got some booze and food and he didn’t know what flavour Alco pop to get me to he got me a pack of each flavour!! That one hell of a lot of alcopops!! Oz is the funniest guy ever.. getting stupidly drunk and keeping us entertained!! He was pole dancing and falling out of windows, burning his balls on the BBQ accidentally…
It was good night anyway and I got a chance to meet some of the locals.. the trouble is with King Island is there is a severe shortage of women and the men don’t seem to know how to treat them.. and are completely sex obsessed!!
So getting taken places in King Island isn’t really a compliment – it’s that they're hoping your going to fall for their son/brother or dodgy mate..!
I felt really bad kicking Oz out of his bed but he was actually really gentlemanly.. people started dropping unconscious at about 3am and I realized there was no chance of be getting home so at about 4:45am I crashed in Oz’s bed and he slept on the sofa.. Tom woke up at 6am and got really loud so I woke up.. Andrew (the manager of the farm didn’t rise till nearly 9am).. so we eventually made it home at 10:30am.. so it was a pretty heavy night!!
King Island men are a breed of themselves, they mumble worse than ordinary men!! They have all lost their licenses to drink driving.. and when I say all I mean all!
I am enjoying myself now.. Jamie keeps me entertained with his conversation of constant sex (please close your ears in offended) but he really does come out with some classics!! So far he has said:
and that he has chocolate in his room, which I can have – but only if I am naked and sleep with him.. oh and that if I sleep with him then I’ll be a real dairy farmer.. apparently that’s the initiation of the farm…!! Hmnn! Oh well at least he keeps me entertained!! While I type this he is currently doing little poses for me in the background!! (He is 17 so I guess he is like all 17-year-old boys!!)
Rex left yesterday which feels weird.. the house is really empty now.. and Mario leaves next week so it’s going to be even quieter.. Kay has applied for another job and is soon to hand her notice in…. so staff is a huge issue here. The turnover of staff is high because the work is so hard and rural life is hard.. you are literally trapped on the farm really, and of course you are then living with all your workmates.. but I’m going to miss Mario when he leaves.. he’s been teaching me a Portuguese phrase each day so if he were here longer maybe I’d learn Portuguese!!
Everyone here is drinking lots and everyone smokes.. I wasn’t able to join in with any of the social side of anything .. so it’s nice to be able to socialize a bit now.. mind you not as much as them.. I can’t hack the pace!! (and I want to save up rather than spend all my money on alcohol)
So things are much better now and I wont be booking the first flight after I get paid..!
The other day Joc took Mario, Rex and I out to Cape Wickham where we saw the huge lighthouse.. it’s the biggest one in the Southern hemisphere apparently.. probably because there has been hundreds of shipwrecks round King Island.. anyway it was really nice there, all wild and rugged!
Tamara
Everyone here is drinking lots and everyone smokes.. I wasn’t able to join in with any of the social side of anything .. so it’s nice to be able to socialize a bit now.. mind you not as much as them.. I can’t hack the pace!! (and I want to save up rather than spend all my money on alcohol)
So things are much better now and I wont be booking the first flight after I get paid..!
The other day Joc took Mario, Rex and I out to Cape Wickham where we saw the huge lighthouse.. it’s the biggest one in the Southern hemisphere apparently.. probably because there has been hundreds of shipwrecks round King Island.. anyway it was really nice there, all wild and rugged!
Jamie showing off that he can carry 4 buckets of grain!
King Island men are a breed of themselves, they mumble worse than ordinary men!! They have all lost their licenses to drink driving.. and when I say all I mean all!
I am enjoying myself now.. Jamie keeps me entertained with his conversation of constant sex (please close your ears in offended) but he really does come out with some classics!! So far he has said that he has chocolate in his room, which I can have – but only if I am naked and sleep with him.. oh and that if I sleep with him then I’ll be a real dairy farmer.. apparently that’s the initiation of the farm…!! Hmnn! Oh well at least he keeps me entertained!! While I type this he is currently doing little poses for me in the background!! (He is 17 so I guess he is like all 17-year-old boys!!)
