5 - Banana Farm

Sunday morning at five the alarm clock went off and I was ready for my first day on the farm.

Well, sleepy and completely stoned is probably more accurate but that quickly disappeared due to the insane view of a sunrise over a horizon covered in bushes.

But I couldn't enjoy it for long because we immediately went to the back of the trailer and to the middle of the field to "pick".

Although it's not really picking because you just stand sturdy under the scored trunk of the tree, load the full weight (between 40 and 60kg) on your shoulder and wait for the cutter's command.

One of my highlights was actually also the constant "Are you ready my brother?" from Ryan, one of many seasonal workers from the wonderful island state of Vanuatu.

With the bush on my shoulder, I go towards the trailer at the back of the tractor to "gently" lay it down.

Well, that's already my main activity..

This goes on for 4 hours without a break, from time to time everyone briefly plunges onto the bucket with frozen water-plastic bottles on the trailer's coupling and off we go.

After that, it's time for the first half-hour break, cramming something between your jaws and drinking another 1-2 liters of water. (at least 8-10 liters a day.)

Afterwards, another 3 hours of carrying. Phew!

Afterwards, the guys and girls in the shed are busy and we were assigned to either leaf-cutting or seedling-cutting.

This means rushing through the fields at a crazy pace and cutting something with a sickle..

(Unfortunately, no one could explain to me what really should be cut off and what should be left - so I went with my gut feeling!)

After 10-11 hours, the day is over and we were driven back to the hostel in small buses, where it was time to shower and then cook for the next day.

So, upon closer examination, it quickly becomes clear that it is a farm under Korean management and the working culture there seems to be rubbing off on Australia.

Constantly having some supervisor breathing down my neck, making life difficult for us backpackers (3 people) and the guys from Vanuatu, or smashing the lower overseers with the broad side of his knife because things are not going fast enough again.

Very, very strange but I can't deny it - effective!

I should mention that I actually lost the job again..

After a little forced break due to unconsciousness with a small bout of vomiting on the 6th day, I was released again the following day.

But maybe leaving this labor camp again is not the worst thing.

Nearly 70 hours in 6 days leave me with pain in my hips, shoulders, and completely battered legs.

The farewell was short and painless, the buses leave Humpty Doo only as a school bus towards Palmerston, where I could look for my connecting bus towards Darwin.

So, it's already back to Darwin for me, where I have to figure out how to proceed now, whether to get a new job or head towards new waters or the desert.

We'll see, I'll report back.