Two days of sea

This week I set myself couple of goals. One was to sunbath on the beach, since I arrived here I haven't had the chance to go to the beach and that was very shameful to admit to others so onTuesday I decided to break the curse and visit the beach. It wasn't my lucky day as swimming was not permitted due to a rise in the number of jellyfish spotted in the water. Still that wasn't going to stop me so I got my book out and started soaking the sun. Unfortunately this was very short lived due to extremely warm weather I found myself standing under the beach shower most of the time to cool down. It was a beautiful day as not many people were on the beach and I was able to relax by just listening to the waves. After two hours of sunbathing/standing under the shower I decided to take a walk on the famous four mile beach and found myself above a hill with an amazing view. Four hours of sun and no sea to swim in I decided to call it a day and go home. Little did I know that I'd be spending the next day on a lovely boat sailing on the same sea. On Thursday Charlotte and I started our afternoon with a couple of lemon lime bitters at the pub then met couple of other friends and made our way to the yacht club where we registered our name and were selected to join a crew on a boat for two hours. The boat was amazing and I enjoyed the company and most importantly the view. I hope the photos do it justice.
After a great evening we decided to unwind in front of the telly with a good movie but that plan changed shortly after couple of friends dropped by and we found ourselves in the pool by midnight playing charades and eating delicious Italian food by the pool.
I think I can say I had a very good day and hopefully that will continue tonight as we are invited for dinner at a friends house and this is no ordinary dinner, its going to be Argentinian style dinner. I hope you are all having a good weekend.

Australia Day / British night

Yesterday was Australia Day. As you are all aware I am currently living in a small town therefore not much was happening during the day, it wasn't a surprise as Australians use every opportunity to get out their 4WD and go to the nearest national park or water hole with BBQ access. Charlotte and I also used this opportunity to visit Kuranda. It wasn't charlotte's first visit so it was good to be with some one who knew where she was going. We visited few markets which sold locally produced products or not so locally produced such as China and India. It was a shame as I would have liked to see more local hand made jewellery or clothing but most stalls sold imported products from overseas. Things I had seen in my visit to India were sold 4 times the price here.
On our way back we stopped at couple of look outs Henry Ross and Rex hill were the two and we managed to stop take some photos.
I had a very short shift at the restaurant in the evening but came home to a lovely British meal cooked by Charlotte. We had shepherds pie for dinner, one of the best I've had and she finished off the evening with bread and butter pudding. It was amazing to eat all this lovely food with all this amazing people and I really enjoyed my Australia/England day. Couple of the guys decided to head into town to continue the party but Charlotte and I were too tired to join them so I had a early night in at 2:30am.
I hope you all had a good Saturday.

My one week of unemployment

This week I got up to nothing productive. I spent most of my days in bed sleeping or reading. Went out couple of times for job trials and using Internet cafe's but the book had me house bound. The weather also meant I took refuge in my room rather than sitting by the beach. Today after a week of rain we had the sun come out but it has been unbearably warm and therefore I found myself staying in my bed under the fan reading a book. So I guess it doesn't matter what the weather is like as long as I have Dan Brown in hand I won't be going anywhere.
Thankfully I finished the book 5 minutes ago meaning I'm no longer bed bound and I can get on with life. I can not wait to have two jobs from next week as I found myself constantly eating this week due to boredom, I have eaten so much that my housemates now have a go at me for opening the fridge to grab something to munch on every half an hour. We all joke that I have a monster inside me but I know it's due to a relaxed mind and lack of activities to keep me occupied. I'm not complaining but I don't necessary enjoy the trip to the supermarket every two days. Each time my shopping basket consists of nothing but cakes and sweets. Luckily price of chocolate is very high and I only treat myself to that luxury once in a while but it doesn't stop me buying supermarkets own branded biscuits.

