Our training area is located about 180km north Brisbane. The plane touched down at Rockhampton airpot at 2025hrs. 3 hours later, after the collection of our luggage and settling the administration matters, we reached our training area by coach. The temperature at night reached as low as 17 degree Celsius which was rather cooling. The sun rises around 0445 and sets before 1800. During the period when we were there, the area was in the transition from cold to hot and humid weather. Hence the nights were felt to become less cold. Thankfully it wasn't very humid and so the days were still bearable, much better than Darwin, with max temperature around 31 C.
Both the accomodation and toilet facilities couldn't be anywhere near satisfactory level compared to the previous training area. Imagine yourself sleeping above soil and ash (due to the recent burning), or having to muster strength to pull the buckets of filled water up, using simple pulley system that is primarily made of rope, after a tiring day just to bathe to feel clean. And imagine that whenver you wipe your face with wet tissue, it always turned out to be black; or blow your nose and it's black too. It's all due to the ash.
Though the living conditions weren't as good compared to the previous traning area, I would prefer the training in Rockhampton to that in Darwin. Basically, it's because I had got less things to do. That's why. Haha. Anyway, I sustained yet another injury. I hurt my left thumb with a 5-kg hammer while trying to knock some metal out. There was internal bleeding, evident from my thumb nail. Luckily, I could still move my thumb and so there was no fracture. The dried up blood is still visible now inside my nail.
I also enjoyed my free-and-easy time more. We stayed a night over at Welcome Home motel. Indeed, everything was much like you've come home, cosy and heartwarming. At night, we decided to explore the small little town of North Rockhampton and bought a bottle of Whiskey, and Breaka milk from Coles situated inside the new plaza, whose name I have forgotten. We rented a DVD too, Sex Traffic, and watched it while drinking Whiskey mixed with coffee milk. Anyway, the movie was about the illegal trading of women to brothels in eastern Europe - to me, it's too sad a story that I wouldn't want to finish watching it and left to sleep midway through. I had bacon with egg for breakfast the next morning. It's delicious even though the bacon was a bit too salty.
Some 'interesting' happenings to share: There's this strip dancer bar or something in the small town which, according to our coach driver, only open at 2230. As we were required to be back to our motels by 2300, most of us gave up the idea to take a look or satisfy our curiosity. However, the bar actually opened around 2000 and some of us got lucky enough, in their context, to witness other country's night life. So while some had got back to their motels, some others were enjoying themselves, paying 10 auzis and a strip dancer would do lap dance on you. lol.
Alright, shall stop here. Merry X'mas! God bless!