Rex and mario have left now which is really weird and very quiet... Kay has applied for another job and is soon to hand her notice in…. so staff is a huge issue here. The turnover of staff is high because the work is so hard and rural life is hard.. you are literally trapped on the farm really, and of course you are then living with all your workmates.. Mario’s been teaching me a Portuguese phrase each day so if he were here longer maybe I’d learn Portuguese!!
One of the calves eating me!
The calves constantly follow you around sucking on you, and your clothes.. they ate a tshirt of mine the other day..!
The bright side of calf rearing is I am human again. I don’t have to get up early.. I work 8-6 generally and don’t cry anymore! I actually smile too!! And I can have a social life again!! This Saturday night I have 5 different invitations of things to do..!! I chose a BBQ at Oz’s house, which turned out to be a good choice!! I went with Johnny, Tamara and Andrew . I have no money at all so Johnny went and got some booze and food and he didn’t know what flavour Alco pop to get me to he got me a pack of each flavour!! That one hell of a lot of alcopops!! Oz is the funniest guy ever.. getting stupidly drunk and keeping us entertained!! He was pole dancing and falling out of windows, burning his balls on the BBQ accidentally…
It was good night anyway and I got a chance to meet some of the locals.. the trouble is with King Island is there is a severe shortage of women and the men don’t seem to know how to treat them.. and are completely sex obsessed!!
So getting taken places in King Island isn’t really a compliment – it’s that they're hoping your going to fall for their son/brother or dodgy mate..!
I felt really bad kicking Oz out of his bed but he was actually really gentlemanly.. people started dropping unconscious at about 3am and I realized there was no chance of be getting home so at about 4:45am I crashed in Oz’s bed and he slept on the sofa.. Tom woke up at 6am and got really loud so I woke up.. Andrew (the manager of the farm didn’t rise till nearly 9am).. so we eventually made it home at 10:30am.. so it was a pretty heavy night!!
The staff are lovely to me, no-ones shouted at me or been nasty. But there is an undercurrent of bitchiness against certain people. If I had to take that bitchiness I wouldn’t be able to cope. Its nasty. There is a lot of bullying of one particular person. I am glad I haven’t been at the brunt of any of it.
I was desperate to stick it out 3 months and really felt it would be weak of me to leave before then. But I kind of realized strength isn’t about sticking with something you hate and making yourself miserable. Strength is saying actually this is making me unhappy and I want to stop.
Anyway, I thought about leaving a lot but didn’t have any money, I slept whenever I wasn’t working, and cried a lot.
On the Saturday (I arrived on the Monday) I worked 2am till 8:30pm. Exhausted? Do you think? This was two milkings plus hard physical labor. I stopped for half an hour at 9am to eat and then ate next at 9pm. am emotional exhausting day. Driving a motorbike in the dark on uneven terrain in thick mud truing not to get bogged, but really sure where I was going, with wallabies throwing themselves at me, and then the lights stopping working so I cant see anything.
Also in case you haven’t thought about the muscle pain. If you milk 900 cows you put 4 cups on (one for each teat). So basically lift your hand 3,600 times. If you end up milking twice in one day you lift you hand 7,200 times… I was near tears most of the time.
On the Sunday I had a good day, I worked in the calf shed in the morning and then went with Joc and Mario to her friends house, which had this stunning view. We took stacks and photos and wanted to sit out on the balcony and watch the sunset and the sunrise. But then we went to the cheese factory and I tasted all the cheeses.
But after the relief of not crying for one day the next day tipped me over the edge.
Here was my day:
12am 1am. Wake up every ten minutes terrified I’ve overslept.
2am Round Up. Drive for ages in the dark unable to find 900 cows convinced I’m lost or going to get bogged. Have a little cry.
