Job done, back to Roma I go

My work here in Clermont is done, been here for 3 weeks and already off to my next job.  So my time here has been great, busy but not too busy.  Like I previously said I have been harvesting and also truck driving.  Mostly driving the Mack road train in between paddocks loading and un-loading wheat, as I don't have a MC (road train) license, only can drive these things on the farms.  I have a Heavy Rigid license, so can only drive large trucks with trailers up to 15t.  Now as the harvesting is done, I can stay here for another 3 weeks and work, but only part time and probably up to 40 hours a week at the most, which is not enough to make the money I want, so off I go to my next job.

Roma is a great town, big but not too much so, and lots of work available.  Now Tim was the guy I worked for last year, and although he has some work for me to do, he also gave me another contact for work.  Dick runs the local feed lot, and needs someone to feed cattle, do a lot of ground work in tractors and other general jobs.  Not I got a free lift there with one of the other drivers that works here, going through Roma to Toowomba for holiday, so will drop me off sunday, and work start monday :D

Now I'm about half way to my target amount of money I need, which is great, wasn't expecting to get this much together so quick, so hoping to get to Thailand earlier.  Aparently it gets really bust in Koh Tao end of December, so best to be there mid December in order to find a job easily (which is key).  So once I have enough money together so that I know for sure I am going, will book my tickets, exciting.

Anyway, speak again soon :D

  My Mack road train 53M long and weighs as much as 84 Land Rover Discoveries when loaded

 

Recently my car had broken down, so had to walk to work through some paddocks.  This awesome horse, has been stalking me.  Each morning it follows me, sometimes hiding behind trees or right up behind me as I walk through its paddock. 

Work work work

With the weather being great these past 10 days, I've finally been getting some harvest work done.  Hooray, long hours.  When ever I log on to Facebook, I like to check on whats happening in the fast paced world we live in (albeit I only ever learn what people had for their breakfast), and what people are doing.  One thing though that always stands out and makes me chuckle, is when people complain about being tired or over worked after a 40-50 hour week.  Granted that when I was back in Guernsey living the life of the average office worker, the sound of working more than my contracted 9-5 made my skin crawl.  But after 2 years in Australia, 50 hours a week doesn't sound that bad at all.  Let me explain the kind of hours I have been working over these 2 years:
Cattle work : 6am-6pm = 12hours a day = 6days a week = 72hours a week
Divemaster Taka : 6am-8pm = 14hours a day = 5 days a week = 70hours a week
Harvest work : 7am - 11pm = 16hours a day = 7 days a week = 112hours a week
OK, so harvest work being the hardest of all, it does only last for 3-4 weeks at a time, so its not too hard.  Some of you may think this is an over exaggeration, whilst others that I have worked with may say that is less than what we actually do per week.  I vow never to complain about a 50 hour week ever again.

Now as today is wet and rainy, only had a half day today (lol, 7 hours), which gives me plenty of time to update my blog and do my washing.  The exciting life I lead.  Being in harvest puts me back in the controls of a combine harvester, although this year she is a lot smaller and older than I'm used to, but still fun.  One funny thing is that when harvesting, constantly surrounded by hawks watching as field mice and crickets run out of the path of the harvester, to which they quickly dive bomb and collect for themselves.  Clever animals using out machinery to hunt with.  And another thing which is very common out here in central Queensland, and also any outback kind of land, is whirlwinds (picture below).  They happen everyday, sometimes big and sometimes small, where the wind will suddenly form a mini twister and move for hundreds of meters.  Not really dangerous, as winds don't get too strong, just really cool to see.  I watched as a whirlwind went over my ute last week, sucking up all the rubbish out the back and spreading it over vast distances, awesome!

So this job I am on finishes in a week or two, and after that, will move on to another job.  Tim, who I worked for last harvest, has called me repeatedly asking for me to come back and take his harvester south as a solo contractor.  Just like last time, moving around the country on my own with a harvester going from job to job, really really fun.  As Tim took a long time to pay me my final wages, I set him some 'requirements' for him if I was to work for him.  How funny is this, an employee setting his employer requirements.  So I'll let you know how that turns out.

Speak soon :D