I
have now been in Australia for just over 2 months and life
is fantastic.
I started in Sydney where I stayed with a friend, Linda, for
a couple of weeks. Whilst there I sorted out a few things
regarding getting settled here in Oz and then, through a stroke
of fate, I was introduced and decided to buy my favourite
vehicle in the world. I’ve only ever owned three vehicles
and two of them were the same … yes, I became the proud owner
of a lime green kombi campervan!
My New Kombi
I decided
that seeing as I didn’t have a home, a kombi would be perfect
as it would mean that I could move my belongings around easily
and have somewhere to sleep, eat, wash and entertain in the
meantime. In addition, they are such practical vehicles with
the ample space for moving large items and carrying massage
tables, I felt that it would be a worthy investment. This
time, I chose a very well kitted out and looked after vehicle
with a cupboard to hang my shirts and ties, cooker, fridge
and excellent stereo. It also has an excellent engine and
new tyres.
I cruised
up to Brisbane and stayed with Travis and Stacey, friends
of mine from New Zealand and fortunately, they needed a house-sitter
a few days after I arrived for a fortnight so I had a base
whilst I looked for somewhere to live on a permanent basis.
I got to know the area and am amazed by the one-way system
in the city. It really is quite unique and it took me a few
trials before I realised the penalty for not knowing exactly
where you are going. Even the motorways are novel as if you
get off at a junction, you can’t guarantee that there’ll be
an on-ramp nearby to rejoin it so when stopping for directions
you can get snookered. The final noticeable trait I’ve found
with the maps and roads is the fact that when two roads cross
on a map, this does not ensure that you can take that turning.
Simple, however a fatal mistake to make when heading to a
meeting across the bridge.
For
those who haven’t been to Brisbane, it is a city of I believe
1.8 million people just above the centre of Australia
on the East coast. The climate is on the tropical side with
temperatures averaging around 27degrees most of the year.
At the moment it is cooler so that you actually need a duvet
or blanket at night – when I first arrived it was warm enough
to sleep with just a sheet and I suggest that this is the
norm. The city itself is slightly inland and there is a large
river which meanders through the centre of town.
The Storey Bridge, Brisbane
There
is the Storey Bridge which is like a mini Sydney-harbour bridge
and a few other crossings and the north side of the river
is built up with a number of high-rise buildings. It is not
as extensive as many other cities I’ve seen due to the population
demands.
I
live in a part of town called New Farm which is slightly
alternative and quite central. I have a beautiful park plus
a collection of practical and useful shops 2 mins from my
house. There is a supermarket, health food shop, chemist,
library, church, fruit and veg shop, book shop and a number
of eateries and cafes – some open till very late.
I live
in a house 10 mins from the centre of town and only 5 mins
away from the party area known as 'The Valley'. The house
is called a ‘Queenslander’ which means that it is two stories
where you use the first floor to live in and the ground floor
for storage or a garage. The reason behind this is that it
encourages a cooler home environment in the summer months.
I live in a large front room on this quiet street split between
two sections – a bedroom and an office, and across the road
I have a friend with whom I swap massages. In addition, my
weekly rent is only £36 with no heating costs and only
a small amount for bills. Brilliant.
I
have a new young lady friend I met shortly after arriving
in Brisbane as a result of talking to a pianist at a hotel
I was visiting. Her name is Leah Rush and she’s an international
jazz singer.
The POWERcard I designed for Leah
She sounds
incredible and she is my favourite female vocalist of this
style. She is 25 and has inspiration from singers like Elle
Fitzgerald and Roberta Flack; she has also performed on the
Orient Express across Australia a number of times. She has
recently been asked to open a 5 Star hotel in Osaka, Japan
and will be there for 3 months – they loved her style which
they saw on her DVD. Brilliant, I’m so pleased for her. In
addition, she plays with some amazing musicians. There is
a duo she sings with sometimes called Brass Monkeys. Between
the two of them they have a quintet: the pianist also plays
the trumpet, simultaneously! and the guitarist is primarily
a saxophonist who also sings. They sound amazing when they’re
performing.