3am Start milking – but cups off this time which is harder as it means I’m in charge of the cows not getting squished. I had watched a cow get its head stuck and Nele and Kaye have to kick its head out and use a cattle prod to get it to crawl away where it was so brain damaged it had to be shot so I was a tad scared. Basically you have to herd the cows in and out of the rotary, take 900 cups off, spray their teats with iodine, put the cows round again who haven’t finished milking all while the rotary whizzing round so you do 5 cows a minute (i.e. 20 seconds per cow) while doing all that crap at the same time. I couldn’t get the hang of the piece of string to stop the rotary so I had to just go really fast. Until I nearly squashed a cow. Nele told me off (which I deserved) you cant go round squashing cows). It nearly got its head stuck like that other one. After than I couldn’t stop crying. I was over the other side of the dairy taking cups off so no-one noticed but amusingly when the most beautiful sunrise ever came up and I was too busy to stop and look at it, enjoy it, or take a photo that finished me off, I had to stop the rotary, which would not stop for me, so I was pulling on the string for 10 minutes swearing and crying before it would stop, dried my eyes, and excused myself to the loo where I balled like a baby. Eventually I stopped and went back to work..
Then I had to take the cows back to a different field where I didn’t know where it was, in the 4th quarter of the 3rd circle. The cows seem to wander forever, it took hours and I had no idea if we were going the right place… eventually they turned up in a field with no gate. I couldn’t shut them in and had no clue what to do.. So I cried some more and drove home.. but too fast so I slid into the mud went into the air and landed 6 foot away scaring myself silly and nearly bogged myself.. so I cried some more and got home and said I hadn’t been able to shut the gate, Kaye said that’s because there wasn’t one (oh of course?) and asked if I was okay.. I cried some more and she was really nice to me, then I went and had a shower, cried all the time I was in it, tried to have a nap but couldn’t stop crying, then got up to round up with Mario who was lovely to me.., then came back and tried to sleep but cried, then on the way out to do the sick herd I SAW Joc who asked how I was to which I answered “Not good, I hated it here thanks” I think she was hoping for the “I’m good thanks” like your meant to say.. anyway she said we could have a chat when I got back… while getting the sick herd the bike broke down.. apparently that flashing light had been for oil.. so Johnny bollocked me for that (to which I replied well really how am I supposed to know?) , then a gate was open so they escaped and I had to go chasing after them… that was it, I knew then I was never going to do it again.. I announced I was never stepping onto the farm again..
so I spoke to Joc and Nele and cried (of course) and refused to step back onto the farm again! I have been persuaded to do the calf sheds only and I’ve agreed to that… no more getting lost in the dark or getting confused with gates or killing cows accidentally.. its not as many hours and I don’t know how long it will be for.. I’m taking it one day at a time.. and I guess I should be looking for other work.. but I will just see how it goes.. at least we know dairy farming is not for me.. But I’ll give calf rearing a go.
My first day was in the calf shed, which was a nice easy start. A good day 8-12 and 2-6. The calves follow you around sucking on you which is cute at first but kind on annoying when all your clothes are soaked and while your scrubbing the feeder they start sucking on your hair and your ears.
Day 2 I was on 3am milking. I caught on pretty quick. Putting the cups on was okay. But all the other switched and stuff was complicated. We were done at 9am.
Over the next few days I learn to drive quad bikes all around the farm, how to round up (900 cows at 2am in the dark, hose yards, milk 900 cows on my own, round up the sick herd on my own, vaccinate (inject) hundreds of calves with 4 different injections, stock work… and much more.
I was shattered, I wanted to leave 2 or 3 times a day and usually cried a couple of times a day as well. And then things got worse. At first I tried to just think “well if they want to pay me for being shit then that’s up to them.” but it wasn’t that, they kept saying I was actually good at it. But after a few rough days, getting a motorbike bogged in the dark at 2am. Going to the wrong field to round up. And having to walk back I came to the conclusion if they sacked me I would be relieved!! I even said to Joc if they wanted to sack me I wouldn’t be offended!
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