So aside from a minor delay and questionable neighbour in jazzy blue satin shirt my flight was uneventful. Farmer Chris (who was engaging...almost funny...over text and our phonecall) seemed pleasant enough. My backpack was put into the back of a refrigerated van next to a bit of dead pig (which was shortly moved to another van (owned nice, friendly farmer friend Jimmy). Conversation didn't exactly flow. After an hour or so I was beginning to regret not taking Caroline's suggestion of a list of small talk topics (aside: Caroline took a photo of me as I left and bid me farewell with 'please don't let me be the last person to see you'). Chris really was a man of few to no words but ran a very hot car so I was at least warm. Anyhoo hours passed, the sun set and about three hours in the radio was turned on. Questions such as 'so why did you choose goats?' Were answered with 'goats chose me'. Right, moving on then! It was like blood from a stone. We stopped in the nearest town which was hopping. It had a bowling alley! Ahem. We went to aldi where he loaded a trolley with cheap meat and full cream uht milk. Yummy. Then continued our journey into the darkness - he actually volunteered information about the river here! About an hour later we arrived at the farm. I felt foolish in a pale jumper and flip flops, more so as I stepped out into a very muddy puddle (I see a new pair in my future). The thing that struck my most on opening the door was the overwhelming aroma of goat. The goats were everywhere.
Rather than sort of repeat myself I will actually repeat myself: this sums up arrival!
So I thought I'd update you from my new gaff. Left a gloriously sunny sydney, was met by farmer Chris who, whilst perfectly nice, will not be winning any awards for small talk. Or indeed talk. I'm reliably informed by my fellow co workers that I have had more conversation with him than they have in months. Anyhoo, I digress.
So farmer chris and I drove in his refrigerated van for 4 hours. 4 hours away from civilisation. I have never been further away from anything before. I am literally in the middle of nowhere. Nearest town is 1hr away...it has a bowling alley. We did stop at an aldi where Chris bought us chicken wings and full cream uht milk.
It is muddy here - flip flops were a poor travelling shoe. There are goats everywhere. EVERYWHERE. Everything smells of goat. A baby goat died in the 'living room' this evening. Tomorrow morning first job is to sweep the paddock for abandoned kids. Save what can be saved, burn what has already croaked it. Whilst being followed by goats. The goats that are everywhere. My fellow farm workers are two northern girls. One finishes in 3 days and she looks ready to run for the hills. The other is a peppy 20year old who is only a month in. They both look greasy because 'water is precious'. So precious that we have already run out of it.
The toilet is outside and full of goats. It is also not flushing because there is no water. The water isn't drinkable either because it is rain water. I will be showering in rain water.
I am currently in my bed, wearing a lot of clothes and under a duvet with no sheet. It is freezing. I am wearing a hat.
There is no Internet but my phone does work so that's a plus! Another plus is that I am finding the whole situation rather hilarious so far, but I did shower this morning and my sleeping clothes smell delightfully of fabric conditioner. I don't think this will last. The goats are peering in at my window. And bleating. They are everywhere.
3 months is sure to fly by...
No comments:
Post a Comment