We’ve been enjoying and exploring Brisbane live music venues
and also escaping to mountain parks to watch the sun rise
and eat dinner (delicious Chinese cuisine in the kombi of
course!). Her friends are an eclectic bunch and one of them
sings for the radio adverts so we hear him all the time –
it’s very novel and something I like about Australia. I find
that life is focused enough on the smaller picture so that
people can become well known for being good at something.
On the
work front
I have been helping out with a Personal Development trainer
and his sales and marketing. I gave a talk in the office the
other day on the Sales process which is something I never
considered I’d do. I am happy with the model I’m using and
feel that it ensures that people buy things which are appropriate
for them and are pleased with their purchase as opposed to
the traditional ‘Objection handling’ and hard selling. It
really has been excellent for my confidence and ability in
getting things done and empowering people to make powerful
decisions. There is a possibility that I’ll do this on a consistent
basis and I’m in discussions at the moment to determine the
outcome. Ideally, if I do, I’ll work a 3½-4 day week
which will give me time to pursue my own business ideas –
it won’t be long till I can minimise my ‘work’ so that I choose
when to be there.
I
have had some exciting experiences since I’ve been
here. On one occasion, I was in a little village, Nimbin,
in northern New South Wales. The weather was amazing and at
one point, I returned to my kombi to find my thermometer off
the scale – in other words the temperature in my home was
over 55 degrees!
Hot in the kombi tonight!
To
cool down I had a wander around town. At one point I was in
a herb shop when I saw a guy come in and start chatting to
the girl behind the counter. They were friends and he’d just
returned from Brisbane, 2 hours north, where he’d been for
a while. He was looking for a lift up to a friend’s house
so as I wasn’t up to anything, I offered my services. They
lived in a beautiful, new house on the side of the valley.
It was completely surrounded by rainforest and a delightful
place to relax. We chatted, ate freshly frozen slices and
chunks of mango from a friend’s tree and discussed interesting
subjects ranging from self-sufficient farms through to sales
technique and life. Apparently there are 7 degrees of separation
between all of us: what continues to amaze me is that in a
country such as Australia, that is often reduced to 2 or 3.
What we realised later is that we had met before at a Rainbow
Gathering in Far North Queensland 3 years previously. I stayed
here for a couple of days and finished off my stay as we left
for a party out at a friend’s house in the bush. What amazed
me was how far people were willing to drive to get to party
– it was verging on 1 ½ hours through the beautiful
lush bush arriving on the side of a valley to find the house
– the last one on the road link to the electric grid.
The house where the party was out. Looking down from
the veranda
And
just this past weekend, I climbed Mount Warning to
watch the sunrise. I drove from a friend’s place to the base
of the mountain, arriving late at night before catching a
couple of hours sleep before we had to leave. I scaled the
mountain in record time as I thought I’d missed my friends
and they were ahead of me. What I found on reaching the summit,
was that my friends were behind me! It was an awesome experience
and the world looked amazing at that time in the morning.
Looking down from Mount Warning at dawn
Click
here to enjoy the photos
I’ll
finish off here as this has turned in to quite a novel.
I’m thinking of writing some stories for books so if you have
any feedback about my style, what you like, what I could improve
and what you’d like to hear (if you had a choice) then I’d
really appreciate it. You’ll be the first to receive a copy
when I publish!
Have
a Sensational day!
Amazing!
David
xx
Email
david@woodier.com
Mb/Txt: +61 (0)410 258 031
Hm: +61 (0)7 3358 5494
28 Mark Street, New Farm, QLD 4005, Australia
_________________________________
Living With Passion!
http://www.woodier.com/david
Time
is not measured by the passing of years, but by what one does,
what one feels and what one achieves.
Jawaharlal
Nehru, 1889-1964 Indian Nationalist, Statesman
Design
and photos by david@woodier.com,
April 2003
