At the start of last week I got told that my days on the work-site would be reduced, slow production of the kitchens at the factory meant my workload fell. Not what I wanted to hear but thankfully my IT work was still ongoing.
Tight arse Tuesday I wandered over to the Northcote cinema and watched ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel‘. I really enjoy Wes Anderson’s stuff, his style is so recognisable and showcases many talented actors. This film is definitely more adult themed than the others he has done, a bit of sexy there and violence here, but also still bloody funny. Dan gives this film a Thumbs Up. Afterwards I met up with Sam at the usual, to eat the usual and have a few jugs of the usual.
We drank a fair selection of beers that night, enough to give me a bit of a mind blank… Did I pay before leaving?! My bank card and ID in my wallet would assure me that I did. On that Wednesday I headed out to Clayton and worked 9-6pm without a single blooming break. On the way home a nasty drunk was terrorising the tram I was on but a few stops later was wrestled off by about 5 cops. A few beers were needed that night, Punk IPA tinnies sorted me out.
Talking about beer (is he joking?) Thursday morning I cycled down to my local homebrew store to pick-up some grains and hops, today I would be brewing a ‘Dark Island’ clone. Well at least it should be roughly the same, as long as it’s dark and tastes fecking scrummy I’ll be a happy chappy. I brewed the same day and was being mucked around by my boiler, it was cutting out and just being a general pain in the ass. Reluctantly I was forced to become an electrician for about 5 minutes as I tore out a fuse, bypassed it then turned on the boiler again praising Jebus I wouldn’t be zapped. It all worked out fine though and the boiler kicked back into life. 3rd brew here, I’m feeling optimistic about this one… 🙂
Friday was an early start being back on-site with the boys. I’d brought my backpack with me as the plan that weekend was to go camping. I wasn’t sure where but I’d received a text from Rose just a day or two before about it, saying that Nat and some others would be going. I just said Yes. After work I got the train into the city, briefly looked about for a sleeping bag but gave up then headed to Rose’s hoose, the meet up point. Not too long after arriving Fayez and his girlfriend Annie turned up then Jeremy (Jezza). The plan of camping that night all ready crumbling at my feet with Nat pulling out, Jezza too then Rose. Fayez and Annie were determined to go that night so they did. The remaining three ended up drinking and visiting Nat & Kath’s house but we were all in agreement that an early start was needed to rejoin our comrades.
Surprisingly we were up before 8am the next day, feeling slightly zombie-like with less of a hunger for brains but more water and an egg & bacon roll. It took a few hours for us to get sorted, buy extra food, wait for Jezza to get up and finally hit the road. The journey there shouldn’t actually take that long (90mins) but we managed to double the time needed, to be fair though we were in no rush and it was a lovely drive. I also got to see Roo’s in the wild for the first time! 😀 The camping spot was located at O’Briens Crossing in Lerderderg Forest (think of Team America when you say that name) which is part of the Wombat State Forest. Once we entered the forest it was still a good few km’s of dirt road to the site which, thankfully, wasn’t a proper camp-site but a lovely spot right next to the creek. Fayez and Annie were here from the night before so the spot was sorted all we needed to do was setup the tarp and our tent. Fire on the go and beers cracked open, ahhhh this is what it’s all about, get away from the city, this is what I want to do more of. Nat turned up about an hour after us then the night really kicked off with tunes, toasted marshmallows, booze, chat, baked tatties and other stuff I can’t remember.
Fairly pimpin’ setup right there
The next day was tough for everyone, especially Jezza who attempted to pitch his tent on the other side of the creek whilst having polished off a bottle of Laphroaig whisky. He was the last to wake. At least we had proper coffee (in the cafetiere’s) and I cooked up a bunch of sausages. The Sunday would be a very relaxed and subdued one, weather was great and there was no need to do anything. I did attempt to chop up a felled tree with no major success, Woodsman Dan I’m clearly not (I think it’s because I didn’t have a lumberjack shirt on). Dinner that night was fantastic, Fayez and Annie cooked up a storm with spicy beef bolognese and pasta followed by baked peanut butter chocolate banana’s. Oh NOM. I love camp-fire cooking it just feels so much more rewarding. We worked through the last of our booze and had a very civilised last night in the woods.
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Sunday morning
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The view from our spot with Jezza’s tent to the right
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SAUSAGES
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Monday morning
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No food just Guinness
Thanks to the Queen being born a while back Monday was a public holiday for all. I was awoken by a Kookaburra screaming out his monkey noises just a few metres from the tent. First up so I got the fire going in preparation for morning coffee and food. It’s a great feeling waking up in the wilderness. Once everyone else was up and the fire set in it’s ways I got breakfast under way, with Rose chopping up the rest of the veg it was chucked in a pan with about 10 eggs then left to bubble away. The group agreed it was rather tasty. The camp was then packed up with a high degree of efficiency and we stopped off at the pub, The Pig and Whistle, just outside the entrance to the forest for a pint. As soon as we’d left the Wombat State Forest Jezza had the car stopped and backed up. Road kill, just like home, is fairly common here but instead of rabbits and the odd deer it’s wombat’s and roo’s. Tagged by a ranger and lying next to the road was a female wombat and her child resting on top of her. First time I’ve seen these animals in the wild, very grim circumstances. After the pub we headed back to Melbourne and into another pub, Town Hall, in North Melbourne. I destroyed a cheese and bacon smothered parma, Jebus was a stuffed after that. Got a lift home, chucked clothes in the wash (I hadn’t changed for 3 days), chucked myself in for a wash then KO’d once my head hit the pillow.
I bloody loved this weekend, one of the best times I’ve had in Oz so far. 😀
ADVENTURE DAN! 