Resident of Port Douglas

I just want to say that I feel at home here. This is the first time I have felt so content since coming to Australia. Port Douglas might not be for everyone but I have come to realise that although it is the complete opposite of what I am used to e.g London, I feel extremely comfortable and happy here. I have a sense of belonging here. Port Douglas is a small town, a destination for holiday makers and its not cheap. The "High" street is covered in stores that sell anything from clothing to art pieces all at a hefty price tag, but then again the people who chose to come here have money. During high season you can take advantage of its beautiful beaches and eat in many of its beautiful cafe's and restaurant. Currently the wet season has meant many of these restaurant close down and have holiday breaks away from this tropical weather.
Sunday night was my last shift at Bel Cibo. I managed to work just over 60 hours in my last week. Thank god I get paid hourly and I'm not on a salary. The owner had decided to close the restaurant during wet season and take a three week holiday. I on the other hand decided to dedicate this week on exploring the town but the weather hasn't been on my side and it has rained more or less non stop since Saturday. My plans of sunbathing by the beach during this week has gone out the window. Still I come from a city that rains most months of the year so I should be used to it right? Well I am used to it but not used to this level of downfall. It's tropical rain so it comes with great force and lasts a while, many fear flood.
But I've decided that a little bit wet will not stop me from exploring, sunbathing is on halt at the moment but I have been on bicycle rides around town and its been great exercise and fun.
Although I have even jobless since Sunday, I haven't been bored. Caught up on some precious sleep, some reading and lots of baking. I started reading the Da Vinci code on Monday and I'm nearly done I know it's shameful to admit that I hadn't read it until now but better late than never.
Last night I had a work trial in another Italian restaurant and was hired, just waiting on a phone call to confirm my next shift. The manager warned me that she can not offer me many hours and I should look for a day job so as I was walking home I bumped into Charlotte (my housemate) and her manager of the ice cream shop and told them about my evening. They both looked at each other and told me that they are looking for someone to work during the week from next Monday so I managed to get myself two jobs in one day. This means ill be staying in Port Douglas a little bit longer which I'm very pleased about.
One other productive thing I managed to do this week was plan my trip to New Zealand. I spent 5 hours on Tuesday planning my day to day itinerary for the 11 days ill be spending there. The excitement is building up within me and I can not wait for February to come.

Midnight fix

I fancied something nice tonight but couldn't put my finger on what exactly until Charlotte(my new housemate) came home and offered to bake a cake, second night running. She baked another cake last night as it was her birthday.
The cake was divine and it felt even better as it was a last minute decision and made us all very excited.
It's good to live with girls again after being with just boys for the past two months. I miss their company but I think it was time for some girl company in my life.

Daintree and Cape Tribulation

So on Sunday we visited the Daintree rainforest and Cape tribulation. We rented a car for the day and found out they had upgraded us to a bigger car for the price of the small one so it was a good start, it was nice to drive an automatic with powerful air conditioning as we have been living in rooms with only fans to keep us cool in such a warm humid climate. Since I've been in australia I have seen many national parks and after a while they all seem the same, some have stuck in my mind for different reasons and some have merged into one green forest. Daintree itself was very much like all the other national parks we have visited on the way but the difference here was that we had a chance to see cape tribulation where the rainforest meets beach. Its a magnificent view once you step on the white sandy beaches with no one around and only the sound of waves breaking the quiet. I took many photos and I hope they do it justice but this was by far one of the best beaches I have ever seen.
We also managed to go on a river cruise to see some saltwater crocodiles, now with nature nothing is predictable but we were very lucky on Sunday as we managed to see a very hungry croc and two baby crocodiles. Apparently baby crocodiles are very rare as they are eaten by many other wild animals, these two were very lucky to have reached this far.
For some reason I was not feeling so good that day and didn't eat much and ended up with a headache which resulted in going home early from work. All in all a good day and this was one of the main things I wanted to see this far up the east coast so I'm glad we managed to find some tie to explore it.

New home

So much has happened over the past three weeks. I have been very busy hence the lack of posts and not just any busy work busy.
So my new job is great and the manager tries to give as many hours as possible as I've told him I need the money this has meant that I have not had a day off since Boxing Day. I work during lunch and dinner. I'm not complaining as I like working but yesterday I asked to have the morning off so I could go to Daintree and cape tribulation with Ramtin and Davy. We had to do this yesterday as both boys have now left Port Douglas and I am staying here alone.
Ramtin moved to Brisbane to find work and Davy will move to Perth to complete a traffic control training where he will also work.
So from today Monday 14th January I am living alone. I managed to find a room in a house share with few other girls. It's so nice to be in a home environment where you have your own room and bathroom. Although its sad that we have all separated to do our own thing, I feel content.
My job at Bel Cibo ends this week as the restaurant closes for wet season. I have started looking for others jobs, despite the fact that Ramtin and Davy hated it here so much I really like Port Douglas. It's a very small town meaning everyone knows you. People at the bank call me by my first name, when I walk past cafe's and restaurant people wave and say hi to me. It feels nice to be in such a friendly town and it makes me feel like I belong.
I will try and upload a post on my trip to Daintree as it was magnificent and we saw so many wild animals, but I have to do this mid week as I have plenty more to get on with this week.
Wish me luck guys I need to find a job for next week.
Much love

Bel Cibo

Hi all
I have been very quiet on the post front lately. This is due to work which has meant I don't do anything during the day or night as my shifts take up most of the sociable hours of the day. I'm not complaining as I like the job and it's been a while since I last worked. On Wednesday I got my first pay check and it was very exciting for me.
Ramtin and I both work in the same restaurant and it's nice to walk to work together everyday. The restaurant is Italian and the food is great. Since its a very small town I have met many locals who recognise me on the street and ask when my next shift is. I've been working every night since Boxing Day and have covered most lunches since then. I will
Soon be visiting a zoo and a national park close by so watch out for more posts soon.
I hope you all had a good Christmas and new year.