Australia a Working Holiday

Another day job, this time for King Living Australia. Every three months the rearrange their furniture and get new models. I helped assembling furniture and rearranging them in the store.

I was amazed by the kindness and generosity of the staff and the location manager Troy.

Since an overseas drivers license is valid only for the first 6 month, I went to the NSW Service office to transfer my drivers license. It was a very uncomplicated and straight forward process. It didn't take long. That's something I really appreciate about Australia.

This is just the provisionally license. The real plastic cards are send to me in the next days.

In order to do farm work and being more flexible, I started looking for a car that fits my needs. I was looking for a car that I can rely on. That's the most important thing I was looking for.

And yet again I'm grateful that I have some experience when it comes to car mechanics to make (hopefully) the right decision.

For some reason the feelings I had for certain memories came back. Not relieving those good memories in particular, but re-feeling the emotions. 

It's such a beautiful thing, because I thought I lost them forever.

I believe it really has to do with the process of healing I experience since I'm here.

I already heard about that kind of cinema experience but never been to a screening before until now. As a passionate future filmmaker it was sort of a necessity for me. I was watching "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" with a friend I just met a few weeks ago here in Sydney.

How I'd describe this cinema experience:
Well it was worth it, but In my opinion it could benefit from VR instead of staring on a still screen. I didn't\t feel really drawn into the story itself, which misses the whole point of watching a movie. There've been moments when the action/motion was good, but then in certain scenes there was no motion (of the seats) at all that could have exaggerated the experience. When a movie is made for 4DX experience I believe it's another level of directing, not just on set and in post, but also in the cinema itself to make it a whole, flawless experience. I didn't feel that in this movie.

Yet another day job unloading containers for Penline. As the name implies, it's a warehouse for storing pens and other stationary.

There've been quite a few attractive offers for backpacker cars. Although this 2004 Toyota RAV4 has ran over 300,000 km I decided to get it since Toyota is renowned for its reliability. This is something I valued the most when picking a car for this journey.

2.5l Inline 4 cylinder
Manual Transmission

The previous owner gave him the name "Rupert".

Picking up Rupert and driving through the city. After finishing the Rego (Registration) I was driving home, in the dark, but it was easier than expected. It's hard to find a parking slot for free in Sydney. There are some streets where you can park, otherwise you pay 80$ for one night. I left Rupert a 20 min bus ride from the hostel before we went on.

After five weeks of staying in the Nomads hostel in downtown Sydney I checked out and started to live in my car, testing the life of a backpacker on a road trip.

Before that I got a new mobile contract, so I can continue working on my businesses. It's quite a new experience but it's really an exciting one that I will enjoy.

On my way up the east coast I'm looking for the perfect spot to take photos of the beautiful nature. This is just one of the reasons I decided to come to Australia. As a photographer it's a paradise. I could spend a lifetime traveling around and taking photos, capturing the rich and rare beauty for eternity. It also gave me a better understanding why it's so important to take care of our planet. I believe that's another thing that Australia stands for.

I arrived at night at the first campsite on the trip. When I was heading to the next stop in the morning I was amazed by the view that was offered me. Also two little roos crossed the street 20m in front of the car.

Staying on both free and paid campsites. The price range is between 15 to 35$ per night. The paid sites offer bathroom facilities while staying on free campsites means using public toilets and sometimes not being able to take a shower for a couple of days. But this is the true backpacker life. It's worth experiencing once in a lifetime. 

I also checked the oil fill stand of my car, since relying on the car that much it's crucial to maintain it as best as it can get without proper tools.

I didn't spend much time in Byron Bay, the famous surfer paradise, but enough to capture a fe nice shots. Even taking long-exposure shots hand-held. It's something I'm slowly getting used to, since carrying a tripod is annoying sometimes.

Using the app "Travelmate" isn't always reliable, since some supposed campsites don't exist anymore as they were displayed in the app. This led me to a paid park 1h in the west of Brisbane.

Stayed here for a couple of days, to be able to apply for jobs and to enjoy the beautiful nature here. This park also reminds me of the Center Parks in Europe where I was on vacation with my parents a few times as a kid.

Improvised office. The internet connection isn't the best (if there is one at all) but at least I don't rely on normal power outlets anymore. Before going on this road trip I purchased a 12V to 240V power inverter to be able to charge all my gear using the car as a generator.

On my photography bucket list is a long-exposure of a water fall. I used this opportunity in the Tamborine National park (next to the campsite of Cedar Creek) to try capturing the one shot. But as always, I'm still not 100% satisfied. But for now, it's a good starting point.

Back in Sydney I was told if I try it, I shall start with a tiny bit first. So did I, and then I got more on the bread until I had a usual amount. To be honest it tasted better than the canned pasta I had the day before.

In order to be able to get a second Working Holiday visa granted I have to look for jobs that are either in agriculture or hospitality. Like fruit picking, general farm work or housekeeping and other hospitality jobs.

Since winter is coming soon, there's not much framework to do. I almost always get the same answer, farmers aren't looking at the moment or I shall send my resume to be considered later, once the new season started.

But fortunately I got a connection from a previous day job. A fellow immigrant has a friend who's immigration agent and I contacted him. This is the first and very important step for me. But I'll keep trying to find an 88 day job, to have a backup plan and to fully live the backpackers life.

On the way of finding a typical backpacker's job I fell in love with the feeling of the countryside. The rural and wide land, the heat but also the forests and jungle. I didn't travel far to witness that and I'm looking forward to new adventures.

A part of the life of a backpacker or digital nomad is to improvise, finding new ways to do sometimes the most basic things. Cooking pasta and warming the sauce in one pot one after the other. Making holes in a plastic menu box to have a kitchen sieve for example. But when you're in need you'll find creative ways to solve almost anything.

On the way back to Sydney, I was resting at the resting area of New Italy. It was the first Italian Settlement here in New South Wales. It's a beautiful place, the site has a museum, gift shop and a cafe. Playing typical Italian music in the yard and serving good Italian dishes makes it a must to stop by.

Unfortunately I just spent one night there before heading back home. I also used the time to set up my new online store where I'm going to sell my best photographs as prints on canvas. The integration ist already set, all I need is to design the store to my liking. This is the life of a digital nomad, a nomadic entrepreneur.

Along the Pacific Highway back to Sydney I stopped by at the "Sandy Beach" and it hit me like a punch in the face when I discovered this beautiful landscape of the coastline. It reminds me of more than one movie so I had to snap a few pics. Although I found it really tough to capture the beauty in a single photograph it's opportunities like those that keep me growing as a photographer.