BREAKING NEWS

IT'S OVER!  I'M DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mantas and puppies and wobbegongs, OH MY!!!

The only word for today is WOW.  It was my first day back at the boat, and I was excited to do some proper diving (ie NOT the Rocks in Bundy).  I was excited to see all of the crew again, and got busy catching up on the “goss” right away.  As I was walking to the boat, chatting away, a little blck speck caught my eye and stopped me dead in my tracks.  Six teeny tiny cocker spaniel puppies, all solid black, were rolling around in a heap in the grass and it was all I could do to tear myself away without hiding one in my tote bag.  Pretty sure I pierced Rachel’s eardrum with the squealing.  So that was a fun start to the day!!!

The ride out was not quite so lovely, especially when enhanced by last night’s tequila shots.  Hmmmm.  Great plan, that.  I figured I’d feel better after jumping the water, but sadly, bc of some crew drama, the only person available to drive the boat for the morning dive was not rescue certified, so I had to stay on the boat to do surface watch.  Right before the divers surfaced, though, we were treated to the amazing sight of a big manta ray coming to the surface.  Very cool to see.
During our afternoon dive in the lagoon, I was excited to notice the instructor point into a small cave and give the sign for shark.  I swam over and positioned myself in front of the opening to look for the telltale fin, but couldn’t see anything swimming around.  I shot a quizzical look in her direction, and she pointed down.  Aha!  Not just any shark, but a wobbegong!!!  It’s a funny name for a quite funny looking shark.  Very unusual and the first time I’ve seen one, so exciting stuff for me. 
On the way home, the boat slowed down and we heard screams from the upper deck.  As everyone rushed to the windows and decks, one of the crew announced over the microphone that they had spotted humpback whales and we would be stopping to watch – and, obviously, take about a zillion photos.  It turned out to be one adult and a calf.  The pair seemed delighted to have an audience, and repeatedly flipped their tails and waved their flukes at us.  Everyone on the boat oohed and ahhed in unison, cameras clicking away.  It was quite a spectacular sight, especially since they were very close to the boat.  I was completely captivated by the sheer size of the magnificent creatures.  We had a false alarm when we saw two more fins a little later, but they turned out to be dolphins.  You know it’s been a pretty awesome day when you see fins pop out of the water and think, oh, it’s just dolphins; no big deal.  WOW.

PUPPIES!!!!

So today I was here (where they have wifi - and beer):

And then this guy (typical Mitchell resident) came in trying to sell these guys:

And the pub bought one!!!  His name is Bruno (on the left) and he's so sweet & adorable I almost can't stand it.  The girls working in the pub are threatening to kidnap him and take him back to Sweden with them and I can't blame them.

Sadly I didn't manage to capture it in the photo, but please note the little bit of black noticeable below the brim of the man's hat.  I shit you not, it is the bottom of a tattoo - about two inches high - that says MUM.  Welcome to Mitchell, y'all.

Welcome to Mitchell, pop. 900 902

I have now officially arrived in the Outback proper.  Mitchell, as my guidebook pointed out, is a one-street town.  I was incorrect in my initial assumption that they don’t have so much as a stoplight – there is, in fact, one light on the bridge.  I stand corrected.  There is also one gas station, one grocery store, and at least three bar/motel/restaurants, AKA “hotels.”  In Australia, this is an all-encompassing term.  I arrived in town on a Greyhound bus with one other backpacker, a French girl, to begin a term of six weeks’ work at the Hotel Mitchell.  Upon my arrival, I was somewhat disheartened to realize that Mitchell makes Bundaberg look like a bustling metropolis.
It is certainly a stark contrast.  For one thing, the population is quite a contrast to that of Bundy.  There is an Aboriginal tribal land here and consequently a very large population of native people.  It seems that most of the townspeople are related in one form or another.  Certainly they all know one another, and I garnered a few odd looks on the (quite short) stroll to the grocery store on my first day.  Outsiders are most certainly welcomed in the friendly and affable manner typical of most Australians; despite what Paul Hogan may have led you to believe, there is less “g’day, mate” and more “howyagoing,” not so much  question as a polite greeting.  Even the local sheep (and one goat) seemed startled to see me as I passed by the field where they were grazing.
As in most small, quiet country towns, there is not much to do in Mitchell.  This is where the hotels come into play.  Between the bar, off-track betting on horse and dog races, and video slot machines (aka “pokies,” short for poker machines – still trying to wrap my head around that little peculiarity), we have managed to stay pretty well occupied during our working hours thus far.  In our off hours, there is also the illustrious diversion of television – all three channels.
On our first night in town, Muriel (the other barmaid) and I were treated to a rousing evening of karaoke interspersed with beer, pizza, more beer, a patron who insisted on spinning us around the, uh, dance floor, and more beer.  This made for a very interesting first day of employment, but we managed to recover after a brief post-breakfast nap.  Fortunately, the accommodation is actually quite comfortable, and superior to the house in Bundy in that we have a space heater.  Sadly, the room is not “en-suite,” and therefore casts us in the role of rednecks (locally referred to as “bogans”) per the official Jeff Foxworthy declaration that going to the bathroom in the middle of the night requires shoes and a flashlight.  To be fair, they do leave the lights on, but add a jacket to that list.  It’s damn cold at night.

Main St in Mitchell - butcher, bakery, grocery store, pharmacy, & that's about it.

Moving to the Outback!

So the time has come for me to find a job.  No, a PAYING job.  Sadly, I am not yet finished with my DM course/internship, but I am also low on funds, so off I go to the middle of nowhere to bartend & replenish my bank account!  I leave tonight for the 8 zillion hour bus ride to Mitchell, QLD.  The job includes a place to stay & meals, so I am very excited.  Off to pack, hopefully more updates soon (crossing my fingers that there is internet service at my new place)!  :-)

Tonight we're gonna party like it's...1770?

Two of the boat crew are leaving (Priscilla bc she's going to study for her skipper's license, and Tim bc he broke his leg drunkenly jumping over a fence; "oops"), so I stayed up in 1770 last night for the farewell festivities.  As you can see, a good time was had by all.

This was the beginning of the evening

The whole crew, complete with broken leg

Why yes, this is the boat captain.

Hard at work

The entertainment portion of the boat ride; a melodious duet of "On Top of Spaghetti."  Complete with ludicrous fake Italian accent.  For reals.