79-89th day 03.12 - 13.12 Brisbane / Samford Showground

Monday 03.12.

On this day, we went from the rest area to Brisbane to work as a gardener and landscaper for a day. I woke up at 6am and was already at the specified address by 7:30am. Since I was early, I quickly drove to the store to do some shopping before starting work at 8:30am. I met Duncan, the boss of a small company, and he gave me some instructions on the work. Duncan is originally from England and lives here with his family in the summer. Along with a colleague, Juraj from Slovakia, we leveled a large garden. There were many plants and weeds, two tree stumps, and a lot of leaves that needed to be removed. The job was to lay new turf, which was delivered on palettes in 0.75m² pieces. The day was tough, the temperatures were hot, we drank about 4 liters of water, and sweat dripped down our foreheads. We carried a lot of soil and gravel in wheelbarrows to the garden and prepared the ground for laying the turf. Juraj and I laid the pieces of turf until 4:30pm, when we finished work for the day. Duncan thanked me for my help and said he had more work for me on Thursday. He wanted to transfer the money to me the same evening. After work, I searched for a good camping spot on CamperMate and found the Samford Showgrounds, a rest area for $10 including hot showers, which I desperately needed. So, that's how my first day in the city of Brisbane went.

Tuesday 04.12.

In the morning, after breakfast, I went to the hardware store and bought two aluminum profiles. This day was a work day, and I had a lot of fun transforming my car. After reading a book about living in an SUV in the past few days, I was able to incorporate many new tips and ideas. So, I dismantled the old, heavy, wooden construction and built a new one with two simple aluminum profiles.

There is also storage space for my refrigerator and I have a good sleeping area that runs the entire length of the car.

I received a big compliment and amazed eyes from a neighbor, who is also a traveler, which made me very proud of my María. When a storm came in the afternoon, we parked both cars under a shelter and chatted. That's how I met Jack and Tess, two young people from Adelaide who have paused their jobs to travel a bit in Australia. We rode with longboards and skateboards, told stories, and they invited me to visit them anytime in Adelaide because Tess owns a 500-acre property. So, we slept comfortably under cover, and it was the first time sleeping with María and the new construction.

Wednesday 05.12.

In the morning, I checked my bank account and received the money from Duncan, which meant I could go shopping. I bought a new mattress, filled up the tank, and slept south of Sydney after a day of shopping. There was a rest area for the night and an agility dog park next to it, where I watched for a while. Of course, I had to tell Monika and Dominik about it.

Then it was time to sleep, because Thursday is the second work day.

Thursday 06.12.

Work is on, carrying wheelbarrows full of soil and a bit of gravel. We also laid turf again, so that the customer would come home from work in the evening and find a new green garden. In the evening, we went back to Samford, where I had already settled in.

Friday 07.12.

I spent Friday relatively quietly. I read a bit, enjoyed the not-so-hot weather, and a little rain. I also optimized the layout of my car a bit. In the early evening, a Jucy van (which is a car rental company) arrived with two girls. Lena and Marie, 19 years old and from the Stuttgart area. We got along quite well and planned a tour of Brisbane for the next day.

Saturday 08.12.

After a leisurely sleep and breakfast, we drove to Brisbane. Lena drove, as the two of them could easily convert their van into 3 seats. However, I was a little scared while driving because they were only 18-19 years old, and you could clearly see that they were 'novice' drivers. We drove with their van named 'Monty' to a koala sanctuary, and Lena and Marie were absolutely thrilled. So many koalas, kangaroos, wallabies... it was simply beautiful to see their joy. For me, it wasn't as exciting anymore, as I am already somewhat familiar with Australian wildlife. But I also had fun with the animals. Here, I saw a Tasmanian devil for the first time, a wombat, and a rare platypus.

These animals look so cute when they swim. We also saw a tame and hand-reared dingo being led around by a caretaker.

After that, we took the train to Brisbane city center in the afternoon. We strolled through the alleys, the shopping district, admired the botanic gardens, and enjoyed the Christmas decorations in the middle of hot Australia.

Since I didn't see much of Brisbane, I can't really give an objective report, but I didn't find the city itself particularly exciting. In comparison, Cairns was much more pleasant and beautiful. Marie had to help me out with money a little bit throughout the day because Duncan, my boss, had problems with his bank. On the way back, we stopped by Duncan's house and he gave me the money in cash.

When we arrived at the Samford camping site, we met three girls with their rental motorhome. Kim, Laura, and Nadine, all three of them just finished high school and are traveling abroad for a few months.

We had a cozy evening together, hung up fairy lights, and chatted.

But then I said goodbye because, in general, all the girls seemed too 'childish' to me, which is probably due to the age difference and life experience.

Sunday 09.12.

Sunday was spent as the day of the Lord is intended to be. Chilling, doing nothing, and enjoying. I read a lot and chatted with the girls. We had another cozy evening, and then the new week began.

Monday 10.12.

After breakfast, I drove to Brisbane because I was waiting for a letter with my boating license. The letter also contained documents for car insurance. But unfortunately, it did not arrive. That was basically it, as the day was mostly spent reading and chilling. A very relaxed day.

Tuesday 11.12.

I also spent Tuesday in Samford, writing a bit, and reading a lot. The girls moved on, and I was alone again.

Wednesday 12.12.

In the morning, I drove to Brisbane, specifically to a suburb to work there. We had a lot of undergrowth to remove and a lot of soil to transport. It was a tiring but not a bad day. Since Duncan still had problems with his bank, he couldn't give me any money on that day. I even had to borrow $100 from Juraj, which was very nice of him. Since he is also a backpacker, he knows the financial situation.

Thursday 13.12.

Thursday was also a work day. We continued to transport a lot of soil with the wheelbarrow and laid patches of turf.

The result speaks for itself, I would say. I happened to ask my boss how work would be for the next day, as he had said the week before that he had 'so much work'. He just replied that he had nothing for me on Friday. After hearing that, I was a bit annoyed because I had expected to work on Friday as well. I had also planned to drive south on Saturday. Well, then I'll start on Friday.