Ahhh... although Bundy was hell for its early mornings, crappy money and feeling dirty ALL the time... I would not trade those months for all the money in the word.
God, we had fun.
Usually - much to the dismay of our livers and those trying to sleep... but, yes, we had fun.
I have never been known for my budgeting and saving skills.
It's true now and it was obscenely evident when I was in Australia.
How I could spend 8 months of the year picking fruit... and leave with a total of close to $100 or so in my pocket, is unfathomable.
But... I guess my frivolous spending only added to the adventure... maybe?
I like my advice to myself...
STOP SMOKING!
Hands down...
Saddest day EVER... but I could not have been happier to have NOT missed it.
Peter & Ethel's leaving party...
After years of putting up with hooligans like us, they finally made the sale and decided to move on with their lives... away from a life of babysitting fruit-picking, drunks.
LOVE these two.
The friendships I made at City Centre Backpackers were comparable to nothing else I ever experienced in my lifetime.
We laughed... we cried...
But mostly, we just picked fruit and drank.
We were all in the same crumby boat... and we became family.
I can only look back and be proud that I documented so much. I was always an avid photo taker and always a writer... thought most of the time (at that age), it was more gibberish than anything else!
Leaving was tough.
I did vow never to pick another tomato in my entire life. I am now 48... bordering 49... and I have kept that promise to myself so far!
Although Ethel and Peter had already departed from City Centre Backpacker life, they came along to wish us well as we boarded the Northbound bus and headed out of Bundaberg for the final time.
There were MANY tears... this had become my home!
We screwed up and had accidentally booked the bus for the day before. Idiots. Bus ticket from Bundy to Airlie for the 18th when we actually were leaving got the 19th.
Thank goodness there were a couple vacant seats to accommodate us.
Rick was going to charge us a day fee unless we got everything out of the room.
He was a bit of a jerk…
More Bundy memories...
